Alexia Tzovlas Managing Director

As with most things, there are certain rules for achieving success in lifestyle, business and personally.

Our goal is to provide for you Bathroom & Kitchen Design & Project Management in your home AND Lifestyle Transformation in your Business Strategy, with tools and information that will allow you take your results to the next level.

In your business, we will reveal robust strategies that maximize the capabilities of people, processes and technology to drive incremental sales, profits and results, while simultaneously maximizing operational efficiencies. Our methodologies are tested and proven – our clients have achieved phenomenal outcomes in their business and transformed their lifestyles as a result.

In your home, we will present unconventional Designs that compliment your Lifestyle, personality, family and budget. We will bring together energy from various textures, colors, styles and features to truly create utopia.

We welcome you to browse our website profiles and information; including new e-Books to be launched on Bathroom & Kitchen Design tips, as well as the upcoming release of articles and Blogs that will cover a wide range of business topics including: getting your finances in order, improving your leadership skills, effective marketing ideas, social media tips, PR strategies, templates and more… There is something here for every guest to our site!

Please also let us know if you have a specific topic you would like to see covered in future articles and for our VIP Reward members. We are always happy to receive your suggestions and questions. Email us on info@selectdesigngroup.com.au.

When it comes to the kitchen, always focus on what you want your kitchen to do for you.

For instance, if you are planning to get into gourmet cooking, providing new and exotic meals for the family and for dinner parties, then you will want a highly functional kitchen with plenty of storage space and up-to-date appliances.

If several members of the family are going to be using the kitchen at the same time then space becomes a priority. One of the most important things in kitchen design is the ‘work triangle’, with the sink, the cook-top and the refrigerator at the three points. The total walking distance on a round of the points should be between seven and 10 metres, depending on the number of people you expect to be working in the kitchen at any one time.

Once you have assembled your ideas, invite a Select Design Group specialist kitchens and bathrooms designer. A lot of people like to go straight to the Yellow Pages, but remember, cheap and available does not necessarily add up to best.

Work with your architect or designer on how big an extension you plan, its effect on other parts of the home, and your ideal materials. Try to get these decisions made early and stick to them. People who change their minds halfway through a project often face delays and extra costs.
A carefully planned kitchen renovation or extension will be a pleasure for the enthusiastic cook, make life more convenient for the family and add value to the home.

Be sure to use a professional you can trust.

Contact us: info@selectdesigngroup.com.au or Alexia Tzovlas on 0439806269

So what are the cash drivers in business? Lets make a list, there are 8 of them:

• Reporting – Visibility of customized cash flow reporting (not your Profit & Loss or Balance Sheet only) on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis, in line with your forecast tracking are ALL critical to management and growth strategies.
• Sales Growth – Pretty obvious, but keeping sales on an even keel has a profound impact on your cash flow. The fastest way to run out of cash is to have hyperactive sales.
• Gross Profit – Building and maintaining solid margins is just so important. Small changes in your pricing can have a massive impact on your bottom line and cash flow.
• Sales, General & Administrative costs – Once again, pretty obvious but these are your fixed costs.
• Accounts Receivable – this is a key ingredient in staying solvent, making sure this does not blow out.
• Accounts Payable – making sure bills are paid when they are due and not before, making sure you have negotiated appropriate trading terms.
• Inventory – holding appropriate inventory so that you don’t run out of stock, but at the same time, keeping a decent amount of stock turning over, the shorter the better (providing it doesn’t affect your service levels to your customers).
• Cap-ex - How you pay for your equipment can have a massive impact on cash.

Learn to manage the above cash flow drivers and watch your business grow.

For a FREE initial consultation, we invite you to contact Alexia Tzovlas on 0439 806269 or submit your request to info@selectdesigngroup.com.au

Drawers offer a more efficient storage solution, increased convenience and accessibility, and new technology. This preference for drawers has also seen them become much wider. In the past, a basic kitchen had a 450mm-wide drawer bank and maybe a 600 or 800mm pot drawer. Today, the 900mm module is becoming very popular, and appliance manufacturers are supporting this by introducing appliances to fit a 900mm module.
From a manufacturing perspective, standard modules are becoming more and more popular. While custom-sized cabinets require drawers to be made to suit them, standard cabinets, whether they are 450, 600, 800 or 900mm, allow you to standardise the drawer manufacture. Given the increasing number of drawers in kitchens, there’s a lot of sense in standardising the cabinet width for drawers because it makes manufacturing far more efficient.
The increase in the popularity of drawers has sparked a suite of products from leading manufacturers such as Hettich and Blum – all designed to make optimal use of the storage space.

Storage and Accessibility

Drawer systems signal the end to rummaging around on your hands and knees, trying to find something at the back of the cupboard. Internal fittings and accessories allow you to see, store and easily access everything from pots and pans to crockery and pantry items.

Most systems comprise lateral and cross dividers for larger items, as well as container and utensil dividers for smaller items. The systems can be customised to an extent, with clients able to select and arrange various elements within a range to suit their individual needs and preferences.

Tabs and non-slip surfaces keep the contents of drawers secure while they’re being moved, while fittings are also available that allow clients to layer their storage within a single drawer. For example, Hettich’s Orga-wing fitting swings out to the right and left above the side profiles, providing even more storage space.
Made from stainless steel or a combination of stainless steel and wood, the systems are completely removable, allowing for easy cleaning and maintenance. Most can be put in the dishwasher.

Technology

Innovations in drawer technology include the soft-close function which means drawers cannot be slammed shut. A silent system in the runners slows the drawer down for the last 20 or so millimetres and… it’s a big hit with our customer with almost 90% requesting soft close.

The next revolution in kitchen drawers is the electric push-to-open drawer which will eventually lead to the handle-less kitchen. ‘The handle-less design or the handle-free design is still something which is becoming highly advocated by the designers in Italy.

Not only will this give kitchens a cleaner, sleeker look, it’s a practical application that will benefit in particular the elderly and sufferers of conditions such as arthritis.

“Anything in the kitchen that has the ability to pull out and make the items come to you makes life easier”