Category: Operations

Here at Cunningham Covers, heavy duty tarpaulins are what we do. We also do lighter duty covers, but here we’re going to take a quick look at the more industrial tarpaulins and what they can be used for.

Here’s eight of the most popular uses for industrial tarps.

In transportation

They can be used in transportation to secure loads and protect them from wind, rain and sun. Many haulage and transportation companies need customised tarps for their vehicles, made to specific measurements and with their company logo and advertising on. We’re particularly proud of the tarps that we’ve sent out to haulage fleets.

In construction

During construction works, or after severe storms, homeowners can be left living with huge holes in their roofs. It can take several weeks or even months for repair or building work to start and finish, so heavy-duty tarpaulin comes in handy to replace the roof for a while, keeping everyone inside dry.

In humanitarian aid

As it’s relatively light, stocks of tarpaulins can be delivered to disaster areas or refugee camps, where they can be used to create temporary shelters until families find more permanent homes. Their easy portability also makes them handy for tourists and campers – they can be folded up and put in a car or van boot and moved from one place to another,

In agriculture

Tarps are especially handy here, both for smaller scale farmers and larger farms. They’re used to cover machinery to protect it from the elements, as well as covering newly-harvested crops and less-than waterproof buildings.

Tarpaulins are also important when it comes to livestock, as they can be used to create temporary shelters for animals to protect them from extremes of heat and cold, as well as rain and snow. Just look over any working farm and you’ll see at least a few tarps that have been pressed into service.

On sports grounds

Many people don’t associate tarpaulins with sports, but many sports grounds – cricket and bowls in particular – rely upon them to protect the pitches and greens. These types of very large covers are known as field tarps and they’re custom-made for the different grounds they cover. They can be different shapes and made from different materials depending on the conditions of the grounds.

For insect nets

Some tarpaulin makers make specialist insect nets for use in farming to prevent harmful pest insects – or maybe birds – from reaching valuable crops.

In and around the house

If they’re not being used to replace a roof, they can be used to cover stored furniture, or vehicles so that water, dust and other potentially harmful substances don’t get to the items.

In light and heavy industries

Some industries have processes that create fine mists – of liquids or solid particles that can escape into the air and cause pollution or breathing problems. Specialised tarps can be put up around the area in which these processes happen to stop the vapours or mists spreading to workers or nearby residents. It’s important that these covers are well-maintained so that they work well and comply with safety regulations.

Many people have a small amount of water in their oil tank and it often goes undetected until it makes itself noticed by causing a problem. As it’s summer now, it’s a good time to check your tank over and one thing you should look for is the presence of water. If it’s left there, it can build up to the point where it can get into the delicate pipework around the tank and when winter rolls around, one thing you don’t want is frozen or even cracked pipes. You don’t want the savings you made by ordering from Super Saver Oil to be wiped out by expensive repairs, right?

How does the water get in?

Most often, the water in your tank will have come from condensation or rainwater. Condensation can occur when the oil temperature is significantly warmer than the outside temperature; rainwater can get in if the filling cap isn’t on properly or it’s been left off and it’s, errr, rained. Then there’s dodgy cap seals, damaged or loose vents and, worst of all, cracks in the body of the tank.

Of course, you’ll never leave the filling cap off, will you? No? Good. Unfortunately, if you think any of the other causes are going on, you’ll need to get your technician in.

How do you know if water’s got in?

Water is denser than the oil so it sinks to the bottom, which is pretty hard to get to! Fortunately, there’s water-detecting paste to help you out. You need to apply the paste to a stick or rod – garden bamboo comes in handy here – and put it into the tank so it touches the bottom. Leave it there as per instructions, then pull it out and look for changes in the colour of the paste.

I found water. What now?

You need to remove the water before it gets into the internal mechanisms of your boiler. If you have a metal tank you may well also have a sludge valve so you can release this and drain the water out – it sinks to the bottom, which works well for you here! If your tank is plastic, you may not have a sludge valve, in which case you’ll need an engineer with a hand pump.

Important – the water is contaminated!

The water you’ve removed will be contaminated with oil so it must be disposed of in accordance with your local laws. Contact your council to find out how to do this. Do NOT tip it down the drain.

Once the water is gone, flush out your feed pipe and clean or change your fuel filters as they may have some water in them.

Can I prevent this happening again?

You can use oil tank water soakers. These are specialised sponges that go into the bottom of your tank and absorb water (not oil). They’re easy to put in, but you do need to check them and change them a few times a year. The water in them should be regarded as contaminated as well, so dispose of the soakers properly.

Article Contributed by Brian Zeng

Running a business as an entrepreneur is no mean feat. Acquiring new clients, managing the existing ones, supervising the employees, looking after the expenses, and several other crucial tasks need to be juggled. It is imperative to shed the load of some activities to shift focus to the growth of the business. Outsourcing  certain services not only offers continuity of business, but also helps in risk management and managing operational expense control. With fewer things to handle, outsourcing improves your work-life balance as well.

Here are five tasks that you can easily outsource and contribute to your business growth extensively:

1. Administrative Tasks

Various administrative tasks such as data entry, appointment scheduling, and making travel arrangements can consume most part of your time daily. While administrative services are essential for the smooth functioning of your business, they don’t constitute as the core activities. Outsourcing them to a virtual assistant or administrative service agency helps you save a lot of time to focus on the strategic aspects of your business.

2. Social Media Management

Managing an effective online presence is vital to the existence of a business in the modern era. Social media management alone involves tremendous expertise and complete dedication. Outsourcing it to a specialized agency takes the load off the entrepreneur and allows him to focus on core business areas. Not only social media management, digital marketing also involves various critical tasks such as A/B testing, web analytics, search engine optimization, and more. Outsourcing these jobs allows entrepreneurs to get specialized services and adds value to your brand.

3. Content Services

With an increasing number of people searching for businesses through search engines and mobile devices, it is important for entrepreneurs to create content that makes it easier for customers to find your business. Professional content writers understand the importance of the right communication strategy and use SEO-friendly language to help your business reach prospective customers. Outsourcing content services to specialized agencies or freelancers doing remote jobs allow entrepreneurs to avail expert services and enhance their business prospects.

4. Design and Maintenance

Creating a powerful Web presence involves a series of crucial tasks requiring specialized services. Web design, while being an extremely crucial part of your company’s presence, is tremendously time-consuming. It requires the expertise of website hosting, HTML/CSS coding, wire framing and designing, hosting services, and a lot more. Maintaining the website is a continuous process, involving troubleshooting tech issues, regular upgrades, additions, and improvisations. This is a specialized area of business, but it may prove to be costly to have a full-time employee for this function. Outsourcing design and maintenance services make it easier to avail professional services at cost-effective rates.

5. Payroll and Taxes

Specialized accounting firms/individual professionals can help take care of the financial aspects of the business such as invoicing, accounts (receivable/payable), bookkeeping, creating and analysing financial reports, and managing taxes as well. Whether your company has 5 or 50 employees, payroll processing alone is an extremely demanding job in terms of time, money, and expertise.

Also, payroll is a potentially risky and complex business function. There’s always the risk of identity theft and funds embezzlement for personal gain, even with the most trusted employees. Outsourcing payroll allows entrepreneurs a safe haven for managing confidential data as the providers invest in state-of-art systems and software to store and protect your interests. Outsourcing payroll offers enhanced security and compliance with government regulations.

Advantages of Outsourcing:

Whether your business is in its nascent stages or growing rapidly, the right time to outsource varies from business to business. While some may outsource to hire contractual employees for short-term projects, others may need help with daily administrative services. Irrespective of the nature of service required, outsourcing offers numerous benefits to small businesses. Some of these are listed as follows:

• Outsourcing helps in controlling capital costs – Outsourcing helps to convert fixed costs into variable costs, thereby allowing you to avoid large expenditures during the initial stages of your business. Also, outsourcing makes your company more lucrative to investors as they know that their investments will be directly pumped in driving business growth.

 

• Outsourcing reduces labor costs – Hiring personnel for peripheral or short-term projects can prove to be extremely expensive for small businesses. Outsourcing allows them to pick the best man for the job, while saving the business from the hassles of hiring on payroll, and training and retaining staff.

 

• Outsourcing reduces business risks – Every business has to weather risks such as volatile market, stringent government regulations, unstable financial conditions, and rapidly evolving technology. Outsourcing helps entrepreneurs delegate tasks to experts who manage these risks more efficiently for your business.

 

• Outsourcing helps businesses start new businesses quickly – Starting a new in-house project may take weeks or months. It takes time for a small business to hire, train, and procure the required resources. However, outsourcing firms are well-equipped with the resources required. This helps the business to focus its attention from the peripheral activities to the core functionalities.

Conclusion

Outsourcing a job may require more time initially, and this is totally is justifiable. Time should be taken to carefully analyze the capabilities of the outsourcing party to ensure long-term benefits for the company. Outsourcing can help entrepreneurs enjoy specialized benefits at comparatively lesser costs, and allows them to focus on growing the business with a relaxed mind.

Purchasing cars for you employees can be a huge expense, especially if you aren’t a large corporation that can make deals with car manufacturers. But, it is sometimes necessary. If your employees travel often, it is important to provide them with means of transportation. I am here to give you some quick and easy ways to find the right cars for your company.

1. Do your research.

One of the most important things you can do for you and your company is to do research on the cars you are buying. I recommend doing this for a number of reasons. The first is that there are thousands of cars out there. Finding the right brand, make or model can be very overwhelming. One of the websites I often use before making a car purchase is Cars.com. They are a great resource to see a huge selection of cars in one place. Additionally, I love to utilize their review features to see the pros and cons of popular vehicles. Another reason I suggest performing research is to get the right price on your car. Because car prices are often negoitable, it pays off to be educated on your potential purchase. This is especially important if you are shopping for used cars. Performing research will help you know the impact the number of miles has on the price of a car.

2. Buy in bulk.

Buying bulk is a great way to save money. Whether you are buying 2 or 50, buying more than one car will save you money. Dealerships and companies are looking to sell as many as possible. So when you approach a seller looking to buy multiple vehicles it is important that you tell them upfront. From there, they are often willing to sell you each at a lower price or as a group for a discount. This is a great way to save money on your company car purchase. But, it is important when you buy in bulk to purchase all the cars from the same location or company. You cannot get the same deals if you don’t do this.

3. Buy the same cars.

When purchasing company cars, buying all the same cars may not be an important factor that comes to mind. But, buying all of the same brand, make and model of cars can save you on a lot of expenses. As stated before, buying the same cars will save you money via bulk discounts. In addition, purchasing the same cars will save you money when it comes to car maintenance. When you buy all of the same car, they are all on the same page. So, when lights burn out, something breaks or a car needs new tires, you can save time and money using the same repair products and maintenance company. With the same cars, you aren’t in a constant search to find a new repair man for that type of vehicle or paying more money for a specific light. Buying the same cars can help you save money and simplify to process.

4. Buy a trustworthy car.

When you do your research, you should make sure the car you are buying is safe, holds up well and is good quality. These are key factors when you are buying multiple of the same vehicle. If the cars are known to break, be unsafe or is bad quality, the cost of the car will quickly add up. So, it is important to check for these factors early on when are looking into buying company cars. Though buying the cheapest car will cost you the least amount of money upfront, if the car is known to break, it will be way more expensive in the long run. These factors may not always come to mind, but over the years I have learned their increasing relevance to company car shopping.

Car shopping can be stressful and overwhelming, no matter who, how many or what kind you are shopping for. When it comes to company cars, the price goes up and so does the stress. It is important to take your time when shopping for a company car to find the right fit. If you are looking into purchasing cars for your company, be sure to check out this list before you do so. Buying cars for your employees is a hefty purchase and it is important to take the right steps in order to get find the perfect car. Doing your research, buying in bulk, buying the same cars and buying trustworth cars are four very important factors to apply when you are company car shopping.

Smart businesspeople gain successful by embracing new business ideas and expanding them into the international markets. However, being able to forge a business idea into a renowned company that has a large market share percentage in the global market is not a simple feat.

There are several international business protocols, cultures, and market trends that ought to be observed for an internationally expanding business to realize success or be competitive. Here are vital tips to guide you through the journey of expanding your local business into the international markets:

Check for a strong customer base in the countries of interest 

It’s very critical to set out enough time to assess the availability of potential customers for the product or services that you are offering in various countries. Obviously, if you intend to go global, you already have an idea of the countries of interest where your product can bear the same appeal as it does in your country. You ought to be sure that there is a need for what you’re offering in that country and whether they will be inclined to purchase from your organization.

You should have a clear understanding of how your company might fare with the local competition before investing your hard earned money in expanding unnecessarily. It’s safe to conduct a research and test your product in the foreign marketplace before investing so as to make a sensible investment.

Assess market compatibility and availability of necessary resources 

Even though the business environments are not identical, you should analyze how the new markets are compatible with your home country’s markets. For a seamless business discussion, you ought to look for markets that are quite similar to what your current target market looks like. Evaluate currency fluctuations, cultures, competition, and shopping trends of the potential foreign markets. Structural and financial stability is crucial in supporting the expansion so as to make it viable.

Check out tax codes and compliance issues 

Tax codes and compliance regulations in the international business markets are very complex and intertwined. You’ll only realize that they are more sophisticated than what you may experience in handling business transactions from state to state. Certain banks in various countries fear the administrative burden that comes with running a US-based bank account. Hence you may be required to open a foreign business entity and bank account before you start running a business legally. Depending on the type of products that you deal with, you may be required to comply with certain strict labeling and packaging standards before you start operating. The US taxes worldwide and the IRS will impose a reporting on the income as well.

Localize to the languages and cultures of the foreign markets 

Language and labeling are also another critical consideration to be made. For instance, you are required to use English, Spanish or French in the US when labeling your products, but in Europe, you might be compelled to use multiple languages on the pack of your products making the cost of production hike. In other words, packaging costs, labeling and compliance issues can be very costly if not approached keenly. You can hire bilingual staff to help in the smooth running of the business by doing back and forth translations or go through multilingual subtitling services to enable you to advertise your business digitally in various languages available in the foreign markets.

Know how to beat the local competition 

Renowned American brands like Starbucks or McDonald’s have achieved this by attracting millions of foreign customers to their various chain stores across the world. Beating local competition and being champions in their turfs is not an easy success. Your business can only attract these foreign markets by employing unique and practical business strategies. Also, check the available ESTA agreements (electronic system for travel authorization) to be sure whether you will need a visa or not and the type of visa in order to work in the country of interest.