Mitre 10 In Trade Magazine - July 2014

JULY 2014

CUSTOMER PROFILE: MITRE 10 MEGA HAMILTON; STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL BUILDER DRIVING TRADE AT MITRE 10 MEGA TAKANINI TRAINING APPRENTICES BRACING REQUIREMENTS YOUR COMPANY’S CONSTITUTION NEW ACT ON HEALTH AND SAFETY

SEE INSIDE FOR CHANCES TO WIN GREAT PRODUCTS Offers open to account holders only Call 0800 M10 TRADE to find out more All prices and offers in this publication are valid from Tuesday July 1 to Thursday July 31 2014 from participating stores.

FOREWORD Building business on strong foundations Building a strong business can be achieved in a number of different ways. In fact, a truly resilient company will need to have a range of different factors in order to survive and prosper.

In Mitre 10 In Trade magazine, we strive to bring you information from a number of sources in order to provide you with as much material as possible to apply to your business. It’s not always related to the building and construction industry either – some of it’s just good business and would be relevant, no matter which industry you are in.

While working within your business, it’s often easy to lose sight of future-proofing what you’ve spent countless hours building up.

The everyday grind of planning, pricing, paperwork, billing, HR, managing subbies and often managing family life as well….it can be exhausting and it can all take its toll.

However, to ensure your business has a future and reaches its potential, you need to look ahead and put something in place to make sure it’s not all going to fall over once you’re off the tools or decided to take a step back.

One way of doing that and putting something in place early is to work with an apprentice – something highlighted in this month’s column from the BCITO on page 14. Apprentices are a vital part of our industry; they form the foundation on which the future of our industry is built and they’ve come a long way from the ‘boy’ on site who was charged with just cleaning boxing timber, pushing a wheelbarrow full of concrete and making the tea in time for smoko.

They’re now viewed (or should be) as a legitimate and highly valuable part of each company’s workforce.

Don’t ignore the future. Start now. Work with your apprentices to ensure they get the best possible on-site education and experience as possible, and give them every opportunity to reward you by continuing with your business in the future

Andrew Cochrane, General Manager Trade Mitre 10 (New Zealand) Ltd

CONTENTS 2

PROFILE

Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton and Stevenson Designer Building Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton trade customer Joel Stevenson offers a range of building services to his clients and is supported by impressive service and support from the team at Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton.

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6 8 12

14

16 21

PROFILE

Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini Kevin Riley, the Trade Manager for Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini has been with the store in his role for only 12 months, but is out and about generating more trade business.

BRANZ

Bracing requirements Recent BRANZ testing has quantified the bracing ratings of some common older generic bracing systems. These ratings will be useful during repairs or renovations of older buildings.

SITE SAFE NZ

New Health and Safety at Work Act The Health and Safety in Employment Act (1992) is under review and will be replaced by the Health and Safety at Work Act, scheduled for April 2015. What does this mean for you?

LEGAL

BCITO

Mitre 10 In Trade magazine is published 12 times a year in association with Mitre 10.

Managing Editor

Scott Wilson Phone: 021 725 061 Email: editor@M10magazine.co.nz

Contributors Adrienne Jervis

Carolyn Culliney – Meredith Connell BRANZ Site Safe NZ

A company is not required by law to have a constitution.

If a company does not have one, then the rights, obligations and liabilities of the company, its directors and its shareholders will all, by default, be governed by the Companies Act 1993.

BCITO

Training our future

Nicholson Print Solutions

Your business online Online is becoming a key place to market your business.

But what should you put on there…and how should you do it? Here are some tips to get you started.

COMPETITION /LBP COUPON

Volume 8, Issue 1 July 2014

A company constitution

As the building and construction industry grows, training apprentices becomes even more important. Building company owner Ben Redmond expresses his personal view on the subject.

BUSINESS

Cover: Stevenson Designer Building Owner Joel Stevenson (left) and Hamilton Trade Manager Kelly Littlewood.

Stuff to win, points to earn Don’t miss the back page

ASB

Printer

Enquiries

ReFocus Media Ltd P O Box 21081 Flagstaff Hamilton 3256 Email: Info@refocusmedia.co.nz MMS Publishing reserves the right to accept or reject all editorial or advertising material. No part of In Trade magazine may be published without the express permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in In Trade magazine are not necessarily those of Mitre 10 or the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the suggestions of the contributors or conclusions that may be drawn from them. Although the publisher has made every effort to ensure accuracy, the reader remains responsible for the correct use and selection of any tools, materials and systems followed, as well as the following of any laws or codes that may apply.

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PROFILE Builder Joel Stevenson (left) and Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton Trade Manager Kelly Littlewood

Builder values store involvement Stevenson Designer Building has been building residential homes in Hamilton and the Waikato for more than 18 years. Owner Joel Stevenson followed a strong family tradition in carpentry to become the third generation of his family to take up building.

He maintains the family reputation for high professional standards, top building skills and attention to detail.

The company’s projects range from new homes built to clients’ designs or specifications to offering complete house and land packages. A flexible range of plans and styles is available, with options to upscale or down scale as clients choose.

“We specialise in house and land packages - full, fixed-price, turn-key options, the client’s land or ours,” says Joel. “We’ve developed a niche market in them because they have proved so popular with clients who, I believe, gain from the better price they offer.”

The company employs a team of six skilled builders and completes up to 12 projects each year. Most projects involve land that the company has purchased in Hamilton’s northern suburbs where there has been a housing boom in recent years.

Currently three projects are underway, all in different stages but all house and land packages.

From brainstorming ideas to finishing touches, Stevenson Designer Building ensures a professional service, superior workmanship and total satisfaction. The company not only guarantees an affordable and individual house, it pledges the complete attention of a dedicated, trade certified builder.

Joel handles myriad tasks including site management and sales.

He usually does his own marketing and takes care of all the various jobs required to keep the business running successfully.

He is a member of the New Zealand Certified Builders Association (CBANZ), a nationwide network of trade qualified builders who meet the highest industry standards.

Formed in 1998 by qualified builders concerned that their trade was being undermined by unqualified trades people,

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PROFILE

the association’s principle objective corresponds with the aims of Stevenson Designer Building. It is to provide New Zealand consumers with the assurance that its members are trade qualified builders who adhere to strict guidelines for standards of workmanship and business practice.

Joel brought his business to Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton a couple of years ago as he likes dealing directly with management and appreciates their efficiency, especially when it comes to decision-making. He knows Trade Manager Kelly Littlewood and his Trade Rep Dean Cotter “pretty well” and appreciates the time they take to sort out any issues.

“Generally I follow a good rep or management,” says Joel. “In my 18 years experience in the building industry I rarely got to know other merchants well or dealt with their managers. At Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton I’m able to talk with Dean and Kelly; I’m not dealing with a corporation. There is flexibility; I can deal more direct. If Dean can’t sort an issue out right away, then Kelly will come back within 24 hours with an answer.”

Joel also likes the competitive prices and the team’s ability to source an extensive range of products.

“The stock offering means I can get everything I need, or it can be sourced quickly. With Mitre 10 being the largest home improvement merchant, they have great bulk buying power and clout in the market.”

Last year Joel was invited to attend a four day, fully-funded trip to Australia to watch the All Blacks take on the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup test match, something he describes as “pretty awesome.”

“With Mitre 10 being the largest home improvement merchant, they have great bulk buying power and clout in the market.”

Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton does a range of things for its building partners including trade breakfasts, V8 hot laps, fishing trips and so on. The store also hosts the Building Hub Roadshow, which Joel attends.

“The store does cool stuff. They’re imaginative, and always do something special for their builders.”

Hamilton’s well established Mitre 10 MEGA store is privately owned and operated, with a leadership team passionate about building long-term relationships with customers as partners.

The store strives to provide great value, which includes service, DIFOTIS, quality, as well as price. Business policies and processes are constantly reviewed to ensure the store is abreast or ahead of market expectations. Significant resources have been invested in growing timber and building supply to residential builders.

The team plays an integral role in the growth of the company.

Trade Manager, Kelly Littlewood, is committed to driving trade business forward. He says activity in the building market is picking up and things are looking promising for the rest of the year.

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PROFILE (From left): Builder Mike Carrol, Trade Rep Ash Ali and Trade Manager Kevin Riley.

Driving trade at Takanini Since joining Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini, Trade Manager Kevin Riley has been out driving trade business, knocking on doors and cold calling, as well as growing existing accounts and spending a lot of time with customers.

Kevin came on board when Ross Barraclough took on the store’s ownership almost a year ago. Kevin had a trade pedigree and in recent years had worked for an Auckland building supplies company. The one-time business owner had also successfully imported plumbing supplies, managed building supplies stores and had a background in sales and good product knowledge. He was looking for other opportunities when Ross brought him on board.

The trade store has a strong focus on service and a systematic growth plan. Trade Reps Ash Ali, Peter Kregting and Sam Gilmour have a solid history with the store, are knowledgeable and proactive. To cater for growth, another rep is soon to join the team. Customers are valued and there are opportunities for them to attend trade breakfasts every 6-8 weeks. The store also 4

organises fishing trips, V8 hot laps, rugby trips, and lays on a few beers at Christmas.

Mike C Builders Ltd A Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini trade customer, Mike Carrol has been in the building industry all his working life. The Licensed Building Practitioner got into building after completing his apprenticeship as a joiner and has been working independently as Mike C Builders since 1996. He has a team of 12 guys.

The company undertakes a mixture of work, including new builds, and architectural and technical builds such as homes on hill sides.

“We’ve got a hillside build on the go at the moment at Kawakawa Bay,” says Mike. “It’s our third.”

Mike C Builders also does labour only work, contracting to and supervising - work for a housing company. The company is currently involved in 6-7 projects. Most of the work is concentrated in east and south Auckland in areas such as Kawakawa Bay, Clevedon, Beachlands and Pukekohe. It’s a

PROFILE busy life for Mike, who spends 8-10 hours a day on the tools and does his paperwork at night. The regime is not entirely by choice but is due to him finding it difficult to get qualified staff.

Mike’s been a Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini customer pretty much since it opened, particularly as the store offered convenience when he was driving home.

“I could call in and get gear.” Mike says, adding that in the last three years the store has really stepped up its trade offer. “There has been more emphasis on trade. We can get our frames and trusses there now. The stock holdings and service are brilliant, and these days we’re putting everything through the store.

“We get on well with everyone in the trade team, from the guys in the yard and on the floor, to the reps and trade manager, Kevin Riley. They’re all easy to get along with. My trade rep Ash has been brilliant since he came on board; he really goes out of his way to help.”

Mike likes Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini’s competitive pricing and the way the store always come to the party with stock.

MC Hammer Ltd Mike Clark established MC Hammer Ltd two years ago after completing his apprenticeship with an Auckland construction company. He’d been building for 10 years and was looking for a challenge.

Mike, who initially worked for Habitat For Humanity, started a Bachelor of Construction at Unitec but felt it was more appropriate to learn the true skills involved in building, have the practical experience of showing up on site and opportunities to relate more as to what’s involved in the processes. He’s always been interested in the construction industry.

Builder Mike Clark (left) and Trade Rep Peter Kregting

Mike’s vision has always been to provide the best quality job possible while achieving the best desirable outcome for clients, both financially and quality-wise. Going forward, he not only sees his company expanding to cope with the influx of minor dwellings but also developing a closer relationship with Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini in offering a complete solution for these.

“I’ve been a Mitre 10 customer from day dot as they were the most welcoming of all the main building merchants. Even after having worked at another merchant for a number of years, Mitre 10’s trade set-up surpassed what I was expecting. Their Trade set-up and systems are very streamlined and the Mitre 10 site is great for pricing, quoting and ordering.”

Mike says he’s never been let down.

“It offers so many great opportunities that, if followed correctly, can provide a life-time of benefits.”

“Staff deal with everything in a timely and efficient manner, no matter how complicated. I’ve referred new clients on.

MC Hammer Ltd started out with just Mike and his apprentice, Steven Webb, but has expanded to include Paul Cunningham, Rob Bolger, Nathan Pyne and Graeme Clark. The main focus has always been renovations.

“My trade rep Peter is always thinking ahead. He is often well ahead of my own scheduling in terms of lead times and product availability. Peter is always offering alternative solutions for products, based on his experiences, and is also well on the money for new efficient products that can make our lives easier.”

“We find them more challenging in terms of matching old with new and in offering a variation of work,” he explains.

However, the company has also become involved in a wide range of projects including outdoor play areas for childcare centres. From the design stage through to renovations, Mike and his team help the centres understand all aspects of the process. In addition, MC Hammer Ltd averages around two bathrooms a week for an Auckland-based bathroom company, and is heavily involved in constructing minor dwellings for property developers in South Auckland, as well as renovations on their existing dwellings.

The MC Hammer team have developed great friendships with Mitre 10 MEGA Takanini staff that extend outside of work.

“The trade guys also offer a great insight into the behind-thescenes running of a business, which is great from a mentoring point of view as I’m still relatively new in the industry,” says Mike, who often sends his customers to meet the staff.

“The team are then able to run them through product options. The feedback I receive from my clients is absolutely outstanding.”

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BRANZ

Bracing ratings

By Graeme Beattie, BRANZ Principal Engineer, AND Stuart Thurston retired BRANZ Senior Stuctural Engineer

RECENT BRANZ TESTING HAS QUANTIFIED THE BRACING RATINGS OF SOME COMMON OLDER GENERIC BRACING SYSTEMS. THESE RATINGS WILL BE USEFUL DURING REPAIRS OR RENOVATIONS OF OLDER BUILDINGS. BRANZ tested older systems In a Building Research Levy-funded project, BRANZ tested a range of older bracing systems (see Table 3) to provide wall bracing ratings.

In most cases, 2.42 m high timber frames were constructed using 90 × 45 mm kiln-dried MSG 8 radiata pine timber with plates nailed to studs with two 90 × 3.15 mm power-driven glue-shank nails. Although these differ from the original timber and nails, the difference in performance is considered small.

The bottom plates of the walls were fixed to the foundation beam using pairs of 100 × 4 mm hand-driven galvanised nails at 600 mm centres starting 150 mm from the outside stud.

Nogs, where used, were at 800 mm centres except for system Brace 4, where they were at 600 mm centres.

The Brace 3 specimen – double diagonal braces cut between studs.

FOR NEW HOUSES, manufacturers generally provide wall bracing ratings for their proprietary systems based on results of the BRANZ P21 test method. Designers then ensure that the demand wind or earthquake loads at each level and in each direction are less than the sum of the resistances of the bracing elements.

For renovations or repairs of older buildings, however, the bracing strength of existing construction is often not known.

What should be used in the bracing calculations required by building consent authorities?

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Studs were at 600 mm centres (although in practice they were often at 450 mm centres) except for Lath 1 where they were at 400 mm centres.

Each specimen was subjected to three cycles of in-plane displacement at top plate level to each of +/-8.5 mm, +/-15 mm, +/-22 mm, +/-29 mm, +/-36 mm, +/-43 mm and +/-65 mm.

...and established bracing ratings The proposed bracing ratings for existing and renovated walls based on the BRANZ testing are in Table 1.

Budgetary constraints meant that it was not possible to test three replicates of each system but the bracing contributions are generally quite low, meaning that any variations in actual strength compared to the tested strength would not influence the overall resistance of the structure markedly.

BRANZ Study Report SR305 Bracing ratings for non-proprietary bracing walls can be downloaded from www.branz.co.nz.

BRANZ

Table 1

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED BRACING RATINGS

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SITE SAFETY

Preparing for the new Health and Safety at Work Act – three easy steps: the good, better and the best steps to take The Health and Safety in Employment Act (1992) is under review and will be replaced by the Health and Safety at Work Act, scheduled for April 2015. According to the Health and Safety Reform Bill, the current contractual process/chain will continue; however responsibilities and duties will become clearer and obligations cannot be contracted away.

The proposed Bill discusses a new term called ‘Persons Conducting Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU). The PCBU model is like an umbrella - it covers everyone in the workplace.

It’s not just employers who hold responsibilities anymore – it’s all of the members of the contractual/supply chain who are a PCBU. 8

PCBUs will ensure (as reasonably practicable) the health and safety of workers they engage and workers that their work may influence – including employees, contractors and sub-contractors. This concept will also cover designers, manufacturers and importers/suppliers: all businesses operating within the construction industry.

Preparing for change – if you already have a robust health and safety management system in place, you’re most likely well equipped for the up-and-coming changes. If you’re yet to set up a health and safety system in your workplace, think about the following ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘best’ steps to take when developing your own.

Take the first ‘good’ step: A basic health and safety system should record all known hazards, accidents, employee (competency) training, and contain an emergency plan to meet the minimum legal requirements.

SITE SAFETY • Hazard Management: A hazard register is a template used to record a company’s known hazards. It can be used: - at the tender stage - to work out the hazards for each job - to help compare subcontractors’ hazard registers.

Preventing injuries on site requires a proactive approach in reporting hazards, staff involvement and regular reviews of the hazard controls.

• Incident/Near Miss and Accident Investigation: To help identify trends and hazards, it’s vital that incident and accident investigations are thorough.

• Emergency Preparedness: Plan for all potential emergencies at the start of any project and review when situations change. Also think about multiple hazards or emergency situations when developing a plan, for example working at height in a confined space.

• Training and Competency: Inductions, relevant training and knowing when a staff member is safe to work unsupervised are key aspects to running a safe business. It is important to record all training in a register as it clearly communicates when an employee is competent.

Contractor Management: An employer’s legal responsibility doesn’t stop at their employees, but also includes all their subcontractors. Include all sub-contractors at site inductions and emergency procedures and request their health and safety plan at the tender stage.

about what is important and worth doing. Leaders should communicate their health and safety system’s responsibilities and expectations clearly, monitor performance, provide constructive feedback and look for ways to improve.

The ‘good-better-best’ model provides guidance on setting company health and safety goals. You should always look for ways to continuously improve and take the next ‘step’.

Which step are you on? Register on the AppCon database, fill in a health and safety questionnaire and have it assessed by a health and safety professional to find out where you’re at.

AppCon also allows you to manage your own subcontractors’ health and safety.

Find out more at www.sitesafe.org.nz/appcon.

To support the founding ‘good’ health and safety tools and to improve systems and behaviours on site, take the following ‘better’ steps: • Task Analysis (TA): Compared to listing hazards and controls on site like a hazard register or board, a TA gets the worker to think about a hazardous job step-by-step and list the hazards and controls for each step. TAs are usually done for high risk work.

• ‘Toolbox Talk’ Safety Meeting: An opportunity to talk about site activities, new or reviewed safe work practices and observations, accidents/incidents and near misses that have happened on site, task analysis and all employee concerns.

Be the Best: Health and safety processes and systems complement each other and together help develop a safety culture on site. Once a safety culture has been established, it is important to keep it thriving. Internal and external safety audits, higher level training and specific goals and responsibilities are positive indicators that will set a pathway for the best health and safety system.

Leadership drives culture - “the way things are done around here” Culture plays a huge part in determining behaviour and the ‘unwritten rules’. Therefore a real change in culture must start at the top, as leaders send signals to their employees

Most of these health and safety documents/procedures that are discussed are available in the Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) which is free to download from www.sitesafe.org.nz/sssp.

Site Safe NZ Inc is a not for profit, membership based organisation, that supports, promotes and inspires a culture of health and safety in the New Zealand construction and related industries.

For more information about Site Safe NZ Inc, products and services, or to speak to a Safety Advisor, call 0800 SITE SAFE or visit www.sitesafe.org.nz/advisor.

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LEGAL

“We, the company”?

Why Your Company should have a Constitution

By Carolyn Culliney

What is a company constitution?

A company constitution is essentially a set of rules dealing with how the company will be run. It states what is and is not allowed to be done with shares by the company and contains procedures relating to, its directors and its shareholders.

Constitutions are usually adopted when the company is incorporated. However, a company may change an existing constitution or agree to having a new one at any time (though not after liquidation).

A company is not required by law to have a constitution. If a company does not have one, then the rights, obligations and liabilities of the company, its directors and its shareholders will all, by default, be governed by the Companies Act 1993.

Carolyn Culliney is an Principal in the Commercial Corporate team at Meredith Connell.

Carolyn’s practice encompasses advice on all forms of commercial contracts. Carolyn has a particular specialization in construction law and has been a guest speaker for the New Zealand Law society on the subject.

Carolyn can be contacted on (09) 336 7500 or by email at carolyn.culliney@meredithconnell.co.nz

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Having a constitution can therefore have many advantages for a company. It draws together all the ground rules that are tailored to the company’s unique characteristics. It can state which parts of the Companies Act 1993 apply to the company and which parts do not, subject to the Act permitting that part to be varied by a constitution. In the case of companies with a group of shareholders, it can be a way to ensure control over the company’s governance and over how shares are transferred.

What are the advantages of having a constitution?

Drawing together the company’s ground rules A constitution gathers all the rules relevant to company procedures. The ground rules in the constitution will be specific to the company’s needs. How the company is set up will then determine what is to be included in the constitution. A joint venture or subsidiary company might have a provision in the constitution allowing a company director to act in the best interests of the shareholder that appointed the director, for example, or the holding company. In the same way, a larger company may wish to have more flexibility in their capital arrangements, and therefore have a provision allowing for the company to purchase its own shares.

Adopting or negating certain parts of the Companies Act 1993 Certain parts of the Companies Act 1993 are presumed to apply to all companies unless the constitution of a company specifically says that they do not. For example, the company may wish to modify the way in which directors exercise their power, or how (and if) they may be paid. If there is no constitution in place, then the conditions of the Companies Act 1993 will be applied indiscriminately, potentially leading to unforeseen outcomes.

LEGAL On the other hand, certain parts of the Companies Act 1993 do not apply to companies unless the constitution of a company says that they do. One of the most important optional provisions that can be included in a constitution is to allow the company to indemnify its directors and employees against loss, as well as to purchase insurance to cover the liability of directors or employees should any civil proceedings arise against them.

Ensuring control over the company’s governance and share transfers Finally, a constitution may be a way to ensure that existing shareholders maintain control of the company. This is particularly important in the case of companies where some of the shareholders have different levels of involvement in it, eg investor versus employee shareholder. Having a constitution means voting rights attaching to certain classes of shares may be specified, the majority required for special resolutions approving major transactions and company amalgamations may be increased, and the process for appointing and removing directors may be changed.

Ensuring that shares are kept amongst the original shareholders, or that any incoming shareholder is first approved by existing shareholders may be another important consideration for control. A constitution may provide for, modify or negate preemptive rights in shares, so that a company issuing new shares or a seller of existing shares, must first offer them to holders of existing shares, determine how shares are valued before they are sold, or impose prerequisite procedures before shares may be purchased.

Conclusion Essentially, it is important to consider having a company constitution if your company wishes to be subject to rules specifically decided with the company’s characteristics in mind.

Having this set of easily-accessible rules which protect directors and shareholders, and ensure that shareholders’ interests are maintained will undoubtedly assist to keep your company running smoothly.

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(offer expires 31 July 2014)

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BCITO My secrets to training legendary apprentices

By Ben Redmond, Redmond Builders & Construction

As our industry grows, along with the demand for skilled tradies, it’s our job as employers to get the right people trained up and ready to make a difference.

Since starting my own business at age 30, I’ve been passionate about training. I wanted someone young and fresh to help me out; who would grow to become a valuable member of both my team and the construction industry. So I took on an apprentice through the BCITO. Seven years and six apprentices later, I’m reaping the benefits.

Finding the right apprentice isn’t easy, but once you’ve found someone you can get along well with, is eager to learn and not afraid of a bit of hard work, you’re sorted.

It’s then up to you to mentor that person until they’ve got the skills you both need.

At the beginning, it’s all about investing your time, skills and energy. Being a good mentor means giving your apprentices a 14

chance to excel and pushing them to be their best. Seeing the potential isn’t enough; you have to provide opportunities for your apprentice to reach that potential.

After a couple of years of training and hard work, they hit that magic moment and all of a sudden you’ve created a fully competent tradesperson.

Through training apprentices, I’ve had excellent opportunities to foster great talent. One of my first apprentices, Willie de Gruchy, went on to win the Auckland 2013 House of the Year.

Bill Harkness (pictured), who’s still working with me now, won the RMB Apprentice of the Year title in 2013.

I’m so proud of what these guys have achieved, and it’s so rewarding to know I have been a part of their career.

The bottom line is that there aren’t any downsides to supporting your apprentices to be their best. When your apprentices succeed, so does your business. Who wouldn’t want a top class tradesman to work alongside everyday?

For me, training apprentices just makes sense.

ASB BUSINESS Running your business online There are some steps you need to take to effectively run your business online. Research your competitors, find the web tools that will help support your online activities, and study the culture of the Internet itself.

Find out how it works and how other sites can link to yours to grow your business.

It’s important to have clear objectives for what you want to achieve online. The reasons can be numerous and varied. For example, do you want to: • Sell directly to your customers.

• Help people find your business location.

• Make your systems remotely accessible to customers or staff.

Register a domain name and find a web host Your domain name is a piece of your intellectual property – your unique address on the Internet. There are plenty of registrars online where you can purchase your domain name.

Pay for a web host to ‘rent’ you some space on their server.

Often, web hosts will also offer domain registration so you can purchase both in one transaction. Before you decide which web host to go with, consider: • Storage capacity – the total amount of data you can store on your host’s server.

• Server security – how well are malware, infected emails and other threats kept off the server.

• Domain-based email – do you want an email account linked to your domain name?

• Uptime percentage – the amount of time the server is up and running.

Website design You can essentially build your website yourself, using predesigned templates, or pay a web designer to create exactly what you want. Sites like Wordpress and Wix allow you to pick and choose the layout and design you feel fits your business type best.

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You could also construct your own site from scratch using a program like Dreamweaver. It does require knowledge of coding and a lot of spare time however.

Alternatively, you can create your site content yourself then hire a designer to build the site for you.

Generate traffic to your site Your online business will get lost in the millions of sites on the net if it isn’t promoted in a way that gets potential customers to it. Methods you can use include: • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – placing keywords in the titles, headers, first sentences and metadata of each page.

• Advertising with Google Ads, Yahoo Advertising, and Bing ads – the three major search engines on the net.

• Setting up a Facebook page and a Twitter account that link to your site – use them to engage with your customers and keep them informed.

• Keeping your content up-to-date on all these sources by letting your customers know what’s new with your business.

• Making sure the content you post online adds value to the customer experience.

It’s vital to attract the right people to your site. Consider what content is relevant and will provide value to your target audience. It could be information on your organisation, products or services.

If your products or services are complex, it may be worthwhile producing simple video content that explains how they work and why they’re useful.

Set up an online payment system You can make it easy by letting customers pay online directly through a business’s website. The advantages of facilitating a checkout for your customers can include keeping them on your site and allowing them to purchase on impulse.

ASB CardPay, PayPal or Google Checkout are a couple of the most common payment services.

Depending on your business situation, you may look to get up and running online with a simple website template linked to PayPal. From there you can improve your site over time as your business grows.

Keeping

safe

on building sites WitH HpM

Electresafe速 Powercentre

Heavy Duty Tradesman Lead

The Electresafe速 Powercentre is the first line of defence against electrocution. The in-built safety switch will trip within 30 thousandths of a second if supply neutral is lost.

A-type RCD protects supply against AC earth fault currents and pulsating DC fault currents. Includes two double power points with safety shutters for extra safety.

Be prepared on any work site with an Extra Heavy Duty Tradesman Lead.

Featuring a 10A moulded plug and socket for easy safety inspection, and an extra heavy duty 15A rated cable for extra protection. The unique clamping socket helps prevent lead pull-apart.

Electresafe速 Powercentre USB The Electresafe速 Powercentre USB combines the functions of the MCB and RCD into one module - an RCBO - which creates space for a dual 4.2A USB charger. Now you can charge all of your USB devices at maximum charging capacity without blocking any of the powerpoint outlets.

Complies with AS/NZS 3012 standard for Electrical Installations - Construction and demolition sites.

0800 476 009 www.hpm.co.nz

ASB3536/IT

ASB Business Focus.

The flexible package for growing business.

As your business grows you need your banking to grow with you. ASB Business Focus gives you a simple everyday account with unlimited electronic transactions for $7.50 per month, access to a fee-free overdraft up to $1,000 and options for EFTPOS, Visa Business, online banking and much more.

For details visit any ASB branch or asb.co.nz/businessfocus

asb.co.nz/businessfocus

ASB Bank Limited

ASB Bank Limited’s terms and conditions apply. ASB’s disclosure statement is available from any ASB branch or from asb.co.nz. Business Focus is available to businesses who turnover less than $2million p.a. Other transaction and service fees apply. ASB lending criteria apply.

WIN A HPM JACKET

Answer the following question and you’ll go in the draw to win a jacket from HPM – perfect for the cool winter temperatures.

QUESTION: When is the Health and Safety at Work Act scheduled to come into force?

Email your answer to m10trade@mitre10.co.nz with the words ‘July HPM jacket comp’ in the subject line and you’ll go in the draw to win.

You must include your answer, your name, company name, physical address, daytime phone number and the name of the store you hold an account with.

All entries must be received by 5pm on Monday August 4th, 2014.

Conditions of entry: You may enter only once/ Prize(s) are as outlined. Prize(s) are non-

refundable, non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash. The winner(s) will be notified by phone or email. Employees of ReFocus Media Ltd Ltd, Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd, suppliers of goods to Mitre 10 and their immediate families and agencies are not eligible to enter. By entering this contest, you consent to the use of your name in all matters related to this contest, including any advertising or publicity without further compensation. Results of this promotion will be published in a later issue of Mitre 10 In Trade magazine. Prices that may be quoted in this promotion were accurate recommended retail prices at the time of publication. ReFocus Media Ltd and Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd accept no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred from the use of these products.

THIS PUBLICATION IS RECOGNISED

BY THE BUILDING AND HOUSING GROUP AS CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE SKILLS MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LICENSED BUILDING PRACTITIONER SCHEME. If you are a Licensed Building Practitioner, cut out and safely retain this panel with your skills maintenance literature for future reference and audit confirmation.

Ref. In Trade Vol 8, Issue 1 July 2014

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S E V GLO

f o S K C A P 6 ed k r a m y l l a i Inside spec HIGH STRENGTH S L I A N D I U Q I L

Simply purchase a specially marked 6-Pack of Selleys Liquid Nails High Strength 375ml and receive a free pair of Selleys Fingerless Gloves. Promotion runs from the 1st of July until the 31st of August 2014 or until stock is sold out. Promotion only applies to the specially marked boxes of Liquid Nails High Strength 375ml. Prizes are not transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.