Daniel

Five design trends for wooden flooring

by

Wood flooring is an eternally popular choice, but there are some exciting trends you might want to be aware of if you’re in the market for a new wood floor.

Image Credit

Wood Finishes

For many years, wood was seen as a construction material that supported carpets or linoleum. Today, it is fashionable as the finish in its own right. One reason is that people are more aware of the allergy and toxicity dangers of volatile organics in vinyl and carpets, which are described here https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/voc-summary. When the sub-floor isn’t appealing, modern coverings like laminates convincingly emulate exotic woods.

Sustainable materials

Flooring based on bamboo or cork is ecologically sustainable because unlike hardwood, it can be quickly replaced. Laminates are composed of wood pulp, which is kinder on forests than harvesting hardwoods. Advances in solving problems like sealing and shrinkage make them even more practical. These alternatives are also softer and warmer. Cork can be used as a surface in its own right or as an underlay for laminate flooring, improving warmth, softness and acoustics.

Wider and longer boards

Bigger boards are quicker to fit, accentuate the grain or pattern, and create a feeling of increased space in small rooms and modern open plan areas alike. Different colours and shapes of board can be mixed and matched to create your own geometric design. Fewer joins also mean fewer places for dirt to accumulate or boards to slip apart.

Aesthetic Choice

Using reclaimed wood is ecologically respectable and there’s a trend toward texturing the surfaces in avant-garde ways, but it is among laminates that choice is truly taking off. Colours at the extreme ends of the spectrum – both darker and lighter – are popular, but there are also new mineral and metallic finishes and 3D textures. Anything that can be photographed can be embedded into the surface of a laminate, so the sky is the limit.

The wider the range, the harder the choice, so consider taking advice from an experienced like http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/laminate-flooring.

Geometric Patterns

Parquet flooring was always popular but went out of style because of its cost and the challenge of keeping it level. Laminate sections click together and have no such problems. Herringbone, diagonal or chevron patterns can be simulated in their surface, created by fitting boards in different directions, or both. These fashion statements will endure for a long time.

Different Types of Roller Banners

by

Roller banners, also known as roll up, pull up and retractable banners are the most popular type of banners used in trade shows, exhibits and various events. These are a great way to attract the attention of your target audience and let them know in an instant what your brand is all about. A standard roll up banner is attached on a base, which is then pulled up and secured on a stand for display. Once done with the event, they can be pulled out from the stand, secured and carried to the next event. These roller banners come in various materials too, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. Aside from the standard roller banner, there are also other types to choose from.

Wide Roller Banners

Wide roller banners are similar to regular banners but they are double the size. These banners are perfect if you have bigger space for your banner displays. Since they are bigger, they also attract more attention, which is what you want for your banners. However, make sure that you have enough space in your exhibition booth to place the banner without problems.

Double Sided Roller Banners

Instead of only one printed banner on one side, there are two printed banners that are placed back to back. If traffic is coming from different directions, double sided pull up banners are fantastic options because your content is visible for everyone. Place this banner in a strategic location in your area to maximise its exposure. These banners can be standard in size or they can also be wide, depending on your personal needs and preference.

Quick Change Roller Banners

If you like to display different images or content, these banners are your top option. They were designed to change the banner display after a set time. This is typically after a few moments, allowing people to have the right amount of time to see the content of one banner design, before moving to the next one. Afterwards, it will return to the previous display and so on.

Eco-Friendly Roller Banners

Roller banner are made from different materials and there are those that are eco-friendly. If you want to go green, these banners are great choices. Not only will they help you make your brand known, but using them is also one way of helping save the environment.

Some of the most popular materials used for these roll up banners are vinyl, fabric, and bond paper. Vinyl is lightweight and convenient to carry around, although print may easily fade, unless you choose a material that’s laminated twice for extra protection. Fabric, on the other hand, gives livelier print colours, but is prone to creases and wrinkles. Bond paper banners come in matte and glossy finishes depending on your preference, but they are more suitable for indoor use.

Image source:

https://www.rollerbannersuk.com/double-sided-premium-roller-banner/

One App That Boosts Your Business’ Overall Productivity

by

 

As a business owner, I am sure you understand that in order to make your business catapult to success you need to make sure that you have such a solid basic plan first. Every business, after all, consists of various elements that, although very much diverse in their natures and even if at a glance they do not have a connection with each other, they all still need to be in sync in order for business to successfully reach the top. That is because a business cannot just walk on one foot, they cannot just rely on a good marketing plan, or advertising campaign. If you want to succeed, you need to combine those two elements and make it work.

However, an incredibly successful marketing plan and top notch viral advertising campaign are not enough. Why? Because a brand, a business, and even a well-established corporation need a great communication department handling as well. Imagine having a top notch viral advertising campaign that is backed up with solid marketing plan, but in the process of finalizing deals with your prospective customers or responding to incoming inquiries about the advertised service or product, you face a serious obstacle in the communication department. That’s right. Your company risk being ditched by the prospective customers you work so hard to attract right there and then! The golden key to this door of endless opportunity to success is, indeed, to catch your prospective customers right at the moments of their interest. Only a real time and around the clock communication is the solution to this issue.

Not only does Oppsource provide you a magnificent software serves as a marketing tool that identifies your Total Available Market or TAM and a number possible demand your product may get, organizesyour sale development, it also has a TouchPlans option with a sophisticate alarm that alerts you right at your prospective customers’ Moments of Interest – the kicker? It is also syncronized with Ring Central App. This Ring Central app adopts the latest ring central integration technology that ensures your business’ maximized productivity. “But how exactly does it maximize our communication’s productivity?” is a question that I can almost hear from where I am. Well, simple. This technology helps you to avoid having to constantly switch between numerous programs such as program that a business usually use to fax, text, and call – with this Oppsource invention, you can easily receive and make phone calls without having to leave your official website or email. Not only that, with Ring Central App, you can also fax documents directly from your computer with just one click. No need to go where the fax machine is. Oppsource’s Ring Central App also makes it possible for you to record all incoming and outgoing calls and save the for your future uses, if needed. Suitable for both Microsoft Windows and Mac, business owners do not need to worry about installing far too many softwares.

If you are interested in purchasing this Ring Central PursuitPro in order to make your business activity run smoothly, you can directly contact Ring Central Integration through this link.

4 Questions to Ask an Accounting Firm before Hiring Them

by

4-questions-to-ask-an-accounting-firm-before-hiring-them

Choosing an accounting firm over other options is a good thing. You can count on them to do the job well. They have great employees working for them. They have also registered as a business entity. Therefore, you won’t be at risk of fraud. There are a lot of options available though. Screening them could be such a huge challenge. There are important questions that you can ask before you decide which of them you will hire to do the job.

  1. How old is the company? You need to ask this question because it tells you how much they are trusted by other people. They won’t last long in the industry if they are not trusted by their clients. However, it also does not mean that you have to remove newer companies from the list right away. They might be a startup company with young but highly motivated professionals working for them.

  2. How many employees do they have? This is important in the sense that you need a firm that can partner you with not just one accountant, if you need more than one. For instance, if this accountant fails to do the job well, you can at least count on someone else to do the job. Furthermore, if you are running a huge business, one accountant won’t be enough. There should be people working on your cash flow analysis, tax related issues and budgeting.

  3. What will they do if there are errors? The moment you submit your documents to the government’s tax bureau, you will be responsible for these documents. You will then be asked if the documents are accurate. If not, then you will be fined. Since you have partnered with an accounting firm to do the job, then they must also be held accountable for the mistakes. They must offer to do the job again for free until the documents become error-free.

  4. How much are the rates for various services? Obviously, this is a question you should not forget. Some firms offer a package deal. This is where you can get all accounting services over a longer period of time at a discounted rate. As a business owner, you have a lot of financial issues to take care of. You don’t want to splurge just for accounting services. It does not mean you have to settle for anything less though. After all, your company’s finances are being talked about. Therefore, you can’t afford to go wrong.

You have to be ready with these questions so it will be easier for you to narrow the choices down. You can check out accountants in central London working for high quality firms and trust them to do the job for you.

 

Image via freedigitalphotos.net (etaphop photo)

Irish researchers want to see more medical trials progressed within the country

by

Ireland has lagged behind some European countries of similar size and population when it comes to hosting clinical trials for innovative new drugs. The figures have been improving and last year there were 200 active clinical trials in Ireland. Compare this, however, to the 450 trials in Finland and Denmark’s total of 1000.

irish-researchers-want-to-see-more-medical-trials-progressed-within-the-country

Image Credit

Cancer research is boosting the number of trials and about 7,000 people were participating in trials of new cancer drugs in Ireland last year. The group that represents the industry, Cancer Trials Ireland (CTI), has been speaking to the Irish Times about how Ireland can increase its profile in health research and clinical trials.

This group has been successful in bringing more trials to Ireland, and in fact, roughly 3% of patients with a new diagnosis of cancer are able to take part in clinical studies. That’s in line with the best practice internationally
.
Extending trials to other illnesses

There has been less progress in other disease areas such as diabetes, stroke or heart disease. One of the reasons quoted is that the infrastructure required to support clinical trials is not in place in Ireland. There is no complacency about this and Clinical Research Coordination Ireland (CRCI) has a mandate to attract trials for a diverse range of illnesses. The criticisms about infrastructure are not entirely justified because Ireland does have a number of specialised medical centres staffed by suitably qualified clinicians and researchers.

Co-ordination with clinical trial service providers

What is needed is further coordination between the academic research system and innovative companies http://www.gandlscientific.com/clinical-trial-services that are willing to support the research process by providing clinical trial services which hard-pressed general hospitals may not be able to supply.

Another factor in Ireland’s favour is a rigorous regulatory regime in which robust procedures are strictly enforced by the Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). There have, of course, been unsuccessful trails. The trial of a schizophrenia drug caused several healthy volunteers to suffer seizures. A full investigation by the HPRA’s predecessor said that the active ingredient had been given at an inappropriate dose. At the time, this was seen as a setback for the sector. However, from 2018, EU regulations will impose a standardised process for approving clinical trials and this is expected to be a positive development.