Web Tradespeople Provider Launches Free 24-Hour Service

A web company has launched a 24-hour on-line match-making system directing householders to quality tradespeople nationwide.

With the majority of homeowners and businesses turning to the internet for their DIY and maintenance needs, tradespeople can tap into the WeDoTrades site to develop their on-line presence and profile.

The site provides a directory of over 100,000 plumbers, electricians and builders, with premier customers receiving a package that includes their own web page, video blogs, customer testimonials and telephone number with call recording services.

Property owners can access help by either logging onto the 24-hour service or calling locally operated telephone numbers which, unlike other directories that can cost up to 60p a minute on landline numbers – and even more on mobile phones – are free of charge. In an emergency, the service commits to finding a tradesperson for the job within an hour.

Becky Hyland, co-founder at WeDoTrades said, “Over 70 per cent of households in the UK now have internet access. To really build your business, especially in the current climate, it’s vital for tradespeople to harness the benefits of an online presence.

“Consumers need to feel reassured about who they let into their homes and WeDoTrades’ premier package enables businesses to really sell themselves. Don’t lose out to your more web-savvy competitors – we can get you into customers’ homes before you even price up a quote!”

WeDoTrades, now 40-strong, was founded in a bedroom three years ago by Becky Hyland, a frustrated former student, who had set up a business renovating homes and was unable to quickly source quality plumbers and electricians to carry out the work.

Ms Hyland linked up with WeDoTrades co-founders, husband and wife team Paul and Diane Lynch, who encountered the same challenges in the property management sector.

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Keep Time in Style with Oregon Scientific’s New Rainbow Clock

Oregon Scientific, specialists in luxury lifestyle accessories, have now added the stunning Rainbow Clock to their iconic portfolio of contemporary clocks.

Adding colour and style to any modern interior, the Rainbow Clock, with 4 soothing sounds, is innovatively designed to enhance your lifestyle and physical wellbeing. The elegant, crystal clear display reflects a rainbow of relaxing colours, whilst the functional line-in allows you to play all your favourite music from your ipod or MP3 player.

The Rainbow Clock can create a relaxing mood for a good night’s sleep or wake you up with energising colours. Ideal for Christmas gifting or simply a treat for the home, the Rainbow Clock is the stylish way to keep time this season.

To view Oregon Scientific’s extensive range of luxury lifestyle gadgets, from smart outdoor devices and sophisticated travel accessories, to the newly launched Wellness Collection and an iconic selection of weather stations, please visit www.oregonscientific.co.uk.

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Jamie’s Autumn Winter Kitchen Essentials

Good and practical tools are fundamental for any first-rate kitchen, for professional chefs and amateur cooks alike. Available through Jamie at Home, the Jme Essentials range is designed to take cooking back to its simplest form, and comprises everything from bakeware, to kitchen gadgets and utensils; everything you could possibly need to create the very best home cooked food.

For Autumn/Winter 2010, this collection of back to basics crucial equipment has been added to, giving you even more practical and durable kitchen must-haves that have a simple and understated designs.

Further utensils have been added to the collection, these include a Slotted Spoon (£8.50), Flipper (£8.50), Ladle (£11) and Whisk (£8.50), and to store them all, Morph has designed a stoneware Utensils Pot (£15), a little larger than normal and available in a sage colour to match the Cooks Bowls.

In addition to the fabulous pieces already mentioned, the Essentials range includes many other kitchen classics that you surely cannot cook without! To complete the new additions, there are the Dozen Baking Tray (£13), Square Cake Tin (£9), and Chopping Block (£20).

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Find local tradesmen

Are you looking for a tradesman? Why not use the free service that allows you to get a quote from local tradesmen and you choose the one that is best for you. You don’t have to pay to use this service.

It does not matter if you are looking for local builders, local plumbers, local electricians, you will be able to find plenty of tradespeople who can give you a quote.

Look After Your Boiler During The Summer Months To Avoid Nasty Bills

1st Action advises consumers not to abandon their boiler until the winter

With the summer months upon us, it may not seem like a priority to think about getting your boiler ready for the cold winter, but this is what Richard Clarke, chairman of 1st Action is calling for homeowners to do.

Every central heating boiler should be checked and serviced each year to avoid problems such as pump failure, heating circulation problems, a noisy boiler, leaking radiator valves or cold spots on the radiator. If these problems are regularly experienced then the heating system could benefit from power flushing. A regularly checked gas boiler could improve its efficiency and lead to smaller gas bills. It could also reduce fuel waste and highlight any safety problems.

Clarke comments, “It is not only less expensive but you are likely to get a better service if you have your central heating system sorted out in the summer. During the winter, when the demands on boiler engineers is at its greatest, they tend to spend most of their time carrying out emergency boiler repairs and solving urgent heating boiler problems. During the summer they are under less pressure as heating systems are switched off. This is the best time to service your boiler and heating system.”

Clarke continues, “We know that after months of cold wet weather when the sun finally appears, the last thing you want to prepare for is a winter that is several months away. However every year for the last twenty winters as we get the first few days of colder weather our phone lines are crammed with callers whose heating is not working properly. You are not likely to be one of those customers if you have taken the appropriate steps during the summer.”

Many gas safe registered plumbing and heating specialists have special offers during the summer months to encourage homeowners to take care of the heating boiler and be prepared for next winter.

For more information, please visit www.1staction.com and the ‘Boiler Offers’ page

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Small In Size – Maximum Performance

Everything in our world is getting smaller; laptops, phones, MP3s and the trend hasn’t escaped the bathroom. Mira has launched a range of showers which, while small in size, still deliver maximum performance.

As well as being ideal for smaller bathrooms and en-suites, the Mini range from Mira is environmentally friendly. By introducing the Mini range, Mira has to date, saved the brass equivalent weight of ten African elephants!

Minibelle with 360 showerhead
The new Minibelle is the world’s best performing upright valve with dual control and powerful thermostatic performance. Teamed with the Mira 360 showerhead it creates a blissful shower experience.
• Thermostatic temperature stability keeps showering safe
• Mira 360m showerhead with Flipstream™ technology: one flip action, four unique sprays
• Cool touch valve technology – valve does not get hot during use therefore safe for use by all the family.
From £351.33 inc VAT RRP

Mira Minilite (also available with Eco showerhead)
Available as a built-in valve (pictured) or external valve, the Minilite showers are beautifully compact, but with a powerful punch. The Minilite’s thermostatic technology and simple to use single control make it ideal for all the family.
• One single control for flow and temperature
• Works on all pressures and on all plumbing systems, making it an easy choice.
The Minilite Eco comes with Mira’s Eco showerhead so you reduce your water consumption even further when showering.
From £211.50 inc VAT RRP

Mira MiniDuo (also available with Eco showerhead)
Sleek and functional in design, the MiniDuo range is available either with a built-in valve, an external valve (pictured), or with a fixed showerhead (built-in valve only).
• Separate flow and temperature controls
• Works at all pressures and on all plumbing systems, so an ideal selection for all bathrooms.

The MiniDuo comes with a four spray showerhead with partial rub clean rubber nozzles, whilst the Eco showerhead reduces water consumption by 75%.
From £253.80 inc VAT RRP

Mira Miniluxe
Iconic design and powerful first class thermostatic performance. Fully integrated rigid riser and an 8″ deluge showerhead creates maximum impact in every way, it features:
• Separate flow and temperature controls
• Highest performing vertical valve on the market
• Single spray 8″ deluge fixed showerhead with rub clean rubber nozzles for easy cleaning
• Cool touch valve technology – valve does not get hot during use
• Complete with contemporary rigid riser.
From £368.95 inc VAT RRP

Mira Miniluxe with Diverter
Mira Miniluxe and Diverter provides all the features of the Mira Miniluxe, with the addition of a diverter. Both the overhead shower and separate showerhead can be used individually and simultaneously for an invigorating shower.
From £421.83 inc VAT RRP

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Limestone Gallery’s Warehouse Sale – With Up To 70% Discount – Starts Soon!

Limestone Gallery’s warehouse sale starts on Weds 30th June-17th July with up to 70% discount. In its first sale for 5 years, the supplier to exclusive residences and superyachts around the world, is clearing old stock to make way for a new showroom space with superb stonework on offer at bargain prices.

There is something to suit all budgets with batches of limestone flooring starting at just £20.00 per metre plus VAT, fabulous carved basins in white limestone reduced from £1400.00 to £300.00 plus VAT, elegant limestone firesurrounds reduced from £1400.00 to £700.00 and solid carved bathtubs starting at £3000.00 plus VAT ( reduced from (£11,000 plus vat).

“Our clients love what they see but the vast majority seek something made to measure and in a stone of their choosing. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone seeking to create a luxury look on a budget”. says Carlos Zanarotti, MD.

The limestone and marble bathtubs are in both contemporary clean lines and classical roll top styles and all have the wow factor for a stunning bathroom or even a mediterranean style terrace. The company’s iconic Ellipse style bathtub in Ivory Stone featured in the Bridget Jones film ‘Edge of Reason’.One of these is available in the sale with a reduced price tag from £14,500.00 to £11,000.00 plus VAT.(Solid carved bathtubs start from £3000.00 plus vat in the sale).

The sale will be held in the warehouse adjoining the company’s showroom in Vauxhall.

Starts Wed 30th June – Sat 17th July 2010
Sale opening times Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm Sun 11th July 9am-5pm

Limestone Gallery , Arch 47 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1SS
020 7735 8555 WWW.LIMESTONEGALLERY.COM info@limestonegallery.com

Find Bathroom equipment & accessories nationwide.

1 Hour Shower is the Clear Winner

If you have been putting off resealing your shower because you can’t bear to have your bathroom out of action for hours or even days, then new 1 Hour Shower Clear Bathroom Sealant from Evo-Stik is the answer.

Its innovative, high performance formula allows it to dry in just one hour and now available in clear as well as traditional white, is perfect if you have a dark tiling scheme and want the seal to blend in rather than stand out.

And, as well having your bathroom and shower back in use within minutes, rather than hours, you are also protected from mould growth and have the reassurance of a lifetime guaranteed seal.

Priced with busy, cash-conscious consumers in mind, 1 Hour Shower Clear offers more for less – faster drying time at an affordable price.

1 Hour Shower is ideal for sealing around showers and power showers.  SRP is £7.99, available from B&Q and Focus.

For further information, please contact Evo-Stik on 01785 272 625 or log on to www.evo-stik.co.uk

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Small In Size – Maximum Performance

Everything in our world is getting smaller, laptops, phones, MP3s and the trend hasn’t escaped the bathroom. The ultimate in mini showers has been launched, and while the Mira Minibelle with 360 showerhead is small in size, it doesn’t compromise on performance.

The new Minibelle is the world’s best performing upright valve with dual control and powerful thermostatic performance. Teamed with the Mira 360 showerhead it creates the ultimate shower experience.

As well as being sleek and simple in design, the new shower is safe for all the family, with thermostatic temperature stability and cool touch technology so the valve never gets hot.

The Mira 360m showerhead with its contemporary minimalist design is the perfect match for Mira Minibelle; offering four unique spray patterns: rain, burst, storm and cloud, all in one flip action thanks to its Flipstream™ technology.

Mira Showers is constantly reviewing its processes and trying to ensure that it uses the greenest methods to produce its range of showers, trays and enclosures.  By introducing the mini range, Mira has to date saved the brass equivalent weight of four African elephants!

To find out more about the complete Mini range from Mira Showers visit www.mirashowers.co.uk.

Price: From £351 plus VAT.

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Liverpool’s Luxury Retailer Tools Up With Technology

TASKERS, the Merseyside homeware store with premises in Aintree and Wavertree, has begun its second stage of major IT improvements following the £500,000 of technological investment already made since 2005.

The changes have already seen new budgeting, forecasting and accountancy software rolled out; the development of a Business Intelligence System; and the introduction of bespoke customer ordering and Customer Relations Management systems. The improvements will boost productivity and cement the retailer’s reputation for excellence.

The current phase of future proofing will include VMWare’s legendary Vsphere4 virtual data environment and further enhancements to the Electronic Point of Sale system, including the use of Pacific Retail’s Storetrader till network. Meanwhile behind the scenes forklift truck drivers and warehouse partners will be kitted out with ‘wrist watch phones’ to enable hands free communication, driving efficiency and giving customers a truly 21st Century service.

Taskers has also engaged Datel, a member of Sage’s ‘Circle of Excellence’, who will now be on hand to deliver support for software such as the acclaimed Line applications. Qlik View- the world’s fastest growing Business Intelligence Software- will also be used to dramatically reduce time spent running reports.

Customers will experience the benefits first hand, with new touch points being installed in stores, allowing users to search for stock by simply stating: ‘I want a dinner service, I want it white, I want it for £50’. Once they make their selection they will be given confirmation the item is available before being shown a map of the store detailing where the product can be found and how to get there.

The human face of the technology drive is Aled Morgan, who recently joined the retailer as IT Manager. Morgan was previously at European giant EDS, a company with a strong track record for providing IT support to Government departments and major corporations.

Speaking about the investment proposals Taskers Financial Controller Paul Schwartz said: “We saw the recession as an opportunity to invest further in our infrastructure as we could get better deals on the hardware and consultancy, as well as reducing the amount of disruption due to the quieter trading conditions.

“Our goal is not for Taskers to be the biggest company in the world but for us to be the best at what we do. For a long time Taskers has been selling the best products to the best customers via the best employees, now we are putting the finishing touches to helping us achieve our goal of having the best technology too.”

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