In My Opinion: “Can I Have My Real Job Back Please?”

In the latest series of ‘In My Opinion’ articles, Thomas O’Brien, managing director of Boxer Gifts, shares his views.

“Where do I start!?! We’re trying hard to get back on with our ‘day job’ of designing fun gifts and providing great customer service for our independents and 3^rd party D2C fulfilment service. We have to keep focused on what makes us special as a business or we become the ‘Biggest Loser’ while dealing with yet another rule.

“At Boxer Gifts we certainly don’t enjoy the seemingly daily twists and turns of regulation and advice changes that we must deal with. I’ve personally been throwing some ‘Classic Insults’ at the government for not providing the stability business needs right now and killing consumer confidence.

“The majority of people I speak to no longer want restrictions or Covid rules – both with travel and our daily lives. We, as businesses, cannot easily change the rules, but we can change our own working environment – no masks or screens – follow only the bare minimum we have to by law (not recommendations) which presents a relaxed and reassuring ‘back to normal’ for our team and customers.

“I don’t want to be a ‘Moody Cow’ about it, but for small businesses like ours, the extra bureaucracy we must deal with is a drain on our time. Shipping to our customers in the EU is more difficult and expensive than ever, and imports from the Far East are delayed. All businesses are feeling the pinch with wage rises, which is not going away anytime soon. Nothing easy running a business, but that’s what makes the challenge worth it.

“Luckily for the gift trade, prices are rising and inevitably takings will increase, which hopefully allows us to stay in front of the rising cost of running a business. At least 2022 will be an easy ride for us all… ‘When Pigs Fly’.