Volume 8 - Summer 2006

HARVEY BAY COUNCILSELECTS SPA-N-DECKHarvey Bay Council is the latest in a long line of seashorecommunities to select Spa-N-Deck Acrylic Wood Finish from Floodto beautify their jetties and boardwalks.Work has started earlier this year on this major project and is well advanced now. The resultsare admired by locals and visitors alike. Here are a few pictures to tell the story.

Spa-N-Deck was selected for its proven durability, good looks and easy maintenance. 100%acrylic, Spa-N-Deck has excellent UV rejection properties and outstanding abrasion resistance,making it an ideal finish on timber walkways that are subject to heavy use.

3 Are you an entrepreneur?6 Write good sales letters8 What are you really worth?9 Which coating on decks?

10 Blue water12 Know your glues14 The productive interview

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

WHY HAVE MEET ING S?

It's almost always harder and much more time-consuming to convince someone of something bye-mail rather than face-to-face.

In groups, creative dynamics emerge. A group can develop solutions collectively that memberscould not come up with individually. So, why do most of us groan at the thought of another meeting?

This was alluring at first, but we soon found that sitting down inperson with members of your group really is the most effective wayto accomplish many tasks.

Patrick Lencioni, author of Death by Meetings (Jossey-Bass 2004), says there are two basicproblems with meetings. First, they're boring. Second, and more important, they don't work.

The reason we loathe meetings is they so often don't contribute to the success of our organisations.It is discouraging to spend precious time on a questionable activity. Meetings have plenty ofpotential for drama and conflict, which is essential for keeping human beings engaged. But wefocus on avoiding tension. To make meetings less boring, we must look for legitimate reasonsto provoke constructive conflict.

To make them more effective, Lencioni suggests managers hold four types of meetings: Dailycheck-in (five minutes): Share daily schedules and activities; don't sit down; keep it administrative.

Weekly tacticalWeekly tactical (45-90 minutes): Review activities and metrics; resolve tactical obstacles and issues.

Monthly strategic (two to four hours): Discuss, analyse, brainstorm; decide upon critical issues affectinglong-term success; limit to one or two topics; prepare and do research; engage in good conflict.

Quarterly off-site (one to two days): Review your company's strategy, industry trends, the competitivelandscape; discuss personnel/team development; don't overstructure or burden the schedule.

OK, I hear you saying: "This is crazy. I'm already going to too many meetings." But if the time youspend in meetings is wasted, the solution is not to stop having them but to make them better.

I once worked for a company that banned meetings during business hours in an attempt to improve productivity.

Painting News is published by The Painters Friend, PO Box 6, 46 Simmons Street, Revesby NSW 2212 Australia. Editor: Helmut Thorei, Advertising Mathew Fox (02) 9790 5158E-Mail: Mathew_Fox@floodaustralia.com. All submitted articles and pictures will be subject to a payment of $100 if published.

02

03

You don't have to fit all seven ofthese categories to be a goodcandidate for entrepreneurship.But it probably wouldn't hurt. Ingeneral, the more you have incommon w i t h t hesecharacteristics, the closeryou probably are to being readyto try going out on your own.

1 You come from a line of peoplewho couldn't work for someoneelse. I don't mean that in anegative way. People who aresuccessful at establishing theirown business tend to have hadparents who worked forthemselves. It's usually easierto get a job with a company thanto start your own business;people who strike out on theirown often have the direct example

2 You're a lousy employee. Noneed to sugar-coat this one.People who start their ownbusinesses tend to have beenfired from or quit more than onejob. I'm not saying you were laid

off for lack of work or transitionedfrom one job to a better-payingone - you were cut loose, or youquit before they could fire you.Think of it as the marketplacetelling you that the only personwho can effectively motivateand manage you is yourself.

3 You see more than one definitionof "job security." I'm truly enviousof the few people I know who'vestayed with one employer for 25or 30 years. They look incrediblysecure. But how many people doyou know who are able to staywith one company for that long?In a rapidly changing economy,job security can be frighteninglyfleeting.

Here's how one self-employedperson I know puts it: "If I work forsomeone and my boss screws up,or decides he doesn't like me, orruns the company into the groundor any number of other things, thenI'm out of a job. My security is tiedto that one guy, that one company.

But if a client decides they don'tlike me, or they go out of businessor whatever, I've still got the securityof all the other customers I have."Or, to paraphrase one businessobserver (I think it was Dilbert),"It's way better to have 100 idiotclients than to have one idiot boss."

4 You've gone as far as you cango, or you're not going anywhereat all. Sometimes the motivationto start a new venture comesfrom having reached the top ofthe pile where you are, lookingaround, and saying, "What'snext?" Early success can bewonderful, but early retirementcan sometimes drive energeticand motivated people totally batty.On the other hand, the drive tobuild something new can alsocome from deciding that you'restuck in the middle instead of atthe top. Fear of stagnation canbe a powerful motivator, especiallyif you have an idea for somethingthat could be at least moreinteresting and potentially morelucrative.

Speaking of which . . .5 You've done the market researchalready. Don't even talk to meabout your great business idea ifyou haven't put the time intofiguring out if there's a market foryour product or service. As thepeople behind any number of failed

Internet ventures will tell you,"cool" doesn't necessarilytranslate into "profitable." Don'tbother building it if you haven'tfigured out whether there's a goodchance the customers will come.

6 You've got the support of yourfamily. Starting a business isstressful under the best ofcircumstances. Trying to do itwithout the support of yourspouse or other significant familymembers or friends wouldprobably be unbearable.

7 You know you cannot do italone. You might excel atpromoting a business. Maybeyou love running the financial endof the enterprise. You could besomeone who starts a businessbecause you have unique creativeor technical know-how to createa product.Any of the above is possible, butit's unlikely that you are going toexcel at all of these tasks - or atall of the tasks involved in runningany business. Forget all that "lonewolf" stuff. No matter how "go-it-alone" your philosophy is, you'regoing to need some helpsometime.The willingness to get that help -having employees, partners orconsultants for those areas in whichyou are not an expert - is oneindicator of likely future success.

Here are 7 signs of an entrepreneur

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?It takes an entrepreneurial fire in your belly to start a business - and make it succeed - and not everyone has it. By Andrew Pointer

How do you know if you have what it takesto start a business? There's really no wayto know for sure. But there are things incommon among the emotional and familyfabric of people ready to consider anentrepreneurial venture.

L A T ENEWS FLASHAkzo Nobel Buys Flood Co. in AmericaThe Flood Company, based in Hudson, Ohioand owned by the same family since 1847.,- the biggest independent woodcarebusiness in the United States with anannual sales turnover of USD 55 million.–has been acquired by Akzo Nobel, theworlds largest paint manufacturer.Flood's exterior product line accounts for around 90 percentof its sales, with the company's pioneering Penetrol®technology - a paint additive with unique penetratingproperties - is an important component in many of itsexterior wood finishes and paint additives.

Anthony Ciepiel, Flood's President and COO says: "TheFlood Company will now benefit from the scale and thepower of a multi-billion dollar global brand in the diversifiedbusinesses of coatings and chemicals. This position coupledwith the financial resources of the world's largest coatingscompany will allow the Flood brand to take on a leadershipposition in the premium exterior woodcare and specialtycoatings industry."

Flood products are actively marketed throughout Europe,North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia.The Flood Company Australia continues to be theindependent and exclusive licensed manufacturer of Floodproducts for the Australasian market.

04

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Facts: Quality primers are often formulated withbinders specifically designed for key primer properties.Depending on the nature of the primer, it will, alongwith other ingredients, provide maximum performancein adhesion, sheen uniformity, stain blocking, and/orcorrosion resistance. The finish coat is designed toprovide color and color retention, resistance to dirtand cleaning, mildew resistance, and gloss retention.Used together, the primer and finish coat complementeach other, offering optimal performance.

Here are 5 tips you will find useful.One of the toughest things in starting a business is, well,figuring out what it's going to cost you to start. It's toughbecause startup costs are a moving target, easy tounderestimate and almost always subject to change.

I like the one-sentence startup guide by Tom Emerson, directorof the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at CarnegieMellon University in Pittsburgh. "Start out with nothing and sellhalf of it for several million dollars and you'll be on your way,"I imagine he had a big grin on his face when he said that.

Unfortunately, except for perhaps a brief moment at theheight of Internet mania, we all know that model doesn't fly.The model that does fly involves calculating and recalculating,and being aware of some of the most common early errors.

Here are five rules that can help you start figuring the costof starting.

1 Have a solid plan - then change it. Most business startupstories say that you have to have a business plan. And youdo. But that's not the beginning and end of figuring out yourstartup costs. The conventional wisdom is that an entrepreneursees an opportunity, comes up with a business plan tocapitalize on it, determines the capital that needs to beraised, raises the capital and then applies it to building thebusiness described in the business plan.

There's one major problem with that model. It all hinges ongetting the business right the first time, and that doesn'toften happen. In reality, it's likely that some of your initialassumptions are pretty good and others aren't going to beworth the paper they're written on. Others say that figuringout your startup costs means regularly reviewing yourassumptions and changing your initial business model.

Writing a business plan is good because it forces you to writedown literally everything you are going to need to start yourbusiness: Legal help, tax help, office supplies, equipment,postage, office space, employee salaries, transport, tools,insurance and so on. But that initial plan is likely to changerepeatedly as you learn new things and incorporate theminto the plan.

2 Be willing to pull back. It's tempting to add up everythingyou need for the full-fledged business you imagine, and decidethat that's what you need to start out. But pulling back andlooking for a smaller model can give you a way to get startedwhile also preserving capital.

3 Calculate prices, time correctly. Calculating your initialcash flow is part of figuring out your startup costs. It's anarea where businesses are sometimes less optimistic thanthey should be. Small-business owners or new contractorsmay under-price their product or service, thinking they haveto come in at as low a price point as possible to compete,They don't necessarily need to do that.

4 Correctly estimate your startup time. Yes, when beginninga business, time can literally be money. Let's say you're goingto have fixed costs such as a monthly lease. If you have tomake improvements to a space before you can actually openfor business, those fixed costs are going to be additionalstartup costs until you can actually open for business.

5 Be realistic about the cost of money. Many small-businessowners self-finance their ventures by running up big balances ontheir personal credit cards. Others tap the equity in their homes.But self-financing isn't a practical option for larger ventures.

Startups should figure in the cost of capital when determininginitial expenses and cash flow. The cost is usually based onwhat the interest would be that similar cash invested insomething with similar risk would command on the market.It's usually a figure that is a few percentage points or moreabove the prime rate."

How do you estimateyour your startup costs?

Consider the function of the room being painted with yourcustomer before starting and choose the appropriate colours.Together, look at the exposure the room has, as lots of northerlysunny exposure may be a good spot for cool colour toneswhile a shaded and southerly facing room might be bestserved with warmer hues. Find out who spends the most timein the room. They should be involved in the process andallowed to voice their personal preferences. Review theadjacent room colours. There should be some relationshipbetween them and the new paint colour for the sake of flowand continuity. If your customer wants to manipulate theperceived size of the room with colour, suggest an appropriate

scheme; light monochromatic colours and white ceilings toincrease size, dark bold tones with a darker ceiling colour toshrink. Decide on the mood he wants the room to evoke forits inhabitants and visitors and then explore and explain thepsychology of colours. Consider the style or decor of yourcustomers home. Is it modern, traditional, or eclectic? Youmay want to research colours from different periods likeVictorian, Colonial, or Arts & Crafts for the colour roots of anold house, or for colours appropriate to the period that inspiredyour home's design details. If your customer has alreadychosen the furnishings for the room bring swatches andsamples when choosing the paint colour.

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PAINTINGPAINTING•Goals are dreams with deadlines

•Discipline others in private and praise them in public•It’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare,

It is because we do not dare that things are difficult.

dreams goalsWORDS OFWISDOM

Loving duct tape means never havingto say you're sorry... when it fails!From one of our American readersI was, at one point in my career, a duct tape addict. I wouldlash together lumber, repair hammers, fix my trusty woodentool box... ad infinitum. Then, in my travels through thousandsof homes, I came to see the weakness in duct tape as somerepairs done with it began to fail. The weakness in duct tape'sarmor is due to two factors... heat and ultraviolet light.

The adhesive used on duct tape is tenacious. If you've evertorn off a piece and had it touch itself, you know the meaningof sticky! Straight to the garbage can for that strip, yessirree.But as strong as this adhesive is, it is not really permanentlike a setting adhesive. Heat can soften it, making it losestrength. If there is weight or stress on the repair, thissoftening can cause the tape to slip and the joint orattachment to fail.This can be prevented by use of a secondary fastener suchas a clamp or strap... if the handyman knows enough touse it. A classic example of this faux pas happened to acustomer of mine a number of years ago...A repair person was called in to troubleshoot and repair adryer vent line which no longer blew to the outside. Allvisible connections seemed to be OK, so he had to cut thewall open behind the dryer to assess the situation. Whathe found was a failed junction between two pieces of plasticduct hose connected together at eye level by a 12" longpiece of 4" round aluminum ducting with duct tape aloneas the fastener!

I suppose he thought that the last guy just didn't useenough tape, so he wrapped the connection in what appearedto be half a roll of duct tape... with no other fasteners...and closed the wall back up. It took about six months forthe repair to fail. I'm amazed it lasted that long! The heatfrom the clothes dryer caused the connections to separateas the tape softened, until the two sections of pipe totallyseparated from each other within the newly repaired andpainted wall. Darn..

The repair guy, of course, has never been heard from again.I don't have the trust in duct tape I once had. So as a rule,unless I am looking for a temporary repair, I always find away to supplement the strength and air-sealing propertiesof duct tape with a more permanent fastener!Using duct tape outside...

No, I didn't forget about the effect of ultraviolet light onduct tape, Randy. If you don't know Randy, he is the editorof the HYPERLINK "http://www.quiknet.com/%7Efrcn" RiverCanyon News, and a while back he reminded me of theproblems in using duct tape outside for anything buttemporary repairs... especially when exposed to the sun.He likened it to "a powder-coated set of threads with driedup adhesive." Enough said!

THE GOODAND BAD

OF DUCT TAPE An effective sales letter must hit a nerve.It must grab your attention and make youwant to read on.Besides a powerful headline, your sales letter must offer animmediate clear benefit. Then it must build a reader's trust. Itshould make generous use of "you" and "your" - so it is clearthe customer's needs come first, not your desire to sell something.Be up-front and bold about promising a prize or a tangiblereward in exchange for time and attention. Forget cute or cleverlead-ins. Begin by simply explaining "what's in it for me."

Hitting your targetsAfter having a love affair with e-mail, marketers are againturning to direct mail. In addition, they are more sophisticatednow about the medium that works best for each product. E-mail can be extremely effective but direct mail remains thebest way to reach your prospect.

Sales letters are the most personal form of direct-mailmarketing. Brochures or fliers, however glossy, tend to beimpersonal and may be dismissed as "junk mail." By contrast,sales letters should address the customer by name. You arealready one step ahead.

The idea is to offer solutions that speak directly to yourcustomer's problems and challenges, whether that's business-to-consumer or business-to-business.

To send out the right sales letter, harness these 10 tips froma cross-section of sales experts, coaches and trainers:1: Build trust. Besides the benefit billed at the letter's opening,you can bolster interest and inject pizzazz by adding high-profile endorsements from associates or former clients. Builda testimonial quote from a happy customer at the top of yourletter. Get to bona fides, quick. You need to establish credibilityand be believable by the second paragraph. This is where youexplain who you are, why you're so cool (or smart or cheapor special or useful) and what you have to offer. How youpackage that information, of course, varies with your targetsand your products.Some options:• List a case study – perhaps a job done in the

neighbourhood.• Describe a success story – A problem job you solved

successfully• Outline key benefits of your product – the quality products

you use• Define a problem and how you solved it for a client• Avoid being long-winded or boring in this "credentials"

section. Be unique. Don't just offer some generalized statement."

2: Make it memorable. One of the advantages of a sales letteris that prospects can tuck it away for later action. Great mailershave staying power - sometimes they even end up on therefrigerator door or a bulletin board for years. Include reasonsfor your customers to spend more time with the letter andtherefore more time considering your offer. For example, youmight include the top 5 tips for deck maintenance.

3: Emphasize good looks. Design your letter for visual impact.Make it easy to navigate so your reader reaches for it first -ahead of your competitors. You can easily create professional-looking templates for your sales letter that use your companylogo, branding and colors with Microsoft’s Publisher, MS Wordor similar software.

4: Include a call to action. "Inform the reader about what heor she should do next. An example is: 'Please call me on mycell phone (########) before Friday, the 28th.'" Or, say you'llfollow up with a phone call or more material. Then, of course,make sure you do.

5: And include an incentive. Always explain when, why andhow customers should act. Then, include an incentive for actingsooner, such as a discount, special offer or something free.

6: Resist "Mail Merge." Despite the ease and speed withwhich technology can "find and replace" in electronicdocuments, don't succumb to the temptation of form letters."The best sales letters, especially when dealing with your owncurrent list, are individualized.

7: Use your database. Look in your database for informationabout a customer's job history and preferences. Then sendspecialized letters whenever it's appropriate, such as whenthe time is right for re-applying a maintenance coat to hisdeck etc.

8: Forge connections. Similarly, don't get caught up in pushingyour services. You want to develop a long-term relationshipwith the customer, not pressure him into an order. Use yourletter to investigate whether you can solve customer problemsor meet needs. Try to build a relationship that will last intothe future.

9: Test. Test. Test. When you're planning a bulk mailing, incontrast to a selected best-customer target, send out a fewversions of the sales letter to small groups of targets. Thensee what pulls.

10: Hit the right notes. Your letter should sound like you. Ifyour style is casual and informal, you don't want to create astiff pitch letter, filled with bizspeak and corporate jargon.Match your letter to the way you do business.

How to write an effectivesales letter:

BE SENSITIVE TOYOUR CUSTOMERS DISLIKE

OF PAINT ODOUR.It's no big deal to you but you can take it as a certaintythat the majority of your customers HATE the smellof paint. No need to let them suffer anymore - justadd some Odourzapp Paint Odour Eliminator - to anykind of paint, even sanding sealers and floor finishes.Up to 90% of the smell will disappear and in acrylics

the smell just about goes away completely.

Here are 10 tips

07

INSULTEC is an Australian paint success story with product beingexported to more than 23 countries. The bulk of the productbeing sent to Saudi Arabia where it has been in use for morethan 13 years, its nearest competition comes from the USA inthe form of ceramic based coatings. Insultec's advantage is thatit contains no ceramic's, Insultec's unique formulae has provento last longer.How it works! Insultec stops your building heating up by insulatingthe exterior roof and walls, reflecting the suns heat away beforeit gets in to the ceiling or wall cavity. Once applied to the surfaceInsultec won't allow that surface to heat up by reflecting away85% radiant heat.When Project Services in NSW conducted testing on twodemountable school buildings at Clairgate Primary School theyfound that Insultec lowered the temperature by up to 47% andreduced the cost of running the air-conditioning system by 77%,this is just one example of the many testimonials on hand.Insultec is a unique formula that has been acclaimed byscientist, engineers and other industry experts. Numerous testsresults confirm its remarkable insulation value.Insultec's uses are many, it's ideal for roofs and walls in bothcommercial and domestic buildings.Insultec is also formulated in a paint base as a DIY applicationfor the home handyman for uses on garage roller doors, roof,walls, dog kennel, garden shed etcInsultec can be tinted to any colour, the lighter the colour thebetter. Our Research and Development team have produced aCharcoal Insultec and when tested against ordinary charcoalpaint for radiant heat, the Insultec sample recorded 5C lowertemperature reading.Insultec Commercial is available in 20 litre containers that cover40 square metres from two coats and Insultec DIY in 4 & 20Litres. These cover 16 & 80 square metres from two coats.For more information visit www.mainstreetmarketing.com.auFor trade enquiries email ken@mainstreetmarketing.com.auFax: 1300880796.

Australian HeatReflective Coatinga world beater!

In 2004 The Riviera Groupresearched the market foran effective insulatingcoating that would reducethe temperature of theirbuildings to provide a coolerenvironment for theirworkers. In the end Insultecwas choosen, it was suppliedby the Insulation Super Storein Brisbane (the Queenslanddistributors). The resultswere as expected, no air-conditioning was required.Ken Rice Managing Directorof the Insulation Super Storesaid it was a very goodexample of how companiescan reduce their energycosts and maintain highproduction in those hot days.For building assessmentsphone Ken Rice on1300 880 602.

PAINTINGPAINTING

GOT SOMETHING TOSAY OR OFFER TO:14.000 painters and decorators3000 architects2000 renovating builders300 deck builders350 councils600 hire shopsand over 5000 paint & hardware storesin both Australia and New ZealandPainting News is the only trade journaldedicated to the tradesmen in our industry.It brings business and profits to both readersand advertisers. Being cost effective andhighly targeted. And with a print run of 30.000copies, Painting News is free and maileddirectly to your customers - the people thatmatter to you and who keep you in business.Want to know how you too can benefit fromPainting News and how to get your messageto over 30.000 prospective buyers?Call 1800 226 113 and ask for Matthew

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08

The employee has the right to competent leadership.There is no such thing as a perfect record when makingappointments. Successful leaders have these five ground rules.

1 They must take responsibility for every appointment thatfails. To blame the nom-performer is a cop-out. The leadermade a mistake in selecting that particular person.

2 The leader does have the responsibility to remove thepeople who do not perform. The incompetent or poor performer,when left in his or her job, penalises all others and demoralisesthe entire organisation.

3 Just because a person does not perform in the job he orshe was put in, doesn't mean that that person is a bad workerwhom the company should let go. It only means that he orshe is in the wrong job.

4 The leader must try and make the right decisions for everyposition. An organisation can only perform to the capacity ofits individual workers. So appointment decisions must be right.

5 Finally, newcomers are best put into established positionswhere the expectations are known and help is available. Majornew assignments should only go to people whose behaviourand habits are well known and who already have earned trustand credibility.

APPOINTMENTS THAT FAIL

You're the boss. How much should yournew business pay you?It seems like a silly question, but it's one that owners ofbusiness startups have to answer. How much of a salaryshould they receive? Depending on how the business isstructured, the answer can be, "What the market will bear,""Just part of what I'd make otherwise" or even "Nothing atall - at least for now."

What you're really worthBasically, the owner of a small business who is also anemployee should be compensated by a method similar to thatused for anyone else. His (or her) pay should reflect somecombination of value to the business, the amount of workperformed and what it would cost to hire someone totallyindependent of the business as a replacement.

Nothing, for nowYou may be able to calculate what you should get paid, butthe truth is that if you're the sole owner of a business startup,you might not receive any salary initially. The deferred salarybecomes a liability for the company - one you should get backat some point with interest, once the company starts bringingin some revenue.

Again, the calculation of that deferred salary should bereasonable and based on your experience and the work you're

doing for the business. This is important not just from anaccounting perspective but also in terms of having a realisticbusiness model: If you're not figuring on a reasonable salaryfor yourself, you're underestimating the real expenses of thebusiness and exaggerating the profit potential and worth ofthe venture.

Generally, a business that cannot pay its owner-employee amarket salary over the long term is a business that doesn'thave much real value.

Some now, perhaps more laterTaking some salary, but not as much as your "market value,"is a more likely scenario if you have investors in your business.The reasoning is that part of your compensation is going tobe the growth and increased value of the business that you'regoing to be able to achieve with the help of your investors'money. Small businesses with investor backing are also betterable to pay salaries from Day One than are single-ownerbootstrap ventures.

With investors in the picture, you might still have some incomedeferred on the company books. However, an entrepreneurmay instead receive compensation in the form of shares inthe company. That way, overall compensation is tied to thesuccess of the company and the entrepreneur can benefitfrom that success. It's not at all unusual for an entrepreneurto take a low salary initially. The rule of thumb that floats

around is compensation of maybe 50% or 60% of what youmight otherwise get on the open market, although it might beas low as 30% or less of the market rate while businesseswork through rough times.

The compensation issue gets a little more complicated if youhave partners. Usually, you've got a team of people instead ofjust an individual, and you usually have differences in [financial]circumstances among those founders. Business planningexperts say the time to deal with compensation issues amongpartners is in the early stages of a business, before anypressures of actually running the enterprise - or any pressuresthat could threaten the partnership - have time to develop.

Structuring compensation properly at the start can also preventproblems later. Let's say you've got three people who starta business and one of them is a marketing guy who decidesto leave. Well, you still have to have a marketing guy. Thecompany needs to be able to pull back some of the equity itwas giving that initial guy so it can attract a replacement. Soin the initial agreement, you want to have the equity vestingover time, and something that gives the company the abilityto get that share back to attract a replacement if necessary.

No matter how well you get along with your co-founders,business experts say you should turn to a lawyer whenformalizing agreements between partners. Hire a lawyer familiarwith startup issues.

How much should you pay yourself at a startup?

Until you value yourself, you won't value your timeUntil you value your time, you will not value yourself

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‘Painting Newsis now in New Zealand’

If you want to advertise in the paper that getsto the grassroots of the painting trade or wantmore information about products shown, callcustomer service at PAL on 09 525 1755.

I use it all the time when glossing windowsill and wall cappings. C. WalshI find it great in varnish and gloss. Leavesa lovely finish. John KennedyI wouldn’t gloss doors without it. Makes thepaint move beautifully. C. CostiganIt’s great for rusty gates, railings and fireescapes. I wouldn’t use anything else.Paul MaherIt is very good for glossing doors and worksgreat as a steel primer. William TimminsI use it all the time. Wouldn’t be without it.D. KerinsI always use Penetrol in eggshell.Noel MullenIt is the best product I have seen for paintingglass A. MinterWe use Penetrol all the time on woodwork.Great product. Kelly & ThompsonI always use it in my gloss because it curesdown drag, makes my job easier and leavesa great finish every time which can only begood for my reputation. G. Fagan

It’s great when glossing or undercoatingwood, eliminates brush drag. W. McBrideI think it’s brilliant on all wood jobs, greatadhesion and great finish. K. MinnikenWe use Penetrol always on all wood jobswhen varnishing. M. PhillipsI would say it’s excellent in all oil basedpaints or varnish. Makes it flow withoutthinning or loosing sheen. Eddie ByrneI use Penetrol on very badly rusted 100 yearold railings and the result was outstanding.After 5 years hardly any rust was showing.P.GallagherIt gives my paint a lovely luster. Joe MarksIt is fantastic in oil paints etc. in cold weatherit keeps the paint flowing and gives a greatfinish. G. MullinsI use it neat wherever I can on indoor woodfor a nice rustic look. D. Greene

And here is the best of allI wish I knew about it 20 years ago.A. Clarke

Read what your fellow painterssay about Penetrol

Franchising hasenormous business and

financial benefits!Phone (02) 9790 5158

for more information

Wood decks present a particularly demanding surface for painting or other wood finishtreatments. The floor area, being horizontal facing up, subjects the coating to:

WHICH COATING FOR DECKS

If you suspect the presence of old paint containing lead,do not sand the area. Contact a local EnvironmentalProtection Agency office or health department for instructionson how to proceed. (Lead paint is most likely to be foundin buildings that are more than 25 years old.

Sources of Lead Paint: Lead carbonate was used prior toWorld War II. A white powder, it was used as a primarywhite pigment in oil-based paints. During the 1940's andearly `50s, "white lead" was replaced by titanium dioxide(TiO2), which is more efficient in providing whiteness andhiding. In the early 1970s, the use of lead compoundsbegan to be phased out. In 1978, legislation eliminatedthem altogether. All interior and exterior house paints andprimers are now made without lead. Some buildings,especially those built before this legislation was enacted,may contain lead paint. These paints present potentialhealth hazards, especially for infants, small children andpregnant women.

Dealing with Lead in Paint

IS THAT WALL DAMPOR IS IT CONDENSATION?

Cut out a A4 size sheet of household silver foil andtape it to the wall with good masking tape duct tape.If it is damp coming in, the inside of the foil will gatherdrops of water after a time. If it is condensation, the

inside of the foil will remain dry.

NOTE: Quotes are from a selection gathered from a phone survey of over 500 painters in Dublin & Belfast between January andMay 2004. Many more similar replies were received in similar vein. It showed us that a large number of contractors use Penetroland other Flood products as a matter of course to save both time and money, prevent callbacks and get a better finish every time.On the other hand our survey revealed that there are still painters out there who have not yet discovered what Flood products cando for them and were glad to be told about them.

• High incidence of decay from Ultraviolet rays from the sun• Stress from standing water, wet leaves, dirt etc.• Wear from foot traffic, furniture, pets, etc.

1 New exterior wood can be treated soon after installation orpainted promptly. However, if a penetrating finish is to be used itis best to allow the wood to weather for 2-3 months or longer toremove the mill scale and open the pores to facilitate penetration.

2 When possible, apply the material to edges, ends, and undersidesof the wood prior to installation.

3 When coating your deck, apply only products recommended fordeck surfaces.

4 Preparation of the surface is of the utmost importance. If necessarydue to an uneven surface sand all bare wood and remove dust.Always use a good quality prep product. Without proper preparation,the coating may not adhere properly and its life will be shortened.

5 For re-finishing, all loose paint or other residue must first be removed.Second choice is power washing, or, for best results, a deck preparation

treatment. Remove all mildew with a bleach/water mixture. Thoroughlyrinse off all residual cleaner, bleach, dirt and dust. Again, properpreparation is of the utmost importance for a good result and long lifeof the coating.

6 Apply material only when shaded from direct sunshine, and when andrain are not predicted within the next 24 hours.

7 Wood preservatives and water repellent treatments require morefrequent re-do on deck surfaces, than on vertical surfaces.

Typical life of coatings:

A Wood preservatives and water repellents: 3 to 12 months.B Oil based finishes: 6 to 12 months.C Acrylic wood finishes: 2 to 3 years.D Paints: Several years but more difficult to remove when worn.

So the logical choice for a beautiful and long lasting deck finish hasto be C. Acrylic Wood Finish.'with a life of 2-3 years plus's.

10

11

WHEN YOUR BESTFINISH NEEDS TOBE EVEN BETTER

FLOETROL...fora much betterfinish...faster!

FLOETROL ISTHE ANSWERDon’t take a chance,get it right first timeand save yourself alot of grief.

Available in all goodpaint stores

Suitable for all waterbased and masonry paints

A revolutionary new paint stripping method is now available inAustralia that is a breakthrough in technology and will makepaint stripping, safer and faster. Unlike other paint removalmethods such as heat guns and chemicals the SpeedheaterSystem(tm) uses infared heat to remove paint (and varnish)from wood. Infared heat is a deep penetrative heat that heatsthe wood and breaks the bond between the lowest layer ofpaint and the wood, removing all layers at once, no matter howthick the paint.

"The part that impressed us the most was the fact that all thelayers were removed at once back to bare wood which needsno further sanding before painting. It didn't matter what shapethe surface was profiles or chamfer boards it came off. It is alsovery customer and neighbour friendly being silent and producingno dust"

Mark & Clem Mackay, Max Mackay Painting Contractors. Townsville, QLD

Other advantages of the Speedheater System(tm) are that itcan be used on lead based paints as no lead gases are releasedat the low operating temperature.

It has multiple uses such as exterior weatherboard paint removal,windows (both interior and exterior surfaces) as well interiorarchitraves, vj boards, skirtings and doors. It has also beenvery successful in the wooden boat industry for the removal ofantifouling and marine varnishes.

"The infrared system is no easy work, but lead paint removalnever was. What it does do is allow the safe and most completeremoval of paint from timber surfaces that I know.It also provides me with a wonderful sales tool when quoting forthe restoration of timber homes both inside and out"

Mike Russell, Total Painting & Decorating Solutions, Capalaba QLD

It is an innovative solution that allows the safe removal of alltypes of paint and varnish including intergrain. There is noneed to use messy and potentially hazardous chemicals, thereis no noise, dust or vibration like a sander or grinder, and theinfrared is very gentle on the wood.

Clean up is easy as you are left with a large dry chunks of paintthat can be collected on a drop sheet and swept up for disposal.

The product is designed and manufactured in Sweden andimported into Australia by I-Strip Australasia Pty Ltd. It hasbeen a huge success in Europe, America and also in NewZealand where i-Strip has a developed a national chain ofcontractors who benefit from national advertising of the system.

Call them now for more information or to receive a free productdemonstration DVD (1800 224 953) or see their websitewww.i-strip.com.au

PAINT STRIPPINGMADE EASY!

12

(Oh... and how do I get my stuck fingers apart?)Cyanoacrylate adhesives came into public awareness in the sixties as "SuperGlue... one dropholds a ton!" How do they work? There are many articles on the science behind the product,but the only important thing to know is this... they "set" by contact with moisture on theobjects to be glued. In an extremely dry environment, cyanoacrylate will not set. However,as soon as the product comes into contact with a moist object, the chemical reaction beginsand the glue solidifies.

Cyanoacrylate is designed to bond nonporous materials such as plastic, metal, ceramics andglass. Cyanoacrylate will not stick to some plastics, and is not an acceptable wood glue byany stretch of the imagination! Cyanoacrylate will also bond skin... not a good thing if youaccidentally stick yourself to a doorknob or toilet seat. The medical community has usedcyanoacrylate in place of sutures in some surgical applications, but this is a special formulation. Over-the-counter cyanoacrylate glue should not be used on the human body. It contains methylalcohol, a deadly poison used to "denature" ethyl alcohol.

Setting times vary depending on the thickness of the application and the amount of moisturepresent. It is fairly stiff and brittle when dry, so it is not recommended for use where jointmovement is anticipated or desired. Flexible adhesives such as caulks are a better choice.Oh... your stuck fingers? According to the manufacturers you can dissolve cyanoacrylate withacetone or acetone-containing nail polish remover. If you don't have any acetone available,just soak your hand in warm soapy water and gently work the skin back and forth to breakthe glue bond. If you try to pull the skin straight apart, you will injure yourself!To keep it from hardening in the tube... put it on ice! One common complaint with cyanoacrylateis that it sometimes hardens in the tube. The reason is simple... if a tube is left open fortoo long, the adhesive within becomes activated by the moisture in the air. One of our readersoffered this suggestion...

"If you keep SuperGlue in the freezer it never dries and the cap is easy to remove… plus thespout never gets clogged with dry glue! It should be stored in an upright position to work."Another reader added,"I've found that storing them upside down in the freezer keeps the air away from the spoutand allows for quick dispensing of the liquid."Makes sense?

Cyanoacrylate adhesives, a.k.a.

"SuperGlue" When nothing will stick try this Glue TrickSometimes, you have a situation where you can't nail or screw easily because of vibrationor movement, the fragility of the objects you are working with, aesthetic considerations,or tight working conditions that make clamping impossible.

The trick is to use a combination of adhesives with different setting characteristics. Sayyou want to attach a piece of 25mm (1") pine to a piece of 6mm (1/4") plywood andyou can't screw through the plywood into the pine (the ideal scenario) because theplywood is finished and exposed. You want a strong bond, but at the same time youwant to continue working and not have to wait 24 or more hours for the glue to dry.Apply your primary adhesive (wood glue, in our example), leaving conspicuous gaps init for a secondary adhesive. The primary adhesive is your powerhouse, intended to dothe hard work over the long haul. Your secondary adhesive is the speedster... a fastsetting glue that gives short term strength so you can finish your work.

Primary adhesives: Silicone and acrylic adhesive caulks, construction adhesive, assortedwood glues. Secondary adhesives: Hot melt glue, two-part fast set epoxy, tapes (masking tape, ducttape), mechanical fasteners.Notice that there are a few items in the "secondary adhesive" box that are not adhesives.In some circumstances certain adhesive tapes can act as a secondary adhesive.Masking tape, duct tape, metal tapes, and even fiberglass reinforced strapping tapecan make excellent temporary fasteners while your primary adhesive dries!Notice the thickness of your two adhesives when pairing them. Some combinations arebetter than others! Hot melt adhesive, for example, tends to set up thicker than woodglue, so they do not make a good combination. However, you can pair adhesive caulksor construction adhesive with hot melt glue successfully. Similarly, two-part epoxy setsup very thin, so it can be used in combination with wood glues. Secondary adhesivescan work well alone in some situations. It is your job to decide how critical the repairis and choose the strength of the adhesive accordingly.

The ‘glue trick’ can also be used when screwing items together. In this case, the quicksetting secondary adhesive holds the items together so that you can fasten themwithout needing octopus arms. This is especially useful where clamps are unsuitabledue to space considerations. Also...· Be sure to predrill so that the screw passing through the first item doesn't push the

second item away and break the glue bond.· Be careful that the screw you choose isn't too long or it may make an exit hole in

the face of your beautiful cabinet!!

THE LAST BIT ON GLUES

No two ways about it. Proven for years by 10s ofthousands of painters worldwide, E-B Emulsabondis a product without peers. Not only does it savetime and money but it also makes better jobs thatlast years longer. No matter how poor the surface- E-B Emulsabond will make the paint stick.JUST LIKE GLUE.

WHY DO IT THE HARD WAYEARN UP TO 50% MORE PAINTING CHALKY, DUSTY, FLAKING WALLS.If you haven't used E-B Emulsabond yet, thechances are you lost out on money you shouldhave but didn't make on some of your more

difficult jobs. Without blowing our own trumpetwe think it best to let you read what your fellowpainters and E-B users have to say about the

product. Copies of Testimonials can be sightedon request.

"We used it on facias andsoffits that had been painted with

distemper ages ago and they were in a badway. We used the E-B in exterior masonry paint

and it has not budged since." P. Sinnott

"I used it in good quality masonry paint and found itgave me an excellent one-coat job with a two coatlook, ideal for price sensitive jobs." J. Jenkinson

"I use it in all my masonry paint to make sureI don't have adhesion problems."

D. Kerins

"One particular job we hadwas a large factory building with very

flaky walls. Could have been potentialtrouble but by using E-B not one inch

of paint came off afterwards."M. Keeley

"We had to paint a 30 yearold unpainted plaster wall. This job

would normally have required at leastthree good coats to cover properly, but I got

out in two (coats) when I added E-B to my firstcoat and 10% Floetrol in my second." E.Doyle

"I used it on the outside of a really bad building threeyears ago. I pass by it almost every day and look

and it has not peeled one bit." M. Edwards

"We recommend it all the time for fresheningup roof tiles with masonry paint".

M. Kelly

"We had to paint overa whitewashed basement wall

and we used E-B because I had usedit many times successfully on exteriors.

The paint held on 100% over the whitewash."G. McCormick

"We did the exterior of a big old house on theseafront which had a history of peeling paint

and it (E-B) worked first class. This wasthree years ago and the job looks

almost as good as the day weleft the site." Pat Ryan

If you are not yet a satisfied E-B user, contact the Flood Companyon 1800 226 113 for more information and a free sample soyou can try it out for yourself.

"We used E-B eight yearsago on a very difficult to get at

concrete overhang. The overhang was about4 storeys up on the front of a college and had

50 years of crusty traffic pollution ingrained in it.It was a very difficult job but it (E-B) worked fantastic.Today, after all this time, the paint has not budged aninch. It is a bit faded looking but not peeling anywhere.

Definitely a super product." Ben Pollock

"I find it great in emulsions over MDF etc.Sticks like glue and hides great."

J. Moore "I used to use sealer ondifficult exterior surfaces, but now I

only use E-B because it saves me a lot oftime by not having to apply a separate stabiliser

coat and it has never let me down". David Messit

"Fantastic in exterior paint on garden sheds, fencingetc. Lasts ages and does not peel." N. Hoare

"I have used it many times on flaky, chalky surfaces.A really great product and a great time saver.

A. Butler

If the job is suffering from poorhiding and streaks, just add some

Floetrol and you’ll see thedifference.

"I would not doan exterior wall thatwas dodgy without

having E-B in my paint."Bernard Quinn

"I use it all thetime in exterior paint.Guarantees grip andmakes paint go a bitfurther too." R. Toner

13

THEFUNNYSITEOFTHINGSWHY BURGERS AND PETROL DON'T MIXThe 10 most dangerous foods to eat on the road.Get your hands out of the bucket KFC and back on the wheel. Eating while driving is dangerous-- and it drives up the cost of insurance for everyone.

Eating while you drive is one of the most distracting things you can do, according to severalrecent surveys by insurance companies.

One of these companies began to look more closely at the issue after a check on an insuranceapplicant turned up that he had a ‘record’. The man apparently had several previous accidentsrelated to food on his driving record.

Insurance can be a messy business. In a recent survey it was found that distractions in carswere considered the cause in 25% of police-reported motor vehicle crashes. Distraction wasmost likely to be involved in rear-end collisions in which the lead vehicle was stopped andin single-vehicle crashes. What makes distraction such a problem is the confluence of thedistraction, such as eating, talking on the mobile and the unexpected occurrence of eventson the road, such as a sharp curve or a driver stopped ahead of you.

The a.m. commute is a messIn looking at the insurer's history of claims, it was found that most drivers had problems inthe morning on the way to work, when spills were likely to mar their work attire. That madedrivers more anxious to clean up spills while still trying to drive and didn't necessarily makethem more likely to pull off the road to deal with the mess. It seems it's more the spill thanthe eating. Anything that drips is probably not a good idea. The insurer decided to do a studyof their own to see which foods are the worst offenders, and although they ruined a few shirtsin the process, they found some interesting information.

Coffee was the top offender because of its tendency to spill. Even in cups with travel lids,somehow the liquid finds its way out of the opening each time a bump is hit. And if the stainon your clothes isn't bad enough, the high temperature of most coffees can cause seriousburns and distract drivers who are trying to drive while in pain.

Do you really need a list?The top 10 food offenders:Coffee It always finds a way out of the cup.Hot soup Many people drink it like coffee. Same effects.Tacos A food that can disassemble itself without much help, leaving your car looking like asalad bar.Hamburgers Grease, tomato sauce, mustard on your hands, your clothes and the steeringwheel.Barbecue Spicy and dicy. There is the temptation to lick your fingers. More grease on thesteering wheel.Fried chicken Ditto. Grease coats everything you touch.Cream-filled doughnuts Dangers relate to oozing while cruising. Raspberry jam stains difficultto remove.Soft drinks Prone to spills and sudden fizzing if car makes sudden movements. Cola fizz inthe nose is definitely dangerous while driving.Chocolate Tempting but treacherous. Try to clean it off the steering wheel and you're likelyto end up swerving. If you have to have it, let your passenger feed you.

Insurance companies don't track specific information on eating and driving because it's toodifficult to break it down, but they are aware it is a problem. The difficulty in pinning downthe exact cause of accidents lies in separating distractions such as cell phone use, talkingto passengers, reading the newspaper, applying make-up and eating. All are dangerous toengage in while trying to operate a two-ton piece of machinery.

Look, Ma, no hands!It was found that driving a standard vehicle with a stick shift while eating can double thepotential for an accident, since one hand is holding food and the other hand is shifting. Thatleaves no hands for steering. Even more dangerous is using a cell phone, eating and driving.When the phone rings, the driving distraction increases significantly and, in a rush to answer,drivers forget they're driving.

How widespread is the food problem? According to another survey conducted in the U.S.,eating while driving ranks as the No. 2 driving distraction. Fifty-seven percent of driverssurveyed say they eat and drive. The No. 1 distraction, noted by 62% of surveyed drivers, istuning the radio, and No. 3, noted by 56% of drivers, is turning around to talk with passengers.Interestingly, only 29% of drivers surveyed listed talking on a cell phone as a distracting activityin which they engage.

In a 2005 survey of 1,000 drivers for Exxon, more than 70% of drivers say they eat whiledriving, up from 58% in 1995. Some 83% say they drink coffee, juice, or soft drinks whiledriving and a few even say they'd love a microwave in their car.

Lawyer: What was the first thing your husband said this morning?Witness: He said: "Where am I, Cathy?"Lawyer: And why did that upset you?Witness: My name is Susan

Lawyer: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check the pulse?Witness: NoLawyer: Did you check for blood pressure?Witness: NoLawyer: Did you check for breathing?Witness: NoLawyer: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?Witness: NoLawyer: How can you be so sure, Doctor?Witness: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jarLawyer: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?Witness: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Lawyer: All your responses must be oral, O.K.? What school did you go to?Witness: Oral

Lawyer: How was your first marriage terminated?Witness: By deathLawyer: And by whose death was it terminated?

Lawyer: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?Witness: All my autopsies are performed on dead people

Lawyer: So the date of conception of the baby was August 28th. What were you doingat the timeWitness: Uh.....

Lawyer: Attorney: What gear were you in at the time of impact?Witness: Gucci shirt and Reeboks

Lawyer: How old is your son, the one living with you?Witness: 34 or 35 - I can't remember whichLawyer: How long has he been living with you?Witness: 45 years

Lawyer: This myasthenia gravis, does it effect your memory at all?Witness: YesLawyer: And in what way does it effect your memory?Witness: I forgetLawyer: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOUT H E L A W C A N B E F U N N Y T O O

Telephone 9457 7866 Mobile 0439 899 071 www.b-mac.com.au

B-MAC ColoursWith Style

Services offered throughout Sydney, Northern Beaches and the CenServices offered throughout Sydney, Northern Beaches and the Central Coast.tral Coast.

Expand your businessby offering your client a colour consultation with qualified and

experience consultants.

We specialise in interior and exterior forresidential and commercial properties.

Q I use EB on most of the houses I paint. Manyare one coat jobs but, if a second coat isneeded, why can’t I use EB in the second coat?A EB is formulated to soak into the substrateleaving the acrylic paint on top of the coating.After using EB in the first coat the surface iswell sealed. EB in the second coat cannot soakin and may come to the surface of the paintcausing shiners or flat spots.Q I am purchasing a travel trailer. My concernis the weathering of the fiberglass roof. Is therea protective coating I can apply to retard thesun damage?A Penetrol will be a good solution and keepyour trailer looking like new.Q How can I keep my paint fresh when I haveused only part of the can?A There's nothing more annoying than to saveold paint cans for years... just in case youneed to make a little touchup... to find thepaint as dry as the Sahara! There are a fewthings you can do to preserve and protect yourpaints - repackage your paints if you want themto last...If you have less than a litre of paint left in a4 litre can, don't continue to store it in the bigcan. If you do, next year for touchups when

little Freddy puts his brother's head throughthe wall, you will be out of luck!

Q Why does paint dry in the can?A Air in the can will cause oil and acrylic paintsto thicken or crust over. With acrylic paints,the can may even rust!One easy solution is to transfer the paint to alitre or, if you have less than a litre left, to asmaller paint can, available at most paintstores. A litre is plenty for most touchups (alitre will cover up to 9 square meters). Label itwith the paint name and number, manufacturer'sname, and the date.P.S. Noting the room the paint was used in willbe helpful years from now when you can't evenremember your wedding anniversary date. Nota good example? Arrgh!

Special Tip for Oil Paints...Adding a small amount of Penetrol (an oilpaint additive from the Flood Company) to thepaint WITHOUT MIXING. It will provide aprotective layer that will slow down drying forquite a while!

Unfortunately Penetrol will not work on acrylicsor water based paint so re-packaging is theonly solution there.

? ???? ??? ??READERS QUESTIONS?

14

One of the most common hiring mistakes employersmake is this: They talk too much.What you need to do is question people, not just tell them things. Let the candidate talk75% of the time and you will be well on the way to make a decision. Getting the rightinformation from potential employees is important for two reasons. One, you want to havethe right people working for you, and a good interview is one way to ensure that happens.

In addition, employee turnover is so expensive. It typically costs one-half or more the annualsalary of a position to replace an employee in that position. So mistakes made whenhiring have an impact on your business finances.

Here are five steps the experts recommend for effectively talking with potential employees:

1 Have an interview plan. It's not enough to say, for example, that you need a great tradesmanor salesperson. List the qualities of what makes a great team member for you - ability to workwith others, a good personality, timeliness, whatever - so you can develop the questions andways of determining whether a person has the attributes or competencies you want.

2 Do identical interviews. Taking the time to prepare your questions in advance will helppose similar questions to different candidates. If you ask completely different questions, youcould wind up confusing yourself and not being fair to the candidates.

3 Conduct behavioral interviews. In addition to the conventional methods of reviewing anapplicant's job history and skills, you should ask questions that give the candidate a chanceto explain how they react to specific job situations.

Here are some examples of behavioral questions:• Give me an example of when you had to address an unhappy customer.• Have you ever had to do too many things at once? What did you do?• We need someone who can work with people from many different backgrounds.

Have you had an instance you remember when you had to deal with people quite differentfrom yourself? What did you do?

• Give me an example when you had to conform to a policy you didn't agree with.• Can you tell me about a time you made a mistake at work? What did you do?

The biggest problem with behavioral interviewing is that people can prepare in advance forthese questions. Colleges and web sites have materials available on typical questions andhow to give the ideal answers. The solution is to probe a little deeper, so you know you'regetting honest answers and real-life stories rather than canned responses.

For example, if you're asking how someone handled an unhappy customer, follow up byasking questions about which company or business the applicant was working at, how manypeople were present at the time, how the person felt during the event, how their supervisorreacted. If someone isn't totally telling the truth, it is going to be very hard for them to hangon through three or four additional questions.

4 Ask open-ended follow-ups. You cannot ask questions that don't apply to the ability ofsomeone to perform a job, such as age, marital status, and so on. But there are questionsyou can ask that can help tell you a lot about the person. Questions that are open-ended,instead of allowing for a simple one-word answer, give applicants the chance to communicateuseful information about themselves.

Among the open-ended questions could be:• What have you liked most about your last job? What have you least enjoyed?• Why should we hire you?• What do you feel are your major strengths?• What would your boss say are your two or three weaknesses?

One of the telling questions is how the applicant got along with his most recent boss. Peoplewill answer that question. Many people will tell you that they didn't get along with their boss.That can tell you a lot about who they can or cannot work with. It might also tell you somethingabout whether they're going to get along with you.

5 Ask "performance" questions. With performance questions, instead of simply lookingat a resume that lists a candidate's areas of experience, you can ask exactly how they woulddo something that is part of the job. Performance questions can be like mini-tryouts. Arestaurateur interviewing a chef can ask if the chef has experience with breakfast orders,but he'll learn a lot more if he asks the chef to prepare two omelets.

The whole process of effective communication in an interview comes down to rememberingyour goal. It's easy to make the mistake of interviewing the resume - just checking off thatwhat's on the resume is what the candidate has done. A good interviewer will communicatewith the candidate and use the interviewing process to learn about that person.

5 ways to learn the most about a job candidate

THE BEST ANSWER TO RUSTYou won't beat Penetrol as a cure for rust.

1 Saturate entire surface including rust lumps with Penetrol.2 After and hour or so, get a scraper and descale with the greatest ofease (no more hammer or wire brush) and remove all loose scale.3 Top up any hungry dry areas with more Penetrol until the wholesurface is shiny when dry.4 Anytime after 24 hours apply a metal primer with 25% Penetroland follow with top coat with 10% Penetrol.Now you will have a tough yet flexible finish and no more rust.

15

A CASE STUDY orThe Restoration Powersof SPA-N-DECKA proud home owner inQueensland had his poolsurround timber deck coatedwith an expensive wood finishfrom one of the leading paintmanufacturers. He was toldand expected a couple ofyears coating life before re-coat ing was needed.Unfortunately it didn’t workout that way as you can seefrom the pictures. Within 12months of the application thecoating started to crack andlift off making resulting in avery unsightly mess.See for yourself. >>>

GUARANTEE. Spa-N-Deck is guaranteed not to peel, crack,blister or lift for a period of 2 years on horizontal surfacesand 4 years on vertical surfaces.

The unhappy owner had heardabout a new product calledSpa-N-Deck on the marketand called the local FloodSpa-N-Deck expert for advice.It was decided to proceedwith this product. First theold coating was removedusing environmentally safeCitristrip Paint Stripperfollowed by a thoroughcleaning with Spa-N-Deck PrepSolution, also from Flood.Here it is how the deck lookedafter stripping and cleaning,ready for applying Spa-N-Deck.. >>>

The same day the first coat of Spa-N-Deck was applied tothe still wet surface and 2 more coats were added the nextday. The result speaks for itself and there is now onehomeowner who is a very happy man.

Spa-N-Deck from Flood is a100% acrylic wood finish withhigh UV protection propertiesand extremely good abrasionresistance. Unlike otherproducts, Spa-N-Deck willnever peel, crack or lift ifapplied in accordance withthe application instructions.

Spa-N-Deck will outlast oil andother conventional finishesup to 5 times and with theeasy maintenance programhome owners will enjoy yearsof good looks and protection.TOP: before >>>BOTTOM: after >>>

GET RID OF NEW ROLLER FUZZ.With a new roller, the fibres can embed in

the paint. Simply wrap masking tape aroundthe sleeve and immediately zip it off. You will

have pulled off all the fuzz.

Multi-purpose wood oil to enhance the natural beauty of fine woodBeautifies and protects wherever fine wood is used

• Penetrates deep into the wood• Keeps wood ‘alive’• Is non-toxic when dry• Will never crack, blister or peel• Primes, seals and hardens in

one application• Does not yellow• Will not show finger marks

PENETROL WOOD OIL HAS MANY OTHER USES

Makes an effective moisture barrier

Lets you make yourown stain

Makes a greatwood primer

Makes varnishspread easily

THE FINISH THAT HAS CHANGED WOODCARE FOREVER

CALL 1800 226 113 YOU TOO CAN BECOME

A MONEY M

AKING SPA-N-DECK FRANCHISEE