Early this year, I made a decision. A sizeable decision that I knew was long overdue.
I'd had enough of operating our kitchen marketing agency under-resourced.
So, with a bit of help, we defined our ideal future organisation chart and set about a course of action to 'fill in the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle'—even if this meant taking a hit on profitability in the short term.
Despite the time demands that recruitment brings, we've had a new recruitment project running nearly every month this year. I'm pleased to say we're nearly done—the jigsaw puzzle is all but complete.
The outcome: We've had some great new people with new skills join the team, deadlines are being met as standard, morale is up, feedback from our clients is encouraging, and new clients are coming on board.
This has underlined that being under-resourced—or under-invested—over the years has cost us more than the alternative.
The opportunity cost has been significant.
And from what I've seen across our client portfolio of independent kitchen retailers, the same principle has applied.
In the world of kitchen retail, it's tempting to keep resources lean. After all, controlling overheads is crucial, especially in today's unpredictable market.
But there's a critical balance to be struck. While being under-resourced might save you money in the short term, the long-term costs—missed opportunities, lost revenue, and diminished customer satisfaction—can far outweigh the perceived savings.
Investing in resources isn't just about capacity; it's about seizing opportunities and staying ahead of the competition.
Let's face it: when you're running a tight ship, it's easy to become reactive rather than proactive. Without the right resources - skilled staff, state-of-the-art tools, or even time to innovate, you're often left playing catch-up.
This can result in missed sales, rushed jobs, and, ultimately, disappointed customers. In a market as competitive as yours, where customer experience is everything, the cost of a bad review or a lost client is far more than the cost of an additional resource over the same period.
Consider this: How many potential customers have walked away because you couldn't give them the attention they wanted? How many times have you had to decline a project because you simply didn't have the capacity?
These missed opportunities are the silent drains on your business—costs that don't show up on your balance sheet but can significantly impact your bottom line.
On the flip side, being slightly over-resourced might feel uncomfortable at first—an extra designer here, a bit more inventory there—but it gives you the agility to say "yes" when it counts. It allows you to offer that extra bit of service, to take on that unexpected project, or to innovate in ways that set you apart from the competition.
Over time, these 'extras' build your reputation and, more importantly, your business.
And as I've learned, the cost of being under-resourced is far more dangerous than the expense of being over-prepared.
In the kitchen retail industry, where the difference between success and failure can be as thin as a worktop, having the right resources in place can mean the difference between just surviving and truly thriving.
It's about investing wisely—not just in your immediate needs but also in the opportunities you might otherwise miss.
It's not about how much you spend but about how much you stand to gain.
If you’re ready to discuss taking your kitchen business to the next level through an improvement to your marketing, we’ve never been better placed to help! Send an email to david.barker@inspirekbb.com, and let’s arrange a chat.
