Home Stuart

How To Plan A Spectacular Labour Day With A Fireworks Display

Various forms of fireworks have been used throughout ancient history as a remarkable recognition of important events. Political figures, declarations of war, religious holidays, and other milestones were announced through the use of brilliant and noisy firework displays. Today, these colourful presentations are still widely attended events that mark the end of summer and other important holidays or major happenings. Individuals, families, and businesses have many unique and innovative ideas that are enhanced by the introduction of these favourite explosives. Continue reading How To Plan A Spectacular Labour Day With A Fireworks Display →

Now Grown-up Kids Are Moving into Granny Annexes!

Image Credit

Middle-aged homeowners are finding their houses increasingly crowded, as the trend to move elderly parents into a separate part of the home so they can be looked after in their old age has been added to by increasing numbers of grown-up children with nowhere else to live.

Image Credit

The trend is being driven by record numbers of graduates leaving university clutching their degrees but with little hope of saving up for a house deposit or of even being able to afford rent, at least for a few years.

Driven by Debt

The graduates’ plight is not helped by the fact many of them emerge from university with not only a degree but also a large student loan debt.

According to the Financial Times, the average graduate leaves university with £44,000 of debt.

These adult children are moving back into their parents’ homes in droves, where the pressure to give them their own space is moving those who can afford it to create special ‘graddy annexes’.

The Rise of the Graddy Annex

Architects around the country, but particularly in the comparatively affluent South East, are reporting a large rise in requests for the creation of converted garages, extensions and self-contained flats to house these returning graduates.

A recent tax rule change, which gives a granny annex used to house a family member a reduction in council tax, has also helped encourage more people to go down the conversion route.

Going back to live with mum and dad in a specially converted space enables young people to start saving for their own homes while enjoying relative independence.

How Much Does It Cost?

A typical annexe costs around £20,000, although the bill could be less if a garage is converted. Many people choose to get an extension built on to the side or back of their house, or even extend upwards into the attic, in order to create a bedroom with accompanying kitchen and bathroom.

Extensions and garage conversions can even have their own entrance for added independence.

For more information on how to go about creating your very own annexe, consult a company such as http://www.annexespaces.co.uk/.

One advantage of this type of conversion is that after the kids have finally left home again, they could then be rented out to provide an extra income when the parents retire.

How to know if your creative business ideas can become a Business?

In this paper I want to define the terms creative business ideas within my experience and came out with an adequate definition as follows:

Some of the very innovative business ideas to developing a company that you want to create. This initial idea presents essential characteristics such as the identification of a need or problem to be solved, which are satisfied through a product or service with which in return an economic benefit is expected. The next step, before you start building a business model, is to have your business idea identified.

Everyone can have ideas. A clear example is the children who are inexhaustible sources of these same ones. There are adults who have them when they are in the shower or doing some sport. People commonly have ideas every day.

But here comes the million dollar question how do you know what a business idea is?

How to know if your creative business Ideas Can Become a Business?

My answer to the previous question is to generate a new business idea with the possibility of turning it into a business.

You may also like to read more about creative business ideas to move from employee to entrepreneur.

But let me remind you that an idea alone is worth nothing. The important thing is to execute it and also implement it in a profitable business model that allows you to generate income.

“Ideas are the raw material on which business is built” -Alex Cormani

Some of the attributes, according to my experience, to know if some ideas can become best creative business ideas are as follows:

  • It must be associated with the creation of a product or service (physical or digital).
  • There must be people (clients) who have a real need in which you can validate your satisfaction.
  • It should be possible to generate income.
  • It should excite you and motivate you.
  • It must be something in which you are engaged.
  • Must have legal aspects allowed.

Although several factors can determine that we are dealing with a business idea, the absence of some of the previous attributes could compromise the development of this same.

I remind you that to undertake you need to invest time and effort, therefore I recommend you to analyze objectively if your innovative business ideas meets some attributes mentioned.

How to develop business ideas?

Possibly so far you have not had a well-defined business idea, so I propose three simple techniques for you to generate these ideas:

  • Ideas from what you like to do.
  • Ideas based on needs or problems.
  • Ideas based on your work experience.

Some good advice:

After choosing a business idea, you must proceed to validate it to discover its true potential in the market, and for this, you can use tools such as Validation Board and methodologies like Customer Development.

I hope you liked this article and I like invite you to reflect on which of all your ideas are turning into some creative business ideas. If you want to learn how to develop your business idea, I recommend you to develop some creative business tools to turn your Idea into a scalable business model.

The benefits of ply lining your van

Buying a new van for your business can be expensive, so it’s natural that you’ll want to protect your investment. Ply lining the inside of your van is the best way of maintaining the look and condition of the vehicle. In this guide, we look at the benefits of ply lining your van.

Image Credit

What is ply lining?

Ply lining uses sheets of plywood to line the inside of a van. Plywood is a sheet material made from several layers of wood veneer that are glued together. Cheap and durable, plywood is perfect for cutting into sections to fit inside a van.

What are the benefits?

There is a lot to consider when buying a van. You’ll need to decide if you need a large engine, a long, medium or short wheelbase, and how heavy your loads will be. With all that to mull over, you may be forgiven for forgetting one of the most important aspects of owning a new van – how to maintain the condition and value of the vehicle and the goods inside.

Fixing plywood to the inside of your van is essential, if you plan on carrying heavy goods and tools in the back. Ply lining will protect your goods from scratches and rust from the internal body of the van. The wood sheets will also protect your van from heavy items that move about in the back, ensuring the inside of your van stays in one piece.

Image Credit

Plylining your van will also give your vehicle a professional look and will also hold the resale value of the vehicle when you come to sell or exchange it.

Ply lining can be added to all sizes of van, from small panel vans to long wheelbase vans. For ideas on which ply lining is best for you, visit sites like http://www.vehicle-accessories.net/Plylining.

How much will my van need?

The type of ply lining and how much you’ll need will depend on the type of cargo you’ll be transporting. For heavy duty work, you will require a fully ply lined van. If your cargo is lighter and less likely to cause damage, then you may be able to ply line just the cargo floor, sides and doors. Ply lining will affect the payload of your van, so take this into consideration before you get the work done.

6 ways that bad web design will damage your business

Maybe you are thinking about designing your own website, or maybe you want to hire a professional web design team to create a website. Either way, there are certain web design methods that you should avoid. These bad methods will reduce your sales and engagement rate, and over time they will damage your business.

Image Credit

Here are 6 terrible web design methods that businesses should avoid using.

Not making the navigation clear

A good website is easy to navigate, as this means customers can easily move around and find what they are looking for. On the other hand, if the customer can’t find what they are looking for they will just give up and go to a competitor’s website. You can make the navigation clear on your website by including a search button at the top of the page.

Using an entrance page

Entrance pages are outdated and unnecessary. They also encourage customers to leave your website as they can’t quickly find what they are looking for. A much better option is a useful homepage that includes lots of links to the rest of the website.

Image Credit

Having an inconsistent website style

An inconsistent website style will make your brand feel unprofessional and untrustworthy. According to the Independent, you can build brand faith and trust with a consistent website style, so it is important to make sure that each website page has the same colours, styles, fonts and logos.

If you are looking for a company who specialise in web design in Belfast, check out http://www.rycomarketing.co.uk/web-design.html.

Placing too much text in graphics

Placing text in graphics makes your website less SEO friendly, as text within images can’t be read and indexed by search engines. This means that your website is likely to drop down the search engine rankings, so fewer potential customers will see your website.

Using oversized images

Oversized images may look big and beautiful, but they normally slow down the website. This is off-putting for today’s internet users as they expect web pages to load in less than a second. If you have oversized images on your website, use a free online image optimizer to resize them.

Not including a link in your logo

Your logo should always link to your homepage as this makes it much easier for users to navigate their way around your website.

Get English grammar help with Acadsoc English help

English is the most spoken language in most of the countries of the world. It is the official language in a large number of countries. It is estimated that a large number of people in the world use English to communicate on a regular basis. To speak and write English well your grammar needs to be good. By learning English you will have access to many opportunities. Continue reading Get English grammar help with Acadsoc English help →

Home comforts: why choosing the right floor is so important

When redecorating or moving into a new home, choosing the right floor can be a daunting task. You need to decide which flooring is right for you – wood, laminate, cork, tiles, carpet or vinyl – and choose the colour scheme. Your floor takes a pounding from people walking across it, from spills, and from children or pets playing on it. It is a long-term investment; therefore, it pays to think ahead about the right floor for your lifestyle. Here are some ideas to start you off. Continue reading Home comforts: why choosing the right floor is so important →

Which is the Best Type of Wooden Climbing Frame for Your Kids?

If you have small children and a big enough garden, you may be thinking about investing in some permanent play equipment.

Image Credit

One of the most versatile and long-lasting pieces of play equipment on the market is a wooden climbing frame. Good looking, adaptable, and available in different sizes and specifications so they will fit in with most sizes of garden, wood climbing frames will provide your children with many, many hours of entertainment.

According to Early Childhood News, playing outdoors benefits children in several different ways. It not only provides them with essential opportunities to exercise, but also encourages them to invent games and use their imagination.

But which climbing frames are the best, and what do you need to consider when deciding on which type to buy?

What Type of Wood?

Most wooden climbing frames are made out of either pine or cedar wood. Pine is generally cheaper, so your choice will probably be informed partly by your budget, but there are other factors to take into consideration too.

Light-coloured pine can be stained to your own specifications, while cedar can also be stained but is darker in colour.

Image Credit

Out of the two, cedar is naturally more weatherproof, so will probably look better for longer. It also has a tighter knot structure, so is pretty resistant to splintering and splitting – great for building frames which children are going to be crawling all over for years.

Pine, on the other hand, is a softer wood and will require more regular treatment to ensure it retains its strength.

Sawn or Round?

Wooden climbing frames are usually made from either round or sawn wood. Both look great and have their own benefits, although round wooden frames are usually cheaper.

Those made with sawn wood allow more adaptability in their construction.

Allow for Growth

One of the main things buyers require from wood climbing frames such as those available at http://www.niclimbingframes.com/climbing-frames, is that they are able to adapt and change as the children using them grow older.

It therefore makes sense to buy a frame which has plenty of activity choices. Thankfully you can buy everything from a basic frame to one which contains all manner of additions, from climbing walls to swings, slides to Wendy houses.