Saturday, August 14, 2010

Fixed Asset Management

Fixed asset management is an accounting process that seeks to track fixed assets for the purposes of financial accounting, preventive maintenance, and theft deterrence. This applies to all industries because doing so makes the workplace more productive.

Without fixed asset management, the equipment and resources of the company are not used both effectively and efficiently. Think of it like a car. If you do not have the oil changed, it will break down. The net effect is being able to save money instead of spending it on repairs which could have been avoided in the first place.

This is why companies take various steps to manage these closely. For instance, machines that are used undergo regular maintenance. If anything needs to be replaced or replenished, this is ordered well in advance so there will not be any disruptions at the workplace.

If the machines are already obsolete and there are newer models that can do a better job, management must consider the costs of buying it or maintaining the old one. In recent times, new equipment is purchased to avoid being left behind the competitors.

Management also has to coordinate with the various departments in the company to see how each one is doing. This is done on a monthly basis to determine whether the company is achieving growth. If it is not, find out why and then do something about it.

For large companies that need to ship goods nationwide, management has to check on their logistical support. Will it be cheaper to maintain their own set of trucks or should they outsource this to someone else?

If the company is experiencing some hard times because of a few companies that are not pulling their weight, management has to decide whether to sell it or find a way to improve it. Should there be an opportunity to gain something, then they also have to consider if this will be beneficial to their portfolio.

Companies also let their auditing teams conduct an inventory to take into account their fixed assets. Sometimes, they may need outside help to do it and there are a number of established companies that have the manpower to do exactly that. They can even suggest to management improvements that need to be done  that may well be worth the expense of hiring seasoned professionals.

In order for management to see how well the company is doing, the asset management data has to be put on paper. These days, this means computerizing everything so everyone in management will be able to give their input and agree to a suitable plan.

Fixed asset management is what every company needs to survive in the 21st century. This will serve as a guide whenever money has to be used to buy things or whether the funds of a certain project have to be diverted elsewhere.

Before any decision is made, they have to ask themselves a series of questions.  For instance, will this be good for the business long term? How much can we make? How much do we stand to lose? Is this the latest technology around? Is this the best thing in the market today?

These are just some of the questions that companies have to ask themselves in order to practice effective fixed asset management.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Blind Dating

Blind dating is a common way for dating also. It often
occurs when someone is set up on a date through a
friend or a third party.

People are often set up on a blind date through a
friend or a co-worker who knows both parties and
believes they would make a great couple.

If you are recommended to go on a blind date by a
friend who knows you well, you might want to consider
it.

If your friend knows the other person as well as they
know you, they might be right about the two of you
connecting and getting along well together.

When you go on a blind date you might not have any
idea what the other person looks like or you might
have been shown a picture.

In all cases, the person you will be going out with
will be someone you have never met or spoke to before.
It is common to be nervous about going on a blind date
because you don’t know if the person will like you and
you don’t know if you will like the other person.

Some people really enjoy being set up on a blind date
and many blind dates turn into successful
relationships if the right people set the two of you
up.

You should try to know as much information that you
can about the person before you go and be sure your
friend knows the other person well before you go to be
sure the date will not be a disaster.

However, even if the two of you decide that you are
not a compatible couple you might meet someone who
becomes a very good friend of yours in the long run.

How to Find the Best Business Schools

You are in the workplace and you find that you are working hard for average pay, but you don’t feel that you’re advancing or learning new things; you feel that you are stagnating and are losing your touch on things, or that you are not as fast and as adept, or even as up-to-date on trends as you once were. You are in your final months as an undergraduate, and you have a fairly vague idea of where you want to be in the future: running a business or being part of one, and earning more money thanks to your knowledge and education. In either case, you may want to look for a business school to help you out and make you achieve your dreams – but what are the best business schools?



Despite all the lists and compiled school summaries that you will find both online and offline, the best business schools are really those that will help you succeed in the line of business that you want to get into. There are many different business schools out there with many different specialties, so if you are looking for the best business school to go to as you want to advance your career, or get into the workplace, you will need to know what exactly it is that you want first. Are you going to be doing accounting and auditing? Will you be running a business, managing people, hiring people, handing out salaries or wages, or overseeing processes?



Once you know what it is that you want to do, then you can pick out the best business school for you. True, there are the top tier business schools such as Wharton and Harvard, but consider other smaller business schools that might not be as well known, but are experienced in teaching the business aspects that you want to know more about. In particular, if you can find information on alumni of the school, see if their interests and credentials match yours. You might also want to check if the business school to which you are applying is accredited, as this can be an important benchmark of school and curriculum integrity.



You may also want to consider either a live classroom or distance education as the mode of instruction. If you opt for the live classroom, you will have the convenience of really going back to school and not having a headache over the computer programs and computer-based texts that distance education schools will employ. On the other hand, a distance education program will allow you to go to school even while you are based at home, or while you are still on the job, so that you do not have to go through the inconvenience of having to actually return to school. Look for schools that offer the mode of instruction that you need.



Moreover, look for schools that will offer you financial and job assistance. You can have scholarships or even fellowships to go to business schools, and often, the best business schools receive a lot of funding that will be shunted into their scholarship or fellowship program. Once you graduate, some schools will also offer you job hunting assistance, and others, as they are allied with companies, will actually give you placement.

These are only a few things to watch out for as you look for the best business schools. For more information, look for these schools online, and start planning your future in detail. Once you know what you want, you can find the best business school for you.