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
Work Radar, a new platform connecting individual tradespeople, micro businesses and social enterprises with leading contractors, has launched today. The service will help thousands of construction workers find local work and supports the government’s plan to progress shovel-readyprojects in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Work Radar has
All large construction projects are legally required to make use of hoarding boards to keep the public away from the hazards of the building site – but beyond their basic function as an aid to site safety, hoardings also represent a great opportunity for branding and advertising. These large, prominent
We all know about the warehouse business, and how it works for you. There is no point for you to think that it is something very difficult because when you learn how to do it, you become very sure that it is very simple to handle and work on. All
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.
Work Radar, a new platform connecting individual tradespeople, micro businesses and social enterprises with leading contractors, has launched today. The service will help thousands of construction workers find local work and supports the government’s plan to progress shovel-readyprojects in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Work Radar has been developed by Local Supply Chain, acloud-based supply chain platform, which is already used by thousands of organisations, including Work Radar founding partner Morgan Sindall Construction. The accessible and easy to use platform allows small businesses and individual operators to access work opportunities on specific projects in their region, while simultaneously enabling large construction firms to develop their local supply chains and improve their social value outputs. Contractors will instantly be able to review the health and safety certifications of potential supply chain members and regularly monitor KPIs. Work Radar’s aim is to contain the details of projects around the country being undertaken by large contractors, which will specify what services and trades are required on their schemes. Tradespeople, social enterprises and micro businesses (firms with less than ten employees and a turnover of less than £1.5 million annually) will receive alerts to opportunities in their area. When an opportunity matches they can then express an interest in delivering the work. The platform helps address some of the most pressing issues in construction such as the skills shortage and will support the reduction of unemployment through healthy supply chains. The platform’s ability to connect workers with local projects in an efficient and timely manner will enable the reduction of carbon emissions and will also improve the diversity of supply chains by creating a level playing field for all those seeking work Morgan Sindall Construction has launched the scheme with projects currently listed on Work Radar including the £18 million Eden Girls Leadership Academy and the £6 million Kings Heath Boys Secondary School, both in Birmingham. Work Radar is funded by subscriptions from contractors, and is free-to-use for all organisations registering interest in finding work. Richard Ratcliffe, CEO of Local Supply Chain, said: “We’re very proud to launch Work Radar, a high quality, innovative tool that will allow contractors to develop increased efficiencies in their procurement processes in a manner which will enhance their ability to support social value outputs within their wider operations. For microbusinesses, social enterprises and SMEs, it offers a streamlined way to register interest in work opportunities on their doorstep. “Through increased access to social enterprises through Work Radar, construction firms can ensure that their procurement processes are benefitting the communities in which they work – both through engaging with social enterprises that support the needs of local people, and by developing ties with local workers that will help create sustainable procurement practices in the long term.” Gavin Jamieson, Head of Supply Chain for Morgan Sindall Construction said: “At Morgan Sindall Construction, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our supply chain and helping communities improve their resilience in these challenging times. “As a founding partner of the Work Radar scheme, we see it as a refreshing and engaging way of helping tradespeople gain work on projects local to them. Many of these tradespeople have been disadvantaged by recent events, and we are now deploying Work Radar across our projects to help them to gain employment. “I’d like to encourage my colleagues across the built environment to join us on Work Radar. These are uncertain times for us all, and its incumbent upon us to work together to ensure not just a sustainable future for construction industry itself, but to improve outcomes across the economy and society – we believe Work Radar is an effective tool to help do just that.” Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “Ensuring our workforce is agile and importantly can meet the needs of employers is vital to our pandemic recovery, so it’s great to see Morgan Sindall Construction and Local Supply Chain come together to provide an effective route into construction. “By providing integrated support in local communities, much like we’re doing across our nationwide network of jobcentres, we’re helping people get into key sectors and find new employment allowing us to build back better and stronger.” In addition to Morgan Sindall Construction, other registered firms already posting their projects on Work Radar include Chesterfield-based Melfort Construction Services Ltd and Derby’s M J Robinson Structures Ltd. Paul Goodwin, director at Melfort Construction Services Ltd said: “Melfort is looking forward to supporting this initiative. As a company we always strive to support local businesses and recruit local labour as we find this is always beneficial to the project, especially in helping to reduce carbon footprint and travel times for both labour and materials. Work Radar will help us to identify opportunities which will be mutually beneficial for all.” Richard Fry, commercial and sales director, MJ Robinson Structures Ltd said: “We’re are excited with the opportunity to work and support local projects, communities and micro businesses through Work Radar. Our use of Work Radar will allow us to integrate fully with local supply chains, social enterprises, reduce our carbon foot print and further strengthen our commitment to invest in local apprenticeship schemes and create work experience opportunities for local students.” In order to register or book a demonstration, please visit: https://www.localsupplychain.co.uk/work-radar.
All large construction projects are legally required to make use of hoarding boards to keep the public away from the hazards of the building site – but beyond their basic function as an aid to site safety, hoardings also represent a great opportunity for branding and advertising. These large, prominent expanses of wood are a natural fit for messaging and advertising, and a construction company that fails to take advantage of the medium in this way might be missing a trick. If the boards have got to be there, why not put something on them? However, not all forms of large printed advertisements are created equal. While some billboard advertisements turn heads, others may fail to capture the public’s attention – so what makes construction hoarding graphics succeed or fail? In this article, we’re going to look at some ways of designing your site hoardings for maximum effectiveness – all the while complying with the rules and regulations for construction projects. What are the rules? As with so many decisions in the world of construction, awareness of the legal requirements has to come first. There’s plenty of room for creativity, but we must also bear these constraints in mind: The hoarding graphics can’t have a total area exceeding 38m². They can’t be installed more than 4.6m above ground level. It’s not allowed to have the graphics up for more than three months before the start of construction work – and they can’t be on display for more than three years in a row. It’s mandatory that you submit written notification to the local authority to let them know you’re planning to display hoarding advertisements, along with a detailed copy of your planning permission. This has to be done at least two weeks before you start displaying the graphics. There are also rules for large-format public advertisements in general, which also apply to hoarding graphics: The ad graphics have to be kept clean, tidy, and in a safe condition. You have to get permission from the owner of the site to display the advertisements. You’re not allowed to obscure essential signage associated with road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs (or otherwise make using these forms of transport more dangerous in any way). You must be prepared to carefully remove the advertising graphics if asked to do so by the planning authority. With all that said and understood… what should you put on your site hoardings? What makes for effective hoarding graphics? The first step in the process of designing a great advertising graphic for construction site hoardings is identify your priorities and what you hope to achieve. Is your goal to communicate a specific message? To get passers-by to take a specific action? To raise general brand awareness of your company name and logo? To inform the public about the project being undertaken? It’s also very important to consider the context of the installed hoardings. What kind of environment will they be seen in, and from what kinds of angles? For all types of outdoor graphics, you have to plan for the surroundings – if you intend to be noticed, it’s not a good idea to put a green and brown design next to a group of leafy trees! Timing can also be a key factor for consideration, both in terms of daylight and the passing of seasons. If it’s important that the messaging on your hoardings remains legible in the dark, dark text on a black background may not be the way to go – and knowing whether the boards will be up over the winter or during the summer months might influence your choices for typography, imagery, and more. Choosing the right design elements Once you’ve decided on the ultimate goal of your hoarding advertisements, it’s time to pick the right colours and typefaces to do the job. Colour psychology is probably too broad of a topic to be covered in this article, but in essence, the colours we see associated with a certain brand have a subconscious effect on how we feel about that business. That’s why McDonald’s uses sunny red-and-yellow colours to encourage you to feel warm and happy, and why so many technology companies use shades of blue to put you in mind of science and progress (such as Facebook, Twitter, HP, NASA, LinkedIn, and dozens of others). By identifying the kind of ‘mood’ you would like to cultivate around your brand (trustworthiness? Sophistication? Safety? Modernity?) you can pick the right colour scheme to suggest it – and the same is true for typography. When it comes to written messaging, the words you use are equally important to the font they’re displayed in. For example, serif fonts (like Times New Roman or Georgia) might communicate old-school reliability and traditional values, or a sans-serif font (like Arial or Futura) can suggest modern sensibilities and forward thinking. One more key consideration when designing your hoarding graphics is readability. These site boards will likely be seen from a distance, when travelling past in a vehicle at speed, in bad weather, and more. Text that doesn’t stand out with good contrast in a clear font is likely to pass unnoticed in many scenarios. At the same time, it’s important to remember the sensibilities of those members of the public who will be particularly affected by the construction work (nearby residents, perhaps, or people who work in the area every day). It might be tempting to make an attention-grabbing neon sign to ensure you get your point across, but it’s unlikely to go down well if the locals all consider it a giant eyesore. Construction hoardings represent a huge opportunity for branding and advertising, and as long as the rules and regulations are followed there’s a great wealth of creative things that can be done with them. By carefully selecting the most effective fonts, colours and other design elements, your site boards can act as giant billboards to spread almost any message you like – allowing your company to effectively
We all know about the warehouse business, and how it works for you. There is no point for you to think that it is something very difficult because when you learn how to do it, you become very sure that it is very simple to handle and work on. All you need is to show dedication for learning, and then your confidence in its implementation. These things work best for all the good service providers all over the world. Try to keep that in your mind, and then have the ability to be able to run it like a professional. This article is all about the warehouse business which is more than useful for someone who knows how to run such kind of business units. Let us get started with the tips that can help us start such kind of business. 1. Gather Start-Up Information You should start by gathering information about the warehouse business, and then start working on it. It is very important to keep all of this in your mind because without it, there is no such option as a success for you in this business. You have to make sure that you know how to run this business, you should make a plan for it, hire the required staff, train them like they should be trained t run the activities and many more things like this. 2. Licensing, and Equipment If you want to start a credible business, and you look for quality warehouse mezzanine flooring for that, or any other type of it which you would like to introduce through your business, then you have to keep in mind that it should have the license to run in the business. You cannot just bring something from somewhere in the world and start operating it in your business. You have to have the permission for that to be done Also, any equipment that you like to buy, a law which you want to follow, and all such things that need licenses from you, then make sure that you get them. 3. Find Your Customers Your customers are your biggest advantage in the warehouse business because if they are not there, who will you be able to sell the products of your business? Never underestimate the power of customers because they can make or break a brand. It is very important that when there is anything which needs to be done in the business or anything which you want to introduce, keep the customers and their demands in mind. If they have the demand and need for it, then you must be sure that it will work out for you, and bring loads of profit for you. Conclusion All of us now that the warehouse business needs a person to be very dedicated to daily tasks. Before entering into it, learn the various tips like those mentioned above for running this business like a professional who can handle every emergency as well as the ones that come across you under normal conditions.