Hopkins Associates are constantly looking for new ways to develop useful methodologies to assist with the ever increasing complexities of refurbishment and construction projects.  The market place is awash with private companies claiming to have the solution to all problems.  It is common to trace alot of the successes of a project back to some basic cornerstones of organisational behaviours and attitudes.

A recent whitepaper has been issued by IRIS Project Solutions who have distilled project success into 4 main criteria;

1.  Make friends with change – Use change as an opportunity to better deliver the clients needs.

2.  Make your team interchangeable – Your team needs to evolve, let them!

3.  Make the customer your partner – encourage an honest and transparent relationship with client and team.

4.  Make the customer your champion – your client can be your advocate within their organisation.

There is a link to IRIS PSA Solutions website here so that you can read the full whitepaper.  The paper gives an interesting slant on the reasons for success which are never usually interrogated during the lifetime of a project.  The cornerstones outlined here are by no means exhaustive but are used by Hopkins Associates as part of our client delivery and project management service.

Hopkins Associates have recently secured a successful exclusive partnership arrangement with Everett Property Consultants to provide exclusive project delivery services for all their future developments. This exciting new partnership is the realisation of Everett Property Consultants ambitions to develop existing sites in the SW London area into private residential flats and houses. Everett Property Consultants are headed up by their owner Andy Everett who has over 15 years experience in the property development industry.

Andy set up Everett Property Consultants to offer a comprehensive range of services to cover all aspects of the industry. The recent partnership with Hopkins Associates for project management services and Simon Brown Architects for design services strengthens all companies to effectively manage residential properties to an exacting set of development criteria with minimum fuss and total project certainty.

Should you wish to know a little more about the specific development opportunities currently under consideration please do not hesitate to contact Andy Everett or Mark Hopkins

After bidding farewell to a reasonably quiet Q4 2010, Hopkins Associates have been working hard to assist their clients with project management advice for future opportunities.

Recent successes have seen appointments for a variety of projects in the residential market including;

- A new build development of 4 flats upon an existing residential block in north London.
- Redevelopment of a brownfield site in Teddington to realise a new build 4 bedroom semi detached house and offices with 2 flats above.
- Demolition of existing retail units to build 6 new flats with restaurant on ground floor in Snaresbrook.
- Glazing replacement works to prestigious Mayfair residential apartments.

Despite the recent dearth of quality development opportunities which has frustrated developers and clients alike, new properties are finding their way to the market by more interesting and convoluted routes than the normal appointment of an agent. If you would like a free, no obligation chat about any potential development opportunities please contact Mark Hopkins.

At a recent breakfast networking meeting Mark Hopkins presented a paper on the advantages and disadvantages of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to a selection of respected West End businesses.  The question posed was “Corporate Social Responsibility – Why Bother?”.  Of what benefit will CSR be to any business?   The rise in popularity of clients and institutions requiring evidence of a prospective consultant’s CSR policy, especially on pre-qualification questionnaires,  has led Hopkins Associates to examine in a little more detail the reasons why policies are required and how they help the company they are written for.

The paper presented is attached to this blog for downloading, and is free.  Please click on this link to HAL – CSR – Why Bother.  There are pertinent benefits to a business which embraces a responsible CSR policy.  Many companies unwittingly already do this but should look at spending some time in formalising what they do into a single policy document.

If you have any comments please direct them to Mark Hopkins who will be happy to discuss further.

As a corporate partner of World Child Cancer, Hopkins Associates are proud to be supporting and taking part in the upcoming WCC Orange Autumn Challenge on 17th October 2010.  We will be walking 16 miles from Richmond to the London Eye in Westminster.

The diagnosis of cancer in a child is terrifying for them and their family.  It’s even more heartbreaking in the developing world where only one child in ten survives, compared to eight in ten in developed countries.

You may not know but, child cancer is highly curable yet in the developing world tens of thousands of children die every year because of a lack of basic treatment.  This is outrageous when you realise that there is an answer to save children’s lives.  The answer is simply money.  Simple and inexpensive procedures for treating child cancer have been known to doctors for decades.  World Child Cancer develops international twinning partnerships between medics, hospitals and parent support groups to improve diagnosis and treatment to increase survival rates.  Please go to www.worldchildcancer.org which shows the amazing work already being done with the money currently raised.

We both want to save the lives of kids.  A cost of £50 will provide life saving drugs for one child.  The target we have set ourselves is £1,000, providing 20 children with life saving treatment.  Even small donations will help so anything you donate really will make a difference.  Please visit our Just Giving page to make a donation and save children’s lives;

http://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Jo-Hopkins

Hopkins Associates is a year old!  Time does indeed fly, even in a post recession economic haze.  It would seem that the economists continue to have wildly divided opinions on the short and medium term economic outlook.

At Hopkins Associates we continue to focus on our Clients by ensuring that every opportunity is explored to maximise return on investment.  By taking time to understand the business objectives and rationale for Clients businesses we are better able to provide timely and up to date advice to create the correct strategy.

If you find yourself, or your organisation being distracted by the construction or refurbishment process and feel that you could benefit from advice or support please feel free to contact us for an obligation free conversation.

Within the last month Hopkins Associates have been working  for Knight Frank’s branch network in London.  Although early days, the potential to assist the Knight Frank sales and lettings teams across the capital by providing clear and concise information to their new tenants is an exciting opportunity.

This opportunity has been devised to provide a premium service to new Knight Frank tenants and support the sales and letting teams in the individual London offices across the capital.

At a recent networking event, Mark Hopkins presented a brief overview of the 10 most important aspects of effective project planning.  Using examples from the construction process, the tips can be also applied across other industries as well as social events, personal home projects as well.

The feedback from this presentation was well received from business leaders from a variety of commercial sectors.  To assist with anyone considering embarking on a project the “Top 10 Tips for Effective Project Planning”  is available to download on this website.  Please double click on this link.

HAL Top 10 Tips for Effective Project Planning

Pleaes feel free to call if you would like to discuss this further.

On Monday 10th May 2010, Hopkins Associates moved into new offices in Fulham.  The offices are at Studio 5, Filmer Mews, 75 Filmer Road, London SW6 7JF which are located off the junction of Fulham Road and Munster Road.  Director, Mark Hopkins is “extremely happy with the move to Fulham.  Its position in West London allows Hopkins Associates easy access to the West End and clients in adjacent boroughs as well as keepmg the company competitive in bidding for new work”.

Hopkins Associates is proud to be a corporate partner to World Child Cancer, a pioneering charity helping children with cancer in developing countries.    World Child Cancer improves diagnosis and treatment for childhood cancer in low and middle income countries by transferring vital medical expertise and providing essential funding.   The charity has projects in Africa, South East Asia and South America and is working to improve survival rates which are currently less than 10% in developing countries compared to around 80% in developed countries.  Simple and cost effective treatments are available for many child cancers and World Child Cancer can save a child’s life for less than £600.

Hopkins Associates are donating time and money to World Child Cancer.  This charity is making a massive difference to children and parents, giving hope where there was none previously.  If you would like to find out how you can join Hopkins Associates in supporting this amazing charity please contact Jo Hopkins at World Child Cancer for more details.

No child should suffer.