In his latest Installer Matters column, Chief Executive of the Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) Faisal Hussain discusses their new Business Support Podcast series, created in partnership with the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) and many other leading organisations, which is due to go live in June.
Our first podcast series was focused on breaking the silence around Mental Health. Working with Anna Scothern, the Chair of the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) and host of their popular podcast, we brought to the industry episodes that unpicked some of the causes of poor mental health and spoke to experts that could offer advice on how to manage these challenges. Every episode was insightful, and we had some really positive feedback from listeners.
Challenges in business
One of the recurring topics of conversation across the series, and our wider better mental health campaign that has been running for the last few years, was the challenges many faced in running a business, so it made perfect sense for this to be the focus of our second podcast series.
Running your own business comes with more challenges than you can imagine when you first set up. From managing the finances and your team, understanding the legal and compliance requirements, to getting in leads and finding the right work for your business, there’s a lot to think about and none of us are experts at everything.
Discussing the challenges and opportunities
In our second podcast series with NHIC, we’re unpicking some of these challenges and through collaborating with experts again, offer useful tips to businesses in the glazing and wider home improvement sector.
Anna Scothern, once again, hosts the conversations and is joined by myself and the DGCOS and HIES Consumer Code team, along with Certass, Window Sales Lab, Ideal Window Solutions, Segen, Trustmark and the Energy Saving Trust.
Legal and Compliance
Jon Vanstone, Chair of Certass and the HSE’s industry competence committee (ICC) is well placed to offer advice on what the glazing industry needs to be aware of when it comes to the legal and compliance requirements we should be meeting, as well as upcoming changes we need to be ready for, particularly when it comes to Building Safety Regulations.
Financial Management
Paul Clifton is a window industry Sales & Profit Consultant with Window Sales Lab. He has worked with many companies in our sector and even published a book in 1989 - “What Master Salesmen Know That Average Salesmen Don't” - about his experience of being a top double glazing salesman with Coastal, where he achieved an annual 82% conversion rate, when at the time, the group average was 34%. In this episode, we discuss the complexities of managing money and unpick some of the buzz words many find confusing when it comes to the financial side of the business.
Business Operations
Thom Emerson is Sales Director of Ideal Window Solutions, a successful window and door installation business in the South. Thom discusses operational challenges and the correlation between managing your business and mental health. Together we discuss the importance of building a team, putting the right people with the right skills in place to support you, having the right processes in place, and the importance of being strategic in picking the projects that are right for your business.
Advice for the wider Home Improvement Sector
Our sister scheme HIES Consumer Code, which covers the installation of renewable energy and home energy efficiency products, focuses on the challenges this sector is currently facing. It’s a sector that is still in its infancy and can be unpredictable with a fluctuating supply chain. We’re also a long way from meeting renewable energy targets set by the government so in these episodes we’re discussing how collaboration can empower and support businesses to grow and adapt with Jack White of Segen; offering tips on effective sales and marketing techniques with Rhys Jones from TrustMark; and, explore and understand the current grants and incentives available with Stew Horne from the Energy Savings Trust.
The new business support podcast series with the NHIC will be launching on the 13th June, with a total of six episodes being released on a weekly basis during June and July.
Head over to https://nhic.org.uk/the-nhic-podcast-beyond-tools-navigating-business-success-series/ or follow us on LinkedIn for updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dgcos-double-glazing-and-conservatory-ombudsman-scheme/