When you require the services of a professional electrician, you should make sure that the person you choose has the right qualifications and certified by the relevant institutions. Besides, they should also have vast experience that enables them to handle any project no matter the complexity and size. There are many electricians out there in the market that will claim they can offer exceptional services for a long time, but such are usually marketing strategies. So, you must be on the look out to avoid making the wrong choice and then get disappointed in the long end. This page will help you avoid that mistake.

So, how do you get that perfect electrician for your project?

References

This is a great way to make sure that you get an electrician who will offer you high-quality services and good working experience.  This is a good way to know a good electrician because you will get their details from people who know them well. You also get to know more about them, so you make a more informed choice in the process.  Consider working with those that offer more satisfaction to their clients and impress with the quality and commitment they show in providing unique services.

Get an initial quote

You cannot entrust an electrician to work on your project without the knowledge in the amount they charge for their work. So, you should make sure that you get an initial quote from each of the electricians that you consult as you do your search. Look for the one charging a price that suits your budget. However, it is critical that you also avoid those charging a very low fee for their services, because the quality of the electrical services they provide might also be questionable. It is also good you look for those who offer and discounts to customers. Note that you will be working with the electrician for a long time; therefore be sure to get one with a price that will never strain you in your budget.

Permission and permit

It is good to note that you might be requiring an electrical project that requires permits or permission. A perfect electrician will not try to go for shortcuts; by working on your project without the right permit and will at all times seek approval from the relevant authorities. So, you need to ask the different electrician you come across about their process of working to ensure that you always follow the right procedure on all your projects.

Level of efficiency

A good electrician will adhere to the timeline given to complete a particular project. Besides, they will offer you a full quote for a specific project after they do a thorough assessment of the work and complexity involved. In case they find that they cannot complete a particular job within the promised time, they will update you beforehand to avoid inconveniences.  It is also good you look for the one who listens to your needs first before they can start working on your project. This is a sure way you will get satisfactory results from them.

Getting A Mortgage As A Small Business Owner

Applying for a home mortgage is always complicated, but the process would be even more challenging if you are a small business owner. After the mortgage crisis in 2008, the government set up tighter regulations to keep lenders from profiting high-risk borrowers, meaning that it is much harder for those with complex tax forms like business owners to get a home loan.

Today, there are many obstacles that a small business owner must overcome to obtain a home mortgage. Some of them are avoidable, while the others should be dealt with carefully. But do not worry, here are some useful tips to help you achieve your goal.

Have a good plan

The difficulty of getting a home mortgage for a small business owner comes from the income proof. Nearly all lenders might require a balance sheet, a P/L statement, and full records of income. Thus, make sure to prepare all of these documents before your application.

It is a good idea to hire an experienced bookkeeper who would help to prepare or record the necessary information. Also, you should build a good relationship with a mortgage broker to get insight or advice about the process. This is helpful for understanding and resolving any problems early.

Show income growth

In addition to applying all the necessary information, it is also essential to look good, too. In most cases, a lender prefers the debt-to-income ratio of your business to be under 40 per cent, depending on some important factors like LTV or credit score.

An underwriter might need to know where your income comes from and how well your company is doing. It seems to be much better to a mortgage officer when your business and income grow gradually over time, and consistent solvency can be a plus.

Avoid tax debt

The main benefit of having your own company is the ability to reduce your tax burden by writing off costs as tax deductions. However, this can have an adverse effect when you apply for a home mortgage. When loan underwriters examine your proof of income in the tax returns, they often see a lower figure due to the deducted expenses.

Thus, your loan amount will be reduced or even rejected. So if you are in urgent need of a home loan, it is better to maximise your income by reducing the deductions. This might sound annoying, but it would pay off in the future.

Improve credit score

While getting a good or high credit score can be a good objective for anyone who is looking for a home mortgage, it is especially important for small business owners as they have many other requirements from most lenders such as the proof of income or paperwork.

Basically, a really healthy credit score would be really helpful just because it represents stability to the loan officers. More importantly, most lenders often pay particular attention to self-employed borrowers with low credit scores, even when they accept a substantial down payment or earn a high income.

Two Major Types Of Solar Energy

Most people are not aware that there are different types of solar panels used to convert the sun’s light and heat into electricity. The sun is one of the primary sources of energies taken by humankind and is converted into electricity through the use of equipment developed throughout the year. A lot of great minds have dedicated their time to inventing solar panels.

But what people are not aware of is the fact that there are two significant kinds of solar energies. One that is called Photovoltaic Energy and the other called Thermal Energy. Both energies are taken from the sun. Photovoltaic energy comes from the sun’s light, and thermal energy comes from the sun’s heat. So as long as there is the sun, these energies shall be beneficial for any household.

Photovoltaic energy is the more efficient kind of energy as it can be converted into electricity that can make any device work like lights and home appliances. Since this kind of energy only needs the suns light, it is most convenient for people living in cold places because as long as the sun shines over their house, they are sure to get enough light to convert to energy. This kind of energy does not need to sun’s warmth to be able to produce electricity. However, this kind of energy may take up a lot of space since you will need to have as many panels to collect the sun’s heat as possible. So you should make sure that you have enough space around your house for these solar panels.

On the other hand, Thermal energy takes the sun’s heat and converts it to energy that can also produce heat such as house heaters and water heaters. Although unlike the photovoltaic energy that can produce energy for any device, thermal energy is still very convenient and is also a good kind of investment. This kind of energy is critical to places that need heaters most of the time since it will inevitably reduce your electricity bill.

However, both kinds of energy would always require the sun. During the night, it is best that one keeps storage where energy is saved so that they would have enough energy to sustain throughout the night. The more storage there is, the better especially during long storms where the sun is usually unseen. During long rains, the sun may be invisible which means the MDB solar panels may not be able to capture the sun’s heat or light to convert to energy. Therefore, it is always best and safe to have extra energies stored for emergency purposes.

So if you are planning to buy a solar panel for your home, you should take into consideration a lot of things like which kind of panel would best suit your house or which kind of energy is perfect for your needs. A lot of information is readily available on the internet so with just a few clicks, you can learn a lot of things about these solar energies, how they can be helpful for you and how they can be installed in your households.

Make Money from Trash: Waste Management Business Opportunities

For entrepreneurs, the waste management industry is FLY. These business opportunities lie in wait.

Residential Waste Collection

Every household deals with trash of varying proportions. To target this market, buy a garbage truck and inform the public of your new trash collection business.

Factory Waste

Collect trash from factories and dispose it on their behalf. Serve as many factories as you can or sign a contract with one operation.

Recycling Plant

Though it’s capital-intensive, a recycling plant is money-making. Buy recyclable materials from garbage collectors and sell them to factories.

Commercial Waste Collection

Collect trash from offices and business premises rather than homes and private residences.

Waste Collection Centre

If you can’t afford a garbage truck, create a site, where people can dump their trash at a fee. Then hire a truck to collect the waste and transfer it to a landfill.

Public Bathrooms

People who need to “pee” or “poo” while in public can pay a small fee to use your facility.

Scrap Metal Depot

Metals are recyclable. Pick up metal scraps or buy them in large quantities. Sell the metals to companies that make pots, nails, roofs, cutleries, etc.

Mobile Toilets

Such toilets are needed at parties, big events and camping grounds. Making, selling and leasing mobile toilets is an easy-to-start venture with good profit margins.

Recycling Electronic Waste

Start a business that collects e-waste including old computers, bad televisions, used cell phones, discarded radios, etc. Manufacturers and spare part dealers require such materials.

Skip Bins Business

This is the icing on the cake. Contractors, builders and factories need skip bins to dump their bulging waste. Companies rent out bins to make cash.

Rubber Waste Recycling

People throw away slippers, buckets, rubber shoes and jerry cans as they consider them useless. Collect such stuff. Companies that make plastic chairs and car tires will be your top buyers.

Cans and Bottles Recycling

These items are an environmental nuisance. It’s common to see them littered on the street. Pick up those cans and bottles and sell them to manufacturers.

Polythene Bags Recycling

In Australia, lightweight plastic bags are a menace. Like rubber, polythene could be recycled. Help save Australia’s environment.

Oil Recycling

Almost every factory uses oil. You can buy used oil and sell it to companies or individuals who make bio-fuel.

Bio-Fuel Making

People are ditching diesel, kerosene and petroleum products. A biofuel production business fills the gap. Bio-fuel is made from waste matter and set to replace crude-oil.

Paper Recycling

Everyone uses paper which is converted into tissue rolls. Vend waste paper to tissue production companies.

Used Clothes Recycling

Old clothes, when recycled, make cushions, mattresses and foot mats. Besides recycling, used clothes could be sold to people who can’t afford new attires.

Construction Waste

The construction industry generates loads of waste. Gather and send that waste to salvage yards.

Medical Waste Recycling

Clinics and hospitals need to discard waste in a safe manner. Dumping blood and body parts sounds gross but it’s profitable.

While each business category in this guide is lucrative, we recommend you give skip bins a shot.

How to make lots of money selling gift boxes

A gift box business is easy to start and earn a profit. Selling many gift boxes improves your bottom line. But other factors, including salary, supplies and selling price, can affect your earning potential. Learn how to and keep your business afloat.

Materials

List the supplies you use to make the gift baskets. Factor in the content you put in the boxes. Add a price to each item. This gives you a general idea of the value of the box. Quality materials make the box look lovely and pricey. Invest in appealing content: bows, greeting cards and wrapping paper. Composing catchy gift boxes wins customers and turns a profit. Substandard products are an eye-sore and a loss.

Pricing

Price varies depending on the materials and content used to make and design the gift box. Award yourself a profit of at least 20%. Here’s what we’re talking about – if your gift box has a value of $100, set your price at $120 or $140. That profit is enough to cover your expenses and pay your salary.

Budget

Create a comprehensive budget. Budgeting helps you determine how many gift boxes are needed to clear bills and recoup expenses. Using the budget, calculate how many boxes are to be sold to make a profit and run a successful business.

Salary

Set a personal salary. The profit you make covers your salary. But don’t pay yourself with the entire profit. Let’s show you an example – if your gift box is worth $150 and you’ve set the price at $200, put $20 or $ 30 aside for your expenses. Now the remaining amount is your profit. If your prices can’t pay your wages, adjust your spending. For your business to survive and be profitable, minimize expenses. Prepare food and coffee at home instead of going out for dinner or purchasing daily coffees.

Demand

Make gift boxes on demand. Don’t waste time and money, for instance, making gift boxes for storage. Instead, create and decorate the boxes as orders trickle in. Doing so saves money and labour. Use the extra resources (time and cash) to market your boxes. It depends on your customer base. Many customers, more orders. As the demand grows, train your friends and employ them. Training involves making, designing, marketing and selling gift boxes.

Market

To attract customers, market your gift boxes repeatedly. If you own a website, you’re good to go. Door-to-door marketing costs no dime but wastes time. For wide coverage, use social media. Instagram and Pinterest are the best platforms. Post pics of your boxes on your page. Business cards come in handy but aren’t that effective. The best time to market is during holidays. Brilliant marketers attract customers with discounts and coupons.

Selling gift boxes is a lucrative venture if you plan beforehand and market constantly. You can start a home-based business and transition to a gift shop. Competition is stiff but you can overcome it through competitive prices, exquisite designs, quick delivery and aggressive marketing. Lastly, improve your entrepreneurial side and artistic talent.

Finding the best building company for your new home

Plans for your new home are underway. Perhaps you’ve bought a nice piece of dirt, drawn the house plans and made a budget. To finalise your plans, you need to find a building company. After all, you can’t build the house yourself. Searching for land, drawing floor plans and creating a budget was hectic, right? Fortunately, looking for home builders is easy as 123. Besides showing you how to locate a good company, here at CTE – Adelaide Business Directory, we offer you advice, so you can make wise decisions.

Money matters

Can you really afford to build? If you’re low on cash, apply for a construction mortgage. Ask the mortgage lender to pre-approve your application before you begin the project. This confirms your financial credibility and budget to realtors and builders. Use a build cost calculator to compute the costs of the entire project.

Identify your needs

Decide what kind of home you want and how much you’re willing to spend. Each building company specialises in a certain type of house. And prices range from company-to-company. Whether you’re an empty-nester, a move-up, a first-time homebuyer or finally building your dream home, look for a company that fits your needs.

Get names

Contact the Housing Industry Association (HIA) or the Master Builders Association (MBA) to get a list of building companies. These associations offer a list of local construction companies on their websites. If you’re in contact with a real estate agent, ask for a list of trustworthy companies. Finally, ask neighbours and friends about their builder, and if they’re happy with the job that was done.

Gather quotes

It’s important to hire a building company that is reputable. However, it’s not sensible paying more than is necessary. Collect quotes from the construction companies you’ve listed. Be sure to understand everything included in the estimate. Does the company include finish work and clean up in the overall cost? Working materials should also be present in the quotation.

Consider speciality

You wouldn’t hire an HVAC specialist to fix your plumbing or an electrician to repair your roof. Therefore, don’t hire an apartment building company to create a mansion. Ask the company about other projects they’ve worked on that match yours. Find out if they have photos and if you can talk to previous clients about their work.

Do your homework

Narrow down the list to three building companies you may like to use. Research these builders. Contact other people the company has built homes for and ask questions like if they experienced any major problems and if the project was done on budget and on time. Similarly, visit the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website to check if any complaints or cases have been filed against the company and whether they were resolved.

Experience

If a construction company has built 10 homes similar to yours, they’re more likely to foresee and decipher the common problems that arise during a project than a company that has only one home under its belt. Note how many houses the company has constructed and the size of each project.