Leads 2 Business Blog

3 May 2022

Staff Spotlight: Sharika Raman

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Staff Spotlight | 0

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About Sharika Raman

I have worked for Leads 2 Business from January 2015. I started in the Leads 2 Quotes Department for Directory, in January 2020 I was promoted to the Deputy Head of Department for Leads 2 Quotes and in July 2021 I was promoted to the Accounts Department as a Debtors Administrator. I enjoy time with my family creating memories, I like to socialize but also enjoy time to myself so I try to keep a balance by indulging in some quiet time when I can. I see myself as a realist, amazing wife and awesome mom…I am sure my family would agree.

12 Apr 2022

A Day in the Life of the Accounts Department

by Sharika Raman | posted in: General | 0

First thing’s first when I get to the office, I make my morning cuppa and then it’s time to get cracking.

You have to be able to multitask in accounts and although most of the time I have a plan of action, sometimes that plan is very short-lived.

Firstly, I go through my emails excitedly looking for proof of payments, I flag the need to do’s and file away the necessary emails. I then go onto the Banking, and allocate payments, notify the Accounts executives should we receive any payments for new registrations and lift any suspensions that we have received payment from. After the banking, I send any statements that have a balance outstanding. Once I am done with that I move over to the queries that I need to tend to.

Reminders are my life: I have follow-ups upon follow-ups. After working through my reminders I start with my invoicing and update the invoicing schedule. From there I resend invoices and statements requesting outstanding payments. I process any cancellations or suspensions that are requested. Update my reports, doing this daily helps so come month end it is not so tedious.

In between doing all of the above I tend to any incoming queries and any Pro Forma invoice requests.

Before you know it the day has gone by in a flash. I really love what I do and accept every challenge thrown my way.

About Sharika Raman

22 Jun 2021

Tips for using the L2B Directory

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions | 0

Our Directory boasts 65000 companies and almost 180000 contacts

You can access the directory by clicking on the below on the dashboard and then clicking on the magnifying glass.

Use the drop-down filters under Directory and make the relevant selection should you need to search for a specific company or contact,

You can search with a company or contact name in the search bar,

Ever hear less is more? Well, that’s exactly what will yield you the most positive results on our Directory.

Make use of the filters provided to yield more specific results.

Use the less is more concept, select a trade and region at a time for more accurate results rather than multiple trades or region selections to perform a search.

You can expand the view to be able to see the whole company on the results page without clicking on the Company, Division, Branch or contact by clicking on the following:

This also shows how many contacts are listed in that whole company.

Happy Searching

About Sharika Raman

12 Nov 2020

Renewable Energy in SA

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Construction Chat | 2

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is the energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

Not only does renewable energy reduce carbon emissions, but the infrastructure can be built quickly to match the country’s need for electricity. Some renewables already supply cheaper electricity than the newest coal power plants. Renewables will get cheaper and coal and nuclear likely more expensive.

The energy sector in South Africa is an important component of global energy regimes due to the country’s innovation and advances in renewable energy.

Of all South African renewable energy sources, solar holds the most potential. Because of the country’s geographic location, it receives large amounts of solar energy. Wind energy is also a major potential source of renewable energy. Investment in renewable energy in SA can provide decent jobs and increase skills. SA is a solar-rich country with one of the highest solar resources in the world.

South Africa is taking the lead in Africa which gives us the opportunity to become a key global player in this growing industry thus investment in renewable energy in SA can provide decent jobs and increase skills.

Here are just a few of the Renewable Energy Projects that we currently have on our Leads 2 Business website

PPA 26177 – Vortum Solar Park
PPA 26040 – Zoute Kloof Solar Farm
PPA 14457 – Kangnas Wind Energy Facility

Get in the know with these renewable energy projects and more by subscribing to our platform, please feel free to contact me on SharikaR@l2b.co.za to receive daily project leads and updates.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Engerati
Civiconcepts

About Sharika Raman

6 May 2020

Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway Project

by Sharika Raman | posted in: General | 2

What is the Uganda Standard Gauge Railway Project?

Uganda is revamping it’s 100-year-old railway lines to improve cargo transport in the country. The 1266 km meter-gauge rail line was built by the British during colonial times to transport copper. The condition of the rail network deteriorated due to economic instability and political upheaval. The railway line will now boast a length of 1724 km linking the country to the neighbouring countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

The railway will consist of 4 major sections:

Malaba–Kampala Section: Also referred to the Eastern Line, this stretches from the border of Kenya at Malaba through Tororo and Jinja to end at Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. Total distance of approximately 215km.

Tororo–Gulu Section: Referred to as the Northern Line this would extend from Tororo and go through Mbale and Lira to Gulu, approximately 400kms in distance.

From Gulu, one line will continue North to Elegu and onto Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. The section in Uganda measures approximately 107km. Another extension stretches from Gulu to Pakwach to end at Goli the Border of the DRC with a distance of approximately 190km.

Kampala–Mpondwe Section: This referred to as the Western Line, starting in Kampala and passes through Bihanga in Ibanda District continuing on to Mpondwe at the border with the DRC, a distance of about 430km.

Bihanga–Mirama Hills Section: This also referred to as the South Western Line which stretches from Bihanga, through Ibanda and Mbarara to end at the Mirama Hills at the border with Rwanda, a distance of about 205km.

Costing of this project was quoted at a staggering USh45.6 trillion (approximately US$13.8 billion). Funding has not come easy for this project as Uganda has approached China again in 2019 in a resubmission for a loan which was rejected by China’s Exim bank. The project is now expected to be completed in 2025.

To get more information on this monitor the Project on the Leads 2 Business website PPA 15831.

If you would like to subscribe to our services contact me on 033 343 1130 or sharikar@l2b.co.za

Sources: Wikipedia

About Sharika Raman

2 Dec 2019

Construction Highlights for 2019

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Construction Events, Did You Know | 0

As the end of the year approaches… Wait! What? Is it that time already?

Yes, it is, before we know it’s crunch time again, Christmas décor is up at shopping malls…. while looking back at the year 2019 it was not just doom and gloom with the construction industry under immense pressure, let’s take a look at some of the construction highlights for this year.

How can I not start with the Tallest Building in Africa, situated in Sandton, almost near completion The Leonardo poses at 230m high in all it’s glory, boosting a mixed-use space with apartments, offices, landscaped gardens, a bar, and a crèche. It offers eight luxury penthouse suites topped by the three-level, 360° view.

PPA 16492

Sticking in the Gauteng region with some architectural flare we had the unveiling of the OR Tambo Mixed Used Development, Facilities include a fitness centre, canteen and creche. The floor area is estimated at 33 000m². The entire project is estimated at a total of R4.5 Billion. Phase 1 A is approximately R750 million.

PPA 23317

Another mammoth development underway is the Sandton Gate Precinct consisting of 6 phases including premium office space, convenience retail, modern residential apartments and a gym. This development also includes features such as piazzas & walkways, fibre connectivity and state of the art security. Oh and just by the way it’s a Smart Eco City development.

PPA 20383 – PPA 20393

Okay, I am definitely allowing Gauteng to get the better off me here let me move on to the Western Cape…

So let’s see what the Mother City has in store for us.

Harbour Arch embracing restaurants, coffee shops, cocktail bars, offices, residential apartments, and a motor dealership, levels of parking, an entertainment area & retail outlets located north-eastern gateway to the CBD.

PPA 21077

The Rockefeller consisting of 246 apartments and 13 storeys located smack-bang in the middle of the Cape Town.

PPA 21752

Moving to the shores of the East Coast we have the fabulous extension of the Durban Promenade, already an East Coast favourite amongst tourists and locals, the golden mile has been extended by 750m.

PPA 20379

Glorious establishments never seem to stop popping up in Umhlanga, The Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga will have a total of 200 rooms and a range of world-class offerings including: State-of-the-art business facilities; exclusive fine-dining offerings; a large banqueting facility and other meeting rooms for 1200 people; rooftop bar and terrace; spectacular rim-flow pool deck; boutique gym; spa treatment rooms; artisanal roaster style coffee bar; and Islamic compliant facilities. There will also be a Presidential suite on the 16th floor.

PPA 11583

Well Ladies & Gentlemen, looking back at 2019, it has been nothing short of magnificent buildings coming up everywhere in our beautiful country despite the bad it gives us something great to look forward to.

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.
To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.

About Sharika Raman

8 Oct 2018

Common Causes of Construction Delays

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Did You Know | 0

Common Causes of Construction Delays

Did You Know?

Common causes of Construction delays
What is construction delay?
In construction projects, as well in other projects where a schedule is being used to plan work, delays happen all the time. It is what is being delayed that determines if a project, or some other deadline such as a milestone, will be completed late.

Construction delays can be very costly and can reduce your company’s turnover, in a worst case scenario your firm could be ruined by liquidated damages. Liquidated damages is a sum of money (agreed-to and written into a contract) specified as the total amount of compensation an aggrieved party should get, if the other party breaches certain part(s) of the contract in this case if a work delay cost your client money. It also gives your company a bad image showing you are disorganized and unprofessional, and the client could even give your company a bad reference and word of mouth travels very fast ruining your company’s name which you definitely do not want.

Your company can try to avoid some type of construction delays by recognizing their most common causes and working to mitigate those factors before they take effect.
Planning is crucial so you better have a good project manager, you’ll also need to depend on analytics and close oversight to determine when things are falling behind and make the right decisions to keep your project on track.

Here are the 5 most common causes of construction delays
Poor Weather
Oh yes mother nature, the weather is something we can predict but it’s not so predictable if you get what I mean. Yes we have a weather forecast to assist with the planning of our projects but it can change at any time.
Unfortunately you won’t be able to use the weather as an excuse if you are busy with indoor renovations and running behind on schedule.
For outdoor projects, however, poor weather like rain or snow can leave you way behind schedule, threatening your already-slim profit margins with each passing day.
Any one want to take a dip?….. In a mud hole that is! If you’re busy with an excavation project and there’s some rain a freshly dug hole can turn into a mud pit ready to swallow an excavator or any other machine you drive into it. Hungry much?
And no high rise construction or roof is going to get done with high winds. Good luck to you if mother nature is very angry, because there’s no end to the delays that can result from flooding, or worse, a Tornado or Hurricane.

You’ll have to build allowances for natural disasters into your contracts to ensure that you don’t end up paying liquidated damages because of a storm. Rescheduling activities like concrete pours in accordance with the weather schedule is also a good idea, and you should always keep water pumps at a job site so you can dispose of any water that accumulates and gets in the way.

Budget and Resource Shortages
No more funds available…..eeeeek
Running out of money is a very bad scenario for a construction firm that’s in the middle of a project, especially when the client has already paid and you’re digging into your own pockets to get the job done.

It is important that construction project managers have access to costing software that will not under cost projects and put a company in the red. One must be well informed about updates on the firm’s financial health in order to ensure that projects don’t eat up the budget.
Banks can also be flexible with providing loans, especially if you’re an established firm with collateral to offer. This last resort works well if you need your hands on some cash to purchase the last materials for a project, pay workers, and avoid a costly delay.

Overbooked Crews
Check your diary ! Over booking projects and firms taking on more than they can chew can end up with projects falling behind as their exhausted employees drive around from job to job each day trying to get everything done.
It’s great to be ambitious about your goals, but everyone has limits, and you may find that hiring more crews lightens the load for everyone, avoids delays, and keeps morale higher throughout your firm.

Unreliable Subcontractors
Time is money.
Workers that waste time on the job are a plague not only in the construction business but any industry.
One may not always be to blame as they may lack the tools, training or experience that’s needed to get the job done efficiently, but on the other, they may spend too much time chatting, on a coffee break or even better a chocolate break and lose focus on the importance of timeliness on the job.

It’s important to invest in full-time employees making sure they know the processes and what’s expected of them, and hold them accountable for producing results on a daily basis. If you set high standards and don’t allow excuses, you’ll see how quickly production increases. You will surely reap what you sow.
Having the right equipment is very important as well, this being said the maintenance of these plant and machinery is imperative.

Unexpected Changes
Unexpected changes are always going to be a part of the construction business. Sometimes a requirement for the project emerges that was different from what was expected, and sometimes the customer asks for something extra and it isn’t possible to say no.

Managing expectations is the crucial skill when it comes to building unexpected changes into your schedule. Let the client know about the change, why it’s needed, and what kind of delay it will cause. If the client requested the change, let them know that a deadline extension will be required in order to make it happen, or suggest a bonus for incorporating the change into the existing work schedule.

Sources:
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Esub
Wikipedia

To view more articles, please visit the Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit the Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sharika Raman

12 Apr 2018

Water Conservation

by Sharika Raman | posted in: General | 0

Water Conservation

What is Water Conservation?

Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand.

As simple as it sounds and as much awareness as there is out there about water conservation, how many of us are really being proactive about saving this life source?

Devastation hit the Western Cape when they had that dreaded day zero looming. What can we do to avoid this going forward? It’s as simple as starting from home because every drop counts… and this for sure has truth behind it.

Here are some simple tips on how we can conserve water in our homes:

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. We don’t realise how much water is actually wasted when the water is left running and we are busy trying to reach every one of our 32 pearly whites for those of us that have that many left.

Take shorter showers.
So, instead of reflecting on the origin of life and the universe for 25 minutes rather take a “one song” shower. Sing your favourite song in the shower and try to finish before it ends, even better leave out the chorus.

If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s…you know the rest! I won’t get too descriptive.

Fix your leaks – give the plumber a call…

If you are not a plumber you could attempt DIY but then again this could make matters worse, not only will there be more water wastage but it will cost you even more.

So don’t be a cheapskate and don’t let your wife get the thrill of saying “I told you so!”

– Use a shower bucket, you know how we always waiting for the water to heat up and all that water is going down the drain rather stick a bucket under the faucet and use the saved water to flush the toilet or water your plants.

– Save water and shower together!

They always say save the Best for Last…

– Save water Drink Champagne.

These are just a few tips that you can use to conserve water.

You may ask, why should we? Besides the glaring fact that water is life, here are a few more benefits to water conservation:

– Saves you money… cha-ching! Yes, your pocket can benefit as well as the rest of humankind.
– Protects drinking water resources
– Reduces the need for costly water supply and new wastewater treatment facilities.
– Maintains the health of aquatic environments.
– Saves energy used to pump, and treat water.

The shortage of water can have devastating consequences –
Not enough water for farmers to produce food, feed their livestock and that in turn puts their livelihood at risk as well as impacts the prices of those good in the market.
Less water also means sewage does not flow, and mosquitoes and other insects breed on stagnant, dirty water. The result is deadly diseases and other infections.

So let’s all work together and Conserve Water to make a difference.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation
https://www.care2.com/greenliving/20-ways-to-conserve-water-at-home.html
http://www.ecotechwater.com/Health/Water%20Consevation.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 Sharika Raman

25 May 2017

L2B Blog: The toll on our roads: is it fair & the impact on accidents and safety

by Sharika Raman | posted in: General | 0

The toll on our roads: is it fair & the impact on accidents and safety

Before starting the discussion if tolls are fair we need to know the following:

What are tolls?

Most roads are built with local, state or national government money raised from taxes. Tolls are like a tax that applies only to the users of the toll road. Some lanes may have people working the toll booths so that you can pay with change or cash like we usually see in South Africa.

Click here to view the source

Why have toll roads?

Roads form the main artery of economic competitiveness, growth and social development. To build roads costs billions of rands. Toll roads assist us in meeting the demands of social services, which are important for the growth of our country. Toll roads accelerate the availability of initial funding for construction, compared to traditional tax-based funding. They also make new road capacity available to motorists sooner. Toll roads, therefore, reduce the total net cost to the economy, ensuring greater opportunities for prosperity and growth.

What are my tolls used for?

The tolls collected on a specific road are used to, among other things, repay the loans obtained to finance the building, upgrading or improvement of the road. In addition, it provides a dedicated on-going revenue stream, which enables the road to be adequately maintained and improved, independent of tax –based revenues.

What do I get from using a toll road?

Toll roads are built and maintained to the highest possible standards. Because we uphold such standards, South Africa is recognised as a world leader in pavement technology.

Therefore you are ensured of a smooth ride, saving you on the running costs of your vehicle and saving you time. Improved security ensures you a safe and pleasant journey. Tolls ensure that funding is available much sooner, for adding highway capacity at the right time thereby relieving congestion, reducing losses in time and productivity.

I feel an argument coming on, does the government use this revenue wisely? Do they take the commuters using these roads daily in consideration?

If you use the tolls once in a while one might not be affected by the increase in toll fees, but if you use these daily routes to work and back, costs start adding up.

A trip from Soweto to Pretoria cost motorists an additional six percent in tolls. This is just one route‚ as the increases cover tolls across South Africa,

The Automobile Association (AA)‚ commenting on the South African National Roads Agency’s tariff increases announced unexpectedly in March 2017‚ calculated that the increase in rand terms is from R731.80 to R775.40 for a return trip between Soweto and Pretoria on a monthly basis.

Click here to view the source

Like all costs, tolls fees have to be increased as well as toll roads are constantly being upgraded, but one wrong decision made by a civil engineer and millions of rands could go to waste.

Okay, but that’s opening a whole new can of worms.

Accidents can be caused by various aspects when using roads, including bad road surfaces, bright lighting from oncoming traffic (from the not so courteous drivers), no proper barriers in place which could avoid a string of vehicles from being involved in an accident, potholes… POTHOLES!!!

Click here to view the source

Every driver’s nightmare, besides causing damage to your vehicle that can cost you thousands to repair, these tiny holes and some not so tiny, can cause truck accidents and motorcycle accidents in addition to poor road conditions that often result in serious car accident injuries.

Moreover, motorcycle drivers are at an increased risk for serious and fatal injuries due to the dangerous road conditions potholes create. When a vehicle hits a deep pothole, the impact is similar to that of a collision at 35m/ph (56.3km/ph). All motorists have a responsibility to look out for road hazards, such as potholes and drive carefully to prevent car accidents.

Yes, motorists have to do to their part concerning road safety, but the government also has to play a vital role in this.

Road safety campaigns have been implemented from their side. Is this enough? Have they drawn enough attention to these campaigns?

A key aspect of the integrated Road Safety Management Programme is increasing pedestrian safety. In planning and design, SANRAL (South African National Roads Agency) provides for interventions such as traffic calming, safe stopping areas for public transport and pedestrian bridges. The Department of Transport also engages communities adjacent to national roads to find solutions to pedestrians’ needs.

To contribute to safety on the roads, SANRAL has developed a database of projects that need to be implemented in areas that are hazardous to pedestrians. The solutions range from pedestrian bridges, pavements, road safety education and traffic calming measures.

When it comes to managing safety on freeways, SANRAL’s incident management system, supported by central coordination centres, embraces interaction between emergency services and law enforcement agencies on all declared national routes.

Be safe on the road my fellow commuters, overall we have to keep ourselves safe on the roads.

Here are a few tips to keep you and others safe when travelling,

adhere to the speed limit
avoid the use of cell phones while driving
ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy
do not cross the road where it is not safe to do so
take regular breaks
buckle up, safety belts save lives
avoid driving under the influence of alcohol

Also visit the Arrive Alive website for more safety tips, https://www.arrivealive.co.za/

Travel safely!!!

Did you Know #DYK: Interesting facts about research in South Africa

About Sharika Raman

20 Mar 2017

Did You Know #DYK: How to use the calendar

by Sharika Raman | posted in: Did You Know, How To, Recommended Reading | 0

How to use the calendar

In this busy lifestyle, it is so easy to forget appointments, especially when handling various tenders and projects on hand. Thanks to Leads 2 Business we have a solution to help you not miss out on any of your site meetings and appointments that will help you get your foot in the door at the precise time.

You can thank us later!

Thanks to the Calendar feature that syncs your selected reminders to your emails it will make it easier for you to remember the important dates.

How do you utilise this feature you may ask? Easy!!!

Once you have opened up your selected Project or Tender that you are interested in.

You will see the Reminder Icons on your right adjacent to the Assigned Icon

And next to the Site Inspection and Closing Date for Tenders

Click on the Reminder Icon and a pop-up screen will appear as below.

You will then click on “Create reminder” which will take you to the next step which will give you a selection of options.

You then have the option to select the reminder you need and insert a small note if it is a follow-up reminder. The reminder can be sent to your email and your mobile phone (depending on your preferred method of communication). Please note the mobile reminder will only reflect should you have an active mobile number on your profile.

Once you have completed the steps above, click on save changes to save the reminder.

The reminder will then reflect on your calendar.

Please note the time reflected on your reminder is not the time your reminder will be sent to you.

The reminder will be sent to you on the morning of the reminder date so you can plan your day more efficiently.

The website also has a Download ICS function on the calendar that can assist you to synchronise your reminders with your email Calendar, given that your program is compatible, for eg. Outlook.

You can use this in the following steps:

Click on the “Actions” icon on your calendar

Once you click on “Download ICS”, it will give you a range of calendar selection, selection the option you prefer and apply.

So there we have it, now you have no excuses to miss any appointments and get the ball rolling on prospective tenders and projects.

Author Archives: Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

Happy Searching

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman

What is Water Conservation?

So let’s all work together and Conserve Water to make a difference.

About Sharika Raman

What are tolls?

Why have toll roads?

What are my tolls used for?

What do I get from using a toll road?

A trip from Soweto to Pretoria cost motorists an additional six percent in tolls. This is just one route‚ as the increases cover tolls across South Africa,

About Sharika Raman

About Sharika Raman