by: Ed Sykes
We consistently face new and ever growing challenges in the workplace such as reorganizing, downsizing, and ?left out sizing.? We are faced with the question, ?How do we lead in this storm of change?? It may seem difficult at times and the decisions we make define our short-term and long-term outcomes. I will share with you five leadership techniques guaranteed to keep you on track during these difficult times.

1 Integrity.
I put this first because the lack of integrity will make or break you as a professional, as a leader, as a person in the long run. The lack of this will turn yesterday?s heroes in today?s villains. For example, ?MCI was the apple of the business community?s eye. High revenues, high profits, and high growth; MCI was beating the competition hands down.

Then it was discovered that there were gross accounting irregularities that accounted for the astounding profits. You see, management made a decision, ?Do I continue to sustain good growth and be able to look at myself in the mirror or do I cook the accounting books and spend the rest of my time covering up this integrity deficiency? The real shame of the MCI situation was that AT&T, Sprint, and others in the industry had to cut costs and lay off thousands of employees to compete with MCI?s false numbers. The lack of integrity at MCI not only affected the company but also the livelihood of thousands and the industry as a whole.

I was recently speaking with a recently retired City Council member who is well respected in the community. I asked her what the secret was to her success while on the council? She mentioned that one of her political adversaries said to her, ?While you were on the council, I didn?t like the way you voted, but I respected the way you voted because you were consistent with your votes and had the city?s best interest in mind.?

Ask yourself what decisions that you make are right for the long term? Be consistent in your actions, whether it is with management, your team, or your family.

2. Knowledge.
With change happening faster and faster every moment, it is extremely important that you gain the knowledge to master these changes. You owe it not only to yourself, but to your team and management. As I always say, ?It?s not having the right answer, it?s that you have the right answer faster than before.? Many times during my teambuilding programs a student will say, ?I didn?t know where to find the answer.? Then I will say, ?That is an unacceptable answer.? Because part of being a leader is acquiring the skills to find the right answers. With the Internet, classroom and online training, mentors, etc., the knowledge is at your fingertips.

Challenge your team members to use the same resources to acquire the knowledge to master their challenges. By acquiring this knowledge, you will be able to navigate your team through the ocean of change and achieve your goals.

3. Decisiveness.
You have seen them. They wait for information, then more information before making a decision. Then they need more information to support the information they already have.Then they need a committee to analyze the information. Then they wait for the perfect time to make the decision.

Well, you know what I mean. Anyone you know? Make the decision! Good things happen when you take action; you grow, you adapt, and your team grows. There is no perfect time to make a decision. Leaders make decisions based on past experience, putting into action the decision, and staying and adapting the decision if needed. But make the decision. The worst quality you can show your team is indecision. What do you think your team sees when you can?t make a decision? Make the decision and go for it.

4. Vision.
This is the ability not only to see what is the present - anyone can do that - it?s the ability to see the future. Outstanding leaders can not only see their team for what they can do now, but what they can become, and paint the picture for them. These leaders are consistently communicating and coaching their team members to that vision. One of the best ways, and least used methods, to convey your vision is the team meeting.
Every meeting should start out with the team vision, mission, and goals; and the rest of the meeting should tie into the vision. For example, the motivation portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, the information portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, the training portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, etc. Also, invest time to develop your team members? personal visions and show them how they can accomplish their personal goals by tying into the overall vision. By consistently communicating the vision, your team will move with purpose, feel they are personally making a difference, and achieve their goals sooner.

5. Unselfishness
Stephen Covey, in his successful book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote that a true leader must be a servant to the ones he or she leads. The leader must be able to ?give of oneself for the good of the team.? In other words, be unselfish in words and action. Be unselfish in praise of others, in public, especially in front of management.
Be unselfish in the ability to take time to listen, really listen to your team?s concerns. A recent management survey said that the average time management invests doing ?pure listening? to employees during the year is a mere two hours- just two hours! What was meant by ?pure listening? time was listening with eye contact, acknowledgement, and not answering the phone while listening, not speaking with another person while listening, etc. Be unselfish in the ability to help your team. Whether it?s the ability to readily assist with a difficult telephone call, jump in and remove road blocks for team members, or ?be there? for a team member during challenging moments. Believe me, your team will remember those moments and excel for you.

Now I challenge you to put into action just one of the leadership techniques I mentioned above to achieve your vision, your mission, and your goals in the future.

Small business opportunities are making way in modern society because of the rise of entrepreneurial minded individuals. There are a variety of different fields and industries to go into, and most people are best suited for an industry that they have a passion for. The small business opportunity sector usually includes any company that makes a gross profit of under $500,000. These companies typically have a smaller number of employees as well. Many are in the form of a franchise or a specialty shop. There are towns and neighborhood full of these small shops that include: dry cleaners, sandwich stops, restaurants, retail stores, boutiques, and any service industry.

Service industries are by far the most popular and usually consist of less than five employees working together to proved some type of service such as painting, housecleaning or dog walking. Many teens get their start in the world of entrepreneurship through a small business opportunity. There are periodicals and magazines that list the most lucrative and profitable small business opportunities available. These articles also include contact information for those that are interested to reach the franchise headquarters or places one can search to gather more information on a particular field of interest.

Many women are pursuing small business opportunities that can be suited just for them. Childcare organizations and other female dominated industries are seeing a surge in women business ownership. A small business opportunity that is woman owned requires extra effort because the owner typically has additional full time household responsibilities. This however, is not stopping women from becoming tried and true entrepreneurs. "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:25-26).

Many people are also realizing the gain in time by telecommuting and are finding a plethora of small business opportunities that they can begin with the luxury of using their home as a base of operations. A home based small business opportunity can be a way for one to begin a second career without giving up the first one. Once the second career from home is off to a profitable start, it can be turned into full time work, sold, or passed onto another family member. Most people that dream of being an entrepreneur eventually will live their dream. Keep in mind that it is not without hard work, preparation, extreme stamina and a passionate drive that these businesses succeed.

Searching for the right Christian based business opportunity can be as simple as asking a local Christian group for ideas or as complex as researching every possibility on the Internet, in the newspaper, and through personal contacts. When searching for the option, keep a few things in mind. The first step is to determine the purpose for seeking this type of company. Some invest to make some quick cash; others are looking for a place to use their skills and talents. The purpose of the Christian based business opportunity will determine the type of venture the prospective businessman undertakes. There are no 'get rich quick' companies that are valid to work with and, for that matter, the ones that seem valid have a lot of fine print and strict requirements.

The second step for a potential businessman is to evaluate his own skills. Areas of expertise could be in marketing, sales, and services. A person who succeeds in business must be friendly and have good organization skills. Some people might be advised to take some training before venturing into a Christian based business opportunity. But others will be able to launch their new company after investigating the best avenue to take. Another aspect for the new businessman to consider is the motivations for opening a new company. He also needs to examine who will be affected by the decision to pursue this opportunity. If a parent is already putting in more than forty hours on his current job, taking on more responsibility can harm his family. On the other hand, the option to work from home rather than in an office may give the business owner more time with his family. The beginning entrepreneur needs to decide where his office will be if he has a home-based company. He also needs to investigate all the tax rules and how that works with an at-home office.

The best course to take when beginning a venture like this is to take some time to interview people who are already taking advantage of a Christian based business opportunity. Ask what surprised them as they started out or what they would have done differently. Hopefully, after doing some research and interviewing, the owner will be ready to make an educated decision. Yet even the most knowledgeable and talented person can fail in business. The believer's first step in deciding is to consult God and ask Him if this decision is in His will. The apostle Paul writes, "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Even if a person feels 100 percent sure about the decision, he must ask God for wisdom in his choice, ask for God's blessing, and for knowledge to run the business as best as possible.

Making the AdSense Ads suit your website – Part 2 (Color of Ads)

Making the AdSense Ads suit your website is an easy job that can really enhance the effectiveness of your AdSense Ads (and hence increase the AdSense revenue for you). The four properties that contribute towards making the AdSense Ads look in-place on your website are – size, shape, color and positioning of the Ads. Though none of these properties can be regarded as more important than the others, the color of Ads is surely one thing that can help a lot in making the Ads blend with your website or making them stand out. Let’s take a closer look at this Ad customization option that Google provides to all the webmasters who use the Google AdSense program for earning revenue.

Color of your Ads:

This is one property of Ads that is fully customizable. You can easily customize the color of your Ads using the color palettes provided by Google; and there are more than 200 colors available. You can choose from several different colors that are available on the color palette (and 200 colors are enough for any website). You can choose colors for Border, Title, Text and URL. You can also set a background color for your Ads. As you select various options, you can see how the ad looks in the preview tool that is shown on the same page as the options; and you can accordingly make adjustments. The color combinations for the various parts of the Ad and for the background should match the color combinations used in the other parts of the website. To make the Ad blend with the website, you can use the background color of your webpage as the background color and the border color for your AdSense Ad. If you want to make the Ads stand-out, you can use contrasting colors for your Ads; however, this is generally not preferred unless you have other elements on the website that use similar colors too e.g. you can have the same background color and text color as the menu options. Once you have the right color combinations, you can save them as custom color palette which you can use later.
Similar color customization options are available for Google AdSense search results page too (as in, Google AdSense for search).

by: Mansi gupta
A professional degree in Juris Doctor relates to a higher grade of studies in law. With business houses expanding in size and the legal issues gaining higher importance for day to day working of large corporates, demand for Juris Doctor professionals has been increasing. As the business interacts more with the society and their other counterparts need to resolve legal matters emerge simultaneously. All this has given an impetus to students aiming for career in law field. But a purely law background without any corporate experience may not be well accepted by business industry. Top ranked services in companies also demand a graduate in business organization along with lawyer?s degree.

As demand for combined degree in JD and business is being a preferred combination to build a rewarding career in law. Business and law schools at various places have joined hands to impart students with best career courses. At many places Law Schools providing degrees of Juris Doctor and business school providing Master in business administration present a cooperative program for the convenience of aspiring students. This opportunity to avail concurrent degrees in both fields is a stepping-stone for success of students. Students who cannot travel to different places at the same time have a best prospect of finding excellent professional training under one roof.

Surviving in the law field gets tougher from the day one tries to enter the school of law. Getting admission requires fulfilling entire formalities along with earlier creditable basic high school record, clearing the admission test for the law school and even recommendations from people. The same is applicable for business studies a student is required to prove his quantitative skills and efficiency in microcomputers to get admitted. A dedicated and hard work during the courses ensures students with excellent results which in turn to provide better career opportunities.

A law person has various prospects for different types of career that he would like to accept. Depending on his caliber and willingness to work hard a lawyer can decide upon practicing law in an exclusive law firm or he may choose to be an in house lawyer. An exclusive law firm requires an extensive knowledge of one particular area in law where as an in house lawyer is required to deal with entire aspects of legal issues that relate to the particular company in which he is involved.

While undergoing training in one of the law schools a student would learn about different aspects of law like civil law, criminal procedures, constitutional law, contracts, property, professional responsibility, basic federal income taxation, legislative and administrative interpretation and many others. The syllabus is cautiously devised to ensure that students receive exhaustive training to deal with maximum situation in the professional front. Similarly Masters Degree in Business administration imparts education in business for global society, corporate finance, managerial accounting, information resource management, strategic management, master?s project and other similar relevant courses. Anyone pursuing both law and business studies simultaneously has an advantage of studying some courses that are counted towards both degrees and hence a considerable amount of work is reduced for these students.

When cancer begins in the membrane that surrounds the lungs, mesothelioma symptoms may include shortness of breath and pain in the chest or under the ribcage. If the cancer starts in the mesothelial tissue covering the organs in the abdominal cavity, symptoms such as weight loss and abdominal pain may develop. Sometimes, signs and symptoms will not appear until 30 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Signs and Symptoms: An Overview
Mesothelioma is a benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous) tumor that begins within the mesothelium, a protective lining surrounding most of the organs in the body. Most mesotheliomas begin within the pleura (the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity) or the peritoneum (the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity). Mesothelioma symptoms will vary, depending on where the tumor is located.

Pleural Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma symptoms are usually due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura. These symptoms often include:

* Shortness of breath
* Pain in the chest or under the ribcage.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms
Peritoneal symptoms of mesothelioma may include:

* Weight loss
* Lumps in the abdomen
* Abdominal (stomach) pain
* Abdominal swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen (stomach).

Other symptoms may also include:

* Bowel obstruction
* Blood-clotting abnormalities
* Anemia
* Fever.

Metastatic Mesothelioma Symptoms
If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include:

* Pain
* Trouble swallowing
* Swelling of the neck or face.

Asbestos Exposure and Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Up to 90 percent of malignant mesothelioma cases are related to asbestos exposure. The risk for developing mesothelioma in those with heavy asbestos exposure is 7 to 10 percent. However, symptoms may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Symptoms: Final Thoughts
The possible symptoms of mesothelioma described in this article are not sure signs of the disease. Other more common, less serious conditions can cause similar symptoms. If you are experiencing any possible mesothelioma symptoms, visit your healthcare provider so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $895,000 to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) for the assessment of brownfields in the county. Brownfields are lands that are domant and unused because of actually or suspected environmental contamination. The properties remain idle because investors are afraid to commit to the cost and uncertainties involved in a major environmental cleanup.

The EPA grant will allow the BRPC to inspect the properties and test soil and groundwater for contamination. When contamination, like the presence of asbestos or industrial solvents, is found on the property, the BRPC will develop a cleanup plan. Having the cleanup plan already laid out saves a buyer money and relieves the uncertainty that prevents potential investors from committing to a property.

Degrees in psychology are undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees offered by most colleges and universities that engage the learner in the study of human behavior and provide basic knowledge and sharpen analytical skills of the interested student. If a person has a strong interest in what makes people tick, is unusually insightful into underlying stimuli of human actions and is adept at critical thinking, they may naturally have an aptitude for a career influenced or gained by a degree in psychology. This field of study is widely chosen by entering freshmen in colleges and universities. Many choose the degree if they have a general interest in the study of human behavior and are not exactly sure of which career they may pursue, but know that this course offers general and fundamental knowledge in human studies. A degree in this field, however, is the only undergraduate degree that a student cannot enter the professional field of psychology with the title "Psychologist" unless he or she has completed the graduate and/or postgraduate level. A terminal degree is required in professional careers and the postgraduate level is required in many of the highest qualified fields of the psychological sciences.

Pursuing a bachelors level education with this program can provide general studies that will equip graduates in varied fields such as social work, mental health organizations, management and application in volunteer service organizations, law enforcement, technical writing, reporting, media, and much more. A degree in psychology can qualify an individual for a broad array of jobs and careers because of the broad application of human studies curriculum that is required to graduate with a Bachelor of Science. Degrees in psychology require the general core courses typical of college programs with the major areas of study in learning and analyzing human behavior. Courses exploring areas such as human growth and development, marriage and family, research and testing statistics, abnormal psychology and psychological theories are studied to prepare the student for such a wide field of jobs. In order to step beyond the entrance level jobs that are available to graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology, it is necessary to purse an M.A. and PhD. in order to qualify for professional careers in exclusively psychological fields such as practicing as a licensed psychologist.

This course of study is not difficult to find throughout the states either online or on-campus. Many aspiring students who pursue the M.S. and PhD. now have the option to pursue degrees in psychology online for an accredited certification that can be approved for a license. These graduate and postgraduate students may continue working in their present jobs while pursuing upper level grad classes. The acceptance requirements are generally the same at most institutions, including competent scores on the GRE, approved GPA, approved transcript and an interview. If someone is interested in the field of psychology at whatever level of achievement, a degree in psychology can be the beginning of a rewarding career that can provide personal satisfaction for those who especially enjoy working with people in areas of human service. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

by: Chris Anderson

You have permission to publish this article free of charge, as long as the resource box is included with the article. If you do run my article, a courtesy reply to sean@bizmanualz.com would be greatly appreciated. This article is 909 words long including the resource box. Thanks for your interest.

Part Two of Cash to Cash Cycle Series

Part One: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-05-05_inventory_procedures.html/?ART78

Next Week: Sales

We?ve already found $250,000?so let?s find another $250,000?

Laying the Foundation

Last week, we raised the question: what would your business do with $1,000,000? To lay the foundation we introduced inventory as the first of four areas that will lead toward our million dollar goal. And you saw exactly how to achieve the first $250,000 in cash savings by avoiding delays with an increase in velocity, as well as an increase in discipline and competency. But how exactly? With time ? as you saw with inventory and as you?ll see this week.

Tackling Accounting Procedures

Let?s continue that crucial theme of time with another major source on your balance sheet ? specifically, accounts receivable (A/R). If you have $500,000 or more in accounts receivable then STOP! We have found it again.

Reducing Average Days Collection

Why? Because if we focus on reducing your average days collection by 50%, then your accounts receivable balance will fall to $250,000 and the result will be an extra $250,000 in your bank account. And just like that, we?re halfway to our $1,000,000 goal.

So now, let?s see how this actually works in a real-life business scenario.

Accounting Procedures Service Business Example

A service organization with $700,000 in average A/R balances needed assistance. So we examined their A/R function to understand and quantify the workflow and workload issues. Then we designed and implemented a process to improve the A/R performance.

The metrics we developed reduced their ?over 60? accounts receivables by 85% and their overall A/R balance by 50% within 90 days of implementing the new procedures. With these new processes and reports, the company now tracks Average Days Collection and past due rather than just Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) as the measure of their collection effectiveness.

The result: an extra $350,000 in cash. And, again, we explicitly see the crucial role of time and how an increase in velocity and discipline directly yields an increase in efficiency and cash savings. So how can you use time to your advantage?

Methods to Design the New Accounting Process

Decrease collection cycle. Examine customer accounts that go beyond your terms. Do not wait until twice the net terms to take action.

Tighten credit policy. Examine credit process for slippage. Do you have a credit approval process? Do you perform credit checks? What standards are used to extend credit?

Reduce credit terms. Change the credit terms you offer your customers. If you offer terms of net 45, reduce it to net 30. You might offer a discount of 1% if paid within 10 days else net due in 30 days. This is equivalent to 18 % annual interest and most businesses will take those terms.

Shorten the invoice process. Bill your customers immediately. This is a big one. Many service organizations wait until the end of the month to tally billable hours and determine customer charges. Do not wait until the end of the month. This could reduce your day?s receivable by as much as 15 days right there. Email or fax your invoices to save another day or two (e.g. QuickBooks accounting software contains this feature).

Reduce billing errors. Most customers delay payments because of invoice errors. Customers won?t recognize the invoice until it is corrected and may not even notify you, the vendor, of the error until you call for collection. Again, avoiding this delay in error and time will amount to cash savings.

Train Accounts Receivables personnel. Make sure that all personnel involved are training to understand the performance metrics for their jobs. For example, a company will manage $500,000 in monthly A/R balances (that?s $6 Million a year!) using an A/R clerk who makes $30,000. But then the supervisor uses nothing more than On-The-Job (OJT) training for the clerk. Then the CFO thinks that he or she (the CFO) is really managing the money. But, in reality, that?s not the case; the clerk is managing the money day-to-day. So shouldn?t the A/R clerk receive enough training to manage such a significant amount? After all, it only takes a 6% change in A/R in one month to equal the A/R clerk?s entire annual salary. Isn?t the A/R savings worth a little extra time in training?

Maximize the Accounting Process. With the Accounts Receivable department you should use each element of the process to gain the most benefit for your business. And with time-saving procedures set in place, you will let your efficiency work for you.

Grabbing Your Policy Goal

With well-defined processes and procedures in place, you will increase efficiency by reducing your Average Days Collection. And of course a reduction in Average Days Collection means your Accounts Receivable balance will also fall, creating more cash in cash on hand. And just like that we?re halfway to our $1,000,000 goal. All you have to do is grab it.

Next week, we will look at finding still another $250,000 in the Sales function ? which will give us $750,000 toward our goal of 1 Million in cash savings. So, again, not only do you aim to reap the rewards of extra savings to your bottom line, but also see more cash in the bank - $1,000,000 cash to be exact.

External degrees are educational programs tailored to adult working professionals where classes are interdisciplinary in nature and can be taken in the evenings, weekends, online or at an off campus site location. Some external degree programs award degrees solely based on life and job experience. A growing number of colleges are providing these or self directed programs. A self directed program allows the student to design their own career path. In order to achieve this there must be an efficient amount of self direction, planning, strategy, independent study and a strong writing capability. This offers flexibility for the adult student who must manage work, family and education together.

Some programs revolve around experiential learning or learning by doing. This type of learning is becoming more and more popular among adults who have taken a mixture of college courses, worked in numerous employment positions, and have years of life experience under their belt. The students' life or experience on the job translates and contributes to college credit for external degrees. The most common external degree programs are usually awarded by means of a bachelor or masters degree, although there are some institutions that award lesser certifications and degrees beyond a Masters.

Life experience is measured by prior job experience, military training, previous educational achievements, personal hobbies and travel experiences, participation in volunteer activities and community service, and many other activities. Basically any type of life experience should be included in the application portfolio if transformation to college credit is the desired result. External degrees vary in nature depending on the university or college granting the certification or diploma. Receiving an external degree is relatively easy to achieve, but the process can be time-consuming and arduous when attempting to receive credits for certain past activities. Relying on God in this time of anxiety is important. "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:25)

Those desiring this degree in order to continue their education or to attend a professional school will have to be sure that the prospective college is accredited. Accreditation is the process through which a university maintains and improves its standards and practices. Accrediting organizations or agencies develop a criteria by which a university or college can be measured. Currently most distance colleges awarding external degrees are accredited by the DETC or Distance Education and Training Council. The DETC is a nationally recognized accrediting agency. This means a student can be assured that their transcripts and degrees are transferable to participating agency approved schools.