As we move into the crisper months of the year it is time to make preparations for winter. When it comes to your home there will be many things you can be doing to ensure the winter months are as comfortable as they can be. Snug and warm. For our 'Warming Up for Winter’ feature we talked to a handful of local North Shore business people involved in the area of home improvement. Looking for Warming up For Winter advice and also to find out what they have planned for the cooler months ahead.
Tim Cadell – Northshore Heat Pumps
Tim Cadell is the owner and operator of Northshore Heat Pumps. He prides himself on being at the coal face with his team ensuring their customers get the best service possible, “I love to see our customers get exceptional service on time and in full”. He says the business is a one-stop-shop for all things air-conditioning from sales, service, after-sales care – the team does it all and can look after any customer from marine, residential to commercial factories. Tim talks to Channel Mag about what’s in store for winter 2022 and the ups and downs of running a specialist business over the last couple of years.
Channel Magazine: How has 2022 been for you so far business-wise?
Tim Cadell: Business has been steady as we focus on our core business. Our commercial customer base has had some trying times but as we see a transition back to working in offices, it's important maintenance plans are put in place. Our residential customers can also book in a service now to ensure their heat pumps or ducted air-conditioning systems are ready for winter.
CM: What happens in your business over coming months as the temperature drops?
TC: I always notice that when the first frost or storm of autumn arrives, our enquiries for heating increase dramatically. My team are prepared for the winter rush and we have a solid team of sales consultants, installers and maintenance technicians to meet the demand.
CM: There are obviously lots of challenges still around for businesses, what aspects are you finding challenge you the most at the moment?
TC: Staff shortages have affected everyone in New Zealand for the last few years. As we are a specialist business, maintaining our staff numbers has been the biggest challenge. We have recently added to our team numbers, but if there are any refrigeration technicians, heat pump installers or electricians looking for a new role within a great team environment please give me a call.
CM: What advice do you have for our readers about preparing for winter related to the part of the home business you are involved in. What should we be thinking about now for winter?
TC: Don’t leave things to the last minute. If you don’t have a plan for winter heating, call us and we can offer a no-obligation assessment of your home. All Kiwis need to be warm this winter and we pride ourselves on providing a cost-effective solution.
CM: What do you enjoy in the colder winter months?
TC: I love to ride my mountain bike. We have some great trails and parks close by so I will be exploring that this winter.
CM: Complete the following: My next holiday break is going to be…
TC: I will be going fishing in the Bay of Islands in spring. Looking forward to catching some fish and relaxing with my wife.
Go to www.northshoreheatpumps.co.nz for more info.
Amanda Graham – Newhaven Gardens
Amanda Graham is the Managing Director of Newhaven Gardens, a boutique garden care company, with an organic approach, committed to using environmentally friendly tools and practices. She talks about the rollercoaster of business over the last few years from expanding her team to dealing with staff shortages and Covid restrictions. Amanda also provides some great advice to people looking to take their gardens from summer to winter.
Channel Magazine: How has 2022 been for you so far business-wise?
Amanda Graham: A rollercoaster! We have expanded from a team of five to seven, whilst navigating the various Covid traffic lights and isolation requirements. We have had some really great results though and it's very rewarding seeing how the team has grown and overcome the challenges of the last couple of years.
CM: What happens in your business over coming months as the temperature drops?
AG: As the temperatures drop, everything in the garden tends to slow down. However, planting season is upon us, and we often have plenty of seasonal and one-off tasks such as pruning, rejuvenating beds and mulching to keep us busy.
CM: There are obviously lots of challenges still around for businesses, what aspects of business are you finding challenge you the most at the moment?
AG: Finding the right people, it is always tricky to find people who not only have the same passion for gardening, but also the right personality mix to fit in with a small team. I'm really grateful for the great mix of gardeners we have right now.
CM: What advice do you have for our readers about preparing for winter related to the part of the home business you are involved in. What should we be thinking about now for winter?
AG: Our summers are becoming harsher each year, now is a great time to start improving your garden's resilience. Drip irrigation and drought hardy plants all help, but the easiest and most important step to take is improving the soil's moisture retention. Adding copious amounts of compost - which helps sandy soil retain moisture, and also improves the quality of heavy clay over time; and then adding a nice thick layer of mulch which helps to regulate soil temperature and reduce moisture evaporation in those hot summer months.
CM: What do you enjoy in the colder winter months?
AG: I've just treated the team to an away day on Waiheke and after coming in second (only just pipped to first place!), I've become pretty keen on clay pigeon shooting.
CM: Complete the following: My next holiday break is going to be…
AG: A trip back to the UK at Christmas to catch up with friends and family I have missed terribly over the last couple of years.
Find out more at www.newhavengardens.co.nz
Nicky Rhodes – Barfoot & Thompson Residential Takapuna
Nicky Rhodes is Branch Manager of Barfoot & Thompson Residential in Takapuna. Her team specialises in residential real estate, both selling and property management. She says her role is largely about hiring and managing the best salespeople and property managers to ensure they provide fantastic service. Nicky tells Channel Mag about housing trends during the cooler months and why house maintenance around this time is important.
Channel Magazine: How has 2022 been for you so far business-wise?
Nicky Rhodes: 2022 has been great so far! The market is certainly slower than that of recent years but people always need to sell or have properties managed. We have been through every market so are skilled to deal with any eventuality.
CM: What happens in your business over coming months as the temperature drops?
NR: Winter is traditionally a little quieter than summer. On the rentals front, tenants like to stay put over winter if they are already in a warm, dry property. In sales, we find that often, higher than expected prices are achieved because there are just as many buyers out there but fewer homes to choose from.
CM: There are obviously lots of challenges still around for businesses, what aspects are you finding challenge you the most at the moment?
NR: We are missing the face-to-face contact with the public but it's great to see that this is turning the corner.
CM: What advice do you have for our readers about preparing for winter related to the part of the home business you are involved in. What should we be thinking about now for winter?
NR: Home maintenance prior to winter is vital - whether it be your own home or a rental, any work done now before the winter rain and storms arrive will ensure your largest asset remains in excellent condition. Seal those gaps, finish the painting, clean your guttering and spouting - they are just some of the things that will pay dividends and ensure your home stays warm and dry.
CM: What do you enjoy in the colder winter months?
NR: I still swim through the winter at Takapuna beach - there's nothing like starting the day with our crazy bunch of ocean swimmers! I also love skiing and will spend as much time in the snow with my family as I can.
CM: Complete the following: My next holiday break is going to be…
NR: My next holiday break is going to be skiing at Mt Ruapehu with my husband and my youngest son. We belong to a ski club there and it's a family tradition with my son being a third-generation member. We all love our skiing and it's something that we love doing together.
Visit: www.barfoot.co.nz/branches/takapuna
Lewis Rudall – Lake Road Electrical
Master Electrician and Director of Lake Road Electrical, Lewis Rudall, has 15 years' experience in the industry and is qualified in both the UK and New Zealand. Lake Road Electrical is a local family-owned business based offering a comprehensive range of electrical services from small jobs at home to renovations, new builds and large-scale commercial projects, with an emphasis on cost effective and energy saving solutions. One of their specialties is electrical switchboard upgrades for older homes and renovations. Lewis says they pride themselves on being experts in all aspects of our work, and always on hand to service the community. He provides some great insights for Channel readers on how to prepare their homes for the upcoming season.
Channel Magazine: How has 2022 been for you so far business-wise?
Lewis Rudall: The best thing we've done this year is to reflect upon and review what works well and what improvements can be made, thereby updating our business plan and goals for 2022. We took time to listen to our customer's feedback, look back at our own experiences, and apply this learning to improve, implement and streamline our processes to add more value for our customers. So far this year many customers have decided to upgrade and enhance old electrical systems and fittings. We are incredibly fortunate to have great relationships with our loyal customer base who have adopted us as their family electrician, also referring us to friends and family. We hit our second-year target (just) but given that most small businesses stagger after the same period we're delighted to report a profit and an order book for the next financial period which allows us to strategise for the next successful period.
CM: What happens in your business over coming months as the temperature drops?
LR: With falling temperatures comes greater stress on electrical systems, especially heating devices that are suddenly asked to work harder. For us, this means an increase in servicing those systems and in some cases, advising the customer to make the decision to upgrade, repair or enhance old electrical systems and fittings. This is an excellent investment to safeguard property and ensure our clients' families or businesses are safe heading into winter. This can also help save money as emergency breakdowns can be costly.
CM: There are obviously lots of challenges still around for businesses, what aspects of business are you finding challenging you the most at the moment?
LR: The obvious challenge has of course been Covid and we continue to see its effects. Risk assessment and planning is vitally important especially given how volatile the current market is and how it can impact individuals and business. One effect on our business is that we’ve seen prices rise which impacts our margins, so the challenge is to work smart by finding every opportunity to reduce costs. Seasonal business ups and downs combine to make this next period both exciting and challenging, one which will require working smart and working hard with total commitment to the future of our family business. Another challenge is with Omicron tearing through the community, we have to prepare for staff unavailability, isolations and customer cancellations. Happily, we’ve noticed things are starting to improve lately as we move to ‘orange’. This is really good news for small businesses like us!
CM: What advice do you have for our readers about preparing for winter related to the part of the home business you are involved in. What should we be thinking about now for winter?
LR: We have provided a full and detailed report for advice on what to do to prepare your home or place of business to be safe for Winter - refer to our feature in this issue for more information and for some great special offers too!
In summary, service, maintenance and anticipated requirements are three concepts which are central to our business; an honest review of your current systems may lead to investment in essential systems upgrades. Everyone should make this a priority in the interests of assured safety of their property and efficiency of their electrical systems.
CM: What do you enjoy in the colder winter months?
LR: Being Welsh, rugby is ingrained in my culture, even more so when my adoptive country fields the All Blacks! Saying that, my kids are Kiwi so it's going to be interesting when they’re older when a Wales vs New Zealand game is on. This season, we're hoping to hit the snow slopes with the children who are yet to have that experience. But with two kids under three, our toddlers will dictate the pace!
CM: Complete the following: My next holiday break is going to be…
LR: Sri Lanka. We hope to gather both our Sri Lankan and UK families together in one place to enjoy great food, sunshine and surf, for a long-overdue family reunion!
Visit www.lakeroadelectrical.co.nz to find out more.
