Business No comments yet

Shopping Retail Versus Wholesale

By on January 12th, 2012

Shopping is practically a national pastime in the USA

CITE:  Retailabout.com

Shopping retail is a universal pastime, although consumers, if lucky, may be able to find the same item at wholesale prices, which saves them a lot of money.

Retails means the selling of items directly to customers. The retail price is the purchase price that is paid when you buy an item in a retail store. Items that are sold at the retail price are, naturally, higher than items sold at the wholesale price.

The retailer, or owner of the store, wants and needs to make a profit because he has bills to pay as well as employee. Consequently, he marks up the price on the product that is to be sold.The mark-up is the difference in price between the wholesale unit price, which is what the retailer paid for the item when he purchased the items in volume, and the price at which the item is sold to the consumer.

Depending on the retailer, you may be paying twice as much as what he paid for the item at wholesale price. This means there has been a 100 percent mark-up on the item.

When an item has been marked up significantly, this gives the retailer some leeway to offer discounts and sales prices later on.

Retail prices are not plucked out of thin air. The price that the retailer settles on is determined by his inherent costs such as paying his employees, paying for utilities, rent or a mortgage. The retailer must factor in all those costs before determining what the retail price of an item is going to be. He needs to make a profit so he can maintain his operation.

When shopping online, you may find better prices because the online retailer may have far lower overhead than his bricks and mortar counterpart.

During huge sales, often held prior and subsequent to the major holidays, you may encounter blow-out sales, liquidation sales and sales where items are sold at wholesales price as well as those sold at list price. The list price is the price the manufacturer of the item suggested as the retail price.

The MSRP or manufacturer’s recommended price is actually a guideline for the retailer who can use this price to determine his mark-up or he can choose to ignore it.  Sometimes a retailer does not mark-up an item as much as the manufacturer suggested.

MY TAKE:

An easy and simple way to remember what retail price means is: The cost of the goods plus the mark-up by the retailer (which can vary) and this equals the retail price. Then the economy is less than ideal, many people shop for bargains, which you may get in a retail store if the item has been marked down significantly. Many consumers have discovered thrift stores or second hand stores where they can often find designer items at a fraction of the item’s original cost.

 

Like!
1
Technology No comments yet

Technology Has Changed The Way We Do Business

By on January 11th, 2012

When in doubt, go to a crowd and ask them!cit

Cite:

Businessweek.com

When high tech became the norm, rather than the exception, new terms and phrases were developed to describe these new fangled concepts. Crowd sourcing is one of those terms. To crowd source means to find an answer or solution to a problem or question by reaching out to people via social media. Feedback comes, sometimes immediately, from those who read your questions.

If you take part in a survey, whether it’s online or person-to-person, you become a part of crowd sourcing. The question may be posed by an individual or by a company. For instance, you may be asked your opinion on a certain kind of car or about a political figure.

In today’s world, it’s remarkably easy to reach out and contact people on the other side of the world. This was difficult to achieve pre-Internet. The person or entity that is posing the question is the crowd sourcer. Answers to the crowd sourcer’s questions are often swift, which is certainly a perk. Time is of the essence and often an answer or consensus is needed quickly.

Crowd sourcing is similar to outsourcing. A company or a person crowd sources or out sources the function or question to a huge group of online users. Everyone is free to jump into the conversation and put in their two cents.

When testing products, crowd sourcing is a great way for a company to find out what the talk is on the street about a certain product. The respondents often offer up ways to improve or streamline a product, and the company listens.

MY TAKE:

When you are on Facebook or some other social media site and are asking your friends if you should (A) Get your hair cut; (B) Get a divorce; (C) Stay the heck off of Facebook, you are, in fact, crowd sourcing. The Internet has not only made it possible to reach a lot of people in one fell swoop but easy. Social media sites are interactive and you and your respondents can chat back and forth. Before you know it, you will have an answer to your question or at least be farther along in the game than you were before crowd sourcing.

Crowd sourcing allows consumers to directly explain to the crowd sourcer what their specific expectations are regarding a product or an idea and what needs to be improved or cut out all together. Crowd sourcing is referred to by some as “user centered innovation.” The crowd sourcer then uses the results to refine and develop a product that sells.

Like!
1
Services No comments yet

Our Elderly Population Is Growing By Leaps and Bounds and Requires Many Services

By on January 11th, 2012

Your elderly parent probably needs you, just as you once needed her. There are many services available to the elderly population

Cite:

Keepthefamilyhealthy.com

One of the most in-demand services at this time is that for skilled caretakers who come into a home, or work in a nursing-home type facility, caring for members of our vastly growing elderly population.

Those who are trained in the field of geriatrics (elder care) and those companies that provide products for elderly people that allow them to continue living independently are in huge demand. Elder care is big business.

The services that are needed by the aging population include home care, which can involve human assistance in undertaking daily tasks such as bathing, cooking, doing dishes and the laundry, as well as medical care and companionship. It can get very lonely for an isolated older person.

Home healthcare providers can work for an agency or be independently employed. Before hiring someone to come into your elderly parent’s home, vet them. Do your homework, which, of course, is easier to do if they are associated and monitored by an agency. Talk to their previous employers. Ask a lot of questions.

If your elderly parent needs assistance with walking, there are numerous companies which provide wheelchairs, including electric chairs, canes, walkers, scooters as well as handicap accessible showers and tubs, hand grips, chair lifts that transport individuals up to the second or third floor, and a host of other devices that allow the elderly person to see better, hear better, function easier and stay safe.

One of the best services that an elderly person can sign up for is a life link system which is worn as a necklace or bracelet and can be pressed if the individual is hurt or sick and needs immediate attention. The system either rings directly into 911 or calls the children or neighbors or friends of the person who needs help.  This allows the elderly person to feel safer, more confident and secure and it also lets his children rest easier, knowing that he is but a life link call away.

 MY TAKE:

If you are the adult child or grandchild of an elderly person who may be alone and not in good physical or even mental condition, do what you can to assist them, which may require hiring in-home geriatric caretakers.  When an elderly person can stay in his own home for as long as possible, this is beneficial to his health and mental well-being.  Leaving one’s home for a nursing home type facility can be quite traumatic, although sometimes it is necessary. Some day you may very well be in this same situation. Do for your parent as you hope your own children will do for you one day.

 

 

Like!
1
Finance No comments yet

Lending Money to Family Members Or Friends May Lead to Disaster

By on January 11th, 2012

Money Squabbles Between Family Members And Friends Can Be Quite Serious

Cite:

Suze Orman on Lending Money

When your personal financial situation is somewhere between a rock and a hard place, you cannot afford to loan money to family members or friends. Even when your financial status is good, loaning money is not a great idea.

If you have done this, you need to call in your markers. It may be uncomfortable and awkward asking your family members and/or friends to repay loans but some discomfort is a whole lot better than going to debtor’s prison, if there is such a thing anymore.

A good rule of thumb is never mix money with friends and family but everyone has broken that adage at one time or another. Families have been known to implode over money issues and friendships have been destroyed.

Make a distinction between lending money, which you expect to be paid back (and say so at the time of the transaction) and giving money to someone that you do not expect to be repaid.

Tell the person that you are giving the loan to that you have to be repaid in a specific period of time. Tell them exactly when you need the money. Give them a date. Be very clear about this.

Furthermore, it doesn’t hurt to inform the person that you are having some financial struggles of your own and definitely need to be repaid in a timely fashion because, otherwise, you aren’t going to be able to pay your monthly bills.

Write up a contract. Put the agreement on paper. That way if push comes to shove you can shove the contract into the face of the person you lent the money to and emphasize that they agreed to the terms.

Of course, there is no guarantee you will be repaid, but at least you have specifically informed the person, no ambiguity about it, that you expect to be re-paid, and the loaned money was definitely not a gift.

MY TAKE:

To avoid all of this, do not lend money. Tell your friends and family members that you don’t have available disposal income, which might be a little white lie, or explain that you do not believe in lending to family members or friends because you have been witness to the bad outcome of such a practice.

They won’t be happy, and you may feel as though you are letting them down, but that is the way it has to be at times. Friendships have been lost over financial transactions that went awry and families have parted company. Don’t risk this.

If you do decide to give a family member or friend a “loan,” not a “gift,” use a business-like approach and write down the terms of the agreement so that each party completely understands what the guidelines are.

Like!
1
Education No comments yet

Cyber College Is The Easiest Way To Get Your Education

By on January 11th, 2012

Many people are taking advantage of online classes as a way to further their education.

Cite: OnlineLearning

Many individuals would like to further their education but cannot go to a traditional college because of various restrictions, including time, money, jobs and children. Online classrooms (Cyber College) have become the choice for those who want to continue their education but can’t go the traditional route.

Instead of sitting in a musty old classroom the student is in a virtual classroom, which is the student’s home office or kitchen or anywhere for that matter. The Internet allows those who cannot attend classes at a conventional college the opportunity to study from home and get their degree.

Another expression for this type of education is distance learning. Your professor or college may be a thousand miles from your home but that doesn’t matter, thanks to the Internet.

Students who opt for online school are found to perform even better than those students who are in a bricks and mortar classroom. It may be that distance learning students are less stressed than their traditional counterparts who have to commute to and from class.

Online schooling includes video conferencing, emails, instant messenger, chat rooms, audio streaming and various other technological programs that are interactive and make learning on line possible and even preferable for many. The students can engage with their professor in real time via the chat tool, so there is feedback if the student has a question.

The advantages of getting an on-line education include flexibility, the multiplicity of education programs that is available and accessibility.

Cyber College has certainly come in handy for the thousands of workers who lost their jobs in recent years and must re-educate and train themselves for a different career.

MY TAKE: 

Do not exclude the possibility of getting your degree because you are swamped with children, full-time work and various prohibitive factors. Distance learning via Cyber College may be exactly the right alternative for you. This option affords you flexibility, which working adults need.

Non-traditional students, including those who are older than 22 and have been in the workforce, are married or divorced and/or have children often feel more comfortable working from their home rather than venturing into a classroom full of students who are young enough to be their children.

Like!
1
Business No comments yet

There Is A Difference Between Disagreement and Conflict

By on January 11th, 2012

Cite:

Idiot’s Guide: Self Help on Managing Conflicts

In business, no one is going to agree all the time, which often leads to a conflict. Differences of opinion occur when individuals have varying needs, intentions and values. Disagreeing isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. If you handle your disagreements appropriately it can be a functional and positive experience. However, if the disagreement turns into conflict, where there is

Conflicts and disagreements are going to arise in business but they do not have to lead to a fisticuff.

total differing of opinions regarding values, intentions, needs and interest, a potent confrontation can occur.

Conflict generally ends in a negative outcome whereas a business disagreement doesn’t necessarily play out that way.

On the other hand, there are times that a business conflict can be positive and lead to decided disagreement, which leads to improved decision-making and good outcomes. The secret is in the way the conflict is handled. If it is handled poorly, the outcome isn’t going to be good.

In business, and in life, recognizing that there are opposing interests in views is the first step in creating conflict, which can get ugly, hostile, create suspicion and hostility. Conflict is considered dysfunctional and not healthy competition.

If one group of businessmen perceives that another group is obstructing its goals, the first group’s needs aren’t met, and conflict soars. A power struggle ensues.

 Conflict far too often does not lead to a good outcome whereas a disagreement prompts the individuals involved to discover and use improved techniques and to change, which can result in the use of better resources, new skills and innovation. Disagreements can usually be controlled whereas a mammoth conflict cannot.

MY TAKE:

When in a disagreement be cognizant of the tone and pitch of your voice, the speed at which you are talking, your body language and observe the three-foot personal space rule. Do not get up into someone’s face, because you are then officially in their space and this isn’t going to make them happy. This will be perceived as a threat. Try not to scream and attempt to control your non-verbal gestures – don’t roll your eyes.

Acknowledging that someone has the right to disagree with you shows that you possess some maturity and are willing to bend if you have to. Assuming that everyone is going to agree all the time is naive and demanding that things go your way every time is childish and immature. Adults are capable of sitting down and figuring out problems. Sometimes compromise is necessary.

Like!
1
Healthcare No comments yet

Everyone, Including YOU, Should Know How To Do The Heimlich Maneuver

By on January 11th, 2012

Knowing how to do the Heimlich maneuver properly saves lives.

Cite:

National Institutes of Health

You are in a restaurant, and the man at the next booth is obviously choking. No one is assisting him. Rather than reacting, the on-lookers are frozen in with fear and are not capable of responding appropriately. Perhaps no one knows how to do the Heimlich maneuver, which everyone should know, particularly parents of infants and small children.

The Heimlich maneuver is the technique that is used when someone is choking. Choking occurs when an individual’s windpipe (airway) is blocked by food or any kind of object.

If an adult is choking and is conscious, stand behind him and reach around his waist with your arms. Put your fist, with the thumb side of the fist inward, right above the person’s navel. Use your other hand to grab the fist tightly. Now abruptly pull up on your fist as well as inward.

This puts pressure on the airway behind the object that is causing the obstruction and should force the object up and out of the windpipe.

If the choking person is unconscious and lying on his back, straddle the person, facing his head. Now push the grasped fist upward and inward as you did on the conscious person. You may have to do this several times before the object is dislodged, notes the National Institutes of Health.

The fact that you were able to respond appropriately and in a timely and effective fashion and as a result saved a life is something you can be proud of and, certainly, something that the victim is going to be grateful for.

MY TAKE:

Don’t be caught, figuratively speaking, with your pants down and unable to perform the Heimlich maneuver in the event you are in a situation where someone is choking and may die as a result if someone doesn’t come to his assistance. Take a first aid class. Go online and read about life saving techniques such as the Heimlich maneuver. One day you may be very glad that you did.

Like!
1
Legal No comments yet

If You Aren’t Married To The Mother Of Your Child, You Need To Legally Establish Paternity

By on January 11th, 2012

If your child was born out of wedlock, a father does not automatically have legal rights to that child.

Cite:

Gitlin.com

This is the scenario. You and your girlfriend have been together for years. She’s having a baby. She has the baby. You are present for this life-altering experience and are a very happy new father. Your name is on the birth certificate, of course. The baby has your last name.

Two years later, you and your girlfriend split up. It just wasn’t working. She takes your baby and leaves the state. Can she do that?

Yes, in fact she can. If you fathered a child out of wedlock, despite the fact that your name is on the birth certificate and everyone, including your ex-girlfriend and her family, acknowledges you as the father of the child, you have no legal rights to that child unless you have legally established paternity.

Many men, who father children out of wedlock, aren’t aware that they have no legal rights to their own child until the relationship with the child’s mother ends. According to Legalmatch.com an unmarried mother has natural or primary rights to custody of the child or children that were born to her out of wedlock. The mother’s rights exceed those of the father.

Of course, the mother of your child may not put you through any sort of grief regarding visitation with the child even if you haven’t officially proved paternity but if she wants to cut ties with you, which means your ties with your child may also be severed, she can do this and she can legally do it. You need to establish paternity of your child legally so you are covered in the event that the relationship goes sour.

An unwed father, who is considered a non-marital father, does not have automatic rights to his child.  In order to gain legal rights to your child you are going to have to prove paternity, which means one of two things: You can undergo DNA testing and submit the results to the court, or you can establish parentage by voluntary acknowledgment by both parents. This is called an acknowledgment by affidavit. The hospital should have these forms on hand, or you can get them from the clerk of courts in your area.

If a woman puts a man’s name on the birth certificate without the man’s knowledge or permission, this is of no significance, according to Gitlin.com. However, if the man consents to doing this it is evidence of paternity, but it does not establish paternity. There is a difference.

If you think you are the father of a child but are not married to the mother and not even in a continuing relationship with her if you sign up with the Putative Father Registry in your state you will be notified if this child is put up for adoption. Fathers under the age of 18 may also register.

Putative father means that you may be the father of the child. You must register no later than 30 days after the child is born. This does not make you the legal father of the child nor does it establish paternity but it does mean that you will be notified if the mother decides to put the child up for adoption.

In New York, for instance, if the father of the child never signed an acknowledgment of paternity, he is not entitled to visitation or custody rights. He is only entitled to these rights once he legally establishes maternity, which is going to require a paternity test, or the acknowledgment of the mother of the child that he is the father. However, if the woman is married to someone else when she has your baby you cannot go the acknowledgment route.

Do not assume that you are the legal father of your child who is born out of wedlock. Take the official steps, whether it’s acknowledgment by affidavit or a paternity test to affirm your role as your child’s father, with all the rights that go along with that. Not doing so may cause you a lot of grief and anguish.

Remember that laws can vary from state to state so you need to find out what the specific law is in the state where you live or where the child was born regarding fathering children out of wedlock and your rights.

My Take:

Do not make the mistake of thinking you have the same legal rights to your child as the mother of your child has because it isn’t so. Many men think they are considered the legal father of a child because they were present for the birth, their name is on the birth certificate, the child has their name, they live with the child or regularly visit and support him and everyone acknowledges that he is the father. Until paternity is established via a paternity test nothing is official.

Like!
1