Yes, everything seems to have to be about Covid-19 right now because this evil virus, so small that over 1,000,000 can fit on a pin head, has taken control of our lives.
But maybe I can include it in my topic because before it struck, I was already championing how valuable our industry is as a unit and what I feel are the wonderful elements of it.
What I think most of us enjoy is being able to go to work, travel, enjoy the buzz of meetings, motivate staff, plan, trade, win a new client, work with a supplier to get the inside track. It’s all part of what gives humans purpose and that rush of dopamine we get from attainment. Work and the feeling of being valuable is precious.
What it shouldn’t be is a slog all the time: yes there are challenging times, but anyone can sail a ship in a calm sea. If nothing was challenging would there be any point in doing it? Would you rather challenge yourself to the crossword in the Beano… or the Times?
What this Lockdown has taught many is how much we miss this wonderful fenestration environment in which we live and trade. In my experience there’s nothing that comes close to the unity in which we operate. The co-operation we’ve had from our suppliers, customers and staff has been extraordinary with all realising that we’re working towards the same goal of a united industry pulling in the same direction.
At Quickslide we’re fortunate to not only have keen hungry staff but some truly amazing clients, suppliers, associates and competitors. Work is not easy of course, but nothing is if you want to live a valuable life. We’re not here to steal work and put people out of business, as with 99% in our industry we’re here to simply make a fair living, enjoy what we do, support each other, embrace the charity work and look forward to the projects ahead.
When we have such a grave situation as this virus it makes us re-think what’s important; that it’s not to dominate the world but to help and support the next man in order that we can all enjoy and embrace what we have.
This is a time to hold prices, trade fairly, and maintain an environment in which we can support each other so that our industry can regrow when we return back and re-establish itself as the premier home improvement sector.
Adrian Barraclough
Chairman, Quickslide
