Sufficient Access Points Are Necessary for Efficient and Affordable Ductwork Cleaning

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVCA) all use Duct systems to deliver and remove air and regular air duct cleaning is important to maintaining the indoor quality of the air in any large building, where large numbers of people work, study or live.

Temperature control can also be an issue because people to not perform at their peak, either in the schoolroom or lecture room, or in the workplace, if the air is stuffy or too warm.

In any building where people are frail or may have a weakened immune system, such as residential homes for the elderly and hospitals and indeed poor air quality has been implicated in situations of sick building syndrome as well as the control of airborne infections air quality is important.

where toxic chemicals need to be removed from the atmosphere of the laboratory or the workplace the efficiency of an air duct system could make the difference between life and death.

In the UK the Health and Safety Executive and the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) both have an interest in maintaining the quality and safety of air in buildings.

One of the main problems of maintaining the hygiene and efficiency of any heating or ventilation system that relies on air ducts is whether the system has enough access points.

If the system was installed some years ago it is likely that it no longer meets modern advisory standards, which have been detailed by HVCA (Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association).

Equally the building may have been altered, extended or otherwise added to over the years and again this can complicate access to the existing ventilation ducting system.

If an organisation is using its own maintenance team to take care of ductwork cleaning the employer has a duty of care to ensure that the work can be carried out safely and using the proper equipment, and again this can be difficult to achieve when the access to the ductwork is less than adequate.

Regular maintenance and duct cleaning should be a part of any building maintenance programme. It is not only important for prevention of fire risk, possible ill health of employees but also because a well-maintained system will operate efficiently to keep energy costs as low as possible.

Many specialist commercial cleaning companies offer an initial free survey and checking service and will advise not only how frequently the system should be cleaned, filters checked and replaced, but also whether access to ductwork can be improved.

If it should prove that access is an issue they also offer a service to install extra access points, which if carried out should result in less time having to be spent on future occasions for cleaning and maintenance.

Maine Corporations, LLCs And S Corporations

You know what? You don't need to go to an attorney or law firm to incorporate in Maine. And you also don't need to get a tax accountant's help to set up an S corporation. The reason? Both the state of Maine and the Internal Revenue Service provide helpful, free resources to small business people wanting to do this stuff.

Free Resource #1: Free forms from State of Maine

To incorporate in Maine, you file articles of incorporation or articles of formation with the Maine Secretary of State. But while you can retain an attorney to do these articles for you, you can also work from free forms the state provides at its website.

The website addresses of the free downloadable forms change pretty frequently. But if you know the exact name of the free Maine form you need, you can search (using something like Google or Bing) on the form name and quickly locate what you're looking for.

For example, to locate the free downloadable form for incorporating in Maine, search on "MBCA-6: Articles of Incorporation." And to locate the free downloadable form for setting up a limited liability company in Maine, search on "MLLC-6: "Certificate of Formation."

Two quick points about these forms: First, even if you don't end up taking a do-it-yourself approach to incorporating in Maine, download and examine the forms so you better understand the process. Two, note that both Maine corporations and Maine LLCs can make an election to be treated as a S corporation.

Free Resource #2: Free EIN set up

The step you take after forming a corporation or limited liability company is getting a taxpayer identification number for the new entity. You can get this number, called an employer identification number, from the Internal Revenue Service. And, the good news is, the application process is both free and fast.

The standard (and slightly old school) way to get an employer identification number, also called an EIN, is to download an SS-4 form from the IRS dot gov website, fill out the form, and then either mail or fax the completed the form to the Internal Revenue Service.

The faster way to get an EIN is to visit the IRS website's home page and click on the link that lets you apply online for your new corporation's or limited liability company's ID number. Look for the link labeled "Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online." Note that the online EIN application walks you through the steps for applying, supplies helpful onscreen help to answer your questions, and gives you a EIN at the end of the process.

Free Resource #3: Free sub S election help and forms

Commonly, as hinted at in the opening paragraph, a small business owner goes to a tax accountant for making a Subchapter S election for a new Maine LLC or corporation. But you can do the election yourself, as long as you know which form to use and where to get instructions for filling out the form.

If you're ready to try (or least think about trying) this yourself, know that the form you use is the "Internal Revenue Service 2553 form." And know that to find this form, all you need to do is visit the IRS dot gov website and enter this phrase into the home page's search box.

You'll probably also want the free instructions that explain the form. To get that instruction for the 2553 form from the IRS website, search on the phrase "2553 Instructions."

The Back Load - Carrying the Weight for Haulers and Customers, A Back Load - Good for Business, But Do It Right, How to Choose the Right Promotional Products for Your Company

The back load- it's probably the Solomonic answer to problems for both workers in the haulage industry and their customers, and the popularity of these sorts of jobs is currently on the rise.

It's About Time!

Ask any small businessman these days how they feel about courier and haulage costs, and chances are, they will say that they cost too much, and cut into their already miniscule profit margins. Ask a courier driver about the same topic, however, and you will find that their answer is quite the opposite- many of them are not able to charge enough to defray their costs and make a decent living. That was, of course, until the advent of jobs enabling a back load.

With fuel prices continuously going up with no end in sight, and traffic problems getting worse by the day, it seems that courier and haulage jobs seem to be getting harder and harder to come by- or, at the very least, less profitable for both sides. A back load can go towards solving this problem, providing the small businessman a way to transport his goods at affordable rates, while proving the haulage industry worker a way to maximize his time, effort, and most of all, his fuel costs on jobs.

What is a Back Load?

A back load, put simply, is a haulage job that comes in for the courier-driver or truck driver that he can do on the return trip of another delivery. While technically often counted as a return-trip haul, small enough packages or loads can also be piggybacked on top of a main load if necessary, though this practice is not usually encouraged.

Benefits of Taking a Back Load

The logic is simple: why return with an empty truck when there's someone who needs goods moved to wherever you are returning? After all, trips wherein the truck or van is empty cost practically the same as when they are loaded. Since main jobs are costed for both delivery and return trips, however, whatever you are going to make taking on a job moving goods on a back load is gravy. This allows you to quote lower prices for the job on the return trip, making it an easier decision for the customer to choose your haulage and delivery services.

Not only is a back load a more efficient use of your time, effort and fuel expenses, it's also a way for the courier driver to do his part in helping conserve fossil fuels- it's actually a more environmentally friendly way of doing business! The result - better business for both the people in the haulage company and their customers and in turn, a boon to the economy.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

The fact remains that a back load (in numbers) can make up for many of the impending losses that tough times have brought about. However, there are a few things that independent haulers and courier drivers need to know in order to keep a back load beneficial to their businesses- like most things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad.

Here are a few tips and reminders from those in the know for those in the haulage industry regarding back loads. Keep these in mind, and you'll be able to profit from the added business (and income!) that they can bring.

Take Them Seriously

Remember that motto, "no job too big or too small?" Or how about this one, "Everything worth doing is worth doing well"? The secret to being successful in business is accomplishing tasks with the same amount of painstaking detail, regardless of size or budget. This means that a back load, despite being considered somewhat akin to a side job, needs to be given the same amount of attention as regular (or main) loads. This means treating the customers and their goods as professionally as you can, taking the same amount of care and conscientiousness as you would a main load. After all, it's probably better for you, your driving, your vehicle and most of all, your business. Who knows, today's back load client could be tomorrow's major client.

Don't Sacrifice Your Main Delivery

If this seems contradictory to the earlier tip, it isn't. Remember that a back load is meant to augment your business, make up for increasing costs and adding to your income. Counting on them for every trip however may, in the long run, cost you more if you focus on them entirely. Don't forego or delay your main deliveries and don't accept an unprofitable delivery just because you know there may be a back load available to take up the slack. This is not just bad for your business but for the entire industry as well. Don't make the mistake of costing the main jobs as you would the return load just because it is there. And most of all, remember rule number one of taking on a back load - it needs to be on the same route back!

Take Care Of Your Contacts

This means your regular buddies, the ones that tip you off, the ones that text you, "Hey, man, estate furniture load just a corner from where you're dropping off that panda," or similar! Treating them to drinks once in a while is great, but they'd probably appreciate you doing a good job on their recommendations more - and of course, returning the favour on tips once in a while.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

In setting a strategic advertising plan for your business, it is a convenient way to use promotional products to launch your company name, product and services to the public. It has an influential role in making a brand identity and has been the tool used by many enterprises for years. Personalized promotional gift items are creative ways of introducing your products and services in the market. Hundreds of selected items can be used as gift items where you can put your company logo and leave a positive impression to your clients. Products which can be given away include shirts, desk accessories, food gifts, pens, mugs, bags, key chains and custom apparels.

The Type of Items to Choose and their Relevance

Consider first what type of items you will be giving away. The right promotional products to use are those items people use everyday such as notepads, sticky pads and pens which are relatively cheap. Unless you have something more in your mind than these items and you think you can afford more expensive ones you can choose mouse pads or USB drives and other state of the art products. Common sense has a big role in selecting a promotional product as well. You have to balance the level of usability and appeal of the various products that are available to choose from. Relevance should be considered when you are to choose the right promotional product for your company. Make sure that the chosen items reflect your business, products or services. You have to make sure that you give away products that fit the right place of where you decided to distribute them.

Right Timing and Longevity

Time is the last thing you have to consider. This has something to do with the length of time that the product would possibly last. It is better to chose products which can be use for long periods of time or can be used from time to time daily. It is not considered cost effective if the items you have chosen are only used ones and thrown away by its users. This will not effectively give better investment returns.

If you have accomplished the task of choosing the right promotional products for you, the next thing you need to do is think of a way on how to make each of the item will be personalized with your company name and product. Make sure that the name of your company or product is imprinted visibly on the items. Remember that the type of promotional products you will use will tell your recipients the kind of company you are and the kind of product you have.

The Biggest Reasons Your Company Should Invest in Mobile Solutions

Mobile technologies are developing at a manic pace and few businesses can afford to ignore the trend. Making use of mobile solutions can help you enhance your bottom line and improve receptivity among certain parts of the population, and here is why.

Connect with Generation Y

Forget about Generation X, Me or any other. Generation Y is where the money is today. They use their mobile devices, phones, pads and everything under the sun, to remain in contact and online at all hours of the day and night. This is a group of individuals who evaluate products, compare prices and shop online.

Offering mobile solutions which allow your company to bring the market directly to them will increase sales. One of the most common ways to do this is to have an item purchased online but delivered, usually free, to the local store. Once a customer is in your store, the chances of an impulse buy go up.

More Opportunities to Make the Connection

If you sell a product that can be marketed in various niches, you should be doing so. Otherwise you're missing the boat on an opportunity. Being able to take your sales on the road to conventions and other functions allows you to tap into a larger number of subsections of the population. The more areas you can access, the greater your potential customer base can be, and obviously, the larger your business will be. If you are stuck in one location you are dependent upon sales coming to you.

Keeping Up with the Market

Pundits fully expect that over a third of all business intelligence will be transmitted through mobile devices in the next three years. Smart companies are already investing in technology and solutions to prepare for the future. Anticipating this growing trend and training employees to work on the go through their electronic tools and developing the applications necessary to keep up with a constantly expanding market will be critical to financial success.

Smart phone credit card processing is becoming mainstream, as Smart phone applications now allow vendors to scan a credit card at any time, in any place. It doesn't take much imagination to anticipate some of the upcoming changes. While there will always be some degree of traditional brick and mortar businesses, the global market is moving online, and it is only possible to keep up with the trend if you are prepared, flexible and mobile.

The Benefits of Going Solar: Commercial Solar Energy Systems Explained

The benefits of choosing to install commercial solar power systems are many. Whether you are considering a large installation for a school, a non-profit, a large corporation, or a small business, these benefits are often substantial, making the up front cost of installation well worth the investment. Let's take a look at some of the most obvious benefits of going solar, along with some of those that make a difference, but are often less touted.

Community Leadership

Regardless of what kind of community your business "lives" in, the community surrounding it is impacted in a variety of ways. Are you a community leader? Do you want to be? Respected businesses that serve community leadership roles often find themselves propelled toward greater success at a fast pace. People like to be part of a successful community, and going solar can help you achieve greater status within the community your business inhabits.

Great ROI

If you are looking at numbers, thinking about the initial cost of installing commercial solar energy systems, take a few minutes to look at the larger landscape surrounding that initial investment. First, your installation may be eligible for government rebates, particularly if you are in an industry which uses a substantial amount of electric power for day-to-day operations. Second, you may end up making a profit from the solar installation once it has been paid for. Large solar arrays that capture more energy than a building can store or use during a given period of time push the extra energy that has been generated out into the community grid for public consumption, and in many places, the local utility is responsible for repaying those providers for that extra energy. If anything, the satisfaction of actually billing the utility company for a change is almost as gratifying as eliminating dependence on volatile utilities.

Dependability

Without a lot of moving parts, commercial solar power systems are stable and dependable. They are built to provide reliable service with a minimum of maintenance for periods ranging from 25 to 40 years. Once a solar system has been installed, it requires very little maintenance. The best turnkey commercial solar electric systems are usually managed by the companies that install them, in order for peak productivity to be maintained.

Good for the Environment

Recent nuclear disasters and scares have proven once and for all that the "magic bullet" that is nuclear power is not capable of operating without a certain amount of risk. With a solar array, no risks are involved. In the event of a natural disaster, this method of producing energy does not pose any risk to the environment. Instead of using up finite resources like coal and oil, and instead of producing a greater demand for natural gas obtained by the dubious process of fracking, solar energy simply absorbs the sun's light and puts it to work for you. No strings attached.

With benefits like this, you can't go wrong with commercial solar electric systems. Find out more about how you, your business, and the world can benefit - you'll be amazed at the changes you can contribute to.

Use Document Scanning Services for More Secure Digital Files

The hype of the information age has expanded the spectrum of the economy. Information and communication technology played an integral part as a tool used in business. The digital epoch paved the way for 'faster operations', and even opened the doors to a wide range of business opportunities. It has also created a new class of entrepreneurs which are more focused on information than on the labor and the capital.

Joining the drift of the new era, even small-scale businesses saw the need to intensify information management and dissemination to increase their sales and productivity. With the help of the latest technology of computers and the internet, almost everything can be obtained at a fast rate -faster operations, transactions, sales. Information can be accessed everywhere through the internet as paper documents start to diminish. Most businesses like newspapers rely on their website for archiving purposes.

Studies suggest that sooner or later, the newspaper industry will start to diminish, and will be replaced by online news websites. It could also be concluded that sooner or later, the use of paper will be outdated by the use of computers and the internet, and the utilization of digital files and documents. Most businesses consider acquiring document scanning services as a good form of investment in the long run. With the help of this new technology, the bulk of paper documents can easily be compiled in a digital format.

One of the few benefits of document scanning services is its high quality. Old documents, though it is safely kept, can be easily torn and also age with time. Converting it to a digital format may improve its quality, and retain it for a long period of time for future reference.

Another advantage of acquiring document scanning services is a cost-efficient administration. The company can save time and effort of its laborers in managing documents. Finding a single paper out of stacks of documents may consume a worker's time, instead of focusing on doing his job. Neatly organized files which can be accessed in just a few clicks are far superior to their hard copy predecessors.

Lastly, digital files can be better secured. They will be flood and fireproof, and would not cause a disruption in business operations. While paper files would be destroyed by such incidents, the digitized copies of your files will remain protected on a server no matter what physical or technological disasters might occur.

Businesses Prepare As the Countdown to London 2012 Begins

As the countdown to the 2012 Olympics begins, businesses across the UK are being urged to plan ahead now to make sure they are prepared for any disruption during July, August and September next year.

London will experience travel disruption during both the main Games and the Paralympics, with a large number of planned road closures to create an Olympic Route Network for competitors, official and VIPs. Olympic venues will be spread across the city, from Wembley to south of the river in Wimbledon.

The Olympic Delivery Authority, however, believe that many businesses across the country have underestimated the potential impact of the Games, despite officials warning that the Olympics are 'the largest peacetime logistical exercise that any country can undertake.'

In a news report by the Evening Standard, Mark Ever, director of Games Transport at TfL, said:

'Introducing flexible working hours or arranging deliveries at different times where it will not be possible during the day are some of the options available. Planning ahead will be invaluable.'

And it's not just businesses in the capital then need to prepare ahead of next summer's events; the Games have wide-ranging implications on businesses across the UK. HR policies will need to be reviewed to accommodate staff members looking to visit or volunteer at the Games and companies are also advised to make it clear whether live TV coverage will be allowed to be watched during office hours.

An industry that stands to benefit from the Olympics is the tourist trade, with thousands of visitors to London also looking to explore other areas of the country. In particular, Scottish businesses are being urged to consider the potential to double the length of their peak visitor season in 2012. In a report by the BBC, David Bell, lead partner for London 2012 at Deloitte in Scotland, warned:

'There seems to be a misconception among businesses in Scotland that because the 2012 Games are being held in London, the risks and opportunities for businesses up here are negligible. This is far from the case.'

We've put together some top tips to help businesses and every kind and location kick-start their preparations for London 2012:

Review Staff Working Arrangements

Transport options will be stretched during the summer months in London and the surrounding areas. Consider allowing staff to work remotely from home and setting up teleconferences to replace meetings during the period. Ask staff to submit holiday requests as early as possible to ensure days off are distributed fairly and that staffing levels remain adequate.

Build IT strategy

Increased usage of local internet and mobile networks over the Games could potentially affect your business. If you're planning to allow staff to work remotely or to stream live events whilst in the office, it may be time to consider whether your bandwidth is likely to withstand the increased pressure.

Check Supply Chains

Some of your suppliers may be under contract to the Olympics, which will take priority during the summer months. From disruption to business energy supplies, to ink refills for the printers, contact your suppliers about any potential delays to their service, purchasing insurance if needed to ensure you are not left on a waiting list of a contractor if you have an emergency.