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All posts for the month May, 2013

Living with teenagers can pose a challenge when it comes to keeping the home clean. Many of them do not have a problem leaving mess and clutter in their wake and they seem to think that the home magically cleans itself. Most carpet cleaners in Gatton visit homes with teenagers more frequently. As a parent, it is your responsibility to teach your teenager how to be responsible and to clean and pick up after himself.

This important life skill will ensure that the teenager grows up to be a responsible adult. You do not do your children any favors by having someone constantly picking up after them. The following steps can help you to nurture a responsible teenager.

  • Your expectations

The first step is to come up a list of expectations that will communicate to your teenagers regarding their responsibilities. Make sure that your teenagers know their roles by writing down all the tasks you expect them to do. Having a written list will ensure that no one can claim that they did not know what they were supposed to do.

  • Communication

It is important to communicate effectively with teenagers. It is not enough to post a list on their door and expect them to follow it. You should explain why they need to be involved and provide any additional information and answer any questions. This communication will help to ensure that your teenager has a clear understanding of all your expectations.

  • Consequences

You need to have clear consequences for failure to carry out the set duties and your teenager needs to understand these consequences. Make sure that you are ready to follow through with the punishment. You have to be consistent with the message you are sending and this means that you should not bend the rules occasionally.

  • Monitoring

You need to supervise the work to make sure that it is carried out effectively. Teenagers are good at hiding evidence of poor work and they will not hesitate to stuff dirty clothes in the closet or under the bed. You have to make sure that your teenager is abiding by all the rules and if you notice any poor work, you should not hesitate to follow through with the consequences.

Make sure that your teenager knows that you are serious about the responsibilities and the consequences. Do not get into pointless arguments as the teenager tries to bend the rules. By remaining inflexible, he will soon learn the effects of his actions and will realize that it is easier to get the job done and done well.

Maximizing your accounting education requires thinking out of the box. Life can be demanding especially if you are employed, have a family to look after and thus no time to attend standard classes. This needs not to be a barrier in regard to reaching your career goals. There are numerous learning institutions that offer accounting courses for distance and online learners. Being unable to attend normal classes due to lack of time should no longer be used as an excuse for not getting a promotion at work or being stagnant in a job that is poor paying.

Getting started

An accounting course can be done either online or through a normal classroom attendance. However, when choosing where to enroll for your course, you will need to ask yourself if you have sufficient time for study. On-campus classes need time flexibility but if your hands are full, then you can consider enrolling for an online accounting program. Whichever study modes you opt for, find a learning institution that are accredited and well recognized to enroll in.

Accounting goes hand in hand with computer skills. So, having decided to enroll for an accounting program, you also need to start polishing up your computer skills the soonest possible. Note that accountants use specialized computer software applications for analyzing financial data, budgets and for records processing. It is thus mandatory to brush up your computing skills as you are studying your accounting course.

Area of focus

Accounting is divided into different categories such as management accounting, government accounting, public accounting, forensic accounting, internal audit and so forth. You therefore need to make a wise decision on the main area to specialize in or shift your focus on.

Back up your accounting skills

As we have become a global village, being knowledgeable in a second language opens numerous employment doors. Accounting candidates who can communicate with international partners have higher chances of finding employment in good accounting firms that represent multinational companies.

Develop a passion for the opted for course

Accounting has many rules, protocols and regulations that need to be followed universally. To enjoy this course, you should treat it as a puzzle game that needs to be won. Do not just enroll for accounting programs simply because it has well paying career specializations. Having a passion for the course can see you through to the completion of the program.

It is true that the accounting course is difficult and needs hard work; otherwise, it may not be possible to sail through it. As such, do not settle for this course with a negative mindset. Many optimistic students have been reported to attain very marks in their coursework. Through hard work, note that you are closer to achieving your career goals than you originally thought.

Many homeowners disregard metal roofing because they feel that they have a tendency of quickly rusting. Well, though this type of roofing has a tendency of fast rusting, if well maintained, it is possible for it to be free from corrosion or quickly becoming degraded. The best thing about these sorts of roofing is that they are quite durable and can resist cracking, shrinking and becoming eroded. They are also capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions such as hails storms, heavy loadings as a result of snow accumulation and the likes. They are also come with an added advantage of a long term warranty which could be up to 60 years. Most of the metal roof systems in the market today come with interlocking panels. These panels give the roof the ability to resist and prevent damages brought about by adverse wind conditions.

Maintenance of this roof type

  • Inspection: For a proper drainage of water, this roof type should be inspected on a regular basis. As such, ensure to take a look at your roof after a particular harsh weather condition. This is important because if it becomes damaged or some roof pieces come apart, they can be repaired in a timely manner and thus preventing major roofing issues. Some roofing is installed in such a way that you can be able to access it underside. If yours is this type, then you can be able to push the dents upwards and thus giving the roofing its original look. This also helps to avoid water getting stuck in the dents which eventually causes rusting.
  • Painting: One limitation of this roofing system is that if it is not well maintained it easily gets rusted leaving quite an undesirable appearance to it. To minimize this issue, there are different paints that can be used on it though the painting task has its own formality and steps. For one, the roof should first be cleaned off the rust. This step needs to be done with caution so as to avoid making holes on it. You could call a professional roofing contractor to perform rust cleaning task so as to avoid getting your roof damaged. After the rust has been cleaned off, the area is then painted giving your roof a corrosion-free property.
  • Choice of contractor: Your roof should be installed flawlessly so as to give it a perfect look. However, if the chosen contractor for the job at hand doesn’t have the right roofing skills or is unknowledgeable where roofing is concerned, then he or she may mess you up.

All in all, a metal roofing system is well worthy due to its energy and cost efficiency.

According to Webster, “Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with the characteristics of people that need to be considered in designing and arranging things that they use in order that people and things will interact most effectively and safely also called human engineering”(Webster, p 422).

Ergonomics is about molding work to fit people. The designed workspace increases production and decreases accidents. The space is constructed using safe, hazard free, easy to keep clean, and user friendly concepts and designs. To create the perfect environment, it employs strengths and weaknesses of man and machine interaction.

A machine has to be coordinated to the characteristics of a man to work efficiently. Devices are now developed to augment safety, comfort and productivity in the work place. They are a big business and employed by multi-national corporations.

One of the events that led to the birth of ergonomics were consecutive tests that altered the work environment of to figure out what it was that motivated workers. Additional lighting was introduced in the workplace. It was noticed that productivity of work would increase in respect to there being additional lighting. Once the additional lighting was switched off, the pace remained astonishingly at the same increased level.

The objects that harm humans are the glare of the computer screen, the structure of the office chair, tedious work and generally poorly designed equipment. Suggested solutions are different varieties in the work schedule, taking short breaks, and performing minor tasks like getting up to pour a cup of coffee. It is preferred by many to exercise, even for a few minutes during breaks. Including stretches and walking. This will also reduce time spent on the computer monitor. Objects are best placed at a far grasp, to allow one to get up and go get it.

Things constructed for ergonomic use are like the ring pen which is made to fit over the index finger; this eliminates the necessity to grip, reducing pain in the wrist area. There are special chairs constructed to alleviate back pain and improve posture. Anti- glare covers for the monitors, to reduce eye strain and headaches. This greatly improves working on the computer.

Every office is implementing the use of ergonomics for their own benefits. This being a rise in the productivity of the work force, a decrease in accidents caused by objects placed irresponsibly. Generally a more relaxed work area as employees are less stressed and more relaxed.

Similar to other organizations and companies, non profit organizations also benefit by outsourcing some of their works. These organizations have to concentrate most of their efforts and resources in serving their intended beneficiaries. They have to be innovative and constantly devise new ways to find solutions for the problems faced by their target groups. They are left with little resources to chase the funding sources. It is here that non profit consultants play an important role. These consultants specialize in increasing the funding for non profit organizations. This proves extremely useful because without timely and complete funding all projects will come to a standstill. Consultants who solve other types of problems are also available. Inputs received through professional consultancy services helps improve the working of the organization. The organization becomes stronger and functions more efficiently.

A non profit consulting firm helps in maximizing the funding streams. They provide inputs that help grow the resources. Working in a specific profession means these consultants are aware of different types of grants available from government and private entities. They can match the organization with the right donors and are extremely well organized in fundraising. They are meticulous in their approach. First they identify the right sources and then present the project in the right format according to the donor’s funding criteria. This improves the chance of obtaining funding from donors who are ready to fund professionally working organizations.

Consultants are beneficial not only in sourcing funds but prove useful in many other ways as well. A large part of funding received by a non profit organization goes towards the basic expenses, paying salaries to its employees, and paying charges and fees to professionals. The organization cannot use all money received from the donors toward the recipient benefit only. A planning and management consultant can provide professional expertise in managing such investments and spending the amount in the most efficient way possible. Non profit organizations that can show minimum operational costs and maximum use of fund for the recipients receive higher rating from the donors.

Whether a non profit organization is small or large, it has to devise innovative ways to plan everything properly. It needs to keep record of all its expenses in proper format. It may be receiving funds from different types of donors. All of them demand the recipient non profit organization to show proof of spending. Any mistake made in keeping such record can prove damaging to the reputation of the organization. A consultant specializing in fund management and project implementation can help manage everything in the format that is acceptable to the donors. Non profit consultants bring a fresh perspective and expertise.

Many families like to repaint their entire homes every year or after a few years to maintain a fresh, modern look that is aesthetically pleasing. To be able to achieve this effect, you have to be able to know the right colors to use for that year. In 2013, the color theme for many homes is balancing act.

This is a very fitting theme because many families today are striving to have some balance in their lives, as the world continues to have a frantic pace. Some of the color schemes for every room in your home are:

1. Kitchen

Certainly, the kitchen is the heart of any family home. In 2013, you can aim to make it more alive with an exciting lemon Zest yellow. According to professional residential painters, yellow walls in the kitchen look amazing with light cabinetry. This color also brightens up kitchens that have few windows or dim light. If you are not so sure about the yellow color in your kitchen, you can have it first as an accent wall and see how it looks.

2. Bedroom

If you had the chance only to repaint one room in your house, you should probably go with the bedroom. This is a place where you come to rest and relax after a long day at work. It rejuvenates and refreshes you. Hence, experts recommend choosing a color that enables you to slow down. If you want to add a spa feeling to your room in 2013, you should go with light green or blue such as grayed jade or dusk blue. Add some luxury sheets, a neutral toned rug and candles, and you will complete the look.

3. Family room

Whether it is game night or you are just watching television, the family room should be able to capture the fun you have in it. This year, the trend for family rooms is an orange tone such as nectarine or a splash of red like poppy red. If you do not feel so comfortable filling the walls with this colors, you can try one or two accents. Alternatively, you can use bright green like tender shoots to cover all the walls.

4. Home office

If you have an office at home, you must strive to achieve the balance between work life and life at home. Even though it needs to be functional, it has to be attractive as the rest of the home for the times when you are not using it. Your best choice would be a neutral khaki such as tidal foam.

If you have been using a CRM system in your company and have read a lot of stuff on the internet about it, you must already be aware of the fact that any action or department that faces the customers of a business needs to use a CRM now. It is impossible to imagine a successful customer support department or sales department performing at maximum efficiency without using a CRM. Furthermore, recent studies and surveys have shown that businesses that have CRMs integrated in their systems have a higher rate of success as compared to businesses that do not have a CRM to date.

With proper activity tracking CRMs have now made this aspect a key performance indicator for any business. The activity tracking feature of the CRM system in use must be a robust one in all aspects. First, it should allow various tools and features to track the activities of the department in question. For example, if looking into the information of a sales department, the software should display information on when the customer was contacted the last time, when the customer contacted the business the last time, what discussion took place on the last call and who talked with the customer on their last contact.

All such information should be displayed in a comprehensive, understandable and interactive manner so that a manager is able to make the necessary changes and required actions. For example, if a manager intends to ask the sales department to reduce the last contact time of all customers to less than a month, he or she should be able to mark it as a high priority task for the department. In short, once the task has been assigned to the sales department, it will be made sure by the sales agents to not let the time duration of any customer’s last contact exceed one month.

The CRM system gives managers the access to features to monitor the entire departments, teams and individual performances. This feature is extremely important in activity tracking and allows the manager to have a clear view of all customer interactions with the company’s representatives. Another feature of the CRM system would be to allow the users to integrate various popular and mostly used applications into it. Your CRM should allow you to integrate your emails from various email service providers so that you don’t have to look for a separate solution to have your emails managed.

Activity tracking is just as important for the sales agents as it is for a manager of the company. Sales agents should also be able to associate notes, special appointments, attachments and other documents with their customers to have a better contact with the customer every time. Activity tracking should also allow a sales agent to look at his or her completed tasks and with this type of feature the manager can always motivate the workers to achieve certain tasks. Small perks and bonuses can always result in higher rates of sales and conversions. The process for performing and managing the activities should also be easy and user friendly for a CRM system to be called an intelligent CRM.