Rishi Sunak has announced the Government’s £5bn commitment to remove unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings, which he says will be partly funded by the Residential Property Developers Tax. This will be levied on developers with profits over £25m at a rate of four per cent. The news follows
Today the UK Government announced £16.482 million of funding to help the City of Edinburgh Council unlock the first phase of the £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront which will include the restoration of the B-listed Granton gas holder. Bringing this site back into public use will help deliver one of
The latest research from the real estate debt advisory specialists, Sirius Property Finance, has found that the cladding tax introduced in yesterday’s Budget could cost the nation’s biggest housebuilders £205m a year. Yesterday the Chancellor confirmed a new Residential Property Developer Tax will be introduced from April next year to
Mace MEP has selected Demand Logic to deliver energy optimisation at HYLO, one of London’s most exciting new office buildings. Demand Logic’s Building Analytics software identifies areas of inefficient control, signaling where energy usage can be minimised. Technology will support Mace and contractors to ensure optimised performance throughout the commissioning
Specialists in the design and installation of residential and commercial lifestyle interiors, Brandt Design, offer you expert advice on the most popular painted kitchen furniture designs. “Personality and flair is very much at the heart of the modern kitchen, with rich, painted finishes proving the ideal way to create an
Right after our physiological needs, our second most fundamental requirements are to feel safe and secure. Feeling safe in our own homes is imperative, and whilst the way safety measures make us feel is of the upmost importance, can additional safety measures also add value to a property? Smart home
Construction works have started on a new primary school in Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson is leading construction of the school, which will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places to the local area when complete. “We’re very pleased to be working with framework partner
Face recognition terminals offer a touchless security system that collects photos that’ll be saved within their records and remembers your face whenever you’re using it. This has been a huge part of security improvement because facial recognition can be integrated with commercial applications. Now, businesses and corporations have also been
The cost of owning a business is relatively high, especially when you’re a budding startup that’s looking to get its company off the ground. While it’s natural to want to do everything in-house, business owners that wish to scale quickly need to consider outsourcing as a viable option. Outsourcing also
Flutter is a software development kit (SDK) that was developed by Google. Like React Native, it is used for the development of cross-platform mobile and desktop apps. Since the update in March 2021, Flutter supports not only iOS and Android, but also Linux, Windows, macOS, and the web. In such
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Rishi Sunak has announced the Government’s £5bn commitment to remove unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings, which he says will be partly funded by the Residential Property Developers Tax. This will be levied on developers with profits over £25m at a rate of four per cent. The news follows the Commons Housing Select Committee’s plea to establish a new, larger fund “that addresses the true scale of fire safety issues”.[1] The Government’s latest commitment is by no means the end of the post-Grenfell overhaul. The Building Safety Bill, published in July 2021, aims to transform the existing fire safety system and increase accountability, transparency, and oversight of fire safety throughout the life of a building. Under the proposals, a new national regulator will be established to maximise fire safety during a building’s design, construction, completion and eventual occupation. The Government also plans to change the law to give homeowners 15 years – rather than six – to take action against rogue developers. In addition, new British Standards Institution guidance is expected by the end of the year regarding personal emergency evacuation plans for disabled, aged, and vulnerable residents. However, there are also new intelligent ways to cut risks in social housing that can be implemented now to support the aims of the bill and Fire Safety Act 2021 and ultimately protect tenants, building managers, and landlords. By introducing connected technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), social landlords can relieve some of the burden of fire prevention and make life safer for their tenants. Post-Grenfell, more than 400 ‘waking watches’ were established around the country to monitor buildings, costing Londoners alone £145 million per year.[2] This sum is equivalent to more than a third of the London Fire Brigade’s annual budget, essential for keeping the capital safe from life-threatening disasters such as fires, terrorist threats and flooding.[3] Relying on humans for fire prevention should not be the only intervention and is not financially sustainable in the long-term. With remote monitoring and cloud connectivity of smoke detectors, social landlords can streamline fire prevention, and create an opportunity for centralised, off-site monitoring. Nick Rutter, Chief Product Officer of fire safety technology experts FireAngel, says, “Connected technology can be installed within the parameters of an existing budget, and support waking watches in the short-term by sending instant notifications when an alarm is activated, any devices are removed from the base, or a tenant needs assistance. Looking to the future, a combination of IoT, robust fire detection and alert systems and evacuation plans unique to each resident’s needs could replace the need for on-site waking watches completely. Connection to the IoT also enables landlords to monitor essential features such as the building’s age and condition and the wear and tear of electrical appliances. This combination of IoT and AI technologies provides a 24/7 overview of buildings and their changing fire risks, collecting data that can be analysed for trends and patterns, in turn, supporting the transparency aims of the Building Safety Bill. As tenants at risk await further legislative updates, now is the time for the fire industry and social landlords to keep pace with the future of fire safety and adopt new ways of protecting resident wellbeing.” [1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/28/mps-vote-for-fifth-time-not-to-protect-leaseholders-from-fire-safety-bills [2] https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/waking-watches-costing-londoners-16000-an-hour [3] https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/waking-watches-costing-londoners-16000-an-hour
Today the UK Government announced £16.482 million of funding to help the City of Edinburgh Council unlock the first phase of the £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront which will include the restoration of the B-listed Granton gas holder. Bringing this site back into public use will help deliver one of the most sustainable new coastal towns in Scotland. This project recently took a major step forward when the Outline Business Case to develop plans for a first phase of regeneration in the area was agreed. Over the next 15 years, 3,500 net-zero carbon homes, a primary school, health centre, commercial and cultural spaces, sustainable transport provision and a new coastal park are all planned. We’re already progressing with the delivery of around 660 Council-led homes and there’s been positive progress in growing a cultural and arts cluster. Council leader Adam McVey said: We are pleased to see this funding to help support our vision for a new Granton Waterfront. Our plans will enhance the City’s coastline and deliver sustainment development with culture, green space and local education and employment at its heart. Restoring the gas holder for public use will undoubtedly help attract future investment to regenerate the area and the Council is committed to continue to work with both the UK and Scottish Governments as well as other key partners in delivering the maximum benefit for our communities. Depute leader and lead on Granton Waterfront regeneration Cammy Day said:This funding is very welcome and demonstrates the momentum and progress we’re making to transform used brownfield land into a new sustainable new neighbourhood it’s residents will be proud of. It will be one where people live in affordable environmentally friendly homes, have excellent transport and active travel links and access to lots of open and green space, arts, sports and culture. In a partnership with Edinburgh College, we’ve already made sure this B-listed gas holder is a beacon of light for the area by lighting it up while work is underway on the wider regeneration of the area.
The latest research from the real estate debt advisory specialists, Sirius Property Finance, has found that the cladding tax introduced in yesterday’s Budget could cost the nation’s biggest housebuilders £205m a year. Yesterday the Chancellor confirmed a new Residential Property Developer Tax will be introduced from April next year to ‘ensure that the largest developers make a fair contribution to help pay for building safety remediations’. Having initially announced the tax back in February, it has now been revealed that a 4% charge will be brought to profits exceeding the annual threshold of £25 million. But what does this mean for Britain’s biggest housebuilders? Sirius Property Finance analysed pre-tax profits for 11 of the biggest housebuilders to find out. The research shows that pre-pandemic (2019), total pre-tax profits for these 11 housebuilders totalled £5.4bn. Based on a £25m tax threshold this would see a potential taxable value of housebuilder profits to the tune of over £5.2bn with a 4% rate of tax on this figure requiring Britain’s biggest housebuilders to pay £205m in tax per year. Persimmon alone could be in line to pay an additional £41 million per year in RPD Tax based on their pre-pandemic performance, with Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and Berkley also paying more than £30 million. Even during 2020 when the pandemic saw housebuilder profits more than half (-52%), £2.6 billion in taxable value above the new £25 million threshold would have resulted in an RPD Tax bill of almost £103m. Managing Director of Sirius Property Finance, Nicholas Christofi, commented: “Yesterday’s confirmation of the Residential Property Developer Tax will come as a significant blow to Britain’s biggest housebuilders who have fought hard to overcome pandemic uncertainty, a decline in profits and a sharp spike in the cost of labour and materials. It’s clear that having promised £5 billion to address the cladding crisis, the government is now reliant on the nation’s housebuilders to pay the bill and it’s a little unfair, to say the least, to expect the entire sector to compensate for the poor practices of a few. It’s also likely that this latest move could inadvertently stifle housing delivery. The outcome of which is less stock reaching the market to address the current housing crisis, while high demand for those new homes that are delivered will push house prices ever higher to the detriment of the nation’s homebuyers.” 2019 (Pre-Pandemic) – Table shows the level of RPD Tax owed based on pre-pandemic housebuilder profits in 2019 Developer Profit before tax 2019 Tax allowance Potential taxable profit (+£25m threshold) RPD Tax Rate @ 4% Developer annual report sources Persimmon £1,040,800,000 £25,000,000 £1,015,800,000 £40,632,000 Link Barratt £909,800,000 £25,000,000 £884,800,000 £35,392,000 Link Taylor Wimpey £850,500,000 £25,000,000 £825,500,000 £33,020,000 Link Berkeley £775,200,000 £25,000,000 £750,200,000 £30,008,000 Link Bellway £662,600,000 £25,000,000 £637,600,000 £25,504,000 Link Redrow £406,000,000 £25,000,000 £381,000,000 £15,240,000 Link Countryside £234,400,000 £25,000,000 £209,400,000 £8,376,000 Link Bovis Vistry Group £193,800,000 £25,000,000 £168,800,000 £6,752,000 Link Miller £168,000,000 £25,000,000 £143,000,000 £5,720,000 Link Crest Nicholson £121,100,000 £25,000,000 £96,100,000 £3,844,000 Link Keepmoat £37,700,000 £25,000,000 £12,700,000 £508,000 Link All £5,399,900,000 £5,124,900,000 £204,996,000 2020 (Pandemic) – Table shows the level of RPD Tax owed based on pandemic housebuilder profits in 2020 Developer Profit before tax 2020 Tax allowance Potential taxable profit (+£25m threshold) RPD Tax Rate @ 4% Developer annual report sources Persimmon £783,800,000 £25,000,000 £758,800,000 £30,352,000 Link Barratt £491,800,000 £25,000,000 £466,800,000 £18,672,000 Link Taylor Wimpey £300,300,000 £25,000,000 £275,300,000 £11,012,000 Link Berkeley £503,700,000 £25,000,000 £478,700,000 £19,148,000 Link Bellway £236,700,000 £25,000,000 £211,700,000 £8,468,000 Link Redrow £140,000,000 £25,000,000 £115,000,000 £4,600,000 Link Countryside £54,200,000 £25,000,000 £29,200,000 £1,168,000 Link Bovis Vistry Group £143,900,000 £25,000,000 £118,900,000 £4,756,000 Link Miller £115,000,000 £25,000,000 £90,000,000 £3,600,000 Link Crest Nicholson £45,900,000 £25,000,000 £20,900,000 £836,000 Link Keepmoat -£19,500,000 £25,000,000 N/A N/A Link All £2,795,800,000 £2,565,300,000 £102,612,000
Mace MEP has selected Demand Logic to deliver energy optimisation at HYLO, one of London’s most exciting new office buildings. Demand Logic’s Building Analytics software identifies areas of inefficient control, signaling where energy usage can be minimised. Technology will support Mace and contractors to ensure optimised performance throughout the commissioning process and prior to occupation. Mace, the global consultancy and construction firm, has selected Demand Logic to support them to deliver the energy and maintenance optimisation of one of London’s most exciting new buildings, HYLO. The refurbishment of a 1960’s building into a twenty-nine-storey landmark tower in London, boasts 270,000 sq ft of high-end mixed-use space, including 261,000 sq ft of premium office space on 28 floors and 17,000 sq ft of retail space. Initially, Demand Logic’s market-leading insight will be utilised to support Mace and their contractors during the commissioning to ensure an optimised performance of the property before occupation and throughout fit-out periods as well as continuous monitoring. Demand Logic has been working with Mace for over several years on various projects, where the business utilised Demand Logic’s award-winning building analytics software to improve maintenance, increase occupier comfort and identify areas for energy savings across Mace’s own corporate property as well as their client’s. This new project with Mace MEP furthers Demand Logic’s long-standing partnership with the group. Chris Connelly, Operations Director – MEP (Construction): “Demand Logic are assisting Mace MEP in the drive to reduce carbon emissions throughout the life cycle of our projects. The introduction of Demand Logic on HYLO is providing our team with interpreted data to allow inefficient control of the MEP system to be identified and remedied during commissioning ensuring energy usage is minimised. “In addition we have found the system provides a suitable overview of the BMS system commissioning allowing my team confidence when scheduling key activities.” Regarding this new project with Mace MEP at HYLO in London, Mike Darby, CEO and Co-founder of Demand Logic said: “We are pleased to be supporting Mace MEP on the commissioning of such an exciting project such as HYLO. We’re confident that through our platform we’ll be able to support Mace and their contractors to deliver an optimised property at the PC stage – utilising the market-leading insight of Demand Logic to proactively identify and resolve snags prior to occupation. It’s another strong collaboration and adds to HYLO as an exemplar low carbon iconic building.” Recently, Demand Logic announced that they’re generating 1,042,343,671 monthly data values from across their entire portfolio. The new development at HYLO will add over 40m data points to the monthly ingested data, supporting the company’s goal to contribute to improving the energy efficiency across its partners’ buildings. To learn more about Demand Logic’s building optimisation technology, visit their website.
Specialists in the design and installation of residential and commercial lifestyle interiors, Brandt Design, offer you expert advice on the most popular painted kitchen furniture designs. “Personality and flair is very much at the heart of the modern kitchen, with rich, painted finishes proving the ideal way to create an individual kitchen living space which enhances both your lifestyle and your family’s needs as we look ahead to 2022. Tailor-made kitchens which enhance and anticipate our needs as multi-faceted people who need to cook, entertain and relax quickly and easily are at the centre of residential interior design as we continue to engage with the changes brought by the pandemic and adjust to the ‘new normal’ with changes in work-life balance and new expectations when it comes to household management,” said Julia Steadman, Commercial Director at Brandt Design. A painted kitchen gives you the opportunity to explore a limitless variety of colour which can bridge home and garden, reflect and enhance your architecture or quite simply bring a shade your love into the kitchen regardless of trends. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options available for your kitchen cabinets, it is wise to consider which direction your kitchen is facing so you can consider the impact of natural daylight as well as discussing the benefits of warm and cold colours with your kitchen designer. We all have an innate sense of colour, knowing what we like and dislike from our choice of clothing to our vehicles, so remember that inspiration is everywhere when talking about options with your kitchen designer. Keep an open mind as you work together as your expert will have many years of project experience to draw on. The team at Brandt Design are both creative and highly practical so that they will be able to advise on colour combinations which will suit your home, lifestyle and personality. Think about the quality of light in your kitchen and how it changes throughout the day. Are there areas in which you will need more illumination and if so how will this impact on the colours you are drawn to? How much time and effort do you want to put into maintaining your kitchen living space? Would a lower maintenance colour which is more forgiving than a pale or white option be a better option? Do you prefer a slab door for a linear look or does the detailing of a Shaker-inspired door appeal? Would you like the woodgrain to be visible under the paint? What sort of cabinet door furniture appeals to you? Do you want a high contrast between walls, units and worktops or would you prefer a mellower complementary feel? “Once we have explored the options which resonate with you, we can go deeper and work out the colour temperature of your lighting to complement your choice of paint alongside any neutrals and metals in the scheme,” added Julia.
Right after our physiological needs, our second most fundamental requirements are to feel safe and secure. Feeling safe in our own homes is imperative, and whilst the way safety measures make us feel is of the upmost importance, can additional safety measures also add value to a property? Smart home retailer, Somfy has undertaken substantial research through its True Price of Safety report reveal how much value having a house alarm system can add to your home. As over 63% of burglaries happen in homes without a basic security system, Somfy has deep-dived into data across Zoopla and Rightmove to reveal how much value a house alarm system could add to a property in different regions across the UK. The data revealed that, overall, across England having an alarm system can increase the value of a property on average by a huge £10,900 The biggest price difference was seen in Durham, with houses with alarms in this area valued at a whopping £18,900 more than their no-alarm counterpart. In comparison, the city of York registered the lowest price difference, with properties with house alarm systems averaging out at just £100 more in value than those without. The difference in additional value actually makes sense. CrimeRate statistics show that Durham is in the top 10 cities with the highest burglary rates across England, whereas York is often outlined as one of the safest places to live, with this reflecting in the difference in value that an alarm system can have in both areas. Interestingly, local criminality rates appear to be at least somewhat proportional to an alarm system adding more value to a property, with higher crime rates often correlating with alarm systems adding more value to a property in such regions. This proportion is of course not always perfect as there are many other factors that can influence the perceived price of safety for each household, for example income, lifestyle priorities and risk adversity, but what is clear is that there is certainly a link. The value that everyone may put on their sense of safety may vary, but what’s clear is that the addition of an alarm system to a home is almost certain to increase the feelings of safety, and the value of the property. That said, from a monetary perspective the cost of a burglary must outweigh the cost of an alarm system in order to understand the true price of safety. An average alarm system can cost anywhere between £90 and £400 depending on their advancement. This is compared to the average cost of a burglary in England being around £3,030, not factoring in the physical and emotional trauma because of a break in. Given that regardless of a break in, the average value that an alarm can add to a home across England is just under £11,000, what’s clear is that the addition of a smart home far outweighs the costs associated, increasing property value, home security and ultimately, peace of mind.
Construction works have started on a new primary school in Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson is leading construction of the school, which will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places to the local area when complete. “We’re very pleased to be working with framework partner Staffordshire County Council for the construction of this brand-new primary school in Lichfield. We have worked with the Council on a number of construction projects in the past, and are also underway with another school in Uttoxeter,” said Chris Flint, managing director at G F Tomlinson. “It is great to be meeting the demand for more school places in the area. With many new homes coming to the region currently, and more planned for the future, we are delighted to be delivering high-quality, well designed education facilities that are going to serve the local communities here well, with scope for expansion to meet growing needs in the years to come.” The £4.8 million scheme is being delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework and is being project managed by Entrust – once finished, the school will be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust. The new, two storey 1FE primary free school will house nine classrooms, a library, catering spaces, indoor sports facilities and an outdoor play area. There will also be a MUGA (multi-use games area) pitch on site to enable a number of sports activities for pupils. The school, which will be completed in July next year in time for the start of term in September 2022, is also proposed to expand to 2FE in the future – taking its capacity up to 420 primary and 52 nursery places in total – to accommodate for further planned housing schemes in the local area. This is one of two school projects that G F Tomlinson has recently started works on – with another primary school in Uttoxeter also underway under the Staffordshire County Council Framework. “It has been great to see work start on site. This new school in Fradley will ensure there are enough school places to cope with current and proposed new housing developments. By designing it in such a way that it can be expanded in future years, it means we are planning ahead and ensuring there is enough capacity to meet any further demand. It will be exciting to see how this new school takes shape over the coming months,” concluded Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education.
Face recognition terminals offer a touchless security system that collects photos that’ll be saved within their records and remembers your face whenever you’re using it. This has been a huge part of security improvement because facial recognition can be integrated with commercial applications. Now, businesses and corporations have also been using facial recognition terminals to upgrade their security. Biometrics are saved to monitor the faces of the visitors entering a building. This level of convenience allows small and big businesses to save time and keep track of their customers’ or employees’ activities immediately. Nonetheless, these face recognition terminals do have pros and cons when it comes to efficiency and privacy. Aside from convenience, this system has led to specific impacts, such as: Reducing Theft And Protect Businesses Having these facial recognition terminals helps you monitor those who are going in and out of your office. Many companies offer face recognition terminals, one of which is Egress System. Knowing how to maximize the features of the terminals helps owners review their records and determine who was inside the building during the incident in the case who had suspicious activities. This will help you save time instead of going in circles to find the suspect. Retail shops in various countries even use facial recognition terminals to track their customers for security purposes. Tracking Numerous Individuals Efficiently If you’re handling a huge business and it takes time to check your employees’ attendance, facial recognition terminals may be a wise investment. This monitors your employees’ time in and time out when going to work. Additionally, this can also be used within private schools to record students’ attendance. It can cut the lines whenever people are going into the area at the same time. Furthermore, it may reduce physical contact, which can also be a sanitary concern with the current pandemic. Improving Security Measures In High-Risk Establishments Face recognition terminals can give accurate reports whenever a security concern arises in high-risk establishments, like banks or high-end businesses. Instead of implementing manual recording of individuals who have gone inside, it’s wise to maximize this technology. Typically, banks need more security personnel. So, adding a face recognition terminal may double the safety of the money, as well as the owners and employees, by collating the biometrics of visitors. Boosting Customer Satisfaction Sometimes, face recognition terminals may collect some of your data, particularly your purchasing history, whenever you’ve bought a product from the store. This may be applied to the ‘target advertising’ of business owners, which may cater to your future needs and interests in their shop next time. For example, you’ve bought home decorations. Therefore, if you’re going to buy again from that store, they may suggest you a product that is relevant to your previous purchase. Also, businesses have to remind or tell their customers regarding the technology works, give them consent and not violate their right to privacy. Detecting Personal Records Whenever a store has installed a face recognition terminal, this may also help check a person’s criminal records. Suppose the police have alerted various businesses whether a person with an offense has gone into the vicinity. In that case, these terminals are a big help because of their database and collected biometrics. Not only do facial recognition terminals help businesses remain safe, but they can also help the police to find and capture that person. These gadgets save everyone’s time as well as maintain peace and order in the community. More Efficient Organizing Using a punch machine and checking attendance one by one can be tedious, especially if you’re handling a vast number of employees. Face recognition terminals have been a more efficient alternative since the 1960s. Moreover, with the organizational setting of a face recognition terminal, you can repeatedly check everyone’s attendance record by simply accessing the centralized record of the system. They’ll help you work systematically and quickly monitor their performance throughout the time. Advanced Face Recognition Terminals Delivers More Efficiency From all the impacts stated, like ensuring the safety of banks, avoiding theft, and delivering more organized outputs, face recognition terminals may really deliver efficiency as what has been said of technology’s primary role. These terminals are also relevant because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As much as possible, businesses should reduce physical contact between strangers so that they can also help prevent the spread of the virus.
The cost of owning a business is relatively high, especially when you’re a budding startup that’s looking to get its company off the ground. While it’s natural to want to do everything in-house, business owners that wish to scale quickly need to consider outsourcing as a viable option. Outsourcing also moves payroll compliance into the hands of knowledgeable professionals. What Types of HR Functions are Generally Outsourced? The functions your partner HR company can provide help to streamline your business’ employment functionality significantly. The other company will take on background work, like applicant screening, benefits services, and drug testing, while following the order of steps to process payroll correctly to ensure your business stays legally compliant. Although outsourcing HR can greatly benefit your company, you need to ensure you don’t create a culture clash. You’re going to experience some changes in your company’s culture as you adapt to working with another business. Some of these changes will be positive, but others could impact your company. Speak to your staff during the transition to ensure it’s smooth. 10 Reasons Why Companies Outsource Their HR Departments If you feel that outsourcing your HR department may be the right choice for your company, the following reasons may convince you to take that step towards hiring a third-party business. 1. Outsourcing Reduces Costs Outsourcing has the potential to save you money without sacrificing the overall integrity of your operations. The more employees you hire, the more you’ll have to spend on salaries, vacation pay, and health and retirement benefits. Businesses, especially startups, need all the help they can get when it comes to their finances, as those savings can be rolled into your bottom line. 2. Outsourcing Allows for Flexibility When companies have more money to work with, they are given flexibility in how they can spend their savings. You already know that your human resources department, along with payroll, is taken care of, so you don’t need to put away anything for future HR growth. This money can be better used to bring in more frontline employees, invest in better tech, or other necessities. 3. Outsourcing Fulfills Business Needs Whether you have your own HR department or you’re handling payroll on your own, there are benefits to hiring an extra HR force. Even large corporations can benefit from outsourcing payroll because a third party can fill in skill gaps that their other employees may not have. They especially come in handy for CEOs who can’t keep up with their rising payroll needs. 4. Outsourcing Lessen Liability Federal and state laws change quickly, and there are massive penalties associated with misfiling payroll. On top of that, you may not have the capital to protect yourself if you get unfairly sued for sexual harassment, safety violations, or wrongful termination. When you hire a compliance specialist, this is no longer your problem. Liability passes off to who you outsourced. 5. Outsourcing Guarantees Talent Hiring can be difficult, especially if you don’t have previous HR training or you’re knowledgeable on how to interview for a position you aren’t familiar with. You could unintentionally hire the wrong person for the job, but when you outsource your HR department, you’re guaranteed talent. Talented HR staff will greatly improve recruitment, training, and onboarding processes. 6. Outsourcing Attracts Skilled Labor A skilled HR department inevitably attracts more skilled labor because they know what to look for and how to attract what your business needs. When you outsource your HR department, you also gain access to better health coverage, retirement plans, and workers’ compensation rates, which makes your company more attractive. HR can also help you train qualified applicants. 7. Outsourcing Gives Access to Technology There are plenty of HR outsourcing services that want your attention, so many of them will supply you with the latest technology to stay competitive. These include big-data mining, virtual workforce leadership, analytics, social media, and cloud technology. As a business, you also need superior technology to attract clients. Take advantage of this benefit to scale quickly. 8. Outsourcing Improves Business Focus Entrepreneurs need to wear many hats, but they’ll start to fall off your head the busier you get. Being overworked won’t benefit your business or your mental health, and taking your focus away from doing what you love can impact your company. Outsourcing your HR department will allow you to focus on the best aspects of your business, which will keep your enthusiasm high. 9. Outsourcing Can Offer Access to Other Services Many HR outsourcing companies will give you access to other services that you wouldn’t have permission to use otherwise. Since they work with multiple clients, HR specialty firms may have access to economies of scale, which can open up access to perks you can offer your employees. At the same time, you may also be able to deliver these same perks to your clients. 10. Outsourcing Makes Your Current Employees Happier When your employees have access to fringe benefits, they will feel that their company cares a lot about their wealth and happiness. Happy employees are more productive, stay at their jobs longer, and take fewer sick days. What’s more, happy employees increase your bottom line, but upper management also plays a role in keeping your employees content in the long-run. If you provide consistent feedback, growth opportunities and show that you appreciate their hard work, you’ll earn trust and respect from your employees, and potential future hires. Final Thoughts Choosing to work with an outsourcing firm will be intimidating at first, but it may be just what your business needs to stay competitive. While in your initial growth stage as an entrepreneur, your company can outsource to receive needed resources and talent to stay afloat. Although there are problems that can occur from outsourcing, like company culture clashes and mismanaged expectations, you can minimize many of these issues if you and your employees are well-prepared. When you’re ready to make the outsourcing leap, always consider a company that’s focused on helping
Flutter is a software development kit (SDK) that was developed by Google. Like React Native, it is used for the development of cross-platform mobile and desktop apps. Since the update in March 2021, Flutter supports not only iOS and Android, but also Linux, Windows, macOS, and the web. In such a way, you need only one codebase to develop an app for all of these platforms. The flexibility of Flutter makes it comfortable for developers to make these apps and minimizes the need to implement specific adaptations for these platforms. If you are interested in a cross-platform solution for your business, opt for Flutter app development services by OTAKOYI. The reasons to choose Flutter The popularity of Flutter has grown considerably in the last few years. Alibaba, Square, eBay, and last but not least Google — all of them use Flutter. Here is why they use it: Cross-platform development In case you need to develop an app, traditionally, you hire a team of developers for each of the platforms. For instance, in case you need an app for iOS and Android, you would hire two teams of native developers. However, if you use Flutter, you will only need one team. Moreover, you will need twice fewer QA specialists. Furthermore, Flutter’s customizable widgets will reduce the need for a number of designers involved. Thus, Flutter will help you save a lot of money, which is especially important if you use it for MVP or a startup. Developer Experience The term “User Experience” is widely known, but how about Developer Experience? The thing is that the process of coding is very complicated. Therefore, whenever it is possible to facilitate the work of your development team, you should do it. Consequently, your software will be deployed faster as well as the process of work will be less stressful. One of the examples may be the Hot Reload function. Instead of time-consuming and problematic compilation, Hot Reload allows changing the code on the fly without reloading or other manipulations. Advanced Performance Flutter apps generally work better than, for instance, apps made with React Native. It is due to the JavaScript bridge of React Native. It is a useful instrument, but it may slow down the work of an application. Helpful Community The community of Flutter is growing constantly. There are a lot of enthusiasts that will answer your questions, help you solve different sorts of problems, and help you learn Flutter better. Together with that, since Flutter is open-source, you can find a lot of libraries and other free content to complement your software. Google’s Support Another fact that increases Flutter’s credibility is Google’s support. Since Flutter is Google’s development, it is connected to its products. For instance, this may sound obvious, but Flutter’s widgets correspond to the standard that was developed by Google. This example illustrates the intention of the company to develop instruments that are compatible with each other, and since Google is one of the companies that dominate the market, it would be wise to use an instrument that is compatible with almost everything. Also, there is a lot of documentation and learning materials provided by Google. Flutter Development Cost Generally, the price for an app made with Flutter is lower than an app made with the other frameworks, but in fact, the other factors can influence the price of Flutter-made applications. Functionality and complexity This factor is obvious because the more complex is in an application, the more work it requires. As a consequence, it affects the price. Moreover, the price may be increased with the integration of third-party tools or other changes. Developers’ location The wages vary from country to country. North American developers have the highest rates. The devs from Western Europe and Australia would also be expensive. The cheaper alternative would be East Asia or India, but there is a tendency that the quality of code would be much worse. However, there is a possibility to save money without losing the quality. For this purpose, you may hire a development team from Eastern Europe, namely Ukraine, a country where the popularity of professions associated with IT has grown greatly recently. Thus, there are a lot of good specialists available for outsourcing or outstaffing. Design Usually, design is what influences the price of an app greatly. However, as far as the UI is concerned, Flutter decreases the price for design due to its widgets. They cover the standard elements of the UI as well as provide you with the possibility to create and customize new ones. Testing and maintenance The cost of testing with Flutter is lower than with native development tools. The thing is that due to a single codebase you have only one team of developers, and therefore there are fewer possibilities to make mistakes or just for a bug to occur. As a consequence, there is a lower need for testers. As for maintenance, there are no such things that would affect the budget negatively, compared to the other development tools. The thing is that whenever there is an update in Android or iOS, the new content is also added to Flutter, but with a little delay (up to 1-2 weeks). In case is you are worried about whether your users feel the difference between your Flutter-made app and a native app, the answer would be “no.” It is due to the fact that even native apps require some time for an update and testing. Thus, it will not surprise the customer that your update is not instant. It will just be released a little later. Summary All in all, Flutter makes the lives of developers and business owners easier because it makes the development process more convenient as well as lowers the price for the project. A single codebase is a considerable advantage over native development, which cannot be outweighed by the strengths of native. Flutter is a technology with a future because it has shown a lot of growth in the few
