A Fast and Easy Solution to Writing More When Youre a WAHM

Raise your hand if youre a work-at-home mama. Having a hard time managing your writing? Im writing this post as my twins are napping and its 2 pm. Aside from regularly updating my blog, Im also a freelance writer. So, writing is an important part of my business. If I cant write, then I dont get paid.   Its in the best interest of my business, then, to try to squeeze as much productivity as I can within the small blocks of time I have to write. Maybe your situation is similar to mine – young children and a booming freelance writing business. Or, maybe youre a new freelance writer or blogger and wondering how you can juggle your client work, social media and blog while still caring for your family and home? Being a WAHM is Hard Work I get it: Being a WAHM is tough. Right now I have a big load of laundry waiting to be folded on my bed (and theres another clean bucket in the laundry room). I have dirty dishes piled up in my sink while Im running the dishwasher from the morning dishes. And my twins arent even napping! Theyre in their cribs jumping and singing songs. I put them down an hour ago. But, I have to work. I need to pay the bills. So, in order to continue to grow my freelance writing business, Ive learned one easy and fast way to get more writing done. I can write more pieces in a day, pitch more in a day and even have spare time to write my eBook, a course for new freelance writers. So, whats my secret? My Solution to Writing More While Being a WAHM As I started handling more clients and my writing for the week increased, I had to magically find more time to write. Sure, I can wake up early, before my children do, and write. But, I already have a hard time waking up my usual time of 8 a.m. So, I end up writing more at night. Instead of stopping at 9 p.m. I can squeeze in another hour. Its not ideal, but it works. But, the biggest time saver for me, which has allowed me to take on more projects is outsourcing. Aside from hiring writers, I also outsource non-billable tasks. These things are either too time consuming or I know nothing about. I outsource: Coding Bookkeeping Editing and proofreading Fact checking Research My husband often helps me with  my coding, bookkeeping and editing. He  runs businesses  and is helping me build my business. He developed my Innovative site and my FreelancerFAQ site. He also created my social sharing buttons and testimonial page. While I do most of my bookkeeping, my husband has helped me organize it and structured it so that the process isnt too time consuming. I dont know about you, but I find editing my own work difficult. I skim over phrases and I am unable to notice nuances in my writing like transitional phrases, use of prepositions, odd sayings etc So, I try to have my husband read my writing– after I run it through Grammarly – for the final proofread. Its always a good idea to have someone else read your writing because they will catch things youre not aware of. I also outsource some fact-checking and research to other writers. If I have a big project and its not within my expertise, I will hire someone else to gather up resources. It usually saves me about an hour or so. Freeing Up My Time Outsourcing tasks that I dont know how to do or take up too much time, has given me more time to write, pitch and market. If youre interested in outsourcing, find the tasks that eat up the most time. If its social media, consider automating your tweets. If its email and paper work consider hiring a virtual assistant. Staying home and raising my twins is ultimately what I plan on doing. I cherish the moments I can eat lunch with my family and be able to put them down for their naps. They also offer me a break during the day and remind me that I cant always focus on my business. Now its your turn – let me know if youre a WAHM and how you can get more writing done for your blog and business. I want to hear from you!

Free Essays on The Cask Of Amontillago

An Analysis of "The Cask of Amontillado In "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a journey into the mind of a mad man. The story relates a horrible revenge made even more horrible by the fact that the vengeance is being taken when no real offense had been given. In a short space and with ultimate technical skill, Poe creates a nightmare, guaranteed to give the reader a sleepless night. The plot of the story is a simple one. Montresor tales revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the tunnels under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a niche. The story is told in first person from the point of view of Montresor himself. The exposition of the story occurs when Montresor tells us that he wants to take revenge on Fortunato because "he ventured upon insult." We also learn that he intends to go unpunished for this act of vengeance. The narrator informs us that he is going to continue to smile in Fortunato? face, but use the pride his victim has in wine to lure him into the catacombs to taste some of his non- existent amontillado. At this point, the reader knows the conflict will be one of man against man. It is an external struggle because Fortunato and Montresor are in a life and death fight. However, the conflict is largely internal, because Montresor has a fierce hatred th at Fortunato is unaware of. The narrative hook seems to occur when Fortunato follows Montresor into the vault. Even if the reader was confused by the language of the first paragraph or is puzzled by the motive of the narrator, he is curious to know what will happen next. We know the moment of revenge is at hand, but what is Montresor going to do to Fortunato? Why is he taking him underground? The climax of the story is when Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall and begins to layer the bricks. It is our high point of emotional involvement. We are like ... Free Essays on The Cask Of Amontillago Free Essays on The Cask Of Amontillago An Analysis of "The Cask of Amontillado In "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a journey into the mind of a mad man. The story relates a horrible revenge made even more horrible by the fact that the vengeance is being taken when no real offense had been given. In a short space and with ultimate technical skill, Poe creates a nightmare, guaranteed to give the reader a sleepless night. The plot of the story is a simple one. Montresor tales revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the tunnels under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a niche. The story is told in first person from the point of view of Montresor himself. The exposition of the story occurs when Montresor tells us that he wants to take revenge on Fortunato because "he ventured upon insult." We also learn that he intends to go unpunished for this act of vengeance. The narrator informs us that he is going to continue to smile in Fortunato? face, but use the pride his victim has in wine to lure him into the catacombs to taste some of his non- existent amontillado. At this point, the reader knows the conflict will be one of man against man. It is an external struggle because Fortunato and Montresor are in a life and death fight. However, the conflict is largely internal, because Montresor has a fierce hatred th at Fortunato is unaware of. The narrative hook seems to occur when Fortunato follows Montresor into the vault. Even if the reader was confused by the language of the first paragraph or is puzzled by the motive of the narrator, he is curious to know what will happen next. We know the moment of revenge is at hand, but what is Montresor going to do to Fortunato? Why is he taking him underground? The climax of the story is when Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall and begins to layer the bricks. It is our high point of emotional involvement. We are like ...

Strategic thinking skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic thinking skills - Essay Example While studying and working with a team, I am able to asses my skills and focus on how I learn. Using my own self assessment, I can decide which way of learning works best for me. Using the best learning skills helps to become more dependent and use my individual skills to benefit the business and the team. These learned skills can also be applied to everyday life scenarios and assist in positive decision making. Each skill requires a specific motive. Some have different motives then others. One of my biggest motives is to become a grade A, or exemplary student. Becoming a grade A student is important and a huge motivator. In order to receive high marks, it is necessary to study, form independence and practice critical thinking skills that are necessary to achieve academic goals. There is much to take from this learning experience. I can use my new critical thinking skills that I have developed toward my future employment. Careers at times require that one learns new skills to better themselves. Using Self Assessment skills can help to take the time to evaluate my performance and make changes if

Cross cultural management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cross cultural management - Assignment Example It is Mr. A’s first experience of staying away from his hometown (India). Following presents the interview findings (see appendix-I for the interview questions) along with the quotes from the interviewee to present his views on his experiences of staying and working in a culture different from his hometown. When the interviewee was asked to share his experience from leaving his hometown to his very first assignment in Singapore he told the interviewer that â€Å"leaving home and going to a completely new place was not an easy job especially when I have never been to any new country†. Mr. A highlighted that going as a visitor and going as an employee are two completely different things. In the words of Mr. A â€Å"it was a sort of cultural shock which was aggravated due to high expectations of the employer leaving lesser time for adjustment; I was expected to get to work immediately and produce results which was not an easy task as I was still in the phase of understanding my surroundings and adjusting to it.† Mr. A told the interviewer that his first assignment was to close a deal with a client and he found it very difficult to set the meeting and meet the client in person. Mr. A says â€Å"though I have good product knowledge and prior experience of selling goods and cl osing deals in India but meeting the person of a new culture and convincing him to use the services of our company is something needs experience of selling in the same culture.† Then the interviewer asked Mr. A how he has prepared for the immersion in a new culture to which Mr. A replied â€Å"I have learned about the culture of Singapore from the internet sites and a few friends of mine who have been to Singapore but experiencing a culture in person is totally a new experience.† Continuing the conversation the interviewer asked Mr. A about his feelings upon knowing that he will be going to Singapore and about his first few days in

Total Quality Management College Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Total Quality Management College - Term Paper Example Marks & Spenser work in fashion industry, therefore, considering the fact that Fashion is one of the fastest changing trends in any society reflect the need for quality standards which should be largely driven by the new trends in fashion liked by the customers. Therefore the customer-driven quality system is at the heart of the company. This, however, is always achieved through effective coordination of sales departments of the company with the customers so that new trends are identified and converted into product ideas accordingly. The overall importance of quality for this company lies in the various elements. These elements include clear coordination between the suppliers, production; sales staff etc. this, therefore, has allowed the company to achieve continuous improvement. The company has a strong network of suppliers with which it has clear and strong relationships providing strong backup support in order to generate the quality desired by the customers of the company. It is also evident from the fact that the company has effectively diversified into many areas and departments which has allowed it to maintain the quality standards it generated. Our chosen company in the service sector is HSBC Bank. HSBC is claimed to be the world’s local bank. It has the presence in many countries of the world with head quarter at UKthe. The value of quality for this organization matters a lot for the organization. HSBC works in an industry which is largely undifferentiated therefore it needs to compete on elements which may not be considered as conventional in their true sense. Thus it has to bank on the quality of services it provides. Its quality services include facilitating the customers to bank through the internet so that they do not have to visit the branches. This facilitation along with other services such as quick and efficient processing of the customer requests, call center facilitation, cordial and efficient staff have made HSBC a leader in the industry.

Why Is Wellbeing Education Important?

Why Is Wellbeing Education Important? This is what some people claim Mankind has lived for thousands of years. As generations grow, we are becoming more and more aware of the harmful effects illness and stress impact on our bodies. Our awareness of the need to take the necessary steps to achieving a healthier lifestyle and prolong our life span is also growing. The number of diseases rising around the world makes it vital that people apprehend the importance of leading and living a healthy life. They believe health is accomplished by eating healthy food and exercising, but this is only one part of the healthy living process. There is more to being healthy and achieving an overall wellness and wellbeing than just eating well and exercising. Different elements assemble the human beings overall health, these elements are referred to as the six dimensions of health physical, psychological, spiritual, social, intellectual, and environmental. This report will discuss and define each of the six dimensions to provide adults with an understanding of the dimens ions in hope of protecting our children from illnesses and diseases, and providing them with a more stable and a better future. Background Why is this report needed? Explain the six dimensions of health (Donatelle, 2006) and use this to explain to the reader why wellness and wellbeing are important in early childhood education and care. The early childhood years sets the foundation to how children view themselves, each other, and the world around them. Their character which will develop further as they grow older begins in those early years. For this reason it is vital for Early Childhood Professions to understand the six dimensions of health in order to support childrens development in achieving wellness and wellbeing. Bronfenbrenner believed children are influenced by the ecological system, (the system of relationships that form his or her Environment) particularly the microsystem (the immediate environment, e.g. family or school) Bronfenbrenner, 1998. He mentioned that positive emotional interactions and experiences between caregivers and children are crucial for the development of social and emotional wellbeing in children. Donatelle, 2006 said The motivation to improve quality of life within the framework of ones own unique capabilities is crucial to achieving health and wellness. As childrens services or early childhood settings fit into the microsystem stage of the child, it becomes imperative for us to set the building blocks for children to achieve the optimum wellness and wellbeing. Our interaction and experiences play a key role in their development, but what is wellness and wellbeing?. Donatelle, 2006 identified wellness and wellbeing as follow; Physical heath : the way we function using our bodies, how sharp our sensors are, how fit we are, the ability to catch diseases and disorders and the ability to recuperate from illness and regain health, Intellectual health: Mentally healthy , the capacity to think with clear judgment, the ability to learn, the ability to grow from experience and the ability to make critical decisions. Social heath: the ability to socialise and interact well with others, the ability to adjust to situations at different levels Emotional health: the ability to recognize and express feelings appropriately, the ability to control and balance these feelings with yourself and others. The ability to feel good about yourself, love and trust. Environmental health: the ability to appreciate the world around you and to recognise the role you play in effecting the environment. They believe Spiritual health: the ability to have faith, hope, and belief. The ability to connect with the world around you as one, to love and respect nature and to feel the love and pain of the world. Discussion Discuss each dimension of health and explain what is happening or not happening to support childrens wellness and wellbeing in your service. Wellness is a state of optimal health that is working towards or trying to maximize the individuals potential to achieve a vibrant state of wellbeing and enjoyment of life. This is a lifetime process of working towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental wellbeing. When we think of Wellness and Wellbeing, it is good to remember that all aspects of the six dimensions impact each other. Although every dimension is important in its self, it is the balance that gives each individual the optimum wellness and wellbeing. For example if a person focus on his/her physical health and neglects the emotional health, the physical health would deteriorate soon after. Keeping an overall balance and a holistic approach would give us a higher chance in achieving wellness and wellbeing. Factors that affect our Wellness and wellbeing. The individuals attitude and behaviors. Heredity and family history. The influence of the people around you, positive and negative. Health care availability. Lets have a closer look at each dimensions and how does the centre cater for the dimension. Physical health; Physical health is most visible to us and the easiest to keep an eye on. It would probably be the one dimension we pay more attention on, than any other dimension. If we eat well balanced nutritious food and exercise regularly, minimise the consumption of harmful foods such as alcohol and cigarettes, the chances of us catching diseases are reduced but not eliminated. How can it be achieved? Exercise least 30 minutes a day. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, Replace bad fats with healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil Visit your dentist regularly Seek medical attention when required Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Centres approach to physical health; The centre aims to: Facilitate physical development by providing activities which foster fine and gross motor skills. Provide children with 50% of their recommended dietary intake Provide a healthy eating environment Provide children with healthy food habits Provide water throughout the day Provided children with a balance of active and quiet activities The centre focuses on providing children with a balanced nutritious food but fails to promote and link the importance of staying active to the physical health. Very little discussion is provided about health and fitness. Intellectual health; Intellectual health is our ability to perceive and process information accurately and the ability learn and Interact with the world around us. To achieve an intellectually healthy life, we must have the wish to learn and to have an interest in what is going on around us. Intellectual health also involves problem solving and creativity. How can it be achieved? Keep your mind active with learning Participate in creative and problem solving activities. Read the news each day. Paint and draw. Build something with your hands. Work out a crossword puzzle each day, it can help keep our brains on alert. Centres approach to intellectual health; The centre aims to: Facilitate intellectual development by providing activities and experiences which allow children to experiment, think and question the world around them and develop their problem solving skills. Encourage children to develop a positive attitude towards learning, responsibility, self-discipline and self-esteem. Design activities which allow children to develop their capabilities and interests at their own pace and according to their individual need. Social health; . Socially healthy people engage, interact, and co-operate well with each other. That includes friends, family, co-workers and other groups. Being comfortable with oneself as well as others at different levels and maintaining relationships. How can it be achieved? Learn ways to relate with others. Practice communication skills. Try to be the kind to your friends or partner. Be considerate and mindful of others. Centres approach to Social health; The centre aims to: Facilitate personal and social development by group experiences with peers, friendly interactions with adults and activities which promote their sense of independence. Develop programs which enhance childrens social and emotional skills Emotional health; The ability to understanding our feelings and emotions and finding vigorous ways of expressing them .Emotional wellness is one of the most important aspects of the six dimensions. It should be one of our main focus points of life in order to accomplish wellbeing. In order to be healthy or have good physical health you must have a good foundation of emotional wellness. You can notice this in your everyday life, by just noticing how having a good day or a bad day effects you physically. How can it be achieved? Learn to recognize your limitations. Practice different ideas to create healthy relationships with others. Maintain a sense of point of view. Learn to deal with emotions such as sadness, anger, or frustration. Centres approach to emotional health; The centre aims to: To help children recognise their feelings and emotions. Encourage children to express feelings and emotions appropriately. I dont believe the centre is doing enough to cater for the emotional wellbeing in children. I think a lot more can be done to facilitate positive emotional development. (Refer to recommendation). Environmental health; Environmental health is to appreciate and respect the natural environment around you and do whatever you can to protect it. How can it be achieved? Better understanding of the environment finding ways to minimise the waste going to the landfills such as donating clothes and donate computers and mobile phones to organisation. Recycling Centres approach to environmental health; The centre aims to: Promote the understanding and importance of recycling and energy saving. Reuse material for childrens activities. Promote environmental education in childrens everyday learning experiences Role model the positive environmental approaches in daily routines such as reducing energy output and the use of water. Spiritual health; The ability to know that life is meaningful and has a purpose. Our morals, values and ethical believes guide us to making decisions and the direction to life. How can it be achieved? Take some time to discover your morals and believes. Try to stick to your believes during difficult times. Believe in yourself Centres approach to spiritual health; The centre aims to: Families are encouraged to share their culture, language and home experiences. Promote each childs culture and language, and facilitate experiences whenever possible Provide an environment that is anti bias and caters for the childs cultural, family and linguistic diversity. Promote equality by maximising the educational outcomes for all children, regardless of their gender, cultural backgrounds or socio-economics. . International Business Case Study: Skoda Company International Business Case Study: Skoda Company INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CASE STUDY IN SKODA COMPANY What was the key weakness that Skoda was able to identify? Answer: Skoda able to identify Brand Position was one of the weakness for Skoda in the highly competitive fragmented market by positioning the brand as low budget or low quality vehicles which caused Skoda to get 1.7% of the market share, because the company used to manufacture cars of poor image of quality, design, assembly, and materials, which leaded customers to perceive the brand image as poor image for majority consumers compare to other competitors like Ford, Peugeot, and Renault. By looking business model, example General Electric business model that say business organisation can determine its self by looking factors like Business Strengths (strong or average or weak) in the market and industry attractiveness (high or medium or low) at that market. According to that model that means the Skoda had probably weak business strength and its industry attractiveness was probably strong in the market. The analysis gave clear direction to Skoda that there is need to Partnership with Volkswagen by raising strategic alliance between themselves which leaded the Skoda to change the negative image in the market. Also Skoda management did understood that they need to correct old perceptions by stop being defensive in promotional campaigns and change market message as Skoda owners need to be happy and contented with their cars, Also convincing users that Skoda cars were great to own and drive. What strength did Skoda use to turn its brand weakness into on opportunity? Answer: Skoda researched through asking customers directly and using independent surveyors like JD power survey by testing customers feelings through questionnaires .Skoda able to position its brand where there was a gap in the market place against their competitors because competitors they where focusing in product it self. Skoda partnership with Volkswagen AG helped the Skoda to gain internal strength due to combinations of skills and knowledge in both companies, also the Volkswagen has got good reputation on its business, Page 133 on the case study. Satisfaction of its customer by business concentrating on owner experience, future strategic development and marketing its brand image through designing to sales, satisfaction of their customer came after producing brand image which has got quality and happy to driver to own that brand, example of Top gears 2007 customer satisfaction survey in 152 models viewers voted number one car maker and 2008 Octavia model won auto express driver power best car, Skoda knows 98% of its drivers would recommend Skoda to a friend, page 133 134, on the case study. That shows the out come evidence of Skoda over come the weakness and built the strength which leaded to opportunities. Advantage through technology also was best strength for Skoda by using focusing strategy, as Michael Porter model of Competitive Advantage (cost leadership, focused low cost, differentiation, focused differentiation) Skoda adopted the strategy of focused differentiation in niche market, organisation can adopt a strategy to compete against other competitors, technology made Skoda to over come weakness and gain strength to opportunity by differentiate in unique selling proposition through human touch designed of its brand car engines and focused on customer experience. How has Skoda strategically addressed external threats? Answer: After careful analysis Skoda able to addressed external threats. One, Skoda UK was able to ensure that its messages were powerful enough for customers to hear within such a crowded and competitive environment my using slogan of the manufacturer of happy drivers so they can able to maintain the market share. Skoda able to produced strong range of product in the UK and globally such as; Skoda fabia sold as basic but quality car, Skoda superb as more luxurious and up market appeal, the Skoda Octavia as estate provides a family with a fun drive but also a great big boot, all these brand were UK market segments. Page 135 on the case study. Pricing, Skoda priced all brands according to model range that means Skoda looking to satisfy their customers according to different groups within the main stream of the car market, Also combination of competitive pricing and brand range gave advantage to overcome the threats of other competitors. EU Legal and Environmental regulations made Skoda able to addressed the threats by using the advantage of technology to produce products which are environmental friendly at every stage of their life cycle. By producing Skoda products which they can recycle as much as possible and through identification of their parts which are marked quick and easy when the car taken apart, Using latest most environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies and facilities available, example use of lead free and water based colours to paint areas to protect against corrosion, By designing processes that will cut fuel consumption and emissions in petrol and diesel engines. Using lighter parts to make vehicles as aerodynamic as possible to use less energy. By designing cars with lower noise levels and improved sound quality, Pg 135 on the case study. What in your view are the important benefits of using a SWOT analysis? Answer: SWOT identify Superiority of organisation in the market place, swot helps organisation to know how best it is in the market place by looking example the brand image of the company in the market against other competitors brands. Also SWOT help to determine Staff expertise, loyalty and commitment in the organisation. Example pg133 first paragraph, Skoda management they were looking a foreign partner so company management can gain expertise in Cars manufacture. SWOT help to build good reputation for service or quality, as in case study Skoda build strength by design cars with their own experience and brand image, pg 134. SWOT also helps to guide organisation in future strategic development which will bring advantage to organisation. Technology adoption, helps organisation to change it operation by gaining advantage through technology which can reduce costs or improve production. Helps to give gap idea within market when organisation wants to position a product or services in the new market. Helps to understand customer needs by looking their perception on companys product and if product or services the company supplies to them are well get satisfied. Example on the case study of JD Power survey and Top Gear explained how management of Skoda identified their strength of customer satisfaction to the market place, Pg 133. Helps to understand competitive activity, by looking other competitors in the business environment. Helps organisation able to respond for changes in government regulations or legislation, example in the case study Skoda able to respond to EU legal and environmental regulations by producing products that are environmentally friendly at every stage of their life. Also help to determine supply demand, example shortage of raw materials.

Literary Analysis of Joseph Hellers Catch 22 Essay -- Heller Joseph C

Literary Analysis of Joseph Heller's Catch 22 Laughing in the face of war and death, literally, is one of the things that make the novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller such an intriguing and original story. It was written in 1961, a time when, due to the fighting of the Second World War, all war novels were written with a dark and dreary tone, while still trying to continue the pre-conceived romantic notions about war. However, Joseph Heller strips away all of the romantic pretense, and pulling heavily on his own Air Force experience during WWII, presents war in its most raw, un-censored version. It takes away thoughts of being the amazing hero, and winning medals, and replaces them with the screwed up, bureaucratic way that we fight wars. It shows the true paradoxes that arise, and shows the violence of war, in its most un-adulterated form. This book came right after WWII, a war that most American citizens saw as a just and needed war, and shocked all who read it with the truth about war. Then, as if to prove the literary genius of the author, the Vietnam War comes along. It then turns out that the novel Catch-22 was almost prophetic about the war. Almost the entire novel is shown through the eyes of the main character, Captain John Yossarian. He is an Assyrian, who is completely paranoid and always trying to convince people that there are other people out there who are doing their best to make sure he doesn’t return from each mission he flies. He then decides to make it his personal mission to return alive from every flight. Throughout the entire story, the main theme or subject is the craziness of war, and how it is not romantic as it has been previously portrayed, but actually hellish and dangerous. One of the most interesti... ...iness of war. In conclusion, the entire book, while being non-sequential and confusing throughout, still conveys its theme very well. This is mainly thanks to the author’s ability to bend the English language to his will, and the timing that it was released. It came out at a time that all war novels were heroic and romantic, yet do to Heller’s own Air Force experience he knew the truth about war, and by writing about it, he brings it to the foreground. The entire novel centers around and contributes to the theme that true war is not how it has been portrayed in the media of the day. It is actually a self-contained hell that is perpetuated by crazy leaders, death, and violence. This makes this novel one that should be required reading for all peoples in the world, so that we can better understand the truth about war, and maybe, just maybe, we will have fewer wars.

Cost Accounting Essay

If you are starting out in a new business, especially a service/manufacturing business, understanding the cost accounting system and which cost accounting system will work best for your company, is the first step to being successful. Once you find someone to help you navigate those waters, let them help you sail the rough seas of direct and indirect inventory, direct and indirect labor costs, and how to allocate factory overhead as well. While it all may sound confusing, having the right person with the right knowledge and advice, can make all the difference to you and the success of your business. We learned in Chapter 19 that cost accounting systems calculate, register, and record product costs. Once these costs have been recorded, administrators and supervising personnel can use these costs for setting their product prices, controlling operations and developing financial statements. These reports can play an important role in the financial decision making process for your company so it is imperative that they are accurate and detailed. There are two different types of cost accounting systems. There are called job order cost systems and process cost systems. While both systems are used by manufacturing companies, the job order cost system is used by companies that manufacture custom products or groups of products that are alike. The process cost system, on the other hand, is chosen by manufacturing companies that make units of a product that are impossible to tell apart and are produced using a continuous production process. Once you have chosen your type of cost accounting system, you will need to know what types of costs that will need to be reported and the difference in those costs. First, you have direct materials cost and indirect materials cost. Direct materials costs are materials that will be used as an essential part of the finished product. For example, for an electrician, direct materials would be receptacles and wiring. To be considered and classified as a direct materials cost, it has to be used as an essential part of the finished product and it has to be a significant portion of the total cost of the finished product. If it does not fit these two requirements, then it is considered an indirect materials cost, or factory overhead cost. â€Å"Indirect materials are materials used in the production process, but which cannot be linked to a specific product or job. Alternatively, they may be used in such insubstantial quantities on a per-product basis that it is not worthwhile to track them as direct materials† (Bragg) .An example of an indirect materials cost, or factory overhead cost, for an electrician would be electrical tape and solder. Next, we have direct and indirect labor costs. As with direct materials costs, labor costs must also meet the same two requirements to be labeled direct labor costs. They must be an essential part of the finished product and must be a significant portion of the total cost of the finished product. If they meet these two requirements, these labor costs are considered direct labor costs. If they do not meet these requirements, they are indirect labor costs, or factory overhead costs. The janitor who cleans the building incurs labor costs for the company; however, the janitorial costs are not an essential cost of manufacturing their product. As a result, the janitorial labor costs are indirect labor costs, or factory overhead cost. So what are factory overhead costs and how do you measure and record it? Our textbook describes both in detail. Factory overhead costs are indirect costs of the product. As previously mentioned, these can be materials and labor costs that do not directly enter into the finished product. Some examples include: Heating and lighting the factory Property taxes on factory buildings and land Depreciation on factory plant and equipment Sandpaper, glue, buffing compound Power to run the machines Salaries of production supervisors Because factory overhead costs cannot be directly earmarked to jobs, they are instead, applied to jobs using a common measure related to each job. This common measure is called an activity base. The activity base used to apply overhead should reflect the use of factory overhead costs. Factory overhead costs are usually applied to jobs using a predetermined factory overhead rate computed as follows: Predetermined FactoryEstimated Total Factory Overhead Costs Overhead Rate = Estimated Activity Base For example, if a company estimated a total factory overhead cost of $50,000 for the year and the activity base as 10,000 direct labor hours, a predetermined factory overhead rate of $5 per direct labor hour is computed using the estimated amounts at the beginning of the period. Predetermined factory overhead rated are computed because managers need information about the product cost of each job in a timely manner. With timely information, managers can fine-tune manufacturing methods or product pricing. Remember, during each step of your manufacturing process, identify and record every cost as well as determine whether the costs are direct, indirect, or factory overhead. Keeping up with these costs will help you determine the final cost of each unit and whether or not to make any changes necessary for a more profitable future. Works Cited Bragg, Steven, â€Å"What are Indirect Materials?† Questions & Answers – Accounting Tools 1 June 2013. Warren, Reeve and Duchac. ACCT 1101 Chapters 18-26 Managerial Accounting. Ohio: Cengage, 2012. Print.

Software Engineering Project Failure Essays

Software Engineering Project Failure Essays Software Engineering Project Failure Paper Software Engineering Project Failure Paper This report is about software engineering project failures. In this report, I will first examine the importance of a good software engineering manager to a project. Then, I will identify major reasons for software engineering project fails within the software industry. At last, some suggestion about reducing project failure rates according to the knowledge and best practices will be provided. Manager is essential to software engineering project There are nine project management knowledge areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, communication, procurement, and human resource management (see A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Inst. , 2000). Failing to address any of these areas will result in repeatedly diminishing a project’s outcome. This stresses the importance of a good manager to a successful software engineering project. In Mohammad’s individual case, the reasons of the failure of the project were almost caused by the manager’s failing in good performance. (Rob, 2003) Then, what characteristics should a good manager has? First, he should be responsible and have a good leading ability to manage his team to work well together. Second, he should have strong communication ability which will help him to work well with his team as well as his clients. Third, the technique skill is very important with which he will have a broad view. Forth, he should have a critical mind which will make him have a strong problem solving ability. Reasons that cause software engineering project failures As software engineering project failures cannot be totally avoided, examining the reason why it happens help us to reduce failures. Lack of project study Project study is very important to any software engineering project, as it helps team members to have a clear understanding about the project. Without project study, team members may not know what they are doing. This could have bad effect on the project. There are five factors (TELOS) should be included in the project study, which are technical, economic, legal, operational, schedule (Keyes, 2008). And the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable should also be established. Lack of communication The communication both among a project team and between a team and the client is very important. Communication among a team not only makes team members to work better, but also helps senior management to get the information about the work so that senior management could make timely decision. Communication between a team and client help the team to get a better understanding about the client’s requirement, thus their work is improved. Lack of communication will be a disaster of a team. They may not be well organized. Work finished by team members may not be fitted to each others. And the finished work may not fulfill client’s requirement. Thus, software engineering project failure may happen. Using new or unfamiliar contractors: New contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Changing contractor will cause this problem and is also a waste. So, choosing a good contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication is very important. (Rob, 2003) Suggestion on reducing software engineering project failure 1. The manager should conduct a good project study within the team at the beginning of a project. Practitioners should establish the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable, as these will greatly drive the type of development model and mix of practices they should use (Maccormack, Kemerer, Cusumano amp; Crandall, 2003). 2. The manager should conduct enough, efficient and effective communication. Face-to-face meetings, discussions, temporal collocation, and exchange visits should be organized to figure out where they are and check if the work is going as expected (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . Avoid changing contractors, as new contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Choose a contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication (Rob, 2003). 4. Reliable infrastructure, including a centralized repository, common configuration management tools, and rich communication media should be invested in, which will help the team to work better (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . The manager should choose useful team members. A team member chosen by manager should have a strong ability to work and communicate with other team members. And also, he should be well educated and have good technique skills. 6. To achieve all the point above, a perfect manager is indispensable. So, a perfect is very essential to a software engineering project. Reference: Rob, M. A. ; , Project failures in small companies, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 94- 95, Nov. -Dec. 2003 MacCormack, A. ; Kemerer, C. F. ; Cusumano, M. Crandall, B. ; , Trade-offs between productivity and quality in selecting software development practices, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 78- 85, Sept. Oct. 2003 El Emam, K. ; Koru, A. G. ; , A Replicated Survey of IT Software Project Failures, Software, IEEE , vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 84-90, Sept. -Oct. 2008 Keyes, in  Leading IT Projects: The IT Managers Guide,, CRC Press, Aug. 2008. Smite, D. ; Wohlin, C. ; , A Whisper of Evidence in Global Software Engineering, Software, IEEE , vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 15-18, July-Aug. 2011

The Life of Dr. Feynman †Physics Research Paper

The Life of Dr. Feynman – Physics Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Feynman received a bachelors degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1939, and a PhD from Princeton University in 1942. His thesis advisor was John Archibald Wheeler. After Feynman completed his thesis on quantum mechanics, Wheeler showed it to Albert Einstein, but was unconvinced. While researching his Ph.D., Feynman married his first wife, Arline Greenbaum, who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, a terminal illness at that time; they were careful, and Feynman never contracted TB. At Princeton, the physicist Robert R. Wilson encouraged Feynman to participate in the Manhattan Project. This was a wartime U.S. Army project at Los Alamos developing the atomic bomb. He visited his wife in a sanitarium in Santa Fe on weekends, right up until her death in July 1945. He immersed himself in work on the project, and was present at the Trinity bomb test. Feynman claimed to be the only person to see the explosion without the dark glasses provided, looking through a truck windshield to screen out harmful ultraviolet frequencies. As a junior physicist, his work on the project was relatively removed from the major action; consisting mostly of administering the computation group of human computers in the Theoretical division, and then, with Nicholas Metropolis, setting up the system for using IBM punch cards for computation. Feynman actually succeeded in solving one of the equations for the project which were posted on the blackboards. However They didnt do the physics right and Feynmans solution was not used in the project. After the project, Feynman started working as a professor at Cornell University, where Hans Bethe, the formulator of nuclear fusion worked. However he felt uninspired there; despairing that he had burned out, he turned to more concrete problems, such as analyzing the physics of a twirling, nutating dish, as it is being balanced by a juggler. As it turned out, this work served him in future researches. He was therefore surprised to be offered professorships from competing universities, eventually choosing to work at the California Institute of Technology at Pasadena, California, despite being offered a position near Princeton, at the Institute for Advanced Study. What, at that time, included Albert Einstein on its list of elite faculty members. Feynman rejected the Institute on the grounds that there were no teaching duties. Feynman found his students to be a source of inspiration and also, during uncreative times, comforting. He felt that if he could not be creative, at least he could teach. Feynman is sometimes called the â€Å"Great Explainer†; he took great care when explaining topics to his students, making it a moral point not to make a topic arcane, but accessible to others. Thus clear thinking and clear presentation were fundamental prerequisites for his attention. It could be perilous to even approach him when unprepared, and he did not forget who the fools or pretenders were. On one sabbatical year, he returned to Newtons Principia to study it anew; what he learned from Newton, he also passed along to his students, such as Newtons attempted explanation of diffraction. Feynman did much of his best work while at Caltech, including research in Quantum electrodynamics. The problem for which Feynman won his Nobel Prize involved the probability of quantum states changing. He helped develop a functional integral formulation of quantum mechanics, in which every possible path from one state to the next is considered, the final path being a sum over the possibilities. Physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, where helium seems to display a lack of viscosity when flowing. Applying the Schrà ¶dinger equation to the question showed that the superfluid was displaying quantum mechanical behavior observable on a macroscopic scale. This helped with the problem of superconductivity. Weak decay, which shows itself in the decay of a neutron into an electron, a proton, and an anti-neutrino. Developed in collaboration with Murray Gell-Mann, the theory was of massive importance, and resulted in the discovery of a new force of nature. He also developed Feynman diagrams, a bookkeeping device which helps in conceptualising and calculating interactions between particles in space-time. This device allowed him, and now others, to work with concepts which would have been less approachable without it, such as time reversibility and other fundamental processes. These diagrams are now fundamental for string theory and M-theory, and have even been extended topologically. Feynmans mental picture for these diagrams started with the hard sphere approximation, and the interactions could be thought of as collisions at first. It was not until decades later that physicists thought of analyzing the nodes of the Feynman diagrams more closely. The world-lines of the diagrams have become tubes to better model the more complicated objects such as strings and M-branes. From his diagrams of a small number of particles interacting in spacetime, Feynman could then model all of physics in terms of those particles spins and the range of coupling of the fundamental forces. But the quark model was a rival to Feynmans parton formulation. Feynman did not dispute the quark model; for example, when the 5th quark was discovered, Feynman immediately pointed out to his students that the discovery implied the existence of a 6th quark, which was duly discovered in the decade after his death. After the success of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman turned to quantum gravity. By analogy with the photon, which has spin 1, he investigated the consequences of a free massless spin 2 field, and was able to derive the Einstein field equation of general relativity, but little more. Unfortunately, at this time he became exhausted by working on multiple major projects at the same time, including his Lectures in Physics. While at Caltech Feynman was asked to spruce up the teaching of undergraduates. After three years devoted to the task, a series of lectures was produced, eventually becoming the famous Feynman Lectures on Physics, which are a major reason that Feynman is still regarded by most physicists as one of the greatest teachers of physics ever. Feynman later won the Oersted Medal for teaching, of which he seemed especially proud. His students competed keenly for his attention; once he was awakened when a student solved the problem and dropped it in his mailbox at home; glimpsing the student sneaking across his lawn, he could not go back to sleep, and he read the students solution. That morning, at breakfast, he was again interrupted by a triumphant student, but he informed him that he was too late. Feynman was a keen and influential popularizer of physics in both his books and lectures, notably a talk on nanotechnology called Plenty of Room at the Bottom. Feynman offered $1000 prizes for two of his challenges in nanotechnology. He was also one of the first scientists to realise the possibility of quantum computers. Though he never actually wrote any books, many of his lectures and other miscellaneous talks were turned into books such as The Character of Physical Law and QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. He would give lectures which his students would annotate into books, such as Statistical Mechanics and Lectures on Gravity. The Lectures on Physics took a physicist, Robert B. Leighton, as full-time editor a number of years. Feynman travelled a lot, notably to Brazil, and near the end of his life schemed to visit the obscure Russian land of Tuva, a dream that, due to Cold War bureaucratic problems, never succeeded. During this period he discovered that he had a form of cancer, but, thanks to surgery, he managed to hold it off. Feynman had very liberal views on sexuality and was not ashamed of admitting it. In Surely Youre Joking, Mr. Feynman!, he explains that he enjoyed hostess bars and topless dancing, and drew a decoration for a massage parlor. He also explains how he learned to play drums in acceptable samba style in Brazil (by persistence and practice). Such actions got him a reputation of eccentricity. In addition, he considered using cannabis as well as LSD because he wished to know effects of hallucinations. Feynman served on the commission investigating the 1986 Challenger disaster. For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.Feynman was requested to serve on the presidential Rogers Commission which investigated the Challenger disaster of 1986. Tactfully fed clues from a source with inside information, Feynman famously showed on television the crucial role in the disaster played by the boosters O-ring flexible gas seals with a simple demonstration using a glass of ice water and a sample of o-ring material. His opinion of the cause of the accident differed from the official findings, and were considerably more critical of the role of management in sidelining the concerns of engineers. After much petitioning, Feynmans minority report was included as an appendix to the official document. The book What Do You Care What Other People Think? includes stories from Feynmans work on the commission. His engineering skill is reflected in his estimate of the reliability of the Space Shuttle (98%), which is unhappily reflected in the 2 failures over the 100-odd flights of the Space Shuttle as of 2003. However good he was at engineering, Feynman always drew a careful distinction between science and technology. The cancer returned in 1987, with Feynman entering hospital a year later. Complications with surgery worsened his condition, whereupon Feynman decided to die with dignity and not accept any more treatment. He died on February 15, 1988. Mark Martin. â€Å"Biography.† Feyman Online (2004): 11/02/2004 fotuva.org/online/biography.htm Unknown Author. â€Å"Richard P. Feynman – Biography.† (9-24-2004): 11/02/2004 http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1965/feynman-bio.html J J OConnor and E F Robertson, â€Å"Richard Phillips Feynman.† (8-2002): 11/10/2004 http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Printonly/Feynman.html Research Papers on The Life of Dr. Feynman - Physics Research PaperStandardized TestingThe Project Managment Office SystemResearch Process Part OnePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBringing Democracy to AfricaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Critical Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Assessment - Essay Example From an engineer who is deeply worried about climate change, it is easy to judge that such as from this article will never take place and feeding our atmosphere with sulfuric acid is way off the scale of "achievable" to be a fraction of a significant discourse on reversing or slowing even climate change. Someone would anticipate for much better writing than this in an article written by three professors from Cambridge Center, Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard University. I could not help but marvel whether this article was hurriedly brought to press in response to a number of the references in the article such as Barker et al. (2007), Blackstock et al. (2009), Robock (2008), Royal Society (2009), and Nordhaus (2008), which were all significant publications concerning this topic of climate change. All this books which the article referenced gave revealing arguments against climate engineering/geoengineering and the authors made them clearly, movingly, persuasively, and without ty pos, unlike McClellan, Keith & Apt (2012). This article fails to make the point that a majority of geoengineerings vocal supporters only have a financial concern in the field. There is tons of cash to be made in this field if the idea of geoengineering finally takes off. McClellan, Keith & Apt (2012) fail to acknowledge they indeed do have such a financial concern in a firm working on eliminating carbon dioxide from the environment, but then they brush that aside through saying their financial concern is not in solar-radiation managing, which is the center of this article. I would opt to read a thoughtful article by any scholar with no financial concern in climate engineering in any way. The authors are obviously charmed with the lost cost, easiness of tunability and implementation of SRM. However, there is modest discussion of the diverse

African Caribbean Community Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

African Caribbean Community - Assignment Example The colonial era of the United Kingdom essentially made the country a focal point for immigration by people from all over the world seeking entry into the western world. While the earliest black settlers in the UK were entertainers to the Royal families. Later the slave trade swelled their numbers that reached 14000 by the 1700s.In 1945 the minority population numbered in the low thousands and rose to 1.4 million in the 70's.The census report published in 2003, claims that minority ethnic groups account for 6.7% of the British population. Of the 4 million ethnic minority people living in Britain, African Caribbeans number 500,00 and are the second largest population among the minorities.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/short_history_of_immigration.stm; Peach C)While on the one hand Britain needed the labour for industry and people were lured in by employment in the land, "they were been brought up to revere," social, political and economic discrimination was an unexpected tragedy for the immigrants.African Caribbeans in Britain have found to be underachievers in the field of education in Britain. While statistics to prove these facts are methodically taken, scientific and sociological studies prove that this disturbing trend is not due to any innate faulty biological mechanism rather the inability of the British system to offer this ethnic group the optimal conditions for cognitive growth. Statistical facts African Caribbean children are found to exhibit a skewed learning behaviour. "Baseline'" testing of five year olds show their performance to be at par with other groups. However, by secondary school stage, "African-Caribbean pupils are between three and six times more likely to be expelled from school." The success rate in the GCSE examinations (2000) for black students was 37% compared to 50% for white students and 49% for Asians. "Out of over 22,000 British students who achieved AAA at A-Level in 2002 and entered higher education, only 37 were black." "For every young black Caribbean male at university in Britain, there are two in prison." While the black community in Britain did show upward trends in qualification levels (38.8 in 2001 compared to the national average of 19.8%), Caribbeans by contrast continue to be the least qualified ethnic group.(Anjool. 2005) The OFSTED report 1991 warns that the gaps between academic performance between African Caribbeans and the white population would widen in the next 20 years. While describing the group's potential the guardian asserts that "Black Caribbean children have an equal, if not higher, ability than white children, yet Black Caribbean boys make the least progress through school." This is attributed to the fact that Caribbeans live in the most deprived 10% wards in England. Discrimination: General prejudice Indirect evidence from the British Social Attitude survey suggests that Britons show equal discriminate against all ethnic minorities. However, Personal surveys indicate that Caribbeans perceive a higher level of discrimination especially in the job market. This may be because there is a general prejudice in the manual labour market and African Caribbeans being normally less qualified are usually a part of the manual labour force. African Caribbeans were also found by British Crime surveys to be having a greater risk of becoming victims to crime.(Heath F A, Mcmohan D.2000-01) The