Since ancient times women have been viewed, in many cultures, as men’s inferiors physically, morally, and intellectually. Today, in western cultures, women enjoy more freedom and equality than ever before in history. Despite the gains made by women in recent years, particularly in the U.S., many women worldwide still find that their access to education, employment, healthcare and political influence are limited because of their gender. These discrepancies continue to exist because many societies still maintain centuries-old social and religious laws, customs, and traditions that have created barriers to education, jobs, and healthcare, as well as deprive women of their political and civil rights.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is usually defined as a form of discrimination in which sexual advances or requests for sexual favors constitute a condition of a person’s employment or advancement in the workplace. It frequently occurs between a male and a female, often instigated by a male manager or other person in power. While many countries are starting to have laws against such discrimination, it is often reported that the laws are not enforced. Sexual harassment occurs in workplaces worldwide, including the United States. Laws that specifically prohibit sexual harassment have been enacted in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, but many other countries are still in the process of studying the problem. There are two types of sexual harassment defined by U.S. law: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Quid pro quo means that an employee is asked to perform a sexual act in exchange for a job, promotion, or other perk. A “hostile environment” is described as one which contains situations, acts, or items that can inhibit the productivity of an employee, such as sexually suggestive language, behavior, or pictures.

Some strategies (as discussed in more detail below) for employees who experience sexual harassment include confronting the individual by informing him or her of the intrusive behavior and requesting that he or she stop it, notifying management or, should management be the offender, notifying the personnel department or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). (In the United States, call toll free 800-669-EEOC or see www.eeoc.gov to find your local office.) The EEOC will be able to provide you with written guidelines for determining what constitutes sexual harassment and how to deal with it.

Sexual Discrimination

The American businesswoman may unwittingly and unavoidably be party to conversations and actions that discriminate against women. For example, in Asian businesses it is natural to ask a female employee to serve tea, and a woman may be subjected to innocent questions about her age, marital status, and whether or not she has children. In Korea and Japan, protocol has men entering rooms and elevators ahead of women. In Europe, office talk tends to be more flirtatious and sexual in nature, sprinkled with many off-color jokes and puns. Derogatory statements about women in Germany are often expressed openly in the office, and reference to a woman’s physique is not uncommon in Italy and France. Other countries still view a woman who is alone as a prostitute since otherwise her husband, boyfriend or family would accompany her. American women often view excessive flattery by Latin Americans as derogatory because U.S. office policies would not tolerate such comments.

Some women report that suggestive sexual comments are sometimes used (consciously or unconsciously) as negotiating tools in an attempt to throw a woman off her guard. Women must be prepared for this and develop the ability to keep control and not show anger or other emotion. Some tactics women have used successfully to respond to such situations include: giving a polite verbal reprimand to remind your counterparts that you are conducting a business session; suggesting a break while stating the negotiation has obviously gotten off track; or ending the negotiation in its entirety to show absolute intolerance and disapproval.

Gender Issues in Europe

Most women in Europe are still battling the glass ceiling even more than women in the U.S. There are fewer women in upper management and more hierarchical issues with which to grapple. Furthermore, European women are still expected to handle all responsibilities relating to home and family. This interferes with their ability to hold down a job unless they are wealthy enough to have hired help at home. Shopping hours are still not convenient for working women and day care is often not available. Younger women do not have the role models of older women in the business world, so they must often work harder to establish credibility and to break into the upper ranks of business. Derogatory comments about women appear to be more accepted by the public. For example, in England the derogatory terms “cow” and “bird” are widely used, even on TV, and in films, to refer to women. In France and Italy it is not unusual for males to touch women inappropriately.

Gender Issues in Asia

Asian culture has traditionally placed more value on male offspring and on the male roles of ruler, protector, cultivator, and breadwinner. The male is out in the world, while the female remains at home to manage the household and raise the children. Asian males have consequently been in a dominant position over Asian women and have largely controlled their means of livelihood.

Centuries ago male philosophers, China’s elite, developed precepts of behavior -- notably passivity and obedience -- that women were expected, or forced, to follow. Women were subordinated to their fathers, brothers, husbands, and even sons. Historically, marriages in Asia were arranged not for love, but for family connections. The bride usually lived under the domination of the husband’s mother and frequently faced competition from secondary wives and concubines. Her husband was allowed to repudiate his wife, especially if she did not produce a male heir. If the husband died, the wife could not easily remarry. She had no economic independence, was frequently illiterate, and had no property rights. Infanticide limited the number of female children.

Today, Asian countries continue to be patriarchal societies with strong traditions. When a woman marries, she generally joins her husband’s family, and her ties with her own family weaken. The couple either lives with the husband’s family or, as is occurring more frequently, on its own. If there is a divorce, the father often gets custody of the children. Divorce is considered shameful and is rarely discussed. Divorce rates, which used to be very low in East Asia, are growing however, as women become more economically independent.

There is an old Chinese saying: “Women are the moon reflecting the sunlight,” meaning women reflect the glow of men. Young, educated East Asian women increasingly reject this old saying. They emphasize their individuality, independence, personal responsibility, hard work, and careers, even as they try to maintain their femininity. Yet the few recent studies of Asian women indicate that many still feel inferior to men and worry about managing a career and a family. Job discrimination is still practiced in Asia. “Family connections” are very important in obtaining desirable jobs. Stereotyping women as the weaker, less capable sex still prevails.

Gender Issues in Latin America

The concept of “machismo” is important in Mexico and other Latin American countries, although American businesswomen will encounter more macho attitudes in Mexico than in any other a part of Latin America. The word "macho" does not carry a negative connotation in Mexico, as it does in the U.S. For a Mexican, the word "macho" implies strength, valor, self-confidence and masculinity, which are all considered positive qualities. There is also an underlying assumption in the culture that men are supposed to be stronger, braver, wiser and more sexually knowledgeable than women. Displays of machismo include: showing courage in a bullring, risk-taking, taking part in bar room confrontations, and displaying sexual prowess by bragging about sexual conquests or by having a large family. To be macho also requires the repudiation of all characteristics considered feminine, such as unselfishness, kindness, frankness and truthfulness. The proof of a man’s maleness in this culture is his ability to completely dominate his wife and his children and to have sexual relations with any woman he desires. A double moral standard exists between the fidelity expectations placed upon males and females in Mexico and Latin America. A woman's primary obligation is to make a home and procreate; she is dedicated to a life of service and no infidelity on her part is tolerated. However, men who maintain mistresses are within their legal rights as long as they are discreet about their affairs. A man can frequently divorce his wife if she commits adultery, but the wife can only divorce her husband if the act took place in their home.

Macho men will often express an air of superiority when it comes to dealing with American women in business. They may be overly polite and attentive to a woman, but in a patronizing way. Machismo may be expressed in terms of canceled, forgotten, or ignored meetings, and other frustrations and delays. Businesswomen, especially when traveling alone, should expect a high likelihood of unwelcome sexual advances. Examples of this include: overly long eye contact, the pressing of legs under the table, and an overemphasis on how appealing a woman looks. Most businesswomen advise against entertaining a man alone. Instead, they suggest that a group be arranged. They also emphasize that a woman should establish herself as a businesswoman even at her hotel, and dress conservatively in business suits.

Strategies for Coping

It is important for you, your team, and your managers to understand the strategies you should pursue if you find yourself in a compromising situation. Managers should be well-versed on their responsibilities in cases where women have been harassed, and they should understand how to act in accordance with company policy and governing laws. It is important to realize, for example, that an executive team based in the home office in the United States is actually legally responsible for the actions of their employees worldwide, including in subsidiaries in foreign countries. Working in the international arena can be challenging. Many foreign countries have no laws or regulations concerning sexual harassment, or they are not enforced, and as a result employees in many countries do not understand the American viewpoint. As a result, male managers in the U.S. who are unfamiliar with more traditional societies may avoid sending female staff members to represent their companies to these cultures, fearing that these businesswomen cannot be effective in male-oriented societies. This viewpoint, however, may be keeping these executives from using what is in fact their strongest asset, since women’s perceived attributes -- being good listeners, mediators, and consensus builders -- are well-received in international business. Male managers only need to become knowledgeable about the situation in other countries and what their responsibilities are in the event of sexual harassment. They can then send their female staff members with confidence.

U.S. courts (see www.eeoc.gov) offer some legal remedies and suggestions for handling discrimination and harassment situations: “The (U.S.) courts have established that corporations that assign a U.S. citizen to a post in a foreign country must treat that employee as if he or she were in the U.S., regardless of local customs and traditions.” Recent Supreme Court cases suggest several legal/human resource strategies that can be used to prevent gender discrimination. The first is: “to educate and prepare employees sent to work in different countries abroad. Should a dispute arise, arbitration or mediation is preferred over litigation. The best overall strategy is to develop and implement a well-conceived company policy that ensures gender equality” (Cava, A. & Mayer, D., 1993).

Management Responsibility

The elimination of sexual harassment starts at home. If your company doesn’t have a company policy on discrimination and sexual harassment at home, there will be little to back you up if you find yourself facing such situations in the international environment. Top management must therefore take a proactive role in eradicating it from the workplace. There are many good reasons for doing so. Sexual harassment can reduce employee productivity and morale, and consequently it can have a negative impact on a company’s bottom line, as well as cost firms a great deal in lawsuits. It is the responsibility of the executive staff to eliminate sexual harassment. Top management must instruct its staff that sexual harassment is illegal and will not be tolerated.. Issuing sexual harassment policies, scheduling open discussions, expressing disapproval, creating a path for resolution and complaint, and respecting individual privacy should all be part of the top management plan. A comfortable environment with open, company-wide communication is key to alleviating any inhibitions employees may have about discussing their experiences.

As a first step, a company needs a visible, comprehensive policy emphasizing the importance of appropriate behavior: harassment and social misconduct toward its employees will not be tolerated. This policy should also state the ramifications of any violations. Hard copies of the company policy should be distributed not only internally but also to customers and suppliers. A copy of the policy should be available to all employees and visibly posted in work and rest areas. The company should have training programs for its management staff and its employees on a regular basis. If you are in management, you can play a key role. Do not overlook or refuse to acknowledge that problems can occur in other countries, because this will only help reinforce their acceptance. If one of your traveling staff is harassed, it will interfere with the productivity of your business dealings. Harassment also violates U.S. law. It is frustrating for an individual who has faced sexual harassment to work with or for staff who do not understand the seriousness of the offense, or travel with a manager who does not speak or act on behalf of employees.

Individual Responsibility

Prepare yourself for the possibility of encountering sexual harassment when you travel abroad. When you are visiting countries that are male-dominated and still have little awareness of women’s rights, your actions may actually have a greater impact on foreign men than written policies. In these situations, men won’t expect women to assert themselves, and if you strongly voice your disapproval of inappropriate behavior, these men will often back down. Also, most businessmen would not want to lose a business deal by offending someone.

Most women report that while their business days go smoothly, the after-hours socializing that occurs in some countries can become a challenge. It is still common, for example, for Asian men to go out drinking after work. While drinking, they feel more comfortable about voicing their inner feelings. If you are the lone woman in your group, you may become the target for questions that would not be asked during working hours. In Asia, drinking excuses what Americans may consider appallingly inappropriate behavior. While the American may remain upset if he or she feels anything untoward has occurred during an evening, the incident is generally ignored by the Asian participants the next day as they carry on with business as usual. In Latin America, women are often the targets of flattering comments about their appearance by Latin American men, sometimes to the point that it feels intrusive to the women.

Should you be subjected to what you feel is sexual harassment, remain calm and professional. This attitude will have much more impact than if you become upset or angry. In many cases men may have been trying to incite you or test your resilience. In most cases you can either respond with a calm statement of disapproval, or you can show your disapproval by remaining silent. If you are in a situation that has become particularly unpleasant, you can always leave.

If you are traveling overseas on business and have been accosted, you are still protected as an employee of an U.S. firm, and should take action in accordance with your firm’s sexual harassment policy. It is always best to report the incident rather than being passive and keeping it to yourself. This way, if the perpetrator is an employee of your firm, he can be corrected or reprimanded, and if he is employed by another firm, at least your executives will be aware of the issue when deciding whether to enter further business dealings with that company.

Safety is a concern no matter where you travel in the world. Of course, some countries and cities will be safer than others will, but it is always important to be alert and to keep personal safety in mind when you travel. Before You Leave Home

Before you go, make a photocopy of your passport and visas. Keep them with you, but separate from your actual passport. Also leave a set at home with someone you can contact easily. If you lose your passport, go in person to the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, and apply for a new one. If your passport has been stolen, file a police report, as you will need it when you reapply for a new passport. Having a copy of your passport will save time. If you are traveling with another person, have them come with you to help verify that you are an American citizen. Bring your U.S. driver’s license or other identification with you. If the consulate cannot verify your identification, you'll be given a limited validity passport and when you get back to the U.S. you will need to reapply.

Travel Safety

It is important to be on guard at airports, train and bus stations. These are areas where petty theft can easily occur. These areas are easily accessed by the public and have a lot of activity, which helps a thief work unobserved. Interestingly, most business people report that it isn’t the locals that you need to worry about, it’s other people who may be traveling. Don’t assume that a country generally perceived as safe, such as Japan, has no crime problems and let down your guard.

If you have luggage, use covered luggage tags, and use an office instead of a home address. Lock your suitcase before putting it into overhead bins and keep your purse with you when you go to the rest room on the airplane or train. Don’t wear loud jewelry that will make you stand out as a wealthy target or tourist to a thief. It is always best to blend in as much as you can without calling attention to yourself. Some women suggest that traveling dressed down is a safer way to go. However, others caution that you may not be viewed or treated as a professional if you are not dressed in smart attire when you travel.

Hotel Safety

You can reduce your risk of theft and assault by staying in a quality hotel that has safety features such doormen, bellmen, and night staff. Choose popular, business travelers’ hotels in tourist areas, not in residential areas where the streets tend to quiet down in the evening. Some women recommend staying in a hotel that is large so there are people actively coming and going and you won’t be alone. Others prefer a small hotel where the lobby is under the watchful eye of the desk clerk and where a loiterer would be obvious.

When you check in, make sure that your room number is not announced for nearby guests to hear. Lock your valuables in the hotel safety deposit box or the safe in your room. Use the peephole in your door to help identify visitors. If someone knocks on your door at night stating they are night staff, call the hotel lobby to confirm and verify their purpose before opening the door. Most modern hotels have voicemail. If you are not expecting a late night call, let the caller leave a voicemail message. You can call the person back; it is worth a two-minute delay to ensure it is not a crank caller.

Street Safety

Being Followed

I have received reports from women on business in London, Paris, Tokyo, Rome and other cities that they have been followed by men they do not know. Since you do not know the intent of the man following you in such a situation, it is best not to interact with the person but try to lose him as quickly as possible.

Here are some tips to avoid being followed and how to confront someone who is following you:
• Walk in populated areas so that you have other people around you.
• If you are being followed, turn off into a department store, a hotel, or other public area where you might find someone to help you if needed.
• Try ignoring the individual. He may eventually go away. If your follower knows that it bothers you, he may turn it into a game.
• Take a taxi to get away, even if it is just for a few blocks.
• Confront the person with a stare-down if you think that will cause him to run off (although if not done aggressively, many times this will encourage conversation).

Pickpockets and Petty Theft

Many businesswomen who travel internationally have experienced petty theft, such as purse-snatchings and pickpockets on the street, in restaurants, and in dark garages. Some cities have more incidents than others do. Here are some tips on how to avoid a pickpocket:
• Avoid dense crowds, as this is usually where a pickpocket will linger.
• Crowded buses, train stations and airports are prime spots for pickpockets. If you are wearing pants in these places, keep your money in your front pocket.
• On sidewalks, do not walk close to street traffic, as passing motorbike thieves often snatch purses.
• Sling your handbag over your shoulder and body so that it is more secure and harder to snatch.
• Do not hang your handbag on the inside of a restroom door handle or set it on the floor where it can be easily lifted.
• In a restaurant, wrap your handbag around your leg or keep it on your lap. Do not hang it over the back of your chair.
• Study city maps in your room before you venture out so that you have a clear sense of where you are going and don’t look like a tourist.
• Be aware that people may be watching you dial your phone-card number in a phone booth. Such people may memorize the numbers for later use.
• Avoid ATM’s in lonely areas. If it does not appear to be safe, exchange money at the hotel to avoid risk.

Have you ever walked into a busy retail store, and heard a patron say, “this place must be making a fortune”? Obviously this analysis is simply based on the amount of people in the store at the time. Then maybe a year later, the same establishment closed. That very same patron might wonder what happened.

Many people love to watch the game of hockey, why is that?

They understand how the game works; enjoy evaluating and observing their favorite players in action. These fans will keep themselves up to date, go to the actual games, have long discussions with friends, watch the sport shows, and read the newspapers. Through these means they can study the players, know their stats, and can give an educated opinion on the game of hockey. Most of these types of dye hard fans are very passionate about the game, and some might agree with me when I use the term obsessed. If some of these fans would consider dedicating themselves the same way in business, they could be very successful!!!

How does hockey relate to understanding business?

• The player’s would be your employees.
• Your fans are the loyal customers.
• The referee’s is the governmental bodies who enforce the laws.
• The stats are your business numbers.
• The passion comes from within.

Final thought

It is very important to have the right business training before venturing out on your own. This way you have a clear perceptive on how the game works, and what it will take to be good at it. The patron in the store was just an impressed fan, but did not know how to play the game. There is nothing wrong with that, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. However maybe the next time you hear someone say, this store is making a fortune, hopefully you will have gained some better awareness about the game of business

Are you planning to open your own business but do not have enough start up capital? Have you always wanted to run your own show and be your own boss yet you can?t seem to get enough money to get the ball rolling? There are business loan brokers who will take care of all that.

Starting a business these days is not so hard anymore. Gone are the days when a denied loan application from your banker was enough to quash those dreams of financial success. With loan brokers in the picture, you have a second chance at making your dreams come true!

Business loan brokers are especially favored by many small business entrepreneurs mainly because they hold a friendlier attitude towards small businesses than banks normally do. A bank can be quick to deny a loan application, whereas a business loan broker will usually reconsider an application on the grounds that they do not have to worry about regulatory restrictions like banks do.

Business loan brokers handle both short-term and long-term loans. Depending on your assets and credit history, these lenders can lend you up to $5 million. With the cash safely in your hands, you can start purchasing equipment that you need for your business. You can also use it for physical development plans and enhancement projects.

If you think your restaurant's kitchen equipment needs a little updating, then a long-term loan may be just the thing you need. Think you?re being upstaged by the new shop next door? Well, maybe a little sprucing up will give your store a brand new competitive edge!

Applying for a loan from a business loan broker is an easy task. The basic things that you need are copies of three to five years of tax returns and your personal financial statement.

Make no mistake, in the unhappy event of things going horribly wrong, it's you in the hot-seat, even if you think the accountant is to blame. So don't settle for the phonebook lottery approach. This is a VERY important decision, take your time, and do the research.

This article is a checklist of some basic steps you can take to avoid the cowboys!

1/ Ask around! If you have friends/associates in business then ask them to recommend an accountant to you. Accountants can be invaluable if they're good and disastrous if they're bad. If you know someone who has been through a few financial cycles with their accountant and still speaks well of them, that's a really good sign!

2/ In most countries, declaring you have qualifications that you don't is illegal. So find out what qualification your accountant has. If you're in doubt get them to confirm it in writing.

Meet your accountant face to face in their premises. It's great if your accountant is happy to visit you at work or even at home. But when you're trying to assess their professionalism you need to look them in the eye over a desk in their office. There are two very practical reasons for this. Firstly, you can at least be fairly sure you have their real business address. Secondly seeing your accountants workplace can help give an impression of the state of their business, and their attitude to their work. If the surroundings don't look like your definition of a productive work environment, then perhaps they're not, or perhaps you have different standards.

Ask your potential accountant how he/she will work, perhaps he will want to impose a set of practices upon you, perhaps this is just what you need. But on the other hand you need a system that you can understand. If he wants you to adopt a set of practices make sure you understand how they work.

Who will do the work? Find out if you are speaking to the person who will actually do the work on your behalf, if not, you need to speak to them.

Remember you are making the first tentative steps in what may well be a very long relationship. Think of your accountant as you would a major shareholder in your company, is this someone you'd be happy to discuss all the prickly details of your finances with?

Telephone your accountant "out of the blue". He will most likely be busy, that's understandable, but did he get back to you? It's amazing how many fall at this first hurdle. If he can't be bothered to call when you're a new client imagine yourself one week from a government deadline! An accountant who doesn't value your business is a liability! (excuse the pun).

This may seem a little over the top, but just remind yourself who is liable for the decisions your accountant makes! If your accountant can't communicate the decisions he makes; operate in an organised and timely manner; and treat you with respect you shouldn't be giving him your patronage and you certainly don't want to accept liability for his work!

To answer this question properly you must realise that starting your own business can be a time consuming and stressful job, especially in the early years. You need to balance your own needs with that of your families. If you analyse all the facts in a methodical manner you will be able to truly answer the question.

Listed below are a few points to consider if you decide to take the plunge and buy a business.

Individual qualities – Successful people are fully aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, by understanding this they are able to identify what tasks are suited to them and which ones are not. A good place to start is for you to analyse your own strengths and weaknesses. Here are some individual qualities that are a pre-requisite for sound management; inspirational leadership, sound work ethic good perception and compassion. If you have these qualities you will be well on your way to becoming successful in business life.

Professional help – The vast majority of new businesses need assistance in the early stages, you will need to identify who you are going to call on to assist you. My advice is; fiends, family and business do not mix well, and only seek professional help from people who can provide references or come highly recommended.

Planning – All business models need a plan, sit yourself down and have a comprehensive brain storming session, from the results you will be able to start the outline of your plan. Do not worry in the early days all plans are subject to change. My advice on this matter is for you to be patient, being impatient can lead to errors of judgement.

Finances – What is your financial situation? Before you even start it may be worth seeking the advice of a financial expert, they can provide you with the relevant information on business loans or government grants, if required. Your financial situation should also be a key factor in your planning stage.

Timing – Deciding when to buy a business is a key factor, if your sector is performing well and there is a good economic outlook you may find you have to pay an over inflated price for the business. On the flip side if the sector is under performing mixed with a bleak economic outlook you should be able to acquire the business at a heavily discounted rate.

Introduction

Most businesses have rules that define and implement policies, whether they relate to internal operations or to the products and services they offer to their customers. Often these rules define the strategy of the business and determine its success or failure. Adjustments to the strategy typically mean changes to business rules. The problem is this—these days business rules are implemented in software, and everyone knows that software changes don’t happen quickly. Business rules engines (BRE) expedite rapid changes in business rules within enterprise software.

The Business Rules Bottleneck

For years enterprise architecture has separated systems into three tiers—a presentation tier, a flow control or application tier, and the data validation tier. Business logic is usually embedded across all three tiers. When policy makers decide to change direction, often database routines must change, application server enterprise software may require adjustment, and user interface options will have to be altered. The entire IT infrastructure is affected. To bridge the gulf between IT and policy makers, business analysts are often charged with creating detailed requirements and other documents which coders use to implement the business requirements in software. This translation of business logic into code creates a bottleneck for change and slows responsiveness to developing business needs and priorities.

The RBE Solution

The central principle of business rules management systems (BRMS) is to extract the embedded business logic from the multiple tiers of enterprise applications and to centralize it into a set of rules that can be easily monitored, controlled, and altered by business analysts. Control of business rules and logic is thereby placed in the hands of the business professionals who know them. A business rules engine can be thought of as a fourth tier in enterprise applications, the tier that houses the rules of the business. Rules are written as declarative statements in plain English, typically as IF-THEN-ELSE statements. When integrated with the other tiers, the BRE works through the rules until all conditions are satisfied.

In the Financial Industry

BRMS has been most widely implemented in the financial industry, which has seen an explosion of loan products, each governed by its own set of rules. Software applications typically check the applicant’s credit history, income and other factors bearing on credit, as well as that of co-signers, and make recommendations for loan products and find the best price for the customer’s circumstances. This process is highly rule-intensive, but by using BRMS, business analysts are able to enter the rules that generate the code that approves loans. As a result, loan companies can create sophisticated and innovative products without incurring overwhelming IT investments. BRMS has not only reduced IT costs and reduced time to market for the industry, but importantly, it has reduced translation errors between the business experts and programming.

Other Industries

Other industries that rely heavily on rules-based systems are beginning to catch on. Telecommunications companies are using BRMS to route messages, to schedule maintenance and to manage customer service. The health care industry is quickly adopting it for its heavily rules-laden processes, such as claims processing and regulatory compliance. One health care insurer estimates that the number of rules in its systems has been growing and will continue to grow to tens of thousands of independent rules. A BRE is the only sensible way to get a handle on such overwhelming business logic. The right BRE will provide an environment in which these rules can be created, categorized, cross-referenced, searched, versioned, and approved.

Selecting the Right BRMS

There is a wide variety of BRMS products available now, from open source tools to full-blown enterprise offerings. Choosing the product that is right for your organization requires an examination of your organization’s existing IT infrastructure, as well as the extensiveness of your organization’s rules base, the expectations for rules management, and the level of commitment by the business experts. Gartner estimates that IT can expect to reduce operating costs by 10% to 15% with a properly implemented BRMS. But the benefits of transparency in the organization’s business logic and the responsiveness of IT to changing business needs may be immeasurable.

Many of today's top business leaders are choosing business jets as they're primary means for air travel. It's no surprise that with all the headaches and inconvenience that come with modern air travel, those with the resources and access rely on their business jets to get them where they need to be, on time and refreshed.

Business jets offer first class treatment like no other and to top things off, for the most part you don't have to worry about traveling with chatty, annoying strangers or food that barely qualifies as such. Business jets are almost like limousines for the air, offered by companies for their top officials, for special events or as rewards for exceptional performance.

Of course, the downside is that business jets can be extremely expensive. With all the amenities and extras it takes to stock a jet, not to mention fuel, crew and other operating costs, it can add up to a hefty tab pretty quickly. But despite that, many businesses see them as an invaluable asset for catering to their top brass, especially when it comes time to seal that important business deal or get some time away to keep from burning out.

Contrast that with your typical air travel experience. Even if you're fortunate enough to land yourself a seat in first class, you still have to get to the gate like everyone else. That typically means long lines, seemingly endless waiting, and of course the extra security. By the time you tack on the extra hour or so to your travels to account for all this, you usually end up arriving at your destination tired, cranky and sore from those tiny seats.

Instead, wouldn't it be better to simply choose when and where you'd like to depart, who's coming with you, how long you'll be staying and skipping the long lines?

If you're a business owner or individual with the resources to do so, owning a business jet might be a great option for you to consider. With growing trends such as "fractional jet ownership", owning a private jet has become much more affordable than was the case in the past.

If you have ever run your own business you know how much of a hassle it can be to try to keep employees updated on new technology. Training can be very time consuming and expensive for both the company and the employee. This is where business simulations come into play. Using this technology you can find fun, unique, and cost effective ways to train your work force.

Business simulations can be offered in software, games, charts, and other easy to use systems. The most preferred way is with games because this keeps students entertained while they learn. This means they will pay more attention to the lesson and will actually enjoy it.

One very interesting business simulation environment is a lot like role playing. The student will be given a scenario and must figure out how to complete a certain task effectively. Depending on how the student tries to complete the task or how they answer the questions will decide how the environment plays out. This means that if they choose the wrong answer they can have something fail that can effect the simulation. This gives an interactive approach to learning and is more life like because your actions will have consequences.

There are also numerical charts that are used. These help teach employees to keep track of numbers and figure out expenses. It helps give them accounting skills and responsibility.

The best part of business simulations is how easy it is for the teacher to keep track of the students. With software and charts they can follow the students work and keep track of their progress throughout the program. This provides the employers with a hands on approach to what the students are doing.

All of these benefits are helping to switch over companies to use Business Simulation programs. It costs very little for them to try and can help them immensely with the training of their employees. This also helps employees have a good time while still getting the training they need.

When you first envisaged working for yourself, it's pretty unlikely (unless you're an accountant) that this vision included late nights compiling end of period financials. Or sitting hunched over a part-completed profit and loss statement with furrowed brows.

There's no doubt accountancy, for most, is not the most glamorous part of the job. But it is essential to making well formed business decisions, weak accounting is a fatal flaw, and if you remember nothing else from this article, remember this, your company's finances are YOUR responsibility not your accountant's!

Liability for decisions rests ultimately with you as the business manager. Not with your accountant. But even with the best accountant in the world, if you haven't taken the time to understand the function of the accountant and the accounts, you can't expect to make well informed decisions, nor can you expect your company's financials to be anywhere near as accurate as they might be, if you took the time to get involved.

Consider the following example, two companies (let's call them CompanyA and CompanyB) buy exactly the same piece of machinery, their 5 year predicted valuations for the item are as follows...

Year 1 $10,000 $10,000
Year 2 $8,000 $8,000
Year 3 $6,400 $6,000
Year 4 $5.120 $4,000
Year 5 $4,096 $2,000

So who has made the mistake? They can't both be correct?
If you're answer goes something like "well, it depends on the market price for the item in the given year". Then sure that's correct. But how could your accountant possibly know this five years in advance?

The answer is of course he can't! In reality the accountant has had to make an educated guess, CompanyA's accountant chose the "reducing balance" depreciation model while CompanyB's accountant chose "straight line" depreciation. Let's leave depreciation models for another article, suffice it to say that more than one model exists.

Ok, so the accountant can't be expected to make a reliable prediction of depreciation rates for every item you might need to run your business, but you certainly should be able to provide an educated guess. You just spent $10,000 on a new piece of kit right? So presumably you know a bit about this stuff? With that in mind, wouldn't it be a good idea to get involved?

Of course, getting involved in assisting your accountant model depreciation for major pieces of equipment means that you first have to be aware that this is an issue faced by those compiling financial reports.

Let's look at another area where the accountant needs your help to make prudent judgements. A friend of mine found himself in the unfortunate situation of hearing through the grapevine that the overdue balance owed by his biggest client was unlikely to ever be paid. His debtor had been doing a great job of keeping news of their imminent demise quiet, but the cracks were beginning to show! The next stop for many in this situation would be the nearest bar to drown their sorrows. Fortunately he had the good sense to head straight for his accountant! With only a few days until the publication of the financial statement they were able to write off the bad debt. Without this adjustment, profit would have been massively overstated, that means tax liability would have been far higher, and that would have meant the company was insolvent! Disaster averted, the company managed to recover and move on to far greater things, but only because he had a sufficient understanding of the accounting process to understand that there was a danger.

Accountancy, contrary to popular belief, is not simply glorified arithmetic. A great deal of good judgement is required to run a tight ship, your accountant simply can't be expected to know as much financial detail about your industry, associated equipment and trading environment as you do. But if you can warn the accountant of impending disaster he/she can execute all the technical aspects involved in taking preventative action.