2022

Canada’s Insurance Brokers Association – What Are the Benefits of Joining?

Belonging to Canada’s Insurance Brokers Association provides many benefits. But do these outweigh the time and cost of belonging to this organization? Because we are dealing with a business decision we must make our arguments for, or against, based on the business benefits it does, or does not provide. This short article will look into some of the benefits of belonging to this august organization, focusing especially on the education and training available to members.

We will divide this article in two main sections. Our first section will focus on the education programs available, while our second will highlight the improved service an Insurance Brokers Association member can offer. We hope this article can help you make a decision that will benefit you and your professional advancement in the insurance industry.

One of the satisfactions of being part of any industry as a professional is the opportunity of growth. True professionals never stop learning, and are constantly trying to better themselves through training and education. If you take on this challenge of continually improving yourself you can expect this constant learning and improving of your skills will allow you to take on higher levels of responsibility. What these higher levels of responsibility are will depend on your goals, ambitions and personal qualities, however you will not be short of options.

In order to provide their members with the best service possible the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada has created a Career Path that will allow you a lifetime of learning and training. This will make your career more interesting and vibrant, as well as making you a better professional.

There are nine main programs currently available to members. We will highlight some of them, although you are encouraged to do further research and find more information on all nine programs. The first step for a budding insurance broker is to carry out a Best Practices program. This program is designed to enhance the performance of members by comparing the broker operations of the 150 top performing companies in the U. S and Canada. This helps brokers identify the type of strategies that work in the insurance industry.

A great second step is to earn your CCIB, Canadian Certified Insurance Broker, designation. This qualification proves to customers you are prepared to offer a superior standard of excellence. These qualification do not only make you a better broker but also a more successful one financially speaking as customers prefer brokers that inspire confidence with an acclaimed qualification.

IRM, Introduction to Risk Management is another great program if you are interested in improving your professional skills. This program will provide you with a basic understanding of what risk management is all about, and how risk managers do their job. This is important for insurance brokers as their whole industry relies on the accurate management of risk.

If you take on one or all of the programs available through the Canadian Insurance Brokers …

Finding Condos And Lofts And More

Condos and Lofts are a very interesting idea when one thinks of getting a property. Some will want a large house in the suburbs. If raising a family then this normally is the usual idea, although everyone is different and therefore some might just prefer to have their children raised in the city. Whatever the case it is always down to the people who are going to be purchasing the place itself.

For the most part it is quite a popular idea to be living in a loft apartment. There are those with creative or artistic temperaments who might decide that this kind of building is perfect for them. Indeed, some might even want to rent out a place in order to use it as a studio for themselves as well. All of the finances need to be organized, however, if this is going to be the case and people need to be fiscally responsible with it.

Sometimes it is usually a much more cost effective solution for people to go out and rent a place themselves. A lot of the time families who have two incomes are going to be happy to know that they’ve got a lot of choice with regards to this. Therefore living in a rented place usually isn’t a bad idea as long as one knows just how to manage the money that is coming in.

People know that they have a lot of choices with regard to property. On the Internet it is possible to search through the different catalogs that websites will show, where there will be long listings of different types of property which are available in the different areas of a city. One can scroll down through all of them and see the different options that they’ve got in this regard.

Nowadays many people will want to get an apartment, as well as condos and lofts, in a good place so that they can avail of this source of income. Of course it is vital that one makes sure that the finances are worked out so that people actually gain a profit, whilst still not scaring off potential tenants.

People naturally need to ensure themselves that they organize everything properly if they’re making these kinds of arrangements. Land lords also have to deal with a numerous amount of different things, including declaring their income taxes.

Renting is always a good idea for those who are uncertain of where they want to live. In certain places there will be very good rent laws that have been put in place so one normally doesn’t have to worry about being evicted as long as the rent is paid.

When it comes down to purchasing things like condos and lofts and other pieces of property one needs to be very careful. This is going to be a huge investment when it comes to the financial side of things so one needs to ensure that they’re going to follow through …

What Is The Initial Home Foreclosure Process?

Foreclosure is the process which permits a lender to recover the amount owed on a non-paid loan, by either selling or taking ownership of a property that secures the loan. The initial process of foreclosure starts when a borrower fails to pay a loan. The lender then files a public default notice known as Notice of Default.

Home foreclosure is not difficult but it is very multifaceted. This kind of foreclosure starts when the home owner fails to pay the principle, interest and/or real estate taxes for a period of about 6 months.

Mortgage rates can go up at a certain percentage after the initial period. Some home owners may find this difficult and begin to get behind on paying the mortgage. Home foreclosure starts when the mortgage loan imbursement is 16 days overdue. At this point the whole procedure is usually not far away from start. It is at this time that the mortgage service provider tries to contact the offending homeowner so as to come to some kind of agreement of a possible repayment course of action.

Home foreclosure can end in four ways: the home owner can reinstate the mortgage loan by paying the amount he or she owes during the grace period that a mortgage service provider gives, or the home owner can sell the home to another person during the grace period and then pay off the mortgage loan, or the lender can seize and take ownership of the home usually with intentions of selling it, or the home can be auctioned at the end of pre-foreclosure period.

If the homeowner keeps on missing the mortgage payments for the next six months, home foreclosure procedures can start. A mortgage service provider orders a trustee to draft and record a Notice of Default. Notice of Default informs borrowers that they face foreclosure actions. It also sets off a restore period usually up to five days after which the property is listed or auctioned off. At this point home sale date is recognized and the owners receive Notice of Sale.

This notice is posted on the house and a copy is verified at the office of the County Recorder. Some County Recorders also advertise the home sale in local newspapers or post the notice in their websites.

The location, date and time of sale are specified at this juncture usually at the location of the home. At the local auction the foreclosure home is awarded to the highest bidder, who is expected to pay a specified initial deposit in cash due to upfront.

The remaining balance is usually expected to be paid in 24 hours time. The opening bid is usually set by the lender or the auctioneering company with agreement with their clients. This bid usually of the equal amount of outstanding mortgage balance including accumulated interests and other fees related with Trustee Sales. If the bid is not met, the property is considered as Real Estate Owned.

It …

Thinking Of Studying Abroad?

Whether you are considering full-time education or participating in an international student program, studying in a different country has many unique advantages, it can pave big opportunities far and beyond the borders of your home country, allowing you to travel and see the world from a different perspective.

Studying abroad is exciting and rewarding opportunity, one which allows you to gain new experience, whilst developing academically and professionally.

A new perspective of the world

Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to expand your horizons, see the world and give you a whole new prospective of life and your own culture. A new environment plus different people gives you better understanding of different cultures, whilst developing lifelong relationships. The overall experience helps students grow a degree of intricacy with good academic insight and appreciation for the cultural, social, and political grounds around them.

Discover a new language

There is no better or more effective way to learn a language than to be engrossed in a culture that speaks the language you are learning. The only way to truly become fluent in a language is to be immersed in it. You will be surrounded by the language on a daily basis, learning it in correct cultural context. The vantage point is that understanding a language that is distinctive to your own will make you better skilled and equipped to take on professional challenges.

Better your chances of landing a job

We live today in a global society where worldwide knowledge and experiences are becoming a prerequisite in the workplace. Participating in international study will shape your resume in a unique light making you an attractive job candidate to potential employers. In an increasingly competitive job market, having resume that shows versatility, zeal and proactive nature will open many doors, letting you stand out from the crowd. For example, a person who studied a Business Finance course abroad will have acquired good understanding of business and finance from an international stand point and be able to demonstrate knowledge of various financial markets and trends, hence, a better candidate for role seeking this quality.

The rise of the internet and its ability to penetrate through borders and regions means more businesses, both small and large are able to operate at a global scale. Business markets have become even more competitive with consumers having greater choices, driving the demand for globally aware employees.Studying abroad remains a good investment and one of the best pathways to achieving a good job and rewarding career.

Gain invaluable life skills and independence.

Moving to a foreign country will most often than not, spate you from familiar things and people. Students can get involved in different group activities and community projects which is often a good way to drive personal growth. Whether you realize this or not, your social skills, as well as intercommunication skills grows enabling you to show the world the new you. Studying away from ‘home’ also allows you to improve or gain …

4 Reasons Why You Need Commercial Window Cleaning

Keeping your business premises clean is important for your image, for your customers and also for your staff. Keeping your windows in pristine condition should be part of every businesses cleaning regime but is often overlooked. We’ve listed top 4 reasons why commercial window cleaning is so important for every business.

How you keep your business premises will reflect on the way others see you

How your business projects to customers and staff will determine how they feel and interact with your business. If your business is dirty, unclean or messy, this sends a negative message. Your windows are what people first see when approaching your office. This first look into your premises should be positive and reflect your business values.

A clean environment is always better to work in. Staff will feel proud of where they work and studies have shown that staff are more productive in a clean environment. If the windows are dirty and hard to see through, it can be off putting for staff and customers alike.

This is a job for the professionals

Office window cleaning is no easy task. It is not something you want people to try to attempt if they don’t know what they are doing or don’t have the right tools. The people who clean the windows of buildings that are many stories high, have professional training to learn how to do this effectively and safely. They also use the right cleaning products and tools to leave windows looking clean and sparkling.

Windows and glass surfaces are usually large and often the size of whole walls in many office buildings. It is important to get professionals in who know how to clean them in the most effective and safe way.

Stand out from the rest and make your building sparkle

Let’s face it. It is often the case in business that people do judge a book by its cover. You want your business premises to stand out and sparkle, not look dull and grubby. Clean windows make a big difference to how your business looks from the outside as well as the inside.

By employing a cleaning company that also offer an office window cleaning service, you will ensure that every facet of your workplace will look it very best.

Clean windows look better and ensure the optimal amount of natural light enters your office

During the day it is always important to optimise as much natural light in an office space as possible. If your windows are covered in dirt from rain or have been left unwashed for months, your windows will not be able to let the optimal amount of natural light in.

Secondly, clean windows simply look better from the inside and out. Make your office windows a feature in your business space by keeping them clean.

Commercial window cleaning is something every business should have to make sure their business is not only clean, but sparkles from the inside …

Office Cleaning for Set Up and Long Term Sanitation

A business’s offices are critical to the performance of much of its image and branding presentation. It is the space that they conduct their sales and acquisitions. It is the space where they present their products or services. It is the space where they conduct their business’s integral customer service. So to present themselves and their product or service well, regular performance of office cleaning is important to sanitation for employee safety and a clean polished appearance for the attraction of their clients. Yet, different companies are at different stages so they require different amounts of office cleaning throughout the life of the business.

First, before a business can even start up it has to undergo renovation and cleaning. Everything from the air/ventilation system and paint application to the flooring and equipment has to be updated when opening a new office location. After all of that work, the space has to have a polished appearance for its final presentation to the community that the business intends to serve. So if the office is within a building then it can be cleaned by the buildings contracted janitorial services on a regular basis. But if it is a standalone store front then the management can hire a maid service company to take care of the odds and ends of removing spilled paint, cleaning windows and surfaces to pristine glory and sanitizing the washrooms so that the employees and clients will be comfortable. The services required are only as specific as management outlines. If the company is joining the fold of the other offices in the building then they can simply request the same care for their space. However, if certain rooms are not to be cleaned or sensitive material needs to be handled with care or delicate equipment avoided then those specific instructions will guide the maid or janitorial services that will be performed within that office.

After the initial cleaning and set up and office is open for regular business and will be in needing regular cleaning thereafter. Depending upon the type of business, office cleaning can be required daily or only several times a week in order to meet building code or in order to create or deliver the product or service that they intend. Office cleaning can include clean-up for the equipment, paper waste, the staff kitchenette, the flooring and all glass surfaces in order to keep the room(s) clear of a great majority of germs and bacteria that can hinder productivity or customer safety. Office cleaning is just as important as the services that they provide to the people they serve.…

Mutual Funds Tutorial

There have probably been enough books written on how to compare mutual funds to fill up Kennedy Airport, but the basic principles can be written on the back of an envelope. Yet these are principles only a fraction of investors know or follow.

Principal Number One is to know what this fund is really costing you. Studies have shown again and again that most investors go into a fund – often on the basis of a broker’s advice – without a clue what its costs are.

There are two kinds of costs, loads and operating expenses.

Loads are the commissions you pay your broker when he/she sells you a mutual fund. These can be horrendous, like 5% or more, and your broker may well “forget” to mention the load at all – or may even tell you it’s a “no-load fund” when in fact it carries a big sales charge if you sell within some given number of years. How do you determine for sure if a fund has a load? Read the prospectus before you invest. Or hire a financial advisor on a fee-for-service (not a commission) basis. You should always invest in no-load funds, which historically have performed just as well as load funds (in fact, better, when the load is factored in).

Second, be aware of the operating expenses of your fund. This means marketing expenses, salaries, overhead, etc. involved in managing the fund, as well as profit to the fund developers. Again, you have to read the fund’s prospectus to find out what the expenses really are. Look in the expenses section for “Operating Expenses.”

Principle Number Two in making mutual fund investments is to not rely entirely on what nearly everybody relies on in making fund choices, namely historic rate of return. Just looking at a list of funds’ historic performances for the past few years is a terrible way to pick funds. Too many things can affect those performances, and they are too easily manipulated by fund managements. You should always review rates of return – together with volatility – over eight to ten years or more. Assess these rates of return and riskiness (volatility) in light of your own investment goals. And always read at least the first few pages of the fund’s prospectus before investing (no need, however, to wade through the whole thing, say most experts).

Principle Number Three, and last, is to become familiarized with the tax-friendliness of a fund before forking over your money. What does this mean exactly? Some funds produce far more taxable distributions, namely capital gains and dividends, than others. If the fund manager is extremely aggressive about timing the market he/she will buy/sell more actively, resulting in more capital gains distributions for you to pay taxes on each year. Another consideration is dividends. If the funds pays high dividends, higher-tax-bracket investors may be subject to higher taxes.

According to some experts December is the month in which most mutual funds make capital …

Dirty Office Carpets and Flooring and Illness – How They Are Linked and What It Means For Employers

Unless businesses have a cleaning crew devoted to regularly scheduled cleaning the odds that the office is not as clean as it should be. Simply having an employee running a vacuum every night does not assure that the carpet is clean. Hidden and ground in dirt and allergens will not only create a dingy atmosphere, but can actually cause the staff to become ill.

The number of allergies which the public suffers from is on the rise. These allergies, which cause respiratory distress, can lead to a compromised immune system and create the perfect environment for communicable illnesses to flourish. Surprisingly much of the contaminants, pollen and irritants reside in the carpet and upholstery of every carpet and office chair throughout the workplace.

Every time an employee sits down or stands up, the fabric of the chair is disturbed which allows any allergens to become airborne. The worst area, however, is the carpeting. During the cooler seasons the risk of illness can increase as well as the dirt. Indoor air pollution is a major contributor to employees missing work.

Vacuums actually do not clean carpets, but merely remove much of the larger debris located at the surface of the carpet fibers. The beater bar on most vacuums is supposed to loosen trapped dirt in order for the vacuum to remove all of the dirt. In truth the vibration of the vacuum motor and the beater bar can actually cause the dust and dirt to be worked in deeper. The best solution is to have a professional cleaning performed.

Professional carpet cleaning services have a variety of methods at their disposal for specific types of carpeting. Berber carpets are very common in commercial, retail or corporate work offices due to the durability and longevity of the carpet compared to a high pile plush carpet. Cleaning methods for one type of weave will not work well on other types of weaves.

A professional floor maintenance company should be able to use the best methods of floor cleaning from deep steam cleaning to using dry chemical applications. The proper industrial cleaning equipment that the cleaning service companies possess are much costlier than the average rug cleaner which can be rented from an assortment of local retailers and will always perform better. The main advantage of utilizing a cleaning service is that the customer does not need to invest in expensive equipment and the maintenance cost which is required to keep that equipment in proper operating condition. In this highly indeterminate economy saving money is one of the high priorities of business.…

Office Cleaning – Start a Side Business

Office cleaning in the evenings is a great way to pick up extra cash! It is a relatively easy job that can be done in the off hours when no one is in the office. There are plenty of smaller offices that would welcome the idea of having someone come in and clean their office for them at a decent rate.

Most large cleaning companies focus on big commercial buildings and don’t really want to be bothered with smaller offices. This is where the smart entrepreneur can step in and make some much needed extra cash. Office cleaning is a pretty simplistic process. It really only takes a couple of hours at most to clean smaller offices and the expectation is usually that you will clean the floors, empty the trash and wipe down some desks. It really is that simple.

Where to Find These Types Of Jobs

If you are in it for yourself, than place an ad in a local newspaper announcing your great new service. You can call around to other cleaning services to see what the going rate is for that type of service although it is probably prudent not to mention that you are thinking about starting your own cleaning service it may not be well received when you ask about rates.

Once you have your rates set you can do a couple of different things besides running an ad. You can put up flyers announcing your intentions or you can even hand deliver them to offices in your area. Drop in on some of the small local offices introduce yourself to the office manager and see if they are interested in your service. You can offer a discount to the first ten that sign up with you.

Some Tips

You should only take on the office cleaning jobs that you know you can schedule you do not want to take on too much work at first. You want to make sure that you can meet the demand, so schedule on the conservative side until you get to the point where you can potentially find someone to help you if you get to the point where you start to grow.

Be daring step out from the crowd do not be afraid to approach people and talk about your plan, one of the best ways to be successful is to network amongst people. You’d be surprised who you might wind up getting work from.

Make sure you do as you say you will. If you promise something – then be sure to follow through. Word of mouth is the small business person’s best friend.

Office cleaning in the evening hours can be a great way to make extra money and it may even turn into a full time venture!…

Carpet Cleaning and Tile Or Hardwood – Best Methods For Ensuring Effective Long-Term Cleanliness

Every office or commercial business has different needs for maintenance; especially floor maintenance. Floor tile or carpet cleaning is not the same from one area to the next. Different regions have to deal with specific problems. In the southern states sand, mud and pollen wreak havoc on carpet. On the West coast similar challenges exist due to the overall climate conditions. Pennsylvania and New England have additional condition with which to contend: salt, sand, water, mildew, pollen. The list is never ending.

The best solution for keep the carpet or tile clean is to contract with a professional carpet and floor cleaning company to perform deep cleans a few times per year. Depending upon the volume of traffic, the carpet and other floor surfaces may require more frequent attention. The alternatives can be surprising and quite expensive.

Normal dirt from day to day operations is expected. When sand and salt are thrown into the mix wear and tear on carpets and hard floor surfaces can cause the flooring to degrade very quickly. Salt and sand will act as scouring agents and will dull and etch tiles and hardwood floors. Carpets will be detrimentally affected as well. The sand and salt will sift down into the carpet and dull the color and texture and weaken the fabric.

With regards to tile and hardwood flooring, it is important to regularly maintain the wax finish coat or other type of protective sealant. Sand and other granulated materials can weaken and erode grout joints encouraging the joints to crack and crumble. Carpeting requires regular vacuuming. Surprisingly, vacuum beater bars can actually cause dirt and other contaminants to recede further down into the carpet fibers, which cause the carpet to fray.

The best way to combat the negative effects of these and other contaminants is for tile and hard floor surfaces to be stripped periodically. Stripping a floor requires specialized equipment to do it efficiently. After the floor finish has been stripped the stripping chemical must be removed and neutralized. Because of this labor intensive process, it does not make sense for most companies to service their own flooring.

Carpeting requires deep steam cleaning to remove embedded soil, pollen and other contaminants. Steam helps to relax the fibers of the carpet and loosen the embedded debris. Once this has been achieved it becomes easier to remove the dirt and restore the carpeting to a brighter and cleaner look.

In certain situations steam cleaning carpets or stripping a tile floor may not be a viable option. There are other methods to clean flooring. The professional carpet cleaning company will be able to recommend the best solution for the specific carpet and environment.…

Know More About Property Finance

Regarding property finance, there is some information that you can obtain from the web. Commit yourself to finding all specific details about property finance and you will.

With property finance, the first thing you need to avoid is the trouble of financial debt; to be able to do this, you need to create and finance a budget. A warehouse receipt as non-negotiable instrument can completely notify you that a certain moment in time, a certain amount and quality of merchandise were delivered into a warehouse. The competitive advantage of this is that it should discourage competition and create a barrier to entry.

Payday loans are unsecured loan that can help you last in between paydays. This type of loan has no collateral because it is a short term loan and does not involve a huge amount of money.

Foremarket is the trade between countries, each country’s currency and the time of investing in certain currencies. Trades between countries are usually completed with the help of a broker or a financial company.

If you borrowed money from an illegal or unlicensed payday lender and you need to pay the principal sum but you do not have the finances, you can get a written agreement with them stating how the loan will be settled. Make sure that when making payments for payday lenders, you are doing it through money order and not through prepaid cards.

Finding specific information about property finance may not be easy but if you search the web thoroughly, you will be able to acquire what you are looking for and this can be very helpful to you if you want to know more about property finances.…

Should Your Facility Contract-Out or Provide In-House Office Cleaning and Janitorial Services?

The bottom line of every efficient business should be how to maximize its profits in a manner that leads to the greatest potential future profitability. As a result, companies are always looking to alter their janitorial programs in such a way to minimize their expenses to boost their bottom line, while maintaining an acceptable level of cleanliness. The following article will help shed light on the dirty business of deciding whether to contract out the cleaning services, or to take care of them in-house.

Does the Bottom Line Always Make Cents?

There are many hundreds of factors to consider when weighing how a company ought to best handle its’ janitorial services. For the sake of simplicity and efficiency, we’ll examine the large factors that most businesses need to consider for their janitorial programs.

Managing Your Options

The first question to consider is: Which member of your business will manage the janitorial program? If you do not have somebody within your company that is both readily equipped to manage all of the janitorial services and personnel AND still perform all of their other duties, then your company will have to take on a considerable additional expense to provide In-House Management. Professional cleaning companies already have management in place to handle services, personnel and any emergency issues that may arise at a moments notice. While it may certainly be cheaper to employ your own entry-level staff, a few extra costs come associated with that; training costs, hiring/firing costs and the previously mentioned management costs. These added together could already result in a company having higher costs than hiring a specialized janitorial service.

Additional considerations come with purchasing the proper equipment and chemicals necessary to carryout the work. While janitorial companies do factor in some amount of equipment and chemical usage, it is often much lower since they purchase their items in larger quantities and can easily transfer it to another facility if necessary.

It’s None of Your Business

Often times companies go into business with the intent of selling certain goods or services as a means to generate sufficient revenue. What usually happens, however, is business owners and members of management end up spending large resources, staffing and time carrying out miscellaneous functions that are necessary to run the day-to-day activities of a business. This takes away from time and energy that could be spent growing your actual business. The companies that are most successful and are able to continue growing at rapid rates are generally those who focus all or most of their resources and energy on exactly what their business is supposed to do. An article from goes further into how a business should evaluate what other processes should be considered for outsourcing.

Do What you Know, and Let the Rest Go

The final test is to contact some local janitorial service companies and ask them about how they can help your business grow. Be specific on not …

Types of Mops and Buckets

Mops and buckets are the major essentials for floor and tile cleaning. There are innumerable types of mops and buckets available in the market these days to suit different types of requirements. Specializing in office cleaning supplies, There is lots of technologically advanced and cost effective commercial mops and mopping solutions. There two different types of mops: Dry mop or dust mop and wet mop. Dry mops are used to pick up dust from table tops, refrigerator tops and wooden and composition floors. The amount of dust and dirt that can be cleared with the help of these mops is quite surprising. Wet mops are used for floor and tiles cleaning using water and detergent. These mops are suitable for all floor types.

Apart from mops, there is a range of mop handles and handle holders available. There are baby mops available that help in cleaning the floor while the baby is crawling. The baby mops have fringes attached in front of the dress that automatically cleans the floor when the baby crawls. Complete range of mop and bucket make it perfect in office cleaning supplies.

The bucket and mop industry is now a competitive industry and high-end products of bucket and mop stands firm against stiff competition. Good quality cheap buckets are available on that serve all kinds of purposes. The market for Buckets, UK is growing and opening new scopes for suppliers and manufacturers.

There are small buckets and medium-sized ones available. The range of buckets include: plastic bucket, stainless steel, mop bucket, bucket with wringer, polypropylene bucket, heavy duty bucket with chrome handle and galvanized bucket. A plastic bucket is a cheap bucket, and it is quite common that we do not compromise on quality despite there being lots of cheap buckets available.

Customers buy cheap buckets because they are the only company which offers a wide range at economical prices. The buckets with wringer further facilitate cleaning. The buckets are available in various colors also. Floor cleaning cannot be imagined without a bucket and mop. A good quality bucket and mop can make cleaning fast and effective and therefore it forms an essential part of the office cleaning supplies. Due to their common usage, the manufacture of buckets and mops has a profound bearing on the environment and hence it is imperative that these should be eco-friendly hygiene products. Keeping in mind the global warming and other environmental issues, nowadays it is common place for people to buy eco friendly hygiene products for their daily cleaning use.…

Before you hire a water damage restoration service, you must understand the risks involved in the process. First, you must ensure that you are hiring a certified company. Check for certification from the IICRC. You should also ask the company whether they are insured and if they have a 24-hour emergency line. It is also essential to ask how satisfied their previous clients have been with their service. You can usually get this information through online review sites. However, if you’re not sure how to find a trustworthy company, you can also check online reviews.

IICRC certification

IICRC is an organization that recognizes professional work standards and provides ongoing education to restore damaged property.

IICRC training is comprehensive and focuses on water removal, moisture removal, and optimal use of equipment. Consumers value integrity, quality work, and professionalism in service providers, and they expect to get the same results from a company certified by IICRC. IICRC is committed to maintaining its standards and enhancing its members’ expertise and provides certification to water damage restoration companies that meet high industry standards. Certified companies adhere to IICRC standards for all aspects of their operations, including the training of technicians.

Cost of hiring a professional

Some homeowners may want to save money by hiring a restoration company and cleaning crew to help with their water damage restoration project. Others may wish to handle the job themselves, hiring dehumidifiers and other specialty materials. While some homeowners may be able to save money by repairing some damage themselves, it is generally a better idea to hire a professional to ensure the job is done correctly and without health risks. Here’s a breakdown of the cost of hiring a professional for water damage restoration:

First, a restoration contractor will assess the extent of water damage. Next, a restoration team will use moisture sensors to determine whether water has penetrated the walls or not. Next, they will evaluate the level of repair needed for the area. Finally, a restoration crew will remove any carpet, furniture, appliances, or electronics required. Once the rooms are clean and dry, the contractors will assess how much damage has been caused. You can expect to pay between $350 and $500 per hour for water damage restoration.

Health hazards

While water damage may not cause severe health risks to most people, it can be dangerous for occupants of a structure if it contains contaminated water. Excess moisture in a system can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Additionally, exposure to water contaminated with mold can lead to respiratory problems, allergies, and chronic headaches. Therefore, water damage restoration must prioritize health, not property damage. For this reason, a professional cleanup company is necessary to prevent the spread of bacteria and mold.

In addition to health risks, water damage can cause mold and other harmful biological growth. This mold will take hold within 12 days and can affect people’s health in the home. These are not only unpleasant odors but can also cause respiratory …

How to Find a Great Cleaning Service for Your Business

Impressions are everything and having fresh and clean premises depends on getting really good cleaners to take care of it.

Unfortunately the satisfaction level with cleaning contractors is often low. To avoid continual problems you need to know what to look for before you engage a cleaning company.

Here are a few tips which may help you to find a really good commercial cleaners who will provide you with regular high quality service.

1 When you make a general inquiry, notice how you are dealt with on the phone.

Are the office staff professional and friendly. Ask a few questions

2. Inquire about other jobs the company is currently doing. Ask for written testimonials or contact numbers if they are available. If the cleaning business is reluctant to do this you may want to look elsewhere

3. Ask anyone in your business network if they currently use a cleaner and what they think of the service they are getting. If you go to business social meetings there may be a cleaning contractor amongst the group.

4.Make two or three appointments and request quotes. Look over the details of the tenders provided and then get back to the companies and ask them questions like how they supervise their staff and how they deal with complaints from clients.

5 Don’t base your final decision on price alone. A lot of cleaners will put in a low bid just to win a job. The result is that you will be constantly bombarded with complaints from your staff. Look for value and dependable service to get your premises looking good all the time.…

Educating Nancy

Recently our soon to be former Speaker of the House made the following statement:

“Giving $700 billion to the wealthiest people in America does add $700 billion dollars to the deficit. And the record and history shows and does not create jobs.” Putting aside for the moment that most third graders have better English skills, let’s examine this absolutely ridiculous statement. Mrs. Pelosi wants us to believe that extending the current tax rates for all Americans is GIVING them money. Since you can’t give something that isn’t yours, she is in effect making the case that the money belongs to the government in the first place.

I would like to take this opportunity to enlighten and educate Nancy Pelosi on this matter. I will use short words and easy analogies in the hope that she can grasp the concepts presented. The first thing that needs to be understood is that if I earn $100.00 it is MY $100.00, not yours Nancy. You didn’t drag yourself out of bed at 4:00 A.M. and earn it. I did. It is mine not yours. If my tax rates go down, you are not giving me anything, you are simply taking less of my hard earned money.

Now, let’s go on to our next lesson. The deficit. A deficit is the difference between what you take in and what you spend. Deficits are caused by OVER-SPENDING not under-taxing. To illustrate, let us assume that you owe $10,000 on your mortgage, $5,000 on your car and $1,000 on your credit card. Remember we are using small round numbers to keep this simple. It’s hard to think in trillions! These numbers add up to a total of $16,000. We will call this $16,000 your deficit. It is money that you owe. Now let’s assume that your salary is tax money being taken in. This should be simple for you to understand since your salary IS tax money being taken in. Now let’s further assume that your constituents suddenly buy a clue and vote you out of office at which point your salary stops and you are no longer taking in “tax money.” Does your deficit get larger? No, it does not. You still owe the same amounts on your house, car and credit card. Now let’s assume you use your credit card to buy Botox and you spend $1,000. You will now owe $10,000 on your mortgage, $5,000 on your car and $2,000 on your credit card for a total of $17,000. Did this additional spending make your deficit get larger? Yes, it did. Your $16,000 deficit is now $17,000. See how that worked? It looks like spending causes deficits. Unless you add to them by spending, they stay the same. Simply amazing.

Now, let’s move on to the subject of class warfare. This might have worked in 1917 Russia but it doesn’t fly here in America. Most of us do not begrudge the “rich” what they have. We assume that in most cases …

How to Clean the Office’s Fridge

Although you may hate cleaning the fridge, it is crucial to do it, whether it is at home or at the office. If you can’t bare the idea, talk to your commercial cleaning service and arrange that they clean your office’s fridge at least once a month, because a clean fridge maintains food fresh and safe for a longer period of time, and it becomes more energy efficient, saving you money.

Even if you are going to delegate the work, you should know how a fridge should be cleaned, because later you will have to check that the job was well done, thus, here we show you how to clean the office’s fridge properly:

-First, get what you need: 1) a basin with mild soap water, 2) a basin with mild bleach water, 3) sponges or pieces of cloth, and 4) Ziploc bags or other see-through storage containers.

-Unplug the fridge before you begin to clean it.

-Empty the freezer section, and take out the trays that can be removed. Wash the trays in the soapy water and later wet a piece of cloth or sponge in the bleach water and wipe every tray thoroughly. Put the trays to dry in the dish drainer or over paper towels.

-Change the soap water and with a piece of cloth or sponge, wipe the freezer’s interior. Then do the same but with the bleach water. If you have an odor problem, which is very common in offices’ fridges, mix two tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water and wipe the inside of the freezer with it.

-Sort every product that was on the freezer and get rid of those that are not good anymore, if the products belong to your employees, they must be notified before throwing their food away. Ask you personnel to use see-through containers and to label them properly.

-Now, move to the rest of the fridge. Get fresh soapy and bleach waters and wash the pieces of cloth or sponges that you used to clean the freezer. Empty the fridge; take out the food as well as the racks and trays.

-Wash the trays, racks, and the inside of the fridge just as you did with the freezer. Do not forget to clean the grooves where the trays fit into, because these are areas where spills from juices and different foods collect, and remember also to clean the seals around the door.

-Sort the products that you are returning to the fridge and ask your employees to get rid of their leftovers or other items that are out of date. Clean bottles and plastic containers before replacing them in the fridge, and put an open box of baking soda inside to help control odors.

-After the interior of the fridge is impeccable, move to the exterior. Take some soapy water and clean the outside, especially the door handles; get the excess dirt off with the soapy water and then …

5 Simple Tips to Keep Your Office Clean

Whether you work from home or in an office, you surely spend a lot of time in front of your desk, which means you touch and grab things with your hands (like phones, keyboards, etc). By touching them, two things happen: if your hands are not clean, they’ll get those things dirty; and if those things are dirty, but your hands are clean, your hands will get dirty. We could say that when two things make contact, the dirtiest one gets the other one dirty. A good reason to keep your workplace clean. But how?

The most important tip any office cleaning guru can give you is to be aware of the consequences of not having a clean office. To put it simply, if we don’t take care of cleaning our work environment, we’ll become ill.

So, it goes beyond de-cluttering, removing stacks of papers, and organizing bills. Let’s take it step by step:

1.It’s all about habits. It’s so easy to get lazy and let things grow untidy. If needed, put a note on your desk or in your digital calendar to remind yourself that you must take 15 minutes to clean up your desk and put everything away. As time goes by, you’ll get used to cleaning your work environment without even thinking about it while you do it.

2.Try not to eat at your desk. I know this is a hard-to-follow rule. But in order to understand why eating at your desk is so unhealthy, think of it the other way around: would you take your desk and your PC and work in the kitchen? If this example doesn’t hit home, I suggest you turn over your keyboard and shake it, to see all the dirt and food remains that fall onto your desk like beautiful snowflakes.

3.Clean your desk at least once a week. After you tidy up your papers and stuff, this is the place that needs to be cleaned first. Use a soft cloth and any spray cleaner to wipe down your computer, monitor, keyboard, speakers, telephone, lamp, pencil holders, paper stackers, and anything else. Do not spray your cleaner directly onto the objects; simply spray your cloth and wipe them clean. Make sure your computer and monitor are turned off before cleaning.

4.Waste basket. We tend to think that throwing garbage in the trash can is enough to get rid of it. But our minds are playing a trick on us, because the trash can is inside our environment. It will become a place where bacteria grow unless we clean it regularly. For this purpose, you can use a cleaning spray too, but make sure you use a different wipe than the one you used for your desk.

5.The floor. If you have carpet, vacuum regularly. Tiled and other types of hard floor should be swept and mopped at least once a week. If you have a plastic chair roller over your carpet, be sure …

Why “The Big Three” in Florida Will Not Work

Miami, Florida is known for many things these days. For one, it happens to be one of the most populous cities in the nation. Furthermore, Miami’s large population includes one of the largest groups of Hispanics in the country, a fact at least partially attributed to the fact that Miami is very close to Cuba and some flee from Cuba to head to Miami, but Puerto Ricans are also a group largely represented in the southern metropolis. Something that many people do not know however, is that Miami is also famed for its commercial cleaning and office cleaning. However, whenever Miami has been in the news recently it is been because of sports because the local basketball team, the Miami Heat, has recently acquired one of the best collection of players in the league through free agency. Through this process Miami has gained the services of reigning two time league MVP Lebron James and Chris Bosh, while retaining the talents of fellow superstar Dwayne Wade. While fans in Miami are ready to celebrate and party at their new collection of talents there are a few reasons why it may not work out for the team or the individuals involved.

The first reason that the incredible array of talents in the city of Miami may not work is because of all the egos now on the team. Dwayne Wade is used to being the top player on the Miami team and the face of the franchise, but now that James and Bosh are on the team things may be a little different and it may be difficult for Wade in particular, but all of them to adjust to not being the only star player on their team. With each of them probably worried about how many times per game they get to touch the ball, there may not be enough basketballs on the court for Miami next season.

Another reason that the union of the three superstars in Miami may not completely work out is that Lebron James is essentially on a quest to be called one of the best players of all time. Since he came into the league people have been saying that he could be one of the best ever and so far his stats have shown this to be true, but the glaring thing missing from his metaphorical resume is a championship. While he could quite possibly win a championship or multiple titles in Miami, Lebron’s legacy as a player will be left tainted by the fact that he really could not do it on his own and had to join two other great players to make it. The idea of Lebron figuring this fact out in the next few years and bolting for another team is a definite possibility and would make the Miami project a failure.

Lastly, Miami’s revitalization may not work for the team because due to the fact that they had to sign three …

Auto Insurance: Forced Coverage

When financing a new or used vehicle, the finance company in charge of the loan will require the purchaser to obtain comprehensive and collision coverage for the life of the loan. This is done to ensure payment is received in the case of a total loss, since the alternative would be for the auto purchaser to continue monthly payment installments even after the event of a total loss. It can be difficult for a finance company to ensure payments after the vehicle has been totaled, as they can no longer repossess the vehicle. Therefore, in order to protect from financial loss, finance companies will institute forced coverage on a loan if insurance coverage lapses.

This coverage is so important to finance companies that most dealerships are not allowed to let you leave with your new purchase until proof of insurance can be provided. Often times your insurance agent or broker can add a vehicle to your existing policy or a new policy can be purchased online. Most sales contracts have a provision in them that requires the purchaser to carry coverage, continuously, until the loan has been paid in full. If for any reason the purchaser does not fulfill this obligation they may have forced coverage placed on your vehicle.

Forced coverage only includes comprehensive and collision coverage for your financed vehicle. It does not include liability coverage of any kind and will leave you fully responsible should a claim arise that you are liable for. Often times more expensive than purchasing your own insurance, the price is included in your finance agreement and then tacked onto your monthly payments. Once forced coverage has been placed on your vehicle, the only way to have it removed is by providing proof of comprehensive and collision coverage to your finance company. If forced coverage is placed and you fail to make the additional payment you may be placing yourself at risk for vehicle repossession.

Sometimes forced coverage is applied to a policy as a result of clerical error. In that case, most finance companies have procedures in place that allow them to backdate the removal of forced coverage for those times that a mistake has been made.

Forced coverage is auto insurance protection solely for the finance company. It offers no protection for the purchaser, and is applied in the case that auto insurance is not provided by the purchaser, or lapses.…

3 Ways on How to Go Green

A greener and eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to be tiring and expensive. Here are few of the useful tips on how to go green by practicing simple habits:

If you are a housewife and bothered with the unenthusiastic impacts of cleaning products with toxic substances try to search your kitchen. You will find out that your most basic cooking ingredients are actually effective as cleaning materials. Baking soda, oil, cream of tartar, ginger and lemon are just few of the cooking ingredients basics you can use to clean your home.

• Green Your Ride

If you are just about to go to a place where riding a car is not really necessary why not just walk and have your exercise at the same time, biking is also an alternative. However if it cannot really be done without the car then making sure your car engine’s condition is a must so that you won’t be added to the percentage of those who causes so much carbon dioxide emission.

• Home and Office Cleaning

Your office is like the extension of your home so keeping it clean is very important. Choose green cleaning and use green cleaning products instead of traditional way of de-cluttering your office. If you are an employer and would want to consider office cleaning services switch to a service provider that is more green inclined.

• Save Electric Consumption.

Make sure that you plug off all of your devices, the television, and DVD player or the computer or printer into a UL – certified power strip. Switch the whole group off for the evening to prevent electric draw. Saving electricity doesn’t just save money, it also saves the environment.

You don’t have to wait for the Earth day to come to participate in boosting the awareness of environmental concerns. Embracing a greener lifestyle doesn’t really have to be that demanding. It’s just a little kick of initiative to help in boosting environmental awareness.…

Car Loans – Getting the Right Loan To Buy a Car

You are probably eager to get behind the wheel of your dream car, but before you go car shopping you should apply for car loans online. This is the most convenient way to apply for these kinds of loans and allows you to comparison shop easily from home. However, even before this process begins, there are a number of things you should do to prepare for applying for a loan. Here is a list of important things to take the time to complete before signing your digital signature on anything.

Another quality you will want in a car loan lender is friendly customer service. While you can conduct the entire application process without speaking to anyone from the company, it is wise to take the time to make a phone call to the company. This will help you rule out unscrupulous companies as well as determine their level of customer service. That way, you will have greater confidence that further down the road, if you need assistance, they will be willing to work with your situation.

Securing car loans before you decide on a car is smart for more than one reason. Finding a loan first usually gets you a better deal on the car and the loan. When you already have a loan you will also have more bargaining power with the dealer because you are treated like a cash customer. Many online lenders allow you to download a blank check to fill out when you purchase the vehicle. When you purchase a car with a loan, the lenders often take care of all the details for you.

Use a car finance calculator before you apply for car loans to see what you can truly afford. These kinds of calculators will ask you questions about your income and monthly expenditures as well as the target car payment rate you are after. If you have a trade-in or will be receiving cash-back bonuses, these are taken into account. Even though you are spacing out the payment of your car into monthly chunks, you want to ensure you will be able to afford it now as well as in the long run before you sign up for any loan.

Once you have secured your auto loan, shop for your car. With a loan already secured, you can get a better deal on the car. When you have a firm amount that you cannot go over it translates into your negotiation. A salesman can’t resist your money, when you are waving it in his face. Dealerships get a cut of whatever financing they sell to you. With financing secured ahead of time that is one less cost you have to pay for. Carefully considering your loan and car purchase ahead of time saves you money and time.…

Why You Need an Office Cleaning Service

Do you have a business? Do you think the office is clean enough, and that you don’t need an office cleaning service? Think again. There are a lot of reasons that hiring an office cleaning company can be beneficial for your business. Take a look:

You’ll keep your office from looking “seedy”

You can have the best and most professional-looking accoutrements in your office, but if it’s not scrubbed shiny, neat and tidy, nothing will make you look truly professional. Unless you’re an absolute neat freak, it’s common to have office “hygiene” slip when you get particularly busy with work. Make yourself look truly professional and on top of things by having a clean and tidy office, one that looks (and even smells) welcoming and inviting to clients. The right office cleaning company can do this for you, at relatively nominal cost.

You don’t have to entice employees to do it

It’s bad enough to roll up your sleeves and scrub your own office, but it can be even worse in some cases if you have to try to entice employees to clean. When you hire an office cleaning service, you won’t have to force employees to clean when they really don’t want to. Instead, you can let your employees do their jobs, while you do yours — and the office cleaning company does its job, too.

You know it’ll be done thoroughly

When you try to do the job yourself or you force employees to do it for you, you may do a slapdash job at best, thinking “good enough” is good enough. The problem with that is that things may never get entirely clean. You don’t have to worry about that if you hire an office cleaning company to do the job for you. A good office cleaning service is going to be thorough and professional, meaning that not only will the carpet be freshly vacuumed on a regular basis, but also that there won’t be any dust bunnies under office furniture or stuck in corners. When someone comes into your office, you’ll know they can look around and see a fresh, thoroughly clean, truly professional space.

You’ll save time

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve got an important client coming in the morning, so you spend all night the night before the client comes in scrubbing, tidying up, and making the place look presentable. Or, when you’ve got a big project to complete, you neglect most office cleaning until things look decidedly untidy. When you hire an office cleaning service to do the job for you, you’ll save time because you won’t have to do it yourself. No more late nights trying to tidy up in preparation for a big client’s arrival in scrambling to get work done, too. You can simply turn it over to someone else, secure in the knowledge that it’s going to get done and that you won’t be wasting time trying to do the …

How to Find the Best Office Cleaning Business Books and Startup Guides

Once you have made the decision to start an office cleaning business the next step should be to do some preliminary research in order to absorb as much information as you can on the topic. One great way to do this is to read some of the many’ start an office cleaning business’ books and e-books that are available.

Reading books by authors who have first hand experience of setting up and running office cleaning businesses is a great way to get some insights into the business. They can help you to know which direction to proceed in and tell you how to minimize some of the mistakes that new cleaning business owners often make. Below we discuss some of the things that your should consider when you are shopping around for office cleaning business books, guides and startup kits.

Firstly, you should realize that you can buy both books and e-books on the subject of ‘starting an office cleaning business’. While it is nice to order real paperback and hardback books that you can hold in your hand, don’t forget that e-books also offer many advantages. When you buy a guide online you will be able to download the information immediately instead of having to wait for a physical shipment. Some guides that you can buy online are actually full startup kits with numerous other resources that you are able to download. These bonuses often include office cleaning business forms, sample agreements, business plan samples, and lists of suppliers.

You should also consider your rights to get a refund should you discover that the report, book or guide that you ordered did not match your expectations. While it is possible to get a refund on a physical book shipment it is not always easy and the costs involved with returning books can make it hardly worthwhile. It is usually only possible to get a refund if you haven’t read the books and are returning them as new. With digital products however, it is often possible to get a full refund. If you check some of the websites that are offering commercial cleaning business guides for sale you will find that this is often the case.

Another detail worth examining before buying an information product is the author. There are many successful office cleaning business operators who have written guides designed to help newcomers to the industry get started and run their businesses successfully. Some of the tips and tricks that they offer are invaluable and you can learn a lot from their guidance. However there are also some guides that have been written by authors who are in fact not necessarily cleaners themselves. Rather, they are just researchers and interviewers who have put together a generic book on the subject. So before you buy you should read the description of the book and its author carefully to find out if they really do have relevant experience in …

Nonprofit Credit Counseling Services

Since its opening debut in 1950, credit card debt has been an ongoing problem as consumers began going into debt at an alarming rate. Trapped into unbearable terms and fees the cycle hasn’t changed much since inception. 85% of consumers in America have a household credit debt of $8k or higher, sources say.

Dreams aren’t much different today either. Like days before, the American dream to be debt free still sleeps on as we continue creating more and more debt with little hope to an end nearing of this vicious cycle. Unlike 1950 though, there are many different options available today to consumers who are genuinely tired of economic enslavement and are ready to get out of debt and stay out. Education, patience, and a relearning of behavior are key to success once one becomes debt free, to ensure they stay debt free.

Credit counseling, created by the federal government, was implemented to provide financial counseling services and assistance to consumers interested in exploring alternatives to becoming debt free. More affordable payback plans are established that cater to the consumers ability to pay and a goal of becoming debt free in 5 years or less.

Agencies that are nonprofit, have established strong relations with creditors to provide clients lower interest reductions, lower payments, and freedom from debt in 5 years. The consensus is, a true nonprofit is geared toward assisting consumers in paying back their debt without impaling the consumer with exorbitant fees for services. Nonprofit credit counseling organizations do charge nominal fees to cover administrative costs but most of the counseling service fees are paid by the lender themselves.

A certified credit counselor working for a nonprofit credit counseling agency will first assess your situation in a free financial analysis, outlining your debt to income ratio, assets and liabilities. Once your assessment is complete the counselor can then quote an affordable monthly payback plan that coincides with the creditor guidelines for debt consolidation. As the minimum monthly payment terms are agreed upon creditors then instill program benefits such as the stopping of fees and reduction to interest to lower fixed rates- usually in the single digits. This enables the consumer to payback the debt at a reasonable rate and within a reasonable time frame.

When Do You Need Credit Counseling?

You can’t pay the minimums on your credit cards.

The interest rates are too high and balances aren’t going down.

You want to improve your credit score by lowering your outstanding balances faster.

You’re consistently late paying one or more of your regular bills.

You’re being harassed by creditors and collection calls.

Your efforts to work out reasonable repayment plans with your creditors have failed.

Your accounts have gone more than 6 months past due and legal pursuit has been executed.

Speaking with a certified credit counselor and receiving a free financial analysis of your household budget and credit debt will give you a better idea of what options are available to you that are …

Keeping A Clean House

Owning a beautiful house requires a lot of personal responsibilities. It requires frequent cleaning in order to keep it spic and span. Sometimes, owners lack the motivation to clean and only act when the dirt is already unbearable. Others find it more convenient to hire house cleaning services, especially those who are always busy with work.

In reality, tidying up can be a fairly easy job if only an effective cleaning plan is practiced. There are helpful ways to maintain cleanliness. By focusing on a specific list of chores during weekdays and a different set on weekends, people will be able to find more convenience and fewer demands for the task.

Weekdays make up the busiest days of the week. It is barely possible to even clean the countertop after breakfast, or wash dishes after lunch. But to be able to maintain sanitation, it is essential to do these light chores regularly. Cleaning dishes, doing the laundry, taking out trash, and filing bills and other papers must be done on a daily basis. This way, you are able to get rid of clutter and move freely around the house, as well as prevent fungus and molds to grow on grimy tableware and soiled clothing.

Heavier and more time-consuming assignments are reserved for the weekend. Dusting walls, windows, and furniture is a way to avoid formation of cobwebs. Vacuuming the floor, especially carpeted ones, is another activity that can be done once weekly. Changing bed linens and wiping appliances are necessary too. The effects of these undertakings are beneficial not only to the life span of our possessions but also health-wise. It is also during non-working days that the garden can be tended. Following a schedule for a general clean-up in and around the house focuses on thoroughly covering all areas possible.

When it comes to house cleaning, there is absolutely no escape. It is impossible to hide away from the mess. The best one can do is to face it and find inspiration in order to be motivated to begin. Setting aside an hour or two a day for clean out alone would be a very useful tool in achieving a spotless abode. Once started, organizing becomes a habit. This will turn into an effortless activity along the way. In the end, you will be surprised to see how simple it is to keep a clean house and preserve its loveliness.…

The 7 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring Your Next Janitorial Company

Is your current janitorial company’s idea of cleaning your building simply pulling the trash?

Are you tired of inconsistent or non-existent service? Does it bother you that different people are in your building each time it is cleaned? Is it frustrating you that when you call to complain, you are not getting your issues resolved?

If so, it is time to look for another janitorial company. But wait, haven’t you been through all of this before? Wouldn’t you like to find a janitorial company that you can build a long term relationship with, and feel like you are getting your money’s worth at the same time?

This can be done, and here are the seven questions you need to ask any prospective janitorial company:

1. Are you bonded and insured?

If you are dealing with a reputable janitorial company, they will have commercial general liability insurance. This covers your building, and your neighbor’s building for any damages that occur during the cleaning of your building.

We never like to think of anything bad happening, but if it does, the only way to protect your business is if your cleaning company had CGL (commercial general liability) insurance when you retained them.

Most state minimums for CGL insurance is $300,000.00 per occurrence. However, to be on the safe side, look for a company with at least $1 million in CGL insurance.

The bond covers employee dishonesty, such as theft or vandalism. Many bonds start out as low as $5,000.00 in coverage. Established companies will carry anywhere from $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 bonds.

You may ask for a copy of their bond and insurance during the bid process. If they cannot provide this, you should not consider their proposal.

2. Do you perform background checks and drug testing?

Again, this is a common practice with reputable cleaning companies. And they will be willing to provide you with this for each person in your building.

3. How long have you been in business?

Established companies will have references that span several years. Do you really want to open up your facility to a start up business?

Also, make sure that the managers or supervisors are full time. If you are dealing with someone who has a “day job” what will happen if you try to contact them while they are working their other job?

4. How many employees do you have?

This may seem like an odd question, but what if your cleaner is sick? Do they have a back-up plan to get your building cleaned?

5. What type of training do your personnel receive?

Is there a formal training program followed? Can they provide you with proof of this training? This can be the difference between a long term service and a “90 day wonder.”

6. What if I am unhappy with your service?

How easy is it to contact you? Is there 24 hour availability? How fast can a conflict be …

Can You Refinance Student Loans After Consolidation?

While you’re trying to get a college education, student loans can seem like a huge bonus, but once you are out of college, you’ll face the repayment on all those loans that you have taken out during your years of school. If you’re overwhelmed with your college loans, then you may be wondering if a consolidation loan is right for you. However, there are many things to consider before you take this route.

One of the big questions people have when it comes to consolidating loans is whether or not student loans can be refinanced after consolidation. Well, while the actual consolidation loan cannot be actually refinanced, you are able to consolidate a consolidation loan, but this can only be done once.

If you are going to consolidate the consolidation loan you already have, the only way you are able to do this is by adding on new loans that you have not consolidated. Two different consolidation loans can also be consolidated into just one loan, but you cannot just refinance it on it’s own.

Even if you do a reconsolidation, it doesn’t mean that the rates on your previous loan are going to be relocked. A special average interest rate formula that is weighted is used to figure out the interest rate.

If you are trying to work on consolidating your current student loans and you think you may want to switch lenders in the future, then you may want to exclude one of the loans you have from this new loan. This way, if you think you want to go to a different lender and reconsolidate, you have the option available to do that.…