Written By Christopher Griffin
When most people think of one of the largest economic recessions in U.S. history, the banking industry and Wall Street seem to be the largest hit. In actual reality, some of the most affected industries fall closer to every hometown in America. Local contractors, service industries, and small businesses can probably post the highest losses and largest downswings in business.
Even though they are in fact still operating, they will have a sufficient amount of trouble actually making any profit. Some of these businesses have had to downsize by 90%, which is bad news for workers. Some businesses went from sixty employees all the way down to eight. This is never good, especially when you consider that these employees have families to support in many instances.
American small businesses are all posting similar experiences, and many are found scrambling to figure out how to “weather the storm”. Some businesses are scaling back, cutting costs, and figuring out a way to hibernate until the economy recovers. Others have been successful in diversifying into different aspects of their business.
Diversity has been the key for one Phoenix general contractor, “When the economy went south, things went bad pretty quickly. Luckily, we were one of the only companies in Arizona to build pools and landscapes in Phoenix – so, diversity has kept us afloat during these tough times. In fact, we started building outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, and installing travertine pavers as alternative ways to generate revenue”.
Cutting back on the expenses and spreading out are a few of the ways that a small business will manage to stay afloat during a time of economic decline. There will be some who manage to get through it, and you can only imagine how strong that business will emerge on the other side of the recession.
Just recently the economy has shown signs of improving, and many businesses are beginning to show signs of relief. They say that what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger. This is especially true with in comes to business in these conditions.
About the Author
Christopher Griffin is a recognized expert in the field of Arizona Landscape Design and Arizona Desert Landscaping
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Written By Christopher D. Griffin
You will only realize how much energy and electricity you use from your own pool pump and equipment if you are a conservative owner. It is also good to know that your pool pump requires more energy and uses more energy than any other appliance in your home. This is because they use single stage motors only pumping out 1 HP and up. An industry standard for years has been that electricity is abundant and there is no real need for conservation.
How much electricity does my spa or pool use? A study that has been done says that the amount of pools and pool pumps in California to run by themselves would need a nuclear power plant or a couple of regular power plants (A study done Davis Energy Group for Pacific Gas & electric 2004). Think about that along with how many there are altogether in the U.S. and how much this really affects energy conservation efforts. Arizona as well as California has high amounts of pools per home. This is why pool builders in Arizona are always searching for newer, better and greener methods for their pumps.
Energy Savings of $620 to $1,350! According to Pentair Pool and Spa, their IntelliFlo and IntelliPro variable drive pumps routinely reduce energy use up to 90%, depending on the models and circumstances for average savings of $620 to $1,350 annually. Because the cost to replace your old pump is about equal to what you will save (based on swimming pool usage over 1 to 2 years), many pool owners are having their old pumps replaced.
Is there a solution? The solution is making a pump work more smart than hard. In the recent years, pool pumps and motors are a part of the efforts to conserve energy efforts. The varying speed and drive capabilities this pump has is designed to use less electricity than its predecessors. Permanent magnet motors like the ones used in hybrid cars will give a typical 30% savings more than an induction motor would. You can easily program your pump to work at the lowest required speed needed to do jobs like cleaning, heating, circulating, and running waterfalls can be reduced to about 90%!
If you run your pool pump at a slower speed necessary to finish the task, it will substantially drop your energy consumptions; this is because it will take not as much power is needed to push the water slowly. Do you understand that by reducing your speed by half you reducing your electric bill by an eighth to perform this task. In other words, the newly designed pumps give you the ability to adjust the speed of the pump to use the minimum amount of electricity needed.
Electricity delivery charges are really high out in Arizona. With Phoenixes amount of swimming pools pool builders have found this motor to be a must have. Because of the amount of attention the motor gets for it, being very “GREEN” has made it very desirable for you to change your pump to something better.
This newly designed pool pump can be use for an in-floor cleaner pump system, and set at 3000 RPM’s, which is roughly about two horsepower. That same swimming pool can be reduced to about horsepower pump to circulate and filter the water in the pool. With a single push of a button, you can set a slow or high-speed mode! You can also control the flow of your fountain that you might have. This is used by many companies in phoenix for high pay scale homes and areas. The intelliflo Pentair pump can be set at multiple speeds- this can give your waterfall a slow speed making it quiet and tranquil for special evenings outdoors, or you can turn it up at a family reunion!
About the Author
Christopher D. Griffin is a recognized expert in the field of Arizona Landscape Design and Desert Landscaping. You can see exquisite examples of Phoenix Landscaping at Unique-Landscapes.com
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Written By Christopher D. Griffin
The recession is causing a number of industries and local business to suffer if even indirectly. The most talked about issues in America are the stock and housing market, followed in second by loan and banking businesses. There are also a number of Major businesses owned by the U.S. have also been damaged by the recent economic decline. These U.S. companies also employ millions of Americans across the country.
Most experts will tell you that the housing market has been dealt a hardy blow especially at the center of it all in Phoenix Arizona. There are many applicants of loans that are seeing that the homes they own are now valued tens of thousands of dollars less than what it used to be twenty-four months back. Bank repossessions are entering into the 150% range, and in some instances, homeowners are just leaving equity homes that are negative.
Since up to 70 % of swimming pool customers require financial assistance or loans, Phoenix swimming pool builders have been one of the hardest hit businesses. Without the aid of financial loans, these buyers are either unable to purchase a pool and spa, or end up purchasing a much smaller, less-expensive pool. Arizona pool companies have struggled tremendously with the downswing in the economy and lack of financing – sometimes even closing their doors, down-sizing, or diversifying into other venues. By offering a wider range of construction services, such as pool remodels, landscaping, and hardscaping, Intelligent pool companies are generating extra money. Some general contracting companies and home remodelers have switched entire industries, trying their hand at completely different venues of work. A few Arizona Landscape companies are expanding into building of hardscapes, such as outdoor kitchens, barbecues, fireplaces, and paver patios.
For the Americans who think that they are not affected by unemployment, the decline in the real estate market and stock market will eventually see how wrong they are. Most people do not wish to invest in the stock market today, but rather keep the money they have in their homes. Loans for home improvement will mostly come from a local bank, credit agency or from credit unions. Lately most potential buys did not have these programs available to them for home improvements, landscaping projects and swimming pools.
Moreover, there is actually certain pool and landscaping businesses in Arizona that have already applied the technique offering the customers an assortment of various services in years past. Because of these companies diversity, they have been able to offer their customers several different options in home improvement. “Even in these hard times my company has been able to thrive, we are lucky since we diversified years ago and now have many different services in the areas of landscaping and pool building. However, there is a major challenge that is present due to the fact the financial aid programs and loans are just not available to the average homeowner,” claimed a Phoenix pool builder and landscaper.
“It crazy to think about all the gobs of money that the banks were given for these loans only a few months back, and now it is exceedingly difficult for homeowners that wish to spend money to get this money” said another Arizona company representative. It would be nice if economists would offer their expert advice to the hurting construction companies who suffer from the economic state. One sales rep said, “Pool financing is getting better, I can see the light dimly but I can’t really see the end of the tunnel however.”
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Written By Chris Griffin
Ponds and waterfalls can add beauty to your backyard but they also have other uses. Many people who like to meditate or pray in peace and quiet often sit in front of a pond in their backyard. This allows them a quiet place to get away from the world and its problems. Of course in the summer a waterfall can also provide a place to cool off.
There are many other benefits to having a pond or waterfall installed in your backyard aside from personal reprieve. If you live in a dessert area chances are you’re going to be attracting some wildlife to your backyard. This is true for any area but desserts have a limited water supply, and birds will begin gracing your yard frequently. Even if you have limited space you can still find a design to suit your needs.
When looking for a contractor you want to find someone who specializes in the field of ponds and waterfalls. Make sure they have proof of their previous works in video, testimonial, or picture format. A good contractor will install your unit properly, check back with you from time to time and see if you’re happy, and may even provide maintenance for you. This means all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the sound of the water.
Many different models are designed to work with existing structures, and have recirculating pumps to ensure the water does not become stagnant. Waterfalls and ponds need to have their water filtered constantly and this takes power. Fortunately there are various solar powered pumps you can install to keep your backyard additions clean and green. Being green is a good thing, but no one wants the water in their pond to be as green as the yard.
Many of us prefer to do projects around the home ourselves, but projects of this nature may be overwhelming. In this case it’s not a bad idea to contact a professional landscaper. Waterfalls and ponds can be slightly complicated, and a landscaper may have additional suggestions or input on the project. Plus if anything goes wrong they have to pay for it.
As far as tracking one down goes there are various resources to choose from. You can go online and find one through searches, or you can check your local listings. Before inviting anyone out to your yard make sure that they give free estimates, and have a good history. Regardless of what route you choose to take there will be some initial costs for all of this. However it can improve the value of your property dramatically, and allow you to get more money when you sell your home.
So in the end, having a pond or waterfall can make a great addition to just about any back yard space, and will provide years of enjoyment. It isn’t hard to see why so many people use these water features to bring a little extra comfort and tranquility to an otherwise stressful world.
About the Author
Chris Griffin is a recognized expert in the field of Arizona Landscaping. You can see exquisite examples of landscaping in Arizona at Unique-Landscapes.com
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