An appeal bond is a process within the legal system in which the decision of a financial judgment is appealed. Before the case can be appealed, the party that has been deemed to owe the judgment must put up a bond to cover both the cost of the appeal and the original full cost of the judgment.
The purpose of an appeal bond
An appeal bond guarantees that, if the appeal of the original judgment fails, the money to pay that judgment is guaranteed. This process discourages any parties involved from filing for an appeal to stall the court proceedings or waste the court's time.
How satisfy an appeal bond
A bond can be satisfied in two ways. The first is showing proof that you (or someone who will speak for you) has the necessary assets to pay the bond. The second way is for the party to put down a cash deposit equal to the cost of the bond.
Whatever method is used to satisfy the bond, the party, whether it be the principal or a third party, becomes liable for the bond if the appeal process fails.
Without effective communication skills, it is very easy to give off mixed signals. Effectively communicating with people involves more than simply knowing the right words to say to get your point across. Your mannerisms, body language and attitude toward someone else convey tons of messages that your spoken words may or may not exactly harmonize with. Practice effective communication skills in your daily routine, and you will put both yourself and others more at ease.
Instructions
1. Use appropriate body language when you speak with others. Even when you carefully choose the correct words to conceal your true feelings, your body language can give it away. For example, if you wrinkle your forehead excessively while speaking with someone, or have a habit of scratching your chin when you are involved in an uncomfortable conversation, your listener may eventually pick up on this. This can, in turn, affect his comfort level. No one signal may betray your inner feelings, but it is a combination of small mannerisms. For example, you may fidget with your hands, slouch your shoulders, even constantly tap your feet on the floor, all subconsciously. But all this could lead the person you are talking with to believe that you'd really rather be elsewhere.
2. Exhibit empathy and respect to the person with whom you are speaking. Even if you do not agree with someone else's viewpoints on politics, religion, life or any number of things, allow him the right to his own opinions. Don't cut him off before he can complete his sentences, and don't keep finishing his sentences for him. Exhibiting a neutral attitude does not mean you approve or even agree. Simply show that you are willing to speak with him in the respectful way he appreciates being spoken to. Extend this respect to everyone, regardless of social status.
3. Play the "old friend" trick on your mind upon first speaking with someone new. Imagine beforehand that you are actually meeting an old, childhood friend. Someone you've craved having the chance to talk with again for years, tried reaching countless times with no success, but kept in your thoughts. Channel these warm, expectant feelings to your body language and voice when you first meet this new, "old friend." Do not hug and kiss her, of course! But speak with warmth and positive body language.
4. Read about the latest happenings in your area, your region, and around the world. Stay informed, not just with your small world, but with the world going on around you. This will give you a broader base of information to speak with others about. Use Internet news sites, watch television news and listen to radio talk shows.
Cash is always king. Businesses must be mindful of payroll and the day-to-day operations of an organization. It is crucial that every company has someone who is tasked with monitoring and reducing accounts receivables. Here are five steps to ensure that accounts receivable turns into cash in a timely manner.
Instructions
1. Choose a software tool that allows simple reporting (called an Aging Report) of A/R (accounts receivables). This tool should be able to report cash outstanding in 30-day intervals from the date of sale or the date the service was delivered. A report that is exportable into an Excel format is helpful.
2. Combine A/R into similar categories. Individual payers behave differently then organizations. Commercial payers may have different schedules than government payers. Viewing receivables as groups allows the A/R Manager to develop a strategy for reducing certain types of accounts receivable.
3. Address the oldest and largest A/R first. Accounts that are over 120 days old are more important than a 30-day-old account. Finding the biggest dollar value in the oldest time frame means tackling the A/R with the highest risk of loss.
4. Contact front line managers in the organization to develop processes that reduce the days sales outstanding (DSO) based on findings with specific vendors. It may be current policy to allow three to four weeks to pass before payer information makes it from the Front Line Manager to the A/R Manager. Processing this information immediately may reduce DSO by three to four weeks.
5. Communicate collection issues with vendors. Often, vendors may not be aware of any issues with accounts payable. Often written or verbal communication stating the facts of a particular situation will generate the conversation needed to convert accounts receivable into cash.
Corporations are classified as either public or private based on whether they sell stock to the general public and trade that stock on an exchange.
Features
Public corporations sell stock to the public on an exchange. In private companies, the senior management, key employees, and other individuals closely associated with the business are typically the stockholders.
Process
Corporations become public by filing necessary paperwork with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to have an initial public offering (IPO).
Purpose
Corporate leaders often choose to take a company public in order to gain an influx of money that can be used to further business goals and increase retention of quality employees and managers.
Accountability
Public companies must respond to the demands of the general public stockholders and are required to file specific reports with the SEC. Private companies do not have the same obligations to divulge business information.
Significance
Choosing to remain private or go public as a corporation can make a large difference in terms of future profits, marketability, and reputation.
A pole barn is a large outdoor structure with no internal walls needed to support the roof structure. The basic framing is composed of large vertical poles, thus giving the structure its name. These buildings are used to house large farm equipment, animals, cars, boats, or as a general-purpose garage since they have an open interior. Additional internal walls can be added as desired.
Instructions
Marking the Pole Barn Dimensions
1. Contact local city offices to determine what building permits may be required. Follow all local laws for posting permits.
2. Choose a flat area that drains well. Determine how large the finished building will be. Use eight-foot lengths as the basis for the final measurement as this length will require the least amount of cutting wood.
3. Drive a stake into the center of the area where the finished pole barn will be constructed. Measure from that stake to each side. For example if the finished barn will be 64 square feet, measure 32 feet in each direction from the center stake. Drive a stake at the end of the 32-foot measurement. This marks each side of the barn. Measure from each stake on the side toward the corner and drive a stake. For a 64-foot barn measure 32 feet to each side of the stake marking the side of the barn. Tie the string to one corner stake. Extend the string to one of the stakes in the center of a wall and wrap around the stake once. Continue the string to the next corner stake. Wrap the string once around the corner stake and continue the process until the barn is outlined. Use the carpenter's corner to verify each corner is a 90-degree angle. Adjust stakes as needed.
4. Lay the 8-foot boards along the string outline of the barn. Mark where two boards meet with a stake and continue marking these seams all the way around the barn outline. This will be where the posts are placed. Dig the post holes to a depth one-third of the height of the finished barn. Verify this will go below the frost level in cold climates. Add six more inches to the bottom of the hole if gravel will be added to improve drainage and prevent the post from rotting.
Building the Pole Barn
5. Cut each pole to the height indicated on the building plans for the barn. Place a pole into each hole previously dug. Verify the pole is standing straight up with a level held along the side of the pole. When the pole is upright pour one bag of ready mix cement into the hole to keep the pole in place. Allow the cement to cure for 2 days.
6. Nail 2-inch x 6-inch boards along the tops of the poles to serve as the base for the roof trusses. Place trusses using a backhoe to lift them into position. Nail trusses into place.
7. Nail 2-inch x 4-inch boards across the top of the trusses to be used to secure the roofing. Space these boards every two feet from the top to the bottom of the roof and all the way across all of the trusses. Cut boards as necessary so they don't extend beyond the trusses.
8. Lay the first layer of steel roofing across the eaves so the channels run up and down. Lay the next layer of roofing so it overlaps this by at least six inches. Overlap by a foot in rainy or windy areas. Place a blob of clear waterproof caulk on top of each screw to seal the roof. Nail the ridgecap onto the center of the roof with the same roofing nails used for the rest of the roof.
9. Nail 2-inch lumber to the poles around the sides of the barn to provide a surface to nail the siding onto. Space these boards evenly, but do not place across any doorways. Nail on the siding. Paint the metal siding to prevent weathering of the metal.
There are several types of slide projectors available on the market today, each one serving a specific purpose. The variety of slide projectors available can make it difficult to know which slide projector is the right one for the job.
Instructions
1. Know the type of data you use. A slide projector can be used with glass slide trays or digital files. You need an LCD projector if you use digital files. For glass slide trays, you can use a 35 mm slide projector.
2. Determine the focal length you need. Slide projectors vary in their ability to fill a screen at certain distances. Some slide projectors require the projector to be in close proximity to the screen. The size of the screen can also be a factor to consider.
3. Consider the location where you use the slide projector. Not only does the size of the room matter, the conditions of the presentation matter. Will you use the slide projector in a dark room or a well-lit room? If the lights are on during the presentation, you need a projector that can compensate for the additional light and still provide you with a quality picture.
4. Pick the change time you need. The change time of a slide projector is the minimum amount of time required to move a slide through the projection gate. You need a quick change time if you are going to move quickly through a presentation.
5. Choose the additional features. Finding the right slide projector may depend on the extra features available for the projector. Decide if it is beneficial to have remote focusing ability or auto focus. Also determine if you need a preview screen and random slide access. Other accessories can include an extra lamp module or a reading light.
A patent is the type of legal protection granted to inventors to secure their intellectual property rights for their work. The authority for granting patents is stated in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of patents is to encourage scientific and technological progress. Getting a patent isn't automatic. An inventor must show the invention or design is genuinely new in some essential way.
Definition
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a patent grants the holder "the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling."
Eligible Ideas
Patents are granted for new inventions or improvements and new combinations of existing technology. Some computer programs and biologically engineered organisms can also be patented
Non-patentable Items
Once a patent expires it can't be patented again. Things that occur in nature and scientific discoveries may not be patented.
Time Frame
Once a patent application is approved, it is good for 20 years under U.S. law. However, periodic maintenance fees must be paid to keep the patent in force.
Provisional Patents
A provisional patent may be granted before a patent application is filed. This protects the inventor's claim for 12 months, allowing time to complete the patent application process.
Patent Rights
A patent holder can sell the patent or may choose to retain ownership and license others to manufacture or sell the patented technology.
The sun is a giant ball of gas floating in outer space. As you've probably learned from science class, the planets in our solar system revolve around the sun.
Not only does Earth have the sun to thank for keeping it on the right course, the sun also warms the Earth. Without its heat, we wouldn't be able to live on our planet. The cold of outer space would be too much for our bodies to survive.
The sun makes this heat from nuclear reactions that give off energy, or heat. It turns hydrogen into helium, and light is created. The temperature of the sun is in the millions, and we would burn up before we even got close to it.
How the Earth Receives the Sun's Heat
The heat comes to the Earth in the form of UV rays the sun gives off. The reactions in the sun create light and heat, filtering through the Earth's atmosphere to us.
The distance the Earth is from the sun and the protection of its atmosphere are what keep the sun's rays from burning us alive. This is the reason so many people are afraid of global warming. They believe that the ozone layer, which blocks much of the sun's harmful rays, is slowly thinning and letting more heat in. Thus temperatures around the world are rising, and if our ozone layer became too thin, we wouldn't be able to survive.
The delicate balance between heat and cold that the sun and Earth work together to create are what sustain such a fragile life form as the human race.
Benefits and Dangers of the Sun to the Earth
The sun's heat benefits us with the warmth to stay alive, and it also gives us light during the day to see by. Did you know the sun also gives us light at night as well? The moon has no light of its own; it simply reflects the sun's light off it to reach us. So its light never truly disappears.
But there are dangers from the sun as well. Sunburn is a common problem that is caused by too much exposure to the sun's harmful rays. It can lead to skin cancer as well as premature aging. The possible thinning of the ozone layer, as previously mentioned, is also a real danger if it gets so thin that we cannot survive the Earth's rising temperatures.
But for now the sun is our greatest ally, keeping us warm and comfortable even though it's around 93 million miles away.
Geographic structures define departments according to geographic regions.
Organizational structures arrange business activities by departmentalizing company operations. Departmentalization establishes individual departments that derive from a company's organizational structure. Organizational structures may establish company departments based on the business activities that a department performs, individual products or services, consumer groups or geographic regions. Additionally, some companies adopt hybrid organizational structures that combine two or more traditional organizational models.
Function
Companies use a functional organizational structure to establish distinct departments according to the function of that department. Each department is a unit that is responsible for specific business functions or contributing specialized expertise. For example, this organizational structure may establish departments in a company by assigning one of either accounting, marketing or administrative functions to each department.
Product
Companies use product-oriented organizational structures to establish departments according to the product that a department is responsible for. For example, a multi-media company may apply thisorganizational structure with individual departments that perform video authoring, audio recording, product design or web design services.
Customer
Customer-oriented organizational structures help companies to establish departments according to the type of customer that the department deals with. For example, an event production company may apply this organizational structure with individual departments that deal with weddings and private individuals, small business clients and large corporate clients.
Geography
Companies use geographic organizational structures to establish divisions according to the geographic area that each division is responsible for. For example, a movie theater franchise may apply this organizational structure with individual divisions that are responsible for specific regions within a country such as northeastern, northwestern, southwestern, Midwestern and southern parts of the United States.
Matrix
A matrix structure combines the functional organizational structure with other organizational models and establishes a hybrid organizational structure. For example, a national bank may apply this organizational structure with individual divisions that are responsible for major regions in the country, and apply a structure that establishes departments based on the function that each department performs.
Global Domains International (GDI) is a business opportunity that has grown in popularity recently. The business focuses on building income by creating affiliate websites with a .ws domain name extension. If you are a member of GDI, there are a variety of options for loading your website onto the company's servers. GDI offers a website builder that allows users to build the website directly on its servers, requiring no uploading. Alternatively, a user's site can be built independently and uploaded through a file transfer protocol (FTP) client.
Instructions
1. Download and install an FTP client on your computer. Many programs are able to upload websites via FTP. Two of the most popular are Cute FTP and Filezilla.
2. Enter the FTP information given to you by GDI into the FTP client. Typically, you will enter your domain name into the "host" section of the FTP client, your chosen user name and password into the boxes labeled "user name" and "password," and in some cases, you will enter a "host directory."
3. Test your settings by pressing the "test connection" button within the FTP client.
4. Connect to the GDI server with the "connect" option in the FTP client and select "upload" or the up arrow on the client.
Salt when added to water, 1/2 teaspoon per quart, can help give the flowers nutrients to continue growing and live longer. Salts such as Epsom salts fertilize the flowers by providing sulfur and magnesium. These help the plant cell walls to better take in nutrients to keep the flowers alive longer.
Equalizes Plant Cell Pressure
Plant cells will pull in more water when salt is present. The plant cells do not have much salt in them and when the stem is introduced to a higher salinity water, the water in the cell moves out and the salt water moves in. Since the plant cells are more inclined to pull in water, the plant will live longer because the plant cells are well hydrated.
Inhibits Mold, Bacteria and Fungi Growth
Salts inhibit mold, bacteria and fungi growth. Salty water is not the ideal environment for mold, bacteria and fungi to grow. Therefore, salt allows a defense for the plants to live longer and be less inhibited by their growth.
What makes aluminum so different from other metals is that it is a 100 percent recyclable material. Aluminum cans are the most common form of processed aluminum available for recycling, which makes them the focus of the aluminum recycling program. For people who do not recycle aluminum cans on their own, several states have passed laws applying deposits to their aluminum can purchases as incentives for people to recycle. By returning aluminum cans for deposit, the market can count on a certain supply of recycled aluminum for further aluminum production demands. Aluminum can manufacturers want to use recycled aluminum because it takes 95 percent less energy to transform into another aluminum can than it takes to mine the aluminum ore and make a can from scratch.
The Environmental Impact
Because of the 95 percent less energy it takes to transform a recycled can, manufacturers also emit 95 percent fewer production emissions, which has a significant effect on reduced carbon emissions and global warming contributions. This reduces the demand on energy and natural resources needed to manufacture new aluminum cans. Because the cans are recycled, there is a reduced cost in waste disposal from the consumer and industry. The use of deposits also discourages consumers from simply discarding their aluminum cans, so it cuts down on litter and trash along the highways and the streets. If all aluminum cans were recycled, there would be no need for destructive aluminum ore mining because supply would always meet demand. Recycling just 40 aluminum cans has the effect of reducing gasoline consumption by a single gallon.
Recycle Aluminum Cans
Recycling aluminum cans is easy. When they are empty, rinse them out so they are clean and either return them to the store for deposit or recycle them with the rest of your recyclable household materials. If your state has an aluminum can deposit, it is marked on the can and the store charges you that extra deposit amount at the time of purchase. Most facilities that pay deposits do not take crushed aluminum cans. If there is no deposit, crushing the cans saves on storage space until recycled. Most disposal services pick up recycling with the rest of the garbage but may have specific requirements such as certain pickup days and no co-mingling with other recyclables. Other cities have recycling facilities at designated areas, at community transfer stations, or even offer recycling services through the school. Regardless of how aluminum cans are recycled, within 60 days they are back on the shelf as new aluminum cans and ready to repeat the cycle for the next 400 years.
The recycling movement is growing as more families look into Earth-friendlier ways to live. You can help spearhead the movement straight from your home or office by starting your own recycling center. If you start your own recycling center from home, you can introduce the idea to a community that normally wouldn't have the option. One of the most commonly recycled substances is plastic. You can collect plastic for recycling by saving soda bottles, milk jugs and other common items.
Instructions
1. Research your local recycling laws. When you start your recycling center from home, it is much like starting your own business. Follow all local, state and federal laws to the letter to avoid any fines or legal action.
2. Set aside an area just for your recycling center. Calculate more space then you think you need. You might be surprised at how fast your little home recycling center can fill up. Some acceptable places are a garage, shed or kitchen. Leasing a small office building is another alternative.
3. Educate your friends and family about recycling. Try to get them involved in your movement. Working with friends and family can make your work more enjoyable. The extra hands are also a big help.
4. Schedule regular visits to a recycling compound to dump collected materials. Share this task with friends and family members to save time and gas. Schedule the visits as often as you think necessary to prevent your workplace from getting overfilled.
A real estate investor makes money through real estate. An active investor that is good at analyzing real estate market values and trends can become rich. Investors use several different methods to turn a profit in the real estate market. This article discusses the following types of real estate investments: development properties, distress properties, fixer-uppers, long-term investments and rentals.
Development Properties
Real estate investors that specialize in developing properties are often called developers. Developers purchase bare land and build on it. Alternatively, they may purchase land with an existing structure and tear it down to build a new structure, or add more structures to the property. The developer builds on the property and sells the developed property for a profit. A small development can consist of a small plot of land that one house is built on. A large development can consist of an apartment complex, office complex or a retail complex.
Distress Properties
Some real estate investors look for properties that are in threat of foreclosure, are in foreclosure, or have been foreclosed on and are bank owned. These types of properties are called distress properties because the owner of the property is close to losing his home. Investors can often purchase these properties for less than their market value, because the owners are desperate to get out of a property that they cannot afford.
For instance, if the seller purchased a house for $100,000 and has paid off $50,000 of the home loan, he may sell to the investor for $60,000 and lose the majority of the money he have paid into the property. The seller takes the loss to prevent a foreclosure on his credit file. Investors can usually purchase bank-owned properties for a fraction of the market value, because the bank often is just looking to recoup the remaining balance owed on the loan before foreclosure.
Fixer-Uppers
Real estate investors often purchase fixer-upper properties, fix them and sell them for a profit. Fixer-upper properties are usually a quick turnaround investment. The investor purchases the property, quickly has the repairs done, and instantly puts the property back up for sale.
Long-Term Investments
Long-term investments are properties that the investor buys and holds on to for a long time. Investors buy the property when the market is down and sell it when the market is high. Another strategy is to buy a property in an area that has very little development and wait for the area to grow in population. Once the population increases and development starts to increase, the property is worth more money and the investor sells it.
Rentals
Investors usually rent out properties that they are keeping for long-term investments. The rental income helps to pay for the property while it sits. One strategy that many investors use is to sell a house with owner financing. This is a popular strategy in a down market. Say the investor wants to sell a property, but the market is down. The investor offers the property for sell with owner financing. People with poor credit who cannot obtain a conventional loan through a bank will often overpay for a house that is offered for sale with owner financing.
Offset printing provides sharper, cleaner reproductions than the letterpress (because the process reproduces at higher resolutions) and is less expensive than rotogravure printing (an even higher resolution but a much more costly printing process).
A German named Alois Senefelder first demonstrated lithographic printing on a smooth-faced, flat and porous rock in the late 1700s. Aware that oil and water do not mix, he sketched a design on polished stone with a greasy substance the rock absorbed. When he dampened the stone's surface, the design area repelled the water and when he rolled ink over the entire surface of the stone, the ink stuck to his design, but not to the dampened blank area. Pressing a sheet of paper to the stone created a clean image of the design.
Fifty years later, the French-developed the steam lithographic press and by the 1950s, lithographic offset printing had become the printer's process of choice for both high-volume web and lower-volume sheet-fed printing.
Offset Printing Plates
Modern lithography combines photography with Senefelder's original use of oil to repel water. Various manufacturers offer printers offset printing plates made of "photo sensitive" thin paper, plastic (photo polymer) or thin metal. They sensitize their plates by coating them with photo polymer or a diazo compound, making them ready for the printer to expose to light--like photographic film. Most printers use pre-sensitized aluminum sheets with a grain or granular finish that imparts water-carrying properties to the aluminum.
The Pre-Press Process
The pre-press process begins with the preparation of camera-ready copy. Camera-ready copy can consist of "paste ups" (also called "mechanicals"), created in-house or provided by the client or as digital data (files created in a graphic design program), and again created by the printer or the client.
The printer creates film negatives (or positives) of the mechanicals or data file. The printer then makes the printing plate by exposing it to light filtered by the film. Light passes through the clear areas of the negative, where it hits the polymer, which hardens as a result, and bounces off the negative's dark areas, leaving the underlying polymer unhardened. That unhardened polymer washes away during processing, an automated process not unlike developing a photograph, to expose the water-receptive aluminum plate. After processing, the printing plate is ready for the printing press.
Implementing the Offset in "Offset" Printing
The pressman mounts the printing plate on a cylinder. As the press runs, the mounted plate first rolls under a water roller, which wets it. The damp plate then moves under the ink rollers where the image area accepts the ink. Still rotating, the inked plate leaves its image on the "offset" blanket and heads back to the water to repeat the process. The "offset" blanket, in turn, transfers its image to the paper, completing the offset portion of the process. After the paper leaves the rollers the printer lets--or forces via a "heat" section built into the press--the ink dry. The printer cuts, trims and binds, if required, before packaging and delivering the finished job to the client.
Like anything else involving credit, building corporate or business credit without a personal guarantor takes time and requires a bigger dose of patience. It is important to note that personal credit is always linked to business credit at the beginning stages of any business, and it may be impossible to separate the two. However, it is possible to build business credit without personal guarantees. It only takes time, patience and know-how.
Instructions
1. Create a business structure. The first step in building corporate credit is to create a legal entity and structure for your business. You should decide whether you want an LLC or a corporation. Do some research and get the necessary advice you need to set up your business properly. There are several online companies that can set up your business structure for a fee, once you provide them the needed information. LegalZoom.com and BizFilings.com are two examples. Make sure you also obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
2. Open a business bank account. After creating your business, it is important to open a business account at a bank. Make sure the account remains in good standing with a healthy average daily balance. Most creditors like to see a bank reference that is at least six months old. It is impossible to build corporate credit without personal guarantors if this crucial step is missing.
3. Prepare a business credit package. The next step is to start applying for credit. To do that, you will need to prepare a credit package which you will send to creditors when applying for business credit. You should assemble the following:1. A cover letter including all the pertinent contact information for your company and of a person authorized to make financial decisions.2. All banking information, including a Tax ID number, bank accounts and statements from the last three months and a Dun & Bradstreet number.3. At least three business credit references from suppliers or other companies that have extended credit to your company.4. At least two business and owner character references. This is to show that your business is in good standing in the eyes of the people it serves. Customer testimonials will suffice.5. Company financial statements, future financials including cash flow projections, tax returns for the last two years and even a business plan.
4. Start building business credit. Using the above credit package start applying for business credit. Apply for business credit cards and lines of credit from local banks. A good place to start will be at banks where you already have business accounts. Office supply stores as well as warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club or gas stations are a good place to start for credit cards. Make sure that the credit applications you fill out do not ask for a personal social security number. That is the way to avoid personal guarantees.
5. Monitor and build your business credit score and report. This is done with a Dun & Bradstreet account. Having a good DUNS record is like having a good personal FICO score. Please see resources below for a link to an article on build a good DUNS record.
Marine insurance is a lot like any other kind of insurance: It guards against damage to or loss of something of value. It can cover ships, cargo, terminals or ports. It can even cover pipelines and oil platforms.
Protection and Indemnity
This kind of insurance covers any damage to cargo the ship is carrying; it protects the ship's owners from liability resulting from the injury or death of anyone on board the ship; and it covers infrastructure, like piers and bridges, damaged by the ship.
Vessels
The ships themselves are insured with hull insurance. The common clauses in policies cover damage related to fire, collision, sinking and stranding. In collision clauses, the insurance extends to both ships involved.
Cargo
Companies shipping goods internationally have a few options. They can select an open cargo policy, which covers the goods from their departure to their destination, even during land transportation. They can also choose to cover only specific risks (fire, etc.), or all risks. The company may also choose to have the insurance cover only a specific transaction.
Subprime mortgages are a necessary part of the housing industry. A subprime mortgage is more expensive than a prime mortgage, but allows individuals to become homeowners who otherwise would not have that option. Subprime mortgages can be dangerous if you do not carefully evaluate your loan terms to avoid falling victim to predatory lending practices.
The Facts
A subprime mortgage is a mortgage loan geared primarily toward borrowers with lower credit scores and a damaged credit history. These borrowers do not qualify for standard mortgage loans due to the high risk of default that they present. Subprime loans carry higher interest rates and fees than loans offered to prime borrowers. Loans that fall into this category are also more likely to include monthly payments that increase over time, rather than remaining stable for the life of the loan.
History
Subprime mortgages hit their peak during the U.S. housing boom in 2006. By that time, subprime mortgages accounted for 14 percent of all mortgage loans distributed that year--up from a mere 9 percent in 2001. (See Reference 1) The popularity of the subprime market drove many lenders to provide borrowers with "creative" funding. Subprime lenders wrote loans to borrowers with no proof of income, loans that charged no interest for a set period of time or loans that offered low interest rates for several years before adjusting to a much higher rate later on. Because those who sought a loan through the subprime market were at a greater risk of default, these creative funding techniques were the precursor for a surge in foreclosures as more and more subprime borrowers could not keep up with monthly mortgage payments due to adjusting interest rates.
Effects
During the course of the housing boom, purchasing a home was relatively easy. The lowest rates came with adjustable rate mortgages. After several years, the rates on adjustable rate mortgages began to increase dramatically. Some families saw mortgage payments skyrocket to more than double their original payment. Unable to pay the new rates, borrowers began to lose their homes to foreclosure. The more foreclosures that occurred, the more lenders were wary of lending. This made getting a home after early 2008 difficult for those restricted to shopping in the subprime market only. The subprime mortgage market is often blamed for contributing to substandard economic conditions in the U.S. after the "burst" of the housing bubble in 2006.
Predatory Lending
Predatory lending is a practice used by some unscrupulous lenders to take advantage of subprime borrowers. The practice encompasses any behavior that is only in the financial interests of the lender and not the borrower. Predatory lending tactics are also commonly veiled over when described to the consumer, or even included in the mortgage contract but never mentioned. Some examples of predatory lending practices are convincing homeowners to refinance when they do not need to, lying on loan paperwork and levying abnormally large prepayment penalties to prevent refinancing. (See Reference 3)
Misconceptions
You may naturally assume that every borrower with a subprime mortgage has low credit and was not able to make a substantial down payment, but that is not always the case. Many borrowers who are eligible for prime loans are steered into subprime loans by lenders who solicit them and never mention their eligibility for better rates and loan terms. Do not assume that you are only eligible for a subprime mortgage loan just because that is what your lender tells you. Shopping around for loan terms and rates is a good practice to ensure that no lender can trap you into a dishonest loan.
When you have an outstanding debt, one of the ways that a creditor might try to get the money is by placing a lien on your property. When this happens, it could affect you in a number of ways. Your credit could be damaged and it could cost you more money in the long run.
Encumbrance
When a lien is placed on your home, it is a form of encumbrance you will have to deal with. If you do not repay your creditor within a certain amount of time, the creditor could potentially foreclose on your home. If you sell your home, you will have to repay the lien holder before you can keep any of the money for yourself. You could eventually lose your house over the debt.
Credit Considerations
When a creditor places a lien on your property, it can also affect your credit. Most liens are noted on your credit reports with all three of the major credit bureaus. This means that when you try to obtain additional credit or financing, the lender will see the liens on your credit report. It will be very difficult to obtain additional financing during this time.
Extra Cost
When a creditor places a lien on your property, it could eventually cost you more money. Often, the creditor will charge you interest on the amount of money that you owe until the lien is paid back. This extra interest could add up to a substantial amount of money over the life of the debt. Paying off the debt immediately could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Limits Your Options
When a lien is placed on your property, it also has the potential to limit your options. Since the lien represents an encumbrance on the title to your property, it will have to be repaid with the proceeds from the sale of your house. This means that you may not be able to sell your house or move until after the lien is removed. If you need the equity in your house for a down payment on another house, take care of the lien before selling.
Make an accurate estimate so everyone at the picnic leaves full.
Avoid overspending and running out of food early at your next picnic by making an accurate estimate. When preparing large quantities of food to feed a crowd, the costs can add up fast. Shopping for the right amount of food for a picnic keeps the bill lower so you can afford higher quality products. There are a couple important factors to consider when adjusting the standard per-person portion to meet the needs of your picnic group.
Instructions
1. Review the guest list and write down the number of big and small eaters in the picnic group. Kids under 10 and adults over 60 are usually considered light eaters. A work-related picnic may be all average age adults that would fall into the big eaters category. Make exceptions to these generalizations based on your knowledge of the individual guests.
2. Determine the percentage of big eaters that are attending the picnic by dividing the number of big eaters by the total number of expected attendees. A work-related picnic may be 100 percent big eaters. A child's birthday picnic may be as low as 20 percent big eaters.
3. Multiply the total number of attendees by one to get an initial food weight estimate in total pounds. A picnic with 100 guests will have an unadjusted estimate of 100 pounds of food.
4. Increase the total food weight estimate by 20 percent on picnics with a guest list showing 70 percent or more are big eaters. Decrease the total food weight estimate by 20 percent on picnics with a guest list showing 30 percent or less are big eaters. Leave the estimate unadjusted if the number of big eaters falls between 30 percent and 70 percent.
5. Write down the total adjusted estimate, and circle it. Approximately 40 percent of this total weight will be divided between two or more protein choices like beef, pork or fish. The remaining 60 percent of the total weight will be in vegetables, salads and other side dishes.
6. Take these numbers with you when you shop, and keep a running total of the food weight purchased. Buying a little more than you will need is better than buying any amount less than you need.
If you are looking for a method of distributing your message to a wide variety of media outlets, you should consider signing-on with a press release news wire. PR news wires are fairly simple to find and use. For an annual fee or, in a few cases, available as a free service, PR news wires will send out your press releases to those outlets best equipped to get your news into the hands of your intended audience.
Getting Started
Before you begin your search for a news wire, consider your publicity objectives. Examine your message, the content, and who are the most likely to want to read your message. The identity of your readers and the nature of your press releases will determine which news wire service that you should investigate using. You also want to consider where you want your content placed. You'll probably want a service that can offer a balance of delivery options, from websites to newspaper placement. If you are a specialty organization or publisher, you'll want to make sure you get coverage in the journals or online mediums that best serve your target audience. Once you have determined the nature of the coverage desired, then you can go about the business of finding the right service.
Traditional Wire Services
A number of competent, traditional news wire services abound that will effectively place your press releases into a variety of mediums. One of the more visible series is PR Newswire. This service has been in business for more than fifty years and allows members access to a variety of services. Although there is a fee for membership, you'll get access to editorial assistance, advice on distribution options for your news, press release reporting systems, and a variety of online and news media placement tools. Other traditional firms include Business Wire, Press Access, RushPRNews, and many more. These services all offer a mix of traditional print media placement and online placement, and are very effective for those looking to get into their message out to magazines, journals, and newspapers.
Online Wire Services
As media began to grow online during the last half of the 2000s, so have media placement services. Many online news wire services have begun to emerge, offering clients a way to place their companies and their message on the web. Wired PR News is an online business press release distribution company that offers a variety of service options for online distribution. Introduced in 2008, the wired media outlet provides publicists with everything from search engine optimization to online press release distribution for small businesses. Other online-only distribution services include E-Wire, Internet Wire, PR Web, U.S. Newswire, and others. A free online press service to consider is National PR Wire, which allows you to submit and distribute an unlimited number of press releases online. Other online services offer free trials to test the waters before signing on for a press distribution campaign.
Britain's pound sterling is one of the more highly valued foreign currencies due to its exchange rate.
There are several definitions for foreign currency banking. You may simply be exchanging currencies at your domestic banking institution or opening a foreign bank account. It could also refer to banking investments on a much higher level.
Foreign Currency Exchange
If you are traveling to another country you may want to obtain funds in that particular currency. Some local banks will have stores of foreign currency on hand as well as related travelers checks. However, sometimes you need to go to the main branch of a bank to find foreign currency on hand and switch your dollars.
Overseas Accounts
One of the functions of a foreign bank account is you can hold the account in a foreign currency. This is especially attractive if the currency offers a favorable exchange rate at any given time and the interest rate on the account is sound. However, there is always the risk that there will be a devaluation in that currency and you will have lost money in the investment.
Investment Banking and Reserves
Often, international investment banks will trade in foreign currencies based on speculation of value in that currency. The federal government may also get involved through a central bank like the United States' Federal Reserve which can also reserve foreign monies. They may do their own investing or monitor market fluctuations in foreign currency.
Credit card debt makes up a large percentage of U.S. consumer debt.
The term "consumer debt" refers to debt that is obtained for the purpose of consumption or possession rather than investment. Debt instruments such as credit cards and personal loans can be used for profit-generating purposes, but generally they are used to make unnecessary consumption-related purchases. An increase or decrease in consumer debt in the country can have both negative and positive effects on the economy.
Money Multiplier Effect
One advantage of consumer debt is what is termed the money multiplier effect. The philosophy behind this concept is that increasing consumer spending boosts income for a string of businesses and individuals. Each additional consumption purchase funded by debt generates more money for the business selling the product, the business's employees, its suppliers and its suppliers' employees, not to mention the income for the lending organization and its employees.
Interest Rates
In the United States, the Federal Reserve loosely controls interest rates in the economy by setting the Federal Funds Target Rate. The target rate affects the prime interest rate---the rate at which banks extend short-term loans to each other---which in turn affects rates for retail and institutional borrowers.
A decrease in consumer debt can alert the Federal Reserve that people are spending less on products and services in the economy, to which they often react by lowering the Federal Funds Target Rate to encourage more borrowing, which is thought to encourage spending and investment. This can have spillover effects throughout the rest of the economy, as interest rates can influence home buying, business startups, higher education and investing.
Savings and Investment
Consumer debt is completely unproductive by definition, meaning it does not generate a profit, or even revenue, for the borrower. Higher levels of consumer debt can translate into lower levels of debt used for investments. If a person is mired in expensive credit card payments each month, for example, he is less likely to save money to invest in real estate or a 401(k). This can shift demand in the economy from industries like financial services and real estate to consumption-driven industries like fast food and entertainment.
Loan Defaults
If consumer debt grows too large in the economy, with a large number of households owing many times their annual income levels, loan defaults can cause ripple effects throughout the economy. One of the first domino to fall during the economic crises of 2008 was a higher-than-expected mortgage default rate. Rampant defaults in the credit markets can cripple banks, which can reduce the supply of debt funding in the system and possibly cause banks to tap into federal insurance to fund customers' withdrawals. This in turn can cause people to withdraw their money and close their accounts, leaving even less money in the lending pool, which, as mentioned above, can slow spending and investment trends.
Timeshares are vacation properties where ownership is split between several different parties. When an individual buys into a timeshare, he purchases the right to use the property for a specific time period each year. Buying a timeshare can be a way to have a vacation home without having to pay a property outright. Timeshares may offer tax benefits similar to purchasing a second home.
Loan Interest Deduction
Although buying a timeshare may be less expensive than purchasing a second home, timeshares are often located in prime vacation areas. Even a one- or two-week stake in a timeshare can cost thousands of dollars. Many timeshare owners finance their purchase using mortgages just like they would a normal home. Timeshares financed with mortgages (loans where the equity is used to secure the loan) may be eligible for a tax deduction on loan interest. If you purchase a timeshare with a personal loan that the equity of the properly has not secured, you will not be eligible for the interest deduction. Interest can amount to hundreds of dollars in monthly payments, so the savings of an interest deduction can be significant. Mortgage interest is only tax deductible on a primary residence and one vacation property or second home. If you have more than one timeshare, you will only be able to claim the deduction on one of them.
Property Taxes
Timeshares are often similar to condominiums in that you may have to pay a maintenance or upkeep fee to the building owner. The cost of property taxes may be passed onto timeshare owners though the maintenance fee or they may be assessed as a separate property tax bill. Property taxes charged on timeshares may be tax deductible; it may be easier to deduct property taxes on a timeshare if you receive a separate bill for the tax or if your maintenance fee explicitly states the amount you are paying toward property taxes.
Rental Units
If you own a timeshare, but rent out some of the time instead of using the unit yourself, certain costs associated with the timeshare and renting may be tax expenses. For example, maintenance fees, insurance costs, depreciation and rental advertising costs may be tax deductible. The IRS requires that vacation homeowners put the property to personal use at least 14 days to qualify for the home mortgage interest deduction, according to Bankrate.
Options are contracts that give the holder leverage on underlying stocks. Options contracts can be bought and sold to control large shares of stock with less exposure to financial risk. LEAPS, an acronym for Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities, are special types of options, which have expiration dates much longer than standard short-term options.
Long-Term Options
Options contracts typically have expiration dates of a few months. LEAPS have expiration dates between nine months and 2.5 years. Holding a standard option contract only gives a short period of time for the position to work. With the long-term expiration dates of LEAPS, there is much more time to allow for a successful trade.
Similarities
LEAPS are the same as short-term options in that they are traded and quoted on an options exchange, just as are stocks on stock exchanges. Both types of options have the same assignment and trading procedures, and one contract covers 100 shares of stock. Commission and margin fees are also the same.
Differences
The principal difference between short-term options and LEAPS is the length of time until expiration. Also, not all stocks for which options are available have LEAPS options. LEAPS are typically only offered on stocks in very active sectors and on large-cap stocks. Because of the extended period of time, the pricing of LEAPS is different from that of short-term options.
An Alternative to Buying Stock
Buying a call option allows the option holder to benefit from a rise in a stock's price without risking as much money as actually buying the stock itself. If the stock price rises above the options' exercise price before the expiration date, the option's holder can exercise the option, purchase the stock at a lower price, and turn around and sell it at the current price for profit. Or the option itself can be sold for a profit. Since the stock market historically yields positive returns to investors over time, this strategy of using options as an alternative to owning stock is especially well-suited for LEAPS, which have expiration dates of up to several years.
If you have a significant news item you want to share through a press release, you can consider submitting the press release through one of several wires online. However, these services generally charge a fee. If you only want the press release to go to the Associated Press (AP), you can simply submit the press release to AP directly.
Instructions
1. Determine if your press release needs to go to a specific department. Other than the main department, the Associated Press has four additional sub-departments. They include sports, arts and entertainment, business news, lifestyle and news features.
2. Email your press release in the body of an email to info@ap.org. If the release falls into one of the sub-departments, include the department in the subject line or in the body of the email.
3. Mail your press release, if you'd prefer, to the AP's headquarters. The address is:
Associated Press
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, New York
10001
4. Mail your press release to a local AP affiliate, if the press release is of regional or local, rather than national, significance. Visit the Associated Press resource link and select your state from the link to view the address.
You need to bring awareness to any new business. The main purpose of advertising is to make people aware that your business exists. Bring in new customers with some advertising ideas that have worked for countless other businesses. Find the best ways to advertise your business with a list of advertising ideas.
Car Sign
Add a magnetic business card holder to your car so passerbys can pick up a card when interested.
A magnetic car sign advertises your new business while you are simply running errands or going to a customer's location. Anyone who can see the side of your car while you're driving or parked will see the magnetic car sign advertisement. Include as much information as possible about your new business, such as your business name, address, phone number and website.
Flyers
Go to local parking lots and tuck your flyers under the windshield wipers of the parked cars to advertise your new business. Call your local police station to ensure this is legal.
Flyers are quite effective when advertising to your local area. Your word processing software should have an option for creating a flyer. You can make your information detachable so those interested can rip off a tag with your business information. You could also hire a graphic designer to do your flyers for you. Visit local businesses and ask for permission to hang up your flyer. Go prepared with some thumb tacks and tape just in case the business does not supply them.
Business Cards
Business cards are essential.
Every new business owner should have business cards available at all times. Carry them with you wherever you go so you can hand one out when meeting someone new or meeting someone that could use your products or services. You can print your own business cards at home with the proper paper, or have them professionally made.
Direct Mail
Hiring a graphic designer or other direct mail expert can help you reach your target audience.
Direct mail is a great form of advertising, but one that can become costly. You can mail out your flyers and business cards, or create something new to mail to your potential customers, such as brochures, postcards, coupons or giveaways.
Yellow Page Listing
Get your business listed in the online yellow pages as well.
List your business information in your local yellow pages. You can have just your business name and number listed in the phone book under the appropriate category, or you can design a quarter-, half-, or full-page ad to display in the phone book.
Brochures
Brochures can be used for direct mail, handed out at meetings or left in local businesses.
Brochures can help you advertise your new business with more information than can be held on a business card. You can teach and persuade your potential customer about your business and what you can do for them. To get the most effectiveness from your brochures, you should hire a copywriter and a graphic designer.
Newspaper Advertising
Bring the news of your new business to your local readers in your newspaper.
If your new business has something to offer your local area, advertising in your local newspaper can be beneficial. Check your local papers to determine which one makes more sense for your ad. Some readers would be better for your business than others.
Newsletter Advertising
The online newsletter you advertise in should be an opt-in mailing list, meaning that those receiving it have requested to receive it.
Advertising in online newsletters can be effective for your new business. Locate successful online newsletters that are related to your new business. For example, if your new business is pet grooming, you should advertise in newsletters that are meant for pet owners. Create a short text advertisement (usually five lines of 65 characters each) to have featured in your chosen online newsletters.
Insurance is an industry where corporations hold large sums of money with the promise to pay some out in the event of an emergency. This fact has led to the industry being highly regulated, and life insurance is no exception. If you want to sell life insurance legally, you will need to get a license in every state where you want to sell.
Education and Testing
To qualify for an insurance license, you must complete a course of education that teaches you about the laws and practices for that kind of insurance. Individual state requirements will vary. However, the norm is a two-week class that bundles life insurance with health insurance. You can take these classes at a physical school or via an Internet distance learning program. Once you've completed your course, you must then pass a state licensing exam before you receive your actual life insurance license. Once you have your license, most states require regular continuing education in order to maintain it.
Background Requirements
Potential life insurance agents in all states must pass a criminal history check prior to receiving their license. While specifics vary from state to state, a felony conviction will disqualify you in most states for several years. Many finance-based misdemeanors will disqualify you as well, and any conviction for fraud -- especially insurance fraud -- may mean you are disqualified for life. Generally, the background requirements for your life insurance license are identical to other insurance licenses.
Multiple States
Once you've received your life insurance license for one state, it's a good idea to get licensed in nearby states. If you sell life insurance remotely, you will eventually want to be licensed to sell life insurance in as many states as possible. Fortunately, nearly all states have reciprocal arrangements with other states when it comes to life insurance licenses. You will only have to prove you've been licensed and pay a fee to that state's insurance board. In some cases, the state will run an independent criminal history check.
Earning Potential
Life insurance sales is among the jobs with the highest potential earnings without requiring a college degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for life insurance agents in 2008 was $45,500. Half of the licensed life insurance agents in the U.S. made between $30,000 and $70,000. Top earners in the field routinely clear six figures.
Rubber bands, sometimes referred to as elastic bands, are seemingly everywhere. They are abundant in office supply rooms, junk drawers, bathrooms and women's purses. There is a good likelihood that if you searched around your home or workplace right now, you would find at least one if not several. While they are great for snapping people or binding small items, you might be surprised to learn how many other uses they have.
History
Several people claim to be the inventor of rubber bands. The first and most notable was a Londoner named Thomas Hancock. Hancock purportedly sliced up a rubber bottle and used the bands for garters and pant waists in 1820. A quarter of a century later, a rubber manufacturer, Stephen Perry, patented the rubber band with the intention of using it to hold papers together. Nearly a century later, Alliance Rubber founder William H. Spencer convinced Ohio paper carriers and grocers to bundle newspapers and vegetables, respectively, using the bands.
Function
Since rubber bands were invented and marketed with the function of holding and bundling things together, this is undoubtedly the most common use. However, the options go much further than paper and produce. The next time you are carrying a covered dish to a potluck or other gathering, use two rubber bands to secure the lid to the container. Wrap them crosswise around the container to prevent spilling. You can use a rubber band in place of a chip clip or bread tie, wrapping it around a bag twisted closed.
Rubber bands have more serious uses as well. They are important in dentistry, where they're used to help straighten teeth. Rubber bands have numerous uses in the field of medicine, including for obesity surgery (the rubber bands reduce the size of the stomach) and even for hemorrhoids. Rubber band ligation is the most widely used treatment for internal hemorrhoids.
Features
Because of their ability to snugly grip many types of material, rubber bands make good tools for many practical applications. Wrap a rubber band or two around each end of your cutting board before using it. The bands will provide traction and keep the board safely in place while you chop away. Twist a rubber band around a pickle jar lid or beer bottle top before twisting it off. It will give you a better grip and protect your hand from any sharp edges.
Benefits
Rubber bands can provide needed help in urgent situations, at the very least providing a temporary fix until you can get the necessary supplies. For instance, if you have a small leak in a rubber hose, wrap a rubber band securely around the area with a hole. The waterproof band will temporarily stop the leak. If you have a low-watt piece of electrical cord that has a small exposed area, wrap a rubber band over the exposure. Make sure the cord is disconnected from the power supply when you touch it.
Considerations
One great way to use rubber bands is in art and craft projects. Make tie-dyed Easter eggs by dunking an egg in a light-colored dye, allowing it to dry, wrapping parts of it with rubber bands and dipping it into a darker color. Remove the bands and check out your psychedelic egg. Wrap a rubber band around the middle of a stack of papers and you have an instant book. Crisscross several large rubber bands around a corkboard or stretched canvas. Hang it on your wall and post pictures, notes or other memorabilia.
Incorporating a business is the act of making a business officially registered with the state in which the business primarily operates. When a person becomes incorporated, he is allotted certain protections from the activities of the business. The person is immune from debts, assets and legal aspects of the incorporated business. People usually become incorporated within the first year of business operations.
Instructions
1. Find your state's secretary of state website (see Resources). Click on "Business Filings." Then click on "Filing Forms and Fees." You will then see a list of links pertaining to different types of business structures like limited partnerships and trusts. These are all different types of filings handled by your state's secretary of state office. Click on the link for professional corporations.
2. Download the form needed for the initial articles of incorporation filings for your state. You will notice the fee that you will send in with your completed form. Send this fee in the form of a check or money order.
3. Fill out the name of your corporation, the city in which it is located and the date you are mailing the articles of incorporation. Write out a brief description of the business in the appropriate blank. Then enter information about yourself as the sole shareholder, because you are becoming incorporated yourself. Write your name and then write 100 percent shares in the blank that asks for the percentage of shares the individual holds.
4. Write information about yourself, like your name, address and phone number. Do not include any social security or employee identification numbers on this form. The articles of incorporation are a matter of public record and anyone can view these forms.
5. Hire an accountant or attorney to act as the statutory agent of your incorprated company. Have the accountant or attorney fill out basic information about himself, including his name and address in the spots that request it on the Original Appointment of Statutory Agent Form. Have him then sign the document.
6. Mail the documents to the business filings office at your state's secretary of state building. Once your forms are processed, you will receive a letter in the mail confirming your incorporation.
A hand signature is a good way to personalize a professional letter of invitation.
Formal invitation letters are commonly used by businesses to request the presence of clients or prospective clients at a special company event. They can also be used to invite guests to deliver speeches at company conventions and formal meetings. They are distinguished from personal invitation letters by their formality and the fact that an organization or corporate unit is inviting the individual to the event, rather than one person inviting someone else to an event.
Instructions
1. Open a word processing document on your computer, and create two or three carriage returns at the top of the page. Select a left alignment, single-spaced format for your text. Choose a font that is legible, such as Times New Roman, size 12, or Arial, size 10.
2. Type today's date as Month Day, Year. Enter two carriage returns, creating two blank lines of space, and type the address block for the person you are sending the letter to, using this format:
Name
Title
Organization/Company
Address
City, State ZIP
3. Enter three carriage returns after the address block, and type the greeting. For example:
Dear :
Enter another carriage return, and begin typing the letter.
4. State the reason you are writing in the opening sentence. For example, write, "On behalf of the board of directors for ABC Company, I would like to formally invite you to be the keynote speaker at our 2011 National Conference in Jacksonville, Fla."
Provide details about the conference in the next paragraph, including conference theme, location and dates. Mention other confirmed speakers if there are any. Create another paragraph with your expectations of how many guests will attend.
5. Type a closing sentence restating your request and thanking the person for his consideration. Enter a carriage return, and type a single sentence indicating when you will follow up your letter with a phone call to discern the person's response.
6. Enter a carriage return again and type your salutation, such as "Sincerely," "Cordially" or "Respectfully," followed by a comma. Enter three carriage returns and type your signature block:
Your Name
Your Title
Your Company
Sign your name in the empty space between your salutation and signature block to give the letter a hand-written, personal touch. Place the letter in a typed envelope, and include a first-class postage stamp on the envelope.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the most common method of measuring the economic growth (or decline) of a country. It is the total value of all of the goods and services produced by any given country in a given year. Nominal GDP uses numbers that are based on current prices. Real GDP uses numbers that have been adjusted for inflation. If real GDP is calculated on a per capita (per person) basis, two countries with very different populations can be compared. This is how analysts compare the economies of developed nations (such as the United States or Canada) to the economies of developing nations (such as Zimbabwe or Vietnam).
Instructions
1. Find the real GDP of two countries that you would like to compare. Then find the total population of the same countries. The CIA's World Fact Book is the most useful resource to find the information you need. For example, the 2008 (estimated) GDP for the United States was $14.33 trillion and its population was 304.5 million. The 2008 (estimated) GDP for Pakistan was $160.9 billion and its population was 172.8 million.
2. Divide GDP by population to calculate the per capita GDP of a country. Real GDP divided by population equals GDP per capita
3. Make the calculations. For the United States: $14,330,000,000,000 divided by 304,500,000 equals $47,060. For Pakistan: $160,900,000,000 divided by 172,800,000 equals $931. This comparison reveals that the real GDP per capita of the United States is 50.5 times that of Pakistan.
Various groups like to know more about business partners before engaging in long-term transactions. Lenders prefer to evaluate how much cash potential borrowers have, as well as how much revenue they can generate over the loan period. Customers and vendors also analyze solvency and profitability data before signing commercial agreements with partners.
Revenues
Revenue items run the gamut from investment gains to earnings from sales and vendor discounts. Investors pay attention to a firm's revenues because they want to see how much money the business is currently generating but also how much more it can reap in the future. Financial analysts call "profit potential" this ability to deliver positive results over a long period in a sustainable way. Accountants report revenues in a corporate income statement.
Cash Statement
A cash statement provides detail about a company's liquidity position. It also shows how the firm is making money and spending it, as well as whether it's borrowing to make ends meet and expand its operations. Accountants don't use "cash statement" when referring to a report about corporate liquidity movements; they use the term "cash-flow statement." This statement provides insight into three financial items: cash flows from operating activities, cash flows from investing activities and cash flows from financing activities.
Accounting
Now that you understand the difference between revenue and cash statement, you clearly see why revenues are not integral to cash statements. In other words, financial managers do not report revenues on a statement of cash flows. Corporate bookkeepers make specific journal entries when recording cash and revenue transactions. They debit the cash account to increase its worth and credit the account to reduce its amount. The accounting concepts of debit and credit are distinct from the banking terms. Bookkeepers debit a revenue account to decrease its value and credit the account to increase its worth.
Financial Reporting
In accounting terminology, "cash" and "revenue" affect various financial statements. As a short-term asset, cash is a balance sheet item. Accountants report revenues in a company's statement of profit and loss, also known as P&L or income statement. A balance sheet is also known as a statement of financial position or statement of financial condition. Revenue items also affect a statement of shareholders' equity because they ultimately flow through the retained-earnings account, which is integral to the owners' equity report.
Significance
For investors, a company's revenue information is significant because it tells them whether the business is consistently growing its sales volume and raking in substantial cash balances. Corporate financiers analyze cash data to make sure the firm has enough money to operate and set itself up for future financial success.
A purchase order is a way for businesses and companies to order goods and services. Some times a purchase order is referred to as a purchase requisition, or simply a P.O. The purchase order is a written document between the purchaser and seller detailing items, services and other necessary information regarding the goods and services that the purchaser intends to buy from the seller.
Who Issues a Purchase Order?
Purchase orders are initiated by the purchaser and typically are on uniquely numbered, pre-printed forms. Depending on the size of the company, one person may be responsible for initiating purchase orders, such as a Purchasing Agent. Or several people within a purchasing department may share the task of ordering goods and services.
What Information is on a Purchase Order?
The information provided on a purchase order may differ between companies, depending on the type of goods or services required. However, most purchase orders contain details of the goods and/or services being ordered. This information may be as detailed as so desired by the purchaser. The most important item regarding a purchase order, is the unique number of the purchase order. This number will be used to track purchases, outstanding orders, shipments received and accounts payables. Some of the other details included on a purchase order are: the description of parts or labor, part numbers, quantity purchased, unit cost, total cost, payment terms, delivery methods, delivery dates, shipping terms, ship to addresses, discounts offered and may include contact information should a question arise about the order.
What Happens When a Purchase Order is Received?
Today's technology allows for purchase orders to be sent via the postal service, email, fax and telephone. Once a distributor of goods or services receives a purchase order, necessary steps are taken to fill the order. When the order ships, a packing form is generally included with the shipment, referencing the purchase order so that when the goods are received, the order can be marked complete. After the order has been filled and shipped (or performed, if labor is involved), an invoice requesting payment will be sent from the seller to the purchaser. The invoice will also reference the purchase order number. Upon receipt of the invoice, accounts payable can verify and cross-reference the invoice to the purchase order. The final step is the payment of the invoice by the purchaser for the goods and services received.
Online stores are designed to sell products. Most websites that offer products find categorizing the products helpful. The navigation on the site allows shoppers to easily browse through several pages of products to select the item they wish to purchase.
Ordering Process
Online stores must use a "shopping cart."
This software allows customers to select the item, enter delivery information, billing information, and provide any other pertinent information. For example, online stores that offer gifts ask for the shopper's information, as well as the recipient's information. Online gift stores typically have a space where customers can write a short gift card message to the recipient.
Order Fulfillment
Once the customer enters an order online, the online store receives the order and prepares to deliver or ship the ordered item(s). If the order is being shipped, most shoppers expect to receive the tracking number. The tracking number is often emailed to the shopper once it is available.
Marketing
Unfortunately, a website that isn't marketed properly is rarely visited. Online stores must utilize online marketing methods such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising to gain traffic. This is vital for an online store.
Store Templates
There are several online store templates available so that people don't have to build their website and order software from scratch. Yahoo! Stores is one example.
Design
Online stores are as varied as the people who run them. Although the basic structure of online stores is fairly similar among them all, it is the design of the site that tells the shopper if they want to shop at that online store. Shoppers want the website to be appealing and easy to use. The design of the website is extremely important to the success of the online store.
Crude oil is delivered to the refinery and pumped from the oil tankers into storage container. The crude is broken down by a heater. The broken down gases and liquids are pumped into the large atmospheric distillation chambers of the refinery--the large distinctive towers of the refinery.
Extraction
Gas is released from the heated crude and condenses into liquids of varying viscosity. The lighter of the fluids form from vapor condensation at the top of the tower--these liquid are converted to high grade fuels like gasoline and propane. The mid-range condensation can be converted to fuels like diesel and kerosene. The residual matter at the bottom of the tower is converted to petroleum coke.
Processing
Each of the liquid grades are pumped over to more chambers to have sulfurous matter and other residue removed. Several processes may be used in the processing of the liquids. The heavy fluids are pumped into catalytic converts and the resulting material is used as an additive to things like gas, asphalt, flooring and seals. The lighter fluids are sent to reactors and boilers for hydrocarbon cracking via chemical or thermal pressure.
The various types of gases are fortified with additives for optimum performance in their area of use. Alkylation reactors enriches gas to create jet fuels--the alkyl molecules attach to the gas molecule to create a higher octane fuel. Polymerization chambers create gasoline by joining monomer to form polymers. The treated products are stored and await shipment.
Wind energy is one of the most cost effective energy sources.
Investing in alternative energy for your home is an effective way to lower your energy costs and receive government tax benefits. While the incentives are reason enough to consider it, it makes sense to find ways to save money. According to a 2008 report from the Center for American Progress, energy costs make up a significant portion of Americans' monthly expenses, with low-income families paying up to 20 percent for heating oil in fiscal year 2006. The continued dependence on fossil fuels for energy will mean persistent increases in home energy costs. Wind and solar power offer reasonable alternatives.
Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency
Under the Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency program, individuals can qualify for tax credits for up to 30 percent of the cost of installing residential small wind turbines or a solar energy system. The latter includes solar panels or solar water heaters. There is no upper limit to the tax benefit. Therefore, consumers can invest in the most efficient equipment for their energy needs. The credit applies to units placed into service in 2009. Consumers should keep all their receipts and obtain a Manufacturer's Certification Statement. This certification is available from the manufacturer of your equipment. It is a testament to the fact that your purchase qualifies for the tax credit.
Production Tax Credit
The Production Tax Credit is available for consumers using wind energy as a source of electricity, with an income tax credit of 2.1 cents/kilowatt-hour. For the average home, energy consumption averages 10,000 kilowatt-hours per year. A 10-kW wind turbine could fulfill the annual energy needs for a typical household. The Production Tax Credit then, provides significant tax savings for the consumer.
State Production Tax Credits
Following the lead of the federal government, a few states such as Iowa have their own Production Tax Credit program in place. The Iowa Wind Energy Production Tax Credit provides 1 cent per kilowatt-hour of electricity of state income tax credit. There is no minimum size required for the wind turbine; however, approval by the county board of supervisors is required. The incentive program has an upper limit on monies allocated for funding.
Modified Accelerated Cost- Recovery System
The Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System depreciation method is a federal tax program which allows businesses to declare the depreciation of equipment for wind projects. Some states have similar programs. If you are a business which uses wind power for business purposes, consult your tax professional to see which tax incentives you may qualify for.