For children, play is naturally enjoyable. And since it is their active engagement in things that interest them, play should be child-led, or at least child-inspired, for it to remain relevant and meaningful to them. Children at play are happily lost in themselves; they are in their own realm of wonder, exploration, and adventure, pulling parents in at times with a frequent “Let’s play, mom!” as an open invitation into that world.
As early as infancy, children immerse themselves in play activities with the purpose of making sense of the world around them. Play gives children the opportunity to learn and experience things themselves, which is vital for their development. Although peek-a-boo games seem pointless to adults, tots are awed by the surprise that awaits them as they see the suddenly emerging faces of people they love.
(Stages of Play)
During toddlerhood, children experience a motor-growth spurt that equips them to solitarily fiddle with anything they can get their hands on – be it a construction toy or the box from where it came.
Toddlers also love breaking into song, wiggling and jiggling to tunes, and imitating finger plays they are commonly exposed to.
Preschoolers begin extending their play to involve others, whether they bring others in at any stage of their game or they plan their game and its players’ way ahead. Their physical and motor skills allow them to widen their lay arena, from dramatic play to table games to outdoor pursuits.
School-age children start appreciating organized play – such as innovated songs and rhymes, games with rules, relays and other physical activities, sports and projects that they can accomplish over a certain time frame.
Play Perks:
Why the big fuss about playing? Play benefits the child in ways that might be a tad difficult for adults to imagine.
1. Play brings pure and utter joy.
A toddler who jumps into an empty box and runs around the house ‘driving a car’ shows the sheer happiness that play brings him or her. When children are asked what they did in school and they answer ‘play,’ it is a clear sign that these kids remember a feeling of genuine joy that is captured in this four-letter word.
2. Play fosters socio-emotional learning.
What does a ten-month-old baby who shrieks at the sight of her stuffed toy have in common with a ten-year-old boy who plays basketball with his friends? They both deal with their confidence as they choose to embark on their play activities. At the same time, they are displaying their independence in the decisions that they make. These two children are also internalizing social rules in their respective play situations: the baby waits patiently for her stuffed toy to appear, while the school-age child has to contend with an impending loss in a ball game.
Monday, September 29, 2008
An economic downturn
An economic downturn is a phase of the business cycle in which the economy as a whole is in decline.This phase basically marks the end of the period of growth in the business cycle. Economic downturns are characterized by decreased levels of consumer purchases (especially of durable goods) and, subsequently, reduced levels of production by businesses.
While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.
The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.
Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:
While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.
The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.
Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:
Friday, September 26, 2008
Office Supplies Do Not Have to Cost an Arm and A Leg
Stocking up on your office supplies does not need to be a costly venture. Many businesses are able to benefit from purchasing discount office supplies on a regular basis. There are many places you can find office supplies at a excellent discount when compared to high priced stores. With the vast expansion of the World Wide Web, many websites offer discount office supplies that will help your business reduce the cost spent annually on these commonly used items.
Every business in today’s busy world makes use of several things within the workday. For example, nearly all businesses make use of a printer. With owning a printer, comes the need of having to supply your business with printing paper, forms, labels, printer cartridges, and toner. Many online stores exist that can offer your company extensive savings of such discount office supplies, over the main chain store competition.
No matter your business, any of the discount office supply websites can provide you with many of your office needs. For example, major technology such as computers, software, presentation devices, business electronics, telephones, business cards and other electronic business needs. Try shopping online for your discount office supplies like office furniture, warehouse furnishings, or basic supplies like markers, pens, pencils, business headers, forms and the like.
When searching online for a discount office supplies store, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind. First, ensure that the website is owned by a reputable company, you should also look for specific policies that state their terms and conditions about the security of your contact information, return policies, and guarantees. Any reputable company will offer a money back guarantee on any item purchased upon their website. It is important that you be fully aware of this guarantee and the specified amount of time given to return your items.
Every business in today’s busy world makes use of several things within the workday. For example, nearly all businesses make use of a printer. With owning a printer, comes the need of having to supply your business with printing paper, forms, labels, printer cartridges, and toner. Many online stores exist that can offer your company extensive savings of such discount office supplies, over the main chain store competition.
No matter your business, any of the discount office supply websites can provide you with many of your office needs. For example, major technology such as computers, software, presentation devices, business electronics, telephones, business cards and other electronic business needs. Try shopping online for your discount office supplies like office furniture, warehouse furnishings, or basic supplies like markers, pens, pencils, business headers, forms and the like.
When searching online for a discount office supplies store, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind. First, ensure that the website is owned by a reputable company, you should also look for specific policies that state their terms and conditions about the security of your contact information, return policies, and guarantees. Any reputable company will offer a money back guarantee on any item purchased upon their website. It is important that you be fully aware of this guarantee and the specified amount of time given to return your items.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Fact Is Funnier Than Comedy
When I need a chuckle, I try to watch a sitcom or read the funnies. When my need for comedy is greater, then I invest my time in watching a complete movie. But when nothing but the funniest will do, I just observe the so-called real world around me.
The fact that this is really happening makes all the weird stuff all the more funny. To begin with, one tends to have a basic expectation of common sense from people. But the word common is misleading, as most often what we would classify as common sense is fairly uncommon.
What? Are you having trouble believing me? Well just turn to the weird news section of any newspaper or portal web site. Honestly, I used to think that all this was just made up. But I finally got to meet some of the people in these real world snafus and became a believer.
What would you say of the owner who claims that her cat dialed 911 thereby calling the police in time to save her life? Or the person who called Nine One One and claimed to not be able to find the Eleven button on his phone, thereby not being able to call Nine-Eleven, Or the bank robber who had his name prominently labeled across the motor bike helmet he wore to a bank? If I keep extending this list, you will soon get convinced that I am making this up as I am going along.
I am reminded of the words of Ernest Hemingway when we would sit on the steps of, whatever he sat on the steps of, and "see the world walk by." Well, Hemingway and I share that in common, except that it seems like I am more entertained than Hemingway was, as I do not just see the world walk by, but also make a fool of itself all along the way.
So, when you feel that things are all so sad and boring, just look around. Do not bother about reading a joke book. Instead consider reading a news paper. Knowing what happened when a duck went to the bar and asked for a drink can be fun the first time you hear it. Responding to a "Knock Knock" can be fun the first hundred times you hear it. But, a constant, evergreen, and "unreal" source of chuckles is the real world.
It is no wonder then that movie makers spend time, energy, and money in including bloopers at the end of all movies. Many people claim that these bloopers are more fun than the actual movie.
The fact that this is really happening makes all the weird stuff all the more funny. To begin with, one tends to have a basic expectation of common sense from people. But the word common is misleading, as most often what we would classify as common sense is fairly uncommon.
What? Are you having trouble believing me? Well just turn to the weird news section of any newspaper or portal web site. Honestly, I used to think that all this was just made up. But I finally got to meet some of the people in these real world snafus and became a believer.
What would you say of the owner who claims that her cat dialed 911 thereby calling the police in time to save her life? Or the person who called Nine One One and claimed to not be able to find the Eleven button on his phone, thereby not being able to call Nine-Eleven, Or the bank robber who had his name prominently labeled across the motor bike helmet he wore to a bank? If I keep extending this list, you will soon get convinced that I am making this up as I am going along.
I am reminded of the words of Ernest Hemingway when we would sit on the steps of, whatever he sat on the steps of, and "see the world walk by." Well, Hemingway and I share that in common, except that it seems like I am more entertained than Hemingway was, as I do not just see the world walk by, but also make a fool of itself all along the way.
So, when you feel that things are all so sad and boring, just look around. Do not bother about reading a joke book. Instead consider reading a news paper. Knowing what happened when a duck went to the bar and asked for a drink can be fun the first time you hear it. Responding to a "Knock Knock" can be fun the first hundred times you hear it. But, a constant, evergreen, and "unreal" source of chuckles is the real world.
It is no wonder then that movie makers spend time, energy, and money in including bloopers at the end of all movies. Many people claim that these bloopers are more fun than the actual movie.
How To Get Yourself Some Classic Video Games
There are a lot of new video systems out there. Seems like more are released all the time. But where does that leave the games you’ve had for years? They are obsolete! That’s why many people don’t want to buy the new system, when they can invest the same amount of money and get some classic games, instead of being stuck with a bunch of Playstation 1, Sega and Super Nintendo games that won’t play on the new systems.
Price is biggest factor when it comes to why people stock up on classic games. Once a new system hits the stores, prices for the other ones fall. You will be able to pick up an old system for not a lot of money and then you can start building a collection of games.
When you are looking for games for older systems, you can usually find many of them for not much money, including Classic Super Nintendo and Classic Playstation 1 game. Many are just a few bucks.
There are some games out there that collectors are looking for, like the Classic Sega adventure game, Sonic the Hedgehog. People remember playing that game as a kid and still want it, so that will drive up the prices. Even so, that still won’t kick the price over that of current games. To get Classic Super Nintendo games and Classic Sega Genesis games for a good price, all you need to do is shop the many game sites online. Some of them will have deals on games.
Price is biggest factor when it comes to why people stock up on classic games. Once a new system hits the stores, prices for the other ones fall. You will be able to pick up an old system for not a lot of money and then you can start building a collection of games.
When you are looking for games for older systems, you can usually find many of them for not much money, including Classic Super Nintendo and Classic Playstation 1 game. Many are just a few bucks.
There are some games out there that collectors are looking for, like the Classic Sega adventure game, Sonic the Hedgehog. People remember playing that game as a kid and still want it, so that will drive up the prices. Even so, that still won’t kick the price over that of current games. To get Classic Super Nintendo games and Classic Sega Genesis games for a good price, all you need to do is shop the many game sites online. Some of them will have deals on games.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Choosing the Right Broker For Your Needs
What we want is a kindly figure who will listen intently to our financial history and then harness extensive knowledge, experience and a measure of second sight to draw up a plan guaranteeing us a happy and secure life. Not too much to ask is it? Well, such individuals do exist.
They are called personal accountants, and those who, measure up to the description above don't come cheap. They are not to be confused with financial advisers, who will be happy to select a suitable product for you in a particular field, such as investment or insurance.
Don't expect a personal accountant to change your life; they may save you some legwork, and perhaps that the rap if things go wrong. After all, pensions and endowment policy miss selling really did happen. But that begs the question: is there really such a thing as objective advice out there? How much does it cost, and can anyone do much more than lick a finger and stick it up to the wind? First, let's pin down who's who.
FINANCIAL ADVISERS
'Financial advisers' is a term that embraces several species- Independent Financial Advisers (IFA), tied agents, appointed representatives and brokers. While it might seem blunt, one of your first questions to anyone offering information or advice should be:
" What are you?" advisers must tell you clearly what their interest is."
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS
IFAs, as their name suggests, should be in a position to look at any companies or products on the market and find those that suit you best. IFAs who advise on investments, such as shares and collective funds, pensions, or equity-based life insurance, must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and abide by its regulations.
IFAs who advise only on loans, mortgages, non- investment-based insurance or bank and building society accounts do not have to be FSA-authorised and are covered by separate code of practice, depending on their area of expertise. Many of these advisers are due to be regulated by the FSA from 2004.
TIED AGENTS
Don't expect tied agents to check out the whole spectrum of products on your behalf. They usually advise on those of a single company (except in case of stakeholder pensions, where they can 'adopt' the offerings of other providers), so should at least know their products thoroughly. They may be employed by the provider, or simply act as agent and collect commission on sales. Banks and Building societies, estate agents and travel agents often act as tied agents. As with IFAs, tied agents are expected to make the effort to understand your requirements and to politely turn away if none of their products is suitable. Yes, honestly!
APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES
Here's where the water starts to get muddier because appointed representatives are self-employed individuals who may act either as tied agents for a particular company, or for a firm of IFAs. If it's the latter, they can easily give the impression of being IFAS in their own right, but it is illegal for them not to be straight with you about their status.
BROKERS
Brokers again may have ties with certain companies or be independent. They normally specialise-often in investments, insurance or mortgages- and will, therefore, claim to have the greater knowledge than IFAs, who may cover a wide range of financial products.
Some product providers will deal only through brokers, because it saves them a high-street presence and they can, in theory, pass their savings in overheads on to you. Many brokers also form relationships with providers, which allows them to obtain products at preferential rates. If not regulated by the FSA they are covered by bodies such as the Mortgage Code Compliance Board.
DISCOUNT BROKERS
Further confusing the issue when it comes to investments are discount brokers. They operate on an execution-only' basis, which means they are not allowed to offer more than general information on products, as opposed to individual advise tailored to your own circumstances. Their selling point is that they rebate all or part of their initial commission when you buy a product such as a ISAs, making their money later on renewal commissions from the provider. Discount brokers may also act as IFAs and offer personal advice, but you can't then claim discounts.
So you need help to find a particular product-who you should you consult? For collective-fund investments or pensions, choose an authorised IFA or an appointed representative for a firm of IFAs. For mortgages, you may be best approaching specialist brokers, but check whether they are independent or tied to particular companies.
They are called personal accountants, and those who, measure up to the description above don't come cheap. They are not to be confused with financial advisers, who will be happy to select a suitable product for you in a particular field, such as investment or insurance.
Don't expect a personal accountant to change your life; they may save you some legwork, and perhaps that the rap if things go wrong. After all, pensions and endowment policy miss selling really did happen. But that begs the question: is there really such a thing as objective advice out there? How much does it cost, and can anyone do much more than lick a finger and stick it up to the wind? First, let's pin down who's who.
FINANCIAL ADVISERS
'Financial advisers' is a term that embraces several species- Independent Financial Advisers (IFA), tied agents, appointed representatives and brokers. While it might seem blunt, one of your first questions to anyone offering information or advice should be:
" What are you?" advisers must tell you clearly what their interest is."
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS
IFAs, as their name suggests, should be in a position to look at any companies or products on the market and find those that suit you best. IFAs who advise on investments, such as shares and collective funds, pensions, or equity-based life insurance, must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and abide by its regulations.
IFAs who advise only on loans, mortgages, non- investment-based insurance or bank and building society accounts do not have to be FSA-authorised and are covered by separate code of practice, depending on their area of expertise. Many of these advisers are due to be regulated by the FSA from 2004.
TIED AGENTS
Don't expect tied agents to check out the whole spectrum of products on your behalf. They usually advise on those of a single company (except in case of stakeholder pensions, where they can 'adopt' the offerings of other providers), so should at least know their products thoroughly. They may be employed by the provider, or simply act as agent and collect commission on sales. Banks and Building societies, estate agents and travel agents often act as tied agents. As with IFAs, tied agents are expected to make the effort to understand your requirements and to politely turn away if none of their products is suitable. Yes, honestly!
APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES
Here's where the water starts to get muddier because appointed representatives are self-employed individuals who may act either as tied agents for a particular company, or for a firm of IFAs. If it's the latter, they can easily give the impression of being IFAS in their own right, but it is illegal for them not to be straight with you about their status.
BROKERS
Brokers again may have ties with certain companies or be independent. They normally specialise-often in investments, insurance or mortgages- and will, therefore, claim to have the greater knowledge than IFAs, who may cover a wide range of financial products.
Some product providers will deal only through brokers, because it saves them a high-street presence and they can, in theory, pass their savings in overheads on to you. Many brokers also form relationships with providers, which allows them to obtain products at preferential rates. If not regulated by the FSA they are covered by bodies such as the Mortgage Code Compliance Board.
DISCOUNT BROKERS
Further confusing the issue when it comes to investments are discount brokers. They operate on an execution-only' basis, which means they are not allowed to offer more than general information on products, as opposed to individual advise tailored to your own circumstances. Their selling point is that they rebate all or part of their initial commission when you buy a product such as a ISAs, making their money later on renewal commissions from the provider. Discount brokers may also act as IFAs and offer personal advice, but you can't then claim discounts.
So you need help to find a particular product-who you should you consult? For collective-fund investments or pensions, choose an authorised IFA or an appointed representative for a firm of IFAs. For mortgages, you may be best approaching specialist brokers, but check whether they are independent or tied to particular companies.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Superior business leader
Superior business leader and American investor Warren Buffett is often called “Oracle of Omaha” or the “Sage of Omaha” and philanthropist. (Wikipedia, 2007) Buffett is the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffett’s has an estimated current net worth of approximately $52 billion in US funds. Forbes Magazine ranks Buffett the third richest person in the world in September 2007 behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates.
Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)