What does BREXIT mean for holistic therapists?
Like all of us, I woke this morning to a new, and unexpected, political and business landscape. All the polls suggested that we would remain in Europe, but this turned out, rather resoundingly, to not be the case.
As I walked the dog in a coastal fog, low rolls of thunder out to sea – even the weather reflecting the lack of clarity and worry many feel today – I tried to puzzle out what this means for holistic therapists with small businesses, those who work in spas, our students and those in our industry from outwith the UK. The people have spoken. Now what?
Much of the legislation that affects our industry is formulated in Europe. Will, for example, the Working Time Regulations be dropped in the UK? Will we lose parental leave rights? Will it become easier to employ people without a mass of red tape? What happens to EU regulations that have been enacted, but which have an implementation period, such as the new Data Protection Rules? Should we still implement these?
Most importantly, how will it affect our customers? Uncertainty leads to stress, yet a potential economic downturn means people spend less on discretionary products and services. Will those of us who sell products internationally still have access to EU markets? How do we find new ones? Will those of us who provide services such as Skype consultations internationally be constrained from doing so, or is this a new era of open trade? The fact is, we just don’t know yet.
We do know that things won’t change overnight. Greenland’s exit took three years and experts reckon we will remain members, albeit with less influence, for the next two years. We will be working in a period of uncertainty and this will present both challenges and opportunities.
Whatever happens, there’s one thing you can be sure of. Holistic Therapist Magazine will be here for you, helping you meet those challenges and make the most of those opportunities – providing what you need to build the business you want and to live a life you love!
Alison, Jayson, Vicky and everyone at Holistic Therapist