Against the backdrop of an increasingly unstable market thanks to global geopolitical tensions, several financial records were broken when President Trump announced tariffs on goods being imported into the USA. We saw an unprecedented $6.4 trillion market-wide loss over two days, reported by the Wall Street Journal, and the Dow Jones lost more than 2,000 points in a single day for only the fourth time in history. For business leaders, this isn’t just volatility; it’s a clarion call to rethink resilience. They are naturally turning towards their accountants to help guide them through the instability and ensure continued liquidity. At HLB, we’ve long championed that turbulence isn’t a barrier—it’s a catalyst for reinvention.

Driving innovation
A key focus for businesses must be on driving innovation, which is no longer a luxury but a necessity. When faced with economic uncertainty and aggressive market shifts, companies which actively innovate are more likely to thrive. It might be easy to focus on the challenges, but there are also opportunities which present themselves in these stormy times – or which can be orchestrated through careful planning and business transformation. It may feel instinctual to keep things the same when the outside influences are so changeable, but in fact it’s a prime time to rethink business structure, logistics and customer engagement strategies.

With tariffs now in place across most of the world, companies importing into the USA should focus on building resilient and diverse supplier relationships in those countries where there are smaller tariffs in operation. Single-source systems should be replaced with a multi-source network as this reduces the risks of being tied solely to one region’s tariffs. Sustainability should also be built into operations, as this not only works towards ESG goals (for example, by decreasing supply chain emissions) but also reduces costs and frees up capital, which can then be reinvested in other parts of the business.

Agility is also crucial in times of turmoil, meaning it’s vital to foster an open mindset to experimentation, implementing innovative initiatives and replacing outdated processes. By having flexible goals, and being open to how the company achieves them, adaptations can be made quickly when necessary and creative solutions can be explored when challenges like the introduction of tariffs arise. Business leaders can thrive by treating flexibility as a core competency—setting ambitious goals but staying open to how they’re achieved. When tariffs hit, creative pivots matter more than ever.

Digital transformation and AI
The implementation of new technology, particularly AI, is something most business leaders are already considering, if not already implementing as part of a process of digital transformation. According to the HLB Survey of Business Leaders, 78% are prioritising investments in digital technologies to enhance operational efficiency and adaptability, and 62% said digital transformation was a primary strategy to mitigate risks associated with external disruptions, such as trade policy fluctuations.

Business’ financial experts can use AI to analyse vast amounts of data across suppliers, logistics and import/export costs to quickly identify optimal sourcing strategies; and automation tools leveraged within logistics and HR teams can save time and operational costs, enabling the business to focus on longer-term strategic planning.

Other transformative tools can help businesses better understand shifting customer demands (for example, as tariff costs trickle down to consumers), and enable companies to do more with less, ultimately providing a competitive advantage and transforming how they operate, pivot and grow – even in a volatile trade landscape.

Integrating people and AI for growth
A dual focus on innovation and people leads to significantly stronger outcomes. Successful companies don’t simply adopt new technologies but embed them within their workforce structure by prioritising employee upskilling.

This may involve providing training courses on data literacy and ESG frameworks, to ensure teams comprehensively understand how evolving technologies and regulations impact business operations. Staff must also feel empowered to collaborate across functions, as this tends to generate the most high-impact ideas; by ensuring teams have ownership over projects that combine technology tools like AI with ESG-specific goals, this helps foster an innovative and adaptable mindset throughout the company – especially if successful outcomes are considered as part of individual employees’ performance milestones, to highlight the importance of these projects within the wider business’ long-term strategy.

With the help of their accountants, companies must make changes to their supply chains and business models, implement operational efficiencies in order to finance technological innovation, and work through the external challenges which present themselves as tariffs and global turmoil continue to disrupt the business world. Those who do so effectively can absolutely weather the storm, and build their resilience to protect themselves against any future challenges which arise.