Did Voters Find 'Posh Boys' Too Lightweight?

I have my own theory as to why neither David Cameron nor Nick Clegg did as well as expected. In my experience as a the owner of a shop Your Life Your Style, the recession has caused people to become more cautious in their buying, preferring nostalgia, simplicity and lasting quality.
If you apply this to the party leaders you can see why voters might have been worried that Cameron and Clegg were too young and inexperienced to handle the current grave situation. Brown, despite his many failings, is stolid and experienced. The 'posh boys' might have been the right choice when the living was easy but to take on the worst crisis in most of our lifetimes, the Tories and Lib Dems might have been better with old warhorses like Ken Clarke and Vince Cable.

A Door Opens On The High Street

The high street is under threat but there's also an opportunity. Shops that sell mass produced products, shops that have grown too big to care, they may go. But new shops can take their place. It's a rare chance for entrepreneurial independents to break into the high street- businesses more in touch with customers' tastes and needs.
Our local council working with the local paper has launched a website shopinhampshire.co.uk to encourage us to support the local high street. Our shop Your Life Your Styleis there and, given the chance, we'll be on more local high streets as well.

Small Is Beautiful In A Recession

High street shops in the UK are struggling. Shoppers, worrying about the pound in their pockets, seem to be turning their backs on the throwaway products mass produced in China. By contrast, sales at our independent 'lifestyle' shop in Winchester and on our website yourlifeyourstyle.co.uk are actually increasing.

In a recession, value is what people look for, and that doesn't automatically mean 'cheap'. We concentrate on stocking products that are beautifully designed and made to last. We have found that our customers recognise Britain as a world leader in the quality of its design and craft. They see handmade British products as something of lasting value, something that will make a special gift. We have responded by launching a Made In The UK collection on the website.

It's a joy to see and touch hand crafted wooden flowers by Martin Jones of High Wycombe, fused glass bowls and coasters by Jo Downs of Cornwall, Yorkshire based Rosie Soul’s jewellery, Naturaleigh of Dorset’s organic soaps, fabric door stops and notice boards by Pins And Ribbons from the North East and top London designer Margo Selby’s scarves and clutch bags.

They're all people with an artistic eye and the skill to create lasting beauty with their hands. Just looking at one of their creations is a delight. But when you touch it and feel the care and attention put into it, it's like a personal contact with the maker.

What is also crucially important is that they are part of a new breed of crafts men and women who are serious business people. They want to satisfy a growing market and understand that retail success requires consistency and competitive pricing.

It may not be a bad thing for Britain's high streets to be cleared of some of the dross that people bought when they were encouraged to consume for its own sake. The recession is a real opportunity for retailers and producers who can offer something of quality and value.

Profit Is A By-Product of Customer Satisfaction

More words of wisdom from Simon Caulkin. His response to the recession is 'Quit thinking about cost - give people what they want.' He points out they aren't interested in your costs. They just want your product or service with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of convenience.
Forget productivity, work on quality.
Economies of flow and effort far outweigh dinosaur-like economies of scale.
Learning and improvementonly happen when people control their working lives and are proud of what they do.
Build co-operation. Internal competition is usually a wrecker.
Read the full article.

Marketing In A Recession

How are we going to cope with the economic downturn, apart from shopping at Aldi? Whatever you do, don’t cut your marketing budget. My experience of previous recessions is that people stop buying big ticket items like new cars or foreign holidays but continue to cheer themselves up with small luxuries like entertainment. Reducing your marketing will damage sales.

If your boss or funder says you must cut the budget, then you have no choice. In any case, it’s never a bad idea to review your marketing plan to see which tools are working. (If you’re spending money without measuring the results, you must work for a local council or a bank.)