We all get reflective as  the New Year beckons  – a time to think about what has been and what will be. An article for Blinds and Shutters magazine involving reflection would normally conjure up thoughts of co-efficients, acrylic compounding with pearlesence and heat gain figures.

As I sit here and ponder the latest challenge, I realise that this is quite a different task.

‘If I had to start again’ is one of those subjects that crosses all our minds regulaly, but then we never really think about it.

Yes, as a young lad, I remember dreaming of being a traindriver, a fireman, an airline pilot, a dustman (don’t laugh, the Zulus in South Africa regard this as a very important job that no other tribe should be entrusted to do). I can even remember watching the coalman struggling to carry his dirty sacks of coal and wishing he would ask me to help.

What aspirations, heh!

And then the pinnacle of success – looking at an early Ransome ride on mower and telling my mates, one day, I too would own and drive one of those. Extreme ambition they called it, or words to that effect !

Travel was always top of my list when it came to vocation and trying to understand and get on with different cultures and personalities. I remember talking intently about working with people, developing relationships and finding a niche where one could exercise a degree of entreprenurial skill. There was the satisfaction of developing something where it didn’t exist before and nuturing it to grow and develop to it’s fullest potential.

Looking back on the last 25 years, I have realised in my reflective mood that this is exactly what I have been doing. This is the opportunity that was given to me by the Window Blind Industry. We are all  aware of what globalisation means today and the Sun Protection Industry is just as affected as any other. People need to work with people; personality and hard work will mean success and this is possible all over the world.

Yes sir, this has certainly been the life for me and there is only very little that I would change a second time around.

We are just very lucky that with a dynamic industry the signs are good for a good few years hence.

Oh, and by the way, the ride on mower is going great guns – nothing like achieving one’s ambitions …