2 Jul 2018

Demolition 101 – Facts & Misconceptions

by | posted in: Did You Know | 2

Demolition 101 – Facts & Misconceptions

Demolition 101

Demolition for me has always sounded like one of the coolest jobs!!!
Being allowed to blow up things every day…that must be great for treating anxiety.
However, I have come to learn that it isn’t all excitement and explosions and is a rather intricate business. So, I thought I would find out what the biggest myths about demolition are:

Demolition 101

1. Demolition is just blowing up buildings – In fact implosions only account for less than 1% of all demolitions

2. Demolition is bad for the environment – The truth is the contrary. Demolition contractors remove harmful materials and toxins from old buildings in order to dispose of them correctly i.e. Asbestos. They clean up hazardous substances and are in fact Environmental Superheroes.

4. Demolition contractors destroy historical buildings that should be protected – In fact demolition contractors can assist in restoring these buildings by removing the harmful materials and making way for energy efficient upgrades to these buildings.

5. Demolition overcrowds land fill sites with debris and waste products – Demolition has actually been one of the most “Green” practices before it was fashionable. Contractors will salvage as much as possible from an old building for reuse or recycling where possible.

6. Demolition is expensive – Demolition only accounts for a tiny fraction of an entire project. Averaging somewhere around 2% of replacing a building.

 

Demolition 101

So, you will see that Demolition is in fact a vital, environmentally necessary and an extremely dangerous job which is often underrated by most. When they do get to implode buildings, it requires intense planning as the safety of their workers, the public in close proximity as well as the surrounding buildings are safe.

They often work in some of the least safe conditions in buildings that have been condemned yet some people might not initially see the point of hiring a demolition contractor…how hard can it be right? Its not as easy as some may perceive, get the experts in! This is a serious business, hiring the right people for the job can save you by having the job done right and taking the necessary precautions.

They can guide you at the beginning of the project of everything that is required before you start, you don’t want to be held liable for damage to others property or the surroundings.

 

Sources:
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-hire-a-demolition-contractor
http://www.demolition.com

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Joanne Couto

I started with Leads 2 Business in April of 2013 as an Account Executive, was promoted in 2016 to Senior Account Executive, and then in March 2017, I became the Client Liaison Officer, where I now specialise in client retention and assisting the Sales Team in this regard. I believe whole heartedly in the service that we provide, knowledge is king!

1 Dec 2017

Did you Know #DYK: What is a Private Project

by | posted in: Did You Know | 4

This is a vitally important question for companies in the construction industry, now more than ever!

Private SignSource

A Private Project is a project which is funded by a private developer which can be a private individual or company as opposed to public or Governmental organisations. You will find that private projects tend to go ahead quicker as there is far less red tape to go through and no corrupt tender processes. These will include projects such as shopping centres, townhouse complexes, private hospitals and schools and the list goes on.

So, you ask…why is this so important?

Running the risk of giving my age away…I am an avid listener of talk radio, which has recently, educated me on just how broke the South African government currently is. Now, of course, we all have opinions on how the government uses our taxes, and that is a whole different blog for a whole different day, but how does this all affect us in the construction industry?

There are a lot of people that I have been speaking to in the construction industry that will tell you that ‘No tenders are being awarded’… and this is exactly the problem that we are facing. Even though work needs to be done, and tenders may even be issued, the actual awarding of Governmental and/or Municipal projects is happening even slower than it used to due to no available budget. This, in turn, means that a lot of companies that rely heavily on public projects are not receiving as much, if any, work as they used to, and let’s face it, there’s not an awful lot that the average South African can do to change this.

Companies do still have the option to focus their attention on Private Projects but what you do need to know is that they work very differently than public projects.

A Private Developer will purchase land with the intention of developing that land, they will have to go through all the regular processes such as EIA, rezoning etc. They will also appoint a professional design team which will include Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors and so on. The consulting team will draw up the plans and specifications and once they are ready to go ahead a contractor will be appointed and they can start building from there…no big differences yet? Oh! But there are!

Private Projects very rarely go to open tender (and open tender being where the company publishes the tender out into the media allowing anyone to tender), instead, they will be invited or negotiated. This is not only for the contractors or sub-contractors but even for the consultants

Caution Construction ZoneSourcesteegs@intekom.co.za

How do I get invited?

This really comes down to who you know, at the end of the day.  Think of it this way, if you have R10 000.00 and you want to buy a washing machine, are you going to call the first person you find on Gumtree and make an EFT to them and then wait for delivery? Of course not, you will more than likely g somewhere you know, such as Makro, for instance. If you ask yourself why you do this, I am sure the answer will be that you trust them…mostly. If there is an issue you can take it back, if they don’t deliver when they say they will you can hold them accountable.

This works the same for Private Construction Projects. People will always trust people they know more than someone that has perhaps only sent them an email in the past and when, at the end of the day, that person is responsible for making sure everything is done right, they will use service providers that they know they can trust or if something does go wrong, they want to make sure they can get it sorted out.

Anyone that wants to get involved in the project will need to contact the Developer or the key players (depending on what stage the project is at) in order to get invited. Trust me, if you are not meeting with the relevant people, you are very unlikely to be awarded any work from them. Everyone, even you, have your preferred suppliers, whether it be for your cell phone, clothing, medical aid; and I do not dispute that developers will have their preferred consultants, project managers, and contractors will have their preferred suppliers for materials or sub-contractors but this does not mean that you have no hope of becoming one of their preferred suppliers. The key is to make yourself known to them. Make sure they remember you!

As a Leads 2 Business subscriber, you are already a step ahead of everyone else. You know WHO you need to speak to, rather than starting at a receptionist in the hopes that they might know who in their company is busy with something that you are interested in.

During my years in sales, I have heard some outrageous ways to get to see the person they are wanting to meet, but at the end of the day you don’t need to do anything crazy, you just need to get them to realize that they need to see you. Business is tight for all companies now and competition is rife so be memorable.

We get you to the doorstep, you need to knock on the door. Opportunity does not find you, but it is waiting for you! Red door Source

About Joanne Couto

I started with Leads 2 Business in April of 2013 as an Account Executive, was promoted in 2016 to Senior Account Executive, and then in March 2017, I became the Client Liaison Officer, where I now specialise in client retention and assisting the Sales Team in this regard. I believe whole heartedly in the service that we provide, knowledge is king!

18 Sep 2017

Are you open to Opportunity?

by | posted in: Introducing... | 46

Online Pricing Opportunity

Are you open to opportunity? We understand that the South African marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive and commands that companies go the extra mile to stand out from the crowd. It is from this premise we have looked at how we can facilitate our subcontractors and suppliers, and assist you in pricing to the correct audience to help grow your business.

 

Introducing our New Open Quote Service:

Tender Stage:

Our new Open Quote Dashboard provides an up to date list of all current tenders our buyers are pricing. Now, you have the opportunity to price for as many of the tendering contracts as you choose. By taking a proactive rather than a reactive approach you are expanding your quote audience. If the initial contractor does not get awarded the work then there still is the potential of getting the work if another buyer in your price broadcast is awarded the contract.

It allows you to target your pricing audience – you may now submit prices to buyers of your choice and on tenders that best suit you. With the Bill of Quantities readily available, you can make more informed decisions about your business.

Awarded Stage:

We provide all the information you will need to submit your prices to already awarded contractors, and this, of course, improves YOUR chances:

  • Awarded Contractor
  • Contact information
  • Contract Value
  • Contract Period
  • Site occupation

Why should you Price Online?

Pricing online promotes your position in our directory when buyers are looking for Vendors, Contractors, and Subcontractors, yet another opportunity to out perform your competitors, it will also:

  • Save You Time: With easy options to download, decline and archive RFQs, as well as the ability to send your prices to multiple buyers at once.
  • Centralised Storage & No More Paper: You can now have a detailed record of all RFQs received, priced, declined and archived, kept safely online.
  • Drawings: Easily accessible and ready to download where available.

Simply put, it’s easier, faster and more reliable!

 

What can I expect to see on the Open Quote Dashboard?

Open Quote Leads 2 Business

What is the difference?

What is the difference between being a Vendor on the Leads 2 Business Platform and having a subscription to Open Quote Services (Previously Platinum Directory)?

 

Vendor Open Quote (Previously Platinum Directory)
Directory Entry Editable Directory Entry (See gray box- top left of screen)
Respond to Prices Online Respond to Prices Online (See blue box)
 Award Notifications on Bills you have been requested to price on and have responded to pricing request online Recent Award Notifications on all available Bills that have been priced online, irrespective of whether you submitted pricing. (See purple box)
Access to Bills Currently being priced by Buyers, with the option to download drawings, BOQ in .csv or .pdf format,
option to delete/ archive Bills that are no longer relevant and the option to search and filter more. (See red box)
Ability to forward Requests for Quotes within your company (See forward arrow icon in blue box)

 

 

If you are not currently subscribed to this service please contact us on 0860 836 337, email us or download subscription forms here.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you grow your business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source

About Joanne Couto

I started with Leads 2 Business in April of 2013 as an Account Executive, was promoted in 2016 to Senior Account Executive, and then in March 2017, I became the Client Liaison Officer, where I now specialise in client retention and assisting the Sales Team in this regard. I believe whole heartedly in the service that we provide, knowledge is king!

31 Jul 2017

Did you Know #DYK: What is a Private Project

by | posted in: Did You Know | 2

What is a Private Project

What is a Private Project

This is a vitally important question for companies in the construction industry, now more than ever!

Source

A Private Project is a project which is funded by a private developer which can be a private individual or company as opposed to public or Governmental organisations. You will find that private projects tend to go ahead quicker as there is far less red tape to go through and no corrupt tender processes. These will include projects such as shopping centres, townhouse complexes, private hospitals and schools and the list goes on.

So, you ask…why is this so important?

Running the risk of giving my age away…I am an avid listener of talk radio, which has recently, educated me on just how broke the South African government currently is. Now, of course, we all have opinions on how the government uses our taxes, and that is a whole different blog for a whole different day, but how does this all affect us in the construction industry?

There are a lot of people that I have been speaking to in the construction industry that will tell you that ‘No tenders are being awarded’… and this is exactly the problem that we are facing. Even though work needs to be done, and tenders may even be issued, the actual awarding of Governmental and/or Municipal projects is happening even slower than it used to due to no available budget. This, in turn, means that a lot of companies that rely heavily on public projects are not receiving as much, if any, work as they used to, and let’s face it, there’s not an awful lot that the average South African can do to change this.

Companies do still have the option to focus their attention on Private Projects but what you do need to know is that they work very differently than public projects.

A Private Developer will purchase land with the intention of developing that land, they will have to go through all the regular processes such as EIA, rezoning etc. They will also appoint a professional design team which will include Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors and so on. The consulting team will draw up the plans and specifications and once they are ready to go ahead a contractor will be appointed and they can start building from there…no big differences yet? Oh! But there are!

Private Projects very rarely go to open tender (and open tender being where the company publishes the tender out into the media allowing anyone to tender), instead, they will be invited or negotiated. This is not only for the contractors or sub-contractors but even for the consultants

Sourcesteegs@intekom.co.za

How do I get invited?

This really comes down to who you know, at the end of the day.  Think of it this way, if you have R10 000.00 and you want to buy a washing machine, are you going to call the first person you find on Gumtree and make an EFT to them and then wait for delivery? Of course not, you will more than likely go to somewhere you know, such as Makro, for instance. If you ask yourself why you do this, I am sure the answer will be that you trust them…mostly. If there is an issue you can take it back, if they don’t deliver when they say they will you can hold them accountable.

This works the same for Private Construction Projects. People will always trust people they know more than someone that has perhaps only sent them an email in the past and when, at the end of the day, that person is responsible for making sure everything is done right, they will use service providers that they know they can trust or if something does go wrong, they want to make sure they can get it sorted out.

Anyone that wants to get involved in the project will need to contact the Developer or the key players (depending on what stage the project is at) in order to get invited. Trust me, if you are not meeting with the relevant people, you are very unlikely to be awarded any work from them. Everyone, even you, have your preferred suppliers, whether it be for your cell phone, clothing, medical aid; and I do not dispute that developers will have their preferred consultants, project managers, and contractors will have their preferred suppliers for materials or sub-contractors but this does not mean that you have no hope of becoming one of their preferred suppliers. The key is to make yourself known to them. Make sure they remember you!

As a Leads 2 Business subscriber, you are already a step ahead of everyone else. You know WHO you need to speak to, rather than starting at a receptionist in the hopes that they might know who in their company is busy with something that you are interested in.

During my years in sales, I have heard some outrageous ways to get to see the person they are wanting to meet, but at the end of the day you don’t need to do anything crazy, you just need to get them to realize that they need to see you. Business is tight for all companies now and competition is rife so be memorable.

We get you to the doorstep, you need to knock on the door. Opportunity does not find you, but it is waiting for you! Source

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

 

 

 

About Joanne Couto

I started with Leads 2 Business in April of 2013 as an Account Executive, was promoted in 2016 to Senior Account Executive, and then in March 2017, I became the Client Liaison Officer, where I now specialise in client retention and assisting the Sales Team in this regard. I believe whole heartedly in the service that we provide, knowledge is king!