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Friday, May 31, 2013

Job Interview And Nervousness

Interview nervousness. The way I always looked at it was if you're not nervous for an interview, then you really don't care about the job. If you are nervous about the interview, that shows that you really care and it's something important to you because you want to do your best.
 
How Do You Overcome Interview Nervousness?

Preparation

It's all about the preparation you give it. For example, how much are you researching the companies you are interviewing with? Do you know their slogan, motto, office locations, revenue/profit, CEO, philanthropy, products, services, current news, etc. These are just the basics that you need to know, not including all the little things!

Just by going through the motions of researching the topics listed above, you will find that you are learning more about the company you're about to interview with. By doing this, it will help give you the necessary confidence you are seeking.

Get Dressed Up

There's only so many occasions in life where you can get dressed up and an interview is one of them. When we get dressed up, it tells our brain, "hey, this is something important, this is serious!" Because of that, it creates the nervousness however, it also creates confidence. It's just simply which one you will be exuding. When we are dressed to the nines, we feel like a million bucks. So let that confidence show, use it to your advantage!

Memorization

Big red flag if you are doing this!! People feel that if they can memorize all the perfect answers, they will nail the interview. The problem with that thought-process is when you are asked a question that you didn't prepare for! You cannot memorize answers and don't try too! You have to be "yourself" because that is who the employer is buying... you! not your memorized answers. Any good interviewer will be able to see through your rehearsed answers and adjust accordingly to ask questions you might not have prepared for.

Practice

As with anything else in life, the more you practice, the better you will become. Most people feel that the more interviews they go on, the better they will become. This is true! Without a doubt. However, why take the chance to lose out on your dream job because you didn't practice enough prior to the interview? There are resources available to you to practice interviewing; why not use them? We offer mock interview services at an inexpensive price so you don't have to break the bank to land your dream job!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

China Overtake U.S Economy?


China is the second leader of in the world. With the recent decades of surging progress from China, many believe that they could be running out of steam. The government may even be slowing the natural expansion as they are trying to dial down the speed of expansion, in hopes that they can avoid a boom-bust cycle that most of the western nations are trapped in. With aims of a moderate 7 percent growth, the explosive expansion, through limiting the possible investment, may be winding down on purpose. But other argue that the economic engine is just running out of juice and that the government's attempts at reducing the growth rates to moderate levels are just a guise.

 The data may also be altered to help with the perceived confidence in the business communities. Although the growth data is calculated from the standard sources, there have been rumors that the companies, such as the utilities companies, are asked to massage the numbers. The overall consensus is that the data may be inflated by as much as 10 percent.

Even with these overstated data points, most economists and analysts close to the Chinese economy believe that the growth will crash, and then level off between 3 to 4 percent over the next few decades. With these lowered growth estimates, it is important to note that even as the US is in recovery mode it's rate of growth is still under 3 percent- the lower end of China's eventual stabilized growth figures.

In 2012, the GDP comparisons of China and the US, when adjusted for currency exchange, had China at about 75% of the US's purchasing power. Upon further analysis, some of the environmental economist point to the fact that much of the Chinese GDP is still based on liabilities that will need to be changed and upgraded over the coming years, and adjust the relative purchasing power to a figure that is under 50%. With these statistics in mind there are many that believe China won't surpass the US this century.

The US debt crisis is still being felt, but many people, including George Soros, believe that China's state banking system is poised for a similar bust. These claims can be further supported when you look at the amount of credit that China has been issuing, with a jump of more than 100 percent in the last four years; about $11 trillion-which is the size of the entire US banking system.

With all of these figure in mind most people believe that China, although it is still going to outpace the US in growth, probably won't pass the US, at least in the immediate future.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Creative And Innovative Ideas

Most people don't see the connect between a professional business, such as data management or IT consulting, with a skateboarding company. When you consider the numbers though, there are plenty of positive takeaways that you can gain from looking to successful businesses outside of your industry for inspiration and their unique take on innovation. Successful skateboard companies are in fact successful businesses that can be modeled for components, which can tune up areas of your business that you may not always pay as much attention to as you should. There are plenty of things that skateboard companies can teach about innovation and here are 3 of those things.

 Experimentation

For innovation to work at its best you have to make sure that the fear of failure is removed. This translates to not being afraid to try new things and experiment, which can often bear the best results and biggest blockbuster innovations. Making sure that you create an environment that not only reduces the fear of failure but encourages it in a controlled process, your staff will come up with more innovative ideas that can be tested and implemented. Balancing the failures and using them as teaching tools will let your staff know that they can strive to think outside of the box and be rewarded for this.
 
 Peer Recognition

People that innovate, and most people in general, are motivated by things other than money and notoriety. Once they have a comfortable amount of stability and success, people are then more motivated by being connected to the community and peer recognition. By building this into your compensation model you can encourage more creative and innovative thinking as your staff tries to increase the amount of recognition that they receive, especially once they have some success or see their peers have success.
 
Tighter Feedback Loops

Making sure that you get actionable data to work from right away will make sure that you can make faster decisions when you are implementing or testing a new innovation. It is important to try and get the information as soon as possible so that you can allocate the appropriate amount of resources and achieve the most efficiency. Building a process and relying on the data, will give you an edge and allow you to make the decisions more quickly. Finding new feedback loops and ways of analyzing the data will also allow you to speed up the process and save even more time and money.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Use Different Type Equipment Packaging For Increasing Productivity

 Packaging equipment has indeed played a vital role in increasing the production of goods to food and beverage industry. Packaging machine is designed for the assembly of unit loads from individual items. Usually a part of automated assembly lines, packaging machines are the final step in the manufacturing process and the first step in the transportation process.

These equipment is typically used in filling, sealing, and labeling bottles, containers, jars, or tubes which the goods are stored. You can purchase equipment that can be operated manually or if you wish to have a do-it-all-machine then you could have the fully automatic machines. The cost if these machines will be depending on your requirements and how complicated you want them to be. Of course, semi-automatic equipment will be less expensive compared to the machines that are designed automatically.

The three most widely used equipment in food and beverage industries are filling machine, capping machines, and labeling machinery. Every machine is different from the other and performs different purpose essentially necessary to complete the whole process of packaging the goods to be transported to the market. Apart from the three, there are also useful machines to the said industry, some of which include bottle risers, liquid fillers, conveyors, and rotary turntables. There are a good number of companies search able on the Internet that offer all of these machines and also sells it a very reasonable price, but make sure to choose a reputable manufacturer that will certainly meet all your unique requirements.
Purchasing pre-owned equipment might not be the wisest thing to do, but if by chance you consider this alternative, then you should test the equipment's performance and assure that the manufacturer you are making arrangements with has a good reputation in the said business. Keep in mind that good-performing equipment will always bring you success to the whole packaging process and all the good things will follow.
Filling Machine

With the huge changes in the industrial automatic and technological advancement, it's not surprising that filling machines evolve from simple to complex. Gone are the so-old days that filling machines are mostly associated with filling liquids only, now it can fill semi-liquids, solid and even pasty. Equipment nowadays can be worker-free, which only means that these machines don't need any supervision of even a single worker, they are designed to the job independently. Fully automatic machines works faster, efficient and effective compared to human beings. Filling machines have different features depending on the requirements that you wished to have to attain your unique production goal.

Capping Machines

The purpose of a capping machine would never be underestimated when it comes to food and beverage industries. Not to mention that it will determine how safe your product is, it also gives a "perfect aura" to the product. To add up, it also maintains the good quality of the product since it avoids spilling which if the product experiences will certainly decrease its potential from being sold in the market.

Labeling Machinery

Manufacturers nowadays designed specific types of labeling machinery to meet all the desires of business owners to make the production a lot easier. These machines are now user friendly, has comprehensive manual, and easy to maintain.
Whether it might be pre-owned equipment or a brand new one, the most important thing is to ensure the reliability of the manufacturer and the good-working performance of the machine.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Contractor Management services To Help manage For Growing Business

Batter Run your business with good management. When your business is changing a phase from a small to medium or large scale business, there will be many challenges if you don't have the right people to run it. As the business grows, existing processes become complex and new processes are added to your business model. You may not have the time to hunt for a good staff and provide them with a structured training program. This will be a time consuming process. There will be losses for the delay and as a result, you will not achieve the desired growth in the specified time.
For such situations, there are many companies that offer contractor services. These contractors may be "PAYG contractors" or those contractors who will work for your company and accept payment after completion of the work and submission of an invoice.
A "PAYG contractor" will be paid salary like every other employee of your firm. He will follow the same guidelines as a regular company employee and enjoy benefits such as sick leaves. Annual leaves will also be available for him. He will work and perform the same nature of duties like a regular employee of the company. However, taxes will not be paid by the "PAYG contractor".
You may also hire contractors to pay them by the hour. They will not get the benefits of employees like the pay as you go contractors. They are paid generally more than employees of your firm. They are assigned jobs of only one nature and paid as per their contract when the job is completed respective to the number of days decided initially. They do not get the employee benefits to avail leaves etc. and pay their own taxes.
These contractors are skilled enough to do the job for you. In the initial days of transition of your business, you can hire these contractors to manage the employee and work trade-off. This way you can focus more on doing what you are best at.
Management of the contractors is also a task. You may hire contractor management services to help manage the needs and requirements of contractors. It's a new way of doing business and does wonders for the ones who are short on time and resources. Hiring contractors provides you with time and employment for skilled people who like to work on their own. They perform better this way when the whole job is in their hands and it is their choice to choose how to do the job.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Organizing Medical Offices Optimized Workspace

In both corporate and medical offices, office furnishings as well as medical supplies should be stored appropriately. Proper workspace organization is a must, particularly in busy environments. Medical supplies for example, should be stored in an organized place to avoid confusion in times of need. Personal protection and hygiene is important. In order to keep a corporate or a medical office productive, personal protection and hygiene should be observed to maintain a healthy environment. Illnesses are the common cause of work-halting issues. This greatly reduces productivity as well as overall performance of a corporate or a medical office. How to properly organize medical supplies.

1.Categorize all medical supplies. This is tedious but is a crucial part in workspace organization. It is easier to set priorities if these are properly sorted and categorized.
 2.Keep all important hygiene and protection supplies visible and within reach. Use storage equipment that are easy to open and as transparent as possible. This will make searching through materials easier. In emergency situations, employees or nurses would be able to respond faster.

3.Keep medical supplies in one compact place. This way, the area you need to search would be smaller. Less time is consumed in searching especially during an emergency.

Using organizers like the protection station would help in the efficient storage of protection, hygiene and infection control supplies. This wall-mounted prevention station organizer can hold basic personal equipment plus hand hygiene products in a compact, easily accessible storage. A prevention station organizer is ideal for medical offices, exam rooms, staff stations, dental operators, and many more. Make sure you use easy to clean and disinfectant organizers. Prevention station organizers like a protection station is typically constructed from clear and durable acrylic that provides long-lasting strength.
Organizers like this comes with clear color that allows users to easily identify the content.

This is especially helpful in choosing a preferred medicine or maybe a glove type. As for restocking of a prevention station, make sure the status of the station's contents is quickly viewed. A protection station usually has keyhole-style holes in the upper back to allow it to be simply and securely affixed to the wall. It is a very good example of an easy to attach, move and remove organizer. In workspace organization, use equipment that is space efficient, durable and easy to clean. Using wholesale office supply organizers like a professional protection station, time, energy space and lives may be saved.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Fundraiser For Non Profit Organizations

Many non profit organizations in our communities. Each organization is providing a unique service or goods that are greatly needed in our society. All of these organizations are holding fundraisers to help them pay for the goods or service they provide. All of the money needed to keep these organizations running must come from members of the community who are willing to give. Let's face it, not every one in the community is willing or able to give money to fundraisers held by non profit organizations. 

Those who are willing to give are unable to donate to all the organizations asking for their money. It becomes a challenge to hold fundraisers that will attract people and raise the amount of money they need. People like to be entertained and will be more likely to support fundraisers that are fun and unusual. It is also important to keep the cost of the fundraisers as low as possible. After all you are trying to raise money. Here are some suggestions for fun, low cost fundraisers that may help your non profit organization attract more supporters.

Spelling Bee

This is a great, low cost fundraiser for non profit organizations. You can invite either children or adults to be the spellers. If you invite children you know their families will support them. If you invite adults their families and friends will come to support them or to heckle them. Either way you are able to raise funds to meet the financial needs of your non profit organizations. Each of your spellers gathers pledges for specific amount the supporter will donate for each word spelled correctly.

For a spelling bee you will need a room, preferably with a stage for the participants, forms for participants to collect pledges, a spelling list, and a prize or a ribbon for the winner. You may have audience members who have not had the opportunity to make a pledge. Since this is a fundraiser for your non profit organization you will want to give all audience members the opportunity to fill out a pledge form before the spelling bee begins. I addition to the host you may want to have a panel of judges to help determine if a word is spelled correctly and keep track of how many words each speller spells correctly. 

Since this is a fundraiser for your non profit organization you may want to allow the spellers to bribe the judges in order to increase their number is "correctly spelled" words. All bribes go to the non profit organizations. It is best to have volunteers collect the money from the pledges immediately following the spelling bee. You may also want to ask volunteers to help provide refreshments. People are more likely to come to an event when they know there will be refreshments.

Dog Show

This is a great, almost free, fundraiser for any non profit organization. Dogs are very lovable animals and dog owners love to show off their pets. You will need a park or large, grassy yard or a large room in a building that allows dogs. All interested dog owners sign up and pay an entry fee. Funds raised by the entry fee go to the non profit organization. In order inspire more participation you will want to have several categories for the dogs to compete in, including, smartest, cutest, smallest, largest, most talented, etc. A panel of judges will determine the winner. Since this is a fundraiser for a non profit organization you may want to allow people to bribe the judges. All bribes go to the organization. All winners receive a ribbon. Providing refreshments for the human participants is optional.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Good Business Model Of A Franchise


The good business model when developing a franchise. This is a plan that is implemented by a parent company to generate income and help make a profit. Good business models improve the odds that your franchise will be successful. You must always do research on the territory, location, and availability of customers.

A good business model is a foundation where a business can be constructed. There are many franchise models available and some of the best include Anytime Fitness, Papa Morphy's and Subway franchises. These models contain some of the same principles and are based on good business practices.
  • Fitness franchise models include finding a compact and neighborhood fitness clubs where members can access the business 24/7/365. The model includes software and surveillance technology. There is also a great and recurring revenue stream by controlling fees and availability of service. Find a fitness franchise that is based on cleanliness, security, and minimum of staffing
Take and bake pizza franchises are unique since they are a take-out business or restaurant and have no baking done in store. Customers purchased prepared and uncooked pizza and take the pizza home to bake. Less investment is required since there is no cooking, little or no dine-in components, and no customer cleanup. The expenses include employees' salaries which can be minimal, store front which is also minimal and inventory which can be varied due to combinations that are offered. Since the expenses are somewhat low, the profit potential is high.
  • The fast food franchise is attractive since you can streamline operations and provide fast and friendly service. One sandwich franchise advertises and uses fresh ingredients and there is little or no cooking in the store. This model requires inventory, employees and a storefront but the profits are potentially great.
  • Service franchises need to make sure that there are discounts offered and customer service is high. This best franchise model is one that focuses on ease of finding the location, high customer service and relatively low-cost.
A franchise business model must also include the ability to communicate and receive advice from the parent company. The profits must be shared with the major share going to the franchisee. Franchise models give standardized practices. The logo is usually familiar to the public, and practices must be patterned after the parent company. A franchise business model generally does not vary from site to site, and this creates brand loyalty and recognition for the customer.

For help determining a model for your franchise, seek advice from franchise experts including franchise consultants. They can offer you example documented models with contracts, basic franchise rules, regulations and other documentation to review and adjust accordingly for your own business model.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Entrepreneurs To Use Other People's Business Proposals

Every entrepreneur has been there. You need to write a business plan to get your idea off the ground and have no idea how to approach it. The first thing most people do is Google, "Sample business proposal." Why? Well, it's quite simple really. They want to get a head start on the process by looking at what someone else has written. It is an understandable position to take if you are under pressure and need a boost. What people don't realise is that there are inherent dangers in using a sample business proposal.

There are many very good examples of sample business proposals on the Internet, but there are also some scarily bad examples being held up as first class efforts. Having spent the last 20 years as a professional banker and investor I can say this with some degree of confidence.

The bottom line is that even if you do manage to stumble upon a great example it won't be relevant to your unique business or the market dynamics that pertain to your business idea. The parties who will assess your proposal and decide whether to invest are generally well trained and experienced. They read hundreds of these documents every month and can spot a copy and paste job a mile a way.

Will A Sample Business Proposal Help Me?

Using a sample business proposal is OK if you are just looking for some tips on how to structure your own proposal. Of course this is predicated on the fact that the example aligns well with your business and is a good example. If you are looking around the Internet for sample business proposals it's a fair bet that you are not sure what is a good example and what is a bad one. For this reason you may borrow heavily from a poor example and this will actually detract from the thrust of your effort.

There are too many people on the Internet these days offering quick fix solutions or shortcuts to preparing business proposals to attract funding. On balance these solutions are not adequate to get you funding. Here's why:

1. They encourage entrepreneurs to use other people's business proposals as a template that dilutes the originality and can lead to the inclusion of data that is irrelevant.

2. They lead to entrepreneurs skimming over the research component leading to a proposal that is disjointed and fails to make a cohesive business case.

3. Having a sample business proposal as a guide detracts from the entrepreneur engaging fully in the business planning process in that they will have only a cursory understanding of the finer details of their proposal.

4. It will not prepare the entrepreneur for detailed questioning around their business strategy and by association their financial projections.We have seen this all too often in presentations for equity finance. It is glaringly obvious when someone does not understand the proposal intimately and this devastates credibility and trust, virtually nullifying your chances of convincing an investor to part with their cash.

So How Should I Use A Sample Business Proposal?

We genuinely believe that using a sample business proposal is not a good idea unless you are only looking for a structural outline. Even in this case you would need to scan a fairly broad cross section of examples to get a representative sample to form an independent opinion. There is nothing more frustrating than a pitch which doesn't flow and where the entrepreneur is clearly "winging it". We have rejected more pitches for this reason than any other.
 
The only time we would recommend using a sample business proposal is if you are approaching a bank for finance and they provide an example of what they would like to see. However, banks don't provide samples, they provide templates, which is basically them trying to educate entrepreneurs before they apply for finance. In this case this is the bank endorsing a structure for the proposal so it is OK. It still leaves all the blanks to fill in though so it isn't really a full solution to your problem.

 How Will The Audience Know That I have Used A Sample?

This is a common question we get asked and while we cannot speak for the entire investment community we can refer to our own experience as investors and former bankers. Here is a list of the top ten reasons why it is obvious that a sample has been used:

1. Executive Summary is dull and formulaic without communicating why we should invest.

2. Market information doesn't align with the specific demographics relating to the proposal or is obsolete.

3. Entrepreneur's knowledge of the market dynamics is sketchy under questioning and it is clear that what they have written in the proposal is the sum total of their knowledge on the subject.

4. Information around target customers is not based in empirical fact, more observational opinion.

5. Competitor Analysis is obsolete and doesn't track minor competitors or industry trends that could present opportunities.



6. The business strategy doesn't intuitively line up with the financial projections of the business. Financial anomalies are frequent.

7. The level of analysis in the financial section is low. Elevator analysis (only observational comments) is a glaring sign that no detailed analysis has been undertaken.

8. The language style in the business proposal is inconsistent and in different tenses.

9. The structure of the business proposal in terms of the content lay out does not flow intuitively. Think trying to fit a square peg into a circle!

10. The proposal doesn't make a definite conclusion or sound argument to invest (or lend). The lack of analysis leads to inadequate risk mitigation leaving many questions unanswered.

What is The Solution?

This might all seem a little bleak but there is an easy solution to this dilemma and it demands a little more of your time and effort in return for a deeper understanding of your business. You have to learn to write a business proposal rather than using a sample business proposal to take a short cut. Don't do the latter as it will make the experience of approaching investors and financiers unnecessarily painful and will dilute your experience of creating your vision from scratch and your strategic understanding of your own business. Plus, you will be found out!

The truth is that it is not rocket science. Even a working knowledge of the key focal points will improve your finished product greatly. Writing a business proposal is a logical process which can't be done is 8 hours or completed in 1 day, at least not if you hope to truly understand it and communicate it effectively to external parties. In actual fact writing a business proposal is a very rewarding experience and if you are serious about starting a business and attracting funding into that business there will be associated pressure to perform well. Going through the business planning process will train you to be a more pro active and strategic business person and will ultimately improve your chances of making your vision a reality by analyzing your business properly and consistently.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Regarding Customer Service and Customer Service Career

The customer service industry requires one to exercise certain characteristics when servicing customers. Poise, patience and professionalism to name just a few. There is, however, one three-letter word that can hinder ones ability to consistently display these characteristics. That word is EGO. My definition of EGO is "Emotions Going Orbital" It's possible to ruin a customer relationship should this dangerous word surface during an interaction. That's why it's important to leave home without it!

Now we all have an ego, so it's quite natural to jump to one's own defense when feeling slighted or verbally attacked. Sometimes customers say or do things that can make us feel disrespected or less than a person. A cross word, a mean-spirited request or abusive language can get one close to the edge. Here are a few ways to keep that ego quiet.

Be Determined - Before beginning your workday, remind yourself of the need to keep your ego in check. It takes effort to maintain one's composure when we feel our very identity is being attacked. It's up to you to be aware of when you feel the need to defend your opinion or respond in kind during an unpleasant situation. Be determined to pause for a moment and say to yourself "This is not about me." I learned to practice this suggestion myself when it appeared my ego was about to make an appearance. Doing so helped to avoid what would surely be negative outcomes had I allowed my ego to win the battle. If yours is a strong personality, it's important to not allow that trait to lead to arguments or battles with the customer. You will lose in the long run!

They Don't Really Know You - During my customer service career, I've noticed that it's rare that a customer intentionally sets out to attack someones personal identity. After all, how can they when they don't really know you. Their words may sting or injure one momentarily, but just like anything else, in time this will pass too. Now I hear someone saying, "Errol, you don't know what that customer just said to me!" Yes I probably can guess what comment you may have had to overlook in order to remain professional. Just remember, in the midst of the situation, you represent your company as well as yourself. This particular customer has no idea who you are as a person, so don't allow your ego to override your goal to always be professional. The mark of a professional is the ability to remain professional in the midst of chaos. Set a high standard for yourself and don't allow your ego to cause you to perform beneath your standard.

Be Realistic Regarding Customer Service - As much as we want to please every customer, there will be instances where someone will be unhappy with some portion or all of their experience with a company. Right now as I'm writing this article, somewhere in the world is an unhappy customer. You will encounter not so pleasant people during your customer service career. In knowing this as a fact, be ready to professionally get through a tough situation. Some customers do speak abusively or profanely. They can make unrealistic demands. They are sometimes wrong. In knowing this, it's important to develop internal fortitude that refuses to take a customer's unpleasant behavior personally. If your ego escapes the cage during an interaction with an abusive customer, there will be trouble. I repeat, in knowing human nature, know that you will encounter
unpleasant people. Practice remaining professional - keep your ego locked away.

There will be instances where it becomes necessary to professionally remind the customer of your professional boundaries. I have often spoken these words when encountering overly verbally abusive customers - "Mr./Mrs. Customer, I apologize for the situation. I can understand your frustration. As I work to resolve this situation, I would hope that we can be respectful towards one another. Can we agree to do that?" By getting the customer to answer this question or at least think about what I just said, more often than not the abuse ceased.

Remember, don't allow yourself to become victimized by your Emotions Going Orbital! Resolve to leave that ego at home before servicing your customer. You will encounter all types of personalities during your stay in this industry. Block out that ego by Being Determined, by telling yourself They Don't Really Know Me and by Being Realistic Regarding Customer Service.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Auto Dealerships Increased Sales and Lower Taxes

Auto dealerships in the US have implemented significant renovations as the industry continues to transform and the manufacturers re brand themselves and recover from their financial woes of the past. There have been noticeable results; manufacturers and dealers are seeing increased showroom traffic, which is resulting in a recovery in sales.

With increased sales, comes an increase in earnings, which is a good thing. However, higher profits typically drive higher taxes. To combat this, a number of dealerships are employing engineering based cost segregation studies to more quickly capitalize the tax benefit associate with these renovations. Moreover, dealerships may be able to take advantage of bonus depreciation.

Engineering based cost recovery studies applies tax compliant depreciation timeliness to certain nonstructural components of the renovations. For example, carpeting, which it is often depreciated over 39 years as if it was part of the structural item, could be depreciated over five years, which is more in line with its expected life. 
Many other nonstructural building components can be depreciated in five, seven, and 15 years versus the more standard 39 years. By using this method of depreciation, business owners are able to realize the tax benefits of these improvement quicker than using standard depreciation methods, thereby positively impacting the bottom line.

Furthermore, the tax benefits of properly depreciating current renovations can apply to the entire existing facility, including past renovations. Accelerated depreciation can result in increased cash flows in the early years after purchase, construction, or significant renovation of the property. Indeed, our experience shows us that it is common to document as much as $200,000 of accelerated depreciation per $1 million of building. Assuming 35% tax rate, this will equate to a $70,000 improvement to the bottom line
Moreover, dealerships may be able to benefit from bonus depreciation, which allows a business to make an additional deduction of 50% of the cost of qualifying property in the year in which it is put into service. According to the IRS, this special "bonus depreciation" allowance is available to all businesses and applies to most types of tangible personal property and computer software acquired and placed in service in a particular year. It allows taxpayers to deduct 50 percent of the cost of qualifying property in addition to the regular depreciation allowance that is normally available
In summary, cost segregation analysis, which dates back to 1959, may effectively lower a company's tax burden.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Repair and Maintenance Specialists

Steeples are known as a standard fixture on the rooftop of many churches around the world. These spires are an attention-grabber for worshipers and passersby. As people gaze towards heaven, they may hear the sound of bells that signify the start or end of church services. They may also notice a church steeple in desperate need of repair. If this is the case, the church may need to solicit church steeple contractors for help in returning the structure to its original state.

Even with regular maintenance, there are times when repairs are necessary. The professional service of qualified church steeple contractors is important to make sure repairs are performed correctly.

Finding Good Steeple Contractors

Knowledge of equipment and expertise in safely performing steeple repairs are essential traits for finding a good contractor. Known as steeplejacks, these craftsmen are skilled at scaling church edifices to provide top-notch service. Before hiring a steeplejack to work on this important structure, make sure the company is licensed and has years of experience.

Whether your church needs a replacement steeple or work to preserve the current one, hire a company that is equipped to handle tasks with professionalism and dedication. You also want to hire a company that offers emergency repairs since some things are unpredictable. A damaged steeple can prove to be hazardous for parishioners and the community.

Having a broad range of experience is another factor to consider. In some situations, the steeple contractor may need to transport removable pieces to repair the steeple at ground level. Other repairs can be handled while the steeple remains on top of the church building. Your steeplejack should follow safety procedures to minimize or eliminate chances of injury.

Further, keep in mind that some repairs can be completed quickly; others may take longer based on the amount of damage. Regardless to how long it takes, you want to hire a steeple contractor who will complete the job correctly the first time.

Maintenance and Restoration Services

Regular upkeep can add additional years to your church steeple. Problems such as leaks can lead to interior damage of the church. One of the best ways to prevent this is for steeplejacks to pressure wash the steeple to keep it looking and functioning like new.

If the steeple has been neglected over the years, restoring the existing steeple is often possible and costs less that replacing it with a new one. Churches that have old steeples made from fiberglass or wooden materials can appreciate the skillful service of a steeple contractor. In addition to restoration services, the contractor may also provide ongoing maintenance.
There are different types of church steeples but all require tender loving care to remain a beautiful fixture on your church. Some steeples may have elaborate decorations while others are constructed with less adorned materials. Nevertheless, deterioration can occur if the structure is not well-maintained by a professional.

Your church budget and design preferences determine how the steeple will look. Choosing slate or fiberglass is not as important as making sure the steeple size is proportionate to the church.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Personal and Professional Change

Doesn't it feel like the rate of change in the world is speeding up? All the most important things in life are affected by change - our health, our environment, our personal lives and relationships and our professional lives.

Yet change is one of the things we humans most fear; most of us innately aim for security, comfort and stability and change can become a serious stress-inducer for many. Wouldn't it be great if we had a resource that helped people cope with change better, seeing as the need to change seems to be coming at us thicker and faster than ever before? Something that helps people make the personal and professional changes that they need to make, but find so hard?

Neuroscience may be unlocking those resources and they are closer to home than we might imagine.

Personal and Professional Change

In the case of making big personal changes, nearly all attempts fail - something like 90%. How did you fare with this year's New Year resolutions? How about last year's?

At work how do you feel when your company announces that there will be big changes in the near future but you are not clear on the details? You probably feel under threat and that may start to stress you out.

This is why changing whole organizations is a huge challenge and why it takes specialist knowledge and experience.

But how can neuroscience help?

Neuroscience and Empathy

A few years ago, behavioral neuroscientists in Italy discovered a new class of brain cells called "mirror neurons" that appear to form the basis of empathy in humans. They seem to have the ability to mirror one person's actions in another person's brain.

While it's important not to read too much into individual studies by neuroscientists, it throws up some very interesting possibilities for explaining why mentoring can be such a powerful way for leaders to help people change their behavioral in teams and organizations.

The finding also has repercussions for the importance of strong human connections, collaboration and teamwork - especially in this day and age, where increased automation can lead to isolation and remoteness for team members in organizations.

Implications for Team Performance and Leadership

Successful team performance involves finding common ground and using it to drive the individuals and the team forward as one; a good leader focuses on directing this process and using the common ground as the binding force to keep everyone moving along the same track and helping them feel a sense of belonging.

This may mean going against the grain of using every single advance of technology to make our jobs easier and more productive, and instead focusing on the value of team members working creatively and collaboratively. There is no getting away from the social requirement of people to interact - as employees don't cease to be human beings when they walk through the office door on a Monday morning.
Understanding more about this aspect of neuroscience is important in many areas of business - not just in organizational change. It has repercussions for hiring policies and leadership appointments, where greater value might be given to a leader's emotional intelligence over his or her experience or academic achievements, for instance. It can also positively affect the bottom line, with lower staff turnover and a happier workplace meaning happier customers who will keep coming back for more.

In these days of growing disconnectedness amongst people, despite the growing technological connectedness around us, it is encouraging to find neuroscience helping us understand more about how we can improve personal, business and organizational relationships.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Get Promoted More Challenges

Getting promoted is essential if you want more challenges and thirst for making decisions.

Here are 3 Reasons Why as a Techie You Didn't Get Promoted:

1. No Supporters

As a technical person your job is to put out the fires that arise without end. This doesn't leave you much time to get to know your fellow co-workers. However, you're not doing yourself any favors by wanting to hide in your data center or not answering your phone.
If you want to advance your career, you're going to have to talk with the folks who can make that happen. Folks such as your immediate boss, the executive assistant(s) for the executives, the HR director and the VP of sales.

These folks have immediate impact on how you're perceived in your job. Remember, they know you do your job. They don't know what your career ambitions are or what you're doing to aid the company in achieving its goals. Don't be a stranger. Let them know.

2. Only Focusing on Tasks

Tasks are important. However, instead of staring at your monitor and trying to decide what new bright and shiny tech gadget you want next, mingle with other staff members. Mingle, not get on their nerves.

Attend company functions. Don't make the same mistake I made early in my career by performing only tasks (they were important - not critical) instead of taking the time and getting to know your fellow employees. It's not when you leave an event, it's if you show up.

Your fellow staff members will feel slighted if you don't show up. Management will look at you in a different (negative) light and may say that you don't fit in. Don't be a victim. Participate.

3. Being Perceived as Anti-Social

Gone are the days of the tech who solely works in the back room. Even data center techs have to communicate with internal and external customers and staff members.

If you're perceived as anti-social then this can reduce your chances of getting promoted or even a pay raise. 
If you're perceived as anti-social, fellow staff members may avoid asking your for help and ask a more junior staff member who is less skilled technically however has more social appeal. Result? They get promoted and you're left fuming over the 'injustice.'

Be your best by giving your best, promoting your best and doing your best. No on else will do this for you.

These 3 Reasons Why As a Techie You Didn't Get Promoted will enable you to look at what you're doing now and determine your path. Use them to your advantage.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Powerful Ten Tips Write Requirements

 Unambiguous

This means they are clear and they leave no room for anyone to misinterpret them. They are stated in a way that is clearly understood. They should be understood by the writer (which is you), as well as the reader. If they're not clear and unambiguous, then they don't serve much purpose.

Valuable

Great requirements are valuable. They are written to solve a business need, to make things easier for a user, and to align with business objectives. They are important and meet the criteria of the users. If a requirement is not valuable, then it isn't really a requirement. If it's not going to provide any value to a user, then we need to reconsider why it's actually a requirement in the first place.

Verifiable

The purpose of a requirement is to specify what actually needs to be done by the project team (developers, system engineers, etc). To make sure that the requirement is implemented correctly, it needs to be verified. The requirement should be able to be verified - it should be described in a way that allows for someone to check if it has been completed or not. Some requirements are vague or don't allow easy verification of them, which leads to problems in the testing phase.

Concise

A good requirement needs to be concise. It needs to be easy to read and understood, by both the author and the audience. It should not be overly descriptive - only as descriptive as it needs to be. By that, I mean you should only add in words or terms that are needed to help the reader understand the requirement.

Prioritised

Requirement should be prioritised. They should be assigned a value to determine how important they are to the users and to the system. This could be a simple High/Medium/Low scale, a rating of 1 to 5, or something more complex. The aim of a priority is to get agreement on the importance of a requirement, and to help decide if and when it should be implemented.

Separate From Design

A good requirement should not mention any design features or suggestions. At the requirements gathering stage, the method of implementation should not be considered. The requirement's job is the specify what is being implemented - the design is used to specify how. Try to focus on the "what" of the system at this stage and don't mention any specific technologies or layouts or design rules.

Attainable

The requirements you write should be attainable. They can be ambitious, or tricky, but they should be able to be achieved. There's no point writing requirements that are impossible to achieve. Having requirements that are attainable keeps the project team and stakeholders updated and confident that items can be delivered. If something is not attainable, it should not be a requirement.

Consistent

Requirements should be consistent, both in your document and with any other areas of the system. You should use the same grammar and terms when writing requirements, so that the same meaning is determined from them. They also should be consistent when reading through the document to look for any gaps in the requirements written.

Owned

Good requirements have an owner specified. This is so that the author and reader knows who to speak to if they have any questions. This might seem obvious at the start of the project, but two months in you may need to clarify something, and having an owner against these requirements is helpful.

Complete

Great requirements completely describe the objective of the system or the project. Nothing is left out. If there are any requirements that are not going to be built, then they are specified in a separate section. The list of requirements should cover everything that is expected by the system. There should be no gaps or confusion about certain areas.

Unique IDs

I thought I'd include a bonus tip, even though I said there were ten, I thought I'd throw in another tip for writing good requirements.

A good way to improve your requirements is to assign each of them a unique ID (such as REQ001, REQ002). This is helpful for identifying the requirements later in the project, as well as discussing them with other people. The ID is unique across the project and can be used to create other documents.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Digital World And E-Publishing

People used to depend on print media to flock information. With the revolution of Magazine Subscriptions Online, Book lovers shall have to carry no more plethoras of paperbacks!

Electronic publishing is also familiar as desktop publishing, online publishing or simply web publishing. E-publishing includes e-books, EPUBs, and electronic articles. Scroll down to check the key features of e-publishing

- Hoards printing and distribution
- Endows high global visibility
- Overcomes geological restrictions that are widespread in print media
- Distribution and publication time has abridged substantially
- Anyone can read the published content on a website or on a tablet device, or in a PDF on a computer
- Large collections can be probed simultaneously
- Reduces paper processing, binding, risk of loss/damage

What are the various e-publishing models?

E-publishing has made wonders in the digital media. Let's look into the various models of online publishing

1. Digital Publishing

This method delivers media content such as audio, video, software that doesn't exploit physical media like internet. In other words, it is pertinent to downloadable add-ons / software distribution. With the development in network it became popular in the mid of 2000's.

2. Online promotion

Online promotion or simply online advertising plays an important role in marketing products and services over the internet. This can be achieved through various platforms like ranking in search engines, advertising in social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. blogs, banner ads and more.

3. Print on Demand

The tile itself reveals that the printing would be done only when the order has been placed. This method follows fixed pricing per copy and very less or no waste is incurred. Also, this method avoids stocking, handling costs as well as accounting costs.

4. Subscription

In order to access the product or service the user has to pay fees that is termed as subscription fee. This was once pioneered by magazines and newspapers but now it is widely adapted by many businesses.

On the whole, it doesn't mean selling of the product or service but it is periodic selling may me monthly or yearly. In course of time, this model drew attention of telephone companies, cell phone companies, internet providers, magazines, journals and many more service providers.

5. Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing is nothing but publishing any book or piece of work by an author without the involvement of third-party publisher. The author himself is solely responsible right from design to marketing. But the authors can now take a deep breath as the outsource companies that offers all these services have sprung up.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Most Popular Logo Design Tips

Logo-mark, letter-mark or perhaps both

Logos are usually classified into various types. The letter-mark is a logo with only text, usually the name of the product, service or business. The logo-mark is a logo consisting of symbols only. The third very popular type is a combination of both.

You should opt to design a letter-mark logo only if the business has a unique name. The logo will then make the company's name stand out and create a direct emotional connection between the name and the logo.

On the other hand, a logo-mark will be the right option if the company's name is very generic such as Speed, Apple, Water or Stone. Using iconic symbols will help such companies to be identified easily by audiences.

The typeface for the logo design

While choosing your typeface, you need to keep several desired qualities in perspective.

Unique

Avoid common font types, as they may have already been used by many people quite frequently. Select a unique typeface or perhaps design your own.

Readability

When you include typography into the logo design, it should be readable. Avoid using effects like shadows, outlines or emboss, since they make the logo difficult to read.

 Thickness

Choose the right thickness so that the logo needs is readable in different sizes. It should be easily visible in small sizes and seem appropriate in large sizes too.

Relevance

Typefaces represent various qualities that can be sensed by the audience. A font with strong thickness communicates 'strong and solid', while a decorative, thin typeface communicates femininity. Choose the typeface relevant to the business.

Number of fonts

Use a maximum of two fonts in a logo, as too many types only create confusion within the logo and make it appear complicated.

Kerning

This is the spacing between letters and should be an important consideration while designing a logo. The distance should not be too loose or too tight.

The logo designers process

These are some of the usual processes used while designing a logo

The brief

The logo design process generally starts with the brief and you must try to collect as much information as you need, including the name and type of business, corporate positioning, target market, competitors and market segments.
Research & brainstorm: During this step, you will start developing your concepts for the logo and look for ideas.

Logo sketching

Once your ideas and concepts are ready, start making your logo sketches using paper and pencil.

Vectors: The sketch can be transferred to its digital or vector format. You would scan it and then retrace using your choice of vector-based application like Adobe Illustrator.

Presentation
Present the raft to your client and explain the concept behind your logo design, your typeface and choice of
colours.

Revision

Based on the client's feedback, you may have to make the recommended changes, if they are appropriate according to your expertise as a graphic designer.