While business leaders across the UK are trying to understand how best to handle the impact of the Brexit referendum, they’re naturally cautious; it’s a position being exacerbated by the plethora of conflicting information in news headlines and predictions from experts and lobby groups.

Sandler UK CEO Shaun Thomson advocates a different approach in a new whitepaper titled The Brexit Distraction – how SMEs can avoid being stuck in an “inbetweener” year, which highlights the need to avoid Brexit inertia and grasp the opportunities presented by “coasting” competitors.

Shaun said: “We’re in a position where nobody – politicians, economists or global companies alike – knows what the landscape will look like after Brexit. While many business leaders are sitting on their hands in this environment, there are fantastic opportunities to be had for forward-thinking companies around employee engagement, recruitment, sales and leadership culture.

“Brexit is the issue that will continue to dominate thinking and media headlines, so promoting our expertise in this area in national media delivers tangible benefits for our franchisees at a local level. Positioning the Sandler brand at the forefront of the issues that matter to SMEs across the country, they’re seen as a leader and a driver of growth.”

The whitepaper has been covered by the Daily Express and Real Business among other outlets, with Shaun regularly contributing to media to keep the brand in the spotlight. As a highly collaborative network of business owners, Sandler franchisees and the head office team are sharing experiences to equip themselves with the solutions their clients need – and differentiating themselves from the competition.

Shaun commented: “Our franchisees enjoy being part of an international brand with a very strong presence, and our role as a franchisor is to make sure we’re harnessing that power at a UK level so they can benefit in their own business. We call it global reach with a local touch, and it’s a power that our competitors can’t match.”

The leadership is clearly working – Sandler reported year-on-year turnover growth of 24% across its franchise network in 2017.