Boris Could Be Good For Builders In The Capital

Boris is back...and this time as the Mayor of London. What does his election mean for builders and tradesmen in the Capital?

The Mayor has a number of responsibilities which are critical to builders and developers. He makes London-wide policy on planning and gives the go-ahead (or refuses) large building projects. He manages Trafalgar Square and Westminster Square Garden and has powers regarding housing in the metropolis.

Since October 2007 he has had increased powers in the areas of housing and planning. To influence housing he now sets out priorities to meet the housing needs of Londoners and he decides how public money for new affordable housing will be spent. On planning, he now has a stronger say on whether the draft local plans of the boroughs are in line with the Mayor's Spatial Development Strategy for London ("The London Plan"). He also has wide discretions to determine planning applications of strategic importance.

Mayor Johnson will have to publish his London Plan in the coming months, when his aims will be clarified, but here's a taster of what it's likely to contain, according to what he's said during the last couple of months of electioneering.

Boris Johnson has said he wants to build 50,000 new affordable homes over the next three years. And he has stressed that these should be "desirable" rather than merely "decent". He wants these to include family homes with gardens and not just blocks of one and two bedroom flats. He'd like to see variety and good design, rather than streets of mundane dwellings. So that should keep quite a few builders busy.

He also wants the 84,000 empty homes in London to be renovated and brought back into use - so plenty of work for electricians, plumbers, decorators, plasterers and other trades.

Mayor Johnson has a policy of "designing out crime". By this he means ensuring streets  
and open spaces are well lit, so that people feel less vulnerable and there are no dark 
corners for criminals to lurk in.

On large, public projects Boris has been outspoken. He has criticised the Government's proposals for expanding Heathrow and favours the development of a new airport for the capital in the Thames Estuary which he believes would disturb far fewer residents and, therefore, also be safer. He cites Hong Kong and Washington as major cities which have relocated their main airport in recent times. Of course the development of such a project would not only involve huge amounts of work for the construction industry at the airport itself, but also in producing an infrastructure to make the airport useable and efficient.

He is also keen to protect our views of historic buildings. He has highlighted Unesco's announcement that it considers the Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster potential candidates for the endangered list of world heritage sites. This, Boris says is an embarrassment, so we can assume that proposals for high rise buildings near equivalent buildings will not be kindly looked upon.

He believes that green is beautiful. He wants to use his powers to protect London's green belt and is against new building developments in gardens.

Mayor Johnson is of course the figurehead and has responsibility for the management and delivery of two huge building projects: the 16 billion pound Crossrail project - the east west rail link across London that will begin in 2010, and the 9.3 billion pound Olympic Village project that will enjoy world focus from August 2008, when the Beijing Olympics will be over. In addition the modernisation of the tube network will come under his remit. 

Boris Johnson has had a colourful career, his financial stewardship of large projects is untested and his ability to manage a large administrative machine is unproven. He is prone to gaffes and plays up to his upper class "buffoon" image. But with a busy four years ahead, his honeymoon period will be short and he'll need to get on with the job. Hopefully that means builders will have lots to get on with too.

Picking An Exciting Corporate Event

Gone are the days where you can just pop a few extra pounds in your teams pay packets as a bonus. With people spending more and more time at work, appreciation and motivation in a team environment will reap far more rewards for your company than just money.

There are so many ways to boost your teams morale from activity days to treasure hunts, from game shows to themed party nights but what we like to do before we propose ideas, is to find out what makes your team tick! Choosing the right venue to reflect your appreciation is absolutely crucial, we can help you find the ideal venue for your event with our completely free of charge venue finding service. 

If you can give us as much information as possible, what the culture of your team is, what department it is, what the age ranges are, what you did last year, all this kind of information will help us propose events ideas that will really boost your teams morale - and we've got many, many ideas! 

The use of mobile phones and Blackberries seem to be an age old discussion now! Should delegates be allowed to keep their phones switched on? Does the ringing of a call or the bleeping of a message disturb your whole meeting - is anything that important? To some it's vital that they are in contact 24/7 but increasingly there are 'no phone zones' in hotels and venues and although it can be initially hard for delegates to 'cold turkey' the results are positive and delegates do actually concentrate on the meeting or relax and enjoy their away days as they are supposed to. 

In Chicago a hotel manager offers to lock away mobile devices to encourage a less dependant stay. Being an ex-addict, he believes he's more effective and he feels better. So could you survive without your mobile phone, your Blackberry or (if you still have one)  
pager? It's a sorry statement but most of us couldn't, the desire to know and to keep in 
touch is all too compelling, employees even feel the need to keep up to date when on holiday. How healthy is this when you can't recharge your batteries and have a complete break? At Corporate Events we offer a completely free of charge venue finding service and we have a whole host of team building activities that can be hosted with or without mobile devices switched on! 

When should you book your company Christmas party? The short answer is now. You may think that as it's only June, you've got plenty of time but I'm sorry to say that you simply haven't. It's frightening to think that we've been dealing with Christmas 2006 since January and we have already got companies booking their Christmas party for 2007. It would seem that many people left it far too late last year and either couldn't get the venue or the dates that they wanted. 

If you are looking for your company party to happen on a Thursday or Friday in December this year then my simple advice to you is to get a move on! A client of ours needed a party for 150 guests on a specific night in a specific area and after contacting 35 venues that had no space we had to admit defeat and the client had to move dates, it's a shame but if only they had started looking two weeks ago, there was still space then. It's not only large groups that struggle, shared party nights are also selling fast this year. 

We have access to the best shared party nights right across the country. In London there are many fantastic themed parties offering a full dinner, unlimited drinks and brilliant entertainment packages but if you want your team to be there, you have to move fast as there are many party's that have already sold out on key nights! With regards to the party prices that we quote, we offer this service totally free of charge. We take a small commission from the venue - we do not add any charge to your booking! So start thinking of Christmas now and contact us to make sure your company celebrations are a fantastic success this year!

Finding Legitimate Home Business

The idea of working from home is a dream for millions of people for numerous reasons. It can be useful to those looking for additional income, retirees, mothers of young children, or the individual who is simply tired of the long commute to and from their current job. As more and more people look into home business opportunities there are scam artists and con men looking into ways to take advantage of people as well. So how do you know if a home business idea is legitimate? You can search through sites such as the BBB or Better Business Bureau or become a detective to track down proof of legitimacy or you can save yourself some time and effort by visiting a work at home jobsite.

You will still want to verify through the site such as looking for the BBB symbol, but a home based business carries legitimate jobs with various types of telecommuting and freelance employment opportunities. You are provided with a job description, the skill required for the position and the duties involved in the job. So you do not have to ask these questions as they are already provided for you. Pay rate and scheduling information will also be provided for you. If you see a position that interests you, there is often a resume builder or tutorial that will aid you step by step in applying for the position with a clear and professional resume.

 
There are numerous positions ranging 
from medical transcriptions and data entry to call centers and customer service positions. Jobs are updated every week with up to 200 new listings each time. You are sure to find a position that allows you to enjoy working at home. You no longer have to worry about the commute to and from work. No more office politics or hassles of an unappealing schedule. You are in charge of your position 100%. Though a work at home jobsite is often legitimate, do be sure to get contracts and other job materials in print before providing any banking or personal information such as your social security number. You can have an attorney review your documents prior to signing on with the company. This ensures that you are fully protected and able to proceed with your career change.

If you are prepared to begin your own journey into a personal career change, you can start with the help of the internet by using the World Wide Web. You will find numerous home based businesses and choosing between them is a matter of searching online to find the site that best suits your personal preferences. So no matter which area of home based business you are interested in, be it web design or system administration, the opportunity awaits you. Take your time and review all of the necessary information details and you will be prepared to leave behind a career full of woes for a career full of happiness and a bright future for an increased quality of life.

Finding Best Business Opportunity Leads

Are you ready to enter the always exciting world of online business? If so, get ready for a business environment where things are always in constant flux, where todays trend is tomorrows forgotten artifact, and where locating the best business opportunity leads is absolutely paramount to achieving a modicum of success in the busy business world of today. 

Getting the pulse of your business environment 

One of the most important things you can do as you begin to learn about how to locate the best business opportunity lead is to practice sharpening your instinct. Much has been said and written about instinct and its important in the crowded world of business. Without investment, how can you read the upcoming trends? Indeed, in order to locate business opportunity leads, you must be willing and ready to get the pulse of your business environment. This means that you should be prepared to get a feeling about whats hot and whats not, and be ready to act on this information. If you are looking at a youth oriented business plan, do not be afraid to solicit opinions from younger people who may have special insight. 

Learning to talk to the right people 

Much has been discussed about the importance of developing a strong business connections and networking skills. Why is this so important? This continues to be a vital part of doing business because it can help you detect the connections that can lead to  
stunning business opportunity. It is 
often said that much business is done outside the office, and this adage is most likely true. Learning to talk to the right people also means learning to figure out whole holds much of the information you need in order to make the right kinds of business decisions. In order to make the right decisions and locate the best business opportunity, you have to figure out who is in charge and who has the answers to questions you should be asking. 

Learning to ask the right kinds of questions

In locating the best business opportunity leads, you will undoubtedly be in contact with people that has access to the information you needed order to make the best business decisions. But contacting these people is simply not enough. He must also be ready and willing to ask the right kinds of questions. These questions will of course, depend on the type of business venture that you are interested in. He prepared to ask hard questions, and be prepared to receive the answers. Learning to trust your own instinct.

No matter how many important people you talk to and how many expert opinions you manage to solicit, there will come a time when you will be faced with the decision you have to make on your own. This means that eventually you will have to learn to trust your own instinct. What seems like a good business opportunity to you? Others may not completely agree with your judgment all the time, but that is not important. What is important is making certain that you understand the decision making process that led you to that point.

The Continuing Growth Of London Business

The city of London in United Kingdom is not only popular as being one of the most beautiful cities in the world but it has long been a huge potential for business. This place which is captioned to be the city of cities is the home of many businesses and corporations-in all sizes. London business has been booming and there is a constant increase of the number of business people that are coming to the city for business.

There are very good reasons why lots of individuals are following this London business trends. Making an effort to establish a business in London has something to do with the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. Yes, the city will hold the upcoming Olympic and for individuals who are in business, this just mean a huge potential business as many individuals from various places in the world will be coming for that very important gathering.
When you want to establish or invest a business in London but you do not know yet what kind of business that can be established in this place, you can consult on business directory, London or business listing in London, England. You can check on what are the type of business that are performing well in London in these listings. The Internet  
provides some important information 
on business in London. Take advantage of surfing the net and get enough knowledge before you plunge into the vast dimension of London business.

Electronic books give easy and fast way for a busy corporate professional to keep tabs on the latest development in international business. You can review these Internet resources. Publications can be downloaded on many topics, such as latest developments in financial world, global business ethics and international business and government relations introduction. Leading financial analysts employ electronic publishing as a way to broadcast their opinion and views. 

The present trend in global business is no longer bounded by seas and borders, and an online degree in global business is a qualification highly considered by multinational business and corporation. Also known as global management, international management and global enterprise management, an Master in Business Administration in Global Business can advance the professional to the higher level of techniques to go globally. 

When you are knowledgeable enough to manage your own, then you can bring your business to a higher level. Indulging in global market will be easier. Thus, establishing your own business in London can be effective and competitive as you want it to be.

Creating Your Own Online Tutoring Service

In today's unstable economy many people have cut down their travel and overall expenses through the use of online instant messaging, email, social networking sites, forums, video conferencing, etc. Why not take advantage of these new trends and apply them to work at home with an online tutoring business?

Tutoring is not a new concept but the ability to do it online is a trend that is quickly gaining momentum. A growing number of students are online these days and are turning to the internet as an effective learning tool. Whether it is continued education, or just test and exam prep, there is a market for every subject and grade level. If you enjoy teaching and have a flexible schedule then an online work-at-home tutoring business may be perfect for you.

Many parents seek out online tutoring because it is generally cheaper, more convenient and more private. It also gives parents a chance to learn along side their child. With increasing amounts of homework and constant changes to the curriculum many parents feel just as intimidated as the students. They seek to find a solution that can help them both benefit from some help outside of school.

For parents, the increasing pressure of driving kids from one program to the next, making dinner, doing laundry, making lunches, and preparing for the week ahead leaves little time to give their kids the extra help they need. Online tutoring gives parents greater choice in picking a tutor as well. Instead of having to choose from the tutors that are available within their own area, they can have a pick of many different tutors with many different skills. Parents can gather information and compare the quality,  
experience and value that will be 
gained from a variety of online tutors.

Today's students are more involved in extra-curricular activities, such as sports teams, music lessons, and homework. Their time is limited and over-stimulation can cause problems with concentration. Tired kids don't want to be dragged to a stranger's house for help with their homework. Online anonymity creates a great atmosphere where students don't have to worry about peer approval. They will be more motivated because they won't feel vulnerable about their deficiencies.

As a tutor, you could utilize voice over internet and instant messaging systems to answer questions and guide students through your step-by-step learning procedures. If you have experience with Microsoft office applications you could create visually stimulating presentations to engage the students and make learning more fun for them. You can create your own customized learning programs and schedules.

Tutoring in your area may require certification, or accreditation with a particular regulating body. Make sure that you check the regional standards. It may be worthwhile to complete tutoring programs that they offer, as some institutions will advertise for accredited tutors that have gained certification through their association. It's a great source of reliable advertising for your new business.

As tutoring rates vary depending on the subject and the intensity. Be sure that you properly evaluate a pay rate that is affordable for both yourself and the parents. Parents are looking for an affordable and convenient alternative so don't expect to draw more customers by charging the same rates as an offline tutor.

With the ability to offer innovative ideas, concepts and learning strategies to students all over the globe, you'll never run out of interesting and rewarding online work at home.

Lead Generation Marketing For Your MLM Opportunity

The World Wide Web has not only changed the way people run their companies but it has also played a major role in influencing the methods used by network marketers (mlm) to generate leads for businesses. 

Many network marketers try to draw people to their niche of business by the use of hype rather than lead generation marketing, and even though this is not considered to be a professional way of going about things, they continue to do it, simply because it works. Shown below are a few ways where business leads can be generated for your mlm opportunity without incurring any cost whatsoever. 

Possessing knowledge of the fundamental skills of how to generate leads is likely to bring you success in a big way. You will use several handy tips about lead generation to take your career even further when you grow to be efficient in the network marketing field and eventually become hunted by others. Lead generation is more effectual when you are talented enough to create an open opt in the list and then continue to supply more tips of a practical nature along with information for your list. 

When lead generation marketing companies attempt to sell their mlm opportunity leads to you, they are often uninterested or do not have the correct resources available to them to begin a new business in network marketing. Quite a few of the lead generation  
for business tips will help you to avoid such problems and ensure that you will draw 
more serious clued-up prospects. 

The first step is to make a list of network marketers and business contacts of the market you intend to target and provide them with vital information to help build their important program. The purpose of this exercise is to create a good relationship with them and make sure they are in the know about any changes which may be about to take place which will help when building up a successful business. 

The next part of the process is to advertise what you have on offer, this is what good lead generation marketing is all about. There is no such thing as too much advertising. Your customers are sure to spot your advertisements and tell their friends about you which in turn will bring you even more business in the long term. 

You may want to try writing articles about your mlm opportunity service and this is another excellent way to get noticed. When writing articles you are given the opportunity to explain yourself in a complete and thorough way and get your message across to the reader very easily. By the use of exaggeration on a given topic you will be able to target your audience, those which you specifically want to sit up and take notice.

If you feel that lead generation marketing this way of working is just not for you, then another option you could take would be to set up a blog. This may well be better than writing articles as it will come up when people carry out a search on the Internet and will be viewable to anyone who is interested in your particular mlm opportunity niche.

Small Business Must Use The Internet Effectively

Today many small businesses consist of one and two man operations who execute their business selling their products and services to their local marketplace. There are many classification of company's ranging from backers, make up artists, massage specialists and accountants.

It is of course something which companies do and that is to put up a website, largely because that is what everyone else does yet many fail to incorporate their online presence in the form of the face of their company being in the website with their off line business strategy. That raises another topic for discussion, the lack of a coherent business strategy being employed by many small businesses.

The point of this discussion is one of blending more traditional Online business strategies with that of Off line strategies. Business must start to build their online presence to that it functions as equity for the business. There are various tactics which may be executed as a part of this such as blogging, article contribution and so on. Building an online presence and making it function as equity for your small business will open up the world to the local small business; indeed a global marketplace exists for any and every small business.

 
At first pass this may seem rather far 
fetched but consider the situation where a local business is highly skilled in say bathroom & kitchen tiling (like my father !) There exists in the world 1000s of people undertaking the tasks of renovating their properties and who turn to the internet for information on how to grout, or how to apply adhesive and all of the other specialist pieces of knowledge which exist for the purpose of being an expert tiler.

As part of the overall business strategy, any small business can 'package' their knowledge in video, audio, article format and make it available to the world employ specific techniques for which to monetize the interest in the information they provide (yet another topic of discussion for later).

This discourse has been prompted through the consulting work which is undertaken with may small businesses and the insight is gained when taking them through the process of building their online presence.

If you are a small business owner or work from home person, take steps to incorporate your online marketing strategy with your traditional off line strategy. Don't just 'throw up' a website but incorporate the site with various tactics which will over time build your global online presence in your particular market space.

The Truth About Effective Business Travel Tips

Businesses everywhere are finding they have to finance an increasing number of trips to meet and service their customers; the internet has increased most businesses customer base. This is putting an increasing strain on business travelers who often become stressed and fatigued at the constant need to be in another part of the world. Seasoned travelers may already be aware of the business travel tips below but if you are a new member of the business travelers club then you may find the information very useful.

One thing that will probably happen at some stage is your luggage will go missing which can be a real problem for anyone traveling but more so if you are on business. To reduce the chance of a wasted journey, always carry anything that is relevant to your trip in your hand luggage.

This means that even if your main luggage is lost your trip does not have to be wasted; your meeting can still take place despite any inconvenience that has been caused. Of course when you are packing your main suitcase for the journey, it will be much simpler for you if you only include items that are essential and is an important business travel tip to remember.

The easiest way to do this is to only take one pair of casual shoes and work pair; keep  
your work clothes to exactly what you need for the tip and likewise clothes for when you 
are on your leisure time. This will leave room for toiletries, any other extra business materials you'll need, and so on. 

A little business travel tip that flight attendants use when they pack is to roll up their clothes, then place them into cylinders which compresses the clothing and reduces the number of creases. The last thing you want on a business trip is having clothes laundered because something was spilt on them, this can easily be avoided by wearing dark cloths which are able to absorb stains more easily.

Another little trick that experienced travelers use is to carry hand and face wipes with them which can freshen your appearance in seconds without the need of a washroom. Although most cell phones have very good standby and talk times now, you will need to make sure it and any other electronic equipment are charged up before you go on your journey.

There is nothing worse than sitting in a hotel room at night working when you could be out exploring the city you are in so make use of the flight time and try to get important preparation work done then. Simply planning ahead for these eventualities mean you will be ready for your business travel journey, no matter what.

Business travel does not have to be all work and by using the business travel tips shown here, there should be time for rest and relaxation too.

Getting Paid On Time - 7 Tips For Every Small Business

So you have completed the job. After many changes and communication breakdowns, you delivered on time and exactly to specification. Now you sit and wait to be paid. Thirty days later, you’re still waiting. Sixty days later, you’re almost begging. Ninety days later, you are biting off your fingernails and tearing your hair out. This has happened to every small business that offers credit to their clients. How can you get paid on time and maybe even early? Here are my top seven tips for getting paid on time:

1. Do thorough credit checks before offering credit. Ok, I know that many clients will assume that you should automatically give them 30 days credit, no questions asked. That might work great for their cashflow but not for yours. Have every client complete a credit application, perform the checks and get at least two trade references. Credit is a privilege, not an automatic right.

2. Settle any disputes as quickly as possible. If there are any problems, don’t bury your head in the sand or procrastinate. Deal with them as soon as you can. Show your client that you are as committed to solving the problem as you were to making the original sale. Not only will this help you get paid on time but it will also strengthen your relationship with your client.

3. Send out invoices promptly. By this I mean, on the day of despatch of the goods or completion date of the service. If you can include the invoice with the goods do that but also send a copy to accounts. Sometimes if you send an invoice late, the accounts  
department will only pay 30 days from 
receipt instead of 30 days from the invoice date. Don’t allow this to happen.

4. Call to make sure that the invoice was received. Make a gentle call ensuring that the invoice has been seen and did not get “lost in the post”. This technique is usually recommended for first time clients. Your regular clients might get a little peeved if you do this every single time.

5. Get the name of the person in the accounts payable. You should capture this information on your credit application form. Often, when you call to chase payment, you might speak to more than one person and get different responses. If you deal with the same person every time, they are accountable if the payment does not arrive when promised. If they tell you that the financial director has to approve the payment, get her name too.

6. Call on the day when the payment is due and find when it will be made. Don’t be aggressive or demanding this early in the collections process. Calling early can encourage a slow payer to deal with your invoice promptly. 

7. Offer a discount for settling the bill early. A small discount such as 5% if settled within 30 days or 10% if settled within 7 days can be very appealing for clients who want to make additional savings on the transaction. Of course, only offer this if your profit margin can take the hit.

My last bit of advice: don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to your clients about payment. Often, we might be timid about asking for payment because we don’t want to upset our clients. But remember, a client who doesn’t pay, no matter how great a company they may seem, is useless to your business.

Successful Door Knocking For Real Estate Investors

Door knocking or canvassing as I like to call it is a great way to get some great deals and some great experience. You can do it yourself first and once you get the hang of it then you can hire others to work for you to do it.

There are also many types or groups that you can canvass. You can canvass in apartment complexes to find potential buyers of your properties. You can canvas pre foreclosure properties. You can get this list at the county courthouse or subscribe to a listing service that offers these types of lists. You can also just pick a neighborhood or 'farming area' as the realtor's call it to find properties to buy and either resell them or rent them out.

There are many places you can canvass. Canvassing is like putting out door hangers but you will actually ring the doorbell and have a script you say at the door. You may be going to people in pre foreclosure or just in neighborhoods where you want to buy houses. Realtors do it all the time and they call it 'farming a market'. You want to be careful when canvassing especially if you are female and/or you are hiring others to do it
for you. You never know who will
answer the door

How to get the door opened:

Most people are afraid to open the door to a stranger. Here are a few ideas that will work and give you a jump on any other investor out knocking on their door.
Always make sure that you have a clipboard with a lead sheet or form on it to look professional. Here is another idea to help get the door opened. Simply go down to a passport photo place and have a name tag made with your picture on it and the name of your company with a title like Housing Consultant. Once you get this, you need to put it on your shirt so that you are standing at the door and the homeowner is looking through the peephole, they will see you have a name tag on with your picture and they will no longer be afraid to answer the door. It works great! I know from experience.

Make sure you or your canvassers also have flyers or door hangers with them so they can leave something at the home if no one comes to the door. Be sure to make it fun and exciting and you can do this by offering spiffs or bonuses to your canvassers when they get a lead or deal. Also remember to take plenty to drink so they will not get dehydrated.