Construction and TradeX UK - Page 6 of 7

December 9, 2024 Construction Post a Comment

Here are 5 Steps to Understand How to Build A Church Building

1. Know What You Can Afford to Spend

This may sound obvious but there is a lot of hard work that goes into determining this number. It can’t be a guess. Too often churches concern themselves only with the average cost per square foot to build a church and very little time organizing their cash flow statement and balance sheet. If you begin looking at property or planning a renovation before you know this number your planning to fail. It doesn’t always happen, just most of the time. You don’t want to show up at the Porsche dealership with a Kia budget.

2. Know How Much Space You Need

Did you know there are industry standards for how many square feet a 2-year-old needs in a new church building. The same is true for babies, teenagers and adults. Understanding your real space need is a critical piece of information in solving the problem of how to build a church building. If you have good attendance records determining how much space you need should be a product of some relatively simple math.

The value in understanding this upfront is you can eliminate opportunities much faster. If you need 20,000 square feet you shouldn’t look at spaces with 8,000 or 80,0000 square feet. That makes sense right? Again, very few churches have this number in hand when they start.

3. Know What Things Cost – Generally

When a pastor asks me what it’ll cost to build a new facility the answer is always the same “not more than you can afford”. If it is, you won’t be building anything and you’ll have a sizeable chunk invested in the plan by the time you realize it. Hope is not a strategy for cost. You should expect God to come through but plan as if he already has with the margin he’s currently given you. Low-balling contractor’s early estimates won’t jive when it’s time for the rubber to meet the road. And contrary to popular belief there isn’t 10% or 20% of wiggle room in commercial construction these days so you won’t be able to negotiate the price more than a buck or two.

To date I’ve seen many many churches swing for the fence with their design expecting God to provide. The vast majority of them loose time, influence and momentum because of that thought process.

4. Don’t Trust God to Come Through

Understand that he already has come through. Plan your new facility within the margin he’s already provided. Far too many pastors head into a church-building campaign with “hope” as the primary strategy. Hope has a really poor batting average in church construction. Just because you pay someone to design it doesn’t mean God is going to fund it. I can’t say it enough: Do ministry within the margin God has provided. If you do, he’ll provide even more. I think Matthew might have mentioned something about that.

5. Don’t Focus On How to Build a Church Building

Focus on how to build a church. I wrote“Church Explosion”to help you understand just how disruptive church building will be on your church. But our God thrives in disruption. If you think back to the significant moments in your personal faith journey how many of those moments would be wrapped in chaos?

“Church Explosion” will encourage you to leverage the disruption that is coming to reach people for Christ. I hope you’ll take the time to buy it and read it. This moment of disruption won’t last long and it won’t soon come around again. Make the most of it.

As you embark on this journey its important to know that every piece of information you educate yourself with in helping you understand how to build a church building saves money that came from someone’s sacrificial giving. With that….keep pressing forward.

December 9, 2024 Business & Finance Post a Comment

Pros and Cons of Investing in Penny Stocks

The major stock exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) usually come in when someone thinks of trading stocks. A penny stock is low-priced security for small companies with a market capitalization of under $500 million and usually traded in very low volumes. Penny stocks are also traded on other “over the counter” exchanges like OTCBB and Pink Sheets.

Penny stocks come with a sizeable amount of risk due to the low trading volumes of this type of investment. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, this could also be a risk. Possibilities are that investors in penny stocks may not be able to find a buyer for their shares. It is also possible that investors can lose their entire investments as it is difficult to find accurate price quotations.

Make A Good Investment

Penny stocks do carry a certain appeal for many different kinds of investors. If a new investor is looking for a potentially lucrative investment with a fairly low entry price chances are he will run across the penny stock. With the low price changes are often measurable in hundreds of percent in a given day or two. This way the stock value of an investor can literally become worth double or even triple the original investment amount.

But as they can rise penny stocks can also drop in value just as quickly. New and inexperienced investors should stay away from making penny stocks a major part of their investment portfolio. Many companies should not be considered safe investments due to the low listing requirements on exchanges like OCTBB and Pink Sheets. Several companies listed on these alternative stock exchanges lack financial history to determine if they would make a good investment or not. Companies that are considered penny stocks are sometimes considered to be new companies or dangerously close to bankruptcy.

Some traders have taken on artificial manipulation of the stock prices by buying up large amounts of a stock and then convincing individual investors of the need to buy. As most of these stocks are not in such great demand an investor might have to lower his asking prive in order to entice a bidder. And that could mean a potential loss.

But not every company “trading for pennies” should be considered as fraudulent. They could just be small companies trying to grow their business while working hard to end up on the larger market exchanges. It may not be worth it to wade through the fraudulent companies to find the ones truly reputable and help an investor to turn a large profit. The chance that just one good trade can triple an investment convinces several investors with low investment income. But in the end, an investor would be better off choosing an investment from a company they are convinced that this company’s value will grow in the future.

December 9, 2024 Construction Post a Comment

Wood Stair Construction

I might assume most individuals don’t additionally know just what it wood move cleat is, in construction, we have numerous statements that describe the same thing. A move cleat is another word for a threaded bracket. In alternative words, it’s the piece associated with the stairway that links the step stringer to the step. These have been utilized for years and over time, many of them will develop the same issue.

Wood Stair Cleats

Most wood stair cleats disentangled up and create a security hazard. If the stairs are situated outside in extreme weather, for illustration, if it rains or snows a lot, very humid weather, or extremely hot and dry temperatures, your staircase power does not last that long, whether it or isn’t maintained correctly. It’s non a bad idea to use metal or concrete for stairways in these climates.

If you’re ever strolling upwards a set of stairs with wood cleats and then the move stairs feel a little loose or wiggly, always examined the move cleats for security. It’s non uncommon for somebody to be strolling up or down a set of lumber stairs and having the step or tread giveaway because the wood cleats has loosened.

If the lumber step cleats are nailed to the stair stringer, the nails can loosen up, causing it to become loose, as you walk up and down the stairs applying pressure to the stair cleat, this will create movement in ‘tween the step and the stair stringer. This could cause the cleat to break, break and separate the connection ‘tween the move in the stair stringer.

I would suggest using metal brackets instead of lumber cleats. The steel brackets will not crack or disintegrate like some lumber cleats. Stair building brackets naturally can relax and ought to be maintained regularly. If you choose to use wood stair cleats, I would recommend using screws rather of nails and drilling holes in the wood stair cleats, almost all of the time this will counter breaking the cleat. Try to utilize a thicker material for the stair cleat, for example, choosing a 2 x 4 with lag screws and washers might be much better than getting a 1 x 4 with nails.

If you’re strolling upwards a set of methods along with a stair move seems loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have trouble with their staircase.

December 9, 2024 Business & Finance, Insurance Post a Comment

Understanding the Basics Behind Group Income Protection Insurance

Group income protection is a brilliant way to ensure that you are protected in the event of an accident or absence from work due to illness. The amount that you pay into the scheme from your salary is minimal, and you may need the payments in the future. Taking out this form of insurance policy will enable both you and your employer to operate harmoniously, regardless of the situation.

Why Group Income Protection is Beneficial to Employers?

Every year the number of employees who are absent from work due to sickness is increasing, which costs businesses over 13.2 billion pounds every year. This staggering figure is increasing every year, therefore, causing issues to companies. The average for every employee in the country is 6.7 days of sick leave every year.

With these statistics showing that more people than ever before are taking sick days, it creates a negative impact on the business. Financial resources are at breaking point, and more businesses than ever before are struggling to pay the sick pay which is needed. Therefore, choosing Group Income Protection is essential, and will help you to deal with long-term financial issues.

Employees will feel that they are being supported by their employers, and employers will feel less of a financial burden. Many employers will continue to pay employees during periods of illness; however, this is often not mandatory. Once they feel they can no longer afford to pay, the financial support will stop.

This can produce difficult emotions as the employee may feel let down, and the employer may feel guilty, especially for loyal employees. Often this will lead to the breakdown of the working relationship. However, this scenario can be avoided with Group income protection, and everyone will remain happy and supportive.

Who Can Be A Beneficiary of Group Income Protection?

The policy can be offered to employees through a number of different methods, ensuring that everyone can afford to take out some cover. Everyone will benefit in a number of different ways including, improved relationships, financial assistance, and reassurance that bills can be paid. The premiums, which are paid, are not taxed, and the employer looses nothing from paying the money. In fact, the company may be able to gain from the support of the rehabilitation scheme offered.

The payments can be delayed for various different periods including, 13, 26, 28, 41, 52 and 104 weeks. The longer that you delay the premiums will be lower and the typical payment are between 0.5% and 1.5% of your average payroll. The amount can also depend on the form of business and your classification and job title.

How Group Income Protection Can Help You

The negotiable premiums and terms will ensure that everyone can be catered for with this scheme, from the first meeting you will be put at ease that your welfare will be catered for in the future. The company will ensure that they contact the best policy providers for your needs, and negotiate the best terms and premium costs.

December 9, 2024 Business & Finance, Tips & Tricks Post a Comment

What Makes You Different?

I was asked this question recently by a stranger sitting next to me on an airplane in regards to our orthodontic practice. We got into a conversation about orthodontics and she shared with me her experiences with her children and their orthodontist.

She had mixed feelings about her personal experience and was quite frustrated with the entire process. I tried my best to diffuse her frustration towards the orthodontist her children were seeing when she made a comment to me that was eye-opening. She said, “We went for several consultations, but they all seemed to be the same. There was no difference between them except for maybe a few hundred dollars in fees. We just chose the one that was closest to our home.”

That is when I suggested that there had to be a difference, between all the orthodontists she consulted with. She firmly denied that she could find any significant difference that set one office part from another. It was then that she asked me the question, “So what makes your practice so different?”

Did she want to know just one big “thing” that made us different or all the “things” that make our office unique? Of course, I asked for clarification.

“No, I just want you to tell me what is the one thing I need to know about your practice that sets you apart from all the others. This would be something that a parent or patient would notice and be impressed by.”

Wow, I realized she had me thinking quite hard about the one thing that represented our practice. Honestly, it was a great question, and I was having a hard time answering it immediately. My brain had to process some information rather quickly to come up with an answer.

She could tell that this was not a quick one-sentence answer for me, so she jumped in and started questioning me about different aspects of our practice. Can you list some of the benefits your patients receive by being in your practice?

Yes, that was easy to answer. We have after-school and evening appointments, we provide email and phone call reminders of appointments, we use Invisalign and Invisalign Teen as a primary appliance choice, but still offer clear and metal braces.

She seemed to be getting a bit frustrated with me as I was definitely not giving her the answer she was looking for. She wanted the one biggest thing – often referred to in marketing as your Unique Selling Proposition or USP.

How Would You Respond To This Question?

I saw this as an opportunity to get answers from my staff, our patients and their parents.

I know that people choose our practice because of many different reasons, but I truly did not know the one big reason. For me personally, I have my favorite places to shop, my favorite physician, my favorite shoe store, my favorite grocery store, etc… We all have our favorites and usually continue to purchase goods and services from these businesses. Usually, there is one big reason you continue to purchase their products and services.

For example, when I think of Whole Foods, I think of fresh, organic produce and healthy eating and that is the reason I shop there. When I think of Peet’s Coffee I can almost smell and taste the amazing coffee and go out of my way to find their stores. When I think of Zappo’s I think of shoes and more shoes and free shipping which sets them apart from other online retailers.

Here Is An Exercise For You

Think of all the places you spend your money and write them down. Then next to it go ahead and write down what you think and/or feel about them and the one big “thing that makes them different. This simple exercise will get you thinking about your business and the reasons why your customers, clients, or patients chose you. Next, put together a brief survey that your employees will fill out.

Ask the Questions:

1. What benefits do our customers receive when they come into our business?

2. What do you think is the one “thing” that makes our business different?

To really get them thinking about this correctly, you should also have them fill in the blanks regarding some popular stores or other places of business that are local to your office. Have them write down one “thing” that makes those businesses different or stand out from the rest.

I suggest doing this exercise as part of a team training or staff meeting. Get all your team involved in figuring this out and hopefully you will come up with some ideas that make you “different” from everyone else.

The next step is to ask your customers to do a similar survey.

Ask the Questions:

1. What was the main reason you chose us?

2. What benefits do you feel you receive?

3. What is the one “thing” that sets us apart?

You could do this as an email using “survey monkey,” or simply hand the survey to your customers when they come in and provide a bowl or box to simply deposit them when completed.

We have done surveys like this in the past and find them very valuable and informative.

Okay, you are probably waiting for my answer to this question, right?

I am sorry to say that I could not give her just ONE “thing” that made us different. Of course I shared with her all the things that I feel do set us apart and make us different , but coming up with the one and only big thing, I could not give her at that moment.

So I will be handing out the surveys to my team and my parents and patients over the next few weeks and getting some answers to the question, “what makes our practice different?”