Practical Kitchen Door, Kitchen Unit and Kitchen Furniture improvement Ideas on a Budget in current times.
In the current credit crunch when finances are stretched the way to improve your kitchen is to look carefully at your current kitchen furniture and see how best to create a new look at the least cost.
With fewer resources available, you should plan your renovation carefully. Reports show that a remodelled kitchen can increase the value of your home substantially. Experts concur that the cosmetic changes we make at home are the best mode of increasing its resale value. The kitchen is an ideal place to begin since there are varied options available and the improvement can range from simple to extensive.
Prioritize your Improvements
In updating your kitchen, you should learn how to prioritize the changes you will make. Since it is hard to do improvements all at once, you have to list the changes that are important to you. If what you want is more storage space, then allocate money for new kitchen units instead of buying a new fridge of oven. Knowing how to renovate your kitchen with fewer finances means careful consideration and recognising the areas in your kitchen that needs to be changed.
Start with Small Improvements
You should begin with little changes when you want to update your kitchen. These changes can make your kitchen more attractive and boost its usefulness without spending too much. For example, why don’t you consider re-facing your kitchen units by simply adding new kitchen doors? The Bella range has been designed to help you do this with minimum effort, minimum fuss and minimum mess. By changing kitchen doors you can create a whole new look and update the total appearance of your kitchen units and kitchen furniture for a small expenditure.
You may consider replacing your kitchen door hardware by adding new handles from the Bella range or you may change your kitchen lighting for the purpose of brightening and enhancing the surrounding areas of your home. There is a wide range of options available in the Bella range, from under cupboard lighting to fit below wall mounted kitchen units, to plinth mounted halogen spotlights fitted below base kitchen units and many more. The Kitchen and Bedroom collection brochures show many examples of these options and are well worth checking carefully.
Redecorate
If you merely want a cosmetic change of the appearance for your kitchen areas then instead of spending on kitchen units and kitchen furniture and fixtures, paint or wallpaper your kitchen walls instead. A fresh coat of paint or new wallpaper can alter the appearance of your kitchen for a relatively small cost and change the total look and feel instantly.
Add a Kitchen Island
Most people complain that there is insufficient worktop space in the kitchen and this can quickly be remedied by adding a kitchen island.
There are various styles of Kitchen Island but it is vital to ensure there is sufficient space between existing work areas and where you intend to place the island. You need to consider carefully the function of your island unit and where best to locate it. You can have it in the centre of the kitchen or you may place it as a divider between the kitchen and living room.
Islands can be constructed relatively inexpensively by buying a few ready made kitchen units and adding matching kitchen doors, and if you are using the Bella collection there are over 700 available options to choose from.
For added interest the kitchen doors and kitchen units could be contrasting to add interest and character to the overall look of your kitchen furniture.
When you update your kitchen always keep in mind the potential resale value of your home even if you have no plans of moving out. Take into account the style of your home, when you do kitchen updates and make sure the kitchen units and kitchen doors are in keeping with the overall look of your home.
Whatever the option you decide on, the range and choice offered by Bella should mean whatever your taste and whatever your budget, you should find what you are looking for.
D Caulfield Bella Blog 11/09/09 1.50pm
BA Components help with Homework
BA Components has always been a family and community orientated company, amongst the staff you’ll find fathers and sons, brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and good friends all working side by side. The company also like where possible to contribute to the local community where our workforce live.
Recently we heard of the plight of local Phoenix Integrated Primary school in the town of Cookstown where we’re based, where a shortage of USB Memory sticks meant that the 23 pupils in P5 & P6 had to share one USB stick.
This meant difficulties with homework as the boys and girls had to take turns to have the USB at home to help with their lessons.
BA were asked if something could be done to help and had pleasure in supplying each of the pupils with their very own memory stick to use every night, now’s there no excuse for homework not being handed in.
The picture shows the P5 & P6 boys and girls of Phoenix Integrated Primary school along with their teacher Miss Robinson proudly showing of their newly acquired USB sticks which were presented by David Caulfield BA’s Sales & Marketing Manager and Celine McCreesh Marketing Assistant.
BELLA News Summer 09
Production Director Kieran McCracken gives N.I. Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster a conducted tour of the Cookstown facility
During a recent Ministerial visit to their Cookstown production facility, Kieran McCracken the Production Director of BA Components took a number of distinguished visitors including the Minister to see the processes and procedures employed to produce the popular BellabyBA product range.
The party were able to see the complete process and appreciate the cutting edge technologies used to produce the award winning range.
All the visitors expressed their appreciation and the Minister commenting afterwards said, ‘’ BA Components have shown innovation and growth even in difficult times and I’ve no doubt they will continue this trend and further develop the company’s ethos of efficiency and innovation in both product development and processes.”
Kieran McCracken was impressed with his visitors interest and perception during the visit and noted, ‘’It’s good to have interested and informed local political influence in times of economic pressure, The support of the department will allow us to continue our expansion and further develop new and innovative product lines in all KBB sectors. We are committed to develop our brand, our products and above all else our people who make us what we are today, Market leading.”
Managing Director, Brian McCracken writes foreword for latest Bella News
Hi again everyone, and welcome to our summer 2009 newsletter.
We are all living and conducting business in challenging times and as many in our industry have had to give up the struggle and cease to trade it’s great to know there are so many of you out there who have battened down the hatches and battled through. While it’s a little too early yet to say the worst appears to be over there is no doubt some of those elusive green shoots we’ve all been looking for are beginning to sprout.
I firmly believe if we all, both manufacturer and dealer work together we will not only survive the crisis but emerge stronger and better equipped for the future.
Our strategy at BA has remained unchanged throughout and we have continued a program of investment and development designed to build our brand and support our dealer’s growth. We continue to invest heavily in advertising and marketing with a full program of trade advertising now backed up by a comprehensive consumer advertising campaign. Look out for the Bella advertising in KBB, 25 Beautiful Homes, 25 Beautiful Kitchens, The All Ireland Kitchen Guide, Ideal Homes, Home Building & Renovations, Living etc, Homes & Gardens and Country Homes & Interiors.
We have embarked on a major drive to increase our dealer network and to compliment our brochures, innovative new products, website, and advertising we have recruited a further two sales people to improve our field sales service in support of our dealers.
As you know, our aim is to make Bella and Bella stockists the best any consumer can find when they want to replace or refresh either their kitchen or bedrooms.
I wish you all a fantastic 2009/10 as together we succeed in trying times.
Brian McCracken
Advice to hard pressed Kitchen and Bedroom retailers in the current economic climate
David Caulfield – BA Components Sales & Marketing Manager looks at current Market trends and offers advice to hard pressed retailers in the current economic climate.
We are living in extraordinary times and the recent meltdown of the global economy has had an impact however large or small on us all.
It is important in any business in such times that we don’t passively succumb to doubt but together rediscover as a market and an industry our determination and belief that we can manage the current situation.
Whether we are manufacturer, distributor, retailer or fitter we need to realise together that the potential in the market for growth will return and by working together towards a common goal we can improve and develop the KBB market as a whole.
Amid all the uncertainty and even now with the arrival of possible signs of an emerging recovery the core question is simple: are we resilient and strong enough and do we have the long term strategies in place to weather these uncertain times and stay the course?
We have witnessed the demise of many in our market in the last twelve months, from small one man band fitting operations to some of the giants in our industry like MFI and Bernstein.
In order to not only survive but to continue growth and development in the current climate our strategic approach whatever the size and scope of our business must include some essential elements:
Investment; we need to invest in the future by continuing to develop our brands, our products and our people to better cope with the present and be prepared to capitalise on the expansion that will invariably follow the recession. The need to publicise our offering to the market by advertising, PR and good marketing is imperative. A well planned and effective advertising campaign in difficult times can position our businesses for growth and expansion. If the target audience are unaware of the service we offer the likelihood is they’ll never avail of it. Advertising strategically can be an extremely good method of lead generation however large or small our business, and can be bought in a cost effective manner if purchased wisely.
Establish and agree an advertising and promotional budget that is manageable and comfortable within your current business planning and whatever the circumstances stay within it. Always choose the media to suit your brand, your target market and more importantly the budget you have set. Try to spread the cost and effect of what you are doing over as long a period as possible, as it takes time and repetition to establish your branding and message in your target customer’s consciousness, but stick with it as the results will be rewarding for your business.
Good marketing and PR with effective and well positioned displays, POS and brochures will give your customers clear reference points, particularly if linked visually and in content with your current advertising activity, to make sensible and intelligent buying decisions and the more buying decisions made in your favour the better the outcome.
Efficiency; The careful and thoughtful implementation of a plan to credibly and comprehensively address any inefficient spending or material waste in our business procedures and practices is essential in times of financial extremes and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Establishing a service/cost structure and fiscal framework suitable for our businesses and the current marketplace and climate while at times painful and stressful is still essential to long term survival and growth. There is no place in a depressed market for waste and inefficiency.
Competitiveness; It is critical to maintain competitiveness while facing increased competition not only from within our own market but from many others all competing for our customers spend. Offering choice and quality to allow consumers to customize the look that fits within the needs of both family and budget is the key to long term success and we need to supply solutions and tools to provide this.
With the current parlous state of the property market fewer people are buying or selling property and moving home, but there is a real opportunity for those who want to improve their current kitchens, bedrooms or bathrooms. Ensure you are best placed to offer a service suited to this with replacement doors, worktops, accessories and allied products.
While reducing marketing and advertising spend in a downturn defends profit in the short term, sustainable marketing and advertising investment now will realise a growth of market share and later result in an improvement in profitability to outweigh any short term reduction.
The time is right to offer hard pressed consumers the benefit of innovative design, products and marketing strategies to realise their dreams and to publicise and grow our brands. The market is still out there, it is up to us all to go out and find it.
BA Components Update On-Line Services
BA Components the leading bespoke frontal supplier and manufacturer of the Bella Kitchen & Bedroom collections have announced a complete upgrade of their on-line BA Live service.
Always committed to supporting its dealer network and promoting their brands, BA Components have improved, updated and streamlined the very successful and popular BA Live interactive on-line facility. Now with improved access and the facility to see the comprehensive BA product range in full colour, BA Live is even more user friendly than before.
Dealers can order doors, panels, lighting, accessories, storage and all other products and not only see what they are ordering but have the price calculated to their own individual terms instantly. Dealers know exactly what they have ordered, what it’s costing and can either charge to their account if they have one, or make a secure on-line credit or debit card payment.
The system can save orders for later completion, calculate quotations and save them for submitting after the job has been secured, work out sizes and angles for sloping spaces and all with precision, accuracy and speed.
BA Components Production Director, Kieran McCracken said, “We are all leading lives that are getting busier by the day to such an extent that many of us are feeling there just aren’t enough hours in the day. We’ve redesigned BA Live to make ordering, quoting, pricing and tracking orders easier than ever, but best of all we’ve designed it to save our dealers precious time”
BA Live mini brochures have been produced and are currently being distributed to all registered dealers.
If you would like a brochure and details of the updated BA Live service you can request one today by emailing enquiries@bellabyba.com and requesting a BA Live mini brochure.
The new service will be available to both current and new users from early September.
