Managers know the difficulty of getting people to do the right things the right way. And employees need their expertise and understanding of the way things should be done. But how do you get it across so it actually sticks? The answer is well-defined policies and procedures.
Quickly Convey What’s Right
Managers can convey the exact way things should be done with policies and procedures, and they can do it faster than ever with pre-written documents. This speeds an organization’s standard operating procedures project effectiveness to get results.
Create Strong Operating Procedures
Departmentally-focused manuals provide an excellent opportunity to create strong, consistent Standard Operating Procedures across multiple functions. This includes added savings of time and resources. Departments that benefit with improved results include:
• CEO Management - Build an effective management procedures system based on best practices for the entire organization
• CFO Controller - Simplify the job as a CFO or Controller, and speed the development of comprehensive Accounting and HR manuals
• ISO 9001 Quality Manager - Create ISO 9001 quality policies and procedures manual with prewritten policies, procedures and forms
• Human Resources Manager - Create HR policies and procedures manual with prewritten policies, procedures and forms
• Security Manager - Create complete facility security procedures and disaster recovery plans
Customize to any Business
When researching effective solutions, the content should be well-researched and follow industry-standard formats. Moreover, the applications such as MS Word-based standard operating procedures documents should be easy to edit and simple to customize for any business or organization.
Utilize Essential Procedures
Management should have a solution to implement their entire policy system with essential procedures in one concise, consistent format. And they can do it effectively and efficiently because pre-written documents:
• Saves research time
• Improves procedure writing
• Speeds policy development
• Eases document editing
• Enhances policy knowledge
• Simplifies implementation
The Right Documents
Business owners and executives should select a pre-written policies and procedures package specifically created for a particular management scope. And choose the one that identifies their role and needs.
Can You Play the Drums?
When I was a child, all I wanted from life was to be able to play every instrument under the sun. Pretty lofty goal, right?
I spent a couple decades learning numerous instruments, a couple I mastered; with many of the instruments I considered myself an
average player, but that was ok – at least I could do it! Years went by, I kept learning new instruments, and I was very proud of myself.
One day, I decided it was time to learn the drums. I started with the snare drum, and I was fair at playing that. Next, the
tri-toms, the bass drum, symbols, and so on. Being the overachiever that I am, I decided one day to get a drum set. I
worked on it, day in and out, striving to make some sense out of this set of drums. I banged on them endlessly, struggling to find
my beat – to make them all work together while in my hands. My father, being a kind soul, walked in on me playing my drum set
and said, “You know, you look like a maniac flailing around over there.”
Skip forward several years later. I still have that drum set (in my shed), and I still play it occasionally. No set of lessons, books, or study seems to teach my feet and hands to move as they should with the drums. My beats end up half-witted, and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that 1) I can’t do it all myself and 2) If I need a drummer, I might as well hire a professional.
The moral of my story is, I know what I can and can’t achieve. The drums are not my ‘cup of tea’, but I know of several
individuals who are very good at the drums. This is true in my business as well; while I can keep my books and do my personal
taxes, when I put all of the accounting/bookkeeping together, I end up flailing like a maniac once again.
Many business owners seem to be under the assumption that they can do it all, that they can be the catch-all support that their
business needs. In my experience, this is only not true, but can also make your business look very unprofessional. Your ability to say, “I’m not a web designer” or “I’m not an accountant” or “I don’t know my head from a hole in the ground in regards to [fill in the blank]” will set your business apart from the crowd. I can
give you a great for instance: I know next to nothing about real estate. I know it has something to do with houses, mortgages,
listings, and showings; but what good does that do me? However, I know a friend of mine has ample experience in real estate, and this is her niche market. Thus, every inquiry I get about real estate I send to my friend.
We all forget at one time or another that we can’t do everything, and take on projects we are blatantly not qualified for. It is imperative that we not only find our niche market, but also figure out what we cannot accomplish successfully, and pass it on to someone who does.
I cannot play the drums, but I am a master at the flute and trombone. I cannot do bookkeeping/accounting, but am a whiz at
marketing and design. How about you?
I spent a couple decades learning numerous instruments, a couple I mastered; with many of the instruments I considered myself an
average player, but that was ok – at least I could do it! Years went by, I kept learning new instruments, and I was very proud of myself.
One day, I decided it was time to learn the drums. I started with the snare drum, and I was fair at playing that. Next, the
tri-toms, the bass drum, symbols, and so on. Being the overachiever that I am, I decided one day to get a drum set. I
worked on it, day in and out, striving to make some sense out of this set of drums. I banged on them endlessly, struggling to find
my beat – to make them all work together while in my hands. My father, being a kind soul, walked in on me playing my drum set
and said, “You know, you look like a maniac flailing around over there.”
Skip forward several years later. I still have that drum set (in my shed), and I still play it occasionally. No set of lessons, books, or study seems to teach my feet and hands to move as they should with the drums. My beats end up half-witted, and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that 1) I can’t do it all myself and 2) If I need a drummer, I might as well hire a professional.
The moral of my story is, I know what I can and can’t achieve. The drums are not my ‘cup of tea’, but I know of several
individuals who are very good at the drums. This is true in my business as well; while I can keep my books and do my personal
taxes, when I put all of the accounting/bookkeeping together, I end up flailing like a maniac once again.
Many business owners seem to be under the assumption that they can do it all, that they can be the catch-all support that their
business needs. In my experience, this is only not true, but can also make your business look very unprofessional. Your ability to say, “I’m not a web designer” or “I’m not an accountant” or “I don’t know my head from a hole in the ground in regards to [fill in the blank]” will set your business apart from the crowd. I can
give you a great for instance: I know next to nothing about real estate. I know it has something to do with houses, mortgages,
listings, and showings; but what good does that do me? However, I know a friend of mine has ample experience in real estate, and this is her niche market. Thus, every inquiry I get about real estate I send to my friend.
We all forget at one time or another that we can’t do everything, and take on projects we are blatantly not qualified for. It is imperative that we not only find our niche market, but also figure out what we cannot accomplish successfully, and pass it on to someone who does.
I cannot play the drums, but I am a master at the flute and trombone. I cannot do bookkeeping/accounting, but am a whiz at
marketing and design. How about you?
Issuing Warrants to Investors
When raising capital for a business venture, warrants are a common form of equity that is given to investors. A warrant is like an option – it gives the holder the right to buy a security at a fixed or formulaic price, which is known as the "exercise" or "strike" price.
Warrants are often confused with options. Options, as used in the venture capital space, are typically long term (up to 10 years). They are also typically issued to employees versus investors. Conversely, warrants act like short-term options and, unlike employee options, can be traded as an independent security.
In general, neither the issuance of warrants nor their exercise (at least by non-employees) is a taxable event. In fact, in 1984, Congress reversed the earlier position of the IRS that the expiration of a warrant is a taxable event for the issuer. However, whenever a debt security with warrants attached is issued as a package, original issue discount problems are invited.
One type of warrant that once popular as a financing mechanism for emerging ventures is contingent warrants. These warrants become exercisable if and when the holder does something for the issuer, for example buys a certain level of product. Contingent warrants are no longer used often since the SEC ruled in favor of current and periodic recognition of expense to the issuer.
Like an option, a warrant is considered a "common-stock equivalent” for accounting purposes. And, if the warrant has been "in the money" (i.e., the exercise price is below the market price) for three consecutive months, it is deemed to impact earnings per share under the so-called treasury-stock method. That is, the warrants are considered exercised, new stock is issued at the exercise price, and the proceeds to the issuer are used to buy in stock at the market price.
Warrants are a common financing mechanism and companies seeking venture capital should consider and become knowledgeable about this type of equity device.
Warrants are often confused with options. Options, as used in the venture capital space, are typically long term (up to 10 years). They are also typically issued to employees versus investors. Conversely, warrants act like short-term options and, unlike employee options, can be traded as an independent security.
In general, neither the issuance of warrants nor their exercise (at least by non-employees) is a taxable event. In fact, in 1984, Congress reversed the earlier position of the IRS that the expiration of a warrant is a taxable event for the issuer. However, whenever a debt security with warrants attached is issued as a package, original issue discount problems are invited.
One type of warrant that once popular as a financing mechanism for emerging ventures is contingent warrants. These warrants become exercisable if and when the holder does something for the issuer, for example buys a certain level of product. Contingent warrants are no longer used often since the SEC ruled in favor of current and periodic recognition of expense to the issuer.
Like an option, a warrant is considered a "common-stock equivalent” for accounting purposes. And, if the warrant has been "in the money" (i.e., the exercise price is below the market price) for three consecutive months, it is deemed to impact earnings per share under the so-called treasury-stock method. That is, the warrants are considered exercised, new stock is issued at the exercise price, and the proceeds to the issuer are used to buy in stock at the market price.
Warrants are a common financing mechanism and companies seeking venture capital should consider and become knowledgeable about this type of equity device.
Resume Outline - Add Structure & Flow to Your Resume
Building your resume, based on a resume outline will give it structure and flow... it provides an outline of all the things you should include in your resume.
A resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create
First you have to decide on a particular format for your resume. The two main formats in use today are chronological and functional format. Which one is best to use will depend greatly on your situation.
To build your resume you can use free resume forms located on the web. This can provide you with directions if you are having trouble building your resume. A sample resume outline would include the following sections:
The Heading
Your resume should start with the heading. You can list your basic details so the employer can contact you. You can include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS
Job Objective
This is an optional section of your resume outline. Here you can tell readers what the objective of your resume is and what you are looking for.
Example:
Entry-level accounting position with medium to large public accounting firm.
The "Body" is the largest section of your resume outline
This is where you can enter details about your education, work experience and additional information. The body contains:
Education
Here you can list your educational background.
Educational Background Format: College, Degree, Major, Honors, Relevant Courses
Sample Education Section: Drexel University
BA Educational Leadership, May 2000
If you have a college education, do not list your high school information. You can also list any honors for academic excellence in this section of your resume outline.
If you are a graduating senior or looking for an internship, you can add a relevant courses section to your resume outline.
Employment History
This is an important part of the resume. Here you can list your previous employment history. If you are using a chronological resume format, you should list the most recent job positions first on your resume outline.
Example:
Drug Emporium, Wayne, PA
Cashier, June to September, 2001
Supervised customer check out
Handled the cash register
Managed and stocked merchandise
You can also list relevant volunteer activities or work experience programs if you do not have much job experience.
Achievements
If you have any special achievements you would like to announce, you can use this section. Maybe you made a suggestion that saved your previous boss a ton of money. You can list it in this section of your resume outline.
Special Skills
The remaining sections of the resume can include additional skills such as fluency in a foreign language.
References
You should leave this section out altogether. References are not required at this stage and stating that 'References are available upon request' is assumed anyway... so you just end up wasting valuable space!
Additional Optional Sections
You can add additional sections to your resume outline such as volunteer work, community involvement or honors.
You also have to decide on the layout of your resume. Choose a common font and medium range font-size, such as 12. Decide how you want to highlight the headings of the different sections. You can use bold, italics or underline to highlight section headings. Some people use bold and a larger font size to highlight their name on the resume.
The last part of your resume will probably receive little focus, so if you have a marketable skill or outstanding honor you should try to incorporate them in earlier sections of your resume.
You can find a lot of resources on the web that can provide you with free outlines and sample resume layouts. Usually an outline will differ if the resume is for a recent college graduate or a long time professional. Choose a resume outline that is specific to your career field and you can build your resume around that outline.
A resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create
First you have to decide on a particular format for your resume. The two main formats in use today are chronological and functional format. Which one is best to use will depend greatly on your situation.
To build your resume you can use free resume forms located on the web. This can provide you with directions if you are having trouble building your resume. A sample resume outline would include the following sections:
The Heading
Your resume should start with the heading. You can list your basic details so the employer can contact you. You can include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS
Job Objective
This is an optional section of your resume outline. Here you can tell readers what the objective of your resume is and what you are looking for.
Example:
Entry-level accounting position with medium to large public accounting firm.
The "Body" is the largest section of your resume outline
This is where you can enter details about your education, work experience and additional information. The body contains:
Education
Here you can list your educational background.
Educational Background Format: College, Degree, Major, Honors, Relevant Courses
Sample Education Section: Drexel University
BA Educational Leadership, May 2000
If you have a college education, do not list your high school information. You can also list any honors for academic excellence in this section of your resume outline.
If you are a graduating senior or looking for an internship, you can add a relevant courses section to your resume outline.
Employment History
This is an important part of the resume. Here you can list your previous employment history. If you are using a chronological resume format, you should list the most recent job positions first on your resume outline.
Example:
Drug Emporium, Wayne, PA
Cashier, June to September, 2001
Supervised customer check out
Handled the cash register
Managed and stocked merchandise
You can also list relevant volunteer activities or work experience programs if you do not have much job experience.
Achievements
If you have any special achievements you would like to announce, you can use this section. Maybe you made a suggestion that saved your previous boss a ton of money. You can list it in this section of your resume outline.
Special Skills
The remaining sections of the resume can include additional skills such as fluency in a foreign language.
References
You should leave this section out altogether. References are not required at this stage and stating that 'References are available upon request' is assumed anyway... so you just end up wasting valuable space!
Additional Optional Sections
You can add additional sections to your resume outline such as volunteer work, community involvement or honors.
You also have to decide on the layout of your resume. Choose a common font and medium range font-size, such as 12. Decide how you want to highlight the headings of the different sections. You can use bold, italics or underline to highlight section headings. Some people use bold and a larger font size to highlight their name on the resume.
The last part of your resume will probably receive little focus, so if you have a marketable skill or outstanding honor you should try to incorporate them in earlier sections of your resume.
You can find a lot of resources on the web that can provide you with free outlines and sample resume layouts. Usually an outline will differ if the resume is for a recent college graduate or a long time professional. Choose a resume outline that is specific to your career field and you can build your resume around that outline.
How to Start an Investment Club - Business Model
Your investment club will need to decide what type of entity you're going to adopt for business purposes. You'll have to decide whether you're going to be a corporation, a general partnership, or limited liability partnership.
Each of these business models has their own advantages and disadvantages.
· Corporation. Most investment clubs will avoid becoming a corporation. This is because corporations are taxable business entities that require knowledgeable accounting skills to make them run smoothly and in accord with government regulations. A corporation generally means a lot of paperwork. This paperwork can be avoided by choosing another business model for your purpose of running an investment club.
· General partnership. This type of business model requires less paperwork and knowledge about taxes and other financial issues. Most investment clubs choose a general partnership as their choice of a business entity. A general partnership has nominal paperwork and costs associated with it because the taxes are passed to each partner's tax returns. This type of business model will let you accomplish what you need to do to run your investment club with the least amount of tax influence.
· Limited liability corporations. This type of a business model is much like the general partnership but it gives individual members of your investment group a bit more liability protection. Keep in mind that this type of business entity can be expensive and will need more paperwork.
Members of your investment group will have to decide which of the above business models works best for your club.
You will have to make a decision one way or the other since establishing a business entity is a requirement for tax purposes.
Each of these business models has their own advantages and disadvantages.
· Corporation. Most investment clubs will avoid becoming a corporation. This is because corporations are taxable business entities that require knowledgeable accounting skills to make them run smoothly and in accord with government regulations. A corporation generally means a lot of paperwork. This paperwork can be avoided by choosing another business model for your purpose of running an investment club.
· General partnership. This type of business model requires less paperwork and knowledge about taxes and other financial issues. Most investment clubs choose a general partnership as their choice of a business entity. A general partnership has nominal paperwork and costs associated with it because the taxes are passed to each partner's tax returns. This type of business model will let you accomplish what you need to do to run your investment club with the least amount of tax influence.
· Limited liability corporations. This type of a business model is much like the general partnership but it gives individual members of your investment group a bit more liability protection. Keep in mind that this type of business entity can be expensive and will need more paperwork.
Members of your investment group will have to decide which of the above business models works best for your club.
You will have to make a decision one way or the other since establishing a business entity is a requirement for tax purposes.
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