Opportunities to Set up or Expand Your Automotive Industry Related Business

In 1984 Nissan established a Factory in Sunderland, North East England. In the past eight years this factory has been Europe’s most efficient car plant. Since then Nissans overall investment in the region has been approximately £2.1bn ($4.1bn).The North East of England also boasts a wide range of specialist industrial support. This includes the NEPA programme which looks at lean automotive manufacturing; The Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence; The Automotive Academy; and the Automotive Centre for Excellence.These resources are made available to businesses that are looking to set up in the region. The regional development agency, One NorthEast, have a dedicated team who help businesses from all over Europe and around the world to look at the opportunities available to business looking to relocate and take advantages of what the North East has to offer.Located in nearby Newcastle upon Tyne is Northumbria University. The design school contributes to the industrial design of automotive products.The level of commitment by Nissan has propelled the North East of England as one of the top places in Europe to relocate automotive businesses [http://www.investnortheastengland.com/page/sectors/automotive.cfm] as well as the expansion opportunities available.Nissans decision to move to the North east has prompted over 150 automotive companies to relocate or start up in the region and the industry now has a combined workforce of 18,000 skilled people. Companies in the car or car component industry can take advantage of the regions large and skilled workforce with great employment skills in the automotive industry.In addition to the employable skills enjoyed in the region, the industry is also supported through the Institute of Automotive and Manufacturing Advance practice at the University of Sunderland which is recognised worldwide as a one of the leaders in its field. Its research includes materials and structural analysis, manufacturing systems and ergonomics. There is also Durham University’s Centre for Automotive Research; here they have expertise in vehicle aerodynamics and hybrid vehicles.So the North East of England is a region that can support new and existing businesses that are looking for expansion opportunities or relocation opportunities in the Automotive industry [http://www.investnortheastengland.com/page/sectors/automotive.cfm]. With a highly skilled workforce and support and collaboration available for the regions local Universities the North East has established itself as one of Europe’s prime locations for the Automotive industry.If you would like to know more about these business opportunities then the best place to get advice is through the Invest North East England team at One NorthEast.

House Improvement – Handy Kitchen Planning Solutions For Brilliant Results

You are going to give your house a makeover and you have chosen to attempt your kitchen to begin with because this is where the household spends a lot of its time. But, a cautionary note though! Before you get too carried away it is important that you have given enough time up to determine the overall look and feel of your kitchen area, so where do you begin the process?Defining Your Colour SchemeAmong the first aspects that you will need to consider when choosing cupboard hardware or any other feature of your kitchen storage style and design will probably be the colour. Are you contemplating renovating the complete room? If you’re not, then you are going to need to make certain that the kitchen cabinetry are going to harmonize with the rest of the room’s décor.If you’re looking for colour options then don’t just make use of periodicals for creative ideas since there are plenty of tutorials online that will assist you to recognize which colours work well together (and which probably don’t), as well as ways to use colours so that you can establish the mood or perhaps the ambience of a room or to accentuate selected aspects of it too.An interesting point to make here is that you may not necessarily maintain your original kitchen color styles so if you do decide on anything too colorful this may bring about even more work for you at some point, in contrast to more natural colours will provide you with additional overall flexibility down line.Calling The ExpertsIf you do decide to go the non traditional path for your kitchen design then getting professional help will become a priority as you really should make certain that materials you opt for will all come together and you won’t run into any problems with the installation.Kitchen Worktops – What Is IdealKitchen Worktops, what are the alternatives? Choosing worktops is likely to be a very personal decision but do make sure your choice is fit for purpose as Hi-gloss worksurfaces lose their lustre very quickly in very high use conditions so don’t fall foul of this. Duropal laminate kitchen worktops offer a selection of work surfaces suitable for just about all requirements or for those who have a little more money to spare investigate the man made stone Minerelle worktop selection for a touch of class. Or for the final word in quality you could make use of natural stone, slate or granite.What’s The Best Flooring?With today’s contemporary flooring ranges you will have some wonderful options and loads of scope for matching colour and style with the rest of your kitchen area. On the whole laminated flooring will give you the most flexible options when it comes down to styles and shades and are a lot cheaper than stone flooring if you are working to a tight budget. Laminate flooring is the best selling choiceKitchens improvements have the habit of running massively over budget but the primary cause of this is simply the lack of planning. By preparing with plenty of forethought you stand a much better prospect of designing an outstanding kitchen, bringing it on or under budget and creating a kitchen that will stand the test of time whilst still looking virtually new.

Personal Finance Basics – Do You Know What APR Means?

Have you looked at the ads for credit cards? If you have with even minimal attention you will know that one of the most prominent things they display is the APR, or the credit card rate. Lots of people simply choose the card with the lowest APR rate, which is a good first step. It is correct that the APR of your credit card is one of the most important factors you should consider when choosing your card (although it is not the only one). So, if you do not understand the APR you really should start improving your personal finance basics by gaining a proper understanding of them.The APR on your credit card is the rate if interest your supplier will charge you on the amount you owe them. So obviously, the lower the APR, the lower your payments, unless you pay off your card in full each month. If you do clear your card monthly, the APR will not be as important as it is to those who do not clear their cards each month.Each month your card supplier will send you a bill stating the full amount you owe them and the minimum payment you must pay by the due date. If you do not meet this date you will be charged a late fee and perhaps other penalties depending on the terms and conditions of your supplier.So you can pay the minimum amount specified, or the whole amount, or any amount in between. The important thing to understand is you will NOT be charged any interest if you make full payment.But, if you do not pay off the whole amount, you will pay interest charges on the amount left. This interest will be added to your next bill. The interest you will be charged is that you agreed to when you signed up for your card. And compared to, say, a bank loan, the interest, or APR, is very high.So it is possible to start a spiral of debt in this way if you do not know how these things work. Always borrowing on your card without paying it off each month will accrue high interest charges which you will have to pay eventually.Do not misunderstand me here. I am not saying you should never use your card if you cannot pay it off in full at the end on the month. I am saying your personal finance basics should be good enough to inform you when you can do this and when you should look for another source of funds.