Depreciation Essays - Cash Flow, Financial Statements,

Depreciation Information about cash flows can influence decision makers in many ways . For example , if a company's regular operations bring in more cash than it uses , investors will value the company higher than if property and equipment must be sold to finance operations . Information about cash flow can help creditors decide whether a company will have enough cash to pay its debts as they mature. Management and investors use cash flow information to evaluate a company's ability to meet unexpected obligations . Cash flow information is also used to evaluate company's ability to take advantage of new business opportunities that may arise. In November 1987, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards "statement of cash flow " This standard requires businesses to include a statement of cash flow in all financial reports that contain both a balance sheet and an income statement. The primary purpose of this statement is to present information about a company's cash receipts and disbursements during the reporting period. Direct Method of Presenting Cash Flow from Operating Activities When you prepare a statement of cash flow , the net cash provided by operating activities can be calculated two different ways . One is called Direct Method the other is Indirect Method .When the direct method is used , you separately list each major class of operating cash receipts and each major class of cash payments . Then the payments are subtracted from the receipts to determine the net cash provided by operating activities. The FASB encourage companies to use direct method. Indirect Method of Presenting Cash Flow from Operating Activities The indirect method is not as informative as direct method because it does not disclose the individual cash inflows and outflows from operating activities. Instead the direct method discloses only the net cash provided by operating activities . When the indirect method is used , the net income is listed first . Then it is adjusted for items that are necessary to reconcile net income to the net cash provided by operating activities . For example , you know that depreciation expense is subtracted in the calculation of net income . But , depreciation expense does not involve a current cash payment. Therefore, depreciation expense is added back to net income in the process of reconciling net income to the net cash provided by operating activities. Cash and Cash Equivalents In Statement of Financial Accounting Standards , the FASB concluded that a statement of cash flow should explain the difference between the beginning and the ending balances of cash and cash equivalents. Prior to this new standard ,cash equivalents were generally understood to be short term , temporary investments of cash . However , not all short-term investments meet the FASB definition of cash equivalents . To qualify as a cash equivalent , an investment must satisfy two criteria . These are: 1- The investments must be readily convertible to a known amount of cash. 2- The investments must be sufficiently close to its maturity date so that its market value is relatively insensitive to interest rate changes. Classifying Cash Transactions A statement of cash flow describes the changes in cash plus cash equivalents. Therefore, cash payments to purchase cash equivalents and cash receipts from selling cash equivalents are not reported on the statement. All other cash receipts and payments are classified as operating , investing or financing activities. Within each category , individual cash receipts and payments are summarized and described in a manner that clearly presents the general nature of the company's cash transactions . Then , the summarized cash receipts and payments within each category are netted against each other . A category provides a net cash flow if the receipts in the category exceed the payments . And if the payments in a category exceed the receipts , the category is a net user of cash during the period. Operating Activities You should recognize the operating activities generally include only transactions that relate to the calculation of net income . However, some income statement items are not related to the operating activities . As disclosed in a statement of cash flows , operating activities involve the production or purchase of merchandise and the sale of goods and services to customers . Operating activities also include the expenditures related to administering the business. In fact , cash flow from operating activities include all cash flows from transactions that are not defined as investing or financing activities . Cash Flows from Operating Activities Cash Inflows Cash Outflows -Cash sales to customers -Payments

Biology Science Fair Project Ideas

Biology Science Fair Project Ideas Science fair projects give you the opportunity to experience science and biology through hands-on activities. In order to ensure that you have a great biology project, it is important that you first understand biology and the scientific method. Simply put, biology is the study of life. Life is all around us which means that there are enormous possibilities when considering a biology science project. We use the scientific method as a means of studying science and biology. Scientific inquiry starts with an observation followed by the formulation of a question about what has been observed. Then comes designing a scientific experiment to answer the question posed. How to Find Science Project Ideas JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images So where do you get ideas for biology science fair projects? The answer is from almost anywhere. The key is to start with a question that you would like to find an answer to and use the scientific method  to help you answer it. When choosing a science fair project topic, make sure that you select a topic that you are interested in. Then narrow this topic down to a specific question. Below you will find science fair project ideas primarily related to biology. Remember that these samples are meant to give direction and ideas. It is important that you do the work yourself and not just copy the material. Also, be sure that you know all of the rules and regulations for your particular science fair before you begin your project. Plant Project Ideas Some soil bacteria stimulate brain neuron growth and increase learning capacity. JW LTD/Taxi/Getty Images Plants are important to life as we know it. They provide everything from food, clothing, and shelter to medicine and fuel. Plant projects are popular because plants are abundant, inexpensive, and relatively easy to study during experimentation. These experiments allow you to learn about plant processes and environmental factors that impact plant life. Plant-based science projects: Find more than 20 ideas for science fair projects involving plants.Soil chemistry: Learn about soil chemistry with these example projects about plant science and the chemical composition of soil.Popcorn studies: Enjoy these fun, easy, and interesting experiments with popcorn. Human Body Project Ideas Illustration of the arterial system in the human body, shown in a standing figure. Note the feathery network of blood vessels in the left and right lungs (next to the heart). Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the bodys tissues. JOHN BAVOSI/Science Photo Library/Getty Images If you have ever wondered how the body works or about all the biological processes that keep the body functioning, then you should consider a science project on the human body. These projects allow you to gain a better knowledge of how the body functions and also provide insight into human behavior. Human body projects: If your interest is in biological processes and human behavior, this resource has several ideas for projects on the human body, including the study of the effects of music, temperature, and video games on mood.Kids neuroscience experiments: This is a nice collection of experiments relating to neuroscience. It includes projects dealing with reflexes, the nervous system, biological rhythms, and more.Human hair projects: Find several ideas for doing projects about hair. Topics include hair growth rates and hair loss management. Animal Project Ideas Fernando Trabanco Fotografà ­a/Moment/Getty Image Animal science projects allow us to understand various aspects of animal life. They provide information about animal anatomy, behavior, and even provide insight into human biological processes. Before deciding to do an animal project, be sure that you get permission and avoid animal cruelty. Some science fairs do not allow animal experiments, while others have strict regulations for animal usage. Animal projects: Find great ideas for projects involving insects, birds, amphibians, fish, and mammals. Discover how light, pollution, and magnetic fields affect animals. Researching Your Science Project Ideas Catherine Ledner / The Image Bank/ Getty Images After you have come up with an idea and topic for your science project, you must research your topic. Research involves finding out everything you can about the scientific principles involved with your project idea. There are several resources available for researching your science fair project. Some of these include your local library, science books and magazines, internet science news sources, and teachers or educators. The most helpful thing that you can do when researching for your project is to take excellent notes. Record references for the books and other materials you have used in your research.Take notes on simple experiments on which to base your experiment.  Keep notes on diagrams used in similar experiments.  Record observations from other experiments.Keep notes on samples of logs and other means for collecting data.  Make lists of materials that you might want to order and their suppliers. It is important that keep track of all the resources used in your research as these source materials will be required for listing in the bibliography for your science fair project report.

Business Ethics Case Study - The Nice Guy Essay

Business Ethics Case Study - The Nice Guy - Essay Example eople holding different managerial positions to possess leadership skills so that problem solving and decision making are done effectively and efficiently. This paper addresses the key aspects related to business ethics and discusses the essential leadership qualities required for ethical problem solving and strategic decision making. Let us first understand what business ethics is and how it relates to leadership issues and the overall business environment. In order to understand the relevance of ethical values in business, it is important to first realize the organizational structure as a social institute. An organization is formed by a collective group(s) of individuals with a vision to develop a network of common interest. Managers and executives are responsible for directing the resources of the organization. Shareholders are the owners of the capital, who expect profitable outcomes of their investment. Then there are employees who produce the goods in return of a decent wage and safe working conditions. In other words, all these groups are interlinked to one another, and a perfect balance between them creates the conditions essential for a successful business enterprise. Maintaining this balance is important for the management of the company in the sense that miscalculation in the balance can actually negatively affect the ethical system of the company. As Guy (1990, 4) states, â€Å"For an enterprise to continually give value to human effort and to encourage creative achievements, a balance of all interests is required.† While discussing ethics, it is important to talk about other related terms such as values and morals. Values refer to the core beliefs of what is desirable in an organization. Values considerably affect the choices made in business decisions, which further includes the aspects of ethics or morals. This paper does not aim to distinguish the definitions of ethics or morals. In short, both ‘ethics’ and ‘morals’ signify the codes of

Restaurant Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Restaurant Evaluation - Essay Example The thesis statement for this paper is to evaluate the pros and cons of Nora’s Cuisine based on, three criteria, which include, variety of the appetizers, pastas, and salads offered by the restaurant, location of the restaurant, and the total cost that must not exceed $20 per person. The first criterion to evaluate Nora’s Cuisine is that food choices should include a variety of appetizers, salads, and pastas.   The cuisine is doing very well in this regard. Some of the main appetizers, which the cuisine offers to the customers, include Gamberoni Fritti, Calamari Fritti, Italian Wings, Mozzarella Sticks, and Bruschetta al Pomodoro. A bad point regarding the cuisine is that it falls short of meal at times. The managers need to take every step to make every appetizer available to the customers whenever the customers come within the mealtimes. The cuisine specializes in making delicious pastas, such as, Melrose pesto, Fettuccine Carbonara, Cheese Ravioli, and Rigatoni Special. Diners can use the facility to take their leftovers with them. Salads are full of calories and are very delicious indeed. The cuisine also specializes in preparing antipasto, fruit salad, and crisp lettuce topped with mozzarella, olives, blue cheese, and tomatoes. With the order of tw o hamburgers or sandwiches, the cuisine provides a full plate of French fries and a soft drink without any charges. That is really a good thing and the customers like it a lot. The second criterion to evaluate Nora’s Cuisine is the location of the cuisine. The cuisine is just 5 kilometers away from my place. People can also go to the cuisine using public transport. A bad point regarding location is the small parking area for the people who have their own vehicles. The third criterion to evaluate Nora’s Cuisine is the price of food. I set the limit of maximum $20 per person. The prices at Nora’s Cuisine fall below the limit. The prices are not high and low income people can also afford to go to Nora’s

Role of Teacher Essay Example for Free

Role of Teacher Essay Introduction Quality of education is a relative and dynamic term varying from contexts to contexts and time to time. In a changing world driven by technological advancements, quality defined yesterday may not be valid today or tomorrow. Therefore, it is essential to discuss the concept and define and redefine quality of education with the passage of time. Quality of education is desirable even in countries where all the children are enrolled in schools for basic education because education has to allow all students to enhance their potentials in cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. Most of the policy makers overlook qualitative aspects of education instead they focus on quantitative aspects of it. Links between qualitative aspects of education and society are strong and so is important teacher’s role in bridging the two in a way that students can play effective role in society. 2. Quality education includes but not limited to: healthy learners; healthy environment; healthy content; healthy process; and healthy outcome. Since access to education has been a major problem in SAARC Region, quality of education provided is also emerging as a major challenge. High dropout rates in most of the member states also neutralise the effect of growing enrolment in primary education. Several policy initiatives have been taken in this regard but in the absence of well developed school-based process there is a considerable distance to go before achieving quality education for all. Additionally, different segments of societies undergo different educational experiences causing social stratification which is an unhealthy sign for the communities in the region. 3. Improving quality of education has always been emphasized alongside education for all at national, regional and international forums such as the World. Education Forum in Dakar held in 2000. Similarly various articles of the Convention of the Right of the Child highlight the right of everyone not only to get education but education of high quality. All the declarations by the international communities and goals set by United Nations regarding education also emphasize quality of education provided to the masses which can only be achieved through effective teaching and learning process, regularity and punctuality of students and their long stay in schools. 2 4. Teachers play crucial role in imparting quality of education. They are the role models and have greater impacts on the personality development of students. Education is a unique activity and the relationship between teachers and students can not be undermined for achieving quality of education. All that needed is to bring about educational reforms to allow well educated teachers to improve and develop their work in the classroom. 5. Teacher quality mostly determines quality of education in an educational setting. Some of the teacher quality dimensions include: 1) Command on the subject matter; 2) Pedagogical skills; 3) Reflective attitude and critical thinking ability; 4) Professional commitment and dedication; 5) Administrative skills; 6) Effective communication skills; 7) Greater flexibility; and 8) Respect for pluralism and diversity. The purpose is not to confuse teachers with so many roles and responsibilities but to make them aware of the prerequisites which they need to effectively accomplish this moral activity. 6. Knowledge of what has been in the field of quality education worldwide and regionally will provide a useful background for policy makers, midlevel functionaries and ultimately the teachers to improve the educational standards in the region. Providing only access to educational facility without quality will not suffice the need to get productive citizens and capable human capital. Quality has to be an integral part of the whole educational process. The workshop titled â€Å"Improving the Quality of  Education: Role of Teachers in Achieving Quality in Education in South Asia†, being organized in Bangladesh by the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) Islamabad, will give an opportunity to the participants to share their experiences and knowledge with the experts of the field to improve their understanding of teacher’s role in achieving quality of education. The workshop will assess the best practices in the achievement of quality education within the region and globally that will have implications for future educational initiatives in South Asia. Objectives of the Workshop 7. The main objective of the workshop is to explore the current situation of quality of education with respect to teacher’s role and develop strategies to improve quality of education in future. More specifically participants will: i. ii. iii. Discuss country specific information and statistics during country report presentations; Discus the best practices on providing quality of education regionally and worldwide; identify the areas where teachers can play effective roles in promoting quality education in the region; SAARC Human Resource Development Centre, Islamabad Pakistan 3 iv. v. vi. Analyze the effectiveness of teacher education programmes in the region; Evaluate the progress made by member states in achieving quality of education; and Suggest modalities for teachers, policymakers and other stakeholders to achieve quality of education in SAARC Member States. In this regard the workshop specifically seeks to answer the following questions in a SAARC countries’ educational scenario: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What are the policies in place to improve quality of education and what type of policies would be required to respond to the combined challenge of expanded access and quality improvement of education? What new skills are demanded of teachers to better perform their duties towards improving quality of education? What roles school administrators can play in preparing teachers to cope with the challenge of quality of education? How can the training of teachers be improved? Why is the teaching profession not attracting the best candidates and what could be done in this regard? Approach 8. The workshop will be interactive and participatory in discussing concepts and sharing of ideas. Experts from SAARC Member States will make presentations on various aspects while discussion will take the agenda forward. The environment thus created will be participant friendly in all respects. There will be a number of facilitators explaining themes, highlighting the connections, theories and practices related to quality of education and role of teachers in it. Groups may prepare their reports and present their findings before the participants. The SHRDC will prepare the workshop report later on. Methodology 9. To achieve the workshop objectives, a number of methodologies will be used including lectures and demonstrations, peer work and group work. Resource Persons will arrange activities according to the nature and requirement of their respective themes to make the topics comprehensive and interesting for the participants. After each presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session in which participants will ask questions and/or give their inputs in relation to the topic under discussion. Emphasis will also be given to the group work in which participants are expected to come up with SAARC specific suggestions and recommendations about teacher’s role in achieving quality of education in the region. SAARC Human Resource Development Centre, Islamabad Pakistan 4 Expected Outcome of the workshop 10. It is expected that participants will develop replicable template models of teacher training and suggest modalities for achieving quality of education in the SAARC member states. Suggesting such models of teacher preparation for achieving quality of education would be the most desirable outcome. As a group of professionals they are expected to come up with particular suggestions and recommendations on the theme. Participants 11. About 28 participants (3 participants each from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and 7 from Bangladesh) are expected to attend the workshop. Participants’ profiles include the following: a) Mid-level policymakers/functionaries, trainers/professionals, teachers from government, semi-government organizations and NGOs working in the field of Education specially those who are working at the grass root levels; b) Researchers and scholars; and  c) Civil society, NGOs, Donor and Private Sector Representatives. Logistic Support: 12. Free boarding and lodging will be provided to the participants/Resource Persons. Moreover, pick drop service will also be provided. Date and Duration 13. The workshop is of three days duration w. e. f. December 26-28, 2011. Venue of the Workshop 14. Institute of Educational Development, BRAC University, RD. 2, House 113/A, Niketon, Gulshan 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Contact Persons Mr. Rehmat Wali Khan (Focal Person), Education Officer SHRDC, Islamabad Ph: +92-51-9255387, Cell: +92-344-2312524 E-mail: [emailprotected] com SAARC Human Resource Development Centre, Islamabad Pakistan 5 Dr. Erum Mariam (Focal Point in Bangladesh), Director, Institute of Educational Development, BRAC University, RD. 2, House 113/A, Niketon, Gulshan 1, Dhaka Ph: 880 2 9881265 Ext. 2212 Email: erum. [emailprotected] net Dr. Riffat Aysha Anis, Director SHRDC, Islamabad Ph: +92-51-9255159, Fax: +92-51-9255160 SAARC Human Resource Development Centre, Islamabad Pakistan.

National Security: At What Price Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ess

National Security: At What Price Never has information played a more important role in society than it does today. The advent of the Internet has made the distribution and collection of information easier and faster than ever before. Today, the Internet is used for communications, shopping, management, and even financial transactions. Despite the slowing economy, recent years have seen a large increase in Internet usage by corporations, and research indicates that this trend will likely continue. Figures gathered by eMarketeer indicate that Internet based commerce will reach as high as $2.4 trillion by 2004 (B2B). With easy access to information from anywhere on the globe, safeguards must be taken to protect sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. These measures include passwords, protected networks, and secure connections. While much has been accomplished in the area of network security, data encryption remains the most fundamental layer of protection. The goal of data encryption (or cryptography) is to render information unreadable to all except an authorized user (one who knows the password, also called the key). While there are many encryption algorithms and techniques, most involve the use of a "private key" which is the mathematical value that decodes the information. Without the key, a hacker has a chance of one in several trillion to correctly decode the information, making encryption a very effective method of data protection. While encryption fills a critical role in personal and corporate security, the technology can also be used by criminal and terrorist organizations. The same systems that protect your credit card number online can also be used to organize covert operations in safety.... ... Wired News. March 31, 2002 <http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,46816,00.html>. McCullagh, Declan. Senator Backs Off Backdoors. October 17, 2001. Wired News. March 31, 2002 <http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,47635,00.html>. Quotations. n.d. FreedomWriter.com. March 31, 2002 <http://www.freedomwriter.com /quotes.htm>. Schwartz, John. "Disputes on Electronic Message Encryption Take On New Urgency." September 25, 2001. The New York Times Company. February 28, 2002 <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/25/technology/25CODE.html?pagewanted=print>. U.S. Encryption Policy. February 28, 2002. Center for Democracy and Technology. February 28, 2002 <http://www.cdt.org/crypto/admin/>. U.S. Policy on Encryption Should Protect Our Right to Privacy. n.d. Americans for Computer Privacy. February 28, 2002 <http://www.computerprivacy.org/about/>.

Industrial tour Essay

Last Thursday, the 17th of January year 2013, we went to EPZA and FCIE for our industrial tour. We visited the companies Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc., NSG Pilipinas NM and KLT Fruits Inc. Let me discuss to you my insights for each company. First off we have the Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc. They manufacture Wire Harnesses and Assemblies and is the main supplier of the APC company. Their mission is to be the Top Mind choice of customers in providing products and services and is committed to deliver on time with quality products defined by their customer. They vision their company to be a progressive manufacturer of Wire Harnesses and Assemblies for export and domestic markets in an environmentally friendly, economically, viable and globally competitive industry. Additional to that, they aim to provide more jobs to Filipinos. Since they are the major supplier of APC, they do not practice advertising. Though they subcontract with other local companies, they say that these companies were obtained as their client through word of mouth (referrals). Their raw materials are imported from China, Taiwan, US, UK and other countries. They use the JIT (just-in-time) as their delivery system. They only have one plant which is located at EPZA Rosario Cavite and they earn in dollars which is forecasted to be around 14M for this year. They operate 24/7 with 2 shifts. According to Ma’am Joan, the production head, most of their workers are students from NCST and are trained for a maximum training of one week. The second company, on the other hand deals with glass mats, glass fibers and PG separators. The company is Pilipinas NM (under NSG) that is located in FCIE. Their slogan is â€Å"Let’s raise our individual sensibility for quality to grain customer’s trust.† This company is 100% Japanese owned and started its operation dated back on July 1, 1995. There are 120 employees for their 35,763 square meter factory. Their products are for export though there is a 10% supply locally. Most of their clients are from Taiwan, India, China, Turkey and a lot more. The factory that we went to is in charge for the manufacturing of the products. They receive orders and complaints but for the sales and promotions, they have what they call a middle-company (like a middleman) so they are not fully aware of the advertising and other promotions their company is practising except that they know they join business/industry exhibits. The same goes for the delivery; the delivery of the products depends on sales agents. They said that the volumes of orders are seasonal. The same as the first company, since their products are for export, their sales as in dollars. The last company we went to is the KLT Fruits Inc. Established in 1984, KLT Fruits, Inc. manufactures tropical fruit purees, concentrates, red bean jams as well as preserves for markets in the US, Japan, Asia- Pacific, Europe, and the Philippines. They pride themselves by not only providing quality products but by also rendering technical services such as client product formulation, client process parameters, and new product development. Through their knowledge of the industry, production know-how, and our commitment to quality, they are able to establish life-long partnerships with their clients. Their team of experts and skilled associates guarantees the best customer service and more importantly, products of the highest quality. Their production process is fully automated. There is what they call a central unit where only one person manages the entire process. The other employees are into packaging and other manual process needed before and after the production. Their sales are by container which is about 20 tonnes per container. And just like the first company, they do not have any advertising practices though they join expos or exhibits like the second company. Most of the partnerships of KLT are foreign companies located abroad and again, they earn in dollars too. The basis of their pricing, just the same as the first two aforementioned companies, are the raw materials, manufacturing, production and overhead costs which also dictates their market percentage. After discussing each of the information shared to us by the companies we went to, I’ve noticed a few things they all have in common. 1. They are exporting their final products because most of their clients are foreign. 2. They do not do advertising. 3. Each of them has a focus: quality (Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc.), safety (Pilipinas NM), and long-term relationships (KLT Fruits Inc.) 4. They are a major supplier of a company. 5. Their company has only one plant. Upon knowing these similarities, I was able to realize that there really is a huge difference of business-to-business from business-to-consumer in terms of sales, promotions, and relationships. I understood that in business to business, management is more focused in building relationships with large accounts rather than trying to persuade other small-medium enterprises because targeting and serving the large companies yield greater profits. Another learning I had from the tour is that in b2b, selling isn’t just about knowing who your customers and what your objectives are. But one must also understand each of the process the product goes through and the delivery system the company uses so that when conflicts arise, the management will then be able to create solutions faster. Why? Well, since business to business rely more on business relationships, then it is a must to deliver a good and competitive customer/client service. Business to business marketing is really quite confusing for we have been focused with consumer marketing for almost four years. But after being able to personally witness and hear the process, the strategies and operations of the manufacturing companies we have been to last Thursday, I had a clearer view of b2b.