Observing the Trends at the sharp end - Mayer House Business Media Ltd.

I watched an interview on television last week with one of our esteemed politicians, who had very obviously undergone media training, talking about staying in touch with the “people out there in the community.”

How often have you heard politicians on camera tell you that they have been out in their constituencies listening to the views of their constituents?  I have always cynically suspected that they are listening, not hearing, and that they are more welcoming of views akin to their own which help substantiate their strategic stance. 

If they were hearing, then matters such as the cleanliness of hospitals, the real social disharmony of youth in both urban and rural communities and the social issues caused by the hard to fathom immigration policy (to name but a view) would hopefully have been picked up and dealt with long before such issues reached crisis level. 

In small business we have to rely on our own strategic “nouse” to bring home the bacon tomorrow and interpretation of our observations and our listening play an important role in that strategic process, if we are to stave off our own potential crises and help the business flourish. 

So I put myself in the politician’s position and asked myself what is happening out there on the street, in the marketplace or within our business and from the observations what strategic policies are developing or should develop on the strength of the interpretation?

I’m sure you have many observations but here are a few which are relevant to our business.  The first observation not surprisingly rings a cautions note.  As we visit all the industrial and retail areas in our geography on a quarterly basis there is the very real observation that in the last three months noticeable numbers of business are closing.  The number of closed retail outlets in Northampton town centre is evident.  It is therefore not difficult to postulate that this is not the time to extend credit, especially to new accounts in the middle market. 

In the same vein and on the back of the “sub prime crisis” the banks are taking a more robust stand on overdrafts and loans with small businesses and therefore again this is a time to constrain the spending and reign in the costs. 

On a more positive note in terms of our industry we are receiving considerably more requests from teenagers for personalised t-shirts which they have designed and have produced adequate artwork.  This generation require fast turnaround, high quality t-shirts in small numbers and often ask which model of direct to garment printer will be used.  This audience is knowledgeable and is already setting themselves up in business within design and style communities.  One could interpret that there is a potential trend away from the mass produced branded t-shirt toward individual designs or groups of designs. 

Finally, for this article, an observation within our business is the increasing number of ladies who are requiring embroidered or printed clothing with a women’s fit.  It seems that the small and extra small sizes in standard fit are no longer acceptable and what is increasingly required are items specifically for women and available in a full range of sizes.  Add to that the requirement for polos, fleeces and shirts with a women’s fit from the increasing number of women who have set up in “trades” such as plumbers or electricians, and from ladies sports and social clubs who want their personalised garments to fit well and one can see an emerging trend for more input in this growing and widening area of the supply chain.   

Whatever the observations you have, don’t lose sight of them when you are considering your strategy.  If we wait for the higher authorities to confirm a trend or acknowledge it needs support or investment then you can be assured the opportunity will have passed and unlike Northern Rock and the other banks we will not be bailed out or paid handsome compensation for being in charge of a failed strategy.