by Samuel Howard -

Is Double Glazing Right for your Business?

A good question any business should ask is if they need double glazing for their business. In today’s article we are going to explore why double glazing is beneficial to any business.

Cost Savings

Double glazing is not cheap by any means. But if you own the building your business operates in or you have a say when it comes to renovations if you rent. Then you could generate substantial savings by ensuring all the glass doors and windows are double glazed.

According to the Glass and Glazing Federation an average A+ rated double glazed window saved around £100 annually. The average store front business has the equivalent of about 50 windows. That can be a saving of up to £5,000 annually.

Now installation is not cheap! You might expect to pay £400 per window and that would be £20,000 all up. But after 4 years you will be potentially adding and extra £5,000 to you bottom line in your business. For a small local business that is a huge number. If this is combined with a few other options that can be implemented to save money that number could climb to over £10,000 annually.

Over the next 30 years in business that is a staggering number and makes the upfront cost of double glazed windows well worth it. A great company to talk to about double glazing installations in Bournemouth is Abacus Glazing – double glazing window and glass installations.

Security Benefits

Double glazed windows come with an added security benefit.

The average thief that has tried and failed to break double glazed windows will be deterred form trying to break into you business premises.  The reason for this is that double glazed glass is thick as bricks! It’s so strong it will stop the average burglar trying to break in. It’s not strong enough to stop a bullet but that is unrealistic. As the point of a break-in is to remain quite. To in and out silently and fast.

The down side is that once double glazed glass is broken it can’t be repaired. So it’s a two way street. If your business is in a high risk crime area then you need to make sure you have proper business insurance that will cover and window replacements with a low or no excess.

Sound Reduction

Another benefit of double glazed glass is how quiet it can make a place of work.

Have you ever tried to get work done when you need peace and quiet. You get very distracted, right? Well say hello to peace and quiet. One reason a lot of businesses choose to install double glazed glass is that it increased the productivity of their staff as a double glazed window lets through is just a fraction of the noise that can be heard outside.

This alone can be worth millions of dollar to a business. For example imagine a business is location on airport property. Can you imagine how distracting the noise of consistent planes taking off will be?

That wraps up this short article for today. I hope this has helped you make your choice on if double glazing is right for your business.

by Samuel Howard -

Is your Business Security up to Par?

How safe and secure is your business? Do you have your security up to par?

In this short article we will explore some options any business can implement to make sure they are safe, secure and burgle proof when they close their doors are night. As at the end of the day it will cost you money to secure your business but did you know that when businesses have down time there is a chance that they can go bust?

If you are not able to supply your vendor or provide the services you are contracted to provide. It won’t take long until your customers will go else where and while that happens you will also have bills coming in.

Install an Alarm System

If you don’t have an alarm system installed make sure you get one and more importantly make sure it actually works!

There are different grades of alarm systems from the basics that will only sound an alarm and require someone to come turn it off. All the way to silent alarms that will trigger the police or a security firm to drive by to investigate.

Expect to invest at least £500 into you alarm system. This is a base cost. If you have a large facility you can spend thousands. On a monthly level a small business should also expect to spend about £50 for monitoring all the way up to about £299 for a fully monitored live feed service that will have a security firm called out or the police.

Get Locks Updated

If you have old and cheap locks then your business is very prone to break-in. While it might not seem like it to the average person, a burglar who knows their craft will see you old locks that can be picked or smashed off a mile away.

Other things to keep in mind are the door frames. How old are they? Could the door be ripped off and the lock pretty much be useless?

How about the keys that have been made. Have you been keeping track of this? Hoe many rouge keys are out there and that could be used by a malicious ex-employee to do harm?

These are all thing that need to be considered. If you are going to be updating your locks on your business premises then a good route to go for the outside doors is to make sure that you deal with a company who can deal with installing uPVC locks and door. This is the best option as a locksmith who just deals with standard locks might not be able to secure your business to the level you should be at such as Abacus Locksmiths – uPVC locks, security services, locksmith services.

Once the new locks are installed then you should keep a record of what keys have bee provided to what staff. And ensure you get back any keys when staff leave. This way you are future proofing yourself.

Guard Dogs can Help

If you business has the option to allow guard dogs then it can be a very good option. For example a warehouse with an outdoor area that dogs could roam freely at night. Or any premises that has large open spaces that are hard to monitor.

The best guard dog breeds are Boxers and the German Shepard by far. For example Maltaward is a big firm in the UK that provides security services and their guard dogs for hire and German Shepards. And that being said you don’t need to take in a new animal that lives at your business. It’s best to hire a security firm that deals with guard dogs as you will not have to train them then.

by Samuel Howard -

Starting a Business in Bournemouth – What to Know

Starting a business in Bournemouth is a surefire way to move through a midlife crisis that seems to take you though the same boring routine day in and out. Or perhaps you have just finished your degree and are looking to try something different instead of a traditional career path.

No matter the reason, this mini guide on starting business in Bournemouth will help you get a head start.

Business Support & Finance

There is a company in Bournemouth called Outset Finance. Funded by The European Regional Development Fund and JP Morgan in the spirit of good business they are able to help with financial support and training programs and workshops to help you learn the daily skills that are needed to become a local business owner. Free of charge!

You will also be able to access their support services and learn how to build a concrete business plan and how to get funding thought finding local investors.

Dorset Growth Hub

The Dorset Chamber of Trade and Commerce and WSX Enterprises have funded a platform called Dorset Growth Hub. They offer information on finance and employment matters. Provide you the means to network with other business owners. Keep you updated with local support schemes and have a list of local suppliers you can access at discounted rates.

If you participate in the hub you also have the opportunity to win grants if you business shows potential.

That covers it for the support that is available out there locally in Bournemouth. Some other things to consider are:

Trading Standards

When you are in business you need to comply with local laws and standards. Read more about this at on the Bournemouth.gov official website.

Paying Business Rates

Every business has to pay their dues to the government. And it’s for a good cause. The money is used to fund local services in the community just like taxes on salaries do the same thing. Learn more here.

Get Licensed

Some businesses require special licenses to operate. For example you can’t just open a bar. You need to be approved for a liquor license. Does you business need a license? Find out now!

Get A Head Start

Do you think yon need to go out an acquire all your customers by traditional means? For the most part you will have to but there are other means to go about getting business. One that is often overlook is bidding on government tenders. Once your business is established and would be able to take a project from the Bournemouth council why not bid on that job?

You would be crazy not to! If you place the winning bid for a tender then you might have years of work ahead of you paid at great market rates. The local Bournemouth council trades electronically with it’s suppliers and contractors. You can read more about how this works here.

And that’s a wrap.

Hopefully you found this article informative and useful. Good luck with your new business venture!