Value management is still a specialist service that is underused by too many businesses. In these tough times where value for money is more important than ever and what you get in return for your hard-earned cash is paramount, you could well benefit for from value management.

Showing the value of a project can be harder than some may think. It is not just about the cost, it is about the benefit of the project being conducted, the risks that have to be taken and what the end result will lead to and who will benefit from it.

Return-On-Investment, more commonly known as ROI, is essential to having a profitable and healthy business. Therefore making sure that you achieve the very best value for money on every single one of your projects is of the utmost importance.

It is important to be able to show to the public and to public bodies that projects are being delivered on-budget and with maximised value and have the very best cost ratio that is possible.

Value management is an act that effectively measures the value of projects by focusing on the objectives, the targets and the benefits and solutions that they will bring. Value is not always about getting the very lowest cost or bringing down the budget, it is more about delivering a quality solution to a problem or achieving a product while minimising risk and delivering on everything that was promised. It is also essential that after the project is complete that there is a real benefit to the work that has been carried out, whether it be a saving, an improvement to service, or a benefit for the public, customers, workforce or business in general.

Value management companies can help to cast a fresh eye upon these projects as well as offer independent advice and management. They can also help with value engineering and some even provide risk workshops to help in the understanding of the risks involved and how they can be managed.

Many value management companies will also offer full overall value management as well as value mapping to help breakdown and highlight areas in need of attention and areas that are performing well. These can be combined with risk assessments and an overall value review to make sure that the very best value, in all senses of the word, is being achieved with each and every single project that is undergone.

Munro Consultants are professionals that can help you with value management. They benefit from plenty of experience combined with specialist expertise. They also carry full professional indemnity insurance which is under-written by Royal Sun Alliance.

value management companies

As the weather gets warmer now is the perfect time to give homes a good ‘spring clean’. After the wet, muddy weather which we have faced in the past few months, finally, the chances of wet dirt being trampled into your home are reduced and you can clean your home thoroughly without the risk of your floor getting dirty straight away afterwards.

As you polish, scrub and dust each room the carpet is often a noticeable area which remains unclean, silently detracting from your cleaning efforts and ruining the look of your home. No matter how regularly or thoroughly you vacuum your carpet, most still have obvious marks, stains and general dirt ground deep into their fibres. Traffic lanes (common walk through areas of a room) often suffer the most, in particular, doorways and areas where visitors to your home walk before removing their shoes. You may have already accepted that this dirt as an irremovable fact-of-life, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Your carpet is a huge feature of any room, do not let it ruin the look of your home.

Spring is the ideal time to use professional carpet cleaning methods to lift the look of your home and create a cleaner and more hygienic environment. Did you know that vacuuming only removes a tiny fraction of the dirt and microorganisms in your floorings? Allergens, bacteria, spores, pet hair and general dirt are often trampled deep within the carpet fibres where vacuum cleaners cannot reach. This can be harmful to those with allergies to dust, mould or pets, as well as being generally unhygienic and making the room look dirty. Another reason why vacuuming is not enough is that it does not remove smells from your carpet. You may find that no matter how thoroughly you clean your home, it never smells fresh. This is often down to a lack of thorough carpet cleaning.

Using a professional-style carpet cleaning method is the best way to achieve a really clean home this spring. There are ways to get professional carpet cleaning results easily and without paying a fortune for people to do the work for you. An at-home carpet cleaning system will give professional results for a great price. They are designed to be easy to use and give amazing results; often carpets will look brand new. And some carpet cleaning machines can also be able to be used on furnishings too; often mattresses, furniture and curtains can hugely benefit from a thorough deep clean. If your carpet has recently been cleaned, choose a stain remover to remove odd marks around your home. Buying a stain remover from a professional carpet cleaning machine provider ensures you are receiving a quality product.

Using a carpet cleaning methods will really lift the appearance of your home, ensuring a hygienic and fresh environment. So before you pick up the duster to start your spring clean consider your carpets. Are they really as clean as they can be?

Rug Doctor offer the best carpet cleaning solutions on the market. Their unique machines and products are affordable, easy to use and allow you to give professional cleaning results yourself at home.
Carpet stain remover

There are often many telesales jobs available, but most are unskilled positions requiring little to no experience or qualifications. A search for telesales jobs on a search engine will offer hundreds of these cold-calling positions, aimed at teenagers and 20 somethings who haven’t yet got your qualifications and experience. If you have had a strong and longstanding career in telesales already you are likely to be looking for a more professional position, perhaps specialising in a particular area. Whether you are hoping for a career specialising in financial, land or commodity brokering or carbon trading, a high-earning telesales job can be difficult to find.

To find high-end telesales jobs you will need to register with a specialised sales recruitment agency. Good agencies offer jobs from those for recent graduates, to those with up to £100k OTE, all in in successful companies across the world. These are jobs with prospects. If you would consider emigrating, perhaps to Dubai, Cyprus or Barcelona, visit a telesales jobs recruitment agency. You shouldn’t make a move anywhere with doubts over whether this is the perfect position for you, and sales recruiters will help to match you with your dream job.

As well as offering online job listing boards for telesales jobs in the UK and abroad, if you become registered with the sales recruitment agency they will offer suggestions of jobs tailored to your experience and personality. Online agencies are quick to sign up with; simply register and upload your CV. Good sales recruitment consultants will then read your CV to understand your motivations and strengths. They will look at you and the business advertising the position to find a perfect match. Then, with your permission, they will share your CV with those advertising relevant telesales jobs, hand-picked as being suited to you.

The best part is, specialist telesales recruitment companies will do all of this for free. It takes very little time and effort to sign up and is completely free, so you have nothing to lose. If you know people who match telesales jobs advertised on their site, some recruiters will even offer a gift of vouchers if you refer your friend, colleague or contact and they go on to be successful in their application for that position. So, by registering with a specialist telesales recruitment website, you are not only substantially increasing your chances of your dream career; but might even gain financially just from referring others.

Even if you are happy in your current telesales career it’s worth considering getting in contact with an agency. After all, you never know what exciting opportunities are just a click away.

Pinnacle 7 are a recruitment consultancy specialising in telesales jobs in the UK and abroad. Browse their website today to find your ideal high-earning telesales position.
Browse telesales job listings

Many businesses overlook the importance of design. A professional graphic design agency can completely make a brand’s success, giving marketing materials a ‘voice’ to communicate their message effectively. Without a voice, your business will not get its message across. Advertising and marketing is not just about what you are saying, but how you are saying too, and this is where professional graphic design and web design comes in.

Your brand relies heavily upon its image, so choose your design agency carefully. Ideally, you should choose a professional graphic design agency which also offers branding services. This allows you to be safe in the knowledge that the designers have brand awareness and are not merely making your materials look good. Branding agencies also tend to have a deeper understanding of your business, therefore making their work effective in that it is an extension of your brand and relevant to your audience. It is up to you however, to give your designers a thorough understanding of your brand, the audience for your project, and what message you are trying to communicate.

In the design industry portfolio is everything, so look for a strong portfolio. Many design studios, whether you are looking for professional graphic design, literature design or web design in Kent or anywhere else in the UK, have an online portfolio. This enables you to gain an understanding of their type of work with minimal effort on your part. Although the design portfolios which you look at may not feature businesses which are similar to yours, look for a wide range of effective design pieces for a spectrum of types of businesses. If the work appears to effectively convey messages in all of the different styles required you can be confident that they are a flexible company who will be able to adapt to your requirements.

For a complete brand image revamp, look for a professional graphic design agency which offers a comprehensive range of creative services. You may require branding, as well as a range of print and website design in Kent, for example. Choose an agency company with a wide range of services to guarantee a brand image which is coherent across all of the products which you require. It may also be a benefit to look for a design agency who offer a range of creative services for future peace-of-mind. That way, if you have requested professional graphic design or web design from your Kent-based designers, you can return to them in the future if you need a Powerpoint presentation, app design or annual report.
Open Water are a graphic and website design agency based in Kent. They offer professional creative services for corporate design which really stands out.

Graphic and web design services

What is prickly heat?

To start with, it is important to understand what prickly heat is and why it affects some people but not others. Also known as miliaria, it causes bumps or blisters to appear in a rash across areas of skin during a spate of hot weather. The rash can take several days to disappear, even if conditions are much cooler.

Prickly heat can appear almost anywhere on the body, especially confined areas such as the armpits, but tends not to affect the face. It often affects areas of the body covered by clothing as there tends to be more sweat produced where the clothing rubs against the skin.

This rash is caused by sweat glands in the skin becoming blocked. This stops the sweat from escaping the body and instead leads it to leak into nearby skin, causing redness and rashes. Whilst this does not generally have any serious health consequences, the prickly heat rash can be very irritating and can really put a dampener on holidays to hot countries.

Some people are more prone to prickly heat than others. Babies and children quite commonly suffer from it as their sweat glands are not properly developed yet and can produce sweat too quickly for their skin to cope with. Being overweight can also increase the likelihood of developing a prickly heat rash as this can lead to increased sweating.

5 quick tips for reducing prickly heat

The first way to reduce your prickly heat is to reduce the amount you sweat. This can be achieved by simple measures such as:

• Staying in the shade

• Wearing only loose-fitting, cool clothes

• Showering in cool water regularly

• Avoiding exercise in hot weather

• Drinking more water than usual

It may seem counterproductive to hydrate your body more when you are trying to reduce sweating but in hot climates our bodies need far more water than usual. Drinking more will also help to prevent other consequences of dehydration, such as headaches and fatigue.

If you are overweight, you may also find that losing weight will help to reduce your prickly heat symptoms in the long term.

Chemical-free sunscreens and prickly heat

As well as reducing the amount you sweat, you should try to prevent your sweat glands from becoming blocked. These may become blocked through dead skin cells or bacteria.

Some people find that exfoliation can help as it removes the dead skin cells blocking their pores, allowing the sweat to escape normally. However, it is advisable to exfoliate before you go on holiday as waiting until the prickly heat has started could irritate the skin further.

One further cause of blocked sweat glands is waterproof sunscreen, which can contain pore-clogging ingredients. It is possible that these may aggravate your prickly heat, as they reduce the amount of sweat that can escape your skin. The resulting build up of sweat inside the skin can then create prickly heat rash symptoms.

It’s advisable to purchase a natural sunscreen which does not contain the pore-clogging ingredients which can aggravate prickly heat.Many are also free from PABA, parabens and artificial colours and fragrances.

For a happy and healthy holiday, choose a natural sunscreen.

Green People are health and beauty specialists, with a great range of natural beauty products.

Green People have been in this industry for many years, selling effective sun cream using natural and organic ingredients for a healthy and safe alternative.

Payment protection insurance also known as PPI, was designed to cover your loan or credit card repayments if you became unemployed, had a long-term illness or were involved in an accident. PPI can provide valuable protection for people who have lost their jobs. However, over the past few years insurance policies have been widely mis sold, as they provided huge profits for banks and lenders.

Advisors would mis sell their policies by not fully explaining what the insurance covered and telling the consumer that the policy was either compulsory or suggesting that it would give people a better chance of being accepted for a loan. In worst case scenarios some advisors would even add a policy onto a consumers account without their consent.
Many policies were also extremely over priced for the level of cover they offered and banks and lenders would put in several exemptions making it almost impossible for consumers to make a valid claim. You could potentially claim big money if you feel you were in any way mis sold PPI insurance. Even if you have made a claim on your policy, you can still make a PPI complaint which could result in substantial compensation.

Before you decide to make a payment protection claim its important you check through all your policy documentation. Not all policies were mis sold, so you must ask yourself if the insurance was right for you at the time of purchase. Cast your mind back to when you were sold the policy, did the advisor make it clear that the insurance optional? In many cases advisors were telling consumers that PPI was compulsory or implied that the loan repayments would be more expensive if they didnt take out a policy. This is mis selling and you could be entitled to thousands of pounds.

Making a claim can sometimes be a long, difficult and time consuming process. Therefore its advisable to enlist the help of a claims management company. Many companies who specialise in PPI reclaims offer a free, no obligation consultation. These meetings can take place in the comfort of your own home or over the phone and a friendly consultant will review potential claims and help you with all the relevant documentation.

The majority of high quality, well established claims management companies operate on a no win no fee basis and if your claim is successful you will only be charged a small administration fee.

Contact your local claims management company today and get back what youre rightly owed.

ABC Incorporation is one of the UKs leading claims management companies in the UK. They have helped hundreds of people claim thousands of pounds. Visit their website today to fill in their online form for a quick and easy PPI reclaim.
Making a PPI claim

It can be a nightmare if your cat begins to scratch the furniture, carpets, doors and wallpaper in your home. All are expensive to repair or replace and often your cat will just damage them again in the future. However, it is possible to control your cat’s scratching if you understand the reasons why they do it in the first place and use a cat scratching post to accommodate these instincts.

Why do cats scratch?

There are a number of reasons why cats will scratch. Cats have scent glands in their paws so scratching leaves their scent mark on that area. This can be for territorial reasons, or sometimes the scent can be left to let other cats know that they are in search of a mate. Even if you do not have other cats in your home it is in their instinct to attempt to send these signals, which is why a cat will continue to scratch the same area; it is hoping to replace its scent when it begins to wear off. If a cat is anxious or stressed you may find that it scratches more or in new places: its scent is often a comfort to itself as well as a message to other cats. Another reason why cats scratch is to condition their claws, but leaving their scent is the most common reason. It is important to understand that you cannot prevent a cat’s need to condition their claws or its animal instinct, but aim to control the scratching instead with a cat scratch post.

How to stop my cat destroying my home

Some people attempt to prevent a cat from scratching by using a water pistol or by shouting at it. This does little to prevent a cat from scratching because, as mentioned, scared cats tend to scratch for comfort. If your cat is less timid and is scratching to gain attention, it is likely that it is going to feel rewarded by you giving it extra attention. Instead you should prevent your home furnishings from getting scratched by encouraging your cat to use a cat scratching post.

What to look for in a cat scratching post

Before cats were domesticated they liked to climb trees - a trait which they have kept to this day. Good cat scratching posts are designed as cat trees, with platform tiers and a wooden trunk. Comfortable hammock-like levels encourage your cat to relax there and use the cat scratching post more. It is important to choose a cat scratch post which is as attractive as possible to your cat so it chooses to scratch it rather than elsewhere. Ensure that your cat scratch post is made from animal-friendly natural materials, wood will appeal to your cat’s instinct to climb trees and sisal rope is a hardwearing scratching material. A good cat scratching post will even be available in different colours to match your decor. Therefore cat trees are an effective way to manage cat scratching in the home - benefitting animals and humans alike.

Animal Source have an extensive range of cat trees designed with natural materials. The security, softness and warmth of the cat scratching posts will appeal to your pet, and their stylish appearance will complement your interior design.
Cat scratch post

As the weather begins to get warmer it’s time to start digging out those sandals and flip flops. While a pedicure enables our feet to start looking their best again, why not finish off a look in real style and with extra sparkle. Toe rings are back in fashion, and this time they’re luxurious.

Sterling silver or 9kt gold or white gold toe rings are seriously on trend at the moment, and good jewellers have designed some key pieces which are set to be huge. A handmade ring, made to be worn on the second toe of either foot, is THE way to accessorise this Spring/Summer. Quality toe rings can be worn in water without any hint of discolouration, so they are fast becoming a beach and poolside favourite.

But toe rings are versatile and subtle enough to be worn for any occasion this spring and summer. They can provide the finishing touch to a formal dress and strappy heels at a restaurant, denim shorts and flip flops in the park, or a simple bikini and bare feet on holiday. Toe rings really are a great investment piece, which is why it makes sense to choose quality rather than throwaway pieces. Silver and 9kt gold ensures that your jewellery will remain stunning, even after years of wear. Quality toe rings won’t discolour in water, and won’t discolour your skin either. Silver and gold are also the best materials if you have sensitive skin which doesn’t react well with cheap jewellery.

Popular designs feature gem stones which add an eye-catching glint of sparkle in the sunlight. Choose your favourite stone, your favourite colour or even your birth stone. Why not try a girly look with purple amethyst or pink sapphires, match the pool with blue topaz or complement ruby toe nail polish with a deep red garnet? Or, if you are looking for a special gift or a really luxurious keepsake, go for classic diamond. Diamond toe rings are the epitome of class, sophistication and style. If you crave diamonds but find them to be out of your price range, opt for a design with white topaz. White topaz toe rings are more affordable while still offering the subtle clear sparkle of diamond. The key designs of toe rings to buy this year feature gem stone hearts or dolphins.

If you are unsure of your size it makes sense to choose toe rings which come in small, medium or large sizes, but are slightly adjustable. This way you’ll only need to make an approximate estimate of your size, while still ensuring a comfortable fit. Open ring designs achieve this flexibility with sizing.

Body Matters Gold sell a range of handmade fine jewellery including toe rings in silver and 9kt gold and white gold. Browse their unique designs which feature gem stones such as garnets, amethysts and diamonds for a truly luxurious touch for your feet.
Body Matters Gold toe jeweller

Although the UK job market remains relatively sluggish compared to levels seen prior to the current economic downturn, there are signs that a recovery could be on its way.

This is good news, particularly for those in sales recruitment and prospective job candidates looking for sales vacancies.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG publish a monthly jobs reports that found in January 2012 the number of people employed in permanent positions had seen a modest rise for the first time in four months.

The REC’S chief executive, Kevin Green, commented: “This month’s Report on Jobs highlights that there are glimmers of hope for the UK jobs market with permanent placements increasing for the first time in four months. This is the first positive indicator for some time that employers are looking to hire staff despite the ongoing weakness of the economy.”

Encompassing such a wide variety of roles, the UK sales sector can still boast of fantastic opportunities that can cater for a number of different interests.

Pairing up employer and employeeFor expert analysis of the latest trends in the sector, consult the sales recruitment professionals who can provide this information besides matching employers with the perfect candidates.

By the same token, if you’re a job seeker browsing sales vacancies, you should utilise the help of a sales recruitment agency to find the ideal role.

Sales staff looking for a change of scene or a way back into the marketplace can really benefit from specialist sales recruitment agencies’ help and their esoteric knowledge.

In determining suitability for a certain role, sales recruitment staff can help both candidates and employers locate relevant opportunities.

Sales vacancies fit for purposeFinding a sales vacancy fit for purpose is all-important, no matter whether you require a specific role or you’re just searching for a part-time job.

Perhaps you’ve been in the same sales position for a number of years and you’re hunting for a new challenge: where do you go? What kind of remuneration can you expect and what will the role you’re interested in entail?

Sales recruitment experts and their online sites can answer all of these questions and more.

With so many different types of sales techniques, including cold-calling, client presentations and professional networking, it’s vital to find and isolate a job that you know you’ll be comfortable in and be afforded every chance of success.

A broad cross-section of candidates will discover that in a sector that resolves so much around personality, there are a number of different opportunities that will appeal to them.

Targetted listings will find sales vacancies that appropriately match your skills and interests.

Through clear job descriptions, the best sales recruitment agencies will also inform candidates of exactly what an employer is looking for.

It is the job of sales staff to display their ability to convince customers of a product’s quality and value.

It’s equally important for sales vacancies to highlight to candidates a company’s credentials.

For both employer and employee searching for the perfect sales staff, dealing with recruitment specialists who understand the business of selling often represents the ideal first port of call.

The Sales Recruitment Agency provides expert assistance and a quality service to prospective sales staff and employers alike. The Sales Recruitment Agency allows employers to view a diverse pool of sales talent while matching candidates to their favoured roles.

Sales vacancies

The Eames lounge chair is a world famous piece of furniture. Designed by husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames in 1956, this stylish, iconic chair was created with high quality leather for ultimate comfort and a sleek finish. Wooden frames with ash or beach veneer, adds to the luxurious, stylish design that is perfect for all office and lounge areas.

Shortly after the chair was designed, Charles and Ray created the matching ottoman for director Billy Wilder, who used the furniture piece in the film Some Like It Hot. More recently, the Eames set has appeared on the hit TV series Gossip Girl. The creation is timeless and can blend in with any home and office styles or decor. The chair set is often seen paired with a sleek, chrome or silver floor lamp or a matching desk and book case, creating a stylish and classy work area.

The worldwide popularity of the Eames lounge chair has led the design to feature in top art museums such as the MOMA in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. Its fair to say there arent many lounge chairs that have a high profile like the Eames chair. The artistic creation has been the subject of many documentaries and books since its debut in the late 50s and there are now many reproductions offering several different colours and styles of the design.

If you are considering purchasing an Eames lounge chair reproduction, it is essential that you purchase the piece from a well established, reliable supplier. There are many reproductions, particularly over the internet that appear to look like the original high quality design, however when people have received the chair it has arrived looking worn and cheap. Although it may be tempting to go for the cheaper option, the Eames chair should be created with the highest quality leather and thick cushion made from foam or down feathers, therefore it should not be a cheap furniture piece.

Ideally you should go and see the chair in the flesh before you make your purchase. However, if you are selecting your chair from a well established online supplier, they should be able to send you a wide range of photographs taken at different angles, enabling you to determine the quality of the design.

Once you have purchased your chair you should take some time to look after your new furniture piece. That way it will last for years on end and can even be passed down generations in your family. Simple cleaning such as dusting the leather seat and arms with a soft, dry cloth and applying a pre-softened paste wax to the legs of your chair will remove any marks and keep it looking brand new.

Add style and comfort to your home with the Eames lounge chair.

Icon Inspired offer a selection of high quality Eames inspired furniture pieces, including office, dining and lounge chairs in a range of different colours and styles. Visit their website today to view their fantastic range.
Eames lounge chair