A Poster

Happy Monday, have a great week ahead to all. I saw this poster on a museum's wall inside Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia.

 It said : Nature Belongs to All of Us, Stop Hunting Wild Animals and No Illegal Logging. I agree!

Tips for Moving Offices

 Moving an office is significantly more time-consuming and stressful than it is to move your home and family. That is because you have to consider all your employees, your office equipment and your customers, and on top of all that, maintain business as usual. It’s recommended that you start planning your office move at least three months ahead of time, so that the transition can be as smooth and painless as possible. The following are a few tips that will help you organise your office move.

Prepare the New Office

One sure-fire way of losing more precious business days than you planned for is by not having the new office completely ready. This is the major reason why it’s in your best interest to start early. If you new office needs to be renovated and redecorated, you will want to have it all done before you move your supplies over. This means having the walls painted and new flooring installed long before your set moving date.

Make a Plan

The major goal of your move is to make it cost-efficient, and the best way to do this is to be time-efficient. To save time, become familiar with your new office. Take measurements of the rooms, doorways and elevators to ensure there is space for your furniture and decorations. Bring your employees on-board with the plan by familiarising them with the dimensions of each of their personal spaces, so they know what to bring and what to get rid of. This means that on moving day, each employee will know exactly where they have to go, and can immediately begin setting up their work space.

Pre-Pack

It’s never too early to begin packing, and doing so will save you serious amounts of time and stress later on. If you or your employees find yourselves with some spare time throughout the day, then take the initiative and start boxing up supplies that you can do without in the final weeks before the move. This is also a great time to decide on office supplies you don’t need anymore, as the more you can get rid of, the less you will have to pack and haul with you.

Warn Your Customers

It’s important that you let your customers know in advance that your office will be moving. By getting the word out early, the chances are good that the largest amount of customers possible will be aware of the move before it even happens.

Final Moments

The days before the big move should be devoted to all the final packing of office equipment and personal supplies. For disconnecting and dismantling electronics, you may want to hire professional help, and always warn the movers about these fragile items. Items such as desks and filing cabinets don’t need to be emptied as long as you check all locks and latches. Desks, chairs, shelving units and boxes should be clearly labelled so that the movers will know where to put things, and so that the workers all end up with the same desk they had before.

Before the first load of supplies are brought over, do a quick check of the new office to make sure the electricity and water is working in the building. Also remember to pick up some pizza to reward your staff for working so hard!

Schmutzer Primate Center

-click to enlarge-
Located inside Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta, Indonesia). The right place to see and learn more about Primate.

The Weekend in Black and White

Common Household Budget Problems

 While things like rent, mortgage, groceries, insurance and utility bills are regular things on our household budget, there are some things that we simply sometimes forget about! If you’re in the process of putting together a budget for your household or if you’ve got a budget but you are still mystified as to where your money is really going, here are some things you may want to include: 

Household Repairs

We often don’t think about it, but often things around the home can malfunction or break – especially in older homes. You might end up with an overflowing dishwasher or a broken window. It’s important to set aside money in your budget for unforeseeable repairs, especially if you’re not rolling in cash. If you decide to sell your home, a conveyancer may request that you fix or upgrade certain appliances or fixtures before settlement, so it’s good to have extra cash for this too. 

Clothes

Clothes are a necessity for everyday living, but they’re often left out of our household budgets. When you consider work clothes, shirts, pants, jeans, skirts, dresses and shoes you begin to understand how buying clothes can significantly impact your finances. Make sure you budget for clothing and expenses, especially if you’ve got kids.

Transport and Petrol Costs   

Spending money on petrol each week? Or paying for a weekly bus or train ticket? Don’t forget to factor transport costs into your household budget, too. This may even reveal better ways of spending – could you spend $30 on the train each week, instead of $80 on petrol?

Car Repairs

On top of your car loan, registration and insurance, you should also set aside a bit of money for any car repairs. Car repairs are usually quite costly, ranging in the hundreds or even thousands. Having to fork out this amount of cash can be daunting. Ensure you save for car repairs to keep you out of any sticky money situations.

Family Activities

If you’ve got kids, taking them on family outings can sometimes be expensive. It can cost up to $100 to take a family of four to the movies or even out to dinner. If you enjoy family activities, it’s a good idea to budget for them, so the expenses don’t eat away at your spending money.

Tax Return Costs

We hate tax time! But if you get your tax return or other finances done by an accountant, you’ll also need to pay for their services. Budgeting your tax return fees into your yearly budget means a little more peace of mind when it comes to tax time.

School Expenses

You’re probably great at saving money for school fees, school supplies, books and uniforms at the start of the year, but have you taken into account any ongoing school expenses? Are there numerous excursions or school camps coming up that you’ll need to pay for? What about fees for school photos? Make sure you find out about and include all of your child’s yearly school expenses.

Christmas and Birthdays

Christmas and birthdays are usually a fun time of year, but if you find yourself drowning in “present debt” every time they come around, it might help to budget better. Could you save $50 a month, for instance, as a Christmas or birthday fund? This will keep you prepared when it comes to present-buying and means that you won’t blow out your budget during the Christmas and birthday months.

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