Livingston Reporting - page 148

Purchasing Refurbished Equipment Over New

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Running a business of any kind can be an expensive endeavor, especially when it comes to companies offering any kind of manufacturing.  Manufacturing equipment has a number of pieces that are constantly in motion which leads to components needing to be replaced and maintained frequently.  One way to stay within a budget while purchasing and maintaining equipment is to look into refurbished products.   Purchasing and using refurbished equipment and replacement parts can save upwards of sixty percent when compared to new.  The best part, it is as equally as reliable especially with regular maintenance.

Pros of Purchasing Refurbished

Low Upfront Costs:

When purchasing reconditioned equipment and reconditioned parts business’s can save a great deal of money.  Usually the cost of equipment, in any business, is the most expensive aspect of a new business venture.  You can start-up a new endeavor at a fraction of the cost without putting all of your money into equipment and leaving yourself without a financial cushion.

Overall Value:

Purchasing equipment that has been reconditioned, especially when it comes from a reputable source with proven knowledge and experience.  When equipment is well maintained, no matter if it was brand new or purchased refurbished, it will function for years.

Wear and Tear:

The biggest benefit of purchasing refurbished equipment is that the known wear and tear on the equipment can be addressed when it is reconditioned.  If we know that an axel always fails after 4 hours of constant use, then the issue can be addressed during the refurbishment process.  Although the exterior of reconditioned equipment can show wear and tear the internal aspects will be even better than new.

There are a number of reasons that purchasing refurbished electrical components and equipment makes sense for your business.    Reconditioned components allow you to save money without sacrificing quality.

Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at www.jpelectricalcompany.com.  To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists, call 877.844.5514 today.

 

J & P Electrical Company

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Aluminum Fencing and Gates: A Versatile and Secure Enclosure to Your Swimming Pool

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

If your backyard features a swimming pool it is crucial that you add an aluminum pool fence and self-latching, self-closing aluminum gate. You’ll be able to keep your family safe and enhance the beauty of your backyard with a long-lasting and durable aluminum fence and gate. Not only is it an affordable option but you can customize your aluminum fence and gate since they come in a variety of colors and style. There are many reasons to choose an aluminum fence to enclose your backyard swimming pool.

Provides More Privacy to Your Backyard

To provide your family more privacy from the neighbors when you’re outside swimming, an aluminum fence and gate will hide what you’re doing from others, allowing you to enjoy some privacy from peeping eyes. Your family will feel comfortable going about their swimming routine without having to worry about nosy neighbors trying to see in to your backyard.

An Enclosed Area

If you have pets, you might want to enclose them somewhere so that they don’t access certain areas in your home or yard when you’re not home. Aluminum fences and gates provide a convenient enclosure for them to roam around in without having to cage them or place them in a tiny space somewhere else.  An aluminum swimming pool fence will also keep pets out of the pool area as well.

 Safety Measure

When you have small kids and a backyard pool, you’re always worrying about them going out alone and ending up in the pool. To ease your mind and provided added safety, aluminum fences and gates will act as a barrier for little rooms who wander out into the backyard alone. They won’t be able to reach the pool and your mind will be at ease knowing you decreased the risk of them drowning.

Add Space to Your Home

By sectioning off your yard with an aluminum gate and aluminum fence, you’ll be able to add space to your home, allowing you a private section to entertain guests or simply sit back outside and relax in comfort.

Any do it yourself homeowner can install an aluminum fence in their backyard; it’s really that simple! Installing aluminum fencing surrounding your pool can take as little as an afternoon or as long as a weekend.  Aluminum fence panels and gates will more than meet your expectations!

iFenceUSA is an online manufacturer and distributor of wholesale aluminum fencing. With over 18 styles of aluminum fence panels and gates to choose from, we have aluminum fences that will meet your wants and need.  Choose from custom aluminum fencing options including: Commercial Grade Aluminum Fencing, Residential Grade Aluminum Fencing, Pool Grade Aluminum Fencing, and Industrial Aluminum Fencing all at https://ifenceusa.com/.  For more information contact one of our aluminum fence experts toll free 800.762.2907 or via email at info@ifenceusa.com.

 

iFenceUSA

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Pros and Cons of Reroofing vs Repair

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Does your home need to be reroofed or repaired? Signs that it might time to consider roof maintenance include bald spots, cracked shingles, shingle edges that are curled, shingle tabs that are cupped or if your roof is at least 20 years old. If any of these apply, it may be time to think about investing in roof repair or reroofing. But you might be asking yourself if you can simply repair the existing one, hopefully saving you money instead of shelling out major bucks for an entirely new roof. Here’s some useful information on how to decide which one is better for your roof, home and wallet:

Reroofing

The process of reroofing is simply layering new shingles over the existing ones. This saves you time and money for roofing repairs since the roofing company simply needs to place new ones on top of the old ones instead of tearing it all off to start fresh. The general rule when it comes to roofing is that if you have already two layers of roofing material in place on top of your home, you have to start new and replace everything.

Roof Replacement

A new roof replacement is tearing off everything on your roof so that only the deck is left. Roofers will then place new material down and new shingles, resulting in a brand-new roof. You can opt to completely replace your roof no matter how many layers of shingles your home has. Since roof replacement requires more work and time, it’s often costlier than simply reroofing.

When You Can Go with Reroofing

Your home might be a good candidate for reroofing if it’s nearing the end of its lifespan, but still not in great shape. This type of roof can have minor issues like leaks, and cracks, but it should not have major water damage, missing shingles or have lots of mildew or moss growth on it. If this is the case, you’re going to need a total roof replacement.

When You Shouldn’t Go with Reroofing

Although it might seem like a good and cost-effective way to repair your roof, reroofing isn’t a good idea all the time since you’re not lifting up existing shingles, so you don’t know what the actual roof deck looks like. Although some problems can be spotted before the shingles come off, most of the time the problem lies beneath the deck like rot or sagging. When you simply add a new layer of shingles on top, you’re not fixing any problems that may exist underneath the shingling.

Learn more about Home Pro Roofing and their vast line of custom roofing options installed by professional roofing contractors including: asphalt shingle roofing, metal roofing, roof repair, and new roof installation at www.homeproroofingmi.com.  Our roofing contractors offer services throughout Michigan including: Kalamazoo, Brighton, Lansing, and the surrounding areas.

 

Home Pro Roofing MI

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The Importance of a User-Friendly Website Design

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Your website is one of your company’s biggest asset. It’s the one place where anyone from across the globe can come across and see what your company has to offer. A website is essential for business these days and the importance of that website rests upon its design. The average person has a short attention span and with so much competition on the Web, your site needs to have an eye-catching design and be user friendly to really grab someone’s attention enough to make customers navigate to other pages.

This means it’s practically essential that a company’s website provides an easy-to-use and positive experience for customers.  A user-friendly website will convince potential customers to navigate into the site away from the initial landing page. If your website doesn’t feature a user-friendly design, your web-sites bounce rate will be high, meaning clients will be looking elsewhere.

What does a user-friendly website consist of?

It’s a combination of things like easy-to-use navigation tools, readability, load time, and mobile-optimization. These are all aimed at allowing users to efficiently and quickly navigate a website and locate what they want or need to find without any challenges or delays.

Readability

A site’s readability refers to it’s easy scan, meaning they can easily and quickly look for a keyword to see an answer to a question they have about your brand, site, offerings, etc. To achieve this, it’s best to use spacing, bullets, short paragraphs and subheadings, as well as play close attention as to what fonts you use.

Navigation

Navigation is how easy it is to move around in your site, providing organized content that and menus so that they can find what they need. Organized menus help users go through your site to see what it’s, how to purchase or contact you for more information.

Mobile-Optimization

And since many users are using their mobile phones it is important your site is mobile friendly and optimized for use on a smart device.  Mobile-optimization refers to where your website ranks within mobile search engines.  Much of where your site will land on a mobile search engine has to do with how is easy your website is to see while on a tablet or smartphone.   If your company’s site takes too long to load it is not considered user friendly.  A websites mobile upload should take no more than five seconds.   Anything over this and your site needs to be updated.

Learn more about Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, and the IT solutions they provide including IT consulting, computer consulting, network consulting, networking, server installation, IT disaster recovery, computer repair, virus removal, malware removal, computer tune ups, data backup systems, computer troubleshooting, structured cabling, low voltage wiring, website design, graphic design, logo design, website hosting, search engine placement, iphone app programming, android app programming, and custom programming at www.cpsmi.com.  To contact one of our IT experts, call 810.224.5252 today or via email at info@cpsmi.com.

Creative Programs and Systems

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7 Ways To Prepare For Buying A Home

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

If you’re looking into buying a home soon we recommend that you prepare a few things before you make the big purchase. Buying a home is a huge decision and the process can be quite complex especially for first-time homeowners.  It’s best if you can be as prepared as possible with these few things first:

  1. Saving for a Down Payment and Closing Costs

Buying a home isn’t cheap and will take a huge chunk of savings for the down payment. Although many would love to own their own home, not many do because they can’t afford such a large down payment. Ideally, you should have been saving for your home for a couple of years. The good news is that there are a number of different loan options you might qualify for without even having to come up with the usual 20% it takes for a conventional loan. It is important to look at your budget and speak to a professional mortgage broker and real estate agent before starting to look for a home.

 

  1. Obtain Your Credit Report

In order to get the best loan out there it helps to have a pretty high credit score. This will get you a lower interest rate on your mortgage. You should have between a 670 FICO and a 730 FICO, which is ideal for getting the best interest rates.

 

  1. Hire a Realtor

The key to finding your home is having a good real estate agent which should be a priority for you when you are first embarking on the journey to owning your first home. Ask family and friends for recommendations or look for local agents in the area you would like to buy a home in.

 

  1. Consult with a Mortgage Broker

Usually, your real estate agent will recommend you a mortgage broker that they work in conjunction with. But if not, you’ll have to find one that will help you with your loan to buy the home. They’ll get you prequalified for a home and then help you through the entire process.

 

  1. Research Local Neighborhoods

Doing a bit of research will help you find your dream home which is why you need to narrow down the different neighborhoods you are interested in and see the price range that the houses are going for.

 

  1. Wants vs Needs

Going out and seeing the actual homes is the fun part but before you go out and do that you’ll need to decide on a list of things you’d like your perfect house to have. This way you’ll be able to search homes that have everything on your list instead of wasting your time looking at every home on the market.

 

  1. Strategize

Sit down with your realtor and figure out a home buying strategy so that the entire process runs seamlessly. Are you looking for a fixer upper or maybe you’ll want to write contingent offers? Your real estate agent can help you figure this all out so that there will not be any surprises.

 

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.

 

C21 Lady of the Lakes

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Creative Label and Packaging Design Trends

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Product packaging is important since it’s the first thing customers see and can make all the difference in them buying your product or not. Labeling and packaging is everywhere and because there’s so much competition out there, it’s important that you make yours stand out. People are visual creatures, so their eyes are naturally drawn to visually appealing packaging, which they are more likely to purchase. And like any other industry, there are certain trends that the industry sees each year. Here are some label and packaging design trends for 2018:

Minimalist Design Labels and Packaging

Sometimes less is more. Minimalist design is a huge trend at the moment within the industry. Even though some might call it primitive, going for simplicity can help customers access their intuitive side. The only hard part about these sorts of flexible packaging is finding signs and symbols that everyone can relate to. But once you do find it, you’ll be able to send a message with practically no words at all!

Pastel Colors

Pastel colors are having a moment in a number of creative industries, including packaging. The use of such feminine and calming package design are everywhere these days, speaking to a person’s softer side. If you want to give customers a candid and warm feel, labels and packages in pastel colors will intrigue buyers.

Bold Words

Some companies want to send a clear and concise message in their packaging and right now big words is a hot trend in the industry. Using bold, big print can send a clear message about your product, just as long as it’s in a readable font.

Doodle Art

Everyone loves to doodle, and this sort of art is taking over the packaging industry. Consumers are attracted to it because it’s fun and happy, making them remember times when they were kids and doodling. Doodles on projects are whimsical and cartoonish, making them nostalgic to customers.

Photography

Lately, photography has been picking up steam in the label and packaging niche and it’s really no surprise since it’s been lined to design for a long time. When a product showcases a powerful photo, it has the ability to cause people to stop and pause to see what’s going on, enticing them to find out more about your product.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

Anchor Printing

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New vs. Refurbished: Benefits of Purchasing Refurbished Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners.

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Should your practice or healthcare center spend mega bucks on a totally new linear accelerator and CT scanner or should you look for refurbished options? This is a question many management-level staff ask themselves when they need new equipment. Of course, they’d rather just skip all the headaches and purchase new equipment but that’s not always the best option for a practice or center that is strapped for cash and might not be able to afford the huge costs associated with new equipment. This is why it’s sometimes better to simply purchase refurbished line accelerators and CT scanners! Here are some more reasons why it’s better to go with refurbished equipment:

Allows you to focus more money on growing your business:

It doesn’t matter if you’re a new practice or simply adding a new treatment room to your facility.  Why spend all that money on new equipment when you can get the same quality and use from refurbished linear accelerators? You can easily use the extra money saved elsewhere within your practice.

This way, you’ll be able to have new equipment and treat more patients, helping your bottom line. Simply put, when you buy refurbished equipment, you have more spending power for other things in your budget that might be more vital to growing your practice.

Improve patient care:

By freeing up budget dollars with refurbished equipment, you’ll be able to use those dollars somewhere else to improve your practice and how you treat your patients. You’ll be able to improve your practice for the better, which will in turn improve patient care. Upgrades, more staff, and the like can all be used when you save extra money purchasing refurbished radiation oncology equipment.

Increased peace of mind:

Just as you would have peace of mind with a new piece of equipment, purchasing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners will do the same when you buy from a reputable company.  Refurbished companies that also offer service and repair services and have access to radiation oncology equipment parts are the best option when purchasing equipment.  Even though they’ve been refurbished, they come with a guarantee, so it’s almost like buying a new piece of equipment, but without the huge costs. Refurbished pieces are certified and will be delivered in working condition.

Acceletronics is an independent service company dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models. Learn more about Acceletronics and their selection of new and refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners today at http://www.acceletronics.com.  To contact one of our LINAC experts call 610.524.3300.

Acceletronics

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The Do’s and Don’ts of LASIK Eye Surgery

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Getting the best result out of your laser eye surgery occurs when you take the necessary steps to prepare for before and after the procedure.   As with any surgery, there are certain risks involved.  This is just one of the reasons it is important that you do everything possible to prevent issues from arising.  Below you will find some basic tips that can help assure you get the best results possible from your LASIK procedure.

Laser Vision Correction Precautionary Steps

Even before LASIK is scheduled there are certain things that you can do to adjust your routine in order to receive the best results from your laser eye surgery.

  • If you wear contact lenses, it is best to stop wearing them for a few weeks leading up to the surgery. Contact lenses distort the shape of the cornea which can cause the results from your LASIK procedure to be less than perfect.
  • Do not use any type of eye drops for at least a week before your laser vision correction surgery.
  • Avoid scents and makeup for a few days leading up to the procedure as well including the day of. The day of it is important not to use creams, lotion, or any other chemical substance near your eyes.
  • Any and all eye conditions that you have previously suffered from are important details to mention to your eye surgeon.
  • Arrange for transportation to and from the surgery. If at all possible, find someone who is willing to stay with you as well.  You will be under the influence of medication for awhile after the surgery and your sight will be off, so driving is not advised.

Post Surgery Recommendations

There are many ways in which to enhance your healing after LASIK.  For the best results post-surgery follow the advice of your eye surgeon and consider the tips below.

  • Hold off on bathing above your neck for the first few days post-op. The last thing that you want to do is to accidentally expose the area to any soaps or chemicals accidentally.
  • Rely on friends and family to drive you until your eyes are fully healed
  • Do not use any types of creams, makeup, face products, or scents near your eyes. Also, wait to modify your hair color for a few weeks after surgery.  Your eyes will be incredibly sensitive, and the chemical scent can literally burn your eyes.
  • Avoid exercise as well. Skip strenuous workouts for at least a week.  Your body needs time to heal after surgery and something as important as your eye sight is not worth risking.
  • Throw out older makeup and start fresh. Makeup harbors bacteria and even though you won’t be wearing it for awhile it is important to not compromise the health of your eyes with an infection.
  • Use protective eye wear especially sunglasses when leaving the house. The sun can damage even the healthiest of eyes.  Unhealed eyes are especially sensitive.  Sunglasses also help to eliminate debris such as sand and other dirt particles from entering your eye.

 

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.

 

Michigan Lasik

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What Is the Best Type of Filtration System for the Water in Your Home?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Quality water throughout your home is immensely beneficial from a health perspective and therefore should be free of harmful containment’s before consumption or use.  One way that this can be done is through the use of a whole house water filtration system.  In order to be sure that you install the proper filtration device for the water coming into your home it is important to hire a professional water company to analyze your current water supply.  The experts will then assist you in determining the system that is the most effective, most durable, and most affordable.

There are a number of factors to consider when looking to choose the right filtration system for your home.  The primary factors that experts will be looking into are:

  • How effectively the filter system removes contaminants?
  • How advanced the contamination removal technology is?
  • How affordable the filtration system is?

Contaminants

Through research on contaminants and how filtration systems work homeowners can see how different filtration products are meant to filter out different types on contaminants.   It is helpful for homeowners and water quality experts to identify the contaminants that are existent in the water before they move forward with the decision-making process.  The water quality report is helpful in determining what kind of water is currently coming into your home.  Once the contaminants inside the water are narrowed down, the filtration system choice will be narrowed down further.

Contamination Removal Technology

Most water filtration systems that are used to improve the quality of water coming into your home use similar technology.  It is important that homeowners keep in mind that even though similar not all filtration technologies are created equally.  Carbon filter systems, for example, come in different levels of effectiveness and generally remove contaminants like asbestos, Mercury, and chlorine from the water.  Mechanical filters can assist in removing different types of sediment however will not influence chemical contaminates. Similarly, water softening units use ion exchange technology in order to lower the magnesium and calcium levels but do not have an effect on most other contaminants.

Affordability

As with any and all home improvements, cost is one of the primary determinants in the decision.  Water conditioning companies, like Reynolds Water Conditioning, will present a variety of systems that meet the homeowners needs.  The cost of filtration will vary significantly between filtration systems depending on the options the systems offer above and beyond the filtration benefits.  Higher end filtration units may offer other benefits such as softening, purification, and conditioning therefore will be more expensive then systems that encompass only the filtration of the water in the home.  If a whole house water filtration system proves to be too costly and under the sink water filtration unit is another option for quality drinking water.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

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Avoiding The 3 Most Common Gunite Pool Problems

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Spring is in the air!  Now is the time that Michigan pool owners start to consider the shape of their Gunite swimming pools.  Depending on the age of your pool it is possible that after a long winter the concrete surface of your families in-ground swimming pool may need to be re-plastered.   It might be time to call in the professional pool plaster contractors at Pound Pool Plastering if you find any of these common problems for older concrete swimming pools:

  1. Extreme Surface Roughness

Concrete pool surfaces can become rough after time.  It’s time to re-plaster your Gunite pool when you feel like you need to start wearing pool shoes when you swim.  Rough plaster can come about because of age, increased pH, delamination, small cracks, or even climate conditions.  Any of these can begin to create pits and calcium nodules.  If a homeowner is experiencing any of these symptoms it is important not to put off re-surfacing the pools surface.

  1. Cracks from The Structure

There are two types of cracks that can occur on Gunite; one signals normal wear and tear while the other can mean it is time to have a pool plaster repair consultation.  A basic surface crack is not anything to worry about however a structural crack, a crack in the concrete shell itself, need to be repaired immediately.  Sometimes a structural crack requires the pool to be engineered properly before repair.  The swimming pool needs to be modified to withstand unstable or expansive soil conditions.  Once the structural issues are contained then the pools plaster can be re-surfaced, and cracks repaired.

  1. Discoloration

Pool plaster is very porous and is stained without much difficulty.  This occurs due to a variety of reasons including: a water-tile line not being installed, pauses in the water as the pool is being filled, improperly troweled plaster, or imbalanced water chemistry.  To avoid some of these issues remember to test the chemical consistency weekly and adjust as needed, make sure a water-tile line is installed and that when the water is filling the pool that there is never a pause in filling.  There are some stains and discoloration that can be removed through acid washing but sooner or later it will return, and the pool will need to be re-plastered.

The most common type of pool material found in the backyards of Michigan homeowners is Gunite that is plastered over to create a smooth, highly durable surface.  Plaster pools easily can go fifteen to twenty years before needing to be re-plastered, especially when cared for carefully.  For more information on new Gunite pool installation, pool plaster repair, or re-plastering contact the professionals at Pound Pool Plastering today at 248.476.4544.

 

Pound Pool Plastering

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