SBA Offers Online 8(a) Program Application

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has unveiled a new electronic online application process that will make it easier, faster and less expensive for small businesses to apply for 8(a) Business Development and Small Disadvantaged Business certification. The 8(a) Business Development Program is a business assistance program for small disadvantaged businesses. The 8(a) Program offers a wide range of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Benefits of 8(a) Certification Small businesses that gain SBA 8(a) program certification can compete for and get sole-source government contracts worth up to $4 million for goods and services and $6.5 million for manufacturing. 8(a) certified firms may also from joint ventures and teams to bid on government contracts. â€Å"This enhances the ability of 8(a) firms to perform larger prime contracts and overcome the effects of contract bundling, the combining of two or more contracts together into one large contract,† notes the SBA. In addition, the SBA’s Mentor-Protà ©gà © Program allows newly-certified 8(a) firms to â€Å"learn the ropes† from more experienced businesses. Participation in the program is divided into two phases over nine years: a four-year developmental stage and a five-year transition stage. Basic 8(a) Certification Eligibility Requirements While the SBA imposes many specific requirements for 8(a) certification, the basics are: The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by an individual or individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged. The owners must be able to prove they meet the SBA requirements for both social disadvantage and economic disadvantage.The owner(s) must be an American citizen, by birth-right or naturalization.The business must meet the SBA size limits for a small business.The business must demonstrate to the SBA that it has a â€Å"potential for success.† More About the 8(a) Online Application Announced during a luncheon at Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week by SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto, the new automated online 8(a) application will substantially reduce the time and cost of applying for certification. The newly launched 8(a) online application will allow small businesses to apply for 8(a) and SDB certification directly from the SBAs Web site, and ensure more small businesses are able to successfully compete for federal contracting opportunities, Barreto said. This user-friendly application represents another accomplishment of this Administration in developing e-Gov tools that make access to information less cumbersome for small business. [ Truth About Small Business Grants From the US Government ] The SBAs 8(a) Business Development Program helps small businesses owned, controlled, and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals by providing management, technical, financial and federal contracting assistance with the aim of helping these entrepreneurs create viable businesses. About 8,300 companies are presently certified in the 8(a) program. During FY 2003, $9.56 billion in federal contracts were awarded to companies participating in the program. The new automated application was developed by an 8(a) firm, Simplicity, Inc. in conjunction with the SBAs Office of Government Contracting and Business Development. It employs decision logic to screen applications allowing the SBA to review and process applications more efficiently and provide improved customer service. The application is 100 percent Web-based, allowing applicants to apply without downloading any software or plug-ins, replacing a four-page written application that required substantial supporting documentation.

Timothy and Thomas Companys Deontological, Ethical Approach Case Study

Essays on Timothy and Thomas Company's Deontological, Ethical Approach Case Study The paper â€Å"Timothy and Thomas Company’s Deontological, Ethical Approach" is a   thrilling example of a case study on ethics. Timothy and Thomas (TT) Company is currently facing a serious ethical dilemma. One of the company’s ethical guidelines concerns child labor. The company does not allow its contractors in any part of the world to employ children less than fourteen years of age (Nichols 12). However, it seems that the company contractors of the Lahore plant in Pakistan do not adhere to the guideline. The ethical dilemma is created by the fact that these underage girls that work with Pakistan contractors do much work and are paid very little. This makes both the contractors and hence the company realizes much profit (Nichols 13).The stakeholders involved with the ethical issue include; the company’s vice president, the Pakistan contractors, and the underage girls working in the Pakistan plants. As Yusuf Ahmed the TT sourcing manger in Pakistan explains to Stein, the company’s vice president, the young girls are benefiting from the ethical dilemma. This is because the contractors are giving them a roof, food, and some earnings rather than loitering in the streets to get something to feed on. The use of young girls as cheap labor will eventually make the company lose its reputation when it leaks out, especially in developed countries such as the USA. To the contractors, the young girls are assets to them as they enable them to make much profit as they pay them minimal wages (Nichols 14).TT Company is using a deontological, ethical approach. The rule is to ensure that none of the company’s employees is below the age of fourteen. Therefore, using children below this age is immoral. Despite the fact that the children in Pakistan plants are offering labor to get essential necessities such as food and clothing, the company’s vice president still feels uneasy seeing them work in these firms. However, it seems to Yusu f the souring manager in Pakistan has adopted a different approach concerning this ethical issue. He argues that the company has given the young girls an excellent opportunity, as there is no option left for them. Therefore, his approach can be said to be consequential. This is because he judges the act of the Pakistan contractors’ morals based on the circumstances that are facing these poor, young girls and the benefits they are getting because of providing labor in the Pakistan plants.There are two possible solutions to this ethical problem. However, every solution has its consequences. The company could have opted to force the Pakistan contractors to fire all the children working in their plants. As a result, the contractors would demand more money to cater for increased wages for adults and skilled labor (Nichols 13). The other solution is allowing the contractors to continue keeping these children and document their ages as fourteen and above. The ramification of this op tion would be a violation of the company’s ethical guidelines, which are in line with the US ethical guidelines where most of the company’s customers are.In my opinion, Stein should advise the TT owners to provide on-site childcare and education for the very young employees. The company should also offer vocational training to the adult workers to equip them with up-to-date skills and knowledge required in the industry. In this way, the company will be assured of a skilled labor force in the future. If adult women become skilled, their wages will improve and hence their living standards. In the long run, these families will have enough for sustenance and for providing education to their children instead of carrying them to the plants.

Argumentative Essay My Writing Experience - 908 Words

This spring semester while enrolled in Professor Hazleton course I was able to have a much better writing experience than the one I had in the fall semester. During the fall semester I struggled deeply with essays, making no higher than a C at times. I was a new incoming freshmen with no experience in college once at all and by coming from a school that never really required me to write any type of essays I was sure to have a rough start. Yet, this semester was different I felt more confident while writing my papers. Argumentative type essays are actually pretty fun to write because you are able to pick the topic of your choice and that really helps one feel like he actually knows what he is talking about. I have written 4 argumentative type essays throughout the course and have noticed my writing still needs work. Although I still have a long while to go I have developed a few strengthens during the course. I am now good at working with syllogism in order to make a good enthymeme t hesis and now have good skills in providing evidence, but even though I have made process I still need work in areas like avoid first person and backing up my claims all the way through. Although, I have more weaknesses than strengths my effectiveness towards using a syllogism to create an enthymeme thesis has really came a long way for me. It came in handy in my â€Å"More Than Just One Language† paper where my professor made a comment stating that I had a very good thesis in substance. To developShow MoreRelatedI Am The Product Of Clark County Educational System Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesReflection Introduction Writing has never been my forte. Nevertheless, this is not to say that I could not write. Throughout the semester with the assigned reading assignments and the given practical writing exercises I have come to grasp a vague understanding, I had never been taught how to write essays correctly. 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For some reason I couldn’t seem to fullyRead MoreMy Favorite Form Of Writing915 Words   |  4 PagesThis year in English 101 has been quite the experience because this was my first English class at the college level. Signing up for the hybrid class I honestly didn t know what to expect. All I knew I had to take this class in order to graduate. So whether or not I wanted to, I was eventually going to have to take English 101. During this term, I was able to further develop my skills in analyzing arguments and advertisements by using SPAC (situation, purpose, audience and claims) and effectivelyRead MoreHow I Learned From College Writing II Than I Thought1013 Words   |  5 Pagesa lot more from College Writing II than I thought I would have. When this class started, I was not excited, because I have never liked writing, and felt that I was not very good at it. Now it’s coming to an end and fast.  I always enjoyed coming to class because it went by quickly and was never dull. It started with free writes to help with our fluency, to class discussions, peer editing, and having Dr. White revise our essays. All these of have helped me with the writing process and becoming a betterRead MoreWriting Process : Reflective Essay951 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to explore the â€Å"Writing Process† that I used while drafting my argumentative paper on sloths in the rainforest for this reflective essay. I am choosing this topic and this particular essay because my writing process was a key component to the ‘C’ I made on the project and how my failure in this particular area lead me to this grade. Looking back, I realized that the grade I received is a perfect reflection of the effort I put into the writing process. I believe that I had the power

Child Function Pattern Assessment free essay sample

Pattern of Health Perception and Health Management: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Healthy patterns are established such as brushing their teeth prior to getting dressed and at bedtime Learning to recognize when to wash their hands, | Parents allow preschooler to assist with small task in the kitchen to encourage a healthy lifestyle Preschooler is encouraged to learn basic hygiene. | Child is aware that dirty hand causes illnesses but not why. Parents encourage healthy hygiene such as hand washing and proper bathing | | Parents do not in cooperate toddler in healthy routines like oral hygiene Parents do not help toddler recognize when hand washing is needed. | Parents do no encourage preschoolers to learn about healthy living. Preschooler is not encouraged to maintain basic hygiene | Child disregards dirty hands frequently with no comprehension on why they need to be clean Parents have no Hygienic control over child. | Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Parents are decreasing the amount of milk to increase iron fortified foods Parents remain in control of what, where and how much food is offered. | Parents encourage a healthy diet with the appropriate amount of each food group. Parents limit the amount of sugar intake. | Child has a favorite snack and eats it at the same time every day. Child has a healthy amount of calorie intake of 1200 to 1800 a day | | Parents area only giving milk decreasing the proper food intake Parents allow the toddler to have full control of food amount and type. | Parents have no control over child diet, no proper diet as been initiated Parents allow preschooler to eat candy at any hour and any amount. | Parents allow child to only eat one item which is the child favorite item, no control over diet is taken Child is eating more than recommended amount of calories due to fast-food intake | Pattern of Elimination: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Parent wait for the toddler to be ready for toilet training Positive reinforcement is given when toddler successfully goes in the toilet. | Preschooler is able to flush toilet and was hands with assistance Parents are gentle when preschooler has an accident. | Child is able to control bladder and bowels. Child is able to undress self, relieve them selfs, flush and wash hands with no assists. | Parents are forcing toddler to go in the toilet instead of waiting for them to be ready Negative reinforcement is given making this experience a negative one. | Preschooler has no want or desire to wash hands after using the restroom Parents are negative and discouraging when preschooler has an accident | Child is not able to control bladder, enuresis. Also not able to control bowels, encopresis. Child does not exhibit coordination to undress self, void, wipe, and wash hands. | Pattern of Activity and Exercise: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Toddlers are attempting to dress themselves with assistance They are constantly doing repetitive action to practice their new skill | Preschooler will show increased coordination and confidence Preschooler will role play as an older person and dolls will be a younger person | Child has good body balance and is able to coordinate catching and throwing a ball. Child combines active play with comprehensive task and ideas. | Toddlers are not allowed to assist with dressing self They are stopped from doing repetitive action discouraging them from mastering a new skill | Preschooler will show poor coordination and low confidence Preschool will shy away from imaginary play. | Child demonstrates poor balance and lacks coordination when playing. Child does not find any interest in physical activity. | Cognitive/Perceptual Pattern: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. Parents allowing the toddler to play and discover safely Parents have set limits to prevent the child from placing themselves in harm’s way when playing | Preschooler is able to recognize her home environment Preschooler will have possibility developed an imaginary friend. | Child starts to demonstrates a mastery of handwriting Child is able to distinguish between past and present. | | Parents prevent the toddler to learn about their environment through play. Toddler is allowed to roam freely outdoors and indoors constantly placing themselves in harm’s way. Preschooler had a hard time recognizing common items or places. Preschooler does not have any encouragement to use imagination. | Childs demonstrates low hand/vision coordination. Child has difficulties with past, present, and future | Pattern of Sleep and Rest: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | A good 12 hours of sleep and 1 to 2 naps or quite times are in place at home A set pattern is established before nap time and bedtime to help bring the toddler. Parents will encourage 8 to 12 hours of sleep with one 30 to 60 minute nap or no nap at all. Parents have establishes a positive bedtime routine that allow preschooler to get proper amount of sleep. | Child has the appropriate amount of sleep a night 8-12 hours with no naps Child has a routine and rarely disturbs that routine. | | The toddler does not get an adequate amount of sleep and is fussy or irritable No sleep patterns are established, the toddler sleeps whenever he/she gets tired. | Preschooler in nor encouraged to sleep the proper amount of time Parents have no bedtime routine initiated. Child does not sleep the recommended 8-12 hours a night. Child constantly test parents on bedtime and sleep routine. | Pattern of Self-Perception and Self-Concept: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | A toddler would get frustrated when they do not get their way; this frustration is known as a temper tantrum. The toddler would explore their world by climbing, crawling and tasting new things. Parents are promoting new safe activity allowing the preschool to master it by repetitive action Preschools are encouraged and praised for new ideas or behaviors. | Child has positive influences on child likes, talent, and or hobbies Child shows a positive attitude about peers and self image | | The toddles environment is found to be unsafe during a temper tantrum The child’s living conditions place the toddler at risk when exploring his/her surrounding, | Preschooler shy’s away from new activities and actions Preschooler is ridiculed and discouraged when attempted new action or creating ideas. Parents show no or low interest in child likes hobbies and talents causing negative emotions to occur Child constantly expresses self in a negative pattern, child speaks negatively of peers. | Role-Relationship Pattern: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List 2 potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Sibling rivalry begins to be more evident The Toddler takes a step back to wetter their pants and baby talk to get their way. Preschoolers are playing safely along with older children Preschooler begins to define certain actions to certain family roles. | Child care givers maintain a positive relationship without creating equality in roles as caregiver and child. Positive reinforcement is used when child misbehaves | | The parents take side and create a lifelong issue between siblings The Parents do not address the regression the child is purposely doing. | Preschool is unable to establish relationship with other children Preschooler is confused of roles in family. Child believes self and caregiver as equals causing a tense and confusing relationship. Parent punishes child without explanation or any positive reinforcement. | Sexuality – Reproductive Pattern: List two normal assessment findings that would be characteristic for each age group. List two potential problems that a nurse may discover in an assessment of each age group. | Exploration of genital area Parents using proper words to describe the genital area. | Preschool related to own gender more but recognizes a gender difference Parents answer sexual/genital question with simple truthful facts. The school age child as in increased awareness of his or her sexuality. Child may be curious about his/her body and explore another child sexuality | | Toddler is forbid and punished for normal exploration. Vagina and penis are called other names confusing the child. | Preschooler is unable to recognized different genders Parents react in a negative manner when preschooler asks sexual/gential questions. | School age has no awareness of differences between genders Parents make child feel uncomfortable and shameful when confronted with sexual questions. |

Bellamy free essay sample

When Julian West wakes up in the year 2000, he discovers that the capitalist society in which he had previously lived has been eradicated and transformed into a socialist society where the problems of his era no longer exist . Throughout the novel, Edward Bellary addresses the hardships of a society stricken by economic turmoil and social injustice by introducing a utopian society that eliminates unequal distributions of wealth, war, greed, titration and malevolence.This utopian society features an economic structure that has consolidated multiple corporations into a single conglomerate controlled by the government, in which citizens are positioned in jobs based on their interest and skill set. Each person contributes to, and shares in the spoils of, a collective industrial system. Instead of money, citizens are given equal amounts of credit, which they can use on any purchase of their choosing however if an individual is unable to handle the credit that is allocated to them, the ind ividual will be given less credit. We will write a custom essay sample on Bellamy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the kook, Bellarys vision for economic equality and individual freedom comes from enforcing universal education while providing everyone with the same opportunities. He describes a system that uses incentives such as adjustments to labor hours and forms of rewards through medals and honors to motivate individuals to work hard however find that Bellary does not consider individual differences and nature. Edward Bellarys idea that if incentives and The equal distribution of property leads to what Bellary sees as a vastly morally improved society without money and without private enterprises.In his society, people work for pride rather than for money. In addition, the patriotic desire to serve the government and the common good has replaced the profit motive. Whereas the 19th century emphasized individualism and private business, the 20th century now emphasizes cooperation and the contribution by all to the common good and the general improvement of society. Bellary based his good so ciety on a system of cooperative equality. Assuming the natural goodness of man, he contends that, given the right system, rational people would respond with cooperation.

Writing Essays with Praxis Topic Generators

Writing Essays with Praxis Topic GeneratorsPraxis essay topics can provide great help to writers, whether you are a writing beginner or a professional writer looking for an edge. If you are having difficulty writing your essays or you feel your essays could use some help, consider using one of the essay topic generators available online.By looking at some of the essays offered by some of the essay topic generators, you will find they are very similar in format. They look like word documents with a few variations on the central theme of the essay. Some examples of essay topics include: essay topics for teenagers, writing about love, writing about the bible, and many others.Each of these essay topics come with a specific subject and will require a different number of paragraphs, sentences, and other components to create a well-written essay. It is often a good idea to choose two or three topics and follow the prompts provided by the web sites that offer the essay topics. Following the prompts, however, will help you fine tune your essay writing to make it more impressive.Many essay topics also allow you to add your own personal touch. The most popular technique in this regard is to write an introduction and a conclusion that having a certain level of importance to the main thesis of the essay. If you do not want to spend a lot of time outlining your essay, you may wish to think about this technique. It will add a layer of structure to your essay and make it appear professionally done.Praxis essay topics can also help you structure your sentences better. In addition to following the prompts, it may be helpful to read up on the sentences you plan to write. You can find out which ones are the easiest to write and which ones need a little bit more time to compose. This should make your essays look better and make them easier to read.Most of the essay topic generators do not require you to start with a specific paragraph, sentence, or even essay topic. If you want to get started, just enter the main theme of your essay, and the generator will suggest an appropriate starting point. This will keep you from spending so much time finding the right essay topic.Since many of the essay topics offered by the generator sites are free, you may want to use one of these templates to build up your portfolio. Use the template and publish a few articles, blogs, or other articles using the template. Once you have posted several of your work online, you will be able to see how your writing style compares to other professional writers.The goal is to get better at writing by using the essay topics available. When you spend a bit of time researching the topics, you will begin to see more improvement in your essays and in your ability to write. With practice, you will become an excellent essay writer.

Birmingham Case Study free essay sample

After its establishment in 1982, the Birmingham Furniture Company (BFC) expanded significantly, and achieved continuous growth in profits until 2009 when turnover reached a peak of  £15,000. However, since then the company has encountered a number of setbacks. Staff have become increasingly dissatisfied and some have resigned. In addition, a new competitor has started operating nearby. It is likely that these difficulties have led to the fall in turnover, which reached only  £12,000 per week in 2010. The purpose of this report is to analyse these problems, and suggest some practical solutions to enable the BFC to flourish again. 2. Analysis of Data In order to raise profitability, the Vines need to improve company management, boost staff morale, and deal with the new competition. 2.1 Management Structure The BFC has expanded considerably since its establishment. However, it still retains the informal management structure of a small company, which is now inappropriate. As a consequence, management and staff responsibilities are poorly defined and the chain of command is not clear. We will write a custom essay sample on Birmingham Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page An obvious example of this is the fact that Mr and Mrs Vine’s roles have become blurred, and staff never know who to approach when problems arise; this led to stock being ordered twice from the same supplier in 2008. In addition, Ms Clarke’s unpopular appointment as ‘unofficial’ supervisor is preventing her, as a relative newcomer, from being able to exercise effective authority over the workforce. Most importantly, the Vines are too busy to communicate with each other or their staff. As a result, they were unaware of the dissatisfaction and low morale of their employees. 2.2 Employee Morale Two full time members of staff have recently resigned, and training their replacements is time consuming. The Vines believe this has contributed to  the fall in turnover. However, a more serious problem, and probably the reason for these resignations, is the unfair commission system. Two staff and Ms Clarke have complained that only the cashier receives the commission, and not the sales assistant who oversees the whole sale. In addition, other tasks, such as deliveries, orders and pricing, do not attract commission, and therefore there is no incentive to do these. The result is an unhappy and uncooperative workforce. 2.3 Competition and Products Mr Vine is unconcerned about Big Deal Furniture, which has recently opened nearby. Fortunately, the BFC appeals to a different type of market, as it sells a wide range of top-quality furniture, including hand-made garden furniture. However, the latter is seasonal in demand, and it seems likely, as suggested by Mrs Vine, that competition from Big Deal Furniture has affected sales of the indoor furniture. 3. Alternative Solutions It is suggested that the Vines consider the following solutions to address their difficulties. 3.1 Management Structure A formal management structure, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities needs to be introduced so that all staff know who to report to. In particular, it is essential for the Vines to clarify their own roles with immediate effect, with, for example, Mrs Vine taking charge of administration, and Mr Vine running operations and production. In addition, supervisors must be appointed in a transparent manner. This will involve a formal recruitment procedure, including formulating a job description, advertising the position to all staff, short-listing, interviewing and finally appointing a suitable candidate. This will be time consuming and also incur costs, as middle managers need to be financially rewarded. However, an open and fair system is necessary in order to restore trust and create a cooperative, productive workforce. It is further suggested that the Vines and their supervisors have regular meetings, with each other and their staff, in order to communicate these changes, and discuss staff issues. These actions should clarify lines of communication, create more effective decision-making, raise staff morale, and improve company operations and efficiency. 3.2 Employee Morale The commission system which is causing so much dissatisfaction must be addressed. It should be discussed and agreed at a general meeting for managers and staff. The commission could be shared among the whole sales staff. However, this might be difficult to calculate, if staff do different tasks and work different hours. In addition this will still cause resentment among the non-sales staff. Alternatively, the introduction of a profit sharing scheme might be considered. This would be applicable to all staff, proportional to the level of responsibility within the company and hours worked. An equitable and fair system such as this would give a real incentive to increase productivity and thereby lead to a rise in sales. Most importantly, it would motivate staff and create a more cooperative and contented workforce. It is also recommended that staff should be offered training in sales and production, in order to maintain the BFC’s standards for high quality. The costs of this are likely to be balanced out by improved staff morale and the resulting increased productivity. 3.3 Competition and Products At the moment it is not clear how much impact the budget furniture store is having on the BFC’s sales. However, it would be advisable to analyse future trends and opportunities for development to counter possible competition. A review of product lines and an assessment of their profitability need to be carried out. The BFC offers a different, more sophisticated product than the new discount store, and it seems sensible to continue to focus on different  customers. It should therefore develop marketing and promotion campaigns to enhance its luxury brand, and retain and develop its customer base. It can also consider store and website refurbishment in line with its brand, special offers and loyalty cards. These proposals will incur costs, and should therefore be gradually established, once sales improve. In addition to the core products the BFC should also consider diversification into other lines and distribution channels. The current economic climate and increasing trends in e-commerce must be taken into account. Therefore, the company could explore the possibility of selling flat pack furniture, and increase its on line sales. This will decrease costs, while still maintaining the BFC’s reputation for superior quality. 4. Recommendations 4.1 Short-term There are some urgent actions which need to be taken immediately. To improve staff morale, and thereby increase sales, it is strongly recommended that a new management structure should be established, with clear roles for Mr and Mrs Vine. In addition a staff profit sharing scheme should be introduced. These measures will have minimal cost implications. 4.2 Long-term In the long term, the BFC should invest in strategies to promote its special brand, so as to combat competition. These include staff training, shop and website refurbishment, development of products, and on line marketing programmes. These involve substantial costs, and should therefore be established gradually, as sales increase. However, in order to survive and thrive in an increasingly fierce market, such investment and forward planning is essential.