by: Jane Hendry

Have you ever noticed how some businesses seem to do extremely well, and go from strength to strength, whilst the majority just seem to muddle along?

Since starting my own business I've met many small business owners and what I've noticed is that the vast majority of them seem to just about get by, but few reach the level of success that they're actually capable of. Some of them end up failing altogether, some lurch from project to project, and some do OK, but never really achieve the success or lifestyle they envisioned when they started their business.

On the other hand, I know a handful of extremely successful service business owners, who are making high 6 and 7 figure incomes every year (and rising) - and yet they don't work longer hours, their products and services are not magnitudes better than their competitors and they aren't geniuses!

So what is the difference between the successful businesses and the struggling businesses?

In a word: Marketing

Whilst there can be other factors that affect the ability of a business or practice to be successful, such as the economy, trends, cashflow and product/service quality or innovation, the number one difference between successful high-flying businesses and their struggling counterparts is good marketing.

Here is the lament of one survey respondent which is typical of the angst felt by service business owners who know they do a good job, but who don't understand why they don't have a queue of clients at their door:

"We know our products and services are good - we get great feedback from those clients we've worked with - but we still have trouble getting potential customers to buy in. Our services offer real benefits to clients but we are not as successful as we should be when we see what other companies offer (not as much) and yet are still very successful."

If you offer a quality service or product that produces great results for your customers or clients, and yet you're still struggling to get all the clients that you want or need, or to charge the fees you deserve, you probably have a marketing problem.

What do highly successful business owners do that others do not?

The first thing that they do is to realise that their primary objective is to build their practice or client base. In the words of Michael Gerber (who wrote The E-myth) they "work ON their businesses, not IN their businesses". What this involves is making the time to work on the business - in particular on marketing and product or service development, rather than spending all of their time handling clients, delivering services and dealing with administration.

They also look for areas where they can gain "leverage". Simply put, this means gaining maximum return for every hour they work. Instead of trading hours for pounds or dollars, they find ways to do the work once and get paid for it many times. They find ways to market their services one to many, instead of one to one (thus reducing marketing and sales effort and time). They delegate those activities which take up a lot of time (but which don't add much value in terms of moving the business forward) or which they are not skilled in such as admin, accounting, website maintenance and copywriting.

They also develop a success mindset, understand their strengths and weaknesses, take risks, innovate, hang out with other successful people and build a support network around themselves.

But above all, they learn how to market their businesses and create a marketing system that keeps a steady stream of prospects knocking at the door, without taking up all of their time!

by: Richard A. Chapo
When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.

Cash Method

If you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. Generally, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. This is best shown with an example.

I open a small business and have to order business cards and stationary. I receive the products and pay the invoice on November 18, 2005. Under the cash method, I can deduct the cost on my 2005 tax return.

Some businesses are restricted from using the cash method. C corporations may only use the cash method if they have less than $5 million in gross revenues for a particular year. Professional Service Corporations can use the cash method without limit, while farming corporations can due so if gross revenues are less than $25 million. Tax shelters are prohibited from using the cash method.

Accrual Method

The Accrual Method of accounting is a bit more complex. Under this method, the focus in on the date the expense is incurred, not paid. Although this may seem a small difference, it can play havoc with your books and piece of mind.

Using our previous example, assume I order business cards and stationary on the December 18, 2005. I receive the products on December 30th, but don?t pay the invoice until January 20, 2006. When can the expense be claimed? It depends on when economic performance occurred.

Generally, economic performance occurs when goods or services are provided to you. In the above example, economic performance would arguably occur when the business cards and stationary were delivered with the invoice on December 30th. Thus, I would be able to deduct the expense for the 2005 tax year.

In Closing

As you can see, the cash method is the easier of the two accounting methods. To determine the best method for your business, speak with a tax professional.

A civil engineering degree online allows a student to receive an education in this engineering field through the Internet. The classes are offered over online and can be completed in approximately 2 years. Because of the nature of the degree, there will probably be times that the student will need to attend lab or hands on classes. There are many types of civil engineering degrees online to choose from. From construction to transportation, there are many specialties in the field of civil engineering. The best thing for a student to do is decide what they want to accomplish eventually with this education. This may include designing highways, designing buildings, or protecting lands through specialized structures for environmental purposes. These are just a few of the possibilities that a student will have to consider when beginning in the field of civil engineering.

When a person has decided what specialty field to pursue, it is time to start researching schools. This will involve taking a long hard look at each school and asking some general questions to representatives. It will be important to seek information about accreditation, degrees offered, and the actual time that will be spent on campus. A student may come up with many more questions throughout this process. With these visits, it is important to record questions and answers from each school so the information will be easily accessed when it comes down to making the final decision. After exploring the universities, the student may want to find out what potential employers think about each university. If the individual has friends in the civil engineering industry it will be easy to obtain this information. If not, the student can consider finding a mentor to help encourage them throughout their studies. This person should be able to answer any questions about choosing a school and excelling in a civil engineering degree online.

The next thing to do to prepare for this course of study is to create a school at home. This will include adequate study space to write papers, study, and do homework. If home is not the place of choice for studying, the student must work on a schedule of where and when they will study. This is very important because they are not in a dorm where other people are studying and they aren't attending classes in a traditional way. As a result, the individual will need to have a lot of discipline and structure to their study habits and environment. It is vital to pray that God leads to the right decision about a civil engineering degree online. He knows where He wants a person to go and how He wants them to get there. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). All a person must do is pray diligently and be patient for His answer.

by: John Day
Definition of Fund; Assets; and Fund Balance

According to the ?Financial and Accounting Guide for Not-For-Profit Organizations? written by CPAs Gross, Larkin, Bruttomesso, and McNalley, (fifth edition, pg 25) the definition of a these three terms is as follows:

- A fund is any part of an organization for which separate account records are kept.

- Assets are valuable things owned or controlled by the organization. Types of assets include cash, investments, property, and amounts owed to the organization.

- Fund balance is the mathematical number obtained by subtracting total liabilities from total assets; it is a numerical representation of the net worth of the organization, but has no other significance. Fund balances do not exist except on paper; unlike assets, they have no intrinsic value and cannot be spent. Both assets and fund balances (as well as liabilities, revenues, and expenses) are part of the accounting records of a fund.

What are non-profit organizations?

A few years ago, a dentist client of mine, who did a lot of work for low-income patients under the California medical assistance program called ?MediCal?, asked me a bizarre question. He wanted to know if he could be considered a ?non-profit organization? since he did so much MediCal work. At first, I thought he was joking, but he was serious. I told him that just because he charged less for his services did not qualify him to become exempt from paying taxes. In fact, he made a very nice profit. However, this is a good example of how non-profit organizations (NPO?s) are misunderstood by a large segment of the general public.

Most countries around the world have NPO?s, but outside the U.S. they are called non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations. These organizations are exempt from paying taxes because they provide some sort of public benefit. They are said to enhance the fabric of society. They differ from a business organization in that there are no owners. A Board of Directors oversees operations of the organization. An Executive Director, who reports to the Board, functions like a CEO of a business. Usually there is a lengthy application process to establish the mission or purpose of the organization before exempt status is granted.

According to Independent Sector, an organization that serves as an information resource for non-profit boards, there are 1.5 million non-profits that, when combined, have general annual revenues totaling more than $670 billion dollars. They report that six percent of all organizations in the U.S. are non-profits and one in twelve Americans work for a non-profit. That?s big business and has caused profit-making businesses to become alarmed that some of these NPOs are competing unfairly. Think about a private hospital as compared to a non-profit hospital. The profits of the private hospital are taxed, but the NPO hospital can apply all their profits to higher salaries, more equipment, etc. Hence, there is high scrutiny of NPOs by the Internal Revenue Service, state Attorney General offices, private watchdog organizations, and the press.

There are all types of non-profit organizations. Public charities are exempt under the Internal Revenue Service code 501(c)(3). These organizations, such as hospitals, museums, orchestras, private schools, churches, scientific research organizations, soup kitchens, etc., obviously do much more than provide free care and services to the needy. To qualify for exempt status, these organizations must show broad public support, rather than funding from an individual source. In addition, there are private foundations, colleges, universities, social welfare organizations, professional and trade organizations, and many more. Governmental organizations such as communities and agencies are also non-profit organizations, however, their accounting and record keeping is handled quite differently from 501(c)(3) organizations.

How are non-profit books organized?

Briefly, the books of an NPO are organized in the same way as a profit-making business except for a few differences. It?s okay for a non-profit to make a profit because there may be many uses the board has planned for the extra money. But, NPOs traditionally refer to profit as ?Excess Revenues over Expenses? to avoid being mischaracterized as a profit-making organization. A net loss is called ?Excess Expenses over Revenues?. Recall the fundamental equation that makes double-entry accounting work:

ASSETS = LIABILITIES EQUITY

Instead of the term EQUITY, a non-profit will substitute the words FUND BALANCE or more recently NET ASSETS. The concept is still the same. After subtracting liabilities from assets the difference is what is owned by the organization. Where NPOs differ in their financial statement presentation from profit-making businesses is what is called Fund Accounting. Obviously, the presentation varies depending on the purpose and size of the organization. For instance, a Little League baseball organization may only have one fund for which they have to account. They also may not have any restrictions placed on the usage of contributions they receive. Everything is straightforward.

Or, a scientific research organization may be working on various projects at the same time with funding sources made up of private and governmental grants or contracts, private donations, sales of research documents, some of it restricted to specific expenditures and the rest unrestricted. The accounting challenge is to report the revenue and expenses accurately for each fund or project and be able to combine all the funds into one cohesive financial statement.

The problem in the past for the contributors was that they could not easily tell from the financial documents what funds were restricted and unrestricted and whether their contributions were being spent properly. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) decided that all external accounting should be done using the ?Net Assets? approach as opposed to the ?Fund Balance? approach. Essentially, the net assets approach requires that the equity of the organization be presented with three classes of assets, i.e., Restricted Assets; Temporarily Restricted Assets; Unrestricted Assets. You can still use Fund Accounting for internal bookkeeping purposes, but for external reporting purposes you are required to disclose your restricted and unrestricted funds. If you have no restricted funds, then it is not much of a challenge.

One of the key factors in setting up non-profit books is a well thought out Chart of Accounts. In other words, this is choosing which general ledger accounts are the most appropriate for recording revenue and expenses, etc., and organizing them in such a way as to provide meaning. Some U.S. organizations simply follow the same format found on the 990 IRS form for non-profits. They do this so that their financial statements are in conformity with the way that return is organized. This makes it easy to transfer information from their financial statement to the 990 form.

Nevertheless, the main thing is to design your accounts so that they tell you exactly where your revenue came from and what expenses are related to that revenue. I have worked with NPOs that have not done a very good job of this in the beginning, and I can testify that it is no fun trying to straighten the accounts out later. It may be well worth the money to hire a competent accountant to guide you through the set up phase. Better yet, let your accountant review your books a couple of times a year just to make sure you are on track and save yourself some year-end grief.

The retail franchise business is a popular option among business opportunities and accounts for a large portion of overall franchise sales. Retail franchises are offered throughout many business sites as well as franchise directory listings and those searching should be able to find some type of product to sell that they can get excited about. Start up ventures are available as well as resale business opportunities. Because most of these opportunities revolve around sales of particular products that consumers want or need such as beauty products, apparel, food, and health products, those who consider going into business for themselves find this opportunity to be the most appealing.

One particular beauty of buying a franchise is that there are so many financial options available. Retail franchises can be purchased that require a large start up investment or that cost a modest price. A retail franchise that can be operated from a home base will initially save huge investment capital as compared to one that requires a building, land and special equipment to get started. Home-based companies are generally more popular just on the merit of low start up costs. For instance, a small, beauty products retail business can be operated from home as opposed to a large, apparel company that needs prime location. There are many reasonable options, costing from a few thousand dollars to well over a hundred thousand dollars, depending on the investment capital available.

Many franchise sources offer leasing options and loan possibilities for those who do not have the finances to purchase one outright. Around 70% of all franchises are purchased for under $30,000 with retail franchises usually costing more than other types because of product inventory and other investments required to succeed. If interested in a retail franchise, it is wise to note the fact that the lower the initial investment, the lower the profit returns will probably be.

Make sure that the company chosen has competent training and continual support available. Beware of retail franchises that make only verbal claims as to their success rates and profit margins. Thoroughly investigate the quality of products, reputation, and legal standing in regards to lawsuit or financial statements. It is to your benefit to check the history and financial claims of all companies under consideration. Many online sources are available that offer complete business information. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:4-5)

Google AdSense: Understanding Alternate Ads and PSAs

We all know that Google AdSense works by serving targeted Ads to the websites that are enrolled with the Google AdSense program. However, there are instances when no targeted Ads are available for a website e.g. the website might be catering to such a topic or subject for which no relevant Ads/advertisers are available. In such a case, Google serves alternate Ads i.e. content of your choice. If you have not specified any content as Alternate Ads, Google AdSense program treats PSAs i.e. public service Ads as alternate Ads and serves them on your website. These PSAs are charitable Ads that don’t contribute to your revenue. So, unless you are looking to do charity (which could mean lessening of revenue for you), you must specify Alternate Ads upfront.
Here are the options that you have for alternate Ads (your choice of content):

Color: A number of people use color for alternate Ads. This involves specifying a valid hexadecimal color code (or you can choose from the color palette provided by Google) for the alternate ad. The choice of color would be such that the ad becomes invisible. This is easily achieved by setting the color of the ad same as the background color of the page.

Image: An image can also be used as an alternate ad. You can either have this image link to some other web page (in such a case you will need to specify an html as alternate ad) or you may just use it as such (for, maybe, enhancing the beauty of your web page).
Another good option is to use ‘Collapsing ad units’. ‘Collapsing ad units’ code will squeeze the ad units that are not utilized (instead of showing the PSAs) on your website. This approach helps in giving a cleaner look to the web page (since the blank areas or non-ad-based images are done away with). It also helps in bringing more emphasis to the AdSense Ads that are displayed on the website.

A medical radiology education can open the door to many career opportunities within the medical field. Depending on the level of learning completed, opportunities can be available from venturing into anything from a radiological technologist to a doctor of radiology or radiologist. If interested in working with people, investigating why people are ill, or treating cancer, with an earning potential of around $39,000 a year obtaining this is something to look in to. If a degree in this area is currently possessed and there is an interest in continuing education or advancing career potential, online medical radiology education is available as well. This type of learning or training situation has the advantages of being affordable, flexible, and convenient. "A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength." (Proverbs 24:5) An individual can advance their education while keeping their current job and allows the student to work at their own pace, on their own schedule, and where ever they feel comfortable.

Whether attending a college or university or taking online medical radiology education classes, this area of learning requires an interest in science and math, passing written and oral examinations, and having good communication skills. Knowledge in technology, anatomy, physiology and pathology, science and instrumentation, social sciences, and image interpretation are essential when working towards a medical radiology education. There are two major types of education in this field. The first is diagnostic. The major goal of the diagnostic is to produce images for diagnosis of injury or disease. Tests used primarily for diagnostic purposes are x-ray, fluoroscopy, CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), ultrasound, and angiography. The second major area in the field of radiology is therapeutic. The main type of therapeutic radiology is radiation for treating cancer. The particular classes taken when working on an online medical radiology education depends on what the specific goal is in one's career.

Any medical degree programs can last anywhere from one to eight years depending on the specific field and the specific degree being pursued. If looking to become a Radiological Technologist, programs last anywhere from one to four years, however most jobs require a minimum of a 2 year associates degree. With a medical radiology education and passing the appropriate certifying exams, licensing and certification as a Radiologist technician is available. The job responsibilities of this title would consist of operating the equipment and or assisting the radiologists especially if choosing to specialize in particular radiographic equipment such as x-ray or ultrasound. To become a doctor of radiology a regular four year degree is needed followed by at least four years of medical school.

Continuing education for nurses is required by states for professional license renewal in order for these healthcare workers to maintain knowledge of current techniques. Requirements vary by state, so the interested individual must check with the state licensing board in their area. States typically require a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) to be completed every couple of years. Continuing education for nurse programs are intended to insure that individuals stay abreast of the latest medical methods. This also provides the opportunity to continue to increase the knowledge base in this area of interest and specialty. "And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." (Luke 10:9)

Courses can be found online, in print home-study modules from organizations such as The March of Dimes, or from hospitals, local colleges, and universities. Some programs that offer continuing education for nurses are free online and at various institutions offering classes. Some classes are free for only military personnel and many require a fee. Some nursing journals list a schedule of offerings for continuing education for nurse programs. The state or local chapter of the professional nursing association is another great resource.

Not all programs may be recognized by the state licensure board. Some states have a list of certain agencies which are approved to offer continuing education for nurses. It is very important for the individual to make sure the CEU module selected is sponsored by an approved agency, or there may be additional requirements needed to ensure that this course counts toward the relicensure. Nearly all courses taken from colleges or universities are accepted by state boards for continuing education for nurse programs as long as a minimal grade, usually a C, is earned.

Continuing education is offered in virtually every medical specialty area a person might be interested in. Some courses cover medical treatment methods; others may be more informational or procedural in nature such as courses on how to identify and report domestic violence. Some states do have required courses for continuing education for nurses that everyone must take as part of their relicensure. Most of the units one must take are up to the individuals own choice. Mandatory course topics are used by states that want to quickly ensure that all nurses receive training on a certain issue or topic in a short amount of time.

The cost of this program can add up over time but there are ways to make it more manageable. One should look for as many free CEU courses as possible. Also, one can join an agency which offers units in continuing education for nurse programs for a yearly fee. This entitles the individual to take courses as a reduced rate. The Internet has many CEU opportunities and agencies for healthcare workers. Online courses are convenient and membership with an online organization makes keeping track of these units easy. The student should make sure to verify that all units taken are offered by state-approved agencies or organizations so that the efforts are not for naught.

Turnkey business opportunities are everywhere today, and with the explosion of the Internet, one can easily start a turnkey home business or any type of turnkey undertaking. A home business is an undertaking that comes with all of the necessities to get started and no extra work for the investor. The venture can be run from home. Turnkey business opportunities, although not home-based, can also include franchises of many types and sizes. A franchise has grown to encompass everything from fast food to home cosmetics sales. A person may be interested in investing in this kind of venture because of a desire to work from home or an inability to work outside the home. Before investing in any venture, it's important to consider all factors. An interested person will want to make sure that running a turnkey project is right for his situation.

Although a turnkey home business can be easy to start, it is not always easy to maintain. Like any business, a venture of this kind requires a lot of responsibility. When investing in turnkey home business, the investor will obtain not only the equipment, location (in some cases), supplies, products and guidelines, a person will also obtain the reputation and name of the franchise being bought into. For instance, a person has decided to become an at-home aerobics instructor. He buys into a franchise called "Best Aerobics Trainers," sends them $3,000, and they send back mats for aerobics, weights, a DVD instruction guide, computer software for keeping up with the records, and an official certificate as a Best Aerobics Trainers Instructor. That certification tells anyone who knows the name "Best Aerobics Trainers" that the investor has met their standards. Now an approved fee for aerobics instruction can be charged, customers are taught, a portion of the earnings are returned to Best Aerobics Trainers each month. This is just a crude example of how a turnkey home pursuit can work.

It can be very profitable to look into the most known turnkey business opportunities. When people know a name, they tend to choose that service over an unknown company. If a person are looking at especially popular businesses, there are a number of factors to consider. First, one must consider the cost. These opportunities can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to well over $100,000, depending on what is required to set-up the franchise. Also, the more popular the undertaking, the more expensive it is to invest in. Although the upside is that the investor will most likely make back the money he put in because the name will bring customers. Also, the investor will want to consider if the company represents his interests. Any investor should find out about the company's ethics and whether there are any particular causes the company supports. Checking with the Better Business Bureau and contacting the home office with questions will garner the information needed. The other things to consider are the expectations of the turnkey home business. How many hours a week will the company demand of franchisees? A person will want to know exactly what type of work and how much franchisees are expected to do. In addition, it's important to select a company that has a long-standing record in their market. New companies and companies that haven't been around for more than 10 years can be riskier to invest in. Look at the market, even locally. Make sure the location or territory won't face too much competition.

Often a person may be interested in a venture of this kind because he wants to be his own boss. Most people do, but few realize that even home businesses require some level of accountability. In the end, the investor will almost always have to answer to the headquarters of the franchise. They will insist that franchisees follow their rules and procedures, especially in the areas of accounting and hiring, and particularly when investing in a venture outside of the home. There may even occasionally be times when one franchisee has to work with other franchisees, sharing supplies, products or even employees. This is opposite of the way things are run by someone who starts their own company. They can have their own way of doing things, and won't be required to answer to anyone except the state and federal governments.

Anyone can find turnkey business opportunities and options for a venture on the radio, television and the Internet. The Internet is probably the most helpful resource, though, because one can find out a great deal of information about these retail businesses. There may even be testimonies of others who have been dealing with the franchise for some time. Websites will sometimes recommend specifically successful businesses. A wise person will pray about this important decision before making the final decision. God can instruct on the best decision to make. "Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold."

Google’s Ad filtering mechanism.

Google’s filtering mechanism for Ads is based on a number of factors. Let’s take a look at some of these factors:

1. Relevance to content: This is the single most important Ad filtering criterion that is used by the Google AdSense program. In fact, it is this filtering concept that gives Google AdSense program an important edge over the other advertising programs. The Google AdSense program determines the main topics/subjects of the website content and serves the Ads that are relevant to the same. Since Google AdSense is a global program, the relevance of Ads is also checked with respect to geography and the language of the content on the website. Note that AdSense can actually be used in a number of languages not just English.

2. Appropriateness of content: Websites are based on varying themes. There are websites that are based strictly on Adult themes while the other sites are family friendly ones. Since Google’s AdSense program is open to all website owners and advertisers (who comply with the AdSense program policy), Google also controls the content of Ads to prevent Offense to anyone who sees the Ads. Google does this by using sensitive language filters and language experts. Google uses strict rules and guidelines for conducting an editorial review on the content of Ads. It also asks you to provide information about what kind of Ads (e.g. sexually-oriented, war oriented etc) you deem as inappropriate for your website.

3. Competition filter: Since Google serves Ads based on the content of the websites, it’s quite possible that the Ads of competitors get displayed on a website that sells a particular product or service. To avoid this, Google provides a facility to the website owners wherein they can specify competitors or advertisers whose Ads should not be displayed on the website.

4. Choose your own: You can also choose default Ads to be shown in case Google AdSense program is not able to serve Ads to your website (due to unavailability of suitable Ads, etc)