As a newer customer, I appreciate laying out all the business pressures behind the cost increase.

Seems like a no-win situation for a lot of businesses these days.

I'll still keep my orders coming in!

(Just got to get through my giant pile first. )

Thanks for all of the positive responses guys, I really appreciate it. 

It's just a funny old time at the moment, I can't remember a point when there was so much outside friction affecting businesses.  There's always been bumps and little fires to put out, but these days the fires take up so much effort that it limits the amount of time left to actually work on/in the business.

I keep hoping for a few months of calmer waters just to regroup but I'm not sure when that's going to happen.  If Putin could just disappear overnight, and the UK government could stop trying to ruin everything (politics, I know!) then things might improve for all of us.

QuoteHopefully the sculptors will be able to find work elsewhere while you are having a pause.

We've spoken to the main sculptors to explain the situation and they're all good.  Techno has some work coming from other clients I believe, so that will fill the gap until we're back.

QuoteFeels particularly galling to have an increase in your insurance costs, whilst they fail to pay out on a storm damage claim.

Yeah, I'm not particularly happy about that either.  When they first came out and assessed it they decided that we needed a new roof and it was all fine.  Then they weren't happy with the quote from the roofer so sent a fancy chap in a tailored suit driving a Jaguar to assess us again.  I made him climb up on the roof with me...

In the intervening time though, we'd obviously tried to fix the roof as best we could to mitigate further damage.  So when Mr Jaguar turned up it didn't look anywhere near as bad as the original assessment, and I think that's what changed their minds.  We should have just left a gaping hole in the building for 3 months and then they'd have paid out.

QuoteI'd also get a different insurer.  I don't know what it's like in other countries but it seems to me that central and local government in UK just sees businesses as a cash cow to be milked for all they are worth.

We've changed insurer thankfully, so not dealing with Ageas anymore.  We put a complaint in about the whole experience with them and they sent us a cheque for £100...

I think with the government and the commercial rates, it's a sweetener from the government to local councils.  With the decade-long austerity measures we've seen and the cuts to local funding, I think the government have agreed to this revaluation on commercial properties as a way to get more cash to the councils. 

If we fail in our challenge then our property has gone from £0 commercial rates to £7700 in the space of one year, so imagine that multiplied across 100s or 1000s of businesses in a region.  There is some support in place that's supposed to limit the increase to £600 extra per year, but as we've seen, the councils are doing everything they can avoid giving that to businesses.  In our case they've backdated the revaluation so that they can get us on a higher starting price before the £600 is applied.

QuoteLeon,
...when I had Crann Tara 40% of my business was from Europe that dropped to 10%! Any way good luck and I'm sure the vast majority of your customers will support your decisions.

As you say, the drop-off on EU orders has been massive for some companies, I think we're actually at the lower end of that impact.  I know some wargames companies were doing over half their business to the EU and they're down to virtually nothing now.

All I can politely say is that the Government are absolute sh*t. The alternative would be a stream of invectives that start with the letter f, between four and seven letters long, ending with K, R, S and G.

Well that's it! I'm off! I shall be spending all my hard won pennies at ... err ... um ...

There is no reasonable sensible alternative.


I'm content that Pendraken does what it needs to survive. Hopefully this is a temporary low. I still need the rest of my Bishops' Wars forces.

and Ancient Indians.

and Amazons

and more SF

and Peninsular War

... you get the idea

Regarding insurance companies, Craig Murray recently posted a fascinating blogpost about his experience: (ignore for the moment any political views you may have of him):

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/08/modern-life/

Soooooooo, it looks like the Pendraken club has to order £30K of stuff to make up for EU losses, whose in?

{Hopefully it's not 30 of us at a grand each....}

Astonishingly upfront and frank about things.  I'll definitely continue to support you, I'll move my 10mm projects to the fore.

All the very best

Thanks for the open communication

As others have said do what you need to do to make sure Pendraken is still going strong in 20 years and all involved are getting a reasonable income

Good to hear that the sculptors will be ok during the pause

PS I'm very glad you included the quick summary early on, it was all sounding very bleak

Quote from: sultanbev on 02 August 2023, 06:34:33 PMRegarding insurance companies, Craig Murray recently posted a fascinating blogpost about his experience: (ignore for the moment any political views you may have of him):

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/08/modern-life/

Wow, that's a lot worse than ours!  Thankfully we've got a friend as our broker so he took the lead on most of the dealings with Ageas and kept on at them for us.

Quote...I don't know what it's like in other countries but it seems to me that central and local government in UK just sees businesses as a cash cow to be milked for all they are worth.

The same attitude by government exists in the United States as well.    

Leon, its been a while between orders but joining those who appreciate the forthright and transparent overview you've laid out of current pressures and future plans. Obviously, here's hoping that the stars align in Pendraken's favour, with a little help from the 10mm community of course!

Best,
Bartek
Canberra, Australia

Well done Leon for a very transparent statement.  I think the bulk of customers won't blink at the price rises given current circumstances.

Sounds like a larger Colours order then 🙂, as well as a Warfare one. 

Edward

Leon I know we spoke about a number of these when I was down at gaming central that is your new premises. You do not want to get political, so I guess I have to.

The government is not fit for purpose - and that is putting it politely. If they came out of their Ivory Tower (very posh indeed), they would immediately see 5 shop fronts of which 3 are shuttered. Fleecing the remainder will not make up for the shot we took at our own feet. I am probably preaching to the choir about Brexit as a concept as well as how it has been implemented and yet some people deny the reality that surrounds them....

I am in the unbelievably lucky position that I landed on an express career elevator when I came back to the UK, BUT I am not representative at all.

The price increases are very, very mild all things considered and more than understandable even under normal circumstances. I remember my first order of the OLD SciFi range was 1.20 or 1.50 a pack, so the current 2.20 quid is nothing to write home about. Especially considering other companies price points and price development since 2008.

It makes me sad and furious how incompetent and stubborn people can cause so much damage. However, this would not be Pendraken without:

QuoteI made him climb up on the roof with me...

Better yet if you had asked him to hand you the tools while you explain how stuff works to him. 

Thank you Leon for sharing.  Not much I can do on the other side of the pond except to keep buying product to support you.
Really seems to be heading into a "dark" period for the hobby in England. First Arrowhead Miniatures then Magister Militum closing up shop.

I know most of the companies we deal with are 'mom & pop' shops that come and go but for some reason this seems different.  Hope I'm wrong.

Dale

Leon, I would definitely look at the "rebuild" valuation the Insurance company has decided to give you. Usually the Rebuild valuation is LESS than the market valuation of the property (as the market valuation includes the cost of the land the property is on). The actual rebuild valuation of the property should be shown on the deeds.

Quite often Insurance companies will sell you a "package" which is unsuitable and overvalued (for example my 70 year old Aunt was paying for a £5000 bicycle insurance as part of her property insurance even though she doesn't own a bicycle...nevermind be able to USE said bicycle).

It my be worth contacting them again, or another Insurance company (in fact it's probably worth contacting every Insurance company you can and asking for a bespoke Insurance policy (quoting the rebuild valuation found on the deeds if you are happy with that valuation (sometimes a more recent quote from builders in the area is needed). The Insurance company CAN NOT dictate the valuation on the policy, if you want to under-insure then that's your lookout if you own the property and said property is detached and doesn't run the risk of a claim being made against the property if damage could occur.

If you rent I'm surprised the Landlord doesn't have Landlord Insurance on the property (although I've absolutely no knowledge of how Business policies operate). It should declare if there is on the rental agreement (if so the Landlord is passing the costs onto you as part of the rent). If this is the case, then the Landlord should be the one organising the rebuild valuation and would need to be contacted if you feel the rebuild valuation is way too high (and they would need to be able to validate the valuation to you) 

Anyhow definitely worth challenging the rebuild valuation by the insurance company if you feel it's WAY over valued (don't worry the insurance company will assess the rebuild costs again should you need to make a claim). For example we halved my Aunt property insurance payments by challenging the insurance package (and what additional coverage had been added unasked for over the years) and we dictated the rebuild valuation for the property (and they were charging about 100K over the £200K market valuation for a modest Bungalow). Quite often the first agent you talk to in the call centre is "pushed" to maximise profits rather than finding a product that is right for you (and will swear blind that's the best that they can offer you). However speak to a different agent (sometimes in the complaints or retentions department) and it's a different story.

The practice isn't illegal, but it certainly falls within a moral "grey" area when it comes to insurance companies overcharging for coverage which you haven't a hope in hades of claiming the full amount (eg a 70 year old lady claiming £5000 for a non-existing bicycle) because it's all shown in the small print that everyone either signs (or clicks on the accept button) without a double check.

Lastly when all else fails, as a "Hail Mary" it's always worth contacting your MP about the situation. It's highly unlikely that they will change the laws and challenge things in Parliament, but as a matter of course they will throw a few letters about to the involved parties in an attempt to poke them into reviewing things.

Thanks Leon an honest and helpful insight into the realities of running a family business - thank you.