Posted by Carl on Jan 23, 2010 in
Good Going
Cash flow challenges are the fundamental reason why companies that fail go under.
If you’re serious about making your venture a success, it follows that budgeting your hard earned money effectively is crucial to the security of your organisation.For those who are just venturing out as a freelancer or doing work on your own, or indeed running a new business, acquiring new projects is really where you need to concentration your energies in the beginning. I have discovered this brilliant website for acquiring new jobs and literally it will be the only freelancing website you will ever need because there are countless jobs posted here each day for copy writers, graphic designers, translators, programmers sales agents and marketers.
When founding a new company it might seem hard to put together a budget without any financial history on which to base income and expenses. However a business plan, before you even start, with some idea of costs and turnover is vital to evaluating the viability of a business, even if you are just planning to setup a home based freelancing business. It might seem like guesswork to start with, but a tentative budget can be established with some thought and projections of future business. From some past experience in renovating buildings, I always say ‘think of a figure and double it’ and then you will be near the mark. I think this is true for other organisations, because it’s human nature to underestimate what we need to spend and over estimate what we will earn.
As with all businesses our become a doctor business has two categories of company finance, income and expenditure.
Under the expense category there can be many sub-categories often falling into 2 main areas of controllable expenses and uncontrollable expenses. While many business owners and freelancers believe they can control every cost involved in their company, this is not always the case. Some things such as services costs, the amount of rent and other supposed fixed costs can, and do change, with the owner having no control. For example the recent increase in oil prices are an example of this and have been the reason a number of small airline and transportation businesses going out of business as their fuel costs skyrocketed.
Other expenses such as payroll, transportation and building repairs can be subject to a budget, but they are considered controllable expenses. If the revenue begins to reduce, you can control some of these costs by laying-off staff and cutting back on marketing. However, living by a budget may help maintain profitability but could also be counter-productive in the long run.
Depending on the viability of your business it may be a better option to bite the financial bullet on employee wages and still provide good customer service to the remaining customers until business picks up again, or consider outsourcing and freelancing for when you need a bit of extra help but without having to hire new staff. If no one takes care of the clients, it will not be long until there are no more customers to care for.
There are two ways to budget your business finance and these are through set amounts or as a percentage of sales. Many companies will budget their controllable costs by the pound and non-controllable by percentage of income. Obviously a good part of the owner’s time is going to be based on bringing sales into the business and how much they have to spend on controllable expenses will be in direct relation to income. With any upturn in sales the owner will probably need the extra help to take care of the business so a percentage of income will go to more wages, thus freeing the owner to focus on generating additional revenue.
There are many other costs that fall into the payroll account such as worker’s compensation charges, National Insurance tax paid by the company and paid holidays time or other perks determined by the organisation. These need to be calculated into costs when recruiting staff into the organisation, unless you make extensive use of freelancing organisations.
While you may feel that a budget is difficult to compile for a new organisation, it is vital to establish a healthy and sound financial footing on which success can be built for the future.
About the Author: Roger Davies, is responsible for the web design team at Advanta Productions. The company was incorporated in 2004 and provides website development and e-commerce web design services to businesses in the Midlands, specifically Nottingham, Derby and Loughborough areas. Advanta have worked on hundreds of website development and e-commerce web design projects for businesses successfully advertising and selling on-line. All enquiries on 0845 22 55 805 or visit the website.
Posted by Carl on Jan 23, 2010 in
Good Going
Almost everyone has heard about IQ tests. They’re in lots of magazines, especially women’s magazines. Or just google ‘IQ tests’ and you will get as many as you like. You simply fill in your answer to the tasks given in the test. Enter the answers and the site will respond with an estimated score.
But what exactly is an IQ test, anyway? And what does the score mean? IQ is the ‘Intelligence Quotient’, a number telling how ‘smart’ you are compared to other people. It may be used to see if you are likely to do well in some proffessions or in academic studies.
The IQ test measures your intelligence to solve problems written on paper. It assesses the ability of your brain to figure out solutions to issues presented to you in written form. Your intelligence is gauged in respect to another person. It’s one method commonly used to measure human intelligence.
IQ 100 is defined as the average of the whole population. If you’ve taken an IQ test and you scored 136, this means you’re a lot more intelligent than the average person. A score below 100 tells that you are less intelligent than average.
Positive sides of the IQ test
- Recruitment Let’s say you’re hiring someone for a new job. You could get a better understanding of the applicant’s intelligence by conducting an IQ test. You could select the type of test to use. These may be more related to the type of work involved. A high score would indicate the candidate is well suited for the position. Some candidates who would probably not be able to do the work could be screened out this way.
- Academic admission IQ tests could complement the SAT in the judgement of a student’s intellectual potential. As there are often fewer places than applicants, this could be an additional screening tool. That way there is a better chance to pick the top performers and weed out students with less potential.
Negative sides of the IQ test
- IQ tests are far from infallible though Plenty of folks who have taken an IQ test as part of the interview process didn’t do so well at work. They didn’t rise high enough or fast enough up the corporate ladder.
- Other factors may be more important College students who initially showed promising scores on their IQ test ended up not being so hot when they sat their term papers. According to some scientific studies have shown that a high self-discipline is more important than a high IQ score. Relying only on smartness is not enough you must put whatever IQ you have to work to do really well. Many high IQ scorers have been overtaken by so-called ‘weaker’ minds with much lower IQ.
-
IQ does not measure everythingLeadership is one area which is not measured by IQ tests Another area not covered is your emotional intelligence, also called EQ, how good you are at handling other people and relationships. There is also the theory of multiple intelligences, that defines 8 different aspects of intelligence that you may have to varying degrees. So your IQ score may not be the only defining factor in your overall intelligence.
Posted by Carl on Jan 23, 2010 in
Good Going
At present, it is imperative to have games at bridal showers. Undoubtedly, games make parties more enjoyable. Now this is a challenging part in arranging a bridal shower. You might want to surf some sites and obtain a few books and magazines to look for the best game to play. Here is a suggestion that might make your bridal shower guests enthralled, partake in the game and socialize with one another.
You can keep the guests engaged and lively by playing the trivia game while waiting for the other visitors to arrive. Let’s be realistic, some guests arrive late. Some paper, some pens and a list of questions are all the requirements in order to play this game. Of course, you will also need some prizes for the winners.
Establishing a subject for this game is indeed your preference. To make the bride and the groom the theme is logical since they are the reason for the get together. Thus, you should prepare enough questions pertaining to the bride and the groom. It could also be about the honeymoon, wedding details or any other general information regarding the couple. A bridal magazine might be a good source of info for funny bridal shower games, bridal shower wording for invitations and bridal shower pictures.
Silly questions that are based on facts can be asked concerning the bride and the groom. For example, questions relating to the bride may be what is the name of her father? Who is her celebrity crush? What is the title of her favorite book? And what is the name of her best friend? In contrast, questions about the groom can be what position does he play in basketball? What is his dream car? What was he wearing on his last date? And what is his favorite action movie?
Questions concerning the honeymoon and wedding details can likewise be witty. What is the name of the maid of honor, where did the groom have his bachelor’s party, where is the reception and where will they live are some of the questions you can ask. For questions in general information concerning the couple, you can ask about their first date, where they went on their first date, when and where they met and how many babies do they want?
Prior to finishing the game, the bride can probably answer all the questions asked in the game as honest as she could be. Anyway, if it is a surprise bridal shower then she won’t have any idea of what the questions are. She may be embarrassed to answer a few but surely she will for the sake of a good time. On the other hand, she could help in preparing the questions before hand if she first knew about bridal shower party.
It is crucial that the whole thing is organized to be given to the guests as they turn up so assure that they are working. You could give away the prizes to the winners after you have all eaten and before the bride opens the presents. As anticipated, because of the trivia games, the bridal shower will be a blast. The visitors will enjoy and the bride will have fun as well!
Posted by Carl on Jan 23, 2010 in
Good Going
A new front door can make a big difference to you home. When shopping for various designs you will want to take into consideration the style of the house, what styles are in your neighbours property and if you want your door to let in light or not.
Most designs with glass insets are more vulnerable to burglary than solid doors. Smaller cut-outs that are far enough away from handles and locks make it more difficult for a break-in than glass insets that would allow for easy lock or latch access through broken glass. If you live in an area where security is a concern, then you might want to keep safety in mind. Most of the new modern composite doors offer laminated glass making them very difficult to break the glass.
Clean, simple lines fit a more modern style, but an older, more traditional house needs a classic door with a little more ornamentation.
The colour of your front door can follow through with the rest of the house, using colour you express yourself and really make a statement about you. Most fitted composite doors come in many different colours.
Choose the right front doors for your needs.
Make sure your door fits the space well, whether it is a single door, a double door or a door with light panels on one or both sides. Choose a front door that adds beauty to the style of your home and make sure you are realistic about the practical and safety requirements you need from your front door.
Do It Yourself Legal Forms