8 Ways to Avoid Litigation When You Sell a Business

Based on recent litigation storm clouds, business owners planning exit strategies better batten down their legal hatches.

As a small business owner, your company most likely represents a significant portion of your net worth. That’s why it’s crucial not to let litigation wash it away when the time comes to convert your years of hard work into cash.

Selling a business involves substantial amounts of money and a wide range of issues including warranties and representations, disclosures and contractual obligations. Consequently, there are many opportunities for litigation to arise. Not only is litigation highly unpleasant and disruptive to your lifestyle, it is also very, very expensive - even if you win.

But other than wishing, hoping and praying, what’s a small business owner to do? Rather than complaining try something more constructive. Here are eight strategies to follow when selling your business that can help minimize litigation issues.

1. Honesty is the best insurance policy. Tell the truth about your business. Do not attempt to hide any problems or issues that, if left undisclosed, might be the basis for future litigation. Rest assured that the cost of disclosure in a transaction is very small when compared to the cost of litigation for non-disclosure.

2. Develop a confidential business review. This is a high-quality and comprehensive document that describes your business and its background. Within this document, clearly disclose any negative issues that are involved in the business. Not only will disclosure reduce litigation risks, it will also add to your credibility with potential buyers and save you time by eliminating those who are unwilling to accept the realities of your business.

3. Accurately communicate historical financial results. Do so in a manner that demonstrates the earning power of your business. Ideally, this information will be presented in a summarized format that recasts your discretionary and certain other expenses to show EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization).

4. Require your buyer to go through extensive due diligence. Due diligence is the process by which a buyer conducts an independent investigation of the information you have provided about your business. The written due diligence materials should be incorporated into the final legal documents to minimize your litigation risks.

5. Assemble a strong team of experienced professionals. Your accountant and your attorney will play key roles, and their expertise will reduce litigation risks. You may also benefit from the assistance of an experienced intermediary, broker, or merger and acquisition firm that specializes in selling privately owned businesses. However, before hiring an intermediary, make certain that they do not charge up-front fees and that they have a litigation-free track record.

6. Ensure that closing documents are thorough and complete. Not only must these documents contain appropriate legal language, they also must anticipate and address potential disagreements that may occur after closing – disagreements on issues like equipment or inventory values and condition, collection of accounts receivable and more. These issues are easily addressed during the courtship phase with a buyer, but they can cause major problems after the transaction is closed and the honeymoon phase is over.

7. Be careful with employment, transition and consulting agreements. If you enter into longer term agreements with your buyer, make sure the terms are entirely consistent with your retirement plans. Otherwise you run the risk of being unwilling or unable to perform your obligations, and that can lead to litigation.

8. Maintain confidentiality throughout the entire selling process. Although confidentiality will not directly protect you from litigation, it will help minimize the risk of losing valuable employees, customers and vendors during the process. One of the best ways to avoid litigation is to help ensure your buyer’s success, because that success significantly reduces the basis for damage claims.

The goal is a successful, worry-free transition. Take the time to recognize and act on the many opportunities you have to minimize your litigation risks and reap the benefits later.

Avoid These Resume Mistakes!

It is a mistake to think of your resume as a history of your past, as a personal statement or as some sort of self expression. Sure, most of the content of any resume is focused on your job history. But write from the intention to create interest, to persuade the employer to call you. If you write with that goal, your final product will be very different than if you write to inform or catalog your job history.

Most people write a resume because everyone knows that you have to have one to get a job. They write their resume grudgingly, to fulfill this obligation. Writing the resume is only slightly above filling out income tax forms in the hierarchy of worldly delights. If you realize that a great resume can be your ticket to getting exactly the job you want, you may be able to muster some genuine enthusiasm for creating a real masterpiece, rather than the feeble products most people turn out.

The good news is that, with a little extra effort, you can create a resume that makes you really stand out as a superior candidate for a job you are seeking. Not one resume in a hundred follows the principles that stir the interest of prospective employers. So, even if you face fierce competition, with a well written resume you should be invited to interview more often than many people more qualified than you.

Set aside at least three hours (that's an average length of time to complete a resume if all goes smoothly). Before you start, print out the following set of notes and tape it to your computer, on the wall next to your desk, or someplace where you'll see it throughout the process.

Resume Tips:

Your resume is about your future; NOT your past.

It is not a confessional. In other words, you don't have to tell all. Stick to what's relevant and marketable.

Don't write a list of job descriptions. Write achievements!

Promote only skills you enjoy using. Never write about things you don't want to repeat.

Be honest. You can be creative, but don't lie.

Avoid the Hassles of Online Business Start-up with a Turn Key, Automated Home Based Business

Many people want to start a home business, but never do because of the hassles and start-up costs. As with any new business, a home based business can have unforeseen expenses and problems. There's also usually a waiting period of at least a year before profits can be realized. But with a turn key, automated home based business, many of these hassles can be eliminated. You can make money from home without the initial hassles of running a business. Let's see how a turn key business works to your advantage.

Eliminate Many Business Start-Up Costs

Most new home based businesses will require certain start-up costs. These may include a new computer and computer desk, a printer, supplies, a fax machine, employee costs, consulting or accounting fees, a business phone, and printing costs for letterhead, envelopes, and business cards. With an online home business, you'll incur fees for new website design along with your domain name and hosting fees, promotion, and order processing expenses. These can add up in a hurry and are the main reason many new home based business owners don't make it.

Why a Turn Key, Automated Home Based Business?

A turn key home business helps you eliminate many of these start-up costs and some of the hassles while realizing your home business dream. You'll still have some responsibilities, of course, but nowhere near as many. Why? A turn key home business is a ready-made business that has already been tested and proven time and time again for your benefit. By the time you join the opportunity, the company has likely already tested to see what works... and what brings sales!

You can enter a turn key, automated home based business with the backing of highly trained professionals who know how to guide you every step of the way. This eliminates part of the waiting and testing period for new business start-ups. You can make money from home in less amount of time while leaving the legwork to the experts.

Benefits of the Turn Key Home Business

There are many benefits of joining a turn key, automated business opportunity. First, you'll be able to avoid the hassles and many start-up costs of a new business. Turn key businesses usually provide a website for you, which will eliminate high web design costs. You may be required to pay a fee to receive the website and services, but much time will be saved because your website will be ready to sell. The website presentation has already been tested to bring results. Also, customer service can be a huge benefit. The company will take care of sales for you. Trained professionals will take the phone calls and answer questions. They will close the sale for you so you won't have to worry about working one-on-one with customers.

Having a turn key website also eliminates many office expenses. You may still want to get business cards and promotional items, but you can eliminate phone expenses and other supplies because you won't need them for online promotions. Your main function will be network marketing through online promotion, so you can earn a healthy residual income based on your promotional efforts. The company does the selling for you once you introduce new people to your website.

As with many MLM opportunities, the turn key, automated home based business uses an automated system that works around the clock selling the ideas or products available, even while you sleep. Your focus can be on promotion, not everyday tasks such as answering phones, mailing correspondence, and updating your website.

So if you're worried about the hassles of starting a business, then a turn key, automated home based business may be just the right choice for you to realize wealth from home.

Avoid these advertising mistakes at all costs!

People have taken a number of approaches trying to do their own advertising ranging from silly all the way to insulting. These people choose there approach for various reasons. Some were ignorant about advertising and marketing while others were acting on incorrect information - usually in the form of cliches such as "sex sells." If you're in doubt, I can assure you that unless your business is in Nevada, sex does not sell. If you're going to handle your own advertising, here are a few things to avoid:

Pictures that have nothing to do with your product or service - If your company is in the carpet cleaning business there is no reason to have a picture of a baby. No one is going to say "What a cute baby, I think I want this company to clean my carpets." The same goes for pictures of sexy people (male or female) in provocative poses and little clothing.

Cheesy headlines - I actually saw an ad with a headline that said "We might be able to afford a bigger ad if you'd buy something from us." Yes, this will probably get someone's attention, but do you want to be remembered as the company that is having financial problems?

Illegible fonts - Most people will not take the time to decipher your ad when it is written in brush script, in which case, even the most persuasive copy is rendered useless. You want to use simple, clean fonts for headlines and body copy. Save the artistic fonts for accents and things of that nature.

Avoid Being Vague

We are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily…on television and the radio, on the internet, in magazines and newspapers, on billboards and other signs, and even at the bottoms and on the backs of receipts. The world is, indeed, a very noisy place. And in order to get heard, we need our marketing messages to be clear and concise.
A vague message is one that isn't easily understood - it doesn't speak to a potential customer or client. To be successful in business, our messages must clearly target a specific audience, explaining to them the features and benefits of our product or service. We need to get the public involved and interested enough to want to have further conversations with us. Only then do we have the entrée for beginning to develop a relationship with them, the first step in the selling process.
How can we ensure that our messages are all that they can be?
1. Define your target market. One of the best ways to create a clear output is to start with clear inputs. When it comes to anything you do for your business, you need to be very clear on your target market. Who do you want to reach with your marketing efforts? Define them as clearly as possible. Are they male or female? What are their ages, their occupations, and their lifestyles? Why would they want to do business with you? The more clear you are about who you want to work with, the more clear you will be when crafting your marketing messages.

2. Market narrowly, but deliver broadly. Your marketing message should be carefully focused to cater specifically to the needs and wants of your target market. One might think you'd be passing up opportunities for more customers or clients. The reality is that more people will be attracted to you if you position yourself as a specialist rather than a generalist. Folks associate a higher degree of expertise with a specialist, and, more than likely, you'll be able to charge premium prices to reflect this marketing position. Once you've gotten their attention you can market many things to them (delivery broadly).

3. Talk about the customer, not yourself. Your marketing message should speak to the prospect, their particular needs and wants. What problems can you solve for the customer? Make a list of the top 10 problems that you solve for others. These should be the substance and focus of every conversation that you have. Avoid talking about yourself. People are interested in what you can do for them - sometimes even more than the specifics of the product or service that you offer. Your prospects needs and your solutions should be the focus of all of your marketing materials.

4. Explain the benefits. Not only should you explain the benefits of your product or service, but you should be able to explain the benefits of working with you. Features are defined as the distinctive characteristics of a product's use or design. A benefit, on the other hand, is how the feature will add value to the prospect's life. Carefully define your features and benefits. At the same time, what are the benefits of working with you? Do you provide 24-hour turnaround? Do you return emails and phone calls promptly? Do you offer a free introductory consultation? Do you provide additional value to your customers - extra reports, information or discounts on future purchases? People buy benefits, not features. What's in it for them? Let them know!

5. Know your products and services. There is a lot to know when it comes to your products and services. The more articulate you are in explaining their features and benefits, the higher your chances of closing a sale. For each product or service you offer, make sure you can clearly articulate the features, the benefits, and the specific client need that is addressed. Word this information in language that prospects can clearly understand - that relates to who they are as a target market. Drafting a simple one-page summary of these details can help you to get clear on what matters most.

6. Keep it simple. The best messages are those that are simply said. People understand simple. The more complex the explanation, the higher the risk you run that you'll “lose them along the way.” Again, refer back to the one page summary of your client needs, as well as product or service features and benefits. Provide information that is easy to understand. Don't give more information until the client asks for the information. Always let the prospect guide the conversation.

7. Use a tagline. A tagline is a slogan or phrase that conveys something about a feature or benefit of something you offer. For example, the tagline for Chase Manhattan bank is “The Right Relationship is Everything”. This slogan clearly communicates that one of the features of working with them is relationship - not just any relationship - but the right relationship. Another example of a tagline is Alicia Smith: The DISC Ninja. The DISC Ninja implies skill, precision, and performance. What type of tagline can best describe you and your business?

8. Consult your R & D team. To create on-target marketing messages, run them by your friends, family, and colleagues before you release them to the world. Creating your own R & D team is a great way to experiment or to try out your ideas in a low-risk environment. Probably one of the best things to do is to get feedback from your current customers. They can tell you first hand what works and why. Never pass up an opportunity to get feedback, as it will help you to fine-tune your marketing message.

9. Provide clear and clean information. It should go without saying that you should provide clear, easy-to-understand information. This applies to everything from your business card to your website. Make sure you include your complete contact information on everything, including your email signature. Provide FAQ or Frequently Asked Question sections in brochures, on your website or on other marketing materials. Make sure that you make it as easy as possible for people to contact you and to do business with you. If they need to search for how to contact you, they may very well search someone else out. Along with the times and days you do business, include your business, cellular, and fax numbers, as well as your website and email addresses. Include instructions on how to return or receive a refund on an item. Clear and concise is the name of the game.

10. Understand the customer. Prospects, and even your current customers, are focused on one thing and one thing only; what's in it for them. For the most part, they aren't really interested in you or your product or service. They are interested in benefits. How can you solve their pain? How can you resolve their issues? If you keep this in mind, this will help you to create marketing messages that are focused and really hit their mark.

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith

Benchmarking: Avoid comparing yourself to the industry average.

Most organizations conduct employee surveys of various types either annually, every two years or sporadically. Some organizations use the data from the employee survey to affect real change that contributes to their ongoing success. There are organizations who like to focus on comparing their survey scores to the scores of other organizations and there are the organizations that do little with their survey results. The focus of this article is to discuss the middle group: those organizations that like to focus on and compare their employee survey scores against the average scores of all the organizations that are in a third party database.

Many surveying companies sell their services on the basis that they will be able to compare the scores of the one company against the average score of all of the organizations in their database. Comparing yourself to someone else is enticing. We have been exposed to comparative data from the first day we stepped inside a school. Throughout our primary and secondary education we were compared to the rest and typically this comparison was against the “class average”. We knew who the smartest and the dumbest kids were but it was the average that counted. Was I above or below the class average? That was important in terms of dealing with our own self esteem and dealing with our parents. This was not the case for all students. The parents of some students demanded top marks and that is exactly what those few students worked towards. They had to be the best. They had to have the top marks.

This was all very interesting but in the end it was irrelevant. When it came time to apply to university a new standard had to be reached. University entrance requirements varied but one thing was clear. Average marks were not good enough. In fact being above average in many instances was not good enough. University entrance requirements were demanding and one had to strive for a new and much higher standard than “average”. The profile or status of a university that you were interested in attending, determined the level of academic excellence you had to achieve.

It is puzzling to see how many organizations fall into the trap of placing a great deal of emphasis on comparing their surveys scores to a database that represents the average of a number of companies. These comparisons are sought not only for the overall scores of the employee survey, but for every question in the survey.

It would appear that a fundamental question needs to be asked by every organization-why are we conducting an employee survey in the first place and what are we going to do with the results.

From a strategic perspective it would seem reasonable to think that an organization would wish at the very least, to demonstrate that the survey is helping the organization to achieve their strategic goals. In other words, they are conducting the employee survey as a way of obtaining employee information that can be used to improve for example, workplace practices in order to lift their employees’ working experience. In turn this will lift the customer experience and profits.

However, if this or some other strategic purpose is not being fulfilled by the employee survey than the value of conducting the survey is questionable. One could argue that comparing oneself to other organizations is in fact a legitimate strategic objective. It is worth knowing how you compare to the best. How does your stock performance compare to the best in your business sector-not the average of all the companies in your business sector but only the best? How do your employee survey scores compare to the best in your business sector-not the average of all the businesses in the database but only the best?

Comparing oneself to the very best is legitimate especially if the best sets a benchmark that you adopt as your own. But to compare oneself to the average serves no useful purpose. If a senior management group knows that their scores are better than the average of all the companies in a database, strategically of what use is this information. Perhaps it may give them a sense of pride knowing that they are better than the average. But it may also lull them into a false sense of confidence. The question that should be top of mind is “are we really as good as we can be and are we really achieving a level of excellence that will sustain us over the long term.”

For example, employee turnover in the retail sector is fairly high. Most retailers take it for granted. Entec Corporation has been working with Gap Inc. Canada for several years. Gap offers excellent training programs especially for their associate managers and store managers. In 1999, Gap was routinely being raided by other retailers and their annual turnover rate for store managers was 39% and for associate managers it was 48%. This was costing Gap hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in recruiting and training. With over 200 stores and 10,000 employees across Canada, these costs were unacceptable. Entec Corporation was engaged by Gap to conduct an Organizational Health Survey. Gap acted upon the recommendations in the survey and was able to reduce manager turnover rates to 13% in one year.

But these lower turnover rates were accompanied by real business gains. For example, secret shopper scores increased by 5% after only eight months and sales in Canada over the last few years have improved to a level where the Canadian operation moved from being about in the middle to becoming one of the most profitable divisions in the world. The survey results were linked directly to the bottom line.

If Gap accepted “the trap of comparing themselves to the average” and accepted the conventional wisdom that “this is the average turnover rate in retail so we are OK”, they would not have saved thousands of dollars each year in training and recruiting. More importantly they would not have experienced the benefits that reduced turnover brought them; namely preserving human capital of highly trained managers that helped to grow Gap’s business. This last point is typically overlooked. The impact of a reduction in turnover of well trained employees to the bottom line of a company is considerably higher than the cost savings achieved from reducing recruiting and training.

Several points need to be considered when embarking on an employee survey:
1. Develop clear strategic objectives
2. Measure towards those objectives
3. Inform your employees of the survey scores
4. Follow up with positive implementation
5. If you must compare yourself to others, compare yourself only to the best

If this process is not followed the organization can expect:

1. Employee participation rates in the survey to be low (30% or lower)
2. Rising employee cynicism with the organization (why bother if the activity of completing an employee survey does not make a difference)
3. Employees become disengaged from the organization
4. The organization loses an opportunity to make significant strides in performance

Conclusion

The trap an organization falls into when they become focused on benchmarking themselves against others is that they lose sight of what is really important-what is it that we are doing well and where do we need to improve in order to create an even better organization than the one we already have. If you must compare yourself to others, compare yourself only to the best and do not get side tracked. Focus

Avoid being scammed by survey sites

There are lots of paid survey sites out there, most of them out to get your hard earned money. But like everything there are some exceptions. I myself have been tricked more than once. Is everyone out there really willing to give you cash and free merchandise for your opinion? The answer is NO. But there are a few out there that are for real.

In this article I will try to clear up the mystery surrounding “paid surveys”.

While some people may find it hard to believe, it’s absolutely true that companies are willing to pay you to take surveys. Why? Simple there interested on what you have to say.

A paid survey, are a serious of questions that are presented to individuals to get their opinions on a product, this product may already exist or might be a new product the company surveying is planning on launching. Their purpose might be also just to improve their current product or to make changes due to the fact that its not performing like they planned.

How does it work?

Its actually very simple you just need to join a market research panel. The more panels you join the more paid surveys you will get. The good news is that there are real survey sites out there that can provide you with this opportunity; the bad news is that for every legit survey site out there are at least 20 more that are out there just to get your money.

Be careful before joining one of this paid survey sites out there. You should really do your research before you join one of these companies. Make sure to read testimonials, read their FAQ and make sure they are the right pages to join.

How much can I make?

The potential is up to you there are companies out there that will pay you anywhere between $1 to $75 for 12 minute online survey, and there also some companies that will pay you with gift certificates or products. Take into account there is no limit on the amount of paid surveys you can take so the possibilities are endless.

How am I Paid?

Normally they pay by mail with a company check. But there are also some that will do direct deposit, or online gift certificates.

Are these paid survey sites worth the money?

Yes, in my opinion they are very worth the money. They establish relationships with hundreds of survey companies; they usually carry the best opportunities out there.

In conclusion

Its very important to do all your research and find out all that you can regarding paid surveys, you can definitely make some good money online. Good luck!!

this article was created by Alan B owner of Paid surveys

Avoid Discrimination Lawsuits

One of the advantages of outsourcing to a Professional Employment Organization PEO or Administrative Service Organization ASO such as AmCheck, is the fact that your PEO/ASO’s Human Resource Department can help you decipher some of the legal technicalities that exist as a result of Federal Legislation regarding discrimination. This is part of the reason many PEOs may be involved in the process of hiring and firing at the worksite--it is one of many methods we use to protect you from risk of discrimination lawsuits.

Legal changes in recent years have made it more and more difficult to avoid legal tangles with prospective, existing, and former employees. Consider, for example the caution you must exercise with regard to employee relations as a result of sexual harassment litigation. What about the way you treat your older employees as a result of The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) to avoid age discrimination lawsuit, or the way you accommodate disabled employees because of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)?

In addition to these federal laws, there may be local or state laws with which an employer must comply. Each of these laws must also be taken into consideration when promoting, demoting, or transferring employees to other departments.

Always consult with our HR Department before taking employment action. The HR Fact Finder recommends that you protect your company from costly legal battles by avoiding impulsive hiring, termination, transfers, promotions, etc. A company whose decisions in these areas are carefully considered should be able to avoid most legal tangles involved in discrimination lawsuits.

A Case In Point:
A recent “Corporate Downsizing” in a large firm resulted in the decision to transfer 5 women (including one female manager with over 12 years of tenure) to another department and offer them reduced compensation. The female manager was to be replaced by a male with less experience. All five of the women hired attorneys, because in spite of the fact that this was probably a well-intentioned attempt to make the department more efficient, the move looked like it may have been prompted by an act of discrimination.

This article brought to you by AmCheck. Visit us at www.amcheck.com.Source: HR Fact Finder This article excerpted from an article formerly entitled, “Human Resources: Some Cautions about Hiring and Firing”

Avoid scams and concentrate on real $$$

As a self-proclaimed skeptic looking for a REAL way to make honest $ on the internet, it took a long time to find something I felt was worth investigating. I have checked out many sites, trying to compare potential with time and $ required to make them work. All I wanted was something where within a few days I saw results and the more I put in, the more I got out.

There is money to be made on the internet if you know how, the problem is finding a proven way that anyone can follow. Most of the sites I checked out claimed to teach you how, but charge large amounts and deliver only vague information that did not help me. Finally found a system that delivered real results for me.

When I found Mark Warren’s Ultimate Wealth Package, I started out trying to poke holes in the system to prove it did not work, but could not find any holes in it. Even found several independent research sites that had compared his system to many others, basically confirming my findings.

The most recent research site found (www.brlent.com) compares 3 systems proven to work, listing unbiased strengths and weaknesses of each. I encourage you to look at this comparison if you are considering the Internet as an income source.

Avoid Becoming a Zombie

At any given time in our life, we can feel like a zombie. A zombie is someone who is just going through the motions - uninspired and unmotivated. To be sure, this isn't the recipe for success. This type of attitude doesn't serve us well. When we change our attitude or approach to life, everything changes. So what can we do to create a different outcome for ourselves? Here are a few suggestions.

1. What makes you feel like a zombie? It is said that a problem defined is half solved. Before we can take action to avoid a zombie-like attitude, we need to define what makes us feel uninspired and unmotivated. Only then can we take the right actions to do something different. When you do the same thing over and over, you get the same result. When you do something differently from what you have done before, you get different results. Today, determine what makes you feel like a zombie.

2. Focus on things that pull you forward. An effective way of jumpstarting your attitude is to focus on things that motivate and inspire you. You always have a choice about what you put into your mind. Since you have a choice, select things that will energize you to accomplish the things you most desire. What inspires you to move forward? Are there special people in your life? If so, call them up and chat. Does music or a good book put you in a different frame of mind? Do beautiful pictures or artwork fill your heart with joy? What about physical activities? Do you enjoy yoga, jogging or meditation? Your life is filled with people and things that can unseat you from inactivity. Today, make a list of ten people, things, or activities that motivate you. Select one to focus on for the week.

3. Take responsibility for what you do. Strange as it may seem, stepping up and taking responsibility for what we do can serve to motivate and inspire us. Responsibility demands that we stand up and assume a leadership role - not only for others, but more importantly ourselves. One of the biggest responsibilities we will ever have is being a leader to ourselves. Being responsible for our thoughts and actions helps us to realize the incredible power we possess - that we are in the driver's seat when it comes to steering the course of our lives to create the outcomes we desire. There isn't anything more energizing than knowing that by stepping up, we're taking charge of our life in a very big way. Today, adopt an attitude of taking full responsibility for what you do.

4. Don't justify your actions. Zombies tend to become quite internalized over time. That is, their awareness is more focused on their internal life than on the external reality. When in this “state of mind,” zombies tend to start justifying their actions. They abdicate their responsibilities and feel that they need to explain what they do to others. They start to weave stories around why they did this or that. This is completely unnecessary. You owe no one any explanations for anything you do. The only person who needs to be comfortable with your actions is you. Today, stand up and take charge. Do what you know is right.

5. Don't live in denial. Zombies, as mentioned before, tend to live in an internal world that can sometimes lead to thoughts that aren't necessarily reality-based. Referred to as “living in denial”, zombies pretend reality doesn't exist. They don't want to see things as they are, but instead, adopt a false sense of things - perhaps a more palatable version of reality. To break out of this unhealthy and unrealistic view of things, make the decision to face reality. Know that you have the mental and emotional toolset to handle whatever comes your way. Stare fear in its face. Face the truth about yourself and others. While it might be difficult at first, once you break through the resistance, you'll find that you have a lot more control over your life and circumstances than you could ever imagine. Today, face the truth about someone or something.

6. Live consciously. One of the best ways to break out of a zombie state is to make the decision to live from a place of mindfulness. Mindfulness is about living consciously. It is about being highly aware and attuned to everything that we are thinking, feeling, and doing. From how your body feels, to the thoughts flowing through your mind, to the tone of your voice, you're acutely aware of what you're doing at all times and the impact you are having on others and the environment around you. This level of existence practiced by many highly evolved individuals actually puts you in a powerful position to realize the power that you have over life's outcomes. Today, raise your awareness. Be conscious of everything that you do and the impact you make on the world.

7. Tell the truth. Telling the truth is inspirational. You have nothing to hide. No deep, dark secrets. There are no lies to keep track of. Truth is refreshing. It's a clean way of living. It lightens your heart and soul. Zombies don't always tell the truth. They may not be representing themselves or their company fully. They don't see that their lack of forthrightness has everything to do with the types of clients they attract and the level of success they achieve. Today, tell the truth about everything.

8. Step up and claim your power. One reason some folks enter the realm of the zombie is that they've abdicated their responsibilities and with it, their power. To reclaim your inspiration and motivation, you need to step up and be responsible for designing the life and business that you desire. Moreover, you need to create a plan with clearly defined action steps that you can take on a regular basis. Stepping into the role as the leader of your life demands that you be mature about accepting the consequences of your actions as well. Today, determine where you can take more responsibility in your personal and professional life. Notice the shift in your “come from place” as a result of living into the power that has always been yours.

9. Watch your thoughts. We are what we think. Think about that! For some of us that might be a scary thought. Our mental capabilities are incredible. It is in our minds that the entire creativity process begins. Through our plans and actions we take this creativity and manifest magnificent things. What you think about, you attract. Take a look at who and what you have in your life today. All of this is a result of what you've put your mind on. Would you like to have someone or something else in your life? If so, start thinking differently. Avoid negative, limiting, or critical thoughts. Instead, fill your mind with positive, happy, upbeat, inspirational thoughts. Today, watch what you think and witness the changes.

10. Come from a place of integrity. Integrity has to do with the core of who you are and might be referred to as your central operating system. To come from a place of integrity means that what you think, what you speak, and what you do are all in alignment. Zombies are unbalanced in one or more of these places. Because their energies are misaligned, they don't feel inspired or motivated to move forward. Things feel confused which makes it difficult to make any type of progress. Today, align your thoughts, speech, and actions. Notice the internal calm it brings to you and your life.

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith.

Accounting Principles & Standards: Avoid Them At Your Peril

Accounting principles are the basic assumptions, rules of operation, and essential characteristics that make up the framework for the construction of accounting financial statements.

Long ago, I was perplexed to discover that there was no “set” of accounting principles that was presented in one form such as you might find in the Bill of Rights. This is not to say that the principles are incomplete or vague, it only means that the definitions of accounting principles can be presented in various formats, which may lead to confusion for some people, especially beginners.

Be that as it may, accounting principles are absolutely necessary when preparing financial statements, just as the rules of a particular card game make the card game possible in the first place. Accounting principles are like the glue that holds the accounting process together. For example, financial statements have an overall objective, which is to provide the user of the statements a useful tool for making business decisions.

In order to be useful, the accounting information must have certain characteristics, such as being dependable and practical. To be dependable, the accounting information must be unbiased, accurate, and verifiable. To be practical, accounting information must be predictable, prepared in a timely fashion, and be able to provide meaningful feedback. Additional characteristics are that the accounting information must be consistent, comparable, serve a utilitarian need (such as cost/benefit), and make a material difference.

Besides characteristics, certain operational rules are established as to when revenue and expenses are reported; how expenses are matched to revenue; what to do when a choice can be made that might overstate or understate figures; and, what information should be disclosed so that the reader will fully understand the circumstances under which the information is being presented.

There are also basic assumptions that the reader can count on, such as: the information is related to the business entity only and doesn’t have any unrelated information mixed in; the business is a going concern and won’t cease operations soon; the financial information presented is measured in specific time intervals such as a month, quarter or year; the financial information is using a certain unit of measure such as dollars, not board feet, etc.; the information is presented at historical cost, i.e., when received, paid, or incurred; and, the method of accounting being used is double-entry and not some other method.

These are accounting principles as opposed to accounting standards. An accounting standard is an agreement as to how an accounting issue will be treated. For instance, a standard might state what type of inventory system is appropriate to use for a certain type of business; how capital leases should be recorded; how many years intangible assets should be amortized; what methods of depreciation should be used, and so on. There are literally thousands of accounting standards that have been issued over the years. These standards are constantly being revised or discarded as they become outdated.

If you want to play the accounting “game of cards”, you must become familiar with the “rules of the game”, which are accounting principles and standards. If you choose to not play by the rules, you do so at your own peril, as we have seen recently in the U.S. corporate accounting scandals.

Avoid Sticker Shock when Buying Ink Cartridges

Over the past year, I've had the dubious pleasure of buying two different printers: a black-and-white laser printer and a dual-purpose copier and color inkjet printer. My laser printer gets a good workout on a daily basis, while I usually reserve my color inkjet printer for photos.

Although both printers are well made and carry brand names (HP and Brother), they were incredibly inexpensive. In fact, one of the primary reasons I bought both was because of their bargain prices. Imagine my chagrin, then, when I had to replace the toner cartridges in my laser and the ink cartridges in my inkjet, and discovered that each cartridge cost about half of what I paid for the printer.

I quickly - and correctly - surmised that printer manufacturers sell printers at or below the cost of making them, and generate profits from the sale of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ink cartridges. With dire warnings of possible damage to the printer or voiding the printer warranty, the manufacturers insist that consumers buy only OEM printer cartridges. I resented being gouged by their inflated prices, and so did some of my own research about OEM print cartridges and alternatives. Here's what I discovered:

Option One: Compatible Ink Cartridges

Contrary to popular belief, compatible ink cartridges are not recycled. Rather, they are brand new, generic versions of OEM cartridges. They have all of the quality and reliability of OEM cartridges, but cost only a fraction of the price.

Option Two: Remanufactured Print Cartridges

As the name implies, remanufactured ink cartridges are, indeed, recycled. However, the old cartridges aren't simply refilled. Rather, they are disassembled, inspected, cleaned, reassembled, filled with ink, and individually print tested to meet or surpass the specifications associated with OEM ink cartridges.

Cost Savings

I was astounded when I saw the price differences between OEM, compatible, and remanufactured ink cartridges. For example, one black and one colour ink cartridge for an HP DeskJet 920C might cost £50.45 for the OEM cartridges, but only £16.95 for remanufactured cartridges. A pack of four ink cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) for the Brother DCP117C might cost £31.80 for OEM, but only £8.95 for the compatible version. Over the lifetime of a printer, those kinds of savings really add up!

Cartridge Life

Typically, remanufactured ink cartridges have a shorter "shelf life" than OEM or compatible cartridges. A remanufactured cartridge will be good for about six months, whereas a compatible cartridge is vacuum-sealed and will be viable for years.

Suppliers

I also discovered that it's important to purchase compatible and remanufactured ink cartridges from a reputable dealer. When shopping online, look for a supplier that uses top-quality ink, has been in business several years, offers free UK delivery, and doesn't require a minimum order.

Divorce, rebuilding your life, avoid sex with the ex

Divorce is something that no one wants to face. It is a hard situation that many people have to find the strength to get through. Sometimes there are hard feelings between the two couples and sometimes the couple will still get along very well. It is hard to tell what is going to happen and sometimes you just have to see how it goes. The ball is in your court and you need to make the best choices that you can.

One thing is for sure; once you are divorced, you do not need to be having an intimate with your ex. This is not something that is wise because of the issues that will come along with it. You want to break your ties so that you are free and able to move on easily to better and bigger things.

You will want to remain friendly with your ex. This is for obvious reasons. When things go a lot smoother, you will find it to be a lot easier to get things accomplished. You really can kill them with kindness however you do not want to be so kind that you are jeopardizing your health and well being for any reason. You do not want to get involved with the complicity of having sex with your ex when you are trying to rebuild your life and make something better for your future.

When you are trying to rebuild your life, you want to do the right things. You need to make the right choices for you and you family so that you are not putting anyone's well being at risk. This will also include your ex. When you are still carrying on an intimate relationship with your ex partner, you will find that you may be setting either one of you up for a very big fall. This is not something that you should be doing at this stage of the game.

A divorce is something that can be very complicated and when you are combining sex with your ex, you are only making the situation more complicated. You need to make sure that you are severing these ties and making it very clear that you are not interested in this part of your life anymore. You need to of course make sure of this before you file for divorce but having a physical relationship is not the only thing that matters with a marriage. You need to have all the factors there so that you can have a successful relationship that works for both of you.

There are so many things to worry about when you are trying to rebuild your life after a divorce. You do not want to have to deal with too much when you already have so much on your plate. You want to be careful and make the wise decisions that you know you can make. You have to be willing to let the physical side of your relationship go so that you can free your mind and body up for the next chapter in your life.

There is so much life out there and when you are divorced, you are able to take it all on. You should not be holding on to the past even if it is comforting at the time. You want to get out there are find out who you are and what your goals and dreams are in life. This is the only way that you can make your new life a huge success. This is going to be worth the self-control that you have when it comes to refraining from having sex with your ex.

Precautions to Avoid Hidden Camera Sex

Summary:

In today’s world, even a significant other you have seen for quite a while can be the sort of person who might take advantage of you with hidden camera sex. Most people recognize the danger of someone who is not well known, but it is possible that the person you thought you knew may be having hidden camera sex with you and then selling the results. This can mean a real blight on your reputation, as well as being rather humiliating. In order to avoid becoming a victim, there are some things that

Keywords:

Spies, spy gear, surveillance products, Spy Gadgets

Article Body:

In today’s world, even a significant other you have seen for quite a while can be the sort of person who might take advantage of you with hidden camera sex. Most people recognize the danger of someone who is not well known, but it is possible that the person you thought you knew may be having hidden camera sex with you and then selling the results. This can mean a real blight on your reputation, as well as being rather humiliating. In order to avoid becoming a victim, there are some things that you can do to decrease your chances of being taken advantage of in that way.

Do not go to strange places. Hidden camera sex is often something that takes place in seedy motels or in apartments of whomever it is that you are with. If you do not know someone very well, make sure to avoid going back to his or her place. Additionally, if she or he suggests a motel, think of one that you would rather go to. If the other person is insistent, there is a definite red flag there. There are plenty of motel owners who arrange for regulars to have a certain room outfitted with a camera for a cut of the earnings from hidden camera sex videos.

Kick the clothes under the bed. It is possible for seemingly harmless items like hats and button down shirts to have cameras in them. When your lover takes of his or her clothes, do not let them sit at a level that can be seen from wherever you are having sex. Kick them under the bed or playfully move the intercourse into a different room, leaving the possible hidden camera behind.

Equip yourself with bug detectors. There are high tech bug detectors made to detect electronic equipment. There are even detectors that can find blue tooth and other wireless technology. By doing a sweep of the room in an effort to locate hidden cameras, you can help make sure that you are avoiding hidden camera sex.

There is no reason to become a victim. With a little caution and a sharp eye out, as well as suspicion of people you are not very well acquainted with (and even some you are), you can avoid being an unknowing participant in hidden camera sex.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Hidden Camera Sex