Author: Abdul-Qadir

  • Relationships: Is Your Emotional State Controlled By Other People's Moods?

    Relationships: Is Your Emotional State Controlled By Other People's Moods?

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    As to whether or not it is a good idea for someone to go along with another person's emotional state can all depend on what state they are in. If this person is happy, embracing the same state is likely to have a positive effect on ones wellbeing.

    On the other hand, if this person is angry or even miserable, embracing this state is unlikely to do them any good. There are then going to be times when it will be a good idea for one to allow their emotional state to mimic another person's emotional state and times when it won't.

    Emotional Contagion

    However, even though this is the case, one may find that there are times when they are unable to control how they feel. Ergo, irrespective of what is going on for another person, they will end up being drawn in.

    This is not going to be a problem if another person is in a good place, but it will be if they are not. When it comes to the latter, it might be necessary for one to get away from the other person.

    A Time and A Place

    This doesn't mean that one should get away from someone if they are going through a tough time. The reason for this is that there will be times when another person won't be in a good way and it will be a good idea for them to offer their support.

    Someone in this person's life may have passed on, putting them in a very low place. Ones mood can then drop during this time, but shortly after their time together has come to an end, it should return to how it was.

    Boundaries

    Undoubtedly, having the ability to connect to another person's mood is going to have a positive effect on their relationships. At the same time, being able to maintain their state will also allow them to act like an individual.

    If they didn't have this ability, they would end up acting as though they were simply an extension of other people. Instead of being able to assert themselves, they would be at the whim of other people's moods.

    The Truth

    Just because someone else is not in a good place or is very angry, for instance, it doesn't mean that one should join them. Ultimately, there is no need for them to feel responsible for what another person is going through; that is, of course, unless they have played a part in what is going on for them.

    And if the other person takes responsibility for what they are going through, they won't expect one to act like they have played a part. This can show that the other person also has well defined boundaries.

    A Different Reality

    Not everyone is going to be able to relate to this, which means that there will be people that find it hard to maintain their emotional state around others. Thus, instead of being able to act like an individual, they can act as though they are just an extension of others.

    If they are able to maintain their emotional state, it may only be due to the fact that another person's emotional state is the same. The other person will provide them with the permission that they need in order to experience the same feelings.

    Walking On Egg Shells

    It is likely to be a challenge for them to assert themselves around others; their primary concern will be to tune into what someone else is experiencing. Deep down, they could believe that it is not safe for them to express who they are.

    So like a waiter who does their best to make sure that everyone is happy; it will ones job to make sure that other people are happy. For some reason, they will believe that they are responsible for how other people feel.

    Dysfunctional Relationships

    Some of the people in their life may lack boundaries, causing them to blame one for how they feel. But as one also lacks boundaries, they are going to just put up with this kind of behavior.

    If they are in an intimate relationship, they may find it hard to relax around their partner. Being focused on what is taking place externally will be a way for them to try to predict when their partner is going to lose their temper, making it easier for them to handle what happens.

    A Closer Look

    Doing what they can to please others is going to be what feels comfortable, yet it is going to cause them to hide their true-self. If one was to take a step back and to reflect on how long their life has been this way for, they may come to the realization that what is taking place in their adult life is a continuation of what took place during their early years.

    At this stage of their life, they may have had at least one caregiver who was emotionally unpredictable. As a result of this, they wouldn't have been able to relax into their body and to listen to their own needs; they would have had to live on edge and to focus on what was taking place externally.

    Undeveloped

    This caregiver may have blamed other people for how they felt, too, and this would have set one up to believe that they were responsible for whether or not they were happy. The care that one needed wouldn't have been provided, with them acting more like a caregiver than a child.

    Consequently, one will have poor boundaries and have a weak connection with their inner world. Developing boundaries and getting in touch with their true-self will be an essential part of their healing process.

    Awareness
    â € ‹
    If one can relate to this, and they want to transform their life, they may need to reach out for external support. This is something that can be provided by the assistance of a therapist or a healer.

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    Source by Oliver JR Cooper

    Views: 0

  • The Benefits Of Multi-Level Marketing

    The Benefits Of Multi-Level Marketing

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    The best MLM companies are those who embrace the many benefits that multi-level marketing has to offer. Read on to learn more about the advantages that MLM marketing can provide and how MLM leads can change your financial prognosis.

    1. Limited Risk Factor

    When we start traditional businesses, we are confronted with the possibility of losing money almost immediately. There are a number of expenses to consider and we are not always prepared to deal with them. As a result, people tend to avoid starting their own business and are scared to become entrepreneurs. Startup costs tend to serve as a strong deterrent in these instances.

    But with the best MLM companies, you are able to get started for just a few hundred dollars. MLM leads are also generated with relative ease, since MLM companies focus on selling products that are used by their prospective clients already. If you take the time to compare the level of financial investment involved in an MLM marketing plan with the investment needed to start a traditional business, you will find that the risk factor is significantly decreased.

    2. Passive Income

    MLM marketing offers people the opportunity to stop trading their time for money and allows them to begin earning a passive/residual income almost immediately. When you pay your Internet, cable, electric, gas or water bill each month, those companies are all able to enjoy a steady stream of passive income, without ever having to punch a clock. Thanks to MLM companies and MLM leads, you can also partake in this lifestyle.

    All you need to do is put in the initial effort to draw in the customers and the rest will simply take care of itself. A lot of us are too used to the level of certainty that is derived from trading a predetermined amount of time for a predetermined amount of money and we avoid the lure of MLM marketing as a result. But selling products for the best MLM companies allows us to snatch a far greater piece of the income pie.

    3. Low Overhead

    If you decide to start a traditional business, your overhead costs can be cumbersome. There are employees to pay, space to rent and inventory costs to be considered. With MLM marketing, you can harness the awesome power of the Internet to keep your costs low and ensure that you remain within your budget.

    MLM companies tend to get a bad rap, because people falsely believe that they will have to purchase a large amount of inventory during the early stages and recruit people to sell it on their behalf. Thanks to the Internet, this perception is no longer reality. When you do not have to keep up with a high monthly overhead, it is much easier to adapt to changing business climates.

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    Source by Roby Mason

    Views: 0

  • 5 Tips That Can Help You Choose A Good Family Doctor

    5 Tips That Can Help You Choose A Good Family Doctor

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    Choosing a good family doctor is not easy. You need to see a doctor who can perform the right diagnosis based on the symptoms of the patient. So, we suggest that you take your time while doing research before choosing a doctor. Given below are 5 tips that may help you make the best choice.

    1) Consider an In-Network Specialist

    If you have a health insurance policy, you may be able to avail the service of a doctor at discounted rates. Seeing these doctors won’t cost you an arm and a leg. These are in-network professionals. This type of pro can help you avoid any additional fees or surprise co-pays.

    If you don’t know any of these doctors, your insurance provider can give you a list of a few good names. Alternatively, you can check online or ask the doctor that can accept your insurance.

    2) Opt for Specialized Care

    While choosing a doctor, make sure you take into account the needs of your family. In other words, if a family member is in need of special care, your chosen doctor should be able to offer it.

    If your doctor can’t help you with this, your best bet is to look for a specialist. Typically, family care doctors can help you get in touch with a good specialist.

    3) Consider the Commute

    Often, distance is one of the most overlooked factors when opting for a doctor. Although 10 miles is not a long ride, you may not be able to spare that much time if you have a busy schedule. So, it may cause you a lot of inconveniences. Therefore, we suggest that you be practical as far as the distance is concerned.

    4) Schedule an Initial Visit

    You need to see the doctor in person before you choose them as the doctor may not have the bedside manners you want. Typically, most professionals offer a free of charge initial consultation. This discussion can help you find out if they have a good personality.

    5) Read reviews and Ask for Referrals

    Nowadays, you can read reviews on almost anything under the sun if you have access to the internet. The same goes for family medicine. It is not a factor that you have to consider, but it can help you get a deeper insight into the quality of service the doctor offers.

    For instance, talking to the referrals will help you find out if the staff is friendly. By reading reviews and talking to a few referrals, you can make a better decision.

    The Takeaway

    Looking for a good family doctor is really important. So, it’s better that you do your homework and consider all the options that your insurance provider gives you. Actually, what you need to do is look for a doctor that you can work with for a long-term. After all, your health, as well as the health of your family members, depends largely on good health care. So, make sure you consider these tips before choosing a family doctor.

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    Source by Shalini M

    Views: 0

  • Marketing With Logic and Emotion

    Marketing With Logic and Emotion

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    A couple days ago our refrigerator conked out.

    A repairman showed up today to take a look. The verdict? We’d need a new freezer coil. The cost was close to $1,000 and would take almost a week to get the parts.

    A new refrigerator was about $2K. And that’s the option I chose. It will arrive tomorrow.

    Logically, I could have saved more than $1K if I’d chosen to get it fixed.

    But emotionally, I didn’t want to be without a fridge for a week, perhaps longer. The discomfort of that was worth avoiding even if it meant paying $1,000 more.

    All buying decisions are emotional, not logical.

    When a client decides to work with you, they may justify it logically, but ultimately, they chose to get your help because of how they feel about you and their situation.

    They will choose the option that feels the best to them.

    In most cases, people buy your professional services because something isn’t working for them.

    And that decision is always emotional.

    And they also want things to work better for them or their companies.

    And that decision is emotional as well.

    Since marketing is 100% communication, your first job is to remind your prospective clients of the problems, issues and challenges they are experiencing.

    And your second job is to inform them how much better things will be after you help them by using your professional services.

    Nevertheless, this emotional content needs to be presented in a logical, understandable way.

    That’s why the third law of attracting clients says you must balance logic and emotion in your marketing.

    This is the art of marketing.

    Learning how to communicate this way can be tricky, but I like to break it down into these 6 logical steps:

    1. Write a list of all the problems, issues and challenges your prospective clients are facing.

    2. Write a list of how things could be if their problems, issues and challenges were resolved (the mirror image of #1).

    3. Prove to them that you have the experience and know-how to help them achieve #2.

    4. Write a list of all the other benefits and advantage they’ll gain if they hire you to help them.

    5. Explain what you’ll actually do and what it will look like (but not in too much detail).

    6. Let them know what they need to do to get started with you (including your fee).

    Now, of course, this can be written or spoken in an infinite number of ways, but these steps are the building blocks of marketing communication that turns prospective clients into paying clients.

    Cheers, Robert

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    Source by Robert Middleton

    Views: 0

  • Breaking Down Sales and Marketing

    Breaking Down Sales and Marketing

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    Revisiting the Sales and Marketing Conversation

    Back in October 2015 we shared an article called "5 Ways Marketing Departments Help Salespeople Catch Butterflies." Recently a tenfold article was shared with us, titled "What is the Meaning of Sales & Marketing and Their Advantages? " And, I have to say, it does a pretty awesome job of breaking down the differences, responsibilities, and links between sales and marketing roles. Why revisit this now? Because it has never been more apparent that the relationship between sales and marketing is still just as misunderstood as ever, especially with advances in marketing technology.

    Setting the Record Straight

    Many in the business world, especially those who rely on sales and marketing for success, don't actually have a concrete grasp on exactly what sales and marketing are. Yes, the two are linked, but they are not one and the same. Sales departments rely on marketing; marketing departments and strategies exist to feed sales (notice I didn't say "make" sales). You wouldn't engage in marketing if you had nothing to sell, and your sales strategy would be much less informed and successful if not for your marketing efforts. Yes, many old-school salespeople (or go-getter small business entrepreneurs) are quite capable of drumming up business on their own, and may even have some tried-and-true marketing tactics up their sleeve – but few have the time, skill , or technological resources to effectively capitalize on the true potential of their market.

    A common mistake made by older, more established businesses is to assume that salespeople are skilled at marketing and that marketing people are skilled at making sales. In some cases this may be true, but certainly not across the board. While trying to conserve capital, many of these companies will attempt to combine their sales and marketing departments, essentially tasking their employees with two job descriptions, and that's usually a bad move. It's no accident that more recently established companies, tech giants, and organizations that employ a large number of millennials are killing it with their marketing efforts.

    Breaking It Down

    As the tenfold article explains, some of the key responsibilities of a sales team include:

    • Follow Up
    • Relationship Building
    • Closing
    • Retention

    The mark of a great salesperson is the ability to cultivate a personal relationship. Many consumers who have stayed loyal to the same brand, dealership, or salon for years will say that they appreciate the personal attention they receive there. It is not a marketing employee's responsibility to follow up with a salesperson's existing customer once the lead has been handed off, nor is it their responsibility to convert a lead to a sale, "close the deal," or make sure the client remains a client for many years. Short of having an outstanding relationship with a skilled salesperson, product quality and excellent overall experience are the main things that will bolster client retention.

    On the marketing side, primary efforts are:

    • Awareness
    • Engagement
    • Conversion (from anonymous to known)
    • Retention

    It is not a salesperson's job to generate awareness or buzz about their brand, product or service. If they are expected to use their energy to make sales by nurturing leads and relationships, then how can they also be expected to have the time to do the leg-work up front that brings those leads to the table in the first place?

    The marketing department creates awareness, builds engagement by creating information that will invite audience members to take action, and targets and tracks engagement by motivating audience members to provide contact information or initiate a free trial or consultation (converting them from a cold prospect to a known lead or potential buyer). It is important to note here that the retention function of a marketing department doesn't really overlap the retention efforts of a sales team.

    On the sales side, client retention refers more to the salesperson's efforts to use the client relationship to continually check in with the client, attempt to engage them in further discussions about additional products or services they may be interested in, and seek referrals to the client's friends and family members. On the marketing side, however, retention refers to maintaining a higher level of consistent engagement (through targeted marketing based on buying preferences, interests and history) so that the customer relationship doesn't end at the initial purchase. Those email newsletters you receive after becoming a customer somewhere are not random – they have a purpose and are often tailored to things you've viewed or expressed interest in. A sales team simply doesn't have the insights, time, or often the resources to execute these types of strategic campaigns.

    The Fine-Tuned Coexistence Of It All

    The ideal sales and marketing relationship is a symbiotic one. Marketers and salespeople work together to determine what consumers need and how to deliver it. Sales and marketing should motivate, inspire and feed one other. They should collaborate and coexist. In the hierarchy of the business food chain, sales and marketing should not be seen as rivals or equals, but counterparts. One truly cannot exist without the other, but their skill sets are not the same – especially today, where advances in technology require the modern marketer to have a very specific, honed, and competitive set of skills that most sales people simply do not need to have.

    For this reason many marketers are introverted, analytical, and deep-thinking individuals. Whether they're crunching numbers and analyzing data, compiling reports on trends and conversion rates, or writing awesome ads and creating beautiful websites and collateral material, they are required to intensely focus on what works, what doesn't, and adjust their creative efforts accordingly. Usually a marketing department will have creatives, analysts, and more tech-oriented people (who dive into the numbers and algorithms behind advanced marketing tools).

    In contrast though, many salespeople are extroverts – they light up a room, they have excellent "people skills," can easily relate to others, and have the ability to pick up on social cues that might actually help them close a sale. Oftentimes salespeople have a broader focus, preferring to spend their days with appointments and meetings – activities that build relationships – rather than sitting behind a desk doing what a marketing department does best. For this reason, many salespeople have administrative assistants to help them with follow-up, paperwork, appointment setting, phone calls, proposals, and calendar management. This type of functional assistant role is less widespread in the marketing realm.

    Share Your Thoughts

    Be sure to read the full article (and let us know how it compares to our post ) for additional insights on the relationship between sales and marketing teams. Join the conversation: in your experience, what have been some key components of a successful sales and marketing partnership?

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    Source by Jessica Champion

    Views: 0

  • Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

    Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

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    One might be led to believe that profit is the main objective in a business but in reality it is the cash flowing in and out of a business which keeps the doors open. The concept of profit is somewhat narrow and only looks at expenses and income at a certain point in time. Cash flow, on the other hand, is more dynamic in the sense that it is concerned with the movement of money in and out of a business. It is concerned with the time at which the movement of the money takes place. Profits do not necessarily coincide with their associated cash inflows and outflows. The net result is that cash receipts often lag cash payments and while profits may be reported, the business may experience a short-term cash shortage. For this reason, it is essential to forecast cash flows as well as project likely profits. In these terms, it is important to know how to convert your accrual profit to your cash flow profit. You need to be able to maintain enough cash on hand to run the business, but not so much as to forfeit possible earnings from other uses.

    Why accounting is needed

    Help you to operate better as a business owner

    1. Make timely decisions

      • Know when to hire a team of employees
      • Know how to price your products
      • Know how to label your expense items
      • Helps you to determine whether to expand or not
      • Helps with operations projected costs
    2. Stop Fraud and Theft

      • Control the biggest problem is internal theft
      • Reconcile your books and inventory control of equipment
    3. Raising Capital (help you to explain financials to stakeholders)

      • Loans
      • Investors

    What are the Best Practices in Accounting for Small Businesses to address your common ‘pain points’?

    1. Hire or consult with CPA or accountant

      1. What is the best way and how often to contact
      2. What experience do you have in my industry?
      3. Identify what is my break-even point?
      4. Can the accountant assess the overall value of my business
      5. Can you help me grow my business with profit planning techniques
      6. How can you help me to prepare for tax season
      7. What are some special considerations for my particular industry?

    To succeed, your company must be profitable. All your business objectives boil down to this one simple fact. But turning a profit is easier said than done. In order to boost your bottom line, you need to know what’s going on financially at all times. You also need to be committed to tracking and understanding your KPIs.

    What are the common Profitability Metrics to Track in Business — key performance indicators (KPI)

    Whether you decide to hire an expert or do it yourself, there are some metrics that you should absolutely need to keep tabs on at all times:

    • Outstanding Accounts Payable: Outstanding accounts payable (A/P) shows the balance of cash you currently owe to your suppliers.
    • Average Cash Burn: Average cash burn is the rate at which your business’ cash balance is going down on average each month over a specified time period. A negative burn is a good sign because it indicates your business is generating cash and growing its cash reserves.
    • Cash Runaway: If your business is operating at a loss, cash runway helps you estimate how many months you can continue before your business exhausts its cash reserves. Similar to your cash burn, a negative runway is a good sign that your business is growing its cash reserves.
    • Gross Margin: Gross margin is a percentage that demonstrates the total revenue of your business after subtracting the costs associated with creating and selling your business’ products. It is a helpful metric to identify how your revenue compares to your costs, allowing you to make changes accordingly.
    • Customer Acquisition Cost: By knowing how much you spend on average to acquire a new customer, you can tell exactly how many customers you need to generate a profit.
    • Customer Lifetime Value: You need to know your LTV so that you can predict your future revenues and estimate the total number of customers you need to grow your profits.
    • Break-Even Point:How much do I need to generate in sales for my company to make a profit?Knowing this number will show you what you need to do to turn a profit (e.g., acquire more customers, increase prices, or lower operating expenses).
    • Net Profit: This is the single most important number you need to know for your business to be a financial success. If you aren’t making a profit, your company isn’t going to survive for long.
    • Total revenues comparison with last year/last month. By tracking and comparing your total revenues over time, you’ll be able to make sound business decisions and set better financial goals.
    • Average revenue per employee. It’s important to know this number so that you can set realistic productivity goals and recognize ways to streamline your business operations.

    The following checklist lays out a recommended timeline to take care of the accounting functions that will keep you attuned to the operations of your business and streamline your tax preparation. The accuracy and timeliness of the numbers entered will affect the key performance indicators that drive business decisions that need to be made, on a daily, monthly and annual basis towards profits.

    Daily Accounting Tasks

    1. Review your daily Cash flow position so you don’t ‘grow broke’.

    Since cash is the fuel for your business, you never want to be running near empty. Start your day by checking how much cash you have on hand.

    Weekly Accounting Tasks

    2. Record Transactions

    Record each transaction (billing customers, receiving cash from customers, paying vendors, etc.) in the proper account daily or weekly, depending on volume. Although recording transactions manually or in Excel sheets is acceptable, it is probably easier to use accounting software like QuickBooks. The benefits and control far outweigh the cost.

    3. Document and File Receipts

    Keep copies of all invoices sent, all cash receipts (cash, check and credit card deposits) and all cash payments (cash, check, credit card statements, etc.).

    Start a vendors file, sorted alphabetically, (Sears under “S”, CVS under “C,”etc.) for easy access. Create a payroll file sorted by payroll date and a bank statement file sorted by month. A common habit is to toss all paper receipts into a box and try to decipher them at tax time, but unless you have a small volume of transactions, it’s better to have separate files for assorted receipts kept organized as they come in. Many accounting software systems let you scan paper receipts and avoid physical files altogether

    4. Review Unpaid Bills from Vendors

    Every business should have an “unpaid vendors” folder. Keep a record of each of your vendors that includes billing dates, amounts due and payment due date. If vendors offer discounts for early payment, you may want to take advantage of that if you have the cash available.

    5. Pay Vendors, Sign Checks

    Track your accounts payable and have funds earmarked to pay your suppliers on time to avoid any late fees and maintain favorable relationships with them. If you are able to extend payment dates to net 60 or net 90, the better. Whether you make payments online or drop a check in the mail, keep copies of invoices sent and received using accounting software.

    6. Prepare and Send Invoices

    Be sure to include payment terms. Most invoices are due within 30 days, noted as “Net 30” at the bottom of your invoice. Without a due date, you will have more trouble forecasting revenue for the month. To make sure you get paid on time, always use an invoice form that contains the right details such as payment terms, itemized charges, and your payment address.

    7. Review Projected Cash Flow

    Managing your cash flow is critical, especially in the first year of your business. Forecasting how much cash you will need in the coming weeks/months will help you reserve enough money to pay bills, including your employees and suppliers. Plus, you can make more informed business decisions about how to spend it.

    All you need is a simple statement showing your current cash position, expected cash receipts during the next week/month and expected cash payments during the next week/month.

    8. Executive Dashboard (weekly review)

    This dashboard gives you a ‘snapshot’ of your operations on a weekly basis.

    It consist of Cash on Hand, Cash burn rate, Account Receivables, Accounts Payable, Items sold, Inventory on Hand, inventory turns, outstanding issues in the business, and gross profit margin, new sales wins, customer losses, customer service performance, on time delivery rate and product quality performance.

    Monthly Accounting Tasks

    9. Balance Your Business Checkbook

    Just as you reconcile your personal checking account, you need to know that your cash business transaction entries are accurate each month and that you are working with the correct cash position. Reconciling your cash makes it easier to discover and correct any errors or omissions-by you or by the bank-in time to correct them.

    10. Review Past-Due (“Aged”) Receivables

    Be sure to include an “aging” column to separate “open invoices” with the number of days a bill is past due. This gives you a quick view of outstanding customer payments. The beginning of the month is a good time to send out overdue reminder statements to customers, clients and anyone else who owes you money.

    At the end of your fiscal year, you will be looking at this account again to determine what receivables you will need to send to collections or write off for a deduction

    11. Analyze Inventory Status

    If you have inventory, set aside time to reorder products that sell quickly and identify others that are moving slowly and may have to be marked down or, ultimately, written off. By checking regularly (and comparing to prior months’ numbers), it’s easier to make adjustments so you are neither short nor overloaded.

    12. Process or Review Payroll and Approve Tax Payments

    While you have an established schedule to pay your employees (usually semi-monthly), you need to meet payroll tax requirements based on federal, state and local laws at different times, so be sure to withhold, report and deposit the applicable income tax, social security, Medicare and disability taxes to the appropriate agencies on the required dates.

    Review the payroll summary before payments are disbursed to avoid having to make corrections during the next payroll period. A payroll service provider can do all this to save you time and ensure accuracy at a reasonable cost.

    13. Review Actual Profit and Loss vs. Budget and vs. Prior Years

    Each month, take the time to review your budgeted expenses and compare them to what you have actually spent. Are you spending above or below budget? Discuss the variances and take action as needed

    Your profit and loss statement (also known as an income statement), both for the current month and year to date, tells you how much you earned and how much you spent. Measure it against your budget every month (or quarter). Comparing your actual numbers to your planned numbers highlights where you may be spending too much or not enough, so that you can make changes.

    If you have not prepared a budget, compare your current year-to-date P&L with the same prior-period year-to-date P&L to identify variances and make adjustments.

    14. Review Month-End Balance Sheet vs. Prior Period

    By comparing your balance sheet at one date-June 30, 2015, for example-to a balance sheet from an earlier date (December 31, 2014), you get a picture of how you are managing assets and liabilities. The key is to look for what is significantly up and/or down and understand why. For example, if your accounts receivable are up, is it due to increased recent sales or because of slower payments from customers?

    Quarterly Accounting Tasks

    15. Prepare/Review Revised Annual P&L Estimate

    It’s time to evaluate how much money you are actually making, whether your net assets are going up or down, the difference between revenues and expenses, what caused those changes, how you are spending profits, as well as identifying trouble spots, and making adjustments to improve sales and margins.

    16. Review Quarterly Payroll Reports and Make Payments

    You have been reviewing your semi-monthly payroll reports. However, the IRS and most states require quarterly payroll reports and any remaining quarterly payments. Again, it’s best if your payroll service provider completes these reports and files them. Your job is to review to make sure they appear reasonable.

    17. Review Sales Tax and Make Quarterly Payments

    If your company operates in a state that requires sales tax, make sure you comply to avoid serious penalties. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help you determine your state tax obligations.

    18. Compute Estimated Income Tax and Make Payment

    The IRS and states that have income taxes require you to pay estimated income taxes. Review your year-to-date P&L to see if you owe any estimated taxes for that quarter. Your tax accountant can assist if necessary.

    Annual Accounting Tasks

    19. Review Past-Due Receivables

    Now it’s time to check significant past due receivables and decide whether you think customers will eventually pay, whether to send past due bills to a collection agency or whether to write them off for a deduction.

    20. Review Your Inventory

    Review your current inventory to determine the value of items not sold. Any write-down of inventory translates to a deduction on your year-end taxes. If you do not write down unsellable inventory, you are overstating your inventory balance and paying additional taxes that you don’t owe.

    21. Fill out IRS Forms W-2 and 1099-MISC

    The IRS has a January 31 deadline that requires you to report the annual earnings of your full-time employees (W-2s) and most independent contractors (1099s). This deadline includes mailing copies of the tax forms to the people who worked for you. Note: A 1099 form is not required for any contractors who earned less than $600. Consider saving time and avoiding errors with an e-filing service.

    22. Review full-year financial reports for tax reporting

    • Get organized

      • Collect and store important documents (use apps and calendars for help)

        • Create email folders to store bank statement and receipts
        • Store contracts and agreements
        • Track miles and vehicle expenses
        • Store all required documents for your business type.

      • Tax Preparation

        • Tax preparation is a historical view and not a profit planning event
        • Capture all relevant events
        • Identify all deduction categories
        • Capture all meals

          • Meetings —-whatever was discussed/calendar

            • Try not to go over industry average industry cost for meals.

    At tax time, carefully review your company’s full-year financial reports before giving them to your accountant. Before you sign your return, be sure to review it for accuracy based on your full-year financial reports. Remember if IRS audits due to underpayment, they will deal with you not your accountant for any additional taxes, penalty and interest.

    If you don’t have the bandwidth to do all this yourself, a great strategy is to partner with a monthly accounting service. Outsourcing your accounting to an expert will simplify your life and give you more time to focus on running your business operations.

    A monthly accountant will provide you with a profit and loss sheet, balance statement, and accurate account reconciliation every month, ensuring that you have the financial information you need to make the best choices for your company.

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    Source by Vinson Primas

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  • Ways Schools Can Fight A Drug Menace

    Ways Schools Can Fight A Drug Menace

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    A combination of factors, including the ease with which drugs can be procured, alienation and peer pressure, is driving American teens toward their abuse. As a result, adolescents in high school and college do drugs on the sly. In dorm and frat parties, it has become customary to pool all drugs – stolen from elder's medicine cabinets, or procured from vendors or pill mills – before going on the adventure ride of a collective high. However, this fun and adventure comes at a cost. As most teens doing drugs are aware of the implications of the misdemeanor once caught, they do not report to the authorities in case a peer overdoses, resulting in tragic loss of young lives.

    The problem of drug abuse has spread its deadly tentacles across schools, posing a significant threat to the future of children in terms of impact on their health, academics, career and personal life. In the wake of such a serious implication on the future of the society, many schools, despite the paucity of funds, have put together programs for spreading awareness and keeping drug abuse under check. While some approaches rely on prohibition and punishment, others stress on education and rehabilitation. The objective is to keep drugs off the campus and establish a solid foundation to empower individuals to resist such temptations.

    As youngsters prefer engagement to long boring lectures, some of the means adopted by the schools are as follows:

    Disseminating knowledge through antidrug assemblies : Antidrug assemblies are engaging means to showcase the grim consequences of drug-seeking habit. With addiction treatment doctors and recovering patients turning up as guest lecturers, students can have a realistic picture of how drugs take them away from their loved ones and cause impairment of cognitive skills, such as difficulty following instructions. Students get the opportunity to clarify their doubts during such sessions.

    Educating children as early as possible : Considering the fact that most youths start doing drugs, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol in school days, or when they are on the cusp of adolescence, it is the best time to drive home the dangers of doing drugs and other addictive substances.

    Conducting self-reliance programs : Children who are confident about themselves are less likely to take drugs. Therefore, some programs stress on building the child's self-reliance in all sorts of social situations. This helps them even under adverse peer pressure to not succumb to the temptation of doing drugs and say no to such activities firmly. Such programs are effective even in the long run as they teach children some essential life skills necessary for abstaining from drugs, alcohol, etc.

    Stocking antidotes : As it makes no sense to shy away from the truth that youngsters, especially those in college, will be doing drugs irrespective of the controls, authorities are advised to stock up their supply of opioid overdose antidote naloxone.

    Engaging children from families grappling with addiction : Instead of isolating a child with a problematic family, including members addicted to drugs, it is essential to engage him or her in all school or college activities. Irrespective of whether the child reports late to school or has problems with homework, a concerned and supportive school environment will mitigate the chances of the child falling into the same addiction cycle. Children of drug addicted families could also participate as guest lecturers in antidrug assemblies.

    Focusing on building teen assertiveness : With the help of a trained child counselor and other professional services, schools could focus on providing training to teens to develop their assertiveness and emotional control level. This is not only handy in career building, but could also help the teen realize his or her worth. Teens who feel sad and befuddled have greater risks of taking drugs to feel successful or empowered.

    Get help for drug addiction

    Children run the increased risk of falling into the trap of drug addiction due to their emotional vulnerability and undeveloped brain still in the process of developing the key cognitive skills. It becomes essential for parents and teachers to listen and talk to their fears and emotional upheavals, rather than ignoring them as their tantrums.

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    Source by Barbara Odozi

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  • Causes of Premarital Sex

    Causes of Premarital Sex

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    There is no behavior without reason. We need to examine reasons why Christian youths do fall into the sins of fornication.

    Please note that sexual relationship is divided into three, namely:

    (a) Premarital sex (fornication)

    (b) Pure (Holy or Legal) sex

    (c) Extra – marital Sex (Adultery)

    Premarital sex is what most youths engage in before marriage while extra-marital sex is what some married people indulges in, when they are not faithful to their partner. Pure, holy or legal sex is the only legitimate sex, it occurs between married couples. It is Holy and wonderful, God loves it and it brings purity. What we will be talking about here is premarital sex which the Bible calls fornication. It is not fun, it is not love-making but fornication. It is sin, I would have agreed if it is called lust making.

    CAUSES

    (1) Pressure: Pressure from parents, friends, peer group, lecturer, boss, future partners. Some men do mount pressure physically on their partners while some ladies mount pressure on their partners by dressing carelessly exposing their nakedness to seduce men. Some male bosses in places of work do mount pressure on their female workers, they want girls that can work for them and still satisfy them sexually.

    (2) Curiosity: Many youths have engaged themselves in premarital sex as a result of curiosity. They thought they were searching for reality, but they ended up destroying themselves. They are not satisfied with what their parents, pastors and christian friends told them concerning sex, they want to experience it themselves.

    (3) Electronic media: Television, film, radio and video has contributed to the high rate of premarital sex. What youths watch on screen determine their behaviour and character. Every product advertised on T.V. is just promoting sex. In fact, to advertise food items they use sex, film, television and radio promotes premarital sex. Most home videos are sex promoters.

    (4) Books and Magazines: Some satanic authors are in town destroying the youths, they write some sexual stories, books and magazines, they bring out many pictures that stimulate the youth to think about sex always. Having read all these books, youths do become restless until they have put into practice what they learned in the books and magazines.

    (5) Environmental influence: We live in a corrupt society where people do not see anything bad in ungodliness they do not see premarital sex as sin; they see it as a normal thing. Hence, girls are encouraged to dress exposing their bodies. Premarital sex has become the norm of the society. Some Christian youths find it difficult to cope in this kind of environment; hence, they fall into this ungodly act.

    (6) Covetousness: Greed for money, wealth and position is another cause of premarital sex. Some ladies want money at all costs hence they are ready to use their bodies to get it by sleeping around with men.

    (7) Indiscipline: Lack of discipline has led many singles into the dungeon of premarital sex.

    (8) Wrong association: This has led many youth into destruction. Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.

    (9) Ignorance: Lack of good sex education has led many youth into premarital sex, some went into it not knowing what they were doing.

    (10) Wrong information: Since parents have refused to educate their children on the subject and the church is not forth coming with anything meaningful, the youth have resorted to any information they can get from anywhere either wrong or right.

    (11) Bad parenting: Children that are not well brought up are likely to fall into wrong hands.

    (12) Idleness: An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. If you are idle, you may cuddle the devil.

    (13) Loneliness: Some claim they went into fornication due to loneliness.

    (14) Broken homes: Children from broken homes can fall into wrong hands due to the situation of their homes.

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    Source by Bisi Adewale

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  • Importance Of Medicine In Our Daily Lives

    Importance Of Medicine In Our Daily Lives

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    Medicine is considered as one of the most important necessity to all of us. It is derived from the Latin words ars medicina meaning “the art of healing”. It is a branch of the health sciences and is the sector of public life concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of disease, injury and other damage to a body or mind.

    It is both an area of knowledge, a science of body system and their diseases and treatment. This branch of science encompasses treatment by drugs, diet, exercise and other nonsurgical means. It is also used to maintain our health. An agent such as drug is used to treat disease or injury. There are different types of medicine, we have herbal medicine, which came from different kinds of plants, medicines treat in hospital and etc. Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine, refers to use of any plant’s seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. Long practiced outside of conventional medicine, herbalism is becoming more mainstreams as up-to-date analysis and research show their value in the treatment and prevention of disease. Some of us believe in herbal medicines, for it is pure came from plants and no other ingredients. Herbal medicine also uses for cough, fever, toothache and some other diseases that might catch from our environment. Herbalists treat many conditions such as asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue, and an irritable bowel syndrome among others. Plants had been used for medicinal purposes long before recorded history. For most herbs, the specific ingredient that causes a therapeutic effect is not known. Whole herbs contain many ingredients and it is likely that they work together to produce the desired medicinal effect

    Some medicines may cause problems if you take them with other medicines. This is why it is important to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the medicines you are taking. And some medicines can cause problems, even if you take them correctly. Call your doctor or pharmacist if you think your medicine is making you feel worse. We take medicine to make us feel better when we are sick.

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    Source by Jennifer Alinio

    Views: 0

  • 6 Useful Tips for Using Dating Sites

    6 Useful Tips for Using Dating Sites

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    Dating sites are an extremely popular way to get connected with like-minded individuals that have the same interests. However, many people will feel quite nervous when it comes to trying to use this type of site. Let’s take a look at a few of the most effective ways to stay safe on the preferred dating sites:

    Personal information

    A simple rule that must always be followed is the need to stay safe and to be careful with the amount of personal information you give out during the initial conversations. It is best to avoid giving out personal details until a few in-person meetings have taken place. You can slowly start to give out more information when you feel comfortable.

    Conversation

    The initial conversations should relate to regular things, such as what you get up to in your day-to-day life. Try to find things that interest both parties and expand your conversations from there. The ability to stay flexible in your topics will help to increase the likelihood of finding a successful match. Also, it is important to get involved in conversations when they start and not to be overly shy. Additionally, there are many different ways to get involved with a website and its users, such as sharing likes and dislikes.

    Profile

    Every user needs to complete their profile thoroughly. This will help to find other members that have a particular interest in your lifestyle. A poorly completely profile often comes across as not serious or fake and unlikely to attract the desired attention.

    Website

    Make sure to invest a little time to shortlist the most promising dating websites that match your particular interests. There are dating sites to match literally every interest, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding something that suits your needs. Also, there are plenty of review and comparison sites that can help to identify the best options.

    Activity

    There is a high chance that you will need to send plenty of messages before you start to get worthwhile replies that may be worth taking further. Plus, it is important to be patient and avoid sending multiple messages to other members that interest you.

    Block Button

    Apart from withholding personal information, there are also other ways to stay safe and avoid contact with those you don’t feel comfortable with. Most of the dating sites include a block button that will instantly stop a conversation with someone you deem to be rude, aggressive or inappropriate.

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    Source by Leo Eigenberg

    Views: 0