I think that a lot of the British public have been living in financial fairy land for the last few years, they borrowed up to the hilt and then just remortgaged to pay for it, the property market in my area is slowing down and has been for several months, many people are just starting to wake up from their financial fairy tail dreams and are seeing a grim reality, they cant dump much if any more on their mortgage, the credit cards are maxxed and the loans need paying, when it gets to this stage people have a choice, either tighten their belts or disappear into an ever expanding cloud of debt, given the options most will start sorting the essentials from the luxuries.
Burst pipe?
They need a plumber,fact.
Carpets dirty?
Well, it needs doing so I'll call someone when I get paid, payday comes and so do the bills, maybe next month then.
Talking to several trades that I know and having a lot of retailers in my family all I hear is how tight things are, as a relative newcomer I'm at a disadvantage to cc's that have been established for years,or am I?
They've got a customer base to work on (if they can be bothered to stay in touch, some dont), but the chances are many of them have bigger overheads than me, some may have brought equipment on lease when the going was easier, they may have commited to big annual advertising costs or have wages to find for employee's, some may have got complacent about their position in the marketplace and could get their rs bitten, so swings and roundabouts it is, may the best man win!
, Andy