The principle is very simple; skips provide evidence of optimism and investment. A skip represents financial activity. This activity might be a new bathroom, a landscaped garden, a new driveway, or the installation of double glazing. The one thing these all have in common is evidence of disposable income being spent.

So, how many skips make an economic recovery? I guess that depends on the area you are looking at. It might be an area, a long road, or the whole village. Like cranes on the skyline of a city, skips come and go, but there presence is a sign of economic hope.

I wonder how many skips the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee see on their way to work…

But it got me thinking about the term “recession proof”. I don’t think any organisation (with the possible exception of high street banks, given the government’s recent action) can ever be recession proof.

The best any business can hope to be is aware of the economic climate, and be able to adjust its business plan accordingly. Periods of growth demand a different strategy from a period of decline.

Are businesses out there struggling because they are unwilling to take the steps required to stay in good shape? No business has a “god-given right” to survive, not even a charity.