Leads 2 Business Blog

16 Mar 2017

L2B Blog: Does Technology make us more or less productive in the workplace?

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions | 2

Does Technology make us more or less productive in the workplace?

Technology today puts us in contact with a constant stream of new information. Whether you are reading promotional emails, scanning the latest news and trends or connecting on social media, you are ingesting massive amounts of content. You never know where the inspiration for your next big idea might come from and engaging on such a large scale might just provide you with the right spark.

The Big Question is, however, is technology more of a distraction than a tool for productivity? The answer basically comes down to how you use technology and how you incorporate new tools to combat the effects of constant distractions.

After scouring the Net for inspiration and answers, I have come up with the following ways that we can use today’s technology to make us more productive:

Research shows there is a direct relationship between office design and productivity. It also plays an important role in employee job satisfaction and organisational performance. A well-designed office can also enhance knowledge shared among employees, which, in turn, boosts productivity.

Productivity thrives in an environment where employees are motivated to succeed. It is important to value people’s insights and involve them in setting goals for the organisation. It will not only motivate them to be more productive but also create a culture of innovation that will help your company adapt and grow as products, technology and markets evolve over time.

While technology is often viewed as a distraction, it’s one of the most important ways to enhance office productivity. One study done found that office productivity has increased by a whopping 84% over the last four decades, all thanks to advancements in digital technology. And it goes without saying that when it comes to internet speed, the faster the better!

Taking regular, short breaks throughout the day is also beneficial to productivity. A study by the University of Illinois found that even a brief interruption is enough to get back on track when you lose focus during a long or difficult task. Letting your mind wander is also a great way to stay productive, as your brain is relaxed and can focus solving tricky problems. Short breaks allow you to take a step back and evaluate your work, and ultimately leading to better performance and less burnout over the long term.

So, yes, it would appear that technology can be a distraction that can diminish productivity if not properly managed by the individual. However, technology has made the modern workplace more streamlined, efficient and accessible than ever before. The trick is, as with any double-edged sword, is to use it to your advantage and make it work for you, so that you don’t end up getting cut.

Information sourced from the following websites:

Does Technology Actually Make You More Productive?

http://www.businessrevieweurope.eu/technology/1146/3-ways-IoT-will-transform-your-office
http://www.axiomprojects.com.au/news/post/5-factors-that-influence-office-productivity/

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 Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

9 Mar 2017

L2B Blog: Innovations In Smart Home Technology

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: General | 0

Innovations In Smart Home Technology

With advancement in technology, scores of cool gadgets are finding their way into more and more homes and changing the way people live. These gadgets are not just fancy, they are providing quick solutions to everyday problems, making our lives so much easier. The simple designs and improved functions reduce human effort and conserve space. I am always interested in new gadgets and gizmos that are being developed, to make our home lives easier and I regularly surf the net looking for cool gadgets.

So, what can we look forward to in 2017?

Here are 5 of the best (in my opinion) that are going to make our homes a little smarter and our lives a little easier…….

1. Best Cookware

Now this is smart – WeMo wireless smart home platform, Belkin’s Crock-Pot is the first smartphone controllable slow cooker. Via the WeMo iOS or Android smartphone app, you can adjust the crock pot’s settings from anywhere, receive reminders, change the cook time, adjust the cooking temperature, use the timer to calculate cook times and process, or even check the status of your dish so you can come home to a perfectly cooked meal. How smart is that? And who wouldn’t like one? Me.. me.. me!

2. Best Refrigerator

Samsung (who else!) Family Hub. 4-door Flex Smart French Door Refrigerator – this connected refrigerator has everything but the kitchen sink. Its large touchscreen on the front door lets you view family member’s schedules, leave notes for each other, order groceries, play music and even watch TV! In addition, the fridge has three cameras inside which take a picture and email it to you every time you close the door. No more guessing or trying to remember if you need to buy more milk! Pricey of course, but this is the most innovative fridge. Ever!

3. Best Smart Garage Door Opener

Searching or reaching for that elusive garage door remote while trying to navigate a dark street at night or around children’s discarded toys or even sometimes your children often proves awkward and dangerous, to say the least. Chamberlain’s garage door opener lets you tap your device’s screen to open or close your garage door. The company is also planning to add geofencing capabilities so it can sense when you are approaching your driveway and automatically open the garage door and then once your car is safely parked inside, to close your garage door. This gadget has been designed to be utilised on most existing garage doors.

4. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is not new with many designs already having an app component for remote control. Believe it or not, though, a new smart lights system can actually sense when you (and your phone!) are on your way home and will react accordingly by turning the lights on or off, This type of automation is achieved by tying your lighting system into your phone’s geofencing features. Geofencing taps into the phone’s GPS system, in order to alter your lighting system when you’re in the area. If you are always carrying your phone, you may never have to enter into a dark driveway or doorway again, and all happens without programming, scheduling or actually touching any buttons. So smart!

5. Smart Faucet (tap)

This environmentally friendly faucet (tap) saves up to 57 litres per unit, per year. That’s a big smart saving! This innovative technology helps conserve water sources and also conserves energy with its intelligent design. By conserving water and energy, you leave behind a reduced carbon footprint. It can be used easily by everyone, including children, the elderly and the disabled.

There is so much new, interesting, useful and smart technology out there, that I found it hard to keep it to just 5, I just had to add this last one as this is something I would really want…

and…… (drumroll)…….. Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaners

Floor cleaning and vacuuming are now easier with a range of Deebots from Ecovacs, a pioneer in the field of engineering robotic vacuum cleaners. The D77, the latest Deebot is a 3-dimensional cleaning solution that has smart technology to detect and navigate obstacles! It even has the capability to automatically empty its own dustbin (so smart!). It has different modes for cleaning different types of flooring. And the best … even when you are not at home, you can pre-set it to clean your floors with its intelligent time scheduling feature. Smart, so very, very smart.

While most of this smart technology is already available and installed in homes overseas in the USA and UK, we, unfortunately, will have to wait a while longer for it to reach our shores. I am waiting in anticipation…….

Information sourced from the following sites:
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-smart-home-gadgets,review-2008.html

https://shisystems.com/blog?view=entry&id=45
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-smart-home-technology-gadgets-that-will-leave-you-spellbound.html

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 Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

3 Feb 2017

Featured Project : Eco Medical Village, Accra, Ghana

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Featured Project | 0

Eco Medical Village, Accra, Ghana

Description : Construction of a hospital for a proposed medical village project development is located in Accra, on a 30 acre site acquired adjacent to Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Ghana. The construction of a medical village in Ghana that will consist of: a 380 ward hospital, 120 ward women and children hospital, underground parking space for 1,000 vehicles, 120 ward housing for the elderly, 17 storeys doctors’ offices, a medical shopping mall; all things health; 40 x unit studio apartments for medical trainees; a medical research center in collaboration with world renowned hospitals; a 4 star medical hotel, a 2 star medical hotel, air ambulance and paramedic services and a housing facility for medical staff.

Status : Awarded

Industry: Building

Region : Ghana

Sector : Private

Value : R 100 million+

Timing : 2016 onwards.

Notes: The Developers have completed yet another visit at the Vatican. They are working hard to build the best foundation for Eco Medical Village. Sod-cutting ceremony has not taken place yet.

If you are a valued Projects subscriber, you can find more details click here Eco Medical Village, Accra, Ghana – Hospital- PPA: 17437.

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

28 Sep 2016

By Road or by Rail ….

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Construction Chat, General, Uncategorized | 0

By Road or by Rail

According to Wikipedia : “Transnet Freight Rail is a South African rail transport company, formerly known as Spoornet. It was part of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration, a state-controlled organisation that employed hundreds of thousands of people for decades from the first half of the 20th century.”

Transnet Freight Rail is a freight logistics and passenger transport railway. It is the largest freight hauler in Africa.

The company comprises several businesses:
GFB Commercial (General Freight Business) – Transnet’s largest division; handles over 50% of its freight;
Coal Line, serving coal exporters on the Mpumalanga – Richards Bay line; second largest coal railway in the world, delivering 62 million tonnes of coal (also known as “Black Gold”) in the year ending 31 March 2010;
Ore Export Line – dedicated to iron ore transport on the Sishen to Saldanha line;
Luxrail – The operation of the Blue Train, which is designed as a five-star hotel on wheels.

After doing some in-depth research on this subject (thanks Google!) as why transporting of goods is currently preferred by road over rail. I managed to source the following information :

Offering greater flexibility, speed and adaptability than the alternative of rail, transporting goods between cities by road has long been the chosen mode for most industries. However, the impact of heavy vehicles on the roads is considerable and the cost of maintenance and upgrades is increasing as traffic demands grow. Whilst work on the national road network may be keeping up with the demand, not so on the provincial roads.

The benefits of shifting freight from road to rail would have other transport-related spin-offs such as reduced road congestion and accidents, and less maintenance on road surfaces. Costs, particularly for movers of bulk commodities, would also drop. Rail transport also is regarded as three to four times more efficient than road.
But whether South Africa’s rail system will cope with increased freight demand is questionable. If there was a reliable, safe, efficient, and cost-effective rail service that could meet the need of customers then goods would definitely travel by rail. But there isn’t, so that is why 80% of goods are currently transported by road for the efficiency, cost, reliability, tracking and door-to-door service.

Improving the country’s 20 247 km rail network is now a top government priority and rail volumes are expected to grow to about 350 million tonnes by 2020.
According to Transnet’s website: “ Expanding the country’s infrastructure by successfully implementing the Market Demand Strategy (MDS) will see Transnet’s revenue almost triple from R46 billion to R128 billion over the next seven years.” Transnet’s MDS is a fine-tuned strategy to expand and modernise the country’s ports, rail and pipeline infrastructure with a view to achieve a significant increase in freight volumes, particularly in commodities such as Iron Ore, Coal and Manganese over a period of seven years to promote economic growth in South Africa.

Through investment, Transnet Freight Rail will be able to optimise it’s capital portfolio, build a world-class capital execution function and leverage capital procurement and localisation. In accordance with the strategy, the company has committed itself to railing more than 350.3 million tons of cargo a year by 2018 / 2019, the financial year when the MDS will reach its maturity.

Bearing that in mind, If we do a comparison of Fleet Management tenders on our database, compared with Transnet tenders :
Currently on our database we have 11 live tenders for Fleet Management versus 40 live tenders for Transnet.

Rail vs Road…what would your choice be?

References:
http://mg.co.za/article/2015-07-17-investment-still-needed-in-transport-infrastructure
http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/transport/2015/01/27/road-is-still-king-of-freight
http://www.transnetfreightrail-tfr.net/MDS/Pages/Strategy.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnet_Freight_Rail

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

6 Jul 2016

Developments coming soon in Africa

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Construction Chat, Construction Events, General, Uncategorized | 0

Due to severe lack of adequate housing for the burgeoning populations in the various countries in Africa, more and more private developers are looking at building, not just housing estates, but whole new cities with the “Live, Work, Play” concept. Some of these new cities or mixed-use developments are still in the planning stages, but some are already underway :

Some of these developments are :

Pearl Marina – Uganda – is a development located on a 300 acre prime property located on the Garuga Peninsula in Uganda. The property is to be developed as a premium integrated water front destination, resort town and a premier Uganda tourism asset. The development will provide premium tourism and residential facilities, including hotels, conference facilities, luxury apartments, villas, a golf course, marinas, hospital, international school, modern office park and a retail centre. This is already under construction.

Tatu City – Kenya – is the development of a new, world class mixed use and mixed income city centre for Nairobi, approximately 15km north of the current Nairobi City Centre in Kenya, East Africa. It covers an area of approximately 1 000 hectares and when developed, it will provide a comprehensive mix of land uses, including residential, retail, commercial, tourism, social facilities and recreation and will be privately managed. The developer, Tatu City Ltd, will undertake the servicing of the land parcels for onward sale to developers. The infrastructure includes roads, electricity, water, waste water and solid waste infrastructure as well as public landscaping and (possibly) some simple municipal building. Construction on the residential component is underway.

Vision City – Rwanda – The proposed development is set on a prime 158 hectare tract of land in Gaculiro, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo district, this high end estate is adjacent to RSSB constructed Vision 2020 Estate and approximately 3 km from the proposed Central Business District (CBD) at Muhima and 6 km from Kigali International Airport. It will consist of over 4 500 units in different configurations ranging from luxury villas to apartments to be built in 4 phases over 8 years. Phase 1 is already underway.

Eco Medical Village – Ghana – This is a proposed medical village project development which is located in Accra, on a 30 acre site acquired adjacent to Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Ghana. The construction of a medical village in Ghana that will consist of: a 380 ward hospital, 120 ward women and children hospital, underground parking space for 1 000 vehicles, 120 ward housing for the elderly, 17 storey doctors’ offices, a medical shopping mall; all things health; 40 x unit studio apartments for medical trainees; a medical research center in collaboration with world renowned hospitals; a 4 star medical hotel, a 2 star medical hotel, air ambulance and paramedic services and a housing facility for medical staff. The sod-turning ceremony is scheduled for October this year.

Sharm El Sheikh – Egypt – The development is to consist of villas, townhouses, apartments, offices, hotels and shopping malls. The property is located on the edge of the Red Sea, the development spans a massive 437 000m² and features residential components including villas, townhouses and apartments with all properties created to maximise sea view. A seaside, 5-star hotel with 118 executive rooms, 30 suites, 10 Spa Suites, a Presidential Suite Villa and a Royal Suite Villa further complements a thriving community. The entire development is surrounded by a lushly landscaped, one-of-a-kind greenbelt orienting the hotel and the residential properties. Construction has commenced on the hotel.

Even in North Africa, there are new cities being considered :

Tunisia Economic City – Tunisia – This new city is located in Enfidha District in Tunisia (North Africa) in close proximity to the Enfidha Al-hammamat International airport which can help initially to speed up the building of the city. The 90 square kilometer project with an 18 kilometer beach front modern sustainable and Eco-friendly metropolis will be the home of 500 000 inhabitants and will provide 250 000 jobs once completed within 15 years from now. Construction has not yet commenced on this.

There is also a whole new capital city planned in Egypt, just outside Cairo :

New City – Egypt – is the construction of a whole new city, outside Cairo. This new city will become the country’s new capital. The new city is meant for the low and middle income earners and will include an airport, shopping mall, hotels and amenities such as schools and hospitals as well as providing homes to low and middle-income buyers. The new city is still to be named and will be built near the Suez Canal. A Chinese construction company have been awarded the contract to build the city and the infrastructure & civil works have started.

There is a very exciting project currently underway in Nigeria :

Eko Atlantic Development – Nigeria – This development is to be built on about nine million square metres of reclaimed land, 2.4 kilometres south of Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos in Nigeria. Once completed it will be one and a half times the size of the current Victoria Island. It is estimated that it will accommodate 250 000 residents and 150 000 commuters. The city will cover seven districts : Ocean Front, Harbour Lights, Business District, Eko Drive, Marina, Avenues and Downtown. The Business District will also house a convention centre, auditorium and hotels. Construction is well underway.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of new mixed-use developments up and coming in Africa.

If your company is looking for Leads on Construction Projects in Africa, you would need to subscribe to Private Projects to get information on these and many more up-and-coming projects in Africa. Please email me on MarlaineA@L2B.co.za so that I can assist you further.

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

22 Jun 2016

The On-Line Construction Directory

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Construction Chat, Construction Events, Uncategorized | 4

Also known as the Leads 2 Business Platinum Directory Listing (PDL). This directory is a simple tool that has evolved into a remarkable business system which has many benefits for the vendor. As a vendor, registering on the Platinum Directory Listing, your company has the opportunity to generate new business leads with a well-defined market niche.

By registering your business on the Leads 2 Business directory :

Your company will gain exposure to the various Buyers from the various construction companies.
It stimulates on-line pricing awareness on prospective tenders.
There is an optional SMS notification facility, should a Request for Quotation (RfQ) be sent to you.
You can specify where your product/service is labour & materials or labour only. You can define your BBBEE status and indicate your CIDB grading; list all necessary company contact details and give a detailed description of your company’s products/services rendered.
You are improving your company’s exposure and position as you price.
You can broadcast items that you have priced to other buyers who may be looking for the same pricing information.
You can manage your listing to dictate which Requests for Quotes are appropriate to your particular trade profile.
You will receive award notifications on the contracts you have priced.

In addition, Leads 2 Business takes a proactive approach to support, if we receive notification of an email problem from your ISP, we will contact you to try and sort it out.

We also offer Online support via Livehelp which can be accessed anytime you may need assistance or have a query you need to raise, we are only a click or a call away.

So, now you are listed on the Leads 2 Business Platinum Directory and ready to acquire more business, more often. Here is how it works in order to expose your business to target industry listings and securing new contacts :

A Buyer/Contractor sends out Requests for Quotes (RfQs) to specific Vendors/Suppliers listed on our directory.

When a Vendor/Supplier receives the RfQ, they have the option to price it or to decline the request.

Vendors can respond to the RfQ via : Online pricing, email or fax (If the Buyer/Contractor has drawings associated with the Bill these will be available online and accessible with your Vendor/Supplier username and password).

Vendors/Suppliers who haven’t responded are contacted by the Leads 2 Business Control List Team for follow up.

Prices submitted by Vendors/Suppliers are used by the Buyer/Contractor to formulate their tender pricing.

And Platinum Directory Listed Vendors/Suppliers will receive Award notifications on RfQs received as long as they have acknowledged the RfQ.

So, can being listed on the Platinum Directory get you noticed by the Industry Giants???
Having read the above, what do you think?……

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

22 Jul 2015

Finding Diamonds in the Rough

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

Diamond in the rough — Photo cred : itsjonahhorst.deviantart.com

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one. – Confucius

For my blog this month, seeing as the subject is mining and diamonds I thought I would find some interesting facts on diamonds, where they are found, how they are mined and more:

The word diamond derives from the Greek word “adamas,” which means invincible or indestructible.

The largest diamond ever discovered was called the Cullinan diamond, and weighed in at an amazing 3106 carats, or 1.33 pounds. Discovered in 1905 in South Africa, the mine’s owner and the South African leaders gave the diamond to King Edward. The Cullinan was eventually cut into nine large diamonds and 100 smaller ones, and the three largest of these are on display in the Tower of London as part of the crown jewels.

Diamonds are formed hundreds of kilometers below the surface, as carbon is squeezed under intense temperatures and pressures. Kimberlite pipes bring the gems to the surface in eruptions that sometimes rise faster than the speed of sound. The pipes are rare. Of the more than 6000 known kimberlite pipes in the world, about 600 contain diamonds. Of these, only about 60 are rich enough in quality diamonds to be worth mining. West Africa has many “artisanal” operations in which people sift through river sediments for the occasional diamond eroded from a kimberlite pipe upstream. But a few pipes have been found in the thick jungle.

Africa is the world’s largest producer of diamonds, producing as much as 50% of global production. To date, Africa has produced over 75%, in value, of the world’s diamonds with more than 1.9 billion carats worth an estimated $US 158 billion mined. Angola, Botswana and South Africa are leading producers of diamonds.
Mining activities are centered around South Central Africa, with diamonds being produced primarily from kimberlite mines (South Africa, Angola, DRC, Ghana, Tanzania, Lesotho and Botswana), followed by alluvial dredging operations (Angola, CAR, Namibia and South Africa) and offshore marine diamond activities (South Africa and Namibia).

Before any actual mining even takes place, prospectors need to locate diamond sources first. To hit pay dirt and get to the larger sized rough crystals, geologists follow the trail of secondary diamond sources to determine where the primary sources of pipe deposits are.
Once the pipes are found and the presence of diamonds is proven true and profitable, shanks are inserted into the ground at the ore-bearing pipes and huge amounts of soil are extracted. In order to make mining efficient and effective, the raw rock and soil are typically not examined on-site.
Instead, they are transported to special plants where the ore is processed and the rough diamonds are extracted. Depending on how rich the ore is, a few hundred tons of ore might be sieved just to produce a single carat of gem quality rough diamonds.
Even after extraction, the precious gem is still far from being set in an engagement ring. Rough stones are then sorted into various gem-quality categories and industrial-specific grades. Thereafter, the roughs are sold, cut, polished and commercialised.

An estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry. From the countries where they are sourced to the countries where they are polished and sold, diamonds are supporting millions of people globally. In the African country of Namibia, the diamond mining industry is the largest single employer after the government. In Botswana approximately 25% of the labour force is directly or indirectly linked to diamonds.

“A Diamond is Forever” – NW Ayer Agency – One particular diamond producer got all the credit for this sentence that forever changed an industry, but the actual statement was delivered by an advertising agency. Before this impressive marketing campaign, diamonds were not necessary identified with romance, marriage or engagement. They were considered decorative jewellery and used for a variety of purposes. Then came the brilliant strategy of linking diamonds to the most sacred and beloved of American institutions; the wedding ceremony. However, one can’t truly say that prior to the 20th century, no lover had ever thought of diamonds as a romantic gift – in fact, one of the most famous diamond gifts in history was a diamond necklace given by Napoleon Bonaparte to Marie Louise.

And to end on a humorous note: “I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.” ― Mae West

Sources
Mbendi
Wikipedia Open Pit
Wikipedia Underground
Brilliant Earth
Beyond 4 cs
Science Mag
Diamond Facts

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

18 Mar 2015

20 ways to find Inspiration

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Life Lessons | 2

Looking for inspiration?

What is inspiration? This is the best definition that I can source on the Internet and I think it sums it up pretty well :

“Inspiration is that state of mind where you feel highly stimulated to do something. Your senses are heightened, you feel invincible, full of energy and enthusiasm and you are completely dedicated to what you are doing”

Inspiration is everywhere – you just have to know where to look. But remember .. “To get something you never had, you have to do something you have never done”

Here is my top 20 list of ways to be inspired …

Co-workers. No 1 on my list for a reason! The ladies that I work with are amazing, incredible and inspire me every day – for a good laugh, for a chat and for a brainstorming session. These ladies are not just co-workers, they are my colleagues and friends.
Nap/Sleep/Rest – sometimes your brain just needs to take a break, switch off for a while and allow the serotonin levels to restore. A short 30 minute nap can sometimes do the trick. Alternatively, a good night’s sleep can also do wonders. “ There is nothing that a good sleep or a good laugh can’t fix”
Internet/Social Media -Twitter is a good place to look for inspirational people to follow. Search using #inspiration.
Pinterest – this is such fun! I love Pinterest. You can browse through many boards online according to your interests – quotes, food, fashion, hobbies, to name but a few, all providing loads of inspiration. You can even choose what inspires you, create your own boards, and pin your own pictures. You can follow people and their boards and they can follow you too.
LinkedIn – another professional website where you can connect with like-minded people and groups with similar interests.
Outdoors – take it outside! Go for a walk or a jog and if you have a dog, take your dog with you. Roxy, my dog, always gets so excited to go for a walk. You can gain inspiration from the sights, sounds and even smells around you. When the jasmine is in full bloom and I walk around the neighbourhood I can smell it and its distinct, sweet smell reminds me that summer is on its way.
Music – put headphones on and listen, really listen to your favourite music, be it Beethoven or head-banging stuff – whatever music you like. Clear your head and just focus on the music, the beat, the lyrics.
Art – going to an art gallery, viewing an art exhibition or art display is always inspiring. Don’t feel like going out, no worries, you can view art on your computer in the comfort of your own home, start by searching on Google.
Journal – carry one, a small one, that fits in your bag with a pen to jot down your thoughts, ideas and observations as they come to you, wherever you may be.
Travel – even a short road trip over a few hours with a friend or your partner can be just as inspirational as a longer trip. Enjoy the experience, and remember the journey starts from the moment you close your front door behind you.
Exercise – go to the gym, go for a run, ride your bicycle, dance – but do an exercise you enjoy as it stimulates the brain cells, gives your mind a break AND it works the body and who doesn’t want a hot, fit body?
Quotes – there are some amazing quotes out there. You can register on websites and get daily inspirational quotes emailed to you every day. For a quick pick-me-up or a positive note to start your day. I love Dr Seuss – he is so quirky … My favourite is “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose”
Learn – something new, something that interests you, something you never thought you could do – I LOVE to do this! There is a whole big wide world waiting to be discovered out there and you can start at your computer by looking at eHow or Wikihow websites for some ideas. It can be something small like learning to make profiteroles (something I still haven’t mastered!) or more adventurous like learning to speak a new language. Remember, “Knowledge is Power”
Read – a book by your favourite author, or try someone new. Autobiographies are always an interesting read. Not into books, there are other options for shorter reads, magazines, newspapers and even blogs on-line. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” – Dr Seuss
Thoughts – replace all your negative thoughts with positive ones. What a difference this makes! Start small – every time you have a negative thought like.. I can’t do this – replace it with “Actually, I am going to give this a try!”
Sing – in the shower, when you are driving in your car, when you are out walking or jogging – loudly and with vigour to your favourite song. Ok, maybe if you are shy, start in the shower!
Get Creative – take up a new hobby, draw, paint, photography, scrap-booking, something you haven’t tried before, but would like to. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Embrace – a new healthy habit, like eating less sugar, drinking more water, using less salt – start small and your body and mind will thank you for it.
You – can be your own inspiration! Look in the mirror, Gorgeous, and remember all your victories. What you have overcome to be where you are now

And finally ….. ( my all time favourite)
Write – a bucket list of all the things you would like to do in your lifetime, and it can include simple things like try Sushi, own a goldfish, learn to ride a motorbike to the more adventurous like skydiving, travel to Greece etc. Then, remember to refer to your list often and tick the items off as you do them and add more as you think of them.

We all want to feel moved and then use that to create love, joy, passion and purpose in our lives.

And so to finish, I will leave you with this thought:

“You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go”

Dr Seuss.

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

19 Nov 2014

Keep Calm – 2015 Is On It’s Way

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: General | 0

Christmas aka silly season is looming on the horizon and so is the end of the year. This time of the year is frenetic…. Frantic….. Work to finish….. Deadlines to meet….. Projects to complete!

Keep calm…………and know that at Leads 2 Business, in Private Projects we have plans in the pipeline making sure that there are new and exciting projects on our database for next year, including Africa and the Mining industry.

According to Ernst & Young’s website:

“Africa is on the rise. While Africa’s challenges are well documented, there is an increasing recognition that the continent is on an upward trajectory, economically, politically and socially.
The latest foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have increased strongly in the past decade, investor perceptions of Africa are ever improving and the outlook is positive, with capital inflows forecast to reach US$150b by 2015.
In terms of destinations, while South Africa maintained its position as the top FDI destination, emerging hotspots for investment in Africa are Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are considered the most attractive investment destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa, whereas Morocco is seen as the leading destination for doing business in North Africa, largely on account of its relatively stable political environment.”

On further investigation..… “In 2010 the African continent had 51 cities with more than a million inhabitants and only one city with more than 10 million inhabitants – Cairo, Egypt. By 2040, the continent is expected to have more than 100 cities of more than 1 million inhabitants and seven cities of more than 10 million. The largest city is projected to be Kinshasa in the DRC, Central Africa where the population is expected to reach 24 million by 2040”.

In various countries in Africa, in a bid to cope with this rising urbanisation, entirely new cities / mixed use developments are already under construction. Developments such as Tatu City, Kenya, The City of Light in Accra and King City in Takoradi, both in Ghana, Pearl Marina in Uganda, Roma Park in Zambia, Kigamboni in Tanzania and while in Nigeria there is the modern Eko Atlantic City which being built on reclaimed land from the sea. These ‘self-contained’ new cities which are based on the ‘work-play-live’ concept, are intended to relieve the highly congested cities and minimise the need for inhabitants to go into the ‘city centre’. The cities do not just comprise of residential units, they are fully self-contained, this means there are office blocks, shopping malls, recreational areas like parks, churches, schools and even hotels.

All this fore-mentioned information bodes well in terms of new possible projects for the New Year. If you are a Private Projects Subscriber, you will know that we already have all the mixed-used developments listed above on our database and so much more!

If you are looking for new project leads in Africa, South Africa and the Mining Sector and you are not subscribed to Leads 2 Business (really?!?) then now would be a really good time to change that….

What are you waiting for, 2015 is only 42 days away!

Sources :
http://www.ey.com/ZA/en/Home/Africa-Attractiveness-Survey
http://www.ey.com/ZA/en/Issues/Business-environment/EY-africa-attractiveness-survey-2014
http://www.howwemadeafrica.com/africas-constructionindustry

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

27 Aug 2014

T is for Tender

by Marlaine Andersen | posted in: Construction Chat, Frequently Asked Questions | 0

There is much excitement when a Project Status moves into Tender Stage. This means the project is going out to tender – tender for construction! Whoop whoop! Things are happening, construction is going to commence shortly. If, however, the Project goes out to tender for the professionals the Project Status will remain in Procedural stage as this is a tender for professional services to conduct feasibility studies, EIA studies etc.

But, back to the tender for construction. This could be an invited tender and this is limited to preferred contractors only who are invited by the developer to tender on the contract. These tenders are very hard to obtain information about as they are, well, invited. “Invited” also translates as code for “big secret, don’t tell anybody anything!”

Open/public Tenders are published in newspapers and the media and these are open to general contractors who may only be limited by their CIDB grading. With publishing of the Tender notices comes site inspection dates (which are generally compulsory) and site attendance registers. The Tender closing date is perhaps the second most important date after the site attendance date. The Tender notices (DTA) that are listed on the Projects include a hyperlink which links the Project and Tender. Once the Tender has closed and the bids are in, bidders lists are then requested and if successfully obtained, the bidders list is attached to the DTA and the Project as a document.

On average, it takes about 3 – 4 months for Tenders to be awarded, (but it can take longer. Much longer in Africa). Once 3 months have passed, it is time to follow up on the Tenders and see if any awards have been made and this is when the fun begins.

It involves phoning the contact(s) listed on the Tender, usually in the Procurement Department and hoping they are willing to release details of the awarded company. When phoning African countries, this could involve many calls and being transferred to several different people and then finally being told…. “No, you cannot have the award details”. So, I wait (after all, “good things come to those who wait”) and try again in another couple of weeks or months depending on the forcefulness of the ‘No’. Sometimes, I get lucky and if the Project is big enough to warrant media attention, and an article appears in a local newspaper giving details of the awarded company I am able to update the award details on our database. Alternatively, more phone calls and emails, until eventually (sometimes only once construction has commenced) a kind person will relent and give me the award information. Other times, sadly I am not so lucky……

But I digress …… back to getting the award information….

When obtaining the award information, it is important to get the spelling of the awarded company’s name correct, usually using the NATO phonetic spelling which is: Alpha for A, Bravo for B, C for Charlie etc. However, it appears that not everyone is able to recall this list when it comes to spelling and in Africa there appears to be many variations to this list, including the use of animal names – and I have had some more unusual phonetic names, including “J” …. for Giraffe and “A” for ….Umbrella!! Really!?!

T is for Tenacious, E is for Excellent, N is for Never giving up, D is for Diligent, E is for Enduring and R is for Relentless: T E N D E R

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

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