Another year wiser

13 January 2010

We welcome Lisa Mather of retailer ModoCucine in Cheshire as a regular columnist. In her debut piece, she reviews her first years in business and how time wasters waste her time...

As far as first birthday presents go, it wasn't the best. Exactly 12 months to the day since we opened our doors, the recession kicked in. We'd had a great first year. Modo was 30% up on projected sales. Business was good and having blown out the candles on our first birthday cake, we were looking forward to a strong second year in business.

The impact of the recession was immediate, but, as we go into our fourth year, we've learnt a few things from our challenging early years in business. I'm not going to write an extensive list of the perils and pitfalls of running a small business during a recession, but there are a few bug bears that I'd like to share.

Two words immediately spring to mind to sum up last year for me. Time wasters. Yes, I'm sure you know who they are. Bet you've had your fair share of them, too. It's inevitable that you'll always get a few, but last year they were out in force. If I had to do a rough calculation, I'd say that 50% of the people who came into the showroom had no intention whatsoever of making a purchase - up from about 20% the year before.

I know that money is tight during a recession and the need to shop around is more pressing than ever, but a little honesty wouldn't go amiss. For starters, how about being upfront about budgets? If only the time wasters would put their cards on the table, cut to the chase and reveal what they actually intended to spend on a new kitchen or bathroom.

Although we cater for the middle to upper range of price brackets, we work hard to help people make the best of their budgets. With a little tweaking, we can meet most budgets.

The fact is that, as a small business,we just don't have the capacity to deal with lots of time wasters. It's not just the time spent in the showroom - we don't have a problem with people calling in to look around. It's more the hours, even the days, spent working up designs that will never see the light of day.

The time waster has no intention of buying from us, they are simply trawling showrooms for ideas and the cheapest prices.

Another year wiser, we can now spot them a mile off. In the early days, we were eager to convert them, but if we've learnt anything, it's that price-driven window-shoppers are unlikely to be interested in the quality of the design and the high levels of service that are integral to our brand. Time wasters usually ask "how much is that kitchen?" the second they wander into the showroom - showing little interest in its design and where it came from.

So what changes did we make to our business model last year? One thing's for sure, we decided above all else that we wouldn't compromise on quality and we wouldn't discount.

We've introduced two new ranges giving customers more choice in design and to meet a wider range of budgets. Initially, we focused on supplying Miele die Kuche. Last year we were proud to be presented with a Centre of Excellence accolade for outstanding customer service.

We now supply Bontempi and after great recommendations from our agent, Richard Shields, we have E&K kitchens in the showroom as well as Miele die Kuche. By working with companies like E&K, we are able to cut costs, as there is no middleman. Savings we can then pass on to customers. We've also been asked to design bedrooms. Although this isn't a core product for us, it's one that we have developed this year.

So, a bit more honesty wouldn't go amiss in 2010. It would certainly help us make more time for the customers who really deserve it. Customers are the backbone of our business and their recommendations have helped us have three good years in business.

Here's to a great 2010!

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Another year wiser	Back
13 January 2010 We welcome Lisa Mather of retailer ModoCucine in Cheshire as a regular columnist. In her debut piece, she reviews her first years in business and how time wasters waste her time... As far as first birthday presents go, it wasn't the best. Exactly 12 months to the day since we opened our doors, the recession kicked in. We'd had a great first year. Modo was 30% up on projected sales. Business was good and having blown out the candles on our first birthday cake, we were looking forward to a strong second year in business. The impact of the recession was immediate, but, as we go into our fourth year, we've learnt a few things from our challenging early years in business. I'm not going to write an extensive list of the perils and pitfalls of running a small business during a recession, but there are a few bug bears that I'd like to share. Two words immediately spring to mind to sum up last year for me. Time wasters. Yes, I'm sure you know who they are. Bet you've had your fair share of them, too. It's inevitable that you'll always get a few, but last year they were out in force. If I had to do a rough calculation, I'd say that 50% of the people who came into the showroom had no intention whatsoever of making a purchase - up from about 20% the year before. I know that money is tight during a recession and the need to shop around is more pressing than ever, but a little honesty wouldn't go amiss. For starters, how about being upfront about budgets? If only the time wasters would put their cards on the table, cut to the chase and reveal what they actually intended to spend on a new kitchen or bathroom. Although we cater for the middle to upper range of price brackets, we work hard to help people make the best of their budgets. With a little tweaking, we can meet most budgets. The fact is that, as a small business,we just don't have the capacity to deal with lots of time wasters. It's not just the time spent in the showroom - we don't have a problem with people calling in to look around. It's more the hours, even the days, spent working up designs that will never see the light of day. The time waster has no intention of buying from us, they are simply trawling showrooms for ideas and the cheapest prices. Another year wiser, we can now spot them a mile off. In the early days, we were eager to convert them, but if we've learnt anything, it's that price-driven window-shoppers are unlikely to be interested in the quality of the design and the high levels of service that are integral to our brand. Time wasters usually ask "how much is that kitchen?" the second they wander into the showroom - showing little interest in its design and where it came from. So what changes did we make to our business model last year? One thing's for sure, we decided above all else that we wouldn't compromise on quality and we wouldn't discount. We've introduced two new ranges giving customers more choice in design and to meet a wider range of budgets. Initially, we focused on supplying Miele die Kuche. Last year we were proud to be presented with a Centre of Excellence accolade for outstanding customer service. We now supply Bontempi and after great recommendations from our agent, Richard Shields, we have E&K kitchens in the showroom as well as Miele die Kuche. By working with companies like E&K, we are able to cut costs, as there is no middleman. Savings we can then pass on to customers. We've also been asked to design bedrooms. Although this isn't a core product for us, it's one that we have developed this year. So, a bit more honesty wouldn't go amiss in 2010. It would certainly help us make more time for the customers who really deserve it. Customers are the backbone of our business and their recommendations have helped us have three good years in business. Here's to a great 2010!