Wired Magazine - June 2011

WIRED Publication of the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand

June 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: CONFERENCE 2011 PRESIDENT’S REPORT PROFILE ON BRUCE WOODS RAISING OUR STANDARDS HIGH COUNTRY FENCING REMOVAL BUSINESS TIPS ARTICLES HEALTH SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE EMPLOYMENT ISSUES

FOUNDING STRATEGIC PARTNER $35.00 subscription per annum (4 issues) - Free to members of FCANZ

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FCANZ, PO Box 19-389, Hamilton, 3244 New Zealand. Ph 0508 4 FCANZ (0508 4 32269) www.fencingcontractors.co.nz

WIRED

Publication of the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Hi All, It hardly seems like twelve months ago I was sitting in Napier airport after last year’s AGM, looking forward to the year ahead and the future prospects for FCANZ. I sit here today with the same enthusiasm as I did in Napier, although this year with a slight feeling of apprehension, as I am now the newly appointed President and have a lot more weight on my shoulders.

Executive Board members on site throughout the week. Be sure to pop in and see us at the new FCANZ marquee.

That’s about it from me, I look forward to meeting many of you throughout the year and all the best with your businesses as winter approaches.

Nigel Broardbridge President

This year at the AGM two rule changes were passed, firstly the numbers of our executive board were reduced to seven, this was to reduce the meeting costs as I am sure you will appreciate flying 13 members around the country becomes an expensive exercise. The second change was a clerical change to the wording from “Chairman” to “President”, “Committee” to “Executive Board” in our constitution. This was to update our board in line with the corporate world, as we move forward with FCANZ in the future.

This year working alongside me will be Alan Rennie as Vice President.

Alan comes with a number of years experience, in the Executive Board and I look forward to his input, and he also has some very impressive facial hair! The elected Executive Board this year are a group of multi skilled proactive individuals whom I look forward to working with a common goal of increasing the FCANZ brand and setting a high level of standards in workmanship.

Whilst Andrew Cave has remained on the Executive Board he has stepped down from the Presidents role to focus more time on his business and family. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew for his sterling effort last year. Many of you will not understand the hundreds of hours that Andrew put into this role. We thank you for this and wish you all the prosperity with your new found free time.

The Operations Manager position has been filled by Suzy Alsop. She comes with a wealth of knowledge from sales and marketing in the transport and logistics sector. The Executive Board looks forward to working with Suzy in forming and maintaining relationships with Partners and Members. As FCANZ has grown beyond a volunteer organistation, we strongly believe that this role will assist with FCANZ future growth.

With a reduced Executive Board and an Operations Manager we believe that this will be instrumental moving things forward and getting things done in the year ahead.

This is the first issue of the Wired magazine that we have contracted out rather than it being done by FCANZ committee members in their own time. Please excuse any admissions or errors that may occur due to the extremely tight time frame that this was collated, edited and printed in.

Good luck to any members competing in the Mystrey Creek Field Days, we hope to see many of you there. We are very excited that this year we will be doing fencing best practice demonstrations and will have FCANZ Cover photo: Deer Fencing on the edge of Lake Tekapo – Nigel Broadbridge Sincere thanks to our Contributors: drew Cave, Nigel Broadbridge, John Noakes, Rob Best, Mike Samuel, Paul Fitzsimmons, Sue Clarke, Martin Sargent Disclaimer - WIRED takes all due care in the preparation of this magazine but is not responsible or liable for any mistakes or omissions. Articles that appear in the WIRED do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the FCANZ. WIRED welcomes contributions but reserves the right to edit . Material sent in will not be returned unless requested and we are sent a self addressed stamped envelope to help with processing.

The FCANZ would like to acknowledge the significant financial contribution that WIREMARK makes towards meeting the costs associated with publishing and distributing the WIRED Publication.

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2011 FCANZ CONFERENCE The 2011 FCANZ Conference and AGM was held in Blenheim 13th – 15 May. I’m still trying to catch my breath and start organising for 2012 FCANZ Conference to be held in North Island in South Auckland, so WATCH THIS SPACE! This years conference was another roaring success, from the feed back I’m getting. Good to see all the ladies enjoying themselves. The conference started at the Heartland Hotel in Blenheim on Friday with registration and lunch and plenty of catching up from FCANZ members who had travelled from Southland to Auckland and everywhere in between. The bus trip took us south of Blenheim to Seddon and up the Awatere Valley to David and Sharmain Hammonds property. Luckily the rain stopped and we were able to leave the bus and get an overview of the Hammond property. Going from all sheep to vineyard, cropping and seeds for Europe. Staffing went from 1.5 labour units to 6 and turnover increased 600% by using water. After a Resource Consent and building a huge dam, life is a whole lot better after years of droughts. Everyone went for a walk up to the dam while the bus driver backed out of a very muddy spot. Back on the bus for a late afternoon tea at Seddon Rugby Club rooms or a drink from the Bar with steamed mussels and freshly harvested crayfish, that had been in the sea only 3 hours earlier. A BBQ followed of venison steaks, sausages and meat patties in a bun with generous lashings of onions and coleslaw (there were plenty of fences built that night!). A special thanks must go to Terry and Karen Renner for organising all the seafood and venison and the local Plunket ladies for the catering.

Saturday was an early 7am start with Carters Breakfast followed by our Guest Speaker, Garth McVicar from Sensible Sentencing Trust, giving a very enlightening speech on New Zealand’s escalating violence, promoting victims rights and justice reform. The Sensible Sentencing Trust is strongly promoting individual accountability and responsibility, Victims Rights before Criminal Rights, just some of the policies to promote reform. Garth is a farmer and wants to make New Zealand a safer place.

If you want to help by making a donation to the Sensible Sentencing Trust, send to P O Box 701, Napier 4140. It will make a difference.

Then onto the AGM and the formal part of the conference. It was the first time we have had to have a vote for FCANZ Executive Members. Lance Hare decided to stand down and was thanked for all his valuable work and time given as an Executive Member of FCANZ. The successful Executive Board for 2011/2012 are as follows: Alan Rennie Andrew Cave John Noakes Paul Fitzsimons Nigel Broadbridge Mike Samuels Robert Best With plenty of discussion from members we got the following suggestions from the floor: 1. Targeting new members 2. Training of younger fencers 3. Maybe an FCANZ ID Card 4. Photo gallery for everyone on the FCANZ Web site 5. Flyers to Farmers 6. Wired by email? Not everyone has email 7. ACC levies and Health & Safety 8. FCANZ Association, Discussion Group Days

Plenty to digest for the future.

Onto the Goldpine North/South Fencing Competition. The bus was loaded up with lunch and we all got on and headed for Bruce Thomas’ place at Tuamarina just north of Blenheim. Due to the wet weather Terry Renner and helpers had once again come to the party and driven in all strainers and posts ready to go for when we arrived. The weather stayed fine for the competition.

North Island Team Alan Rennie Stu Cripps Jeff Joines Craig Shortall Mark Lambert

South Island Team Nick Leifting Mike Samuels Sam Higgins Doug Taylor Mark Ewing

The North Island team erected a netting fence and the South Island team an 8 wire electric fence. Each team had to do a box stay, normal stay, tension tie downs on the strainers and the fence and hang a gate. With lots of rivalry and cheering, things went off well with plenty of polish and high standards. There were prizes for mistakes, cheating, flogging gear etc. fun was had by all. After lunch we split into 5 man teams to look over the fence lines and discuss all the different ways of doing things and to price the fenceline on a per metre rate with interesting results ranging from $13-$16.00 per metre for the wire fence. The actual price was $12.50. The netting fence ranged from $12.50 - $16.00 per metre , the actual price $11.57. This was a straight flat line and everywhere is different. I think this was one of the highlights of the weekend creating heaps of discussion and being out there doing it. Picking up new ideas and re-inventing old ones. A special thanks to Goldpine and Strainrite for supplying all the materials.

While all the fencing was taking place the ladies went on a bus tour to the Makana Chocolate Factory and then to the Mud House Village to check out the shops and have lunch and lattes. After lunch a visit to Annies Orchard Delights and Casa Interiors.

Back at the hotel for Paslode Happy Hour and prizes for the Fencing Competition. The winning team was the North Islanders receiving a Paslode top and coil of wire and the South Island team a Paslode T-Shirt.

Thanks to Paslode and Wiremark.

The evening followed onto the Gallagher Gala Diner and speeches from Andrew Cave and Nigel Broadbridge talking about the way forward for FCANZ, Warren Herlihy from Paslode and Ken McMiken from Gallagher.

We were joined by our Guest Speaker, Dr Dave Baldwin, the Flying Doctor from Bulls and his wife Sandi. Dr Dave gave a very passionate and entertaining presentation on his book promoting men’s health called ‘Healthy Bastards’, and the movie with the same theme. The first image shown on the screen was of an old truck with the doors sign written with ‘Viagra Fencing if You Can’t Get It Up We Will Erect It’ which immediately got everyones attention. All Conference members got a copy of Dr Dave’s book ‘Healthy Bastards’. We aren’t so bullet proof after all! The movie has just been completed and due out soon so watch this space! An excellent night all in all finished with a couple of drinks, in moderation of course.

So stay fit and be healthy, keep fencing and setting high standards.

Sunday started with the Wiremark Breakfast and a presentation from Andy McDonald giving a run down of the materials that go into making wire, reinforcing steel, wire rope that is used on the road (known by bikers as cheese cutters!) a bit on the technology process and also what is exported overseas. Morning tea followed with general discussion and the lucky draw for the Paslode Staple Gun going to Mark Ewing from Oamaru, The Slugger which is a versatile multi purpose slide hammer

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2011 FCANZ CONFERENCE (contd) won by Brian Abercrombie, jackets and fleece packs donated by LB & T Hare Ltd were also given away and lots of Gallagher Hats and Paslode T-Shirts and Caps were given away. Craig Shortall was the lucky one to win his accommodation and conference registration free. That brought the 2011 FCANZ Conference to a close and best wishes for a safe travel home.

We must thank all our Partners and Sponsors: Wiremark Strategic Partners, Andy McDonald Gold Partner, Cyclone Silver Partners, Carters Rural, Tru Test Group, Goldpine, Hautapu Pine.

Bronze Partners, Kinghitter, Paslode, Strainrite, LB & T Hare Ltd Elite Sponsers: Paslode Rural – Warren Herlihy & Craig Woods Gallagher – Ken McMiken and Paul Griggs Key Sponsors: Goldpine – Nick Simpson, James Tunnecliff, Terry Hurdle.

Carters – Richard Elworthy, Adam Hay General Sponsors: Hautapu Pine – Susan Benson LB & T Hare Ltd – Tracey and Lance Hare Strainrite – Hugh Morrison Affiliated to FCANZ: QE11 National Trust, LB & T Hare Training Services Forestry and Agricultural Specialists providing NZQA Accreditation, Taratahi Agriculture Training NZ, Federated Farmers.

A big THANK YOU to all our Partners and Sponsors, without all of them it wouldn’t happen. DON’T FORGET TO SUPPORT THEM IN THE FUTURE. Special thanks to Tracey Hare for all the behind the scenes help and the rest of the committee SEE YOU ALL AT NEXT YEARS FCANZ CONFERENCE IN PUKEKOHE. Thanks John Noakes

95% zinc, 5% aluminium for long life. The addition of aluminium alloy to the original zinc coating makes the wire more durable and enhances the anticorrosion performance of the coating by making it more weather resilient.

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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2011 Welcome everyone to this year’s AGM and Conference here in Blenheim.

It is great to see the regular attendees and those that it is your first time to our Conference please enjoy this great net working opportunity and also to take the time to relax and enjoy everyone’s company.

Firstly I would like to thank all of our Partners that support FCANZ through out the year.

Wiremark are still our strategic partner and have been with us right from the start of FCANZ, wire mark each year support us very well financially and also with some great advice on just where to go and what to do, this is very important to FCANZ as the executive are small business owners and a lot of the time we are dealing with corporate entities so their advice on to us is very important to make sure we are communicating in a corporate way. So a big thank you to Andy MacDonald and pacific steel for your support.

To our GOLD, Silver and Bronze partners, Cyclone, Carters, Hautapu Pine, True-test, Strainrite, Goldpine, Gallagher’s, Paslode, LB & T Hare, and Kinghitter a huge thank you to you all for supporting FCANZ and the greater fencing industry in New Zealand. With out your financial support it would be very difficult to keep FCANZ operational. Members please support these companies when you make purchases for your business to help them support FCANZ .The fencing industry in New Zealand is leading the way in worldwide fencing whether it is fence construction or product that is used in fencing. Some of our present partners export a huge volume of product overseas and it is great to be associated with them and seeing them put little New Zealand on the worldwide map.

To you our members thank you for supporting us and allowing us to help move your business forward.

Fencing contractors in New Zealand now more than ever have to run their business very well and provide great services to keep up with other competitors in the market. No longer are fencing contractors doing fencing as a full in job or a part time job. The majority of contractors have tractors and rammers, bulldozers even diggers and trucks to work in their business and to successfully do this they need business support teams to help them to succeed. We know that FCANZ is one of these teams.

The executive this year have once again kept moving forward with FCANZ having been given a number of opportunities to attend industry related shows such as Fencing in action, Lincoln Fieldays, and also Mystery Creek Fieldays coming up this year in June. These have been great opportunities to show case and expand FCANZ to the greater public and like minded companies. We are gaining recognition in New Zealand as the fencing industry body and are getting contacted more and more for advice and industry knowledge from so many different organizations through out New Zealand. Unfortunately last year we lost a number of contractors as members due to the economy tightening and them leaving the industry, but it is great to see that our member base is once again climbing with a lot of new members joining that are just starting out on their own account and want the support of FCANZ in their business’s.

Lance Hare has decided to step down this year from the executive and concentrate on his own business. I would like to thank Lance for his huge amount of input and time that he has done for FCANZ since it was started. Lance was involved in the very early days when it was just a steering committee trying to get FCANZ born, I believe that Lance has been involved for about 7 years and I would hate to think what cost this has been to Tracey and himself financially.

Finally I would like to finish off with a huge thank you to the rest of my executive team for the large amount of unpaid time that you have all put in over the last year whether it be organizing and attending industry functions or just day to day running of FCANZ. Without you all and your belief in the organization FCANZ wouldn’t be where it is today. I know that with the economy starting to return to normal that you have all been wanting to get your own business rolling again after a couple of very difficult years to trade in so to try and find volunteer time for FCANZ as been difficult. To the Wives of the executive thank you for your support to your husbands as they help to increase the profile of fencing as a recognized profession and encourage a high level of workmanship through knowledge and standards.

Andrew Cave Chairman 2010/2011

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THE ART OF LISTENING The rules for good listening involve basic courtesy and common sense.

Some of the rules may seem obvious, but it is amazing how many people forget them and unintentionally insult the speaker.

Often, without intending to be rude, your enthusiasm for a subject and your own desire to hear yourself talk cause you to forget courtesy. At other times you may be so involved with your own point of view that you forget to listen to what your client is saying; you just plain stop listening!

So, when conversing with another person, be aware of and practice the following rules: 1. Let others tell their own stories first.

When others explain their situations, they may reveal interesting facts and valuable clues that will aid you in helping them solve their problems or satisfy their needs.

2. It is impossible to listen and talk at the same time.

This basic rule of effective listening is most often broken. People anxious to add their own views to the conversation try to interject comments while another person is speaking. They wait for a pause in the conversation and “rapid fire’’ their comments at the other person.

Why not wait until the speaker’s point is made? Then you will have your chance.

An enormous benefit of listening to your client is that he may “sell himself.” He may solve his own problems or even come up with some product benefits that hadn’t occurred to you. In addition, encouraging the client to talk keeps him from feeling pressured into a sale. Building confidence and reducing tension strengthen the trust bond between you and your client.

3. Listen for the main ideas.

Specific facts are only important as they pertain to the main theme.

They can cause misinterpretation if taken out of context. Relate stated facts to the arguments of the speaker and weigh the verbal evidence used. Take advantage of the superior speed of thought over words and periodically review a portion of the discussion that has already been completed.

4. Be sensitive to your emotional deaf spots.

Deaf spots are words that make your mind wander or go off on a mental tangent. Everyone is affected by certain words so it is important to discover your own individual stumbling blocks and analyze why these words have such a profound effect on you.

5. Fight off distractions.

7. React to the message, not the person.

Don’t allow your mental impression of the speaker to influence your interpretation of his message. Good thoughts, concepts, and arguments can come from some of your least favorite people.

8. Try to appreciate the emotion behind the words (vocal and visual messages) more than the literal meaning of the words.

Try to ask yourself these questions when another person is speaking: a. What are the other person’s feelings? b. What does he mean by what he is saying? c. What is his point of view? d. Why is he saying this? e. What is implied by what he says?

9. Use feedback.

Constantly try to check your understanding of what you hear. Do not only hear what you want to hear. In addition, check to see if the other person wants to comment or respond to what you have previously said.

10. Listen selectively.

Critical messages may be hidden within the broader context of a conversation. Listen in such a way that you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Always ask yourself: “What is he telling me that can help me satisfy his needs, solve his problems, and accomplish his goals?”

11. Relax.

When another person speaks, try to put him at ease by creating a relaxed, accepting environment. Do not give the speaker the impression that you want to jump right in and speak. Give him a chance to speak his mind.

12. Try not to be critical, of the other person’s point of view.

Hold your temper and your emotional feelings and try to listen to truly understand. Be patient. Allow the speaker plenty of time to fully finish his train of thought. Keep an open mind. If you give the other person half a chance to tell you his views, you might find that you have learned something.

13. Listen attentively.

Face the speaker with uncrossed arms and legs; lean slightly forward.

Establish gentle, intermittent eye contact. Use affirmative head nods and appropriate facial expressions when called for, but do not overdo it. Occasionally respond to your customer with “uh huh,” “go on,” or “yes,” to demonstrate that you are listening.

Train yourself to listen carefully to your customer’s words, despite such external distractions.

14. Create a positive listening environment.

Focus your attention on the words, ideas, feelings, and underlying intent. Through practice you can improve your power of concentration, so that you can block out external and internal distractions and attend totally to the speaker.

15. Ask questions.

6. Do not trust to memory certain data that may be important.

Take brief notes because listening ability is impaired while you are writing. Remember -- you cannot effectively do two things at the same time. Write notes in words and phrases rather than complete thoughts. Read your notes as soon as possible to make sure you understand what you put down on paper and always review them before subsequent contact with your clients.

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Make the effort to ensure that the environment is conducive to effective listening.

Ask open-ended questions to allow the speaker to express his feelings and thoughts. A simple “yes” or “no” is not enough. Use development questions like “How can I help you?, or “Where do we go from here?” to ask the speaker for more details on specific subjects. Clarifying questions seek information by restating the speaker’s remarks.

16. Be motivated to listen.

Without the proper attitude all the foregoing suggestions for effective listening are worthless. Try to keep in mind that there is no such thing as an uninteresting speaker, only disinterested listeners.

Put out the extra effort to try to listen.

THE 20 MOMENTS OF TRUTH 20 Moments of Truth are the moments at which a person: • Chooses to use your services • Chooses to continue to use your services, or • Chooses to use your services again and recommends you to their friends and family.

These occur: 1. When a person hears someone else praise you or your work.

2. When a person likes your physical presentation (appearance, handshake, voice, smile, etc.)

3. When a person is touched intellectually and emotionally by what you say.

4. When a person recognises you as a model of who or what they would like to become. (Unconditionally constructive, get that people are right; tell the truth; the present is perfect, etc.)

5. When a person experiences that you are consistently excellent technically.

6. When a person knows that you care.

7. When a person feels that they are safe with you.

8. When a person trusts your professional credentials.

9. When a person thinks they will be challenged and get what they need from you.

10. When a person pays your fee without any conversation.

11. When a person looks forward to small gifts and thoughtful messages from you.

12. When a person knows that you will make it right for them, if they have a complaint.

13. When a person knows that your fee is slightly above the industry standard, and feels you’re worth it.

14. When a person is sure that their success and well-being is your priority.

15. When a person knows that you never stop growing professionally.

16. When a person is asked to tell you their expectations and frustrations about the service you provide.

17. When a person knows that you have designed your business around what’s convenient for them.

18. When a person is able to reach you effortlessly. (If you can’t answer the phone in person, you have a secretary, voice mail or answering machine, cellular phone or pager, AND you respond.)

19. When a person can count on you to treat them as a unique individual with unique needs.

20. When a person knows you will remember their birthday and their kids’ names.

When you provide this, you can then start calling them YOUR customers.

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Site A81, down by the fencing competition

FENCE-PRO New Generation Post Drivers

RAISING OUR STANDARDS Rob Best

Its easy to let your quality lapse when you’ve priced it tight and your trying to keep your head above water, but as members of FCANZ we should be trying to raise standards so that we can stand out from the rest, in turn giving the association credibility to the extent that we are the preferred contractors when customers are contemplating fencing there properties.

I built my business around trying to be the best fencer in my area doing those things that make the job stand out and attention to detail, I must admit that I do work in a predominately life style and equine property area where a lot of the fences are easily seen and it does help generate work if passers by like what you’ve done. I guess it’s a bit different when your fencing big properties out the back of beyond and the only people that see your work are farmers, shepherds and the occasional huntaway who might check the preservative quality of the odd strainer post. But I still maintain that if you build a strong, long lasting and good looking fence that people are impressed by they will tell others although I couldn’t vouch for the dog.

wires stapling correctly tying the same size and shape knot on every termination and inline down your strainer, battens square to the wires with no sag and the same height as your post and if your hanging a gate on a slope standing your gate in the preposed position and driving your strainer parallel to the gate.

I could write pages about the finer points but I know that a lot of you wont agree that a fence needs to look good but as an association we are trying to lift the quality and I’m sure it will help your business. So don’t turn your back and walk away from your new fence have a second look at it and criticise your own work and decide what you can do better.

I assume that you all build a strong fence but the point I’m trying to make is it doesn’t take much more effort to get your fence looking good. Its start with simple things like chamfering strainers, planeing of stays, morticing stays into the centre of your strainer with no gaps, spacing your post with a PVC pipe with the batten spacing marked so any shortened spacing lands on a batten, contouring your post so they bisect the angle of your

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tackling the slopes of new zealand

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tackling the slopes of new zealand (cont)

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FCANZ-MAY11

All post producers claim to take fencing seriously

At Goldpine...

We wouldn’t recommend a builder for your farm fencing.

We don’t produce posts from thinnings (10-15 year old trees).

We don’t produce posts from low / medium density forests.

And we won’t try and sell you a kitchen.

But we do take fencing seriously.

Rural fencing - it’s what we do. 

PHONE ORDERS WELCOME 0800 2 GOLDPINE (0800 246 5374)

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PROFILE Sue Clark, Guardian

Bruce Woods Fencing Contractor and FCANZ Member Still going strong!

In 1976 at the age of 19 Bruce Wood finished a three year dairy farm cadetship in the Katikati area of Bay of Plenty. Looking for a change, he sold his car and brought a pushbike to cycle to Motueka in order to work on the tobacco/apple harvest for three months.

This trip took eight days, tenting on the way in farmers’ paddocks. Bruce had planned to cycle on to Christchurch after the harvest and then head over to Australia to have a look around whilst on a working holiday, but instead he got a job with Don and Erica McFedries in Riwaka on their tobacco farm and the job became a full time position.

Three years later tobacco restructuring became the norm. Bruce and his partner Michelle got married and returned to the Bay of Plenty. There he began working for a friend erecting artificial shelter and setting up new kiwifruit gardens. These were some of the first artificial shelters erected in New Zealand.

There was a huge amount of development happening in the late 1970s and 80s, with dairy farms being brought by investors and developed into kiwifruit orchards. As a large area of the Katikati district is rolling ground, these areas were contoured with gullies being drained and ridges either side being pushed into the gullies to flatten the land out for planting.

Bruce can remember the dairy farmer he did his cadetship with being amazed that land was selling for over $1,000 an acre.

In early 1980 they returned to Motueka to work, in time for the upheaval in the tobacco industry, with growers looking to diversify into other crops, mainly kiwifruit. As Bruce had worked on orchard development in the Bay of Plenty he saw an opportunity and went door knocking on a few farmers’ doors asking about the possibility of driving in their kiwifruit posts. The response was pretty positive so they decided to buy a tractor and post driver and in November 1980 he started up his own business.

The first summer was fairly quite, but more tobacco work was available.

The following autumn work picked up as growers turned their attention to new plantings. That winter, Graham Emerre approached Bruce to erect a run of artificial shelter. This was the first cloth shelter for the area and without the sewing gear it meant hand-clipping with wire staples. Soon after this four other growers approached Bruce about erecting shelters for them so he brought an industrial bag sewer and generator to sew the wire into the cloth.

During his first business year, Bruce relied on farmers’ staff to help him but this became impractical as he became busier and staff were not always available to help out. About this time Bill Chapman was looking for some work so Bruce gave him a call and told him he was looking for a hand for tow or three days. Once that job was done he needed a hand for another two or three days and this continued for 28 years.

After a year or so the business was booming, so it was decided that Bill and one other would erect artificial shelters (approximately 5000 metres per year and growing) and Bruce himself with another worker would concentrate on driving posts. This worked well and jobs were coming in

from Takaka to the Waimea plains. The biggest problem was how to keep on top of all the orders.

Then gradually declining prices for kiwifruit meant development slowed and growers were beginning to explore other options. Apple growers were starting to restructure their orchards and were planting Gala, Braeburn and other varieties of apple trees. A number of large tobacco farms were planted in apples, creating lots of work in the winter, posting and wiring blocks.

Export flower growers were requesting shade houses be built so Bruce began to design and build these as well, along with bird enclosures for Nashi Blocks. As well as the horticultural work, the business was doing an increasing amount of fencing for sheep, cattle and deer farmers.

Bruce would go ahead and set up the fence lines and fence posts and Bill would take care of the wire-work and hanging gates. This meant that Bruce would be on the ground at every job and could set up and iron out any problems with fence adjustment and stock yard design before the posts were driven into the ground.

In 1987 Bruce was approached by NZ Wire Industries with the offer for him to be a fencing instructor – one of 20 in NZ. This was done in conjunction with his contracting business and Bruce says “It was great because we got to attend lectures with Agricultural Engineers in Lincoln and could learn the principles of Agricultural Engineering as related to fencing and horticultural structures. This enabled us to focus on more the quality of the fencing work and better materials. We also met with some of the top fencers in New Zealand and there was plenty to take in and learn”.

The fencing instructors attended farm field days and shows to demonstrate how to work with wire and answer questions regarding fence construction. Bruce enjoyed teaching the farm cadets and growers each year and helping them work through the practical side of their fencing modules. Unfortunately the instructors group was disbanded when funding was cut after four years.

When Bruce began fencing many of the farms were 18-15 ha. But due to economic factors a large number of amalgamations took place in the prime horticultural areas and subdivision into lifestyle blocks in areas less suitable for horticulture was sold off. This made a greater variety of work for Bruce and he was not quite as reliant on any one sector performing well.

Other than a few sleepless nights wondering how to fit one and a half weeks’ work into a week, the last 30 years contracting have been very enjoyable. Bruce says he has met and worked with and for some very good people. Bill’s efforts and input over 28 years is greatly appreciated as are the efforts of other staff over the years. “When I started fencing I never envisaged that 30 years on I would still be fencing full time but if you are happy and you get job satisfaction in what you do, it’s all good” says Bruce.

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REDUCE THE PRICE Income is one of the most neglected aspects of running a small business.

Business owners worry about the actual number of jobs they receive, the customers, where will the next one come from and so on, but they very seldom think about how much money they will actually make. It is as if in their minds, no work on the books is a failure.

Do not believe me? Well, how often have you reduced the price to do the job?

The situation is usually quite simple, a prospect comes in and gives you the outline of the job. You prepare a quote, they react with “Hmmm, I really do not know, I’ll have to think about it ...�, and you immediately drop your prices down so you can get job.

Heard a similar story?

As crazy as it sounds, this is a fairly common situation for many small business owners. The fear of not having forward work on the books is one of the reasons this happens. Fear to ask a higher price is another.

However, in many cases simple panic sets in and we think that reducing the price of the job is the only way to overcome a lack of jobs and end the quiet time. The outcome is that you secure the job but not the income.

Quiet times are a good opportunity to grow your business. While having no jobs is not something that you want to experience for any length, the fact is that all business experiences this from time to time. Quiet times are an integral part of running a business.

The good news is there are certain things you can do to make sure that they do not last long and that it does not happen too often.

When these time do present themselves, be sure to use this time wisely.

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So what do you do: 1. You do the marketing.

When you are busy you tend not to think about marketing. However, when things start to get quiet, or you are aware it is traditionally your quiet time then you need to jump into action and get your marketing plan into full swing. This may include developing marketing material, campaigns, email marketing, newsletters, updating your website and business contacts. The key here is to do something. It may not produce additional work straight away, but it will start to reduce the quiet times in the future.

2. Sales.

Remember Sales is not marketing, sales are a result of marketing.

Business reality is that unless you sell, you fail. You need to work on your sales every day. You need to double that effort through the quiet times.

3. Be active in your area.

Become recognised as an expert in your field, not just among your peers but more particularly in your region.

4. Update your business relationships.

This is very important. Get in touch with past business contacts and tell them what you are up to. They used you in the past and if you did a great job, will use you or recommend you in the future.

Use your quiet time to work on investing in your future business success.

There will be times when you need to reduce the price. If so, you need to know what you breakeven level is, you need to know what you profitability levels are - that way you will always win from a business point of view, if not always the job.

high country fence removal Mike Samuel The best part to being a fencer I think we can all agree is that our office is constantly changing. We don’t work on a boring factory line doing the same thing day in day out. In Feb/March this year we successfully tendered for removing 8km of an all post fence and 12km of ypost from retired ground in the Hawkdun Ranges.

The fence was about 12yrs old using Corsican 6inch posts with seven 2.5 wires attached and spacings were 5m apart.

To give you an understanding at the remoteness of the area from Alexandra we were travelling 2.5 hrs to get to the top of the hill.

The last farm house we passed was 30km away and cell phone coverage was near on useless until we got to the top of the range some 1400m above sea level.

On a wet Monday morning (2 inches in 12 hrs) we ambled up the valley, we were heading into the upper Manuherikea catchment hoping that the weather would clear however all the creeks were raging and the Manuherikea was in flood. We had established a D5 bulldozer with a cage we remedied at home to ferry materials in the steep terrain, a digger, 4wd tip truck and tractor with a homebuilt PTO wire winder.

Cromwell, Omarama, Tarras, St Bathans and Ranfurly could be also seen plus the odd herd of red deer.

We 1st destapled all 1500 odd posts and wound the wire up in sections, Posts were collected on the dozer and tandem trailer and then transferred to the 4wd tip truck (150) at a time and taken to the bottom (on the 1st day the return trip from top to bottom with the posts and then back up took six hrs). All the posts were sold to the neighbouring farm. Part of the contract was that we retained materials to dispose of how we saw fit.

Some days we opted to camp out in a local DOC hut which is an original musters hut built right in the middle of the boundary line (the fence we removed). It was built like this between the two farms as there was no need for two huts as was agreed by the two landowners yet neither trusted each other to have it on one side or the other.

Over the past three years we have now removed 50kms of fence in the Oteake Conservation area some by helicopter but most by machines due to the large amount of reusable materials

Once we left the gravel road we had to wind our way for 7kms beside the river and crossed it seven times (when it dropped its level) to get to the fence line. You had to be careful of the jagged rocks in sections (tyre killers) while also marvelling at the hand built water race around steep rock faces built by early miners to supply St Bathans with water.

The Dozer was also modified with a small crane at the front to extract posts and tiedowns all mostly 5ft 6� driven home using a chain and a sheet metal lifter. The dozer was necessary due to the steepness as well as fixing the access tracks.

At the top of Mt St Bathans the terrain was all weathered shingle and we were treated to views of Central Otago and the Waitaki District, You could see Lakes Dunstan, Pukaki, Ohau and Mt Cook. Alexandra,

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quad bike safety inspections This is an important notice to all members who operate a quad bike as part of their farming business.

Background From April the Department of Labour have been visiting farms to ensure farmers and their employees are using quad bikes safely. Where inspectors find people working with quad bikes in a dangerous way, they may take enforcement action.

Federated Farmers recently met with the Department of Labour concerning their farm visits. We repeated our belief that in order to effectively reduce the injury toll education, rather than regulation, is the key. The Department stated that it appreciates most farmers take safety issues seriously and reiterated to Federated Farmers that their current effort is focused on engaging with farmers to reduce injuries and fatalities associated with quad bike use, rather than a ticketing exercise.

As an example the Department have currently visited approximately 100 farms and have only issued 10 improvement notices. There have been no prosecutions to date. As such, the Federation will continue its discussions with the Department and push for a greater emphasis on education.

Where formal investigations, and potentially prosecutions, are likely is when a worker has been seriously injured or killed on a quad bike because basic safety steps haven’t been taken.

For more information on how the Department decides whether to take enforcement action you can view its enforcement policy titled Keeping Work Safe, by clicking http://www.dol.govt.nz/PDFs/keeping-work-safe. pdf Prior to this enforcement activity the Department has been running a quad bike safety campaign since November, Federated Farmers has supported this education campaign. In March the Department published Guidelines for the Safe Use of Quad Bikes, click http://www.osh.govt.nz/ publications/booklets/safe-use-quad-bikes/safe-use-in-agriculture.pdf to view the guidelines are based on manufacturers’ safety instructions.

It is important to note that these guidelines are not law. Guidance material explains the law in general terms and leaves the reader to determine how the law applies in their situation. However, guidelines can be used by the Courts to help decide whether someone has failed to comply with the Health and Safety in Employment (HSE) Act 1992.

The HSE Act, which applies to all workplaces including farms, requires employers to maintain a safe workplace.

What will inspectors focus on?

Inspectors will be particularly focusing on four basic safety steps which included in the guidelines. These are: • chose the right vehicle for the job – pay attention to the manufacturers’ operating instructions on towing and carrying limits, and whether passengers can be carried; • always wear a helmet; • don’t let kids ride adult quad bikes; and • ensure riders are trained or experienced enough to do the job.

Of the above requirements, the need to wear helmets and ensuring riders are appropriately trained or experienced are the most important safety messages, as these are covered by specific provisions in the HSE Act.

Helmets Employers, self-employed and employees all have duties under the HSE Act in relation to the use of helmets when operating quad bikes.

Duties of employers: Employers are responsible for making sure the work done for them is safe. To achieve this they are expected to: identify hazards, manage those hazards (by either eliminating them, isolating them, or minimising them, in that order of preference), provide suitable

PAGE 18

protective clothing and equipment to staff (this includes providing helmets to quad bike riders), provide safety information to staff, and to provide training or supervision so that work is done safely.

Duties of self employed: Self-employed people have a number of responsibilities in relation to a safe workplace. Self-employed people must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that nothing they do at work harms themselves or any other person. This includes considering health and safety issues in their planning of work activities. Although there is no law requiring the use of helmets for off-road quad bike use, wearing a helmet is considered to be a practicable safety step to ensure that a quad bike is operated safely. If a prosecution is laid, as a result of an accident where a helmet is not used, the Courts may judge the use of a helmet was a practicable step that should have been taken to ensure a quad bike rider’s safety.

Duties of employees: While employers have duties to ensure a safe working environment for employees, employees also have a role in ensuring their own health and safety, and that of people around them.

Flowing from this general responsibility, employees have specific responsibilities to take all practicable steps to use protective equipment and to wear protective clothing provided by the employer or by the employee him or herself. They also have a specific responsibility to know about and follow their workplace’s health and safety practices and procedures, including reporting of work-related accidents, illnesses and injuries, and hazards.

Training Employers are responsible for making sure that inexperienced riders have the knowledge and skills they need to ride a quad bike safely, that the rider understands them, and is closely supervised until they show themselves to be competent.

This means that before an employee operates a quad the employer has either supervised the employee using a quad and is confident that they have the knowledge and experience to use the quad safely. Or the employer is confident that the employee is adequately trained in the safe use of a quad. For example the employee may have passed a quad bike safety course, and also have 10 years riding experience.

Ultimately the responsibility of operating a quad bike competently lies with the operator. It is crucial that the employer has full confidence that the operator has the appropriate skills and or training to operate the vehicle, before they are asked to use it.

Health and Safety Policy The Department of Labour has indicated that the quad bike strategy is the first step in a wider agricultural safety project that is expected to run for the next few years. Given the greater attention that farmers will receive from health and safety inspectors it is becoming increasingly important that employers have an appropriate health and safety policy.

The main aim of such a policy is to assist the employer to reduce the likelihood of a serious accident occurring on the farm. Complying with the HSE Act is important, as not only can it help keep people safe at work, but the penalties under the HSE Act are also serious.

Additional information We ask that if any members are visited by a Department inspector and have questions or concerns to please contact us.

For more information on the Federation’s position on quad bike safety, please contact Matt Scott Policy Advisor Phone: 0800 327 646 Email: mscott@fedfarm.org.nz

CONFERENCE SNAPS

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE Article courtesy of http://www.healthandsafety.net.nz

Controlling Noise:

Making it a Top Priority

Many employees are not aware of the numerous health problems noise can cause. Noise is something we’re so used to tuning out but if it is loud enough it can still affect the way we normally function. Loud frequencies of sound can prevent us from understanding crucial information which someone is communicating to us and also trigger health problems.

Through health and safety training we can learn how to prevent hearing loss and minimize noise related stress to our bodies.

When you own a business, there are a number of different factors that must be considered in order for things to run smoothly and according to plan. It is challenging to get things going and ensure that all bases are covered as far as appliances, finances, equipment, and employees are concerned, but one of the most important concepts to focus on as a successful business owner is the health and safety of the people working for you as well as your clientele base. You want to take all the precautions you can to make sure people are well aware of how to stay safe and how to think critically under compelling circumstances.

If we are exposed to loud decibels of noise for an extended period of time our bodies can suffer from hypertension, high blood pressure, ulcers and other serious health problems. Safety Training regulations emphasize the use of ear plugs, ear muffs, or other standard hearing protectors in work environments that have abnormally high decibels of noise. Hearing protectors cancel out most of the sound we are exposed to allowing us to function normally during our day to day tasks. By learning how to use hearing protectors in health and safety training we will be able to perform our tasks without compromising our health.

Safety posters put up in high decibel noise areas will remind employees to put on hearing protectors to prevent hearing loss. Safety posters will outline the steps to wearing protective gear correctly so employees do not suffer from bodily harm while working in these high risk areas. Usually workplaces that expose their staff to high decibels of noise regularly perform audiometric testing to determine the hearing sensitivity of each employee. The test will conclude if each employee’s hearing sensitivity is within normal range. If a physician finds that significant hearing damage has occurred other hearing protector and safety training options are explored to prevent further injury to employees. In certain cases the employees have a right to refuse to perform the tasks at hand until sufficient hearing protectors are provided to maintain their health and well being in the workplace.

Health and safety training guidelines help staff become aware of the warning signs that noise levels are at abnormally high decibels and the steps to take to avoid further exposure. Health and safety training not only covers occupational noise exposure but also other important topics such as fire safety, electrical safety, chemical safety, and manual handling.

Safety posters are available in the market with all of these topics in mind to outline the important safety procedures in a variety of emergency situations. Safety posters can be put up in bathrooms, high risk areas, in the cafeteria and break room so staff will take the time to read them.

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One of the best ways to keep things running smoothly is to create a positive work environment. When people are laughing and smiling, they tend to enjoy their work more, remain atop of their tasks, and create a welcoming atmosphere for customers. Additionally, a positive workplace is a more stress free environment, so it serves as motivation to enjoy your time spent on the job.

Sanitation is a key factor in workplace health and safety. It is a wise decision to keep hand sanitizer on tap in the workplace so germs are unable to spread from one person to the next. Particularly in the fall and winter, people are more likely to come down with illnesses, so keeping the germs at bay is a great way to ensure health. Labeling materials is a must in the workplace. Making sure that hazardous materials are made aware is incremental to the safety of everyone in the establishment. To remain on top of the safety realm, it is important to make sure everyone is dressed appropriately for the environment. Shoes, protective gear, and appropriate clothing can be the difference between injury and safety in certain situations.

On top of clothing, labeling, and attitude, informing employees of how to react in an emergency situation could end up saving a life. Fire safety, earthquake safety, injury safety, CPR, and thorough knowledge of how to go about any unforeseen circumstance could be a life changing precaution. If you are opening or running a business, it is important to make note of all the factors that play a role in the functionality of a healthy, safe, and flourishing work environment. When workplace health and safety is fully accounted for then the success of your business will be much more highly valued.

Protect yourself and your employees against harm with vital safety supplies such as protective clothing and safety signs

We take fencing seriously.

Being a FCANZ Silver Partner means more to us than just supplying quality timber, fencing products, pole sheds, drainage and tools. The “Partner” bit means that we will always work together with all our rural customers to ensure that you receive the full benefit of our extensive experience and expertise in the trade. So if you’re planning to fence or build on the farm, look for the Partner who takes every job as seriously as you do and only settle for the real deal in quality materials, competitive quotes, top brand tools and specialist advice.

There are plenty of other reasons why adding us to your supplier list is a good idea too: • As a FCANZ Silver Partner, we offer heaps of great deals • We’ve got an awesome loyalty programme called Advantage • We’ve got over 50 branches dotted about the countryside • One account everywhere – you can use your Carters account at any of our branches Call us now on 0800 CARTERS and see how we can make fencing easier for you.

www.carters.co.nz PAGE 21

do your actions inspire others?

Martin Sargent

While leadership is easy to explain, leadership is not so easy to practise.

Leadership is about behaviour first, skills second. Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect them, rather than the skills they possess.

Have faith in people to do great things - given space and air and time, everyone can achieve more than they hope for. Provide people with relevant interesting opportunities, with proper measures and rewards and they will more than repay your faith.

Leadership is different to management. Management relies more on planning, organisational and communications skills. Leadership relies on management skills too, but more so on qualities such as integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, confidence, positivity, wisdom, determination, compassion and sensitivity. Some people are born more naturally to leadership than others. Most people don’t seek to be a leader. Those who want to be a leader can develop leadership ability.

Take difficult decisions bravely, and be truthful and sensitive when you implement them.

Leadership can be performed with different styles. Some leaders have one style, which is right for certain situations and wrong for others. Some leaders can adapt and use different leadership styles for given situations.

Constantly seek to learn from the people around you - they will teach you more about yourself than anything else. They will also tell you 90% of what you need to know to achieve your business goals.

Embrace change, but not for change’s sake. Begin to plan your own succession as soon as you take up your new post, and in this regard, ensure that the only promises you ever make are those that you can guarantee to deliver.

As a leader, your main priority is to get the job done, whatever the job is.

Leaders make things happen. As a leader you must know yourself, know your own strengths and weaknesses, so that you can build the best team around you.

Plan carefully, with your people where appropriate, on how you will achieve your aims. Leadership can be daunting for many people simply because no one else is issuing the aims - leadership often means you have to create your own from a blank sheet of paper. Set and agree clear standards. Keep the right balance between ‘doing’ yourself and managing others ‘to do the doing’.

Build teams. Ensure you look after people and that communications and relationships are first class. Select good people and help them to develop. Develop people by agreeing objectives and responsibilities that will interest and stretch them, and always support people while they strive to improve and take on extra tasks. Follow the rules about delegation closely. Good leadership principles must cascade down through the whole organisation. This means that the processes for managing, communicating and developing your people are in place and working properly.

Communication is critical. Listen, consult, involve, explain why as well as what needs to be done.

Some leaders lead by example and are very ‘hands on’; others are more distanced and let their people do it. Whatever the way you work and conduct yourself will be the most you can possibly expect from your people. If you set low standards you are to blame for low standards in your people. “... Praise loudly, blame softly.” (Catherine the Great). Follow this maxim.

If you seek one single most important behaviour that will rapidly earn you respect and trust among your people, this is it: Always give your people the credit for your achievements and successes. Never take the credit yourself - even if it’s all down to you, which would be unlikely anyway. You must however take the blame and accept responsibility for any failings or mistakes that your people make. Never never never publicly blame another one of your people for a failing. Their failing is your responsibility - true leadership offers no hiding place for a true leader.

Take time to listen to and really understand your people. Walk the job.

Ask and learn about what people do and think, and how they think improvements can be made.

Accentuate the positive. Express things in terms of what should be done, not what should not be done. If you accentuate the negative, people are more likely to veer towards it.

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?

Are you a FCNZ Member yet Go to: www.fencingcontractors.co.nz

wet weather driving tips In stormy conditions, it is more difficult to see other vehicles, road signs and the road itself. It is critical to make sure you can see and be seen.

with a few sweeps, then run on an almost-dry screen and leave smears of drying dirt. Don’t be afraid to use the windscreen washers liberally

First and foremost: slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather.

Heavy rain - Heavy rain can overload the wiper blades, allowing an almost continuous sheet of water to flow over the screen. When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. It is best to stop at rest areas or other protected areas. If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes, seldom more than a few minutes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers.

Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes.

Maintain proper following distance (3 Second Rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather.

Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you.

Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tyres reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.

Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. Watch out for brake lights in front of you.

Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they’ll help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better.

Take extra care off-road: it’s hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck, even in an SUV. Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. At night rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windscreen, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue. In rainy conditions pedestrians, livestock, and wildlife are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid.

Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it; your car could be swept off the road.

When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car’s electrical system.

If possible, don’t drive during heavy thunderstorms. Large flashes of lightning can temporarily blind and disorient drivers, and the accompanying high winds and heavy rain can create deadly driving conditions.

Slow down! This should be obvious but it also very important. People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that sometimes they forget the need to slow down when inclement weather presents itself.

Before you go - Wet-weather driving demands gentle use of all the main controls - steering, clutch, brake and accelerator - and a larger allowance for errors and emergencies. When you begin a journey in rain, your shoes will be wet and liable to slip off the pedals. Scuff the soles on the rubber matting or carpeting of the car before you start the engine. All motorists should regularly check that their headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signals are working properly.

How are your tyres? - Check your tyres on a regular basis. Bald tyres significantly reduce your traction on wet roadways, and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. When your tyres run over water, the water is displaced and it needs somewhere to go quickly. The best place is between the treads of your tyres. If your tyres are bald, the water has no place to go and you end up riding on a layer of water, like a boat.

Turn on your wipers - Replace your wipers regularly, at least once a year.

Wiper blades in bad condition don’t clear water from the windshield very well and distort your view. Older vehicles may need to have the whole wiper arm replaced. The arms bend over time and sometimes can’t keep enough downward pressure to clear the windscreen, even with new blades installed. Wipers will often clear light rain from the windscreen

Foggy windows - Rain or high humidity can quickly cause windows to mist up inside the car. In a car equipped with air conditioning, turn up the heat and direct the airflow to your defrosters with the AC switch engaged.

(Many cars automatically engage the AC when switched to the defrost mode.) In a car without AC the procedure is the same, but you may need to open your side windows to get the air moving. Most modern cars have a built-in rear window defroster that easily clears a misted rear windscreen by heating up electrodes embedded in the glass. If you don’t have one, put your defroster on high and its hot air will eventually follow the inside of the roof down to the rear window. If the car has swiveling dashboard vents, adjust them so that the air flow strikes the upper edge of the side windows. The airflow will clear the side windows first, finally traveling to the rear of the car. If all else fails, a rag or article of clothing will work as well; you’ll just need to clear the window more often. Drivers should regularly clean their windshield and windows, both on the inside and outside, to help them see in good and bad weather. Smokers need to take extra care to make sure their interior windows are clear of a buildup of smoke residue.

Handling a skid - Losing control of your car on wet road is a frightening experience. You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Brake before entering the curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. If you find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. This procedure, known as “steering into the skid,” will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you “steer into the skid.”

Motorway driving - Leave lots of space between you and the car in front because it takes longer to stop. You’re supposed to leave a few seconds between cars in dry weather. Make sure you add space in wet weather because if you have to hit the brakes hard, your tires will lock up, you will hydroplane and you will most likely hit the car in front of you. Oily deposits - Rain is most dangerous when it falls after a long, dry spell on to roads that have become polished and smooth: the rain blends with oil and rubber-dust deposits on the road surface to form a highly dangerous skid mixture. That mixture builds up at intersections, where cars stop and start frequently. Be extra careful immediately after it starts raining because it takes a while for the worst of the dirt and oil to get washed off the road.

Driving Through Water - Where water has flooded onto the road, drive very slowly and cautiously. Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it: you and your car could be swept off the road, possibly finishing you both. Stop the car before entering the flooded area and check the water level ahead. Almost like hitting a wall: you will first lose control, then come to a violent stop, possibly injuring your passengers as well. Watch out for places where floodwater collects, particularly lowlying roads adjacent to streams, and dips under rail or highway bridges.

Check your brakes - If you successfully pass through a deep water hazard, test your brakes. They may be saturated, and only driving very slowly and braking lightly at the same time will generate enough heat to dry them out. Be sure they are pulling evenly on all wheels before building up speed again.

Drive Safe. Courtesy of Smartmotorist.com

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NEW ZEALAND FENCERS ON THE JOB

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NEW ZEALAND FENCERS ON THE JOB (contd)

PAGE 25

DEALING wITH UNDERGROUND SERvICES

Paul Fitzsimmons

Any contractor who makes holes in the ground, will at some point have to contend with underground services. These can include, but are not limited to, power cables, telephone cables, fibre optic communications cables, gas lines, oil pipe lines, water pipes, stormwater, and sewers. Whilst the majority of rural fencing is installed well away from these services, rural fencers do encounter them on occasion, and industrial fencers who work predominantly in built up areas deal with them on a daily basis.

Often we will see evidence of services on the surface of the ground, for example junction boxes, electrical kiosks, patches in asphalt, and occasionally visible trenches.

The procedure with dealing with all services is basically the same, and is covered by the OSH’s publication “Guide for Safety with Underground Services”. Contact should be made with the local service providers in the first instance, to enquire if their network is in the area where you are working. Many companies will provide plans of their networks on request, (For example Orion, the owner of the electricity network in Canterbury have an excellent mapping service) and some will provide a free location service, especially if you are working in the vicinity of fibre optic cables.

Once you have established that there are services in your work area, the next step is to accurately locate them. This can be done by a variety of means, either electronically, or by potholing. Most electronic locators use metal (e.g. copper wire) inside the cable to generate a signal, and if there is no metal in the cable it can make location extremely difficult. Examples where metal may not be present are fibre optic cables, plastic gas lines, water, and sewer pipes. Services can also be located using sub-surface radar, and although this is a much more time consuming method, it can be used to locate services which do not contain metal.

Theo from Underground Service Locators Scanning for Services on a KC Fence Systems Site Once the position of the services have been marked on the surface of the ground, you should still pothole to ensure accuracy. Only then should you commence your project works. Failure to locate underground services on your site could result in potentially expensive and/or life threatening damage.

Some useful resources are: www.osh.dol.govt.nz/order/catalogue/ipp/underground.pdf www.undergroundlocators.co.nz www.beforeudig.co.nz www.oriongroup.co.nz/secure-login-cables.aspx

Should be the next Tui advert...

ticle r a n a e v e ha w e g a p On this of our members. from one

Come on guys – we hear it plenty of times “ must get that story to you” – “hey took a great picture the other day – must sent it to you” – “ just finished a great job; looks fantastic, should write an article about it” ... will pull finger! Get that story to us!

And don’t say “what’s the date for the next WIRED – I’d get a story out if I know what date etc…” It doesn’t matter what the actual date for the next edition is – we attempt to get at least 3 editions out per year….we would love to have a number of articles on file so we can put them in as we require them!

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.

t Yeah righ

Also a call out to all the guys – and yes you know who you are – who have made comments towards the WIRED – cool, there have been some great ideas from you – but talk is cheap – put pen to paper and start walking the talk! ….and don’t say “mate if I only had the time” because, mate, none of us have got the time – you know the average of 5 days unpaid work to get the WIRED out sort of time!

This is an Industry magazine – that only works if we have a number of different views from within the industry – we have a huge wealth of knowledge and skills within this industry – let’s start publishing the fact... let’s start walking the talk...

beforeUdig is a big ‘hit’ with new zealand The New Zealand utility sector has introduced a national one call service to protect community life and essential infrastructure. The new service is entitled beforeUdig and has already been adopted by Vector, Chorus (Telecom) Transpower and other major utilities and local government bodies in New Zealand.

“We’re confident that the service will reduce unnecessary outages for customers caused by damage to underground cables by making it easier for contractors and other diggers to get the information they need”, commented Chorus’ CEO, Mark Ratcliffe.

beforeUdig is a free service, unless require an onsite Locator where some Utilities may charge on some type of cable or pipe locates.

Vector CEO Simon Mackenzie agreed and said that Vector has recognised the need for an initiative such as beforeUdig for some time and had proactively pursued the introduction of this process into New Zealand.

PelicanCorp (NZ) Limited, an international company with experience in delivering IT solutions and business services, is providing the beforeUdig service.

PelicanCorp Director Stephen Hodgens said that the new initiative will benefit anyone undertaking projects that involve digging or excavations in the ground – whether it is the home handyman or major construction company.

“By having access to a National one call service, people can find out if there are pipes or cables in the area where they want to work. This information will help minimise any potential situation that could result in personal injury or damage to underground infrastructure,” Mr Hodgens said.

Chorus, Telecom’s new network access business has contracted beforeUdig to be the first point of contact for all digging-related enquiries to reduce the risk of damage to network cables caused by digging.

“Vector has been using beforeUdig since January 2008. There is enormous value in having a coordinated central point for utilities, councils and contractors to access information on buried utility assets for many years and is a significant improvement over the current process.

A snapshot of the beforeUdig service today as it celebrates their first anniversary of operation:• The service has over 22,000 registered users lodging beforeUdig enquiries • Over 1000 new users registering every month • 50% of all enquiries are lodged by users via the internet • Over 20,000 dig site notifications are generated each month You can use this service and lodge dig site enquiries via the beforeUdig web site at www.beforeudig.co.nz or free call 0800 344 747.

Don’t find those hidden underground assets by accident

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guidelines for establishing a charge-out rate for a service business Andrew Cave Many service businesses find establishing a fair charge-out rate difficult.

You obviously don’t want to be uncompetitive in your charge-out rates.

But you also don’t want to set an unrealistically low charge-out rate that means you’re struggling to get anywhere. Here are some guidelines on establishing a fair but profitable rate for your business.

How to work it out These are the six basic steps to take when working out a charge-out rate for your time: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Decide what income you want from your business.

Work out how many hours you can realistically charge out each year.

Work out a chargeable rate to achieve your income.

Work out your overhead costs, and an additional hourly rate to cover these costs.

5. Add a profit margin.

6. Check your rate against the competition.

1. Decide what income you want Your target income should be based on things such as the standard of living you want, what you could earn elsewhere as a salary, or what you could earn by investing your money elsewhere, plus a risk margin for being in business.

Let’s start by assuming that you want an annual income of at least $36,000 (before tax) from your business.

2. How many hours can you realistically charge out?

Be realistic about the number of hours you can charge out each year. For example, if you work 40 hours a week every week of the year, you could theoretically work 40 x 52 = 2,080 hours in a year.

But this doesn’t take account of holidays (say four weeks), statutory holidays (another two weeks) and sick leave (say another week). So the working year now shrinks to a more realistic 45 weeks of 40 hours, or a total of 1,800 hours.

But it is still unrealistic to imagine you can bill out all these hours. Some of your time will be taken up with non-chargeable activities such as administrative tasks, banking, meetings, tendering for work, promotional work, waiting for work and travel time, tea and other breaks.

One way to find out how much time you’re spending on such tasks is to keep a diary for a week, or longer if appropriate. Let’s assume at a conservative estimate that these non-chargeable tasks take up 25 percent of your time.

So one quarter (450) of the 1,800 available hours needs to be deducted for these tasks. Subtracting 450 from 1,800 leaves you with a total of 1,350 chargeable hours.

3. Working out your charge-out rate to cover your income requirements Now you can work out a charge-out rate to cover the income you want from the business. You’re aiming to earn a minimum of $36,000 and you’re able to charge out 1,350 hours yearly. To get an income of $36,000 you must therefore charge your time out at $36,000 divided by 1,350, or $26.67 an hour. To this you must also add the ACC levy appropriate to your line of work. Ask your accountant how much you should add on to cover this. Let’s say the ACC levy rate for your activity is 4 percent. So $26.67 plus 4% = $27.74.

So in order to earn $36,000 a year, you must at least charge your time out at $28.00 (rounded up from $27.74).

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4. Work out your overhead costs, and an additional hourly rate to cover these costs Your charge out rate needs to cover your overhead costs or you will be running at a loss. Your overheads should be detailed in your business plan or cashflow forecasts. Or you can check your previous Profit and Loss Statement to identify them.

Let’s assume, for this exercise, that they are something of this order: Accounting fee $1,000 Advertising $2,000 Cleaning $500 Depreciation $1,000 General expenses $500 Heat, light, power $1,000 Insurance $600 Legal fees $600 Motor vehicle $3,000 Printing $800 Rent $6,500 Repairs and maintenance $900 Telephone $1,200 Other $200 TOTAL $19,800 Let’s round this off to $20,000. So $20,000 divided by the 1,350 hours means you need to add another $14.81 to your hourly charge-out rate of $27.74, taking it to $42.55.

5. Adding a profit margin So far the charge-out rate will enable you to achieve your required income, plus an extra amount per hour to cover your business expenses.

There’s one extra factor to add: a profit margin. In addition to making your target salary of $36,000, you also need to make a profit margin. This profit margin is compensation for the risks you take when you run your own business, rather than working in paid employment.

A profit margin of 15 percent would be $6.38 an hour, taking your final charge-out rate to $48.93. So realistically your charge out rate should be at least $49.00 an hour, or $55.13 per hour if you’re quoting on a GST inclusive basis. (GST of 12.5% per hour on $49.00 = $6.13).

6. Is the rate competitive?

At this stage you might be worried that the charge-out rate is uncompetitive compared to what others in your industry charge.

In some cases you might have to remain within an industry scale of fees.

In any event you do have to be aware of the average in your industry as you might struggle to get work if you are a long way out.

Here are some options: Lower than average If your calculated charge-out rate is lower than the industry average, then you don’t have a problem - instead you have an opportunity to earn a better income and you can set your sights higher. For example, if you determine that your charge-out rate should be $49.00 per hour and you know the industry average is $60.00 per hour, you can raise your rate to this level or close to it.

Charging too little for your skills and services can be as bad for business as charging too much because it can undermine people’s confidence in you. They might wonder why you are so much cheaper than others.

Higher than average If your charge-out rate is higher than the industry average, then: • It may be that other new start-ups are charging at unrealistic levels. There is little you can do to counter this problem. Your one consolation is that these people are not likely to be in business for long, but in the meantime they have spoilt the market for others.

• Go over all the figures carefully again. Is anything unrealistic? One way to lower your charge-out rate is increase the number of hours you can charge out. For example, if you can bill out at $49.50 per

hour, and there is plenty of work around, does it make sense for you to do administrative tasks that someone else could do at, say, $15.00 per hour? Increasing your billable hours will allow you to decrease your charge-out rate per hour and perhaps make your rate more industry competitive.

• If your rate is still well above average, then you might look at emphasising the value-added components that justify the difference, such as guarantees, superior quality and service, backup and training.

FCANZ are displaying these corflute signs on prominent fences throughout New Zealand.

Contact Alan Rennie if you want to help with getting the word out.

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MAkE THIS YOUR MOST PROFITABLE YEAR Some very cost-effective ways to put a few more dollar in the “Profit Bucket”:

Increase Prices • • • • •

Raise prices Eliminate discounts (or lower discount %) Services: redefine what business you are really in Push higher priced products, weed out low profit products Use marketing to convey your differentiation and value

Increase sales and customer retention • Improve customer retention through better customer services, better communications, increased value-add • Cross-sell additional products or services • Upsell to higher priced, higher value products • Serve your most profitable customers well • Leverage additional sales and distribution channels

Invoice!

• Invoice promptly • Make sure invoices are complete and accurate • Use technology and automation to tighten invoicing and collection processes

Improve productivity • • • • • •

Reduce waste through controls Train employees Automate routine tasks Upgrade inefficient equipment Supplement tracking systems and analytics (a.la. Google) Ask employees for cost-saving suggestions.

Reduce fixed costs • • • • •

Find smaller premises; sublet; move Employ part-time staff in place of full-time Subcontract to independent contractors Do preventative maintenance Reduce staff if necessary

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Reduce variable costs • • • • • •

Negotiate better deals with suppliers Find less expensive suppliers Take advantage of advance purchase discounts Find cheaper materials and supplies (assuming quality is still there) Hold online meetings instead of traveling If it’s not essential, eliminate

Manage capital wisely • Keep your books up to date, and review P&L versus budget forecasts regularly • Know your key performance indicators: customer acquisition cost; gross profit margin • Offer advance payment discounts • Put slow payers on “watch list” • Collect past due invoices quickly and personally • Don’t over invest in inventory • Insist on shopping for alternatives • Negotiate for as much time as possible to pay your creditors (e.g., 30 – 45 day terms) • Make loan and credit card payments on time, to avoid extra interest and penalties

Be tax smart • Keep good up-to-date records to take advantage of all deductions • Actively engage in tax planning • Follow your tax calendar scrupulously to avoid unnecessary penalties, interest, and late fees

BECOME A MEMBER

If you haven’t already joined the FCANZ now’s the time

Why join?

The FCANZ committee is predominantly governed by Fencing Contractors who are volunteering considerable amounts of time to ort and we would like to welcome you on board.

We have various forms of membership.

Fencing Contractor - $100.00 per annum.

Retired Fencer - Farmer - $110.00 per annum.

Training Institute/Trust - $110.00 per annum Associate Commercial member $500.00 per annum.

All above members get a free subscription to WIRED. So why join, in a nutshell - because your a Fencing Contractor or you’re involved in Fencing.

le of fencing as a profession • Opportunity to network and communicate with likeminded people throughout the country • Access to training including ATV and chainsaw courses cate in Fencing • Free copy of WIRED publication ( 4 issues per year) • Association Days around the Regions • Support from industry providers • Annual Conference

1. DETAILS OF APPLICANT Name of person, Firm or Company/Other Business Address

Postcode Telephone No Fax No. Email Website Contact Name Mobile No. Age:(for market statistics purposes)

2. CATEGORY

3. STAFF

Date business was established How long have you been in business as?

Years

you directly employ if any?

Months

Fencing contractor Manufacturer/Supplier

Please state number of Directors/Admin/Managers

Other

4. SUBSCRIPTION TYPE

The main activity of the business is: Fencing Contractor

please tick

Manufacturer/Supplier

If you are a fencing contractor do you?

Work on a supply and install basis?

Fencing Contractor - $100.00 per annum

Other

Retired Fencer - Farmer - $60.00 per annum

please tick

Training Institute/Trust - $60.00 per annum

Work on labour only basis

Associate Commercial member $500.00 per annum

Please make cheques payable to FCANZ & post to: FCANZ, PO Box 19-389, Hamilton 3244

WIRED SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual Subscriptions to WIRED ( for non members of FCANZ only) $35.00 per annum - 4 issues (NZ only). Overseas rates available POA. erent) Address Ph email

Occupation/Business

Please make cheque payable to FCANZ & post to: FCANZ, PO Box 19-389, Hamilton 3244

PAGE 31

COMMITTEE LISTING

The FCANZ committee has formed subcommittees to progress proceedings Nigel Broadbridge – President 03 325 7779 021 433 623 president@fencingcontractors.co.nz

Paul Fitzsimmons 03 374 3510 027 432 9381 paul@kcfencesystems.co.nz

Mike Samuel 03 448 9339 027 245 4090 mikesamuel@clear.net.nz

Robert Best (Registered Fencing Contractors) 09 238 4833 027 282 7090

John Noakes 03 528 6388 027 446 4413 noakesjc@gmail.com

Andrew Cave 06 376 5992 027 296 3504 andrew@contractfencing.co.nz

Alan Rennie 06 382 5555 027 450 6420 taihapefencing@hotmail.com

Administration 05 084 FCANZ (0508 4 32269) info@fencingcontractors.co.nz FCANZ P.O. Box 19-389 Hamilton 3244 www.fencingcontractors.co.nz

SPONSORS, PARTNERS STRATEGIC

SILVER

BRONZE

GOLD

LB & T HARE LTD AFFILIATIONS, TRUSTS, TRAINING INSTITUTES LB & T HARE TRAINING SERVICES LTD Forestry and Agricultural Specialist Providing NZQA Accredited Training to the Rural Sector

THE FENCING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF NZ Ph 0508 4 FCANZ (0508 4 32269) www.fencingcontractors.co.nz

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