The Central Coast Business Blog is moving!

It was bound to happen. As our followers continue to increase, we thought it’s a good idea to move our blog to its own domain name and host. WordPress.com can only give us so much features, which we are always grateful for. Likewise, we thank everyone who continues to visit our website, and participate in our discussions.

We hope to see you and your friends at the Central Coast of NSW Business Blog, our new, more permanent home online. We will continue providing you with up-to-date information on business in the Central Coast area. There’s more in store for you as we continue to experience the best of NSW and all that it offers.

 

 

Knotts Pine East Gosford

Hi,

Craig from Knotts Pine Gosford has advised that he is having a Floor Stock Clearance in August. I encourage everyone to check it out. Craig stocks a wide range of high quality furniture. The website is www.knottspinegosford.com.au

4X4 Accessories by Olmate 4X4

If you have a 4×4, you know that these performance vehicles can muscle through anything for you — across rough roads, sandy terrains, and flooded streets — as long as you take care of it. Equip it with the right gears. Change parts when necessary. Keep it a well-maintained road monster. 4x4s are great vehicles for practically any terrain. If it is in its best condition, it will serve you well.

There are a handful of shops in Central Coast, NSW, specialising in 4×4 parts and accessories. One of these is Olmate 4×4, located at 188 Pacific Highway, Tuggerah. The business is owned and operated by Troy Whitelam, a 4×4 enthusiast and the guy we’d trust when it comes to parts and accessories.

And this is not an exaggeration. We really do recommend Troy for whatever you’d need for your 4×4.

The edge that Troy and his Olmate team can boast about is that the guy actually loves 4x4s. He has one, uses it, and does its regular maintenance, parts replacements and upgrades. He’s been around, testing different parts and accessories through different conditions and situations. He’s known for high standards, and he only sells parts and accessories that he recommends.

That’s a lot more than others can provide. It’s Troy’s brand of personal service, where he shares his knowledge and experience. It is not just about selling and running through stocks. It’s really about giving the customer the best possible set of 4×4 accessories NSW within their budget.

If you are interested to find out what Troy and his team can do for you, get in touch with them at 4351 5333. Or you can visit their store at Pacific Highway, Tuggerah. Olmate 4×4 is composed of a team of licensed mechanics and 4×4 fanatics. You can trust them with your 4×4 accessories and parts requirements.

Outsourcing +

A simple enough title for this blog but it actually means a lot. Outsourcing has been both hero and villain for many businesses, across several industries. It has a somewhat negative connotation, like it’s a scare word you say to a child to get them to behave. And sometimes — for real — it is a scare word you say to a business or to employees to get them to behave.

This is unfair. When done right, outsourcing can be the best thing to happen to individuals or businesses. Here are a few reasons why.

Outsourcing Benefits for Individuals
Many employees are wrongly scared of the O word, thinking that it immediately means job loss. For certain jobs and individuals, yes, it can mean job loss. Tasks may be outsourced offshore, where labor cost is cheaper and workers are as efficient.

However, this isn’t a life sentence. It can hit hard at first but, in the long run, it is a way for people to upgrade their skills. In a competitive job market, wherein candidates may come from anywhere in the world, people will naturally work to update their skills and become more specialised. When they do, they place themselves ahead of the crowd, as top candidates for jobs requiring advanced skills. No amount of salary discount can compete with a better and more efficient employee.

Outsourcing Benefits for Businesses
To a degree, the specialisation that benefits individuals also benefits businesses. As operations trim down, and some jobs are shipped elsewhere, a company can focus where they are best at. For instance, a financial company can become a better financial company, and not overstretch themselves by also exerting effort in marketing and customer support. While marketing and customer support are integral to operations,  having excellent marketing and customer support teams takes time and a great deal of investment. It may be  more practical to outsource these jobs to companies that specialize in them.

There are other benefits but at the core of it all is specialisation. When businesses learn to become better with what they’re already good at — with the help of outsourcing — they poise themselves to leading the pack.

 

 

The Future Depends on Financial Planning

 

Regardless of your age, financial planning is something that you shouldn’t take for granted, especially during these times of economic instability. A solid plan for your financial future protects from uncertainties and secures you and your family.

Anyone can do this. Financial action plans — and yes, investments, insurance and self-managed super funds — are not limited to those who are rich and with extra funds. As long as you are driven to set money aside for your future stability, you  can have a plan, and you can work towards investing soundly, regularly.

To do this, it’s a good idea to get advise from expert financial advisors. With so many things happening in the market today, you need to talk to people you can trust and who are experts in the industry. It’s not a good idea to go rogue, and just put your hard-earned money on what looks good at the moment. Expertise and experience are required.

This is where Financial Planning Central Coast comes in. Offering financial advice, planning and management services to Gosford, Wyong, Terrigal and other nearby areas, you can venture into investment and insurance confidently. With them by your side, you feel secure and in control — no matter what the economic future brings.

 

Youngest Entrepreneurs in the Central Coast

Jack and William are perhaps the youngest entrepreneurs in the Central Coast today, having started their business together at ages 7 and 5 respectively. These boys are at the helm of Mealworms and Crickets, your go-to supplier of fresh lizard feed in Glenning Valley.

They started the company because of their passion for their pet lizard. They did the hard work: read to each other books about taking care of their pet, and pulled together their savings so they can buy their initial stock of pet food. In no time, they were able to raise more than enough to feed their pet. They sold the rest to friends and neighbors.

They reinvested the money they raised, which then expanded their lizard supply operation. Soon enough, they were clearing mealworms and crickets by the hundreds each week.

The kids just came out with the website www.cricketsandmealworms.com.au. Customers can now order online. They can choose to pick up their pet food themselves or have these delivered anywhere in Central Coast.

Let’s show these boys some love and support. What they are doing is very impressive — these boys are definitely on the road to success!

What is Steiner Education?

Basic to even considering sending your child to Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School is to know what Steiner education is all about. A lot of good has been said about Steiner education. At the same time, there are a lot of apprehensions attached to it, as with anything that strays from the traditional.

Here are a few important points about Steiner education and the learning that can be acquired from schools like the Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School:

1. The stages of learning in a Steiner school is based on the stages of a child’s development. This starts at Early Childhood (0-7 years old), where a child’s goodness is innate and learning is through imitation. This is followed by the Heart of Childhood (7-14). At this stage, the child’s imagination is vivid – encouraging creativity and inspired insights become important. The last stage is Adolescence (14-21). Here, the child begins to explore ideas and their individuality. He/ she is likely to go through phases of discovery and self-discovery.

2. Steiner education cuts across class, religion, ethnicity and academic ability. The potential is in every child and a school, like the Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School, can help make the most of this potential.

3. The Steiner approach to education is holistic. True learning is not limited to just the academic. The physical, emotional and spiritual should also be considered. A typical Steiner school curricula incorporates all these.

4. Steiner education is a tried and tested methodology. Several governments in Europe have allotted public funding for schools that adopt the Steiner approach to learning. There are several success stories that have come from these. In general, Steiner education is highly regarded for producing diversely capable and creative individuals.

For more information, check out the Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School website.

In Reading Comprehension: Late Starters Catch Up Fast

One of the major contentions of parents considering Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School for their child is the pull of traditional education, which may seem to be the safe choice when it comes to pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, primary and high school education. In particular, traditional instruction schools start early in teaching children how to read than Steiner schools. Some parents fear that the late start in reading may affect how their child compares against his peers. The assumption here is that the earlier you start at reading, the better you become at it.

This is actually a common misconception about reading comprehension and Steiner education. Two separate studies conducted by researchers from Germany and New Zealand have found no significant difference in children who learned to read late or early. Those who began reading late are able to catch up fast, and perform at par with their peers. Sebastian P. Suggate, Elizabeth A. Schaughency, Elaine Reese wrote about it in their paper “Children learning to read later catch up to children reading earlier” for the Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

Once this misconception is set aside, parent may find themselves enamored with Steiner education and what it can do for their child. The best thing about it is that the academic is not the sole focus. While it remains an important component of a child’s development, the creative, emotional and spiritual are also given ample attention. As Steiner once said: the soul needs nourishment as well as the body.

The holistic approach to education that Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School espouses equips children in dealing with real challenges, not just academic tasks. They still perform at par with their traditionally educated peers when it comes to reading, math and other educational categories. Add to that, they grow up to become vital driven individuals through education that help in discovery and self-discover.

Gymnastics Training Can Improve Your Child’s School Performance

There’s a long standing belief that a healthy mind starts with a healthy body. Brain research that spans more than 50 years supports this with proof of the direct connection between mind and body. The great news is that, if you have a crawler or toddler, starting them early in gymnastics may mean giving them the mental edge too, apart from training them to be physically active.

We can deduce how gymnastics can help out your child physically. The activity increases their strength, agility, spatial skills, as well as their sensory motor skills. Aside from this, the mental discipline required in gymnastics teaches children time management and organizational skills, as well as dedication and commitment. Do you also know that gymnastics can also improve your child’s reading skills? Gymnasts are proven to be better in content assimmilation, giving them the ultimate edge when it comes to school work. That is why kids who are into gymnastics tend to perform better in school.

The connection of gymnastics and reading/ content assimilation springs from studies done by Dr. James Fadigan, and research and application done by Ralph R. Barrett, who is also a gymnast and educator. The proof is so glaring that Barrett even wrote an article about this connection and how he applied it to his SMILE Lab project, called “Does Gymnastics Enhance Reading? Yes!”

In Fadigan’s studies, he refers to neuroscience and psychology work done by Bruner, Gagne, Gadner, Guilford and Piaget. He concluded that:

1. Various sensory motor skills are developed until the child is two years old.
2. After the second year, 26 kinds of cognitive skills are learned.
3. Reading and content assimilation skills only occur after enhancement of these skills.

In Barrett’s case, after thorough research, he applied his findings in developing SMILE (Sensory Motor Intensive Learning Environment) Lab, a program that improves sensory motor skills of his students.

Both Fadigan and Barrett saw the lack in the public and private school systems, particularly the tendency to address problems in content assimilation with more content assimilation. Sensory motor training – through gymnastics – is an alternative to addressing these problems.

SMILE Lab was very successful in what it set out to do. Starting with minimal budget and through different work stations, it was able to improve children’s visual acuity, balance and cross laterality. The emphasis is movement – and this has helped greatly in improving school performance.

Within two years, SMILE Lab noted mental improvements in its core kindergarten and first grade classes from Ross E. Jeffries Elementary in St. Cloud, Florida. Those praticipating in SMILE Lab’s sensory motor activities demostrated improved reading-readiness skills, as compared to those who didn’t join the activities. Another test conducted in 1998 and 1999 has students involved in gymnastics performing better in their reading and math SATs, compared to those who didn’t.

Today, Barrett’s methodology is being implemented in many Kinder Gyms around the world, and bringing about positive results. In the Central Coast, Central Coast Gymnastics Academy’s Kinder Gym offers opportunities for your child to get into gymnastics early and acquire mental skills that put him or her ahead of the pack.

Tips for Hiring a Good Electrician

Not all electricians are equally qualified and experienced. The quality, speed and cost of their work will vary. Here are tips on hiring the best one for your project:

1. Check their Licenses and Insurance: The best electricians should be properly licensed and insured. This is actually a basic qualification, and the first step to being able to do their jobs right. Usually, electrical companies can ensure that the professionals under their organisation have these prerequisites. When hiring independent contractors, ask about their licenses and insurance before getting into the details of your project.

2. Ask Friends for Referrals: How your electrician performed in his past projects matters. He should have done a good job, keeping within schedule and delivering the best output. This is where he gains his credibility as a good electrician. At the same time, he can potentially get more projects through referrals from his past clients. As a customer, one of the best ways to find your electrician is through referrals from your friends and colleagues. Typically, they would know the strengths and weaknesses of an electrician that they’ve hired.

3. Get an Initial Quote: It is not uncommon for some electrical jobs to exceed their projected cost. Perhaps along the way, as the electrician worked on your project, complications arise, requiring more time and raw materials. This shouldn’t stop you from asking for an initial quote. Never let an electrician begin work without providing you with a quote first. Quotes give you a ballpark cost. At the same time, you get to make sure that the electrician understands the project’s specifications. You can also compare quotes, if you have an alternative electrician in mind.

4. Agree on a Timeline: In connection with the initial quote, you also need to get a timeline for your project. Don’t agree on an open-ended project, in which you don’t know when to expect the final working output. Of course, understand too that schedules can change. Some work may be more complicated than how it was initially assessed. A good estimate on the timeframe will do.

5. Know any Required Permits: Some electrical work needs permits from local authorities. Make sure to know these. A good electrician should tell you about these requirements and wait to work if you don’t have them yet. You can’t risk your project with an electrician who’s okay with cutting corners.

6. Get Recommendations: Your electrical project should be a collaboration between you and your electrician. Tell him your requirements, and make sure that he understands. Ask for recommendations. You can gain from your electrician’s experience and expertise – they should know the best way to expedite your project.

In Gosford, Rod is one of the best electricians we’ve worked with. He has more than 30 years of experience under his belt. He is honest and straightforward – a true professional. Consult with him if you have an electrical project in mind. PH 4340 5311 or MOB 0447 742 201