Tag: Australia

Serving the Australian appliance industry with a professional touch

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Australia the city of people is a place where one can find countless commercial and residential junctures. An increasing number of settlers and visitors vastly rely on the daily appliances for a convenient and smooth lifestyle. Since the urbanites bank upon these appliance systems therefore there is a growing need for appliance repair in Australia. Efficiency and promptness are two major features of appliance repair in Australia as the fast track lifestyle of this city needs quick alternatives instead of living with the problem. These appliances are inevitably a very important aspect of the daily lifestyle followed in Australia.

Appliances that are used by the people living in Australia are not limited to providing comfort, instead in the absence of these appliances a lot of gruesome issues will come up leading to a disturbed lifestyle. Inoperative appliances can disrupt the mental stability and peace by turning life stress full. Also they can ruin the normal flow of life. If you intend to take up the problem all by oneself then this is probably not the best means of handling the situation. A self-initiated repair job can actually worsen the situation to a level where you will have to shell out bigger bucks in order to get the repair fixed by a professional repair specialist.

Irrespective of where you live in Australia it is really important to understand that the best means of tackling the situation is by calling on a professional repair specialist who owns the exact knowledge about your repair requirement and also the means by which he has to fix the problem using the right tools. The best thing about professional specialists dealing in appliance repair across Australia is that they provide round the clock service across various locations at highly reasonable prices. The closest possible source of help is very significant for immediate appliance repair in Australia. Instant solutions will mean instant relief and hence people usually opt for mobile repair specialists.

Solutions with minimum expenditure and maximum benefits are what professionals aim towards delivering. Most appliance owners cannot opt for a new appliance when the old one breaks down or does not function appropriately hence in such a situation the best alternative is to call on a repair specialist who will charge minimal amount of money for maximum benefits. The ease that people experience for getting their appliance repaired is something that calls on the appreciation that this industry courts. A very well acknowledge appliance repair group functioning across Australia is www.localappliancerepairs.com.au which deals in multiple brands and various appliances. They specialize in different residential as well as commercial appliance repair jobs including Thermador range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, stove and oven and most major appliance brands and models.

Philip Smouha – Decades In The Fashion Industry

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It has been said by many that the fashion industry is a cut-throat one. An industry that is very hard to succeed in simply due to the nature of how garments in particular change hands from manufacturers to end users.

The Smouha fabric company was a company that managed to successfully trade fabrics in Australia since 1950. That was until the Global financial crisis affected the customers of Smouha fabrics and they were unable to repay loans owed to the company.

We can still learn a lot about a fabric company that succeeded in this cut-throat industry. It was due to their great reputation, good service and above all else their commitment to stocking only the highest quality fabrics.

Smouha fabrics have lived through government changes in the last few decades which affected many importers. The government increasing the allowance of off shore manufacturing by reducing duties and tariffs is one such example. Even when competition became fierce with cheaper prices on offer to designers and manufacturers Smouha fabrics remained a trusted supplier. This was due to the fabric company delivering exactly what their customers wanted while financing them at the same time.

The fabric empire was started by Philips father Charles, originally from Manchester in the UK which traditionally was the textile centre. Long before the company traded millions of dollars each year the family business began with the goal of just surviving. The business continued to grow through many fashion trends from the 50s to today because of their great style and depth of knowledge of where trends were headed.

Philip Smouha, the director of the 49 year old family business has since found his footing after closing a chapter in his life and is successfully building companies once again. His son is involved in running a beer company called Lucky beer with him. The company has already had a great impact in Australia and off shore due to the cheeky nature of the marketing and original idea which no body has come up with before.

The solid principles of supporting customers and providing them with exactly what they need from the decades in the fashion industry have obviously not gone to waste. The Smouha family continue to live very successful lives.

Car Rental Charges Explained By Industry Insider…

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Prevent additional credit card charges on car rental.

First of all, you must understand how the total price you pay is calculated. Everything starts with the daily base rate this is the rate you pay for the daily use of the car excluding all other charges. It doesnt mean that this is the price you pay!

Instead, you may find your total bill is double of that of the base rate. Extra mandatory charges like GST, airport location surcharges, administration fees, vehicle registration fees are all part of the total bill given to you at the rental counter. I cant stress enough the importance of getting a bill at the end of your rental, but this is another story. So, by the time all the extra charges are added onto your bill, you may find yourself paying almost double that seductive base rate.

To give you an example, a friend of mine rented a car in Australia with a base rate around $177 for four days. The final total? Including a vehicle registration fee, admin fee, airport location surcharge, a surcharge for not filling the gas tank, and a GST on top of all those other charges, my friend paid about $358 – more than a 100 percent increase over the base rate.

So how can you avoid nasty surprises? Below you can find a list of standard surcharges you’re most likely to find at most car rental locations in Australia, as well as some tips for your next trip to the car rental counter.

Airport and GST Surcharges

The majority of car rental transactions happen at the airports around the country. Airport surcharge is something that car rental supplier has no control over and it varies considerably from one airport to another. Therefore, when you pick the car up from the airport you should expect to pay between 3 and 18 percent extra on top of other charges. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid paying GST, which can will add 10 percent. However, if your car rental bill amounts to over $300 and you leave the country within 30 days after returning the car, you may claim GST component of your car rental at the airport.

However, you can avoid the airport charges – such as airport location surcharge fees by picking up and dropping off your car at an off-airport location. Be sure to weigh the possible inconvenience and the price of any additional transportation against the concession fees charged by the airport location – which can be between 3 and 18 percent of your total price.

The bottom line? If you don’t want to pay the airport location surcharge, check out your rental options downtown.

Insurance

Your rental car comes with a standard insurance liability of between $2900 and $3300 depending on a car rental supplier. This liability can be further reduced by paying an extra daily charge of between $25 and $27. However, since the price of insurance is almost half of what you pay for you car, I recommend that you check your credit card/travel/car insurance to make sure it doesnt cover you in a rental car.

Gasoline Charges

For your convenience most car rental companies provide cars with a full tank of fuel, however, be assured that if you dont return the car with a full tank you will pay a higher price for petrol used to fill up the empty tank. However, most car rental companies now offer the option of purchasing a full tank of gas when you first take the car, enabling you to return the car with as much or as little fuel as you wish.

Please note that there is no refund for unused fuel, so its likely youll be paying a little extra for the convenience of skipping the trip to the gas station.

Drop-Off Charges

An extra fee is usually charged if a car is returned to a different location than where it was picked up. This fee varies by location; in some instances there is no charge, while you could pay $300 or more for cross-country drop-offs. However, some companies do not require a charge when dropping off in-state at many Queensland and New South Wales locations.

The 24-Hour Clock

Car rental industry operates on a 24-hour clock rate. However, there is also a 59-minute grace period before hourly charges apply. To give you an example, if you rent a car at 12:00pm on Tuesday and return it by 12:59pm on Wednesday, you will be charged for one day only. However, if you return the car after 27 hours (in this case after 15:00) you’ll then be charged for the full extra day. Hourly charges apply between 25-27 hours.

Early Returns

When you rent a car for a particular number of days, you sign a sale contract for that period. So, just like with any other contracts out there, if you break your contract you must pay cancellation fees. Since, car rental companies set their rates based on the rental period, the longer you keep the car the cheaper the daily base rate. If you managed to reserve a car for 7 days using one of these hot weekly specials and then decide to bring the car two days earlier, you might get charged at a default daily rate and your total car rental charge for 5 days might end up costing you more than if you kept the car for 7 days. Therefore, please dont forget to ask a car rental agent if you pay different daily rate for earlier returns.

Mileage

Most car rental companies offer unlimited mileage in metropolitan areas, including all major capital cities (with an exception of Northern Territory) and some tourist destinations. I would suggest checking your contract prior to signing it as it clearly displays whether you get unlimited kilometres or not. Keep in mind though that smaller car rental companies usually charge mileage if you exceed a given daily km quota. In addition some “hot” special rates may not include unlimited mileage, so be sure to check before you sign a rental agreement.

Vehicle Registration Fees

Varying Rates and Peak Season Surcharges

Here is a tip that will potentially can save you hundreds of dollars. Book in advance!
Rental car companies’ rates vary a great deal from city to city, and sometimes even within the same city. Make sure to shop around. Be aware that you may pay a specific surcharge for traveling at a “peak” time, e.g. School and Public Holidays, Major events in your city, etc.

Age Penalties

Due to the insurance limitations, if you’re under 25, you may have to pay an additional fee, usually about $25 per day. Those companies who will rent to drivers under 21 often charge much steeper surcharges. Internationally, you’ll not only see penalties for underage drivers but also for older ones — those over 70 may have to pay extra (if they’re able to rent at all).

Additional Drivers

Adding more than one driver to your rental agreement often carries a surcharge, anywhere between $7 and $25 per day. Note that some companies, like Avis and Budget, will allow the renter’s spouse or life partner to drive the vehicle for no extra charge — so if both partners are planning to take the wheel, consider renting from one of these providers.

Frequent Flier Fees

Car rental companies often charge a small fee when you request frequent flier miles for your rental. The fee varies by airline, and can range anywhere from a few cents to $2 a day.

Extras

There may also be additional charges for things you had not considered, like infant and child seat rentals, roof racks and other extras. These could run you anywhere from $5 to $25 or more per day, depending on where you rent.

Audio Books Industry – Rapidly Growing

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It has been observed in the various surveys conducted by the government as well as private organizations that audio books industry is growing continuously as thousands of readers are switching to audio books from the traditional physical books daily. The number of the readers may be millions in the coming years by observing these conversions. In this Modern Era, peoples have become technically advanced and take full advantages of the latest technologies which facilitate them their life-style more convenient and flexible as far as reading is concerned.

It has been said that if anybody loves the reading, no one can be their friend rather than the books. Earlier, when the technology is not advanced like these days, peoples used to read the traditional book by buying or renting it from various retail stores or from the library. Nowadays, peoples use to read audio books as it comes in the form of DVDs, CDs, MP3, WAVE along with many other formats which can be listened anywhere anytime through mobile phones, iPods, MP3 players etc. There are many online stores on which you can find the numerous audio books of various genres as per your choice. Most of the online stores offer the great discount on the book. Moreover, you can also search the books online by their title, author or unique content. Books catalogues are also available on the site of online book stores where you can find the book. It’s a great advantage for visually impaired person who can’t read the traditional physical books. Audio books are also beneficial for the handicapped persons whose hands, legs or any other organ is damaged and can’t sit for a long time. They can fulfill their hobbies of reading comfortably by sleeping anywhere in home.

With the revolutionary increment and popularity of audio books, many eminent publishers are eager to make out the audio version of their best seller books because they think that audio version will replace the physical book in the near future. Moreover, the prices of audio version books are also less than physical books. There are many online stores which gives the facility to download the books instantly after purchasing and making the payment instantly. You can download many books for as less as $15. Thus, you can get the unabridged audio books at the very low cost in comparison of physical book. If you are buying these books first time, go through the Google and other search engines where you can get numerous online stores who sell audio books at the reasonable cost.

Everything Books are an Australian based Audio Book e-tailer. We pride ourselves at being a leading player in online audiobook retail, both in Australia and also internationally. For more details please visit: Books on audio

The Australian Packaging Industry Facts And Figures

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As large of an employer as it is, chances are that you already know somebody who works in the Australian packaging industry. Indeed, it is a reasonably sized industry that exerts a massive amount of influence over our daily lives. From recycling to protecting the food that we purchase, packaging is essential.

The Packaging Industry: Value And Employment –

Numbers are among the very best ways to get an idea about the size of something. Consider this: The Australian packaging industry accounts for approximately 1% of the country’s GDP, or Gross Domestic Product. That may sound small, but Australia is a massive country with a very high volume of output. Combine that fact with the fact that approximately 30,000 people are employed by the Australian packaging industry, and it’s easy to see why this industry is so important.

Material Statistics Related To The Packaging Industry –

At 36%, paper and cardboard packaging definitely corner the market when it comes to packaging materials. A simple glance in your pantry or refrigerator will confirm to you that this is the case. However, plastics have reached 30% – a very respectable figure that is easy to confirm, what with the popularity of plastic packaging these days. At 20%, metal packaging has diminished a bit but is still fairly common. Finally, as glass is the most breakable and least practical material, it only accounts for 10% of the total packaging that today is used in Australia.

Recycling And The Packaging Industry –

Considering that the packaging industry only contributes about 10% of urban solid waste, it is remarkable that the industry has, nonetheless, agreed to a National Packaging Covenant that will increase the levels at which it recycles various materials. For example: Plastics, which are currently recycled at a rate of approximately 20%, will now be recycled approximately 30% to 35% of the time. Paper and cardboard, which are currently recycled at a rate of approximately 64%, will now be recycled at a rate of approximately 70% to 80%.

Packaging: An Industry To Watch –

Whether you work in the packaging industry or not, there’s no question that it plays a major role in your life. From the food you buy at the store to the recycling that you do, packaging plays a role in many aspects of your day to day life. As time goes by, the industry itself will be amping up its recycling efforts and will be contributing to the health of the planet. For this reason, consumers can now feel more comfortable about the products that they purchase and can be assured that the food packaging industry is continuously working towards making the world a better place.