If you run a pub that is not part of one of the major national chains, you might find it difficult to make investments into pub furniture - partly because it can be difficult to compete with those big-brand chains, and partly because you might not have the funding flexibility that they are able to offer.
Back in 2010, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills' parliamentary Select Committee raised concerns about competition within the sector, which the Labour Party have now described as an "unfair and unbalanced relationship" between big 'PubCos' and small businesses.
However, despite the government agreeing that a problem existed, the Labour Party say nothing has been done as regards the problem of self-regulation.
In a January 20th statement, the party said: "Next Tuesday, we will call a vote on the floor of the House of Commons on the need to introduce a statutory code to regulate the unbalanced relationship between the PubCos that own the majority of pubs in the UK, and the small business owners that run pubs."
The move is one of several outlined by Labour leader Ed Miliband with the intention of increasing fair competition between many different types of businesses, in order to help deliver a more manageable cost of living for consumers.
Dubbing it 'One Nation Labour', Mr Miliband said: "One Nation Labour will build a new economy based on open competition, not broken competition, so we can earn our way out of the cost-of-living crisis.
"We will reset these markets by working with the best of British business and consumer groups."
All of this no doubt hinges on whether Labour win the next general election but, if they do form the next government - either alone or in coalition with another party - it could be good news for independent publicans and those employed not by one of the big PubCos.
But if competition intensifies across the pub sector, all establishments - including those owned by the PubCos - could find they need to invest in new pub furniture and other interior decorations, to continue to attract customers in a newly competitive climate.