Professional decorators are looking to a buoyant New Year, with feedback from across the industry signalling a busy order book already up to Spring 2024 and beyond.
Visitors to the Painting and Decorating Association’s stand at the National Painting and Decorating Show shared an optimistic outlook for the sector to the trade body’s CEO, Neil Ogilvie, and other members of the trade body team at the event.
And in a sign of confidence for the year ahead, the PDA reported a significant increase in enquiries and sign-ups compared to previous years at the show.
Neil said:
“We had a great show and were really pleased to hear from painters and decorators looking to make the most of their membership to support their business operations.
“The sector appears to be buoyant as a whole, with the majority booked through to Spring 2024.
“Because of the cost-of-living crisis, people are deciding to stay where they are rather than move house, so they are renovating, maybe having an extension.
“As we are a finishing trade and people want to come into their new space and feel excited by it, there will always be demand there for our members to come in and do that work.”
Displays on the stand included a roll call of the PDA’s latest Associate Partners, with almost 60 manufacturers, product suppliers and service providers now signed up to the scheme – bringing a wealth of opportunities for PDA Members including giveaways, promotions, sponsorship and technical insight.
Paint Green, the PDA’s new sustainability initiative was also given the thumbs-up by show delegates.
The scheme encourages PDA Members to drive down waste through using existing recycling schemes or finding innovative ways to repurpose excess paint and containers.
Neil added:
“The feedback we’ve had from Paint Green members has been very positive, with clients appreciating their efforts and the logo considered a valuable asset in demonstrating that they are making an effort to deal with any leftover paint and containers responsibly.
“Some Members said it was making a difference to them winning work, as clients liked to see the fact that they were taking action to be more sustainable.
“Helping our Members to position themselves for quality and professionalism in the marketplace is vital for us and it was clear that our revamped PDA website is helping with that.
“Many in membership said that they were winning quality work by using their individual profile pages to showcase photographs of their work and set out their skills and experience to potential clients.
“The fact that our TradePoint card has no minimum spend requirement was also well-received, alongside the group insurance, training opportunities and access to Markel UK claim and advice lines and business hub.
“Markel UK in particular offers peace of mind as there are literally thousands of legal documents, template contracts and more that our Members can access for free through their unique code and will know that they are up-to-date and correct.
“In busy times for the industry, anything that takes the strain out of paperwork and admin is critical, and this package is really highly valued.”
Finally, one of the strongest points that Members commented on at the show was the value of its trade body in being available at the end of the phone and by email when help is needed.
Neil said:
“We know our Members appreciate being able to telephone the office and come straight through to one of the team.
“We are always happy to help – and if it’s something we can’t answer straight away, we have contacts across the industry who will help us get back to Members quickly.
“That support and back-up is invaluable, and it can make all the difference when a Member hits a problem and needs the best support to navigate through it.”
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