A large amount of the calls we go out on are for lighting fixture replacement/changes.  A lot of the customers say “I usually do this myself,” but I don’t have time to take care of this right now.  Another common quote we hear is “We have been working on this all weekend, and can’t get it to work.”  Last but not least, a favorite quote of mine that I hear is “I am so tired of this outdated looking lighting that exists in my home.  Can you please bring it up to date?”  Usually this is where I chuckle and say “Twitter, Google Plus.

Whether you’re planning a week-long vacation or a short weekend getaway for Labor Day, you’re going to want to safeguard your home against potential break-ins. Of course, the hope is always that nothing bad will happen while you’re away, however, if we’ve all learned something it’s that preparedness is key. We all have our own methods for deterring burglars, but in the end the goal is always the same: make it appear as if there is activity both inside and outside the home.

We’ve put together a list of what we believe to be the most useful home safety tips. It’s always helpful to plan ahead of time rather than on the day of. When you put together a plan in advance, we guarantee you it will be more thorough and you’ll feel much better about leaving your home.

Ask a friend or neighbor to keep watch

More Problems

Okay, so light pollution isn’t good. But perhaps you’re thinking, if we turn off the lights that illuminate our streets and sidewalks, homes and buildings, they’ll become dangerous. Car accidents are bound to increase on dark, busy streets, and walking on sidewalks out at night would be scary to say the least. Not to mention a poorly lit home is a target for sinister intruders.

So what do we do? Is there any sort of compromise?

New LED lighting offers some hope, but it’s certainly not all sunshine and rainbows.

How LED Light Can Help Decrease Light Pollution   

How LEDs May Add To Light Pollution

A hefty amount of our readers here on the MyLEDLightingGuide’s official blog consists of facility managers (along with contractors, government employees, and other decision makers). This post is made specifically for the facility managers and building owners out there to help keep you up to date and fresh on the latest news and opportunities for you and your buildings.

This list of 14 blogs will consist of some popular and most likely already heard of publications, along with a few lesser known places that you still may find extremely interesting. Picking a few from this list is definitely the first step to keeping up to date and staying ahead with your work.

There will be a brief description along with a URL for each blog / magazine listed, and it should give you a good idea or not if that facility management resource will benefit you more-so or not than others listed here. Now, let’s get started with this list…

2. Buildings.com

Another very popular publication which covers a lot of useful topics and products that any building decision maker should be aware of to create a more efficient and overall better workplace. They also have many courses and webinar on topics like life cycle costs, energy management, lighting, security, and more.

4. Maintenance World

As the name suggests, this blog leans on the side of maintenance based topics. Although, they often talk about topics that are important to any facility manager, such as cooling an industrial sized area. That is just a glimpse of the type of stuff this blog publishes, so reading more on what they offer may be important to seeing if this blog is worth your time or not!

6. FM World

FM World seems to put a lot of their attention on news, but all are topics that are probably very relevant to you and your tasks as a FM. They also (like many other of these blogs on this list) offer many different white papers which carry tons of valuable information in them. Along with professional interviews, webinars, and other pieces of content they are very well rounded in the variety of things that they offer.

8. The Built Environment

They don’t only talk about the environment and green buildings, but surprisingly they publish a lot about facility managers and how to become a better one in general. You can thank Michel Theriault for this great resource, as he is the brains behind it all. He also offers services such as consulting and training for FM staff, so if a budget allows and you want to become a better FM; that’s always an option!

10. Building Automation Monthly

Phil Zito is the creator and sole person behind Building Automation Monthly. He writes about and educates on the topics solely regarding building automation systems. No time for reading? Phil offers a Podcast which covers many different great topics as well. So, next time you are driving or taking a flight you might want to listen in to his podcast!

12. The fmguru blog

Although this blog doesn’t seem to be updated as often as many others on this list; their past and current posts are a good read. They are definitely insightful and thought provoking on the tasks and purposes of a facility manager.

14. i-FM.net

Like their headline says, “if you’re in FM, you need to be on i-FM.” They offer tons of content through news, interviews, top 50 list of great and relevant companies, and overall great resources.

Missed any that you think is worthy of being added? Be sure to comment them down below, this list is always being updated!

Final Words

There you have it, 14 (and growing) facility manager blogs, magazines, and resources that will hopefully make you an informed, up to date, and more educated facility manager overall. Our #1 tip for you is to pick two or three from this list that really peak your interest, and make it a ritual to check in on them often for the latest content that they offer.

Again, if we missed one that you think should be added; feel free to comment it down below for consideration!

Want more of our topics for facility managers? Here are some: