Cohesive Menus There’s much that goes into ensuring that a restaurant is as good as can be, but the most important detail is the menu. It has to be. While customers can enjoy the atmosphere, the drinks, the price, whatever else you have going on, if the food isn’t up
If you run a business or have dreams of being a business owner, there are plenty of places you can learn from. Perhaps you know people personally who run their own businesses; perhaps you have been to college or university and have studied business; or perhaps you have worked in
The construction business is a booming one, and there are huge incentives to venture into this field. The industry also offers a wide range of opportunities for newbies – from public infrastructure and ground-up development to residential renovation, just to mention a few. However, the difference between becoming a successful
Broadly speaking, an agency that can offer a broad range of web design services is one that can help your business grow. You may not need e-commerce services right now, but if they’ve got that capability, they’ll be ready to step in – and know your business well enough –
Scotland’s leading procurement solution provider, dedicated to benefitting Scotland’s social housing and public buildings, is revealing that it has secured its landmark 100th Partner. Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) provides Partners – such as councils, housing associations, universities and emergency services – with access to innovative procurement solutions, which aim to
Your small business is likely easy for people to pass by seeing as you aren’t large in size. But, that’s not fair, and we know it because you might be able to offer them the best solution on the market! If you’re being passed over, or you think you are,
It is one thing being able to start a construction company and quite another thing managing to ensure its successful operation. To be a successful construction business owner (or any other business owner, for that matter), you need to be able to exhibit the kind of flexibility that is required
IN ORDER to stand any chance of meeting the UK government’s targets, 100 per cent of all new buildings must be designed to be zero-carbon within the next five years, and 100 per cent of all new buildings constructed must be zero-carbon within the next decade. Procuring new developments through
Employee-owned packaging business, Kite, has a team of packaging specialists who focus on bringing innovative solutions to market. Their chilled packaging has recently been expanded and is a must for companies looking to get items from A to B in temperature-controlled environments and is suitable for a range of applications,
The day-to-day cost of running your business can work out to be far more expensive than it should or needs to be – but there are simple ways to reduce your overhead costs. From rethinking the space you work in, to auditing your stationery order you can cut costs while
Cohesive Menus There’s much that goes into ensuring that a restaurant is as good as can be, but the most important detail is the menu. It has to be. While customers can enjoy the atmosphere, the drinks, the price, whatever else you have going on, if the food isn’t up to standard, then they won’t be coming back anytime soon. It’s not just about making delicious food, however. A restaurant gains a lot from having a cohesive menu. Do the meals that you offer make sense when you see them side by side? Essentially, it’s about picking some sort of theme. There’s a lot of space for freedom still, of course; what we’re saying is that your menu should not be entirely random. Finding Good Staff What do people go to restaurants for? Ultimately it’s all to have a good time. And there’s no avoiding the fact that your staff will play a big role in this. We’ve all been to restaurants where the staff seemed a little miserable or treated us like we were an inconvenience. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but it does make you think twice about the establishment. Would you visit again, if the staff hindered the experience? Probably. So when it comes to your restaurant, make sure that you’re hiring talented and likable people. If they don’t like engaging in small conversations with other humans, then they’ll be ill-suited to the world of restaurant work. Of course, finding good staff can be difficult — for that reason, it’s important to put together a hiring process, and not to rush anything. It’s better to wait for the right employee, rather than hire someone who will turn out to be an underwhelming employee. Handling the Money If there’s one thing that restaurant owners know, it’s that handling the money side of things can be pretty time-consuming. It is, however, essential. It’ll have such a big impact on the venture’s overall success or failure that it’s not something that you can avoid. If you have a solid grasp on the money side of things, then you’ll find it much easier to avoid many of the problems that cause restaurants to fall into difficulties. Take a read of some tips for restaurant accounting, and set aside some time each week. You’ll find that it’s much easier to feel like you’re on your way to restaurant success when you know that the money aspect has been taken care of. Additional Revenue The profit margins of restaurants can be pretty slim. For this reason, it’s important that all restaurants look at ways to maximize their revenue. Fortunately, this is something that’s possible for many restaurants. There are two primary ways to add additional revenue to a restaurant. One is to extend the hours that you’re open. Many restaurateurs shy away from opening for lunch, but it’s something that’s worth considering. There are a lot of people — more people than we usually give credit for — that prefer to go out for lunch rather than dinner, for one reason or another. Another potential revenue stream is hosting events. Could you host parties or weddings, for example? You may need to upgrade your space somewhat to bring it up to the standards of event hosting, but if you can do that, then you’ll find that there’s a lot of scope for boosting your income. Finding Reliable Suppliers It’s not just the meals that you make; it’s the ingredients you use to make them. One of the best things that a restaurant can do is to take their time when it comes to their suppliers. This is true of all ingredients, but especially of fresh produce. It just has too big an impact on the overall quality of the meal to be left up to chance. As well as the quality, check reliability. There’s nothing worse than having to tell a customer that they can’t have their preferred dish, all because you don’t have the ingredients you need to make it. (It’s important to remember that this job isn’t just up to your suppliers: taking stock of your inventory will also help to prevent any problems from arising.) Monitoring Feedback It can be difficult to get feedback from a customer in most industries, but this isn’t the case in the restaurant world. One of the good (and bad) things about food is that everyone has their opinion, and won’t mind sharing it with you. This can help you to make any changes as you see fit. Of course, it’s not as if you should make changes based on one person’s feedback. However, if you find that you hear one thing over and over, then it’s probably worth listening! The Neighbourhood There are some highly important details that can have a tremendous impact on a restaurant’s success or failure. The location is one of them. While it is possible to succeed in a remote, out of the way location, the truth is that you have to be pretty special to succeed in those spaces. In most cases, your reputation must already be developed — the out of the way restaurants will be your second/third operation. For nearly all restaurants, it pays to be in the mix. You might have to spend more than you’d like on rent, but it’ll be worth it. If there’s a restaurant district in your corner of the world, then that’s where you’ll want to be. Pushing Forward You might be experiencing a wave of success right now, but will it always be that way? Not necessarily. As with most industries, it’s important that you continue to push forward and develop. If you don’t, then it won’t be too long before it feels as if your best days are behind you. Pushing forward usually involves three things in the restaurant business. One is updating the menu. Another is updating the decor and your branding (for example, your signs, the physical menu, your restroom stalls, etc.).. The
If you run a business or have dreams of being a business owner, there are plenty of places you can learn from. Perhaps you know people personally who run their own businesses; perhaps you have been to college or university and have studied business; or perhaps you have worked in business all your life, building up your knowledge from experience. Whichever avenue you go down, you are bound to have formative experiences which help you lay the groundwork for your future business endeavours. Any experience with business – the good, the bad and the ugly – will form your knowledge and skill base which will help you down the line when you finally set up your own company. But when it comes to doing your own research, outside of education and personal experience, how can you learn about business? Well, look around and point to something. Nowadays, absolutely everything is wrapped up in business decisions – whether it’s healthcare, real estate, sport, technology or space travel! Even politics, scarily, seems to boil down to business decisions. While the increasing monetisation of everything around us seems frightening and isn’t necessarily beneficial for everyone, it does mean that as a prospective business owner, you can learn your lessons from the best of the best. Here are some examples of business decisions which teach a valuable lesson! Football Transfer Deals Football is one of the most lucrative industries in sport, and in that vein, you can take your business lessons from the transactional approach that footballers have to their teams. When it comes to transferring to a new team, the line between a business decision and an emotional decision becomes blurred. While some players are staunchly loyal to their teams for nostalgic or sentimental reasons, others choose their head over their heart. When it comes to learning from these decisions, it is important to look at deals that were almost made, as well as deals that were made. The biggest transfer deadline deals in football often never happened at all; reading why these decisions were not taken is just as valuable as learning from those who took the plunge. Ethical Consequences When business decisions and the media collide, the consequences can be pretty huge. Especially in today’s times, with the younger generations being keen to ‘expose’ companies who run unethical practices behind the scenes, it is hard to get away with any risky moves as a business owner. Fashion company BooHoo recently came under fire for underpaying their garment workers, which devastated their sales and harmed their reputation for life. As a business owner you can be subjected to trial by the media which can ruin your name. What’s the answer to this terrifying prospect? Simply run an ethical business, which pays its employees properly. If there are no skeletons in your closet, then you need not fear exposure. Conclusion Learning about business can be done in your own experience or from outside research. With business decisions happening all around us every day, there is no limit to the lessons that can be learned, simply by looking around and taking notice.
The construction business is a booming one, and there are huge incentives to venture into this field. The industry also offers a wide range of opportunities for newbies – from public infrastructure and ground-up development to residential renovation, just to mention a few. However, the difference between becoming a successful contractor vs folding up your construction business after a few months lies in proper planning and attention to detail right from the start. A lot of work goes into the planning and preparation stages, which will ensure that your business takes off on the right footing. There are also some rookie mistakes you need to avoid if you want to have a smooth start. Let’s take a look at some of the avoidable mistakes. Failure to nail down your service offering As we have already mentioned, the construction industry offers a wide range of opportunities for a newcomer. In fact, the vast number of options usually end up tempting a lot of newbies into venturing into as many of them as they want. This is a rookie mistake. Even if you intend for your operations to cover a wide range of construction services, you need to begin by focusing on one (at most two) specific areas of service. Attempting to become a Jack of all trades right from the beginning is likely to cost you a lot. Picking up any job and every kind of job offered to you may seem like a good idea, especially when you are trying to make in-roads into the business field. But this can also leave you with a lot of unprofitable projects and wasted time. Plus, the chances that you may not complete most of the projects are very high – already started on a wrong footing. Thus, to carve a niche for your business, pick one or two specific services to start with. These services should suit your strengths and should also not cost you a lot of money or time to offer. 2. Not planning out the structure of your business It is a bad idea to enter into the construction business – or any other business for that matter – without thinking about what your business structure is. This is very important whether you are setting up your business alone or working with a partner. There are usually three main things to consider when it comes to the structure of your business. The first structure has to do with a partnership. A partnership agreement is very important if you are entering into business with one or more other people. The agreement should spell out the rights, obligations, and rewards of each partner. The second structure is for a sole trader. This structure is usually a very simple one, as it involves only one person at the helm of operations. With this structure, there is usually no legal distinction between your business and you. The third structure is for a limited company. This structure can be an ideal alternative for different partners with stakes in the business. Getting the right advice from an experienced professional about which structure best suits you will help you avoid certain costly situations in the future. 3. Not having any source of funding The fact that the construction industry is booming and is a very rewarding one does not mean that you will start raking in revenue as soon as your business starts operating. Several factors will determine how quickly the profits start trickling in or how long it will take even to start breaking even. But the certainty of this period (that is, the first couple of months after starting operations) requires that you have a source of funding to rely on. Workers need to be paid, whether you’re making profits or not. Some projects may need to finish before payment is made into your account. Some customers may fail to pay up on time and leave your hanging. Generally, it will cost you some money to run your business on a daily basis. Having a source of funding will enable you to test the waters and ride the storm until you start reaping some rewards. It will also enable you to recover from certain setbacks you may face that might cost your business money. You can also open a small business account at the beginning stages, and, if possible, acquire a loan with an overdraft facility in place. It is always a safer option to have some sort of emergency funding available to you should your business hit the red. Unfortunately, ignoring this important tip is one of the huge mistakes that most rookie contractors make. 4. Ignoring the importance of technology One of the reasons why the construction industry continues to grow is the fact that it makes use of different kinds of technology and software. As the industry continues to grow, different kinds of soft and hard technology are introduced. In order to stay ahead of the game and remain relevant in the business, you need to take advantage of the relevant technology available that allows you to be efficient in the way you manage products, reduce the amount of time it takes you to complete those projects, yield better results, and be cost-effective. From accounting software to LMS software consulting solutions, it is important to take advantage of all the ‘help’ you can get with respect to online tools and software that will help make the running of your business less difficult. There are always easier and less expensive ways of doing things. And most of these technologies could help your business reach success. 5. Underestimating the power of your reputation Even with the power of social media and the internet, one of the most effective ways of attracting new clients is through the old-school word of mouth channel. Indeed, it can even be far more effective than having a plush-looking website or creating expensive advertising campaigns. Unfortunately, a lot of rookie contractors ignore this. Thus, right from the start,
Broadly speaking, an agency that can offer a broad range of web design services is one that can help your business grow. You may not need e-commerce services right now, but if they’ve got that capability, they’ll be ready to step in – and know your business well enough – to implement an effective solution in the future. So what services other than e-commerce should you be looking for? Obviously, search engine optimization (SEO) is critical. Here, look for an understanding that optimizing your website isn’t just about getting you to the top of the search engine rankings. Of course, you want your company to stand out from your competitors. But it’s equally important that the agency you choose for web design has a plan for converting those visitors into paying customers. This is called conversion rate optimization: essentially, identifying and removing any barriers to potential customers spending money on your site. That can be done in many ways, from optimizing existing text on your landing to directly address any questions visitors may have, to simplifying a complicated buying process, to inserting clever calls to action. Similarly critical is ensuring that your website is fully mobile responsive, to take advantage of the increasing numbers of consumers shopping on the go. Finding an agency that offers expertise in services such as those listed above will give you a better ROI than an agency that simply offers a slick-looking website design. They should also keep you informed on website performance, sending you screenshots of the data. Head to https://setapp.com/how-to/screenshot-on-mac for steps on screenshotting on your Mac if you’re unsure. Why Choose A Web Agency That Offers WordPress Design? As a small business owner, it’s likely you’ll have to become a jack-of-all-trades, expected to turn your hand to any role as and when needed. You’ll, therefore, be looking for tools that keep your website both up and running and up-to-date with minimal fuss and effort. What you don’t want is to have to spend a fortune and wait forever for your web design agency to make every little change to your price list or add new text to your website. That’s one reason why the better web developers offer WordPress design to small business clients. WordPress has grown to become the most popular website content management system today. That’s partly because it’s one of the easiest for beginners to get their heads around; but also because it includes plenty of advanced features for the more experienced user. In short, there’s all the potential there for a WordPress developer to create a stunning website for you, which you can then maintain on a day-to-day basis without needing a ton of training or years of experience. Equally, though, there may be times when you come unstuck and need assistance with your website. The best design agencies are genuinely interested in your success and will work with you in partnership on an ongoing basis to grow your business. Our final recommendation, therefore, is to check that the agency you’re thinking of hiring offers additional and follow-on services. Will they be there to help you when things go wrong? Will they offer ad hoc advice on wider queries relating to social media or email marketing, for instance?
Scotland’s leading procurement solution provider, dedicated to benefitting Scotland’s social housing and public buildings, is revealing that it has secured its landmark 100th Partner. Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) provides Partners – such as councils, housing associations, universities and emergency services – with access to innovative procurement solutions, which aim to drive social value by streamlining construction, refurbishment and maintenance contracts. Their Partner organisations delivered more than £160m worth of projects in 2018-19 alone through their procurement solutions. Formed in 2016, SPA is hailing the sign-up of its 100th Partner as an overwhelming endorsement of its key role in helping public sector organisations to work with Scotland’s supply chain to deliver projects better, faster and more cost-effectively. In 2018-19 (the last available annual review), SPA worked with 43 Partners to deliver more than 220 projects which represented a total value of £160m – a 50% jump on its performance on 2017-18. Projects range in size and scope from the £16m Balloch Campus new school development for West Dunbartonshire Council to an £18,000 door replacement programme for Hawthorne Housing Co-operative. The Scottish Government has committed to the delivery of 50,000 new homes, of which 35,000 are to be affordable housing, by the end of the next parliament. SPA frameworks will be used by its partners to deliver more than 3500 homes in Scotland – 10% of the Government’s 2021 target for social rent housing. SPA Director Clive Feeney said “SPA has team of dedicated experts firmly focused on championing best practice and ensuring Partners can benefit from access to specialist procurement solutions that deliver social value in their communities. He said: “SPA frameworks provide our Partners with a quick and easy route to market – saving time, resources and money. “We share the aspirations of Partners, suppliers, residents and other community groups to create better buildings and homes across Scotland to ‘futureproof’ the country. “Reaching the milestone 100th Partner cements the important link SPA has with Scotland’s public organisations, local businesses and local communities. “And the scale and success of the works undertaken on SPA projects to date, underlines the vital position SPA holds in Scotland’s supply chain network. “This all provides a clear endorsement that our service works and delivers value time and time again.” SPA’s frameworks can be used by all publicly or partially publicly funded organisations in Scotland and have been established in strict compliance with the Scottish public sector procurement regulations. Partners are estimated to save 350,000 hours every year by using the frameworks. Partners can also receive a share of any surplus achieved from the execution of the frameworks, via a rebate – in 2018-19 this amounted to £580,000. The top performing framework in 2018-19 was Offsite Construction of New Homes which amounted to nearly £97m worth of projects. SPA also underlines its commitment to improving social value in Scotland’s communities through its Community Benefit Fund. SPA’s Founding Partners worked with the Lintel Trust – formerly the Scottish Federation of Housing Association’s Charitable Trust – to hand out grants totaling £205,000 in 2018-19 involving projects in areas such as employability, social inclusion and digital participation. Clive added “that providing ongoing support to social landlords and councils – and encouraging them to consider collaborative working and innovative practices, particularly as they wrestle with grant reductions and budget cuts – is a key focus for the future. He said: “The only way the Scottish housing sector will improve is for it to work better with one another. We want to encourage our Partners to share resources. This will not only help to ensure communities will thrive but will also result in better value for money. “Completing housing projects on time, or ahead of time, brings a wealth of benefits: tenants can move in faster, and the housing provider can start to see the return on their investment and benefit from a higher quality product.” Gavin Cockburn, Acting Service Lead – Procurement at South Ayrshire Council, said as a founder member they have benefitted greatly from a strong, collaborative relationship with SPA. He said: “The choice, quality and flexibility that SPA frameworks offer is excellent, and the outstanding assistance provided by our Client Support Manager and the rest of the team is very much appreciated. “As well as allowing the Council to fulfil many complex and vital requirements within South Ayrshire – from new homes to energy efficiency projects, community building upgrades and heating services – one of the special benefits of partnering with the SPA are the opportunities that our framework rebates and Community Benefit Fund provide to our local communities.” Steven Brady, Managing Director of Hadden Group, added: “We first joined SPA as a framework supplier in 2017 and have received a steady pipeline of projects from clients across three different frameworks including new build housing, schools and community buildings. “We have delivered a range of projects including Early Years Nurseries for both Falkirk and West Lothian Councils and are currently on site with affordable housing projects in Biggar and Bathgate. “We are also working closely with Perth & Kinross Council to deliver two new Early Years facilities. In addition, we are working with North Lanarkshire Council to provide more than 70 houses in three separate developments, all of which are due to commence in 2020.” As well as providing compliance, quality and best value to Partners, SPA frameworks support a streamlined process from the award of a contract to completion of a project. Under the frameworks, Partners have the option to either award a contract directly or run a mini-competition between companies that have declared an interest in the project.
Your small business is likely easy for people to pass by seeing as you aren’t large in size. But, that’s not fair, and we know it because you might be able to offer them the best solution on the market! If you’re being passed over, or you think you are, then you need to do something about this sooner rather than later. As such, in this article, we’re going to be looking at how you can make people take notice of your small business. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading down below. Provide The Best The first thing that you’ve got to do if you want people to take notice is to provide the best service, customer service and everything in between. When someone is thinking about purchasing from your company, you’ve got to provide them with the best everything from start to finish so that they go and tell their friends or family members how great your business is. Word of mouth is the best way to get people to know about who you are, and you want this to be positive. Nobody wants to go and try out a business that someone they trust has said isn’t very good! Try to also encourage your customers to leave reviews online so that others can see how good your solution is. The more reviews you have, the more legitimate your business looks, meaning the more people are going to try you out. Appearances Can Be Deceiving Finally, appearances can be deceiving, but that’s not always a bad thing. People are more likely to buy from a big business than a small one, that’s just a fact, which is why you need to get yourself a business address, even if you work from home. A site like https://physicaladdress.com/virtual-business-address/ can provide you with what you are looking for, and help your business to look bigger than it is. You want people to think that your business is huge so that they take a chance on your service. Unfortunately, if you’re a small business, then you’re more likely to get passed over, so the best thing you can do is not let them know that this is what you are. Engage With Your Customers Finally, if you engage with your customers, people are going to take notice. Nobody wants to purchase from a faceless corporation these days, instead, they want someone to talk to, and they want someone to care. Use social media and your website to talk to your customers and potential customers, engaging with them in a way that shows how much you value them. All your customers want is to feel appreciated and looked after by your company and here are some of the ways that you can engage without coming on too strong https://www.copper.com/blog/engage-customers. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a good idea on some of the things that you can do in order to make people take notice of your small business. Show them that you are just as good as your competitors!
It is one thing being able to start a construction company and quite another thing managing to ensure its successful operation. To be a successful construction business owner (or any other business owner, for that matter), you need to be able to exhibit the kind of flexibility that is required to run a business in addition to the right organisational skills and a solid business plan. Expecting business to start coming your way just because you have opened a construction company is a grave mistake. To successfully run your company and rake in financial rewards, you need to put the right measures in place. Let’s take a look at some of these measures. Embrace the benefits of technology The construction industry is constantly improving, with technological advancement and information at the driving seat. Thus, you need to embrace new forms of technology and ensure that you incorporate them in the modus operandi of any kind of construction project you undertake. This will help ensure that you achieve quality goals through cost-effective means that take less time to complete. As your business begins and continues to grow, you will need to avail yourself to the right kind of information that will enable you to integrate data, control tasks, and even communicate with your suppliers in an effective way. Thus, make sure to sign up for technological advancements such as cloud computing and different kinds of construction software. The former will ensure that your company has reliable access to information, while the latter will give you the ability to execute your projects more efficiently, timely, and effectively. Keep proper records Keeping detailed records is another effective way of exploiting the technological advancements already mentioned to the benefit of your business. Keeping proper and detailed records will also ensure that you keep tabs on everything in your business. It also shows you the position of your business in terms of its operations and finances. This makes it easy to identify business challenges that require immediate attention while guiding you to formulate the right strategies or policies that work best for your business. You also need to ensure that your company data or information is adequately protected. The IT company Netstar offers cyber security solutions that come with the protection of your company’s critical data and systems from cyber attack. Have a unique strategy You need to have a business strategy that is unique and even revolutionary – a strategy that will mean that you are always ahead of yourself. Your strategy should allow you to be proactive, and always look for new ways of improving your business, and thus, set it apart from the others. Create a construction business strategy that will help you focus on the targets that should be achieved, making projections into the future as well as making preparations for any kind of unexpected events. The big idea here is to avoid being reactive to situations that arise, instead of being proactive. Having a solid business strategy will also help you eliminate many issues that other construction businesses suffer from. Make your clients happy The success or otherwise of your business will depend a whole lot on whether your customers are happy and satisfied or not. If they are, your business will grow; if they are not, then you can expect to lose them to a competitor. Every successful construction business owner will admit that the customer is king. This means that you have to put the interest of your clients at the helm of your priority list. You need to establish trust between your business and your clients – and this includes those potential clients that only call in to make enquiries. Always remember that when it comes to customer delight, the best approach to creating a strong bond with your customers is to ensure their happiness while working with you. Create a committed team The kind of team that you invest in can also become the difference between making profits or losses. The construction business is a very demanding one. Thus, you need to surround yourself with a team that is as committed as you are to achieving your goals. Create clear goals with your team and share the responsibilities with them. Make them feel like they belong to a family in your business. This sense of belonging can be enough to gain their loyalty, devotion and hard work. But do not stop there, take time to scout frequently for new talents that you can add to your team – new hands that will bring something different and help the business grow.
IN ORDER to stand any chance of meeting the UK government’s targets, 100 per cent of all new buildings must be designed to be zero-carbon within the next five years, and 100 per cent of all new buildings constructed must be zero-carbon within the next decade. Procuring new developments through effective framework agreements is one way of moving more swiftly to a zero-carbon circular economy, so says Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo. Over the next 40 years, the world is expected to build 230 billion square metres of new construction, adding the equivalent of Paris to the planet every single week. This means that we must act now to meet the challenge of building net zero developments not just to meet government targets in the UK, but also to create a better future for every person on the planet. The first challenge is the understanding of what the move to carbon neutrality means from a construction point of view. The London Energy Transformation Initiative’s (LETI) Climate Emergency Design Guide revealed that 49 per cent of annual carbon emissions in the UK are attributable to buildings, that all new buildings must operate at net zero-carbon by 2030, and all buildings must do the same by 2050. However, when discussing carbon neutrality in construction more education is still needed. Achieving net zero is not simply about the construction phase, it is about whole life carbon effect. The carbon footprint of any building is made up of a combination of embodied and operational carbon – i.e. producing a building’s materials, their transport and installation on site, as well as their disposal at the end of life, and how the building is run operationally following occupation, including maintenance, repair and replacement. Whole life cost is the second big challenge. It’s imperative that that people understand that building something now doesn’t mean building something for themselves. While they may use the building in the short term, they are really constructing something that will be there for several decades at least – so they are building for future generations. So, it’s not about a race to the bottom and building the cheapest now. We must examine how we don’t just ‘hit’ targets but exceed them for the future benefit. Simply put, if we invest our money into better quality materials, processes and techniques now, there will be greater benefit down the line. We must remember that end of life can provide a significant input into the level of embodied carbon of a building as well, whether it be a mechanical refit, refurbishment or demolition. Timber construction is an area we are seeing develop quite rapidly – for example planning was granted late in 2019 for the world’s first wooden football stadium for Forest Green Rovers. Using timber for developments where possible can reduce carbon emissions related to practical completion but would also result in a drop of operational emissions as well. The lifespan of any building is several decades before any major maintenance work will need to be done, and – not surprisingly – evidence shows that carbon emissions jump during the lifespan of any building when major regeneration works needs to be done. If we design and build to the best achievable levels right now, we could eliminate the need for major replacement and maintenance before a building’s end of life. Many organisations are calling for the coronavirus recovery to be a green one, providing a springboard for longer term change. The Committee for Climate Change published its 2020 progress report to Parliament in June on the efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the last year, highlighting key investment priorities for the coming months including the strengthening of the energy network, improved infrastructure for walking, cycling and remote working, low carbon retrofits and a rapid move towards a circular economy. As well as this, the Committee also identified opportunities to support the transition and recovery by investing in the UK’s workforce and in lower carbon behaviours and innovation through reskilling and retraining programmes, and targeted science and innovation funding. With less than five years to be designing at a fully net zero-carbon level, it’s crucial that we do all we can to not just change attitudes, but behaviours as well. However, for all the conversation around zero-carbon builds, we must examine the fact that operational carbon levels are likely to be higher than embodied levels over the lifespan of a building. Changing attitudes and introducing energy efficiency will be a gamechanger. Many people are already waking up to the global crisis we are facing – and the coronavirus pandemic has helped with some of this general climate change education as we saw global air pollution fall during lockdowns. Research conducted by Energy UK with PwC showed that there was a 15 to 20 per cent reduction of energy demand during the UK’s lockdown period when compared to the same period in 2019, and evidence has shown that 30 per cent of consumers are paying closer attention to their energy usage since working remotely. Home working has also seen a flattening in daily peaks of energy usage in the domestic market. The government is working hard towards its election promises to build at least a million new homes by 2025, and with the workforce expecting greater flexibility in home working options post-COVID, the housing market is an important area for driving towards better energy efficiency for tenants and lowering carbon contributions. Energy UK’s report showed that the reduced energy demand during lockdown meant that 40 per cent of energy supply came from variable renewable generation in April 2020. If we design our buildings in the most effective way now, these are the kinds of benefits we will be able to continually reap in the near future. One major area of work identified by LETI that will need to be done in the UK specifically is our use of heat in the winter – and as summer heatwaves increase in frequency, we will see increased
Employee-owned packaging business, Kite, has a team of packaging specialists who focus on bringing innovative solutions to market. Their chilled packaging has recently been expanded and is a must for companies looking to get items from A to B in temperature-controlled environments and is suitable for a range of applications, being a popular choice in the food and drink industry and pharmaceuticals. Standard temperature-controlled pouches Kite’s standard temperature-controlled pouches provide great protection for smaller items that require thermal protection for a shorter amount of time. Offering an adequate amount of thermal protection, the outer foil layer reflects heat away from the product, and with a 70-micron double-lined bubble wrap inner, they provide an interval of insulation and cushioning. Along with this new addition the chilled range consists of enviro friendly insulated boxes, insulated box liners, ice packs, thermal pallet covers, and temperature indicators. For more information on Kite Packaging and their range of products and services please visit kitepackaging.co.uk.
The day-to-day cost of running your business can work out to be far more expensive than it should or needs to be – but there are simple ways to reduce your overhead costs. From rethinking the space you work in, to auditing your stationery order you can cut costs while pushing your business forward. Here are our 4 top tips for reducing the overhead costs of your business. 1. Think about your work space The cost of renting office space can be a huge drain on your business expenses. If working from an office is absolutely necessary, why not shop around for appropriate space close by with lower rates of rent? While it might be a big business decision to make, it might be worth reconsidering if you need a permanent office space at all? Of course, this is all dependent on your business type, culture and if the work you do can be carried out away from an office – but remote working is quickly emerging as the ‘new normal’. By way of compromise, you could consider utilizing a local coworking space. 2. Review supply orders If getting rid of your office space entirely isn’t something you could even begin to consider, then it’s time to have a look at cost-cutting within your office. Have you been putting in the same repeat order of office supplies for years without reviewing what you’re buying? It’s an easy thing to do – especially when your time is consumed with keeping clients happy and producing the best work possible. However, this is an essential part of reducing overhead costs – it’s imperative that you regularly review your orders. For instance, have you been ordering the same amount and brand of ink and toner cartridge since you bought your printer? If the answer is yes, branded ink and toner is notoriously expensive and you can actually buy compatible versions from reputable suppliers that work in exactly the same way. It’s little adjustments such as this that could make all the difference. 3. Reevaluate your accounting This is something that can absolutely work both ways. You need to figure out whether there’s more value in spending your time doing client work or can you spare some time/do you have the right amount of knowledge to do your own accounting? If you have an accountant and incur any penalties due to errors, they will usually pay those on your behalf. Accountants and professionals in the tax field are also more likely to find things you may have overlooked. Whichever way you choose to play it, you will need to calculate what will reduce your overheads the most over time. 4. Look at your marketing expenditure There are many different ways to reduce your sales and marketing costs. You’ll need to begin by doing an audit of all your current outgoings related to marketing and figure out what is the most effective method. There may be regular marketing expenses you’ve been paying for a really long time that no longer make sense and don’t result in generating you revenue. Have you been paying for printed materials that remain in cardboard boxes tucked under your desk? Does that radio advert still pay off? There’s lots you can look at and strip away the things that might cost a lot and yet not yield any valuable business. You’ll always be able to find ways to cut costs when you regularly reevaluate expenditure – hopefully, these tips set you on the path to successfully reducing your overheads.