"In all the years I've been doing it, this is the worst it's ever been." These are the words of Nichol Dexter, a sign maker who runs her own business in Stapleford, in Nottinghamshire. She says her business, Handy Woman Signs, has suffered in the current economic climate, partly due to other companies prioritising their online presence over shop fronts, and she's now considering giving it up altogether. "I always ask for a deposit on a sign, and people are even struggling to pay their deposits. That's never happened before," she said.