Will we come out of this disaster depressed, hopeless and despondent? Or will we come out stronger – fighting to rebuild, restore and reinvigorate our lives? It partly depends on what we believe our assets to be.

Assets which we already have, assets which we would like to have but don’t yet, and assets which we don’t even recognise as assets. In the many conversations I have with potential HMO investors – people who want to invest in hard assets but are scared or ignorant and need help – one common thread I hear time and time again, is that they have nothing to offer into a business deal.

They may have some cash as a deposit, but when I ask what other resources they bring to their business, many people look blankly at me, as if to say ‘well I’ve never done this before, so I don’t have any skills or knowledge in this area’. At that point I know I have to set them THE TASK.

THE TASK consists of writing a list of 50 (and if that doesn’t convince you) – 100 reasons – why you have the ability and skills *already *to run a successful business. If you’re not convinced, try it.

You’ll discover that you have untapped skills and abilities that you’ve never ever recognised as such. Being able to juggle a toddler and a baby whilst cooking dinner and posting to Facebook simultaneously may not appear to be a transferable skill, but in property, juggling is one of the most vital requirements for success. I bet there are a whole host of abilities you possess, but you’ve never seen them as an asset, and as a result have never believed in yourself enough to exchange them to create hard assets.

As we come out of this virulent feast, if we’re not to fail, investing in assets will be the key to turning it around. Soft assets are personal skills & intelligences for example entrepreneurial, interpersonal, mathematical, logical, artistic, creative or spatial skills. Specialised knowledge is also a soft asset. It can also be intellectual property or your brand. Hard assets are real estate, property, land, precious metals, art etc which are not liquid assets Liquid assets are stocks, shares and cash (and potentially pensions) Potential assets are tools such as hardware (cars, vans, computers, cameras or other equipment). (These are my personal definitions by the way)! So have a think.

What assets do you have now? Which do you need or want? Which do you value most?