Category Archives: Office

Save power with smart lighting

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As the cost of electricity in Australia is expected to increase significantly, your cost of doing business will increase. This guide will look at how you can save power with smart lighting and understand what smart lighting can do for your business.

A smart light can follow a schedule and be controlled remotely. A smart light contains software and can communicate with an App on a smart phone or a smart assistant like Google assisteant or Siri.

WHY should you care about lighting power usage?

 Let us compare light bulb technology. The following lighting technologies each generate the same amount of light. Let us assume lights are on 60 hours a week. The energy rate used is $0.27/Kwh

TechnologyPower consumptionAnnual cost to runLife
Traditional Bulb60watt$50.541000 hrs
Halogen downlight50 watt$42.122000 hrs
Fluorescent Bulb12 watt$10.1115,000 hrs
LED Bulb9 watt$7.5825,000 hrs

Thus, you could save up to $43 a year for every light bulb. If you had 25 traditional bulbs, you could save $1000 a year by going to LED.

A LED light also has a lifespan of around 25,000hrs, meaning you will buy and change a lot fewer light bulbs.

WHAT can I do with a smart light?

The last one out, turn the lights off. How many times have the lights been left on overnight? Perhaps you have a window display that you want to be left on for a certain time.

A benefit of smart lights is that they can be scheduled to turn off and on at certain times. Thus your office lights could be programmed to turn on Monday to Friday at 8am and off at 6pm. Lights can be grouped together so they all act the same, and separate groups can be made to enable certain lights to run at a different schedule. Such as a display window.

Smart lights will also allow you to change the brightness of the light, and some also allow the colour to be changed. The Nanoleaf smart bulb we tested allowed 16 million possible colours. Practical uses of this include being able to set moods within displays or even adjust the colour temperature throughout the day

HOW do you set up smart lighting?

If you purchase a smart light bulb and place it into a standard socket, it will perform just like a regular bulb with the main switch turning it off and on. However, if you download the suggested app onto your smartphone, the various smart light features mentioned above become an option. The light switch must be left on for the smart functions to work, and the globe will switch off as per its schedule.

Set up of the app is pretty simple after it is downloaded by establishing an account and then following the on-screen instructions. Once the bulb is visible on the app, it can be grouped with others, and the various settings can be applied.

HINTS

Small Business Answers tested the Naoleaf essential range of light bulbs to help write this story. A 3-pack of smart lights can be bought for $79.99 from their website.

Not all smart bulbs work the same, and different brands will use a separate app to manage the bulbs. Check if there is an App for your smartphone’s operating system. Once you commit to a brand, it is best to stay with it so you have control over a single app. The connection with the lights might be with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. A Bluetooth will consume less power running the globe on standby but can only be controlled if the smartphone with the app is in range.

Some smart lights will also work with smart assistants so you can ask Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa to turn the light on etc.

SUMMARY – Buying a smart light

Introducing smart lighting into your business will save you money compared to conventional lighting and ensure the lights are only on during office hours.

Businesses wanting more creativity with displays can use them to change colours and brightness to make your business stand out.

Depending on your existing light fittings, evolving to LED smart lighting will pay for itself in the first year.

Finding a business premises

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You are ready to make that big move and open a restaurant, or maybe the home garage is not big enough anymore, maybe you want to be considered seriously and need a professional workspace.  How do you go about finding that property? This guide will help you on that journey of finding business premises.

WHAT do we need to decide first to find new business premises?

Your journey starts by deciding on the criteria by which you will make your decision.  The better your list the better result you will get. 

You need to consider:
  1. Will you buy or lease/rent a property?
  2. Would you be prepared to share it with others?  There are options around co-location or shared offices where you can run your business from a location shared by other businesses and thus share some of the facilities like a conference room or even a receptionist.
  3. What are your needs and wants in a property? – If you are opening a restaurant you probably need to be in a popular location.  If you are opening a retail store does that need to be in a mall. Will customers find you in an industrial estate? How much room will you need? If you are establishing an office you would need around 10 square meters per person. Do you need a kitchen or 3-phase power? How much parking will you need? Can trucks access your location easily? Do you need to be close to your customers? Is there a need for public transport so your workers can get to work? Do you need to consider your future needs?
  4. Will council zoning impact your choice?  For example, some business types cannot operate in a residential area.
  5. What is your budget? Can you afford it? Also consider other outgoings like office set up, moving costs, annual rental increases.

HOW do I find the right business property?

Now the search begins in earnest! There are several ways you can find properties:

  • Find the location yourself by searching for your desired area.  A For Lease sign is a dead giveaway
  • Speak to a local real estate agents
  • Contact a commercial real estate agent
  • Find a Property Broker, they will search on your behalf
  • Use the commercial sections of property websites realestate.com.au or domain.com.au

Using your search criteria and now having a list of possible locations, it is time to visit those properties. Be patient, do your homework and be careful not to make hasty decisions.

Once you have made up your mind it’s time to negotiate the price.  Chances are you can get it for cheaper so start talking turkey. 

HINT

A good idea is to ask existing neighbors questions about the location/ intended premises.

Be sure to read our essential guide on renting an office

SUMMARY – Finding the right business premises!

Decide if you will buy or lease then come up with a  want/need criteria list. Be patient and don’t forget to negotiate on price.

Electricity deals to save money

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We all dread that quarterly electricity bill at home and unfortunately, in the business environment it is probably only going to be larger. In this guide we look at ways to save power and how to get a better deal.

WHY should I compare electricity companies?

Once electricity supply was from the state governments now we have a deregulated market and different retailers can compete for your business. (Note WA is still Government-owned).
Competition should lead to better pricing and save you money!

WHAT can I do to save power?

We need the power but at least there are ways we can reduce our bill saving us valuable money. We can:

  • Shop around for the cheapest deal
  • Install solar panels which can reduce your bill with either a payment upfront or monthly overtime to pay for the panels.
  • Use more energy-efficient lighting, devices, and machinery.
  • Ensure devices etc. are turned off when not being used.
  • Use power-hungry devices when rates are cheap, for example, at night
  • Use an energy broker or consultant to negotiate a deal.

HOW can I get a better deal on my power bill?

The best method of quickly saving money is to review what prices you can get.  Being a small business, it is unlikely you will get a special deal based on massive usage but energy retailers are keen to get your business if you are in the market.  The great news is there is an easy way to compare prices. You will see providers quoting a reference price/point (benchmark electricity price set by the government) and a discount.  This enables easy comparison between companies to make a quick decision.

Other terminology you should understand:
  • Discount– reduction expressed as a % below the reference price. Always check to see for how long the discount will last, as price may increase after this period.
  • Rates – This is how much you pay per Kilowatt-hour Kwh (a 100watt lightbulb on for 10 hrs uses 1 Kwh).  Rates may be flat or expressed as peak or off-peak or based on time of day billing (charges go up during busy times).
  • Sign up discount – normally expressed as a $ amount discount off your first bill
  • Exit fees– a charge to move to a different energy retailer
  • Payment options– you may be offered a fixed monthly charge which gives you predictability of costs or variable usage charges payable by all the normal methods, for example, credit card
  • Combined discounts – you may get a better deal if you sign up to gas as well as electricity
  • Contracts– some offer no lock-in contracts others sign you up for a period but normally based on a deal
  • Accuracy of billing – When calculating your electricity usage, your retailer can either estimate your usage, potentially overcharging your business, or measure it. It is worth investigating the technique employed by your retailer or package.
  • Availability– If you have locations in different states you may have to have multiple retailers.
  • Green Power – Normally more expensive but derived from renewable energy sources such a wind. Sometimes referred to as carbon offset.
  • Locked-in pricing – sometimes expressed as peace of mind or fixed.  Here a retailer will lock in the cost per Kwh for a set time.  The benefit of this is you are protected from any price increase.
  • Late payment fees – charge if you do not pay your bill on time
  • Customer service – Either online only or telephone as well.  Hours may vary. 
  • Solar feed-in tariff – how much you will be paid per Kwh to give electricity back to the grid.  Most solar panel solutions allow you to use your solar power first before feeding your excess back into the grid.

HINTS

A good thing to know is that if you have a blackout in your town it is not the electricity retailer who is fixing it rather the energy distributor. https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/frequently-asked-questions/who-is-my-energy-distributor

To compare energy retailers pricing you can visit:
Energy made easy
Finder

SUMMARY – Small Business Electricity

No one plan will be right for all small businesses so shop around and you might be surprised how much you can save for a bit of research.

Office supplies made easy

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Visiting an office supplies store is a bit like visiting Bunnings. You go in for a pen and you walk out with a pen, a new printer, and a chair mat. What you may not know is these stores can help small businesses with so many other services. This guide will show you these stores can be a one-stop-shop for many of your small business needs.

Office supplies are consumables and equipment regularly used in offices by businesses and other organisations, by individuals engaged in written communications, recordkeeping or bookkeeping, janitorial and cleaning, and for storage of supplies or data.

Wikipedia

WHY should I use an office supplies store?

Having the ability to buy a lot of the items you will need to set up or run your small business is an advantage as it will reduce the running around and ad-hoc nature of procuring items.  You will also find the major chains are competitive and offer some type of price matching or beating offer.

Opening a business account with one of these stores could offer the following additional advantages:
  • faster checkout – as your details are already in the system
  • view order history – easy to find something you liked before
  • manage shopping lists – reorder your most used items easily
  • credit account – a single invoice to pay with credit terms every x number of days

Considering an office supply company for some of your services may also reduce the number of vendors you need to deal with.

WHAT can I buy at an office supplies store?

You may be surprised by the breadth of products and services that can actually be available:

Staples
  • Stationary – pens, paper, scissors
  • Office Furniture – chairs desks storage cabinets
  • Bulk and specialised printing – business cards, brochures, posters, signs
  • Office supplies – diaries, financial books, laminators, paper, ink & toner
  • Cleaning supplies – toilet paper, detergent,
  • Kitchen supplies – coffee, bottled water, tissues
  • Office technology – Laptops, printers, monitors, Hard drives, software
  • Telecommunications – Smartphones, phone plans, cordless phones
  • Workplace safety – safety glasses, workwear, ear protection, signs
  • Office security – video surveillance, locks, safes
  • Moving supplies – boxes, tape, trolleys
Services
  • Technical support – help get your IT problems fixed
  • Business IT solutions – consulting on what you need
  • Software licensing – packaging software to suit the number of users
  • Safety solutions – consulting on your needs
  • Managed print services – See our guide on printing
  • Promotional products – giveaways with your logo printed on them
  • Parcel delivery – freight services you can use
  • Office fit-out solutions – consulting on office fit-outs
  • Furniture assembly – building flat-pack
  • Business financing – small business loans
  • Product Insurance – cover for devices like smartphones, Laptop, etc
  • Graphic design – logo design and layout services
  • Alcohol deliveries –  ready for Friday drinks
  • Milk and fruit delivery – perishables delivered to your door

HOW do I get office supplies?

Most organisations will allow you to

  1. Shop in-store
  2. Online orders
  3. Phone orders

For your online or phone orders you can click and collect or have the items delivered.

Delivery may even be the same day if you order before a certain time and some even offer free delivery when you spend over a price threshold.

Online orders also offer tracking so you can get a good indication if the item you desperately need is on its way.

If you require the services on offer such as one of the consulting services you will need to go instore to discuss or enquire online.

HINTS

Have some controls on how much can be spent and by whom otherwise you may find office supplies cost a bit more than expected.

A shared stationary cabinet stops each desk containing boxes of spare biros.

SUMMARY – One-stop small business shop

An office supplies store is so much more than a place to get a pen or some paper and can indeed become a trusted business advisor.  If nothing else it is a store that you can conveniently get most items needed to run a small business office.

Renting premises and negotiating the lease

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You have found the perfect place to rent for your business and its time to sign a commercial lease.  This guide looks at what you need to know about renting premises and negotiating the lease.

A commercial lease is a legal agreement between the owner of a commercial property and someone who wants exclusive use of it for a set time period. It normally applies to a retail store, office, industrial unit, warehouse or factory.
A retail lease is a type of commercial lease used for retail shop businesses. Unlike explicit commercial leases, retail leases attract additional protection under State-based legislation. Generally, a lease will be governed by the relevant State Act if the retail premises is in a shopping centre.

WHY should I not just sign straight away when renting premises?

The terms of this lease will be something your business must abide by for the term of the lease and could ultimately determine your success or failure.  Indeed the terms of the lease are just as important as finding the right property.  Please read our guide on finding the right property.

WHAT questions should you ask before signing the lease?

  • What is the permitted use of the premises? Check if there any zoning restrictions that may prohibit your business activity.
  • What is the lease cost per month?
  • What additional outgoing costs may be payable? You should request a breakdown of likely outgoings additional to rent.  These might include maintenance, cleaning, repairs on your departure.
  • Are there any incentives?  Fit-out subsidies, rent-free or ret reduction periods.
  • When does the lease end and is there an option to renew?
  • How much is the security bond? This is normally negotiable.
  • Do I have to provide a Personal Guarantee?  In an extreme case, you could be asked to put your house as collateral to ensure rent is paid (you do not have to agree)
  • What is the lease duration and options to renew? The goodwill of your business can easily become associated with a location so an option to extend protects that. Counter to that you may want a short lease as a new business if things don’t work out.  So a one year lease with an option for a further 2 years might be the answer.
  • When are rent reviews and how often? This is the time you get to negotiate as it will affect your cost increases in the future.
  • Do you have to pay promotional or marketing funds? – If you have a retail lease be aware of the obligations of having to contribute to marketing funds for the shopping centre.
  • What are the refurbishment requirements? A shopping centre may require you to refurbish every x years.
  • Public Who will pay for creating the lease?
  • Does the agreement allow the lease to be terminated early?
  • Can the premises be assigned or sub-let?
  • Does the landlord have a mortgage on the premises and has the lending authority given approval for the lease?

HOW do I take out a commercial lease?

Negotiation is possible with a commercial lease. The ability to negotiate depends on how long the property has been vacant for, how eager the landlord is to find a tenant, and how many other potential parties are trying to secure the property.

Make sure the landlord owns the property they are attempting to lease and confirm which part of the property is being leased. This last step is important if there are multiple tenants.

Before you sign make sure that you have all the necessary information and have done all the necessary searches. As we have seen, this legal document can be complicated and you should get good financial and legal advice.

The savings they help negotiate from incentive terms, including those about the fit-out, rent, signage, marketing and advertising fees, and profit-sharing arrangements, might pay for experienced legal advisor fees.

The most common disputes arising from leases occur around renewal options, mechanisms for rental price increases and repairs, maintenance, removal at the end of a lease.

HINTS

Ensure you have a clause in the lease agreement giving you the right to quiet enjoyment of the premises during set hours  (for example, what if a noisy neighbour moves in)

Have the premises independently inspected before signing a lease. You and the owner should accept a condition report, including photographs. This report is useful if a dispute arises when the lease ends about the condition of the premises or equipment, and whether this has been caused by fair wear and tear.

You should give serious consideration to the risks associated with redevelopment and relocation. If you are unable to negotiate adequate compensation, you should consider whether the potential risks for your business make it worth entering into the lease.

Document everything to avoid issues at the end.

A likely requirement of your lease will be to have valid public liability and plate glass insurance so ensure your insurances are kept up to date.

SUMMARY – negotiate the lease for renting premises

A lease’s fine print is just as important as finding the right property.  Get the right financial and legal advice that can help you interpret and negotiate the lease. Document everything to help avoid issues when renting premises.

Video surveillance for Security

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Securing your business can take three forms physical, visual, and digital. Physical security is the ability to lock or bar access. Digital security is all about keeping your data safe, make sure you read our essential guide on data security. Video surveillance is the subject for this guide in which we will look at your options and help you make a decision as to what will suit you best.

Video surveillance systems are one or more video cameras on a network that send the captured picture and audio information to a certain place. The images are not public like television. They can be live monitored or stored for later viewing.

WHY should I consider using video security?

Small businesses need to protect their assets by taking measures to ensure they are not stolen, vandalized, or tampered with. A video security surveillance system can provide you that peace of mind.

With a video surveillance system, you can use your camera’s motion detectors to prevent employee theft before business hours. You can record customer interactions to catch potential shoplifters during the day. And you can check-in via your mobile device after closing time to make sure your office is secure.

An extremely useful feature is receiving an alert on your smartphone if movement is sensed during certain hours allowing you to check the footage and respond appropriately.

Video surveillance can assist with the following situations:
  • Alerts of intruders
  • Prevent theft day & night
  • Video evidence of an incident
  • Audit of employee behavior
  • Night vision footage
  • Remote monitoring
  • Police evidence
  • Entry door person identification
  • Carpark security and liability surveillance
  • Congestion monitoring
  • Vandalism monitoring
  • Safety and false claim evidence
  • Progress tracking

WHAT are the video surveillance options available?

Modern innovation and mass production have meant what has been traditionally cost-prohibitive for a small business is now possible.  Traditionally you would have had professional surveillance cameras installed at great expense and have a similar cost hurdle to monitor any activity. This is still an option for you and can be explored by contacting a commercial security provider.

However, now you can buy a solution at your local electronics retailer and have it installed and operational yourself in as little as 20 minutes.  Then with the use of smartphones and the internet, you can receive real-time alerts of suspicious behavior.

The cost per camera starts around $100 and depending on your storage requirements a monthly fee may also be applicable.

Two key features will determine your search for your solution:
  1. Connection – This is how the camera physically connects within your business.
    • Wireless – Means no cables.  A camera will need power and the ability to transfer the image.  Some cameras use Wi-Fi and a battery so they are completely wireless, others plug into power but transfer the picture via wireless. These solutions are easy to install as no new cables need to be run.  They also increase your installation location options.
    • Wired – A physical cable carrying image and power is required to be run between the cameras and a control unit – a more robust solution with no battery needing to be charged and not relying on a Wi-Fi solution but harder to install.
    • 4G –4G refers to the mobile phone technology, this solution is a complete stand-alone solution allowing video surveillance to occur on a site with no fixed internet connectivity, such as a building site.  If bundled with a solar panel all that you need to also consider is a mobile data plan/SIM from a telco.
  2. Storage – All mainstream solutions will not only allow you to have a live feed but also provide various options to store recordings for later viewing. Video stored can be set as continuous or by a triggered event.
    • Local – This could be via an SD storage card within the camera or via a base station with storage. This allows for recordings up to your storage capacity i.e. a larger SD card capacity will allow more footage to be recorded (once full it starts to wipe the oldest content). The advantage is no ongoing fees and potentially having a longer archive of the recordings.
    • Cloud – This is a cloud-based solution with more details available in our cloud solutions guide. Camera vendors will offer a cloud-based storage solution which means the vision from the camera is captured in the cloud for remote viewing from anywhere even if the camera has been disabled. Some offer free storage but upgraded monthly subscriptions will allow you to have footage for longer and have a continuous record if required.

HOW do I decide which security camera is right for my small business?

There are a growing number of brands in this space and picking the right one is dependent on your business’s specific needs.

Below is a list of features you should consider when making your decision;
  • Weatherproof – Indicates the camera can be mounted outdoors as well as indoors. Indoor-only cameras are cheaper.
  • Viewing angle – represented in degrees of vision the camera sees. 180 deg would be a half-circle showing anything in front of the camera, 90 degrees would be quarter of a circle centered by the direction the camera is facing.
  • Activity zone – This is the ability to set movement triggers to activate recording only to certain portions of the screen.  If a camera has some parts of a road in its field of vision you may not wish every car passing to trigger a recording/alert event.
  • Image quality – refers to image resolution. HD or 4K resolution is best if you want to clearly see a face or number plate.
  • Motion detection – This is a sensor which senses movement or sometimes heat to trigger recording/alert –  some models can distinguish between a pet and a human.
  • Night vision – The ability to record in low light settings without a spotlight
  • Cloud storage – Review which plans if any will best suit your needs.
  • Wireless – Some cameras will use your Wi-Fi, others will set up their own separate wireless network. The latter will mean less congestion on your Wi-Fi network.
  • Battery life – With battery models understand how often the battery will need to be removed and charged.  A spare battery can simplify the process.
  • Solar Panel – Allows a battery camera to work outside without charging.
  • Playback options – Review the smartphone app to ensure it meets your needs. Some additionally support Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
  • 2 way – This may allow light or a siren to be activated or speech via 2 way talk.
  • Expandability – Check the number of cameras each solution will support.
  • Specific solutions –  May be available including baby monitor, doorbell, security light, and camouflage options.
  • Support – If you need help or things go wrong what support is available?

HINTS

A surveillance camera is not just about having the ability to watch and record footage. It is also the fact that individuals can see they are being watched, so it acts as a deterrent as they believe they may get caught doing the wrong thing.

Position camera’s so they will protect what you want to secure like cash registers, entrances and items of value.

SUMMARY – Economical business video surveillance

Beyond locking the door and protecting your computer files a video surveillance solution can help protect your business, your staff, and your customers.  Economical self-installed solutions are available with easy smartphone access.  Visit our sister site Gadget Guy for reviews on different models available.