Construction college can upgrade small contractors

April 12, 2015

Q: I've been able to start up my construction business, but to really get going I could use some advice on how to win bids, effectively deal with general contractors and, in general, operate my small business. Where can I get help?

A:  I recommend the Construction Contractors' College, a program of the Entrepreneurs' Learning Center at the Kingdom Builders' Center. This program launches on June 9 with a curriculum shaped by representatives from certifying agencies, experienced contractors and successful small businesses. The program's major sponsor is Capital One Bank, and it's free to participants. Qualified graduates have access to more than $750,000 in funding to assist in expanding their businesses.

The overall goal of the Construction Contractors' College is to help small and minority business owners in construction and construction services who have been in business at least one year. It's designed to prepare owners to bid on contracts in the public and private sectors. The curriculum has been developed and will be taught by experienced business leaders to achieve the following objectives:

1. Develop sound business practices.
2. Improve the credit-worthiness of the individual owner and the business.
3. Position businesses for bidding opportunities.
4. Take the owner's business to its next level, particularly in the area of economic development, enabling these businesses to become employers increasing the financial stability for themselves and their employees.
5. Give business owners face-to-face time with general contractors.

The comprehensive curriculum is designed to provide relevant and useful information that can be practiced immediately. Course topics include credit awareness, specialized business plan development, certification, bidding, project management and access to capital.

Participants will learn to develop a business structure around their skill or trade, improve their likelihood of securing financing, have direct access to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's express certification process and receive coaching and counseling from experienced professionals, including SCORE and other seasoned consultants.

The six-month program is for small construction contractors who have been in business at least a year and have filed tax returns in their business names. Classes will meet two evenings each month at the Kingdom Builders' Center, 6011 W. Orem Drive. Application for the next term closes on May 1, and only 20 slots are available to the best-qualified candidates.


Click here to learn more and apply online or call 713-726-2519.

Sonetel - the global telephone service for global entrepreneurs

Sonetel - provider worldwide of a free, global business phone system service for small and medium businesses.

It enables free internal voice and video calls worldwide and marries IP-telephony, mobile phones and regular telephony into a seamless, company-wide, global solution. For free.

419,634 companies from 239 countries have already signed up to get this easy-to-use global telephone infrastructure for their business.

Sonetel is also a global phone company providing local phone numbers worldwide. This enables entrepreneurs to open "virtual offices" anywhere, for as little as a dollar a month - to get closer to their customers.

Sonetel's service also allows international business calls to be made - at the cost of a local call - from a mobile phone. Other services such as fax-to-email and voice response help businesses get a professional customer interface for as little as 1 cent per call.

160 man years have been invested into building Sonetel's unique technical platform with a sincere passion for service quality, automation and ease of use.

Sonetel is a privately held Swedish company backed by the founder Henrik Thomé, ALMI (Swedish Government organization) and other Swedish investors.

Team

Sonetel's Research & Development team in India develops and manages the Sonetel Phone System which is installed in high security data centers in California and Amsterdam. Sonetel's customer support team is located in India.

Management team

Henrik Thomé CEO and founder, Prashant Pant COO and Magnus Anckarman VP Business Development.

Henrik Thomé is a Swedish serial entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in telecom and Internet. Sonetel is his 7th venture. Earlier ventures include Envox providing voice application development software, handling over a million phone lines worldwide. Investors included Intel Capital, NorthZone, Eqvitec and Provider ventures. Linewise - a company developing and hosting advanced voice and Internet solutions for IKEA, Swedish Skatteverket etc.

Prashant Pant has 12 years of experience in telecom software engineering. After graduating from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in 2000, he has worked in diverse roles in architecture, development and management of advanced telecom software systems for wire-line and wire-less networks.

Magnus Anckarman has 25 years experience in sales and marketing, primarily in the Telecom business.

Key partners

Sonetel cooperates with select global technology and service providers that are capable of meeting Sonetel's stringent quality and price requirements.

Voxbone is the market leader in providing worldwide geographical, toll-free and iNum telephone numbers.

Grandstream is a global leading provider of high quality voice and video IP desktop phones, with +400 employees.

Sonetel has integrated with the Grandstream product range to create a true plug'n play experience for the user.

Sonetel also uses the services and products from dozens of other global leaders in their respective fields such as Oracle, Cisco and Level3 - in order to deliver a dependable, business quality service.

An online sales and ordering platform designed for small businesses in K...

Fan Welding Machine for set up Home Based Small Business

Fan Welding Machine for set up Home Based Small Business:

Demand and Market of Fan Repairing:

This machine is a good option for set up home based small business.

The demand of new ceiling and table fan is increased in summer season. Beside that the demand of repairing and servicing of various fans is also increased in summer season.

With the Fan Welding Machine you can repair ceiling and table fan. You also can make new fan with Balancing Machine, Punching Machine, Compressor Machine etc.

How to Repair Fan with Fan Welding Machine:

First you have to buy copper wire from market. Then you have to roll the copper wire with the bobbin of the machine. There will be different roles of different fans and you have to use different dies for different fans. To know the detail procedures please contact the machine manufacturer.

It needs ½ hp motor and 220 volts to operate the Fan Welding Machine.

Price of the Fan Welding Machine:

The price of Welding Machine (Bench Model) including is approximately Rs.13000 and the price of Welding Machine (Stand Model) is approximately Rs. 19000.

Where to Buy the Fan Welding Machine:

Bharat Machine Tools Industries,

61, Ganesh Chandra Avenue,

Kolkata-700013

Email: bharatmachinestools1@rediffmail.com

Customers expect good service online or in person

March 1, 2015

Q: As more business is conducted online, how does this influence customer service?

A: A: If anything, customer service has never been more important, according to John McClymonds, a veteran of the retail clothing industry.

"Customers are much more demanding than they were just 10 years ago," says McClymonds, who now serves as a SCORE Houston mentor. "They're more sensitive to what they feel they deserve and what they feel they've earned by shopping at a particular retailer."

Studies have found that customers are willing to pay a premium to ensure quality service. Many are also more likely to recommend a company for providing outstanding service than for attributes such as product or price, McClymonds says.

Meeting these customer expectations is easier than you may think, and it begins with a well-designed, easy-to-navigate, and fast-loading e-commerce website. Make sure all the basic information about your business and what it offers is clear and easy to find. A comprehensive "frequently asked questions" page helps guide customers, and explain product aspects they may not be fully aware of.
Also, make sure product descriptions are timely and complete, including any items that may be out of stock, and that they detail any additional charges and fees (such as shipping and handling). Few things are more frustrating to an e-customer than unwelcome price surprises that appear during check-out.

Encourage your e-customer's feedback via a comments section on the website, or a follow-up email after the sale. Easy-to-create online surveys using such services as Survey Monkey, Client Heartbeat or Survey Gizmo are a good way to collect information as long as they are brief and questions are focused on the customer's experience.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media sites are also good forums for interacting with customers, as are online rating sites such as Yelp, Google Local and City Search. Even without direct contact, you may still spot trends or issues that need improvement. Also, thank customers who provide positive feedback and encourage them to visit your site again, giving them an incentive to recommend your site to others.

Respond quickly to complaints or negative comments. If the complaint appears in a public online setting, move the conversation offline as quickly as possible.

Be sure to post a follow-up note about the complaint on the forum, even if the outcome is not what you wanted. Regular visitors will see that you're an e-business they can trust, because you take customer feedback seriously.

Are You a Reactor or a Creator? And Why Does It Matter?

Great article on your perspective on life. Are You a Reactor or a Creator? And Why Does It Matter?

Initiative aims to take owners to the next level

Q: My small business has gotten off to a good start. I've proved my concept, and there is ample unfilled demand for my service. Now I need to get prepared to grow my business substantially. How can I make that happen?

A: You need the expert training and mentoring that is required to make that leap forward to compete at a higher level. Fortunately, there's a successful program just getting started in Houston that can prepare you for the challenges you face.

The Small Business Administration's Emerging Leaders Initiative is a federal training program conducted in 48 communities since 2008. It specifically focuses on executives of businesses poised for growth, providing them with the organizational framework, resource network, and motivation required to build sustainable businesses and promote the economic development within urban communities.

Over the course of seven months, participants are given the opportunity to work with experienced mentors, attend specialized workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and the financial community. The initiative incorporates a research-based curriculum specifically designed to stimulate and support the expansion of your business. It enables participating businesses to engage in focused development and expansion strategies, including options for accessing new capital and securing government contracts.

The Emerging Leaders Initiative is for established business owners, not start-ups. The series is open to owners and executives of small businesses that have annual revenue of at least $400,000; have been in business for at least three years; and have at least one employee other than the owner or executive. There are no restrictions on the types of businesses that can participate.

At the conclusion of the training, entrepreneurs produce a three-year strategic growth action plan with benchmarks and performance targets that will help them access the necessary support and resources to move forward. The executive education prepares and encourages small businesses to move to the next level on their growth trajectory and helps them emerge as self-sustaining businesses that create jobs and build communities.

Participation is free. The only cost is your time and commitment to complete the curriculum over the course of seven months. All other costs are covered by the Small Business Administration and cosponsors SCORE and the Women's Business Center.

Business executives interested in participating should register before March 1 at www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders. Classes begin in April. For information, contact Steve Curry at Stephen.Curry@sba.gov or 713-773-6542.