DEFINING A DECADE
3 ) Rise of the service sector
We are getting used as a society to poor service , and for me , that ' s not a good thing
This decade has seen a drop in manufacturing and the rise of the service sector and this can also be related to a rise in outsourcing .
Voice : Claire Haines
Back in 2013 Clare Haines , lived in Swindon and was running the Lingerie Outlet Store .
" The business did very well getting to around £ 7m turnover at its height . Sadly though it ultimately didn ' t work out yet I learned so much in spite of the difficulties encountered .
" I became a consultant for several brands and I started learning again . This has now led me more recently to create a new business bringing together all of that learning which is far more profitable and efficient .
“ My new business - Designer Outlet Store - is run entirely through Ebay . I ' ve moved to Devon to be closer to my family and I now see most of the last decade as a ' practice run ' for where I am in business now and where I ' m going in the next decade ."
" Being part of the world of retail , I ' d have to say the rise of shopping online and the demise of the High Street is the biggest change . The problem with that though is that customer service doesn ' t really exist any more . We are getting used as a society to poor service and , for me , that ' s not a good thing . I take pride in working with my customers and I really care about them more than I have ever done ."
For more info : www . ebay . co . uk / str / designeroutletstore
4 ) Money
Change happens all the time . Over the years I ' ve learned not to panic .
5 ) Sustainability
This last decade has seen a change in how we deal with money in business and life . There was the whole crypto currency wave , more people are paying for services via subscriptions and we are increasingly cashless using apps and other resources to make payment quickly .
Voice : Paul Norbury
Paul Norbury , is the CEO of Devizes-based Cardwave , a global leader in the world of flash memory storage .
“ Over the last ten years I ’ ve achieved everything I wanted to with Cardwave – not only on the business front but in terms of our ability to support local organisations and causes . “ The business is 18 years old , and as it entered the last decade my focus was on building from a successful innovative startup into its early teenage years . As the decade progressed the focus was split into two . Further consolidation , achieving and maintaining excellence and growing the customer base for Cardwave ’ s core business was vital . I was also interested in developing new business streams and new markets . So I opened a US office , and became a regular transatlantic traveller .
“ Change happens all the time . Over the years I ’ ve learned not to panic . For example , Brexit didn ’ t affect Cardwave as much as some others – we have always traded internationally and have been able to move with any new requirements with relative ease .
“ Covid-19 , on the other hand changed everything . Our business model relies on an international supply chain , and we were taken by surprise , like everyone else , when this suddenly stopped . But whilst the news was full of companies struggling and closing down , our message was about riding the storm together and being there to support each other . “ Overall , I don ’ t think the business has changed or transformed much over the last decade . We have evolved and we are constantly making changes that improve the business , but at our core Cardwave is a business designed to help others , and has enabled our customers to transform their businesses .”
For more info : www . cardwave . com
Small businesses are now taking on a positive proactive approach
In 2013 no one really talked about this , there were a few early adopters of the ‘ buzz words ’ yet now it ’ s a necessity for all businesses . Indeed larger companies will have to meet new government green targets and to do so their supply chains will have to be greener .
Voice : Kyle Holmes
Kyle Holmes is Founder and Managing Director of Calne-based Black Nova Designs , he is a tech geek but sustainability is important to him and his team .
“ The green and sustainable business responsibility has become more prominent in the last decade . More recently the Government announced the revision of over 100 new oil and gas licenses for the north sea which , in our view , hinders their commitment to being net zero by 2050 .
“ There is a need for gas and oil in the transition period but while the Government has its own agenda , small businesses are now taking on a positive proactive approach to working with the environment to minimise their impact .
“ Larger companies must have a green statement to be able to bid for contracts yet I feel this is very much a tick box exercise and larger companies could do a lot more .
“ We took a more authentic approach by using suppliers who are actively working on their green credentials as well as adopting the Coral Guardian scheme and we are working with a 100 % renewable energy data centre .”
For more info : www . blacknovadesigns . co . uk
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2023 11