PLUMBING & BATHROOMSISSUE 07 • october - december 2011

back to basics - Peter JeffersonWhen going through previous on taP newsletters i came across this letter and i feel that it is more relevant today than ever before.

back to basics… How many times have you heard that? i was amazed, after scrutinising some of our outlets, the scant regard to routine, daily basics. When i asked, corrence, our faithful store man in Pietermaritzburg, back in the beginning if he had any common sense? He replied with a defiant expression that his sense in no way was common and that his sense was exceptional.

common sense and basics are not common.

Let me give you a few examples. We all run delivery vehicles and the maintenance of them should be basic and routine… not so!! ok, making sure the bakkies have diesel is a must, but not checking oil and water, brake lights, indicators, licenses and regular specified services are far too difficult. the net effect of not overcoming those difficulties will have some costly consequences. september saw three bakkies meet their doom. 1. the driver did not check oil and water; the engine overheated and cost up to r51 000 to repair. 2. the vehicle was not

serviced as specified and the cam belts were not replaced when they should have been. the cam belt snapped and the engine stopped, which cost r27 000 to repair. 3. the vehicle’s tires were worn, the brakes were worn and the license had expired…all that together with cape rain, equals accident. insurance will not pay in these circumstances and the consequence is thousands of rands in repair costs. all these incidences could have been avoided with exercising common sense.

it does not stop there. the required daily functions that occur in your businesses are very important and cannot be ignored.

DO YOU:

• know what your staff does in a day?

• (do they know what to do in a day.)

• check your bread and butter inventory lines daily?

• reconcile the daily cash and bank?

• record staff attendance?

• close the windows, lock doors and set the alarm when you leave at the end of the day?

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CElEbratIng21 YEarS!

in tHis issue

on taP nationwide extreme makeover. (Page 2)

meet nigel, on taP midrand. (Page 4) on taP kZn ioPsa golf day. (Page 5)

on taP Green news. (Page 6)

tck supports orphanage. (Page 6 )

Hansgrohe axor bouroullec launches in south africa. (Page 7)

the new bathroom butler 4800 series. (Page 8 )

marketing news. (Page 9)

On taP tImES

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• check daily sales and goods receiving reports?

• check daily customer purchases verses credit limits?

the list goes on forever. the one thing the recession has done for me is to realise the importance of following the basics and applying some common (and exceptional) sense. it is easy …make a list of all those things you know must happen daily, weekly and monthly and make sure they are done and done well. this is key to a safe and prosperous business.

Peter

on taP nation underGoinG tHe extreme makeover!PROJECT

SCALE DATE

DRAWING

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NAME

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exhibition stands hospitality interiors retail interiors signage graphics

PAARL

HANSGROHE

20 September 2011NTS

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5

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KWIKOT M A R L E Y

Deca K L U D I JEEVESvictoria + albert Geberit BATHROOM BUTLER

isca ROTHERNBERGER

35715

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5952 59524500

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FRONT FACIA: White to be Backlit, Grey Printed but blocks out backlighting, Aluminium Frame around each brand(Option 1: LED lighting Option 2: Fluorescents)

2x SIDE FACIAS: Printed but not backlit. Aluminium Frames to match front facia 2x ROOF TOP SIGNS: Mounted at angles towards traffic

Deca K L U D I JEEVESvictoria + albert Geberit

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1. Paarl 2. cape town 3. bellville4. midrand5. bloemfontein 6. Pietermaritzburg7. edenvale8. somerset West

1. On taP Paarl is kicking off their stunning new showroom by revamping their entire upstairs section. Have a look at the latest visuals.

2. On taP Cape town (tCK) is planning to launch the very first “on taP exclusive” – a premium showroom displaying the best of on taP’s products targeting acclaimed architects and interior designers.

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3. On taP bellville has approved the design for the remake of the store interior and we are looking forward to the big reveal.

4. On taP midrand is attracting a completely new customer profile since their revamp. the future is looking bright!

5. On taP bloemfontein have started their extensive renovations – see what it will look like once complete.

6. On taP Pietermaritzburg is increasing their showroom size and completely revamping the interior, from trade counter to entrance areas.

7. On taP Edenvale is maximising their space by adopting a new flow plan and are in the process of designing and renovating supplier areas!

8. On taP Somerset west will be re-doing the exterior of the building.

9. On taP Paarden Eiland is undergoing a major revamp on the exterior of their building whilst also changing several inside areas with brand new displays.

10. On taP Vanderbijlpark is revamping their showroom and working late nights to make the new reveal spectacular!

11. On taP Kenilworth is undergoing a makeover of their interior.

on taP ballito has officially opened their doors to the public with the official launch of a new showroom attended by many suppliers, on taP head office and distributors. the plan for a new showroom was put into motion when new store owners, Lynton chowles, Greg Wilkinson and rowan king took over the ballito franchise earlier this year.

Have a look at their stunning new showroom!

on taP baLLito LauncHes neW sHoWroom under neW oWnersHiP.

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OCtObEr1 - durban north (2000)1 - Jeffreys bay (2008)10 - alberton (2005) 23 - stilbaai (2000)

nOVEmbEr1 - bellville (2004)

DECEmbEr18 - Pietermaritzburg (1990)

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in this picture from left: standing: shane small, steven fouché from on taP northriding, nigel small. sitting: bianca, Janine fouché , anna small.

meet niGeL, neW oWner of on taP midrand

What do you like about the on taP franchise?i believe that the on taP franchise has certain advantages over other outlets as we sell a better quality product and cater for a specific market.

How has your showroom changed recently?We have moved to a new showroom in midrand and have re-modelled to showcase the new design, which i believe has made a huge impact on showroom sales.

the finishing touches were given that much needed feminine charm by our two ladies; anna and inora. thank you!

Have you attracted new customers as a result?We have definitely attracted new clients as a result of our showroom and our ratio of sales has definitely resulted in a positive increase in showroom sales.

What are some of the challenges and unique things about your store and your area?i think that some of the challenges are to attract new clients to our showroom, as with the move we have had to start basically from scratch. once we are known in the area, it will certainly benefit us. i think that some of the unique things about the area is that we are more central to midrand, and there is far more visibility with regards to shop frontage.

What’s your motto in life?my motto in life is to strive to do my best in everything i do and there is only one way and that is the correct way.

How do you like to spend your life outside on taP?i am very much a family person so most of my time revolves around my family and outdoor life.

october 3 - Jonathan blampied7 - christa van Wyk26 - robbie Howes27 - david venter

november 8 - karlina arlow8 - Henry soden14 - billy Hayward18 - Louis naude20 - Phillip schanke29 - Jacques Westcott29 - Lynton chowles

december2 - stef le roux4 - Heine muller6 - Guy dommann19 - eugene reynders

haPPYbIrthDaY

haPPYannIVErSarY

on taP durban nortH ceLebratinG 10 Years! conGratuLations!

in the above image from left: raymond, William, matt, Jono (back) and steven.

the dedicated and experienced team of plumbing experts at on taP durban north is headed up by scott Haslam & steven Hunter. on taP durban north first opened its doors in 2000 and have undergone many changes, including a recently revamped showroom. Looking good!

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at on taP we go to great lengths to support the plumbing industry, supplying them with superior quality products and advice. on taP Pietermaritzburg recently took the support one step further by sponsoring a hole at this year’s ioPsa golf day, in kwazulu natal. ioPsa’s Jackie burgess had the following to say:

“on behalf of the institute of Plumbing kZn, we would like to thank you for your sponsorship for the ioP kZn Golf challenge 2011, which contributed to the success of this popular event, and could not have been done without your valued support. We trust you enjoyed the day and hope you will be part of the ioP kZn ‘mike drake memorial’ Golf challenge 2012.”

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on taP durban nortH ceLebratinG 10 Years! conGratuLations!

on taP PietermaritZburG suPPorts ioPsa kZn GoLf daY

on taP Hermanus suPPorts Hermanus cricket cLub GoLf daY

on nelson mandela day, the Western cape stores supported Green communities with a makeover of the sacLa community center in kayelitsha, a centre for the carers of the community. on taP donated products and their time to build a veggie tunnel, as well as plant trees.

on taP further extended a helping hand by contributing an extensive list of much needed plumbing supplies, including all fittings for the geyser, and thereby helping to complete the project.

mr robin carlisle, minister of Public Works and transport, could finally step up to cut the ribbon. madiba doll in hand, mr carlisle declared the sacLa centre reopened, to the immense delight of everyone involved. on taP is proud and thankful for the opportunity to have been part of such a wonderful initiative.

on taP Hermanus sponsored a hole and a 4 ball in support of the Hermanus cricket club on 15 september. the on taP banner was flying high and all who played had a great time on the course.

on taP Western caPe’s 67 minutes!

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on taP Head office Has a babY on tHe WaY

aimee will be leaving us…but only for a little while – she’s expecting a new baby boy, asher, in a couple of days and will be on maternity leave from october! Head office and the entire otd team will miss her lots!

on taP stiLbaai WeLcomes a neW “bok” suPPorter baby naomi, karlina arlow’s new baby girl, of on taP stilbaai was born on 22 march 2011. Here is a picture of her supporting the springboks!

it’s become a tradition at on taP cape town that every friday is casual day. However, while wearing civvies may be a good morale booster, casual friday at on taP cape town isn’t merely for the sake of tGif-spirit – it comes at a price of r5, collected in the goodwill jar.

so after many fridays and many r5s, the on taP cape town team recently decided to empty the jar (which took some muscle), and go shopping for a good cause – gifts for the special girls of st. Georges House. they then had the privilege of delivering these gifts to the home, which turned out to be a much bigger morale booster than swapping the uniform for casual.

on taP caPe toWn suPPort st. GeorGes Home for GirLs

on taP Hermanus contributed towards raising r42 000 for the anima therapy centre for special needs children by attending the annual Ladies charity breakfast held in august.

the morning was a great success!

on taP Hermanus suPPorts cHiLd tHeraPY centre

What is a “Green office”?

a Green office is where people care to save paper, energy and water; where people avoid waste and buy eco-friendly products and equipment. a Green office is also healthier, more efficient, and can cost less to run – but above all, a Green office is inhabited by workers who are more aware than others about the importance of eco-friendly behaviours and practices because they know how important this is for earth’s survival and ours!

a Green office action PLan

1. reduce (eg: energy and water wastage)2. reuse (eg: packaging material)3. recycle (eg: paper; ink and toner cartridges)

What are a green office’s main focus areas?

1. buying eco-friendly office supplies and equipment2. reusing and recycling office supplies wherever applicable3. reducing energy consumption4. reducing water consumption5. reducing waste6. reducing the carbon footprint

each and every person can do their bit in reducing unnecessary waste and in using green products. and there are behaviors that are common to everYone, like switching lights off when not in the office!

download a free toolkit to make your on taP store more environmentally friendly! Google “Green Office Week” to find out more.

on taP grEEn nEwS

StOrE nEwS...hatChED

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Hansgrohe south africa recently launched their new designer bathroom collection, axor bouroullec, at the turbine Hall in newtown in front of 300 industry professionals that included architects, interior designers, dealers and media.

the collection was developed by axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe aG and the celebrated french designer duo ronan and erwan bouroullec – two designers known for their constant pursuit of the perfect balance between an object’s form and function, and between its interaction with the user and its surroundings.

the collection was presented by Philippe Grohe, international axor brand manager, who travelled from Germany. He captivated the audience with his passion for design.

the central theme of the new bathroom collection is “feel free to compose”. the theme captures the essence of having freedom to personalise your bathroom; the shelves and mixers from the collection can be combined in many ways. the result is a bathroom collection that offers a wealth of individual options to create designs and solutions to allow everyone to embody their personal ideal in terms of functionality, aesthetics and personal balance.

HansGroHe LauncHes tHe neW axor bourouLLec in soutH africa

Axor Bouroullec Axor Bouroullec

kaLe ranGes arrive in soutH africa

KALE DISPLAY exhibition stands hospitality interiors retail interiors signage graphics

Raw Wood MDF Unit:Groove routered outevery +/- 300mm (feature)

Painted in a cement colouredsand paint (rough)

Height: 1300mm

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Veneer / wood Unit:Rough textured wood grain

Height: 750mm

the first samples of the beautiful new kaLe ranges have arrived in south africa.

Please visit otd to view the new kaLe ranges “live”.

otd is currently setting up displays with the new kaLe look in most on taP stores.

SUPPlIEr nEwS...

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bathroom butler has launched a new heated towel rail and bathroom accessories range exclusive to on taP.

the bathroom butler Linear 6 bar heated towel rail and 4800 series range of accessories have been designed to compliment one another, and will add that glamorous final touch to your bathroom.

With bathroom butler’s continued focus on quality and durability the 4800 series is manufactured from grade 304 stainless steel. Grade 304 stainless steel has long been the preferred choice of manufacturing material by bathroom butler as it is glamorous when polished to a mirror finish and, most importantly, it is also 100% recyclable and manufactured from 60% recycled stainless steel.

the bathroom butler Linear 6 bar heated towel rail will be available with bathroom butler’s innovative Personal temperature selection (Ptselect), and the energy saving total digital control (tdc) timer will be offered as an optional extra.

batHroom butLer’s neW and excLusive ranGe to on taP

casual day is a fundraising project benefiting persons with disabilities. each year, Lecico sa calls upon their staff to dress differently on the first friday of september and show their support for persons with disabilities by wearing their casual day sticker.

tania savil from Lecico sa won best dressed competitor.

Lecico suPPorts casuaL daY

Lecico’s new venezia Watersave Wc has made it possible to conserve water with the revolutionary flush system.

the venezia Watersave offers a 4lt & 2.6lt dual flush, the perfect way to save money and water while protecting our environment. up to 35% water saving!

Lecico’s neW Water savinG Water cLoset

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it’s already october and many exciting projects are underway… the new on taP Website has been launched, including an interactive product browser and tools that will help the on taP stores improve their customer service and sales even more!

try it out for yourself and recommend the site to your clients!

Please go to our new facebook fan Page and “Like” on taP, pass on the message to all your friends, colleagues and customers!

www.facebook.com/ontapsa

on taP LauncHes neW Website and facebook fan PaGe

the best local marketing award goes to on taP ballito who were promoting products for the opening of their new showroom. nicely done!

best LocaL marketinG aWard:

marKEtIng nEwS...

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a plumber in san diego arrived at his next job only to find his client was going out. Worried about the clients’ rotweiler, the man asks if he could come back later.

noticing the plumber’s insecurity the client says, “don’t worry about the dog, he won’t hurt you, but whatever you do don’t talk to the parrot!”. Heeding the client’s warning he walks into the house and into the kitchen.

feeling more confident about the rotweiler he starts working on the sink. barely after starting he notices the parrot sitting by the rotweiler. all of a sudden the parrot bursts out with a bunch of insults. almost half way through the job the plumber starts to get angry, he starts to tell the bird to shut up. all of a sudden the bird becomes silent, then very quietly the bird says, “sick him rex.”

if you have any information that you would like mentioned in the next issue of the on taP times, please send it to julia@ontap.co.za with the subject line “newsletter”.

Humour corner

are we still in a recession? Has your business slowed down? are you struggling to make ends meet? Will things ever get better?

i have a very simple approach to understanding the economy, a methodology that allows me to focus on what i need to do to manage and grow my business. i simply do not get caught up in numbers, because the inflation rate, the rate of growth of the economy, the rates of exchange and the multitude of numbers that we see or hear in the media, are just that – numbers.

as human beings our perceptions, which are based on our interpretation of what we see, hear, touch or smell, become our reality and thus determine our behaviour. our approach to our business and the manner in which we engage are therefore controlled by what we see, hear and consequently believe, as well as our overwhelming belief in what other people think and feel.

i don’t pretend for a moment that doing business today does not present its challenges, the same challenges (albeit perhaps in a different context) that man has faced for hundreds of years. the ability to manage adversity (a difficult time, a problem or a disaster) is illustrated by the defining characteristics identified by dr. stoltz, who said that people’s ability to manage adversity was because:

1. they do not blame others for their adversities or setbacks2. they do not blame themselves either; they do not view setbacks that

occur as reflecting poorly on them3. they believe that the problems facing them are limited in size and

duration and can be dealt with

so the best way to approach your businesses is to not to get caught up in the numbers, don’t be influenced by what other people think and feel. instead every day must be taken one day at a time. You can only work within this time frame, not worrying about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow.

richard branson once said “all business is, is people serving people”

on taP is a great business, your products and services form a part of everyone’s lives, we use your products every day from the bathroom to the kitchen and whilst the construction industry is not as active as it was a few years ago, things will pass.

if you had a choice to open a business in Zimbabwe or stay where you are, which one would you choose? no matter how tough things are, remember there is someone out there who is worse off that you, always! in Zimbabwe, your type of business still exists. they have adapted to conditions and have become traders and have become good at managing adversity, and so can you!

tip for the month: choose your attitude each morning, forget what you read in the newspaper and become a trader. Look for every opportunity every day and leave the management of the numbers to the financial people, let them worry about the consumer price index, the state of the economy in Greece and the balance of payments of outer mongolia. take a lesson from the Japanese, they manage adversity so well. Life is a series

searcHinG for on taP customers

DrOP bOX

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of cycles, and business is like the ocean waves, they come in and they go out. don’t resist the currents, go with the flow and stay focused on the now, it is all you have to work with!

“Your are today where your thoughts have brought you and you will be tomorrow where your thoughts do take you”. James allen

try it, it works!!

for training or to receive a copy of iain’s book on sales please contact iain directly:

iain JoHnston consuLtinGcell: 083 410 4440email: iain@ijc.co.zawww.iainjohnston.co.za

the subsequent guiding principles have been put together to assist on taP franchise owners, managers and employees in transactions, communications and relations with market Place opponents, as well as the Legislative body of the south african competition commission in circumstances where the Legislative body may arrive at offices, shops, etc. in turn to perform an impromptu assessment.

the subsequent guiding principles are not given to restrain employees or managers. should anybody at any stage be unsure whether their actions or behaviour is in compliance with the competition act, they should contact Head office at the earliest possible opportunity. in the event that an inspection is conducted by the commission, please inform on taP Head office at once.

it is vital that aLL on taP staff understand how to handle and co-operate should an infringement of the competition law be suspected.

Guidelines to follow• contact the on taP Head office at the earliest

opportunity.• contact your Legal advisor at the earliest

opportunity to ensure a legal representative is present while the inspection is progress.

• co-operate with the investigators and ensure they don’t exceed their authority.

• avoid volunteering information.• do not destroy any documentation (i.e. emails,

e-documents, Pdf’s.• do not make a public statement or issue a press

release prior to speaking to Head office.• do not panic and do not refuse entry.• check the identity of the investigators.

• contact o compliance officer. o external Lawyers. o on taP Head office.

• don’t leave the investigators unsupervised.• contact anybody requested by the investigators.• do not be hostile.• seek legal advice if you’re not sure what your rights

are.• investigators should stick to their mandates.• keep responses short and to the point.• do not volunteer documents of info if not requested.• identify potentially privileged documents – do not

disclose those without claiming privilege.• take notes of all the questions and your answers.• keep a copy of all documentation taken by the

investigators.• do not sign anything without legal advise.• do not discuss the investigation with external parties.

WHen to consuLt on taP Head office• When you are hesitant if your business performance

will comply with the competition law.• Prior to commencing a joint venture with oppositions.• Prior to entering in an agreement with an opposition.• Prior to committing to a trade association or attending

any: o committee. o Group meetings.• Prior to exchanging any info with the opposition.

For more information please contact katrien@ontap.co.za

suGGested actions reGardinG comPetition act comPLiance