To Warm up the Car, or to not Warm up the Car

That is the question of the season.  The debate rages each time winter rolls around again.  What are the benefits of warming your engine, and what are the common misunderstandings?

According to Environment Canada, an idling engine is twice as harmful as one that is in motion.  They also mention that a car needs only 30 seconds to circulate oil through the necessary parts.  Everything else, such as wheel bearings. tires and suspension, can’t benefit unless the car is moving.  Don’t rev the engine; driving slowly for the first couple of kilometers is the best way to get your car up to full performance.

If you warm the car up in order to clear the windows of frost, snow or ice, just do a more thorough job with your ice scraper.  Your defroster will manage the rest after only a couple minutes of driving.

A good solution if available is to use a block heater.  Block heaters warm your oil and engine coolant, making your car run better in cold weather.

To summarize, idling your car to warm it up is beneficial for only about 30 seconds.  It is only for the sake of convenience that we let the car run for longer, releasing harmful emissions into the air as it does.  Maybe you can take the time to invest in a new pair of gloves, or a new winter hat, and do your part to help the environment.

Sunshine in the Community

The clean up of branches and debris at the newest extension of the Island Lake Trail took a giant step forward on Monday when an “army of yellow” descended upon the park.  Following their motto of “We Care, All Year”, over 50 landscaping professionals from Sunshine Grounds Care made short work of the clean up.  The event was part of the annual training conference at the Sunshine Headquarters in Orangeville.

“Each year we gather employees for several days of skills training focusing on ways to improve customer care and service,” said CEO Peter van Stralen.  ”Giving back to the communities in which we live to make them more sustainable is very important to us.  We now have 27 franchises across Canada and the US who can go back to their own towns and perform this kind of community service.”

Bob Shirley, chair of Friends of Island Lake was on site to observe the charge of the yellow landscape brigade.  ”This is fantastic work.  It would have taken us so long to do what you accomplished in a single morning.  People can begin to enjoy this trail and the beauty of Island Lake right away.”

Picturesque Island Lake Conservation Area is located in the rolling hills of Dufferin County in the Towns of Orangeville and Mono, and provides for four seasons of recreation.  The 332 hectares of lake, wetland, forest and meadow play an important ecological role in protecting the headwaters of the Credit and Nottawasaga Rivers.

For more information on Island Lake, please visit at www.creditvalleycons.com

Follow this link to see pictures from the event on our facebook page.

Maintaining a Fun and Positive Work Environment

We don’t often enough hear the words “work” and “fun” in the same sentence.  I mean, sure, we hear sentences like “Work was no fun today” or “No work today, let’s have some fun!”, but that isn’t exactly what I’m looking for here.

I think we can all agree that some jobs are more fun than others.  An employee is going to want to find a fun job, so employers should be thinking about how to make their company more enticing.  As an added benefit, an employee who likes their job is more likely to have a positive attitude and  put forth their best effort as well.

So how do you make your company fun without ruining years upon years of professional reputation?  Well, be creative!  It can be a little thing like buying a basketball net for your shop.  It can be a big thing like giving away blue wigs to Vancouver Canucks fans outside the hockey arena during the playoffs.  The first idea will make your employees happy; the second can make your employees happy and also generate a ton of publicity.  Suddenly, fun means good business!

Take the time to think of how to make work more fun and implement the idea.    And who knows?  Maybe you and your employees will even start to spend the whole weekend eager and excited for Monday morning!

Why Buy a Franchise Instead of Going it Alone?

If you are on your own, one mistake can destroy your business.  When you own a Franchise, people are watching every aspect of your business to recognize problems and help you deal with them as they arise.

A Franchisor will provide you with training and systems which will increase the chance of your business succeeding.  They will teach you how to organize and run your business; some will also connect you directly with experts who can arrange your finances, marketing, etc.

Since Franchisors are very familiar with their business, they can also help you with issues such as pricing, and can help you find the correct competitive rates that will land you clients.  You are likely to find yourself earning new clients based on the Franchisor’s brand reputation alone.

Franchisor’s can also help their Franchisees get materials cheaper because they can purchase in bulk.  They will also have established long relationships with the suppliers.

Lastly, purchasing a Franchise will free up time for friends and family that may otherwise have been spend pouring over unfriendly and unfamiliar financial documents and sales figures.

Snow Removal Etiquette

We’re rapidly approaching that time of year when the first few innocent snowfalls start to turn into something that needs to be tackled with a shovel or snow blower.  If you still want to be on speaking terms with your neighbours, or if you don’t want to be known to local snow plowers as “that guy” once the winter is over, now is also a good time brush up on snow removal etiquette.

The first rule of snow removal is simple: “Don’t throw the snow onto your neighbour’s driveway or yard.”  It’s amazing how hard this can be for some people.  Taking the few extra steps is a much better solution than starting a shoveling war.

If you find yourself behind a slow moving snowplow while driving, be courteous!  If you are directly behind the snowplow, the driver may not be able to see you and there could be an accident.  Only pass if you are sure the plow driver has seen you and the way is safe.

Don’t get all riled up if a plow has pushed a small layer of snow onto the end of your driveway.  Plow drivers are responsible for keeping the roads safe; you wouldn’t even be able to drive otherwise!  It will only take a moment to shovel the excess snow out of the way.

Park your car in places that have already been plowed.  The plow driver will not be able to do their job when your car is in the way.

Be safe and be polite, and winter won’t seem quite so chilly.

Winterizing a String Trimmer

Part of your regular autumn routine should be winterizing your string trimmer.  Between putting your gardening tools away for their long hibernation and raking up leaves, this might be a task that gets left by the wayside.  Make no mistake, winterizing your string trimmer is important if you want it to start up again next year.

Give the machine a full clean; get all the debris and dirt off.  Ensure that the switch is in the OFF position while oiling and servicing the trimmer where necessary.

Empty fuel from the tank and the carburetor.  The latter can be done by pulling the starting card a number of times to remove the gas.  Remove the spark plug and pour some engine oil into the hole.

Make sure that all the screws are nice and tight before storing the machine in a dry, dust-free location.

Show your respect for this handy machine as winter approaches and it will be your friend once again come springtime!

Preparing Your Lawn Mower for the Winter

When the grass isn’t growing and the wind starts blowing, that means it’s time to winterize your lawn mower. Your mower will be sitting for several months in your garage or shop, so you’ll want to make sure that you do a good job keeping it in good condition.

Start by emptying all the fuel. Run the mower until it is dry. Prime the engine and keep restarting the motor to get the last drops of fuel out of the tank. Once this is done, you change the oil. Don’t forget to turn the engine over to distribute the oil with some tugs at the pull-cord.

Remove the spark plug and a small amount of engine oil into the spark plug hole. Install the spark plug without connecting the wire.

Get rid of all grass and debris from the engine housing well and check the blades. They made need sharpening, or replacing altogether. Doing this now can save you time in the spring.