What does 2010 hold for you?

Theo Paphitis of Dragon's Den Fame thinks that this year is the best year to start a new business for many years.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article7069794.ece

Today in the budget, the Chancellor, Alastair Darling, has been telling us that the country is not in quite as much debt as he forecast and gave good news to some of those who would like to buy a house and not pay any stamp duty.

Scottish Chartered Accountant Bruce Cartwright welcomes a return to "boring, steady, organic growth". But then accountants and boring go together don't they?

http://www.camagonline.co.uk/Videos/146.aspx

So what does it hold for you? A new business like Theo, a new house (to please Alastair) or, like Bruce, are you happy with boring steady organic growth?

By Big Ben, our man with an interest in the City.

VELUX will be featuring at Grand Design's Live 2010 1^st - 9^th May at London Excel.  Grand Designs Live has been a hugely popular exhibition attracting 100,000 visitors in previous years.  Grand Designs has been a hugely popular show with the ambitious self builders and aspirating renovators since 1999.  Since then Grand Designs concept has become a brand itself with a monthly magazine release and even its own architectural modeling software.  The show often feature eco builds and celebrates new builds which showcase economical and ecological building materials and techniques.  The focus on energy saving, position VELUX as an extremely relevant official sponsor of the Grand Build, as there roof window range are specially designed for energy efficient home insulation.  The VELUX team will be based at the largest stand at the event, offering bookable free consultation sessions with daylight & design experts.  They will also be offering advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint and how to incorporatesolar energy in your home.

With energy saving at home becoming ever more important to consumers, VELUX Solar Hot Water systems are becoming an increasing popular and practical solution for people wanting to know how to reduce electricity bills.  On average a solar hot water system can provide a home with 70% of its hot water requirements.  The VELUX solar collectors are sold to match the roof window range so they can be easily integrated on most roofs.  The full VELUX range has been launched on Ken's Yard, with an easy to use automated checkout procedure to guide shoppers to choose the right size flashing and blinds, making the process quick and simple.

Down at Ken's Yard we are all fans of Grand Designs, and can't help watch the show and fantasize over our own dream build.  It would be interesting to know if the Channel 4 show has really had an impact on the amount of people undertaking their own self build and renovation projects, or whether the show's dramatic portraits of building site trials and tribulations are enough to put off even the most optimistic aspiring self builder.

Kährs Flooring is proud to be the world's oldest wood floor manufacturer still in business and going strong. Rightly so, as the market has become so competitive with cheap low quality and non ecological flooring making it tough for quality flooring with strong ethical and ecological policy, to remind Europe's favourite engineered wood floor manufacture. Since Kährs Flooring began in 1857, in the heart of Swedish forests, there business has thrived showing great commitment to tradition, passion for craftsmanship, whist embracing new technologies. One of the most innovative features of flooring that Kährs has brought to the market was in 2000 when the Kährs Woodloc joints where launched. This is a unique technique of glueless floor joint, making flooring easy to lay and withstand climatic changes. All of Kährs 15mm naturals flooring collection are manufactured with this same Woodloc technology. The Naturals Collection also comes in a wide range of wood species and finishes, like the original oak, luxurious Jarrah or warm Beech.

Ken's Yard has just revamped their complete Kährs Flooring range to make it easier to shop for and choose the best flooring choice. There is also a new complete section called "Ken's How" which is full of handy advice on topics like how to lay a Kährs floor and how to lay floor on under floor heating.

FloPlast Rainwater Systems are one of the most trusted and widely used guttering solutions available.   For help with working out your guttering requirements for a job a really useful tool is FloPlast's own Flow rate calculator.  All you have to do is select you roof type, enter the roof dimensions and the calculator will tell you the flow rates.  Once you know a roof's flow rates you can tell what guttering system is required.  See FloPlast's own really useful guide on guttering carrying capacities.

Ken's Yard is now stocking the full FloPlast guttering range.  The range is offered at new "Big Boy Packs" special rates so you can get all you need for the job and have some left for your next job!