You Think What?

For many people, the thought of running their own business seems like the perfect way to make a living. But being your own boss isn’t always as good as it sounds, especially when times are tough. If it’s getting hard to make ends meet, and your business is getting into debt, you need to try and manage the problem before it gets out of hand.

The simplest way to manage your business debts is to either increase the amount of money coming into the business, or reduce the amount of money that’s leaving it. You, or your business, may be entitled to certain benefits, tax credits, or grants that you aren’t already claiming, and these could help to reduce or pay off your business debts. Alternatively, you can look to reduce your costs, either by cutting back, or coming to an arrangement with your creditors about your debts.

Businesses usually have priority and secondary debts, and they need to be dealt with in that order. (more…)

If you run a SME in Europe you would be fascinated by knowing all the small print of European policies, programmes and tools for Small enterprises that may be found online.

To help you find the information you would like, quickly and simply in your language, the European Commission has created its Small business Portal. (more…)

In today’s business conditions, earning a profit is important but not as significant as getting and keeping a customer base. One of the chief problems with many of the businesses that are struggling or even for those have gone bankrupt is that they under estimated how important its to get and keep a customer base.

So as to get this important customer relationship, you have to have service advisers and service managers that not only have a firm understanding of what they are doing but also understand how to implement the abilities they have been taught. Rather than hoping that your workers are capable of understanding and presenting themselves and your business in the right way to ensure a sale, why not enroll them in service adviser training and service manager training course? (more…)

A painting bid is a projection of the manpower and materials necessary to complete a particular project. The precision of the estimate will determine whether you make money on the job, and therefore, the profitability of your business. Though an intermittent error might not destroy your business, consistently under bidding projects can ultimately put you out of business.

In terms of fundamentals, there are only 2 different techniques for estimating painting jobs: the “eye-ball” technique and a measurement, or unit, centered method.

The “eye-ball” method involves looking at the job and assigning a number to it. That number might be the quantity of hours or days to carry out the job, or it could just be a price. In any case, it is simply a conjecture. That speculation could be founded on extensive practice, and it could be reasonably accurate a significant percentage of the time. However, it’s exact features make it very narrow in its use.

The “eye-ball” technique depends entirely on the knowledge and personal appraisal of the estimator. The appraisal of one person can vary drastically from the appraisal of another individual.
There are countless elements and variables that must be considered. The different surfaces, their current state, the preparation involved for each one, and various other factors have to be well thought-out. When this is tried by means of the “eye-ball” technique, invariably many of these things will be unnoticed. The “eye-ball” method in fact comes down to an issue of subjective judgment. You might easily judge that it will require 10 hours to paint a dining room, and another person might think it might take 21 hours. How are you to choose? The response to that question could be the difference between over estimating the project, or under pricing the project.

The obstacles with the “eye-ball” method go past simply differences in opinion. Because the job price is determined individually, there is no exact process for figuring the cause if a project goes over budget. Such circumstances turn into a squabbling match, as the painters blame the contractor and the estimator points a finger at the painters. Both sides base their claim on their individual opinion, and neither can convince the other. The crew will contend that they weren’t given adequate days, and the estimator will claim that the crew simply didn’t work effectively. This isn’t a very good position to place yourself and your company in.

If you desire to use an estimator, the problems are greater than before as a different outlook is included in the mix. The estimator’s judgment might easily differ from the owner’s, and both of these could be different from the painter’s. There is no easy remedy to such a discrepancy of judgment.

A measurement, or unit, based method eliminates all of these problems. A measurement, or unit, based process offers an objective process for pricing projects, provides for the identification and improvement of mistakes, and could easily be taught to other people. In brief, a measurement, or unit, based system significantly reduces and/ or eliminates personal opinion from the estimating process.

A measurement, or unit, based system is founded on the premise that it needs a certain quantity of time to perform a certain assignment. For instance, how long would it require you to prepare and paint a casement window?

If it requires 45 minutes to prepare and paint a window at Mr. Smith’s, it should require 45 minutes to prep and paint the identical substrate at Mrs. Johnson’s. In other words, if you know the time it requires to prep and paint this kind of substrate, each occasion you see this kind of substrate you know the amount of time to allocate. Personal opinion and conjecture is eliminated from the practice of estimating painting jobs.

If you do the same for every substrate and assignment on the job, the bidding process will become extremely precise. Estimating will become a matter of determining every surface and step, and just how much of every substrate and task. So, if there are 10 of this surface on a project, you can easily determine that 450 minutes will be needed to prep and paint those substrates.

A measurement based process entails 3 fundamental parts: the quantity of the assignment, the work hours required to execute a unit of that assignment (the production rate), and the variables involved (height, proximity of colors, chalking, etc.). You are able to assign a specific figure to each of these, and in doing so, give yourself with an easy process for consistently calculating exact prices.

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When you are in business, you need to remember that without your customers, you are nothing. I have been in the ebook business for 5 years (internet marketing over 10 years) and have grown to appreciate my customers immensely. It always amazes me when a fellow online business owner shows his/her customers no appreciation. I even had one fellow ebook store owner say that he wanted everything as easy as possible because he did not want to have to bother with his customers. I was stunned!

So, if you are like the above mentioned business owner and don’t want to have to “bother” with your customers, here are ten effective tips for doing just that!

1. Treat Your Customers Like Idiots – Use a lot of hype, pushy sales talk, clichés and mumbo-jumbo in your sales pitch and product info. These people don’t know anything about what you’re selling so why talk to them honestly and intelligently.

2. Be Vague – Don’t have any clear, concise info on your website. Don’t give a positive call-to-action. Don’t let the customer know what your site is all about. Don’t tell them anything about what you have to offer or how it can benefit them.

3. Don’t Bother Keeping Your Word – Promise them the moon and then after they buy who cares?? Once you make the sale, why bother keeping your promise – they fell for it!

4. Don’t Answer Their Questions – Take your time answering emails. Don’t put a FAQ page on your site. Don’t give each one as much attention as they need to address all of their concerns. You will probably just waste a lot of time answering their questions and then they won’t buy anyway.

5. Make Your Site as Annoying as Possible – Be sure to add a lot of flash, frames and music to your site. Don’t make all the pages consistent and be sure to confuse them with a complicated navigation menu.

6. Be Sure to Automate Everything – Don’t give your customers the personal touch and be in contact with them. That takes too much time. Automate everything so you don’t have to deal with them.

7. Hidden Costs – Don’t be upfront with all your product costs, shipping, etc. If they know what everything costs, they probably won’t order!

8. Definitely Don’t Offer Contact Info – Do not put your name and contact info on your site. You don’t want these people to know who you are or how to contact you.

9. Make Them Jump Through Hoops to Order – Make them click through as many steps as possible to order from you. This way you know they really want your products. If the ordering process is too simple, they might wonder why?!

10. Don’t Be Continually Updating Your Site – They might get confused if you keep changing things and offering new products, services, sales and specials.

I started my own e-business recommending anti spyware software to help my customers get rid of spyware from there computers. So, if you follow these ten tips, I can assure you, you will not be “bothered” with customers for very long!;-) BUT, if you do just the opposite, you might be so busy with your customers that you won’t have time to read this article. I wish you much success with your business venture!

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Countless contractors think that technical skill is what creates business success. While some level of practical competency is unquestionably essential, it seldom is sufficient for success.

A construction worker may be proficient at painting, or installing plumbing fixtures, or changing windows. However, there is a great deal more involved in operating a business than these specialized skills. A business includes financial matters, advertising and sales, installation and delivery, planning and organization, and much more. A business requires a significant range of skills to operate successfully.

Undoubtedly these skills can be outsourced. An accountant can be hired to prepare accounting records. A graphics artist can be hired to create advertising resources. A salesman can be hired to generate sell jobs. An office manager may be hired to oversee paperwork. But many, if not most, the company owners wears all of these hats and more.

Regardless, the owner has to have some amount of knowledge regarding these areas of the company. He is the ultimate authority, and without a reasonable degree of understanding he will be unable to make competent judgements. In other words, his trade specific competence will not assist him when it comes to making judgements concerning finance or marketing.

The refusal to gain this knowledge-whether by learning himself or by hiring others-is the ruin of countless small businesses. And the best moment to get these skills is before you start a contracting company.

To use a sports analogy, the business owner is the head coach. The greatest head coach is not an expert on every facet of his sport. His most important job is to hire professionals, entrust tasks, and then coordinate the entire team. He is responsible for the final judgments, but he doesn’t need to micromanage every aspect of the team.

This is true even of those coaches who were great players, that is, superb technicians. A great player will not automatically be a respectable coach-the two positions involve immensely different talents.

The coach has to be able to strategize, coordinate, teach, support, and guide. The same is true of a business owner.

To do this, the owner of a contracting business should have particular business abilities. You have to be able to evaluate specific data, recognize its significance, and make decisions. You should clearly distinguish the consequences that you desire and how to achieve them. You have to integrate the daily requirements of your construction business with your long-term objectives. You should plan.

Once more, the time to do this is before you start a contracting business. Just as it is doubtful that you would start on a lengthy road trip without a plan, you shouldn’t begin the journey of launching a business without a guide. Without a map, you may never get where you desire to go.

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Are you using an effective office cleaning company? Do you have any office cleaning at all? If your workplace is not being cleaned regularly and to a decent standard, you could end up with some very expensive problems. From rodent and cockroach infestations to employee sickness and loss of sales, the potential damage is enormous. Without effective office cleaning, the day-to-day build up of crumbs and spillages, dust and grime forms the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Unpleasant smells and unsightly mess are the least of the problems that result.

Sales will probably go down when customers walk in and see your messy office space. Your employees will probably have more sick days as the bacteria, infection and germs grow in the dirty office environment. You could even start seeing the appearance of cockroaches and mice who will love to live in your poorly cleaned office space. The problems can grow until you can no longer even work in your office. Cleaning your office properly is a must if you do not want to put your business at risk.

We have all experienced the results of ineffective office cleaning: a stale-smelling environment, crumbs on the floor, dusty desks, sticky carpets and disgusting toilets. Sometimes it makes you wonder what the cleaners actually do – just empty the bins and run the hoover up and down the middle of the room? Its really not worth paying someone for this service if they are only going to do half the job, leaving the dirtiest areas untouched.

The employees of any truly professional cleaning service will have the proper training and experience in their work, and will be fully capable of mopping, washing windows, dusting and disinfecting surfaces. You can also hire companies that specialize in certain services, such as cleaning air conditioners, and disinfecting computer keyboards and telephones.

There is actually a legal obligation on your part to keep your office clean. The Health and Safety at Work Act specifies in Section 2 that you must maintain a healthy and safe environment for your employees. You have to do your part to prevent disease and the spread of infection. If you can properly clean your office then you can do your job at ensuring your office is a safe place. Even something as simple as using rugs or floor mats can help you to keep your office safe.

One of the most effective ways to prevent problems is to ask employees not to eat at their desks and not to keep food in drawers, instead providing a designated area for this purpose. Piles of messy paperwork and clutter on desks are also a magnet for dust and germs. Some companies operate a clear desk policy which not only looks tidy but also allows for more effective office cleaning.

Now Try – Office Cleaners

Most people understand that a big part of the success of any retail store is the kind of items that the store carries and its location relative to its target market. But there are other, lesser known elements that can still have a huge impact on how well a store performs, such as the overall look of the store and how being in the store makes a customer feel. Environment, ambiance and decor play a huge part in retail success today.

Proper signage and outside advertising is crucial to attracting customers to shop in your store. Ideally, you should have a large, easy to read sign that tells people your store name, and a little about what kinds of products they can find inside your store. Make sure that your sign is visible from across the street to make it easier to locate for people driving by. If your store is open during evening hours, make sure that your sign is properly lit so it can be read when the sun goes down. In addition to an eye-catching sign, having a clean and attractive exterior welcomes customers to shop in your store.

Make your window displays as becoming as possible. Your display windows are what is going to attract people to come inside and spend their money. Your windows will show your potential customers what you have inside and beckon them to investigate further. Windows are a part of your advertising campaign, so you must give them their due. Place your business name on them, your store hours and how to get in contact with you if you are not there. Add signage of when your sales are, who you carry and special discount offers. If eyes are windows to the soul, then your business windows are the heart of your business.

Too much lighting or lack there of can really affect how much business you do. Choose lighting which will feature products nicely. You want warm lighting that will create an inviting atmosphere. You do not want lighting that will be super bright because that can create an industrial feel to your store that you may not want. Your lighting should reflect the personality of the store and the items your are selling and will help make your customers feel more at ease. It will make them stay longer and will heighten the chance that they will buy something.

The items that sell the best should be placed further on in the store so that you make your customer walk through the rest of your items before they can get to what they are looking for. To bring them in, you should always display your new items in your store window so that it draws them in. Group items together that sell well or that can be add-on purchases. An example of this would be a summer dress with strappy sandals and a scarf or hat. This means your sales will increase because you grouped an idea for your customer that they really do not have to think about putting together themselves. These add-on sales can make a huge difference in the viability of your store by making a normal sale into an extraordinary one.

Now Try – Cheshire Awnings

Pontypridd is a town situated in South Wales, its name comes from the welsh “Pont-y-t?-pridd” which means “bridge by the earthen house”, a reference to a succession of wooden bridges that formerly spanned the at this point. Pontypridd is situated around twelve miles North of the Welsh Capital Cardiff.

The economic history of Pontypridd is closely tied to the coal and iron industries, prior to the developments of these Pontypridd was largely a rural small place comprising of a few farms. When the Welsh economy flourished due to its natural resources of Iron and coal. Pontypridd grew as it found itself in the strategic position at the junction of three valleys. It was ideally situated on route in the transportation of coal form the world famous Rhondda valleys and Iron from Merthyr Tydfil via the Glamorgan canal and latter the Taff Vale Railway to the ports at Cardiff, Newport and Barry. It established itself as a market town and today continues to enjoy good transport links by road being approximately seven miles from the M4 motorway, by rail and Cardiff International airport is only around a thirty minute car journey away.

The business and industrial areas of Pontypridd have changed substantially over the past forty years as the coal mines and iron works closed. New industries have established themselves in the area, with a number of industrial estates including a substantial trading estate situated a short distance away at Treforest.

There are a number of large companies with a presence in the Pontypridd area including heavy engineering and maintenance. The industrial estate in Treforest has also been used to film a number of BBC Wales programmes, including the very famous “Dr Who”. There are a large and varied number of smaller companies occupying the industrial estates, including heavy manufacturing, light manufacturing, mechanical services, electronics, repairs, recycling and printing sectors.

There are also a considerable number of service companies, including Pontypridd accountants, solicitors, book-keepers, financial advisers, banks, estate agents and employment agencies. These service companies vary in size and expertise, take Pontypridd accountants for example, there are book-keepers, unqualified accountants right up to Certified and Chartered Accountancy practices. Some being just the owner, with others employing many employees.

The Pontypridd area also benefits from considerable leisure business these include varied restaurants, take-aways, gyms and health clubs, public houses, night clubs and sporting facilities.

Retail businesses in Pontypridd are also varied with a number of small and large shops in the town centre and an indoor and out door market. There are also a number of out of town shopping areas and big chain supermarkets.

The Pontypridd area may be worth considering for anyone considering opening a business in South Wales, as the costs are usually dramatically lower than opening a business in Cardiff. Yet the Welsh capital is only twelve miles away.

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A great deal of your efforts as a small business owner is probably targeted at your customers. For instance, you place marketing to attract customers. You offer sales and coupons in an attempt to entice them to buy. But do you make a similar effort with your personnel? After all, employees are clients also.

Of course, personnel don’t purchase from you in the usual sense of the word. However, they are “buying” (or not “buying”, as the situation may be) the dream you possess for your company. When employees are “buying” they can be motivated and hard working. They will seek to improve the company. If employees are not “buying” they will be searching for a new job and their performance may suffer. (more…)