As this very topsy turvy year lurches to a close, the usual ‘socials’ are off the agenda and many people are spending more time isolated and online than ever before.

It has been (and very much still is) impossible not to feel the effects of the pandemic in almost every corner of our lives. Tempers and tensions usually get a little higher at this time of year, and the additional pressures of lockdown seem to amplify that 10-fold.

There is no doubt that businesses everywhere have been badly hit by the pandemic. Small local enterprises have felt obliged to close, or shift strategy and pitch themselves ‘in the ring’ alongside huge global brands. A daunting challenge – pandemic or no pandemic.

It’s impossible (and unwise of me) to generalise – but the sectors of travel, hospitality, art and culture have been badly hit in these last 9 months. My business falls into all of those buckets, as do those of many of my friends.

They say ‘money makes the world go round’ but I believe it still requires real people to keep it spinning. A perspective easily forgotten in times of haste, stress, obligation and resentments.

I belong to numerous Facebook networking groups and one of them has just launched a new page exclusively to promote products and services offered by local women in business. We have all posted a video to introduce ourselves and what we do. I am usually the person behind the camera/editor suite and it’s extremely rare to find myself on both sides of it!