Information technology is moving at an extremely quick pace as indicated in television and news headlines. IT is the most important part of our day to day world. Examples can be constantly seen of all the new developments in IT.

Mayor Gavin Newsom is working up plans to introduce wireless Internet access for the city of San Francisco. The well known search engine giant Google has created a tool that lets bloggers write to it’s blog straight from Microsoft Word. The computer processor manufacturer Intel is helping push wireless technology in an initiative called Digital Communications.

There has been significant growth in other area of IT as well. Plasma and LCD flat screen TV sales have exceed those of the older CRT televisions and laser printers have experienced significant increase in sales in the past year.

Nearly everyone we know has an Ipod or some other form of electronic music device. The phone company Sprint has even gotten involved with it’s own music program that lets you download tunes over the Internet, competing with other services such as ITunes and Napster. Digital music is now the standard for our modern world.

Information Technology is dynamic and don’t expect that to change anytime soon, it will only continue to move faster. It is important that you stay in touch with the IT world by reading magazines, books, and IT websites that discuss the latest in technology. Try searching Google for the term ‘Information Technology’, you will see thousands of results. Its no wonder why IT and computers can seem so confusing most of the time!

Forbes Magazine’s website, forbes.com, has a research tool that lets you search their IT library for market and data analysis of all kinds of vendors. There is a daily stream of headlines in its on-line service that deal with IT and all the changes of the IT world.

The need for professionals to handle IT jobs has resulted in a growth of schools offering IT related courses. Such schools include ITT Technical Institute and Westwood College.

eWeek.com offers another on-line publication called the Channel Insider that deals with a ton of information IT related. They offer a how-to Information Technology guide for businesses called Solution Building.

Don’t let your business get left behind in the IT world. If you and your business do not stay current with IT, the train will leave and you won’t be on board. Ride the train to IT success.

New and current business owners should always look into the accounting methods that are used to run their businesses. Accounting is one of the key components of a business and it should never be overlooked.

As a business owner, you have a view of the way you want your business to operate. You dream of running a successful business and the life that will follow it. Your business plan is sound and your products and services are highly sought after. However when it comes the core of business, it might pass right over your head. There is a lot to consider. You might be selling bug traps, or Internet based services, either way you will want to analyze your financing and accounting to enable to run your business as a well oiled machine and make you money. Business accounting is called as such, because you have to account for everything everyday.

There is a wide range of topics in business accounting. Workers compensation, employee insurance, 401(k) plans, business insurance for your assets, these are all things you will need to take into consideration. How do you plan on allowing customers to pay? Will you accept credit cards, will you invoice them, or accept cash only? These are some other issues that you will need to think about.

Something important to consider is whether your company will be based on accrual or cash, if you are not sure of this difference you should take some time to learn soon. Do you know who will be handling employee paychecks, if its not done in house are you considering outsourcing it to a payroll service? Do you have a CPA do handle your taxes? It is also important you know how to read balance and loss statements.

The heart of any business is analyzing finances and dealing with the incoming and outgoing money, this is something you will have to learn to analyze.

Do you want to allow employees to have company credit cards for business expenses? How do you plan on handling invoicing customers? Do you know how often you want to follow up on outstanding invoices?

An obvious but often over looked question is what do you plan on charging for your products or services? Do you know what the minimum and maximum amounts you can charge are? You will need a good bookkeeping system and a good accounts payable system as well.

Don’t worry if these questions are overwhelming you, there is a lot of help available to you. There are always business accounts whom you can hire to help you. Along with that, there is a lot of available information in the Internet. Websites such as Inc.com details all the questions and answers you need to run a successful business.

The subjects may seem overwhelming but they really do not need to be. The basic thing to understand is that you need a healthy accounting system to have a successful business. Now is the time to check on your accounting system.

Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and those wishing to start a business should be aware of the information available to you on-line.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Social Security reported that 85 percent of Americans 65 and over do not have more than $250. Only two percent in this age range do not need help from churches, relatives, or the Government. To avoid this, there are many tools on-line that you can use to build a successful small business and create a brighter future for yourself and your family.

One magazine of interest to many small business owners is SmallBiz, published by Business Week Magazine. SmallBiz offers information and statistics for business owners on taxes, tax deadlines, and ways in which to grow your business. SmallBiz continuously publishes tips that you may have never thought of.

To help and assist home based businesses, Business Week’s on-line site contains tons of useful information and tips. There you will find anything from increasing profits of your business using ads and slogans to finding better ways of using your corporate website to link and share information with other companies and websites. Networking is the key for most businesses who have a hard time getting their business operating the way they want.

Your business could be one of the numerous on-line success stories. There are places on-line that inform you about developing business plans and how to properly go about buying or selling a business. In just a few minutes you can learn everything from determining your advertising market to incorporating your business. Even more, there is a ton of information on buying franchises, how to raise money for your business, and the financing and accounting that needs to be done to run a successful business.

The SmallBiz Magazine website dedicates most of its topics to research statistics, keeping accounting documents organized, hiring employees, 401k and health plans, and ways to increase business. They often suggest ways to increase your presence on the web and the technology used to run a business.

Another website, Inc.com details the process of the concept of your business idea to the creating of your company website. In short it states that all successful small businesses have a website and ideas on how to make sales from the web.

The SBA (Small Business Administration) runs a website containing helpful ideas for a new start-up, the latest business opportunities and news, and ways to apply for loans or funding from the SBA.

There are many website dedicated to this kind of information and small business owners. They are there waiting for you to find them so that they can assist you in ever detail possible. Why not use information that is so easily accessible?

* Resources mentioned in this article are located at:
Business Week Magazine - http://www.businessweek.com
SmallBiz Magazine - http://mediakit.businessweek.com/Products/Magazines/SmallBiz
Small Business Administration - http://www.sba.gov
Inc.com - http://www.inc.com
U.S. Department of Social Security - http://www.ssa.gov

Thirty entrepreneurial companies, all members of the Northwest Education Cluster, feel that technology is the tool to fix the education system in the U.S. Many educators are now going back to school to obtain a Masters of Education Degree in Instructional Technology, a decision based on the advancements of new technology.

Instructional Technology Innovations

The Northwest Education Cluster has already introduced new and exciting technologies. One company has developed a program that instantly analysis and generates graphs. This allows students to focus less on drawing graphs and more on the experiment they are conducting. Another company has created software to aid students in languages, math, social studies and science. What’s even more exciting is a program being developed to allow students to work with geometry and math equations interactively.

These new software technologies have been sold to educators and schools all throughout the nation. Those who graduate with a degree in Masters of Education in Instructional Technology are excited to see the how well these new products perform. Both students and teachers will gain much from the lessons learned with these new technologies. Computers could act as teaching aids to help educators develop lesson plans that complement each student’s learning style.

Going Beyond Educators - Supporting Instructional Technology

Both investors and the Government support new technology in education. The National Science Foundations has given grants to some members of the Northwest Education Cluster. Even venture capitalists are enthusiastic about the future of these technologies and bombarding company board meetings look for the next great product.

Earning a Masters Degree - Education in Instructional Technology

Want to get involved with educational technology? Complete an information request from The University of Phoenix to learn more about a Masters of Education Degree in Instructional Technology!

Liberal arts majors and business majors are like oil and vinegar. They don’t exactly blend well together, but for some reason when you combine the two they are absolutely fantastic.

I learned this my final year of college when I moved into the sorority house and instantly bonded with my business major roommate, Jenny. I was an English major and the two of us were intermingled with several other girls with varying interests and educational pursuits. But for some reason, while Jenny and I were the most different, we ended up becoming almost the same.

I was messy and artistic, Jenny was organized and, I hate to admit it, a little sterile. She liked things where she liked them and anything out of place was sure to trigger a conniption. She instantly made our bills into an Excel spreadsheet and wrote out “invoices” each month to each housemate for their share of the gas, water, and…frozen waffles? Down to our grocery shopping, she inventoried everything and left me awestruck and wondering, “Who does things like that?!”

Apparently a lot of people as I met many business majors during my college years. And for some uncanny reason, they were always the ones that I hit it off with the most. My quirkiness meshed together with their straight man personality. My creativity was enhanced by their organization, and while it seems as if our worlds would collide, they seldom did.

There were a few times that we butted heads, when my dance team crashed the house and we kept the karaoke machine on a little too loud a little too late. Jenny would throw herself into a tirade about her 8 am accounting final and couldn’t we PLEASE just keep it down a bit? (Answer: no, but we will pretend to try.) And there were times I left the half eaten bowl of macaroni on the stove top and Jenny found it before I remembered I had left it there. (Truth: it was usually about three days later.) But all in all, we became the best of friends. My carefree outlook softened her anal retentive views toward college and life. Her orderly conduct encouraged me to be more responsible with money and especially with sleep. I started to value going to class more, and learned that there was more to get out of college than just the degree. The funny thing is that in a different way, I taught her that as well.

I learned from rooming with “Miss BA in Business” that sometimes the people the most unlike us are the ones that we are destined to enjoy and cherish the most in life. I’ve done my best to keep in contact with Jenny, and though I rarely see her, I’m grateful for the communication and correspondence we do have.

Jenny continues to go down the straight and narrow path. She’s made some great achievements and built a solid resume. I seem to remain all over the map. I run a dance company, work as a freelance writer, and travel the world every chance I get. While she loved her accounting firm internship, I loved my trip to Africa. We enhance each others’ lives more than I experience with my friends who are a lot like me. Cookie cutters are not always a positive thing. A flair for the variety is often the more successful of pairings.

I am horrible with the checkbook. I fell into the same trap as many twenty somethings did back in their teens when the credit card companies made them a member of their mass mailing club. I received my ‘You’ve been pre approved!’ envelopes containing persuasive letters from the big guns of the credit world. Visa, MasterCard, and the pro of all marketing ploys: American Express. It is tantalizing to a 16 year old, you spend like the plastic doesn’t represent real money, and then you get the bill. Ow, reality hurts.

Now I am twenty four and still cleaning up my mess. My credit is shot and despite my carefree outlook on life, I have realized that I need to start learning how to be financially responsible so I can hope to buy a home and be successful with my income in the future.

Being your own financial analyst means realizing that what you earn is not necessarily what you can spend. While I am fully supportive of the idea of blowing that first celebratory paycheck at the mall, I do also want to stress that I have learned the importance of savings and cutting out what it is in life that causes expenses that you don’t really need.

A great first step is to find a bank that offers direct savings programs. Many, if not all banks, will set up a joint checking/savings account for you, which automatically deposits a percentage each month from your checking into your savings. It is usually a small enough of an amount that you don’t even miss it, and at the same time you have accomplished a brainless way to save money. This can add up, and when you get your monthly statements, you will be pleased to realize that you have managed to save some cash without suffering during the process.

Secondly, draw upon your bank statement to make an itemized list of what you spend your money on each month. What will you simply die without and what can you manage to kiss goodbye? A night out at the movies is an average of $9.50 per person. Blockbuster is 4 bucks. Which movies can you turn away from until they arrive onto DVD? A meal out can average anywhere from $4 for a fast food lunch to $15-20 a person for a median priced sit down. Grocery shopping and cooking at home saves the average family more than you probably realized. And you hone a new skill at the same time.

Next make a budget and consider it the unbreakable law. Find out how much you are able to spend & save, and stick to it! Don’t impulse buy. Walk away for a few hours from items that you see, and then come back to the situation later on to decide if you really do want to purchase it. Surprisingly, you will find that there are many things you don’t really want or need.

Lastly, consider hiring a real financial analyst to help you take the steps to become your own. Though costly, they are a money saver in the long run. Do what you need to do to achieve self control. You will thank yourself later.

It is easier than you think to financially analyze your own situation. Everyone has the opportunity to be successful in money and in life. Give yourself the chance that you deserve.

After struggling through five years (yes, five) of college, I proudly graduated with not only my B.A. degree, but also a 20/20 hindsight reflection as to what was successful for me and what was distracting. Not surprisingly, the distractions also happened to be some of my favorite things about the college years. Living in the sorority house, staying out too late, the fact that work interfered with my class schedule, and just an overall struggle with balancing my daily academic responsibilities with what I really wanted to spend my time doing.

With all this being said, imagine my surprise when I hit the real world and quickly discovered that the “promising future promise” of a bachelor’s degree was not quite as lucrative of an opportunity as had been presented to me. People were one jump ahead of me with masters‘ degrees and I was being dragged one step behind by my outstanding student loan debts. What’s a girl to do?

It was at this point in life that I started to really pay attention to the TV commercials for higher education, dismissing my previous judgments that they were geared solely toward down and outers and deadbeats. Now suddenly it looked appealing. I didn’t want to go back to college. I had since married my high school sweetheart and working full time was a necessity for both of us. I couldn’t just skip out on the weekly board meeting to go hang out in British Literature 101. Could an online MBA be a reality? Is there a catch to it? Do employers really respect it as much as a regular, hard earned degree? Yes and no.

First of all, realize that while it is not regular, it IS hard earned. Online MBA degrees require a tremendous amount of discipline, since there is no professor in front of you on a daily basis, providing tutoring sessions and guidance on that upcoming assignment. Online MBA candidates must be disciplined enough to carve out their own time for the three R’s and a lot of times your life that you were fighting to keep in the first place by choosing to do an online MBA may suffer the consequences. It is a lot of work.

Another downer to the online MBA is that it comes with a pretty threatening price tag. Many colleges and universities, no matter how established by name, made a huge investment in the birth of online degree programs. Because the majority of students still enroll in traditional desk time courses, colleges have but no choice to hike up online tuition enough to justify the program and make it profitable.

Of course, the price depends on the school that you are looking into enrolling at, and many people, including myself will assure you that it is still a great idea. I can’t go to graduate school, and I don’t agree with the philosophy that when “life slows down” I can jump back into the academia life. Circumstances often change, but rarely slow down, and I am constantly battling my ambition and drive to accomplish all that I plan to at a young age.

With this being said, the online MBA program may or may not be for you. Look into financial aid, explore the sites, and make a decision that fits your lifestyle. If you are like me, then it just may work out. If you are the opposite, then it may be more worth your while to enroll in a traditional program. Either way, the educational system will embrace you, and thankfully so will employers. Recent studies show that an online MBA is quickly enjoying more solid of a reputation and commanding more respect from hiring companies. In the next few years, the college experience and the “college experience” are expected to be regarded as equals. Study hard.

At first glance, it may seem that an accounting career is a boring career path to take. When I picture an accountant, I picture a socially inept individual huddled in the middle of a desk covered in paperwork. It doesn’t seem like an exciting career at all, and even if you earn a lot of money at it, when would you have the time to spend it? Accountants work extremely long hours.

However, there are some plus sides to the accounting world that are important to consider when you are choosing what you want to do with the rest of your life.

One of the neatest things about being an accountant, especially an entry level one, is the fact that you get to see the inside workings of a lot of different businesses. You can think of it as on the job training without having to be responsible for all aspects of a job. You learn what mistakes good and bad a company has made financially, which can be a stepping stone for success in other aspects of your life. Ever thought of starting your own business? Being an accountant is a great way to start because you will learn so much about the ins and outs that you would not normally consider.

Most entry level accounts start out by working in an accounting firm, and this can be a great place to shadow the “head cheese” and really get your foot in the door. This is a great thing about careers in accounting; you have the chance to be studious and really learn and grow, as opposed to a more specialized field that expects you to be a pro at everything immediately, with little room for advancement.

Accounting is such a broad field that you can try different sorts of genres as you advance in your career and eventually find your niche. This is why you don’t have to be a certain personality type in order for accounting to work for you. You can work for a firm, you can do people’s taxes, you can consult for a small business; the possibilities are endless.

Are you not sure if you are ready to commit to being an accountant? There are smaller steps that you can take to see if it is something that catches your interest. Take a community college class and learn QuickBooks, Peachtree, and other computer programs that accountants often use. Do you pick them up quickly? Is it something that you can picture yourself using full time?

Begin to network with other accountants. Consider doing an unpaid internship (of course, if you can get paid, great!), or joining an online forum of people in the accounting field. Accounting is a field that really helps people to succeed in business as well as life. When the economy drops, accountants help it come back up. They are the instated emergency system for some. Not many people consider accountants to be unsung heroes, but in a lot of ways, that is exactly what they are.

Accountants come from all walks of life and there is a niche in the field for most people. Be motivated enough to check it out.

When I was eight years old, my father, who never completed college, decided to better himself by taking an accounting course at the local community college. He got so frustrated with it, and struggled with it so much that one day he was in his study and he just let out this holler and threw the accounting textbook across the room. Then again, maybe it was Calculus he was taking, not accounting. Whatever. Either way they are both awful and often necessary evils for the college student. I inherited my father’s artistic flair and numerical impairments, and so I too have trouble understanding the world of accounting. Especially their terms. It is, however, ironic how these terms can cross over to us creative folks who cannot crunch numbers or financially map out a corporation to save our lives. Some examples of this are listed below*, sure to get a cringe or a chuckle out of any accounting student.

A Misstatement is Inconsequential

If a reasonable person would conclude after considering the possibility of further undetected misstatements that the misstatement either individually or when aggregated with other misstatements would clearly be immaterial to the financial statements. If a reasonable person could not reach such a conclusion regarding a particular misstatement, that misstatement is more than inconsequential.

This is easy to understand. Basically all it is saying is that if a person lies to you once, chancesare they will lie again. I have had friends and lovers that I can say are representatives of a misstatement that is inconsequential. What does this have to do with accounting? This is everyday social reality, baby.

Adjusting Journal Entry

An accounting entry made into a subsidiary ledger called the General journal to account for a periods changes, omissions or other financial data required to be reported “in the books”.

While I am not quite sure what this means in accounting, I can tell you that there are a lot of adjusted journal entries in my life. There is plenty of financial data that has been required to be reported into our checkbook balancer and through receipts that I should have, but when it comes right down to it, I don’t want my husband to know where I spend some of our money. He would go through the roof and never let me go to Macy’s again. Marriage has a general journal. There is nowhere that states that we have to actually use it all of the time.

Assertion

Explicit or implicit representations by an entity’s management that are embodied in financial statement components and for which the auditor obtains and evaluates evidential matter when forming his or her opinion on the entity’s financial statements.

Again, my husband may form an opinion on our financial statement, but that won’t stop me from shopping. He can be as assertive as he wants, that doesn’t stop the end of summer sales.

Balance

Sum of DEBIT entries minus the SUM of CREDIT entries in an ACCOUNT. If positive, the difference is called a DEBIT BALANCE; if negative, a CREDIT BALANCE.

In layman’s terms, we all have to find our balance in life. Some people owe us big time, and others we are eternally indebted to. You win some, you lose some, and we all just need to be okay with who we are in the end.

I don’t need to be an accountant to see how these terms still apply to me in my every day life. They cross over just fine. And who says I needed to be a business major to comprehend the terms to today’s business professionals?

* All accounting definitions come from New York State Society of CPAs. www.nysscpa.org