What Differentiates A Partnership From The Limited Partnership & A Restricted Liability Partnership

Starting a business is time-consuming and expensive, which is why many people choose to start up a company with a partner. Each additional partner adds resources and knowledge to the business that can help it succeed. If you plan to organize your company as a partnership, learn the various types you have to choose from.

General Partnership

A general partnership is the basic type of business organization that includes two or more people, called "general partners." Even if the company is not registered with the state, two people operating and owning the business are a general partnership. With this type of partnership, each person is personally liable for business debts and obligations. The liability and responsibility is equally split between each partner. Also, each person who owns the business can make decisions regarding the company, including signing agreements for the business.

Limited Partnership

A limited partnership is a company that has both general and limited partners (at least one of each). Limited partners play a passive role in business operations and do not have the same liability or responsibility as general partners. Unlike general partners, limited partners do not usually have to pay self-employment taxes if they maintain a passive role in operations.

Limited Liability Partnership

The limited liability partnership is an organization where all owners enjoy limited liability when it comes to business debts and obligations. That means that each individual partner is not held responsible for the actions or obligations of other partners while operating the business. For instance, if one partner acquires a new debt, he alone is responsible for that obligation.

Summarizing the Differences

In short, in a general partnership all partners have full liability, while in a limited or limited liability partnership one or more partners do not have the burden of liability for being associated with the business. A company must register with the state to form a limited or limited liability partnership, unlike a general partnership. Regardless of the type of partnership you choose, you usually must draw up and sign a formal partnership agreement that details the arrangement between the owners.

Meaning Of A Stock Market Market

The New York Stock Exchange is the largest in the world.

A stock exchange market is defined by the New York Stock Exchange as "an organized marketplace for securities featured by the centralization of supply and demand." This organization of buyers, sellers, traders and brokers defines the activity of a stock market. The marketplace enables stocks, bonds, commodities and other financial products and services to be marketed and sold, under a unified market structure and under financial controls, oversight and regulations.

History of the Stock Market

The history of the modern stock market can be traced back to the oldest exchanges in the world. In 16th century Amsterdam, the Dutch East India Co. became the first organization to sell shares, based on a need to raise capital for expansion and to fund the commodities it was bringing from the Far East. In 1607 a formal commodities exchange was commissioned by the City of Amsterdam to house trading. In 1698, John Costaing issued the first listing of stocks and commodity prices in a coffeehouse in London, the precursor to the first modern exchange.

Functions of a Stock Market

A stock market's primary role is to be a marketplace and a place for companies and organizations to raise capital and provide liquidity---i.e., a place to liquidate their holdings. Companies raise capital through the issuance of shares and debt, in the form of bonds. These shares are available to the public and are held by institutions and private investors. Governments raise money on the markets through bonds called Treasuries (or gilts in the U.K.). Physical commodities like gold, silver, oil and corn are traded on spot and futures markets.

Different U.S. Stock Markets

The most well-known and largest stock market in the world is the New York Stock Exchange. The NYSE provides a listing for large and medium-sized companies and household names like General Electric, Coca-Cola and AT&T. It applies minimum listing standards and regulations governing size, reporting and market activity. The Nasdaq market mostly lists technology shares, and its popular stocks include Apple, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo!. The Amex market is also a prestigious market exchange, with small and medium-sized companies. Smaller companies can be found on the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Stock Exchange Indexes

The Dow Jones industrial average is the leading index quoted on the market. It reflects the top 30 companies on the NYSE, like GE, American Express, 3M and Exxon Mobil and is the most commonly quoted index in the news. The S&P 500 lists 500 companies, covering about 95 percent of all shares traded. The Russell 2000 index reflects the quotes of 98 percent of all stocks traded.

Electronic Exchanges

The stock market was traditionally a paper-based trading system. The advent of electronic trading has led to the global connectivity of buyers and sellers. Electronic exchanges and electronic communications networks (ECN) trade Nasdaq stocks, connecting buyers and sellers directly and bypassing the traditional market makers. This has become an alternative way to trade and deal in stocks on the Nasdaq and increasingly on other exchanges.

Exactly What Is A Pulp Shredder

A pulp shredder is designed to shred paper, cardboard or wood supplies to a size small enough for it to be suitable for making pulp that can be used for many different industrial purposes. They are also used to ensure that private documents are absolutely unrecoverable once they have been shredded.

Industrial Pulp Shredders

Industrial pulp shredders are used to shred wood and paper products into fibers that can then be used in the paper or cardboard industry. Shredders are distinct from chippers because they produce longer fragments better suited for making pulp.

Security

A pulp shredder makes certain that documents are absolutely unrecoverable. This can be an advantage especially for companies who go through large amounts of paperwork per day. If they know that their paper waste is being turned into pulp for production of something else, they can be certain that their documents have been destroyed.

Manual Pulp Shredders

A manual pulp shredder is a hand-operated device, similar to a large egg beater, which may be suitable for use in the home. Apart from the security advantages, a manual pulp shredder can help you make papier mache for craft projects.

Grants or loans & Money For Brief Fiction & Poetry

Grants and fellowships for poetry and short fiction abound.

Money for poets and writers of short fiction comes in many forms: grants, fellowships, contest prizes, and payment by publications that publish such works. The payouts can be small or quite large. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), for example, gives out many $25,000 fellowships to poets to cover their living expenses and allow them to concentrate on their art. Other organizations focus on very specific kinds of poetry or stories.

About Grants and Fellowships

Generally, the terms "grant" and "fellowship" are used interchangeably. Organizations give both to help support writers they think are talented. The grantors want to keep authors writing rather than having to support themselves through day jobs. There are many poetry and short story grants and fellowships listed, both by the NEA and by websites such as "Poets and Writers" and "Award Annals." Frequently, since grants and fellowships are supposed to help support a writer, they are larger than many prizes. Many of the NEA fellowships for literature, for example, are for $25,000. The NEA alternates between fellowships for poetry and fellowships for prose. Entries must be made through the federal grant site: grants.gov. Other grants having the same purpose come from private organizations such as the Christopher Isherwood Foundation.

Specific Grants and Fellowships

Some grants and fellowships are awarded by organizations that have a specific focus beyond art. The "Poets and Writers" website, for example, lists a grant by Human Rights Watch for poets and fiction writers who have been victims of political oppression. These, too, are designed to help writers keep writing. Many state arts commissions also offer grants for writers from those states.

Contest Prizes

"Poets and Writers" lists some 64 contests for poetry and short fiction, with prizes ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands. These are sponsored largely by publications such as "The Atlantic." Each contest has its own rules and requirements.

Publication

"The New Yorker" is one of the most prestigious magazines that publishes poems and fiction. "Good Housekeeping" also publishes short stories. Both pay very well. But besides the major publications, there are also many literary journals that can be found on websites such as "LitLine," which lists dozens. Not all pay writers, however. A listing of publications and what they pay can be found in hard copy in "Writer's Market." An online version requires membership.

Online

Don't forget online publications. "Every Writer's Resource" publishes a list with lots of information, including whether a publication takes new writers. "News Pages" has a similar list for writers (see Resources).

Price Of Creating A Commercial Website

Online exposure is a significant element in a business' success. Commercial websites are now as standard as printing business cards. Some commercial websites are nothing more than an online presence, directing traffic to the brick and mortar businesses. Other commercial websites are stand alone businesses, handing sales and dealing with clients online.

Domain

A commercial website must obtain a domain name which can be purchased for less than $10, and will need to be renewed each year. If a business purchases an existing domain name, the price can be hundreds or thousands, depending on the desirability of the domain name.

Hosting

The commercial website needs a server to host the finished website. A small commercial website can purchase hosting for less than $200 a year. If the business needs their own server or has a website that receives an excessively high traffic, hosting can cost hundreds or thousands a year.

Webmaster

A business must hire someone to build the website, or do the job in-house. A webmaster's fee for creating a website can grange from under $200 to over $30,000. Popular website creation software can be purchased for under $400.

Features

Additional features on a commercial website can increase the overall cost. Additional features would include such items as chat, shopping carts or credit card services.

SEO

When building a commercial website one goal is to get traffic. To accomplish this you need to optimize your website for search engine optimization (SEO). Some webmasters charge extra to do this, or an outside SEO expert can be hired to improve the traffic to the website.

So How Exactly Does Cobra Make Use Of A Layoff

When you are laid off from your job, a number of financial concerns may come up. One of the most important factors to consider is where you will get your health insurance coverage from. Depending on what type of company you work for, you could access COBRA continuation coverage in this situation.

COBRA Basics

When you are laid off, you could gain access to COBRA or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. This is a government program that went into effect in 1986 and it helps workers continue to get health insurance coverage when they are laid off from their jobs. With this program, you simply pay the premiums for your health insurance to your employer and then you can continue using your group health insurance plan. This is a temporary form of health insurance coverage that you can use while you are looking for a new job.

COBRA Eligibility

Just because you are laid off from your employer, that does not necessarily mean that you can qualify for COBRA. To qualify for COBRA, you have to work for an employer that has at least 20 employees. The company that you work for also has to offer a group health insurance plan. You must have been enrolled in the group health insurance plan before you were laid off from your job. If you did not have access to the plan while working, you cannot get on it after you are laid off.

Election Notices

When you are laid off, the employer must provide a qualifying event notice to the health insurance plan. This notice has to go to the insurance plan within 30 days of the event. After the qualifying event takes place, the employer has to give you an election notice. This is a document that must be righted within 14 days of the qualifying event notice. This notice provides you with all the details you need to understand COBRA. You then have 60 days to decide if you want to get COBRA coverage.

Length of Coverage

After you elect to get on COBRA health insurance coverage, you can receive benefits for up to 18 months under normal circumstances. If you are hired by another employer and you get on its group insurance plan, you then stop your COBRA coverage. In some cases, you can get another 11 months of COBRA coverage if you become disabled and you are not able to find a job because of your disability. This helps to ease the transition that comes with being unemployed and disabled.

What Companies Does Nike Own

Headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, Nike is a giant in the shoe industry. Started by two ambitious men, one a track athlete from the University of Oregon, Nike has remained in the state of its origin, Oregon. It has become arguably the largest sports company in the world. In addition to its own divisions, Nike has acquired other subsidiary companies.

NIKE Golf

This division of Nike designs and sells all types of golf supplies. Products include apparel, shoes, bags and equipment.

Hurley International LLC

Started in the 1970s as a surfboard company based in Southern California, Hurley embodies the California spirit. It designs clothing and accessories

Cole Haan

Cole Haan's line of luxury outerwear and accessories are sold online and in retail stores around the world. Locations include 180 stores in Asia, the U.S., the Middle East and Canada.

Converse, Inc.

Since 1908, Converse has been known as "America's Original Sports Company." It has created classic shoe collections such as Jack Purcell, One Star and Chuck Taylor All Star.

Umbro Ltd.

Based in Manchester, England, Umbro is a sports company selling a variety of sports-related clothing, shoes and equipment and sports endorsements. It is the official producer of equipment for the National Football Team of England.

Create A Web-based Learning Website

Online learning website

An online learning website can be a great way to share your knowledge or expertise on a particular topic or subject on which you are an expert. You could also create a broader site with a more collaborative approach or a tutoring hub, depending on your purpose and plans for the site.

An online learning website can be a free project done as a hobby to benefit others or can be a for-profit enterprise. Many entrepreneurs have found ways to earn full-time incomes with websites, usually after building them up for a period of time. Either way, the process of making your online learning website might be a learning experience for you, too.

Instructions

1. Decide on the type of site you want to make, whether it's to tutor students in certain subjects or present in-depth information on a particular area, such as history or even a more narrow topic, perhaps American wildlife or the industrial revolution. Create a list of the features your site will need, from a member's area to a topic forum to social networking functionality.

2. Purchase a site-hosting package with a site builder, or work with a web designer to create the templates and functionality for your online learning website. If the site is simple and your budget prevents hiring a designer, you can learn enough to create a working, attractive site on your own with free and inexpensive templates and software programs.

3. Write a layout for the site, making a visual diagram of the site for reference. Write and import the site's content onto the template pages, using only original, proprietary content or royalty-free work from the public domain (attributed correctly).

4. Add pictures, graphics and other elements to the pages to illustrate and improve visitors' educational experience.

5. Publish your website and install other elements, such as photo galleries, forums and a related store. When your site is live, test links within the pages to make they all work. If you are pleased with the site, it's time to share it with the world. Submit your site map to Google and build backlinks to watch the traffic roll in.

What Benefits Does Free Trade Lead Towards The U . s . States

First becoming the cornerstone of international economics as a result of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, and first leading the world in free trade with the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993, no country has benefited more from free trade than the United States of America. In fact many economists such as the late Milton Friedman have argued that America owes its global dominance to its "laissez-faire" trade practices.

Increased Exports

When trade barriers are lifted, more American goods are sold. Such was the case in Mexico where two-way trade between the U.S. and its southern neighbor has quadrupled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1993. In 2007, for example, the United States exported over $136.5 billion dollars worth of goods to Mexico--an increase of 242 percent in 14 years. Also, between 1993 and 2005, American agricultural and manufacturing exports to Canada grew by 133 percent.

Increased Efficiency

American corporations free from artificial barriers, tariffs or restrictions are able to increase efficiency by shifting assembly of their products overseas, thus reducing costs and increasing profits. Between 1993 and 2006, American companies' manufacturing output rose by almost 60 percent.

Increased Employment

Contrary to popular belief, US unemployment actually fell in the years following free trade, averaging some 5.1 percent after NAFTA, compared to an average of 7.1percent in the 13 years prior to the agreement. Furthermore, wages have also risen, growing 1.5 percent annually over the same period.

Increased Stability

Greater economic trade has brought about an unprecedented period of international stability that only serves to benefit American foreign policy. Whereas during the Cold War trade barriers served to fuel hostilities between the U.S. and the communist world, today both Russia and China are among America's most important trading partners. In fact, many have argued that it was the influx of American luxury goods that brought about the fall of Soviet Communism and the steady democratization of the People's Republic of China.

Increased Dominance

Today the United States of America is the world's only superpower--an economic powerhouse that dominates the globe. The US economy is the world's largest, with an estimated GDP of $14.3 trillion in 2009, almost three times the size of that of its closest competitor. As free trade continues to topple barriers to American products, the U.S. economy stands only to benefit further.

What Exactly Are Tiffany Boxes

In the 19th century, turquoise gemstone jewelry was popular.

Time goes into designing jewelry but a jewelry firm also spends time designing the box that comes with the jewelry. The box often makes the receiver happy, before she even looks inside it. The jewelry box prepares you for the gift you are about to receive. Tiffany & Co. uses light turquoise boxes in which to wrap gifts.

Iconic Packaging

Iconic packing ranges from Carter's red box to Hermes bright orange box. The red box is said to bring good luck and happiness. The orange box sends the message that you are receiving the best thing in luxury fashion. Tiffany & Co. picked a light blue color for their boxes. The first boxes appeared in 1837, and they became linked to style and sophistication. The box is a cube or rectangle, and it features a white ribbon tied with a Tiffany bow.

Tiffany-style Weddings Featuring the Iconic Boxes

Tiffany boxes are often used as a theme for weddings. Many brides-to-be want the elegant sophistication that Tiffany boxes give. A Tiffany-style wedding features blue knockoff boxes as party favors for guests or as an inspiration for decor, attire and invitations. The boxes are often decorated with pearls, and silver is used to accent the blue. A Tiffany box style wedding cake should be simple with only a few decorative accents. It is usually made of three or four square tiers, with a white bow around each box.

Tiffany Blue

Tiffany Blue is the name used for the blue color linked to blues Tiffany boxes. There are several ways to describe the color from forget-me not blue to robin's egg blue. The color is protected and the PMS (Pantone Matching System ) number is 1837, the year the company was founded.

Where to Find the Box

You have to buy something from Tiffany & Co. to get a blue box. The company does not sell empty boxes, as Tiffany boxes are a symbol of romance and quality. You can purchase a porcelain replica of the Tiffany box from Tiffany & Co. by going to their website, however.

Do You Know The Top Exports Of America

The United States exports its products around the world.

Transportation equipment and computer and electronics products top the list of exports the United States sells to global markets. Each category accounts for 15 percent of total exports, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration. Other top exports are chemicals at 14.3 percent and non-electrical machinery, 10.8 percent. The remaining 44.9 percent is spread out among all the other products the United States exports.

Tracking Exports

Two U.S. Department of Commerce agencies, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, keep track of U.S. exports and imports, and report them in detailed monthly reports. However, it is the International Trade Administration, another Commerce agency, which translates them into a format that is easier for the layman to understand. The bureau reports for October 2010 contain details that might be surprising to some: The United States, which is a major importer of foreign oil, exported more than $3 billion in fuel oil that month. It also exported more than $3.5 billion in natural gas and other petroleum products. And at a time when store shelves are stocked with toys made in Asia, the United States exported almost $1 billion in toys.

Top Export Categories

Railway transportation equipment and civilian aircraft and parts accounted for $6 billion of October 2010's exports of $112 billion, and automotive vehicles and parts led the list with more than $9.6 billion, the report indicated. Computer and accessories fall under the bureaus' capital goods exports, and accounted for exports valued at almost $4 billion in October 2010. The United States also exported almost $1 billion in TVs, VCRs, records, tapes and disks, the report says.

Biggest Importers

Canada leads the world in buying U.S. products, the International Trade Administration says. In 2009, our neighbor to the north imported more than $204 million of this country's $1 billion in exports. Mexico, our neighbor to the south, was in second place with almost $128 million in imports. China was a distant third with almost $70 million in imports. At the bottom of the scale was the Gaza Strip, which imported less than $23,000 in U.S. goods in 2009.

National Export Initiative

The United States is on a mission to increase its exports since the National Export Initiative was announced by President Barack Obama in his 2010 State of the Union address. Its purpose is to stimulate sustainable economic growth and create millions of new jobs for Americans by increasing exports. The objective is to double exports over the next five years.

Do You Know The Possible Solutions For Any Balance Of Payment Deficit

An economy's foreign trade activity could result in a deficit or a surplus.

A country's balance of payments reflects its net earnings on trade in goods and services with other countries. A positive balance of payments situation, or a surplus, comes about when a country exports more than it imports. A deficit situation arises when a country imports more than it exports. Governments manage their balance of payments situations in accordance with their larger goals for the economy.

Increased Exports

One way of reducing a balance of payments deficit situation is to export more to other countries. For instance, in July 2010, the U.S. goods and services deficit went down to $42.8 billion, from $49.8 billion in June 2010. This came about as the country's exports rose to $153.3 billion in July, from $104.9 billion in June 2010. As the global recession abated, there was more demand for U.S. exports in other countries and this led to the rise in exports, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Decreased Imports

Another way of reducing a balance of payments deficit is to import less from other countries. In July 2010, U.S. imports decreased to $196.1 billion, from $200.3 billion in June 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A slow U.S. recovery from the recession of 2007 meant that U.S. consumers were consuming fewer goods, including imported goods. This too causes a country's balance of payments deficit to go down.

Government Policy

Another factor that impacts a country's balance of payments situation is trade policies relating to specific countries. If a country has a protectionist trade policy, it has various ways of making imports more expensive. For instance, a government could levy a tax or tariff on imported goods. This makes the goods more expensive to its citizens who might then opt to buy local goods over the more expensive imported goods. This tends to reduce a country's balance of payments deficit. Countries also have various mutual trade agreements with other countries, whereby they could give preferred treatment to each other's products for import purposes. Such government policies impact a country's balance of payments situation.

Do You Know The Operating Qualities Of The Advertising Agency

Advertising agency departments must work together to achieve a finished product.

According to "Advertising Age", the first advertising agency was started by Volney Palmer in Philadelphia in 1843. Since then, consumer demands and the goals of the businesses that serve them have changed dramatically. To keep pace with these changing attitudes, as well as the dynamic landscape of promotional media and methods, advertising agencies have evolved as well. Various types of agencies exist, including traditional full-service, interactive, social media and industry-specific agencies.

Account Management

Account managers function as the liaison between the client and the agency. They work closely with the client to determine their goals and then work with other internal agency teams to translate those goals into an actionable advertising strategy. They are responsible for ensuring that all tactical work associated with client campaigns happens within the agreed-upon timeline and budget. Depending on the size of the agency, account teams might work with many clients simultaneously or be focused on handling only one account.

Creative Team

The agency creative team is typically divided into the functions of graphic design and copy writing. When working on an advertising campaign, the copywriter is responsible for providing the proper copy or text to convey the desired message while the graphic designer is responsible for doing the same thing through images and graphical elements. The result is what is called a concept, or proposed idea, for a print ad or TV commercial that uses both copy and imagery.

Production Team

Once the client has chosen which concept provided by the creative team will become the final campaign, the production team is responsible for bringing it to fruition. It must work with external vendors, such as photographers, production companies and printing companies, to take the idea of the creative team and turn it into a finished print advertisement or TV commercial that will be seen by consumers. The production team must adhere to the budget and timeline agreed upon by the agency and the client.

Media Team

The media team is responsible for determining where the finished advertisement will be seen. Based on the client's target audience and goals, the media team researches potential television networks and publications that will provide the most targeted and cost-effective channel for the advertising. Media planners understand the differences in each type of media and are able to recommend a strategy that best meets the client's budget and goals. Media buyers work to execute that strategy by negotiating contracts and rates with various media vendors.

Do You Know The Objectives Of The Public Limited Company

A company can increase liquidity of its shares by listing on a stock exchange.

Andrew Gillespie in his book, "AS Level Business Studies Handbook," describes a public limited company as one "that is owned by shareholders but the shares can be advertised and traded on the stock exchange." The formation of a public limited company is based on various objectives, including expansion of company operations into other markets, increased liquidity for shareholders, survival in competitive markets, increasing the market share and limiting liability for the shareholders.

Expansion

Businesses experiencing growing demand in their operations require additional resources to finance new projects. A number of firms are forced to go public to raise additional financing. A public company is more likely to meet a relatively larger portion of its financing requirements through raising equity. Equity financing results in the dilution of ownership in the company, but at the same time it strengthens the business by maintaining reasonable debt levels and relieves the company from heavy interest payments.

Liquidity

Private ownership in a company can be relatively difficult to liquidate because of the lack of an established market for privately owned firms. Listing a company on a stock exchange establishes a secondary market for company shares and a price for company stock is determined by the market. Publicly listed company shares generally tend to be more liquid and can be easily bought and sold in the stock market.

Survival

In certain cases a company needs additional financing to facilitate its very existence. Competition can often force companies to expand operations if they intend to survive. Thus survival can be another important objective for a company to go public.

Market Share

Organizations may list on the stock exchange to get more media attention and enhance their current standing in the product markets. The public listing can help the company enhance its positioning in the market and establish a stronger brand.

Limited Liability

The shareholders of a public limited company have limited liability. The most that they have at stake in the company operations is the total value of their investment in the shares of the company. The limited liability feature is not unique to a public limited company, but is one of the objectives a sole trader or a partnership aims to achieve.

Do You Know The Functions Of Micro Finance

Microfinance institutions give loans to owners of microenterpries around the world.

Microfinance is the business of lending credit and providing other financial services to poor and otherwise disadvantaged people around the world. Many of the beneficiaries in microfinance transactions live in developing countries and receive microloans in order to fund their small businesses.

Elements of Microfinance

Microcredit is the most recognized service under the umbrella of microfinance, but it's not the only one. Financial institutions that deal in microfinance also provide access to savings and checking accounts and insurance products to people who are unable to access such services through ordinary financial institutions.

Microfinance and Poverty

Almost all recipients of microloans are citizens of impoverished nations and usually have an unofficial enterprise, such as raising cattle, baking bread, or making clothes. With the loans they receive from microfinance institutions, they are able to invest in their businesses and secure distribution channels and start making more money on a consistent basis. These clients don't qualify for traditional loans because most of the time they have no collateral and no funds to repay the loan. Microfinance institutions use various methods, including group lending, to ensure repayment. Many of the microenterprise owners are able to start living above the poverty line as a result of using microloans.

Microfinance and Economic Growth

The growth of small enterprises that use microloans leads to overall economic growth in impoverished regions. Recipients of microloans gain a steadier income and are able to buy more products themselves. This increased exchange provides a boost to villages and towns in the developing nations. Microfinance plays especially important role in rural areas, where the opportunity for credit is very limited.

Microfinance and Savings

Many recipients of microfinance services don't have a safe way to save money. They may keep cash around their homes or buy something hoping to sell it later. Needless to say, these savings options are very unsafe and ineffective. Someone can steal their cash or other property, and whatever they hope to sell may be illiquid. One of the functions of microfinance is providing an equal opportunity for everyone to save money. Microfinance institutions help people establish bank accounts and start building their savings.

Do You Know The Functions Of The Microfinance Bank

Microfinance institutions provide many functions for some of the poorest people on the planet. At the most basic level, they provide access to cheap capital which they loan out so that people can have an opportunity to start a business, expand an existing business or buy product in bulk so they can improve their profit margins as well as their lives.

History of Microfinance Institutions

The history of the modern microfinance institution can be traced back to Bangladesh in 1976 when Professor Muhammad Yunus launched a research project in his local community. He was talking to the rural poor surrounding the University of Chittagong, the college where he taught economics, and found that they did not lack the skills to participate in the business environment, but merely the capital. When he asked one of the people he was talking to how much she needed, the answer was absurdly low. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the amount of money that was needed. Handing it over with no collateral requirement, Professor Yunus made a verbal contract to be repaid over 52 weeks with interest that was much lower than what the local predatory lenders charged.

The Basics of Microfinance

Microfinance institutions exist to alleviate poverty. They do so by making loans with relatively low interest rates to people who are not able to access more traditional forms of financing. Requiring no collateral, the organizations rely upon several different mechanisms to guarantee repayment.

Lending to Groups

Lending to groups is the most common way a microfinance institution ensures that they will be repaid. They require that a person who is seeking a loan band together with several other people who are also seeking credit and make each member of the group guarantee the loans made to the other members. Through peer pressure and cooperation among the group members, there exists a rate of repayment that is higher than that of more traditional commercial banks.

Education

In addition to lending to groups, microfinance institutions will also provide some basic education on running a business and managing money. Quite often they will mandate that the borrowing group must complete the education before they are able to receive their first loan.

Emphasizing Women

Microfinance institutions also emphasize lending to women. Part of the intent is to promote gender equality, but also it is based on research that shows lending to women is better for the broader community. The research determined that the profits a woman made as a result of the loan were more frequently invested back into her family. Women were more likely than men to use the proceeds to pay for an education for her children, make improvements to the home or buy better quality food for the family.

Not Just Credit

Microfinance organizations don't only provide money, they also provide access to ideas, technology and new business ventures for their members. One of the best examples is the introduction of cellphones to rural villages in Bangladesh. Communication between families in different villages and among suppliers and markets in different areas were very difficult. Days were often wasted traveling back and forth to get information. To fill the need, Yunus's Grameen Bank leased a cellphone to one woman in each village. the women made money by charging a small fee for use of the phone. This allowed the women to make a living and made communication easier among villages. Introducing cellphones is just one of many examples of non-lending efforts made by microfinance institutions to improve the lives of their community's impoverished citizens.

Do You Know The Results Of The Particles Within Our Ecosystem

Haze affects visibility.

Particulates, though extremely small, pose serious human health and environmental threats. Particulates, or particle pollution (PM), are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Clean Air Act. The concern arises from the size of these mixtures of acids, chemicals and liquid. PM can travel great distances, causing widespread impact. Deposition of these materials can cause imbalances in water and soil chemistries in our ecosystems.

Primary Particles

Particles classified as primary particles, are the direct result of pollution from sources such as smokestacks or fires that contaminate natural resources of the ecosystem.

Health Threats

The smallest particles are the most dangerous to the health of humans and wildlife and have been linked to decreased lung function and heart ailments, even premature death.

Acid Rain

Particulates that include sulfuric acid can combine with moisture in the air, creating acidic precipitation that can acidify lakes and streams, rendering them unfit to support life.

Photosynthesis

Plants are affected by particulates that coat leaves and interfere with their ability to carry out photosynthesis by impeding the exchanges of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Haze

Particulates are a primary cause of haze, reducing our visibility to one-third of what it would be without particle pollution.

Create A Business Call With Softphone

A softphone is a software program that allows you to make calls over the Internet using your computer rather than using a hardware phone. Most softphones allow free PC-to-PC calls; PC-to-phone calls are not free. Examples of softphone programs include Yahoo Voice, Skype, Google Talk, Magic Jack and other Voice Over IP programs. Some softphones have interfaces that look like the dial pad of a phone and appear on your screen. You make calls the same way: by clicking on the dial pad.

Instructions

1. Get reliable Internet service. The key to a stress-free softphone service is reliable high-speed Internet. Otherwise, your calls will be choppy.

2. Download the program. Decide what softphone service you want to go with and download the program. Skype is a very good choice. It comes with free PC-to-PC call service that connects you to other Skype users, but also has very affordable call plans that allow you to call land-line and cell phones anywhere in the world.

3. Get a computer with a microphone and speaker, or get a headset and properly connect it to your computer's sound card. These allow you to talk and hear the person on the other end.

4. Familiarize yourself with the conference feature for the program you are using. It is easy to find in most programs. For Yahoo Voice, click on "Actions," then "Invite to Conference" to easily add people from your contact list whom you want to be part of the conference call. This applies to PC-to-PC calls.

5. Call the number you want to reach and add other conferees. When using Skype, for example, you can start a conference call from the beginning of a call and add a number of people on your contact list who are also on Skype, or add ordinary phone numbers. Once you click "Start," everyone on the list gets a call and is included in the conference. You can also add people even after the call has started.

Do You Know The Various Kinds Of Screen Printing

Screen printing, sometimes referred to in popular culture as silk screening, is a popular method of applying images to substrates (materials that are printed on). The most well-known use of this process is the production of images on T-shirts. It's a relatively simple technique and can be performed at home. The basic process is to take mesh (typically wire) that is stretched over a frame and create a stencil on it. The stenciled area remains open mesh, while the non-stenciled area is filled or overlaid with a non-porous material. The mesh is laid over the substrate and filled with ink. A squeegee is pulled across the mesh to force the ink through the open area of the mesh onto the substrate,creating the image. This process is universal to all types of screen printing. Even rotary screen printing uses this process, though the mesh is fixed to a cylinder and the squeegee resides inside the cylinder. The primary differences in screen printing are found in the types of ink used and the effects they render.

Plastisol

One of the most common inks used in screen printing, plastisol is a suspension of PVC particles in what is referred to as a plasticizer--a chemical additive that increases flexibility. This is used in the production of garments, and though it gives good image clarity, it has a very plastic feel and appearance.

Discharge Inks

Discharge inks work by affecting the existing dyes in a garment, usually to lighten them.

Flocking

Flocking is a process in which glue is applied to create the image, then a foil is applied to create a shiny appearance to the design.

Water-based Ink

Water-based inks offer more penetration of fabric than plastisol-based processes and are employed when a softer result is sought.

Other Applications

Although textile applications are very common, screen printing can also be employed on circuit boards, wood, glass and even metal.

Do You Know The Various Kinds Of Business Insurance

As a small business owner there are many risks to keeping your business up and running. Although not all risks can be mitigated, some can be with insurance. Here are some types of business insurance available to protect against those risks.

Business Overhead Expense Insurance

Business overhead expense insurance pays the fixed expenses within a business in the event an owner is disabled and unable to work in the business. This contract typically provides a benefit for a few years so that the business owner can close up the business or recover and get back to work.

Buy-Sell Insurance

Buy-Sell insurance provides funding for buy and sell agreements. Buy and Sell agreements provide for one owner to buy out another in the event of the death or disability of a partner.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance protects a business's legal interest. Should the business come under a law suit this policy would provide funds to protect the business's interest.

Group Insurance

Businesses typically provide insurance for their employees as a benefit, but the type and amount varies from business to business. A few common ones include: dental, medical, vision, health, short-term disability, long-term disability and long-term care.

Qualified Sick Pay Plan Disability Insurance

A qualified sick pay plan allows the owner of a business to continue to draw a salary while disabled. This plan is typically coupled with the business overhead expense plan mentioned earlier; that plan protects the company, this plan protects the owner's family by providing income.

Photo voltaic Electricity Plants

Solar electricity plants promote sustainability.

Photovoltaic technology uses semiconductors to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Solar technology has grown rapidly due to the rising demand for alternative energy sources. In the United States the number of solar electricity plants and other alternative energy fuel sources are projected to grow, to help decrease the dependency on fossil fuels.

Nevada Solar One

Nevada Solar One is owned by ACCIONA, and is based in Boulder City, Nevada. The plant was established through a partnership between Solargenix Energy, Nevada Power Company, and Sierra Pacific Resources. The plant is sustainably designed on a 400-acre parcel and creates "near-zero" carbon emissions. Nevada Solar One is the third largest solar plant in the world. ACCIONA has been in operation for 30 years, and is one of the world's leading sustainability-focused companies.

Nellis Solar Power Plant

In 2007, Nellis Air Force Base, located in Nevada, completed the construction of a solar power plant that consists of over 72,000 solar panels, enough to produce over 25 percent of the electricity supply for the Air Force Base. The solar plant is one of the largest in the nation, and was constructed in partnership with several private and public utility companies, including Sunpower Corporation and Nevada Power Company.

Mojave Solar Park

In 2009, the Mojave Solar Park construction was started by an Israeli company, Solel Inc. Solel Inc. was purchased by Siemens in 2010. The solar energy plant, costing $2 billion, is being built on 6,000 acres of land in the Mojave desert, and is expected to be completed in 2011. Upon the plant's completion, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) of California plans to purchase 533 megawatts of solar power from the plant, which will provide enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

AV Solar Ranch One

AV Solar Ranch One is based in the Antelope Valley of Los Angeles County. Construction of the plant started in 2010 on 2,100 acres of farmland. First Solar, a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels, operates AV Solar Ranch One. Upon completion, the plant is expected to provide electricity to 75,000 homes. Pacific Gas and Electric Company has a contract to purchase the plant's electrical output for the next 25 years. First Solar is a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ; its global headquarters is based in Tempe, Arizona.

The Dangers Of Getting rid of Of Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pen disposal isn't difficult.

Ballpoint pens are a common writing tool because they are inexpensive and effective. However, ballpoint pens have a number of disadvantages over other, more expensive pens. Some of these disadvantages present themselves long after you're finished using a ballpoint pen when you are ready to dispose of it.

Running

Unless the ink in the pen has dried up, your pen's ink could run, which is typically not a problem because you're throwing the pen out with other trash and don't care whether the ink runs onto the other items in the trash. However, when tying off and carrying a trash bag where you've disposed of ballpoint pens, exercise some caution to ensure that any ink that has run from the pen won't get on your hands.

Pricking

A ballpoint pen is a sharp object that can prick you when you're carrying the trash out to the curb. A ballpoint pen that has been disposed of without its cap on can easily poke through a plastic trash bag. Thus, when disposing of pens, place the cap on the pen, which can also help prevent ink from running everywhere.

Slow to Decompose

Ballpoint pens sit in landfills for a long time because they are typically made of materials that decompose extremely slowly, such as polyethylene and polystyrene. While you can put the plastic parts of a ballpoint pen into the plastic recycling bin, you must first remove the ink tube and any metal parts, such as clips, and dispose of those in the trash before putting the plastic casing of the pen in the recycling bin.

Do You Know The Advantages Of Website Advertising

In addition to being expensive, traditional methods of advertising only target a small subset of the population.

Effective advertising is important to the survival of any business. A variety of media exist for getting the word out, but historically, they have been very expensive--prohibitively so for individuals and small businesses. The advent of online advertising has been a boon for businesses everywhere. Now millions of people can get individually targeted messages for a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.

Affordable

Website advertising is one of the most affordable kinds of advertising. Depending on your location, advertising on a billboard could run you anywhere between $700 and $2,500 per month for each billboard. Radio ads can cost over $40 for a single 30 second spot, and television ads only cost more. What's worse is that people often walk away during television commercials, or aren't actively listening to those on the radio. Website advertising can be integrated into the content of a website, making users more likely to pay attention to an ad. Additionally, online advertisements are flexible, often allowing you to choose between being billed per click or per 1,000 views. Whichever you choose, you can generate a large amount of interest on high traffic sites without breaking the bank. At a rate between 25 cents and 50 cents per click, online advertising is extremely cost effective.

Effective

A variety of websites perform analysis on the surfing habits of users, building an anonymous profile of their behaviors. Others take account information and correlate it to determine user interests which may translate to purchases. These allow for extremely targeted advertisements which are most likely to generate sales. In spite of the specificity of these ads, the sheer number of people who use the Internet makes for a wide audience--much wider than billboard, television or radio ads when it comes to the younger generation.

Equally important is the ability for users to act on an ad immediately. The advertisement is right in front of the potential customer, and a mere click will take them to a website where they can learn more. Making a purchase based on an online sales pitch is extremely easy.

Feedback

When analyzing sales data, it is easy for online advertisers to determine the effectiveness of their approach. Website logging utilities allow businesses to see exactly which keywords were used in a search that led to their website. Software to track which banners were clicked and from which sites customers came is also available. Businesses can even track conversion percentage with ease. This information makes it easy to gradually refine an advertising campaign until it reaches peak profitability.

Town Of Houston Fence Rules

The City of Houston, Texas, has only a few regulations concerning fences.

According to Peter Coy of BusinessWeek.com, "Houston is well known as the only major U.S. city with no formal zoning code." The few regulations that do exist primarily concern safety rather than aesthetics. Three of the four ordinances that exist concerning fences are articulated within Chapter 28 of the municipal code, "Miscellaneous Offense and Provision." The fourth ordinance is contained in the city's "Health and Safety Code."

Prohibited Along Sidewalks

Unless a property owner obtains a zoning variance stating otherwise, Houston does not allow anyone within the city's limits to construct a fence or railing next to sidewalks or streets. This applies to both residential and commercial property.

Barbed Wire

Fences made entirely of barbed wire are not permitted at any time. However, fences made of other material that are at least 6 feet in height may have barbed wire on top of them. Barbed wire may not be used to enclose spaces of less than 1 acre in size and may never be used next to a sidewalk or path that is used by pedestrians for the same purpose as a sidewalk.

Electric

Electric fences are allowed within city limits but only with the following restrictions. The fence must be powered by a rechargeable 12-volt or less battery, and the battery must be recharged via solar panel. The output of the electric charge "shall not exceed energizer characteristics set forth in paragraph 22.108 and depicted in Figure 102 of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard No. 60335-2-76, as such standard exists upon January 30, 2008."

Electric fences may be used as a perimeter fence, but they have to be completely enclosed by a non-electric fence or wall. This non-electric structure must be between 6 and 8 feet in height. There has to be at least 1 foot between the fences, but there may not be more than 5 feet between them, except where there are gate openings. The space between the two fences must be clear of any obstructions, including bushes or any kind of material. The bottom of the fence must follow the natural terrain of the land.

Electric fences may not be constructed "within 25 feet of any outdoor area utilized for the storage, use, or handling of hazardous materials," and must have clearly visible signage every 50 feet that says, "Warning -- Electric Fence."

Electric fences used for businesses may not be activated during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. except when the business is closed. Electric fences must be registered with the City of Houston.

Lastly, provisions concerning electric fences do not apply to public zoos.

Abandoned Excavation

If a person excavates an opening "of any size" and then abandons the excavation, he must either fill in the excavation with sand or construct a chain link of masonry fence around the excavation. The fence must be at least 6 feet in height. Failure to comply with this regulation will result in a penalty of $100 to $2,000 per day.

Swimming Pools

In Houston, areas with swimming pools must be enclosed by a fence. Houston's Health and Safety Code stipulates a fence's requirements, which include at least 48 inches in height. Furthermore, if it is not a privacy fence, an opening in the structure may not be wide enough to permit a 4-in. "sphere," or ball, from passing through it, unless the fence is made out of chain-link material. In this case, the links must be tight enough that a sphere no larger than 2¼ in. can pass through. Any gates must be latched and lockable.

Do You Know The Advantages Of Patent Protection

Prescription drugs patents make the pharmaceutical company the sole producer for a finite period of time.

Patent protection in the United States grants the first person to invent a new device or design a new product time and legal recourse to develop that product without the competition of other companies. This protection empowers inventors to continue to innovate and produce more complex pieces of equipment that can change the landscape of modern life, as an inventor with a patent in hand reaps the benefits of his work.

Exclusive Rights

Patent protection provides you with exclusive rights to your invention. This gives you the right to pursue damages from any organization or individual that sells or attempts to profit from your patented invention. This protection can give you the time to refine certain aspects of the patented material and as long as the patent is in effect no other business can attempt to produce a similar product or attempt to duplicate your invention through reverse engineering or another means.

Market Entry for Competitors

As part of protection granted through a patent you can stop competitors from entering the market with products that contain designs or aspects of your own invention. This gives a near-monopoly on the product, installing you as the sole beneficiary of all profits generated from the invention. Patent protection also enables you to license manufacture of the product to other businesses in exchange for royalty payments, which can be very lucrative for the inventor of a popular product.

Outside Investment

The exclusivity granted by patent protection enables a patent holder to attract investors seeking to create a marketing model and production plan for the invention. Investors can be confident in putting money into a project because these individuals know that no competition is going to take place on the patented product for a specified period of time, granting them enough time to see a return on the investment before competition enters the market.

An Inventor's CV

Patents are a matter of public record. An inventor is able to show investors or prospective companies seeking to employ him the number of inventions he has successfully developed, helping to establish proof that he knows what he's doing in the field. An inventor may secure additional funding or new employment on the strength of products he has patented in the past.

Do You Know The Advantages Of Internet & Social Media

What Are the Benefits of Internet & Social Networking?

Social network sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn provide more than just a way to beat loneliness or chat with celebrities. These networks provide wide-ranging benefits from improved communication skills and a more open worldview to a more intuitive way of understanding technology and establishing better relationships with business partners, customers and clients.

Social Skills

For some people, especially the youthful crowd, social interaction can be awkward and difficult. Using social networks over the internet allows people to improve their interactive personal skills, build friendships and create bonds. Shared interests and hobbies allow people to explore their individuality and always find a circle of understanding friends to feel at ease with or to learn about new ways of looking at situations. These social skills can be transferred to face-to-face interactions as well.

Technical Skills

To maneuver the vast number of pages, updates and links of social networking sites, you have to learn to use the technology. Teenagers have become legendary at texting updates to social sites using the tiny keypads on phones, and the increasing age demographics on Facebook means that more adults and seniors are getting online and learning new skills as well. Social networking boosts technical knowledge across the board, giving all users better skills to use in future jobs and projects.

Open to Diversity

The internet is filled with different viewpoints and opinions. Sooner or later, you will bump up against information that casts your personal world in a new light. Social networks are hot spots for debating issues, sharing life experiences and getting a first-person look into someone else's world, thus providing for expanded horizons and a wider tolerance of different beliefs.

Business Networking and Service

Social networking provides many benefits to businesses, from finding new colleagues and expanding your professional contacts on LinkedIn to helping customers with issues over Twitter or Facebook. Connecting with clients and customers via social media can bring better, faster resolution to problems and positive word-of-mouth advertising when compared to leaving people to wrangle with automated phone systems and slow response times.

Collective Thinking

For companies that have many employees or a telecommuting workforce, social networking can be a great place to connect with new ideas, share information and give all employees the same tools and goals so that everyone pushes toward success in the same direction. This type of collective thinking can also help keep up morale since everyone can participate. In a more traditional meeting setting, all opinions or ideas might not be heard.

Do You Know The Advantages Of Federal Agencies Receiving Iso Certification

ISO standards equal proven results.

The International Organization for Standardization, commonly referred to as ISO, is the leading authority in international business standards. According to its web site, ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 163 countries, with one member per country and a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland that coordinates the system. ISO is recognized world wide as the premier voice of a common set of management standards, processes and measurements.

Benefits of Implementing ISO

Organizations such as federal agencies can benefit greatly from obtaining ISO certifications. ISO offers a variety of certifications in areas including quality management and environmental management. The certifications within the ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards are particularly beneficial to federal agencies.

ISO 14001:2004, for example, specifies requirements for an environmental management system that enables an organization to develop and implement policies and objectives that incorporate legal requirements and relate to significant environmental aspects the organization regularly encounters. It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those which it can control and those which it can influence. Federal agencies are able to implement processes that promote environmental stewardship and point to the agency's commitment to environmental protection. ISO states, "International standards provide the technological and scientific bases underpinning health, safety and environmental legislation."

Why are Standards Important?

Another benefit Federal agencies experience from the ISO standards implementation involves the multilateral recognition that is provided by the international standards. Federal agencies are often tasked with providing guidance to state and local agencies regarding management and environmental policies. The ISO standards allow agencies to implement, process and measure data using a common set of standards. ISO states that the standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability. Furthermore, the standards can be implemented at an economical cost.

International Partners

Federal government agencies are often interlinked with international agencies. Therefore, ISO's international partners are an important benefit to federal agencies. Some of the international partners who collaborate with ISO are the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Maritime Organization. These partnerships provide solid international relations with organizations that are respected throughout the world.

Tiffany Company History

Tiffany & Co. is a name known throughout the world for jewelry, glass designs and decorative art pieces. Audrey Hepburn starred in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's," which featured a character obsessed with the luxury of Tiffany's Fifth Avenue store. The standard store packaging, the "Little Blue Box," has become a symbol of status and wealth.

Founding

Tiffany & Co. was originally founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young as Tiffany & Young, a high-end decorative arts and stationery store in New York. The store introduced its signature Little Blue Box as a presentation box during the first year of operation. The company was renamed Tiffany & Co. in 1853. Shares were offered on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time in 1987.

Precedents

Since the store was first opened, Tiffany set metal standards and established traditions for setting and cutting stones. The simple and elegant "Tiffany Setting" was introduced in 1886. The Tiffany name was so well-known that by 1887, Charles Lewis Tiffany was called "The King of Diamonds." The company was also instrumental in establishing U.S. gem weight standards in 1907, and in 1926, the federal government accepted the Tiffany standard for platinum metal. Tiffany introduced a new diamond cut to celebrate the 21st century.

Locations

The original store was located in New York City at 259 Broadway, but a historic move took place in 1940 to the famous Fifth Avenue location. Branch stores were opened around the world, beginning with in San Francisco in 1963. Tiffany & Co. opened in Japan in 1972 and in London in 1986. The last branch store was opened in Tokyo in 1996.

Design Tradition

Tiffany & Co. established a reputation as a showroom for premier designers. Recognizing the design standards of the company, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts placed a Tiffany-designed pitcher in its collection in 1873. Louis Comfort Tiffany established the Tiffany Art Jewelry Department in 1902 to feature his own designs and those of other noted turn-of-the-century designers. L.C. Tiffany became the company's first artistic director.

New Designers

Recent famous designers who worked for Tiffany include Elsa Peretti in 1974, Paloma Picasso in 1980 and Frank Gehry in 2006. World-renowned watch designer Patek Philippe opened a salon in the Fifth Avenue store in 2008, the first retail location for the watch company in the United States.

Do You Know The Advantages Of A Swiss Holding Company

There are definite benefits to having a Swiss holding company.

There are some definite benefits to having a holding company in Switzerland. Swiss companies whose main law consists of managing investments and holding participations on a long-lasting basis, and who do not have any business activity in Switzerland, benefit from having a "cantonal" (one of the twenty-six federal states in the Swiss confederation) holding company status.

Corporate Income Tax Relief

One benefit of a Swiss holding company is the corporate income tax relief. At the federal level, a Swiss holding company pays corporate income tax at a reduced level on any dividend income it receives from the company where it holds a "participating shareholding." All of this depends upon the rate of earnings from the "participating shareholding" to the total amount of profit generated. Also, at the cantonal level, corporate income tax does not have to be paid on any income represented by dividends as long as the definition of a holding company is met by the corporate entity.

Swiss Holding Company Benefits

According to the Personal Business Tax Guide, a company can benefit from a Swiss holding company ruling as long as one of these two conditions are fulfilled: At least two-thirds of the company's estimated assets consists of investments and at least two-thirds of the company's revenues consist of investment income. The remainder should consist of passive income. Capital gains income also counts as investment income.

Reduction of Taxes

According to the Panama Offshore Legal Law Firm, both corporate and capital gains taxes of Swiss holding companies can realize a reduction at the cantonal and federal levels. In addition, a canton can give a holding company a reduction of a certain amount from the net worth tax. Holding companies can realize great benefits from Switzerland's tax system so that the dividends from their subsidiaries do not even have to be taxed. At the same time, cantons only tax pure holding companies 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent. Switzerland also has double agreements with many major countries which almost cause the withholding tax to be reduced to just about zero. Given the many tax privileges, offshore companies would benefit from opening a Swiss holding company. Some things that are beneficial to Switzerland is that it has a secure currency, a stable political status, and a geographical location in the heart of Europe.

Develop A Shingle Roof

Your home's rooftop is the first line of defense against moisture damage.

Shingles installed in an overlapping pattern work to protect the framework of your house by sheeting water off of the rooftop and down into the rain gutters. A properly installed shingle roof consists of a series of layers of different building materials, including sheathing, flashing, roofing felt, and, finally, the shingles themselves. Building a shingle roof does not require any specialized tools, generally, you will find everything you need to complete the job in your garage. You always want to be careful, though,when working on a rooftop because the potential always exists for falls and serious injury.

Instructions

Preparing the Rooftop for Shingling

1. Start by covering the rafter on the roof with panels of 7/16th-inch thick oriented strand board (OSB). Start at the top and lay these boards in a brick pattern, so that the seam between two panels falls on the halfway point of the panels above and below. Use your tape measure and pencil to mark the boards and a circular saw to cut the panels to size as needed. Mark any vent pipes and use a drill, and then a jig saw, to cut holes in the sheathing where these pipes extend through the house's framework. Nail the boards to the rafter with corrosion-resistant nails.

2. Apply flashing to your valleys, where the two sections of roof meet to form a low point. The valley flashing provides an important layer of water resistance along the vulnerable low point between roofing sections. Nail the flashing in place with roofing nails driven every 6 inches on either side of the folded metal. Seal the nail heads and along the sides of the flashing with roofing sealant.

3. Apply drip edge to the edges of the rooftop. This bent metal flashing is fastened to the roof and hangs over the edge onto the fascia and rakes. Nail the wider side of the drip edge to the rooftop, and the smaller side to the roof edges. Fasten the drip edge with roofing nails driven every 6 inches, then seal the nail heads and the edges of the drip edge with roofing sealant.

4. Install all of your vent pipe flashing. These specialized pieces consist of a tubular piece of metal fitted to a wide sheet metal flange. The tube slides over the vent pipes that extend from many of your house's appliances and plumbing fixtures. The point where the vent pipes break through the sheathing is particularly vulnerable to moisture leakage. The vent pipe flashing creates a seal over this vulnerable point.

5. Affix chimney flashing around the chimney. Chimney flashing consists of a series of sheet metal pieces that overlap to form two layers of protection over the extremely vulnerable chimney area. Chimney flashing is probably the trickiest part of the roofing installation. Make sure you follow the chimney flashing manufacturer's instructions regarding the proper installation of this specialized flashing material.

Applying Shingles to the Rooftop

6. Roll out a layer of roofing felt. Run this first layer along the base of the roof, starting from the edge and extending up. Staple the roofing felt here and there to keep it from blowing away while you work. You don't need to overdo it when tacking the felt; it will be held firmly in place once the shingles are installed over the top.

7. Start at the base of the house and work your way up. The first thing you want to do is cut and install the starter strip. Starter strip can be cut from your 3-tab asphalt shingle material. Use your utility knife to cut the shingles lengthwise just above the cut-out tabs, and then slice about 2 inches off the top of the shingle so you are left with a strip of asphalt shingling material. Cut enough starter strip to extend across the length of the section of rooftop with which you are starting.

8. Position the starter strip so the base lies flush with the edge of the roof. Nail the starter strip with roofing nails driven every 6 inches into the OSB sheathing.

9. Once you've got the starter strip extended along the entire base of the roof, then start fastening your first shingle course. Start at one side of the roof and position the shingle so the base is flush with the base of the starter strip. Nail the 3-tab asphalt shingle in place with four roofing nails; one driven above each tab, and the remaining two driven about 1 inch in from each shingle edge. Drive the nails about 1 inch above the cut-outs on the 3-tab shingle, so that they will be covered up by the next course of shingles.

10. Extend the shingles all the way across the roof. Use your utility knife to trim away excess material when you reach the far side of the rooftop.

11. Fasten your second shingle course. Stagger the cut-outs and position the second course of shingles so the base lies flush with the end of the cut-outs in the shingle course below. The second shingle course should be covering the nails holding the first course in place.

12. Continue this shingling pattern. When necessary, run another layer of roofing felt. Make sure to overlap one course of roofing felt with the course above it. The overlap between felt courses should be 1 or 2 inches.

13. Once you've applied shingles to a section of rooftop, repeat the process until the entire roof is covered with shingles.

14. Fasten your ridge caps along the roof's ridge lines. These specialized shingles are folded over so they cover the nail heads on the uppermost shingle course on each side of the roof. Snap a chalk line from one end of the roof's ridge to the other. Set the first ridge cap in place at one edge of the roof and fasten it with two roofing nails driven into each side of the roof's ridge. Make sure to drive the nails beyond the exposure line so that they will be covered by the next ridge cap in line. Refer to the ridge cap manufacturer's instructions regarding the proper exposure for the ridge caps. Extend the ridge caps from one end of the ridge to the other. The final ridge cap will possess the only two nails exposed once the roof is finished. Seal these exposed nails with roofing sealant.

How Can Insurance Providers Report Burglary & Thievery Around The Annual Statement

Burglary is just another hedged bet to an insurance company.

Insurance companies include statistics relating to burglary and theft claims in their annual investor statement in series with other claim statistics. Proactive corporate citizens in the insurance industry don't need to stop there and can forward the annual investor's statement, along with a more detailed account of individual burglary and theft related claims, to local and federal law-enforcement agencies. In the strictest sense, thefts and burglaries are just another type of coverage, though the company may warn policyholders or investors of exceptionally heightened risks in their community as a value added service, including large locational spikes in claim activity.

How Insurance Companies View Burglary and Theft Claims

To an insurance company, burglaries and thefts are simply another hedged bet. As with other types of claims, an insurance company will probably investigate the claim to ensure its legitimacy and deter fraud; insurance companies are no strangers to dealing with claims relating to unfortunate situations, such as crime and the personal tragedies of policyholders. A massive surge in a regional crime rate may reach a threshold where it's no longer profitable to offer policies of that sort in the region, but up to that point it's business as usual.

Voluntary Cooperative Reporting to Law-Enforcement

As a matter of proactive and mutually beneficial community participation, some insurance companies report claim data as it relates to theft and burglary to local, state and federal law enforcement. This not only helps law enforcement to monitor theft trends, it also serves to effectively aid the insurance company by deterring future thefts. For example, a localized surge in a single kind of theft may indicate an organized crime ring, and the data provided by the insurance company may give police the opportunity to notice the problem and respond. Some kinds of policies automatically require a policyholder to file a police report such as reporting a car theft, but it isn't a universal requirement for every theft and burglary policy. However, for policies that do not require a mandatory police report, the additional volunteered data can reveal valuable crime trends.

Theft and Burglary Statistics in the Annual Investors Statement

Annual investor statements may contain statics relating to claims vs. active policies, since they represent a profitability indicator for an insurance company. The report may also include the average payout for each category of successful claim, since numerous claims can be mitigated by a low individual payout. Conversely, a few very large claims may be worth mentioning, particularly if they yield changes in the types of policies offered. An investor's statement is intended as an accurate account of the insurance company's operations; emphasis on burglaries and thefts is not necessary even though they may be mentioned as a class of policy.

Investigative Claim Auditing and Fraud Deterrence

One kind of theft that probably won't find its way onto an annual statement is policy theft, or put more simply, fraudulent claims. Companies may mention positive outcomes relating to internal auditing staff catching claim fraud; however, being something of a general embarrassment, the company may be hesitant to mention significant cases that go undetected initially. An insurance company may employ private investigators and confer with law enforcement agencies to catch would-be cheats.

Do You Know The Benefits Of Company & Labor Contracts

Many workers take on new jobs with just a handshake or spoken agreement. But in some cases, businesses require employees to sign contracts before they begin to work. In other situations, labor unions negotiate contracts between their members and the businesses that compose an entire industry. Where labor contracts do exist, they provide certain benefits for workers and employers alike.

Fairness

The primary advantage of an employment contract is fairness for everyone who signs. Workers can examine employment contracts or union contracts before they apply to a union job or accept a nonunion position. Workers know what to expect from the job and also know that colleagues who signed the same contract are held to the same standards and compensated fairly. Contracts also discourage unfair treatment due to discrimination since subjects such as compensation and job duties are listed in the standard contract and are more difficult for an employer to change without reason.

Predictability

Labor contracts give both workers and employers a degree of predictability for the future. For example, a worker who falls under the protection of a union contract knows when to expect a raise based on experience, and how much that raise will be. At the same time, the employer knows that it will need to pay that raise. Labor contracts also allow workers and employers to anticipate retirements, giving them both the time to plan for the change. Finally, workers and employers know when contracts end, giving them time to prepare their positions for future negotiations for an extension of new contract terms.

Rights Protection

Labor unions and individual employees who enter into contracts know which of their rights are protected by the document. Typically, a work contract includes information about workers' rights to pay, including overtime rates and raises. Contracts also spell out benefits such as health insurance, a retirement savings plan and paid leave. Union contracts may establish a procedure for employees to express their grievances and seek compensation for unfair practices in the workplace. Finally, many labor contracts give workers the right to strike and return to their jobs once issues with management are resolved.

Property Protection

For employers, labor and employment contracts provide an added degree of protection in sensitive industries. Some businesses require employees to sign nondisclosure agreements as part of their employment contracts. These documents prohibit the employees from sharing trade secrets with competitors or leaving the business to work for a competitor after receiving training from the original employer. Businesses that deal in creative production also can use employment contracts to retain control over the intellectual property that workers produce during their employment.

Emergency Fund Versus Having to pay Off Debt

An emergency fund can protect you from accruing more debt.

When you are beginning to take control of your finances, you may need to choose between establishing an emergency fund and paying off your debt. It is important to have an emergency fund and to get out of debt as quickly as you can, but how do you choose which one to complete first?

Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is money set aside to cover unexpected expenses, such as a car repair, a medical emergency or a job loss. As you become more proficient at budgeting and have more money available, you may be able to handle many of these issues by managing cash flow. An emergency fund can also be used when you lose your job and a fully funded emergency fund should have about six months of your living expenses set aside. This money will allow you to continue paying your bills while you are looking for a job and can prevent you from losing your home to foreclosure.

Getting Out of Debt

The benefit of getting out of debt is that it frees up your income each month to go toward other things. You can begin to really build wealth once you are debt-free. Additionally, if you have fewer monthly obligations it is easier to cope with emergencies, such as a job loss or unexpected bills. However, getting out of debt may take time, depending on the amount of debt you have accumulated and your current income. You will need to sacrifice your current lifestyle and make cuts to find extra money to put towards debt.

Choosing Between an Emergency Fund and Getting Out of Debt

Look at your current situation and determine which is more important for you. If your job is stable, begin getting out of debt as quickly as possible. If you feel that your job is not stable or that you may have large medical bills in the near future, you may want to build up your emergency fund first and then work on getting out of debt. In most cases, it is better to get out of debt first because you can build the emergency fund more quickly if you have no debt payments each month. You may compromise by contributing a set amount to your emergency fund and then putting extra money towards your debt.

Miniature Emergency Fund

If you are going to pay off your debt before building your emergency fund, you should set aside $1,000 to $2,000 to cover the smaller emergencies you may face while trying to get out of debt. This money is important because it will prevent you from financing those emergencies with your credit card. If you tap into these funds, then apply the extra money you are paying towards debt until you have built up your emergency fund again. Then you can resume paying off debt.

Purchase Uranium

Uranium can be used for civilian and military purposes.

Uranium is a heavy metal whose application is primarily limited to the nuclear industry. Enriched uranium can be used as a fuel for nuclear power stations. As the world tries to find ways to produce energy without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the demand for uranium as a source of carbon-free energy is increasing. Uranium trade is strictly restricted because of security concerns, particularly with regards to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. That is why it is not traded as, say, oil or wheat is. However, you can still invest in uranium by buying stocks of mining companies that extract this metal.

Instructions

1. Identify the biggest producers of uranium whose shares can be traded on a major Western stock exchange. The biggest uranium mining companies are located in Canada and Australia. Make a distinction between companies that are involved in uranium mining as a sideline of their business, such as Cameco Corp., and companies that specialize in mining uranium, such as Denison Mines.

2. Open a trading account with a broker that allows you to trade shares on the exchanges on which uranium-related stocks are traded, primarily the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange.

3. Follow world interest in nuclear technology and buy uranium stocks when you expect that interest to gather momentum. Also consider buying the stock of startups such as Paladin Resources, which has a uranium mine operating in Namibia. You can invest in startups at or soon after their initial public offerings (IPOs) on an organized stock exchange.

What Exactly Are Some Good examples Of Goals For Any Business

Business goals are your compass. Without them you don't know where you are going.

Having clearly defined business goals is crucial to the success of businesses. Goals help you plan your time effectively and ensure you get what you want out of your business.

Revenue / Sales Goals

Defining exactly how many sales you need to make is the first step in business goal planning. This is your revenue goal. Example: This year I will bring in $100,000 in revenue.

Profit Goals

You must also set a goal for how much profit you will have after your expenses are deducted from your revenue. Example: I will have $20,000 in profit after my expenses.

Long-Term Goals

Knowing why you have a business and what you want to be doing with it in five, 10 or even 20 years gives you a clear purpose. Example: My business will be salable in 10 years, and selling it will finish funding my retirement.

Short-Term Goals

To achieve your long-term goals you need to break them down into shorter-term goals. Example: This month I will launch a new product.

Lifestyle Goals

Your business can give you exactly the type of lifestyle you want if you plan your business carefully. Example: My business gives me freedom to choose my own schedule.

What Exactly Are Some Community Service Projects

Community service can include simple things such as reaching out to the elderly.

Community service projects offer people an opportunity to give something back to their communities. Through community service, groups and individuals can take part in projects to benefit the community as a whole and minister to individual needs as well. Examples of community service projects include environmental clean-ups, outreach to needy families and lending a helping hand to those with special needs.

Environmental Projects

There are some community projects targeted at getting groups and individuals involved in conservation and clean-up projects for environment. Adopt Your Watershed, an Environmental Protection Agency online database, lists more than 2,600 groups that are involved in protecting and restoring the planet's most precious resource, water. The Adopt Your Watershed website helps visitors learn how they can get involved in activities that include stream clean-up, water monitoring and storm drain marking. In addition to a list of groups involved in water conservation projects, the Adopt Your Watershed website provides a list of activities for individuals to perform to further water conservation.

In addition to water conservation environmental community projects, there are projects such as Adopt a Highway that encourage groups and individuals to pick up trash strewn along the roadways in the community.

Helping Those With Special Needs

Special needs-based community service projects can make a difference in the life of someone who suffers from a disability. This type of community service can be performed by student groups, adult organizations or individuals who want to make a difference in a handicapped individual's life. A few examples of community service projects for those with special needs include setting up a buddy system for special needs children at school; volunteering at an agency that works with handicapped children; taking toys to the children's cancer ward at a hospital; building a wheelchair accessible ramp to help a wheelchair-bound individual access his home more easily, or devoting volunteer time to a rehabilitation center.

Government-Based Projects

AmeriCorps is a government-initiated program that provides adults with numerous opportunities to serve within their community through partnerships with nonprofit organizations at the local and the national levels. Some of the opportunities available through AmeriCorps include tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth, affordable house building, literacy programs, park and stream clean-up and disaster response.

Family Community Service

A family-based community service project can be an excellent way for parents to instill within their children awareness of meeting needs within the community. Some community service projects that families can get involved in may include visiting a nursing home, volunteer work at homeless shelter or soup kitchen, yard work for the elderly in the community or volunteering to work at a Special Olympics event.

What Exactly Are Revenues On The Cash Statement

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.

What Exactly Are Good Reasons To Advertise Online

To run a successful business, you need income, but it is hard to create income without at least a little bit of advertising. For a variety of reasons, advertising online is becoming more and more popular. In fact, it is almost impossible for a business to succeed in modern times unless that business has an online presence.

Reach More People

Reach a lot more people than you would normally reach by advertising online. With a web presence, people can find you more easily and refer their friends to your website.

By advertising your product or service online, you reach people all over the world, not just in your country. People in other countries can adjust their Internet servers to different languages, including translating your advertisement to their language. This allows people in other countries to purchase your product or service easily.

Affordability

Cut your costs by advertising online. Advertising online is much less expensive than preparing, printing and mailing paper brochures. Even if you have someone set up your online advertisement for you, it is most often a one-time fee, unless you have them continually update a website. With online advertising, you can potentially reach millions of people. With paper advertising, reaching the same amount of people would be much more expensive.

Networking

Remember: The more people you know, the better your chances of selling your product or service. Networking is one way to advertise online. Join groups such as Facebook, Twitter and other online networking sites. If you are a writer, join book club sites where you can promote your book. Join sites that are beneficial to you and your own online advertising.

24-Hour Service

Offer your customers 24-hour service by advertising online. People work all different schedules and are online at all hours of the day and night. Advertising online gives people unlimited access to you and your products.

Communication

Advertise online and open the lines of communication between you and your customers or potential customers. Set up a way that they can contact you at any time by sending questions through the online site. This allows them to ask a question when it is convenient for them, but also allows you to answer when it is convenient for you.