33 Fun Tax Facts!

33 Fun Tax Facts! 33 Fun Tax Facts! 33 Fun Tax Facts!Now that we’re smack in the middle of tax season, it’s probably time to take a break, right? That’s why we reached out to a group of tax experts and asked them for some of their favorite tax-related facts, tips, and trivia.Fair warning: the list gets kind of weird. Enjoy!“The word “tax” comes from the Latin taxo, which means “I estimate.” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.The motto of American colonists who participated in the Boston Tea Party was “no taxation without representation!” Because residents of Washington DC lack voting representation in Congress, their unofficial motto is “taxation without representation.” Don’t believe us? Check the receipts license plates.Uncle Sam wants you to be healthy! If you quit smoking, you can write off any smoking cessation products or programs. Have a life-threatening medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease? If a doctor signs off on it, you can write off diet/fitness products, classes, and programs. One person was able to write off the cost of their new pool because it was their form of exercise, as signed off by a doctor. However, if it was for recreational purposes, the IRS wouldnt accept it. â€" Ivy Chou, Content Director for DealsPlus.“Income tax didnt exist until the Civil War, in 1861, but the tax was actually disbanded in 1872 because it was deemed unconstitutional. It wasnt until 1913 when the constitution was changed, via the 16th amendment, that these taxes were again re-introduced.” Emilee Morehouse, SimpleKeep“There are more words in the tax code than there are in the Bible. The tax code is about 4 million words long.” â€" Marc Roche, Co-founder and CEO of Annuities HQ.“The first known taxes were in Sumer (Mesopotamia) almost 5,000 years ago. They were recorded on clay cones and paid in livestock.” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.The writing on the Rosetta Stone, a monumentally important artifact and the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, is mostly about taxes.“The IRS was created during World War II and that’s when the government starting withholding taxes from paychecks.” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.Al Capone was a famous Chicago mobster. He was eventually brought down by agents from the Treasury Department (this was pre-IRS) who were able to prove that he was avoiding income tax.“The IRS receives more than 130 million tax returns each year. Its surprising that theyre able to keep up! In 2016, Americans spent about 6.1 billion hours and $29.6 billion on tax preparation services and/or tax software like TurboTax and HR Block.” â€" Ivy Chou, Content Director for DealsPlus.“In the 1st century, the Roman emperor taxed urine. It was collected for the ammonia and use to launder garments and tan hides.” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.In 2011, the country of Romania was trying to pull itself out of a steep recession, decided to add a new profession to the country’s labor code, making it subject taxation. The profession? Witchcraft.“During the Great Depression, twelve states collected only fractions of a penny on sales of low-price items. For a product that only costs 10 cents, for example, the tax due was less than a penny. To avoid Americans being overcharged, in a time where that amount could be critical, tokens were generally used with some multiple of 1/10 of a cent.” Susan Petracco, Co-Founder of AccurateTax.comDouble amputees in Oregon get a $50 tax credit. Single amputees? They get bupkus.“The IRS has more people working for it than the Federal Bureau of Investigation!” â€" Marc Roche, Co-founder and CEO of Annuities HQ.So-called “sin taxes” are taxes on things like tobacco, gambling and alcohol. Their proper name is “excise taxes.”“Speaking of income tax, if we think taxes are bad now, we should take a gander back to WWII when tax levels rose to 94% for wealthy Americans. Talk about burning through your (very well padded) paychecks!” Emilee Morehouse, SimpleKeepUp until President Trump’s controversial decision to withhold his tax returns, every presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter had released theirs during the campaign.“Get creative with your business expenses. A businessman deducted the cost of beer, a stripper her breast implants, and a work-at-home business owner deducted the costs of his lawn care. If it benefits your business in any way, you can probably write it off.” Ivy Chou, Content Director for DealsPlus.“Here’s the story about the stripper who deducted her boob job and ended up in tax court. Her name was Cynthia Hess (aka “Chesty Love”) and she originally deducted the surgery as a medical expense as a medical expense. The IRS disallowed it because cosmetic surgery that isn’t to correct a disfigurement or for life-saving purposes is not deductible. The higher court allowed the expense but no t as a medical expense. They allowed it as a bona fide ordinary and necessary business expense.” â€" Bonnie Lee, E.A., Owner of  Taxpertise“In the 1600s and 1700s in England, there was a tax on the number of windows in a house. (This was repealed in the 1800s because people started to get sick from living in homes with a lack of air, due to having limited windows.)” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.“In England there is a tax on televisions. Color televisions are taxed more than black and white televisions, and if a blind person has a television they only have to pay half the tax. Truly bizarre!”  â€" Max Robinson, Jumpstart TaxSeveral European nations have a tax on cow flatulence. It’s actually very important because methane gas is one of the main greenhouse gases that causes climate change. But still: cow flatulence.“Over 1 million accountants are hired each year in America to help with taxes.” â€" Marc Roche, Co-founder and CEO of Annuities HQ .†œThe Russian Emperor Peter the Great taxed beards. (He wanted men to be clean shaven.)” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting.“New York City has the highest corporate income tax in the world.” â€" Marc Roche, Co-founder and CEO of Annuities HQ.Texas has a “Sexually-Oriented Business Fee” that charges strip clubs that serve alcohol $5-per-patron. Of course, it’s most commonly referred to by a different name: the pole tax. Revenue raised to the tax goes to health care and programs for victims of sexual assault.“One of the causes of the French Revolution was a salt tax (the gabelle).” Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax Consulting .In 1982, Madison Square Garden was granted a 10-year property tax abatement. However, a clerical error led to the abatement being permanent. This has cost New York City approximately $200 million in tax revenue.“In an effort to keep citizens healthy, France imposed a soda tax on all carbonated soft drinks in 2012. Theyre no w about 3.5% more expensive than other drinks. But with all that wine, why would you even bother?” Emilee Morehouse, SimpleKeepIf you were going simply by tax documents, 7 million US children disappeared in 1987â€"the same year that the IRS started requiring that parents list their children’s Social Security numbers on their taxes.“Are you a drug dealer, thief, or corrupt official? The IRS wants to tax your dirty money, too. You can include your income on Form 1040, line 21, or on Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) if youre self-employed. As part of the Fifth Amendment, you have no obligation to disclose where the money came from. Now the question is, how many thieves and drug dealers are honest enough to pay up?” Ivy Chou, Content Director for DealsPlus.In 1935, the US tax code’s highest income tax bracket (63 percent) applied to only one person: Nelson Rockefeller, who earned over $5 million the previous year.If you need help self-filing your own taxes in 2017, ch eck out our blog post: Ready, Set, Deduct! and our ebook Tax Season 101: An OppLoans Explainer eBook.About the Contributors:Ivy Chou,  Ivy Chou is the content director at DealsPlus.com, one of the most popular shopping, coupon, and deal sites on the web. As a self-proclaimed shopaholic, she loves sharing her coupon-ing expertise and money-saving tips with fellow shoppers.Bonnie Lee, For over 20 years, as the owner of Taxpertise and as an Enrolled Agent, Lee has represented taxpayers across the country in audits, offers in compromise, tax problem resolution, and non-filing issues. She specializes in resolving tax problems for independent contractors, the self-employed and small business owners.Emilee Morehouse,  is a marketing maven dedicated to finding fresh ways to bring people together â€" a fancy way of saying she’s obsessed with social media. With a BA in Journalism, she worked as Managing Editor for The Exploress, then joined the team at SimpleKeep; bringing the worlds of mar keting, small business and finance closer together. In her spare time you can find Emilee on Twitter, travel blogging, painting or exploring her home city of Seattle, WA.Susan Petracco, is Co-Founder of AccurateTax.com, where she manages partner integrations and development. With a background of fifteen years in e-commerce, she has worked with large brands including Talbots, Serta, and Avid, as well as many smaller retailers. This experience consulting for retailers brought the need for more advanced sales tax solutions to her attention, leading to the founding and subsequent growth of AccurateTax.Max Robinson  works for Jumpstart Tax, an RD tax claim provider based in Scotland. Jumpstart pride themselves on bringing a bit more personality to their work than other tax specialists, and believe that this is why theyve managed to establish such a loyal following.Marc Roche, is the Co-founder and CEO of Annuities HQ an online resource for information and rates on annuities and retiremen t planning. Working steadily in the financial services, online marketing and lead generation industry for over eight years, Marc has had literally thousands of conversations concerning annuities with prospective buyers and advisors.A forward-thinking entrepreneur and passionate family man, Josh Zimmelman graduated from Yeshiva University in 2003 with a degree in accounting. Josh launched his own launch his own firm Westwood Tax and Consulting  and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Newsday, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and US News World Report.

Understanding Relative Frequency Histograms

In statistics, there are many terms that have subtle distinctions between them. One example of this is the difference between frequency and relative frequency. Although there are many uses for relative frequencies, there is one in particular that involves a relative frequency histogram. This is a type of graph that has connections to other topics in statistics and mathematical statistics. Definition Histograms are statistical graphs that look like bar graphs. Typically, however, the term histogram is reserved for quantitative variables. The horizontal axis of a histogram is a number line containing classes or bins of uniform length. These bins are intervals of a number line where data can fall and can consist of a single number (typically for discrete data sets that are relatively small) or a range of values (for larger discrete data sets and continuous data). For example, we may be interested in considering the distribution of scores on a 50 point quiz for a class of students. One possible way to construct the bins would be to have a different bin for every 10 points. The vertical axis of a histogram represents the count or frequency that a data value occurs in each of the bins. The higher the bar is, the more data values fall into this range of bin values. To return to our example, if we there are five students who scored more than 40 points on the quiz, then the bar corresponding to the 40 to 50 bin will be five units high. Frequency Histogram Comparison A relative frequency histogram is a minor modification of a typical frequency histogram. Rather than using a vertical axis for the count of data values that fall into a given bin, we use this axis to represent the overall proportion of data values that fall into this bin. Since 100% 1, all bars must have a height from 0 to 1. Furthermore, the heights of all of the bars in our relative frequency histogram must sum to 1. Thus, in the running example that we have been looking at, suppose that there are 25 students in our class and five have scored more than 40 points. Rather than constructing a bar of height five for this bin, we would have a bar of height 5/25 0.2. Comparing a histogram to a relative frequency histogram, each with the same bins, we will notice something. The overall shape of the histograms will be identical. A relative frequency histogram does not emphasize the overall counts in each bin.  Instead, this type of graph focuses on how the number of data values in the bin relates to the other bins.  The way that it shows this relationship is by percentages of the total number of data values. Probability Mass Functions We may wonder what the point is in defining a relative frequency histogram. One key application pertains to discrete random variables where our bins are of width one and are centered about each nonnegative integer. In this case, we can define a piecewise function with values corresponding to the vertical heights of the bars in our relative frequency histogram. This type of function is called a probability mass function. The reason for constructing the function in this way is that the curve that is defined by the function has a direct connection to probability. The area underneath the curve from the values a to b is the probability that the random variable has a value from a to b. The connection between probability and area under the curve is one that shows up repeatedly in mathematical statistics. Using a probability mass function to model a relative frequency histogram is another such connection.

Just Like Us by Helen Thorpe Essay - 1172 Words

Just like Us by Helen Thorpe was on systematic study of four young Mexican women growing up in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado with two of the women living in the country as legal residents and the other two living as undocumented. The definition of sociology is defined as â€Å"the systematic study behavior and human groups.† (Scheuble, 2014). Thus definition and can be directly applied the Thorpe’s novel and specifically to the illegal immigrant status of the girls. Throughout her novel she explores situations and problems that occur in America specifically relating to illegal immigrants. For example Thorpe goes on to write about how Yadira was forced into purchasing a fake social security card through the black market. After Raà ºl Gà ³mez†¦show more content†¦Marisela fell under this category of youths that could not further themselves and their education due to their illegal status. Marisela had been a victim of being a proletariat since she did not have legal status and was struggling to become a citizen which would characterize her as bourgeoisie. Furthermore, when Marisela went off to college to the University of Denver she meets a boy named Luke who happens to have strong opinions on the subject of immigration. Luke felt that the United States would be better off if somebody could stop illegal immigrants from pouring across the southern border. He stated that the reason the country was poor was due to illegal immigrants taking all of the jobs and that the government should secure its borders and block new people from coming in as well as have the immigrants who are already here make a stronger effort to get legalized. (Thorpe, 2009 p. 118). Luke was coming from the point of a bourgeoisie, someone who has had no problems of experiencing what it was like to struggle to afford to be in the country or experience what it was like to live in the country with no papers. Coming from the side of the proletariat, Marisela tried to explai n to Luke the difficulties of retrieving papers as well as the hardships that many illegal immigrants face living in the United States. In Just Like Us the sociological concept of alienation is highlighted during a conversation between Helen Thorpe andShow MoreRelatedJust Like Us1218 Words   |  5 PagesArgumentative Essay about Helen Thorpe’s Just Like Us Just Like Us by Helen Thorpe is â€Å"The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America.† The story revolves around four high school students; Marisela who is a gaudy, driven, dramatic girl who wears â€Å"twice as much makeup as anybody else in her circle.†(8) Yadira who is a strong and reserved girl who â€Å"never gave away anything important with her facial expressions.†(8) Elissa is a star athlete and Clara usually dresses like a tomboy. They areRead MoreEssay on Just Like Us2068 Words   |  9 PagesCynthia Camacho Vindrola Steven Mayers English 1A 06/09/2013 Just Like Us The immigration problem in America has been dividing the document and undocumented people, in the book Just Like Us, by Helen Thorpe, she tells the story of four Mexican – American girls who live in Denver Colorado. Marisela and Yadira, were born in Mexico and are undocumented while Clara was born in Mexico too it is a permanent resident, and Elissa is a U.S citizen. They are best friend and their relationship it is notRead MoreBernie Sanders : A Strong, Democratic Standpoint?1210 Words   |  5 Pagesaddressed by Bernie’s plan. In the book, Just Like Us by Helen Thorpe, the author follows the lives of 4 young Latinos, two of which were legal, and the other two illegal. The book goes through their everyday issues, and their immigration issues. A girl named Yadira was illegal, and so was her mom. Her mom was using a false identity, and got caught and sent back to Mexico. When she left, Yadira’s younger sister lived with her, alone in an apartment. Helen talks abo ut how this tore the family apartRead MoreA Strong, Democratic Stand Point, By Bernie Sanders1212 Words   |  5 Pagesaddressed by Bernie’s plan. In the book, Just Like Us by Helen Thorpe, the author follows the lives of 4 young Latinos, two of which were legal, and the other two illegal. The book goes through their everyday issues, and their immigration issues. A girl named Yadira was illegal, and so was her mom. Her mom was using a false identity, and got caught and sent back to Mexico. When she left, Yadira’s younger sister lived with her, alone in an apartment. Helen talks about how this tore the family apartRead MoreIs Bernie Sanders A Better Opportunity For All People?1308 Words   |  6 Pagescountry illegally. Sanders stands for equality for all Americans, not only the ones with papers. This candidate stands for an America that takes pride in caring for thy neighbor and being a haven for the oppressed. Bernie Sanders stands with us, not against us. Currently in the United States, there are eleven million undocumented people living here. â€Å"4.1 million† (Undocumented Americans.) of these immigrants have grown up here and considered themselves Americans. They believe in the American dream

Nigeria Labor Practices and Policies Free Essays

string(35) " of the entire population in 1985\." For the past years the company has been experiencing hampered development in terms of production and distribution of our clothing line. This slow setback has been seen as a result of inadequate marketing railing against exposure and product brand recall. Erroneous decisions in market positioning have also been some of the factors that resulted to poor outcome thus hindering the company’s gain for profit. We will write a custom essay sample on Nigeria Labor Practices and Policies or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper is geared towards exploring new avenues with regards to new locations in the clothing line market. We would try to investigate three referred locations in countries in Latin America and Africa, namely Bolivia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. As part of our initial recommendation, this paper would be focusing its first part of the report to the country of Nigeria. Based on preliminary investigation done, Nigeria is being viewed as the most conducive and most advantageous among the three countries in this case study. All of the necessary issues and concerns would be tackled and be briefly discussed on the foregoing items. Like any other sovereign country, labor policies in Nigeria are being controlled and monitored by the government. Labor union practices are allowed by the state, as part of the international community, Nigeria has signed and ratified the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) convention on freedom of association and the creation of labor union. however, prior (military) rulers recognized a single central labor body, the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC), thereby de-legitimizing other unions. Except for members of the armed forces and selected employees essential by the government, Nigerian workers in all levels may join trade unions and strike. Employees essential to government operations include firefighters, police, employees of the central bank, the security printers (printers of currency, passports, and government forms), and customs and excise staff. Collective bargaining is widespread in many sectors of the economy. Nigerian law specifically the Nigerian Industrial Courts, an independent arm of the judiciary protects workers from retaliation by employers for labor activity. In terms of the protection of Nigerian Children against child labor, Nigeria’s 1974 labor decree prohibits employment of children under 15 years of age in commerce and industry and restricts other child labor to home-based agricultural or domestic work. The law further stipulates that no person under the age of 16 may be employed for more than eight hours per day. The decree allows the apprenticeship of youths under specific conditions Labor laws in Nigeria also enforce strict compliance on the safety of its workers. Just compensation for injured workers and dependent survivors of those killed in industrial accidents are rigorously being imposed on employers. Cultural Attitude Towards Women and Children As in many ethnically diverse countries, women’s role in Nigeria is based on ethnic and regional differences. Majority of the Nigerian women that are still secluded under Islamic beliefs and principles are commonly less educated and sometimes hindered from formal education. Most of urban Nigerian Women are working as stall vendors operating small stalls. Even in elite families of the society, Nigerian women’s presence in social gatherings and other functions are either non-existent or very controlled. However, in contemporary times Nigerian women’s presence in modern society is rising but is still a long foreseeable future for Nigerian women’s role in a country dominated by the principles of old of the male gender. Children are treated as a part of the minority of the society. As mentioned on labor laws being enforced by the government, children are allowed to work providing they are not below 16 years old. In western nations the legal working age of children or minors are 18 and above, this fact just shows that opportunities for children to work is open at a younger age in Nigeria. At present, Nigerian fashion is greatly influenced by both Nigerian ethnic culture and western influence. The presence of diverse style in terms of influences has come a long way in Nigerian fashion. Many noted personalities in the country evolved as icon in the Nigerian fashion industry, many of them have international recognition. Nigeria has designers like Maufechi, Divine, Monami, Kess Jabari, Meggito to mention a few. The presence of Nollywood, the cinematic center of Nigeria similar to that of Hollywood serves as a typical role model to the existing fashion statements in Nigeria. Opral Benson, an African fashion designer par excellence describes fashion as; â€Å"Fashion is continuously changing. You cannot compare the fashions of these days†¦.. Fashion is something which is local, national and international. In short, fashion all over the world is a quite dynamic phenomenon. Fashion trends evolves from ethnic to modern styles, rejuvenating the fashion of early years in Africa towards the influences from Europe and Western countries specifically Afro-American fashion statements from the US. Famous brands from western designers like Versace and Tommy Hill Figger is presently being adored by upper class society in Nigeria, thus only proving that blends in fashion is striving gracefully in the country. Nigeria being the most populated country in the African Continent is considered as a third world developing country. Its people are ethnically divided and have some 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich diversity. According to Country Studies, US ; About 70 percent of all Nigerians were still living in farming villages in 1990, although the rural dwellers formed a shrinking proportion of the later force. It was among these people that ways of life remained deeply consistent with the past. Nigerian economy is at its recovery and development stage and is presently undergoing massive reforms to uplift the countries economic standing. The importance of formal education has been one of the primary concerns of the Nigerian Federal Republic and has become the largest social program of the government. At present more than 47% of the age group of 5 to 14 years old have attended primary to secondary schools. The secondary level age-group (ages fifteen to twenty- four) represented approximately 16 percent of the entire population in 1985. You read "Nigeria Labor Practices and Policies" in category "Papers" English is the official mode of instruction above the secondary level of education. Federal Republic is the form of government of Nigeria. Historically, Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 after a sixteen-year-long interruption by a corrupt and brutal series of military dictators and counter-coups. Corruption is still one of the worse problems that the government is facing. Nevertheless and as always in a third world government, new reforms are being undertaken to subdue art of this problem. The Club of Paris considers the economic reforms and policies of the present government under the leadership of President Olu gun ? basanj? is being considered strong and formidable. With a positive outlook, it must be important to note that the prevailing advantageous situation existing in the Federal Government of Nigeria is in sum conducive and serves as a credible prospect to establish a boutique and a manufacturing plant. The existing labor laws of the country are favorable to the type of employment that the plant will need in its operations. The improving educational level of attainment and literacy rate of the prospective employees will be a key factor in streamlining plant and factory operations. The countries demographics being the largest population in West Africa and social conditions as mentioned on previous case finding points out considerably fair in attaining production growth in terms of sales and distribution of primary clothing line. Government reform policies in its economy and foreign policies will trigger our company’s goal to expand and export high quality products produced in the Nigerian based manufacturing plant. Last but not the least, the high fashion sense of Nigerians in terms of garments, in diverse influence and style will be a vast market for our products. The presence of a moving industry like Hollywood will serve as a high level market trend setter that would provide consistent promotion of our clothing line. In summation, Nigeria will not only serve as a good place to establish a manufacturing plant but will also provide the company s a vast market to distribute our products. A country situated in central South America with the present Unity Government headed by President Evo Morales of the Movement Towards Socialism (MTS) Party. The country is highly dominated by indigenous people of Bolivia comprising almost 65% of its population. Bolivia experienced several military government takeovers in the past 5 decades. In terms of Economy, Bolivia is one of the least developed countries in South America and remains to be the poorest among its neighboring nations. Around 65% of the countries population are considered agriculturally dependent and still lives in poverty. The social condition of Bolivia hinders its opportunity to grow as nation. With a large number of grievances coming from the majority of Bolivian indigenous people, ranging from issues like poverty, labor disputes, political issues among other things. Bolivia is still experiencing traditional division of classes of which the working class remains to be in destitute. Political instability has been also a great factor in the slugging economy of the country. The presence of several political parties with contradicting policies and principles thwarts the countries emancipation from political turmoil. Disputes between labor and the state deepened under military rule. Bolivia was a country torn apart by regional, ethnic, class, economic, and political divisions. In terms of education, the present negative standing of Bolivian Government delays the development of general education in the country. Data from US Country Studies on Bolivia detects; Dropout rates also remained extremely high. Only one-third of first graders completed the fifth grade, 20 percent started secondary school, 5 percent began their postsecondary studies, and just 1 percent received a university degree. Dropout rates were higher among girls and rural children. Only about 40 percent of rural youngsters continued their education beyond the third grade. Since poverty is the primary problem of the country, the overall spending of an average family relatively allotted to basic necessities such as food and shelter. Overall the obstructing difficulties surrounding Bolivia’s national predicament and dilemma have made our conclusion that the country is the least among the three case study countries to establish a manufacturing plant and boutique. A country founded in the midst of racial difficulties, diversified religion and relatively unstable political system. Having a similar caste system as India, its mother nation, social divisions have had a direct and weighty impact on politics. These obstacles have produced several civil wars and created dent on the national standing of Sri Lanka for the past decades. Ethnic rivalries also add unstable issues among political parties. Unsound political situation and issues regarding security have been a part of the struggle of the economic standing of Sri Lanka. Violence has continued to dominate its criminal and justice system. Enforcement of labor laws and policies are still being considered by analyst as inconsistent. Labor unions are highly politicized with a variety of organizations representing different political parties. With regards to factory and manufacturing operations, certain holidays, cultural and practices such as the working time frame of women deter and delays production. Education, however, have been a primary concern of the government. In the modern educational system of Sri Lanka, within the last four decades the rate of literacy went up to 46%, the number of schools increased by 50%. Teachers place second as part of the government workforces next to the plantation workers. With some positive notes on the standing of Sri Lanka, still the matter of security risk and political and social class instability contributes highly to the reason why our team rejected the country as a prospective location to set up and establish future manufacturing plant and boutique for our new clothing line. If such conditions and issues would be addressed in the near future, Sri Lanka might be considered and be included in future studies. How to cite Nigeria Labor Practices and Policies, Papers

The Power of College Admissions Data is Now at Your Fingertips

Everyone considers college admissions to be a black box. To crack the secret formula that will get you admitted to notoriously selective schools, such as Harvard and Stanford, is today’s holy grail for ultra-competitive applicants. Has anyone gotten close?Well, there are some resources that calculate your admission chances based on your grades and test scores. (Naviance, for example, shows you how your GPA and SAT stack up against other students’.) Others match you with potential schools based on your stats or your preferences. Before , evaluating the strength of your application was limited. Your candidacy was boiled down to your numbers. But you’re so much more than the sum of your numbers.At , we see the value of evaluating an application in its entirety. Plenty of students get perfect scores and don’t get into top schools. Plenty of students fall below the median scores but are admitted on other qualifications. We came up with a holistic way to take the soft elements of your application into account. With our data insights, you can now discover potential target, safety and reach schools. You can compare schools: if a student is accepted to both USC and UCLA, which one do more people choose to attend? We even provide the traditional GPA vs. SAT/ACT scatterplot you know so well. But we’ve revamped it. Now, you can toggle between those accepted, rejected and waitlisted. Better yet, you can even view the actual profiles of the students who fall into each category. With all this data now at your fingertips, you can analyze admissions trends to your heart’s desire. Have you ever felt so powerful? We’re so excited to share this new feature with you and hope you have fun with it. Making more informed decisions about college has never been this easy.

LVMH Moët Hennessy

LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Illustration of the development of ERP in the organization Statement of scope objectives Company Name: LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton Line of Business: It sells a variety of luxury products such as wines spirits, fashion leather goods, perfumes cosmetics, watches jewelry, etc. The initiation of Enterprise Resource Planning System Project The LVMH operated for several years and merged with several companies leading to the formation of the present LVMH Corporation. After the merger, the company had a growth and expansion strategy. Now, the LVMH has more than 2,500 stores worldwide. As its retail network is all over the world, the control of information is very important to the company. The Enterprise Resource Planning System may help the company to have a better control of the information so that the compan y may have more competitive advantages (Funding universe 2011). Problems The distribution and maintenance of inventory: As the fact that the company sells luxury products, the distribution and maintenance of inventory is very important to the company. Every year, the company has lots of cost for the damage and the loss of the inventory. A company should take actions to reduce this cost (Funding universe 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Meet customer’s desires in time: Things like fashion can change rapidly. The company needs to know what the trend is now and what the customers’ wants are. As the retails are all over the world, different fashion trend exists in different countries. The company should be able to adjust the change of customers’ desires in time (Funding universe 2011). The negative influences of economic downturn: Nowadays, t he economy is getting worse. Less people are willing to buy luxury products. This may hit the company harshly. Customers and suppliers may be bankrupted suddenly without informing the company. The company should keep their information updated to know the change of its economic environment (Funding universe 2011). Monitoring of employees: The Company now has more than 80,000 employees, 77% of whom are based outside France, share Group’s values. The company is aiming to be creative and innovate and aim for product excellence. This requires that the employee of the company should be creative. The employee of product design must have a high sense of fashion trend. Managers must be sure that they are using a qualified person for the job. The company also aims to build a good image of the company. This also requires that employees must be integral and moral. Behaviours like stealing or fraud are highly restricted (Funding universe 2011). Opportunity Reducing costs of damage or loss of inventory: The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems may help the company to keep track of each product. Managers may be able to keep track of their transactions. Fraud may be reduced. Problems of distributing products may be revealed so that managers may take actions to solve problems (Smith and Raspin 2007). Better customer satisfaction: The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems may help the company to acknowledge the change of the fashion trend in time. Designers of the products may be able to make changes of their design in time to meet customers’ desires. The customer satisfaction would be increased. Customers may choose the company over its competitors. Potential customers may become their customers and existed customers may be more loyal to the company (Porter 1985). Get prepared for the impact of the economic downturn: The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems may help the company to get ready for the economic downturn. The systems may help the company to develop clo ser relationships between the company and its customers and suppliers. Sometimes, customers may use the instalment plan to buy products. If they go bankrupt, the company will not get the money.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the ERP System, the company may see this situation in advance and negotiate with the customer to find a way to get the money. And the company must develop close relationships with suppliers as well. Luxury products require high quality materials. It would be difficult for companies to find substitutes in a short time if a supplier told them that he went bankrupt. The ERP Systems may help the company to get prepared for this situation (Smith and Raspin 2007). Better monitoring and controlling of employee: The Enterprise Systems Planning Systems may help the company to get a better internal control of the company. Employee s’ performances may be monitored and evaluated easily with the ERP Systems (Funding universe 2011). Business benefits The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems may help the company to get a better internal and external control. Managers may know what is happening within the company with the ERP Systems. Communications between different departments may become more efficient and direct. The ERP Systems enable the company to keep track of its products. Fraud may be reduced. The costs of damage and loss of inventory may be reduced. Problems of distributing products may be revealed and solved. The ERP Systems also help managers to monitor and evaluate employees’ performances (Birkholz 2004). The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems may help the company to get more competitive advantages. It may help the company to get more customers and increase customer satisfaction. Customers may choose the company over its competitor. The company may also have track of the materials. They may be able to pay their suppliers. In long-term business, this may help the company to develop a better relationship between them and its suppliers. They may be able to get materials with lower price. It also helps the company to reduce its costs (Birkholz 2004). System Capabilities The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems aim to reduce and eliminate the wastage of labor and costs during the manufacturing and selling based on the market’s and customer’s needs so that the internal and external resources can be optimized (Porter 1985).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To managers, the ERP Systems enable them to make responds to any emergencies more efficiently. It also helps managers to make the right decisions and forecast the irregular situations. Managers may be able to communicate with their customers and suppliers more efficiently (Angwin and Smith 2007). To material purchase department, the EPR Systems can help them to make right purchase plans. They are able to purchase right quantity and quality of materials at the right places and time with right price. This may reduce the costs of the products. The information on the materials can be tracked (Smith and Raspin 2007). To inventory storage, the inventory turnover may be increased. Overstock may be reduced or eliminated. The information of the stock can be tracked as well. Managers may be aware of the situation of inventory clearly, directly and easily. Disposal of expired goods can be made in time (Angwin and Smith 2007). To sale department, the ERP Systems may help them to establish custo mers’ files so that the company may develop close relationships with its customer and get feedbacks from them. This may also help to increase company’s customer service. The management of selling may be easier and more efficient for the managers. With the internal sharing of information within the company, other department managers such as manufacturing and product design department can make plans based on customers’ needs. The company may know whether their customers are able to pay the money as well (Angwin and Smith 2007). The ERP Systems enable the company to allocate its resources such as human resources, financial resources, equipments and information to the right department. In this way, the supply chain may be more efficient. The productivity may be increased. The costs may be reduced (Angwin and Smith 2007). Company information The company was established in 1987. Now, it has over 2,500 stores all over the world. The revenue of the company is primarily from Europe, United State and Asia (Funding universe 2011). Business transaction types: The LVMH sells a variety of luxury products. It sells wines spirits, fashion leather goods, perfumes cosmetics, watches jewellery, selective retailing. According to the financial documents of LVMH, in 2011, they sold 174.9 million bottles of wines and spirits (including 55.5million bottles of champagne, 63.5million bottles of cognac, 41.8million bottles of still and sparkling wines and 14.1million bottles of other spirits). They also got 8,712million euro for selling fashion and leather goods, 3,195million euro for selling perfumes and cosmetics, 1,949million euro for selling watches and jewellery, and 6,436million euro for selling selective retailing (Funding universe 2011). Objectives Improving the communication between departments The Enterprise Resource Planning Systems centralize company’s information. All departments share the information. This improves the communication of depar tments. For example, the LVMH focus on luxury products. Sensing the change of fashion trend is very important to the company. The customer service department can get customers’ feedbacks by establishing customers’ profiles. They can know what customers like and what they do not like. They are close to the customers. If the fashion trend has changed, or the products do not please customers, customer service department would know. They can share this information within the company (Angwin and Smith 2007). The product design department would see this information and have a meeting to decide if they should change the design and how to change the design. They make plans and managers decide whether to take the plans or not. Once the new product is sold, customer service can wait and get feedbacks from customers again. This may help the company to gain customer satisfaction and being the leader of new fashion. High efficiency communication between departments enables the comp any to make response to the changes rapidly (Freeman 2010). Improving financial management and cost management In the downturn of the economy, many people go bankrupt including those people who used to be very rich. The LVMH sells luxury products. Part of its customers uses mortgages to buy products. If customers go bankrupt, the company would have lots of bad debts. They cannot get the money. This would make a big loss of the company (Funding universe 2011). Although customer service department has customers’ profile to see if they can pay the money, they may not inform the financial department in time. So the company lost the best chance to reclaim the money. Using the Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, the financial department is able to monitor customers’ pay back as well. This may enable them to take action to deal with those debts in advance (Freeman 2010). The ERP Systems may also improve the company’s cost management. For example, the manufacturing de partment can decide the quantity of products they are going to produce based on the information shared by the customer service. As the fact that the LVMH produce luxury products, the cost of products is higher than other regular products. And due to the reason that the products which are out of fashion are not easily selling and they may end up with being sold at a very low price which make a loss for the company, the company must strictly control the quantity of products they plan to produce. The ERP Systems may help the company avoid purchasing surplus materials. The cost of material may be reduced (Freeman 2010). Establishing a high efficient supply chain The supply chain includes the material supply, product design, manufacturing, products distributing and selling. The ERP Systems centralize all the information from all the departments. One change from the part of the supply chain can be informed to other parts (Angwin and Smith 2007). This enables other parts to make response r apid. The manufacturing and selling of the products can be more efficient than before. The improvement and maintenance of equipments can be reported to the directors directly (Freeman 2010). Feasibility report and relevant to business strategy Technical feasibility ERP system may be effective in the company due to several reasons, for instance, integration of functions. ERP system enables integration of both departmental and individual functions. It also enhances easy tracking of work flow among departments and branches of the respective organization. This is effective in reduction in cost of operation hence increases profit level. Furthermore, it also establishes a unified reporting system within an organization. It can also further be developed and used in the provision of business intelligence services or functions (Angwin and Smith 2007). Therefore, the organization should adopt and effectively implement the system to gain competitive advantage over other companies in the indust ry and achieve its growth strategy at reduced costs. The ERP system is a technological system. This system has been used by other organizations in the past especially those that respond to technological developments and advancements. Since LVMH had effectively implemented website selling, and increased its efficiency. The company can easily implement ERP system and enhance operation. Technology is basically tested before being approved for use. Similarly, ERP system has been tested by developers, and like website selling ERP is workable. Therefore, considering the ERP system is cost effective because it will assist LVMH reduce operation costs, it will be easy to implement it. Furthermore, it is efficient because it increases efficiency in operation (Angwin and Smith 2007). Economical feasibility The ERP system is based on technology. Its implementation requires finances like any other project that an organization may initiate. However, implementation costs may differ due to differen tials in the nature of projects. LVMH has implemented technological strategy in the past, for instance, a website selling. This is an indication that the company is aware of the nature and requirements of implementing a technological system. Furthermore, the company has an overview of the expected costs and time in implementation of such projects because it had implemented a technological system in the past, website selling (Funding universe 2011). Therefore, ERP system may be effectively implemented by LVMH and made operational in the organization. This is because the management of the company may apply procedures they used in implementation of websites selling in implementing ERP systems. Website selling and ERP system are related because they are technological systems hence can be implemented similarly. Moreover, the company may implement the ERP system at lower costs because the company already has a technological system in operation hence implementation of ERP system may only r equire few updates of the existing website selling system. Considering the financial status of the company and the cost of implementing an ERP system, the system can be implemented by the company. This is because it requires limited finances to implement while the company has adequate finances, which it can use in implementing the system without strain or affecting its operations (Koontz and Weihrich 2007). Operational feasibility ERP systems are among the systems that developed in operations due to technological advancements. The system greatly increases efficiency in operation due to several reasons. The system involves control of different departments and coordination of different branches or offices in different geographical locations. This will assist the company reduce its cost of operation and management. The company has a strategy of enhancing operation and ensuring it maintains its profit level in the industry. This system can easily be implemented in the operation of the o rganization due to several reasons apart from the strategies developed by the company. The system can be easily introduced and implemented in the company considering customers’, employees’, management and suppliers’ willingness in embracing technological use (Smith and Raspin 2008). In the recent past, technological development and use have greatly increased and most customers prefer services offered technological. This is because most consumers have subscribed to internet services and are well versed with technological use. The ERP system is a technological system and uses several technological concepts. Considering increased knowledge of technological services and use by most consumers (Funding universe 2011). This system can be easily introduced and implemented. This is because consumers can easily adapt to the new system considering they are well versed with technological applications. It will also be easier to introduce the system among consumers. Furthermo re, since most consumers are well versed with technological applications, it will be easy for the company to easily introduce the system and start using it efficiently (Smith and Raspin 2008). LVMH has in the past embraced technological use in operations. It is also among the first companies to introduce online selling through the company website. Technological applications are basically approved by the management team. Furthermore, introduction of online selling through the company website was introduced by the management of the company. This is a clear indication that the management of the company may easily enhance implementation of the system considering they had implemented a technological application in operation. Moreover, the management is in charge of operations in an organization, and introduction of any change in the organization must require their approval (Funding universe 2011). Management of LVMH has also portrayed willingness in implementation of strategies that can enhance the performance of the organization. Therefore, the management may easily approve implementation of the system in the company. Additionally, the management is in charge of overseeing the achievement of organizational goals and objectives, and adoption or implementation of ERP system may enable the company to achieve its goal of gaining competitive advantage in the industry where it operates. This is because ERP enhances service delivery to customers (Angwin and Smith 2007). In an organization, human resources are considered the most important resource. Implementation of ERP at LVMH requires an employees’ willingness because the introduction of the new system directly affects their operation in the business entity. LVMH frequently and consistently responds to technological developments and advancements. This is because it offers updated services technologically. Therefore, its employees are well versed with technological advancements and introduction of new operational methods. Since its employees have always embraced these changes and increased quality of services to customers, it is evident that LVMH employees can effectively enhance implementation of ERP in the organization (Angwin and Smith 2007). This is because the employees are flexible and easily adapts to changes in operation. Therefore, considering the flexible nature of LVMH employees in operation, it is evident that they can easily adapt to the new system and enhance its implementation in operations in the organization. This can enhance operations in the company because employees are willing to implement the system. Basically, LVMH employees will enhance the implementation of ERP system because strategies of the company embrace technological developments and advancements incorporation in operation to increase efficiency (Angwin and Smith 2007). Organizational strategies especially long term are applicable to both employees and suppliers. Therefore, suppliers are adequately informed an d trained by organizations when necessary in case it intends to introduce changes in operation. This is because suppliers are also part of an organization hence contributes to achievement of goals and objectives. LVMH adequately informs their suppliers and keeps them updated on changes that may affect operations in the organization (Angwin and Smith 2007). Furthermore, its suppliers supported the introduction of website selling, which is a technological selling technique. This is an indicator that its suppliers also embrace technological application in operation. Therefore, since its suppliers supported website selling and are adequately informed on technological changes and advancements, they might easily support implementation of ERP. Furthermore, suppliers operate in line with organizational goals and objectives, and strictly adhere to organizational strategies. Therefore, since its suppliers adhere by its strategies, they will enhance the implementation of ERP because it is part of the LVMH strategy of enhancing service delivery through technological developments (Angwin and Smith 2007). List of References Angwin, D and Smith, C 2007, The Strategy Pathfinder: Core Concepts and Micro   Cases. New York: Blackwell Publishing. Birkholz, A 2004, Business Analysis and Enterprise Resource Planning. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Freeman, E 2010, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Funding universe, 2011, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA. Indiana: Pearson Education. Koontz, H and Weihrich, H 2007, Essentials of Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. Porter, M 1985, Competitive Advantage: Creating And Sustaining Superior  Performance. New Jersey: Simon Schuster, Inc. Smith, B and Raspin, P 2008, Creating Market Insight: How Firms Create Value From  Market Understanding. London: John Wiley Sons Ltd.

5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names

5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names 5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names 5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names By Mark Nichol 1. â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS feeds, short for ‘Really Simple Syndication.’ â€Å"RSS feeds† is not short for â€Å"Really Simple Syndication.† The sentence refers to RSS feeds and then explains what the initialism stands for, but the association of the spelled-out term with the initialism is confusing, so the additional information needs to be distinguished from the main point: â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS feeds. (RSS is short for ‘Really Simple Syndication.’)† More simply, the parenthesis could be introduced as here: â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.† However, the information is not essential and is better introduced in a trailing parenthesis. Use your judgment according to the context of each case. 2. â€Å"This is a camera obscura, a Latin term that means ‘dark chamber.’† This sentence suffers from the same type of confusion as the previous example. A camera obscura is not a Latin term; it is a device with that Latin name (and though the origin of the name is Latin, the term, despite being taken from that language, is English). Revise the sentence to clarify both points: â€Å"This is a camera obscura, a device whose name, borrowed from Latin, means ‘dark chamber.’† 3. â€Å"The pre-emptive offer also a common term in corporate transactions is hardly new.† Here, the concept of the pre-emptive offer is being mistaken for the name of the concept. Again, word the interjection of information to clarify the distinction: â€Å"The strategy known as a pre-emptive offer that phrase is also a common term in corporate transactions is hardly new.† 4. â€Å"With his talkie debut, as British secret agent Bulldog Drummond (1929), he became the first silent star to become even bigger in sound films.† This sentence attempts to name both a character and a film in one designation, but as we all know from physics class, two phenomena cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Separate the reference to the title character from that of the film title: â€Å"With his talkie debut, as the titular British secret agent in Bulldog Drummond (1929), he became the first silent star to become even bigger in sound films.† 5. â€Å"John is a Wetland Watcher a moniker he wears with pride and satisfaction.† This sentence’s conflict of concept and name is not as jarring as in the previous examples, but the statement would nevertheless benefit from more of a separation of the two elements: â€Å"John is a Wetland Watcher, and that’s a moniker he bears with pride and satisfaction.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" "Owing to" vs "Due to"Shore It Up