Author: Creative Programs and Systems - page 328

Success In Business Linked To Mode Optimization

What does it take to be successful in business?  Everyone’s answer to that question will vary a great deal.  In my opinion it requires tremendous aptitude and intellectual tools to help increase competency and execution. An increase in proficiency will help to ensure customer satisfaction by a systems that guarantees on time delivery of the products and services they need most.  Businesses can only create a working environment that succeeds in doing this by implementing a solid logistic system creating fluid supply chain management.

In order to have a solid logistic management approach many businesses must start by completing a supply chain audit.  When a consultant comes in to any business they are looking at the procedures in place with fresh eyes and are able to view things differently than employees close to the situation.  This is helpful to businesses that are stuck in the rut of doing things they way they have always done them.  In a supply chain audit solutions are given that accommodate the changes in technology, business environment, and the routes in which goods travel.  Without the ability to change and coordinate in line with the most efficient combination of distribution methods it is impossible to compete in business.

Not every consultant that claims to be proficient in logistic and supply chain management is an expert.  In order to be a complete success the consultant and firm your business chooses needs to have expertise to see through a plan without negatively affecting business.  The suggestions and solutions they offer must integrate new technology without completely forgoing elements that are currently working well.  They must offer solutions that are cost effective and increase distribution speeds to the outlying markets.

Many pieces to the logistic puzzle must work together to achieve harmony in mode optimization for your companies logistic team.  Deciding on vendors to use will determine who is in line with the company’s main goal of saving money and decreasing lag time between shipping and receiving.  Contractual documents need to be managed, rates and pricing changes need to be constantly evaluated and kept up, payments, and any discrepancies must be tracked to ensure no key piece is left without management.

A reliable consultant will help put in place, or over see, the running of the entire supply chain system.  A structure that will allow for long term success will have several key components.  A reliable solution will offer service that is secure, easily tracked and able to be maneuvered to make room for faster distribution options.

Taking steps towards a more efficient running supply chain is a step in the right direction for success in business.  This will allow your company to make profitable gains in service as well as improving the entire distribution process.  Making changes and regular auditing to the supply chain will ensure long term growth and profitability to your company.  It will be amazing to see the differences in the way a firm competes in the market place with a few well placed tweaks to systems in place.  Often times the only way to see these issues is to hire a consultant or a firm to evaluate the current runnings of systems in place.   The money spent on the consultant will be well spent in profits returned.

Professional Restoration Companies Service Water Damaged Homes

Water damage specialists should be called in anytime you find yourself with a water situation.  Whether you have water in the basement, the hot water tank has sprang a leak or a pipe has burst it is best not to attempt the cleanup effort on your own.  Calling in a water damage expert will ensure that the house is cleaned and dried to industry standards to prevent any more issues from arising down the road.

Hiring a professional to handle issues will help with the following:

  • Mold Problems:  When your home has issues with mold it is in your best interest to call in water and mold damage experts.  Leaving mold untreated will only allow it to multiply.  Treating it incorrectly will also lead to more issues.  Structural damage to your home is common when mold issues appear.
  • Mold Detection:  A water damage specialist can help detect if the home has a mold issue.  After a long winter or an incredibly rainy season it is important to hire a water damage specialist to inspect your home.  Things a professional will look for are leaks, water damage and potential damp areas which could harbor wetness that would allow mold growth.
  • Water Removal: If water has leaked into your home via a flood, leak, or broken pipe water specialist will have the equipment necessary for water removal.  Many homeowners think they can take care of the water damage themselves however a specialist will be sure to check for any structural damage that could wreak havoc with a home.
  • Drying: Drying and dehumidifying the areas within the home affected by water damage is a key element in making sure mold damage does not occur after the initial damage that has been done by the water. Specialists bring in high powered fans to thoroughly dry out carpets, rugs, flooring and affected areas within the home. Exposing the home to fresh, circulating air will help with the drying process.
  • Deodorizing:  Water damage leaves a strange odor within the home.  A water damage specialist will go through and deodorize the areas.  Ionizing the area will not cover the scent however will actually completely remove the odor.
  • Restoration: Water damage restoration specialists are the experts in home restoration.  When water has affected the home more likely than not some sort of restoration will need to take place to make the home as good as new.
  • Sanitation Work: Water damage can come from any area in the home with water.  This can mean the toilet, the dishwasher or other plumbing devices.  On most occasions a water damage expert can provide the same services as a plumber with additional cleanup done for the same price if not cheaper.
  • Assessing Damage: It is a safe bet to have all water damage woes assessed by a specialist before any work is done.  A professional can tell you exactly what needs to be done so that you, as a homeowner, get a clear picture of what needs in the home are.

 

The Benefits Of A Fenced In Backyard

What benefits are there for homeowners to have a fenced in backyard?  This is a question many people ask themselves when looking at homes on the market with yards that are fenced in verse one that aren’t.  There are many great selling points about a home with a back yard fenced in. I always tell my buyers the same thing; it is a good thing the owner did it now you won’t have to.  Eventually people who buy homes in neighborhoods will install a fence.  It is just a matter of time.  If you happen to be the homeowner “without” a fence it is only because the neighbors installed theirs first enclosing your property in the process.

It is clear fencing is necessary when living in areas where many homes are built within close proximity to one another.  Really who wants to be outside enjoying time with their family only to have the intrusion of a neighbor’s backyard event?  Having a fence gives your yard its own space.  One of the main reasons I think fencing is a must have is for the privacy is allows you.  It is a physical boundary that shows your space verse the neighbors.  Privacy is at a premium in society today.  It is a luxury and should be preserved especially in your own backyard.

Another great feature fencing offers is controlled accessibility.  This is never truer than with home that have a swimming pool or hot tub in the backyard.  Adding a fence with a gate lock allows you to police the entrance of guests.  Pool safety is incredibly important.  The last thing any homeowner wants is to have a child drown in their backyard pool.  A tall pool fence with a locked gate will control the access into the pool area and allow for more peace of mind when little ones are playing.

Another great feature fencing offers is the deterring of unwanted pests and people into your yard.  Whether it is critters or a trespasser a fence is a barrier that will often deter them.  Why hit a house up that has obstacles when a house down the street offers up much easier access.  Not only does the fence keep critters and trespassers out but it also keeps your little critters in.  Children and pets, such as the family dog, will find it very difficult to leave the yard if a fence stands between them and the road.   Fencing offers a secure area for little ones to play safely away from the hazards of busy neighborhood roads.

Fencing is also an incredible aesthetic outdoor feature for your home and yard space.  Fencing comes in a variety of materials, colors and styles.  For ultimate privacy and security electronic gates and automatic gate openers can be installed.  These fences allow the utmost privacy and complete control over access into your space.  Often time’s electronic gates are installed with custom fencing that is eight to ten feet high.   If security is not the reason you are choosing a fence then perhaps aesthetics are. For this purpose fencing comes in several colors and a multitude of styles, heights and material choices.

Adding a fence to your home or upgrading an existing fence offer more value than what is visually seen.  Your needs will determine exactly what fence you choose for your backyard. My girlfriend for example added a chain link fence to the border of her backyard. At first the fence was installed as a barrier for the dog.  Years later they installed an in-ground pool and decided that a more secure fence was needed to secure the pool area.  They installed a wrought iron fence about five feet tall with a locking gate.  This fence provides safety keeping the pool area secure for when an adult is not outside. The chain link fence keeps people inside the space and the wrought iron fence keeps children and pets out of the pool.  Your fence must meet your family’s needs. A fence will only add values to your home and is an upgrade that will pay for itself.

Personalized Children’s Toys Alternatives To Generalized Gifts

What do you purchase for a child in your life when they already have everything?  You might be thinking about all the gifts the child in your life would enjoy.  What about a personalized children’s gift.  Personalizing a present for a child in your life is one way to show them how important they are to you.  Making something theirs, and only theirs, by personalizing it with their name it allows them to stake claim to the item.  Who doesn’t love something they can say is all theirs?

Sometimes personalized children’s toys can also have the child’s birth date on it.  This is a special way to personalize a present that is being given as birthday present.  It is a keepsake.  A personalized present to a child will have more of an impact than a generalized present any day.

My favorite personalized children’s toy is not really a toy at all.  For every baby shower we attend the baby is given a toy box with their name inscribed on it.  I was given one for each of my children and it is a keepsake they will have forever.  I keep all of the items that mean the most stored in the box for them.  Now that they are growing up that silky blanket they wouldn’t let go of until they were a bit older needs a place to live.  As do the yearbooks, first soccer shirts, ballet slippers and ever sentimental thing mom’s and dad’s tend to keep forever.

Options in personalized children’s toys and furniture are endless.  Some common gifts include pillow cases, plates, silverware, play kitchens, black belt holders, stools and cozy comfy chairs & bean bags.  Personalized gifts are best for children ages two to about eight.  From there a bit of the appeal may be lost.

Children in this age group find something ultra appealing about to be able to tell and show the world that something it is there’s.  So children that find their name engraved or painted upon something it is just that much more theirs.  This was so true when it came to the personalized pillows that my husband and I had made for our kids.  In fact my thirteen year old still sleeps with hers!  Those pillow cases go on every sleepover they have.  It was such a terrific gift.  My son’s nickname is Bear and he loves soccer so his is all about that.  Our daughter is a softball player.  We knew it from the first tee ball game.  Her pillow case is personalized with softballs and her name.

Another great present is a blanket that is made and embroidered with the baby’s name, date of birth, time and weight.  This gift is one that will grow with them and most likely become a personalized favorite.  A personalized gift basket filled with things all about the child is also a great way to personalize a gift.  Say you have a soccer fanatic like mine.  A gift basket filled with everything soccer from stickers to coloring books make a terrific personalized child’s gift.

A Land Survey Is Critical To Buying Property

It is important to be informed no matter what you are proceeding with in life.  This is true from the little purchase such as a new car to the large ones like a new house.  Being informed is important for several reasons; it lets you make decisions based upon facts instead of pressure and it leads you to explore each piece of a puzzle before settling.  It is important to note that purchases where money is exchanged need to be thought about.  This is especially true when it comes to purchases that need to be financed.  Purchasing a home is the biggest decision of many people’s lives.  It is a must to involve professionals into the picture to clearly understand what your dollars are buying.  When purchasing any type of property a land surveyor is a professional to count on.

It is critical to have any land surveyed that you are intent on purchasing.  There are several reasons for this.  The first is quite critical; you want to protect the investment you are making.  You are entitled to know exactly what your dollars are purchasing.  As a purchaser you want to know of boundary lines, any encroachment issues and where the easements lay.

A land survey is advisable before a purchase is made to clear up any information about where your land is.  When you look into adding onto that new purchase or installing a fence it will be important to know exactly where your land starts and stops to avoid encroachment issues with the neighbors.  Many neighborhoods are adding special by laws in about the property amount in comparison to the size of the home and any out buildings. They want to maintain a natural appeal to the neighborhood keeping natural landscaping and maintaining a ration of lawn to non-lawn.  This helps prevent an eye soar on people’s property.

You will want to know exactly what you are getting for your buck with land surveying.  The cost associated with land surveying will depend a little upon the type of survey that needs to be completed, the land type and how much has already been documented in previous land surveys completed upon the parcel of property.  Many times in existing sub-divisions home buyers get lucky and there is already a substantial amount of information known about the parcel.  If this is the case you may get away with corner monument being verified or line stakes placed on the property lines.

If you are looking to cut costs in the land survey process you will want to find copies of the homes current title and deed.  If you have already made the purchase before the land survey, which is unadvisable, clearing brush along the proposed property lines helps on your own will help decrease fees.

When choosing a land surveyor you should base your decision upon the surveyor’s competency and experience. Ask to see examples of previous jobs and find out before you hire them if previous jobs they have done are similar to what you are asking them to do for you.  A good survey meets your needs and will help you legally if boundary lines are ever questioned.

It is important to be informed no matter what you are proceeding with in life.  This is true from the little purchase such as a new car to the large ones like a new house.  Being informed is important for several reasons; it lets you make decisions based upon facts instead of pressure and it leads you to explore each piece of a puzzle before settling.  It is important to note that purchases where money is exchanged need to be thought about.  This is especially true when it comes to purchases that need to be financed.  Purchasing a home is the biggest decision of many people’s lives.  It is a must to involve professionals into the picture to clearly understand what your dollars are buying.  When purchasing any type of property a land surveyor is a professional to count on.

It is critical to have any land surveyed that you are intent on purchasing.  There are several reasons for this.  The first is quite critical; you want to protect the investment you are making.  You are entitled to know exactly what your dollars are purchasing.  As a purchaser you want to know of boundary lines, any encroachment issues and where the easements lay.

A land survey is advisable before a purchase is made to clear up any information about where your land is.  When you look into adding onto that new purchase or installing a fence it will be important to know exactly where your land starts and stops to avoid encroachment issues with the neighbors.  Many neighborhoods are adding special by laws in about the property amount in comparison to the size of the home and any out buildings. They want to maintain a natural appeal to the neighborhood keeping natural landscaping and maintaining a ration of lawn to non-lawn.  This helps prevent an eye soar on people’s property.

You will want to know exactly what you are getting for your buck with land surveying.  The cost associated with land surveying will depend a little upon the type of survey that needs to be completed, the land type and how much has already been documented in previous land surveys completed upon the parcel of property.  Many times in existing sub-divisions home buyers get lucky and there is already a substantial amount of information known about the parcel.  If this is the case you may get away with corner monument being verified or line stakes placed on the property lines.

If you are looking to cut costs in the land survey process you will want to find copies of the homes current title and deed.  If you have already made the purchase before the land survey, which is unadvisable, clearing brush along the proposed property lines helps on your own will help decrease fees.

When choosing a land surveyor you should base your decision upon the surveyor’s competency and experience. Ask to see examples of previous jobs and find out before you hire them if previous jobs they have done are similar to what you are asking them to do for you.  A good survey meets your needs and will help you legally if boundary lines are ever questioned.

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Next to your kitchen and living room, your bathroom is likely one of the most used rooms in your home. While it’s not really considered a place of rest and relaxation in most homes, though it certainly could be in yours, it is a room that serves multiple purposes. For this reason, the layout of your bathroom, and even the ‘vibe’ that it gives you can be quite important. So, here are a few ideas for you if you’re considering a bathroom remodeling project.

Replace the bathtub

If you have the space, and you’re not purely a ‘shower person’, think about replacing your bath tub. Nowadays, bathtubs can provide so much more in terms of relaxation, usability, and even visual appeal than the plain-jane, off-white oblong tubs of days past. Tubs come in different shapes, sizes, and even with new amenities — such as jets — which can turn your bathtub into a jacuzzi for your home.

Add or relocate shelving

When you purchase your home, unless you build new, things are not always setup in your home in a way that suits your needs or tastes. Adding an extra shelf or two, or maybe a cabinet, can free up some of your counter space or just give you more storage space for your toiletries, towels, or cleaning products.

Create a ‘themed’ bathroom

Many women, and some men, too, like ‘themed’ rooms where the colors and the style matches perfectly. If you have two bathrooms in your home, you might want to consider creating a dark room, preferably one with a jacuzzi or relaxing tub, and a light room that will help you wake up when you are getting ready for your day. While the dark and light themes may not coincide with interior decorating norms these days — think about the benefits of having a relaxing bathroom where you, or your significant other, can relax after a long day. It’s definitely worth the consideration.

Because your bathroom is a multi-purpose room, it’s worth thinking about ways that you can improve your bathroom’s look, feel, and functionality. While our list of bathroom remodeling ideas is hardly comprehensive, maybe these seed ideas can be a starting point for you to generate ideas on how you want your remodeled bathroom to look.

Oceanic Construction is a bathroom and kitchen remodeling company providing services to Livingston County, Michigan and Lee and Collier Counties in Florida.

5 Ways to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger

Whether your bathroom is small and cramped, or it just feels like it, there are ways that you can increase the size of your bathroom, at least perceptually, without having to hire a bathroom remodeling company. Here are five tips that you can use to make your small bathroom seem bigger than it really is.

Walls and flooring – keep them soft and light

The color of your bathroom’s walls and flooring can have a big impact on how you perceive your bathroom. Colors will not only affect the ‘mood’ that your bathroom conveys, but they will also affect how you see your bathroom size-wise. Lose the contrasting colors and crazy wallpaper and replace them with a simple, light-colored theme with a soft wall patten, if any. If your bathroom is too ‘busy’ or has starkly contrasting colors, this tends to make your bathroom look smaller.

Bring in the lights

Lighting isn’t just good for the eyes; illumination can also help to make your bathroom seem larger than it really is. If you can, it’s best to incorporate natural lighting, such as through a skylight or through generous use of windows. However, if those options are not available to you for budget, space, or privacy reasons, adding more light to your bathroom, specifically in low-light areas, can really open things up, especially when used with lighter colors in your bathroom.

Use mirrors to your advantage

Just like the mirror in Snow White had magical properties, mirror can work their ‘magic’ to make your bathroom seem bigger than it really is. If possible, place a mirror opposite of an outside window, or at the very least, place mirrors opposite each other to improve your bathroom’s perceptual space. If you’re an abstract thinker type with a penchant for the scientific side of life, you can even use your mirrors creatively to bounce light off from each other to brighten your bathroom up even more. Which, more light is always better when you’re trying to make a room look bigger than it actually is.

Replace your low-setting, wide cabinets with tall, skinny cabinets

Just like vertical lines on your clothing will make you look taller and slimmer, opting for tall, skinny cabinets vs. clunky, wide-based cabinets, will give your bathroom the perception of being taller than it really is.

Remove the knick-knacks and doodads

While decorating your bathroom to make it feel more ‘homey’ may appeal to you, too many decorations, ornaments, floor mats, wall-hung candles, and pictures will actually clutter up your room causing it too look and feel more restricted. If you have a small bathroom and you want to make it look bigger, you have to minimize the clutter, which can mean removing some of the excess decorations from your bathroom.

The previous ideas are available to just about anybody who is into DIY bathroom remodeling and has a bit of handyman (or handy-woman) experience. However, if you have a bit of money tucked away, you can always hire a bathroom remodeling contractor to come in and make a few changes that can have a big impact on your bathroom space perception. For instance, you can incorporate recessed lighting to free up wall space, opt for a wall-mounted toilet and sink vs. the standard floor-mounted models, and if you have a traditional bathroom door that opens inwards, you can replace that with a sliding door that hides itself within your wall.

Regardless of your budget, though, even these small and inexpensive bathroom remodeling project ideas make a big impact on how you perceive your bathroom’s available space.

Oceanic Construction provides bathroom and kitchen remodeling services to Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Meyers and Naples, Florida.

Choosing a Kitchen Remodeling Company

Your kitchen’s role in your home is quite important — it’s not only the culinary center for your finest home-cooked meals, but it’s the fast-food joint for microwavable dinners, the storage place for most of your food, and where you, or one of your family members spend time cleaning up between meals. In most homes, the kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in the house, so its organization, usability, and even style can have a major impact on your home’s day-to-day happenings. For this reason, and quite a few more, it’s important that you hire a reliable, and reputable, kitchen remodeling to improve your kitchen’s style and functionality.

Like most home construction tasks, it’s important to hire the right company to do your work for you. Just as you probably shouldn’t trust your vehicle’s maintenance to a random mechanic that you find in the yellow pages, you shouldn’t entrust your kitchen remodeling project to a random construction or home remodeling company. While it might seem like installing new cabinets, replacing a countertop, painting the walls, or installing a new kitchen sink would be menial jobs for somebody even with marginal home improvement skills, there’s still a lot that could go wrong.

With high-dollar projects especially, you should invest a bit of time into looking for a suitable kitchen remodeling contractor instead of picking a name from a hat, so to speak. Whether this means that you ask for references from a prospective construction crew, you ask friends or family for recommendations, or you use the internet to locate contracting companies for your kitchen remodeling project, you should incorporate a bit of judgment into your selection for which company upgrades your kitchen. After all, your kitchen is heavily trafficked and heavily used, and the last thing you need is to hire an unreliable kitchen remodeling company.

If you’re in the Brighton, Michigan or Naples, Florida areas, check out Oceanic Construction. They offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling services, and they have the years of expertise to get the job done right, the first time around.

How to Find a Reputable Michigan Website Design Company

Providing online services is popular these days, and when you’re looking for a website design company, there are literally thousands of choices in front of you. Everybody from Joey the high-school student to Susan the former postal worker is trying to make extra money, and because performing basic web design services requires nothing more than a can-do attitude and a bit of trial and error, many of today’s website design service providers are individuals, oftentimes disguised as bigger than they really are.

Especially in Michigan, where the economy is in a poor state, website design services abound. However, when you’re looking for a Michigan-based website design company, and one that is established at that, how do you go about finding one of these local website designers?

Verify that they are a Michigan-based company

Many business owners and individuals use classified ads, and classified ad websites, such as Craigslist.org, to locate the services they need. However, many of the advertisements for website design services, whether they targeting Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, are out-of-state website designers. While quite a few of them are near-Michigan companies, almost as many are for states on the other side of the country. When you visit the website designer’s website, check out their contact information to verify whether they are a Michigan-based company or not.

Do they have an active website?

Hiring a website designer without a website is a lot like hiring a photographer without any pictures — it doesn’t make sense. It’s ironic, actually, that a fair number of self-professed web designers don’t currently have an active website online. The story is usually the same — they’re working on it. However, if you’re looking for a reliable website design company, don’t choose one that does not have a website of their own.

Do they have a physical office?

Running a service-based business online, like website design, is nothing like running a brick and mortar company. Offices, especially if there are employees involved, require hundreds or thousands of dollars per month to maintain whereas anybody with $15 and a credit card, or bank card, can setup a website online. While some website design firms operate out of the owner’s home, and plenty of legitimate businesses operate this way, if a design company has a verifiable brick and mortar office location, there’s a good chance that they are dedicated, professional, and should at least be a serious candidate for your web design company of choice.

Michigan has a lot of website designers to choose from, if for no other reason than there are a lot of people in the state looking to make extra money. However, this short list of qualifiers should help you to narrow your choices down when you’re looking for a Michigan website design company.

CPS is a website design company offering search engine positioning services to Pinckney, Howell, Brighton, South Lyon and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

What to Look For in a Home Remodeling Company

When it’s time to remodel your home, you need to take some time to consider which home remodeling company you will use. The outcome of your home’s remodeling project is quite important — it not only can affect the value of your home, good or bad, but ultimately you have to live with the outcome of the project. With those things in mind, what traits should you look for when you hire a home improvement company?

Experience matters

When you are going over the construction estimates for your home improvement project, you’ll want to go with a company that has been in business for a while. In this business, experience is an absolute must. Some companies can offer many years of experience as proof that they know what they are doing, and experience, when it comes to comes to remodeling your home, should matter more than the bottom-line price. This is not to say that every new company is unable to pull of your project, or that a low-dollar bidder wouldn’t be the best choice for your home improvement project. The point here is that you should be looking for a company that has been around long enough to know how to handle your project’s requirements and then some.

Companies that oversee their contractors

When it’s your home we’re talking about, you want to make sure that someone is supervising each and every project. In some situations, you hire a construction company that uses contractors, only to find out that the company you hired isn’t doing a good job of supervising those contractors. Before you sign a contract with a home improvement company, you should make sure that they are going to be active in overseeing the completion of your project. The project is much more likely to stay on budget, on deadline, and be completed as agreed if the primary building company is there to oversee to the construction.

A company that takes care of your needs

Your home is likely your biggest, and most expensive asset, so you should have some say in how the project is done. Some companies will want to do it their way and they’ll be annoyed when you try to chime in. The fact of the matter is that you don’t need to work with a company that laughs off your thoughts. The lead contractors should be willing to not only listen, but also work with you to help you get what you’re looking for out of the remodeling project. If you can find a company that does great work and looks after you at the same time, you’ve got a real winner.

Choosing a home remodeling company is a big decision, and not one that should be taken lightly. Take some time, get to know the bidding construction companies and what they have to offer, check out some of their previous work, and really pay attention to how they interact with you. Anybody with some tools can build a house, but a reputable and reliable home remodeling company can help you turn the house you have into the home you want.

Paddock Builders is a Livingston County home construction company offering remodeling and renovation services to Novi, Howell, Brighton and the surrounding areas.