The fact that B&Q announced the closure of 60 stores recently may not be unconnected with the results of a survey I read recently – Briton’s are falling out of love with DIY and young folk in particular are reluctant to take on simple jobs like shelf hanging and minor household repairs themselves. It seems like the coming years will see an increased need for ‘handymen’ (and women of course) who can complete the simple jobs which the new generation can’t, or won’t, do for themselves.

If you have some basic DIY skills, making an independent living may be no more difficult than offering these skills to householders. For the more ambitious, I think there’s an opportunity to build a network of handymen under a national brand and identity.