Michigan Landscaping Help and Ideas

 Landscaping is an important element of any property in  Michigan. Not only does landscaping add to the overall appearance and value of a property, but it can also add immense amounts of curb-appeal when selling your home because prospective buyers love looking at landscaped houses when deciding whether or not to make an offer.

The following are some best practices for landscaping in Michigan:

1.     Select plants that won't require much maintenance and will be able to stay permanently outdoors in all types of weather conditions. This will help save you time and money during the colder months when watering plants would be difficult because they wouldn't get adequate water drainage due to frozen ground, snow cover or heavy rainfall from snowmelt/storm runoff.

2.     Select plants that are suitable to the soil conditions in your yard. If you have heavy clay or sandy soil, select xeriscape plants rather than deep-rooted species. Xeriscape is a certain type of landscaping design philosophy that emphasizes using native vegetation and xerophytes (drought-resistant plants) to create low-maintenance landscapes that require little water in areas with restricted irrigation. For example, plant lawns in the northern region only when ground moisture levels are adequate to sustain grass growth at least six months out of the year (April through September).

3.   Make barriers like gravel or fencing available for perimeter control where needed for pets or children's safety. This also serves to keep grass and leaves from blowing onto your driveway or sidewalk.

4.     If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, consider having a friend or neighbor tend to your lawn while you are gone. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has made recommendations regarding hiring someone to maintain your yard during the winter months when lawn equipment is not being used. It's best to get permission from whoever owns the property that you're using before cutting into their siding or fence with your mower or weed eater, even if it's just for five minutes! Be sure to follow all safety guidelines in terms of marking off hazards, appropriate clothing and other protective gear when performing any type of landscaping work - especially if you have to use a ladder to reach high areas.

5.     When it comes time to fertilize, be sure you're using the right type of fertilizer for your specific yard's conditions, i.e., acidifying or alkalizing fertilizers for soil that is too acidic or too basic. Also, keep in mind that fertilizer should only be applied when needed because over-fertilizing lawns can cause "burning" due to salt accumulation, overwatering and other problems.

6.     Be careful not to overwater because this can lead to runoff after rainfall events or melting snow, especially if you have an in-ground irrigation system with sprinkler heads set on timers. This may also encourage root rot diseases in plants. It's recommended to have a soil test performed so you know what your plants' specific needs are and how much fertilizer, if any, is needed for the plant's life cycle.

7.     Be aware of Michigan landscaping regulations in terms of backyard composting/mulching/dumping because this may be regulated by local municipal codes or conservation groups that manage watershed areas near you. Some students have learned this lesson the hard way when dumping yard clippings into a nearby lake causes a water quality problem downstream! Unfortunately, it only takes one mistake like this for an entire neighborhood or community to be affected. Even though you may not think your behavior is hurting anyone else, other people don't always see it that way too, and some think that someone cutting their grass on a hot day is wasting too much water (which is an indirect form of water pollution).

8.     Keep your yard turf mowed, weeds pulled and other landscaping debris cleaned up to provide more aesthetically pleasing views for landscapes around your home. This will not only help keep your property values high but contribute to the health and well-being of local wildlife by providing them with food and shelter/nesting materials if needed. 

Michigan landscaping can be big responsibility, but with the proper planning and knowledge about how to get it done right, you can have an amazing yard that will be low-maintenance and enjoyed for years. 

Do You Need An Asset Or Investment Manager? 

You might be confused when searching for someone to help manage your money and asset. You may be looking for the most appropriate professional to help you achieve your fiscal goals. It's important to know, asset managers and investment managers work towards the same goal of making money for their clients but how they do this is a bit different.

Asset managers usually work with wealthy individuals or businesses that have large amounts of money to invest. Investment managers may work with an individual or company interested in investing their profits or wealth. Asset managers often focus on a specific type of asset investment, like real estate for example, and create a long-term plan to ensure their client's investments appreciate in value. Investment managers may supervise daily transactions related to a client's investments or they can focus on specific types of investments, such as stocks or bonds. 

What Is An Asset Manager

An Asset manager works with wealthy clients and handle their investments, such as, real estate or business ventures. In addition to finding investment options for clients they also work to find ways to save clients money or maximize their profits on current investments. This requires they be detail-oriented professionals and capable of making effective decisions. 

What Is An Investment Manager

Investment managers may fill many roles. They can specialize in stocks and provide insight to their company's research department about stock options for clients or they may focus on which investments to include in a client's portfolio. 

Why is investment management important?

Your investment manager is there to manage your or your families investment portfolio. They research  and implement investment strategies to meet client goals, and then use that strategy to decide how to divide your portfolio among stocks, bonds and other investments opportunities. The manager buys and sells those investments for you as needed and also monitors your portfolio’s overall performance to ensure it stays on track with your goals in mind. 

Find A Manager

You may find an investment manager which is also a financial planner. You can ask your accountant or local business network for referrals.  Investment managers often provide holistic financial ideas and advice for a variety of areas like cash-flow management, taxes, insurance and estate planning. Another option is a wealth manager, who usually works with high-net-worth clients to manage their financial planning and investment management needs, as well as coordinate the services of other professionals, such as lawyers and accountants. 

Investment management is important because it is common for families to end up with an assortment of investment accounts — for example, you may have multiple IRAs, multiple 401(k)s from former jobs, or that brokerage account you opened on a whim. Investment management can organize your financial situation by consolidating accounts from different firms under one roof, allowing you to simplify and execute a cohesive investment plan.

When choosing an investment management firm, know that most require you to set up an investment account with them or at a brokerage they use. They will help you transfer your money from the other accounts, including retirement plan assets, IRA’s and any other financial accounts you are looking to streamline into your  new investment plan. 

However, even if all of your investments are under one account, investment management is important if:

• You want a second option about your investment decisions. You are not a financial expert and working with a professional can increase your investment confidence. 
• You need someone to keep an eye on your portfolio and rebalance assets when the mix drifts away from your finical goals. 
• You have complex financial issues, including things like family inheritance distributions, retirement-income planning, tax strategies or future legacy planning for your children and grandchildren.
• You need an professional to help manage other financial needs. This may include things  like cash-flow planning, insurance decisions, portfolio distributions or debt management solutions.  

Your manager’s investment decisions are based on many factors, but they will start with your savings goal and your desired time frame. Savings goals can include things like retirement, emergency fund building, education, or large purchases like a home or cares. You will provide them answers and insight that helps them assess your personal risk tolerance, or your ability and desire to endure swings in investment returns and how you are prepared to handle stock market fluctuations. Your manager’s investment strategy is also informed by historical performance, market performance tax efficiency and investment fees – these are all taken into account when looking at your portfolio as a whole. 

Managing investments is an continous process, and which includes regular monitoring, and assessing, of your investments positions as well as your investment managers performance. You should expect positive results, not just strategies. Your investment manager should encourage regular conversation to discuss performances of their investments, how they compare to market averages and your expectations, and if changes need to be made to the plan.

The Pinning Culture: Can You ACTUALLY DIY?

We’re living in a DIY world. After the creation of Pinterest, ideas and pictures of of things that you could easily do yourself at home spread from computer to computer faster than you can say sparkles. Brides, stay-at-home moms, broke college students and everyone in-between started trying to make their homes the poster child of Pottery Barn. 

However, if you look hard enough, you can find the “Pinterest Fail” boards as well. Yes it’s fun to to try out new ideas and crafts in a way so when the product does not look like Martha Stewart’s own handiwork, it’s all right. However, when it comes to big things, sometimes it’s best to not go it completely on your own.   

Attempting to actually build something that will have to support weight? If so, think about your materials. The instructions might call for a cheap, easy alternative but if you want your creation to last, think about using a more supportive and long-lasting material. This might be more expensive, but worth it in the long run. Or, if you don't feel comfortable working with higher quality materials, search for pre-built basic shapes or items. That way you can worry about the fun part--decorating. 

Often DIY projects require intricate materials or decoration. Instead of trying to etch metal by hand, screen print onto fabric without a screen-printer, solder small things or anything that requires a lot of technical skill, search for an already made object that you could easily attach. Also, if the technique that is called for is somewhat dangerous, it's probably best to find a pre-made alternative.

The more the merrier! Try getting a group of friends together to try out all your Pinterest ideas. It will be more fun when you have people around to bounce ideas off of, share materials and a good laugh.  

Getting Everyone Together

Ever feel like everyone is not onboard with something? When all team members are not motivated to stay on the same page, it can be the most frustrating thing for employers or team leaders. Here are some tips and tricks to convince everyone to "buy in" to the same idea.


1. Practice Makes Perfect: If you're trying to implement a system or set of actions, remember to continually demonstrate the preferred way. Having everyone practice the correct way of something will ingrain best practices.


2. Show, don't Tell: Have supervisors, team leaders and those leading others be models of good behavior. It's important that everyone participates, not just entry-level employees. 

3. Communication is a Two-Way Street: Remember to keep open channels of communication. If a team member is doing something wrong, remind them of end goals or best practices in a professional manner. On the flip side, keep an open mind when it comes to critiques of the system. If an employee approaches you with a concern or a different way of doing things, don't take offense. Take it into consideration

Whether you're trying to implement new safety systems, ways of maintaining records or a new office culture, it's important to follow through. Don't launch a new system and fail to maintain it.

Increase Your Overall Productivity

If you own your own business, you know it's important to always be working towards increased productivity. One great way to help the overall business is by starting with your workers. Take a look at these tips on how to improve your overall business by starting with individuals.

1. Is there a career plan or path for employees? It's important for employees to know where their careers are headed and how to develop their skills. Think of developing career paths for employees of the same skill set.

2. Everyone conducts interviews when they're hiring, but exit interviews are just as important. The employee can provide the supervisors with some much-needed feedback on the company and its practices and policies.

3. Do you provide employees with training sessions? If not, then start developing training sessions that focus on the most important skills that they need. These sessions might focus on new technology, how to better use current equipment or other relevant topics.

4. Keep your employees in the loop when it comes to performance. Employee performance indicators or quarterly evaluations will help keep everyone on track. It will also help employees succeed, since they'll know where they'll need to improve their workplace skills.

Check out sites like this one that provide your company with best practices and how to improve workplace productivity.

Keeping Your Office Organized

Looking around your office, what do you see?

No, we're not talking about desks and chairs and computers. We're talking about storage. Does your office have storage lockers, boxes or cabinets? Are there rows and rows of file cabinets? Or is everything in piles, haphazardly moved off of the floor?

It's important for businesses to keep organized. Even if it's a small business, important contacts, papers and items can get lost in a shuffle, and fast. If just one person is able to make a mess, just think of  how big a mess a group of five, ten or even a hundred people could make. Here's a couple tips to keep your business organized:

1. Create a filling or organizational system, and stick to it. Decide where memos, contact information, office supplies, etc. should go. There's nothing worse than having multiple piles or folders for the same thing. When all of one item is in one place, it saves time, extra money and unnecessary frustration for those employees who come looking for it.

2. Even though it might cost money, invest in some sort of storage. It doesn't have to be modern or improve the office decor, but any kind of storage unit is better than nothing. Make sure that whatever storage you get is enough to hold all your current items, plus a little more.

3. Maybe your company or workplace already has storage units, but they are all over the place, unorganized and unrecognizable. Yes, it sounds redundant and unnecessary, but  your organizers need organizing too. If you don't like the idea of stickers, think about metal nameplates like the ones pictured below. Metal signage can come in a variety of styles and colors to meet your needs. Also think of using an alpha-numeric code to further organize cabinets or boxes.

Photo courtesy of Detroit Name Plate Etching Comapany, www.dnpe.com

There's no 'standard' system for organizing  your office. Each company or business is different and needs a different organizational plan. Whatever you choose, make sure that it's understandable and logical. Also, let fellow employees know, so that everyone can work together to keep your shared workplace organized.

LCD revolution

Are you ready for the LCD display revolution?

Signs are dead. That right. They’re done. People want more interactivity from their environment.

The problem with traditional signs is that they offer a “one size fits all” approach to content. Everybody who looks at a sign will see the same information. The problem is that not everyone wants the same information. By using LCDs for your marketing, your brand can focus its efforts on more specific niches.

A simple example of this is restaurants: it used to be the some restaurants would have a glass case outside of the building with a copy of their menu. While that worked well enough, it had its limitations. Menus often didn’t inlcude specials and they were kind of boring. This company has been helping restaurants by creating digital displays that they can display outside of their building. Now they can have graphics and animations when people walk by.

This technology can be adapted in a number of ways. Looking for a way to promote your event? Just grab an LCD display, set it up outside your building and have it run a simple animation displaying your content.  You can even set it up to show different copy during different times of day.