The Need For Car Paint Protection

The Need For Car Paint Protection

If you've just driven your new car off the lot, it's probably looking pretty great. That fancy new paint job shines in the sun, looks glossy, and makes a statement about the kind of person you are; the kind of person that buys new cars. Overtime, though, small rocks, road debris and bugs will eat away at your paint job. There's nothing much you can do except apply some touch ups and hope no one notices. However, there is a different way.

A protective car film will keep all of this from happening. If applied before the road debris ruins your day by chipping your paint, a clear car cover, like a bra, will prevent those chips from happening in the first place. The best protective films have to ability to provide defense from things as heavy as rocks.

In terms of your paint job, bugs can also be a problem. They're absolutely unavoidable and if you drive your car at all, you're bound to hit a few. The acid in most bugs will erode your paint and if you ignore it, you're bound to see some damage. Obviously there are products that will remove dead bugs from your car but wouldn't it be easier to buy a protective film that keeps them off your paint to begin with?

Not only do you want your car to look as new as possible for as long as possible, but keeping your paint job pristine will up the resale value. Most people keep their cars for roughly five years before trading up. If you want to get the most for your money, keep your car looking great. One of the best ways to do this is by being preventative and keeping the paint as clean as possible. Protective films do that.

Car covers are readily available and generally inexpensive. Indeed, they're much less expensive than a new paint job. The good ones come with a guarantee and are pre-cut to fit your specific car or truck. No one likes getting a full sheet of laminate they have to cut themselves. The benefits of a product like this are huge. They provide a clear, protective barrier that can not only deflect small rocks and road debris but will also keep things like bugs from ruining your paint job. If you ever want to resale your car, it's definitely a smart idea to consider a protective film.

Valuable Tips on Car Paint Protection

Every time your car leaves the garage, it rolls into infinite dangers - bird poop, bugs and microscopic germs, dust and grit, and of course, harsh weather conditions and sun's heat. No wonder, these take a toll on your car's paint, leaving it rusted, dirty, and with a poor finish. Dirt and grit stick to the paint, and causes it to lack luster, making the surface rough and harsh. Even the scorching sun above and its harmful ultraviolet rays cause significant damage to the car paint.

If you care for your car, regular car wash and care are important. Here are some tips to protect new car paint. After all, you need something better for your baby's skin!

Cleaning

The best and simplest way to protect your car's paint is car cleaning and regular care. After you come back home after a long ride, wash or at least rinse off the dirt on the car as soon as possible. The longer it stays onto the body; the more it will penetrate deeper into the paint and cause damage. After washing, let it cool in the shade on shallow incline. This helps the water drops to fall off onto the ground and not penetrate in the body, which can again damage the paint.

Before car wash, rinse off thoroughly because no matter how much you clean, if there is sand and grit on the surface of the car paint, it won't help. Use only mild car soap and a fresh sponge to clean your car. Make sure that you only rinse and wash one section of the car at a time, cleaning from the top to bottom. Don't scrub hard on the paint; rather, use long light strokes along the length of the car. Dry the car in the shade (and not under the sun), and use a blotting paper rather than wiping.

Waxing

Next is the step of car detailing, which is integral to protect the paint from damage. Remember, there is no shortcut to waxing. It not only enhances the beauty of your car's paint, but also protects it from UV rays and dirt. The ideal way to wax is to apply a coat of wax and then immediately wipe it off.

UV Protection

UV protection coating can effectively resist chalking and dulling effect of sunlight on your car's paint. There are several products available today that protects the car from harmful ultraviolet rays. Make sure that you apply them regularly as recommended. A protective car covering is also a good way to protect the car from harsh weather conditions and sunlight.

Clear Coat Paint Finish

Clear coat paint functions as "sealers' on new cars, working as a protective film over the base paint layer. Make sure your new car has one. However, it can never replace waxing since it can still erode, breathe, collect stains and grime, and absorb moisture.

Car Paint Protection - How to Find the Best Paint Protection System For Your Car

You've been driving around in that old clunker your dad gave you when you went off to college for years and now you can finally afford a new car. You've finished college, started your new career and worked your way up the ladder enough to finally get the salary you deserve. You've had your eye on a particular model and you happily go off to the dealership to buy one. While you are there, the dealer may offer to sell you a paint protection system that is designed to keep the paint on your car looking new. After driving an old car that saw a new paint job over a decade ago, you want to do everything to maintain that beautiful look and what the dealer is saying may sound quite enticing. Beware, because what sounds too good to be true usually is.

Dealers get paid a substantial profit by selling you expensive car paint protection systems. How much they charge you will depend on how much they feel they can get out of you. Don't forget that these salespeople know all about your finances from your application and credit report. They know how much you make, how much you pay in housing and how much credit debt you have. This gives them a general idea of how much you can afford to pay. They may offer a debt laden person the system for $500 dollars and offer it to a person who has a lower amount of debt for $1500.00. Either way they are making a super profit and they do it under the guise of doing you a favor.

Admittedly, car paint protection is essential to any new car. Car paint can be damaged by the sun, hail, and dirt that are blown on a car. Wax can certainly keep a car shiny but can also allow dirt particles to stick to it. This means that when you go to wipe it down, the dirt or sand can actually cause damage to the paint job, since wiping the car will grind them into the paint.

The sun will also fade paint over time and if you live near the ocean, salt water will also harm the finish. This is why it's important to get a good car paint protection system. Just don't get it from a dealer. Part of the warranty may include having to bring the car in every 2 months to have the protection renewed. If you don't come in, then the warranty will be voided and you've lost the money that you invested in the system.

There are plenty of quality paint protection systems on the market that you can purchase for a fraction of the cost that the dealers offer them for and you can apply and maintain them yourself. Visit your auto supply store or go online to research and find the best one for you.

54 St James Street Tenant of the Month - Color Consultancy

So, Tenant of the Month is back! Each month we will be publishing an interview with one of our lovely tenants in the building, asking them what they like about the building and finding out what their business is all about!

So far we have spoken to Siren, Dobson Welch, Barrette, A Quiet Place and Bold Online Marketing. And this month we sat down with Color Consultancy

So here's what our lovely tenants had to say!

What is your business name and what do you do?

We are Color Consultancy. We help businesses solve their problems with cloud based solutions, including the class leading CRM system Salesforce.com. Three of us are based here, and we have a team of developers in Kerala, India who we’ve been out to meet last year.

What did you do prior to setting up your own business?

Simon, the Director, came to the business cloud as a marketer and business person after a varied career which initially started in managing bands! In 2005 he realised that there were lots of solutions out there in the early business cloud to solve the problems that he was having, but a shortage of good people to design and integrate the solutions. As a secret geek, it was a natural progression for Simon into the world of technical solution design to support businesses as they grow!

Michael, Color’s Cloud Consultant, started working with Salesforce.com quite by accident 5 years ago. He first met Simon when they worked together on a huge cloud project at the Trinity Mirror Group in 2012. They stayed in touch, and after realising they had the same appetite for cloud solutions (and a similar taste in good beer!) it felt like a natural move to work together in our own cloud consultancy.

Where have you been working from previously?

Simon was previously Marketing Director for Press Association Sports, and a US telecoms software company. He took up a position as Head of CRM at Trinity Mirror in 2011, where his passion for Salesforce was reignited after a break of a few years. In 2012, he set up Color Consultancy.

Michael started out in freelance business support working with a number of innovative SMEs in Liverpool, including a fast-growing logistics firm and a niche legal agency. He moved to Trinity Mirror in 2012 to work with Salesforce on a large-scale implementation, before moving to the innovative software security company Avecto in 2014. He joined Color full-time in early 2016 after freelancing for a couple of years.

Clare has previously held a number of sales and sales support roles covering Salesforce in large corporates, but after having her daughter, retrained as a strategic social media manager through Digital Mums and wanting to get back to basics with small businesses joined Color to front social media and marketing in Jan 2016

What made you decide to move to 54 St James Street?

The vibrancy of the Baltic Triangle and the growth of the area as a digital creative space made it a great fit

What is it that you like the most about 54 St James Street?

It just ‘fits’ with the way we work. The easygoing atmosphere, quality of facilities, great food at Siren, stunning modern architecture and the amazing views from the roof terraces make it such an easy place to work, and a great place to bring our clients. It doesn’t feel like coming to work at all! We’ve got great views and a quiet office where we can concentrate on just getting on with what we do.

G-Cloud / CloudStore & VAT

Background

HMRC have specific rules (VATGPB9340 - Government departments and health authorities: VAT law: VAT recovery on non-business activities) on which Government bodies can reclaim VAT back on which services and products.

HMRC is empowered to refund VAT to Government Departments on contracted out services listed in the Contracting-Out Direction provided that: 

• They have been purchased for (non-business) statutory purposes; and 

• they meet the conditions of being contracted out; and 

• The claim meets any conditions that may be laid down regarding timing, form, and manner. 

Who can claim refunds under the Direction? 

The following bodies can claim refunds of VAT on the purchase of services detailed in list 2 of the Direction, provided these are used for non business activities: 

• Houses of Parliament,

• Government departments which are recognised as such by the 

• Cabinet Office, Welsh Government, Scottish Government or Northern Ireland Executive and the devolved administrations themselves, 

• certain agencies of government departments, 

• Named NHS bodies, 

• Crown NDPBs

So, what activities can these departments reclaim the VAT?

There is a list of 76 categories where Government Departments can reclaim VAT, but the one we are interested in is number 14;

14. Computer services supplied to the specification of the recipient

Includes:

• the provision by one or more suppliers of a fully managed and serviced computer infrastructure either using the recipients' own hardware or hardware provided by the supplier as part of the infrastructure; and 

• the development, delivery and support of bespoke software.

Excludes:

• supply and support of off-the-shelf software;

• hire of hardware alone;

• line rental alone;

• telephony; and

• hire of computer consultants to add expertise to in-house IT teams.

Previously the scope of the heading reflected the PFI type procurements common in IT where the infrastructure had to be provided by a single provider on hardware owned by the provider. Treasury have recognised that the use of single providers is no longer viewed as always giving the best service and that for security and continuity reasons departments may wish to retain ownership of the hardware (even though under a PFI arrangement this decreases the transfer of risk from the department). 

Analysis

Lets take a look at this closer. At first glance it looks like it could be good for services;

• the provision by one or more suppliers of a fully managed and serviced computer infrastructure either using the recipients' own hardware or hardware provided by the supplier as part of the infrastructure; and 

• the development, delivery and support of bespoke software.

This is good if you are asking a supplier to build a bespoke Cloud service to the specification of the recipient, but the services within the CloudStore are commodity and 'off-the-shelf'. This is a grey area.

The killer blow to cloud services is this;

Excludes:

• supply and support of off-the-shelf software;

As the same service is provided to multiple customers, it's difficult to argue that it is bespoke and therefore the VAT cannot be reclaimed. The rule excludes 'off-the-shelf' software. So it looks like Government Departments are unable to reclaim the VAT on cloud services.

ICT Consultancy

To add to this, HMRC has also stopped Government Departments claiming the VAT on cloud consultancy services;

Excludes:

• hire of computer consultants to add expertise to in-house IT teams.

Again this is a grey area, I'm yet to find the HMRC's definition of 'computer consultants', but The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) provided definitions are below;

Temporary (non-payroll) Staff

CCS define temporary staff as follows: 

The provision of workers to cover business-as-usual or service delivery activities within an organisation. Temporary Staff are also often referred to as “Contingent Labour”.

Consultancy 

CCS define consultancy as follows:

The provision to management of objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operations of an organisation, in pursuit of its purposes and objectives. Such advice will be provided outside the ‘business-as-usual’ environment when in-house skills are not available and will be time-limited. Consultancy may include the identification of options with recommendations, or assistance with (but not the delivery of) the implementation of solutions.

ICT Consultancy

CCS define ICT consultancy as follows:

The provision of objective IT/IS advice including that relating to IT/ IS systems and concepts, strategic IT/IS studies and development of specific IT/IS projects. Advice related to defining information needs, computer feasibility studies, making computer hardware evaluations and to e-business should also be included. 

Again it's grey is the VAT can be claimed for Specialist Cloud Services.

Bespoke or Commodity?

• Government Departments can reclaim the VAT on fully managed outsourced IT systems
• NHS is allowed to reclaim VAT on outsourced systems
• Government Departments can recliam VAT on bespoke computer systems
• Government Departments cannot reclaim VAT on commodity cloud services

• Government Departments can reclaim the VAT on bespoke cloud services

What's the definition of Bespoke Cloud Services?

The NHS has released their business case for NHSMail2 and this will use cloud services. They have published the official response from HMRC within their business case, extract below;

As you are aware whether or not VAT on your proposed new e-mail system can be claimed is a grey area. The limitations of the heading state that an off the shelf package is not included within the scope of the heading but a bespoke package, tailored to the needs of the user is claimable.

There is no doubt that the procurement of a managed email and collaboration service is a computer service meeting the requirements of COS heading 14 but the grey area is whether or not the procured package is an off the shelf package (non claimable) or whether or not it has been tailored enough to be classed as bespoke (claimable).

I have relied on the part of your VAT information document that states that there is no exact service that meets the department's needs and therefore materially significant developments to the existing package taking 3 - 6 months to complete is required. The NHSmail2 document you sent me does in fact show some significant alterations supporting your view that the package can only be used by the NHS.

I am satisfied that the NHSmail 2 contract meets the criteria of COS heading 14 and is therefore claimable. 

Conclusion

It's all a bit screwed up. The Cabinet Office wants Government Departments to consume commodity services via the CloudStore, but HMRC VAT policies encourage Government Departments to bespoke their ICT services.

It gives an unfair advantage on bespoke outsourced IT systems as the VAT can be reclaimed.

It encourages Government Departments to create larger outsourcing contracts, instead of splitting the large contracts and consuming comodity services via the CloudStore

Tips for writing a marketing strategy

A marketing strategy sets the aims for the Marketing department and also tells the employees working there how they are to achieve the goals laid out before them. In other words, marketing strategies are the vision of the marketing department and therefore, one must pay special attention when coming up with a strategy. Here are a few tips to follow while doing so.

To begin with, analyze what the year gone by – 2014 – was like. The analysis will help one come across the strengths they have the places where they must show improvement this year. The sales trends must be watched carefully as well and one must see where the sales are low. Also, analyzing ones marketing trends while help build a connection between the marketing campaign and the sales that one generated as a result. Think about the factors that come to the forefront and how they can help build a strong marketing strategy for the upcoming future.

The one-year vision of the company needs to be laid out bare. This is a one point agenda the firm – or at least the marketing department – is hoping to fulfill in the coming year ahead. It will bring clarity to the strategy and help with employee understanding as well.

Goals and priorities will come up next and once one has decided what the vision is, one must decide the measures they intend to take in order to achieve that vision. These are usually plans of actions to follow and some discourses that one can take.

Moving on, conduct the necessary year end customer research and upgrade the official company profile for customers. The needs and wants of consumers change every year and one must be aware of the trends that can be seen in the New Year so products can be modified.

Next up, the competition is what one needs to watch out for. Review the performance of the competitors in the year gone by. What are the things they have succeeded at and what have they failed at? How has that affected the home firm?

In order to build a strong marketing strategy, one will also have to see what separates the home firm from the competitors. What are the things that are unique to them and what are the things unique to the home firm? How does this uniqueness affect sales?

Another major part of the process is developing acollateral report based on the marketing department and it needs to be reviewed and studied intensely. The stuff available to customers’ needs to be relevant to them and must prove to be interesting as well.

Moving on, one simply cannot survive in today’s marketing world without checking out how the firm or product has done online. Take out the stats for the company’s or product’s website and study them thoroughly to find out where the firm could not garner hits and why.

The sales process needs to be reviewed, analyzed and it must be documented as well. Is the process of conducting sales actually helping people reach the relevant customer base? Is it charging a good price or is it too expensive? There is much to ask in a sales process report.

One of the best things about marketing and devising plans is how one can identify virgin lands to take advantage of. During the research, look for market gaps that have not been fulfilled yet and look for ways to launch new products that will fill up the unsatisfied customer desire.

While devising a good marketing strategy and executing the plan, a good manager will keep an eye on progress and come up with an analysis while the plan is still at play. 

An article by Dougles Chan, SEO Singapore Master | Digital Marketing Singapore Guru. He writes articles on recruitment agency, recruitment business, digital marketing, advanced SEO tips, AWS consulting partner,  AWS cloud partners, Microsoft reseller & Microsoft partner Singapore.

Online Marketing – Why is it Necessary?

Online marketing refers to the marketing of different products and services created by a business through an online platform. This may refer to websites, blogs, forums as well as social media networks that have become so common these days. This kind of marketing is gaining more and more attention through every passing day due to the fact that it has many short and long-term benefits to offer to people. Not only is it easy to carry out but it also has provided people with a great way for marketing various commodities that would be utterly impossible otherwise. Therefore, trying out this method of marketing has been definitely recommended to individuals who wish to become successful.

No Online Restrictions

One very prominent reason behind the instant success of online marketing is the fact that it can be carried out on all kinds of platforms online. Not only websites or famous social media networks such as Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and many more but also through blogs, forums as well as different search engines, which is the major reason behind the immediate success of many high end business websites. There is no specific platform online where this marketing has to be carried out and that gives people a lot more freedom to do things the way they want to at all times.

Increased Online Traffic

Businesses can gain a massive amount of success through this particular type of marketing. This is because business websites can sometimes face a lack of internet traffic but when they indulge into online marketing, they can acquire all of that online traffic all over again. This has many advantages, amongst which the top one is that this completely increases their search engine rankings. Within a short period of time, a business website is going to be included in the top rankings of high end search engines and that most definitely will increase the credibility of the site in general and also enhance sales later on in the future.

High Increase in Sales

Sales in general are increased by a long shot while indulging in online marketing at all times. Through this sort of marketing, businesses can bring their products as well as services forward, which means that they are going to be acquiring a huge number of customers as well. It is important to do the marketing effectively in order to grab the attention of customers in the first place. Once that goal has been achieved, nothing can stop a business from actually acquiring a massive numbers of customers and that would go on to eventually increase the level of sales in a short period of time.

The main motive of any business out there is to basically enhance profits and that can never be done without a high increase in sales. Therefore, indulging in this sort of marketing surely has its benefits since it allows businesses to first gain a huge number of customers, which leads to increased sales as well as profits afterwards.

The Bottom Line

A lot can be said about online marketing and how it has become so popular over the past few years. However, one thing is for sure and it is the fact that this kind of marketing is not only efficient and fast, but it is also very effective. There are many ways of carrying it out as this form of marketing has several types that businesses can always use to their advantage. In the case of promoting products and services online, this should be used in order to reach out to a huge amount of local as well as international audience since only through it is that going to be possible. Thus, those who have not yet tried out this exclusive form of marketing must really do so at the earliest convenience. 

An article by Dougles Chan, SEO Singapore Master | Digital Marketing Singapore Guru. He writes articles on recruitment agency, AWS certified partner, Amazon consulting partner  , AWS consulting partner,  AWS cloud partners, Microsoft reseller & Microsoft partner Singapore.

Marketing Mix – What does it include?

Everyone is aware of what the marketing mix is and how important it is for the success and growth of businesses out there in the present times. Many things are involved in it and in order to get a better understanding of all of them, individuals have been highly to study them at the earliest convenience. The mix has been made of four elements, which are most commonly known as the 4 Ps, and these play an important part in making any product successful in both the short as well as the long run. More and more companies these days can be seen to be implementing this mix as it is known to be exceptionally effective for all.

The Four Ps

The four Ps, as they are called, are includes of the Product, Place, Price and Promotion. While all of these are equally as important, they are all unique in their own way, which is precisely why even skipping a single one is likely to make the entire marketing mix not as effective as it is likely to be while using all of these elements. As far as the authenticity of this mix is concerned, it is completely legit and has been specifically created for the convenience of high end organizations these days.

Product

The product is a high end element which really has to be given a lot of significance in the marketing mix. While a lot of individuals may feel as if this can be ignored, they really should re-evaluate their priorities and see how this can actually go on to satisfy the needs and demands of the end customer. The appearance, benefits as well as the demands of a product are highlighted in this element of the mix, which is why it is taken to a whole new level in the near future. The reliability, authenticity and durability of the product are included in this.

Price

On the other hand, the price is another part of the marketing mix that has to be taken into through consideration as it is one of the most essential ones. Customers are always concerned about the prices, which is why it is important to price products according to the needs and demands of individuals. A wide range of pricing strategies exist and for different kinds of market situations as well. Therefore, this part of the mix is to be used carefully since if it is misused, the customers may end up not purchasing the product if it is too expensive or too low priced, as that signifies low quality sometimes.

Place

The next element in the marketing mix is the place. This involves the place as well as the medium through which the end product will be supplied to the customer later on. A wide range of different distribution channels have been included in this process and according to the product, the place has to be chosen carefully as it highly affects the outcome in the long run. Direct and indirect channels are good in their own way; therefore, choosing the right one is important if people wish to make use of this high end element of the famous mix. Retailers, wholesalers, worldwide internet, overseas agents and distributors are involved in this.

Promotion

The last part of the mix is promotion as this includes everything related to advertising, which is exceptionally important in order to create brand awareness as well as to build its image to perfection. Successful promotion involves direct mail, public relations, personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, trade fairs and exhibitions as well as sponsorship. Keeping all these elements in mind and using them to their fullest potential is what makes this mix work in the future.

An article by Dougles Chan, Digital Marketing Singapore Guru. He writes articles on recruitment agency, recruitmentbusiness, digital marketing and advanced SEO tips.