Have you thought of...

That’s the idea Barry Ashmore had when he set up www.streetwisesubbie.com, a website for specialist contractors with a superhero theme. At the site you are introduced to the hero’s arch enemies, the evil contractor Stabard (above left), and his henchmen, the quantity surveyor Bayvis and employer’s man Fudge.

‘Although specialists are generally very good at their jobs, they lack a single information resource on running other aspects of their business, which we aim to provide,’ says Ashmore. ‘The superhero theme is a light-hearted way of making a dry subject fun and interesting.’ The site provides advice on all aspects of running a business, from accountancy to contractual matters, HR and marketing. You can also post questions to be answered by an expert. These might include: ‘How do I run my business when banks aren’t lending?’, ‘Will 30-day payments ever become the norm?’, or ‘Should I always use my superpowers for good, not evil?’

… talking to the hand, and have it talk back?

That’s the idea from Sperian Protection, which has taken the site safety message onto protective gloves. ‘Your safety is in your hands’ and ‘Safe behaviour saves lives’ are indelibly printed on gloves worn by BAM Construct workers, and will be seen every time they’re put on or removed. ‘You could call it Trojan messaging,’ said Frank Garnett, director at BAM Construct UK. Very handy.

… a sideline career as a TV construction expert?

A new website links TV producers and anyone with expertise in a particular area. Sign up, and you’ll be asked to create a catchy profile and upload a photo. ‘We’re looking for people with passion, credibility and the “expert factor”,’ says site founder Claire Richmond. ‘The television industry often uses our site looking for expert comment on specific subject.’
www.findatvexpert.com

… forgetting the pressures of work and chilling out?

Then you’re in luck. This year, 6 February is Stress Down Day, a charity event organised by the Samaritans to raise awareness of work-related stress.

The organisation’s suggested activities include: swapping your work chair for an armchair, wearing slippers to work, or setting up a stress-free zone in the office. However, CM warns that on a building site such measures may cause health and safety problems, leading to erm... considerable stress. www.stressdownday.org

… dressing as a Roman centurion and being fed grapes by girls in togas?

We thought not, but it obviously struck Mansell employees as a good idea when they decided to commemorate the company’s 100th anniversary by completing a charity relay on a pedal-powered Roman chariot. Some 300 Mansell employees donned Roman armour over two months, travelling almost 1,300 miles and in the process collecting more than £600,000 for a number of local and national charities. Carpe diem!