The demolition trade has a particular character for being a harsh environment in which brute force takes precedence over calculated thought; however this image is far from correct. There is a huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes of the demolition and construction industry which is firmly grounded in the academic world. Moreover, this unseen work is essential to the success of the more visible operations.

One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more specifically pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This kind of work demands a good balance of specific technical understanding as well as experience of the industry and a natural intuition for the complexities of the job. This article explores the ins and outs of this work.

Topographical Surveys

A topographical survey is a report of the actual features of a given piece of land. The purpose of a topographical survey is to chart the naturally occurring and man-made features of a particular landscape to a high degree of accuracy.

Topographical surveys could be carried out on a very broad range of environments, from open countryside to urban areas and across a variety of reliefs and land surfaces. Surveys can be developed to take into account a great many factors, such as ground variables or vegetation, and as such can be used for a number of tasks. A few of the more common uses are discussed below.

Common Applications for Topographical Surveys

Perhaps the most extensively used, and most generally recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern day maps include a great amount of information about the landscape they relate to, including waterways, elevations and ground surface, all of which will have been obtained via a topographical survey.

Topographical surveys also have a major role to play in the construction business. When people or companies are looking to build any kind of structure they will need to carry out extensive surveys as part of the design phase of the project. These surveys are often an essential part of any application for planning permission as well.

Surveys also play a key safety role in primary industries like mining, or in other industries that interact with the land, such as demolition and infrastructure. Businesses in these industries will use surveys to plan their projects, but also to ensure that they can guarantee the safety of their staff on site.

Engineers as well as building staff employ building demolition surveys for in depth dimensions of interior and external structures.

Types of Survey

The world of topography addresses a large number of physical characteristics so it is beneficial to identify what type of topographical survey is suitable for a particular scenario. A few of the more common types of survey required for construction sites are discussed below.

“Lie of the land” Surveys

These types of topographical surveys are designed to create an overview of the physical characteristics of any given plot of land. Whilst the information gathered by the survey will be very accurate, and can be very extensive, the objective of these surveys is to give a site summary. They will often be the first type of topographical survey that is carried out on a project.

These surveys will generally include a boundary survey that sets out to determine the extent of the site and spotlight any specific restraints that are determined by the geography of the site. They can also include a level survey that will measure the elevation of the land and the various gradients that exist.

Building Surveys

Building surveys are more generally concerned with man-made structures on a site, including the surveying of special equipment and even infrastructure characteristics. This type of survey is more regularly associated with the demolition sector since it can give a detailed plan of the building to be demolished. It may be used for other projects as well.

A building survey will probably include a measured survey, which involves creating a comprehensive plan of the external and internal proportions of a building. Depending on the requirements of the job, a measured survey might provide basic building “footprint” measurements, or might produce a highly detailed plan of the structure. This information can be used to create interior floor plans and even roof plans.

Content of a Topographical Site Survey

A survey of a demolition site will almost always include the information gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys described above. This information will be needed so that the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both satisfactory and safe.

Surveys will often contain information about the power services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work takes place. This is an essential safety aspect since any unmonitored damage to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous. The information can also be used to plan new buildings, based upon the existing supply of these utilities.

Another aspect of the site study will often be an inventory of resources on the site. This type of study will be a quantity survey of the various sorts of materials that can be located on site, for example, tiles and masonry, concrete that can be utilised as hardcore or even wood. By taking an accurate audit of site materials the construction company can more accurately determine the need to import building resources, or they can re-use the materials on a different job. These surveys can be made pre-demolition and post-demolition.

For demolition projects throughout city locations, topographical demolition surveys may uncover possible issues with the disruption of utilities and infrastructure in the region.

Importance of Site Surveys

Perhaps the most significant reason to undertake a topographical site survey is to ensure the health and safety of the people who will be working on the site. The industrial sectors that most frequently call for site surveys are risky enough as it is without having to be concerned about the condition of the ground on which they are working.

Another critical reason to get a proper survey done is to highlight any potential problems that may arise because of the physical properties of the area. Particular things may not be evident on the surface of the site and will only be discovered once digging or demolition has started.

The inventory of site supplies, as previously mentioned, can be of great value to a demolition or construction company working on a project. Not only are construction materials themselves costly, but transporting them to the site may be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be recycled on site offers an opportunity to save development time and money. Only by taking an exact audit of these supplies can a company correctly plan its imported material needs.

Topographical surveys can also identify other areas that will be of use to the project planners. For example, if the gradients on a site would be prohibitive to particular vehicles or equipment then a new access route or alternative machinery will have to be found. Equally, an appropriate site will need to be found for the base of control operations for the project. Good site surveying can help out in these less tangible ways.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction stages of a construction project, the equipment required for the physical surveying of the site and control of the survey information will often be stored on-site. This is obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition phase of a project since the machinery is both expensive and sensitive. It is therefore sensible to move this equipment off-site during demolition.

Once the demolition has occurred and the site has been deemed safe for workers to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its initial position on site. This will allow for efficient data collecting to take place for a post-demolition survey, and maintains a single point of contact for anybody who needs the topographical survey information. Most surveying companies will oversee this redeployment.

Many towns and cities around our nation need home demolition before building of modern housing estates can begin.

Who can Perform Site Surveys?

Because topographical site surveys can play such a critical role in the success or failure of a construction or demolition project it is vital that they are carried out thoroughly by the correct people. There are different divisions of site surveying and each one will have unique certificates associated with it. Finding surveyors with these specific qualifications will certainly be advantageous.

When choosing a company to undertake the surveying work required for your project it will be sensible to choose a business with a good reputation and a proven track record. Ask to see examples of their previous work and try to obtain feedback about their overall performance on past projects.

Who will use the Survey Information?

Once an adequate level of information has been gathered by a site survey it must be handed out to the appropriate people on-site. Who gets which pieces of information will mostly depend on the job roles being performed, but can also rely on the stage that a project is at. There will be less need for materials information midway through construction for example.

Project Planners

Project planners will generally require access to all of the information gathered by a topographical survey, although they will particularly need to use information concerning the physical relief of a site before the design phase, and a site materials inventory before they can plan the construction phase. The more data that can be made available to project planners will aid the smooth running of the project.

Demolition Experts

Demolition companies will want to know about the internal and exterior properties of any building or structures that they are arranged to take down. Whilst every project will have individual requirements, demolition experts will generally need to know about the fundamental framework of a building and the materials it is made out of. They will need this information before demolition can take place.

Site Engineers

Construction engineers on-site will be particularly interested in the survey statistics about the relief and topography of the terrain. It is normally the case that they will want to assemble on a flat surface, so they will use details about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be required to create a steady footing for any building.

Introduction

For many years businesses and event organisers have worked hard to communicate messages about their organisation through the use of many different channels of communication.

The use of promotional items has been just one of the marketing elements utilised by businesses and event organisers. Branding of the promotional items with a printed slogan targeted to their customers is recognised as a simple and easy method of ensuring that a brand remains in front of their target audience for an appropriate length of time. Messages can be timely to a particular event to ensure that whatever the occasion, the target audience are left with a reminder of the message and will be able to recall the occasion at a future time. Businesses in particular have always felt that a reminder of their company name on a promotional item left in front of a customer will be of benefit in the end.

In recent years the number of businesses offering promotional items and printed promotional goods has grown dramatically. Today, there is a huge range of promotional items and printed promotional goods now available. Promotional items used to consist of simple products such as pens, badges and balloons, but in more recent times the range has evolved enormously. Specialist promotional marketing companies now supply marketing goods ranging from the traditional pens and pencils, to eco friendly promotional items made from recycled or biodegradable materials, to a range of organic clothing and accessories. Eco-friendly promotional items create a positive environmental impression about your business.

History of Promotional Marketing Products

Promotional items used to be associated with commemorative occasions such as Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953. I recall that my mother had collected commemorative items such as cups, saucers, spoons and plates to commemorate the occasion.

The earliest use of promotional items as commemorative products is thought to be the 1789 US election of George Washington. The occasion was recognised with the production and issue of commemorative buttons. In the early 1800s an American printer took an idea to a local shoe retailer suggesting that the store should print its name on book bags and supply them to local school children. The idea was a great success and soon bags were being printed and sold for all sorts of products. The use of printed promotional bags is a great way to advertise your company’s name.

In the UK two trade associations represent the manufacture and distribution of marketing and promotional products industry. In 1958, the Promotional Merchandise Trade Association (Promota) was formed and in 1965 the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) was founded. The manufacture and distribution of marketing and promotional products is a growing business sector.

If children attend your event supply cheap promotional products which they will use afterwards, such as pens and pencils.

The Growth of the Promotional Products Industry

In the 1970s and 80s, the main time of year to distribute promotional products was at Christmas. The promotional items usually consisted of calendars, often printed with the company name on, or bottles of drink. The items were usually given as a gesture of appreciation for a customers business throughout the year. I remember my father coming home from work just before Christmas in the 70s with bottles of drink which customers had given him. In recent times, the range of promotional goods has grown, with the idea of offering different marketing products throughout the year. Companies could see an opportunity to use promotional marketing goods more widely throughout the year. With the increasing number of different cultures in the UK the seasonality effect also began to lessen in importance. Some companies now hand out branded advent calendars at Christmas.

My first recollection of promotional marketing items was a collection of musicians and then football players. The well known UK jam manufacturer James Robertson used a golliwog named Golly on its labeling and by collecting tokens, you could then send off to collect the promotional item on offer at that time. Robertson’s had used the golly as a mascot since 1910 and in the 1920s produced promotional pin badges using the Golliwog doll. The Golly promotional items existed until the 1980s when a political debate ensued and claimed that the company’s’ products were seen as offensive in a multi cultural environment. The promotional idea was scrapped in 2001. This decision was detrimental to Robertson’s, but other organisations recognised the importance of building a brand through promotional marketing.

Companies realised that promotional products could play an important part in raising awareness of their product which led to many businesses becoming more creative with the use of promotional items. Depending upon the business sector marketing campaigns are now developed throughout the year and the choice of promotional merchandise now available means that promotional products can be tailored to support any event at any time of the year.

As a marketing manager of a leading business in the UK, I used to receive promotional merchandise catalogues, which contained more pages than a telephone directory. It would be packed full of an exhaustive range of promotional goods available in the market. As recently as 2007, suppliers of promotional merchandise were themselves becoming more innovative in their own marketing techniques, by targeting specific organisations with tailored promotional merchandise offerings rather than a full range catalogue. With many businesses wishing to be seen as ‘doing its bit’ for the environment, manufacturers of promotional marketing items need to remain innovative in sourcing new ideas for promotional products.

Many businesses prefer to offer promotional items which will not be damaging to the environment when disposed of and have been produced from recycled, reused or biodegradable materials. Almost every distributor now has a website promoting its range of promotional items. It is however, very difficult to showcase every item as the ranges are now so vast. A businesses or organisations printed promotional requirement can be very complex, so it is difficult to order on line. Charities often use marketing products and promotional items to promote their cause to a wide ranging audience.

The Growing Uses of Marketing Promotional Products

The promotional merchandise industry in the UK and Ireland is big business with a market size in excess £900bn. Businesses and organisations recognise that the benefits of supplying marketing promotional products all year round, can add value to any occasion by utilising the huge range of promotional marketing products to reinforce a message.

The market has grown considerably since the days of a business showing its appreciation to its clients at Christmas, for business placed throughout the year. Many large companies now hold stocks of promotional items themselves as an instant giveaway item. As a Marketing Manager employed by a large UK business, we held stocks of several carefully selected promotional giveaway items. The items would be made available for the sales teams to give to customers, to hand out to school children on educational visits and as a giveaway at exhibitions and conferences. Each of the promotional items reflected the values of our business and being a waste management company, the range of promotional products chosen were of an environmental nature. The range included pens, pencils and rulers made from recycled plastic drinking cups, branded notepads made from recycled paper and biodegradable carrier bags.

In any industry, companies who participate in exhibitions will always handout a selection of branded promotional items. The intention is to make their business brand stand out from its competitors. The type of promotional product selected will largely depend on your particular industry sector. For example, IT companies are likely to choose mouse mats, memory sticks and other IT related promotional products to hand out to customers and potential customers. I attended an exhibition last week and noticed that fewer companies were actually handing out giveaways. I spoke with a few companies, who told me that they had decided against freely handing out promotional items, due to the current economic climate.

The increase in the use of marketing promotional products can be seen at sporting events and concerts. Many of these events are sponsored by large organisations who support their sponsorship activity through the supply of promotional merchandise. Sponsors will hand out items such as cheap promotional pens, branded with their company logo to visitors. Guests who have been fortunate enough to be invited in to the sponsors area may receive customised promotional products such as caps or t-shirts. In sponsoring these types of events where there is guaranteed to be a large footfall of visitors, it offers the sponsor an opportunity to use marketing promotional products to try and increase the awareness of its services to new potential customers.

It’s usually quick and easy to buy promotional printed pens from a supplier of marketing products.

In recent years there has been an increase in the selection of environmentally friendly promotional products. This has developed from the increase in the volume of materials now being recycled. Manufacturers of promotional items have recognised the importance of businesses being seen as taking the environmental message seriously. For example, it’s no good the major retail supermarkets saying that they are cutting down on the use of packaging on their products, if they continue to issue customers with the old fashioned non-degradable plastic carrier bags. You will have seen that the big supermarkets now provide customers with branded biodegradable carrier bags and encourage customers to reuse bags from previous visits by offering discounts for doing so. Many retail outlets now provide printed biodegradable carrier bags.

The range of materials now used to manufacture eco-friendly promotional goods has increased considerably. The key recycled materials used in the manufacture of promotional goods include, plastics and plastic cups, tyres, leather, textiles, metal, wood and car parts. There is now a huge range of promotional goods to choose from which have been made from recycled materials. The larger suppliers of promotional products have also perfected techniques to provide good quality printing onto these products, so businesses need not worry about the reproduction of their logo. High quality branded promotional items will leave a good impression about your business.

Conclusion

The industry for marketing promotional products has changed dramatically over the last 30 – 40 years. There are a number of key reasons for its growth.

We live in a world where, there is fierce competition amongst businesses to be noticed above your competitors. The clamour amongst mobile telephone companies to offer the best contracts is a prime example of a really competitive market place. We are also in a world where the environment is high on many people’s agenda. There is a real desire to safeguard our environment for the future, by doing all we can to reduce packaging, divert waste from landfill to recycling and reuse more of what we would normally throw away. This focus has benefited the promotional merchandise market. The industry has had to become more creative in the range of items it can now offer. The creation of a new range of environmentally friendly promotional goods | items | products }made from recycled material has had a significant impact upon the growth of the industry.

Businesses will continue to use promotional goods as a marketing tool to reach their desired target audience. Branding of companies promotional items with a printed message targeted to their customers is recognised as a simple and easy method of ensuring that a message remains in front of their target audience for an appropriate length of time. Businesses will always feel that a little reminder of their company name on a promotional item left in front of a potential customer will be of benefit in the end.

Use Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2003 and Word 2007 to produce bulk personalized letters and emails from just ONE document.

Mail merge virtually eliminates the need to pay monthly subscriptions to email marketing companies or agencies.

Most people don’t realize that the software to send personalized bulk emails is ALREADY on their own computer.Mail merge is a very valuable tool for small business owners as it gives you the ability to design and publish professional letters and email campaigns.

Mail merge using word and outlook is relatively simple.The benefits of being able to use mail merge are huge.In the past when you wanted to send letters or emails out to a list of people you had to manually input each name and address separately.A painstaking procedure at the best of times.Using word mail merge this can all be accomplished in the ONE word document.

So, if you have 100 or even 10,000+ letters or emails to print or send, they can all be done at once with the click of a mouse.

From a marketing perspective personalized letters and emails are MUCH more well received. People are more likely to read something that is directed at them personally rather than something that looks mass produced.

Small business owners will appreciate the substantial return on investment that personalized correspondence can achieve.Don’t just use the merge fields after Dear, and for your senders address. Advanced users should take full advantage of the functionality of the program.

Use the recipient’s name frequently throughout the body of your content.If you have custom fields in your database such as; partners name, children’s names, pet name and birthday, then by all means you should use these fields to their full extent

The more personal the better. Your message will more likely be read and more importantly, remembered.

Letter Writing Tips: Insert their business name or first name in the headline of your letter. Make sure your headline clearly states what your letter is about, otherwise it may not get read any further.

Photos and BTW remarks work wonders. Always include a picture of yourself so the reader can relate to you. Writing a p.s. after your name is also a good trick as these remarks get high readership.

Email Writing Tips:Use tables when designing your email letter template. Tables can be centred to the page and they look more professional.

You can add borders, cell shading and other styling to your table, plus it is easy to layout your content in an organised manner.

About The Author: This article is written by Neville Pettersson. Neville runs a small business marketing company in Christchurch, NZ. He has designed this website as a valuable resource for small business owners to keep in touch with their customers. Visit the website at:

Mail Merge Word 2003

www.mailmergeguide.org/howtomailmerge

www.mailmergeguide.org/mailmergetutorial