General Archives - Page 7 of 42 - Leads 2 Business Blog

4 May 2022

5 Key Roles of a Construction Project Manager

by Sasha Anderson | posted in: General | 0

When we think about construction, it usually comes to mind complex endeavors that require a series of planned and careful actions, after all, it’s necessary to stay faithful to the clients and stakeholders’ expectations and, just as important, make sure that the projects are executed and delivered safely. This complexity is why construction project management has many layers and needs someone who can gather different roles to ensure all relevant aspects of the project are considered. A construction project manager must have distinct qualities that assure their great performance as a leader. If you’re curious about some of the most important roles in this field, we prepared this infographic to show you!

Source: Nutcache

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About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

29 Apr 2022

L2B Opportunities created in the last 30 Days – April 2022

by Sasha Anderson | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

Our comprehensive, online, resource platform delivers daily leads to help you make informed business decisions. Find construction Tenders and Projects within the building, infrastructure, mining, and industrial sectors. Opportunities are researched throughout South Africa and Africa. We put new business prospect leads within your reach.

Leads 2 Business Opportunities we have created in the last 30 Days: for more information check out our Pricing Page.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

26 Apr 2022

A Day in the Life of the L2B Sales Office

by Karen Garner-Savory | posted in: General | 0

I enjoy reaching the office early and starting my day with the most urgent things, first I need to establish if any of the sales staff are not in for the day and if so I need to ensure that all appointments are cancelled or moved to another sales executive to ensure customers and potential customers are taken care of.

Thereafter I look at the office cell and ensure that all clients that have sent messages have been assisted by notifying the relevant sales executive if their clients are asking for the rescheduling of an appointment. Next are my emails, I print and sign off subscription forms and send these to our Registration Department and deal with any queries, leads and reports that have been sent to me.

When 8:00am hits the office comes alive with chatting and perfectly manicured nails hitting keyboards. The sales ladies are high-spirited and bubbly but before long the office falls silent again as they head out on the road to see clients for the day. This is when the Telesales Department jumps into action and starts phoning potential clients to set appointments for the sales team, the office is once again a bustle of noise.

I then start working through my staff’s previous day’s work, compiling reports, checking appointments for quality and ensuring cancellations are reported and that these appointments are being rescheduled. I manage all aspects of the Telesales Department and all Administration for the Johannesburg Branch.

At 16:25 we start finishing off for the day and leave the office satisfied with a job well done!

About Karen Garner-Savory

I started working at Leads 2 Business in May 2009, and have served as Head of Department of Telesales and Administration from 2010 until the present. I oversee both the Telesales department as well as the Administration of our Johannesburg Office.

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20 Apr 2022

What is Intellectual Property?

by Nadine Vermeulen | posted in: General | 0

The definition of Intellectual Property (IP) is the ownership of ideas, such as your trade secrets, your creations; it could be a new invention, a new design, or even a new brand. There are various types of IP available and is an important asset in the knowledge of today’s economy. Some of the IP rights require a process of application, examination and registration.

Registering and managing your IP rights ensures that you receive the best protection and get the most out of your idea, creation or invention. It is also important when establishing your product or service as this will reduce the chance of your products or services being replicated and passed off as those of a rival trader.

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) administer the following IP domains in South Africa:

Trademarks – which identifies the particular goods/services of a trader as distinct from those of other traders. This includes a company’s name, logo, catchphrases etc. The owner of a trademark has the exclusive rights to use, sell or licence the trademark.

Patent – This protects how an invention functions or works such as new and useful inventions whether it may be a new construction method, building material formulation, power tool component, or renovation technique. Patents allow the owner to stop other traders from manufacturing, using, copying or selling the device or process. The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the invention

Designs – the visual appearance of a product is protected but not the way it works, such as kitchen appliances, fashion items, etc. The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the registered design

Copyright – this protects certain types of works such as Literary works; Musical Works; Artistic works; Cinematographic films; Sound Recordings; Broadcasts; Programme-carrying signals; Published editions and Computer programs. This can also range from designs, layouts, blueprints, and other aspects of the manufacturing process which can often be copyrightable. The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the copyrighted work.

Most IP rights are extremely territorial, which have to be dealt with in each territory where you intend to trade. If you have a patent, trademark or design granted in South Africa, it will only be valid in South Africa.

Contractors have a very intricate job that consists of a lot more than physical labour; the construction work that we see is the last step. In the early stages of a project, partnerships are formed with specialists, suppliers, subcontractors, and therefore proper protection is a must. Architectural copyrights is a perfect example as these copyrights can cover blueprints, technical design documents and more, these rights are usually attributed to the architect or engineer. From initial designs to all the calculations and specifications required, there are many forms of IP in any kind of construction project. IP protection is something that should concern anyone involved in the construction industry.

When it comes to the construction industry, you won’t just be protecting your designs and ideas, but also protecting methods of building, machinery used and materials. It is important to know how to protect your IP so that others won’t profit from your hard work.

Sources
CIPC
BDC Magazine

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. 🙂

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

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.

7 Apr 2022

Productivity or Efficiency?

by Sasha Anderson | posted in: General | 0

Productivity and efficiency are two prominent “buzz” words in the corporate world, and orienting your business around them is definitely a wise strategy. Both concepts are important driving forces for any project or endeavor: The lack of them can damage the development and the presence of them can increase success.

Despite the fact that the two words are often used, it’s very common for people to get them mixed up or associated with the same concept. If you’re also not sure about the differences between these two concepts, don’t worry, we prepared this infographic with a complete and simple explanation for you, check it out!

Source: Nutcache

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

29 Mar 2022

A Day in the Life of Private Projects

by Michelle Crosby | posted in: General | 0

Firstly, Coffee, always, no question about it. You’re going to need it.

We source Projects from the Conceptual Feasibility Stages right through the Project Life Cycle until Practical Completion also included are possible cancellations or postponements.

I have a system that starts with my diary (an extensively decorated one), a stats sheet and a writing pad. I plan the day before, yes, I’m “that” person. At the end of each day, I try to take 5 minutes to jot down the following day’s work plan in order of priority.

Each day is different; with many phone calls, emails and general queries. Queries can come through at any time, and I welcome the challenge to source what our clients need. At L2B, our goal is to provide the best customer service and always go the extra mile.

I spend most of my day on the phone so my headset comes in handy allowing me to type while on the phone.

I check my list of daily sources for new projects and updates on existing projects. When adding new projects to our site, I always ask for the full professional team and any information possible that will assist our subscribers with the most up to date and accurate and relevant information.

My duties involve sourcing new upcoming developments specific to Gauteng. I sift through a pile of sourced documents to locate viable projects; some include Background Information Documents, motivational memorandums and other assessments for the proposed development. Not only do we source and add documents, but we also add artist impressions and site progress images to each PPA. I engage with EIA consultants, Town Planners and various other Consultants to ensure I get Leads from the earliest possible stages. I have built relationships with clients, professionals and contractors over the years and call them for updates and information regularly.

We also have projects that we add from Tender Notices that we publish on our website.

We have added services where we endeavour to obtain site registers, bidders lists, bill of quantities and the list of subcontractors involved in each project. Whether it is a public or private project.

We have spreadsheets for everything which I love. It’s a very well organised system. Each spreadsheet is readily accessible by each staff member and needs to be updated constantly throughout the day. Timesheets, Queries sheet, Whatsapp Sheet, Sources, Subcontractors Pulse etc. In addition, we also have monthly, quarterly and annual targets.

We have an amazing CRM system whereby we can maintain relationships with our subscribers. We do courtesy calls and check up on our subscribers, offer assistance and training.

We’re online daily during working hours via our Live-Help chat and ready to assist anyone who comes through on the chat. Whatsapp queries. We have Whatsapp leads also that come through constantly throughout the day.

All of the above happens at my desk which contains all the goodies that I need such as stationery, a cellphone stand, water, a coffee cup etc. Most of it is painted blue – my favourite colour.

Lastly, all staff members are given the opportunity to write a blog during the year, which led to the creation of this blog.

Should you wish to view my recently added projects – please do so by visiting Leads 2 Business or Contact Me with any project related queries.

About Michelle Crosby

I started my journey at Leads 2 Business in the Directory Department in 2012. I was then promoted to the Private Projects Department in 2014 and was recently promoted to Projects HOD this year.

23 Mar 2022

The Role of the CIDB in the Construction Industry

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

Whether you work within the construction industry or not, at some point in time you may have heard of the term CIDB.

If you are an existing subscriber of Leads 2 Business you may have also seen the CIDB tab on our website. The function of this tab is to enable our subscribers to find the perfect leads, relevant to their business quickly and efficiently. This functionality also allows our subscribers to cut their lead time when sourcing new opportunities.

However that still does not answer, what CIDB is and its role, and this is what I aim to do in this blog,

The Construction Industry Development Board is a national regulating framework database, where contractors and construction projects are graded according to financial capacity, for there to be a systematic way to regulate and monitor performance in the industry. The intention of the establishment of the CIDB was to create a fair and enabling environment for growth and development in the Construction Industry of the country.

How does the grading actually work?

There are various grading levels between two to nine and different classes of work, so for someone to qualify for grade 2, it means that their company needs to have completed at least one single large construction project between the values of R 150 000 to R650 000 within the immediate past 5 years. Projects completed more than 5 years ago do not qualify and as such, are not considered by the CIDB. In order to qualify for a higher grading, it means the project values a company deals with should also increase to meet the next value criteria.

The Impact of the Register of Contractors on its stakeholders:

• Helps contractors to make better decisions when tendering, and clients to make informed decisions when awarding contracts;

• Increases the rate of project success and thereby helps contractors to build their own track record;

• Creates a sustainable tendering and business environment for contractors; and

• Helps to level the playing field for contractors.

Where to register?

For grade 1 register online via the CIDB website portal www.cidb.org.za. It takes 48 working hours to process an application and activate a Grade 1 on the system.

For Grade 2 to 9 you can visit your nearest CIDB provincial Office to apply for registration. Grade 2 to 9 applications must be accompanied by the relevant supporting documents. The maximum period for processing Grade 2 – 9 applications is 21 working days.

About Sonet van Wygaard

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

17 Mar 2022

The Future of Tenders & Procurement

by Sasha Anderson | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

Did you notice that since 25 February 2022, there has been a drop in the number of new Tender Notices being published? Although not a complete stop…

What is this a result of?

The previous Preferential Procurement Regulations gazetted in 2017 under the PPPFA of 2000 stipulated that only companies that complied with certain criteria, including a minimum B-BBEE status, could apply for tenders. However, Afribusiness challenged these criteria, advising that it was unconstitutional and also resulted in inflated pricing and poor delivery as many businesses with competitively priced and high-quality products were excluded from tendering.

The Constitutional Court has upheld the SCA’s (Supreme Court of Appeal) 2020 findings that the regulations were inconsistent with the framework for preferential procurement in the PPPFA and the Constitution. The ConCourt and SCA decisions have big implications, especially as procurement by governmental, parastatal and state-owned entities totals about R2-trillion annually.

On 25 February 2022, it was issued that Tenders advertised before 16 February 2022 be finalised with Tenders advertised on or after 16 February 2022 be suspended and No new tenders are advertised. On 03 March 2022, an Advisory Note was published that mentioned tenders of a value less than R30 000 were excluded from this. Further to this exemptions may be requested but are restricted to those who cannot wait for either the new regulations or the ConCourt’s guidance.

The Draft Procurement Regulations were published for comment on 11 March 2022, and the deadline for comment is 11 April 2022. These regulations restore the previous rules, where BEE criteria accounted for a maximum of 20% share in the evaluation of tenders.

What is the current state of affairs?

IT Web notes that “This state of affairs has had a significant impact on government tenders and National Treasury’s offer of exemptions for urgent requirements is unlikely to make much of a difference over the coming weeks.”

At Leads 2 Business we have seen a push for Government Departments and Municipalities to communicate their decisions to potential tenderers. Whether this is to suspend, withdraw or cancel until further notice; or to just postpone and extend dates; in a bid to avoid having to readvertise; various strategies have been employed to meet various procurement needs.

We have also seen errata recognising the Preferential Procurement Regulations ambiguity, and removing these criteria from current tenders. Hence these criteria no longer apply when these tenders will be evaluated and adjudicated.

In summary, some tenders are currently being published whether that be without the regulations in question or to the value of less than R30 000.

Where to from here?

The Draft Procurement Regulations will be referred for review and Cabinet will need to approve the revised Bill before it can be submitted to Parliament. Approval from both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will be required before it can be sent to the President to sign into law.

It’s anyone’s guess how long the processes will take and for the Procurement landscape to return to “normal”. At this point, we haven’t noticed any change in the publication of Award Information and perhaps this lull will allow some Departments and Municipalities to work through any backlog they might have or to plan for when this legal knot has been untied. Award Information that is available is being published and providing value to relevant industry players.

Leads 2 Business continues to check our usual sources and the media to keep abreast of the situation, and are updating the tenders with any pertinent information. As Industry leaders for over 20 years we remain committed to providing valuable information for the Building and Construction Industry.

Claire Donaldson | Head of Department Leads 2 Business Tenders

Sources:
Biz News
IT Web
News24
National Treasury
Government Printing Works

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

15 Mar 2022

A day in the Life of the Tenders Africa Department

by Michelle Ngubo | posted in: General | 0

My day starts with happy greetings to my colleagues on arrival as I switch on my computer to read through my emails, just to check if there are not any urgent queries that need attending to. I move on to Live Help, assisting and responding to any outstanding tickets. This happens just before my cup of coffee.

From there I move on to my sources (this includes newspapers and websites for all the Africa Countries that I look after), checking for any new leads and updates on existing ones. Checking of sources keeps me busy for a good hour or two, as we try and source out as much as we can for our subscribers. Our tenders are saved in date folders, arranging these according to the first action dates.

Now, it’s action time…..as we start adding the content/tenders saved to our website. For this you need to be on your “A Game” as adding tenders and updating the website involves a lot of concentration, making sure that all information is correct and thorough from the Professionals to descriptions, site meetings, closing dates and restrictions as our subscribers depend on what we publish for them. If there is missing information in the adverts saved, we then have to contact the professionals for confirmations, this can be quite challenging because of the language barriers, time differences as well poor telephone connections.

Adding tenders is a process; it takes up most of my day as it also includes adding new professionals to the system with correct contact information for our subscribers to reach out to them directly for their convenience. And if there are any tenders of big value and large works added on the day, they get sent straight to our Private Projects Department to generate project leads that give more content for our PP subscribers to benefit from. All this teaches you a lot as an individual: from diligence, perseverance, patience and responsibility.

There is never a dull moment in the Leads 2 Business Tenders Africa Department.

I love my daily routine…nothing beats the feeling of knowing that I am contributing to helping our subscribers. All in the name of lifting our Leads 2 Business flag high!

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.

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