It’s always a healthy debate, and a timely one. Over the last three years, businesses that have survived a series of external onslaughts have been astute enough to take a serious look at different facets of their business, if not all of it – and in the main have pulled through in a far better state than had they sat around and just waited for things to get better.
So I was interested to read this article from UK designer Darren Morgan, who looks ahead and makes some very interesting and pertinent points about where things now might be going:
“Many of us watched the cataclysmic collapse of the world economy as though it was some kind of Hollywood blockbuster – glued to our TVs, blissfully unaware that the headlines were already indoctrinating us with political propaganda and subliminally readying us for hardship and austerity. At first, we watched with interest, never guessing it would affect us so badly or that it would go on so long. 
Time has made us immune to the media’s constant analysis, pointless staged debate and generally useless reassessment of a gloomy economic forecast. The talk of impending doom made many of us feel like passengers on the Titanic, blissfully sipping our brandy and smoking our cigars steadfast in the knowledge that the economic ship we were standing on wouldn’t sink, in spite of the fact it had been mortally damaged by an economic iceberg. This kind of doomsday scenario affects other people, right? Wrong. We were all affected and we soon found ourselves flung to the sharks (bankers) without a life jacket.
The years have trundled on, with many good retailers being devoured by the sharks, leaving their life’s work in tatters. Those who have survived have found solace in knowing that the industry may be getting stronger and that some positives can be salvaged from the wreckage of our economy. The boom had helped to create unsanctioned opportunities for people with little interest in the future or reputation of our industry, the type of people who cared little for their customers and left a trail of devastation behind them.
Demand for housing meant that kitchens and bathrooms couldn’t be installed quickly enough and the white-van DIY man suddenly found himself promoted to the lofty heights of kitchen designer, fabricator and installer extraordinaire. Everyone with a van was a self-proclaimed expert but yet, in the rush to turn products into money, the customer was left dazed and confused. By allowing this to happen, our industry was systematically destroying itself from the inside out. The boom years helped to tarnish the reputation of our industry with good companies becoming tarred with the same brush as the cowboys.
Then suddenly, we find ourselves being jolted from our zombie trance of austerity to be told that things are on the up. House prices are beginning to rise and GDP has increased by 0.6%. A survey from research firm Markit indicated that the UK service sector grew at its fastest pace for two years in June, and a British Chambers of Commerce survey found UK business confidence at a six-year high. This ping of optimism seems like a dream in what has been a nightmare reality for many.
We realise we need to be cautious, as overoptimism may scare the growth away. After all, we’ve been up this garden path before. But what if we’re actually turning a corner? What if there is actually light at the end of the tunnel? Have we used the lean times as a lesson, using the time for positive action or just self-sympathetic reflection? Many companies have managed to get their house in order, streamlining their efficiency and gaining a new-found appreciation for their prospective client base.
Do we now have an opportunity to nurture the rebirth of our industry and remodel our profession into an aspirational career choice for students and craftspeople? And will we embrace educational barriers to entry that will help prevent parasitic white-van-men from ravaging our industry once more? Have we succeeded in putting in place mechanisms to protect what is good about our industry and deliver better levels of certified professionalism throughout our sector?
The answer is yes. The few have been busy readying our ship for the journey ahead, providing educational opportunities for everyone. But one question remains. How many will get on board?”
Darren makes some excellent observations, and some very relatable examples. Do you think he’s on the right track, are you seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and are your customers feeling better and more confident about renovating?
