Monday 23 July 2012

Value for Money?

I know only too well that times are tough out there for every one. A recession (with one or dips) is hard to deal with alone, without the added stresses of planning a wedding. Money has become a precious commodity with every penny being saved becoming a penny made. Essentially we are all out looking for a bargain.

But what is really a bargain?
Paying less for a product does not always mean you have received value for money.

We all know that a Rolls Royce car is more expensive than a Ford Fiesta, and we understand that the two items are not comparable, but if we could buy a new Rolls Royce for the price of a new Ford Fiesta we would KNOW that was a bargain. But in reality this will never happen, bargains like these just do not exist, because a Rolls Royce vehicle is a more expensive car to produce than a mass market vehicle which is designed to appeal to a large cross section of the community and be mass produced. Now if you could find a vehicle that was comparable to a Rolls Royce, that had the same specification, the same design, the same performance, the same prestige and the same levels of customer service but at a cheaper price, then you have a genuine bargain. I think what I am trying to say is that a bargain is only a bargain when you are receiving the same product or service (or both) at a lower rate.

In the case of our business there are allot of different companies offering what seem at first glance very similar services (in the same way all cars have four wheels). However the difference in the services can be quite drastic. Some companies do not design their own stock, some do not even purchase their own stock (simply act as middle men), some companies do not hold stock on the premises, some companies do not have fully trained tailors on the premises, some companies do not have fully trained staff, some companies do not alter and press each and every garment by hand. Worst of all, I think some companies do not care.

So when you are deciding which 'Wedding Suit Hire ' service to choose for your wedding please consider 'Bargains' , 'Discounts' and 'Price Guarantees' are not always what they seem.

Compare the products, compare the service and then decide if these 'Deals' are really value for money?



(Not every one is ONLY interested in price) Just a thought ... Marc







Tuesday 3 July 2012

The Philosophy of a Jack Bunney

With every business and in life generally it is always worthwhile having a purpose.  It gives a direction in which to head, an opportunity to reach goals and achieve them.  A 'purpose' can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.  I would imagine that most small businesses see survival as a pretty good 'purpose' and in this current climate who can blame them.   Some small businesses will no doubt see their 'purpose' as making money, earning a living is essential to us all after all.  But as small business owners we have an opportunity to do more than that, survival and earning a living are noble enough and without those essential components of small business ownership the economy would be in an even larger mess than it is at present, but we have a chance do something that others before us have never done, to forge new paths and create our own destines, aside from the trials of national and global economy.

Being small gives us the opportunity to try new things, with relatively little cost, being small means we do not have to answer to shareholders or be responsible for 1000's of employees and their families.  Being a small business owner gives the greatest flexibility of all, we can adapt to new markets, new opportunities wherever we find them.  Being small means we have options and choices only limited by our imaginations and budgets.

With all this choice at our fingertips we need direction, clarification of where we stand, what direction should we follow, which choices are the right ones and which best suit us the small business owners.  This is why I have always thought it worthwhile to stop and think about where you are and where you are going and more importantly why you are going there!  It is not always an easy task, finding the time to stop at all is not always easy when you are running a busy small business, but to stop, analyse and discuss your business and its future can be not only time consuming but quite gruelling.   Self assessment can be harsh at times, pride in yourself and your achievements can sometimes prevent a realistic view of where your business stands in a crowded market place.

It is with that in mind that we at Jack Bunneys often sit down and have a discussion about the business, where it is going, where we are going as individuals and our hopes and dreams for the industry as a whole.  After our latest discussions we have decided to write a short list of things which we are passionate about, things which we think identify our business.  These are our beliefs, these are things that we hold true, our philosophy, if you will.

1. We believe every consumer has the right to individuality.
2. We believe that every consumer should be treated with respect.
3. We believe adults should be treated as such.
4. We believe that this respect should be mutual.
5. We believe in striving for perfection.
6. We believe working hard can lead to excellent results.
7. We believe personal style should come from within.
8. We believe in being different, but not for being different's sake.
9. We believe that traditions are there to be broken but also understood and respected.
10. We believe that knowledge, understanding and an attention to detail is the key in all things.
11. We believe there is another way.
12. We believe in our extraordinary customers.