Ivillage from United Kingdom

The Importance of Agriculture in Australia

2011-02-01T03:56:00.001-08:00

Australia is a major agricultural producer, and due to its vast size and varying climates, there are many different primary industries, ranging from livestock, cropping and the fishing industry. As well as the jobs and revenue created from these industries there is also the many manufacturers that are supported by agriculture in the supply of necessary equipment, such as tractors, ploughs, fencing tools, fishing boats, shearing gear, bird netting, fertilisers and milking machines. Agriculture also impacts other industries, such as transport and the food and clothing industries.

Dairy

The dairy industry is one of Australia's major rural industries. It is estimated that approximately 40,000 people are employed on dairy farms and in manufacturing plants. Jobs are further created in transport and distribution, and research and development projects. It is a well established industry found in the temperate and some subtropical areas of Australia. The majority of dairy farms are found in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and are responsible for the supply of milk that goes into the manufacture of many different dairy products such as butter, cream, cheese, yoghurt, powdered milk, ice cream, as well as the milk we drink.

Beef

Another major agricultural industry in Australia the beef industry is extremely diverse, ranging from smaller farms in the south-east of Australia where there are higher stocking rates per acre due to a higher rainfall and more fertile soils, to the large scale cattle stations covering hundreds of thousands of acres. The very first beef cattle arrived in 1788 with the first European Settlers, a total of only 6 head of cattle. This figure has escalated to over 20 million head today. Beef has become one of Australia's successful export industries, with over 60% heading overseas.

Crops

The main crops in Australia include wheat, vegetables, fruit, cotton, sugarcane, barley, canola, oats and rice. Wheat is the largest grain crop in Australia and about 80% of it is exported, which makes Australia the fourth largest exporter after the United States, Canada and the European Union. There are about 25,000 farms in Australia that grow wheat as their major crop. It is milled into flour and used in a diverse range of food products.

Wool

With Australia's relatively mild climate it is suited to sheep and the production of wool. Wool growing properties are found in the north of Queensland, right through New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, around to the mid-north of Western Australia, as well as in Tasmania. Flocks range in numbers from a few hundred to as many as 100,000 or more. There are a variety of breeds found in Australia today with different sheep being used for meat and others being wool producers, although it is the Australian Merino that has had an overwhelming influence on the Australian wool industry. Merinos have very heavy fleeces that produce a fine, high quality wool, a lot of which is exported. Currently there are around 72 million sheep in Australia.

Seafood

Because of Australia's geographical isolation from other continents and its range of climatic zones, the diversity and cleanliness of marine life is excellent, meaning Australia can export a broad range of seafood to the rest of the world. The fishing industry is the fifth most profitable in Australia after beef, wool, wheat and dairy. Australia is also the world's largest producer of abalone and rock lobster.

Organic And Inorganic Farming

2011-02-01T03:55:00.001-08:00

Cattle farming is a great activity, if you have the right land resources and the time to spend to take care of the animals. This is not as easy as it seems, though. Raising cattle needs you, or someone you trust, to tend to your farm to be able to provide for the daily needs of the farm. These include watering, the grass and medicines when the animals get sick. You don't have to actually take a course, but you will have to take the initiative to research on the ways to raise cattle in a healthy way, both for you as caretaker and for the animals.

As you learn more about cattle farming, you will find that there are two basic ways to do it - organic and inorganic. Organic cattle farming is when you do not use anything artificial in order to grow the animals. This means the animals are fed purely with grass and other natural foods. They will not be injected with hormones or other chemicals and will have to conform to specific standards and guidelines set by a government body that is in charge of organic certifications.

On the other hand, inorganic cattle farming involves the use of certain hormones and other chemicals that are injected into the animals to make them grow larger and faster. In particular, artificially produced hormones called rBGH are used to increase milk production. There have been a lot of questions raised regarding the safety of these hormones when these animals and their products are consumed by humans. In answer to this, the USDA and FDA have declared that there is no basis to claims that animals injected with hormones are not fit for human consumption.

There are also other considerations you can make if you're planning to have a cattle farm. For example, you have to decide if you'll raise the animals for dairy purposes or to sell their meet. There will be different requirements, either way you go.

New Tillage Practice - Delivering Multidimensional Benefits

2011-02-01T03:54:00.000-08:00

Strip tillage is the new farming practice that allows the farmers to reduce nitrous oxide to contribute significantly in global mission for reducing global warming. The best part of this new farming practice is that it increases crop production noticeably. The benefits of strip tilling have been proved by numerous researches made throughout the world.

Recently in an experiment, a research team monitored the poorly drained fields of clay pan soil planted with corn after the soybean. One part of this field was 'strip tilled' and a rich dose of nitrogen fertilizer was delivered in the soil. Another part of field was left untilled and nitrogen fertilizer was placed on the surface. The experts found that strip tillage significantly reduced the greenhouse gases emission when compared to that of no-till treated part.

Under strip tillage, field is tilled in strips of approx. one foot wide with 8 to 9 inches depth instead of tilling entire field. As result, crop residues remains on the surface of the field. This farming process needs less fertilizer and less tilling efforts. It reduces soil erosion but conserves soil moisture in the large area of farming field. To get improved results, one needs to focus upon efficient fertilizer use at every stage. More fertilizer doesn't guarantee for more yields. Besides the process, the use of proper tilling equipments is also must. Manufacturers of farming machinery and equipments offer wide range, so that, you can choose the best suitable. As the strip tillage needs less use of fuel driven vehicles, so we save fuel and time both.

Therefore, benefits of strip tilling are multidimensional. It seems simple and less effort involving but it needs continuous monitoring and perfection as is needed in traditional farming.

An Introduction to Rabbit Farming

2011-02-01T03:53:00.001-08:00

Rabbit farming is becoming popular all over the world, especially in third world countries as rabbit is being recognized as a new source of low cost protein, with minimal set up and minimal maintenance costs.

For commercial rabbit production, the business requires a full investigation before entering, and local market conditions will differ from country to country. In some countries rabbit meat is not popular, and therefore finding meat markets (essential for your success) is more difficult than those markets where rabbit meat is popular and well known.

Whilst there are many breeds of rabbit, commercial rabbits for meat production are normally the New Zealand white and the Californian. Apart from China, the major rabbit producing countries are Spain, France and Italy. They use the New Zealand white for its rapid growth and meat yield. There are some breeds that are exclusively bred for their fur, such as the angora rabbit.

As far as rabbit breeding goes, rabbits breed well and quickly. The gestation period of a doe is 32 days and she can produce anything from 5 to 9 kits. A kit is ready for slaughter at 90 days at about 2.8 to 3 kgs in weight. The meat yield is about 50%, so with one doe you can expect final rabbit products of about 7.5 kgs of meat and 5 skins every 1 to 2 months. For rabbit production then, 40 kits per year is the norm, which is equivalent to 60 kgs of meat and 40 skins.

Rabbit feed is a commercial formula for optimum growth. A non pregnant doe will eat 100 gr. a day, but when in lactation, will consume 350 gr. a day.

Rabbit skins are normally stored frozen but can be air dried in hotter climates. Better not to salt because the white fur of a salted rabbit skin can turn brownish during the sea voyage to the main rabbit tanneries in China.

Academic Flyers - Promotional Tool for Schools

2011-02-01T03:51:00.000-08:00

For educational institutions in Detroit, academic flyers can serve to promote areas of expertise, announce faculty accomplishments and increase name recognition. Schools, colleges and universities often serve as gathering points for community events and local activities. Distributing flyers can help notify students and neighborhood residents of important information in a timely and cost effective manner.

Design and Layout

Academic flyers are easy to design. There are numerous online templates and software programs that can create appealing flyers. It is important to incorporate an attention grabbing headline or photo along with information about the event and activity. Since flyers are inexpensive and usually don't require extensive editing, proofreading the piece is often overlooked. The time to find spelling errors is prior to printing, not after the flyer has been distributed.

Color flyers generally attract more attention than black and white. When using flyers to promote a speaking engagement from a distinguished professional, using color with heavy bond glossy paper will convey the importance of the event. Including a photograph or headline centered in the middle of the page will draw and hold the reader's attention.

Printing Flyers

Academic flyers can be used for a variety of purposes such as publicizing classes, promoting lectures and announcing institutional awards. Especially for important events, be sure to include a complete description of the activity as well as the time, date and who to contact for additional information.

When developing academic flyers, Detroit institutions often consider using professional design services to ensure quality results. Print shops that offer graphic design and logo creation can help to produce a flyer that will communicate critical details in a stylish format. Consistent use of a specific logo helps to promote academic brand loyalty over time.

Detroit Print Shop can provide advice and guidance on producing a variety of academic promotional materials including brochures, flyers, business cards and stationary. For flyers, this includes help in selecting the appropriate paper quality as well as printing options in color, black and white or a combination of both.

Versatility of Flyers

School flyers can be distributed through different channels very inexpensively. This includes counters and desks of student unions, libraries, bulletin boards, administrative offices and classrooms. Flyers are also commonly used in bulk mailing campaigns where they can inform students and parents of important activities. Schools often include an actual calendar on a flyer for months that contain multiple events.

Things to Look in Labels Printing

2011-02-01T03:50:00.000-08:00

Everything can not be printed on a printing product. It is up to the demand of the situation and the customers that determine what can be written or printed on them and what not. Among the small printing products, the printing labels have great importance in this regard as they are among the so few products that can be used to print various things on them.

One of the first things to note about these products is their quality and size. As per the size of the item they are pasted on, they may vary from small sized product to an average sized product. The quality of a label print is importance in determining its effectiveness and efficiency. This makes them quite unique in many ways for they are versatile and offer great variety.

After that, the material from which they are produced is also a point to be noticed. It requires great attention as the choice of a wrong material can ruin your product. If you use a simple product where you should have used vinyl labels, it could be disastrous when they are used in the open. They would not be able to handle the demands of the outdoor environment. So you should think carefully before choosing a product for you.

Use of Touch Screen Digital Signage for Advertising by Religious Centres

2011-02-01T03:49:00.000-08:00

Due to the various applications and implications of Touch screen Digital signage it is chosen by different religious concerns and other organizations in advertising. It is more interactive than a flyer or hoarding put on the streets. This application is easy to use and its features are up to the mark for modern necessities of life. The primary reason people choose to advertise with this type of digital signage is its dynamic features. These days dynamic advertising medium is an efficient way for attracting and interacting with the people.

Organizations such as church or any religious concerns need funds for carrying out their day to day work. These are the organizations which can use the touch screen digital signage to gather funds. With the current scenario, where the money is hugely concentrated to only fortunately few, the less unfortunate need a helping hand. Furthermore, there is lot of stress in the current circumstances and relationships and a huge number of people are seen depending on religion for de-stressing. Such a huge organization that is providing help to those in need would require something for collecting funds in order to carry out their program. This needs advertising, which could make a huge difference to the overall situation. A touch screen Digital signage can become the medium for obtaining gift aid from commoners.

The monitors are put on the church isle. The congregation arranges for section, where the worshippers can use the touch screen to interact or even use their credit card for donation. Digital signage is not only used for obtaining gift aid, it is also used to provide the current worshippers with information about the events through the Church calendar. These interactive signage can be put anywhere within the ground of the religious concern or on the street. There position depends on the purpose they are used for. Normally, the touch screen Digital signage has a 42-inch display. It is managed and programmed with the help of a computer. The computer is placed securely behind the screen in an enclosure and is connected to the internet, which is utilized for different donation purposes. Availability of internet is utilized for merchant payment account and donations. Getting a digital signage is proving to be an exceptionally good investment for large organizations such as religious concerns. Most religious concerns are quite large. There are several branches in different cities and countries. So, it needs a huge organized interactive medium through which worshippers can be connected together.

Signage, Menus and Information for Pubs, Bars, Hotels and Restaurants

2011-02-01T03:48:00.002-08:00

For any pub, restaurant, hotel or bar, providing information to customers is important to ensure you are providing a good service. Signage can also be used to provide a place to promote special offers, food items and upcoming events such as quiz nights or special occasion celebrations.

Quite a lot of pub signage, is also a legal requirement with pubs, bars and restaurants obligated to providing information:

Publicans and restaurateurs and anywhere that sells alcohol have a legal obligation to provide certain information. The licensing act is a good example and anywhere that sells alcohol has to provide a copy for both public and staff to see. Many people don't notice these declarations inside pubic houses but if an establishment doesn't have a licensing act sign then they are breaking the law.

For bars selling drinks by the measure, such as draft beer, wine by the glass and spirits from the optics, then weights and measures signage is needed which stipulates the exact amount of drink you will receive for the money.

Another legal obligation that has risen since the smoking ban is the need for no smoking signs. All establishments have to have a no smoking policy and clearly display a no smoking sign and heavy fines are issued for places that don't abide the law.

Other important signage is needed around a pub or hostelry too. Bathroom signs and fire exits need to be clear and not provide confusion while cigarette machines have to have age requirements clearly visible above.

But not all signage is legally required, and many signs in pubs can bring great benefits. All good pubs and bars need a chalk board. Not only can you provide promotional information but they can display offers and current food specials.

For restaurants and pubs that specialise in food menu boards are a must for both indoors and outside. Many people passing an eatery will be put of if they can't find out what is on offer before they enter so a good menu board needs to be visible near the entrance.

Prospective and Effective Business Cards' Creation

2011-02-01T03:48:00.001-08:00

Prospective business cards are essential for any business if it is desired to allure customers and attract their attention. It is always wise to make the best of the results when investing in your business. Although each business uses its own strategies but this as well remains true that there are certain common features in the normal approach that are utilized when marketing, which is because they have higher probabilities of fetching positive outcome. As the preliminary condition, you could produce cheaper cards of the normal size. If you think that you could afford to take a risk with the size of the cards then you could go ahead however it would be better to stick with the usual size. In order to impress the crowd with new vision, a wide range of variety can be found in the design of cards. If deviation is to be practiced then it is necessary to understand that such cards are meant only for certain types of business activities and in general they cannot be used since they might not comfortably fit cardholders or wallets. In professional business cards creators there are many tips and tactics mentioned that help users to make use of ideas so as to present something novel but at the same time effective.

The normal shape and size are strictly to be adhered when it comes to using them on a regular basis. It is not just about the look but at the same time the details or information printed on them. Information to be provided on them should be clear and precise. Cards could be unnecessarily pressured if too much of information is put on them so possibly contact details of a firm is what is best used. To be on the safer, side it is necessary that the pattern is kept clean which would help give it a clutter-free look on the whole. Readability and simplicity are two vital qualities that competently impress people. This would make them respond and thus it would probably turn into a sale for your firm.

Communicate Business Message With Posters

2011-02-01T03:47:00.000-08:00

Printing posters is now a very popular and well known activity since these materials are impressively cost effective to produce and especially made for business owners who only have limited business budget to market or promote their products and services. Printing these materials usually benefit any business establishment. They can provide your business and all other business establishments with a great promotional strategy that you can use to communicate your message to all of your target and existing and customers.

Why do printing these materials very cost effective? This is because they can be designed and printed according to the needs that you have for your business establishment. If you need to have a flashy marketing material but you do not have enough budget to do it, then posters can save you a lot of your budget while getting you what you desire for you to be able to reach as many target clients and customers that you need. You can always have your posters in fold, special trims, and even tear off designs that you will surely love to have.

Moreover, you can also print on both sides and as well as in large format printing. Again, you do not need to worry about the budget that you need to cover for the printing expenses. Nowadays, there are different printers who offer cost effective printing that can cover whatever budget that you have. These reliable printers can be found online or offline. Wherever you will look for these types of printers, most of them will offer or can give you the right print output at the price that you have asked them. These printers can even let you order the number of prints that you want, less all the extra fees or hidden charges. Thus, you can now send as many marketing print materials that you want in the market so you can reach as many clients and customers that you need to reach.

Printing posters is low in cost indeed, thus, making them one of the cheapest marketing or promotional tools in the business world. And this is very good news especially if you always consider the cost as a big aspect on your promotional or marketing strategy. At just a minimal cost, you can promote or advertise your business to a much larger audience since these printers give you several alternatives to printing your materials at a much lower cost compared to others.

Good saving then is a very huge factor in poster printing. You always want to send out as many print materials as possible but you also do not want to come off as cheap and unprofessional every time you do it. It is for a fact that these print materials are the solution to all your marketing and promotional needs for your business. You can ask any online printing company and they can aid you to come up with the best posters that you will surely love.

Viral Marketing - Taking Advantage of the Common Human Nature

2011-02-01T03:46:00.000-08:00

Viral marketing is all about using the social networks wisely! Well, that's true! IT is as a unique technique was introduced during 1996. After that it has never looked back. Over the years, several new techniques and strategies have been added for the whole stream in order to make it more powerful and effective. It's a kind of strategy that can use social networks wisely to generate quick brand recognition and more sales rate for any online business format. If you will look deep into the subject, then you will find that viral marketing is based on the basics of developing word-of-mouth recognition.

Keep in mind that mentioning about certain products and services to friend and relatives is a common human nature. This is a kind of attitude that all of us use to carry. So, why shouldn't we grab more benefits from it? This is what you can now achieve with the help of viral marketing. Now, it's the explosion of the internet has supplied enough good reasons for viral marketing to become more and more sophisticated.

Using existing communication networks
For the viral strategies to work you require the crowd. Without crowd it is not at all possible getting the message spread all over the globe. The social media is a king while it comes spreading word. People like social media and almost all the Viral Content is been spread through the social media nowadays. I hope that I spiced up mind with a few ideas. You will find the experts on internet, which learn you how you can make an ultimate viral marketing campaign, and you may as well find the companies who make the campaigns for you. Viral Marketing is defined with any marketing strategy, which allows the website's owner and user to forward the marketing message to various users & sites. Hotmail is the great instances this.

What Do Payroll Taxes Mean

2011-02-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

Whenever you are running a business, you are going to have to pay out a lot of taxes to a variety of different sources. You may not know everything that you need to about all of the taxes that you are going to have to pay, but it is a good idea to do some research to learn more. Since you have taken that first step by reading this article, you are already ahead of the game.

One of the types of taxes that many people are interested in learning more about is what is called payroll taxes. These are taxes that the company is required to charge to each employee on their payroll. That is to say that the employee is the one who bears the burden of paying this tax. The employer is required by law to withhold certain taxes from their employee's paychecks. This is to cover things such as income tax and Medicare/social security. All of those taxes must be withheld by the employer and sent in to the federal government.

You are going to find that the amount that must be withheld from each employee depends on how much that employee earns and other factors that can play a role. It is important as a business owner that you are looking up the rules that govern payroll taxes. You can find information about specific payroll taxes questions on official government websites. There is also information that is given out by other individuals on the web in many cases. You are welcome to use this advice, but you should be warned that it might not be accurate. Anyone with a computer is able to post whatever they want on any subject. This is why it is so important that you make sure that you are only getting your information from official sources. This is the safest way to make sure you have all of the facts about payroll taxes.

Any kind of tax is not something that we want to pay. Unfortunately in this case, you have to in order to follow the law.

What Check Printing Software Is Best for Printing Checks?

2011-02-01T03:35:00.002-08:00

Printing checks in-house often presents a viable cost-cutting alternative to purchasing books of pre-printed checks from check manufacturers or banks. In addition to the cost savings, printing checks in-house allows businesses and individuals to customize check formats and design while printing only as many checks are as needed. Most printers can be used to print checks, from large office printers to home office printer scanner copiers, but before checks can be printed, software must be used to design the check's format.

Some types of accounting and bookkeeping software include check printing in their application packages. Other types of software concentrate solely on check printing, without other bookkeeping applications.

Software for Check Printing Only

Software which is designed only for printing checks rather than full-service accounting may provide a cost-effective solution for certain applications. While small businesses and in-home offices may find it most convenient to rely on all-in-one software applications, larger businesses and offices may want to dedicate a particular printer and computer to printing checks only, without having check creation be tied through a software system to the business's other bookkeeping activities.

By using software for check printing alone, businesses avoid having to purchase multiple editions of bookkeeping software, which may help to cut costs. Software applications for printing checks range in cost from $15 to $130, a range which is comparable to combination bookkeeping software.

VersaCheck Gold, Checksoft, InstiCheck and Just Checking are a few of the highest rated software applications currently available.

Bookkeeping and Check Printing Combination Software

Whether a check printing or combination bookkeeping software application is best for a business depends largely on the size of the business and how bookkeeping transactions are handled. For small business owners, work-from-home professionals and individuals, it's likely that all accounting activities are performed together, so combination accounting software is most likely the most appropriate software. Costs for both types of software vary significantly, so neither type of software has a significant cost advantage.

Accounting software applications with the highest rated applications include: Quicken, Quickbooks and Goldenseal, although VersaCheck Gold does include invoicing and credit card transaction tracking capabilities.

Other Features to Consider

Accounting and payroll software program capabilities vary, so it's a good idea to first determine exactly what you need from your software before purchasing. Some software programs include MICR check line printing, allowing custom MICR printing, while others exclude this, expecting the business owner to use check stock with pre-printed MICR data.

What Types of Printers Accept MICR Toner Cartridges

2011-02-01T03:35:00.001-08:00

MICR toner is a specialized type of magnetic laser toner ink which is used to print secure check data. This data is called the "MICR line", located at the bottom of the check, containing check routing numbers, account numbers and the check number itself. Bank check processing machines are standardized to read and verify MICR ink through magnetic MICR reading technology.

While MICR ink was first used primarily by banks and check printing centers in specialized MICR printers, MICR check printing is becoming more common. Today, MICR check lines may be printed using most standard home or office printers. Printing checks and deposit slips is easy for small businesses and individuals, thanks to the widespread availability of MICR cartridges and check printing software.

Standard Office Printers Which Can Print MICR Check Lines

Any printer can print MICR check lines, provided it is properly equipped. Nearly all major printer brands manufacture printers which may be equipped with MICR ink cartridges to print checks. These printer brands include: Apple Dell Brother Hewlett Packard (HP) Lexmark Konica Minolta Pitney Bowes Troy Canon IBM and Xerox.

Most of these brands' printer models can be equipped to print MICR. This includes a wide range of printer models, from large floor standing office printers to small, in-home printer scanner copiers. The determining factor in whether or not a printer is capable of MICR printing is whether or not cartridges are manufactured for the specific printer model.

How to Equip Printers to Print with MICR Toner

In order to print MICR data on checks, a printer must have:

Check printing software
Special MICR fonts
Blank check paper
Compatible MICR toner cartridges

Check printing software and blank check paper are easy to acquire. Most standard home/office accounting software programs, such as QuickBooks and Quicken, have check printing software included. Blank check paper can be purchased from most office supply stores and online office supply vendors. Finding MICR fonts and MICR toner cartridges for your printer, however, is slightly more challenging.

When looking to purchase MICR fonts, search reputable office supply stores for MICR E-13B font packages. These packages are also available from vendors and manufacturers specializing in fonts, scanners and specializing printing accessories. MICR cartridges are sold by many specialty online ink cartridge vendors and office supply stores. When looking to purchase cartridges, it's important to find cartridges which are 100% compatible with your printer brand and model, but it's also important to pay attention to quality.

Web Based Payroll Software - Things You Must Know About Online Payroll Software

2011-02-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

MICR, an acronym which stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, is a specialized type of ink toner which is used to print and validate checks. Standardized banking equipment used in banks around the world read MICR toner ink authenticate and read essential check data, making MICR printing an essential part of the check printing process. MICR toner is used by check printing companies, banks and small businesses that choose to cut costs by printing their checks in-house.

When and why is MICR necessary?

Every check has a small "MICR line" printed at the bottom. This line is composed of numbers and specialized characters and contains the check's account number, routing number and check number - all of the check's most sensitive data. In order to protect against fraud, this MICR line must be printed using MICR, which is magnetic. Tiny particles of iron oxide contained in MICR ink allow special characters to be read by bank check processing machines.

To make check processing easier and more secure, the banking industry has standardized the use of MICR technology in check processing, so all checks must be printed with magnetic ink in order to be considered valid. Checks printed improperly or without toner are usually rejected and returned to the issuer, often along with a processing error fee.

Who uses MICR ink?

All check printing companies and banks use printers specially equipped with MICR toner to print valid checks, but some individual businesses use MICR to print their own checks as well. Most standard office laserjet printers may be equipped to print check MICR lines, and most bookkeeping software applications make it easy for small businesses to make check printing a part of doing payroll.

What equipment do you need to print MICR?

While most types of office printers can be equipped to print MICR lines, standard printers require some additional equipment. To print MICR, printers need check printing software (often included in bookkeeping software), MICR fonts, special check paper and the ink cartridges themselves. Because some specialized installation of these components is required, most offices that print checks in-house use printers dedicated to MICR printing only.

Where can MICR toner ink be purchased?

MICR ink is a very specialized office supply, but as its use in small business settings becomes more common, it's become more widely available. Most printer manufacturers that make MICR compatible printers sell MICR toner compatible with their printer models.These OEM (original equipment manufacturer) MICR cartridges are recommended by most printer manufacturers, although many aftermarket cartridge manufacturers make refurbished and new cartridges of quality equal or better than the OEM cartridges themselves. Most aftermarket MICR cartridges are sold online. Researching a MICR cartridge manufacturer's quality standards, testimonials and prices is the best way to determine which vendor is right for you.

The History of MICR Toner

2011-02-01T03:29:00.002-08:00

Today, bank check processing equipment around the world use MICR toner ink to recognize, read and validate checks. Banking equipment is standardized to recognize the magnetic MICR ink and its special characters, allowing for fast, secure check processing. This standardized system is an essential part of today's banking industry, but the MICR technology it relies on is relatively new.

The Invention of MICR Toner

In the mid to late 1950s, as US commerce and population grew, the need for faster, more standardized data processing at US banks put pressure on the banking industry to invent a way to standardize and mechanize check processing. Up until that time, checks were read and processed by hand, making check processing slower, more costly and more prone to human error and fraud.

In the mid 1950s, US banks, bankers, manufacturers and check processors formed a committee to investigate new methods of check processing and validation. The committee resulted in the American Banker's Association (ABA). Dr. Kenneth Eldredge of the Stanford Research Institute presented the newly invented magnetic MICR ink technology to the committee, which decided that MICR ink presented the best solution for mechanized check processing.

MICR Characters and Standardization of Check Printing

The ABA commissioned Batelle Memorial Institute to conduct a council on its behalf to determine which fonts would be used in MICR check printing. Fifty industry specialists, mostly check printers, participated in the council, which decided to adopt a standardized font known as E-13A MICR. During its early testing stages, it was found that some banking machines had difficulty distinguishing the number 8 from the symbol for transit, so the E-13A MICR font standard was altered, and the E-13B MICR font system was adopted instead.

In 1959, the E-13B MICR font and technology system was accepted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which published the standards for MICR printing. MICR technology was implemented throughout the banking and check printing industries, and the same technology is used by check printers and bank processing machines today. Detailed specifications for MICR E-13B font printing are available from the ANSI; these specifications detail standards for the formation of MICR characters as well as line placements and other check components.

MICR Toner and Worldwide Check Printing Standards

While it was the American Banker's Association that instituted the use of MICR technology and E-13B MICR fonts, the MICR system is used as a standard by the banking industry worldwide. E-13B MICR font standards are accepted by Most of Northern America and some countries in Europe, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Mexico, Columbia and Turkey. CMC-7 is a different set of standardized fonts used for MICR check printing. These characters are used by Spain, France, Israel, most of South America and many Mediterranean countries.

f You Miss One Payday You're Out Of Business

2011-02-01T03:29:00.001-08:00

Your biggest business priority when you run out of cash is payroll. In business if you miss one payday, you are out of business. If you are not able to make a Friday payroll for your people, you will have to close the doors on Monday. If you can't make payroll on the 15th of the month, you must shut the doors on the 16th. Don't be fooled by thinking, "My people love me. They'll understand." No they won't. Try missing one payday and see how much they love you.

Making payroll becomes your key priority. You need to do a cash flow projection for the next three months, using projected income figures that are realistic, not hopeful, and be sure that you will be able to meet payroll.

If it doesn't look as though you will have enough income to make payroll you're going to have to reduce your payroll costs. Nobody enjoys doing this but it is essential to your survival.

As you think about the people who work for you, you will probably think of one or two people that you wish would quit. Perhaps they've been with you a long time and you have a strong sense of loyalty to them. Perhaps they have been made redundant by technology. Are you still employing a full-time bookkeeper now that computers have made the job possible to do in one quarter of the time? Do you still have someone answering the phones when most of the calls go through to an answering system anyway? Do you still have a vice-president of mimeographing locked away in the basement? If you've got anybody on payroll that you wish would make your life easier by quitting, you need to take action right away. Get them out of there!

If you're conflict averse it will probably occur to you that instead of firing people you should cut back everybody's hours. That may be a temporary solution if you are between orders and will need all of them in a month or two, but there's a real danger that you make everyone unhappy when you do that. It's better to let some people go and let them collect unemployment compensation for a while. Hopefully you'll be able to rehire them when business picks up. If you cut everyone's hours, you're just passing on your cash flow problem to your employees.

Here's a tip for you: consider how conflict averse you are. Some people love a good fight. Their idea of a fun evening is to go to bar and pick a fight with someone. If they are in the military, they want to be on the front lines where the action is. That's not me and perhaps it's not you either. If you're conflict averse, there's a high probability that you have failed to take the tough action that a businessperson in a cash flow crunch needs to have done.

Having terminated the people that you wish would have quit, consider the poor producers. Do you have salespeople that are having a tough time making their sales quota? Perhaps it's time to let them go and reassign your sales territories.

How Payroll Software Can Aid Your Business

2011-02-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter what size your business is, if you want to expand, you're going to have to manage your affairs intelligently. This means keeping track of all your assets, including human resources, and to the employees who work for you, nothing is more important than you providing them with adequate compensation on a reliable schedule. The complexities inherent in paying workers go farther than simply remembering to write checks and balance ledgers every couple of weeks, you have to remember to take out taxes, keep records updated and pay bonuses, among other things. Payroll software provides a simple way to organize all the information you need to stay in business.

Professional businesspeople use their payroll software in many ways. These software solutions generate automatic reminders that pay dates are coming up and even help by printing out valid checks based on individual employee compensation records.

While it's obvious that a good payroll management package can help cut checks, they will also serve as ledgers that keep automatic running totals close at hand. Many payroll software packages are easily integrated with business account management programs or include some of these functions. With good payroll programs, it's fully possible to generate comprehensive finance reports so that business owners can keep track of their internal performance.

Even if you use a third party service to deliver your paychecks, payroll software is an indispensable aid. Because many software packages let you aggregate information with regular update periods, you can rely on the numbers to be ready for quick reporting to payroll services, and some programs will even send this data for you.

In addition to performing this basic advanced accounting, good payroll services help businesses by going the extra mile and computing taxes. Doing taxes before you sign checks is difficult. Tax codes change each year, so even if you aren't changing how much you pay employees, you've still got to make sure your tax calculations are updated by looking up percentage information in a convoluted guidebook. This complicated process takes a great deal of time, and prevents you from attending to the business specific tasks that only you can accomplish.

Some companies use time clock systems to record employee work hours, and payroll software can be configured to automatically account for this data and compile it on a regular basis. For small business owners without on site accounting staff, this means that the hassle of getting all the numbers together need not be a concern. Good payroll software can replace an accountant, and because it generates stubs as well as checks, your employees can benefit from getting their own payment record with every check.

Payroll Software for Correct Payment Structures

2011-02-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most important parts of a company's functions is the task of payments to their employees. There are different structures and systems of the payroll structure that may be present depending on the stature and operations of a company.

Payroll Aspects

Let us consider the different aspects of the payment structures that are usually present in a company. There are basic payments of salaries and these are usually different for the various management levels or structures of a company.

There are those who are newly employed and have a probation period wherein they will receive a structure salary which generally does not carry incentives, bonus payments or any form of perks and benefits.

There are companies that have a systematic appraisal or scale of payments that undergoes changes and increments on a yearly basis for every employee. And therefore every year that an employee completes in a company there will be an automatic change in the salary structure from a particular month onwards. And needless to say that these are based on the separate scales for payments that are present in every category of employment within a company.

There are several forms of deductions that are also made on the salaries. These are on the basis of the taxes that are applicable in the bracket of salary along with deductions for insurance and other forms of benefits.

There are even deductions made for leave absence or additional leave taken other than paid holidays. A proper calculation needs to be made for that. There are also companies that allow certain loans and financial aid to an employee. There are installments that are deducted from the salaries.

These are only some of the aspects of the payment structure that are prevalent in companies. Since these of vital significance for a smooth and efficient functioning of a company there is a need for systemized and structured planning of the payroll system. There can be no room for errors in this.

Payroll Software System

There is a software application available for payroll structuring and management. This can be installed in the computers that are used for accounts related work of a company and records of employees maintained in these.

There are slots and systemized process of data entry at various levels that will initiate in an easy calculation at the end of each month and finally at the end of every year. This way there is a saving of paperwork and filing of documents.

Additionally the use of a software application can also initiate an error free calculation. There is no room for human errors here.

Payroll Service or Payroll Software - Three Questions to Ask Yourself When Deciding

2011-02-01T03:24:00.000-08:00

Remember the days of using a calculator and a typewriter to process payroll? Thankfully, those days are gone, and there are much simpler tools to make the process more efficient. Today, there are tools available to help ensure timely tax payments, accurate and complete payrolls, and to make sure employees are paid on time. These days, most businesses use one of two methods to process payroll: in-house payroll software, or a payroll service. As a business, you must choose the method of payroll processing that works best for you. Start out by asking yourself these simple questions.

What staff is available to manage the process?

No matter which processing method you use, you will need staff to manage the associated tasks. Many in the business world tend to believe that a payroll service takes less staff time, since it handles the tax payments and processing. While this may be true, be sure to account for all of the time your staff must spend collecting and entering time data for employees (if applicable), updating employee earning and deduction changes, running payroll reports, and generally making sure that data is accurate and timely. When using a payroll software program, it is a good idea to have at least one employee who is familiar with your payroll processes, and your payroll software. He/she should be able to set up employee information, enter time in the appropriate manner, process payroll, run reports, maintain tax filing schedules and be able to file them using your system.

Who manages what?

It is important to consider your current staff and their expertise, when you are deciding on payroll processing. For instance, if you don't have a skilled HR person, you may lean toward a payroll service, since some of them offer HR services. If you have a person who is skilled in using in-house payroll software already, you might find it easier to stay with that. Consider who you have on staff and their expertise, and then whatever system you choose will come along with a much smoother transition.

Where is my data safest?

There is a major different in the location of your payroll data when comparing a payroll service to in-house software. With a service, your data is typically stored in a remote location and accessed via the internet. Of course, most services use strong encryption to provide security for your data. For payroll software, your data is stored on your own server, so the information is not available via the internet. However, you still need to be sure there is a good internal security system, since payroll data is sensitive, and you don't want unauthorized employee's to log in and view or edit sensitive data.

Accounting Software Tools That Help Small Businesses Compete

2011-02-01T03:23:00.002-08:00

Small businesses are definitely aware of the challenges of trying to compete with bigger companies. Not only do bigger companies have deeper pockets, but their budgets allow for cutting-edge technology to help them keep their customers happy. There are accounting software features available to help small businesses compete with the technology of large companies! Here are just a few of the features that help small businesses compete and keep their customers happy.

Multiple price levels

Have you ever put your customer on hold while feverishly searching for their pricing in a paper file? Consider using your accounting software to set up different pricing levels, so you can immediately see your customer's price while you are on the phone with them. This makes your customer happy, and it also keeps you more organized and accurate.

Custom invoice tools

With the growth of technology comes the ability to print your invoices exactly how you want them. Having this ability allows you to look much more professional than just using a standard template without your logo and other crucial brand information. Use your software to personalize your invoices, and you will keep your image fresh and professional, just like the bigger companies.

Transaction search

Do you scramble to find customer information while they are on the phone? Perhaps the customer only knows the invoice number or the date, or maybe only the product he or she purchased; now it's your job to search for the document based on what the customer has given you. It's true the bigger companies have fabulous software systems, but nowadays many of the smaller systems are quite powerful and allow you to find what you are looking for fast. Check to see if your accounting software has transaction search capabilities, and find out all of the different ways you are able to search for information. You might be surprised about the variety of methods you can use to find what you are looking for! You can keep customers happy by giving them the information they need more quickly, rather than scrambling around or asking them to provide alternative information.

Customer reports

You may not think an accounting software report can benefit your customers in any way. One of the best ways to stay in touch with customers or find out which customers have drifted away is by running a customer analysis report. From there you can see who has purchased what, and when. You can detect customers who may have gone away, and give them a call to touch base. Or, you can call those customers first when running a special, to let them know about the special before anyone else. Using this report can let customers know you care about them and their business before they start buying from somebody else. That is a personal touch the larger companies are likely not going to offer.

Factoring and Invoice Discounting - Are They The Best Solution To Your Business

2011-02-01T03:23:00.001-08:00

If you are starting up a business, you can't be expecting for profits as soon as possible. For this reason wise cash flow management is very important. In addition, you have to release as much cash as you possibly can for capital investment in production facility.

More often than not, business owners don't have that amount of resource and it gets to be the major hindrance for their success. This is the place invoice discounting and factoring get to be the wisest option for a solution.

As opposed to what other individuals are wary about, invoice financing or invoice discounting is a positive choice for the small business. Invoice financing is a form of short-term borrowing which is often a choice to improve a company's working capital and cash flow position. The practice of invoice finance is similar to that of factoring whereby it makes it possible for businesses to obtain money against its sales invoices before the client has basically paid.

The bank nearly always aids their clients in getting in touch with an AFBA (Asset Based Finance Association) - recognized factoring company and that's something of an assurance that factoring and invoice discounting a smart choice for the company. To further ensure that your company is in good hands, it is advised that one should pay a visit on the premises of the factoring company for more information about how they operate and to meet the team that they'll be signing an agreement with. It is also important to build good rapport and to build trust with the company for they'll be handling confidential financial information of your organization.

The invoice finance company will want to know concerning your business as well. They can help you take a look at if your operation suits factoring or not. They'll also take a look at your business office and place of operation. They'll also have to know with regards to the growth plans before agreeing to work with your organization.

Invoice discounting is a major decision for the company and it also entails costs to the business. Compared to the advantages gained, invoice discounting provides good value if you look into the costs. One can make arrangements or special deals with regard to payment period or payment mode. Fees and percentage will often come down as business grows.

Just What Is Accounts Receivable Working Capital

2011-02-01T03:22:00.001-08:00

Working capital is the lifeblood of any business, irrespective of what particular sector of the market it happens to be involved in and the reason for this is very simple: it is the money that the business will use to satisfy all of its currently outstanding debts such as wages and rent. A business that does not have sufficient levels of working capital to its name will ultimately struggle to actually survive for any length of time and so a lack of working capital is the surest way to ensure the ultimate insolvency and therefore bankruptcy of the business as a whole.

Some types of businesses are especially prone to the perils and problems presented by poor cash flow which in turn will directly mean that the business is at an even higher risk of becoming insolvency for precisely the same reasons identified above. For example, a medical office will draw the bulk of its income from the insurance claims and forms that have been duly submitted by their patients. However, the problem here is that the insurance companies are notoriously slow when it comes to the releasing of funds that are owed to the healthcare provider.

The end result of this is that the healthcare provider will be left with the unfortunate position of ensuring that they have sufficient levels of working capital all the while, with the added pressure of not actually knowing when they will be able to get paid. This can make any sort of planning exceptionally difficult if not near impossible and the reason for this is that the provider will not be able to determine with any measure of accuracy whether they will be able to afford a major expense.

This is why accounts receivable working capital is such an excellent and commonly relied upon business financing method for the average medical office as it means that the healthcare provider will receive a fairly substantial amount of capital upfront. This in turn makes it much easier for them to predict and determine when and how they can afford to pay for various expenses when they arise.

Furthermore, the accounts receivable working capital will also allow the business owner who uses them the opportunity to acquire the capital without having to worry about the added pressure of being fully liable for the interest rates charged on banks and overdrafts. By virtue of the fact that they are saving money, this means that the business owner will be able to ensure that they are able to further maximise the earning capacity of the business.

Accounting Audits - Don't You Get Tired of the Small Business Article Filler in the News

2011-02-01T03:19:00.000-08:00

As a retired businessperson I always find it odd that freelance writers who've never had to make a payroll in their lives, other than paying their own living expenses seem to think it's okay for them to write on small business topics as if they are experts. There is a big difference between being a freelance writer and running a small business in the real world. Yes it's true that most freelance writers can spin a phrase, and most of the articles are topics of interest.

Still, I find some of the nonsense which is purported in some of these filler articles a little more than I can stomach. The advice is not all that good and they often miss the point and in doing so show just how little they really know about the subject. Not long ago I read an interesting article in the small business section of the Wall Street Journal titled; "Study Finds Certified Financial Statements Help Businesses Loan Prospects" by Angus Loten published on January 13, 2011.

What the article did not explain was whereas it would help a small business to have audited financial statements when they go to seek a loan to expand their business, "BUT" the reality is they need to take out a loan to get the audit in the first place. Ever since Sarbanes-Oxley the cost to get an audit has skyrocketed, and is well over four times the cost as it was before that law was in place. Worse there are even new financial laws now which will make things even tougher.

Often, I wonder if this Sarbanes-Oxley rules were actually written by accountants, or if Senator Sarbanes and Senator Oxley had relatives that were CPAs or accountants. After all, why on Earth would they create such an onerous set of regulations which would stifle the entire business community regardless of industry? Now the cost of 'errors and omissions insurance' has skyrocketed for accountants, and very few firms want to do audits. Meanwhile most CPAs and accountants are so busy, they don't wish to take the work or do peer reviews.

The whole thing is nothing less than a nightmare. The article tries to put some numbers to all these factors, and show that in the end the lower interest rate payments, and the loan itself will keep the small businesses in business, therefore it's worth the cost to get certified financial statements. In some cases this may be true, but if the cost of borrowing money is so expensive, and you have to pay professionals which are gatekeepers to that money, it becomes unviable, and a very uninviting prospect to say the least.

Needless to say, I know a thing or two about all this, since I'm retired franchisor. And with that said I'd like to remind you to be very careful what you read when looking through small business filler articles no matter what publication the article resides in. Indeed, I hope you will please consider this. If you have any comments or questions you may e-mail me and we can talk.

Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Update

2011-02-01T03:17:00.000-08:00

Prospects for finance and accounting outsourcing have been high as more businesses seek to focus more on core processes to grow their business. As research firm Everest, predicted early this year, finance and accounting outsourcing, which includes processing of accounts receivable services, accounts receivable follow-up, as well as general accounting and back-up, will grow steadily this year.

In the Everest Research report which came out last February, it was predicted that the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) market would revert back to pre-recession levels by the end of the year. (Everest Research, 2010) As Katrina Menzigian, VP of Research for Forrester stated, "as the global economy continues its path towards recovery, we expect to see the FAO market regain traction, driven by new deals and scope expansions, as well as more than 45 contracts up for extension this year. We foresee increased adoption across industries and geographies to continue. Beyond the United States, we expect contract signings in the domestic Asia-Pacific market as well as Rest of Europe to rise." The company predicted growth of as much as 20% up from the 11% growth in 2009. A second report from Everest on the 9th of June was also released wherein Saurabh Gupta, Everest Research Director, stated that, "the mature FAO market is getting increasingly competitive with players vying to carve out unique value propositions to differentiate themselves."

While the FAO market in 2009 saw massive deals among large players such as Genpact (NYSE:G), Accenture (NYSE:ACN) and IBM (NYSE:IBM), given the increasing demand for FAO in the past few months, new players in the FAO market have emerged or are emerging in order to take advantage of the growth in the market.

One such company is private equity firm, Huntsman Gay Global Capital, who announced on the 30th of September that they have made a majority investment in iQor Holdings Inc. The investment by Huntsman Gay in iQor, the second largest accounts receivable services provider in the world, will allow iQor to increase its share in the accounts receivable (A/R) outsourcing market, while introducing Huntsman Gay into the A/R outsourcing market.

Regional growth meanwhile in the FAO sector has seen expansions, notably in key areas including the Latin Americas and the Philippines.

Latin American countries such as Guatemala, has been pinpointed by outsourcer, Genpact, as a key area where finance and accounting talent can be found. The company announced plans of expanding its workforce in the city of Guatemala by opening a second facility. Aside from that, the company also advised that they are looking into other Latin American countries, Colombia and Brazil, who, along with Guatemala, were previously unknown in the FAO market.

Meanwhile the WNS (NYSE:WNS) reaffirmed its confidence in the Philippines when the company announced expansion plans in the country following increased demands for its services. WNS Global Services CEO Keshav Murugesh, cited that their Philippine site will serve as a hub for its clients in the banking and financial industry for the APAC region. He further states that, "considering the quality of talent available in the country and the demand for our services, we believe that 10 percent of WNS' workforce could be based in the Philippines over the next few years."

While Everest seems to have predicted the finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) market accurately so far, it will be interesting to see whether the market will continue to grow as predicted as the year nears its conclusion.