ANALYSIS | Adapting to change


Natalie Peters, general manager, Kitchens Etc, North Creake, Norfolk


In 2021, while dealing with the after-effects of Covid, a devastating flood threatened the long-term survival of Kitchens Etc. Natalie Peters, explains how they overcame such a significant challenge and even turned it into a positive


When our showroom was devas- tated by a severe freak flood, it was literally a sink or swim moment for our business! The entire showroom was knee-deep in water for over six weeks resul- ting in a complete strip-out and total refit, forcing us to be without a showroom for most of 2021. We were in complete shock and absolutely heartbroken to see it in that state and the extent of the damage really did shake us to our core. We were still processing the shock of Covid, trying to navigate through that and being forced to adapt our business quickly, like everyone else had to, and just before the flood we had completed a showroom refurbishment. To reinstate the whole showroom to the extent required, was going to be a huge investment incredibly difficult


during an and uncertain


period. We were still in the midst of the pandemic and lockdowns, and had no idea when they would end or whether they were here to stay. Footfall had decreased dramati- cally, and no one knew what the showroom experience would look like post-Covid. There was no time to mope or even


process, we had to act fast, pick ourselves up off the floor and make big decisions. We decided to turn a huge negative into a positive, truly believing in our showroom experience and per so nal service – promising our


cus to mers that we’d be back with a bang.


Fortunately, we are a long- established company with a very good reputation, built on personal recom mendation and repeat custom. Clients were also very understanding and sympathetic and by creating a bit of a hype, people were rooting for us and following our progress – all of this definitely helped us immensely during this difficult time. We kept people informed of our progress through verbal contact,


enthusiasm and passion along with a portfolio of our previous works rather than showing physical product in our showroom. We had already begun to profes- sionally photograph and then video all our finished jobs, which helped with


social media content and


engagement and building our up-to- date portfolio, it was an investment commitment but one that we have continued and has been a real game-changer.


There was no time to mope or even process, we had to act fast, pick ourselves up off the floor and make big decisions


newsletters, updates and social media. We were transparent, we encouraged people into the showroom once it was safe to do so, while the refurbishment was under way, so that we could promote personal interaction with them. Our showroom temporarily became a building ‘shell’ and a way to emphasise our story – our


Our priority was to look after our clients and keep our forward order book ahead, to see us through this tough period. We are now only a very small team, and our projects are high- end, so we do not rely on high volume of sales (a stark contrast to our business model 20 years ago) which was also very helpful during this time.


Opportunity


This was enough to survive thank- fully, however we knew for our business there was no long-term substitute for clients being able to be inspired, to think differently through our full showroom experience and to interact with our beautiful products in the flesh. We used this unexpected oppor- tunity, to start with a blank canvas and change things up completely, launching our new Design Studio; showcasing exactly where we are as a company now and where we are


heading. This has proven to be a great success, continues to be extremely well received and is an invaluable sales tool.


The pandemic and the flood also


forced us to become more flexible. Our showroom was ‘open by appointment’ but of course if anyone just dropped by, we did our utmost to accommodate. This practice has remained and will continue


to. It


works well for us as a company and gives our small team more focused quality time with clients in the studio and on-site. Our ‘office hours’ have shortened, we flex work from home, but we are more flexible to accommodate out-of-hours appoint- ments, which suits many clients better, it also allows us to plan better, enabling us to work smarter. At the time we didn’t really think about being resilient, it was just sink or swim and there was no way we were going to let this ruin our family business – we had all worked too hard and invested too much personally over the years for that to even be an option. Ultimately for us, I believe having this purpose and passion was the main drive that saw us through the difficult period, being so personally invested in the cause. It didn’t come without cost though and not just on a monetary level, but it did have an unexpected trans- formative effect in many ways. On a personal level, I have learned a lot about myself. I also learned that when things are uncertain, people seek reassurance and safety, and you can aid that with honesty, integ- rity and communication. I learned just how invaluable posi-


tivity is and looking after your well-being to enable you to be resilient, as these are all interlinked. Resilience and confidence can be


really knocked during adversity, but resilience and confidence are also strengthened and rebuilt through adversity – it’s like being knocked down to be built back up again. While it didn’t feel it at the time, it has proved to be a very empowering and positive experience.


36


• February 2024


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