Leads 2 Business Blog

24 Oct 2019

15 Ways to Renovate on a Budget

by Lorna Krause | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 2

Everybody wants a beautiful living space, a space in which to unwind and relax and shrug off the stresses of day-to-day life.
Your home should be your sanctuary, your place to escape and just be.

Here are my 15 Ways to Renovate on a Budget.

First and foremost:

1. Establish a Budget and Don’t Budge
It is so easy to get caught up in the beautifying process that one can easily go over what has been budgeted for.

2. Pay Cash
You are wanting to create an environment that allows you to come home, kick off your shoes and relax after a long day, not one that causes you to pull your hair out while you are number-crunching until the wee hours of the morning because of credit card debt. As far as is possible, buy your materials with cash.

3. Check Your Prices
Don’t just go into one store to find all your prices, if you are going into a large store, there is every possibility that you might get caught up in some slick sales talk and wind up going over your budget, go to a few stores, get quotes and compare prices.

4. Clean Up
Before starting a project, clean up. Be ruthless with yourself if necessary. I tend to suffer from sente(mental)ity, there are dozens of keepsakes that we are given by children along the way and they get hung up on the fridge and such, in the pursuit of cleaning up, if it isn’t going to serve a purpose, take a photo of it and then chuck it.

5. Set a Time Limit
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but if there wasn’t a time frame to work within, it would still be under construction. Again, because time is precious, you don’t want to lose precious time with your family.

6. All Hands on Deck
When you take on a renovation project, instead of employing a company to do the work for you, why not get the whole family involved, this creates friendship and most of all, ownership.

7. Recycle, or upcycle.
There are so many good ideas of how to transform “junk” into useful items on Pinterest, so, get pinning!

8. Feature Walls
Instead of painting out a whole area, consider painting a feature wall. The idea behind this is to create the illusion of space, it’s also a great way to allow yourself to have fun and to get creative with colour and also cost-effective when purchasing paints.

9. Consider LED
LED lights need not be BRIGHT, there are different shades to choose from, depending on your needs, a cool white would better suit a kitchen or bathroom, where a warm white would suit lounges and bedrooms, as older globes go, consider changing up and save on your electricity costs and doing your bit for the environment.

10. Consider Skylights
This is a great way to add natural lighting to your home in strategic places and also to cut your daytime electricity costs, work out the pros and cons of adding a skylight and as far as possible try to calculate what you would save in lighting up those areas.

11. Do It Yourself.
If you can build shelves, lay tiles or even paint, then you have already saved some money that can be utilized elsewhere.

12. Add Plants
Well placed plants have a way of lighting up spaces, you would do well to consult with your local garden centre to obtain some advice as to which plants are best suited to which areas, for example, it would not be a good idea to put a cactus in the bathroom.

13. Go Green
There is a lot of focus on the environment and lessening our footprint, If you are updating your bathroom, why not look at going green, Low flow toilets and low flow showerheads will not only help you do your part for the environment, but it will also help you to save money.

14. Work Party
The community my family belongs to believes that it takes a village….not only to raise a child but to do things like this. An old-fashioned work party is a great way to get a large part of the job done and an after-work braai is a great way to connect with one another after the work is done.

15. Have Fun!
You are doing this to give you a space to make amazing memories with your family and friends, don’t lose yourself in the mess, you are making memories as you go, it might be hard work now, but the payoff will be better.

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 Lorna Krause

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17 Oct 2019

Solar Cities

by Stephanie Hull | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 2

In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered electricity could be generated by sunlight. He claimed that “Shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution would create an electric current.” Solar energy is now utilized and recognized all over the world.

Solar cities would be very beneficial in South Africa due to our current restraints with Eskom and the load shedding each one of us has had to endure on and off for the past 12 years. Solar Energy is free and being a third world County, this would be viable and It would be great not having to depend on Eskom for electricity. Utilizing Solar panels will save you money and reduce your lights account.

Many South African are currently utilizing solar energy to power the following:

Watches
Calculators
Lighting
Water pumps
Water heaters

Solar energy hold’s the most potential in South Africa due to the fact that we receive a large amount of radioactive energy. Solar Energy is renewable, meaning we will never run out of sunshine. Wind energy could also be unitized in South Africa, especially around our coastal areas.

Counties that make the most use of Solar power would be:

China
United States of America
Japan
Germany
India
Italy
United Kingdom
Australia

The initial cost of setting up a solar running house or city is at a high rate, however, the saving, in the long run, is thousands of rand.

Sources:
Feedspot
Google
HomeInsulations

About Stephanie Hull

17 Sep 2019

Safety shouldn’t be Complicated

by Melanie Miles | posted in: Construction Chat, General, Safety | 0

Safety (noun); the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury.

Safety really should not be complicated. Sometimes taking all the safety precautions can end with injury and in some extreme cases, even death.

Some examples spring to mind…
20 years or so ago, my school friend was travelling from Durban to Pietermaritzburg with her father, and they had an accident. Emergency personnel could not free her from her safety belt, and she ended up being burnt to death.

In some other cases, some people might still be alive if they had their safety belts on, which would have stopped them getting ejected through the windscreen. Buckle up and maybe carry a knife on you just in case you need to free yourself.

Then there are a couple of cases where timber workers, felling trees, end up with the tree falling in the wrong direction, or maybe they were just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and got hit by it; instant death. Protective clothing and helmets did not help in these cases, but maybe if they had a better knowledge or were more aware of their position, they might still be alive.

Whilst you may have heard of these safety rules before, some do need repeating:

Stay alert and stay alive. The more awake you are, the less likely you will get hurt. I don’t know how many times I have driven on the N3 and seen trucks overturned. Rest when you feel tired. Rather get there alive, than in pieces.
Wear the correct clothing. Protective clothing should fit properly. Wear your protective helmet. You never know when an accident may occur. Be prepared.
Use the right tools. If you need a spanner, use it. Using incorrect equipment is just asking for trouble.
Don’t play pranks. Practical jokes can be dangerous, especially around heavy machinery.
Be tidy. This will reduce hazards. Always put your tools away when you are not using them and keep your floors clean and clutter-free. A slip or fall may just end up being a hospital call.
Do not take chances or shortcuts. Do it right, and do it safely. Short cuts are probably the biggest killer of all. To save a minute or two, you may lose a life.

If you follow all the safety precautions and still end up getting hurt, get first aid immediately. Neglect of an injury could lead to infection, loss of work time and in some cases, permanent injury.

Remember, your safety is your responsibility. If you are in doubt, contact your supervisor or manager for instruction, guidance, or training.

Safety is not complicated, but it is a choice. Choose wisely.

About Melanie Miles

One girl who would rather wear boots than high heels...

29 Aug 2019

How to Build Bridges without Building Walls

by Naomi Konigkramer | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

Building bridges in a metaphoric term means to open up, invite people into your personal space, and create relationships with people outside of your comfort zone. This is never an easy thing to do; as we get older it gets harder to “Build Bridges” and allow people to see a more vulnerable side of yourself. This is when we “put up walls” so we don’t appear weak to new people: – for example colleagues or clients.

When it comes to a business and the workplace, companies want employees to be able to be open and honest with each other within the Business (Building Bridges) this then creates a positive outlook when it comes to prospective and/or existing clients. With these “bridges built” within a company, it creates an atmosphere for us to be able to go out and impress clients as a collective and not individuals; therefore boosting our power within our prospective network. Empowering businesses and employees to strive for excellence. Every employee can “add a brick to the bridge” by striving for a positive office environment, as well as when representing the company by portraying a sense of professionalism.

Walls are important when building a solid structure such as an office block or building a new mall, but “Walls” are not good in a working environment. Walls are a metaphor for anything that is creating a negative block; walls contain a build-up of negative energy. When employees or even management of a company or businesses build walls, it can cause in office fighting and a lack of trust between management and employees.

There is going to be times when walls are going to be built, but it is important to break down those walls and build bridges.

Pope Francis quoted; “Build bridges, and tear down walls.”

Sources:
World Economic Forum
The Human Wi-Fi

About Naomi Konigkramer

I have been at Leads to Business for 5 months, I have learned so many new things. I am very happy to be part of the Daily Tenders Department.

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22 Aug 2019

World’s Funniest Engineering Fails – Bridges

by Janice Botha | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

World’s Funniest Engineering Fails – Bridges

When building of a bridge is conducted it’s a convoluted situation requiring knowledge and proficiency. Various key aspects come into play, such as costs, Engineering limits, and Environmental Impacts, when deciding which construction method to use and bridge type to build. These are all aspects to look at before construction takes place. There are also numerous reasons bridge Engineering could conceivably fail such as Environmental issues (floods, fires, Earthquakes); construction incidents, and most commonly design flaws.

We depend on professionals to seemingly take note of all these aspects.

In the line of history, Engineers have made many mistakes that make us just wonder? “What in the act of engineering are you doing?”

A few examples of the world’s funniest Bridge Engineering fails include:
“Just meet me half way…”
Copenhagen’s Kissing bridge.
Located in Denmark, The construction started in 2011 and it was ‘intended’ to open in 2013. The bridge had several errors one of which was being misaligned (Not meeting in the middle) that delayed the construction for just over 2 years. The bridge that did not end up kissing. They had one job, one job…

Another example, is right under our noses, situated in South Africa.

“ To be continued…”
The Foreshore Freeway Bridge in Cape Town also known as the “unfinished bridge”. The construction started in 1977, and due to lack of funding it was never finished. The purpose of a bridge structure is to bear a passage, #justsaying. This unfinished business has somewhat become a tourist attraction in the City of Cape Town. So there is at least one positive aspect to this failure.

As history has proven to us that not every Engineer takes note of precision – but, we surely hope that our future Engineers would take note of these mistakes and hopefully learn from them, as amusing as they may be.

About Janice Botha

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8 Aug 2019

Why are Bridges Built?

by Michelle Ngubo | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

Why are Bridges Built?

I am not much of a Blogger, so let me just “build a bridge” and get over it.

Why do we need or build bridges?
Bridges have been built and used since ancient times, used to carry traffic or humans across an area of obstruction where they are unable to get across.

The benefits of Bridges:
Connecting people, goods and transport
Safety
Reduce traffic and collisions
Easy access (easy passage over obstacles)

The negative impact of Bridges:
Bridges can also be harmful to our environment, can harm trees, cause pollution of our waters, chemicals from vehicles and construction can contaminate the water via precipitation. The construction of bridges can also drastically change the environment and impose serious health issues.

How Bridges have evolved:
From cutting a tree, dragging it into position to serve as a plank, to tying rafts together to form a pontoon, to modern bridges, where you, me and any mode of transport can utilise.

Out with the old and in with the new:

The world’s longest sea crossing: The bridge spans 55km (34 miles) and connects Hong Kong to Macau and the Mainland Chinese City of Zhuhai.

Bridges are beautiful, a masterpiece designed by the hands of architects and art in the eyes of humankind.

Tip of the Day: Build and never burn your bridges

Sources:
Geograph
Flickr
Alamy
Wikipedia
BBC

About Michelle Ngubo

I have been working at L2B since March 2014 and my current position is Tenders Africa Deputy HOD and Classy is the best word that describes me.

1 Aug 2019

Common Mistakes in Bridge Construction

by Sonet van Wygaard | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

Common Mistakes in Bridge Construction

The best way to avoid bridge failures is to expect them to happen and develop a good risk management strategy. Don’t just wait to cross that bridge when you get there. This is the only way to protect the public from injuries, loss of life, property damage and destruction. Some bridge collapses are mysteries when they first happen. It isn’t until a detailed investigation is completed that the true cause is revealed.

I am going to list a few common mistakes in bridge construction:

1. Poor Bridge Maintenance: The collapsing of bridges could be prevented with more strict inspections and frequent routine maintenance. Rusted parts must be replaced, drainage areas cleared in case of natural disasters and reinforcements added especially when the use of the bridge has increased. The Connecticut Turnpike over the Mianus River collapsed due to the failure of steel pins that had corroded. I can not believe the lack of bridge maintenance! Can’t get over it.

2. Cheap Materials: A bridge is only as strong as what it’s built with. No one likes to spend money, but excessive cost-cutting can leave the bridge vulnerable to collapses. Not only is the bridge put in a more precarious situation, but saving money on materials can also lead to more costly repairs down the line.

3. Design Defect: While some bridges are constructed perfectly with high-end materials, they can still fail if the design is flawed. Bridges with a poor design could fail to hold enough weight or withstand natural conditions. There are bridges whose collapse was unpreventable before the bridge was ever built.

4. Natural Disasters: Today’s changing climate and the extreme weather events associated with it is causing chaotic weather. Most collapses happen on bridges that were built a long time ago when designers couldn’t imagine the kind of storms they’d have to withstand today. We can’t control the weather, but we can build structures strong enough to withstand such natural disasters. There is always room for improvement.

5. Accidents: Whether it’s a truck hitting a support post, a train falling off the tracks or a boat colliding into a foundation, accidents are one of the leading reasons bridges are damaged or come down. Bridge engineers must plan for all types of incidents. They will have to also bear in mind what the future holds for us. Will there be driverless cars, larger ocean tankers, and cruise ships, along with pilotless drones that could impact bridges in the near and distant future? I think it’s possible, most of it is already happening.

I am definitely no expert in any of these aspects, but keep these failures in mind next time you sitting in your car under a train bridge and the robot for you to go is red.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Civil Digital
Asset Works
Engineers Journal

About Sonet van Wygaard

I started working at Leads 2 Business in 2014. I was part of the Tenders Africa team and moved to Projects in 2019. I love every second of it!

16 May 2019

Terrific Reasons to Hire a Contractor

by Bianca Warwick | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 2

So you want to build your own home? Perhaps you own a house already and want to modify or extend the existing space. Maybe you just want to add a swimming pool or a lock-up garage.

Many people undertake DIY construction projects without the consultation or employment of an experienced contractor. Many of these projects turn out to be successful, but can also come with various challenges.

If you want to remove the stress element, consider hiring a contractor for the following reasons.

Experience

Appoint a construction company that has a wealth of expertise in the industry. An experienced contractor will know exactly what is required for your project to be completed safely and within your budget and time frame.

Quality of Work

More often than not, experienced contractors have skilled in-house teams and external sub-contractor teams that have likely worked together on numerous projects. This provides you with peace of mind that your project will be carried out with quality workmanship.

Compliance with the Law

It would be wise to appoint a contractor who is an expert in complying with South Africa’s National Building Regulations (NBR). Your appointed contractor should know how to carry out the works by following these guidelines.

Reputable contractors in the home building industry should be registered with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC). The NHBRC’s vision is “to be a champion of the housing consumer” and their mission is “to protect the housing consumers and to regulate the homebuilding environment.”

Insurance Cover

Should you ever encounter a problem with the structures in the future, your insurer will want to make sure that all legal regulations were adhered to during construction. If not, your claim/s could be rejected.

Warranties

Projects are undertaken by a contractor that is NHBRC certified and carry a 12-month warranty against roof leaks and a 5-year warranty against major structural defects.

The ultimate goal here would be to transform your living space into a place that works for you and your family, that is safe and that will last for many years to come. The above-mentioned points will hopefully assist you with the decision of whether or not to appoint a contractor for your next exciting project.

Happy planning!

Sources:
SANS 10400 Building Regulations
NHBRC
NHBRC warns consumers against fraudulent use of its logo
Property24
Dial A Contractor
Durbanville online directory

About Bianca Warwick

I had the privilege of joining the Leads 2 Business content team in January 2012. I work in the exciting Projects department, following the progress of construction developments in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.

11 Apr 2019

Clever Marketing Strategies Retail Outlets use

by Debbie Wessels | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

Clever Marketing Strategies Retail Outlets use

Many years ago, my uncle had a general trading store in a little town called Komga in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. He was building his store up from scratch and had many items for sale. One particular item, a box of pens, had been sitting on the shelf, not selling and were priced at 99c each. He made a sign, wrote the word “Special – R 1.00 each”, put the box on the counter and all the pens were sold within a week.

My uncle’s strategy was visual (no mobiles and social media invented yet) but today’s retailers have many more options at their disposal. Many people are bargain hunters and the words “special” or “sale” are like homing beacons, calling us, tantalizing and convincing enough that sometimes, even if we don’t really need the item, we buy it cause we are getting it on “special”!

In this consumer driven world that we live in, we are bombarded from all sides with marketing ploys and adverts, specials, etc to convince you that THIS is the store, THIS is what I need. To draw the foot traffic into their stores, retailers have many options at their disposal and how they use them will determine if their strategies are working……

Retailers need to ensure that their STOREFRONTS are relevant and enticing, when it is a sweltering 40 degrees outside, gorgeous fur coats draped over the mannequins with lace up boots and scarfs will not set the right tone. INCENTIVES TO RETURN and a LOYALTY PROGRAM, this marketing strategy is widely used and is very successful. If I am faced with two shops, side by side, selling the same merchandise but one is offering me an incentive to enter, boy oh boy, that is the one I am going to choose, I mean, who does not want a free coffee while I browse through wonderful stuff that I don’t really need? And if buying something results in a “kickback” to me (loyalty points etc) that’s the way I am gonna go. SOCIAL MEDIA is a powerful tool utilised in retailer’s marketing strategies, promoting their in-store goods on line and even better when there is a limit to the special e.g. buy 2 leggings for R50, Special ends Monday. Goodness, best I get there right now, good price and it ends soon and I don’t want to miss out! Advertising on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and pinning your goods to a PINTEREST board is always a good idea. REVIEWS! Personally I like to check reviews and they most certainly have an influence as to whether I wish to patronise that retailer or not. BRANDS, lets face it, a lot of people are brand conscious and a brand name beats a no-name brand any day! Retailers have a multitude of options at their fingertips and in order to succeed they need to stay one step ahead of their competitors.

Leads 2 Business takes great pride in producing relevant, comprehensive and updated information in the Construction Industry by publishing new tenders and projects on a daily basis. Our up-to-date, user friendly website is a breeze to operate and will save you time when looking to increase your order book. Do not miss out on this opportunity! For further information on our services please contact me on DebbieW@L2B.co.za , I look forward to hearing from you!

Sources:

Vendhq
Fitsmallbusiness.com
Wordstream
Shopify
CampaignMonitor
Pixabay

About Debbie Wessels

I started at Leads 2 Business in April 2008 in the tenders Department and transferred to the Projects Department during the same year. I was appointed Head of Department for Projects from February 2011 to March 2022. April 2022 I started a new adventure as Content Regulator.

12 Mar 2019

Simple Tips that will improve Vendor Responses

by Nadine Vermeulen | posted in: Construction Chat, General, How To | 0

As the main contractor, your daily schedule involves plenty of organizing, planning, and meticulous work. In a busy world with a busy schedule, it is very easy to lose track of time and lose your objective for the day, even if it is just slight details or information that you need to obtain.
When you tender on a project (or a few), the stressful work can get a bit much, but never fear, as Leads 2 Business is here with a solution.

By using our L2Q Pricing Platform, life has become a little simpler in obtaining prices from various Vendors in just a few clicks.

Once a Bill of Quantities has been added onto your pricing platform profile, you can send Request for Quotes (RFQ’s) to various vendors to obtain prices for specific trades that you require.

Our dedicated Control List team will meticulously follow up on these RFQ’s to assist in obtaining the necessary responses.

By using the following tips, the responses you receive from vendors could be improved:

Provide vendors with drawings and/or specifications of the project.
Should a vendor contact you with regards to the quotation, assist as much as you are able to at the time.
Confirm that you are sending the RFQ to the correct vendor i.e read the description of the company, which will give you the necessary insight on their scope of works.
Keep an open line of communication, as good communication will assist with dealing with the same vendor in the future. For example; if the tender has been awarded, notify the vendor if you have been awarded the tender or not. This will let the vendor know that he/she is not pricing in vain.
Give the vendors sufficient time to respond to the RFQ (at least 5 – 7 days).

Hopefully, using these few tips, it will assist in an even smoother process to obtain your responses from various vendors, without being bombarded by unnecessary responses that you don’t need.

Feel free to give us a call if you require more information about our Leads 2 Quotes package on +27(0)860 836 337.

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 Nadine Vermeulen

I started working at Leads 2 Business in October 2014 in the Leads 2 Quotes Department. I managed all the Daily Tender Bill Requests and followed up on BoQ's for our Daily Tender Subscribers. In 2017, I was promoted to L2Q Assistant and now work with Bill of Quantities for Contractors. 🙂

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