Monday, October 28, 2019
Muhannad - Arabia, in 600CE Essay Example for Free
Muhannad Arabia, in 600CE Essay In Arabia, in 600CE, two large tribes called the Quaraish and the Hanifs inhabited a sacred city known as Makkah. The most important tribe in Makkah at this time were the Quaraish. The Quaraish consisted of merchants who had control over the Kabah (an ancient temple) and Makkahs water supply. This tribe organised protection for the merchants who travelled through Makkah. The Quaraish made profit out of the traders who passed through Makkah and the provisions given to pilgrims who came there to see and worship the idols. The Hanifs were the other major tribe who inhabited Makkah. They consisted of moral tribesmen who despised the Quaraishs selfishness and greed for money. This group of people were very holy and believed that there must only be one God. They believed that this one Supreme Power created everyone and everything and the worship of idols was an insult to him. They detested peoples devotion to icons of different Gods such as Al-Lat (the life-force). The Hanifs were sacred people who prayed regularly and often sought solitude to worship God. They believed that this one God had sent prophets such as Moses to Earth to try and purify peoples hearts and bring them closer to God. MUHAMMADS EARLY LIFE Muhammad was grandson of Abd-al-Muttalib. Abd-al-Muttalib was a member of the Hanif, and a man famous for his devotion to God and for his visions. His son, Abdullah, married a woman called Aminah, who was soon pregnant with his child when Abdullah suddenly died. The child that was born was named Muhammad. When Muhammad was born he was given to a Bedouin woman called Halimah as all Quaraish children at that time were. This was done so that children would be brought up away from the disease and impurities in the air in the city. At the age of six Muhammad was returned to Aminah who proceeded to die later that year. Luckily Muhammads devoted grandfather, Abd-al-Muttalib, took him in and cared for him until he died two years after that. Now Muhammad was passed onto his uncle, Abu Talib, who was a wealthy merchant. Living under the care of his uncle, Muhammad became a loyal and hard-working shepherd. LEGENDS Many legends have been created about Muhammad and his life. These legends were created to make Muhammad look greater and more powerful than he was. During his lifetime, Muhammad disapproved of all these myths about him and denied all of them. One of the legends about Muhammad was that he had his heart removed from his body by two angels. They then weighed his heart against other men but even with the whole communitys hearts weighed against his, his still weighed the most. Muhammad insisted that he did not and could not perform miracles; he was just a devoted follower of God. MUHAMMADS PERSONALITY Muhammad grew up to be a thoughtful young man who was kind and decisive. He continuously impressed the merchants that he worked with including Khadijah, a wealthy widow who employed Muhammad to supervise her caravan trade. When Muhammad was just 25 years old, Khadijah asked him to marry her; he accepted. Despite Khadijah being 15 years older than Muhammad, she became the love of his life until her death 25 years later. During her lifetime, Khadijah stood by Muhammad all the way and supported him in every possible means. When she died she left Muhammad with four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. Muhammads two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, unfortunately both died in infancy. Zaid ibn Haritha, the slave boy of the household, was devoted to Muhammad. When Zaids father found him after years of searching, he offered to buy him back. Muhammad left the choice of what to do up to Zaid himself, and he decided to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so touched by Zaid ibn Harithas decision to stay with him that Muhammad immediately released him and adopted him as his own son. Ali, son of Muhammads uncle, Abu Talib, was another child in the household. Muhammad chose to look after Ali when Abu Talib fell under hard times. THE NIGHT OF POWER In the year 610CE, Muhammad was once again meditating during Ramadan when an event happened which changed his life forever. Muhammad was 40 years old at the time and was praying alone in a cave on Mount Hira when he suddenly heard a voice calling his name and commanding him to proclaim or recite. Unfortunately Muhammad was illiterate and could not read the scroll of silk which he saw ahead of him. Suddenly the angel Jibril appeared to him. This was the same angel who had appeared to prophet Ibrahim and to Mary and Jesus in times past. Now Jibril was near to Muhammad and he ordered him to read the writing on the scroll. Muhammad told the angel that he could not read the writing for he was unlettered, but the angel ordered him again and again to read the scroll and Muhammad began to feel the tension building up within him. Suddenly he felt something seize him, it gripped him so tightly that he could not breathe and he thought he would die. But suddenly Muhammad knew in his heart what the words said, and he whispered them hoarsely: Proclaim! In the name of your Lord and Sustainer who created Man from a clot of congealed blood, speak these words aloud! Your lord is the Most Generous One He who has taught the Pen, Who reveals directly Things beyond human knowledge. Muhammad had been chosen as a messenger of God because he was a devout man who worshipped the Lord. After Muhammad received this message he had to wait 2 years until he received another. This was Gods way of testing Muhammad and seeing whether he would be tempted to tell everyone about what he had seen. When Muhammad reached home after his shocking revelation, he told his wife, Khadijah, about what had happened. She went to her wise 100-year-old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nufal, for advice and after he was quite sure that Muhammads story was truthful, Khadijah became the first person to believe the message Muhammad revealed. The second person to believe Muhammads story was Ali, the next was Zaid and the next person to believe him was his close friend Abu Bakr. Two years later, Muhammad was still fearful and anxious about what the message might mean, when the angel Jibril appeared to him again. The angel said to him: O you wrapped arise and warn! Glorify God! Make your garments pure! Give up all uncleanness. Give, without expecting any return. For the sake of your Lord, endure with patience! Now that Muhammads time of waiting was over, he could go out and tell everyone about the messages he was receiving. THE REVELATIONS Most of the messages that Muhammad received from God after the Night of Power came to him in visions. They all shared the following similarities: Muhammad knew when they were about to happen. Each revelation was attended by dramatic phenomena, such as shaking or trances. Each one made the prophet feel close to death and that he was leaving his body and he might not re-enter it. At the end of each revelation Muhammad would appear as usual again and he would repeat what he had been taught. Sometimes Muhammad would lose consciousness during his visions. Sometimes he would receive the message instantly and sometimes Jibril appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man to transmit messages (not in visions). ABU TALIB AND KHADIJAH When Muhammad was 50 years old his uncle Abu Talib died. Abu Talib had looked after Muhammad all his life and had stuck by him even when many hated him. Muhammad had always been very close to his uncle who had protected him when he was vulnerable and his death made him depressed and very unhappy. At the end of this saddening year his beloved wife Khadijah also died at the age of 64. Although Muhammad was deeply upset by their deaths, he accepted that everyone dies eventually and he tried to carry on preaching in Gods name. THE NIGHT JOURNEY It was probably during this traumatic experience that Muhammad had an experience which changed his life forever. The Night Journey (or Laylat-ul-Miraj) was not recorded very accurately in the Quran and it is therefore hard to know exactly what happened in this event. When the prophet was asleep in his home in Makkah he was awoken by the angel Jibril. Muhammad then went with Jibril to Jerusalem riding on some kind of a Pegasus called Lightning. From Jerusalem, Jibril took Muhammad through the seven heavens and was shown paradise and hell. On his way through the heavens, Muhammad met and spoke to other prophets such as Isa and Musa. With Musa, Muhammad decided and set the number of times a day a Muslim should pray to God. It was finally fixed at 5 times a day although Muhammad originally thought 50 times was a sufficient amount. Eventually the prophet Muhammad travelled on with Jibril to the highest heaven of all: the throne of God. When he arrived here, neither Muhammad nor the angel could approach any closer and he experienced a sensation which he never again felt or could describe properly. All he could see was pure light and he was aware only of great peace as time stilled and thoughts and feelings disappeared. The experience soon ended though and Muhammad had to once again travel to Earth. To Muhammads astonishment, when he got home, he found that everything had remained exactly as he had left it. The place he had previously lain was still warm and the cup he had knocked over was still emptying. This experience brought great confidence and strength to Muhammad and it encouraged him to carry on with the knowledge that God was always with him. Muslims believe that this night was one of great importance, as it showed them what the ascension to Heaven would be like. It showed them that the soul abandons the weak and dishonest nature of the human body and you travel to a place where only pure bliss is possible. MUHAMMADS DEATH In 632CE, Muhammad fell ill with a fever and violent headaches. He was only 63 but he became weak and tired. He asked his wives if he could be moved into his youngest wife, Aishahs room. Even though he was feeble he still attempted to reach the praying place outside every day until his death. When he could not lead the prayers anymore, his good friend Abu Bakr took his place. On his last day on Earth, Muhammad, after leading the dawn prayer, lay in Aishahs arm and said, Lord grant me pardon. I have chosen the most exalted company, in paradise; then he died. Muhammad was buried where he died, in Aishahs room, and his tomb is still there even today. ISLAM The religion known as Islam was begun by Muhammad and it is still continued today. Since that day when Muhammad went on The Night Journey, Muslims have kept the number of times to pray each day at 5 times. All Muslims believe that God is responsible for every part of human life and he knows and sees all. Every Muslim tries to lead a peaceful life and pass the test set for all souls on Earth.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Sophocles - Antigone Essay -- essays research papers fc
The Power of Choice Choices affect all of our lives. We are always faced with choices. What we do with those choices will determine how are lives will turn out, what destiny lies before us and even what will become of us. The choices we make are in our complete control. Whether we make choices during the heat of the moment or with an open mind there are going to be consequences that follow whether good or bad are can only be blamed on us. Sophocles's Antigone portrays human emotions and consequences that follow two distinct choices. We can broaden the spectrum by saying that Creon represents public policy and Antigone represents individual conscience. According to E.S. Shuckburgh we must examine which is more important 'state law or divine conscience';. (Shuckburgh xviii) Antigone is a story about two people who choose to make choices that each are passionate about and the consequences that follow. I can argue that the choice made by Antigone was noble and honorable because she was standing up for what she believed in. Antigone was trying to do what she felt was the right. She was standing up for her family. I think that many people would feel the same way in her situation. Antigone wanted to offer her brother the burial that she felt he deserved. Although it did not seem as though she agreed with what her brother had done she did believe in family loyalty.When Antigone approached Ismene with her proposal, Ismene said no. She justified her decision by telling Antigone that they were already punished and that there was no need to make matters worse for the two of them by defying Creon's law. Oh my sister, think- think how our own father died, hated, Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mimi 2 his reputation in ruins, driven on by the crimes he brought to light himself to gouge out his eyes with his own hands- then mother…his mother and wife, both in one, mutilating her life in the twisted noose- and last, our two brothers dead in a single day, both shedding there won blood, poor suffering boys, battling out their common destiny hand-to-hand. ( Sophocles 60-69) Isemene tries to say ... ...always be a part of our life, what we so with those choices will determine our future as they did in the case of Creon and Antigone. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mimi 5 Works Cited David Bender, Bruno Leone, Scott Barbour, Bonnie Szumski, Don Nardo, eds. Readings of Sophocles. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sir Richard C. Jebb, E. S. Shuckburgh, abs. Introduction. Antigone. By Shuckburgh. New York: Press Syndicate of the U of Cambridge, 1987 Sophocles. 'Antigone.'; The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Compay, Inc., 1995. 632-667
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Bromus tectorum ( cheatgrass or downy brome)
Researching on Bromus tectorum lead me to a vast collection of literature about the plant species. An almost complete reference on it is provided by the Nature Conservancy, Wildland Weed Program. For my essay/report, I used its â€Å"Element Stewardship Abstract for Bromus tectorum†written by Allan Carpenter and Thomas Murray as my main reference. The plant species Bromus tectorum is an alien grass or an invader that usually takes over â€Å"disturbed ground in shrub-steppe ecosystems of the Western United States and Canada†(Link et al. ). The scientific name is of Greek and Latin origins.According to the work of Upadhyaya et al. , the genus name Bromus is said to have originated from the archaic Greek word bromos, which refers to a particular kind of oat. The ancient Greek word broma, in addition, means food. The specific epithet, on the other hand, was believed to have been derived from the Latin words tector and tectum, which mean ‘one who overlays’ an d roof, respectiviely. Bromus tectorum is more commonly known as cheatgrass to local inhabitants. Other parts of North America call it downy brome because of its noticeably hairy leaves. There are many other names associated to this species.The documented ones include drooping brome, downy cheat, cheat grass brome, slender chess, Mormon oats, and broncograss (Upadhyaya et al. ). Cheatgrass is erect and can rise up to 24 inches high. Its leaves and stems shape into tufts or clumps as seen in Figure 1. The grass has tiny, pappy hair like structures that cover its leaves. Bromus tectorum is an annual grass and is usually dense during winter or spring. This annual plant germinates in fall or spring. However, it has been observed that vast numbers of â€Å"cheatgrass seedlings usually germinate after the first fall rain in infested areas†(West).Cheatgrass only replicates through seeds. However, it is exceptionally efficient; that is, an individual cheatgrass may reproduce hundred s to thousands of seeds (Mosely et al. 1987 cited in Pyron). Its root system then proceeds to develop for the entire duration of the winter season. By spring, the grass has an already wide-ranging root system, enabling the plant to draw out higher levels of moisture and soil nutrients. Cheatgrass has a compact phenology and usually desiccates and spreads its seeds by mid-June (West 1983). Naturally, it undergoes senescence in summer.Once dried, these plants can catalyze wildfires in its regions. The frequent occurrence of fires in an area displaces perennials and even other annuals that initially dominate a particular community (West 1983). Cheatgrass has a Eurasian native range (Novak, Mack, and Soltis). However, it is now found in diverse forms of habitats all over the United States; but, it is most distinguished on the â€Å"Columbia-Snake River Plateau, Wyoming Basin, and the northern portion of the Great Basin in disturbed sagebrush steppe communities†(Rice and Mack ; W est).In the mid 1800s, it was accidentally brought into the United States of America. The invasion of North America by B. tectorum occurred through multiple introductions (Bartlett et al. ). In regions where the soil has especially high levels of potassium in it, cheatgrass is found to grow and proliferate well in the area (Belnap pers. comm. cited in Carpenter et al. ). Research has shown that the measured potassium levels in communities can be used to determine and probabilistically predict how susceptible and vulnerable the area may be to cheatgrass takeover.The amount of potassium in the soil may also be altered to alter the abundance of cheatgrass. By lowering the levels of potassium in the soil, the density of cheatgrass may also be lowered. (Belnap pers. comm. cited in Carpenter et al. ). The control of growth and proliferation of cheatgrass in a particular area has shown great significance. Since cheatgrass exhibits both advantage and disadvantages, it is important to be abl e to moderate its invasion. Cheatgrass has a twofold role; one, as an annoying and pestering weed, and two, a significant â€Å"early season forage for cattle and sheep†(Emmerich et al.; Upadhyaya et al. ). Bromus tectorum takes over â€Å"rangelands, pastures, prairies, and other open areas,†as seen in Figure 2 (www. invasive. org). Consequently, it has the capacity to thoroughly modify the ecosystems it invades. It poses many ecological and environmental problems because of its propensity to completely wipe out all native foliage and vegetation in a particular area and even modify certain fire patterns. The alterations caused by cheatgrass in the frequency of fire cycles is said to be â€Å"the species’ greatest competitive advantage.†(Whisenant) In sagebrush grassland ecosystem, fire is a natural occurrence (see Figure 3). Those fires usually happened at intervals within the range of 60-100 years. However, in areas where the presence of cheatgrass d ominates, areas burn at a much greater and increased frequency, every 3-5 years (Whisenant). With this frequency range, native plants, shrubs, and other perennial grasses cannot keep up and fail to recover. This results to the development of cheatgrass monoculture; other species tend to be completely wiped-out.The vegetation of a pristine (undisturbed) shrub-steppe ecosystem is populated by â€Å"perennial bunchgrasses and widely spaced shrubs†(Whisenant). According to the work of Whisenant, the species that are commonly replaced by cheatgrass include the following: â€Å"big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass western wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needle-and-thread grass, and Thurber’s needlegrass. †Sagebrush steppe cannot simply persist with this shortened fire interval.As how Devine put it, â€Å"fire begets cheatgrass and cheatgrass begets fire†(Devine). What are the advantages of Bromus tectorum or cheatgras s? For ranchers, it is especially useful since it provides a large volume of early spring forage for different types of livestock and animals on grazing lands especially in the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest regions (Upadhyaya et al. ). In terms of its density and the quality of herbage grown including the wideness of the area covered by cheatgrass, it is â€Å"undoubtedly the most important spring forage in the region†(Upadhyaya et al.; Emmerich et al. ). On the other hand, while ranchers in the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest regions take advantage of cheatgrass, the United States and Canada winter wheat growers consider it as pestâ€â€their worst problem (Upadhyaya et al. 1986). According to literature, cheatgrass is a problematic weed in winter wheat. Cheatgrass has many ecological and competitive advantages in contrast with other perennial and annual plants. It has the ability to adapt well and evolve to its native environment and to other environments it in vades.Although this has shown to have certain advantages especially to ranchers for foraging, this characteristic of cheatgrass has posed many problems in the ecology and can be very damaging. In my opinion, it is only proper that human intervention be exercised to control its dominance and invasions. Cheatgrass is a sinister. As discussed, it raises both agricultural and environmental problems. The references that I have read reveal that regulation of cheatgrass invasion will demand â€Å"a combination of chemical control, physical control, vegetative suppression, and proper livestock management where land is grazed†(Carpenter and Murray).It is obvious that the problem is quite a complex one as it involves many other variables. Moreover, human intervention could possibly worsen the ecological balance. Thus, the U. S. government and other ecological and environmental agencies should seriously and carefully address the problems and implement effective management programs to m inimize its infestations yet still making sure that ecological equilibrium is still achieved. Main Reference Carpenter, Allan and Thomas Murray. 1998. â€Å"Element Stewardship Abstract for Bromus tectorum.†The Nature Conservancy, Wildland Weed Program. Downloaded from: http://tncweeds. ucdavis. edu Works Cited Bartlett Elizabeth, Stephen Novak, and Richard Mack. â€Å"Genetic Variation in Bromus Tectorum (Poaceae): differentiation in the eastern United States,†American Journal of Botany, 89. 4 (2002): 602-612. Belnap, Jayne. Personal communication with Jayne Belnap. Ecologist, National Biological Service. Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah (10/19/98). Devine, Robert. â€Å"That cheatin’ heartland. †51-71. In: Alien invasion: America’s battle with non-native animals and plants.National Geographic Society. Washington D. C. 1998. Emmerich, Fay, Frosty Tipton, and James Young. â€Å"Cheatgrass: Changing perspectives and management strategies. à ¢â‚¬ Rangelands 15 (1993): 37-39. Link, Steven. , Harvey Bolton, Jr. , Michael Thiede, and William Rickard. â€Å"Responses of downy brome to nitrogen and water. †Journal of Range Management 48 (1995): 290-297. Novak, Stephen, Richard Mack, and Pamela Soltis. â€Å"Genetic variation in Bromus tectorum (Poaceae): introduction dynamics in North America. †Canadian Journal of Botany 71 (1993): 1441–1448.Mosely, Jeffrey, Stephen Bunting and Mark Manoukian. â€Å"Cheatgrass. †175-188. In: Sheley, Roger L. ; Petroff, Janet K. , eds. Biology and management of noxious rangeland weeds. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press. 1999. Pyron, Jayson. â€Å"Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum). †Rice, Kevin, and Richard Mack. â€Å"Ecological genetics of Bromus tectorum: intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity. †Oecologia 88 (1991): 84-90.Upadhyaya, Mahesh, Roy Turkington and Douglas McIlvride. â€Å"The biology of Canadian weeds. 75. Bromus tectorum L. †Canadian Journal of Plant Science 66 (1986): 689-709. West, Niel. Western intermountain sagebrush steppe: Temperate Deserts and Semi-Deserts. 351-373. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1993. Whisenant, Steven â€Å"Changing fire frequencies on Idaho’s Snake River Plains: Ecological and management implications. †Proceedings-Symposium on Cheatgrass Invasion, Shrub Die-off, and Other Aspects of Shrub Biology and Management, 1990.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Study on the Financial Management for Small Business
Financial Management for the Small Business B. The â€Å"Thirteen Steps†to acquiring a business B. Beginning the search-who can help? 2. Choosing the method that is best for your situation 3. Some different methods of valuing a business VI. The rewards of working for yourself The decision to purchase a business of your own is not an easy task. There are many things to consider before the final decision is made. First of all, exactly what do you want to accomplish? To make millions of dollars, right? Or is it to have the freedom of being your own boss? Whatever the reason, you must be sure that it is something that you are ready to devote an exorbitant amount of time and energy into and that it is something that you really want. Otherwise, you might be stuck doing something that you hate. If you are ready to commit then you must ask yourself just how far will that commitment extend. How much of your own time, energy, and money are you willing to sacrifice? After the decision is made, the acquisition of a small business can be summed-up into nine steps, in which most will be elaborated upon later. â€Å"These are the nine steps to any business acquisition, regardless of its size or industry: 1. The search, locating a business available for sale. 2. Identifying alternative candidates. 9. Managing the transition period.†(Tuller, 10) Some considerations that cannot be avoided when purchasing a small business include: the question of needing a partner, the current economic factors, considering alternate locations, and developing a tax strategy. When debating whether or not a partner is needed or wanted, you need to know if you're going to need additional equity as well as sharing the risk of failure. For these reasons, a partnership seems to be a great idea, but there are also many cons that should be recognized. Having too many partners can alter the ease of decision-making, shared liability can cause obvious problems, and sharing profits means less for you. Added to this, getting out of a partnership can be very difficult. Evaluating the current economic factors simply means to know what you are getting into. Be sure to have some knowledge about the business itself and it's market. Know how to make and sell the product efficiently and in a service industry, be sure to know the current and correct way things are done-sometimes they are not one in the same. Location is key. â€Å"Location of the target can be a major determinate in both the financing of the deal and probable success in managing the business after closing†¦There's no sense spending time, effort, and money on a target located in the wrong place.†(Tuller, 12) Along with this, the personal strife of having to travel a great distance to get to work can be very frustrating. So, be sure that the location of your potential business is profitable in every way. One the greatest minds of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, once said, â€Å"tax is the most difficult thing in the world to understand†. Unfortunately, with the ever-changing laws, that problem gets worse every year. This means that you should have knowledge of the current tax laws. â€Å"‘You will have a unique opportunity to make decisions on exactly how much money will change hands, and how I will allocated on the payment schedule.†(Smorgenburg, 112) Maximizing profit for both you and the seller can only be done through proper knowledge of tax law, if you are not comfortable handling this alone, a consultant might not bad a bad idea. After all of the above is settled, the next thing to figure is the amount of initial income is required. Not only the income required to purchase the entity (which will be elaborated upon later), but also the amount of money that you need to survive for the years to come. â€Å"If you need $100,000, then don't look at smaller companies which can only yield $30,000.†(Tuller, 23) â€Å"The following 13 steps will help to locate a target and close the deal in the shortest possible time-and when buying a company, time is money. 2. Prepare a reasonable Acquisition Plan. 3. Review current tax laws for structuring the deal. 4. Develop a detailed plan for sourcing potential targets. 5. Perform a preliminary due diligence investigation. 6. Negotiate a price and terms based on a realistic valuation. 7. Perform a thorough due diligence investigation. 8. Prepare a complete business plan. 9. Develop sources for at least three alternative financing structures. 10. Arrange for the final updated due diligence investigation. 11. Write the Buy/Sell Agreement and negotiate the final contract language. 12. Plan how you will operate the company after closing. Yet another crucial instrument in the purchase of any business is the Acquisition Plan. This document lists every step and detail leading to the closing of the deal. Starting with the industry survey, it lists the start date, the finish date, and the cost of each of these processes. Following the survey is the target search, then on to the due diligence investigations. The importance of this plan revolves around the organization of a solid purchase. With this, you are able to enact the purchase at the right moment for you, this time being a buyer's market. If you need to wait out the bear market, you can do it much easier with everything laid out in front of you. Hence, the Acquisition Plan does the job. All of the above steps and considerations are a waste if you are unable to find a business for sale. The difficulty of finding the type of business that you will purchase is put to ease through an M & A consultant, accountant, or simply browsing the Wall Street Journal. A smaller gas station or party store-type business can usually be found in the local paper. On the other hand, if you are looking for a larger company, an M & A consultant may be pricey (2-15,000 dollars for a retainer), but this is probably the best way to go. Be sure to ask the consultant many questions regarding his or her creditability. For instance, get a list of references and ask about the number of deals he closed in the past 12 months. Negotiating a purchase price involves a thorough valuation of the projected purchase. Evaluation of a business is essential because you need to know what you are paying for and how much you should pay. †If you are a buyer, your valuation will also be helpful to you when you meet with lenders, so that you can help justify the mount you are asking to borrow. For this purpose alone, however, a valuation is not generally worth the effort.†(Horn, 20) There are many different methods that you can use to properly determine the value of the entity. The most common methods are as follows: the Ability-To-Pay Method, this method is used in almost all buy/sell cases. It makes clear whether the acquisition can pay for itself out of its own cash flow. The Discounted Cash Flow Method is most often used when the company is going to be purchased as an investment and held for a limited number of years. It is also used in high-risk situations, such as highly leveraged deals that have more of a proportion of debt than usual. The third method is the Excess Earnings Method, used to value any profitable company. The Excess Earnings method â€Å"assumes that a business is worth the market value of its tangible assets, plus a premium for ‘goodwill' if the earnings are high enough.†(Horn, 51) Another area that must be calculated is goodwill. â€Å"Goodwill is not an operating cost and cannot be depreciated. It does not provide you with tax relief†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Smorenburg, 114) Since there is no record of the worth of goodwill, it can be fairly difficult to determine an accurate buying price. Usually the seller will set the price based on their knowledge of the company. The set price, however, should be reasonable. Negotiations can be made to produce an agreeable price. The next step is to set a purchase price. â€Å"There is no right or wrong way to value a business. Each company has different characteristics†¦ Obviously, the seller will argue that the net asset value method is right because that's what he invested in the business.†(Tuller, 103) You should consider all factors in the P/E/ ratios, liquidation value, net asset value, and historic and projected cash flow. After analyzing these aspects of the business, you should be able to determine a fair price for the entity. â€Å"The letter of intent is a document that aims to formalize the terms around which a later negotiation will revolve. As such, the letter is primarily a tentative offer that remains subject to further negotiations and confirmation of material facts through a process of due diligence†¦By offering a letter of intent, you tangibly solidify your resolve and thereby make the seller understand that you are a serious buyer.†(Smorenburg, 126) The letter of intent covers the precise terms of the deal, the payment details, and management and other issues involving the transfer. You need to give your accountant and lawyer a draft of the letter for review. This way, you are protected from any loopholes that can harm you. It proves that you are a serious buyer and entices the seller to more openly discuss sensitive aspects of the business. The letter is a written contract that can be legally cancelled at any time without the consent of the other party, so be sure that you and the seller are in agreement. Once everything is settled and you and the seller are in agreement to the term of the letter of intent, the next task you face is finding the initial capital. Using other people's money to finance a purchase is a key ingredient if business success. Financing falls into two separate categories: debt and equity. Debt financing is the most elementary of the two. It is basically taking a loan from a lender and paying it back with interest. It is reliant on the business or individual's ability to pay the loan off. Usually, collateral will be made available to the source of the loan in the case that you cannot continue to make payments. A good credit history and reputation is another aspect that financing is reliant upon. With these, a loan is much easier to get. â€Å"Equity financing means obtaining funds in exchange for selling or giving up a part of interest in the business. Equity financing is not a loan; rather, it is the sale of a part of you business.†(Fallek, 82) The popularity of equity financing has increased in the high tech industries in the past few years. However, selling a part of your newly purchased business may not be your cup of tea, so choose your type of financing wisely. Some traditional sources of capital include yourself, family and friends, commercial banks, loan companies, insurance companies, credit unions and private investors. The old saying, â€Å"don't mix business with pleasure†is applicable when dealing with family and friends. Taking a loan from these sources can cause turmoil if the loan cannot be paid back. Banks are the standard for business lending. â€Å"The amount they charge is based on two factors: the size and history of the customer and the risk the bank will take in providing the loan.†(Fallek, 85) If you are able to decrease the bank's risk and have a standing credit line, you will get the most out of your loan. The other types of traditional lenders are less frequently used, but are also good sources of capital. â€Å"Nontraditional money sources are unlimited in number and type, but you need to be creative to acquire the necessary funds from them.†(Fallek, 89) These sources include customers, suppliers, leasing companies, local development companies, and advertising for money. Customers or potential customers are often great sources of funding, as well as suppliers. Suppliers will furnish you with the necessary equipment and product. Leasing companies and local development companies are also good nontraditional sources of capital. â€Å"You can actively seek funding by running a display advertisement in the business section under the appropriate heading in the classified ads of your local newspaper. Specify the amount of money needed and the type of business for which it will be used.†(Fallek, 91) Yet another source for funding might be through the Small Business Administration. They offer different types of loan programs to small businesses. The SBA Guaranteed Loan Program grants a loan on the basis that the individual needs more time than allotted by other lenders to pay back the loan, has insufficient credit, or lack business experience. â€Å"There are no restrictions as to the number of SBA loans a company or individual may have, as long as the SBA's exposure does not exceed $750,000.†(Fallek, 96) The final step in acquisition of a business is the closing. You will need a lawyer if you don't currently have one. The search for the right lawyer requires certain questions to be answered. For instance, you want to find out the lawyer's hourly rates, experience, availability, if there is any conflict of interest between the lawyer and the seller, and any other applicable questions. The best way to find a lawyer is word of mouth, ask friends and family for references. When a lawyer is located, you must then begin the audit review. â€Å"Even thought most buyers work with their local CPA in preparing the business plan and counsel with him on tax matters relative to the acquisition, the audit review should be preformed by an independent CPA firm in the same city as the target company; preferably on of the ‘Big-5' firms†¦ The audit review consists of a comprehensive look at business since the last audit with particular emphasis on determining the adequacy of internal controls and internal reports.†(Tuller, 192) Be sure to take this step, it examines all aspects of the business and insures that it is a safe investment. After this is complete, it's time to close the deal. The documents generally needed for proper closure are: a buy/sell agreement, an earn out agreement, a promissory note terms and conditions agreement, title search and title insurance, lease agreements, employment contracts, personal guarantees, and an equity agreement with the lender. These documents are dealt with and an announcement should be made to the employees, customers, and vendors of the change in ownership. â€Å"There is a mood of anticipation, of excitement, and even-if the truth be know-of fear. Of all the events which take place in the business world, nothing can match an acquisition closing for pure excitement and thrill.†‘(Tuller, 203) the actual signing of the transfer documents will not usually take more than an hour. The key is not to worry about what you are signing, that's what your lawyer is for. After all the money spent, the time devoted and the effort put forth, the business is finally yours. Running your own business can be very rewarding. You don't have anyone to answer to besides the government. You are in complete control. Along with this the ability to write off certain expenses is enough of a reward in itself. The effort you put forth is completely up to you. The life and death of the business is in your hands.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Types of Governement essays
Types of Governement essays There are many types government used to rule small and large bodies of people. Three types of governments that the founding fathers had extended knowledge of include a monarchy, republic and a democracy. Each of type of government has their strengths and weaknesses, and each have been used to govern a population throughout time. A monarchy is a form of government where the sovereignty is vested in one person, usually for life. The office may be elective, but is usually hereditary. A monarch who has unlimited power is an absolute power; one whose power is limited by custom or constitution is a constitutional monarch. In modern parliamentary democracies, a monarch is usually a non-party political figure and a symbol of national unity. An example of this is Queen Elizabeth in Great Britain. An advantage of a monarchy is that people may be united in their loyalty to a monarch, since there is no competition for trust. In addition, in an emergency, a monarch can act fast, no time is lost is discussion or debate. Disadvantages of a monarchy include that people are afforded little to no individual liberty; civil rights are trampled. In addition, decisions are made on a narrow base and often suit the needs of the monarch while the needs of others are neglected. The next form of government is a republic. A republic, by definition, is a form of government where the sovereignty is not a monarch and, today, is usually a president. Popularly, the idea of a republic includes the notion of elected representatives and democratic control by the people. Republics are seen as systems of governments that permitted direct or indirect control by the people over those who govern; many modern republics to not fulfill this condition, such as the Peoples Republic of China. I think republics are, by far the best systems of government because it allows people to be involved with their government without it becoming chaotic. A good example...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Essay on Sibling Rivalry Essay Example
Essay on Sibling Rivalry Essay Example Essay on Sibling Rivalry Paper Essay on Sibling Rivalry Paper Seven-Paragraph Essay on Sibling Rivalry How many times have you heard people saying that they were annoyed by their brother or sister? Probably many. The most usual situation however is that siblings have trouble sharing parent’s love, attention, common belongings, friends and responsibilities. If you do have siblings then you probably wished at least ones in your life that you were the only child in the family. All those factors leads to so called Sibling rivalry founded by (David Levy 1941) claiming that for an older sibling aggressive reaction to the new baby is so typical that it is safe to say it is a common aspect of family life. What is sibling rivalry: Definition Sibling rivalry is defined as competition between siblings for the love, affection and attention of one or both parents or for other recognition or gain. Jealousy is a normal reaction that al children experience. A child who feels threatened of losing parental affection and love may react with rejection or hate towards a new sibling who is often perceived as an’ intruder’ ( Leung 1991) Legg et al interviewed the parents of 21 children over the period when a second child was born and found that sibling rivalry in the form of regressive behavior was present in most of the first born children. Sibling rivalry examples Trause et. al reported that with the birth of a second child there was an increase in behavioural problems in 92% of 31 first born children. Although siblings rivalry exists in large families, it is less intense than in smaller ones. As a family grows, the intensity of the rivalry tends to decrease. Levy found out the closer the relationship between existing child and the parent, the greater was the disturbance and the demonstration of hostility towards the intruder. Darwins theory of natural selection explain this part of the story which focuses on the biological dispositions that most offspring’s have to compete for parental favour. Siblings compete to optimize parental investment and hence get out of childhood alive. Which is the main reason for siblings rivalry . Whereas, parents are equally related to all of their offspring and generally favour equal sharing among them. Freud 1921 sees competition among siblings as inherent to human life and explains it as resulting from parental dynamics. Siblings have been seen as hated competitors for mother breast, as replacement for absent or not-good enough parents or as identification figure. Alfred W. Adler (1927) He argued that birth order can leave an unforgettable impression on an individuals style of life, which is ones usual way of dealing with the tasks of friendship, love, and work. According to Adler, firstborns are dethroned when a second child comes along, and this may have a lasting influence on them. Sulloway (1997) points out that birth order is one of the elements that most contributes to differences between siblings and competition among them. He sees order of birth as a main explanation for development of personality and connects this to the Darwinian theory of natural selection, which focuses on the basic biological characteristics necessary in order to achieve parental preference. Consequences of siblings rivalry Anna Freud 1930 se es that unfriendly death wishes towards a sibling creates conflict only when the child perceives that the mother incomprehensibly loves those obstructive beings, and insists that she/he direct part of his libido toward them. This dilemma can hasten Oedipal conflict. Winnicot 1956) relates to various disturbances connected to the birth of siblings, e. g eating disorder, phobias, bed wetting, demanding to be fed, talking baby talk, negativism, lying evasion , or aggressive or destructive behaviour may occur in some children, although rare has been reported.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program
How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program Ever get a document back from an editor that has tons of red or blue lines (maybe even some green ones), and have no idea how to get rid of them all, or view the document the way it’s supposed to look? This article is for you! [Thanks to Larry Sochrin, MBA Admissions Consultant at The Essay Expert, for contributing instructions for Mac users.] Dont Submit a Document that Looks Like This! Why I Love Track Changes Microsoft Word has a very useful feature called â€Å"Track Changes†that keeps track of changes that an editor makes to a document, and allows subsequent readers to see what changes were made. When the â€Å"Track Changes†feature is turned on, anyone who opens the document can see every change made to the original document, whether to fonts, page formats, margins, and text. Track Changes also has a â€Å"Comments†feature that allows explanations and suggestions to be entered in the margins of your document. The value of Track Changes to me as an editor is that my clients can see what I’ve changed, and I can see the changes they make. I do not then have to go through their resume word by word to see what alterations have occurred. It’s also easy to accept or reject changes, without having to change individual fonts or colors. Gone are the days of manually inserting a strikethrough to indicate a deletion! The Dangers of Track Changes Track Changes can be troublesome too. You don’t want to send a document with lots of red lines and bubbles all over it to an employer or a school (many people have embarrassing stories of doing this)! The recipient then sees all the suggestions, changes, and possibly the original language and mistakes that needed changing. As part of proofreading and preparing the final draft of a resume, cover letter, or essay, take the following steps to ensure that you do not inadvertently send a marked up copy to an employer: Directions for MS Word 1) Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review†tab and click on the window that says â€Å"Final Showing Markup.† Go to the â€Å"Show Markup†menu and make sure there are check marks in all the boxes (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup†) NOTE: If the window says â€Å"Final†and you do not see any redlines, this does not mean they are gone! Make sure you are viewing the markups before determining that your document is clean. 2) If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3) However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: Change â€Å"Final: Show Markup†to â€Å"Final†and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE: You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Under the â€Å"Review†tab, go to â€Å"Accept†icon and accept all changes. Under the â€Å"Review†tab, go to the icon that says â€Å"Delete†(next to the â€Å"New Comment†icon, and click â€Å"Delete All Comments in Document.†4) If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by right clicking on them individually. You will get a drop-down menu with choices of what to do. 5) Repeat Step 1. Directions for MS Word 2008 for Mac 1) Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review†tab and find the Markup Options drop-down menu. Make sure there are check marks next to the first three items shown (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup.†) 2) If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3) However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: 1. Change â€Å"All Markup†to â€Å"No Markup†and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. 2. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE: You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Go to the Accept menu with the green checkmark, and select Accept All Changes. Go to the Delete menu with the red X, and select â€Å"Delete All Comments in Document.†4) If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by clicking on the icons with the left arrow or right arrow to move to the previous or next change and then click on the drop-down menus with the green checkmark or red X to accept or reject each individually. 5) Repeat Step 1. Important notes for all versions of Word: If you accept all changes before reviewing the document and there is a comment in the middle of your document like â€Å"(dates?)†then that change will be accepted and become a part of your document! Make sure you respond to all questions and make any revisions needed inside your document before accepting all changes. *ALWAYS* proofread your final document at least 3 times! As much as The Essay Expert and other editors attempt to ensure that your documents are perfect, final approval is ultimately your responsibility. If you don’t want all your future edits to show up as marked on your document, turn Track Changes off by clicking on it. It’s a toggled function. Click it on, click it off. Finally, when you receive an edited document, whenever possible accept or reject the changes before making your own edits! This practice will make it much easier to look at the NEW edits you have made to the document. Have Track Changes questions? Embarrassing Track Changes stories? Please share in the Comments below! Save
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