Tag: Build

Building Your Own Home? Don’t Cheap Out on These Things

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Home and Property Discussions. Many people want to build their home, versus purchasing a previously lived in structure. If you’re building your own home, there are some things you should scrimp on. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Your Own Home? Don’t Cheap Out on These Things.

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Designing and building your own home is an exciting journey. You get to build your dream home that has everything you could ever need. It can be exhausting, even if you’re not doing the hard work of actually building it, but the results are worth it. Building a home from scratch is certainly not cheap, but there are ways to save if you want to. However, there are some things you should almost definitely not skimp on if you want to build a solid home. Before you start looking for ways to save money, be sure to take the following things into consideration.

Windows and Doors

The windows and doors of your home are two of the most important elements. They not only keep your home secure and protect it from the elements, but they also provide ventilation and sunlight when you need them too. Trying to buy and install doors and windows cheaply could lead to problems. It might mean you end up with leaks and drafts or it could mean you need to repair or replace your doors and windows sooner than you had expected. Choosing good quality products will protect your home and ensure both the interior and exterior look good too.

Image from Pexels – CC0 License

Insulation

Insulating your home properly keeps the heat in when you need it most. As well as keeping you warm, it’s good for the property itself. A warmer home will prevent mold and mildew, plus it will help you to reduce the amount that you spend on your energy bills. You can find different insulation materials and methods at varying price points, so it’s worth considering it carefully. Once you’ve insulated your new home, it will be difficult to change it after everything is finished. It’s better to get it right the first time if you don’t want to spend too much.

The Roof

Similarly to your home’s insulation, the roof will protect the structure of your home. Without a roof over your head, it won’t even be a property. The roof that you choose is also an aesthetic choice, and it forms a big part of what your home will look like. When you want to get the roof right, consult with a roofing company to find out what options you have. They can help you with different roof types, materials and other factors. Consider things like how long your roof will last and how easy it is to maintain.

Labor

Someone will have to carry out all of the work to build and finish your property. This is something that you definitely don’t want to cheap out on if you want to build a quality home. Cheap labor is more likely to produce poor results, so it’s worth paying for people who are going to get it right the first time. When you collect quotes from contractors, going for the cheapest option available isn’t always the right choice.

There are some ways you can save when building your home, but investing more in some things is a must. You should know which is which before you start construction.

10 Foolproof Ways To Build Better Business Relationships

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many people think about business simply in terms of profit, but there’s a huge people and relationship component that impacts your profits and growth. The following contributed post is entitled, 10 Foolproof Ways To Build Better Business Relationships.

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Strong business relationships are essential if your business is going to not only survive, but thrive. Building relationships with your teams, suppliers, and anybody else who comes into contact with your business is key. This way, you’ll build a solid reputation, as well as retain your customers and gain new customers. Below, we’ll take a look at 10 foolproof ways to build better business relationships. Take a look!

1. Encourage Honest Feedback
Start encouraging honest feedback from various people you come into contact with, your team members, suppliers, customers, etc. Give them the opportunity to provide it anonymously if possible, as this may make it more attractive. Honest feedback is an opportunity for your business to learn and improve, so make sure you put plans into place to action it. Don’t just ask for feedback – make sure you’re doing something with it. You might think that you’re doing everything amazingly, but somebody in a different department or on a different job could disagree. Make sure you want to help by listening and making things better.

2. Listen More Than You Talk
Start listening more than you talk. Great listeners always build better relationships, because they can read between the lines, ask questions, and really get to the heart of the matter. If you’re always just jumping in and waiting for your turn to speak, you’ll never truly listen properly or build strong connections. Practice your listening skills and don’t immediately try to jump in with what you have to offer. Make sure any staff who are in the sales department are trained properly and know how to do this, too.

3. Give More
How can you give more? Can you provide freebies, discount codes, or incentives to come back in other ways? Providing free things of value can make a huge difference and shows that you are a generous company that wants to help – and also that you actually value people. You can provide more to your own team by giving them things like gym memberships and bonuses as incentives, as well as more time off. Don’t just give them the bare minimum.

4. Admit Your Mistakes
Companies make mistakes all the time. The only time it is truly a problem is if they don’t acknowledge them, pass the blame, or lie. Admitting your mistakes is hard but it’ll make you a better business and ensure you are as authentic as possible in your communications. Everybody will respect you more if you commit to admitting your mistakes and learning from them.

5. Make It More Personal
Make your communications with people more personal where appropriate. Remember names, ask them how they are, and try to mention something you discussed last time so they know you remember them and that you’re interested in continuing to build a relationship with them.

Image from pexels

6. Stick With The Same Suppliers
You can’t flit from supplier to supplier in the hopes of building relationships and getting better deals if you’re not giving them a chance in the first place. Places like Humphrey-Products.com can provide manufacturing equipment, and if you stick with them then you will be able to build a more meaningful relationship. Make sure you stick with your suppliers for a while before you decide whether they are working for you or not.

7. Identify Shared Goals and Values
Make sure that whether you’re hiring somebody new or looking for a new supplier to work with, you’re seeking out people with the same shared goals and values. Make sure your goals are in alignment. For instance, if you’re a company that wants to have a positive impact on the environment, you should look to work with people who also want the same thing and are taking steps to do it. Make sure you consider other things, such as how honest they are, how helpful, and moral character of the people you’re working with. Is there mutual respect? You don’t necessarily need the same POV, but having shared values is important.

8. Share Valuable Content For Free
Sharing valuable content for free can be scary. Why would you just give away everything you know like that? This not only helps you to establish your business as an authority, but it adds value to the lives of your audience. They might just read your content and decide to work with you, or make a mental note to come back to you. They could share your content with people they know who they think will find it useful. There are all kinds of reasons you should look into creating valuable content and sharing it for free. Look into blog posts, videos, infographics, and other shareable content. You can even work with companies to help you create and edit this content, so do that if you’re short on time. Content is king and can help with your marketing in a number of ways, as well as other aspects of business.

9. Make Sure Everybody Is On The Same Page
Ensure that everybody within your company is on the same page. They should know how to treat and speak to people, whether they are customers of your business or not. Customer service training is essential, but everybody is representing your company and should therefore know how to interact with people. You can easily develop a reputation if one of your team members appears to have a bad attitude.

10. Send Corporate Gifts
Sending out corporate gifts can be a great way to congratulate another business or partner, or celebrate a special occasion. These gifts can be useful, such as mugs, bags, and other things, or they can be branded merchandise. Whatever you choose to send out, ensure that it’s something they can really use that will help them to think positively of your brand and think of you should they need your services.

Building better relationships isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. Take your time, be authentic and honest, and you should get to where you want to be eventually. Thanks for reading!

Sustainable Building Methods For Your Next Property Project

A key focus of my blog is Technology. Our ability to build property has evolved with other aspects of technology and a key aspect is sustainability. Many builders are looking to build sustainable homes as purchasers are looking to buy them. The following contributed post is entitled, Sustainable Building Methods For Your Next Property Project.

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No matter who you are, you have a part to play in reducing your carbon-footprint and prioritizing sustainable solutions. In the world of property, sustainable building methods have taken centre stage over the last few years. Whether you are commissioning a commercial build or shopping around for a new home, there are many advantages to acquiring a sustainable property. Those who are in the process of a property project would be well advised to consider the following sustainable building methods.

Green Roofing

Green roofs are fast becoming popular in the world of sustainable design, for both residential and commercial properties. So what exactly are green roofs? A green roof uses vegetation to cover the top of the roof, including grass, plants, flowers or bushes. Using a green roof has many benefits, including reducing heating and cooling costs, improving air quality and waterproofing the building. Green roofs require components such as filter fleece, drainage, crushed aggregate, and planting or vegetation. Local authorities often support green roofing, which can help to get planning permission. In fact, with sustainable building practices, it’s often possible to leverage existing subsidies from government authorities.

Solar Thermal Cladding

Solar thermal cladding functions to keep in heat during the winter. The energy of the sun is stored in the cladding materials and is later moved through the property for heat retention. For both entrepreneurs and homeowners, conserving energy is about saving money as well as achieving sustainability and going greener.

Electrochromic Windows

Electrochromic glass can change from opaque to clear depending on factors such as UV rays or electrical current. When you use electrochromic glass for a property, you remove the requirement of window treatments or shades. Electrochromic glass functions to reduce the heat load, and with a smaller HVAC system, spending is reduced. This type of glass is more durable and efficient than conventional types, lasting for 30 + years at least. When you choose durable solutions for your property you’ll incur less maintenance issues ongoing.

Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design means using the sun to heat and cool various living spaces. If sunlight beams down on a building, the materials there will absorb, reflect or transmit the radiation. As well as this, the heat results in air movement, which is then predicted within these spaces. A passive solar home is designed using these concepts. These systems differ from active solar heating systems because they do not rely on electrical controls, fans or other devices to control the energy. Renewable energy should be prioritised for any new building projects. Other forms of renewable energy to consider include wind-energy or hydro-energy.

There are many other sustainable building methods which have emerged over the last several years. The more sustainable that your property is, the more money you will save in the long-run, not to mention the energy you’ll conserve. Newer properties that use eco-friendly solutions also means improved health and safety. What’s more, many consumers prefer businesses who are ethical, earth-friendly and sustainable.

Building Your Own Office

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In the initials stages of your business, you want to rent or lease space. Once you’re in for a while though and your operations have stabilized, you might also consider building your own office space. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Your Own Office.

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One of the most exciting things you can do in business is to get to the point where you are building your own office. That probably means that things are going pretty well, that you are ready to expand and take on new challenges and responsibilities as a company, and that is always a good position to be in. Of course, building an office does itself have a number of challenges which you are going to have to be aware of and try to overcome. But as we should discover in this article, they are relatively straightforward in theory at least, even if not always in practice, to get through. Let’s take a look at some of the ins and out of building your own office.

Credit – CCO Licence

Choosing Your Spot Well

The location that you choose to build your office on is going to have an effect on the end result. For one thing, it affects the cost of building – as you are going to need to purchase the ground that your office is built upon, and that will depend mostly upon location. It will also have an effect on what kind of reputation your business ultimately has. If you are keen on a strong reputation, a city centre address might be important for you for the prestige that it brings. However, you might instead have other priorities, meaning that you can choose to find a cheaper spot to go. It’s all about compromising and working out what really matters to you, so that you can hopefully make the right decision and end up in a good spot for your business.

Finding Cheap Materials

You are also going to have to think about getting hold of the right kind of supplies for the projects, and that is something that is not always as easy as you might hope. It often means that you are going to need to shop around quite a lot, perhaps even attending auctions for some of the bigger items. However, once you find a good source, you can be sure that this is going to be one less headache that you need to worry about. Finding good quality and affordable construction products will mean that you are going to be able to build your own office much more successfully indeed, so that is something that you will want to think about from the very start.

Credit – CCO Licence

Getting The Staff

Of course, the quality of the construction staff is another hugely important thing, and you will need to make sure that they are going to be that perfect balance between cost and quality. If you go too cheap, you might end up being disappointed, whereas if you spend a lot of money on them, you might not feel it was quite worth it. Going for somewhere in the middle is very often a safe bet, and it should mean that you are going to get staff who can do the job well but without breaking your bank. Be prepared to look around for a while before you find a team who comes with the right kind of recommendations.

Timing

You should bear in mind that this kind of construction process is always going to cause some kind of disturbance for your business, and as such it will be necessary to time it so that it causes as little of a disturbance as possible. That matter of timing is not something that comes easily to everyone, but it is going to be essential if you hope to actually make it all worthwhile. Try not to do this at a time which is going to be particularly busy for your business, as that is only going to cause damage that might take years to fix, and clearly that’s a far from ideal situation. But if you time it well, it should all go much more smoothly and to plan than you would imagine.

Credit – CCO Licence

Budgeting

As long as you manage to budget the whole thing effectively, it will have less of a direct impact on your business and its future. It is also going to mean that you don’t have to stress too much about what happens financially in the quarter or the year after the fact. Budgeting is essential to the success of the project and the future success of the business, so make sure that you are not overlooking this at all in any way. As long as you budget well, all will be well, and the project will be successful.