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Questions you should Ask When Hiring a Local SEO Services Company

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Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a very great marketing strategy that allows you to enhance your company’s website to ensure that individuals within the locality of your business can easily locate your business. In other words, it allows people to find your website with the final intention of getting them to come to your local business place. 

While general SEO is all over the place these days, local search engine optimization is slightly more complicated and requires specialization to get the best out of it. You can visit mwdigitalyorkshire.co.uk to learn more about local search engine optimization. That said, if you have this marketing strategy in mind, then you should hire a specialist company that offers this kind of service. 

Knowing how important this hiring process is to the growth and success of your business, we have come up with certain important questions you must ask a local SEO company before putting your pen to the paper. With these questions, you will be able to determine if the firm is fit enough to handle the job you want them to carry out for you. 

Therefore, without further ado, let’s take a look at these important questions…

1. Ask them for Case Studies 

Reliable firms involved in this kind of service should be able to provide case studies to prove to their prospective clients if they can provide the services that they say they provide. Hence, this should be one of the questions to ask. 

The case study should be able to show how the organization has aided the increase of a business’ local popularity. On the websites of some top-notch companies, you can easily find some of these case studies. In such a case, you just need to visit the website to evaluate if they are good enough for the task you require. 

2. Do they specialize in Local Search Engine Optimization?

As we said earlier, SEO is a broad discipline and local SEO is just one branch. Therefore, not any search engine optimization firm should be trusted with this kind of job. 

Therefore, it is important that you are sure that they specialize in this area. When you get a specialist, you can be rest assured that they will use the right tools to ensure that your business becomes visible within your locality. 

3. Ask them about their Schema.org Experience

When it comes to local SEO, it is highly unlikely for this service to be rendered without the use of schema.org. Therefore, to assess the credibility of the company, ask them about their schema.org experience. 

Any firm that has no or little understanding about the working and functions of this tool should not be hired. This is because schema.org will help you to correctly configure a lot of things.

4. What Tools do they Use?

Man invented tools to make work easier and the same goes for local search engine optimization. There are a lot of these tools out there that an expert can make use of to not only make the job easier but also better. 

Hence, you should ask the firm you want to hire about the tools they usually use. Don’t just ask what tools they use, also ask the reason they use those particular tools. To avoid being bamboozled, it is good that you also learn about the tools that are used in this field before contacting the company. Click here to learn more about these tools. 

5. What is their Overall Strategy?

There are different strategies that experts employ in this field. Therefore, you need to be aware of the strategy that the company you want to hire employs. In most cases, the strategy is usually based on the business type and the target audience. 

When making your selection, ensure you go for a company that employs the general strategic approach. This approach will allow you to reach a wider target, market, and industry. 

6. Is a lot of On-Site Search Engine Optimization is needed?

On-site search engine optimization building is important when it comes to this marketing strategy. This will help you to determine how the site’s landing pages, the website’s structuring, schema.org, etc. will affect the effectiveness of the process. 

Hence, you need to verify if a lot of on-site search engine optimization will be needed to enable you to plan for that as well.

7. Ask about their Review Experiences

One of the reasons for hiring a local SEO firm is to enable you to get positive online reviews. Therefore, you should ask them what strategies they will employ to enable your business to get positive reviews. Any firms worth their salt will have such strategies for review generation.

8. Ask for Client References

To assess the credibility and efficiency of the firm, you should ask them for client references of both past and current clients they have worked for. If they are open to divulging this information, then you should reach out to those individuals or businesses to see if they were satisfied with the services they got. 

Some companies’ websites have a clients’ page that allows you to see the clients that they have worked with in the past or are currently working with. You can check the page and try to reach out to such listed clients. 

9. Ask about Citations

Ask if the firm uses business citations when working in cyberspace. In case you don’t know what a citation is, allow us to briefly tell you. Citations are the contact information of your business that includes your business names, contact number, and address. 

10. What will be in the Reports?

Reports must be sent to you at an agreed time to monitor the progress of the job that is being done. Hence, you need to know beforehand what you will be expecting from the organization when they submit their reports. 

A good local SEO report will include the following:

  • Rankings by location
  • Generated reviews
  • Traffic by location etc.

Conclusion 

Hiring a local SEO services company is a great step in the right direction for your business. With the questions we have shared, we hope you will be able to select a firm that will help you achieve your goals. 

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Choosing a Digital Company for Website Design in Spokane WA

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As consumers worldwide turn to the internet for purchases, information, and entertainment, it’s best if your business could cope with these changes and ensure that you’re visible with your consumers in Spokane, WA. This is where an optimized website comes in.

Whether you’re an owner of a bakery, restaurant, or flower shop in Spokane, you need to set up a compelling website where you can gather leads and sell your products or services. Your competitors are doing it now so, why wait until they get all the customers that should have been doing business with you?

Choosing the Right Company

For you to get the best designs and colors that mesh together, you need to work with a digital company in Spokane that has years of experience when it comes to websites. These partners can make or break your business, and this is why you should be very selective with them.

The colors, brands, logos, fonts, formats, and aesthetic style will be the new face of your business. Customers will recognize you in an instant when your brand becomes familiar with the people in Spokane. They may recognize your restaurant based on the ads you’ve put when they drive near your location or search for your establishment because they like the overall impact that your brand signifies.

Nowadays, there are so many SEO and digital companies out there that it can be challenging to choose which ones will be the best fit. You can visit http://www.justinmonkseo.com/website-design-spokane for more information about their services and products. Other signs that you’re working with the best team include:

1. They are Open to Communication

Communication is accessible when you’re working with a team. They listen to your ideas, make suggestions based on their experience in the digital marketing industry, and help you set up everything. Your business is something that you know way better than anyone else, and the digital team is often creative in making your ideas come to life. They will make some changes and consult you about them, and they will recommend improvements based on customer feedback.

2. Incorporating their Ideas

The reason you’re hiring them is that they are an expert when it comes to SEO and website design. They are familiar with incorporating the elements and strategies to make you rank higher. They put together concepts, ideas, and techniques that will make your website user-friendly and accessible.

If a web design agency does nothing but nods its head to a lot of what you’re saying, then it might be time to look for a different one. It would be best if you got your money’s worth by choosing designers who can improve everything you’re picturing, and they should match or exceed your knowledge in web design to make the project more effective. 

3. Great Marketing Team

Many people may think that websites are just “sitting out there,” and they don’t want to grow it. However, some entrepreneurs have taken chances, and they are now making their website a platform where they can introduce their brand, sell products, and offer services. For everyone serious about making their website work for them, it’s best to get a company with an effective marketing team.

The marketing team will design the products, add descriptions, upload images, ensure that the check-out cart is working fine, and do other stuff for the site to perform. Customers love it if they can order something, and they will pay without any hassle. When website marketers, developers, and designers work together, the finished product will soar to the top ranks without needing to make an effort.

4. Has Knowledge in Using CMS

Keyboard, Computer, Technology, Light, Colorful, Design

One of the glaring signs that a company was stuck in the past is outdated content. A content management system is needed on top of the designs. Without the CMS, you’ll be at a disadvantage in many marketplaces. Read more about CMS on this page here.

This is why the agency you should choose is familiar with CMS like Magento, WordPress, and Drupal. If you were pitched with a static HTML site, then it’s better to run away from these offers as they are outdated, and the results are not that great.

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Where Should You Stay When You Travel To Malaysia?

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Malaysia is a great place to travel to. With a rich history, a beautiful climate, and quick links to neighbouring countries Singapore and Thailand, it’s an excellent destination for anyone wanting to travel. 

When choosing somewhere to stay, your budget will be a big deciding factor. 

For those on a lower budget, hostels are a safe choice. These low-cost living spaces offer you a bed – and not too much else. But, if you are an adventurous person who likes to spend all day exploring, all you really need is a bed. 

For families wanting somewhere safe to bed down, with enough space for children, renting a house or apartment for the period of time you are there is the best way forward. When it comes to apartments, Malaysia offers two options – condominiums and serviced apartments. Condominiums provide full facilities, security, and parking. Serviced apartments offer the same, plus housekeeping facilities, bellboy services, and room service, just like a hotel. 

For those looking for more luxury, a penthouse, loft, or duplex can be a great choice. Penthouses are the top unit of a residential high-rise. For this reason, a penthouse will offer you beautiful views. They often take up the whole or half of the floor, affording you space and privacy. Plus, you get to feel super unique, as there is only one penthouse in any high-rise. Lofts and duplexes are similar but are often two-story living spaces in a high-rise. To visualize the difference between these housing forms, check out the infographic below.

Infographic Design By: PropertyGuru No. 1 Property Website
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Is a Gas Fireplace Worth Buying?

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As the cold months approach, we start making plans to keep our homes warm. With a variety of options available, it may be difficult to narrow down your choice of fireplace. There are different features, outputs, and styles to choose from. 

But if you are looking for a system that’s easy to operate and requires little maintenance, a gas fireplace is a good option. It makes a great addition to homes, especially if you want to spruce up your holiday moments. In today’s post, we will discuss the advantages of owning this type of system. We hope that it will assist you in making a buying decision.

Benefits of a Gas Fireplace

The benefits of a gas fireplace are:

1. Convenience

It takes away the messy and time-consuming task of looking for logs, chopping, gathering, and storing them for future use. You only need to touch a switch, and everything is set up. This means that you can easily control the system. You can read this article to see how to operate a gas fireplace.

Additionally, some systems use remote controls to turn it on/off from anywhere in the house. Most recent models come with timers to enable homeowners to set the time they want the system to turn off if they fall asleep accidentally. It also does not require building a chimney. Hence, you can install it in any part of your home like the patio, basement, bathroom, bedroom.

2. Low Maintenance

Because the system does not use logs, there is no need to sweep wood remains or ashes. Also, wood fireplaces require regular maintenance, including their chimney, to prevent the accumulation of soot that may result in overheating the structure. But gas systems do not require any of that as there is no need for a chimney.

3. Save More Money

You can heat up different places in the home with a gas system. This ensures that you only heat up those places where you spend more time, thereby saving money on the heat for rooms that are not in use. 

Also, when you need more warmth and do not want to use a central heating system, the fireplace can reduce your heating costs during an unpredictable weather event. Installing it is even cheaper compared to a wood type. It can help you save about 25 percent of your energy bill, particularly if you choose zone heating i.e. heating only the room you are using.

4. Non-Stop Heat Supply

Fireplaceinsert.com, White Mountain Hearth by Empire Direct Vent Cast Iron Gas Stove DVP30 (Medium)

This is quite obvious because the gas fireplace does not go out of fire. Unlike the wood fireplace, you do not need to tend to it or bother about a dying fire. You can easily turn it on, forget about everything and just enjoy the warmth.

The system also comes with a thermostat that you can install on the wall. This unit enables you to control the size of the flame and keep the room at a particular temperature.

5. More Warmth

Gas fireplaces provide more warmth compared to when you are burning logs. Most systems come with pre-fixed blowers that circulate the warm air all over the room. So you do not have to sit around the place where the system is installed to feel the warmth.

In wooden fireplaces, only 10 – 30% of the energy goes out as heat. But with a gas system, around 75 – 99% is converted into heat energy.

6. Environmentally Friendly

Gas produces fewer emissions compared to burning logs. As a result, you can keep your room warm without causing any harm to the ecosystem. So if you are considering the impact of your activities on nature, this system offers a clean fuel source.

7. Safer for Everyone

For households with kids and/or pets, this type of fireplace is safer to use. Since the fire is not coming from wood, there will be no open flames, toxic fumes, or flying sparks. Your pet or kids will also not catch fire as they play around the house. So it is an option that you can rely on when you have carefree little ones. 

8. No Restrictions

Because of the harmful effect wood burning has on the environment, some states do not allow such practice. Therefore, under such circumstances, a gas system will serve because there are no restrictions on its use.

9. A Smart Investment

When you install this fireplace in your home, it can drastically improve the value of your home. It adds a touch of style as well as comfort and convenience. Therefore, if you decide to sell the property in the future, your potential buyers will value it at a high price. You may want to check out outlets where you can get a gas fireplace for sale to see a plethora of styles you can choose from.

Conclusion

A gas fireplace is both a practical and convenient feature for any home. We have discussed the benefits of installing one in your home. Hence, we hope it has helped you to decide whether it is worth buying or not.

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What Are The Advantages Of Porcelain Veneers?

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Do you wish you had a Hollywood smile? Veneers could be the solution for you. They are a popular cosmetic dentistry procedure that can completely transform your smile. Hundreds of smiles have been improved with this stunning dental procedure. 

What Are They, and How Do They Work?

A dental veneer is a thin layer of porcelain that overlays the front of your tooth. Cosmetic dentists can provide stunning smile makeovers with veneers, transforming damaged, discolored, and crooked teeth into yet another completely white and perfectly balanced smile. Follow the link for more facts about this dental procedure https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-veneers. 

What is the procedure? Veneers are thin shells of porcelain or even a resin composite material that are sculpted and pigmented to look like real teeth. After cutting a small amount of enamel from your teeth, handcrafted veneers are securely glued to the existing teeth.

It’s critical to recognize that today’s veneers are vastly different from those of the past. In the earlier years, it was essential to start shaving the teeth very carefully to make room for them. Today’s veneers are as thin as lenses and require very little dental preparation, if any at all! This indicates a less invasive technique that doesn’t always require anaesthesia but still produces the desired effects.

Veneers can be applied to only one tooth to fix a single fault, or they can be used on all front teeth for a complete smile makeover. Are you thinking of getting them? Here are a few of the benefits they could provide you:

Results In A Flash

Have you ever seen a makeover show when someone’s grin is entirely transformed overnight? Guess what? It’s all done with veneers! They are usually applied in two visits. In the first visit, the dentist will take an impression of your teeth and manufacture the veneers. In the second visit, the dentist will place them. You have to be patient with the process. 

This means that with noninvasive veneers, many dental abnormalities that would ordinarily take months or years to cure with lightening and orthodontia can be converted into your perfect smile virtually instantaneously. Read more by clicking on this page. 

They Resemble Natural Teeth

False teeth are not like veneers. While implants, dentures, and bridges can replace lost teeth, veneers are used to enhance the effectiveness of existing ones. You may think of it as a way to spruce them up a little. This implies the base tooth is still visible, and the gaps between are preserved, enabling you to floss, clean, eat, and speak normally.

Furthermore, the materials used in making them are designed to resemble the functionality of natural teeth closely. They are sturdy and rigid enough that you can treat them the same way you would your natural ones. However, you should avoid certain foods like blackberries and dark tea that could quickly discolor your new veneers.

They Conceal Chips and Gaps 

Our smiles tend to deteriorate as we grow older. Wear-down edges of teeth or minor fractures on the edges of your incisors could be signs of this. You may not be aware of these problems until you examine an old photograph and observe how your smile used to look like. Many may even have an unattractive gap between two teeth that have never been filled. Veneers instantly solve these issues by giving coverage where it’s needed and smoothing down any rough edges.

Teeth Whitening

Do you want your smile to be sparkling white? Veneers are like introducing new skin on the teeth. Professionals develop them to look as natural as possible, but they also make them appear like the ideal version of natural. That implies you can have a stunning white, brilliant smile right now. How amazing is that? 

This way, you never have to hide your smile. In fact, you will feel confident to flash it even more. Research suggests that people who smile often are thought of as friendlier, more open-minded, and kind. Check out some smile makeover photos to see just how much of a difference they can make. If you decide to do the procedure, you will not regret your decision!

Boost The Volume

Our teeth, as well as the skin surrounding our lips, decrease volume as we get older. This causes our lips to appear pursed and our grin to appear slightly sunken. The majority of dental veneers are extremely thin, measuring less than a fingernail’s width. On the other hand, they can be specifically designed to restore dental stability for the lips and offer you a much more youthful look if you choose to add extra volume to your smile.

Select The Style You Desire

At first glance, it’s easy to believe there’s only one flawless smile. That, however, is not the case! When you look closely, you’ll see that people’s teeth have as much variability as any other aspect of their bodies. People may have round or squared-off teeth, noticeable canines, or more prominent incisors, or a generally even appearance. 

It’s remarkable how much each of these minor details in your grin may alter your entire image. In reality, the phrase “designer smile” is sometimes used to describe a grin makeover that is done to adapt a specific desirable smiling style rather than to fix defects. Veneers give you the ability to accomplish exactly that. Check out the link for more interesting info https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/aging-independence/dental-veneers-turn-teeth-beauties/. 

They Are Easy To Maintain

You should take care of the new porcelain veneers as you would with your natural teeth. Floss regularly and brush twice a day to keep plaque and tartar at bay. Also, make an appointment with your dentist for frequent dental checks. 

This simple care can help you maintain your veneers’ natural white sheen so you can have a gorgeous, white smile. They are more resistant to lasting stains and cavities than natural tooth enamel because they are non-porous. In other words, they require very little upkeep.

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5 Home Upgrades That Won’t Break The Bank

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Every home can always use a good makeover. It could be that you’ve noticed some things in your home that is in dire need of replacement or that there are some areas in your home that requires some rejuvenation. Surely, you want your home to be in its best state. It’s more than just making it ready for visitors to come; but it’s also about making it comfortable and stylish for the entire family. After all, this is your home—the place where you should feel as if you have your own personal retreat.

Then, here comes the worry, money. Of course, everyone’s on a budget. It’s not all the time that there may be a lot of extra cash in the bank to spare, given all the other expenses families also have to go through. But, fret not as it’s a common misconception to think that a home upgrade has to be costly.

To prove this, here are five home upgrades you can try that are guaranteed to be friendly to your wallet.

1. Add A Porch Swing

A porch swing may only be a very minute detail to add to your backyard, but it’s a home improvement that’s cheap and nevertheless can bring so much life to your garden. Especially if you’ve got young kids with you, this is a place they’ll truly love to be in.

When you’ve got a 6 foot porch swing, this can also encourage the entire family to spend more time outdoors. This brings about many benefits to the homeowners, such as:

  • It gives you an opportunity to relax and de-stress;
  • It improves your health as you can sit on your porch and have some healthy dose of Vitamin D;
  • It may help you attain positive emotions as a little sun and light exposure can improve your mood greatly.

Along this line, you can make your porch swing even more relaxing by sprucing it up with pillows.

2. Repaint Your Kitchen Cabinets

One of the areas in a home that goes through the fastest wear and tear is your kitchen. Especially if your family is spending more time at home and every member eats for every three meals, this could mean you’re cooking more than usual. So, you might find your kitchen starting to wear out.

While a full kitchen remodel could be expensive, here’s one area you can do by yourself, repaint the cabinets. Changing it to another colour can instantly improve how your kitchen looks. For instance, if you’ve always had white cabinets, painting them a darker colour can make them look brand new.

As you do this, you can also take it one step further by upgrading any outdated handles your kitchen cabinet may have.

3. Refresh Your Rooms With Paint

Like repainting your kitchen cabinets, you can also repaint your bedroom, one room at a time. Repainting your bedroom walls isn’t something you’ll necessarily need a contractor to do. You can do this by yourself and still have excellent results with it.

Repainting the walls can instantly freshen up each room in a very inexpensive manner.

4. Add Outdoor Seating

Along with the swing in your porch or patio, you can also add outdoor seating. If you take the time to search and window shop for outdoor seating, you may come across good deals that won’t make you spend more.

Take a good look at your garden and see if there’s an area where adding outdoor furniture would be good. For instance, if you have trees, you can place a piece of furniture under them. 

You can also spend quality family time now that you can hang around in your outdoors. There’s enough space for watching the children play and any organised family outdoor activities. Outdoor seating also gives you more opportunity to entertain guests outdoor for an evening barbeque.

5. Install A Dishwasher

Ending up this list is an electrical appliance you can invest in for this year, a dishwasher. If you don’t already have one at home, it’s a good idea to have a dishwasher. When whipping up at least three meals a day, this also means that the washing of dishes never ends, and it can actually be quite time-consuming.

You can be more efficient with your time when the dishwasher does the dishes because you can now do something else while waiting for it to finish running. Plus, many dishwashers today are also water-efficient, and you can conserve more water than washing dishes manually multiple times a day.

A dishwasher is an investment for the long run, plus, because it’s so popular, you can also find brands that offer affordable models with good quality.

Conclusion

Affordable home upgrade ideas surely won’t break the bank, albeit they would inspire you to get started with the project right away. Through these aforementioned tips, you’ll never be without ideas of what you can do to upgrade your home without spending a lot. Plus, many of them are easy DIY tips that are guaranteed to be cost-effective. Being budget-friendly doesn’t mean the ideas are of low quality. With a home upgrade, spending time at home will feel so much better as it becomes more livable, comfortable, and cosier to stay at. 

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How To Make An Event One To Remember

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Planning an event is a great opportunity to bring together ideas that can help you promote a product, entertain an audience, and grow your brand. Whether it’s for business purposes or a charity fundraising event, you’ll want to make it such that all attendees leave with long-lasting memories. Here you can find some great tips to help you pull off a successful event that will leave everyone talking about it for years to come.

Setting is Everything

When attending an event, one of the first things you’ll notice and most likely remember long afterwards is the setting. Great events are ones that use the environment setting to their advantage and fill it with talking points and great features. This can be as simple as the style and colours of the furniture used, to more stand out event pieces such as an inflatable planet with your logo or event theme, banners, photo booths and much more. Attention to detail here can elevate an event, so if you are following a theme such as a beach setting or outer space, for example, you can choose specific pieces to bring the setting alive. Authenticity will help emerge your guests into the setting.

Go Above and Beyond with Catering

Depending on the length of your event and its purpose, you will want to consider taking the catering options up a notch and provide food and drink that wows. Research into catering and see what’s available as you should be able to find suitable options that fit in with your theme perfectly. Whether you are going for elegant and sophisticated or a much more informal outdoor event, you can match the cuisine exactly. You’ll want to plan this as early as possible before your event so you can ensure numbers and dietary requirements can be catered for.

Brand Your Event

The branding of your event can ensure that it stays fresh in the mind of those who see it. As part of the marketing for your event, you’ll want to consider creating a logo and naming the event, producing a website or Facebook event page. The more people that see it and interact with the branding can help promote your event and start generating buzz around it. You can then start to reveal through social channels certain aspects of your event plans through image or video posts, building the buzz in the weeks and months before. 

Guest Speakers & Entertainment

Your event can be more than just a gathering of like-minded individuals to network and mingle with. If the event is for a few hours or even over the course of a few days, you’ll want to keep things interesting and provide some entertainment. From background music to a live band or singer, to guest speakers within your industry to event entertainers such as magicians, comedians and more, there are many types of entertainment that you could explore. If you are thinking of providing entertainment, make sure it fits in with the theme of your event rather than a random choice.

Event planning can be overwhelming, but if you keep a checklist of things needed to make it memorable, and within budget, you can enjoy the build-up and see it all come together.

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Tips For Residential Roofers Transitioning To Commercial Jobs

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Every building needs a roof and that is why the role of a roofer is extremely important in the construction industry.  

Roofing is delineated into 2 categories; residential and commercial. Residential roofing refers to covering homes while commercial roofing refers to covering large buildings (factories, event centres or business places). 

Residential roofers deal solely with homes and this niche can sometimes be saturated. Most contractors in this category most likely experience downtime more than they would love to. This would surely lead them to think of ways to expand their business and increase revenue. 

One of the ways that you may want to expand as a residential contractor is to go into commercial roofing. In this article, we will share some tips that can help you make a smooth transition. 

Getting Started 

Transitioning from residential construction to commercial can be scary. Instead of just dealing with the homeowner and your workmen, you now have to deal with all the big wigs and a slew of professionals in the industry. 

Well, it’s not as scary as it seems; all you need to do is to understand all the protocols, regulation and know your competitors.  You will also need to do some study on the risk involved and how you would navigate the waters. 

The following are some of the things you need to get started:- 

Find Contracts

When you were in the residential space, you most likely got work from word of mouth, local adverts, your website, your contacts in the industry, and personal referrals. As you transition, these means are still valid for getting commercial work but you would need to engage more avenues for getting jobs. 

There are reporting services that are referred to as Dodge reports. These services publish information about the following:- 

  • Commercial projects that are in the planning or negotiating stages
  • Projects that are up for bid in your locality
  • Projects that have just been awarded

They cater to general contractors, subcontractors and construction managers and others who are interested in such projects. The reports usually contain information about the engineer/architect, the person awarding the contract, and sometimes, information about other companies that are bidding for the job. 

Additionally, these reports give you the date and time that the bid is expected to be submitted and they even show you how to get the bidding documents. There is also information on different niches that can fit your area of expertise. 

Note however, that these services would require that you pay a monthly subscription or some other type of fees. Therefore you should do your due diligence in researching the reporting service site that would be best for you. 

Join Professional Organizations

One very popular means of looking for/getting projects is by joining a professional association in your locality. Some of these associations include Associated General Contractors (AGC) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

These groups represent a wide range of suppliers, sub-contractors, government and support agencies that are players in the construction industry (commercial). 

Additionally, these groups help set up plan rooms in different areas and localities where the specifications and blueprints for upcoming commercial projects can be checked out. These plan rooms can be either physical or online and they allow participants to check out these projects or download the plans so that they can do estimates and initiate take offs. 

Do note that these plan rooms may require a fee or not.  Check out this site for more information about joining a professional body: https://www.agc.org/

Liaise With Project Engineers/Architects

Liaising with project engineers or architects is a great way of making forays into the commercial construction space. 

You may be able to get the bid plans and specification straight from the engineer or architect in charge of the project. This however, depends on the method of delivery of the project.  To get this package, you would be required to pay a deposit or fee. 

Bear in mind as you venture out that firms are usually selective/careful about giving 2nd tier suppliers or subcontractors these documents/packages.  They prefer to deal directly with general contractors and contract managers. 

However, there are firms that are willing to give transiting contractors a chance. You would have to undergo a pre-screening process that involves financials, experience and references before they put you on the list of their selected contractors. This would take time but note that it would be worth your while in the long run. 

This is because when you are on this list, you would have more access to sources that would give you an edge when it is time to bid for a project. 

Work With Professionals

When you were in the residential construction space, you may have not had to interact much with professionals in the construction industry. But now that you are transitioning into the commercial space, you would have to interact more with engineers, architects and site workers that are highly qualified and licensed.  

You know that commercial jobs are more costly and intricate than residential construction. No client would feel safe entrusting their projects into the hands of folks without license or credentials. But when you work with a team of professionals who are well trained and certified, clients are more confident giving you jobs. 

Most importantly, the government requires that plans and specifications for commercial bids/jobs bear the seal of licensed professionals.  These documents must have this seal or else they wouldn’t get building permits. 

There is a lot more information on the issue of licenses and certification for the commercial construction industry and it will do you well to research further and get all the necessary information. 

Conclusion 

Transitioning from residential roofing to commercial is one sure way of expanding your business. Though the move might appear daunting, it is something that’s doable. All you need to do is apply yourself to whatever is needed for a smooth transition. 

In this article, we have shared a few tips and although they may appear simplistic, that’s because they are just an introduction to what you need to do.  We believe that these tips are pointers to what you need for the growth and expansion of your business. 

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Credibility Is Currency: 7 Strategies to Increase Trust in Your Brand

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Enterprises of all sizes and types thrive on credibility. 

Buyers, peers, prospective investors, and others more readily trust businesses and business leaders that have done the difficult work of establishing credibility and cultivating reputations for expertise. This work is essential both for customer-facing businesses for whom trust very often translates to higher sales and broader distribution as well as for B2B companies for whom trust correlates with stable, durable business relationships that promise a mutual benefit.

Credibility and trust cannot be built overnight, of course. They take time, on the order of months or years, to arise. But the payoff more than justifies the effort.

If burnishing your business’s credibility and trust metrics is a top priority for you and your team this year, continue reading to review seven strategies that can help.

1. Understand What Currently Drives Buyers to Your Brand

Can you articulate your value proposition? This is the key differentiator that drives buyers to choose your brand over a competitor’s. It’s vital that you hone it, as it’s the locus around which you must cultivate your credibility with current and future buyers.

2. Position Your Enterprise As an Established, “Blue-Chip” Company

In your public web assets and marketing materials, describe your enterprise using language that positions it as an established, high-trust, “blue-chip” company. This is easy enough for companies that have been in business for decades, but it’s important for newer companies as well. The LinkedIn page for Asiaciti Trust, an international trust and corporate services provider, is a good example to mirror.

3. Use High-Authority Web Domains That You Control to Distribute High-Value Content

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Medium: these are high-authority web domains of which you control tiny but valuable portions. They should form the backbone of your credibility campaign.

4. Feature Authentic User Reviews If and Where Appropriate

Let your buyers and employees build trust on your behalf whenever it makes sense for them to do so. Featuring and promoting authentic reviews on your website and business directory listings is the most effective way to do this.

5. Publish Comprehensive, Authoritative Content That Ranks Well in Organic Search

You don’t need to become a full-time publisher to create authoritative content that’s easy to find by search engine and provides valuable information to current and future buyers, not to mention prospective employees, journalists that may give you valuable “earned media,” and others you want to know about your business. Plan this content carefully and invest in quality.

6. Be Careful With Outbound Links

Any business concerned with its credibility needs to be concerned with how its web presence comes off to other humans, of course. But more important still is how said web presence appears to the non-humans that decide its fate. Specifically, the complex search algorithms let loose by Google, Microsoft, and other search engines (but mostly Google).

This is a much longer topic of discussion, but for now, understand the importance of outbound link quality and strive to uphold the out-linking practice standards recommended by SEO experts. The better your outbound link quality, the more authoritative your website will appear to humans and non-humans alike.

7. Hold Two-Way Conversations With Your Audiences

You don’t have to pretend to know all the answers to be considered authoritative. Lively, stimulating conversation does much to establish credibility and trust in audiences. Using your social media accounts, regularly pose thoughtful questions to your followers and anyone else who happens to be listening, inviting them to join in a conversation about your brand or industry.

Plan for a More Credible Future

Credibility, trust, expertise: these are marks of a quality enterprise. Like most other attributes of an enterprise that deserves its place, they are earned, not given. There are no shortcuts to their development.

We’ve seen, fortunately, that building credibility is not a matter of luck or great skill. It is mostly a matter of persistence and planning, with some outside-the-box thinking dashed here and there for good measure. Any competent business leader is capable of planning and executing strategies that have shown time and again to cultivate trust and credibility in buyer and peer groups. What sets those who actually do so apart is their diligence in seeing the effort through.

Will you embrace that diligence and chart a course to a future where you and your company are top-of-mind experts? Time will tell, but it’s high time you began.

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Celebrating International Women’s Day with Farm Florist

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It was International Women’s Day six days ago and there were many promotions that were specially meant for women (although I’m pretty sure the men would also get to enjoy some of the residual benefits as well).

Although International Women’s Day is not widely celebrated in Singapore, it is starting to gain popularity for many good reasons and to celebrate this special day, I brought the Mrs out for a simple lunch that she had been craving for and to sweeten the day, we had a bouquet of flowers and a chocolate banana cake that was specially delivered by Farm Florist, a top florist in Singapore.

The bouquet of flowers from Farm Florist was fresh and it looked exactly like the one that they had displayed on their website. The value bundle which included a cake was truly unique and special. For the price of SGD$80, the bundle is definitely value for money and wallet-friendly. If you are looking for a gift to get for your loved ones, do check out Farm Florist as they have a variety of gift options that are available!

Well, the past few weeks have been a really challenging period for us because we encountered many obstacles and setbacks. From Mikayla’s hospitalisation due to an episode of bronchitis to an unfortunate event that happened in our personal lives, we found ourselves not in the best of spirits but the small little gesture from the folks at Farm Florist has certainly warmed our hearts.

Although the year has not started out well and my health has taken a beating, I am positive that things will eventually get better. One of my goals this year is to become more spiritual and to go back to basics. I will be deepening my spiritual practice and I will be documenting some of my innate thoughts and learnings in the Spirituality Column of this blogazine so do keep a lookout.

On a more positive note, I am so glad to have completed the Full Stack Development Programme that I started last August because what is outstanding right now is the EMBA programme that I will be completing this coming April. Following my graduation in May, it would be about time that I take the backseat and focus on self-care and personal restoration.

Meanwhile, stay calm, keep safe, and be happy!

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