Tiny Houses

What on earth could small businesses learn from the tiny house movement if your industry is unrelated? It comes as no surprise that the growth, mission, popularity and purpose of the tiny house movement have grown over the past decade. People are joining this movement for financial freedom, environmental and leisure enjoyment. These owners reduce skyrocketing maintenance costs and living expenses that come from soaring mortgage payments of capacious houses. This movement also frees up more time to spend with family and travel.

Over the past decade, we have seen the increase in restructuring, downsizing and corporate dismantling by many large firms. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 99.7 percent of all employer firms are small businesses. While this percentage is an impressive number, there are some great tips many small businesses can take away from the tiny house movement.

Compact and mobile: Owners of tiny houses downsize to reduce the overabundance of clutter, high mortgage payments, and freedom to do more things they want to engage in. They have the capability of hitching their home on the back of a vehicle and can save money on hotel costs when traveling. Depending on your type of business, with the ease and digitization of many applications and smart devices, you can mobilize your business and take it anywhere. Even if you relocate, your business can be just as portable. Small businesses may be compact in scale, but can be substantial in their return on investment.

Energy and cost-efficient: Tiny house owners save money by lower operating costs, energy usage, and maintenance costs. You will find innovative ways to curb your budget in certain areas that will free up money for other important business investments to grow your business. Small businesses may not use up as much energy and power as larger organizations. You can operate more efficiently as well as effectively.

Environmentally conscious and sustainable: Tiny houses may be built using environmentally friendly and repurposed materials. They are built to last but are as unique and aesthetically appealing as the details in a larger home. Small businesses can apply similar eco-friendly elements and recycled supplies to their organization. Make a statement with personalized and customized brand installations on a smaller scale, but with great innovative curb appeal.

Technological advantages: Technology is not as big and bulky as it once was. Tiny houses can embody the same level of digitization as larger homes, just on a smaller scale. At one time, big businesses had the upper-hand with harnessing more advanced applications in technology. Nowadays, not only is technology more advanced and constantly evolving, many elements are far more affordable than they’ve ever been.

Innovative: While tiny house living is not a new phenomenon it is increasing in popularity. The idea of living a quality life on a small-scale pushes us to new levels of residential creativity. We are inspired to try something new, creative, and innovative that will make us stellar in our industry. Since many quality products and services are more affordable and reliable, small businesses can make quality purchases and outsource services that will save on equipment and personnel budgets.

Just because a small business may adopt a few ideas from the success of the tiny house movement, some of these applications may not be feasible or appealing to your particular industry. You don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordability. Small businesses have the power, however, to promote their business with creative, personalized and exceptional customer experiences, regardless of size and budget.

City Homes

I never really minded moving from one home to another as I am used to doing it. I am not sure if I have ever told you this, but I used to live in many homes and many towns as well as cities before since my father and our whole family needed to move a lot in the past due to his work. This wasn’t such a bad thing at all. The whole experience taught me many valuable lessons I have been cherishing until this day. I know so many things about homes in various parts of the world.

I know now that I am again on the lookout for a new home to live in. I am not sure yet when and where I will want to buy it, but something tells me that it is going to happen a lot sooner than I think. I even started looking at some properties in a 100 miles radius from where I live and you know what? It turns out that some properties in some parts of the country are a lot cheaper compared to the properties in other places. I wonder why such a big difference? There must be something about it then.

I have many requirements when it comes to my future home, but one of them is that I want to live close to some great amenities, malls and other places that are fun to visit and take advantage of. I know what you might tell me. You might try to convince me that I can always drive a few miles to a mall, but this is not something I really want. What I really want is to live near some cool places where I could hang out with my family. I want to be able to drive somewhere for just a few minutes instead of driving for so many miles just to be some ice cream.

Houses as a Good Investment

Are you among the crowd who is still thinking of where to invest the money they earned from years of working hard? There may have been unsolicited advises convincing you to put your share on various networking companies. Some may have even told you to put up a startup company. But is this the most practical thing you could probably do to your money? Perhaps, yes, if its your choice.

However, investing has its ups and downs depending on the industry you’re going to delve into. Yet, do you know that buying a house or owning one is one of the most intelligent investments you would probably make. Why?

Homes can be turned into rental properties. With necessary adjustments and with proper leasing or rental documents, you can turn your house into an additional income stream. What’s even good is rental fees tend to increase on regular intervals. There are persons who often move because of job changes. They constantly look for homes which they can rent, and yours can be their next rental homes.

Depending on a home’s location, it can also be a perfect vacation house. Typically, families, especially those with children, and those which embrace the concept of extended families – do love to have vacation houses. During specific periods of the year, the house can serve as a reunion spot for relatives to gather. So, thinking of having a vacation house? Should it be near a beach, the woods, or perhaps one that offers mountainview or cityview otherwise?

Home values typically increase. Thus, if you’re going to put your house for a resale – chances are you’re going to get good profits. So you better ask your local real estate agent which areas have markets in which home prices experience surges. Commonly, these areas include those where professionals flock because of employment opportunities.

Buying a house is also seen by financial houses as a better investment than credit cards. This is one reason why there are many lenders that charge low-interest rates on home mortgages.

Are these reasons still not enough to convince you how good of an investment is owning a house? Another bonus benefit of owning a house is the local community attachment you’re going to build. You’re start to have acquaintances who’ll later become your friends. Your neighbors will likely become close to you like family. There will be some sort of emotional attachment.

Epoxy Flooring, A Highly Durable Flooring Option

Philadelphia garage floor epoxyis a type of concrete floor coating mostly found in garages, shops, and basements. The chemical combination of a resin and a hardener creates a rigid plastic material that bonds to concrete, is strong, and extremely resistant to every day wear and tear.

Believe it or not, there is a difference between epoxy floor and an epoxy floor coating. The main difference is the thickness, or depth, of the epoxy. Anything less than two millimeters is generally considered an epoxy coating while two millimeters or more constitutes an epoxy floor.

Epoxy floors are incredibly strong that they can be used in the toughest of environments, including heavy duty work environments or even demanding industrial spaces. This type of flooring comes in a wide variety of colors and can even include flakes or colored chips to improve tractions and create a non-slip surface for improved safety.

While installing an epoxy floor or epoxy floor coating can be a DIY project, it is important to note that there is the possibility for failure. First and foremost, poor surface preparation can lead to a lack of adhesion. It is usually recommended to grind the concrete before applying an epoxy coating.

The environment should be clean, dry, and dust free before attempting to apply a coating to concrete surface that has been property prepared through grinding or shot-blasting. For basement applications, it�s extremely important to note that epoxy does not bind well in areas with high humidity. The area must be dry and free from leaking or dripping pipes.

The foundation, or substrate, that the epoxy is being applied to should be fairly strong. In older concrete surfaces, there is the possibility of the concrete breaking away from itself after the epoxy has been applied.

Using the proper primer is a must! Substrate that hasn�t been properly prepared or primed is an easy target for poor adhesion and general coating failure.

As always, there are loads of videos, articles, and information out there if an epoxy flooring is something you�re interested in, there is even a growing trend of interior application of this type of flooring for homes due to its high durability in heavily trafficked areas.

If this is beyond your DIY ability, there are many professional companies out there who handle these types of projects. Don�t be afraid to ask for referrals or references!

Having an Aquarium at Home


I still remember visiting the homes of a few friends of mine who happened to have aquariums in their homes when we were all younger. I would sit for hours and hours staring at all those aquariums because doing so meant so much fun to me.

It is true that having an aquarium is a fun thing to do, but in order for the aquarium to look good, you will need to take care of it regularly. When it comes to taking care of your aquarium, you will need to know what you are doing so that your fishes do not start dying suddenly.

When it comes to having an aquarium at home, one of the most important components in an aquarium is the filtration system. If you have ever had an aquarium at home or if you have one at home right now, you know what I am talking about here. You need to use a filter in order to clean your aquarium on a daily basis. It is important to filter the water to prevent the tank filling up with waste, which quickly becomes toxic and can be a problem over a long period of time.

There are various different types of filter systems available on the market and they include filters such as chemical, biological, mechanical and oxygenated filters. You might want to ask the owner of your pet store which one of those will be the most suitable and most convenient in your situation. I am sure that if he is well qualified, he will be more than happy to answer all the questions you might have on the subject.

Something for Dogs

I have loved dogs since I was very little. As a matter of fact, I have always loved all kinds of animals, but dogs have always been my favorite pets. I am planning to still have more dogs in the future and I am hoping that I am going to have enough time as well as money to be able to have a few dogs just as I want it.

Every time I happen to read about dogs, I also happen to come across a lot of info about dog doors. It seems that dog doors are very popular among those dog owners who live in a house. I must admit that I like the idea of a dog door as it would save me plenty of time. I will not always be available when my dogs or dogs need me. Sometimes I am so busy with work and other responsibilities that I cannot leave everything and take the dogs on a walk. Things are easier when you have a dog door and have a garden where your dog or dogs can run freely for as long as they wish to do so. I like it that dogs whose owners bought dog doors for them have a lot of freedom to do whatever they like to do without troubling and bothering their owners.

Noise and Neighbors

One problem that prevents me from buying a property (at least for now) are my concerns about how noisy my new neighbors are going to be. Unless I buy a detached home (there are not that many of them where I live as there are many terraced properties here), which is not going to happen, I will have to share at least one wall with my neighbors. I can always hope for the best, but if my neighbors turn out to be noisy, I will try to soundproof the home as soon as possible. I also heard that some people were forced to move out from their homes simply because their homes were too noisy. I hope that it never happens to me and I hope that I am going to enjoy living in my home very much. The last thing I want is to buy a property and discover how noisy it is. I hope that it is never going to be the case.

Home Liens

Contractors should be informed about various supplier liens. Whatever the current financial situation, those who provide labor or materials need to understand when and how to file mechanic lien forms. The essential requirements resemble between states. The most typical is really a construction lien on property. New Jersey�s regulations include the most strict. A Notice of Unpaid Balance have to be file first. The contractor must register for a contractors lien within 60 days through the day they completed help the property owner. The contractor needs an arbitration award issued by the American Arbitration Association before they can submit their mechanic lien forms. Contractors and construction liens must follow the state of Hawaii requirements for contractor liens of the state where they do business.

Laborers who weren�t paid from the prime contractor also need to be prepared and understand the process of filing a contractors lien. Does for material suppliers. A home owner may be charged to pay for the fabric of a home repair or remodeling project if the contractor will not give the supplier. A supplier lien could include shingles, vinyl siding, lumber, even paint. That is considered an improved treatment for payment than to have the supplier sue the contractor directly.

Enforcement of an construction lien is performed via a court ordered foreclosure sale. The home owner is not able to sell or refinance the home before the supplier lien has been satisfied. The operation is much like what mortgage foreclosure. After the court determines certain requirements have been met from the contractor, a legal court will order the home be sold. Proceeds in the sale are disbursed among all lien holders so as of these priority.

Contractors may wish to simplify the task simply by using a lien agency to get a preliminary notice. These providers help contractors through providing guidance and easy to follow online forms. They ensure deadlines are met along with the proper paperwork is filed. The business will likely help monitor the progress of an filed action. Contractors should seek advice from the Eee and check online reviews prior to you buying which lien company to make use of.

Working from Home

More and more people discover the benefits of working from home. One of the first advantages of working from home is that those who do it do not have to get up early in the morning. I know at least a few people who do not like getting up early in the morning even though their work requires them to do so. They dream about Saturdays and Sundays hoping to get some sleep during those two days. If you work from home, you do not have this problem anymore. You can wake up at the hour that suits you the most. You can take a break whenever you want and you can eat at hours that suit you the most. You do not have a boss and you do not have anybody to tell you what you can do and what you cannot do.

Selling Your House

Selling your house is not a piece of cake. Since you do not do it every day and the whole process can be complicated, I suggest that you spend some time learning how to sell your house. Anyway, while you are still selling your property, you want to make sure that you are going to get a fair amount of money for it. Here are some ideas that can help you sell your property faster:

-Advertise your property in Google, Craiglists, and local newspapers.
-Make use of yard signs that will indicate that your property is for sale.
-Consider hiring a photographer who will travel to your home and make pictures of your property. It is possible to create virtual tours from such pictures so that the potential buyers will have a chance to get a closer look at it.
-Find a place that will conduct for you a full comparative market analysis so that your home will sell at the fair price.
-Make sure that you have all owner finance real estate forms that will enable you to deal with all the necessary documentation.
As you can see, selling your property will not be that complicated after all. You will have a lot of time to pack your belongings rather than worry where and how to advertise your property.