Middleton Place, South Carolina
Middleton Place is a historic plantation with gardens located along the Ashley River, Charleston, South Carolina.One of the most magnificent locations in the United States, the plantation has a history rich in tradition. It was established in 1741 by Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress. Touring this 65 acre establishment, one is overcome with the magnitude by which it must have overwhelmed people in it’s time!Nestled on the Ashley River it portrays the stereotypical image one has of life in the south during that period in time!With the history of the inhabitants of the mansion, one can only imagine the fashionable events that must have transpired in the gardens and banquet rooms.Water buffalo were imported in the late 1700s and became the first water buffalo in the United States. I guess the idea didn’t catch on, it’s been years since I have seen a water buffalo roaming the countryside!It became the home of generations of the Middleton Family,Henry’s son, Arthur Middleton a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Arthur’s son Henry Governor of South Carolina and U.S. minister to Russia, and in turn , his son William signer of the Ordinance of Secession.From that period in time things went down hill, the plantation was burned in 1865 in retaliation for the owner signing the Ordnance of Secession. Five of the water buffalo were killed and ate, with the remaining six mysteriously appearing in the Central Park Zoo.In 1886 the gardens were damaged further by an earthquake, from then it lay abandoned until 1916 when J. Pringle Smith began a restoration.Today it has been restored with much of the Middleton family furniture, paintings books and documents, the gardens have been restored with terraces, ponds, and garden rooms.It is now one of the most prestigious gardens in the United States, and as a such General Cornwallis was shown having a banquet in Mel Gibson’s movie “The Patriot.”
Fat And Disease Risk: Associations You Should Know About
If you’re overweight, there’s a very good chance that he biggest problem you see with the current state of your body is the image that looks back at you when you glance in the mirror.It’s easy to focus on the outward appearance of our body as this is what we see on a day to day basis and what we’re constantly thinking about as we move through life.But, it’s important not to let this outward focus you have cause you to neglect what’s happening on the inside.The fact of the matter is that if you’re overweight, what you look like in the mirror won’t be any issue compared to what’s going on inside of your body and the disease risks you may have.Let’s uncover some of the biggest concerns that you should know about so you can see why it’s time that you took control of your weight once and for all.Health Risks Of Having Too Much Body FatPerhaps one of the most well known health risks of suffering from obesity is the influence it’s going to have on your self-esteem and mental outlook. Those who are very obese often have very low self-esteem and may often stay away from social situations because of it.This can cause a wide variety of psychological conditions such as anxiety as well as depression.In addition to what being overweight will do to your mental health, some of the other physical health conditions that you’ll be at a higher risk for include:
Having high blood pressure
Coronary heart disease
Type 2 diabetes development
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Osteoarthritis
Breathing problems
Difficulty sleeping
Cancers of the breast and colon
Many of these health risks could potentially become life threatening, so hopefully this makes you sit up and think very seriously about what could potentially be at stake for not taking action.What You Can Do Right NowSo what can you do to decrease your risk?Clearly the obvious answer is to lose weight, but while that weight loss process is taking place there are a few things that you should focus on to decrease your health risks right now.First, make sure that you’re getting regular exercise. Getting enough exercise can really help to improve your health status and eliminate or at least reduce some of the risks mentioned above.In addition to that, make sure that you are using a healthy diet approach. Using a crash diet because you want to lose the weight so badly would not be advised as that will just put you at even greater health risks since you’ll likely be losing muscle not the fat that’s causing the problem and furthermore, you often won’t be taking in a sufficient level of nutrients either.If you get both the healthy diet and workout program in place, you should be able to feel confident that as each day passes by, you’re moving closer and closer to optimal health.
The Benefits In Real Estate Investment Taxes
The real estate investment taxes are often something that you should take into consideration whenever you start with any property investment venture. But, when you make large IRS payment, this can reduce your normal proceeds. Just like in any other businesses, you will of course have to pay for your taxes if you generate money on real estate. You may not be aware of this but property investment can be very beneficial will provide you with substantial tax savings.One of the advantages in real estate investment taxes or in property investing is the ability to depreciate and subtract expenses. Although you can subtract expenses for stock market investing, those are not as substantial as the expenses in real estate. You can also deduct depreciation, meaning you can subtract the cost of the property since the property is also getting older. When the deduction is made over twenty seven years, it will give you a considerable amount of savings in the long run. Any needed property renovation or repairs are also deductible like bathroom fixtures or fixing an old roof. Plus the travel expenses to and from your rental buildings are also tax deductible. It is also tax deductible in legal services such as lawyers for real estate closing and insurance premiums. To reduce the state and federal income tax you owe, all these expenses can be deducted from your rental income.The taxes that are levied against your property and paid to the local or state governments can also be deducted from your federal tax income. It’s usually handled the same way you pay the taxes for your home. So the higher property taxes you have, the higher your tax savings will be.One can also purchase and sell properties without having to pay the taxes on gains from the sale of the first property. This is where in real estate business that you can have tax savings on sold properties. This is also referred to as 1031 exchange. Usually, there are enormous taxes that you’d pay on gains. With this rule you will be able to save extensive amount for your real estate investment taxes. Let’s say you sell a house and make a profit of $100,000 but then you will use this to purchase another property, so that means you’ll not need to pay taxes on the $100,000. The rules for 1031 exchange are kind of technical, so you must seek advice from your lawyer or accountant. One more thing, if you have lived in your invested property for two of the past five years when you sell home you can exempt up to $250,000 from the capital gain taxes. The period of two years does not need to consecutive. And this gives you a profit of up to $250,000 without having to pay for taxes if you have lived in the house.The mortgage interest for your main and secondary home is deductible. However, if you own more than two properties then you can’t take mortgage interest deductions for each of the other properties. The deduction on the interest could only be made on the first and second mortgages or the construction loans. And you’ll have to use the Schedule A 1040 form from IRS and send the itemized return.If you’re computing your real estate investment taxes, you may also deduct your maintenance expenses. All these incurred from repairs and painting jobs may also be deducted from your income thus reducing your tax bill. The cost for maintenance on properties that are older or rented out to students can be high so if you subtract those expenses, then you will have a tax advantage if you invest or own a real estate property.
Streamlining the Financial and Management Reporting Systems for Higher Education Institutions
Often times, one of the duties of the Vice President of Finance for a higher education institution is to lead in its efforts in the streamlining of its financial and related management reporting systems, as well as assist in the evaluation of academic and administrative technology planning. This duty and the encompassing project related thereto will be a major undertaking. It will most likely require the formation of a special project team consisting of various departmental leaders at the institution who will provide much input before a final recommendation is made to implement a change to the financial and related management reporting systems.A project report containing a timetable for implementation with due dates of completion for each phase of the project undertaking should be formally developed and approved, most likely by the President and Board of Trustees of the college or university. Because of the time and effort required for this undertaking, including a concerted effort and embracement by the Team Members required for a successful implementation, this project will most likely be completed over a number of months.The following information will assist you in your endeavor to streamline the financial and related management reporting systems at your college or university. This information covers the various capabilities of software/IT solution based systems and products that have been developed and available through solution providers. Much of this information and the items noted should be considered in identifying appropriate software/IT solution providers who will assist you in meeting and serving the needs of the academic and administrative offices of the college or university.In presenting this information, I am not advocating any specific software/IT solution provider or what route for a revitalized financial and management reporting system for a college or university for their specific undertaking. But, as more research and investigation is performed as a Team effort, I am sure you will be able to identify a very good provider, with a great history, with great platforms of products and resources, and someone who is very much up-to-date on meeting the needs and demands for your institution; not only today, but for years to come in assisting you in your desire to continue to grow and prosper.The key steps and processes noted in this article will provide you with information for identifying the “types of features, resources and capabilities” you will want to consider in deciding what types of changes may be needed in order for you to streamline the financial and related management reporting systems at your institution. The following is the information for your consideration.Identify Leading Software/IT Solution ProvidersA potential list of candidates of leading providers of software, strategies, and services for higher education institutions will need to be compiled. You should identify providers that have been providing these services over an extended time period, with a proven record of providing solutions that have given colleges and universities the power to meet all of their academic and administrative needs.You will identify software/IT solution providers that have developed and continue to improve and enhance their software, and combined with their experienced professionals, have a successful record of implementation, cost-effective operation, with a record of setting a clear path to future growth for colleges and universities across the nation.Ideally, identifying providers who maintain a singular focus on higher education may give them a unique perspective on the industry, allowing them to plan for changes and ensuring their clients have the technology, knowledge, and strategies to be leaders.The Software/IT Solution Providers Must Have Exceptional PeopleAt every level of the company and across each department – from product development, to support, to consulting, to services, to their leadership team – the software/IT solution provider you choose to work with must have people in their organization who are truly committed to partnering with their clients to maximize their success.Vibrant Client CommunityYou should identify software/IT solution providers who have a strong active client list. Their client list should represent a community that is one of the most active and engaged in the industry, demonstrating consistently high levels of customer involvement and satisfaction year after year. You will want to make sure they utilize customer advisory boards to help shape the future of their products and services.Broad and Deep Product PortfolioThe software/IT solution providers you identify should have a family of integrated, proven, and innovative products that caters to the needs of academic and administrative offices across the entire campus and throughout the student lifecycle.Strong Financial PositionThe software/IT solution providers you identify should be on solid financial footing and have a strong balance sheet. They must take a long-term perspective, valuing customer satisfaction and enduring client relationships. You should make a determination, if it makes any difference to you, if the software/IT solution provider you select is a strong privately held company or a publicly held company. Something you will want to consider is that many publicly held companies chase quarterly earnings targets and change ownership frequently, and when this occurs there can be problems with continuity of services; whereas a long-term strong privately held company will most often continue to remain a stable partner with their clients and they can be relied upon to remain committed to their client’s best interests.Cost of OwnershipIn your search for the ideal software/IT solution provider, you should identify organizations that provide the most advanced, innovative, award-winning solutions for higher education, delivering exceptional value with the best total cost to benefit of ownership to the college or university.Solution SuitesYou should research, review and consider the following types of solution suites to have in place at your institution in your pursuit to streamline the financial and management reporting systems of the college or university.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: You will want to have in place robust ERP systems that are built to meet the unique needs of your institution.
Continuing Education (CE) and Workforce Development (WD): You will want to consider having in place CE and WD systems to enhance business process efficiencies and institutional growth.
Recruitment: You will want to have in place a fully operational Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform designed to effectively manage recruitment.
Retention: Ideally, having a comprehensive retention solution with predictive modeling and a comprehensive alert system to maximize retention rates and facilitate intervention would be a useful tool and feature to have in use in the management reporting system at the college or university.
Advancement: You will want a solution to foster a vibrant community of supporters and champions for both major gifts and annual donations that the college or university depends on.
Learning Management System (LMS): You will want an integrated LMS to facilitate a collaborative learning environment.
Analytics: You will desire to have institutional intelligence solutions to help the institution measure, track, and report on key performance indicators to optimize performance.
User Experience: You will need powerful communication platforms and technologies including a Portal, Mobile, and Social offerings for the college or university.
Managed Services: You will want to consider the use of managed services to help the institution when you would need it the most – both on and off campus.
Software, Strategies & Services for Higher EducationThe software/IT solution providers you identify in your search must offer technology solutions empowering colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes to meet the needs of their students, academic, and administrative departments – serving the entire constituent community.The enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems must be flexible, customizable, fully-integrated, and designed to help drive higher performance across the campus and beyond. The ERPs must leverage robust functionality and simple controls so that the school operations can be streamlined and optimized from the back-end to the front-end of its operations. The ERPs you employ must give the performance insight you need to nurture critical relationships with constituents. Ideally, data access should be available anytime and anywhere for any authorized users. Integrated data will promote collaboration, user satisfaction, and efficiencies through-out the college or university. Most likely you will be focused on the following areas in streamlining the financial and related management reporting systems:
Admissions. Streamlining, simplifying, and automating the admissions processes, so that the institution can keep their focus on identifying and recruiting the best candidates for the institution.
Enrollment. Being able to organize workflow and communication with the right candidates at the right time and to get them ready for a successful educational experience.
Financial Aid. Providing prospects and students with comprehensive financial aid information, giving each the broadest consideration that is possible.
Academic. Being able to budget, project, and plan programs and resources saving the institution time and money, while driving a higher probability that each student will be able to complete his/her area of study on time.
Student Services. Having the ability to manage a broad range of student records, student activity, student profiles, and student health information; providing the highest quality of student life.
Finance. Controlling all aspects of the institution’s financial operations, including student billing, with accurate timely data – so the right business decisions can be made.
Human Resources. Being able to manage all components, including employee compensation, and having the ability to share data with departments across the campus.
Advancement. Streamlining and simplifying management of campaign and donor activity for both major gifts and annual donations that the college or university depends on.
Continuing Education & Workforce DevelopmentYou will need to have a software/IT platform for continuing education that is designed to help the institution streamline, simplify, and optimize the everyday tasks of operating a profitable continuing education and workforce development program, including:
Online registration
Course management
Student billing
Business management
You will want a platform that is easily deployed that can be integrated with any ERP system or can be used as a stand-alone solution.AnalyticsYou will want to ensure you are always able to have readily available reliable data so you can make better decisions. The software solution should provide a full range of options that can revolutionize the way you manage your operations and develop strategy.You will want the availability of analytics that will provide configurable dashboards, alerts, reports, and analytics, so the college or university can gain the insights needed to succeed across all aspects of their operations.A Need for Information That Covers the Complete Student’s Life CycleRecruitmentYou will want a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that will allow the college or university to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time engaging with their prospective students and their families. It must be a recruitment tool that keeps the institution focused on students – and on track with enrollment goals. The platform should contain features such as:
Manage lists.
Produce and send personal communications.
Monitor progress.
Capture and update information.
Create and manage events.
Have the ability to manage recruitment efforts from either at your desk or on the road.
RetentionHaving the ability to utilize predictive modeling techniques to assist the college or university in identifying students who need intervention, while there’s still time to turn them around would be a tool to have in streamlining the management system. Having a system in place that will automatically issue an alert through the workflow process when an attrition risk factor appears on a student’s profile, thereby alerting the relevant administrators that intervention is required, would no doubt be an excellent retention tool to assist the college or university’s students in succeeding. Some of the benefits of having this capability would be:
Improve student retention rates.
Spend less time identifying at-risk students.
Intervene earlier to improve student success.
Implement the right intervention strategies at the right time.
Satisfy parent and student expectations for educational support.
AdvancementHaving a web-based fundraising solution that’s flexible, easy, and designed to help the institution meet their campaign goals can streamline and simplify management of campaign and donor activity for both major gifts and the annual donations that the college or university depends on. It should be able to assist everyone in the fundraising team – from administrators to managers and solicitors; so everyone can work smarter and more efficiently. It should be able to be used as a stand-alone solution or as part of an ERP solution to:
Improve engagement by reaching constituents in ways that are convenient for and familiar to them.
Strengthen constituent affinity with online communities and events.
Develop and leverage key relationships with complete constituent profiles.
Increase giving with segmented, targeted campaigns and personalized communications.
Manage the advancement team and fundraising efforts with individual and overall progress indicators.
Analyze results and plan for the future with intuitive business intelligence tools and comprehensive data.
eLearning ToolsWith the deployment of eLearning tools, the instructors at the college or university will have the ability to offer more dynamic, engaging learning environments and develop creative learning spaces that engross the students. Having a Learning Management System (LMS) that integrates completely with the administrative system will provide the institution a seamless data exchange and up-to-the-minute information. Some of the benefits of having this type of Learning Management System in place will be:
Provide students the power to access their courses through any mobile device.
Satisfy the teaching and learning demands of the faculty and students with robust functionality.
Incorporate digital learning objects from a variety of sources into the course materials.
Integrate all of the learning systems.
Obtain a low total cost of ownership by the university combined with simple eployment.
Online ConnectivityBecause students today are on the move – and having a desire to attend a school that provides them the convenience of online and mobile applications that will keep up, you will want to work with a software/IT solution provider that can deliver portal, mobile, and social media solutions that will keep users engaged with the institution throughout the entire student life cycle. Some of the benefits of portal, mobile, and social media solutions would be:
Portal. Providing the school community the information they need when they need it, from any location, while safeguarding confidential information.
Mobile. Offering secure, reliable mobile access to the college or university data and systems in the sophisticated the environment today’s students prefer, i.e., smart phones and other mobile devices.
Social. Being able to connect with the student communities where they live: on Facebook. Partnering with a software/IT solutions provider that has this feature developed and in place for use with the availability of its platform of products will simplify the process of building an online campus community via Facebook.
Also, having Customer Relationship Management (CRM) components available for use in a portal solution should allow you the opportunity to tailor user access to key information based on different user roles, such as:
Admissions Officer
Advancement Officer
Candidate
Student
Parent
Faculty
Staff
Constituent
Using a Single Vendor as the Software/IT Solutions ProviderAs part of your desire to streamline your financial and related management reporting systems you will want to work with a technology partner providing the most innovative and comprehensive software suite available. This would probably be best if the services are provided from a single vendor who will also provide strategic and operational services to maximize the return on this technology investment by the college or university.A Team of Experts to Assist the Institution in this EndeavorYou will want to make sure the software/IT solutions provider has the capability at every level of their company and across each of their departments – from product development, to support, to consulting, to services, to their leadership team that are a Team of Experts whose individuals are committed to working with the college or university to maximize their success. This would cover all areas of the project, such as:
Implementation. Their services should be designed to meet the unique needs of the institution and the people who use the college or university’s technology. They should have a proven track record of having on time and on budget implementations.
Training. They should offer hundreds of learning opportunities each year in a variety of formats, from on-site training classes to self-paced courses the college or university can take anytime and anywhere to help them use their products efficiently and effectively.
Support. They should have expert customer support personnel who are dedicated to finding answers and solving problems. They should have a record of resolving almost all inquiries within 24 hours.
Managed Services. They should be able to deliver the IT expertise the institution needs and comprehensive services they can shape to meet the college or university’s goals – whether you would need day-to-day support, project management, total network management, or managing your technology for future growth.
Executive Services. They should have experienced consultants who will work with you to create a technology roadmap to align resources with your priorities and meet your mission and critical goals.
An Actively Engaged Client CommunityThe software/IT solutions provider should have a client community that is one of the most actively engaged in the industry, demonstrating consistently high levels of customer involvement and satisfaction year after year. Ideally, they should utilize Customer Advisory Boards that help shape the future of their products and services, and encourage and support a host of opportunities for interaction and collaboration, such as Regional User Groups, Annual Meetings, Advisory Groups, etc.Cloud/SaaSCloud computing is a way to increase capacity or add capabilities without investing in a new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software.Software as a service (SaaS), sometimes referred to as “on-demand software” is a software delivery model in which software and associated data are centrally hosted on the cloud. SaaS is typically accessed by users using a web browser. SaaS has become a common delivery model for many business applications, including Office & Messaging software, Management software, CAD software, Development software, Virtualization, accounting, collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM), management information systems (MIS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), invoicing, human resource management (HRM), content management (CM) and service desk management. SaaS has been incorporated into the strategy of all leading enterprise software companies. One of the biggest selling points for these companies is the potential to reduce IT support costs by outsourcing hardware and software maintenance and support to the SaaS provider.According to Thomas McHall of the Gartner Group, it was estimated SaaS sales in 2010 reached $10 billion, and were projected to increase to $12.1 billion in 2011, up 20.7% from 2010. The Gartner Group estimates that SaaS revenue will be more than double its 2010 numbers by 2015 and reach a projected $21.3 billion.Whether you are looking to leverage the cloud for operational efficiency, cost savings, or business continuity, you should to look to a software/IT provider that has a solution to ensure your success. Ultimately, you should choose a hosted application that fits your needs best in one of the following:
Cloud Hosted Applications. For scalable and flexible application access.
Fully Managed Infrastructure and Applications. For cloud-based hosting of the institution’s applications with or without the expertise of the software/IT solutions provider’s team of managed-infrastructure specialists.
Virtual Infrastructure Hosting. For scalable, reliable, and secure disaster recovery and business continuity.
ConclusionOn the ideal digital campus, every administrative and academic office matches the technological sophistication of its socially-networked students. The digital campus leverages innovative technology to operate at optimal efficiency and the lowest possible cost, resulting in the highest possible return on investment. The digital campus leverages the most effective tools available, including software and services, to achieve its critical goals for enrollment, retention, and advancement. And, at every initiative, the digital campus ensures that its technology investment is aligned with its institutional mission and goals. For colleges and universities today, the digital campus is a superb model for achieving institutional success in our new century.
Relaxation Techniques – Spas and Meditation
The use of baths as a means of relaxation has been used since the olden days. The word ‘spa’ is colloquial in nature and it refers to an establishment that deals in the improvement of health. It is also refers to a resort that has a mineral spring or a whirlpool bath in it. The whole concept is of wellness through bathing.The simple bath is a very effective means of stress removal as well as rejuvenation. The choice of water may be hot or cold. There are various therapeutic benefits to a good bath and research has shown that a good bath can actually help in healing various ailments.Today there has been a steady increase in the ailments related to stress and the pressures of a fast paced life. This has become a problem and to tackle this various methods have been used. Bathing is one such technique wherein it has evolved from just a hygiene thing to an indulgence that uses various add-ons. Taking a bath has undergone a paradigm shift to a complete healing process. Bath oils, salts, herbs and cosmetics are used now to enhance the bath experience and sooth frayed nerves. The revolution has gone to such extents using milk or even champagne as a substitute.A spa is where one goes to rejuvenate, relax and get all the stress out of the system. Previously it used to be only for the rich and the powerful, but now things have changed a lot. The spa treatment has become economical and hence available to the middle class also. There are different types of spas that deal in various treatments. A few examples are the health spa, the medical and the rehab spa. These specialize in various aspects of the spa treatment and we can go to the one that suits us the most. Even though we need to spend money on a spa visit, the personal care and the type of treatment that we will get is well worth it all.The art of meditation has taken a back seat over the years to the bath. Though they co-existed previously. Meditation got entangled with religion and hence was frowned upon. In the recent years that has changed and meditation has found its rightful place in the hierarchy of stress busting tools. Meditation is very effective in uncluttering the mind, bringing back focus and helping in concentrating. Meditation has to be included in the regular cycle of life. It helps greatly to relax and get the mind free and detoxified.There are various techniques for meditation but the most famous ones are as follows.1) Watching ones own breath-this dwells on the need to bring the mind to concentrate on one thing, thus relaxing it and helping to focus better. This technique helps in lowering blood pressure and pulse rate.
2) Clearing your thoughts-this requires a little more skill and practice and it involves making the thought process clear and clutter free. It has a soothing effect on the mind.Group meditation is largely recommended as the energies are united leading to a faster healing process.
Mind Body and Spirit Yoga – Benefits of Yoga for the Mind and Body
For years mind body and spirit yoga has been used for many forms of healing and relaxing and its benefits have been proved over and over. There are many forms of yoga and finding information on the web can be overwhelming.Yoga Classes can be expensive so many people search the internet hoping to find videos and instructions on how yoga can benefit you from home. All types of yoga have different benefits for the mind, the body or the spirit.Body focused types of yoga include – bikram yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga and Vinyasa yoga. These types of yoga benefit deferent the body in different ways which include strength and grace.Mind focused yoga includes – Bhakti yoga, Mantra yoga and Raja yoga. The benefits of mind yoga vary just as mush as body yoga. The benefits include patience and concentration and can have the same effects as meditation.Of course there are many more forms of yoga than mentioned here and there will always be a type suitable for each individuals needs. They say that all forms of yoga help with your natural spirit and combining different forms of yoga for your personal needs is the best way to practice.Try and find first of all, which style of yoga you think you would benefit from the most. Then try searching for this style. There is a tonne of information on the internet and narrowing down what you are looking for can help immensely. Once you feel comfortable with your first style, combine it with something new.
Dining Reservation Software – Manage Time, Employees and Guests Seamlessly
Dining reservation software is an absolute essential if you are the owner of a popular and busy eating establishment. Not only can you save an enormous amount of time, you can make the dining experience superb for your customers and manage employees with very little effort on your part.You will find that your client base will grow quickly when you integrate exceptional dining reservation software into your business. Employees, old and new, will easily be able to identify customers by name, and know their food and seating preferences in a quick glance. Cancelled reservations will not be a problem, and every staff member will know which tables are available at all times. If you are a restaurant owner, you know that customers are very pleased when they feel that they are your most important client. This will quickly generate new business for you.Time management becomes less of a worry when you can instantly find out about any aspect of your business. Knowing how many employees you will need at a certain time of the day helps you save money, so that you do not have too many staff members on duty when it is not necessary. You can also check on revenues and expenditures at any moment of the day, and see exactly where things stand.Dining reservation software is also essential when you have more than one location. You can easily keep up with all reservations, cancellations and available seating for any of your locations with the simple click of a button. This will eliminate much of the stress for your staff, as well as yourself. Inventory is tracked with ease, so that you are always aware of exactly what ingredients, drinks and other food items you may need or have on hand.With this software, you will also be able to email regular customers when needed, or they can email you to change reservations or seating arrangements. The entire operation of your restaurant will be smooth and seamless, which helps to avoid any possibly embarrassing situations that may otherwise occur, such as double booking a table.Of course your customers love your restaurant because of the great food you offer, but the customer service experience often impresses them even more. Increase the efficiency of your staff and insure that your clients enjoy a dining experience like no other by using dining reservation software. You will find the benefits well worth the small investment you make!
Buying a New Car? Take These Financing Tips
Many years ago a car was a big investment and one expected to keep it for many years. Nowadays, for the most part, cars are treated more like shoes, still a big investment but more apt to be traded off every year. In light of that, buying a car, new or used, is pretty much a streamlined process. But you still need to be vigilant when it comes to the car you ultimately purchase and how you finance that purchase.After figuring budget and features, pair the two up.You know what you can afford to pay, you know what you need your new car to do. So, now you need to find the models that match up nicely with both. Keep an eye out for manufacturer recalls. You might want to check consumer websites or magazines to research a specific model and its cam belt situation. Some car models have expensive cam belts, and if they fail, they can ruin your engine. Beware of cars that only have manufacturing run of a year or two. Spare parts could be hard to find and very expensive.Shop diligently for a new car.You may want to consult family members, friends and colleagues. They may be driving a car you like, or they may have information you have not come across. Reliability, fuel consumption and maintenance costs are worth careful consideration. If you are in the market for a used car, all the better. Just be sure the mileage is somewhere under 100,000 miles. You do not want to buy the problems of the previous owner.Once you have settled on the make and model, go for pricing.Research various models and the range of cost for each. Check consumer magazines and websites for price comparison tables. You can even find calculators online that will help you figure taxes. Do not forget that there are dealer prep fees and other little add-ons that you will not discover until you get into the showroom. You will want to keep your eye out locally for holiday sales or special discounts, sometimes good deals are to be had.Once you have car at a certain price in mind, go for financing.The best possible move is to set up financing before you set foot on a car lot. Never have the dealer arrange your financing. They get a cut and the loan invariably will cost you more than if you do it yourself. If you have a blank check in hand when you finally get to the auto dealership, your deal making is going to be a lot easier. Never tell the dealer the exact amount you have to spend. Do not even say that you can spend up to a certain amount. The dealer will make sure you do spend up to that certain amount.Sometimes online lenders have the best financing deals.You will want to check you credit scores before you go shopping for finance. You can get them free once a year. Approach a bank or credit union with whom you do regular business for the loan. However, many lenders are available online. They often offer deals that beat the more traditional brick and mortar lenders. You can even find car loan brokers; they will take your basic information and then do a quick research for the lenders who can best fit your car financing needs at the interest rates and repayment terms you want. Online financing forms are extremely easy to complete, just be sure the site is secure. And be sure to have lots of fun, take as many test drives as you can.
The Imperative and Alluring Review of Technology Expansion
Any technology news that we come across every day brings a new light of hope in our daily lives. It is the heart of our lives and the origin of our success. With the modern advancements and review of technology worldwide, the ebullience of people towards it is proliferating.Supreme advancementsIn this highly competitive world, according to the review, technology has settled up its strong base in a very firm manner. At the very initial level technology was a scientific discovery that involved eminent scientists all over but with time those advancements now seem to be just few mere starting lines which helped in the creation of what we have today.Convenience and quality are the two important factors in today’s technology. Few examples of the transformation news of technology are:Initially the huge desktops were the first computers that came up. Slowly by keeping the space consuming factor in mind the personal computers with a smaller size was created. After that, since then various portable laptops and notebooks have been the product of technological modernization and finally now we have come up to such a stage where the tabs and iPads have taken up the market completely and have become the top most topics in the review.Similarly in case of music systems also, we have been introduced to the home theatre and iPads both around the same time. In the recent development era all these facilities are combined in one product itself.Other product alterationsOne of the most common products is the mobile phone which has astonished most of us with its recent developments and advancement news. From typing keypads to qwerty keypads and finally leading to touch screen, the style enhancements have been awe-inspiring.People interested in photography have not been neglected too. From normal shutter cameras to digital cameras and handycams the encroachments have been highly commendable. SLR or single lens reflex cameras were in high demand for several years while now the basic attraction has been targeted towards DSLR or digital single lens reflex types.Televisions have not been spared too. From black and white era we have come down to the period of colored technology. Along with this the size and shape of television have also undergone various developments and improvement. From curved screen we have adapted ourselves to the flat screen televisions. LCD to LED conversion is also one of the significant technical augmentations which are worth mentioning.The network connections are also not far behind and have been progressing at a rapid method. From 2G connections people have now shifted to 3G connections. Mobile phones supporting these network connections are now far more available in the market than the other.Conclusion From lights to animations, from weapons to instruments, the technology has left no stone unturned and has successfully paved its way throughout the centuries and has reached the peak of news. Though according to some review the technologies are often termed to be dangerous but in reality the proportion of the advantages is far more to consider.
Benefits of a Business Education
There are many reasons to acquire a Business education.Here are 25 good reasons to study business.1. START A NEW BUSINESS- Increasing numbers of people want to “be their own boss.”2. IMPROVE AN EXISTING BUSINESS- Most start-ups fail, attention to business principles and strategies can improve your probability of success.3. CHANGE CAREERS- Stuck in a career that’s not for you, more education and improved skills may be the key.4. GET A PROMOTION- Managers want to promote people who are prepared and have business knowledge.5. IMPROVE YOUR JOB PERFORMANCE- New knowledge, better techniques, state-of-the art methods and greater insights all contribute to improved performance.6. GET A NEW JOB- Oftentimes the candidate with a business background is the candidate who is selected.7 MANAGE PROJECTS EFFECTIVELY- Have them “come in on time and within budget.”8. INCREASE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE- Knowledge is power!9. MAKE BETTER INVESTMENT AND PURCHASING DECISIONS- The decisions you make will make the difference between financial success and failure.10. UNDERSTAND SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGIES- Whether you use this understanding for personal or professional benefit, you will become a more astute purchaser, as well as more effective in generating sales for your products or services.11. BECOME A SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER- Getting things done through other people’s efforts can be rewarding and effective.12. BECOME A BETTER CONSUMER- The American economy is consumer-driven, you need to understand the impact, potential pitfalls and opportunities here.13 BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN MEETINGS- Many people dread meetings, others enjoy less impact than they should.14. “BRAND” AND “MARKET” YOURSELF- Promoting oneself gains recognition and pays dividends..15. IMPROVE YOUR (BUSINESS) COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS- What’s the biggest problem in almost every organization? Communication!.16. UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF BUSINESS- It’s easy to run afoul of the law in our increasingly litigious society.17. BE A MORE EFFECTIVE MANAGER- Doing the “right things right” is an art worth being proficient at.18. BECOME MORE “STRATEGIC”-. The elements and development of a strategic plan are straightforward, yet imperative. You must be concerned with the future as you will spend all of your time there.19. IMPROVE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS- Solving problems, analyzing data and making good decisions are skills that can be learned and developed.20. BECOME A MORE SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR- You work for your money. Why not “have your money work for you?”21. DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS- Leaders are developed, not born. Professional leadership can be even more effective than “natural leadership.”22. INCREASE SALES AND PROFITABILITY- Growth and profitability are the primary objectives of business.23. IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL OR PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND PRODUCTIVITY- Getting more “bang for the buck” is what they used to call this.24. SUCCESSFULLY ADAPT TO A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT- Adaptation and contingency planning are essential features of survival and evolution.25. MAKE MORE MONEY- This one does not deserve an explanation.So think about it. Your reason may not even appear on the list. Make your own list , then make your decision. A business education will help you in your life and career, whatever path you take.