As you begin your search to purchase a new Skid steer Loader, you will quickly find that that there are many manufacturers of skid steer loaders. You will find that there are infinite options, from engines to operator control options. As with the purchase of any piece of equipment you need to start by purchasing the right unit to complete the application you will be using it in, don't ever think that because you have purchased the largest or highest horsepower machine that it will complete the job more efficiently. Below are some of the key objectives for purchasing a new Skid steer Loader.
Budget vs. financing. You will need to start the buying process by determining whether you will need to finance the equipment or purchase outright depending on your financial situation. Even if you have available funds to purchase the equipment, don't rule out financing. With current programs manufacturers are offering 0 - 4% interest programs on new equipment. You may be able to put as little as 1% down and keep your working capital for if or when you or your business is having a slow time and the income isn't coming in the same as it had been. The worst time to try and get money is when you need it. With this decided, you will need to determine a dollar amount or payment that fits your needs. Leasing is also another viable option that many construction businesses are utilizing. Typically, leases have better tax structures, lower payments and can help you avoid too much exposure on your financial statements because true leases can typically be shown as an "off-balance sheet" transaction. If a bank sees that you have too much debt, they may begin to stop loaning you money. Leases can help prevent that from happening.
Purchasing the Equipment that will best suit your applications. This is by far one of the most important steps of this process. You will need to provide the equipment sales company with accurate information about the type of work you will be doing, this will allow them to provide information and pricing on the unit that meet all your need on the job. Utilization is key when purchasing a piece of equipment, the more task you can complete with owned equipment the less you will have to rent equipment from an outside source, again saving you money in the long run. You will need to know information such as lifting capacities(especially if you intend on using the equipment to handle material), you will need to have an idea of what the weight is of the material. Next you will need to consider lift and dumping heights. If you need to load into truck you will need to know how tall the bedsides are. You will also need to know if you are restricted by the physical dimensions of the equipment(are you working in confined spaces that a large loader would not be able to maneuver safely). Another key is properly equipping the unit that you .purchase, think about thing that you may need or want as far as options. Many time consumer will buy a base model machine to later find that they better utilize the equipment if it were equipped with heat and air conditioning or foam filled tires, many times consumers are restricted on the attachment they are able to run based on whether or not they have high flow hydraulics opposed to standard flow hydraulics. Transport is also a major concern, do you have the capabilities of transporting the equipment from project site to project site without buy larger truck and/or trailers.
Comparing various models. When you begin comparing different models, be sure you understand how the various manufacturers rate their equipment, when you are comparing horsepower rating be sure that you are not comparing net horsepower to gross horsepower. Some manufacturers rate their machine by gross horsepower and others rate theirs by the net horsepower, the same will apply with lifting capacities. The rated operating lifting capacities are figured as a percentage of the machine tipping load, again the different manufacturers rate their machines differently, some will use 50% of the tipping load and others may only use 30%. Just be sure to compare apples to apples for the best value. Another good idea is to ask about resale on the equipment, Ask what a comparable machine that is a few years old would be sold for, this will give you a rough idea of what you may be able to sell this unit for when it is time to upgrade.
Warranty and Service after the Sale. When purchasing a new piece of equipment be sure to ask about warranties, you should determine what is covered and how long the warranty is in affect. Be sure to find the closest warranty repair center before you purchase. Ask if a service loaner will be issued incase of mechanical breakdown. You may also want to ask if the dealer stocks parts for the unit. Before the sale is final be sure to ask the dealer how they would handle the situation if a month or so after you purchase the equipment, you decide that you are not satisfied with it.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The 100 Best People to Work With
Most of us don't work at one of the 100 best companies to work for. Netapp, this year's #1, is in a place called Sunnyvale. Really, isn't this too good to be true?
People often wonder why their companies don't get it. I mean, articles have been written, documentaries have been shot, legions of consultants have been trained, all to share the secrets of how to be a top 100 workplace. There are valid reasons and not so valid reasons why companies cannot simply copy the formula. Too many to list here.
Organizations are made up of people. And like people, they are all over the place when it comes to how they choose to perform in the workplace. They might be great at some things, not so good at others. They might lose focus. They might just be an ok place to work, not a great place.
You may not be able to control your company's performance but you can control where you work and how you perform. If your company is a consistently terrible place to work, leave. Too many people tell me that leaving is not an option. OK, maybe there are temporary reasons for this but there are no long term reasons for staying in a terrible place. None.
If your company is a good company, then set about to be one of the best people in the company to work with. An average place to work can be a great place to work when you are one of the best people to work with.
One simple step can get you started on the way to being highly sought after by your colleagues. First, invest energy in the success of people you work with. Pay attention to what is important to them. Ask them about their work, their goals. Good listeners are rare. Let them know what you value about their work and about them. Do this especially when you don't need something specific from them. If you do not value other people, they will de-value your work.
Be one of the best people to work with. The fastest horse in a slower race still takes home the the biggest prize.
With Advertising Funds Freezing Up - Packaging Picks Up.
Cruise along with Pirate Costumes
Forge Welding
I Couldn't Decide on Bridesmaid Gifts!
Diverse Species of Flies
How to make money with google adsense?
New Ivory Ring Bearer Pillows
Exclusive Stiedl design properties sell despite credit crunch
New Teddy Bear Trust to Comfort French Kids in Hospital
How to take care of Dry Skin Acne?
Actonish everyone with Funny Quotes and Sayings
Windows 7 takes over Vista on graphics
New and Cool House Design in Provence
Movie Review: I love you man
Come Home to Warwick’s Natural Abode
Best Tips to Avoid Cancer
The Best Hotel in Las Vegas: The Bellagio
How to stop hair loss?Top hair styling tools - achieve a special look
People often wonder why their companies don't get it. I mean, articles have been written, documentaries have been shot, legions of consultants have been trained, all to share the secrets of how to be a top 100 workplace. There are valid reasons and not so valid reasons why companies cannot simply copy the formula. Too many to list here.
Organizations are made up of people. And like people, they are all over the place when it comes to how they choose to perform in the workplace. They might be great at some things, not so good at others. They might lose focus. They might just be an ok place to work, not a great place.
You may not be able to control your company's performance but you can control where you work and how you perform. If your company is a consistently terrible place to work, leave. Too many people tell me that leaving is not an option. OK, maybe there are temporary reasons for this but there are no long term reasons for staying in a terrible place. None.
If your company is a good company, then set about to be one of the best people in the company to work with. An average place to work can be a great place to work when you are one of the best people to work with.
One simple step can get you started on the way to being highly sought after by your colleagues. First, invest energy in the success of people you work with. Pay attention to what is important to them. Ask them about their work, their goals. Good listeners are rare. Let them know what you value about their work and about them. Do this especially when you don't need something specific from them. If you do not value other people, they will de-value your work.
Be one of the best people to work with. The fastest horse in a slower race still takes home the the biggest prize.
With Advertising Funds Freezing Up - Packaging Picks Up.
Cruise along with Pirate Costumes
Forge Welding
I Couldn't Decide on Bridesmaid Gifts!
Diverse Species of Flies
How to make money with google adsense?
New Ivory Ring Bearer Pillows
Exclusive Stiedl design properties sell despite credit crunch
New Teddy Bear Trust to Comfort French Kids in Hospital
How to take care of Dry Skin Acne?
Actonish everyone with Funny Quotes and Sayings
Windows 7 takes over Vista on graphics
New and Cool House Design in Provence
Movie Review: I love you man
Come Home to Warwick’s Natural Abode
Best Tips to Avoid Cancer
The Best Hotel in Las Vegas: The Bellagio
How to stop hair loss?Top hair styling tools - achieve a special look
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Companies Need More Leaders During a Recession - How to Develop Them Fast
Over 50 percent of employers are experiencing a leadership shortage so severe that it is negatively impacting their company's performance. Companies must simply do a better job of accelerating the development of leaders throughout their organization if they are going to survive and thrive during the current recession. Leadership development initiatives are one very important avenue for developing these needed resources quickly.
Having spent over 20 years as an executive coach in Silicon Valley, I have had the opportunity to participate in many leadership coaching programs. Some of these efforts became core to the company's success; others quickly died off or became programs without widespread support or participation.
Follow these ten recommendations to increase the likelihood that your leadership development initiative will produce the leaders you need quickly.
Make it relevant to the company culture. Launch an organizational survey and collect data to determine how leadership, coaching, and development are viewed at your company and what organizational obstacles may exist. Your overall design of the program should mirror the culture of the organization and take into account the survey data. Relevance is key to success.Develop a business case. Specifically outline why leadership development is needed, share information on the impact of leadership development activities, and clarify the metrics on how you will measure that impact. You need to have evidence that the effort is a good return on investment to get needed support
Focus on what is most important. Determine what competencies are critical to your business model and make them the foundation of what you do. Focus on what is really important and avoid buying a "one size fits all" model from a training vendor. Use the competency model to drive your efforts. This will insure consistency across the organization and the ability to leverage and align other training methodologies and content
Differentiate between Performance Counseling and Coaching. Don't make the mistake of unintentionally branding your new initiative as charm school for problem children. Performance coaching addresses problem behaviors or gaps in work performance. The program must be seen as a positive perk for managers, executives, and employees. If seen negatively, employees will avoid participating.
Run a pilot to work out the kinks before launching the initiative to a wider audience. Be selective about your initial participants to influence how it is viewed.
Don't overdo the launch. Launching the effort with a lot of fanfare can create backlash and saddle the program with unreasonable expectations.
Involve all levels of the company. Don't let the activity be seen as just another Human Resources strategy for the chosen few. Have a model that addresses different levels of leadership to address the needs of your various stakeholder groups. Have the leadership of the company participate in all aspects of the effort.
Ensure confidentially. Clearly articulate the privacy boundaries between the coaching resources, the company, and Human Resources. Everyone should know what they are getting into. Rigorously stick to the confidentiality guidelines.
Pick skilled coaches and get them aligned with your models and practices. Regularly review performance metrics and get ongoing feedback from participants about the effectiveness of the coaches.
Build your coaching bench strength by having those who have successfully completed the program become coaches to the rest of the organization.
Having spent over 20 years as an executive coach in Silicon Valley, I have had the opportunity to participate in many leadership coaching programs. Some of these efforts became core to the company's success; others quickly died off or became programs without widespread support or participation.
Follow these ten recommendations to increase the likelihood that your leadership development initiative will produce the leaders you need quickly.
Make it relevant to the company culture. Launch an organizational survey and collect data to determine how leadership, coaching, and development are viewed at your company and what organizational obstacles may exist. Your overall design of the program should mirror the culture of the organization and take into account the survey data. Relevance is key to success.Develop a business case. Specifically outline why leadership development is needed, share information on the impact of leadership development activities, and clarify the metrics on how you will measure that impact. You need to have evidence that the effort is a good return on investment to get needed support
Focus on what is most important. Determine what competencies are critical to your business model and make them the foundation of what you do. Focus on what is really important and avoid buying a "one size fits all" model from a training vendor. Use the competency model to drive your efforts. This will insure consistency across the organization and the ability to leverage and align other training methodologies and content
Differentiate between Performance Counseling and Coaching. Don't make the mistake of unintentionally branding your new initiative as charm school for problem children. Performance coaching addresses problem behaviors or gaps in work performance. The program must be seen as a positive perk for managers, executives, and employees. If seen negatively, employees will avoid participating.
Run a pilot to work out the kinks before launching the initiative to a wider audience. Be selective about your initial participants to influence how it is viewed.
Don't overdo the launch. Launching the effort with a lot of fanfare can create backlash and saddle the program with unreasonable expectations.
Involve all levels of the company. Don't let the activity be seen as just another Human Resources strategy for the chosen few. Have a model that addresses different levels of leadership to address the needs of your various stakeholder groups. Have the leadership of the company participate in all aspects of the effort.
Ensure confidentially. Clearly articulate the privacy boundaries between the coaching resources, the company, and Human Resources. Everyone should know what they are getting into. Rigorously stick to the confidentiality guidelines.
Pick skilled coaches and get them aligned with your models and practices. Regularly review performance metrics and get ongoing feedback from participants about the effectiveness of the coaches.
Build your coaching bench strength by having those who have successfully completed the program become coaches to the rest of the organization.
Friday, March 20, 2009
2009 Onward - Examine and Recreate the Cornerstones of Your Success
A Personal Invitation from Darby Checketts: There is no doubt that this New Year is an exceptional one. It will challenge us all and bring out the best in each of us as we re-invent our businesses and create the new circumstances we need to assure future prosperity. As business owners, business builders, business operators, and as professionals, there is no more fundamental goal than to retain valued customers and to successfully engage new prospects with the products and services that will benefit them.
It has been my privilege to work with over 300 client organizations in the past 20 years. As our own Cornerstone products and services have evolved, the chief value-added we have come to represent for our customers is the proven ability to support them in building a Culture of Service Excellence. There are four major components of a typical Service Excellence project.
1. Assessment. Together, we will undertake a straightforward assessment to determine the current level of satisfaction your customers are experiencing along with the issues and opportunities that you and your team members recognize. Once crystallized and consolidated, these valuable insights will become the common baseline from which to move forward.
2. Engagement. We will engage your team members with the idea that "a satisfied customer is no longer enough." We have entered a new age wherein customers must be positively astonished by your commitment to them. This is the WOW factor in its most substantive form. We will conduct a full-day Customer Astonishment workshop or a half-day Customer Astonishment rally that will be the most professionally energizing and insightful training your associates may ever experience.
3. Environment. I will join with your leadership team to undertake an examination of those "S&C Factors" (Systemic and Cultural Factors) that are operating within your organization, which can either accelerate or hinder your progress. A plan for managing these factors will be put in motion.<
4. Assurance. Together, your team will set forth to build and sustain the Culture of Service Excellence. Leaders will extend their leverage to lift the sights and lift the spirits of those whom they serve. Individual employees will be invited to qualify as Customer Champions and thereby re-affirm their customer commitments, enhance their credibility as customer care professionals, and receive the formal recognition they deserve.
This is a process of enlightenment, energy building, and determined follow through that will streamline your operations and strengthen your all-around commitment to those who depend on you. In view of current economic circumstances, our proposal will be especially straightforward. The required investment will be feasible and certainly results-driven. The project fee will be a three-part fee where 30% is required to put our resources in motion and to adapt our materials for your use. A second 30% payment will be made at the midpoint of the project as you determine that we are making a difference for your team and bringing tools that represent added value. The remaining 40% will be paid only as you see a return on investment in terms of employee engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and a more sustainable strategy for moving your business forward.
It has been my privilege to work with over 300 client organizations in the past 20 years. As our own Cornerstone products and services have evolved, the chief value-added we have come to represent for our customers is the proven ability to support them in building a Culture of Service Excellence. There are four major components of a typical Service Excellence project.
1. Assessment. Together, we will undertake a straightforward assessment to determine the current level of satisfaction your customers are experiencing along with the issues and opportunities that you and your team members recognize. Once crystallized and consolidated, these valuable insights will become the common baseline from which to move forward.
2. Engagement. We will engage your team members with the idea that "a satisfied customer is no longer enough." We have entered a new age wherein customers must be positively astonished by your commitment to them. This is the WOW factor in its most substantive form. We will conduct a full-day Customer Astonishment workshop or a half-day Customer Astonishment rally that will be the most professionally energizing and insightful training your associates may ever experience.
3. Environment. I will join with your leadership team to undertake an examination of those "S&C Factors" (Systemic and Cultural Factors) that are operating within your organization, which can either accelerate or hinder your progress. A plan for managing these factors will be put in motion.<
4. Assurance. Together, your team will set forth to build and sustain the Culture of Service Excellence. Leaders will extend their leverage to lift the sights and lift the spirits of those whom they serve. Individual employees will be invited to qualify as Customer Champions and thereby re-affirm their customer commitments, enhance their credibility as customer care professionals, and receive the formal recognition they deserve.
This is a process of enlightenment, energy building, and determined follow through that will streamline your operations and strengthen your all-around commitment to those who depend on you. In view of current economic circumstances, our proposal will be especially straightforward. The required investment will be feasible and certainly results-driven. The project fee will be a three-part fee where 30% is required to put our resources in motion and to adapt our materials for your use. A second 30% payment will be made at the midpoint of the project as you determine that we are making a difference for your team and bringing tools that represent added value. The remaining 40% will be paid only as you see a return on investment in terms of employee engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and a more sustainable strategy for moving your business forward.
Monday, March 16, 2009
IT Consulting Firm Thrives on Single-Point-of-Contact Value Proposition
Do you own an IT consulting firm? To develop sophisticated solutions and build lasting client relationships, you need to understand your clients' biggest business problems and be able to respond to their many needs.
Continuing relationships with clients are essential to the longevity of your business. These relationships help you get steady revenue so you don't have to be on the edge of your seat wondering when you'll be getting your next new project. These long-term clients also help you get the career satisfaction that comes from working with the same accounts for a long time and seeing your technology plans really work long term.
Developing relationships means understanding what your small business clients need and also knowing what they expect from you. A major part of what small business clients will need from your IT consulting firm is the guarantee of a single point of contact to make managing all elements of their complex IT infrastructures as simple as possible.
The following 4 tips can help you be a single point of contact for your clients so you can build strong relationships that will be the foundation of a successful business.
Small Business Clients are Very Different than Fortune 1000 Clients. Fortune 1000 IT managers typically know enough about their computing environments to determine, at least on a basic level, which technology provider or vendor to call for various services. However small business owners and managers are largely non-technical. They are not career IT professionals and rarely have the skill set required to understand the many intricacies of their IT assets. Therefore, they will lean heavily on you to understand how to coordinate important technology issues.
Know What a Small Business Owner Wants to Understand. All a small business owner or manager usually knows or wants to know is that something is broken with his/her computer system and that your IT consulting firm is needed immediately. Your clients will not want finger pointing or someone that will pass the buck to multiple providers. They will want a simple, single point of accountability and will typically have the mindset, "I don't care what the problem is ... just fix it! Now! And the cost better be reasonable!"
Small Business Clients Need a Virtual IT Department. Your small business clients will usually not have formal IT departments. This means your IT consulting firm will have to step in and act as a virtual IT department. Even clients that have no idea of what a corporate IT department does or what "IT" means will generally expect the type of arrangement where you provide on-going maintenance, oversight and services. They want you to be a single point of contact for everything and anything even remotely related to supporting their systems and networks.
Know Which Services You Need to Provide. If you want to truly be a single point of contact, you need to know which responsibilities you will have. In a large IT organization, separate departments typically exist for the following services: help desk; network administration; desktop support; software development; standardization; research and development and security. However if you really want to be a single point of contact, your IT consulting firm will have to wear these multiple "hats" on any given day with your small business clients.
Continuing relationships with clients are essential to the longevity of your business. These relationships help you get steady revenue so you don't have to be on the edge of your seat wondering when you'll be getting your next new project. These long-term clients also help you get the career satisfaction that comes from working with the same accounts for a long time and seeing your technology plans really work long term.
Developing relationships means understanding what your small business clients need and also knowing what they expect from you. A major part of what small business clients will need from your IT consulting firm is the guarantee of a single point of contact to make managing all elements of their complex IT infrastructures as simple as possible.
The following 4 tips can help you be a single point of contact for your clients so you can build strong relationships that will be the foundation of a successful business.
Small Business Clients are Very Different than Fortune 1000 Clients. Fortune 1000 IT managers typically know enough about their computing environments to determine, at least on a basic level, which technology provider or vendor to call for various services. However small business owners and managers are largely non-technical. They are not career IT professionals and rarely have the skill set required to understand the many intricacies of their IT assets. Therefore, they will lean heavily on you to understand how to coordinate important technology issues.
Know What a Small Business Owner Wants to Understand. All a small business owner or manager usually knows or wants to know is that something is broken with his/her computer system and that your IT consulting firm is needed immediately. Your clients will not want finger pointing or someone that will pass the buck to multiple providers. They will want a simple, single point of accountability and will typically have the mindset, "I don't care what the problem is ... just fix it! Now! And the cost better be reasonable!"
Small Business Clients Need a Virtual IT Department. Your small business clients will usually not have formal IT departments. This means your IT consulting firm will have to step in and act as a virtual IT department. Even clients that have no idea of what a corporate IT department does or what "IT" means will generally expect the type of arrangement where you provide on-going maintenance, oversight and services. They want you to be a single point of contact for everything and anything even remotely related to supporting their systems and networks.
Know Which Services You Need to Provide. If you want to truly be a single point of contact, you need to know which responsibilities you will have. In a large IT organization, separate departments typically exist for the following services: help desk; network administration; desktop support; software development; standardization; research and development and security. However if you really want to be a single point of contact, your IT consulting firm will have to wear these multiple "hats" on any given day with your small business clients.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The First Dual Mode Phone With 1 RUIM and 2 SIM Built in In World
2cardphone is pleased to announce that the first Tri-SIM dual mode phone launched in China. The handset is built in 1 CDMA-RUIM card and 2 GSM-SIMs working and standby simultaneously. With the 3 cards inside, the phone supports two GSM networks and one CDMA network. Besides full multi media features such as 2.0 M pixel camera, MP3, MP4, Bluetooth and FM radio, the phone support a analogue TV reception function.
"Since more and more people have more than 1 card and some of them get 3 or 4 sim cards, we believe that there is a demand on the dual card phone or even triple card phone" said by Mr. Raymond Briggs, the director of 2cardphone.cn. He add that the mass production of this model will be in beginning of March and it is estimated that the total delivery worldwide will be about 150,000 units in 2009.The mass production of this model will be in beginning of March and it is estimated that the total delivery worldwide will be about 100,000 units in 2009.
About 2cardphone:
2cardphone is an established mobile phone manufacturer in Hong Kong with its R&D Center and production facility in China. The products cover CDMA Phones, GSM Phones, Dual SIM Phones, Dual Mode Phones and TV Phones. Founded in 2003 with its first Gemstone designed GSM phone launched in China, the company is now providing more than 20 models for the global market. Its suppliers are from multinationals like Qualcomm, TI, MTK and customers include the worldwide mobile phone service operators and local distributors in regions of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
"Since more and more people have more than 1 card and some of them get 3 or 4 sim cards, we believe that there is a demand on the dual card phone or even triple card phone" said by Mr. Raymond Briggs, the director of 2cardphone.cn. He add that the mass production of this model will be in beginning of March and it is estimated that the total delivery worldwide will be about 150,000 units in 2009.The mass production of this model will be in beginning of March and it is estimated that the total delivery worldwide will be about 100,000 units in 2009.
About 2cardphone:
2cardphone is an established mobile phone manufacturer in Hong Kong with its R&D Center and production facility in China. The products cover CDMA Phones, GSM Phones, Dual SIM Phones, Dual Mode Phones and TV Phones. Founded in 2003 with its first Gemstone designed GSM phone launched in China, the company is now providing more than 20 models for the global market. Its suppliers are from multinationals like Qualcomm, TI, MTK and customers include the worldwide mobile phone service operators and local distributors in regions of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Green Restaurant Tips - Managing Equipment For More Efficiency
Going green is a hot buzzword these days, and everyone, including the food service industry, is jumping on board the environmentally friendly bandwagon.
The great thing about going green in your restaurant is that you can cut costs and save yourself considerable money while improving customer loyalty and visibility at the same time. In a time when cutting costs might mean sinking or swimming, going green might be the thing that helps you stay afloat.
This series is intended to help you cut costs and improve your business' bottom line while making legitimate green restaurant claims to your customers. And you just might save the planet in the process.
How To Manage Equipment
The equipment in your restaurant or commercial kitchen uses thousands of dollars worth of energy every year. Running this equipment is essential to your business, but it can also be a drain on profits if not managed properly. Some tips to help you manage equipment:
Reduce idle times. Cooking equipment like broilers, steamers, ovens, holding cabinets, and fryers all take time to heat up for optimal use.
Because your kitchen staff is usually more concerned with food preparation times than energy efficiency, they tend to leave equipment running during downtimes to avoid being slowed down by heat up time.
Obviously, you also want to minimize food prep time, but striking a balance between time and energy use is easier than you might think.
Things like broilers and connectionless steamers don't take very long to heat up, so shutting them down during even short lulls can save you money. Ovens and fryers can be reduced to an idle temperature that uses less energy than constantly maintaining peak cooking temperature. Newer fryer models even offer an automatic idle temperature feature. And warming cabinets are often left on overnight, wasting energy.
Utilize efficient cooking strategies. Using energy hogs like salamanders or broilers is necessary to cook and serve a quality product.
But that doesn't mean you have to use the least efficient weapons in your cooking arsenal all the time. Evaluate how each menu item is prepared and devise strategies to employ the most efficient equipment in your kitchen as much as possible.
Steamers, convection ovens, griddles, and microwaves are more efficient than ranges, broilers, standard ovens, and salamanders, so if you can substitute one for the other without compromising the quality of your product, do so.
Here are some more tips on how to make sure your restaurant equipment is performing at maximum efficiency.
Perform regular equipment maintenance. Simple parts on cooking and refrigeration equipment break down or degrade over time from constant use, reducing energy efficiency and equipment performance.
Usually these parts are so easy to replace you can do it yourself:
Door gaskets. The constant opening and closing of oven, steamer, and refrigerator or freezer doors leads to wear and tear on the gasket that helps seal in heat or cold.
Replace these gaskets as they become worn to reduce leaks.
Thermostats. The thermostat on your freezer, refrigerator, or fryer can lose its calibration or wear out, meaning the machine isn't operating at optimal temperature.
Check thermostats regularly with a commercial thermometer and recalibrate or replace them as needed.
Check pilot lights and clean burners. Pilot lights are convenient but also represent a constant use of energy in your kitchen. Make sure they aren't using more energy than needed by checking them regularly.
If the flame is taller than a couple inches or yellow in color, adjust the flame until it's small and blue. Also clean oven and range burners regularly and replace burners that have worn out to maximize their efficiency.
Train kitchen staff. Implementing the tips above sounds good in theory, but unless you train your staff to think about energy efficiency, these strategies will remain just a theory.
Set idle time and shut down procedures for all your equipment to minimize their energy use. Train head staff to check for bad door gaskets and thermostats. Make sure full racks of dishes are going through the dishwasher instead of half full or mostly empty ones.
Most importantly, get your staff to understand why energy savings are important, and incentivize them to act efficiently.
Buy Energy Star rated restaurant equipment. Replace old equipment in your kitchen as quickly as possible. When shopping for new equipment, look for Energy Star ratings. Most restaurant equipment has annual energy usage statistics. Use this information to compare units and purchase the most efficient one.
No matter what, new equipment is going to be more efficient and perform better than old equipment. Often the annual energy savings from new equipment will recoup the cost of purchasing it within a few years.
Also check for rebates from your local, state, or federal government for purchasing energy efficient equipment.
Carefully calculate capacity. One of the most common mistakes restaurant or commercial kitchen managers make when purchasing new equipment is buying too big.
Ice machines, refrigerators or freezers, and dishwashers are big energy users and are the most common units where this mistake is made. Of course, buying too small is just as bad, and that's why it's important to accurately calculate your production needs.
Start by analyzing peak demand. Once you know how many people or how many meals you serve per hour at peak demand times, you can better analyze what size equipment you need.
However, you should also take into account future growth.
Most restaurant equipment, if properly maintained, should last 5 - 10 years. In that time your business should grow as well, meaning peak demand 5 years from now is going to be more than peak demand right now.
In general, overestimate equipment capacity by 10% - 20% to make sure it can meet your needs over the entire lifetime of the unit.
The great thing about going green in your restaurant is that you can cut costs and save yourself considerable money while improving customer loyalty and visibility at the same time. In a time when cutting costs might mean sinking or swimming, going green might be the thing that helps you stay afloat.
This series is intended to help you cut costs and improve your business' bottom line while making legitimate green restaurant claims to your customers. And you just might save the planet in the process.
How To Manage Equipment
The equipment in your restaurant or commercial kitchen uses thousands of dollars worth of energy every year. Running this equipment is essential to your business, but it can also be a drain on profits if not managed properly. Some tips to help you manage equipment:
Reduce idle times. Cooking equipment like broilers, steamers, ovens, holding cabinets, and fryers all take time to heat up for optimal use.
Because your kitchen staff is usually more concerned with food preparation times than energy efficiency, they tend to leave equipment running during downtimes to avoid being slowed down by heat up time.
Obviously, you also want to minimize food prep time, but striking a balance between time and energy use is easier than you might think.
Things like broilers and connectionless steamers don't take very long to heat up, so shutting them down during even short lulls can save you money. Ovens and fryers can be reduced to an idle temperature that uses less energy than constantly maintaining peak cooking temperature. Newer fryer models even offer an automatic idle temperature feature. And warming cabinets are often left on overnight, wasting energy.
Utilize efficient cooking strategies. Using energy hogs like salamanders or broilers is necessary to cook and serve a quality product.
But that doesn't mean you have to use the least efficient weapons in your cooking arsenal all the time. Evaluate how each menu item is prepared and devise strategies to employ the most efficient equipment in your kitchen as much as possible.
Steamers, convection ovens, griddles, and microwaves are more efficient than ranges, broilers, standard ovens, and salamanders, so if you can substitute one for the other without compromising the quality of your product, do so.
Here are some more tips on how to make sure your restaurant equipment is performing at maximum efficiency.
Perform regular equipment maintenance. Simple parts on cooking and refrigeration equipment break down or degrade over time from constant use, reducing energy efficiency and equipment performance.
Usually these parts are so easy to replace you can do it yourself:
Door gaskets. The constant opening and closing of oven, steamer, and refrigerator or freezer doors leads to wear and tear on the gasket that helps seal in heat or cold.
Replace these gaskets as they become worn to reduce leaks.
Thermostats. The thermostat on your freezer, refrigerator, or fryer can lose its calibration or wear out, meaning the machine isn't operating at optimal temperature.
Check thermostats regularly with a commercial thermometer and recalibrate or replace them as needed.
Check pilot lights and clean burners. Pilot lights are convenient but also represent a constant use of energy in your kitchen. Make sure they aren't using more energy than needed by checking them regularly.
If the flame is taller than a couple inches or yellow in color, adjust the flame until it's small and blue. Also clean oven and range burners regularly and replace burners that have worn out to maximize their efficiency.
Train kitchen staff. Implementing the tips above sounds good in theory, but unless you train your staff to think about energy efficiency, these strategies will remain just a theory.
Set idle time and shut down procedures for all your equipment to minimize their energy use. Train head staff to check for bad door gaskets and thermostats. Make sure full racks of dishes are going through the dishwasher instead of half full or mostly empty ones.
Most importantly, get your staff to understand why energy savings are important, and incentivize them to act efficiently.
Buy Energy Star rated restaurant equipment. Replace old equipment in your kitchen as quickly as possible. When shopping for new equipment, look for Energy Star ratings. Most restaurant equipment has annual energy usage statistics. Use this information to compare units and purchase the most efficient one.
No matter what, new equipment is going to be more efficient and perform better than old equipment. Often the annual energy savings from new equipment will recoup the cost of purchasing it within a few years.
Also check for rebates from your local, state, or federal government for purchasing energy efficient equipment.
Carefully calculate capacity. One of the most common mistakes restaurant or commercial kitchen managers make when purchasing new equipment is buying too big.
Ice machines, refrigerators or freezers, and dishwashers are big energy users and are the most common units where this mistake is made. Of course, buying too small is just as bad, and that's why it's important to accurately calculate your production needs.
Start by analyzing peak demand. Once you know how many people or how many meals you serve per hour at peak demand times, you can better analyze what size equipment you need.
However, you should also take into account future growth.
Most restaurant equipment, if properly maintained, should last 5 - 10 years. In that time your business should grow as well, meaning peak demand 5 years from now is going to be more than peak demand right now.
In general, overestimate equipment capacity by 10% - 20% to make sure it can meet your needs over the entire lifetime of the unit.
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