Aussie Painting Contractor September

Issue 12 September, 2012

Aussie Painting Contractor 2013 Victorian PGA Championship TRIP FOR TWO (2) MEMBERS

Success Formula for Networking Events

Achieving work life balance #5

Daily Balance

Does your Business Need an Etiquette Lesson?

Venetian Plaster Women Painters Shine at the Hibiscus!

Join Aussie Painters Network and Receive...

• • • • • • • • • •

Instant access to our pricing and estimating guides Quotation guide to assist you when quoting Work Method Statement and Risk Assessment Guide Special Pricing with Resene Paints (Lower Paint Prices) Personal service and phone advice Web Listing for prospective customers to find you easily Free targeted online marketing & advertising Back-links to assist you in SEO rankings Your own page on homepaintersinfo.com Painter Help section if you are looking for work or looking for painters to help

• Have your details listed in 5 postcode areas If now is not the right time to subscribe we can still offer you a complimentary One (1 ) page listing in our ‘Find a Painter’ section.

A Chance to WIN!!

TRIP FOR TWO (2) MEMBERS

5 day package

Compete in the Pro Am, Accommodation, a seat at the Championship Dinner and a ticket to the Corporate Marquee during the Championship. *Conditions Apply

$49.97 is all you pay for one year’s subscription

September Special

• Purchase 60L mixed of Resene Paint at your normal discounted pricing structure • Receive 2 X 63mm Smooth Coat Wall or Cutting In Brushes, 2 X Drop Sheets (Plastic), 2 X Rolls of Packmate Blue Long Life Masking Tape 24mm AND a “Painters Kit” (assorted giveaways such as Caps, T Shirts, Stubby Coolers, Can openers, Fan deck, and much much more!!)

E E R F r o f

CONTENTS 6 Editor Editor Nigel Gorman

Deputy Editor Caroline Miall

CONTRIBUTORs Belinda Ross Caroline Miall Jennie Gorman Jim Baker Leanne Staff Michael Farrugia Mel Holzworth Nigel Gorman Stephanie Gadd Tamara Simon GRAPHIC DESIGN J.Anne Delgado

7 Member Consultant 2013 Victorian PGA Championship

8 TRIP FOR TWO (2) MEMBERS Achieving work life balance #5

9

Daily Balance

Super Clearing House for Small Business

11

12

16

22

25

Does your Business Need an Etiquette Lesson?

Outsourcing with Cloud Software Success Formula for Networking Events Budget for Your Website

26 VENETIAN PLASTER

28 30

32 33

50 Shades of Playroom Fun! Women Painters Shine at the Hibiscus!

Industry Idiots Important Contacts

A warm welcome to spring at last!

I’m sure most of us will be happy to bid farewell to winter.

As spring approaches, so does a feeling of renewal and possibility!

This month we’re celebrating the recent release of our first hard copy edition of Aussie Painting Contractor.

You’ll probably start seeing them pop up around the paint stores; grab a copy – it’s a compilation of the best of the past issues, and some new stuff that may interest.

We know there are still those of us who like to have something tangible to flick through, so enjoy. If your local supplier doesn’t have any, let us know and we’ll send some on.

From the Editor

Nigel Gorman nigel@homepaintersinfo.com

0430 399 800

I suggest you read some of the information supplied by our writers which are experts in their field of expertise; you may actually learn something that will assist you in making your business more profitable.

Are your HR (Human Resource) Policies up to date with the current legislation? If not, check out page 10 for an easy way of making them right.

Don’t forget to check out the Industry Idiots page, I hope you think twice before you try some of their tricks.

Happy Painting till next month.

Opinions and viewpoints expressed in Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Home Painters Info staff or related parties. The publisher, Home Painters Info and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. All information contained in Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making any business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Howdy all!

Thanks for all of your great feedback over the past month!

We have been working on exciting developments for our members and as you can see in this edition of Aussie Painting Contractor we have a very very exciting competition running for the 2013 Victorian PGA Championship. All you have to do to go in the draw for this fabulous prize is to become a member of Aussie Painters Network for an annual investment of only $49.97 and share your story and business in our emag.

Welcome to our new members, please feel free to visit us on our Forum or to email us with feedback, suggestions or any other questions relevant to our industry.

This month has been the issue of our very first Hard copy edition of Aussie Painting Contractor. We have been busy trying to distribute copies to various Paint retailers so if you are handed a copy, enjoy the read. This magazine will be issued in hard copy format quarterly to distribute to painters.

Until next time, happy painting and remember, for a small investment of only $49.97 membership with Aussie Painters Network, you will receive great member benefits and go into the running for our PGA competition. Any apprentices can join Aussie Painters Network and use our benefits as educational tools for when they go out on their own to paint.

Cheers!

Membership Consultant

Stephanie Gadd steph@homepaintersinfo.com

0433 724 794

We are offering 2 Members of Aussie Painters Network

a once in a life time golfing experience.

What you will receive

5 day package (twin share accommodation), COMPETE in the Pro Am, a seat at the Championship Dinner and a ticket to the Corporate Marquee during the Championship.

Home of the Victorian

PGA Championship

*Conditions Apply

Visit our website : aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au Call us at 07 30401234 0430 399 800 Send us an Email info@homepaintersinfo.com

January 16 - Pro Am January 17-20 - Tournament

Here’s to another fantastic tournament in the Forest!

Achieving Work Life Balance #5

Daily Balance

It makes sense, really, that if we want to achieve a better balance between our work and personal life, we should start by seeking a little bit more of it every day, in everything. Being conscious of balance in your everyday life and striving to maintain a healthy equilibrium; in sleep habits, food consumption, drinking, exercise, leisure etc., put simply, that’s what overall health is all about. It’s when we allow ourselves too little or too much of what we need and/or want that things can start to go awry for us.

Awareness of what balance ‘looks like’ in your life is key. Nutrition and exercise for example; we know that eating right and being active doesn’t always come easily and our culture has made it so that we don’t need to move much, and convenience foods are relied upon. How many of us just loathe exercise for the sake of it?

Finding the healthier foods that you actually like, and the exercise that, for you, feels more like an escape – these are the little things that help you gain the health and balance to live your best.

Try to achieve a balance between the daily grind, and the more memorable times too. Keep yourself inspired by the dreams you may have forgotten you even had, and write your Bucket List!

Don’t wait till you’re old; start chipping away at it now. Having it in black and white should help you seek opportunities to make them happen.

Being mindful and aware of your own impact on your life doesn’t mean you need to go and join a yoga class, or learn how to meditate (although that is brilliant, just not easy for us all), it’s about making the small choices through your days and weeks be the ones which will have a positive effect.

Good behaviours that result in more contented, balances lives are modelled, learned and shared. So, all of the small things you do for the betterment of yourself will be noticed by your children.

Make it your business to know what is going to be good for you and share it with them. They’ll thank you when they’re older, as this balance will come more easily as part of their routines, not in spite of them.

Super Clearing House for Small Business

To help reduce red tape, the Government provides a free online superannuation ‘clearing house’ service for small business.

How does it work?

Currently, superannuation guarantee must be paid each quarter at a minimum rate of 9% of your employees’ ordinary time earnings.

The Idea behind the clearing house is that your business only needs to make one lump sum payment of superannuation guarantee every quarter to cover all employees.

That is, the clearing house will automatically split up the payment across the various superannuation funds for your employees.

Who qualifies for the service?

Small businesses qualify for the service if they have no more than 19 employees. An ‘employee’ includes full-time, part-time or casual staff.

Go to www.humanservices.gov.au for more information.

Contact us for questions.

Telephone: +617 3808 2868 Fax: +617 3808 8600

Does your Business Need an Etiquette Lesson?

How good is your customer service? Have things been slipping through the cracks and if so, do you know why? Business Systems Specialist, Tamara Simon, has some business etiquette tips.

I don’t know about you but I am constantly amazed at the lack of courtesy which exists today.

I’m a strong believer in good manners and with this technological age, you would think it would be easier than ever to keep in touch.

However, in both business and society generally, I either see less communication rather than more as people choose to email each other for everything rather than phoning someone or leaving their desk to talk to someone; OR I see people, mainly on mobile phones, sharing too much with strangers – be it on trains, buses, planes, in waiting rooms, at the hairdresser etc.

I miss the days before mobile phones - remember what used to happen – we either found a public phone box or simply waited until we got back to the office or home because nothing was that important!

I’m a huge Frasier fan and there is an episode about how Frasier after holding doors open for people, letting cars in, offering people shelter under an umbrella etc; finally explodes when a person takes their table at the coffee house, after he could see Niles and Frasier were politely waiting for the people to leave before sitting down. Frasier picked the man up by the scruff

of the jacket and threw him out the door saying, “You Sir need to be taught an etiquette lesson!”

This outburst is rewarded with applause, recognition in the paper and callers to his show taking this concept to the extreme including placing scorpions through the mail to someone who had been rude to them.

Now I am not suggesting anything as extreme as this – however, why is it that when we can quickly email a thank you or an acknowledgement, we choose not to do this.

I have submitted many articles to organisations and completed many requests for speakers, and in the majority of cases, I don’t even get an acknowledgment email thanking me for the time I have taken to write the article, complete the form etc. It is also rare for me to be advised if my article has been chosen for their publication or I have been selected as the speaker for their event. So unless I do the chasing, I never know.

Even though we are very busy these days, is that really an excuse to be perceived as rude? What perception are we giving our clients and/or staff by our lack of action or attention to detail?

TAKE ANOTHER LOOK

Businesses who are in need of an etiquette lesson

DON’T • Acknowledge applications/resumes when submitted

by potential employees • Advise unsuccessful applicants in a timely manner or sometimes not even at all • Advise clients of estimated and/or updated time frames relevant to their job • Advise clients of changes to estimated costings – particularly when it comes to consultants • Reply to emails and phone calls within 48 hours (or preferably earlier) • Hold a staff meeting on a monthly basis • Update their website at least every three months • Follow up • Thank clients for prompt payment • Thank clients for accepting their fee proposal • Thank potential clients for requesting a fee proposal • Acknowledge each fee proposal request in a timely manner (especially when they either choose not to do the work or can’t do the work) • Thank people for their help – be it staff or clients • Gain feedback from their clients and/or staff on how to improve their business • Value criticism and see it as an opportunity for improvement • Check correspondence for typos, grammar, punctuation etc • Document how their business operates • Write down instructions or information for their clients and/or staff

Tamara Simon was a Queensland Finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards. With extensive experience in over 10 industry sectors including building design, training, auditing and marketing, she is passionate about helping build profitable and sustainable service-based businesses.

Remember, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. If potential clients and/or employees are not treated in a courteous manner, they could be a negative referral for your business when you want them to be either a client/employee; or at the very least a strategic alliance.

In this economic climate, not only are more decisions being made on price; but potential clients are looking for additional value and strong client service. If they are not treated well and made to feel special and valued by you and your staff, they will then deselect you and your business.

So how good is your client service?

Have things been slipping through the cracks and if so, do you know why?

Are your business systems complimenting your client service standards or hindering them?

CALL TAMARA AT :

0438 262 727

Sales Bulletin

September 2012 (002) It is ROLON’s intention to focus upon the supply and support to Retail Outlet. Rolon will of course support and supply to individual painters when geographically necessary.

Ask your local Paint Shop or call us for information

07 3282 0086

Goldstripe Roller •

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1. “Loads up well” – saves time!

2. “Beautiful finish” – excellent quality finish and worth every cent!

3. “Low spatter” – paints the surface not me!

4. “Very easy to clean” – saves me time again!

5. “That fabric is bloody tough” – lasts much longer than those others!

GoldStripe Rollers

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Pick some up

Outsourcing

with Cloud Software

While you are on the roof and up ladders, millions of virtual workers from the Philippines and Asia are exchanging business services to Australian business people for a fraction of what it would cost here in Australia.

These services range from book keeping to graphic design, web design, telemarketing, admin and back office services, programming and social media management.

One of my clients, a successful financial services company has just hired a transcriptionist for $130.00 per week, from the Philippines who will work full time exclusively for him.

Apart from the first question being, how on earth would I go about setting this up, the second question this raises is how do I send them the work that they need to do and how do I communicate?

Up a ladder you are so much closer to the clouds on a daily basis than the average person will ever be. Just translate this to the virtual world and you are on your way to heavenly communication with your virtual employee! You can even do it with your smart phone.

Cloud software has been around for a long time now. Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail are all cloud based email software platforms. What this means is that from any computer anywhere in the world, so long as you have a username and password you are able to login and check your emails.

Cloud software enables you to work with

your virtual worker giving them access to all the information they need in order to get your job done.

A good example of this is a piece of software called Sageone . It is a free invoicing cloud based system enabling you to create, send and manage all your client invoices and quotes.

If you had a degree qualified virtual worker managing this for you for $5.00 per hour, all you would need to do is email them from your smart phone telling them that they need to generate and send an invoice or prepare a quote.

At the end of the day, you can login yourself to keep track of your invoices and quotes.

Billingboss (billingboss.com) is just one of the hundreds of free cloud based software systems online, enabling a virtual worker to help you in your business.

Not only that, your accountant or book keeper can also login creating less work for you each quarter.

Skype, gdocs, SageOne and Xero (accounting cloud based software) are all free cloud based software enabling you to systemise your business, take advantage of the global labour pool and save yourself hundreds of dollars in the process.

Find out more! Please contact Angela on 0414 707 751

Formula for Networking Events The most obvious thing as a networker I notice when going to networking events is that most event goers are not aware of how they can make networking work successfully for themselves and their business.

I believe that there are four things you need to do and understand before networking will reach your expectations.

The first being is to know what, where, why and who your niche market is. What are you looking to achieve when you are going to events? Are you aware of who you are needing to meet for your future success? Why do you want to be in that marketplace? Do you know where you need to be to meet those business people?

These are really crucial questions if you want to get your networking right! Once you are aware of these four questions you can then set out to achieve what you want in the most cost and time effective way. Word of mouth marketing is not a ‘hit and miss’ experience. There is a formula that I believe will bring success once you know your niche and move to that area for your connections.

Prior to going to any event you need to have goals on what you wish to achieve during the time you are there. Are you setting goals and making sure that they come to fruition. It is important that you accomplish what you set out to do and do not leave the event until you have achieved it.

Socialising is very important and you are there to meet new people, so don’t spend the time with people you already know and have developed a relationship with already. Your time with people you know needs to be limited to at least a third of your event time. Be aware of people who appear not to know anyone and support them to meet others. This will help you move into new circles of attendees. Do not leave the event until you have achieved what you went there to do! Don’t be pushy in regards to your business, you are there to learn about the other attendees firstly!

The most important part of any event is your follow up – what you do after you leave and go back to your office.

Make sure you email people you have met that you feel you would like to know better and see again. It is very important that you send a nice friendly email WITHOUT any promotion on what you do in your business. One of the first turn off’s is when someone emails to say ‘nice to meet you, here is what I do’. That type of email gives you the license to hit the delete button!

Networking is all about relationship building and giving without expectation on return. Your first priority is to learn as much as you can about the person you are making contact with, asking them for more and deciding if you wish to meet them again on a one-on-one basis or at a future event. It is important that the email you send states what your intentions are in regards to learning about them. Remember, you do not know who they know or you may be looking for someone for your network who does what they are doing or you may just want to know them better and develop a personal business relationship with them.

We all have different reasons for our networking and it is very easy to just turn up and expect things to happen.

Networking is all about the ACTION you take to make it worthwhile for you and your business future.

Copyright © 2011 Jennie Gorman

Visit my website to find out more.

Click HERE

434 Anzac Av, Kippa-Ring QLD 4021 PO Box 446 Kippa-Ring QLD 4021 P: (07) 3283 8848 F: (07) 3283 8847 E: admin@austplanfs.com.au

Maintain your family’s living standard

If you have a financially dependent family, you should ensure you have enough Life insurance.

If you have a home loan (or other personal debts), you should consider Life, Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) and Critical Illness insurance.

What are the benefits?

By using this strategy, you could: • Provide a lump sum payment to clear your debts, and • Pass on the full value of your assets to your dependants if you pass away.

How does this strategy work?

If you’re like most people, you’ve used debt to fund a range of purchases, including your home.

However, if you die, become totally and permanently disabled or suffer a critical illness, the loan repayments will still need to be made, even though the salary your family has relied upon is temporarily or permanently unavailable.

In the event of your death, your lender may even require the outstanding loan to be repaid immediately, and sometimes the only way to do this is to sell the family home.

To avoid these potential problems, you should consider Life, TPD and Critical Illness insurance.

These insurances can provide a lump sum payment that could be used to clear your debts.

Insurance Premium Funding A lending facility for business clients who wish to spread the cost on annual insurance premiums over monthly instalments so that they can smooth out their cash flow.

Unsecured or secured by policies financed: finance is generally available without tying up the business and personal assets. In most instances no additional security is required. Directors’ guarantees are usually required when financing is $250k.

Flexible financing term: terms of 6 – 12 months, smooths out cash flow by breaking one lump sum into a series of payments over the year.

Finance a variety of insurance types: bundle all insurance costs together, such as PI, Workers Compensation, general business insurance, motor vehicle fleet registrations etc.

Budget with certainty: rate & repayment are fixed for the term.

No ongoing fees: upfront documentation fee is the only fee applicable, competitive interest rates & fixed monthly instalments.

80% of your debtors in your hands

Within 24 hours

Worth thinking about!

Rod and Ian Scanes Phone: (07) 3278 0825 Fax: (07) 3278 0894

Mobile: 0421 383 314 (Rod) 0421 383 315 (Ian)

Email: rscanes@firstcharteredcapital.com.au

Even low levels of lead are harmful Paint Contractors, Parents, Renovators, Child-care Centre Operators,Teachers, Landlords, Agents, Pet-owners: Find out if paint, dust, Soil, drinking water, toy paint, Plastics, ceramics, jewellery, and other items are safe for humans and pets.

Buy a DIY-sampling / lab analysis lead kit The LEAD Group’s lead test kits are the only ones available in Australia for testing a wide variety of samples at a lab (which charges us a charity rate so you pay less).

Order online • print form • fax/call : 1800 626 086 Click here for videos on how to use the sampling kits The LEAD Group is a charity (ABN 25819463114 )

donate NOW

*The water test kit requires less lab work and a lot less interpretation that is why it costs less Prices include postage within Australia, handling, lab charge, results, interpretation & GST.

You take the samples, and send them to Sydney Analytical Labs.

The lab analyses the samples, and we explain the results.

www.lead.org.au

How To Become A Really Successful Painter My name is Jim Baker. I have been a painter for 42 years My book has been thoroughly approved by Dulux, Master and have run my own successful painting business in Brisbane Painters, Be Constructive Qld. and TAFE teachers from various colleges around Australia. 1200 books are being for 27 years under the name of James W. Decorating. given out by Dulux to every final stage painting apprentice At the Dulux National Conference in 2004 and 2006, I won the and Post Trade graduates in Australia each year. It title of Dulux Accredited Painter of the Year for Queensland. is also being used as a reference book by Dulux in New I have also been a finalist in the Action Coach My Business Zealand and a TAFE College in Fiji.

Awards for Best Small Business in 2008, the Dulux Accredited Business Professional finalist in 2011 and the Micro Business If you are looking for improvements in your business, then “How To Become AReally Successful Painter” can Queensland Telstra Business Awards finalist also in 2011. really help you.

When I was first in business, my main concern was to be cheaper than my competitors’ price. Experience has taught me A copy of my book is available by emailing your name that this is not what a client is looking for, which is the reason I and address to jimbaker@notjustapainter.com.au wrote a book, “How To Become A Really Successful Painter”.

If you are in business, or one day want to start up a business, then my book can help you. I can show you how, using a www.housepainteradvice.com.au series of 8 easy steps, your business will be one jump ahead of Regular retail price: your competitors and more profitable. It doesn’t matter if you $25.50 (inclusive of GST and postage). want to be a one man operator or have 50 people working for you. The outcome is the same. Success for your business!

What I have learnt through trial and error, attending seminars, observing how others run their business and being in the trade myself for 42 years, will be of huge benefit to you.

I will show you how to: • Advertise efficiently without spending a fortune.

• Get more exposure.

• Increase the number of your potential clients.

• Win the job even though you are the highest quote.

• Improve quote acceptances.

• Be more of a business person rather than ‘just a painter’.

• Make your quotes more appealing.

• Design graphs to help keep track of calls and clients.

• Get and keep that competitive edge over other painters.

Just one small detail could mean either a Yes or a No on a job acceptance. By following even a few of my proven ideas, I assure you that you will have more success in winning a job over your competition. This is not done by lowering your prices.

From feedback I receive from my clients, I am often the most expensive and I am usually booked 3 to 4 months in advance.

Grab a Copy Today!

info@zebraweb.com.au

Budget for Your Website Luckily in todays market it doesn’t cost a small fortune to get a professional business website up and running. However, your website budget will determine how large or complex your website becomes.

Here are some costs to keep in mind when planning your budget:

• domain name registration, this is usually for a 12-24 month period.

• annual website hosting, this is the environment that your website is stored in.

• web design and development.

• editorial or writing, this is optional but is recommended if you aren’t a ‘word smith’.

• stock images, again, optional but your site does take on a professional edge when you use professional images.

• marketing or SEO (search engine optimization).

• ongoing site maintenance.

Most website quotations will include some or all of these options, you don’t necessarily have to remember to ask about them.

Cost vs Quality

Another key point to remember is that the $$ isn’t all there is to consider. Your website is going to be reflection of your business, which in turn reflects on you.

Sometimes the cheapest quote isn’t the best one for your business. Keep an open mind and consider the quality of your product versus the cost of building it. Most people can build some type of website, but not necessarily how to create a successful website.

Moving your business to an online environment can be a huge learning curve. If you keep some of the above points in mind then you will have some great tools to get started with.

VENETIAN PLASTER

Lancaster Painters Australia Pty Ltd There are some absolutely fascinating techniques for painters to apply out there for finishes on walls and surfaces; some of them are grounded in a long history and tradition of craftsmanship from across the world.

One of these, Venetian Plaster is the method of finishing walls or ceilings with a medium of plaster mixed with lime or marble dust, applied in thin, multiple layers, which are then burnished to create a smooth surface with a remarkable illusion of depth and texture.

The origins of Venetian Plaster go back centuries, with some sources claiming that this ancient finish was developed 9000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Throughout Italy, huge heavy slabs of marble are found decorating many buildings, but this wasn’t possible in a city built on water! Heavy stone was used only in the foundations of buildings, with the rest needing to be lightweight, so Venetian Plastering techniques evolved to suit. Even now, it is especially useful on surfaces where marble panels could not be installed easily, and on surfaces that would be too expensive to have carved from real marble such as columns, corbels and curved walls. Given this stunning marble look finish for a fraction of the cost, this method is experiencing a new popularity in the painting and decorating world.

Plaster of some kind was used almost everywhere in the ancient world but the true lime based Venetian Plaster is different than other types in its multi-layering and highly polished surfaces. Its uniqueness lies for the most part with the processes and ingredients that have remained essentially the same since the first century AD; to create a hard marble like finish that looks incredibly like the real thing, possesses amazing depth and in fact over time crystallisation of the lime causes the surface to actually be more like stone-like than a paint finish.

Ph: 1300 526 227 * Mob: 0412 610 018 www.lancasterpainters.com.au

50 Shades of Playroom Fun! So, the hot topic of the moment is 50 Shades of Grey, here is the paint version...

Belinda Ross August 2012 Š

0413 464 289 or 07 3886 4488

I would consider using anything on the bottom 6 lines for the Playroom! Make the ceiling dark, stormy, atmospheric. Add some “up lights” on the walls or some fibre optics on the ceiling; that will depend completely on your budget.

Add a groovy theatre lounge and there you go.

A complete makeover in ½ a day…

On the other hand, Crimson is nice! So is Navy, Rainforest Green, Deep Sea Blue, Grape and varying shades of Magenta, Red, Orange, and Rich Deep Yellow.

Seriously now folks, whether you are converting a spare bedroom or you have a built in theatre room in your home, this is an awesome space to be daring and do whatever you want.

Choose your favourite colour - then make it dark. If you love blue then go midnight, if you love green go Rich Leafy Green, if you love pink then go burgundy, it’s all relative.

In order to get the best from your technology whether it’s a plasma, LCD or LED screen, it needs a dark background. Having said that, there is no point having a delightfully decadent dark wall and a white ceiling, what are you thinking!!! Smoke it up a bit too. Not necessarily the same shade but certainly choose a shade of something and darken it up a bit. Let’s say, Hog Bristle (one of Dulux’s most favourite colours) is your favourite colour and perhaps the rest of your house is in shades of Hog Bristle.

In the media/playroom go several shades darker and dirty it up a bit! I want to have “Home Brew” on the walls and “Gnu Tan” on the ceiling.

A black media lounge would be perfect.

Let’s say your home is in warm neutral shades, let’s be really daring and use Marrakesh Red on the walls and Moroccan Leather ceiling. Then you could have one of the burgundy media lounges, you know the ones, with the built in drinks holders and compartments where you can hide the chips, chocolate and other goodies.

Some of my favourite colours for this room come from the Dulux Designer Silk Range, try Island Fantasy walls with Exposed Elements ceiling; Plum Temptation walls with Silver Illusion ceiling or the exceptionally wonderful Smooth Chocolate with Natural Embrace on the ceiling. This last combination looks brilliant with a plush Red leather lounge, you just can’t go wrong with that.

In the playroom – do just that – play – with colour, with mood, with lighting, and with furniture.

Make sure your power points are in the right place for all the technology bits and pieces, TV, DVD, Surround Sound system, Speakers, Sony, X-box, rechargers etc.

Also make sure this room has some storage space for all your movies, games and other ancilliary bits and pieces.

Happy playing – until next time.

Women Painters Shine at the Hibiscus!

That was the heading of an article (Click Here) and a TV news story that appeared in the media this week.

All because female painters were painting a house for the housing authority at the Hibiscus festival this week. The painters were students from Nauru, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Fiji, and all were enrolled in the Australian Aid College APTC (www.aptc.edu.au).

Crowds gathered around them stirred up by what they saw. Many were surprised to see so many women in this non-traditional role, others because they had never seen airless spray guns before or wallpaper that was being applied to the interior of the house.

Kava drinking individuals, cranked to full speed (way faster than they are designed to go) and operated by a bloke that looks like is about to fall asleep. With very little fall restraint you wonder how far you can lean back before you would get hurled out of the seat.

Anyway back to the women painters and the media attention. That media would not have happened so much if they were all men. I think the promotion of our trade is great. Women fascinate people when they see them working in a paint company.

Women painters are great for our industry and the action of women taking up the trade say volumes about the true professional nature of the trade.

Every year Suva becomes this amazingly busy, crazy place because of the Hibiscus festival.

Myself and the children love it, my wife hates it.

It is grotty, crowded, smelly, noisy, and invades every sense you have. It is not for the faint hearted!

I remember years ago an employer said that he noticed that the clients seem to feel more comfortable with his company because he employed women. I guess if you employ women painters it says something about yourself as an employer and your company.

Albert Part is full of rides and exhibitions from all over the country. Traditionally in Australia we don’t usually go on Ferris wheels for thrills, that is not the case at the hibiscus. My son describes the Ferris wheels at the festival as a life threating extreme sport. Each one put together by relaxed

I am thankful that so many women have taken up the trade, I am grateful to the employers who have given women a go in their company.

I am proud of all the women that have had the courage to take the trade on, with some now running their own company.

by : Michael Farrugia

www.painters.edu.au www.pacificpainters.com

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