Over £10 Billion To Repair Potholes

This is a real pet hate of mine, as it probably is with all road users, but pot holes really are a pain in the backside!

The problem is that to repair the 2.2million+ potholes around the country, it's going to cost £10.7 billion! Money that our councils have said they simply don't have.

The potholes have been caused by 3 severe winters in a row, and the running repairs done by the councils have been undone by frosts overnight. However, due to these potholes, there has been a rise in insurance claims due to damage done to cars by the holes. Tyres and suspension springs are at risk by going over particularly deep holes, and cyclists can easily be dis-mounted by riding over one.

The big question here is why our roads are in such a terrible state but other country's aren't. Scandinavia, Canada and USA all have far longer and colder winters than we do, yet their roads aren't in anyway near as bad as ours. 

I'm sure many of you have cringed as you've driven over a pothole and your tyres and suspension have jolted, then driven much more tentatively for the next half mile to make sure that no lasting damage has been done to your car!

'Profit' Has Become A Dirty Word, But It Shouldn't Be!

Over the past few years, the word 'profit' seems to have been dragged through the mud a little bit.


This is down to two things. The first is due to the appalling behaviour of the banks in this country. Their reckless spending and greed brought the financial sector and this country to it's knees. The general public had to bail them out. But now when the very same banks are reporting huge profits again, so soon after potential meltdown, it seems highly distasteful that these huge profits aren't being used to pay back the people who were so kind as to bail them out in the first place.


The second reason is the recession. As companies cut their prices to win new business, it was their margins that suffered. But now it seems customers have got used to this scenario. A perfect example occurred yesterday. We were quoting for a roofline price for a customer whose next door neighbour had gone ahead with us a week previously. He was pushing us on price so I made sure I did my best, and made sure it was cheaper than next doors. There was less materials involved so that was do-able. Realistically our profit margin was lower than it should have been, and so was the commission. Once I got back to the customer with the price all they could say was that they couldn't understand why it was so much (even though their neighbour told them how much they paid), and that we seemed to be making a lot of profit it out of the job. I explained to them that scaffolding and their black materials made up a lot of the cost, as well as labour. We didn't put much profit down and I was earning very little out of the job. They seemed offended that we wanted to make profit out of the job in the first place.


From what I read and hear, customers don't want companies to be making profits right now. But do they not understand that businesses are here to make money, and that profits mean their ten year guarantees are honoured. If companies don't make any profit and go bust, than that catching door which would normally be sorted out FOC under the terms of the guarantee would cost to be put right!


Profit IS NOT a dirty word. It is something every business should be striving to achieve, on every single job, not matter how big or small. People are in business for a reason, to make money. I suggest that those in business who don't like profits, or to those people who don't like businesses to make money, go work for/buy from non-profit organisations. Don't waste the time of those people who want to build something for themselves.

Triple Glazing

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to the make up of the new triple glazed units due to be brought to market. So I've found two images showing the two different set up's that are being advertised. But the confusing factor here, is that the two images below are from WHS Halo, which system are they going to use?

Both systems claim to achieve a U-value of 0.7. But one of the obvious problems I can with the system housing the single pane of glass is condensation. Will that set up cause it?


Personally, the triple glazed one unit set up is the better option. Fitters still only have to glaze one unit, there's no need for a second bead, and potential condensation shouldn't be a problem.

Now's The Time To Start Recycling

If you haven't already heard, skip costs are set to jump a further 20% from Friday 1st April. Unfortunately this is not an April fools joke!


The costs are rising because of annually increasing rates on landfill tax, and will continue to rise until 2014. The theory behind the rises is to try to wean the British population off just throwing everything away, and to try to get everyone recycling as much as they can.


So, if you're still putting your post consumer waste in the skip, instead of having it recycled, now is the time to start! Our skip costs have significantly reduced as we have all our PVCu, timber and aluminium frames recycled. These materials used to be the biggest contributors to using up skip space, but now they are being put to better uses.

It's Coming

In the next few weeks/months it looks like we are going to see the introduction of triple glazing into the market.


Triple glazing is already available in the market place, but this is a different particular breed of triple glazing. This is one made up of a double glazed unit, with a third layer of glass separate to that, sitting in it's own dedicated little cavity within the frame, with it's own little dedicated glazing bead.


Companies like the Advance Group in Scotland have been doing this for a while now, and feedback from them seems to suggest that customers have taken to the new product positively.


Triple glazed windows are expected to have a U-value of about 0.7, much better than what is currently available from energy rated double glazed windows.


The main question is what price are these new products going to come in at. Are they going to be much more than double glazed windows? Advance Group in Scotland have said that there isn't much difference. In fact they told me a price which seemed to me to be quite reasonable. And that is they key. Providing that they are way much more than double glazed prices, then I can see this taking off. 


We might even see companies selling triple glazing as standard providing the demand is there are the costs don't vary too much.

Quality Counts 3

This evening I have been sent two more images from the same installation as pictured in my other posts Quality Counts and Quality Counts 2.

If these were one off problems on separate installations then perhaps this wouldn't be so bad, but, as the sender tells me, these are all on the same installation.

You can have the best product in the world, but if they aren't fit right and finished off well, it can ruin an installation.

According to the sender of this image, the reason given by the company for bare bricks and no lintel was that this was to 'let the bricks breathe'.


Dear me.

In his email, the sender says that this is showing damaged foil, badly touched up.

Good PR

Question: Who goes and visits the installations they have sold?


I make a special effort to go see my installations when I can. You'd be surprised how much this pleases your customers. It shows them you weren't just there to take their money and run, it shows them that you actually care about the work being done to their home.


There are so many people in sales that you see only once, maybe twice, then that's it. The sales person is the face of the business, and is the first person a customer sees. They build up a relationship with that customer, then hopefully they place an order. 


Once a customer is decent enough to put their money in your back pocket, it only seems right to me that you see the end result of what you have sold. It's brilliant PR. The customers know you take great care and interest in the job. Not only that, there is a greater chance of picking up more business. I can't tell you how many times I've been out to see an installation of mine then the customer asks me to measure up for more potential work.


If you don't do it, then maybe you should. It'll bring you extra business, and earn your extra brownie points with the customer.

Budget 2011

For those who listened to this years Budget and are in business, it didn't sound too bad. Here are the main points from the Chancellor's speech:

• 1p cut from fuel duty from 6pm tonight
• annual 1p fuel increase scrapped until 2015
• no inflationary rise in fuel duty until 2012
• personal tax allowance to rise a further £630 to £8,015 in April 2012
• 2011 growth forecast down from 2.1% to 1.7%, revised down for the next 4 years
• Public borrowing down £2.5 billion, to £146 billion for year
• Road tax duty for HGV's frozen
• Private jet users to pay passenger tax
• Rise in air passenger duty to be frozen this year
• Corporation tax to be cut by 2% in April, instead of 1%
• £100 million to help repair potholes

If your a business, this should all make relatively good reading, especially on the fuel front. The Chancellor has also said that they would be implementing the fair fuel stabiliser scheme to help relieve the burden of high fuel costs. This should be good news for all manufacturers who have suffered over the last few years with enormous diesel bills.

On a personal level, millions are going to benefit from a higher tax threshold - OK it's only £45 on average, but that's the equivalent of a weeks worth of fuel for a family car!

Growth however has been revised down. This is significant as the Government is relying on the private sector to help soak up the job losses from the public sector. So to combat this they are setting up 21 'enterprise zones' across England. These are designed to get people's entrepreneurial juices going and new businesses off the ground. And the Chancellor has said that they will be improving again the amount of credit available to small and medium businesses - though he's said this before and the business community has still said they're suffering from a lack of credit.

It wasn't a big news budget, the 1p decrease in fuel duty was really the only major surprise in his speech. In a years time, when the effects of what he's announced have been felt, only then can we make an accurate assessment of how successful this Budget was.

Positive Budget?

For the first time in a while, we could have quite a positive budget to listen to tomorrow.


It was reported by the BBC yesterday that the Government finances were set to have a windfall of over £8 billion pounds, owing to lower than expected public borrowing and higher tax revenues. Question is how much of that spare cash is going to go towards funding the Libya conflict and how much is going to go towards paying off the nations credit card.


George Osbourne could also announce that he is going to a freeze on April's 1p fuel duty rise (which is actually more than 1p when you take into account VAT and other costs, it actually makes it a 4/5p increase). Even better, he might tell us about the fuel price stabiliser scheme and that the Government is going to implement it soon!


The Chancellor has also said that his budget tomorrow is going to be focussed wholly on growth, putting much of that emphasis on the private sector.


The Ernst & Young Item club have forecast that the Government, at this current rate, will meet it's deficit reduction targets by the end of the Parliament.

Black Is The New White

It's clear that since the introduction of coloured doors in the industry i.e. composite and foil wood grained doors, the most popular colour with customers has been black.


The reason? You can only assume that this is because it is the most neutral colour when compared to the other choices. Colours like red, green and blue are suited to people with those sorts of specific tastes. Where as black, just like white, is very much a more neutral colour option for many people. It's also seen as the most sophisticated and classy finish out of the block of colours.


Black doors have now overtaken white doors in number of sales. Has anybody else noticed this sort of trend?

Quality Counts 2

I've been sent another image by the sender who sent me the first image on the Quality Counts post:

According to the sender, there are over 50 of these foil tears across the installation. Along with:

The sender has said they will let me know the outcome of these issues.


Again, opinions on these images are welcome!

iPad Or Playbook?

As many will know, Apple has just released the iPad 2. It looks very impressive. Two cameras, one front and back, dual-core processor, HD screen, new A5 chip. But I've also been keeping an eye on Blackberry's Playbook. It too has some impressive specs.

iPad vs Playbook Specs:

iPad:

• 7.31" wide x 9.5" tall x 0.34" deep
• Foward facing a rear cameras
• Wi-Fi with 3G and Bluetooth capability
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options
• Weight: 601g
• 9.7 inch (diagonal) display, LED back lit
• 1024 x 768 pix
• HDMI outlet
• A5 1Ghz dual-core processor
• 10 hour battery life
• No Adobe flash capability

Blackberry Playbook:

• 5.1" wide x 7.6" tall x 0.4" deep
• Forward and rear facing cameras
• Wi-Fi and 4G on three of the four models
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options
• Weight: 400g
• 7 inch LCD screen
• 1024 x 600 pix
• HDMI outlet
• A9 1Ghz dual-core processor
• 1GB memory
• Flash compatible

Those are the main stats. Here's a video comparing some of the features of the Playbook with the iPad, note that this comparison is made with the original iPad, and not the second generation, there is no such video made yet!

You would assume that the iPad 2 would match the Playbooks speed. The other factor drawing me to the Playbook is that it can pair directly to my Blackberry Torch phone. Something which the iPad 2 can't do.

My concern is that the Playbook does look quite small next to the iPad. I want to use it for demo's for when I go on leads. I think the iPad's bigger screen would do a better job.

The iPad not having Flash support is a big drawback for me. I watch a lot of videos on all sorts of different sites. I won't be able to do that with the iPad, and I don't want to keep using my laptop just to watch videos on. The Playbook doesn't have this problem.

The price of the Blackberry device is looking like it's going to be roughly the same as the new iPad.

I'm torn really. Can anyone help!?

Kamikaze Trading

I read a brilliant article in the latest GGP Magazine about what Danny Williams calls 'Kamikaze trading'. He explains the frustration and stupidity of sub-selling very well:


The double glazing industry is not sophisticated. In fact, that is one of its charms. It is, in many ways, an 'Essex' industry, full of characters who, like me it must be said, have made their relative fortunes based upon the purest of human instincts - a desire for beautiful women, expensive cars, Rolex watches, big foreign homes and an insatiable need for cash to fund them all.


All joking aside (!) whilst the industry may have had its fair share of fast-buck cowboys in its heyday, what is left are people whom, I sincerely believe are in the main, serious about their business and who want to do well in an ever tougher market. No one is in it for the quick cash these days, because there ain't no such thing anymore.


What remains however, is a tendency to slash prices at the merest sign of resistance from a potential buyer, if indeed any attempt was made to offer a reasonable and well calculated price in the first place. It happens at all levels, not just the one man band, sticking in a house full a week to pay the mortgage, feed the family and buy his Friday night beer. The hackneyed 80% off for a decision now close remains of course, a bastion of the big national retailers who also appear to be unable to drag themselves out of the 'Seventies rut that passes for sales 'technique'.


The upshot is that with prices remaining at an all time low in the present market, the number of companies at every level of the market making any sort of money is now also at its lowest. With each recession or even the merest market dip, those happy to sub-sell even in those rare times when home owner are happy to splash their cash, are succeeding in eroding prices to the point at which wholesale bankruptcies are inevitable. According to some figures I saw recently, more than 2000 double glazing companies went pop last year, a figure that would warm my heart usually on the basis that most of them were cowboys. But we know that most of them re-emerged the next day under a different moniker to carry on just as before. it's like Groundhog day.


I know I am repeating what many before me have uttered and I am preaching to the converted; but the editor invited me to offer my opinions and so I will do just that. We just don't seem to learn, as an industry, with sub-selling rife at all levels. The fundamental principles of cost and margin calculations are ignored, with an eye only on getting the sale at any cost. Most white van man operations will know simple what their trade supplier is quoting and they will stick a few hundred quid on the price, often not enough to cover their basic overheads. I expect it will always be that way at that level.


What worries me however, is that so many window fabricators are also supporting this downward spiral of slashing costs without doing the most basic maths. I run a lean operation, buy well and constantly examine costs. So how can so many window makers sell at prices that barely cover the component and labour content of their products? It's like sailing towards an iceberg in the fog because they didn't buy a radar.


The key word in the fight against sub-selling is 'value', the mental estimation a consumer makes of the product or service they are considering. Make the buyer believe that they are receiving far more for their money than from any other supplier and the sale will be made. This is also supported by better products, service and support, with communication of all of those factors a key to it all - communicate to the customer through superb brochures, a website and direct communications and the rest will drop into place. Just don't give it away!


I know that I am voicing a complaint that has become perennial, one that is reeled out every time there is a dip in the market. The biggest offenders will bite the dust and, you may say, good riddance to them. But the damage that they wreak throughout is irreparable. Prices - and therefore margins - will never recover as a new line is drawn in the sand. Our principle suppliers must accept their part - their responsibilities in this, by refusing to re-supply the repeat offenders, the serial phoenixers and by intelligently supporting those manufacturers that strive to maintain and improve standards - and margins.


Only then will we be able to re-invest in the wider economy with the lavish spending that otherwise would be the other typifying characteristic of double glazing man; or at the very least, allows us to run businesses on a sound, intelligent footing.


Danny Williams describes this inherent problem perfectly. There is nothing worse than losing a job to another company which has so blatantly sub-sold the contract. We come up against it every week. But we do as Danny Williams described; promote our products and services to the point where the customer knows what were are providing is far better than others, and then back this up with clear communication and provide good literature and a good website. We win most orders, even though other companies so obviously under-cut. It is however still very frustrating when we lose one to a company which sub-sells and damages their own business in doing so.


I now want to pose a challenge: if anyone is reading this and knowingly sub-sells, I urge you to respond to this post to defend what you do and justify it. There is obviously a reason as to why companies do this, and we would like to hear why you think this is good business sense.


You can find this article on page 74 of the latest GGP Magazine.

Clients Make This Job Worth Doing

I've recently had the pleasure of dealing with a very nice family who have been organising for their mother/grandmother to have her very tired old porch replaced.


The customers were quite elderly, hence the reason for the involvement of their family. And I can honestly say it was a pleasure to deal with them. We had some great humour between all of us. We even had all 3 generations in the showroom, the eldest managing to get my Dad into a conversation about her childhood in the 1940's!


They gladly gave me the time to let me talk to them about us and our products (unlike on more recent leads!) and the atmosphere was very friendly.


As you get to talk to these people you sort of get to know them a bit more personally, and it's nice to know that there are still some genuinely nice people out there to do business with. Needless to say they did go ahead with me, this evening.


I'll post a before and after picture when the installation is complete. We're taking down and old porch with felt roof and installing light oak on white frames with 35mm polycarbonate roof onto existing brickwork.

Japan Disaster

I think we were all appalled to see on Friday the pictures coming out of Japan of the devastation caused by the massive 8.9 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami caused by the quake. 


My initial thought after turning on the TV was, 'oh no, not again'. After seeing the devastation caused by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, the last thing the world needed was something on a similar scale. Unfortunately, Japan seems to have taken a terrible hit, and the loss of life seems likes it's going to reach the tens of thousands.


Towns have been washed away, completely removed from the map. But the people in Japan should know that everyone is wishing them well, ready to donate whatever they can to help aid their relief effort and that the world's prayers are with them.


Below is some of the most striking images and videos, highlighting the scale and trauma of the problems in northern Japan now:

When people complain about draughty doors, small scratches on glass and window's slightly catching, events like this put thing's back into perspective.

Below I've listed some of the websites that are taking donations:

http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-appeal.htm?sourcecode=A11038054

http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami/?approachcode=68816_googlePAD11JpTs&gclid=CPTqtKy8zqcCFYFB4QodyGRvBg

Quality Counts

I was sent this image earlier on today:


What do we all think?


The sender didn't say who the company was, when the window was installed or any other details.


This is about as much as I can say about it, other than that screw should definitely not be there!

Guest Post: The Most Successful Of All Competent Persons Schemes

Someone has been kind enough to write another guest post to mark this site's second birthday! This one is from Letitia J Smith:

The most successful of all Competent Person’s Schemes by Sheit Lan Man, FENSA

Now we at FENSA are not ones to boast, but we did just want to let you know about a report by the Communities and Local Government which considered FENSA to be one of the most successful Competent Persons schemes to date across the UK.

Self certification schemes were introduced by Government in 2002 under the Building Regulations. The report, which can be found here, was made a year on in 2003 and found that FENSA is making a significant contribution to compliance with building regulations.

So how do FENSA ensure compliance? Well firstly every installation by a FENSA company has to be notified, and then a proportion of all jobs are inspected for compliance. Secondly, FENSA provide technical seminars, a technical Guidebook (revised issue being published soon) and a helpline to help installers stay up to date with compliance changes to the building regulations. In the report, FENSA was found to be the most successful of the 4 compliance schemes looked at.

Since that report in 2003, over 9000 companies are now registered FENSA Fitters. FENSA registered businesses who are undertaking consumer-facing, domestic contracts must be registered with an Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) provider. IBG’s provide added protection to the home owner should the installation company cease to trade and be unable to honor the terms of their own guarantee.

The FENSA Fitters are a major part of the glazing industry and FENSA is always looking for ways to improve the industry, and the work of FENSA further. A key way that we do this is through our focus groups, where we invite fitters to have their say with FENSA. Focus research groups are organised annually to help us better understand fitter’s views and perceptions on the industry, and the next on is on Thursday 17^th March in Manchester. During previous focus groups, installers have requested for help with saving money on petrol and last minute purchases from DIY stores. Subsequently FENSA has negotiated an exclusive deal with B&Q and developed a fuel discount card for its Registered Business. If you would like to attend the next event, please email sman@fensa.org.uk or telephone 020 7645 3715.  

Thanks Letitia!

2 Years Old Today!

10th March 2011 marks the two year milestone for this blog! I've enjoyed writing every post, getting in to the odd scrape and ruffling a few feathers. The conversations and debate has been great! A few weeks ago I was thinking about quitting, but after more thought I decided not to, and plan to write for as long as possible!


To mark this second anniversary, I put a call out on Twitter to see if anyone wanted to write a guest post. First to the call was Mike Bygrave of Roseview Windows.


I want to thank Mike for taking the time out to write his post for me, and would ask you all to read it, I have, it's a pretty good one!

Two Years in Double Glazing

Happy birthday to Double Glazing Blogger, who's reached his two year anniversary today. Websites and blogs come and go, but sticking with it and staying enthusiastic for two years is a lot of work. I know - I've tried and failed several times. So congratulations DGB!

A lot has changed in the industry in the two years since this blog started, all against a backdrop of recession and regulation changes. However, there have been two major trends which have - I think - changed things more than anything else. And for those who have ridden these trends, things have been a lot better than they could have been. The trends I'm talking about are the internet and diversification.

As a trade fabricator, some days it seems as if the double glazing industry is the last stop on the 'information superhighway'. Most of our customers are installers, and most of them still work off a fax machine. Even so, there's been a noticeable move towards email over the past two years. Meanwhile, retail companies are relying more and more on their websites, chiefly as a point of introduction, but increasingly as a direct source of good leads from customers actively looking to buy. As customers research products and companies on the web before making a decision, a high-quality, informative, trustworthy website is an essential sales tool. Just look at the successful Conservatory Outlet network, members of whom get a well designed, well-optimised website as part of the deal. Two years ago few of us would have known what "optimised" even means.

But the increasing importance of the internet goes beyond emails and company websites. We all used to read the trade mags and go to GlassEx to get industry news - now we read Fenestration News and Bullseye online. We read Double Glazing Blogger's blog and Renegade Conservatory Guy. More recently, a small but growing number discuss the industry on the first forum designed for people within double glazing - GlassTalk. And it doesn't stop there - we can order products online, we can connect to customers through Facebook, and we're even using Twitter to do business. Don't mock - in the last few months have quoted for three or four customers directly through Twitter (we're @RoseviewWindows by the way).

All this adds up to more ways of advertising and selling our products, better ways of connecting with customers, cheaper ways of ordering stuff in and new ways of keeping abreast of industry developments. And that can only be good for business.

The second trend of the last two years is diversification - particularly diversification into higher value products with added benefits.

During a recession we have to re-evaluate our market. When times are hard, customers with less disposable income are often the hardest hit, while more affluent customers don’t feel the pinch quite so much. The natural result is that companies who traditionally service the broader end of the market look to target the smaller but more affluent end. And that means changing the products they offer to better suit the new market.

We’ve already seen a dramatic swing from uPVC front doors to composite doors. Not too long ago everyone wanted white plastic doors with rambling rose leaded glass - you’d see whole streets with, essentially, the same front door on each house. Those days are gone. Now customers don’t want the same door as their neighbour, they want something a bit more individual, distinctive and higher quality. A similar thing has happened with conservatories – just look at the adverts in the papers and online and see how many people are now selling orangeries, garden rooms and sun lounges (often in hardwood). At the same time, the last two years have seen an explosion in the number of bi-fold doors being sold.

Returning to my own area, we’re seeing the same trend happening in sash windows, as more and more companies move away from the cheaper ‘mock sash’ end of the market and target more affluent customers with high quality uPVC sash windows. We’ve been fabricating sash windows for a long time, but in the past two years we’ve broadened our trade customer base considerably as more installers realise that they can benefit from less competition and higher job values and margins. Of course, that’s good news for us, but it’s also part of a healthy trend towards more diverse, high quality products in an industry that has traditionally been a little less adventurous than it is now.

Price will always be important when selling double glazing, but as the market changes it won’t necessarily stay at the top of the list as the most important factor in a sale. In a buyer’s market things like quality, reliability and suitability become much more important – it’s no co-incidence that organisations like DGCOS have arrived to help reassure consumers. When times are difficult the companies that survive are the ones who recognise this and adapt accordingly.

There’s no doubt that the last two years have been challenging ones for the double glazing industry. However, increasing use of the internet and diversification into high-end products (like sash windows) are two important tools that help companies ride out the storm and emerge the other side stronger, with a bigger market share and in a great position to move forward and grow when circumstances improve.

Mike Bygrave

Roseview Windows

Again, thanks for Mike for putting in the time for writing the above.

Ridiculous Guarantee!

How desperate are Everest to get the sales in?


In their most recent advertising campaign, they are celebrating 46 years in business. For 46 days they are offering a 46% discount, and get this...a 46 year guarantee!!


The 46% discount is stupid enough. People aren't going to fall for such a specific number, you should only do round numbers if your wanting to add money on and take it back off again and call it a discount. The most ridiculous thing about this promotion is the 46 year guarantee! Can you imagine the scenario? Mrs Smith rings up 37 years later after having Everest windows fitted: "could you come replace my window handles? They've all come loose and are falling off!" What do you think the chances are that after 37 years, Everest are really going to go out and replace her handles? The hardware won't even be available, and thinking on, in this climate, Everest might not even be there!


The tip here is that you don't have to go to crazy lengths that you know full well you can't honour. If your going to do a promotion, focus on a best selling product or have an open day for existing and potential new customers. Don't chain yourself to a cross you can't carry.


Oh, and they're advertising that 46 customers will get their windows and doors for free. So you can bet that 46 of the smallest contracts will get picked then!

The Quality Of Internet Leads

There is no doubt that the future of the double glazing industry relies partly on the integration of the internet. Gathering leads by way of the web is going to become one of the main ways in which to attract customers.


We started the internet journey properly about a year ago, aiming to have a better website to communicate our business and products better to the customer, and to get people to make enquiries online. All in all, I can say that the design part of the website and the content is well done and as we wanted. Though one area of scepticism is the quality of the internet leads.


When designing the website we wanted to make sure that the leads we bring in are ones that are of a good quality and are serious about having the work done. We didn't want to do is fill our diaries with time wasters and tyre-kickers. We've mostly managed to do that. However, if you read my last post, we still have the odd lead which is a complete waste of time and not worth spending the petrol money!


You'll never get a perfect system where you manage to filter out the genuine customers from those who are just curious about numbers. You just have to make it clear on your website that your not a cheap and cheerful, here today and gone tomorrow company who fit cheap products. That way those who want a good job doing are likely to contact you, and those who just want the cheapest possible will go to those who specialise in that.

When Your Not Given The Time

When visiting a customer to quote them for a new conservatory, you would think that due to a conservatory being quite a big purchase, the client would dedicate some time to go through with you your product, company and all the other details entailed, to make sure that your quote meets completely their expectations. Well no.


A couple we visited this evening after making an appointment via our website seemed to care very little about what they were wanting to buy. We sat them down and tried pretty much in vein to go through the details of the product. But any question posed to the couple were shouted across the house as we were sat down with him, but she was in the kitchen! 


After the first half dozen questions shouted around the house, it was clear the husband was growing more and more irritable. You could tell that both of them weren't interested in the slightest demo of what we had to offer. It was a case of just going in, getting measurements, deciding on the design and just leaving.


When asking a company to come visit you at your home to quote for something as big as a conservatory, or a full house of windows and doors, isn't it common courtesy to allow that company some time to do their job. Plus, it's better for them to listen to what the company has to say so they can make a fully informed decision on who to choose. 

Hot Industries

In my mind, there are only 3 hot industries to be in right now: Internet, advertising and technology (including the manufacturing that goes with the technology).


Internet
The whole world is now pretty much wireless. Everything from banking to buying, communication and anything visual is now wholly reliant on the internet. If the web was to go, the world would grind to a spectacular halt!


If your a business, you NEED to have a presence on the web. It doesn't matter what your selling, when two thirds of all people in Great Britain use the internet as the primary source of searching for anything, you have to be on there. Products like the Yellow Pages, Thomson Local and BT Phonebook are dying a very quick death, and are quickly moving their business to internet business listings and search. 


It's safe to say that the internet is the fastest growing industry of the last ten years, and will continue to do so for the next ten years. If your not part of the web community, get in it now, it's where the money is!


Advertising
Before the arrival of the World Wide Web, things like the Yellow Pages and the newspapers were the staple of the advertising world. Then the internet came along and changed everything. 


As more and more people became connected to the web, advertising companies realised that as people spent more time online, adverts placed on the most popular pages could earn them big bucks. And they were absolutely right! As people started to use the usual avenues of searching for things less, and the internet more, companies have started to reduce their spending on conventional advertising and put that cash into the web. Other than TV advertising, web advertising is probably the biggest growing market out there.


And it works. Companies like Google, Groupon and Amazon makes billions of dollars a year from their advertising sectors. Proving that advertising is one of the hot industries to be in right now.


Technology
This could seem quite a wide sector, but I'm talking more specifically about device technology, items like tablet computers, smart-phones and HD/3D TV.


As the world becomes ever more mobile, so people's appetite to access information and the internet on the move increases. Hence demand for things like smart-phones and tablets, which allow people to do so goes up too.


If you work for a company which makes any of these items or anything similar, you will know how much mobile devices have taken over the technology world. If you look at companies like Apple, iPads, iPhones and iPods make up much of their revenues. Without these, they would be worth much less than the $320 billion dollars they are worth today.


The advent of HD and 3D TV has also pumped the television market in recent years. 


If you work for any company which makes any of these items, you've timed getting that job very well indeed, and can count on your job being safe for some time to come. 

Blazing A New Trail

Have you ever sat down in contemplation, looked at your life where you are right now, and thought: I think I need a fresh start somewhere else?


That's where I am right now. Certain personal events have caused me to analyse my friendships with certain people, which, when a lot of them make up the circles you travel in, is a hard one to swallow if your thinking you perhaps don't want to be involved with them.


Then there's where I live. I'm still at home, in Wakefield. A city which is struggling to inspire me at this moment in time. I visited New York over New Years, and I loved being there. There always seemed a chance of opportunity and positivity, something which Wakefield, and probably most of the country just doesn't have. I'm someone who feels has a lot of potential, but this city just isn't nurturing it. If I were ever to move, it would be out of the country...that's providing I get the opportunity and money to allow me to do so.


But then I look at what I have here; a family business where, all being well, I'll be sitting in the same seat as my Dad. I have some of my best friends still here, and a caring family. 


Maybe this is just me wanting to bury my head in the sand and is struggling to cope with an ex-girlfriend and hot 'n' cold mates. Simple fact is that I'm frustrated and either need calming, or have better opportunities presented to me.


Next post will be about windows...promise!

New Domain Coming Soon...Hopefully!

After our company website updates had been completed, I spoke with our I.T. guys about transferring this site to it's own domain...properly! Not done by me! I tried doing it myself about a year ago and the site nearly became lost in space! I don't want that to happen again. That's why I'm getting some people who really know what they're doing to do it.


My main question is what the domain is to end in. Do I go for .com as there are quite a few readers from outside the UK, or do I go for .co.uk as the majority are from the UK. Or do I just do both?


Answers please!


Whatever the choice, I'm thinking this should be done by May.

A Crescendo Is Building

Over the past few weeks, I can't help but feel that there is a crescendo building within the double glazing world. One specifically relating to price.


Gathering from what people within the industry have said an information from customers, companies now seem to be crippling under price increases, and are now in the process of raising them. This had to happen. There were too many increases for installers to take on the chin. Despite this, Kommerling have come out and said that their prices are going up 9%, owing to the rising cost of oil. Also Pilkington are pumping up their prices across the range, between 10 and 25%. These new increases also have to be passed on, especially now as profit is becoming harder to make these days.


But it's not only Kommerling and Pilkington raising their prices. Pretty much all systems companies and glass suppliers have had to increase their prices to manufacturers. It's only now that installers seem to be passing on the increases. The crazy thing about it is that this should have been done ages ago! Just think of all the profit lost unnecessarily! Of course you'll still come across the companies who still think it's a good idea to under-cut in this sort of market, but all being well these companies will go bust!


I can feel all this boiling over now within the industry. Prices have risen, installers and manufacturers have held off the rising waters as long as possible, now cracks are beginning to show and companies are having to take on these increases quicker, and more often.

Month In Review: February 2011

To put it simply, February was no better than January...but at least not worse!


We had roughly the same amount of leads as January, the same amount of sales and the same amount of revenue. Pretty much a copycat month. But as February is one of the worst months  for the double glazing industry, this is to be expected.


One thing I did notice during this month, is that rival companies may have increased their prices. When we were quoting against some of our usual rivals, the gap between us and them seemed to be less than what it has been in the past. We have decreased our prices, but maybe the tough economic conditions has finally forced other to increase their prices as they probably can't absorb any more rises.


Also during February, I think we had the most sales calls from reps we've ever had! It must have been quiet out there, we were having more than 10 sales calls a day at one point. Ranging from people wanting to sell us company mobiles, trying to get us to change suppliers for our frames and roofs, loads from newspapers wanting us to advertise.


From what I understand trading is probably as tough as it was since the worst period during the recession. People are now starting to worry for their jobs, wages aren't rising and the rocketing cost of living are all conspiring to dampen any sort of economic recovery. It's time to get our recession heads back on and start to get out there and get the work in, it's there if you look in the right places, it'll just be a challenge making a success of it.

Doors For £800 to £1000

My most recent poll: How Much Should An Average Door Be Sold For? has finished, and the clear winner, and what most people think is that the average door in this industry should be sold for between £800-£1000. The rest of the results are below:

These are how the results were split:


£400-£600: 12
£600-£800: 3
£800-£1000: 23
£1000+: 5


There were quite a few votes for the £400-£600 option. Personally I don't know how anybody can make a decent wage out of that sort of price. By the time you take out survey costs, material costs and fitting costs, how can a profit be made?


For me, the £800-£1000 group was the right choice. When you take out all of the costs, you should still be able to make a decent profit out of a single door. But I also think there is still a market out there to be able to see doors over £1000. There are some really high quality and premium doors available which when sold in the right way, can easily command a four-figure sum.


Price is one of the biggest issues facing the double glazing industry right now. There are debates going on as we speak about how companies should be raising their prices to make a decent profit margin, reflecting the high quality of many of the products being sold.