Architect and Builder April/May 2019 | Página 4

EDITORIAL LOUISE FENNER-SOLOMON | PUBLISHER OUR TEAM PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING Louise Fenner-Solomon 082 572 4707 [email protected] PUBLISHER / DESIGN Peter Fenner-Solomon 082 521 3916 [email protected] T hankfully we finally have the 2019 elections behind us and we wait patiently to hear who has been appointed to the cabinet and hopefully see some much needed green shoots appearing from that dead looking stump that is the current SA economy. Mies van der Rohe’s tenet of ‘less is more’ comes to mind. A less bloated cabinet, with talented ministers focused more on efficiency, ethical management and business friendly policy decisions. Less red tape and time taken to award tenders, less political gesturing and more hands on engagement with business leaders; working together to ACCOUNTS Peter Fenner-Solomon 082 521 3916 [email protected] create more jobs in all industries but particularly the ailing construction industry - for so long one of the countries biggest employers. Working with so many firms in the industry I hear daily how companies are taking strain and battling to hang on in order to weather the storm for long enough and come out the other side. This downturn has obviously also effected publishers like ourselves. SUBSCRIBE SOUTH AFRICA 1 Year / 6 Issues 2 Year / 12 Issues INTERNATIONAL 1 Year / 6 Issues 2 Year / 12 Issues The first thing to get cut is the marketing budget and advertising is mainly what we rely on for our income. Luckily Architect and Builder has been around for a long time R350 exc. VAT R600 exc. VAT R800 exc. VAT R1 400 exc. VAT HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Email us your subscription choice: [email protected] and we are thankful for the very established relationships we have with so many in the industry who still support us. Despite tough trading conditions I feel that this environment also forces us to consider how we can do ‘more with less’. How can we reinvent our business model, offering alternative, more cost effective options to our clients. Now is the time to offer better service, faster turn around times and new ways of doing business. It’s also the time to be generous with time, expertise and networks. Offering additional advertising space to a struggling client, sharing the Linkedin post of someone out of work looking to network within the industry, providing an opinion or a service which may not mean CONTACT US TELEPHONE 082 572 4707 FACSIMILE 086 551 8323 much to you but everything to the firm or person you are doing a favour for. As Richard Branson said, “tough times are inevitable in life and business, but how you compose yourself during those times defines your spirit and will define your future.” EMAIL [email protected] WEB 4 www.archibuild.co.za Editorial