June 2016

Whether you run a restaurant, a café, a bar or a bakery – if it has an al fresco dining area you will need to ensure that you make the best use out of it, as an outdoor seating space can make it easy for you to stand out from your competition as everyone loves to dine outside – especially in the summer months. Specialist outdoor blinds and awnings can help you to make your business stand out from the crowd and you will find that you can easily draw customers in with your attractive outdoor space when you decorate it with a nice awning.

Sourcing an Awning Specialist

You will need to find a company that can design, make and install your blinds for you and ideally they should have many years of experience in the sector. In order to source a company that specialises in good quality outdoor blinds in Melbourne or wherever in the world you are based you should do an online search.

Here are some of the things you will need to look into when researching an awning specialist:

• Custom design services
• Good reputation in the industry
• The use of good quality materials
• Reliable installation services
• Expert advice

If you are unsure about which style of awning or blinds will work best in your space and with your budget, then you should contact the company to ask for some expert advice.

Choosing a Style

There are lots of different shading systems that you can use to provide your diners with shelter from the sun and rain, including the following:

• Outdoor patio blinds
• Folding arm awnings (retractable awnings)
• Sun blinds
• Canopies
• Roof blinds
• Drop arm awnings

Each option provides you with a slightly different style and look, so you will need to do some research on all of the designs in order to find one that will complement your existing environment and décor.

Customising your Awnings & Blinds

You can even have your blinds of awnings customised so that they feature your logo or company name on them to boost your brand awareness.

This is a great way to promote your business and here are a few ideas about where you can install your outdoor awnings and blinds to improve your business:

• Over the front entranceway
• Over an outdoor dining or seating area
• To create shade if customers partially queue outside
• Outside the main windows or door

Which colour or pattern you choose will also have a huge impact on how the awning or blinds look, so make sure you choose carefully when it comes to selecting which style you want.

Colours & Patterns

 

You might want to use a similar colour scheme to your interior or you might want to choose colours that represent your brand and some people like plain colours, while others think that a pattern is more eye catching – and this choice is often down to personal taste.

 

At some point in time or another, all business owners must answer a simple question, “would my business do better online?” Most businesses have a brick and mortar building and focus on paying their employee’s, paying for the building (either a rental payment or mortgage) and taxes on all of their services. They grapple with the question of whether or not they should meet their customer’s face to face or chat with them online.

New Shopping

No doubt, technology has reshaped the modern business. Many would say that the Internet has totally destroyed modern business as we know it. It’s doubtful that no one has ever shopped online. Many people take it a step further and use their mobile phones to do even more research on their shopping. In a survey that was designed to find out what the pros and cons are for Online shopping, one in five customers states that they online go into brick and mortar stores to price compare. Then, they go home and buy it online.

Negative To Positive

There’s always a silver lining in every cloud. When color and texture are vital to the final decision, people are much more likely to shop in a brick and mortar shop. They want to know exactly what they’re getting without a doubt. No picture on a computer or a smartphone can withstand such scrutiny because pictures are only as good as the device they are on and all of their colors will vary. Showrooms are an ideal way to do this.

Service To All Markets

It’s vital that businesses today recognize the value of serving both online and brick and mortar customers. Thanks to technology it’s easy to visualize many products from a picture. However, many people will want to actually touch the product before they make a final purchasing decision.

Winner Combo

When online meets brick and mortar, retailers will have not only a local presence but also a virtual presence. This can more than double their sales and their revenue. For a customer that wants to make a purchase, they may search online before they walk into the actual store and look the product over. they will review the pros and cons of the product and the specs on the product.

Game Changers

While still in infancy, there’s no doubt to any consumer that online is a great way to go. It’s vital to have both options available so that consumers can have options. If they want to look over fine details and specs, if they want measurements before they buy, if they want to know all of the options, they can find these online. When they are ready to buy, they can walk into the store with all of this vital information at hand and pick up just what they want and look at the actual texture and color. It’s vital to them to have done the research and make the right product decision. They may do all of the research online, but when they are ready to buy, they don’t want to pay shipping and handling so they drive to the store and they pick it up. It’s that simple.

Regardless of who it is, shopping online and in a brick and mortar store offer consumers the best of both worlds.

Plantation shutters are a very popular choice of window treatments for many householders.  They are versatile and a lot less expensive than custom-made draperies.  Highly desirable, plantation shutters will also add value to your property if you decide to sell at a later date.

When shopping for interior shutters, find out if you’re buying custom shutters specifically built for your windows or if the company is using stock panels, cut down to fit.  This can affect the price.  For quality and affordability, it’s always a good idea to buy products from reputable online companies.

Many different styles and louvre sizes to choose from

The Spanish introduced shutters to the Americas.  Lots of plantation homes in the South often used the wider louvred style shutters, which is where the name came from.  Traditional shutters are not the same as plantation shutters.  They have smaller, narrower louvres which can often be found in New England properties.  Today, traditional shutters are rarely installed, the trend is now towards letting in lots of light and keeping the view open to the outside.

Plantation shutters are now designed with a narrower divider rail.  This allows for separate control of the top and the bottom louvres, a great feature which comes in handy in the evenings.  Plantation shutters Melbourne specialists manufacture and design many different styles like Basswood, Fauxwood along with aluminium.  These are designed to fit on the inside of your house as an interior window furnishing and available in a good selection of colours.  Plantation shutter window dressings are manufactured:-

1. Fixed
2. Hinged
3. Bi-fold
4. Sliding

With their ability to fit into any decor, top of the range plantation shutters will give you the wow factor, better than any other kind of window dressing.

Enjoy great looking plantation shutters

Think how great a room will look after having plantation shutters installed.  You can control the amount of light that comes into your home by just a tilt of the blade.  For ventilation, simply tilt the blades so fresh air can circulate indoors. If you want total privacy, just fully close your plantation shutters to block out the view from the outside.  There’s plenty of online info to help you decide which particular make and design of plantation shutters to buy from recommended firms.  How about:-

• Fauxwood – water resistant, fire retardant and insulates more than two times greater than wood. This plantation shutter is more durable than wood and can be used in wet areas to enhance the appearance of kitchens and bathrooms.

• Basswood – Basswood plantation shutters are manufactured from furniture grade timbers.  They provide a high quality finish, can be custom made to suit all window shapes and sizes.  Available in paint and timber varnish finishes, Basswood plantation shutters are great value for money.

So there we have it, plantation shutters will be a fantastic feature to your home. When buying plantation shutters for your home, place an order with recommended suppliers.

Many people with creative minds often find it difficult to purchase arts and crafts items online. Whether you want a sewing machine, a particular style of yarn or any other specific fabric or pattern, there are several stores that offer a wide variety of items online. The biggest issue that many people face is finding the right pattern or fabric. If you are working on a specific project, you will obviously want to buy arts and crafts items that can be used in completing it. Many online stores also sell home improvement items, ranging from cushions to bed sheets and pillows. The following guide will help you make a viable purchase.

Find a Reputable Online Store

One of the first things that you need to do is find a reputable online store that specialises in selling arts and crafts items. A cursory online search will list all the stores that you can choose from. Almost every store will claim to offer the best quality items. However, rather than take them on their word, you should do a bit of research on your own as well. Most companies have separate review sections that you can check in order to get an idea of what customers have to say about their products.

There are some pretty obvious indicators that can tell you whether a place is reliable. For instance, do they use stock photos for every product listed on the website, or are these pictures taken by the company itself? Also, does each product page have a detailed description of the product? Reputable stores generally pay close attention to all the descriptions listed on their websites.

Another thing that you should check for is the variety of products on offer. Does the company offer a wide range of different arts and crafts items? Famous stores such as Lincraft offer an extensive array of arts and crafts items, making it easy for you to buy what you need from one place.

Discounts

Another thing to look for when buying items online is discounts. Virtually every other online store offers discounts to customers in the form of promo codes that you can use in order to get a discount. The minimum discount ranges from 10%, and can go as high as 50% depending on the occasion.

The prices are slightly lower when buying online, because online stores don’t have to worry about any utility bills. They are also able to save their costs on employee management. Once your order has been placed, the company will send you a confirmation email. You can also pay online using your VISA or MasterCard, while some online stores also accept payments via PayPal. Some companies offer international shipping options as well. You should check out the shipping details on the website before placing an order, to get an idea about when your items will be delivered.

There are many different kinds of toys for children. These days, it seems like most of the toys for children are actually just virtual. There are games on computers and phones, as well as common toys being converted to digital. For example, colouring has become something that is available on phones and tablets now; many parents are choosing to buy apps for colouring instead of buying actual colouring books. The appeal of this is obvious; with a virtual colouring app, children can colour all they want without making a mess. There’s no risk of them getting paint or crayons on the walls or on the carpet. Also, it’s much easier to correct mistakes when they’re done on a virtual program. However, all of these supposed benefits are actually drawbacks.

Importance of Colouring

Children colour because they like bright colours, and they like tactile experiences. When you allow your child to colour on a tablet or a phone, there’s no real tactile experience, and they also don’t learn the important lessons gleaned from colouring. When you were a child, you might have accidentally coloured outside the lines, or spilled paint that stained something in your home. Those were very real consequences to your actions, even though it may have been an accident. It’s important for children to learn what happens when something spills or they act recklessly. The quick “undo” features of virtual apps make that lesson much harder to teach. The tactile, real world sensations of a good colouring book teach that in a way that computers never can.

The great colouring books made by Tiger Tribe are an example of great items that kids will love and also learn from.

Hand Eye Coordination

In addition to learning about consequences, colouring teaches hand eye coordination. Children try to stay within the lines when they’re colouring, but most of them are unable to. It takes an incredible amount of concentration on their part, because their hand-eye coordination isn’t very good. In the same way that playing sports with your kid is important for them to develop good coordination, colouring is also imperative. In fact, recent research has found that children who colour with the express attempt to stay within the lines are more likely to develop hand-eye coordination before their peers. They also tend to have better fine motor skills, and have better concentration.

All of these reasons for getting your child colouring books are great, but at the end of the day, the most important reason is that kids like them. They really like the feel of paper and crayons or coloured pencils. They like the act of actually putting colour down onto paper; virtual apps are great for when you’re traveling or in a pinch, but nothing beats actual paper.

You need to make sure you find a good source for colouring books, though. Some stores tend to have small selections of books, or they’re not quite right for your child. Picking a great source is as simple as searching through a toy manufacturer’s website and making sure that they offer a wide selection of options.

Patios are enormously common in most homes in the U.S. For amusement purposes, there would be probably no better place to hang around than an open space like a patio. One could hope to have a great time here at having get-togethers with friends and family dinners. At some homes, the children enjoy themselves in the backyards while the patio serves as a resting place for their parents from where they could keep a watch on them and indulge in some quiet and peaceful reading as well. Find the benefits of having patio covers below.

Benefits of having patio covers

Just as few homeowners love to make use of the outdoor kitchen area as a place to socialize, the patio too would serve such a great function at most houses. One could spend nice and quiet hours here all by oneself or together with other members of the family. It acts as a gathering spot for the entire family. For all your precious items at home, you would use covers to protect them and keep them looking nice in the end.

The patio is no different and needs patio covers to maintain their beauty and longevity, as they have been exposed to the elements of weather. This space, as we know, has been great for acting as a dinner area for those times when you choose to have an informal one with your close friends and family members. In case, at such times, the weather plays spoilsport, it would be posing a great problem for you. However, if there were no patio covers in place, you would be in serious trouble. It would be a source of shame, as your friends would not be able to gather there for a simple reason that you never thought of installing alumawood patio covers. In order to avoid such embarrassing situations, it would be best to get patio covers without further delay.

Patio doors are a popular feature in a home. These doors provide easy access and create unimpeded views. They help natural light to enter the interior space. If you constantly encounter a sticky sliding patio door every time you enter your premises, it is probably time to seek a newer version. Making the right selection of your patio door is just as important as any other feature of a building. You cannot just choose any sliding door, as there are standards to be considered as well as the need to understand how they may affect the door’s performance.Here are a few tips that will help you in choosing the right sliding door:

Consider energy efficiency

When it comes to conserving your energy bills, you should consider the type of door you put up. Doors made out of vinyl and wood, although traditional, are high energy savers while also coming with other hidden benefits such as easy maintenance. If you are going to go for a wooden door, it is advisable to install an aluminum-clad product, which will deliver a more resilient exterior with a classic wood interior.

Look at the size

Ensuring your door is no larger than the required size will save you a great deal of money when it comes to purchasing a sliding door. Typically, the minimum door width of most companies would be 16 inches whilst the minimum door height would be 60 inches.  Any exterior measurement could lead to having to custom-make the doorhole to fit the intended patio door.

Choose the right material

Understanding that different materials will directly affect the functionality of your premises will help you select the most suitable one for you sliding door.The type of material you go for will also play a direct role in the amount of energy consumed in your building in the long run. Because of the wide openings of patio doors, they can significantly reduce the usage of air conditioning systems in your home due to the exposure to the sun.

Depending on what you are going for, most of the materials have their own pros and cons. There is no material that will lack any demerits. Standard materials like wood may be relatively affordable and will reduce the energy bills, but they require high levels of maintenance, and you will need to regularly clean to avoid rotting.

Similarly, vinyl is a great choice. It is affordable and a great insulator due to its molecular structure, but its limited colors may not appeal to your adventurous nature. That said, before you decide on a patio door, it is important to think about what you are willing to put up with.Finding the right fit of a sliding door may prove a tedious process. This is why RW hardware offers a wide range of selection in patio doors, as well as giving insight on the same to ensure you make the right choice for yourself. There are also sliding door hardware for industrial and commercial heavy use.

The good news is that the housing market is coming back with vengeance, the bad news is that not all of us have the money to get the house of our dreams. As the market picks up, more people are looking for homes than those who are selling. Although being in a seller’s market, there are ways that you can maximize your equity and other ways that you will lose out to the market competition.

Excluding plumbing companies Winnipeg, there are little improvements that can be made around your home that are cost effective can not only make your home look more attractive; it can bring about more interest. With more interest, comes the emotional “gotta-haves,” which will only further drive up the cost of your home. If you want to cash in big time on the equity you have in your house, try these six cost effective fixer-ups.

1 Clean up the outside

Nothing will drive a house price higher than curbside appeal. Most home buyers look online to decide which homes they want to see and which they are going to pass on. If the exterior of your home looks less than desirable, you may miss out on even getting people to your front door. Don’t think that the inside makes up for the out. If you put just some sweat equity into adding eye-popping color, redoing your front porch paint, or changing out your front entry door, you would be amazed at the increased traffic you will see walking through your house. Make sure to add those special touches that tell buyers that your house is “loved”.

2 Redo your hardwood

One of the worst things to live through is refinishing hardwood floors. Unfortunately, the floors are key to the impression of your house. Nothing can make your house look more updated than freshly sanded and stained hardwood floors. If they look dull and drab, that is immediately going to turn buyers off. Not wanting to refinish them, buyers may look elsewhere or overestimate the cost and inconvenience and offer much less for your home than if you just bite the bullet and do it before listing your home.

3 Replace old windows

If you have windows that are aged and cracking, it can really make your home look outdated both inside and out. Putting in new windows is not only attractive to buyers for aesthetic appeal, but it also means more energy efficiency for them, and a cut on their monthly energy costs. If possible, invest in replacing old windows and entryway doors to give your home a fresh new energy-saving appeal.

4 Reface cabinets

If you have old cabinet doors that look weathered and aren’t supposed to be rustic, consider replacing the faces. Buyers will look at old cabinets and think about the cost of redoing kitchens even when they don’t have to. If you reface the doors and change out the hardware to something more contemporary and updated, you can build a lot of equity in your home. It won’t be on the list of things the buyer will have to do and pay for, which is always a major plus when it comes time for them to estimate how much to offer.

5 Paint

A fresh coat of paint is always a welcomed look. If you have outdated colors or finger marks all over the walls, a new coat of paint can make your home look completely renovated. A small expense, if you do it yourself, it will maximize the equity you have in your home. One of those things that buyers don’t want to have to add to their to-do list, if you repaint your home, it will show one hundred times better than if you don’t.

6 Switch out the fixtures

If it has been more than a decade since you have put lighting in your home, consider switching out the light fixtures. Changing flush mounts and sconces around the home can make the house look renovated and will cost you very little. Not a hard thing to do on your own, changing out lighting fixtures is an instant update that requires very little on your part.

As a buyer walks through your home, assuming you can get them there, they immediately go to work in their head making a list of all the money they will have to incur fixing things up. If you fix the major things that they immediately see, it will make a huge impression on them, and it will also increase the amount of money they will offer, guaranteed.