Will 2026 be a year of Gloom or Boom? You can decide!
- coachmysales
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
We are now a month into 2026. Is it possible that the biggest threat to your growth this year isn't the tax increases, the NI hike, or the energy bill, but a "wait and see" mindset?
The headlines love to tell you 'gloom stories' - such as the UK slipping out of the top ten to 11th in the global manufacturing rankings. They want you to believe that the economic climate dictates your results. They miss important parts of the data such as: we are producing more value per worker than ever before.
But as an owner of an engineering or manufacturing business, you know better. You know that national statistics are just a backdrop - they aren't your P&L.
Henry Ford’s famous words are key here: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way you are probably right."
If you decide that the 'middle ground' of manufacturing is under siege and there’s no point in pushing, you’ll be right. You’ll stall and fail. But if you look at the facts, there is plenty of ground to gain:
🧊 The market is thawing: With the Manufacturing PMI at 51.6, we have initial signs that customers are finally moving past last year's "wait and see."
🚢 Exports are back: For the first time in four years, new export orders are rising. The demand for high-end British engineering hasn't gone away - are you positioned to meet it?
⚙️ Efficiency brings rewards: UK productivity has grown 70% in the last decade. We are becoming leaner and more capable of defending margins than the doomsayers suggest.
💷 Profit is a choice: Yes, 86% of SME manufacturers expect employment costs to rise. But the ones winning right now are focusing on higher-value niches and 'servitisation' of their offering. That pivot is already delivering 8% higher profits.
Your destiny isn't tied to any budget or treasury report. It’s tied to how sharply you execute your sales strategy and how aggressively you chase the high-value business currently on the table.
Are you going to be on the 😟 "Gloom" side and let the stats dictate your year, or are you going to sharpen your sales operation and decide to 😃 "Boom" anyway?
Please let me know in the comments where you stand 😃 'Boom' or 😟 'Gloom'. Also what do you think the keys are to ensuring you are on the track to ‘Boom’.
Need help with assessing what needs to change in your sales or in implementing those changes? Please get in touch for a free chat.
[Sources: S&P Global PMI (Jan 2026), Make UK/BDO Manufacturing Outlook, Make UK/PwC Executive Survey, Oxford Economics.]
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