Did you know that for software developers the word “business” (as in “business requirements,” “business layer,” or “business specs”) has a meaning totally different than its regular everyday connotation?

For a software engineer, a “business layer” has nothing to do with selling goods and services and making money or running a real business; but everything to do with the way an “3-tier client-server architecture” is structured.

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In the past few years, the anti-corporate movement (including those opposed to globalization) has gained a bit of steam.

What many people in the movement promote now is called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the idea that corporations should be responsible to all of society and the environment, as well as to shareholders.

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Financial audits can be a considerable expense for a charitable organization and boards need to consider this process well in advance of when they will need to have their financial records audited. Most nonprofit boards have finance committees, but how do they know when they need an audit committee? The easy way to answer this question is to check State regulations to determine whether or not the nonprofit is required to have an independent audit. If the answer is yes, then I strongly advise the organization to consider forming an audit committee. Among other responsibilities, the audit committee is the link between the nonprofit board and the independent auditor.

What are State thresholds for having an independent audit? Unfortunately there are no consistent requirements. New York for example, requires nonprofits to have an independent audit when annual revenue exceeds $150,000. California, on the other hand, requires an independent audit when annual gross revenue exceeds $2 million. That’s a big difference and something that regulators need to agree and standardize.

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I started my own painting business back in 1991. As someone who had done painting in the past I figured I knew all about how to paint. I was wrong.

So, exactly how much painting experience do you need to start a painting business of your own? Below are the top 10 things you should know to become a successful house painter.

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Many small businesses don’t have enough work for a full-time bookkeeper so they often resort to part-time bookkeepers. In most cases, these part-time bookkeepers are not accounting professionals and lack the experience and knowledge required to keep accurate financial records. Secondly most part-time bookkeepers desire full time work and are only working part-time until they find full-time work. If you have a part time employee that wants a part time job you are one of the lucky few. Most probably your part-time bookkeeper is actively seeking full time work. When your bookkeeper quits, the business owner plays that role until the next one can be found.

Are you getting tired of your part-time bookkeepers? Wouldn’t you rather focus on growing your business than updating financial records? Why not outsource your bookkeeping and accounting functions? Bookkeeping and taxes should not be your top priority, outsource those tasks so you can focus on growing your business.

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Henry David Thoreau once apologized to a friend: “Please excuse me for having written such a long letter, but I did not have time to write a short one.”

Your business letters, to be effective, must be organized, clear, direct and short. Writing letters with these qualities takes time (at first) and effort. Before you begin writing the letter, organize what you want to say. The simplest way to organize your thoughts is to arrange them around three characteristics:

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Business Letter Characteristics

There’s a big difference between a casual letter and a business letter. The business letter’s main purpose is to present your point clearly and concisely. It doesn’t beat around the bush. With this in mind, you’ll put your main point in the first line. Tell the reader exactly why you are writing and what you want.

A business letter also needs to have a formal tone. Don’t use slang or other expressions. On the other hand, don’t pull out your thesaurus and use complicated words. Keep the tone and your vocabulary professional, yet understandable.

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