Mark Emch, Chair of the Benchmarking Advisory Committee and Vice President – Finance for the San Diego Convention Center stated: “The 2008 Survey Report is the culmination of extensive previous work, including the 2007 Pilot Survey, that showed that convention center operating expenses can be not only effectively benchmarked, but most importantly can provide meaningful and useful information to facility managers. Looking to the future, the 2008 Report can serve as the stepping stone for further surveys which would allow for the creation of a very valuable benchmarking tool; multi-year trend comparisons against facility peers for all expense categories.”

The report includes average expense metrics by exhibit hall size on: occupancy; building cleaning expense; building security and traffic control; room set-up; repair and maintenance; grounds maintenance; event management/coordination; building utilities; sales and marketing; and property and general liability insurance.

“I am extremely pleased with the Benchmarking Survey Report that was prepared and conducted by members of our Convention Center Committee. As a General Manager of a convention center, I am constantly looking for ways to determine my operating efficiencies within the venue. This tool allows me to compare my performance against like venues, identify problem areas, and work toward achieving or beating benchmark averages. In today’s economy and competitive climate this survey is invaluable!” – IAAM Chairman of the Board Shura Lindgren-Garnett, CFE.

Take your bathroom for example, you may want to consider the following: -

• If your vanity or pedestal is in good condition consider leaving it in place and just change the faucet.
• Refinish your tub instead of replacing it.
• Change fixtures – vanity faucets, shower/bath trim (spouts, heads etc) and lights.
• Consider adding wainscoting and new trim.
• Paint walls and ceilings
• Change the medicine cabinet.
• If the floors are in good condition then you can leave them in place. However, if you have a tiled floor you may consider re-grouting the joints, especially if the tile itself is good.

Your kitchen is one of the most important places in your house, and there are many ways to enhance and update it without an extensive overhaul. For instance, you can keep the cabinets if they are in good condition and instead focus renovation work on these other areas: -

• Replace countertops/sink and faucet
• Refinish cabinets
• Replace cabinet hardware
• Refinish floor or install new floor
• Add/replace lighting
• Change trim
• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Change appliances

Ultimately, just remember that keeping your house looking good doesn’t have to be a huge expense. There are many companies that specialize in Residential Construction in major cities like Boston, Chicago and New York (why is NY and Chicago listed) and are sure to have many outfits that will develop and execute a plan to make your house looking new again.

If you’re looking for Painting Services or just Construction Services in general, don’t be wary of approaching a contractor and outlining your specific needs. Many companies will be more than happy to listen to you and come up with a package that will suit both your needs and your budget.

In fact, many modern day renovations happen quickly and with little interruption, meaning that your life can continue with minimal disruption even while construction is taking place in your home. consider improving your kitchen and bathroom without breaking the bank.

With a Bachelor’s in Quantity Surveying and a Master’s in Economics & Management, Patrick McDonagh has been involved in construction for well over a decade. The company he founded and now runs, Casla Property Services LCC, is a premier Boston area General Contractor that takes on both residential and commercial building and renovation projects and is known for its strong customer support ethic and quality workmanship.

1. Ask Questions – You may not have resolved all of your project requirements prior to contractor selection. It is important to address all construction issues as early as possible in the construction process. Your contractor should be more that willing to share his knowledge and expertise with you in order for you to fully understand the project in hand.
2. References – It is important that you ask your contractor for references. Contractors should be willing to list recent projects and references. You can ask your contractor to explain construction projects that have been recently completed, especially projects which resemble your type of construction. You may want to contact past clients for their feedback.
3. Design – Make sure that you and your contractor are on the same page when it comes to project design and project requirements. The more information the contractor has, the more accurate the estimate will be. Make sure that the contractor understands the design requirements and layout. It is useful to have detailed drawings in order for you and your contractor to fully understand the project.
4. Budget & Estimates – You can ask your contarctor for an initial budget in order to determine if you project is feasible. If the number is within budget then you can proceed to the design phase. If it’s not then you will have saved on design costs and you can rethink you options. Once the design is finalised your contractor will be in a position to provide you with an estimate.
5. Communicate – Depending on the project, it is likely that it will take several weeks or months to complete. During this time it is very important to communicate with your contractor to ensure that the construction process is moving according to plan. If you are unsure or unhappy about certain matters address them early with your contractor. It is easier to make changes early than to do so towards the end of the project. This will eliminate a lot of fustration if addressed early.
6. Do Your Own Research – You don’t have to leave everything up to the company you are hiring. Use your free time to look up projects similar to yours and see what other people have said about their experiences in getting them done. Many websites will even have online forums and comment sections where you can ask questions and have them answered.

It’s not always easy to decide which General Contractor is the best for you, but hopefully these six simple steps will help. Boston will have many companies that offer General contracting services. Is is important to choose one that meets your needs and that can deliver your project on time and on budget.

With a Bachelor’s in Quantity Surveying and a Master’s in Economics & Management, Patrick McDonagh has been involved in construction for well over a decade. The company he founded and now runs, Casla Property Services LCC, is a premier Boston area General Contractor. Casla that takes on both residential and commercial building including renovation and new construction projects and is known for its strong customer support ethic. “We are upfront with our clients from the beginning and 100% of our business is from referrals and repeat business”.

The latest version integrates suggestions and comments from current users in the legal, architectural, engineering, accounting, business consulting and computer repair industries. Based on their feedback, BillingTracker Pro now offers even more customization options, allowing users to better personalize their billing and invoicing process to meet their needs.

“Our customers know that we’re extremely responsive to feedback, so they feel comfortable approaching us with suggestions for additional features or program improvements,” noted Jeremy Gerber, Founder of BillingTracker. “There were so many good ideas. For version 3.5, we implemented what we felt were the most pressing of those needs. Having heard loud and clear from people involved in business across the globe, not just in the US, we’re proud to include new functionality that lets users customize invoices in languages other than English.”

BillingTracker Pro currently allows users to easily track time and create invoices, whether they bill hourly, project rate, retainer or on a contingency. The software features detailed payable, cash flow and receivable reports, in addition to giving users the ability to manage vendors, suppliers, materials, receivables, invoices and expenses. Easy to learn, BillingTracker Pro also makes it easy to share reports and information; in addition to the ability to export reports to all common file formats, a multi-user module is also available.

New features in version 3.5 of BillingTracker Pro include:

• Improved invoice customization options: In addition to choosing from five invoice templates, BillingTracker Pro users can now change any (or every) word on their selected invoice template. Users can simply change how something is worded, or can create different language versions of an invoice template.
• Footer functionality: Users can now add a footer to any invoice. They can select typical footer content from a drop-down menu, or create their own content by changing preferences under the ‘languages’ tab.

BillingTracker Pro 3.5 is available as a free upgrade to current customers who purchased version 3.x. Prospective buyers can try a 20-day demo of the product by visiting www.billingtracker.com and selecting ‘download.’ Buyers can also purchase a fully licensed version of the program for $89 by visiting www.billingtracker.com and selecting ‘buy.’

About BillingTracker

The BillingTracker suite of software was designed by an entrepreneur frustrated with traditional time tracking, billing and invoicing software. Founder Jeremy Gerber believed that people should be able to spend more time working than tracking and billing for work; easy-to-use BillingTracker is the result. BillingTracker works on Windows-based systems, tracking hourly, retainer, project rate or even contingency fee activities. For more information, please visit www.billingtracker.com or call 866-893-8741.

As a member of the PaySimple Board of Directors, Singh will play a key role in advising the company on strategic business operations and expansion decisions. He brings to the table extensive experience, as well as a solid track record, of helping start-up companies achieve profitable growth in fast-moving markets.

“We’re thrilled to have Rajeev join our Board of Directors,” said Eric Remer, CEO of PaySimple. “His background in building one of the most successful on-demand software companies in the world will enhance the knowledge base of our Board and help propel PaySimple to the top of the electronic payments space.”

“I am very excited to be involved with PaySimple, an innovator in the payment processing space and pioneer in technology for small-to-medium sized businesses,” said Singh. “I’m looking forward to working with the management team as well as the rest of the Board.”

Rajeev Singh co-founded Concur in 1993 and is currently the company’s president and chief operating officer, and a member of the board of directors. Prior to founding Concur, Singh held positions in engineering project management at Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Singh is on the advisory board of Apptio, a cloud-based technology business management company, and is a director for several non-profit organizations including Partnership for Learning and SeeYourImpact.org.

About PaySimple: PaySimple creates platforms that simplify and empower the lives of small business owners. PaySimple provides a cloud-based, receivables management and payment processing platform that enables small businesses to invoice, collect, track, and manage their receivables in one user-friendly system. The PaySimple solution includes: recurring billing, electronic invoicing, ACH/eCheck processing, credit card processing, online payment forms, and more. For more information please go to http://www.paysimple.com/

Lynne Crowe, Regional Manager at Hays Construction, commented, “Although the length of contracts has become shorter on average, the demand for trades and labouring jobs has remained steady in some parts of the UK.”

Employers can afford to be more selective regarding the calibre of applicants they recruit and the specific requirements needed given the excess supply of experienced and quality site staff available in the marketplace. Flexibility is an important pre-requisite for employers, who are looking to hire individuals on a temporary basis for their labouring and trades jobs.

Currently the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is a key requirement, particularly given the health and safety regulations that contractors need to abide by. Lynne Crowe stressed, “It does not matter if you are a fully qualified experienced tradesman or a first time general labourer, a CSCS card provides proof of competency. Employer requirements also include Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association (PASMA) passes in the building aluminium towers.”

The public sector continues to prove resilient and there are a number of long-term opportunities for tradesmen such as carpenters, painters, tilers, plasterers, bricklayers, painters, decorators and banksmen, particularly within the health and education sectors, which have benefited from a significant injection in government investment. Examples include renovation programmes for hospitals and the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, which continue to create opportunities for skilled operatives.

Although commercial new build activity is being scaled back in the private sector, there has still been ongoing refurbishment activity. “Companies may seek to re-evaluate a move to a brand new office building and instead look at redeveloping existing premises,” noted Lynne Crowe. “The high-end residential market has also created opportunities for those companies with strong cashflow who are able to pick up bargains and inject funds into upgrading properties, which they can then re-sell when property values increase.”

Jobseekers need to stand out and differentiate themselves from their peers to have the best chance of securing employment in the current market. Whether seeking both permanent or temporary work, employers are looking for CVs with evidence of a solid work history, excellent ready references and for tradesmen, full tools specifications. But interpersonal skills are equally important, “A good attitude to work is a must and all jobseekers must be keen to impress, as every job interview is their platform to excel,” concluded Lynne Crowe.

-ends-

Note to Editor:
Hays Construction is part of Hays plc, the leading global specialist recruitment group, specialising in construction jobs including construction manager jobs and quantity surveying jobs. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. The Group employs 8,294 staff operating from 380 offices in 28 countries across 17 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2008: 

For further press information please contact:
Alexandra Tucker
Hays Plc
Charter House
13 – 15 Carteret Street
London
SW1H 9DJ
020 7630 4282
www.hays.com