In the latest episode of the Real World Entrepreneurship podcast, hosts Alan Clarke and Bhairav Patel discuss strategies for guiding your business through periods of economic and political uncertainty. As an entrepreneur or startup founder, uncertainty is par for the course, but layering on additional unknowns can make decision-making even more challenging.

The key takeaways from their discussion include:

1. Embrace the chaos. Uncertainty is a constant in the business world. Rather than letting it paralyze you, accept it as the normal state of affairs and focus on what you can control.
2. Prioritize risk mitigation. Conduct a risk assessment of your business operations, weighting factors like industry outlook, client stability, team capability, and financial runway. Use this to objectively evaluate your position and make contingency plans.
3. Maintain financial discipline. Economic uncertainty makes proper financial management critical. Ensure you have clear separation between operating cash flow and funds being held for liabilities like taxes. Work to establish a 6-18 month financial runway to ride out potential disruptions.
4. Invest in your team. Your employees are a key asset and source of stability during uncertain times. Be transparent, keep morale up, and avoid giving them reasons to get spooked and leave, as replacing talent becomes harder in a chaotic environment.
5. Look for opportunity. Uncertainty and change always create new needs in the market. Think proactively about how to diversify your offerings and solve emerging customer pain points. An unsettled landscape can also drive competitors out of business, potentially boosting demand for those still standing.
6. Steady, forward progress. While you need to scenario plan and adapt, avoid overreacting to every new development. Extreme behavior and rash decisions are more likely to harm than help. The goal is persistent, level-headed forward momentum, not erratic direction changes.

Most importantly, don’t neglect your own mental wellbeing as a leader. Take time to disconnect, de-stress and regain objectivity. Keep calm and carry on, as they say – those with cooler heads and more preparation will be best positioned to navigate their businesses through to the other side of uncertain times.