Common Power Quality Problems

Top 5 signs of a power problem:

• Repeated equipment failure
• Random equipment resets or process failures
• Breakers tripping or fuses blowing with no signs of overloading
• Transformers or motors running hot
• Uninterruptible power supplies frequently going on line

What’s causing these problems?

• Voltage dips and swells - Caused by large loads starting up or shutting down. Damages computers and electronic controls.
• Harmonics distortion - Corrupted electrical waveforms, seen in the current frequency cycle. Causes heat-related problems in motors and transformers, plus problems with circuit breakers, fuses and relays.
• Voltage unbalance - In 3 phase systems, when voltage between phases differs by more than 2%, motors and transformers overheat.
• Flicker - Cyclical voltage dips cause lights to flicker.
• Transients- These brief, sharp voltage increases are caused by equipment switching on/off, capacitor switching, and lightning, and can lock up computers, burn out circuit boards, and damage electrical insulation.

The purpose of a power quality survey is to assess whether the power in your facility is pure enough to reliably support the required loads at optimum performance and at a reasonable price per kWh. Power disturbances can involve voltage, current or other parameters and typically manifest as dips, swells, harmonic distortion, unbalance, flicker, transients, and additional power factor or peak demand fees on monthly utility bills.

More than 80 percent of all power quality problems originate within your facility.

Common culprits are:

• Large equipment starting-up or shutting down
• Improper wiring and earthing
• Overloaded circuits
• Harmonics

Less than 20 percent of power problems originate with the utility transmission and distribution system. Lightning strikes, equipment failure, accidents, and weather conditions all adversely affect the utility. Neighboring businesses and normal operation of utility equipment can also aect the quality of power delivered to your facility.

Fangadget – Gifts and Gadgets – Gifts for the Whole Family – The Simpsons Gifts – Star Wars Gadgets – iPhone Gadgets – Home

Fangadget – Gifts and Gadgets – Gifts for the Whole Family – The Simpsons Gifts – Star Wars Gadgets – iPhone Gadgets – Home.

Anger as council contractors nearly break into North Walsham cellar – Politics – Eastern Daily Press

Anger as council contractors nearly break into North Walsham cellar – Politics – Eastern Daily Press.

The Small Business Guide to Google Apps

As a small business keeping costs to a minimum and keeping business information accessible in a range of places, I can recommend that all small businesses take a look at the following blog.

The Small Business Guide to Google Apps.

Spanish Lessons

RODOLFO- Cuento infantil by Espinayflor (via ESPINES I FLORS)

A spanish childrens story written by my close friend Espinyaflor

RODOLFO Esta historia comienza al principio de los tiempos, cuando los animales hablaban y vivían sin los humanos. En ese tiempo nadaba junto a la orilla del mar una ballena macho, entonces no tenían miedo de que nadie deseara ni su piel, ni su carne por lo que se acercaban a las costas sin temor. Junto al mar en un conjunto de pedregales, tierra y maleza había un hueco, la madriguera de una familia de conejos, viciados en la zanahoria en la que … Read More

via ESPINES I FLORS

Business Systems – How and Where to Start

Business Systems – How and Where to Start.

Posted by Melinda on September 29, 2009 · 1 Comment

Last week we looked at Why we Need Systems in our business, even in our micro business where there’s only one person doing everything. Today we’re going to look at How and Where to start building those systems.

It starts with you. You’re the boss. Your job is to plan for expansion, and this is the first step (after your business plan). McDonalds systems enable 16 year old kids to run a busy restaurant. Your systems will enable you to work more efficiently, to identify hiccups and roadblocks in your business and to get people to help you when you need it.

So where do you start?

The easiest way to start is to write down every hat you wear within your business – Receptionist, Bookkeeper, Manufacturer, Copywriter, Supplies, Order Fulfilment, etc.

Under each heading then write a list of the tasks that position is responsible for – yes, even when it’s just you doing it all. Note that here you’re writing each task, not each step of the task.

Eg: Receptionist – answers the telephone, makes bookings, filing, taking orders.

Once you have each task, draw a flowchart for that task detailing each step from start to finish. This is where some shortcuts come in – skip the basic tasks. When it’s just you, then you don’t need a manual to answer the phone.

You do need a written down system for anything that you can envision yourself delegating at any time in the future. Usually, this will include tasks such as packing and posting orders, bookkeeping and emails (we’ll cover emails in a future post).

Write down your systems in a way that is so simple and basic that you could pull a teenager in off the street and ask them to follow it. That’s a really good test of a system by the way, if you can hand it to a person who’s never done the task before and they can follow it then it works. If they get hung up on any part of it and begin asking questions then you need to add in more detail.

When you’re satisfied that it’s written in detail and is easily understandable save an electronic copy in a special folder labelled “Systems” on your computer and then print out a copy. File the hard copy somewhere easily accessible – you’ll be using it regularly.

Keep working through each task until you’ve done them all, or at least the one’s with more than five steps.

The hardest part here is the actual doing. Finding the time to work through a task and write down every step, everything you do in the process. One good way to do it is to have someone observing and writing down what you do. Swap with a friend, you observe her and she can observe you.

100 Best Small Business Podcasts 2010

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

MeetInnovators – With Adrian Bye. This podcast includes interviews with today’s influential men and women on the Internet.

DishyMix – With Susan Bratton. Susan serves up a mix of lessons from individuals from the world of advertising, digital media, marketing, social media and more.

Total Picture Radio — With Peter Clayton. This podcast features career empowerment interviews with best-selling authors, senior executives, leadership coaches and entrepreneurs.

Project Management War Stories — With Wayne Thompson. Monthly interviews with seasoned business leaders, managers and top level executives offering advice.

The Starbucks Experience — With Dr. Joseph A. Michelli. This podcast will provide you with practical advice from a wide variety of businesses – both large and small.

Book Digest – Matthew Scott summarizes business books for busy business leaders in only eight short minutes.

Trafcom News Podcast – With Donna Papacosta. Listen to interviews and discussions about topics that are important to people in the business of communicating.

Manager Tool Podcasts – With Mauzenne & Co. This podcast is about new tools and easy techniques you can use to help achieve your management and career objectives.

Rule 53 – With Jake Cacciapaglia. This is a cross-generational podcast that focuses on leadership, business, technology and professional development.

The Engaging Brand – With Anna Farmery. A podcast to motivate, inspire and engage people at work.

Customer Management IQ – With Blake Landau. This podcast is a forum for sharing ideas, best practices and solutions within the customer management community.

The Bottom Line – With Evan Davis. This podcast gives insight into business from those leaders at the top.

MARKETING AND SALES

Marketing Over Coffee – By John Wall and Christopher Phenn. This podcast stays on top of all that’s new in the world of business marketing.

Internet Marketing This Week – This podcast stays on top of today’s hot marketing topics and answers questions such as, “Why did YouTube go to wide screen?”

Duct Tape Marketing — By John Jantsch. John provides interviews with influential marketing professionals and those who demonstrate advanced marketing tactics.

Marketing Edge — With Albert Maruggi. This podcast features insights and advice on public relations, marketing, communication and more.

Small Business Big Marketing Show – With Luke Moulton & Timbo Reid. Hear how other small business owners from around the world go about their marketing.

The Selling to Consumers Podcast – With Skip Anderson. This is a sales training podcast for salespeople who sell to consumers.

Sales Podcast – With Shane Gibson. Shane is talking about sales force leadership, new entrepreneur development, social media marketing and how ”to close bigger deals.”

AdVerve – With Angela Natividad & Bill Green. This is a podcast about advertising and marketing.

The Official BNI Podcast – With Dr. Ivan Misner. This podcast is a weekly audio discussion with Dr. Ivan Misner, the Founder and Chairman of BNI.

Six Pixels of Separation – With Mitch Joel. Mitch talks about digital marketing, new media and personal branding.

The BeanCast – By Bob Knorpp. This podcast features a panel of smart ad-biz types discussing news and issues.

Managing The Gray – By C.C. Chapman. This is is a marketing podcast that is teaching you and your company about the changing business world.

Clarity Advantage’s Sales Thoughts – With Nick Miller. Gain tips and techniques for prospecting, negotiating, coaching, and managing the sales process.

OPERATING A SMALL BUSINESS

Mind Your Own Business Podcast — With Guy Kingston. Guy discusses topics such as hourly billing, working from home, bankruptcy, business insurance and much more.

Escape from Cubicle Nation — With Pamela Slim. Pamela shares advice on issues for those who have gone from employee – to business owner.

Accelerate Your Business Growth – Diane Helbig is discussing small business issues – whatever it is that keeps a small business owner up at night, and she is offering input and suggestions for resolution.

Views From the Top – With Adrienne Graham. Adrienne takes a look at the hard hitting issues affecting women in corporate positions and entrepreneurs at the top of their game.

Be The Media – With David Mathison. This show teaches you how to accelerate your message, build your audience, and earn more revenues.

The Smallbiz Brain – By David Wolf. This podcast features interviews with small business experts and leaders.

Little Things Matter – By Todd Smith. Improving your life one thing at a time.

Metromom – With Kim DeYoung. The get it done resource for motivated mom entrepreneurs.

The Passionate Entrepreneur – With Kenneth Darryl Brown. This show is for passionate entrepreneurs who want to take their companies to the next level.

Entrepreneur People – With Sherry Borzo. Real Stories about real people that teach lessons in business and in life.

TAX AND FINANCE

Accounting Best Practices — With Steve Bragg. Steve covers a broad range of accounting topics and other financial-related matters.

Kiplinger Podcast — By Kiplinger. This podcast covers personal finance topics and tips to pay attention to your finances.

Marketplace — A daily dose of news on business and current economics trends affecting your business.

The Clark Howard Show – With Clark Howard. Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs.

NPR: Planet Money Podcast – Everything you need to know or want to learn about money and finance.

WSJ’s Your Money Matters – This podcast by The Wall Street Journal will help you to keep your finances in tip-top shape.

Ernst & Young International Tax Podcast – Business insights by Ernst & Young.

Money Box – With Paul Lewis. News of savings and investments, credit cards and loans, pensions, banking, tax, benefits and giving to charity.

STARTUPS AND STARTING A BUSINESS

Success U – With Christian and Ben. Start-up excellence and life lessons of battle hardened serial entrepreneurs.

The Startup Success Podcast – With Bob Walsh and Patrick Foley. Get the information you need as a startup, indie or micro-ISV (independent software vendor).

StartUpNation Radio – With Rich Sloan and Troy Janisch. This podcast provides in-the-trenches expertise on how to start and grow your dream business.

HOME BASED BUSINESS

Work at Home Success – With Leslie Truex. Leslies shares business tips, tools and resources for those who work from home.

Home Business Internet Talk Show — With host Paul Stanton. Paul covers all aspects of running a business from home and episodes range anywhere from 2 minutes to a half hour or more.

Work at Home Moms Talk Radio — With Kelly McCausey. Kelly interviews a successful WAHM (work at home mom) or business owner every Monday morning with an emphasis on Internet-based businesses.

Freelance Radio – With a panel of 4 freelance interviewers, topics are geared for those freelancing full-time, side contracting or those just starting to think about it.

I Should Be Writing – With Mur Lafferty. Mur shares tips, insights and motivation for freelance writers.

Freelance Advisor – With Darren Fell and Andy White. Darren and Andy share tips and insights from real freelancers and contractors.

Big Illustration Party Time – A new podcast discussing the inns and outs of freelance illustration and cartooning with Joshua Kemble and Kevin Cross.

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

The Force Field — With Rick Savoia. This podcast is a half hour production dedicated to the small, independent IT service provider.

Entrepreneur’s Journey — By Yaro Starak. Yaro provides specific help to those starting and running Internet businesses such as how to take payments online, sell e-books or launch a new product.

Managing The Edge – With Doug Mitchell & Andy Brudtkuhl. This podcast helps you become more findable and engagable on the web.

The Social Customer – With Brent Leary, Maggie Fox, et al. ”Meta-conversations” on Social Customer Relationship Management, small biz tech trends and social media.

Net@Night – With Amber MacArthur & Leo Laporte. Amber checks out what’s happening on the ‘net right now, finding new cool sites.

Twooting – With Bo Bennett & Ryan Levesque. The podcast where Twitter means business.

The Hobson & Holtz Report – With Neville Hobson & Shel Holtz. This podcast is a twice-weekly show at the intersection of online communication and public relations.

Mobility Podcast – By David Ciccone. This podcast is a mobile news resource for mobile professionals, enthusiasts and newcomers.

The Web 2.0 Show – By Adam Stacoviak. This podcast profiles the people, businesses and technologies of Web 2.0.

WordCast – By Kym Huynh. Each week, WordCast Conversations goes in depth with special guests on the hottest topics in the blogging, social media, and WordPress world.

On Digital Media – With John Federico. It is a podcast about the technology, creation, distribution, consumption and monetization of digital media and its effects on traditional media and marketing.

On The Record Online – By Eric Schwartzman. This podcast is talking about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate.

Practical eCommerce — This podcast is for those attempting to grow their businesses online and provides practical tips, tools and resources including help with ecommerce software and more.

Scobleizer – By Robert Scoble. A podcast by a geek who grew up in Silicon Valley and interviews technology innovators and executives.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND FRANCHISES

Ecommerce Podcast – This podcast interviews ecommerce entrepreneurs who share the lessons they’ve learned.

“ALL AROUND” SMALL BUSINESS PODCASTS

The Small Business Podcast – With David Michaels and Daniel Miller. Using their wit and smarts, David and Daniel bring you practical tips, concepts and advice to apply to your small business.

Microbusiness News Briefs — By Dawn Rivers Baker. Dawn focuses on the needs of microbusiness owners, those with 5 employees or less.

Wall Street Journal Podcasts – Stay up-to-date on the latest business trends and changes with The Wall Street Journal.

Eye on Small Business – With K. Scanlon. A weekly radio show that features interviews with small business owners sharing practical tips and advice.

Small Business Trends Radio — Our very own show with Anita Campbell and Steve Rucinski, featuring interviews with today’s professionals on a wide variety of business topics.

Business Insanity Talk Radio – By Barry Moltz. This is a business radio show where we talk about all the craziness of small business.

Blog Business Success – With Wayne Hurlbert. Podcast about business blogging, search engine optimization SEO, marketing, public relations, and entrepreneurship topics that will help your business grow.

Zane Safrit – Zane talks with his guests about small business, innovation, word-of-mouth, leadership, generating positive cash-flows, topgrading, social media, and the economy.

Small Business Radio – With Jim Blasingame. The Small Business Advocate® Show is the world’s only weekday small business radio program.

Mixergy – By Andrew Warner. Online business tips from successful entrepreneurs.

BUSINESS NEWS AND THE BIG PICTURE

Inspiring Words of Encouragement – By Zig Ziglar. Zig provides encouragement and motivation for business and personal life.

The Real Story – With Frank Curzio. Frank discusses stocks and headlines keeping you current in today’s investing and trading.

Killer Innovations — With Phil McKinney. Phil covers all things “innovation” and offers thought provoking ideas for entrepreneurs.

WallStreet Unspun – By Peter Schiff. Peter provides the market outlook and a dose of current news events.

World Business News – By BBC World Service. This podcast provides in-depth analysis of global business developments and trends that affect consumers, investors and the environment at large.

Business Week — Ten different shows are offered and literally hundreds of recordings to choose from all relating to business.

TIME Business Podcast — This podcast covers business stories addressing executive interests from technology to management to small business.

New York Times Podcasts — The New York Times offers over a dozen podcasts on topics ranging from personal technology, international news, book reviews and the backstories behind NYT published articles.

Marketplace – By American Public Media. This podcast brings you the latest and most talked about headlines in business news today.

WSJ’s This Morning – The Wall Street Journal brings you the morning’s top business and finance news.

CNNMoney – This podcast provides a wealth of finance information, advice, tips and tactics to apply to your business and personal life.

Business Week Cover Stories – Business Week provides coverage of current business news and backstories behind the business week covers.

David Allen Company Podcast – by David Allen.  David’s show, “Getting Things Done” is “a podcast designed to help you win at the game of work and business of life.”

Stiernholm Consulting – By David Stiernholm. This is a podcast about structure and how to visualize, simplify and get more time at your disposal.

The Great Work Interviews – With Michael Bungay Stanier. ”Find Your Great Work” by  Michael Bungay Stanier.

Knowledge@Wharton – With Wharton faculty. Listen to CEOs and other commentators have to say about the latest business trends, breaking news and market research.

On The Media – From NPR. Podcasts on the Internet.

The Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders – Podcasts from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.

The Economist – Business content from The Economist magazine.

Peter Day’s World of Business – Insights into the business world with Peter Day.

World Business News – By BBC. Analysis of the day’s big global business developments and how they affect consumers, investors and the environment.

Americana – With Matt Frei. An insider’s guide to the stories shaping the USA today.

 

Making Your Small Business BIG …

By Brad Sugars

You know almost every big business started small, in fact many of them part time from home.

And yet, so many small companies fail to ever become more than a job and a wage for the owner. They fail to become true businesses and remain forever a BUSY-ness for the owner.

And to be blunt, there’s a reason most never grow.  You see there’s a reason your first business is the hardest one.  It’s because you have so much to learn.  Not only do you have to run the company, grow it and finance it, you have to learn as you go.  It’s a great challenge, one of the greatest.

But, let’s be honest, if it were easy, everyone would do it.  The challenge is only up to those of us with true entrepreneurial spirit …

So, let’s examine how to take any small business and make it big …

Here’s my true definition of a business, a “Commercial, Profitable, Enterprise that Works, Without Me …”

That’s right, the whole aim of the game is to get it to a stage where it works, so you don’t have to.

Here’s how you need to break down the definition …

Step 1 … A Commercial Enterprise … here’s where you get the basics right.  It’s vital to build a big company that you have the ability to deliver your products and services with high quality, great service and consistent productivity of your people.  Three main areas you need to work on … money, delivery and productivity.   Money is all about knowing your numbers and knowing you are making a profit on every sale.  Delivery is all about making sure every one of your customers is served consistently and with high quality and great service.  And productivity, about getting the most from yourself and your people.  This is the first stage of business growth and one many never bother to work through.  If you want to grow it, take these first steps …

Step 2 … A commercial Profitable enterprise … Here’s where you build revenues and capitalize on the profitability you built in step 1.  There are 4 areas you will need to build upon.  You will over time build the systems and strategies you have for Lead Generation, Converting Leads into Sales, Repeat Transactions and your Average Dollar Sale.  Building our business beyond a small company will need you to learn and build in these areas.  Over the next few issues of this magazine I will write articles on each one.

Step 3 … A commercial profitable enterprise, That Works … Here’s where you have to build systems, systems that run the company.  As you document, record, film and photograph how everything is done in your company you take it from a business that is dependant on good people to one that is dependant on good systems.  Add to good systems, good people and you end up with a great business that now works …

Step 4 … A commercial, profitable enterprise that works, Without ME … This is all about building a team.  If you want the company to run without you, then you have to build a team and a leader to take your place.

Step 5 … Growth … Get everything you have done to work together in harmony, with Synergy and open multiple offices, shops or territories.  This is where you multiply and use the system you already have working again and again.

Step 6 … Freedom and Results … now it’s big and you can let your team build it, it’s been several years, probably 7 to 10 years of you worked hard and smart, but finally you have made your small business big …

I know this seems like a lot of work, read my books for more details, but it takes time and learning, stay with it, it will be worth it in the end.  Owning your own business is definitely a great challenge, but it truly is filled with great reward.

This article is reprinted courtesy of My Business magazine, one of the leading business publications in Australia.

The Smart Metering roll out is expected to start in earnest next year news on the Electrical news magazine

Electrical news: The Smart Metering roll out is expected to start in earnest next year

By 2020 46 million utility meters in Britain will be replaced for eco-friendly Smart Meters, and the installation process must be ‘green’ too. Smart Metering will require customer visits to nearly every one of the 25 million homes in the country and utility companies need to be aware of the environmental issues this raises.

That’s according to Trimble, which already helps companies meet their green agenda by providing scheduling, tracking and diagnostic technologies for those companies running large fleets.

“This is the biggest and most complex change the energy industry has seen in half a century,” says Andrew Yeoman, MD of Trimble MRM. “As smart metering is all about improving the efficiency of the domestic energy industry, the installation must mirror this. The Smart Metering roll out is expected to start in earnest next year, so utility companies need to address how to minimise their CO2 emissions through reducing the number of vehicles, fuel and miles needed to complete the process.”

With Smart Meters, householders will be able to see where their energy is used and also send real-time meter readings wirelessly back to the supplier.

“Smart Metering is pivotal in reaching our environmental goals,” says Yeoman. “The utility industry can mirror this agenda by ensuring it responds to customers’ expectations and runs an efficient, green roll out too.”

Trimble is currently working with partners to offer a holistic end-to-end programme that will include scheduling customer appointments right through to the recycling of the old meters.