You know how Staples made a name for itself with the "that was easy" slogan and button? Just hit a button, and poof—that was an easy order. Imagine how many times someone asked for a reset button for 2020. You could just press a red easy button, and bam—bye-bye 2020. To stay positive, what if we say, despite the challenges and process changes that 2020 brought, we had a chance to live and work in a year that will be taught in history classes for generations to come.
With the start of a new year, we are wondering if you made changes to your work practices? Did you thrive? Do you need to make up some lost ground in 2021? At Flex-Ability Concepts, we are grateful for a year that was business as usual for the most part along with some progress in a bizarre time.
Year in review
If you saw a blog we shared earlier, downturns present opportunities to make improvements and seize a moment for marketing growth. We took our own advice and launched a new website in October. It has a completely new design and improved functionality to make everyone's life easier when it comes to learning about us and curved framing. With the site, we are sharing more contractor stories and news with you in the "about us" section, and the texting option is pretty cool. We are glad some contractors are taking advantage of it to reach out to us. Product details, calculators, videos and anything else you need are easier to find too.
We moved our headquarters a few miles away to a new, more strategic space. It turns out very few people notice when you move during a lockdown pandemic, but it has improved our operational side. Those of us in the office and manufacturing facility are still here every day, with screening and social distancing. If you want to visit us, please call first!
Travel restrictions have not impeded our relationships with our distributors and contractors. Our product representatives have reached out via Zoom, FaceTime, email, and calls to answer questions and troubleshoot. Stay connected with them as much as you need.
As you place orders for Flex-C Trac, Flex-C Angle, Flex-C Arch or our other products, you may get a call from Micah Juengel, our marketing associate and researcher. Micah joined our marketing team in June and, among his many tasks, he is helping us track product sales and installs. We do this so we can highlight projects and tell contractors’ unique business and install stories. If you want to share your story with Micah, contact him at mjuengel@flexabilityconcepts.com
What’s coming
If 2020 taught us anything, it is that we cannot completely predict what is coming next. Those who are taking a shot at expectations for 2021 believe every market will be weaker because of slow 2020 starts.
Based on data from the end of 2020, The AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel believes nonresidential facilities spending will decline -8% in 2020 and an additional -5% in 2021. The hardest hit sector is expected to be commercial building at a predicted -12% for 2020 and -8% in 2021. The industrial sector is forecasted at -5% and -3% for 2020 and 2021, respectively, and institutional buildings look the best at -5% (2020) and -2% (2021).
“As much of the economy was shut down in mid-March to help limit the spread of the pandemic, there was hope that after the initial steep decline in economic activity there could be an almost equally quick recovery,” says AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. “However, since mid-June economic growth has stalled. The timing coincides with a spike in new COVID-19 cases across the country, and the resulting pause or roll-back of reopening plans in many states.”
This period in history will be something to talk about for the ages from the pandemic, politics, social media wars and everything in between. No one said 2020 was easy or that it will not impact 2021, but hopefully you found the good among the challenges like we did. Continue to strive and advertise, keep marketing your talents and installs, and let us know how we can help make your curve installs even easier. Together, 2021 might turn into a year in which we did not want an “easy” button. Happy New Year!