1 June 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
EN Magazine
Founder and MD of Checkatrade comments in EN Magazine
SUMMARY
Thinking of refurbishing your office? Or moving into a new shell? EN asks what you need to know about office fit-outs.
PRESS RELEASE
Office fit-outs and refurbishments have many benefits, from boosting staff morale to showing clients you mean business.
Kevin Byrne founder and MD of Checkatrade comments:- " It is a good idea to visit the firm's previous clients to see the "quality of workmanship on offer" as this could "save alot of heartache in the future" When you are approaching companies, ask for details of other customers that they have already done work for" Kevin advises.
"Request the last three customers' details and call those three customers and ask if the firm was on time, whether they were on budget and whether or not they encoutered and diffculties" Kevin says that when going down the design and build route it is vital to check whether any elements of the work will be subcontracted out and, if this is the case, to ask for details of the subcontractors they plan to use and have alook at projects they have completed in the past. Kevin also suggests you insist on a clause in the contract in which a percentage of the contractors' payment(or payment to the design and build team) is not released until a few months or even a year after the job is completed. A staged payment plan is a necessity, as this gives you the chance to go back to the contractor if you spot any snags. Only when all the defects or faults are made right should you give them the final five per cent. It is important to draw up a list of expectations between contractors when undergoing a fit-out or a refurbishment.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Checkatrade helps combat the UK's rogue trader problem by continuously vetting and monitoring local traders such as builders, plumbers and electricians. The idea was born in 1998 after a tornado hit the small West Sussex town of Selsey. Traders poured in from as far away as Liverpool and Manchester. Unfortunately, some ripped off the inhabitants of the town. Local businessman, Kevin Byrne, realised there was nowhere to check out the traders’ credentials and the company that became Checkatrade was formed.
Since then, Checkatrade has grown to include over 6,300 genuine trade members, growing by an average 120 new members every month, and, via the Royal Mail, distributes 5.9 million directories a year into communities throughout Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset and Berkshire, while the website includes traders from across the UK.
CONTACT INFORMATION
PR / Marketing, Checkatrade
5 - 6 Sherrington Mews, Ellis Square, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 0FJ
Tel: 01243 601234
Fax: 01243 601246
info@checkatrade.com
