Sunnyville Grill: Home-style Meal Cooked by Mom with Love

Photo Collage: Sunnyville Grill
Make everyday 'sunny' with a great Breakfast!
Culinary Gem in Corso Italia Toronto
2011 © wobuilt.com

Where on Corso Italia would you go to find good home-style cooking and good value for breakfast or lunch - just the way your mom would have made it for you? Well, when we first moved to the area I read a number of restaurant reviews on Toronto's food pages online and what tops the list there is Sunnyville Grill at 1218 St. Clair Avenue West.

Working in the area, I eat out a lot. So reading the praise of the Internet foodies doesn't make me a believer. I need to go and check it out myself. And, to my surprise, it was a better eating experience than I read about or even expected.

On weekdays or weekends, when you are looking for a good breakfast or lunch and you want to enjoy the hot cooked love of mom, you have to go to Sunnyville Grill. First you will notice a cast of characters up front. The owner, Louie Reppas - a really big guy with an equally big heart who makes you feel welcome. And then you will find two very attractive and talented servers, Angeline and Daisy. (If you have ever been to His Majesty's Feast you may have seen Daisy serving up food there where the horses and knights put on a good evening show.) But over at Sunnyville Grill, in the back, where the bacon meets the grill is where you find the engine of this restaurant - Mom, Vivian Reppas. She is a power in the kitchen and a woman who REALLY knows about good flavours!

The day I came by for my first visit, I really didn't know what I wanted to eat. It was late for breakfast but early for lunch and despite having a large menu with great options for both, I couldn't decide what I should have. So, sensing my dilemma, Vivian made for me a wonderful combination burger. This burger had everything I was looking for even though I wasn't aware I was looking for it. The meat was light but cooked to a caramelized brownness. The bacon was crispy and added a tangy salty twist. Condiments included a sweet Videla onion slice and home grown garden tomato that tasted like summer. My appetite went from undecided to overwhelmed.

After I inhaled the burger, fries and salad, a desert arrived unexpected to my table, one that Vivian had been working on for her husband for later that night. It was a cross between a cake and a pudding, drizzled with chocolate. That pastry just finished me off. I was fed, happy and ready to go back to work.

Since that day, I've been back to Sunnyville Grill often and have even used their services to cater office meetings. They bring their wonderful menu (and even things not on the menu) to our office for our lunch meetings and right after lunch, the dishes and trays disappear without a trace. We have come to really enjoy the food and the folks at Sunnyville Grill.

And, in closing, let me issue a special note of congratulations to Louie and his wife Marijana on the birth of a beautiful baby girl Liana. Like any good dad, Louie has lots of baby pictures on his iPhone to show you. Just ask him to see his baby pics.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

links:
wobuilt: A Little Culinary Gem in Corso Italia: Sunnyville Grill
wobuilt: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
wobuilt: Agio’s New Brunch: Community Starts at Home
foodpages.ca: Reviews on Sunnyville Grill
foodpages.ca: Sunnyville Grill - All Day Breakfast
chowhound.com: Hidden gems on St. Clair W?

Why Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood Is Doing Great Work for Our Community?

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood Gathering
Vivid Pizzeria (1067 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto), November 24, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

Shopping locally, we support our neighbors. Sharing marketing ideas, helping each other do more business, and bringing new customers to the area, we stimulate local growth.
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

In November, Iain Morrison wrote an impassioned article about what Venus Creations In the Neighborhood is to him. If you didn’t get last month’s issue, Iain is new to the area and after meeting with Joe Furtado of Amar Flowers; he found neighbours with whom he now does business at least every other day. Joe introduced him to merchants on the street who in turn introduced him to others and now Iain is an active part of this very vibrant community.

But, this article is not about telling ‘A Day in the Life’ story of Iain, even though he is a nice guy and you should meet him. Instead, it tells the story of what YOU can expect from being part of Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood.

First, to be clear, Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is NOT Joe Furtado. Joe quarterbacks a lot of the efforts to put it together, but he would gladly share the heavy lifting with our community. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood isn't just for making Joe's business better - it's for making all our businesses better. Joe had the inspiration to start Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood and brought together neighbouring businesses that collectively ARE Venus Creations. This includes every business owner who attends our monthly gatherings and who advertise in the monthly publication – in short it’s YOU. That’s a big difference and an important one. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is a community of neighbors - businesses who benefit from knowing each other in different ways.

For example, at our last get-together at Vivid Pizzeria (“Go there” “Try it” “It was great – thanks, Peter!”) a new member, Mary Scalia of Bare Me Skin Care Clinic, shared a recent marketing effort she did that brought 500 new customers to our area! That gem of an idea was worthwhile and shared freely. This is just one example of the upside of having dinner together with friends. Another benefit is that we meet businesses we haven’t known before. When we can, we try doing business with our new friends. By visiting each other’s businesses and telling acquaintances about local merchants and services, we stimulate local growth. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is about joining together; sharing with our neighbors and helping each other do more business, share local interests and concerns, let the local community know what they would like to provide or advertise to their local business partners in a particular month, or simply, just meet and mingle.

In the course of meeting with the local businesses, I found great shopping at good prices - even some ‘Friends Priced’ deals. Since relocating our construction business to the area, I bought clothing, shoes, groceries, baked goods, catering, restaurant food, hardware, banking services and much more in the St. Clair West’s area.

Yes, I could have got all of this elsewhere, but shopping locally, I supported my neighbors while looking after our everyday needs. And, guess what??? They do the same for us. By doing business with friends and neighbours you benefit from getting what you need. But more than that, you make your business familiar to those who will find you when they need your products and services or when their other friends have those needs.

It’s pretty simple - people do business with people they like. Meeting with friends each month over food at local restaurants (at no cost to you… but just remember to tip the servers!), you get acquainted with the neighbours and they with you. Simple. Knowing you are there, what you do and how you can help them and their friends, you make a very direct and personal marketing connection that helps grow your business or at least survive rough times.

People have choices about where to shop. So why not make your business interesting to people who work all around you? Some call it networking. Others call it referral marketing. All you really need to know about Venus Creations in the Neighborhood is: you meet neighbors, talk, have an enjoyable night out and invest in making your business visible to the people who pass your front door daily.

We at Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ari Berman
Management Consultant
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
"Management Advice When Your Decisions Matter"

Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at "Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood" Gathering
Hacienda Mexicano Grill (1353 St. Clair Ave W.), October 21, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

In the Corso Italia area, there is a community of merchants, residents, schools, visitors who come to see the goings on in this little village and even the construction workers who have been in, around and all over the area breaking and making roads. Merchants in the community have come together by the efforts of Venus Creations to market for one another to help develop more business within the neighbourhood.

However, this group of business operators has become more than just a network marketing organization - they have become friends who show kindness to each other, help one another with their problems and issues and get to know the personalities of the people. To name a few, Sunnyville Grill, RE/MAX Realtor, Amar Flowers, FunClips Coupons, Optometrist, Tiger Dragon Kung Fu, Agio Ristorante, IC Savings, AMS Advertising, Guardian St. Clair Village Pharmacy, Via Espresso, Portuguese Book Store and Venus Creations.

Just west of Davenport on St Clair Avenue, there are two restaurants next door to each other but at virtually opposite ends of the globe and styles of food. Chef Marino at Agio Ristorante creates four-star high style Italian cuisine in our very diverse neighbourhood of casual eateries. And, immediately next door to Agio you find the Mexicano Grill Restaurant where owner-manager Alejandro Rangel serves up a taste of his homeland.

This past Friday, Venus Creations held another of its evening social events where our local merchants meet and get to know about what's on offer in our area and to enjoy the friendship of neighbours in business. In Alejandro's Mexicano Grill, the food is a pleasant surprise for the uninitiated into Mexican food as you will see below.

Once people started to arrive, course after course stated to arrive each surpassing the previous one in flavours, texture and colour. Of course there were homemade nachos and dips that spanned from creamy guacamole to a hot cilantro-pepper dip that left our mouths tingling.

But, the most interesting and interesting looking dish was the carne mole - spiced chocolate beef in a soft tortilla. This was wonderful and not at all what it looked like. This dish looked like wedge shaped slices of tortilla drizzled with chocolate sauce. But, the flavour is rich, beefy, and spicy with a familiar trace of chocolate flavour and aroma. This was brilliant. Don't think of the chocolate so much as a chocolate bar - all sweet and chewy. Instead, image the delicate and complex flavours in an aged glass of port. Now map this complexity into the form of a beef dish and you start to experience this dish.

If for no other reason than to try this mole dish, do make a point of visiting the Mexican Grill for lunch or dinner. You will not be disappointed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

By the way, the next gathering with Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood will be at Vivid’s Pizzeria on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 anytime from 6:30 pm. Come to try authentic Italian pizza, to meet and mingle with other local business owners and operators, to help develop more business within the neighbourhood. For reservations call Joe at 416-890-2692.

See you there!

links:
thetravelzine-torontosc: Agio Ristorante
thetravelzine-torontosc: Mexicano Grill
Urbanspoon Toronto: Old Toronto: Corso Italia Restaurants: Caribbean / Greek / Italian / Japanese / Mediterranean / Mexican / Portuguese / Vietnamese
MyStClair.com: Our Neighbourhood, Online
Toronto Corso Italia BIA
Facebook: AMS Advertising
AMS Advertising Inc.: Graphic Design, Web Development, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Creative Printing, Copy Writing, Social Media Development
http://shoponstclairwest.com/
Shop on St Clair West: Your Guide to a Mosaic of Different Cultures
Portuguese Book Store
Facebook: Joe Furtado
Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood

HST Is Everywhere, Even in Movies

Fat Man in Hat 2
The Encounter (statue of two businessmen in hats), McElcheran, Commerce Court, Toronto
Originally uploaded by fortinbras.

It's in the theatres and it's full of action. The Prince of Persia is a tale of all the usual things - kinship, love, lust, war, greed, envy, virgin princesses and more all set in the period of the Great Persian Empire. The big story is good, full of excitement, Shakespearean styled twists and is further punctuated by evil spirit warriors run by the bad guy (I'm giving no hints so I won't spoil the plot for you). So... that part is all pretty much straight up and easy to follow and worth the $12 bucks to get in.

But, what is more interesting to me is the sub-story. In it, if you hear what the characters are saying, it sounds like a story about the HST!!

In an effort to scrape out a little existence in his own corner of civilization, a simple scoundrel runs a small business, marketed as a real bad guy just to keep government from over-reaching too deeply into the pocket of his purse or that of his customers. He is really a personable scallywag who grows on you even though he does try to cash in and capture the hero for bounty. But for the most part, he just runs a little off-track-betting business with his racing ostriches. But alas, with all the corruption in governance - the bad guys (part of the government) trying to exterminate the good guys he is caught in the middle and his entire business as a race promoter is ruined. As he says, even a great promoter can't make a living with only one suicidal ostrich.

So, taxed near to death, government messing up his business and ultimately having to battle the evil spirits sent upon him by one particularly evil Persian, he becomes the adorable little comic relief. Much like Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (opposite Ricardo Montalban).

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
theprovince.com: HST could drive black market for construction contractors
Business down due to looming HST and loss of home-reno tax credit
June 06, 2010

Toronto by Night: It Was a Hot Night on the Town

Photo Collage: The Full Moon Fire Jam at Kensington Market in Toronto
2010 © wobuilt.com

Ever wonder what happens in Toronto after the sun goes down? Well this week, I visited with some people at Bellevue Square Park in the Kensington Market, who enjoy the night and who have a passion for fire and play. It was a "fire jam" where fire spinners, fire jugglers and other flaming entertainers come together for an evening of showing their skills on one of the city's dry splash pads. Flaming poi, staffs and fans and eating torches were all well represented there - even a flaming bull whip.

In the safety of bright twilight, before the real talent lit up, I tried the more simple manoeuvres of the practice pois. After about a half hour and with nightfall rapidly approaching, I decided the little bruises I acquired were a sign that I should not try this with fire. However, I was not disappointed because the performances that evening were....illuminating.

With J9 on the staff, Scarlet on the poi, Ari (another one, not me) on the bull whip and JQ on the flaming balls it was a hot night on the town. Actually, it really was. Each time the fire eater blew out flames, it warmed the air all over the splash pad.

There was also another skill demonstrated that night. It was a fire jam spa session where the girls lined up for depilation. Not hot wax, not razor and cream, but flaming hair removal! it was fast, painless (so they told me) and smooth as a baby's bum when done. I'll just have to take their word on it. For a brief moment, I thought about having them try to tidy up my Ignatieff eyebrows, but that was a really brief moment.

It's really dark when the show gets into its rhythm, so there are more bad pictures than good ones. Also, given that the performers are all playing with fire, I stayed a respectful distance from the action. That said, here are some of the highlights of what you can find in Toronto late at night when the kids are in bed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
youtube.com: Kensington Market June 1, 2010: Fire Fan Dance: New Model Circus Army Fire Jam
from: StreetHeatStoryNMCA | June 02, 2010

Explore the George Brown House: Restored and Well-Preserved Residential Heritage

Screenshot: Doors Open Toronto: George Brown House
186 Beverley Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1L4
Architect and year: William Irving / Edward Hutchings, 1874-76
Credit: toronto.ca

Do you remember the music that introduces the Harlem Globetrotters? Well that tune is called Sweet Georgia Brown and during Doors Open Toronto, I visited his home – one recognized as being the best preserved example of Second Empire homes in Ontario. There is no denying it. Looking at this home and its details, George Brown was a very important part of our history.

Located at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Beverly Street, near the Italian Consulate and Toronto's China Town, this building has a formidable square footprint with almost 9000 feet of interior space with 16 foot ceilings. The doors to each of the rooms on the main floor are adorned with walnut canopies that include the lion from this Father of Confederation's family crest. All in all, there are 15 fireplaces in the house that spans 3 floors and basement. And the space that used to be the kitchen for this house now is used as a mid- sized board room.

George Brown was a proponent of the anti-slavery movement and was also the owner of the Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail). A number of years after Canada's confederation, the senator, father of confederation and paper baron, was shot and wounded in the leg by one of his employees. It was a minor wound but infection set in and he subsequently died from his injury. Hanging on the wall of one of the salons is a line-art drawing of his funeral with thousands of attendees in a throng about his home and the corner of Baldwin and Beverly.

Following Brown's passing, the house was purchased by Duncan Coulson, president of the Bank of Toronto, who renovated the dining room to reflect the current trend of Art Nouveau style. And, at the end of Coulson’s life, the house was purchased by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind for office space.

Wrapped on two sides by Victorian gardens and flanked on two sides by a school for children with special needs, the house is a national historical site operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust, its library collection of books preserved and maintained by Parks Canada and the rooms on the second and third floors now generate revenue – rented as offices to pay for the house's good repair. Uses for the common areas of the house include weddings and conferences and during Doors Open Toronto, it will receive more than 800 visitors each day.

George Brown's house is an important part of Canadian history and our local heritage. It is wheelchair accessible, open to the public during Doors Open Toronto and should be visited by anybody with an interest in the grand days of Canadian architecture, seeing the home of one of our founding fathers or just to see what life was like in the middle 1800's.

_____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

House Prices: Part of the Problem or Part of the Cure?

Imagine a narrow house built of cards...
Photo No: j0387592 MS Office Clip Art
Keywords: households, house of cards

If you over paid for your home – even a little, you are part of the current problem that threatens the US economy and, because of our very close relationship to the US, our economy too. You need not be an economic whiz to understand the issues nor the impacts they will have on you directly. Below is a simplified view of things as they are and a strategy to make sure you are not on the short end of a bad stick.

Our economy expands year-over-year at a rate that averages about 3.5%. That means that through normal cycles of highs and lows the average rate of growth over long periods of time is 3.5%. What that should mean is that if a non-depreciating asset is purchased, over time, it should have a nice even growth at that same rate.

Over the past few years in the pre-recession period, housing prices have had wildly soaring fluctuations – some by as much as 60% in a single year. There are a few problems about rates of growth in house prices exceeding the rate of growth of the economy. For instance, if wages track more closely to the economic growth rate, then housing becomes increasing less affordable. This is important because the pool of buyers at super-normal prices begins to dwindle and the effect of this is that housing prices should return towards the natural rate of growth of the rest of the economy or incomes need to increase along with prices of goods to inflate the economy to off-set the difference. That hasn’t happened and large numbers of people continue to buy new homes – causing price-induced instability. Imagine a narrow house built of cards that has become so tall that even if you start to widen it, the structure will still be very unstable and likely to collapse.

This instability is the effect of the gap between the economic growth rates, erroneously priced homes and sales to unqualified buyers who get financing based on inflated prices coupled with their own income. This is not the fault of the buyers - financial institutions are issuing mortgages on these over-heated homes because they have shareholders demanding annual returns and that requires more sales to more people – even unqualified people. For many consumers, home purchase prices are well beyond the normal range for being a healthy component of income expenditure. In other words – people are spending too much to carry the debt of their home. From a banking perspective, the result of issuing mortgages for these homes is that it creates distressed mortgage paper that has less value than if that paper were properly secured against income and property value. To eliminate 'bad' mortgages from their books, lenders sell these loans into the capital markets without the knowledge of the borrowers. These are then assembled into different offerings and sold as 'sound' debt investments. The crux of the problem with this is that lenders are moving their bad lending decisions into the investment community where investors big and small attempt to obtain higher yields to offset the higher costs caused by over-valued housing.

So, there’s over-valued housing, over zealous lending and impaired debt paper in the market. So what? Perhaps a hurricane or terrorism effecting crude oil production or refining or wheat crops being spoiled by heavy rain in the mid-west, as soon as there is a significant economic bump consumer prices go up and results in less money with which to make mortgage payments. When this bump happens, it increases mortgage defaults and, in addition to putting people out of their homes; it has lenders liquidating residential real estate to cut their losses. This creates pricing depression in houses and lenders as a result have less secure mortgages again– adding to the supply of distressed financial paper and completing one more cycle of the meltdown.

Knowing that your home was likely over valued is of no help to fixing the problem. A number of 'market corrections' to level things out is what is needed and a 700 billion dollar debt purchase the US government is just one sign of this happening. What can help though is knowing that your next housing decision does not add to the problem and further expose you to more irrational housing inflation and lifestyle contraction.

Simply put, the rational decision is to stop buying new residential property and if you have to, don’t get into bidding wars. And, if you do buy - stay put.

At the beginning of this discussion there was a reference to non-depreciating assets. There are different ways people define an asset. For some it is a thing that generates income. For others, an asset increases in value when it is sold, hopefully generating profit - like any commodity. A house is a special type of asset because it does depreciate relative to its neighbors unless it is maintained and invested in. This is something that is rarely done and is part of the reason the gap between the inflation rate and home price increases are so dangerous. In Toronto for example, termites affect many neighborhoods. What some buyers have done is negotiate a discount off the price to pay for the needed repairs. However, many people do nothing to improve value beyond cosmetics and don’t even fix the damage. This cycle continues in subsequent sales with some owners knowing and others not knowing about the infestation. This makes for a decrepit housing supply in the city with the only advantage being that some buyers negotiate a price based on the infestation. Increases in price with decreasing value are inherently dangerous to the housing system and to you as the owner of decaying and overpriced assets.

As opposed to getting into spiraling inflated house prices based on purchase flips that suffer from over pricing and cumulative legal, realtor and closing fees eroding value, the best recommendation is to hold your property for multiple generations and if there is a need to increase or alter the space – do it on your existing property and plan to enjoy it for a long period of time.

In short – if you bought it, keep it. If you need more of it, expand it. And, if you plan to sell it at some time in the future, maintain it in good condition while staying as free of debt as possible. You will enjoy your money more and even lenders will appreciate that the pool of qualified buyers will increase over time.

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This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

links:
telegraph.co.uk: Why is everyone worried about house prices?
by Charles Moore; Last Updated: 12:01am BST 19/04/2008
independent.co.uk: We're riddled with debt... but the cure is a killer
by Graham Turner; Sunday, 6 July 2008
Wo-Built's articles written by Ari Berman

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What Is Better? Own Work Crews or Sub-contractors?

The big question: own work crews or subcontractors?
Image No: 0696754 from Canstockphoto.com
All rights reserved

When doing a renovation or a construction project, what is the difference between using a general contractor with their own crew and one that uses sub-trades? There are a few differences and when making a choice between general contractors, you should be aware of these and of the benefits of choosing one over the other.

First... let's clarify what we are actually discussing. Your general contractor is engaged by you to do the work on your project. The question is does the general contractor use staff that work for him directly or does he subcontract to other tradespersons to do the work and how does that effect your project? Given the quality of apprenticeship programs in Ontario, there should be no difference in workmanship between the staff versus sub-trades. However, frequently customers notice that companies operating with their own crews tend to be unexpectedly slow to complete jobs. One reason suggested for this is that the more jobs that are started, the more efficient the general contractor's labour cost. So, by starting lots of projects, the general contractor is assured of having his crew fully occupied and, that is important to them because the staff crews get paid if there are jobs on the go or not. So, it is not uncommon for a crew to be pulled from one job to be put on a new job many times through the construction season.In contrast, general contractors who operate with sub-trades have options when they wish to start projects. Once the project is secured, they find the sub-contractors to start the project and should they find more work, they find additional resources for those projects. On the matter of time conflicts and delays from lack of contractor availability (and that is possible because a sub-trade may also try to secure multiple concurrent projects), if the project is not moving ahead as required by its contract schedule, another sub-trade can be assigned the work. General contractors with their own crews don't do this because it becomes an additional expense to their operation.

On the matter of cost, there are some direct impacts of using a company which employs its own staff versus using sub-trades. Employee trades need to have contributions by the employer for taxes that apply to all employers. They contribute to the employee's Canada Pension Plan, Unemployment Insurance and Workmans' Compensation. Sub-trades are self employed contractors to the general contractor. They are responsible for their own Workman's Compensation contribution, CPP and don't pay UI. This means that the price paid for a given trade will cost more for employee staff than for sub-trades and this is reflected in the prices quoted for your project. And, in almost every instance, the cost of labour is the largest component in a renovation or construction project.This description of the differences do favour sub-trades over staff crews, but, there are some advantages to hiring a company with its own staff crew. for the most part, there is a feeling that the general contractor has more control over the project. And, this is for the most part a reasonable expectation. However, if the general contractor is re-assigning his resources, the owner of the project is no better off for having made the decision to put their faith in a self-crewed project. But, is there a certain cohesiveness in a crew that is working all 'under one roof' so to speak? All projects are scheduled, so there is typically little un-needed overlapping of the trades. As an example, framers, dry-wallers and painters are almost never sent to the same site at the same time because their work is scheduled to be a sequential group of tasks. So, working as team though a good concept is not required. In fact, they could be non-related workman and if they are scheduled and co-ordinated well by the general contractor, they really need not be involved with each other.

In recommending to someone which choice is better for them it generally becomes a question of cost and risk management. Most often, the general contractor who uses sub-trades will be able to bid costs below the company who keeps resources on the ready and on staff. And, if there is a lot of work taking place in the local construction market, it is more likely that a general contractor using sub-trades will able to keep the project moving forward because they are not tied to one set of staff members. Given the ability to choose, it makes more sense to have a general contractor on your project who has the flexibility to get the resources needed versus the resources he has.

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This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

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Wo-Built's Design & Build Philosophy

Notes from the Desk of Martina Ernst:
1) Thank Ari Berman for his contribution to the Information Forum
2) Write about Wo-Built's Design & Build Philosophy

• Design & Build Part 1: Is the Design and Build Process Better Than the Traditional Construction One?
• Design & Build Part 2: So, Is Design and Build the Solution?
• Design & Build Part 3: How will we know if a Design and Build contractor is pricing accurately?
• Design & Build Part 4: Some more thoughts on Design and Build

Ari Berman’s editorial comments on traditional construction projects versus Design & Build projects reflect some of the reasons why we wanted to be a Design & Build contractor. My heartfelt thanks for your contribution Ari.

Our values are very much anchored in professionalism and customer service and we felt we could best serve our customers by providing a total Design & Build experience. Both Elida Huignard and I have architectural backgrounds and we know the importance of upfront planning and communication between designer and contractor. Combining the two functions under one roof enables faster and better communications, hence making design changes less likely during the construction phase.

The upfront involvement also allows for better planning of necessary resources, both labour and material. Better planning usually results in more efficient use of these resources, reducing delays and last minute high cost purchases. Quality generally is higher with upfront planning and expectations are managed on all sides. Often the most important aspect of a good renovation or construction project is knowing what comes next and what to expect next.

Both Elida and I have worked on large projects in the past and we know the importance of budget restraints, cost planning, adherence to deadlines and the importance of great quality work. The design and build process gives us the confidence to be able to deliver a great quality product and leave a client happy.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc

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Design & Build Part 4: Some More Thoughts on Design and Build

Image: MS Office

Keywords: architects, blueprints, construction, contractors, developers

Ok, so the million Dollar question is - 'If the Design & Build process is so good why doesn't everyone use it?'

Well, one disadvantage is that the contractual set-up tends to be much more involved than for the traditional one. It requires a lot more up-front work by the contractor which is largely unpaid and much more risky than traditional project bidding. From a home owners perspective the Design and Build process has been largely associated with large public projects and the benefits for smaller projects have not been publicized well. Also there is the fear that one would not get the best deal, by locking in too early and to one provider.

But in our competitive world, there is an emphasis on customer satisfaction to provide repeat and referral business. A properly documented and executed Design & Build process is the more customer friendly and satisfying because it almost totally eliminates the wiggle room for stretching out your project's time or cost. It also gives the client a lot more influence and power in the relationship. By dealing with just one representative responsible for all areas of the project, confusion about who was supposed to do what, when that was to happen and who had to make the call is made very simple and direct. If Design & Build is good enough for mega projects, its benefits will compel smaller consumers to demand the same protection and services. My prediction is that over the next few years Design & Build will be on the rise as consumers insist on having more control and less risk on their projects.

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This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

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Design & Build Part 3: How Will We Know If a Design and Build Contractor Is Pricing Accurately?

Image: MS Office

Keywords: architects, blueprints, construction, contractors, developers

A Design & Build contractor can save money on a project by doing good cost planning, managing site logistics and reducing or eliminating rework/redesign costs. But why would they not take advantage of their position to squeeze the client and fatten their margins? They are, after all, engaged before the design is finalized and have ample opportunity to pump up the numbers. The controls again are built into how they secure their engagement - by the budget and cost estimate they develop during the initial discussions and consultation. Unless the scope changes drastically they are contracted to stay within those limits. The firm contract price which is developed during the detailed design is based on a published fee structures and cost guidelines. Since they are involved in all the stages of the process, they also take some of the risks by giving a firm price at the beginning. They are stake-holders in their clients' projects. And if we as the clients still have doubt about cost validity, additional checks and balances can be introduced, such as an independent cost consultant, detailed fee breakdowns with negotiated percentages and fully disclosed and detailed change order pricing.

From the standpoint of cost and time controls, the Design & Build process outperforms over the traditional construction one.

Some more thoughts on Design & Build. Click here to read on.

_______________________________________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

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