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Different Types of Accounting Reports and When You Need Them According to Scott Tominaga

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The SAS 70 Report was recently changed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Mainly, they added new guidance that relates specifically to service organizations. This change came into force on June 15, 2011 and professionals like Scott Tominaga.

Originally, the SAS 70 Report was designed to ensure auditors could communicate about assertions in financial statements. However, it quickly started to become almost like a certification, designating availability, security, and more in the world of financial reporting. Because there are no significant risks in organizations, many of which are outside of financial reporting, new reports were needed as well.

What the AICPA decided to do, was create an alternative so that those who use third-party services could remain focused on the key issues at hand, being:

  • Privacy.
  • Confidentiality.
  • Availability.
  • Processing integrity.
  • Security.

All of these issues were place into the new Service Organizational Control (SOC) reports. Three versions of them now exist, SOC 1 through 3, and each has a unique purpose.

Three SOC Reports Explained by Scott Tominaga

  1. SOC 1

This report looks at the controls within service organizations as this relates to the entities of users who have internal control of financial reporting. SOC 1 is compliant with the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) 16.

  1. SOC 2

This report also looks at the control within service organizations. However, this report is specific to privacy, confidentiality processing integrity, availability, and/or security. This follows a number of set criteria and determines whether organizational operations are fully compliant.

  1. SOC 3

This report is different because, while it still relates to service organizations, it is the SysTrust report. This means it is similar to SOC 2, but it focuses particularly on basic trust services. It does not look into more details and tests. The SOC 3 can also be added as a seal on a website.

How Reporting Has Changed

Because of the new standards, reporting contents have changed significantly, as has the process itself. This means that organizations can now set themselves apart as being more relevant to their clients. Any service organization must describe what their system is, and this goes into far more details than the original SAS 70 did. In fact, it must include details about:

  • Technology.
  • Processes.
  • People.
  • Transaction classes.
  • A written assertion that indicates management is fully responsible for how the system works and according to which evaluation criteria.

How to Choose a SOC Report

When you choose a SOC, you have to consider who will read it, what they will use the report for, and why. Ask yourself whether auditors will require the results and whether they need to know what test results you had and what your controls were. You need to know, basically, how much detail they require. Transitioning from SAS 70 to SOC is quite a lot of work, but that is why there are professionals like Scott Tominaga who are there to explain it all.

Common Social Media Usage Mistakes

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It is a known fact that social media has completely changed the way we speak to each other, both to our customers and to our friends. Businesses with a big presence on social media have a strong competitive advantage and tend to be a lot more profitable. However, others still shy away from it because mistakes have been made, and they have had a significant impact on their revenues. So which mistakes are they?

  1. Being Boring

Once upon a time, businesses were formal corporations. While this still continues to this day, social media is informal and sociable. You may have business ethics of formality, your Facebook page is not an extension of your boardroom. In fact, it would be unacceptable to behave in that manner. Social media is about being engaging with everybody, and you cannot expect only those who wear suits and ties to speak to you, because social media is open. Unfortunately for you, “corporate” now means “boring” and boring is bad for business.

  1. Not Updating Properly

Second of all, if you use social media, you should use it properly. This means posting regular and frequent updates – but not too frequent or they will appear as spam. The postings should be original and engaging, and make people want to speak to you. There are situations in which you feel as if you literally have nothing to post. In that case, ask your followers how they are doing. This is a simple exercise that has a tremendous impact, making you more approachable and interesting straight away.

  1. Blocking, Deleting, or Not Responding to Rude Updates

The issue with social media is that anyone can say anything about you, and sometimes those things are not nice to hear. This is the point where you have to be ethical, which is legal and social media ethics expert Matthew Knouff‘s particular area of expertise. You can, and should, make it clear, for instance, that rude or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. And you should make it clear that someone who breaches those ethics will be blocked and removed. However, you have to be very careful to not simply block and remove anyone who criticizes your organization either. Complaints are not the same as rudeness. If you are seen to remove those, you will significantly damage your reputation, and that type of information spreads like wildfire in the social media stratospheres.

Social media is a hugely important tool in terms of business growth, and it can literally make or break a business. Knouff believes that a focus on ethics is absolutely vital to ensure the outcome is that the business grows, rather than that it is destroyed. The above three mistakes are the kind of mistakes that can destroy any efforts that a company makes, and there are many more. Hence, Matt Knouff believes that a proper policy, which also focuses on methods of communication, language, and corporate ethics, must be created for all companies to benefit the most from social media.

James P DeVellis – How to Avoid Having Orthopedic Problems

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When someone tells you they need to see an orthopedist, it means they are having problems with their muscle or joint. These body parts can have many types of problems that lead to limited function and mobility and severe chronic pain. Combined they produce inhibited function and a reduced quality of life. In extreme case they can also be life threatening. Many orthopedic issue can be treated with outpatient therapies. The most serious orthopedic problems however will require an orthopedic surgeon like James P DeVellis  to get involved.

Although some orthopedic issues happen due to accidents that are unavoidable, many others occur because of habits we have or issues that can be avoided. Here is a short list of things you can do to minimize your chances of having orthopedic issues:

Have a Balanced Diet

Eating right is a great way to ensure that your body has the nutrients it needs to build and maintain strong bones, muscles and tendons. If you have vitamin or mineral deficiency from a poor diet, your chances of having orthopedic problems increases dramatically. So you should follow a diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates and good fats, to ensure you have all of the nutrients you need.

Get Regular Check-ups

Unfortunately most of us do not get regular check-ups and only visit the doctor after we think too much time has passed since our last visit or we have a pain or congestion or some other ailment that won’t go away. As a result we do not catch the earlier stages of a problem. Part of the reason this is so common is the overly expensive costs of healthcare and the fear of finding out you have a condition that will bankrupt you. But the flip side is that when you the doctor’s office like an emergency room, you only end up paying high prices for your medical care.

Everyone should have an annual check-up and receive the tests that are commensurate with your age. At that check-up you should tell your doctor of any pains you have big or small and if they have lasted and unusually long period of time. Remember, chronic conditions usually start out as intermediate conditions that get worse over time. Catching something early can correct it and save you pain and money.

Low Impact Exercise

Regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do to maintain good health and we all need regular exercise as part of our regular good health routine. But not all exercise is equal when it comes to orthopedic health.

Exercises that place less strain on our muscles, tendons and bones is a much better choice for out keeping them healthy. This means that exercises like bike riding, walking water aerobics, treadmill, swimming and other exercises that do not place much strain on the muscles and tendons and constant impact on the bones are the ones you should do consistently.  To be clear, the exercise should be strenuous enough to get your muscles working and your heart rate up, but it should not have all of the pounding that you get from some exercises like tennis or basketball. These exercises over time will cause problems for your joints and may lead you to need to see an orthopedist.

Combat Joint Pain with Effective Medication

Arthritis is one of the most frequently diagnosed conditions in the United States. While surgery is often a last resort, the pains are often remedied with the recommendations on this page as well as medication. More recently, medical marijuana has been approved by many states as a drug for arthritis and other pain-related qualifying medical conditions where inflammation is involved. This is providing for an effective anti-inflammatory medication without the side effects or addictive qualities of other common arthritis drugs such as opioids.

Robert Bassam – Your Checklist for Buying a Used Car

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Buying a used car is a big decision and one you need to understand fully when you are about to do it. Used car dealers are notorious for luring unsuspecting and unknowledgeable car buyers into their dealerships and selling them cars that look and even run great for a short period of time and then quickly turn rotten.

For this reason, you need to set some guidelines for yourself when shopping for a new car. Ones that will keep you knowledgeable about how to get a good one for the right price. Here are some important parts of the guideline for buying a used car.

Pick a Reputable Dealer

Choosing a dealer who has a great reputation like Robert Bassam helps you to avoid the majority of problems one can encounter when purchasing a used car. Reputable dealers will make sure the vehicle you buy does not have scary issues like undisclosed previous accidents, inaccurate odometer readings, low quality and uncertified parts, sloppy paperwork, and other things that will cause you trouble once you buy the car.

If you live in Washington, finding Washington owners of cars who are reputable is paramount. Luckily, finding a reputable dealer has gotten easy because of the availability of locating relevant information on the internet. There are organizations that rate dealers and that provide buyers with information on the dealer’s licensing and track record. You can also look for those who previously purchased vehicles from the dealer to see what their experience was during and after the purchase. Did the dealer use hard sell tactics? Were they courteous? Were they pressured into buying more can then needed?  Dissatisfied customers are happy to share their horror stories on-line. And conversely, those who have had great experiences never mind letting others know. So use these resources to find out which dealers are trustworthy and which ones to avoid.

Bring a Mechanic to Inspect the Car

If you have any doubts about the dealer or if you feel the need for any other reason, bring a reputable mechanic with you to look at the car before you purchase. Let the dealer know you intend to do this and that the mechanic will need to be given full access to the vehicle. A reputable dealer will welcome this step and one who is looking to seize an opportunity to cheat you, will give one million excuses about why this is not a good idea.

The mechanic should be given full access to the vehicle and check tires, fluid levels, hoses, the transmission, the brakes and the engine. Meanwhile, you should check the exterior and interior for any excess wear and tear or any signs of rust or previous undisclosed damage.

Always be Prepared to Walk Away

You might find a car you absolutely love, but the price is too high or the terms stretch you too much. Car dealers will often lengthen payments or ask for more money down to make payments fit your budget. If you find yourself in this situation you are probably buying too much car. Start with a budget and stick to that budget no matter what how excited you get during your shopping. Take your time and you will find the car you need for the budget you have, patience is the key.

John Bradberry Charlotte NC – How to Make Your Stall The Best In The Shopping Center

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Myself and my colleague John Bradberry Charlotte NC resident and business expert spend a great deal of time with a wide range of businesses trying to help them to take the leap to the next level whilst being aware and careful of how they exposed financially. Last week we had an interesting time in a shopping center in Charlotte, trying to help a young man increase the revenue of his stall, his first foray into business.

This was the first time that we have helped someone on such a small level yet it was actually surprising how many of the methods that we use for big businesses, could also be applied here. If you are a stall owner in a shopping center, here is how you can make it the very best that it can be.

Work With The Business

Most shopping centres are open from 9 until around 10pm at night, opening hours which someone who does have a stall would be unlikely to be able to work all of. Stall owners can not afford to pay staff and nor should they so it is about opening up your stall at the time when there is the largest footfall. After doing this for just 1 week, our stall in Charlotte upped its takings by over 6% on the previous week.

Collaborate

There is nothing wrong with starting a community with your neighbours and offering deals between yourselves. Next to the stall there was an independently owned milkshake bar and we managed to strike a deal with them that gave all clients who bought more than $10 worth of items from the stall, a $2 off coupon for the milkshake store, and we would cover $1.20 of the cost of the coupon. This agreement helps to boost the milkshake bar’s customers as well as our own and it worked out really well.

Selective Design

Whine comes to the design of your stall you really have limited options in terms of what you can do with the space that you have. The two rules that I would suggest that you abide by are these, if your products look messy, customers won’ be interested and if your products look too perfectly aligned, customers won’t want to to touch them. The bets course of action is to present your products in an inviting way, play around with the design and see how customers react.

Grab Attention

As a small stall in amongst many big shops, you must grab the customers attention, for this you could use bright colours, music or visual aids which will grab the attention of the client for just a second, enough time to bring them in. You should also have your prices clearly displayed, customers don’t alway like coming and looking at your products to see the price for fear that they will be hassled so having your prices clearly marked can really help to boost your sales and take your stall to the next level.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!