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Double Glazing Blogger: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Month In Review: November

November was the month where we managed to fill our fitting schedules for the year and started to look to fill up January of next year. We had more leads in November than we did in the previous month, which sort of goes against the natural slowing progression of the industry at this time of year.

Weather wise November was a weird one. It started of pretty mild with temperatures above average, which may have helped us business wise. But as we came to the end of the month it became (and still is) bitterly cold, with the earliest widespread snowfall for 17 years. There is only one result this brings to the window industry: silence! Throughout November we saw leads healthy, but as the temperature dropped, so did the leads. We are now in pure December territory where things are winding down and companies start preparing for next year.

Personally I had a good month for conversion rates, 58%, which should go up to anywhere between 64-74% over the next few days or so. Revenues were roughly the same as last year. November and December last year we saw an unusual pick in in business, so it might be difficult to top last years figures, but I'll give it my best!

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To Fit Or Not To Fit?

As if I need to remind you, the weather is bad. Really bad. Sub-zero temperatures, snow and biting winds do not make for good conditions in which to fit windows and doors. But we are coming up to the end of the year, and if your order books are full, how easy is it to cancel pre-booked work?


We have a full order book up until we finish, and into January of next year. We also have no space left. If the snow means we have to cancel jobs, then we would be pushing work into the New Year, something which both us and our customers will not want.


Last night we've had the most snow so far, but all our staff managed to get in roughly on time despite the un-gritted Wakefield roads. More importantly, our fitting teams got out on to site. We have had to swap some fitting around, but as of yet nothing has been pushed into next year. Though if this weather holds up any longer, we may not have a choice in the matter.


The other factor which we have to take into consideration is our customers. It's all well and good us saying we want to come fit, but at the end of the day it's the customer who has ultimate choice in the matter. They won't want big gaping holes in their home for the snow and icy wind to come through. 


We're going to have to hope it doesn't snow as bad as the forecast is showing for tomorrow, and make sure we can charm our customers into letting us fit...providing we can get there!

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Monday, November 29, 2010

The Snow Is Back!

Just when you thought the spectre of last winter was dead and gone, the past week has seen the return of more freezing cold weather, just lots earlier!
     
Remember this? Scenes which look like this set to continue for a while. The image above was a street from within our estate. It's not as bad at the moment, but after watching the weather forecast for tonight, we could wake up to something similar.


The question is how is this going to affect our businesses? I'm hoping that it won't cause too much fuss. The roads have been gritted far better than last year so far. Traffic is free to move, which shouldn't stop people from freely moving about. One of the reasons why businesses suffered at the beginning of the year.


Hopefully the cold weather might spur people into thinking about replacing their old, inefficient windows and doors. There's nothing better than severe cold to highlight draughts and leaks!


So far we've seen -18 degrees in Powys in Wales, -17 degrees in parts of England, and the forecast says that it's due to get colder than that overnight in Scotland. Let's just hope it doesn't last as long as last winter!                               

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Friday, November 26, 2010

Irish Oak

I'd say Irish Oak has been out for about a year or so now, but how well has it done?


We were first able to sell it from late spring of this year, and we certainly liked it. We even went as far to say that it was the Light Oak killer! And since then we have seen it gradually take off. We've not sold huge amounts of it, mostly front doors, and they do look spot on. They look much more realistic than Light Oak, they are the same cost too.


Who else is finding Irish Oak becoming a mainstay of the wood grains?

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Trends Show Composite Surge











The chart above shows the ever increasing interest in composite doors.


We have all seen increasing sales in composite doors over the past few years, mostly due to installation companies pushing them. But what the above images shows is that the general public are now starting to get to know the composite style of door, asking questions about them, searching specifically for them and asking for them by name. 


Those who are geared up fully to take advantage of the composite door surge by having a good product at the right price will make plenty from this new emerging sector. Those who haven't I fear will be too late!

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Thursday, November 25, 2010

January Fitting

So then, who's booking into January 2011?


We're now planning the first few weeks of next January, which is fantastic news for us. This time last year I wasn't able to be so positive. But this year has seen a marked improvement and we're now able to make a good positive start into 2011.


Lead levels have surprisingly picked up this last week or so. I've had more leads so far this month than October. Usually you would expect that to be the other way round, but I'm not complaining! 


The big question is how do we start pricing up current contracts? If we sign up jobs right at the end of this year at the current VAT rate, do we pay the same to our suppliers? Or do we start charging at the new VAT rate? I'm unsure about this myself. So far what I've sold I've managed to squeeze in before the end of the year. But others have sold jobs for after the New Year.


Anyone else finding themselves in the same situation?

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Monday, November 22, 2010

Minimum Order Values

I am a firm believer that it does more harm than good to have minimum order values. 


This thought was sparked by the debate about what the price should be for a 1800x1200 side opening window. There are plenty of people that only want the odd window or door doing. A lot like to spread the cost of replacement windows without paying extra through interest on finance deals. 


The saying of mighty trees from small acorns works very well in this instance. Customers appreciate companies being able to carry out small jobs. I think it shows them that they aren't out to up-sell and do them out of more money than is necessary. If the company does a good job on the one window or one door, the likelihood is that they will come back for more work, that's what I've often found.


I don't buy this excuse from bigger companies that it isn't worth doing one window or one door. They say that there isn't enough money in a one window job for it to be worth doing. Well that's not good enough and shows how selfish and greedy bigger companies are. All you have to do is simply put enough money in to pay for a fitter, his lad and diesel. Do the same to cover materials and manufacturing costs. Yes it might end up being more expensive than it would have been if there were ten windows to quote, but one thing to bear in mind is that other companies will be in the same boat, so they won't (shouldn't) be much cheaper. Then it's up to the salesman to sell the product on it's merits. 


The price for a window 1800x1200 with two openers should be around the £500 mark. Those companies selling it for anywhere between £250-£450 are selling it too cheap. Unless it's a very small operation, there simply cannot be enough money in that price to make a profit from it.


We take on plenty of contracts for single items, often from our competition who won't quote, and we make decent money out of them because we are able to command sensible prices. It just needs to be that the rest of the industry starts to think in the same way.

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Harry Potter Review

Without a hint of a link to the weird and wonderful double glazing world, here's what I thought of the new Harry Potter film!


Well produced film, but lacked any serious action.


I'm not the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world, but my girlfriend is, and according to her they missed a few important things out of the book. I wouldn't know, I haven't read any of the books.


For someone who isn't a mega fan, I want to see something which blows my socks off. For moments during the film it threatened to do so. It built up Voldemort's part with his quest to ready himself for the final battle which will be shown in the last film. It also focused heavily on Harry, Ron and Hermione and their struggle to find safety while on the run and trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort.


It didn't blow me away. But it didn't bore me either. It was a well scripted film, well acted and finely produced. But it wasn't action packed. And for someone who isn't a massive fan, that's what it needed. For those who have read the books and is a fan, then it was a great film as they can appreciate more what they are seeing. But it wasn't wasted on me.


The best way to judge this film is to see the next one. This is only one half of a two-part series based on the final book. I think you have to see both to be able to make a proper judgement. All in all I'll give 7/10.

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Mad Men

Has anyone seen/does anyone watch this programme on BBC Four? It's a brilliant drama following the lives of people in the advertising industry in 1960's America.


I think it's fantastic! It's something I would have loved to do during the 1960's. It was a time of changing social culture and new products. The opportunities for advertising were endless and enthralling. The thing that attracts me to Mad Men is the glamour and the glitz of it all. 


You see the 4 partners of an advertising agency going out with their clients to fancy restaurants, each having their own PA's, drinking whisky at every opportunity! In fact when you analyse it, it's shows them doing very little work at all! They are the face and the schmoozers of the company. 


It also shows how things were so very different back then. Most of the staff smoked, and were allowed to smoke in their offices, something which is shown often. It was also a very male dominated place. There is only one woman who holds a relatively high post, with the rest all filled by men.


Despite the imbalances, it's still a place and time in which I would have loved to work. 

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

And Now The Rush Begins!

This week has been manic! It's been the usual case of people rushing to get windows and doors ordered and wanting them in before Christmas and before the new VAT rate in January. It never ceases to surprise me even though the same thing happens every year. People seem to wait and wait, put it off for as long as possible, and then they get motivated right at the end of the year when there is very little time left!


Obviously for us sales people it's a very nice and timely boost before the quiet winter period, but it doesn't half create some stress! Your natural selling instinct is telling you that you can promise customers what they order will be fitted before Christmas, but you know full well that there is only a matter of a few fitting days left until you have to start booking into January. 


I can't understand why people leave it so late all the time! Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm too organised and I can't imagine doing the same thing!

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Wagner The Angry Manager!

It turns out the X-Factor's Wagner used to be a manager for the Wolverhampton branch of Safestyle! Though if you read below I don't think he was liked very much:



Oddball Wagner was branded "the boss from hell" at a double glazing company where he once worked.
The 54-year-old lothario, criticised for his touchy-feely behaviour on X Factor, used to be a manager at Safestyle Windows in Wolverhampton.
Former colleague Emma Cooper, 37, said: "He was a nightmare, lecherous and bad-tempered.
"He was in charge of the salesmen who worked door-to-door and sometimes he would scream at them at the top of his voice. It was terrifying. On one occasion he hurled a chair across the room."
Emma revealed the delusional Brazilian also kept a semi-naked photograph of himself by his desk.
She said: "There is a picture of Wagner next to a lion which I saw on X Factor.
"Whenever an attractive young girl started work at the company, he would point to the picture and ask, 'what do you think of my body', while flashing them a seedy grin."
There have been times where I have lost my temper, but never got to the point of throwing a chair across the room! Also, I've never asked our female staff what they think of my body!
The full article can be found here.

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Not Much Left Of 2010

There is just about 4 working weeks left till we all pack up for the year and enjoy some well earned rest and partying. So I thought this might be a good time to start reflecting on the year we've had.


Uncertainty
The beginning of the year I think many will agree was a very uncertain one. 2009 was a very tough year for everyone, and not just in the double glazing industry. The country was just emerging out of recession, and everyone was looking towards the General Election in May to see which direction the country was headed. There was though a much more positive mood in the air. Everyone seemed more determined than ever to pull themselves out of financial trouble and get back to good trading again.


Up until the election we went a bit quiet. I think it was due to the fact people were hanging on a little to see what the result was going to be. Luckily, once the hype surrounding the coalition died down, consumers realised that things weren't suddenly worse now the Tories were back in office, and started spending again.


World Cup
This really did dampen the country's spending habits! I think everyone experienced a drop in leads and sales while the tournament was on. Despite England going out of the competition quite early, business didn't really pick up till after the Final had been and gone. 


The World Cup ushered in the second half of the year. And one which has been much improved on the first half. Leads and sales have been consistent. Conversion rates have shot up. I think this should be put down to increased consumer confidence. Maybe people finally realised that the economic world wasn't crashing down and they could afford to get things replaced.


On a personal note, I believe I have had some of the best months of my career so far. I feel as though something has clicked, which I know sounds strange for someone who has been doing the job for over four years. But I just feel I have managed to step up that extra level, and when I needed to most!


DGCOS
They emerged about half-way through the year and have given the industry plenty to talk about! They are the perfect Marmite comparison - you either like them or hate them! Whether or not you agree with their approach or not, one thing they should be applauded for is their marketing campaign. If anyone is looking to launch a new market strategy, they should look at what the DGCOS have done. It's been effective, clear, not cheesy and they managed to grab a well known consumer-rights TV champion to front their adverts!


DGCOS did get a lot of attention, probably too much. And I'm guilty of that also, by writing too many posts about what I and others thought. They need to be left now to do what they set out to do. If they prosper then they deserve a pat on the back, if they fail then it's not going to do the industry any harm.


Part L Changes
Well this was a sore point! And what a farce! September and October saw a mass panic by FENSA and the GGF when it realised that the WER scheme was shunned (wrongly shunned I want to add) by the industry, and so had to back-track to make sure that the Part L changes were valid, but in a way that didn't put about 75% of the industry in breach of it!


One of the biggest crimes was that companies had invested thousands of pounds in getting their own certificates to prove compliance, only to be told at the last minute they didn't need to go to those lengths to do so! As you can imagine this didn't go down well. 


My thoughts are this: we should embrace what is a fantastic selling tool instead of picking holes in the WER scheme. We have to be selfish and realise that we have jobs to keep. We have to keep selling windows and doors to pay the bills, and this is something which will help us do that. We have to forget the mess of the Part L changes and plough forward.


2011?
Despite the second half of 2010 being very positive, I see 2011 as being a very tough year. We have seen two massive social-housing firms collapse. Banks are continuing to make redundancies in the thousands. The Government's spending cuts are due to take effect as of January, as is the rise in VAT. This means very tough trading conditions, possibly to the effect of late 2008/early 2009. Of course I would love that to be wrong, but if you listen to all those in the know, what they are predicting isn't rosy.

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Personal Relationships

Selling is a job that allows a person to form a sort of relationship with a potential customer. 


Many people outside this job don't appreciate what sales people have to do. They don't understand that we have to go into someones home who truly doesn't trust you as far they could throw you, persuade them to part with thousands of pounds of their hard earned money, and convince them that your company is the best.


If/when you get the customer to sign with you, that's when they (usually) let their guard down and you really get to know them as a person. This doesn't happen with everybody, but the majority of my customers we are able to have a laugh and be more relaxed with them.


One other aspect is that you also get an insight into their lives. I've been dealing with an elderly couple these past few weeks. She is suffering from the early stages of dementia and he has had a stroke and so struggles with his speech. They are both perfectly nice people who I get on with brilliantly, but when you see genuine people struggle on even though you know they need help, it's very hard to watch. It's at these points you have to remember that your only a salesman doing a job, not their son, not their daughter, not their family friend of 20 years. You don't really matter.


Looking on the positive side, doing a job like this means you get to deal with someone new everyday. You get to know some genuinely nice people that restore your faith in humanity!

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A Very Expensive Vase

I think we were all amazed by the story of a brother and sister finding a dusty old vase and then selling what they thought was a pretty redundant piece of porcelain for £43 million pounds!


I joked on Twitter that I had found an old fruit bowl from 1783 and was going to sell it for £45 million! Then Conservatory Girl asked me what I would do if I had that much money, would I still work?


It got me to thinking. I would still work. I'm the sort of person who just can't leave my brain to rot and be unproductive. If I got my hands on that sort of money I would take the opportunity to build our business big enough to take the majority market share in Wakefield. That has always been one of my long term aims. If a sum of money that huge turned up, I know that it would be possible.


That is also the reason why I don't think I could ever work for anyone else. I've got the opportunity here to make something big, a lot bigger, and that gives me all the motivation I need, money or no money!

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Be Eco-Positive

Being eco-friendly is something which I've tried to improve on in the last few months. During that time were now recycling all waste paper, card and cardboard. All PVCu and timber post consumer waste is taken away instead of being put in our skip. We're turning off all unused lights in our stores, conservatories and showroom to save on wasting electric. 


We've now got solar panels installed at home. We recycle all our plastic bottles and card too. I think we've got a stack of energy saving light bulbs too. Despite all this, there is still a lot I do to pollute the environment. I still drive a petrol car. I buy food with lots of packaging. The  majority of the food I buy probably isn't sourced locally, meaning it's probably been transported halfway round the world. The food thing I can probably sort myself by making sure it's grown or killed locally, so that it doesn't have to do a lot of travelling to get to my table. But driving a petrol car I can't do anything about until they establish a viable alternative transport fuel. The experts needs to pick between electric or hydrogen and run with it.


Now here's the crux of the post. Most people now realise that they have to clean up their act if the world is to carry on sustaining the human race. But how vocal should people be to each other about the issue? I know fellow blogger RCG is very vocal about the environmental issue, just take a look at his last post. 


But personally I don't want to be subjected to content which is telling me the world is doomed and there is nothing we can do about it. This isn't the right way to go about making a difference. This is the reason why I don't like to comment much on the climate change argument. I believe that the time for that debate has passed, and the time for action is now. The human race can still do something about our reliance on oil. And we are actively doing so now by investing lots of time and research into alternative fuels and power sources.


We need to stop the negative views of the naysayers. This won't help get a positive and proactive message out to the people.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Work We've Done Recently

I thought I might share with your some of the work we have a done recently:











The above is a small Rosewood Victorian conservatory we did a couple of weeks ago for some very good customers of ours!


The next two are images of some of the first windows with mock sash horns we have installed. I was a bit unsure what to expect when I first saw them but when I got on site they looked pretty impressive. They are only a small feature but they do add the extra character that PVCu windows sometimes need.


The bottom two are black composite doors and side lights which we have installed in the last ten days. Black is one of the most popular colours we are selling at the moment. And one thing which matches the colour well are the glass designs the customers have picked.


Since changing composite door suppliers, we have had a massive surge in composite door sales. We are able to give customers a lot more choice of designs, colours and glass options. We have also been able to bring ourselves in line with the majority of the industry in terms of cost.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Some Thoughts On A Grim Day

Dark nights are here now. I'm feeling a bit tired and fed up. So rather than go into a full on post about one subject, I'd rather write about a few little things...just because I cannot be bothered!


Subscription
I've added a proper subscription section in the top right hand corner of the page. RCG has been telling me to get something sorted for ages. He uses AWeber, but as far as I'm aware I have to pay for it. So I'm using Feedburner from Google. Conservatory Girl told me it can be a bit slow getting the information to me. And this I am finding out. A few people have told me they have subscribed but Feedburner is telling me otherwise at the moment!


SAD
This time of year always dampens my motivation. Every year when it gets to this point, being productive becomes a lot more hard work compared to the summer months. I'm frantic from January to October, then when it gets to the dark nights and the cold sets in I just want to give up till January! Obviously I can't do that as I have bills to pay, but that's just how I am this time of year.


New York
One thing that has kept me motivated is my trip to New York at the end of the year with my girlfriend. New Year's Eve in Times Square is going to be one hell of a shindig! I'll make sure I post plenty of pictures from the trip, and then you lot might actually get to see what I look like properly! That profile picture on GlassTalk isn't really big enough!


New Product Developments
It's always nice to know that your manufacturers are always looking at ways to improve what your buying from them. We were pleased to find out that we are getting further additions to all types of locking mechanisms for windows and doors come the new year. This is in addition to new window and door hardware options that are also coming up in a couple of months time.


Next GlassTalk
I don't go to many industry events. So when things like GlassTalk crops up, I'm always tempted to make the effort to go. But for whatever reason I have never been to the GlassTalk events, which I'm sure are very much worth the effort to go. So if someone can persuade me well enough, I'll try and drag me and my boss (Dad) down to the next one!


Just some things I thought might fill a bit of your spare time!



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Monday, November 8, 2010

Darby Glass In Administration

The tough economic trading conditions has now hit Darby Glass of Scunthorpe.


According to a report in the Glass Times magazine, SFP were appointed joint administrators on 13th Octoberand continues to trade while a buyer is found.


Darby Glass employs 62 members of staff and has a turnover of over £4 million a year.

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Building Firm Rok Is Set To Enter Administration

The building firm Rok looks set to become another victim of the tough economic trading conditions. Though it does appear that the trading conditions isn't the only reason why they are in serious trouble.


In August the company reported that it had found 'serious failings' in it's financial and operational controls. Then a week later it said it had made a £3.8 million pound loss for the first half of the year.


The company employs around 2000 people, and carries out work for councils, schools, businesses and housing associations.


This follows shortly after Connaught entered administration 10 weeks ago.


A full report can be read at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11708451 

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Saturday, November 6, 2010

We Are British And We Should Be Proud Of It!

This has nothing to do with windows! It's just a patriotic outburst!


Over the last few years it has become noticeable that we aren't proud to be British. In fact many of us claim it is a terrible place to live, with more and more of us each year choosing to emigrate to other countries. Why is it that we feel embarrassed to be British?


We have a lot to be proud about. We have done many things which the rest of the world can thank us for.


We are one of the oldest democracies in the world (though sometimes it doesn't always feel like one!). We helped to spread democracy throughout the world.


The industrial revolution. One of the most important periods in this country's history kicked us up the backside to propel Britain to become the biggest and best industrial power on the planet with the fastest growing economy. We boasted some of the best engineers and architects and it showcased best how the British people can really go to task and make their mark in the world.


Railway. Yet another British innovation that we gave the world. Perfected in this country and then sent abroad, the railways allowed much quicker transport of people and goods which helped accelerate the industrial period. It connected villages to towns, and towns to cities. Helping to create the huge hubs we have today. This was arguably one of the most important transport innovations, and WE did it!


Electric. More specifically the National Grid. Electricity was once reserved for those who could afford it - the rich. But from 1927 to 1933 the British people again went to task to build the infinitely important National Grid in six years. From Scotland to the very South of England. We gave our own people easily accessible and cheap electricity in such a short space of time.


WW2. Arguably our most proud moment. When it all seemed hopeless and the Germans looked set to reach these shores, our British grit and determination on the ground, and even more in the skies prevailed. The war turned back in our favour after that. No words can aptly praise what went on during the Battle of Britain. But we should be immensely proud how we stuck two fingers up to invasion and dictatorship and won!


We gave the world football, rugby, cricket. Some of the most popular games in world. Yes we're not the best at them now. But without us, there would be no World Cup in any of these competitions!


Remember we gave the world some of the most influential people: Isaac Newton, William Shakespeare and Charles Darwin.


We're the 5th biggest economy on the planet. We have the world's 4th largest and most capable armed forces. We're the financial capital of the world. We have a history and culture richer than most others.


The world wouldn't be what it is today without Britain. It has a lot to thank us for, and we have a lot to be proud of. Yes it might rain a lot, yes we might be in a bit of a mess economically. But this hasn't stopped us before. Nor will it stop us again. Only the British have the sort of determination and strength to make sure things don't fall apart. We need to be a proud nation again!

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Some Stats!

Despite this blog being started in March 2009, I didn't start receiving comments and views until the beginning of August. So, the stats below are based from August 2009 and onwards:


Visits per month/page views per month for 2009:
August: 201/510
September: 309/671
October: 430/883
November: 438/701
December: 372/626


Visits per month/page views per month for 2010:
January: 806/1226
February: 868/1382
March: 919/1690
April: 930/1736
May: 795/1325
June: 768/1171
July: 1077/1741
August: 1104/1899
September: 1504/2248
October: 1274/2077


I could do some more in depth stats but I think these are the main two that matter. My aim to to try to get to 2000 visits per month, then work my way from there.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Clogged Up

Below is a list of trade bodies, associations and alliances:


1. FENSA
2. CERTASS
3. DGCOS
4. BPF
5. GGF
6. PWFED - plastics window federation
7. DHF - door and hardware federation
8. BWF
9. CAB
10. Trust Mark
11. RICS


I'm sure that there are others I may have missed out, but 11, that are directly or indirectly associated with the glazing industry is about 8 too many if you ask me. 


Above is the reason why every time a new trade organisation is established, the industry groans at the sight of a new one. There are way too many, which only serves to weaken the credibility of all of them.

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Why The Double Glazing Industry Is Fighting A Losing Battle

I'm not going to copy and paste the report, it's just not good journalism! But I will put the link to the article here: http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/84639-glazing-company-owner-jailed-for-nine-months.html?

While these terrible people are continuing to pollute our industry with criminal practices, we are always going to be fighting off an unfair reputation for the rest of us.

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Remembrance Day

Do businesses really respect Remembrance day?


We live in a world now where occasions like Remembrance day are not observed officially anymore. The nature of consumerism and efficiency has caused events such as these to be ignored.


30-40 years ago, if we put as little effort into recognising such an important day then, as we do now, there would be outrage. We have to remember that millions have dies to make sure that the freedoms we have today were preserved. The free business enterprise we today may not have been possible if the outcome of the wars had been different.


I personally observe the two minute silence every time, as a mark of respect to all those who have fallen to make sure that we live in our free society today.


I don't think people take this day seriously anymore. Even when I was at school it was rare we even marked the occasion with the two minutes silence. I get the impression that most businesses don't take the time to observe the occasion. 

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Monday, November 1, 2010

External Condensation Over The Pond

I was reading an interesting article from www.pressroom.pella.com about condensation. I was reading to see what reasons they gave and how to go about reducing it. Then this section came up about external condensation:


Exterior condensation on windows occurs primarily in the morning when days are warm and humid, but nights are cool. Typically, it clears as the day warms. Exterior condensation can occur at any time, especially in warm, humid climates where interior temperatures are cooler than outdoor conditions. Exterior condensation means that windows are doing their job properly. However, if you spot excessive condensation on the inside of your windows, check your inside humidity – it may be a signal of potential problems if not addressed.


The bit I've underlined is the bit which I tell our customers exactly to the word how they've described it. Is exterior condensation a bigger problem in the US than here? Maybe so if www.pressroom.pella.com have felt the need to explain it. 


Now that we are selling much more thermally efficient windows, we are going to need to explain to future customers that this scenario could happen from time to time. The good thing is that it only last a couple of hours, and is physical proof that the windows are doing their job...and we haven't been just typical double glazing salesmen and just lied through our teeth!


The full article can be found here: http://pressroom.pella.com/fast_facts/87/ 

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