Tag: Business Tips

Part 4: Why Businesses Fail

Financial experts seem to be teetering on the verge of labeling the country’s current economic situation a recession. It’s a label the government seems loathe to use, believing it will wreak further havoc on the stock market and send the economy spiraling down even further. No matter what you call it, things are difficult and it looks like they’re going to stay that way for a while. The economy is slow, credit is tight, fuel is high and bankruptcies are up. For many companies, the combination has delivered a knockout punch and they’re down for the count.

Last week we started a series on Why Businesses Fail (see our July 14-18 posts). We figure it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than repeat them yourselves. This week we continue our list of the most likely reasons businesses fail:

  • Inappropriate inventory. You can’t sell what customers don’t want. Too much or the wrong inventory causes cash flow problems, wastes sales time and drains profits. By constantly tracking individual inventory items, you can make adjustments and effectively manage product flow on a weekly and monthly basis. Don’t make the mistake of relying strictly on accounting summaries to track inventory. Accounting tracks inventory by dollars, lumping moving and non-moving inventory into an average. To adequately control inventory, you need to track the actual physical items.
  • Excessive capital investments. Americans seem to equate success with things. Bigger cars, bigger houses, the latest gadgetry. In business there can be a tendency to buy newer, bigger, more expensive tools and equipment as a mark of success. But success in business is really based on the quality of the product or service you produce. That’s what drives sales and repeat business. Equipment purchases should relate to your ability to improve or maintain the quality of your product. Certainly, you need to update equipment as technology changes to be competitive. And often the expense of new technology can be recouped in short order by savings in energy, floor space or worker health and safety. But capital equipment purchases should always be evaluated for their ability to enhance the production of a quality product. 


If you’re looking for a cost-saving solution for your capital equipment investment, turn to the material handling experts at DJ Products. At DJ Products we manufacture ergonomically designed electric carts and motorized cart pushers for business, industry and service providers like hospitals. Our products are smaller and more maneuverable than traditional powered equipment like fork trucks, walkies and riding tugs, yet are capable of moving the same sized loads with ease. A smart capital investment, our products are less costly than purchasing traditional powered equipment. Because our carts, tugs and equipment movers are ergonomically designed, you’ll also realize an attractive savings in worker health and safety costs, including medical bills, insurance payments, workers’ compensation and lost man-hours. Visit the DJ Products website to check out our full line of ergonomically designed electric and motorized carts.


To be continued

Property Managers: Recycling – Does It Still Pay?

Is It Worth It?
Is It Worth It?

When given an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce pollution, and help the environment, people are eager to participate. For individuals, the practice does not have to be the most cost-effective or convenient. However, with innovation in biodegradable packaging and goods, the amount of recycling is down from 35 percent to 33 percent according to the EPA, and many property managers are reevaluating their policies for Waste Removal in Condo’s and Hi-rise apartment complexes.

Recycling is not always profitable

Waste Management’s CEO, David Steiner, told CNBC’s Squawk Box that low recycling commodity prices have put their recycling division into a loss. He used the example of cardboard (the most recycled commodity): WM previously sold the cardboard for $100 per ton. They give their customers 75 percent; WM keeps 25 percent. It cost WM $20 per ton for processing, WM makes about $5 profit from each ton of recycled cardboard. When the prices drop, WM is still obligated to pay 75 percent of the sales price to their customers. The lower prices left WM earning just $12.50 per ton for themselves, yet still having to pay the $20 per ton for processing. This puts them at a loss for their recycling efforts.

Waste Removal in Condo’s and Hi-rise apartment complexes

Property managers can reduce their waste removal cost by using efficient battery-powered dumpster movers and bin pullers. This reduces labor cost and the risks of worker injuries from overexertion, strains, or slipping. The 36-volt WasteCaddy make it easy for one person to maneuver up to 10,000 lbs. Call 800.686.2651 to discuss your waste removal needs with our knowledgeable Sales Engineers.

Weichert Launches New Property Management Company

Blue House at Twilight ca. 1999
Property Management

Known for providing top quality customer service to home buyers and sellers, the Weichert Family of Companies announced recently that they will consolidate their property management businesses into one entity called Aureus Property Management.

The gold standard

Headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey where it was founded in 1969, Weichert Realtors has grown to be a leader in residential and commercial real estate transactions by going beyond “full service.” They make it clear with the company name that they want to be the gold standard for residential and commercial property management. Aureus was the name of the gold coins that were the main monetary unit of ancient Rome.

Aureus offers a wide range of property management services for property owners and renters. The company helps relocating employees and long term tenants with their housing needs. Services for property owners include marketing, screening tenants, rent collection and maintenance services.

Property manager equipment

For the best waste container and dumpster movers, check out the DJ Products line of efficient, battery powered pullers and waste caddy haulers. Regardless of your property manager equipment needs, we have the electric or motorized cart tug solutions to help your company operate efficiently and reduce the risk of injury to your employees.

According to Greater Media Newspapers, Mike Williams will serve as president of Aureus. Williams was previously president of Penn Property Management and has 15 years of experience in the industry.

At DJ Products, we also strive for gold standard customer service. For information about waste bin movers and other motorized systems, call one of our sales engineers and follow our blog for property manager tips.

Eliminating Overhead the Smart Way

The economy is still lagging far behind what it was a few years ago and though some industries are beginning to see some promise, logistics and third party warehouses are still struggling to stay out of the red.  In order to keep the doors open, many businesses are being forced to find a way to cut overhead because the customers just don’t have money to spend.

Many businesses are moving to smaller facilities, cutting down the inventory they stock and even cutting employees just to lower spending enough to remain profitable.  If you slash inventory, move to a smaller facility or cut employees you could be hurting your company’s ability to provide adequate service, but there is a way that you can spend less money while at the same time improving your ability to serve the customer.

Propane powered equipment may seem like the most convenient and efficient way to move material, but when you calculate the cost of fuel and tally up the frequent maintenance and repair costs you’ll see that quite a bit of your budget is being spent on this equipment that is supposed to be saving your company money.  A much more economic way to move material is with battery operated carts and lifts.

The lifts and carts offered by DJ Products are quiet, efficient and incredibly reliable and the cost of operation is far less than that of a propane powered forklift.  A single employee can easily maneuver around tight spaces with heavy loads of inventory and not ever have to worry about wasting time changing an empty fuel tank – the lifts and carts from DJ can last an entire shift on a single charge.

You don’t need to sacrifice the quality of your service, your capacity to store product or your number of employees to get back into the green – you may be to be able to cut costs and provide better service by running your operation with the right equipment.

How DJ Products Can Help You Be a Survivor

As we’ve said in this space before, it’s going to take a firm hand on expenses, the guts to embrace innovative ideas and products, and the flexibility to act quickly when opportunities present themselves to survive the current recession.  DJ Products’ ergonomically-engineered carts, tugs and movers can help you get the jump on the competition and position your business to move boldly — and successfully — into the future.

Cost effectiveness, worker safety, healthcare issues, energy and environmental concerns, immigration and a changing workforce — these are among the most powerful issues that confront businesses owners today. Customers, workers, the public and the government will all be watching how we address these issues in the course of business. It’s no longer enough to produce a fine product. Today, we’re also graded on how we produce that product and the cost or benefit to our workers and the environment, not just our customers. Government oversight and a watchful press have added a few links to the food chain.

Here’s how DJ Products’ ergonomically-designed carts, tugs and movers can help you successfully meet these challenges:

  • Cost effectiveness is key when every penny counts. When DJ Products’ ergonomic carts and movers are integrated into your workplace or production operation, full return on investment is typically realized within the first year or two through increased production and worker efficiency and decreased healthcare, disability and workers’ compensation costs.
  • Worker safety is one of the issues at the top of President-elect Obama’s to-do list. Stricter OSHA regulations regarding ergonomic issues are expected early in his administration. During his campaign, Obama promised workers a safer work environment which industry experts predict will mean tougher ergonomic standards and increased government oversight. Implementing an ergonomic program built around DJ Products’ carts, tugs and movers will put you ahead of the game as regulations tighten up. Ergonomically designed to take the physical burden off your workers, DJ Products’ carts improve workplace safety significantly.
  • Healthcare issues will be another key thrust of the incoming administration. Many of the plans being discussed in the press will increase the already difficult healthcare burden on employers. Ergonomic equipment is a proven way to significantly — and immediately — decrease employee medical, insurance and disability costs.

To be continued on Friday

Keeping Up with the Trends

The world of business, and subsequently warehousing and material handling, is ever changing.  To be successful you must adapt as your customer needs change and there is never a more serious time to serve your customer as a time where the economy is suffering.  If you can’t provide the service that your customer needs, you better believe that he or she will find someone that can in an effort to serve their customer and keep their doors open.

Recent trends have shown that some businesses are being forced by the economy to move into smaller properties in an effort to cut overhead and continue operating.  Some of these businesses will require their suppliers to change from a customary “pick and pack” type supplier to someone who is willing to store materials until they are needed.

Warehouses and distribution centers who are asked to provide this service to their customers need, more than ever before, to be properly organized and capable of staging and shipping orders quickly and accurately once an order is received from their customer.  Direct shipments to end users may be necessary and the overall volume of shipments may increase causing the environment to become faster paced and more hectic.

The need for accurate and properly stocked inventories becomes crucial in this type of environment; because there is no time for error when direct or expedited shipments are required.  One way to ensure that your workers can both accurately receive and store materials and to ensure that material can be pulled and staged for priority shipments quickly is to have the proper material handling equipment available for use.

The ergonomic, battery powered carts and scissor lifts from DJ products operate quickly, cleanly and quietly for an entire shift on a single charge, allowing your employees to focus on the accuracy necessary for pulling and receiving orders rather than on the back breaking labor of manual material handling.  In order to become and stay successful your team needs to be fast, accurate and efficient and one of the best ways to achieve that level of performance is to operate with the best possible equipment.

Ergonomic Solutions for Warehouse Order Fulfillment

If your business relies on a warehouse to ship goods to your customers then you know that getting orders is only half of the battle. Once you have secured a customer’s order, it is then up to you and your team to see to it that the order reaches that customer in good condition as quickly as possible. We have no doubt that you have stressed the importance of filling orders quickly to your employees…but have you given them the right equipment to make this happen? It is important to give your employees the supplies so they can carry out your vision.

When employees are working as quickly as possible but using outdated or inadequate machinery, they are more prone to injury. In addition to this, rickety carts, unstable dollies, and overused scissor lifts can result in spilled or damaged merchandise. Having employees out on leave because of injury and losing merchandise to accidents can eat away at your profits and you do not want that.

DJ Products offers and entire lineup for industrial ergonomic material handling solutions including:

• Carts with casters
• Carts with 4-swivel casters or wagon-wheel style of turning
• Carts in a straight line
• Platform Trucks & Scissor Lifts

Our ergonomic cart pushers, electric cart pullers and other solutions eliminate the strain of manually pulling heavy product, parts carts, or wheeled equipment. Your employees can continue to work efficiently with a reduced chance of injury or product damage.

Our products are not one-size-fits-all. Contact us at 800-686-2651 to discuss exactly what you need and the customization options that will work for your industry.

Part 2: How DJ Products Can Help You Be a Survivor

Recently, we’ve been talking about the recession, workplace initiatives and increased regulation expected from the incoming Obama administration, and what it will take to position your business to survive the rocky road ahead. A tight grip on expenses, the willingness to embrace innovative ideas and technology, and the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves will be the hallmarks of companies that rise above the competition to succeed.

Many powerful issues will confront American business owners in the days ahead. Cost effectiveness, worker safety, healthcare issues, energy and environmental concerns, immigration and a changing workforce are among the challenges that we will face. Business owners who are proactive in addressing these challenges will position themselves to succeed. A leader in the design and manufacture of innovative, cost-effective, ergonomically-designed carts, tugs and movers, DJ Products can help you successfully meet the coming challenges. Continuing our Wednesday post, here’s how DJ Products can help you move ahead of the competition:  

  • Energy and environmental concerns are expected to take center stage with the Obama administration billing itself as the “green team.” Alternative energy products that decrease our country’s dependence on oil will receive increasing support as will products that decrease the nation’s environmental footprint. DJ Products’ battery-powered electric carts, tugs and movers use clean energy and have the staying power to work a full shift without recharging.
  • Changing workforce patterns are expected to create new challenges for businesses and industry as immigrant workers comprise an increasing portion of our country’s labor force. Language and cultural issues are expected to impact work environments and job efficiency. Intuitive ergonomic controls on DJ Products’ powered movers and carts make them easy to operate and control, bridging any potential language barrier. Our customers report an extremely brief and highly satisfactory training curve when our products are introduced into the workplace.

For complete information about DJ Products’ ergonomic carts, tugs and movers, visit our website. On our website, you’ll find a helpful Ergonomic Load Calculator that can help you or your company’s safety and health specialist estimate the amount of force necessary to move loads in your workplace. The program considers a number of variables specific to your work environment and makes product recommendations that can be used to improve both workforce and production efficiency.  Contact one of our industry experts today to find out how DJ Products can help you be a survivor.

Surviving and Thriving during Mergers and Acquisitions

Having to cutback, downsize or merge with a competitor has become the reality for many logistics and storage companies if the want to keep their doors open.  There just currently aren’t enough customers and enough money/product moving around in order to keep every company busy enough to justify, or even allow, them to operate at the level that they had prior to the economic downturn.

Mergers with competitors can pose a whole host of issues in terms of operations; the most obvious would seem to be the personal and computer program interactions.  Adopting a brand new and potentially very different system of daily operations and having to interact with a bunch of new personalities can be a daunting task, but few people view just how much difference their can be in the warehousing and storage aspect and it’s profound affect on the employees involved.

Differences in equipment, inventory control and shipping and receiving practices can be difficult obstacles to overcome.  In order for a newly developed company with employees from two different backgrounds to be successful, some operational changes may be a necessity.  Customers coming from both businesses will need to see accuracy and speed at least comparable, if not improved, to what they were used to in order to feel confident with the new situation.

Increasing speed and accuracy may require upgrade changes in equipment as well as operations.  Outdated, inefficient and unreliable machines could spell doom to a company who is attempting to keep current customers from leaving during a period of transition.  The proper material handling equipment will more than pay for itself in a very short period of time with reduced fuel/energy costs and increased employee productivity; and the capability of delivering goods quickly and accurately will keep customers loyal and could possibly increase your bottom line.

DJ products offers affordable, reliable and easy to use solutions for material handling, the exact type of equipment needed for a warehouse to maintain, or exceed customer expectations during the transition period of a merger.

Safety Breeds Productivity

Too many warehouses and material handling companies view safety as secondary in order of importance compared to customer service – but a clean, safe and clutter free workplace can have a huge effect on productivity.

Organization is key in being able to deliver optimal customer service as orders can be pulled, stationed, packed and shipped much more quickly and efficiently in an environment that is clutter free and safe.  There is also a much lower chance of injury in an environment that is organized, properly equipped and well designed.

Warehouse and plant managers shouldn’t wait for fire or safety inspection time to roll around to get their operations organized and clean – the possibility for greatly increased productivity and, in turn, an increase in the bottom line along with a loyal customer base are readily available for business that can provide lightning quick and pin point accurate service.

Employees who work in atmospheres where the equipment is outdated and unreliable are more likely to have to perform the brunt of their jobs manually; this can lead to oversights and errors that may affect the accuracy of orders and of your inventory.  It can also result in material being left in areas that weren’t necessarily meant for storage, potentially leading to accidents or injuries.

Upgrading your material handling equipment to battery powered carts that are quiet, ergonomic and long lasting will allow your employees to work at a faster pace without having to worry about resorting to manual handling when the equipment fails.  Nothing hurts moral and performance worse than equipment failure during the picking or stocking of a large order when the pressure is on to perform.

Electric Carts from DJ Products have the power to last for an entire, fast paced shift of shipping/receiving without any worry about failure.  This means that your employees can fully receive stock orders and put them away, or pull and stage large orders without interruption – with the right equipment; your warehouse will be clean, organized and operating at the highest possible level of efficiency.