Introduction

In recent years the effects of failing to manage the handling of asbestos in a secure and safe manner has risen dramatically on the health and safety agenda.

Workers who over many years worked in confined spaces where asbestos fibres were present, or in the manufacture of materials or items which included asbestos as a key component have faced serious health issues. It is now widely recognised that the largest single work related cause of death is asbestos. It is for this reason, that health and safety information highlighting the dangers of incorrect handling and the need for safe management and disposal of asbestos contaminated materials is high profile.

What is asbestos?

There are generally three forms of asbestos known as brown, blue and more common white asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre and is mined in various Countries but particularly in Russia, the largest producer, Canada and South Africa. Because of its unique resistance qualities, such as being resistant to heat, electricity and noise, it can be employed in several ways for industrial use or in building construction and also a key component for items such as brake linings and insulation.

Asbestos became widely used in the building industry in the late 19th Century. Hospitals, factories, schools and farm houses were all built with asbestos containing materials. Its qualities of being resistant to heat, flame retardant and a good insulator meant that it was widely recognised as very good construction material. Although asbestos today is rarely used in building development, many old buildings including long established hospitals, schools, farm barns and houses still contain asbestos in ceilings and walls. It was also widely used as a lagging material to wrap around steam pipes and boilers. Some household products such as early electric ovens also contained asbestos material, due to its excellent heat resistant qualities. Indeed I seem to recall the use of it in a very early electric oven at my grand parent’s house in the mid-late 1960’s. Just think of all those Shepherd Pies she used to make.

Nowadays to discover that asbestos is still present within a building, is likely to cause alarm amongst those people working in it. People living close by are also likely to be concerned and very quickly an entire local community will becomeconcerned over the dangers of having asbestos close by.

However, as long as the asbestos is well maintained and is not releasing any dust, there is no danger to health. Asbestos becomes a health hazard and is most dangerous when it is moved and if you breathe in asbestos fibres, it is this which creates the health hazard.

Asbestos is toxic and it is the dust being breathed in which can lead to serious illness such as breathing difficulties and in some cases forms of cancer, including lung cancer. From the mid-1980’s, countries within the European Union and some of the world’s other most developed countries have banned asbestos due to its high health risk concerns.A simple task such as laying roof insulation, should always be undertaken whilst wearing a protective face mask to avoid inhalation of asbestos dust and particles.Large scale projects utlising controlled non-explosive demolition require careful planning and specialist advice.

Why is Asbestos Dangerous?

The inhaling of asbestos fibres is the cause of debilitating disease. So, if you work in an environment where many thousands of asbestos-related particles exist in the air, unless you wear the appropriate face mask protection, you are putting your health at risk.

Of course, many years ago the dangers were unrecognised and whilst asbestos related disease does not affect you immediately, in later life the effects will become more apparent. Currently asbestos is responsible for approximately 4000 deaths per year and every week, it contributes to the deaths of almost 40 tradesmen, including plumbers, electricians, carpenters and joiners. These trades are particularly at risk because the tradesmen will have been employed in environments where asbestos will have been present. The updating of plumbing work in factories, hospitals, schools, houses and factories will have been a common requirement in recent years. Equally, electricians, carpenters and joiners will have been exposed to similar work in their professional fields. My father was an electrician before retiring ten years ago and over a thirty year period, rewired many factory premises, most likely working in asbestos contaminated areas

I used to work for a compressed air equipment manufacturer. The company’s main manufacturing site also included the offices, the manufacturing and assembly plant, the foundry and workshops. The whole site was constructed in the early 1900s and inevitably had used asbestos products within its construction. In the 1990s with much of the manufacturing moved overseas, it was decided to sell the site for redevelopment and the site has now been entirely demolished, ready for reconstruction. But just think how much of the construction material would have contained asbestos.

Before major demolition works could commence, a full site survey including an asbestos survey would have been required to identify and assess how to manage the removal of the asbestos material across the site. Each specific area would have required the advice of an approved asbestos management contractor and assurances of how the asbestos materials would be safely removed and disposed of. Due to the size of the site, this would have been a major task and also a costly one, but an essential requirement to ensure that all regulations relating to the management of asbestos material were adhered to.

Where is Asbestos Found?

If you visit an old building built around the 1950s, it is worth taking a look around to see where asbestos has been used and the types of products which might contain asbestos.

Asbestos cement products, such as large sheets of a corrugated material are likely to be asbestos cement sheets. It is distinguishable as a hard grey coloured material in which asbestos has been mixed with cement. It is likely that if the sheets have been used on the roof, that similar flat sheets will have been used for wall cladding.

If a wall has been given a textured coating, then many old wall coating materials contained an asbestos mix to create the texture. On the floor, floor tiles made from asbestos may also be in place. Recognised for its fire retardant qualities, an asbestos spray may also have been used to coat wooden roof beams. Asbestos sprayed on walls and ceilings will have a high content of asbestos and is known to be easily disturbed just by movement and will give off fibres. Then there will be asbestos used as a lagging material on pipes and plumbing equipment. So be vigilant when in old buildings, it is likely that asbestos will be present in some formEven at home, it is essential to employ a licensed and experienced asbestos removal contractor, to safely handle the task.

Managing and Disposing of Asbestos

Since the avoidance of using asbestos took effect, the most common method by which asbestos is now disposed is through the use of landfill sites. There are however very stringent guidelines on how asbestos should be managed and disposed of.

First you must decide how big a task the job is. If you have asbestos removal to undertake in the home then the best advice to remove asbestos safely is to employ a fully licensed asbestos removal specialist. The basic requirements for protection, including the wearing of a dust mask and a disposable overall, are not suggested as the limit of safety precautions and you will be will be much safer trusting this work to a specialist contractor. If you are removing sheets of asbestos for example from an old garage or shed, simply breaking one sheet up will release potentially harmful asbestos dust and fibres. Provided that there are no electrical cables and connections nearby, the asbestos removal specialist may treat the asbestos to be handled with water spray before commencing the removal of the material, but this kind of thing is not for the novice DIY enthusiast and should be left to an experienced specialist contractor at all times. Removed asbestos cannot simply be placed within your domestic waste for collection, it must be treated separately and either bagged or placed in a dedicated skip for safe disposal by specialists.

When the requirement for asbestos removal is much larger, the work should always be undertaken by a licensed commercial asbestos removal specialist. These specialists have received specific training and certification and will have the correct equipment to manage the task effectively, safely and in accordance with the correct regulations. Older buildings may require a dismantling process to carefully remove any asbestos and this work is likely to involve the use of scaffolding or cranes to be able to undertake this work safely. The most important point to remember is that as the customer, asbestos is on your premises. You are responsible for the removal, handling and safe disposal of the asbestos so ensure that you appoint an approved contractor.

To ensure that dedicated skips are used in the disposal of asbestos some waste management contractors operate skips of a dedicated colour and ensure that these are used only for asbestos disposal. I know of one leading UK waste management company who have a two tone yellow and red painted skip used solely for the safe transportation and disposal of asbestos. As asbestos is classed as a hazardous waste material, only landfill sites licensed to take asbestos are permitted to accept asbestos into the site.

I recall a large automotive company going into administration and thousands of brake lining pads had to be removed as part of a major site clearance project. Although they were all boxed, the fact that asbestos had been used in their manufacture meant that a specialist contractor was brought in to manage the removal and disposal of the stock.In today’s environment where recycling is a buzz word, it is very difficult and costly to recycle asbestos. A high temperature process can transform asbestos fibers into a harmless silicate glass or an industrial microwave thermal treatment process can transform asbestos waste into ceramic bricks or tiles. There is a big difference between the various dismantling and demolition techniques. Be sure that you know the difference.

Health and Safety Issues when Working with Asbestos

Before commencing any work, if it is considered that asbestos may be present, the project manager must undertake a complete project plan. No employee should be placed at risk, in an environment where asbestos is potentially located.

Through a complete site survey, it must be established if materials containing asbestos are present and the work must be planned to either avoid disturbance or the need to dismantle and remove these materials.

If the asbestos materials are to be removed, it is essential that the work should be undertaken by an [approved|licensed} asbestos contractor, who has completed the appropriate asbestos awareness and training courses and is certificated.

It is also important to note, whether the premises will need to be vacated whilst the work is to be undertaken. If people remain in or near the area where asbestos is to be removed, disturbance of the material will place anyone in the close vicinity of the project in danger. Other considerations and decisions will need to be taken as well, particularly if there is a need to work at height and identify precisely what equipment is to be required to complete the task safely.

All major projects, should be supervised throughout and inspected at various stages to ensure that the work complies with regulation and at the end of the task, and that it is safe for employees to reoccupy the premises.

Of course, throughout the project, the contract manager must ensure that arrangements have been made for the safe disposal of all asbestos waste. For those undertaking the job, vigilance will be required throughout the project to protect their own health. Face masks will be worn, as will appropriate clothing such as a disposable all in one overall. Clean as you go is a strategy employed by asbestos removal specialists as they work through the project to limit the amount of asbestos fibres spreading to other parts of the building.

Conclusion

The strict regulations which now surround the handling and management of asbestos will in nearly all cases require that any project involving the removal of asbestos materials is managed by a specialist asbestos removal contractor.

Without specialist knowledge, awareness and the correct equipment, any project involving asbestos removal brings potential health risks. Not just health concerns, but for the company and contractor, the need to ensure that the rules and regulations which govern the management of projects where asbestos is present are complied with. Also any company engaging a contractor who does not comply with the correct legislation will be responsible themselves, not the contractor.

Often referred to as the hidden killer, improved knowledge and awareness of the devastating effects that asbestos can have upon one’s health is now well documented. It is hoped that in the coming years we will begin to see a decline in asbestos related disease or illness. Unfortunately until the mid-1980s, for those who had worked in or around environments where asbestos was present, the worry of asbestos related death remains.

Whichever way you look at it, asbestos brings cause for concern if it is present in your premises, so seek the advice of a specialist asbestos removal contractor to ensure the effective and compliant management of your particular project.

A lap desk is a remarkable and useful invention. It provides the usefulness of a flat workiing surace most typically associated with a table, desk or counter top, to almost any location its user wishes to sit. seated at a table or desk.|When using a lap desk, one may write, make out checks, work crossword and other puzzles, paint, draw, use a laptop, or do and of a number of other activities normally requiring a desk or table.}

Lap Desks come in a range of sizes, shapes, materials, and colors to please any taste and to accomplish many general as well as quite specific tasks. Some are large enough for many varied uses, while others are smaller and specifically designed easily to fit into in a laptop case.

Lap Desks designed specifically for computer keyboards or laptops often incorporate features to reduce heat build up, thus prolonging computer life. Many provide wrist rests to enhance ergonomics. While most lap desks are rectangular in shape, some models are designed to curve around the user and are often called “European” designs.

Available Lap Desk materials include wood, plastic and composite tops, and almost all incorporate some sort of pillow or pads on the bottom that allow the desk to be conformed to the lap of the user. Some original designs actually used natural beans for the filling of these cushions or pillows, hence the name “bean bag lap desks”. Today, most lap desks pillows are filled with some sort of man-made material that is both light in weight and easy to maintain.

Lap desks are called by many names, including: laptop desk, lap tray, lapdesk, mobile desks, laptop lap desk, laptop computer desk, lap table or portable laptop desk, to name but a few. Consider your uses, and you’re bound to find the lap desk that’s best.

Longevity

When you think of online video websites, which websites come to mind? There is a good chance that you responded with Google Video or YouTube. Google Video and YouTube are considered two of the most popular online video sites. Although they are good sites to watch movies online, they are not the only sites that are available. If you are looking for other alternatives, you will find that you have a number of different options.

If you are looking for alternatives to free online movies, you are advised to perform a standard Internet search. Maybe, a standard Internet search is the top way to locate other online video websites. In addition to being linked to those websites, you may also find online discussions that are centered on online video websites. If you have an opportunity to read these discussions, you are advised to do so. They may help to give you an idea as to which online video websites are worth your time and which ones are not.

As previously discussed, you should be able to find a number of different online video websites by performing a standard Internet search. Your search results will likely include Vimeo. Vimeo is an online video website that is well known throughout the Internet community. With Vimeo you can easily view a collection of various online videos. While their program is no charge to use, it is still advised that you register with them. Registration will make it more simple for you to search for and locate the videos that you want to view. In addition to watching videos, you can also create, upload, and share your own.

Another online video website that you will likely come across is ClipShack. ClipShack is another popular website to view movies online. In a way, their website is similar to YouTube’s, which makes the website easy to use and control. When at ClipShack’s website, you can look at a large group of videos, free of charge. As with most other online video websites, ClipShack allows you to upload and share your own videos.

Sharkle is another online video website that you can use for free. On their website, you will find a collection of online videos, similar to the ones that can be found on YouTube or Google Video. With Sharkle, you can watch a number of various videos without having to register, but registering will grant you access to other member benefits. These benefits include the ability to rate and leave comments for videos that you have watched, as well as upload your own.

As you can plainly see, Google Video and YouTube are not your only options when it comes to viewing online videos. In addition to Sharkle, ClipShack, and Vimeo, you may be able to find a number of other online movie websites. Many online websites post videos on a wide range of different topics, subjects, and issues. If you were looking for online video websites with a particular theme, you should be able to find them online. You may need to alter your search phrase, but it is possible to find them. Popular online video websites are created for those who love pets, follow a particular religion, or love politics.

The selections and services offered by each online video website will be different; depending on the sites own rules and restrictions. Although you may be unable to create, upload, and share your own videos, you should be able to watch online videos on a wide variety of different websites, including the ones mentioned above.

Information About Chickens

To those of us keeping a close eye on our  debt & finances, the official 3% inflation rate might seem a little short of the mark. It may well be above the Government’s target of 2%, but to most UK households, a 3% rise in average costs would be affordable, if a little inconvenient.

In reality, the UK has recently experienced some much sharper rises in costs of living that are putting many people under serious financial strain.

It’s clear that the official inflation rate does not tell the full story. For that reason, The Telegraph recently reported on the Real Cost of Living Index (RCLI): an unofficial inflation measure designed to map out how much more each year the average British citizen is paying out for their essential costs of living – those that are unavoidable without making significant lifestyle changes.

RCLI: how is it different to official measures?

The Real Cost of Living Index aims to give a realistic weighting to the essential costs of living, which The Telegraph says “provides a more realistic picture of costs faced by hard-working families”. In particular, this includes housing (i.e. mortgage/rent), groceries, utilities, transport and taxes.

The current RCLI rate of inflation has been measured at 9.5% - over three times the official inflation rate of 3%.

To date, the Government have relied on the CPI (Consumer Price Index) and RPI (Retail Price Index) measures of inflation. Both measure the change in prices of a vast range of goods and services (known as the ‘basket of goods and services’), intended to represent the average buying habits of the British public.

There’s a problem with this method: for your own rise in costs to mirror inflation, you would have to buy everything in the Government’s ‘basket’, in the right quantities. In reality, each individual is only likely to buy some of these.

Considering that a reasonable proportion of household spending is taken up by groceries – of which The Telegraph reported a 23% yearly rise in average prices – it could be argued that the 3% inflation rate proves that CPI doesn’t give a clear enough picture of how or where prices are rising.

Why would official inflation figures conflict with real-life experience?

It’s a matter for great debate as to exactly why the official inflation rate of 3% falls short of so many real-life experiences. One explanation is that CPI does not include council tax and mortgage costs – two major expenses to any homeowner. But RPI does include these, and even RPI inflation is only 4.2%.

Government inflation measures give different weightings to items according to the perceived importance to the average person’s budget. But the much higher RCLI inflation figures suggest that essential costs of living are not being weighted highly enough in the official statistics.

What’s more, the Government has increasingly included items in their figures that are known to be steadily falling in price – most notably consumer electronics. This, along with items that experience little or no change in price, may go some way to neutralising the effect of such large rises in costs of living. And this could make the inflation rate look unrealistically low.

Are inflation figures transparent?

Some critics have suggested that items in the ‘basket’ may be chosen for political reasons, rather than for an accurate representation of costs of living. There are a number of reasons why this could be the case.

Steady inflation
In many ways, a low-inflation Government is seen as a successful Government. The last time the economy really struggled was under the Conservatives in the early 90s – and this was cited as a major factor in their loss of power. 3% inflation is by no means a low rate of inflation, but it’s a lot better than 9.5%.

Risk of a downturn
On the other hand, announcing an official inflation rate of 9.5% could be devastating to the economy. In times of uncertainty, a large part of recovery is down to consumer and lender confidence.

High inflation means money is technically worth less – so people are poorer, and spend less. If companies give pay rises in line with high inflation, the prices which cause inflation are sustained, and may continue to rise. If they reach a certain point too quickly, demand will suddenly fall – meaning business are stuck with high costs that are not being met by demand, and may be forced to make cutbacks. If this results in above-average unemployment, companies are hit by a further reduction on demand, which could lead to further cutbacks – potentially sparking economic recession.

The rise in costs of living may well be higher than inflation would suggest – but the inflation rate affects consumer confidence. In this sense, an unrealistically low inflation figure could in fact save the economy from further damage.

Is it accurate?
Thirdly, a 9.5% inflation rate wouldn’t give the full picture. Yes, some of the most significant costs of living are rising at this rate – but the costs of many other goods and services aren’t. For example, the average consumer does not need to spend 9.5% more of their disposable income on things like CDs, DVDs, books, trips to the cinema, and pints of beer than they did this time last year.

With that in mind, could it be that grouping a ‘basket of goods and services’ together and measuring the average rise in costs isn’t accurate enough? With increases in essential costs of living varying so wildly from that of other goods and services, it might be more accurate to release different figures for different areas of the economy – only then would it be clear just how much are costs are rising, where they are rising, and how much of a problem it is.

However inflation is measured, the Real Cost of Living Index is an important figure. It measures costs which have a huge impact on how much we have left as disposable income. Regardless of whether they publicly acknowledge it, the Government may well take a 9.5% rise in these costs very seriously.

Note: This is opinion only, not medical advice. Consult a doctor for medical advice.

I’ve been so embarrassed by armpit sweat. It appears my overactive sweat glands don’t care whether it’s 90 degrees in the summer or twenty degrees in winter. They are going to sweat just the same. I have vacillated over working out which sorts of shirts show off the seat circles more than others and have regularly marvelled if certain fabrics could be forcing me to sweat more.

I understand that sweating is a normal function of the body and everybody does it, but I simply can’t understand why it seems to be so very much more for me.

We typically sweat when doing physical activities and when under emotional stress but if you’re like me and sweat copiously under standard condition and even without doing anything, you could be afflicted by hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is a condition where a subject experiences unnecessary sweating on particular body parts with high concentration of sweat glands like the armpits. This problem is deeply upsetting and not to mention embarrassing!

I’ve spotted sometimes changing soap and deodorant have essentially helped, but then after utilizing the same for a while, I need to switch it again. I was stunned to notice that stopping the utilization of antiperspirants really helped me. I figured since they were never doing their job in the first place, I’d as well stop using them as there is enough furore around them. It took about a month or two of just using regular deodorant before I noticed a difference. I have essentially found lots of success with all natural type deodorants.

Botox injection is another treatment to stop unconstrained armpit sweating. Some people who want longer relief from unconstrained sweating could benefit from this process because this treatment inactivate sweat glands and can last as long as 9 months. You’ve got to talk to your health practitioner about possible complications if you’d like to think about this type of treatment.

If none of the above options work for you and you are still humiliated by sweat circles on your shirts you may consider surgery. It’s a drastic option, so don’t consider it lightly. Naturally any surgery involves a huge amount of risks and might have irrevocable problems. Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy ( ETS ) is a surgical treatment to stop your unwarranted armpit sweating.

Before doing surgery, I’d try some natural remedies to stop first. Natural cures are still around because they’re cheap and useful in treating illnesses. You don’t have to stress about complications because natural remedies often don’t have any complications. I’m hoping you’re capable of finding this recommendation useful in keeping you dryer and more confident. Good luck!

See the author’s other site at http://www.silentgenerator.org where he discusses emergency power with a silent generator.

In the current climate of near certain worldwide financial crisis there has been a traumatic worldwide economic meltdown which has put the world economy as we know it at risk. There are many organisations who will not survive but there are some who will not only survive but will benefit in these unfortunate times. For instance our business in web design has increased recently because in an effort to reduce costs companies are turning to the internet to improve sales without incurring huge overheads. So companies like ours suddenly are in greater demand. However for the majority of the population it is a question of surviving and getting through it. If your business is on a sound financial foundation and you have reserves behind you then this will be beneficial in the coming years. You may even be able to reduce employee salaries for a period of time, rather than have redundancies or even closing down, but whatever strategy you apply it will need to be with the agreement of the workforce because a company is dependent of the good will of its employees at such a time.

Cash flow

Most businesses go to the wall because of problems with cash flow. If there is not enough revenue coming it to pay for goods and services then it will not be long before a company goes into liquidation. Constant monitoring of the financial position is crucial. It is so easy to spend and not realise how much is leaking out and where it is all going. Keeping a tight control on costs is always a vital activity because that is what makes or breaks a company. More profits always come from reducing outgoings whether it’s reducing waste or cheaper purchasing or decreasing the workforce. I once listened to an audio tape on how to become wealthy and the one item to impact me was the advice to plug the leaks. Most people when running short of money try to find a way of making more money, but without a balance of reducing outgoings they never seem to resolve their problem. The simple reason is that when people earn more they spend more. If you imaging a bath with the tap turned on to fill it up. If the plug is securely in place the bath will fill up fairly quickly. But if the bath was full of holes no matter how much water you pour into the bath it will never fill up. The analogy is that the bath is your bank account, the tap is your earnings and the holes are your spending. Since listening to that tape, I have made a point of keeping expenses to a minimum at home and at work and every little sum of money coming in I see as a positive step to achieving wealth.

Avoid buying anything unless you absolutely have to or delay some necessary purchase for a few more months if possible. It’s amazing how you can manage without something for a period of time by using up existing or old stocks and making sure that waste is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Look for Discounts in Purchasing.

When you do have to purchase goods to run the business, make sure you look out for bargains or negotiate for a better deal than you may have achieved previously. When times are tough, sales with no profits are better than nothing and there are some good deals to be had. One company I recently heard about sold a house for half the price when a customer came along with a cash offer. In our SEO business we found that we had a lot of server hosting accounts and through careful consolidation we were able to save in excess of £3,000 a year. This just by doing a careful audit, moving a few websites and closing down servers that were old and not fully utilised.

Look at your Spending in purchasing.

By taking a good long hard look at all of the business overheads I am sure it will be easy to identify those areas similar to ours where you have large outgoings. If those costs are essential to the functioning of the business then looking for better deals with other providers or renegotiate with current provider to maybe save thousands of pounds. So in many ways the current economic climate could be seen as a good thing because it forces businesses to review their outgoings and get rid of the dead wood. In any business, the higher the outgoings, the smaller the profits. When there is an economic downturn or some loss of business unless you have unlimited capital set aside, it is essencial to reduce spending otherwise the business will not survive. Most really successful businesses understand the value of controlling outgoings and constantly review costs, even when times are good.

Tighten your Belt - Eliminate Extravagent Spending

Although looking at reducing large overheads is one way to improve the viability of your company, another is to pay attention to the small amounts going out. It is so easy to think ‘Oh it’s only a few pounds’ but small amounts add up and can so easily get out of control. Remember that old saying ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ I think it is so true. So cut out unnecessary spending, no perks on the business such as lunches or dinners to woo customers. They rarely actually need it if your business is offering honest value for money and top class services, and in most cases customers and prospects will appreciate you being prudent if it means you stay in business and continue as their valued suppliers. Directors can lead the way by paying themselves less or taking a pay cut showing that they are willing to tighten their own belts.

Recently it was announced that Bruce Forsythe was taking a cut in salary for his position as the host of Strictly Come Dancing, one of the most popular programmes on TV at the moment. He believed that they were being overpaid and put his money where his mouth was.

Another major area of expense is salaries and the costs that go with them. If you employ a large number of people the overhead expenses are huge. However there is always a natural wastage where people leave or retire so without actively having to make people redundant there may be opportunities to reduce the wages bill when times are hard. Efficiency and effectiveness of the people working in the company is critical and communicating with the workforce as to how they can reduce wastage and be more effective can be a rewarding policy.

One example from my previous work in organisations was when running a supervisors workshop. One of the delegates was complaining that when he needed to order supplies he had to sent the request up the line and wait until the senior manager had given the go ahead. As he was responsible for keeping supplies stocked and felt very frustrated at the time it took for him to get the approval he needed. I was appalled to hear that he was being so hampered in doing his job properly. So when I asked the question. ‘What’s to stop you ordering the goods yourself?’ after a long think, he said it had always been done that way. Nobody had questioned the procedure and whether it was still necessary to follow it. The outcome was that the he was given the go ahead to do the ordering himself and the senior manager was freed from one task he could happily do without.

Do Your Customers have Financial Liquidity?

If one of your customers is a very large company and they are source of the majority of your revenue then you are in a high risk position. It is a good idea to ensure that you have more than one high volume customer as well as lots of smaller ones so that you will be covered if one suddenly defaults on payment.

Find out the financial viability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to purchase goods and services is affected. If they are able to pay, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often cost you money, and that is the road to financial ruin, so be sure to be aware of your client’s economic situation as best as possible. We use the free Dunn and Bradstreet financial tracking service to identify any negative changes registered against any of our major clients

We do work for a firm that are a team of RTPI acredited town planning consultants who advise clients on local develoment framework planning and also specialise in waste and minerals planning for quarries and landfil site planning permissions, they had a large client go into liquidation with a bill of several thousand pounds outstanding. This is a lot of money for any business to have to write off but because of their healthy cashflow they were able to make it through.

Find out the financial viability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to buy goods and services is reduced. If they are able to pay on time, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often make the difference between success or failure. The cost to you in money and wasted effort and resources could be the road to financial ruin, so make sure you are aware of your client’s economic situation as much as possible. When the financial crisis happened one of our best customers suddenly switched to a two month payment plan which meant that we did not get any money from them for a month. When we protested the chief executive told his manager to find another suppler. There were a number of outstanding invoices worth thousands of pounds and we were powerless to do anything. Our overheads were compromised for that month but we were fortunate enough to have access to a reserve fund to tide us over. And yes we did get paid the whole amount over time.

Don’t Borrow Money

When the world is in a financial meltdown it is better not to borrow money if you can help it. If you have already borrowed significant sums of money then make sure you talk to your bank and get the best deal on repayments you can. If it’s possible to repay a chunk of money to reduce the interest you are paying out then do so. To me interest is money Down the drain and is not good money management.

Having said all that, the interest rate in America is just over 1% and recently rates have been radically reduced in the UK. But that in itself is what caused this whole financial mess in the first place. People borrow money cheaply then re-lend it at a higher rate of interest and take the difference in profit. Once the interest rate rises to a more normal level they will bail out and take their billions off to buy an island somewhere while everyone else pays the price. I know that is an over simplification of the problem, but it serves to demonstrate that the greed of a few has caused the distress of thousands of the majority.

In my property rental business, a few years ago I had to let a house at a reduced rent but found a good long term tenant. This meant that the income was only just covering my costs but subsequently, because of the drop in interest rates, the mortgage repayments on the property have been reduced by £150 a month. This means I have been able to realise a small profit and with that money I am reinvesting it in improvements to the house. Long term I see it as a good investment to maintain the standard and value of the property. So for some companies who have had to borrow money to stay afloat there is the benefit of lower interest rates to reduce the burden of repayments.

You Only Have to Survive

The world financial situation at the moment, I realise, is much more complicated than is indicated above. But the simple ways of dealing with crisis can often be the best option. Cut everything down to the bone and think about the days when people did not have such complicated lives. They managed their businesses without tax consultant for tax advice, a water cooler, coffee machines and other such luxuries that we often take for granted. They made do by either doing extra work themselves or just going without. Obviously as your business grows, or recovers, it doesn’t become economically viable to sit and trawl through tax return forms or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration yourself, so you can restore those facilities that help to make you money once you have recovered your initial position.

Now I am not suggesting that we should go back to the good old days. What I am saying is that we might think we can’t manage without all our gimmicks such as mobile phones that take photos, but the reality is that we can do more with a great deal less, as long as we put ourselves into the right frame of mind and think positively about what we can achieve rather than what we haven’t got. Obviously as your business grows, or recovers, it doesn’t become economically viable to sit and trawl through tax return forms or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration yourself, so you can restore those facilities as and when you have recovered your financial equilibrium.

Think what the Victorians did with the limited resources they had at their disposal. The horse was the main mode of transport and they used the manure to heat cold- frames and managed to grow pineapples without any other form of heating. They did not have cars, computers, mobile phones or even phones. The railway was only just coming into being, and they did not even have electricity. But with their energy and ingenuity they conquered the world. The industrial revolution with their steam driven engines changed our economy for ever. In the past there was no such thing as designer and yet businesses survived|thrived.

Stay in a Positive Frame of Mind

By this I do not mean be in denial and pretend the world is not going through a tough time. But if you are continually thinking and worrying about the negative aspects of the financial situation, then you are likely to make it come true. Don’t forget you get what you wish for and by concentrating on something then it will work like a wish, so why not concentrate on ways of getting new customers, giving better value to your existing customers and how your company could offer new products or services to your existing customer base?

The challenge of any financial crisis is to find ways of increasing your customer base by offering inducements for purchasers to use your company rather than the competition’s services.

Conclusion

Although during this recession there is no doubt times are hard for people who have lost their work. No work, equals no money coming in, so how do people pay their bills and their mortgages? If consumers have been prudent during times of prosperity and they have a nest egg for a rainy day, then they can probably manage for a few months until they get another job. But if they are already up to their eyes in debt then they will face personal bankruptcy and could lose everything.

One economist had identified that in the past the higher the level of personal debt in an economy, the deeper the depression that followed. Prior to the current financial meltdown the level of personal debt was extremely high and the recession is a worldwide event.

In spite of all that, some people are managing quite well if they have jobs or some other type of income. One article I read recently said that the death rate reduced noticeably during recession and put that down to eating more economically at home and not eating so much junk food. So OK we can’t afford to go out for meals as much, and things are more expensive, but home prepared food is often better for you and sharing meals with the family is a way of coming together and communicating. So it’s not all bad. Good luck for a prosperous future.

Call Centres are now very commonplace globally and many businesses outsource their operations internationally in an effort to minimize costs. A difficult issue with this approach is Contact Centre Quality. It is no use outsourcing to save money if in the process you give your customers to such poor service that they go to your competitors instead.

Poor service in contact centres is typcially a management or training problem but there are also some clever technologies available now, like predictive dialers, that increase the maximum operational capacity of a contact centre and so free up financial resources to allow for top quality agent training.

Dialers use a mixture of soft and hardware technologies to anticipate spare contact agent availability so as to allow the agents themselves are utilised at maximum capacity. After all, a contact centre agent taking up desk space but not in conversation with a customer is basically adding to overheads and not generating any money.

As is expected with any complex operation with many parallel components, economies of scale are there to be seized, especially if the utilisation rate of individual elements - agents - are not interdependent. Real time, dynamic analysis of agent call times, agent availability together with work flows can often show up extra capacity in existing systems. In the Contact Center environment, predictive dialers can deliver massive cost savings without acutally costing a fortune to introduce.

Outbound dialers not only schedule calls and allocate them to available agents, they also do this in a way that successfully balances the highest possible utilisation of agents with the lowest levels of silent calls that keep in line with individual country’s legislations.

So now you know!

Want to learn another language? If you are a native English speaker in North America there are several excellent reasons to consider learning Spanish.

Since English and Spanish have some common roots there are many similarities between the two. Many words in Spanish are similar to or understandable in English.

Another good reason is that Spanish is arguably the third or fourth most popular language, being spoken by more people, on the Planet. If you know English and Spanish that opens up most of South America and Western Europe to you.

You can learn Spanish easy and fast as you listen, repeat after the speaker, and you can be learning in no time.

Forget about sitting in a classroom, bored, conjugating verbs. These days spending a lot of time or money attending classes is unnecessary. You can just download a learn-Spanish cours from the Net, take copies with you and study your lessons anywhere, anytime! The best way to learnSpanish is to learn conversational Spanish. There the emphasis is on understanding and making yourself understood. Think about it. How much English did you know before you knew what the words grammar and conjugation meant?

Rocket Spanish with its learn Spanish on mp3 interative audio instruction is probably the premier Spanish learning course. It helps you to learn Spanish rapidly and speak it like a native, without an accent.

What is the best learn conversational Spanish download? Start by learning conversational Spanish from an interactive audio course like that offered by Rocket Spanish.

- Cynthia Flowers

Many individuals are starting to prefer LCD televisions to the old CRT televisions. There are numerous reasons for this, but one of the main reasons surrounds the outstanding performance output of the LCD models on the market today. If you are interested in choosing among the highly desired LCD sets, it is important to ensure that you have a little knowledge on making the best choice for your needs. The following represents the top 3 tips for making a sound purchase:

1. The first consideration to purchasing a new television that incorporates LCD technology is to decide on where the television will be placed in your home. Due to the light weight of the systems and the fact that they are relatively thin, they can be mounted on a wall or even placed on a specially designed table stand. Naturally, you will want to evaluate the spacing requirements of the set that you prefer to ensure that there is appropriate space in your home.

2. The next consideration that should be made when it comes to LCD televisions is the pixel resolution. That sounds pretty complicated doesn’t it? I will make it real simple. See, LCD televisions that incorporate a flat panel have a predetermined set of pixels when it comes to the actual surface of the screen. If the television has a low pixel count, its quality is reduced. However, sets that have a high number of pixels have higher quality when it comes to the picture that is displayed on the television.

3. The next area that you will want to place your attention to ensure that you choose the highest quality when it comes to LCD televisions is what is referred to as the “Motion Response Time”. Throughout the history of the technology that incorporates LCD, certain TV sets have had issues in capturing objects on the screen that are moving relatively fast. You will want to ensure that your new TV does not have this issue. This means that you will want to ensure that the “Motion Response Time” is approximately eight milliseconds. If a MRT is not listed, avoid purchasing that television unit.

There are many considerations to be made when trying to decide among all the LCD televisions on the market today. By using the top 3 tips listed here, you can rest assured that you will purchase a unit that is appropriate to your needs and provides the quality that you expect out of such a unit!

The author of this article runs a web site devoted to cuckoo clock inside and cuckoo clock stops and schmeckenbecher cuckoo clock.

Interesting News

What a time I’ve had of late it all began with a problem with my sink leaking well anyway I attempted to find a localised plumber in the localised telephone directory - who could show up within a week no chance there In Any Event I decided to do a search on google for Manchester Plumbers. Struck gold with that one there they where online .Anyhow I used the contact form and within about 15 minutes I had a phone call to set up an appointment .That’s what I call service.To cut a long story short they came out the same day and where quite a bit cheaper than the company who could not get to me for almost a week.

Shortly after the first problem was concluded don’t I get a telephone call from a friend stating somebody has rammed into his car from behind and are denying any responsibleness. Not really sure how that works as they clearly drove into his car. Well hot on my success with google and the phantom plumbers don’t I get online and go looking for a Manchester Solicitor for him. Simply on the off chance that his insurance has some microscopic little clause about legal costs who knows?

On a happier note somebody I know has made up one’s mind to expend some of their redundancy on purchasing a sandwitch delivery business. Not quite positive if they have done as much research as they should before going for it .I have assured them that they need a Manchester Accountant to look at the ledgers as these individuals recognise exactly what they are looking at. For the price it could well spare him thousands if the business is going to close or hopefully the accountant will turn around and say that it looks like a profitable business go for it.

So all in all the last few weeks have been quite eventful around here. Looking forwards to a few smooth weeks now with no leakages or telephone calls about car accidents.

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