Everyone it seems.

The fact that the shoe repair and multi-service trade has weathered the economic downturn better than most other sectors of the high street economy has not gone unnoticed in the wider business community.

We are fielding numerous enquiries from people who have seen the potential for sustainable turnover through shoe repairing. Unfortunately many of them have no shoe repairing, or even retail experience, and somehow hope that either we will train them, or they will “pick it up” as they go along.

We believe it is a testament to the number of quality repairers out there that these people believe that they can easily take up shoe repairing. Whenever any of us see a job of work being done well and quickly it can appear to the untrained eye as “easy”. As we all know, it only appears easy when a fully trained and time-served operator makes it look easy.

We can advise potential customers about our machinery, but their lack of knowledge makes it difficult to always get our message across. All too often we are asked for our machine that cuts keys and repairs shoes, and sometimes it takes a while to explain that there is no single device that does it all – perhaps someone should design one!!!

When we discuss the lack of training generally available in the trade, we often suggest that as part of their business model they should seek to employ a shoe repairer to run this part of the business, or sublet an area of their premises to a shoe repairer. This would particularly suit a dry cleaner, locksmith or ironmonger with spare capacity on site. There are often ways around the situation if the potential customer is serious about the project.

However, we are occasionally at a loss when trying to help someone with no money, no premises and no training, who cannot grasp the fact that they probably won’t be able to open a repair show by the end of the week! We try our best to let them down gently, not always with complete success!