TEST 9

How to Enhance Your Cash Management Skills?

The outlook of the working population of our country is changing rapidly. The number of people shunning the conventional approach of finishing their studies and getting a job is on the rise. These individuals have a bigger purpose; to start their own small business and become entrepreneurs. The phenomenon is also gaining prevalence among the people who already have a day job and wish to quit it to pursue entrepreneurship.

You do not necessarily need a fancy degree to run a successful enterprise. It’s your business acumen and knowledge of finance and bookkeeping that will take you a long way. Even though you hire a professional to manage your enterprise’s finances, it is indispensable that you are well-versed with at least the basics of cash flow management, bookkeeping, and accounting. There are numerous ways to enhance your cash management skills. Let’s see what they are.

Online Training Programs

There are reputed websites that specialize in providing business management training courses across various business verticals. You can compare a number of online training programs on the basis of their offerings and fees and pick the one that suits you the best. These training programs often support the conceptual understanding with case studies.

Learn the Jargon

Like all the other technical areas, financial management is full of jargon. Understanding the terminology makes it possible for you read the financial statements and decipher their implications. If you do not know what the different items in the balance sheet actually mean, you won’t be able to interpret what the numbers in front of them can do to your overall financial position.

Learn from Your Staff

It is a good idea to ask your accountant questions every now and then. This is not to test their ability but to help you gain knowledge. This exercise will certainly enhance your understanding about finances and the correlation between two or more concepts. Making the right financial decision entails being well-informed about cash flows and their impact on the company’s financial well-being.

Hire a Competent Bookkeeper

There are certain things that you should keep in mind when signing up for bookkeeping services. The bookkeeper should possess at least the basic knowledge of the industry to which your enterprise belongs. It will reduce your learning curve as well. Apart from being a good communicator and computer literate, they should have an eye for detail and be a pro when it comes to job costing. A good bookkeeper keeps up with the events and has up to date financial details handy at all times. Make sure you have the monthly balance sheets, P n L and cash flow statements on your desk by the end of first week of the month following. It is the litmus test of efficiency and accuracy of your bookkeeper.

A successful enterprise starts with you. However, the people associated with it should be very proficient in what they do. We hope these tips will help you enhance your financial literacy and steer your enterprise towards success.

Rubbish Experts are Set to Give Their Competition a Run for Their Money

The rubbish clearance services in London have been gaining popularity like never before. With more and more people turning to rubbish removal services to get rid of the junk at their homes and offices, a number of new entrants are hitting the market.

Entering the market is easy; it’s the staying part that’s difficult. Modern-day customers are extremely conscious about the quality of service and the cost it involves. Keeping in mind the expectations of London’s people with regards to rubbish removal, Rubbish Experts offer innovative and fast service that comes with a competitive price tag.

Be it house clearance, loft clearance, garden waste, builders clearance or garage clearance, we complete all kinds of tasks with an utmost sense of responsibility and the aim of delivering excellence. It begins with an inspection followed by providing a free no compulsion quote. Once you are happy with the price, set an appointment with us for the time of your convenience. We then proceed ahead and declutter your place. It’s as simple as it sounds!

You can take a look at the testimonials written by our esteemed clientele on http://www.rubbishexperts.com. To get an instant quote, please file the Instant Quote Form on the website. We will be there with you soon to help you with the rubbish predicament!

How to Choose the Right Boiler Engineer?

Do you find the task of finding a qualified boiling engineer overwhelming? Be it installation, servicing or repairing your boiler, you would want to make sure that your appliance is in the right hands. Imagine the boiler installation going terribly wrong just because the engineer wasn’t competent enough at his job! Not only will it damage your boiler but also threaten the well-being of the people in your home, given the involvement of electricity or fuel in the matter.

It is, therefore, necessary that you pick the right engineer if you don’t want to risk it. Here are a few pointers for you that will help you choose a compliant and qualified boiler engineer to get the job well done.

Referrals and Reviews

The first thing that you should do is ask your friends and relatives for referrals of good boiler engineers. Since they are your well-wishers, you can trust their recommendation. If at all that doesn’t help, search the online business directories for companies operating in your area. You should be able to find reviews and feedbacks provided by their customers. The rules are simple. A good service provider doesn’t need to scream out loud about how good they are at their job. It’s the customers’ opinions that validate the quality of service the company provides.

Find a Registered Engineer

Boiler engineers are registered with various organizations depending on their specialization. What kind of registration you would want your boiler engineer to hold depends on the type of boiler you own.

·         Gas Boiler

If you have a boiler that runs on gas, you will need an engineer who is registered with the Gas Safe. These engineers are permitted to work on appliances that use gas. The Gas Safe is an association that supervises the quality and safety of the job performed by the engineers and has more than 12,000 registered engineers under its wing. Do not shy away from making sure the engineer holds a valid Gas Safe identity card, prior to hiring them.

·         Electric Boiler

Electric boilers must be installed, serviced and repaired only by the qualified electricians. By qualified electricians, we mean those who meet the terms of BS 7671: Requirements for Electrical Installations. Since these engineers are permitted to work legally, you won’t need to be losing your mind over the safety and quality of their service. Also, the boiler engineer should be an associate of either of the two organizations.

-          National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)

-          Electrical Contractors Association (ECA)

·         Oil-Fired Boilers

Oil-fired boilers are a customary choice among people living in areas devoid of sufficient supply of natural gas. These boilers use a combination of heating oil and biodiesel, which makes them more eco-friendly than their counterparts running on gas and electricity. Oil-fired boilers must be handled by engineers who comply with the standards set by OFTEC or the Oil Firing Technician Association. If you own an oil-fired boiler, make sure you hire only an OFTEC registered boiler engineer.

·         Solid Fuel Boilers

If you have one of those boilers feeding on wood or coal to heat your home, the engineer you hire should comply with the standard prescribed by HETAS. Only HETAS registered engineers are legally allowed to set up and service the solid fuel boilers.

Service Guarantee

Providing service guarantee to their customers signifies that a company is quality-oriented and holds accountability for the services rendered by its employees. This certainly reduces the risk factor and hence you would want to hire an engineer whose services are backed with a guarantee from the company. Imagine spending so much money on the repairs of your boiler only to see it break down within a few days due to the very same problem! Having a guarantee will ensure correct diagnosis and meticulous repairs and rectifying the problem in case the repair fails to hold up. It will ultimately save your money that you would have had to spend on the second repair.

Lastly, make sure the company you choose has valid public liability insurance. This is for the sake of your own financial benefit should anything go wrong. You can claim for damages and the company would not hesitate to pay off their liability.

We hope you found this guide useful and that the tips will come handy the next time you go hunting for a good boiler engineer.

Consumer Protection Agencies and Their Roles in Safeguarding Consumers’ Interest

The U.S. government has set up six consumer protection agencies to look after the welfare and well-being and safeguarding the interest of the consumers. It does so by laying down a set of rules for each industry, monitoring their manufacturing activities and operations and evaluating their products and services. If found deviating from the prescribed standards or violating the rights of the consumers, the concerned agency takes stringent action against the perpetrators through suitable means. In many cases, the agencies offer free legal help to the eligible candidates who are unable get legal representation.

Let’s take a look at the six consumer protection agencies that are often known collectively as the hexagon of protection.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Founded in the year 1972, The Consumer Product Safety Commission came into being under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The major area of focus for the CPSC is to safeguard the citizens from hazardous consumer products because of the unreasonable threat they pose to life and property. The independent government agency that reports directly to the Congress and the President achieves its aim by setting safety standards for consumer products and assessing the safety of such products from time to time. Recently, CPSC issued an order to initiate the recall of NVIDIA Shield because the batteries overheat, making it a fire hazard.

You can find more information about the regulations, safety standards, consumer education, research and statistics, latest news and the database of product recalls on http://www.cpsc.gov/.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA was formed in the year 1906. Its function is to protect public health by the way of keeping a check on cosmetic products, prescription and OTC drugs, biological products, medical devices, radiation-emitting devices, etc through its various dedicated centers. Food safety is yet another major function of the FDA. Besides, FDA is committed to promoting public health by conducting research in areas such as toxicology, veterinary medicine, medical devices, food safety and applied nutrition, women’s health etc. Recently, the FBA released a list of online drugstores selling counterfeit drugs. Please visit http://www.fda.gov/ to find in-depth information about the agency’s scope of operations.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

The CFPB is an independent agency that ensures protection of consumers’ interest in the arena of financial markets. Founded in the year 2011, the CFPB works closely with financial institutions like credits unions, banks, debt collectors, securities firms, and mortgage servicers etc. It intends is to protect the consumers from deceptive financial products and misleading financial practices. The CFPB works like a bridge between the borrowers finding it difficult to repay their loans and the debt counselors, by assisting the former to get in touch with the latter. You can check out the latest events and updates about the agency at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/. The website has a comprehensive Q & A section where you can find information about getting free legal help in case you need a legal representative.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The Federal Trade Commission was formed in the year 1914 and through the Federal Trade Commission Act. The agency through its antitrust laws works like a means to combat unlawful activities like price-fixing conspiracies and coercive monopoly that tend to threaten the competitiveness of the markets. The scope of FTC’s regulation now spans to marketing, telemarketing, advertising, privacy protection and identity protection as well. Did you know that it is the FTC who in charge of the United States National Do Not Call Registry? You can find more information about FTC at https://www.ftc.gov/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration came into being in the year 1970 as an executive branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It intends to safeguard the public from financial losses, injuries and death that result from vehicular collisions. It fulfills its purposes by laying down safety standards for motor vehicles with regards to their safety features and design, and monitoring if they are being followed. It also educates the masses about the hazards of drunk driving and the safety implications of vehicular equipment such as tires, seatbelts, child restraint seats and air bags etc. The agency recently released the name of a major automobile company for having faulty air bags in their cars. For more information, please visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/.

Securities Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Securities Exchange Commission was founded in 1934 by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This agency of US government regulates and monitors the country’s securities markets such as the stock exchanges, options exchanges, electronic securities markets, the entities involved in running the markets as well as their activities and procedures. The endeavor is to safeguard the interest of the investors, ensure fair practices in the securities markets and support capital augmentation. SEC lets the people know about its latest agenda and the progress through their website http://www.sec.gov/. Public investors can request free legal help pertaining to their securities disputes from the associated arbitration clinic.

The US government strives to protect consumers’ interest across various verticals of the economy through the hexagon of security and offers free legal representation wherever possible to eligible individuals. Apart from the above-mentioned websites, you can find a comprehensive result for free legal help at https://www.usa.gov/.