by maaikeflis

Free Yoga Studio Business Plan

When obtaining a business loan for a yoga studio business, it is imperative that you have a properly structured business plan that will assist you in showcasing how you intend to operate your Yoga Studio, how the business will operate, how you intend to market the business, the anticipated financial results of your company, and how you intend to repay your debt obligations. This sample loan business plan will provide you with the framework that you need in order to acquire a business loan for starting or expanding this type of business.

When obtaining a business loan for a Yoga Studio, it is imperative that your business plan has a clear and concise executive summary that provides an outline of what are seeking to accomplish, how much capital you are seeking to raise, the management biography of the business owner, and an overview of the anticipated profit and loss statements of the business. Here is an example of how the title paragraph should be written:

Yoga Studio, Inc. (“the Company”) is seeking a business loan of 0,000 in order to launch the operations of a yoga studio business that will be based in San Francisco, California. The Company was founded in (Insert Year). The business was founded by Mr. John Doe.

In the next segment of the business loan and business planning document, you should showcase the products and services that you will be providing to the general public. For instance:

The Yoga Studio will provide a broad number of classes that pertain to training the body via yoga and related stretching practices. The business will generate income from the ongoing fees associated with yoga classes at the studio while concurrently generating secondary revenues through the sale of yoga mats and related accessories used during the course of yoga training.

The third section of the business plan will further discuss the services offered by the business.

Now it is time to discuss the anticipated terms of the business plan that you are seeking. An example paragraph of how this is stated:

At this time, Mr. Doe is seeking a conventional business loan in the amount of 0,000. The interest rate, loan terms, and loan covenants are to be determined during negotiation. However, this business plan assumes that the business will receive a seven year business loan with a seven percent interest rate due on the outstanding principal balance.

Now that the summary of the business has been provided, it is time to provide a brief overview of the owner of the business. An example paragraph summing up the owner is as follows:

Mr. Doe is a highly experienced business person that has years of experience regarding the direct ownership and management of business. He will be able to effectively bring the operations of the Yoga Studio to profitability while ensuring that the business loan’s payments and its covenants are met at all times.

The most important thing to your lender when applying for a business loan is how you intend to repay the bank. In this section of the business plan, you should provide an overview of the finance’s of the business discussing the anticipated revenues, expenses, and profits/losses. You can also discuss the applicable collateral within the business plan that will be used to secure your business financing.

One of the most important aspects of your business plan is how you intend to expand the business over a three to five year period. Banks and finance companies always want to see that the business will experience a moderate to strong level of growth. This is especially true in business lending because as your business grows the cash flow that secures your business loan will decrease proportionality against your monthly credit obligations. An example of how this is stated is as follows:

The Yoga Studio will continue to expand through organic means including increasing the Company’s advertising budget via the reinvestment into the after tax cash flows of the business. Additionally, if the business is highly successful then the Company may seek to establish additional Yoga Studio locations after the third year of operations.

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In this section of the business plan you should focus on how the proceeds of the business loan will be used. An example of this would be as follows:

Yoga Studio Establishment – ,000
FF&E – ,000
Working capital – ,000

In this section of the business plan you should discuss the percentage ownership of the business among the owners of the business. For example:

Mr. Doe will own 100% of the Yoga Studio.

When applying for business financing, the bank will also want to know who serves as the board of directors. For small businesses, usually the owner serves as the director of the business. An example of how this is worded:

Mr. Doe will be the sole director of Yoga Studio, Inc.

Any bank or financing company is also going to want to know what you intend to do with the business over a set period of time. Many business owners will develop and expand a business with the intent to sell the company to a third party at a later time. When drafting this part of the business plan you should focus on what you intentions are in regards to potentially selling the business. This is often worded as:

Mr. Doe would most likely sell the Yoga Studio to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Yoga Studio usually sell for approximately one to three times earnings given the financial strength of the business. In this event, the business would be sold by a business broker and the business loan sought in this plan would be repaid according to the covenants of the business loan agreement.

When developing a business plan that is appropriate for obtaining a business loan or other business credit facility you need to clearly showcase the services or products that you will be offering to the general public. An example of how this section is worded goes as follows:

As stated in the executive summary, the primary revenue center for the business will come from ongoing yoga classes hosted at the Company’s retail storefront location. For each yoga session, Management intends on charging a fee of approximately . The average yoga class will have five to ten students. Classes will be held five to six times per day.

The business will also generate sales through the sale of yoga mats and other products as they related to yoga training.

It is important to let your financial institution know that you are well apprised of the financial situation of the general economy when you are applying for a business loan. This is especially true in today’s environment where lending has become more difficult and will remain more difficult in the foreseeable future. Specifically, you should gear this section of the business plan analysis towards the industry that you are operating within. For example:

The current economy has remained difficult over the past few years. However, Yoga Studios have faired well despite the current economic issues. This is because yoga, by its students, as seen as an integral part of their lives. As such, the Yoga Studio will be able to remain profitable and cash flow positive in any economic climate.

In addition to providing your business loan officer with an understanding of the general economy, it is important that you showcase that you have an equal understanding of the industry in which you are operating within. As such, you will need to provide you business loan institution of a brief overview of your industry and any potential changes that may affect the way that your company does business. An example of how an industry overview is as follows:

Within the United States, there are approximately 10,000 locations that operate as Yoga Studios. The popularity of yoga has increased substantially over the past ten years as more Americans have become concerned with their fitness. Each year, the industry generates more than 0 million of revenues. The excepted growth rate of the Yoga Studio industry is expected to remain in line with that of the general American economy.

In this section of the business loan application and business plan analysis, you should focus on the demographics of your localized market (or national market if applicable). This section should discuss how many people live in your area, the anticipated number of people that would require the use of Yoga Studio, the median household income of people living in the area, poverty line statistics, and any applicable laws that would apply to your operation of Yoga Studios.

Many people that are developing new businesses or expanding existing businesses often feel that their business does not have any competition or limited competition at best. However, this is almost never the case. Unless you have re-invented the wheel – you will have competition. When applying for a business loan, you should clearly showcase your competition in your business plan. This is especially important to your banker as they will be able to gauge your ability to be successful in your targeted market. Many business loan underwriters will aggressively confirm that competitive nature of your local market and your local industry.

When drafting this section of the plan you should heavily discuss the competitive advantages that you intend to have over your competition.

In addition to all of the above information that we have covered, your business loan officer is also going to want to know how you intend to market your business to the general public. Most people do not quite understand how to effectively market their business outside of prominent signage or flyer distribution. When applying for a business loan (again in this difficult lending climate), your banker is going to want to see that you have a clear methodology of how you intend to market your services or products to the general public. In this section of the business plan – we will overview how to showcase your services/products to the general public.

The Yoga Studio will place prominent signage on the facility to draw a significant amount of foot traffic.
The business will maintain listings in the Yellow Books.
Yoga Studio, Inc. will also maintain an internet website that showcases the Company’s operations, hours of operation, and relevant contact information.

Additionally, you will be required to further drill down (in your business plan) how you intend to implement your strategies when you launch or expand your business’s operations. In this section of the business loan and business plan documents, you should amplify the bullet points from the section above. For instance:

The Yoga Studio intends to use a number of strategies that will create instant traffic and customer flow to the Company’s location. These strategies include not only using prominent facility and road signage, but also distributing flyers to people that fall into he Company’s targeted demographics. The business will also regularly take out advertisements in localized newspapers that showcase the Company’s hours of operations, yoga studio services, and specials that are occurring within the Yoga Studio on a regular basis.

The business will also maintain a highly informative website that showcases the Yoga training services, its hours of operation, and other relevant information in regards to the Company’s services. This website will be listed on major search engines such as Google as many people now use the internet to locate local businesses such as Yoga Studios.

Beyond any other part of your business loan application or business plan, the financials section of these documents are what matters most when applying for a business loan or any other type of credit facility. Ultimately, this section of the business plan showcases not only what your anticipated profitability will be, but also how you intend to repay the funds that you have borrowed through your business financing facility. An example of how this section is structure is as follows:

Yoga Studio, Inc. will have an average annual growth rate of 10% per year.
Mr. Doe will acquire 0,000 through a business loan in order to launch the operations of the business.

Now it is time to showcase how you intend to repay your loan, generate a profit, and increase the book value of your business over a three to five year period. BusinessPlansForLoan.com has developed an easy to use financial model that you can use when drafting out the financial model for your business plan and business loan application. Through your business loan application, you will be required to have the following:

Profit and Loss Statement for your Yoga Studio
Cash Flow Analysis for the Yoga Studio
Balance Sheet for the Yoga Studio
Business Loan Amortization Tables

Music video by Yung Berg performing The Business (featuring Casha). YouTube view counts pre-VEVO: 755860 (C) 2008 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Video Rating: 4 / 5

by TechShowNetwork

Variety Wedding Entertainment Options

Wedding entertainment should feature a variety of entertainers to make a difference. Planners of any wedding look for options that give laughter, dance and complete fun. This is possible with band hire to play all kinds of music at your pleasure. A good band will offer interesting acts and music that will keep your guests laughing and dancing all the way. If you add caricatures to this, then you have a blast in your event. This can be at processions, parties or the reception areas. Caricaturists are popular for the kind of drawings that they make of your guests, the bride and the groom. Their talent will give you a perfect portrait to compliment your photos and camera services. All these are available for hire at specified number of hours, as you need them.

When you choose to hire funny artists, to draw the faces and figures of your visitors, you will consider experienced artists that will bring out the fun and laughter at its best. This will make even the most distinguished guest bursts out in laughter. A caricaturist with a natural talent will make fun of all types of characters in a good way to make them enjoy. This can be in black and white or colored. Guests, who are impressed, can carry their images for future references. This is a great idea to add to your wedding portrait f the bride and groom in fun and laughter. To compliment this you will add live music bands to your list of entertainers. This will give you a complete package that is not only perfect but also, ideal for the jovial mood.

From the music bands, you can choose loud, cool and hyperactive music. There are categories for theme bands, which play music from yester years, including the great James bond theme bands which you can use in processions or as the groom waits for the arrival of the groom. If you prefer a celebrity kind of music, you can also have the live music focus on your choice. Traditional weddings like Scottish and Latin styles can sample their genre of music. The wedding bands that you hire will comply with your taste to ensure that the event flow as per request. For sessions where you need guests to make a request, the bands will offer the right instrumentals for them.

With all the available options, you cannot afford to have a dull wedding in monotony. By making the right choice of the music, you can ensure that your guests are well entertained all the time. The groups are hired per hour, and you can make early reservations to avoid disappointments. These are popular grou0ps know all around the UK, and you can access them from your region. The easy online details are given to give you access to these groups. While they assure you of quality entertainment for your wedding, their prices are affordable, and you have a variety to choose. Your visitors will love these talented artist groups for the occasion.

by Arkadyevna

What You Need to Know about Your Technology Rollout Company’s Internal Resources

Each company’s internal organization may differ, but when it comes to multi-site technology rollouts on a nationwide or global scale, there are key job responsibilities to be examined that apply across the board for the Rollout Delivery Team.

6 Key Job Functions of the Rollout Delivery Team
The most important aspect of Internal Resources from a rollout success standpoint is the Rollout Delivery Team Configuration. And that configuration should be made up of the following job roles:

Program Manager
 Project Manager
Project Facilitator
 Warehouse Manager
Technology Manager
Partnership Manager

Though not included as part of the Rollout Delivery Team, the Web-based Software Application should not be overlooked as a valuable asset to rollout success!

Also, though the specific titles may differ from company to company, the key job functions and specific duties should be the same. For details on these key job roles, please refer to our upcoming white paper, Nationwide Rollout and Global Technology Deployment Internal Resources Requirements.

The 5 Rollout Delivery Team Configurations
As previously mentioned, the job functions above are not the only important aspect of the technology rollout company’s Internal Resources. Their configuration as part of the Rollout Delivery Team defines the interaction and project flow from start to finish.

There are 5 types of Rollout Delivery Team Configurations:

Unified Resource
The Rollout Delivery Team consists of a Project Manager, Pool of Project Facilitators, Program Manager, Warehouse Manager, Technology Manager and Partnership Manager. The Project Manager can utilize Project Facilitators as needed including using Dedicated Project Facilitators depending on project requirements.

Limited Resource
The Rollout Delivery Team consists of a Project Manager who also assumes the duties of the Project Facilitator. Any or all of the roles of Program Manager, Warehouse Manager, Technology Manager and Partnership Manager may be missing or combined in this configuration which causes even further limitation of resources.

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Dedicated Resource
The Rollout Delivery Team consists of a Project Manager, Dedicated Project Facilitator, Program Manager, Warehouse Manager, Technology Manager and Partnership Manager.

Non-unified Resource
The Rollout Delivery Team consists of a Project Manager, Dedicated Project Facilitator, Supervisor, Warehouse Manager, Technology Manager and Partnership Manager. The Supervisor serves as the direct report of the Project Manager, but their primary job role consists of other functions outside of rollout project QA.

Hybrid
A combination of the Rollout Delivery Team Configurations may exist with associated advantages and disadvantages.

Which Rollout Delivery Team Configuration is Right for You?

There are advantages to each of the Rollout Delivery Team Configurations listed above, however let’s examine the Unified Resource Configuration and how it compares to the others.

There are significant differences that spark the benefits of the Unified Resource Delivery Team Configuration. For one, it efficiently leverages each position within the Rollout Delivery Team. The Project Manager serves as the customer’s point of contact and thus relays all relevant information to the Project Facilitators, who manage the field technicians. This allows for each role of Manager and Facilitator to concentrate on and specialize in specific duties. Without these job distinctions, you run the risk of overburdening your resources with responsibilities that span multiple job roles (i.e., Limited Resource Configuration).

In terms of Project Facilitators, the Unified Resource Rollout Delivery Team Configuration utilizes a pool in which additional Facilitators can be used as needed for a specific rollout. This allows for flexibility and scalability as additional projects are taken on by the technology rollout company. What this means for you is that your project won’t suffer in quality or importance as would be the case with Dedicated or Non-unified Resource Configurations!

My last point is the importance of a dedicated Program Manager who oversees your rollout to ensure quality and success. If there are any issues that arise outside the scope of your individual Project Manager, the Program Manager is there to ensure quick and effective rectification. You can’t ask for much more than that! This scenario would not be the case with a Supervisor such as in the Non-unified Resource Configuration.

Benefits of the Unified Resource Rollout Delivery Team Configuration:

To review, the Unified Resource Rollout Delivery Team Configuration provides the following benefits:

 Enhanced Efficiency of Communication Flow
Scalability and Manpower Redundancy through the ability to utilize multiple Project Facilitators
Quality Assurance provided by a dedicated Program Manager
Escalation of Priority Issues through a clearly defined management channe

Conclusion
In multi-site technology rollouts, it is important to remember the human aspect. These are the people who are performing the functions to make the deployment of technology a success.

So for your next technology rollout, be sure that your Rollout Delivery Team has the following:

 6 Key Job Functions: Program Manager, Project Manager, Project Facilitator,       Warehouse Manager, Technology Manager, Partnership Manager
 Unified Resource Rollout Delivery Team Configuration

by groovehouse

The Facts about Multi-site Technology Rollouts

Circuits play an extremely important role in business networks. With industry trends continuing to migrate more and more towards IP-based networks, the importance of the outside connection to the world is greater than ever. And the circuit is the gatekeeper of that connection!

Think of it this way. If there is a problem with the circuit, then the entire site’s connection to everything outside of the location is gone in a flash! That means the loss of money, time and business production until that circuit is working again.

When that happens, how important is the circuit then? And more importantly how important is the technology rollout company’s expertise and ability to test and service the issue at the site level?

Speaking the Language
Circuit Testing
Monitored Onsite Technicians

FOC date. MPOE. Hard loop. Soft loop. DSX. These are just a few of the terms used when communicating with Carriers, LECs and ISPs. Without this knowledge, it would be like an American in Paris ordering dinner from a waiter who only understands minimal English. It takes you longer to order, you run a high risk of not getting what you asked for and you still have to communicate with them to get your check. Plus don’t forget the tip!

My point is this: if your technology rollout company cannot speak the “circuit language” and effectively communicate to their circuit counterpart, it will ultimately affect the speed of your rollout.

A simple test is to ask your technology rollout company if they know what the following terms mean: B8ZS, ESF or PVCs. Be sure to time them and make sure they aren’t simply Googling it!

Circuits are delivered daily by the gazillions (okay, maybe not quite that many, but there are a lot!). Because of this, occasionally the circuit is “blind accepted” which means that verification of the circuit at the time of install was not completed, but rather was still accepted as not to disrupt the circuit rollout schedule. Thus, when something goes wrong at the time of equipment installation at the site, it can affect your rollout schedule. Not to mention all the finger pointing that occurs to determine whose problem it is. Think of the wasted time that could be used to actually fix the problem!

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An experienced technology rollout company has a full suite of circuit testing services and proper equipment readily available. This allows the deployment company to work with the Carriers and LECs to ensure that once their services for the site are complete (whether it be equipment installation, a demarc extension, or other related work), the technology rollout company can then test the circuit all the way through to ensure that everything is working properly.

You’d also be surprised at how often technicians spend time trying to resolve a circuit issue at the end of a demarc extension rather than at the building’s Demarc (demarcation point). Thus, a key to testing a circuit when issues arise is to always go directly to the circuit’s Demarc and test at this point which eliminates all other onsite cabling and equipment issue possibilities. This procedure should be instituted for each site deployment on your rollout schedule.

In order to test the circuit and provide immediate issue rectification, you have to have experienced onsite technicians available to do it. But what is experience? A doctor may be an experienced surgeon, but has not performed a particular procedure. In those cases, what does she do? The answer is simple: she consults with an expert in the procedure and/or has a knowledgeable assistant to help with the operation.

It is the same with onsite rollout technicians. It is simply unrealistic when performing hundreds or thousands of site jobs to expect all technicians employed to know every aspect of the requirements – whether they include installing a specific piece of equipment or performing circuit testing. Each site is a world unto itself and comes with its own unique requirements for project success. Thus, the expertise of the technology rollout company comes into play and accounts for any unexpected issues (think Murphy’s Law!) that may occur during a multi-site nationwide technology rollout.

I have mentioned this in the past and will continue to emphasize it until every man, woman, and child can recite it from heart: the technology rollout company must directly monitor each technician at every site in order to provide sufficient support and guarantee quality assurance. This is called the Direct Tech Communication Channel and it is the most efficient way for the deployment company to ensure the success of your technology rollout.

As it becomes easier to install IP technology in the field, the ability for multiple services to be deployed in a single or minimized number of truck rolls increases as it relates to less than one day deployments (Category 1). And as I’ve stated in the past, fewer truck rolls means lower project costs for you!

Thus, having onsite technicians that are available to not only install equipment, but provide testing and provisioning services for circuits on the site level becomes of even greater importance.

So the next time you’re looking to employ a technology rollout company for your multi-site technology rollout, be sure to check that they have:
Experience with Carriers, LECs and ISPs and can speak the “circuit language”
A full suite of circuit testing services
Direct monitoring capabilities of all onsite field technicians

by RDECOM

How to Lessen the Risks of Multi-Site, Nationwide Technology Rollout Failure

There are many problems that are plaguing the industry when it comes to deploying technology quickly and accurately in the field. The first step is to understand the problems and where they come from. The problem primarily stems from a lack of information about what it takes to deploy technology on a nationwide and global scale. Instead, we are subject to the same old sales pitch.
Same Sales Pitch
For as long as I can remember, traditional technology rollout companies have primarily established their capabilities from the following criteria:
1. Single Point of Contact for the Customer
2. Nationwide Partners
3. Software Application to Manage Rollout
However as I have realized (and hopefully you as well), nationwide rollouts are simply too complex for a simplified solution. You have to have a system of methodologies with defined processes in place in order to provide quality, speed, accountability, and minimized project costs. 
Increase of Incapable “Rollout” Companies
Because of the lack of information within our industry and the incorrect viewpoints that have emerged as a result, there are many types of rollout companies that are simply incapable of implementing a project successfully. These include:
- Technology Rollout Companies with initial capabilities, but fail to deliver over the life cycle of the project.

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- Technology Rollout Companies that cannot produce a consistent level of quality.
- Solution Providers without adequate resources to support multi-site rollouts
- Unethical companies
Growth of the Problem
There are two primary reasons the growth of this trend will continue unless the industry as a whole begins to understand how to efficiently deploy technology.
1. Economic
As the economy has shows, job layoffs have seemingly become an everyday event. However, the work must still be done. As the number of employees decrease, outsourcing increases. This results in an increased dependence on technology rollout companies. The downside is that this means more incapable rollout companies will emerge.
2. Technology
We’ve seen an increase in the use and deployment of IP technology. The “plug and play” ability makes it easier to install. Please note that a common misconception is to associate the idea that easier field installations means easier management of nationwide rollouts. This is not the case!
With field installations becoming less challenging due to IP technology, communications of the building are run through the circuit which increases its importance even further (as if the circuit wasn’t important enough already!). A technology rollout company should then have experience and capabilities to deal with the circuit as well as communicate and coordinate activities with circuit providers. Without this, there are risks of project delays and increased costs from hiring multiple vendors. Most traditional rollout companies do not have circuit capabilities, however they are hired anyway. All of this fuels the problem even further!
Results of the Problem
Without keeping things in check, this problem will continue to grow. And the following results will become more and more abundant. Now who wants that?!
- Payment Problems
- Job Terminations
- Lawsuits
- Broken Contract Obligations
- Replacements
- Reputation Damage
How to Avoid These Problems
The only way to avoid these problems is to have a proven system of processes and methodologies employed by an experienced technology rollout company. This Technology Rollout System needs to be comprised of the following:
- Process Structure that defines rollout procedures
- Rollout Services Model utilizing the Deployment Method
- Internal Resources with key job functions incorporated within the Rollout Delivery Team Configuration
- Partnerships that are managed directly within the Technician Communication Channel

by reegmo

The Advantages of Using an Entertaining Directory

If you are into , colleagues, and genus a plight of you need to know the seats anywhere you can entertain them in chic. There are many seats you can take them given away. There are restaurants, hotels, and seats of amusements anywhere you can entertain them. Trying to locate an appropriate place can grow to be hard by era, and you can need to thumb through the regional yellow pages; and this is a chore. This is anywhere an appropriate entertainment directory comes in quite handy.

Business And Social Entertainment

One of the greatest ways to wind up a strict day’s negotiations with your clients and customers is to take them given away used for an twilight of drinks or meals. The greatest way to prefer an superb venue is to surf through an online entertainment directory. Such a directory will provide you with huge seats anywhere you can contain an entertaining twilight with your small business colleagues as well as with acquaintances.

You will bargain many directories so as to will provide you with a inventory of bars and seats to plague and anywhere you can entertain your small business guests with chic. If this is come again? Interests you, nearby are specific directories anywhere you can contain seats of adult entertainment listed as well. You can take your pick of the choicest night clubs and cabarets, amid others.

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The seats listed in these directories are not narrow to entertaining no more than small business acquaintances. You can tell somebody to your well-chosen selection of bars and restaurants to entertain socially, as well. Many of the seats are huge used for you to host an superb participant to suit your account. If you yearning to throw away a social twilight of dance and frolic with your acquaintances, you will be able to locate, through an online entertainment directory, huge venues anywhere you can reckon your dance parties.

The gain of such a directory is so as to they not no more than offer you regional seats of entertainment and amusement, but the greatest choices of bars, restaurants, and other seats of amusements in the sum total kingdom. If, used for request, you are itinerant to a new city, you can locate seats of entertainment previously hired hand, and tell somebody to your arrangements accordingly. Such directories are not no more than narrow to if you seats to plague and tell somebody to merry, but and inventory amusement and theme parks, seats of performing arts, as well as sports entertainment.

The entertainment directory you are surfing through does not no more than inventory seats used for adults to contain their small business and social entertainment.

You will bargain seats listed anywhere your children can host their own birthday parties and wide-ranging get-togethers with their acquaintances. You can prevail on details of the venues so as to provide diverse types of theme parties used for your kids. Through such directories you can and drop a line to relatives and businesses who can help host various kinds of entertainment used for your children and their acquaintances.

You can locate seats so as to can organize innate parties, balloon parties, children’s shows, hand-puppet shows, and other forms of entertainment used for your children; not to point out seats anywhere your children and their acquaintances can plague to their hearts’ content.

An entertainment directory provides you with better access to seats of than individuals yellow pages.

Find More Entertainment Articles

by brewbooks

Science as a Media Event

One need not make any extensive surveys of different media to provide evidence for this failure. It is enough to see how sports has managed to gain more coverage in various media over the last few decades vis-a-vis science. One may argue that this is so because there are always some sports events occurring all over the world which naturally draw the attention of media. But contention here is that scientific activity, scientific community and laboratories all over the world can also be turned into what are called ‘media events’ if enough pains are taken by science communicators to achieve this status for science. First and foremost it will require the maximum cooperation of scientists.

For instance, anniversaries of scientists, institutes, organisations and societies, including the World Health Day, etc., can be celebrated; discussions and debates with the concerned scientists organised; and doors of concerned laboratories and organisations thrown open to masses and media.

Be that as it may, intention through this paper is to highlight the essentials and limitations of science popularisation so that there appears a fundamental change in the way of looking at this subject. Hopefully, it will lead to more effective strategies to popularise science among the masses.

Science popularisation is mostly done by science- trained persons and professional scientists. It is therefore looked upon more as a scientific activity rather than anything else. But science writing is more of an art rather than a science. It is scientific only in the sense one should have scientific knowledge but all the writing abilities are required to make a good presentation of science. It is due to the present lack of emphasis on the art aspect of science popularisation that this field of activity has suffered to date. Those few scientists or science-trained persons who have consciously or unconsciously known the art of science writing and have practised it, have only been successful in popularising science.

The second reason why popular science does not tick with the masses is because it is not projected as a human activity but an activity of scientists who simply believe in the search for truth – and nothing but truth! The human side of science is totally neglected in all popular science presentations. The follies and prejudices of scientists, the emotional life of scientists, the irrational circumstances in which scientific work is often undertaken and discoveries and inventions made, etc., are quite often deliberately not highlighted fearing that it would give bad name to science and scientific research. In short, the human face of science or scientific research is often neglected in popular science presentations. There is therefore a strong need to give science a human face. It would not only mean adding human stories to popular science presentations but also talking about realities in scientific research.

The third reason why popular science presentations often go wide off the mark and make the audience yawn and go for something else is the inability of science communicators to distinguish between technical report writing and popular science writing, thanks to their scientific training or background. They try to cram into a popular science presentation as much as they know or find out about a subject.

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Actually, popular science presentation should be like the tip of the iceberg. It should however make one not only familiar with the tip of the iceberg but also aware of the unseen larger part of the iceberg floating under the water. In other words, it should reveal little about science but enough to make one realise the existence of that science with its entire ramification. It should excite one’s curiosity enough so that one would like to probe further into that science. It should not necessarily tell everything about a science but at the same time it should not miss science.

The author’s experience with popularising science over the years has forced him to arrive at some postulates. They are merely based on experience and intuition. Any research has not been conducted to back them up with facts and figures. In fact, much research is required to prove or disprove them. If in case they are proved, they can easily be called the ‘Laws of Science Popularisation’ because despite the best of our efforts we have not been able to popularise science the way we want among the masses. There must be some hidden laws governing our efforts to popularise science. These postulates are stated as follows:

1st : Only those elements of science receive attention in a society, which suit its goals or which inspire awe.

2nd : A science communicator tends to impose his or her limited ideas of science, scientists and scientific research upon the audience.

3rd : The amount of space allotted to science in different media of a country is the index of the quality of life of its average citizen.

4th : The quality of science communication or presentation in a country is directly proportional to the quality of science produced in it.

5th : To popularise science is to humanise science.

One can deduce certain things from these postulates. The first postulate indicates that people at large read science because it serves their purpose or because the subject is topical, sensational or controversial or simply excites their curiosity. A handful only read science for the sake of knowledge per se. Much research is required to identify those subjects so that science could be more effectively popularised. For instance, health science and environment interest people at large, astronomy and space fascinate them, Nobel Laureates, UFOs, etc., are held in awe by them.

The Second postulate is dangerous for science itself. Consciously or unconsciously, the layman imbibes the limited or narrow image of science, scientists and culture of science from the communicator, whether he be Jacob Bronowski or Peter Medawar. Notions such as scientists are mad individuals or scientific research is yet another profession are creations of science communicators. That makes science communicator a very responsible person.

The third and fourth postulates are intuitive relationships between two unrelated things or activities. Further research is needed to prove or disprove these two laws by taking data from different countries. However, one must add here that in India we raise a hullabaloo to increase science coverage in our media at the first available opportunity but it often comes to nothing. Also, while writing a popular science article on a subject one often needs the assistance of a scientist doing research in that very subject. But in India the scientist of the concerned subject is often not available for consultation and as a result our writings lack the necessary quality, verve and colour.

The fifth, the last but not the least important postulate, though obvious, reminds us that we must give science a human face so that masses are not afraid of it. It is the basic aim of science popularisation.

The aim of drawing the ‘Christmas tree of science popularisation’ is to illustrate the importance of various media that take science to the masses, though every medium has its own significance and a vital role to play in communication. But unless a person climbs up the tree, as his or her interest in science is aroused or increased – in other words, unless one begins to read newspapers, magazines and then books – he or she would not have become fully science literate.

Necessarily, the percentage of people reading books would be very small as the top of a Christmas tree indicates. But it is a must to know this tree because the role of any medium should not be underestimated and every medium should be given equal importance simultaneously. For instance, if a student’s interest in science is aroused by science fair or ‘Jatha’ held in the town, it has to be sustained and maintained by wallpapers, newspapers and even books; otherwise, one’s interest would flag and eventually die. Other supplementing media should be made available to the student in form of public libraries, for instance. So, the Christmas tree of science popularisation needs to be watered and tended carefully to produce a science literate society.

According to the postulates forwarded here there are (as yet unknown) limits to the extent science can be popularised among the masses. It is not possible to have a fully science literate society. Moreover, science communicators need to take into account aforementioned aspects about science popularisation for more effective communication of science to the masses.

ProVFX Visual Effects and Editing School has been written by Pranay Rupani who is a Freelance Writer

The Growing Importance Of Entertainment Agencies

An entertainment agency helps someone in carrying out events successfully and in a well planned manner.  Especially if you have a wedding planned, then these entertainment agencies can help you a lot. They will help in managing every detail related to entertainment during a wedding. A good entertainment agency has the accessibility to a lot of unique and amusing ideas and will try its best to provide you quality services.

Basically, an entertainment agency can tell you what forms of entertainment would be best for the upcoming event at your venue. If you want comedians, a variety of performers, speakers or bands for an event, then this kind of agency will get you all of them. They are very useful during events such as a wedding. They offer the best wedding bands which can definitely light up the mood and ambience of your wedding and make it successful.

These professionals will arrange very good string quartets to make a wedding very lively. You can book the services of an entertainment agency by speaking to a booking agent. These booking agents will try their best to get you the services of the best possible string quartets and bands at the best prices.

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There are many benefits of hiring wedding bands and music from entertainment agencies. As they vet the wedding bands to you can be sure of their quality. A good entertainment agency will make sure that you get the services of the best wedding bands and enjoy it a lot. There are many entertainment agencies available nowadays in the market that makes things confusing. So, always remember to do make enquiries before selecting an entertainment agency to take care of your events and ask details such as how long they have been established and what their vetting procedure entails.

Word of mouth is the best way to get information about anything, so ask your friends and relatives about various entertainment agencies and gather as much information as you can. Browsing the internet is also a great option to get information about entertainment agencies. You can go through reviews, visit websites of various such agencies and then decide the one that you want to hire for the upcoming event. Mostly, such agencies do have an event planner to plan out each and every detail efficiently.

Remember, a reputed entertainment agency can provide quality acts and services. As these kinds of services are high in demand, make sure to book such services at least 5-6 months in advance. Above all, somebody need not have to pay anything to avail these services as these agencies earn money through commissions from the entertainment service providers. Thus, it is very economical and can make sure your event is a total success. This is the best way to find wedding bands. If you are a jazz lover, then they can get you the best jazz band in the area also. So, take up their services and make your event a successful one.

by Mark A Lunt

Fact Sheets Home Health Care

Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care.

More specifically, home health care may include occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, and even skilled nursing. It may involve helping the elderly with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Or it may include assistance with cooking, cleaning, other housekeeping jobs, and monitoring one’s daily regimen of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

At this point, it is important to understand the difference between home health care and home care services. Although they sound the same (and home health care may include some home care services), home health care is more medically oriented. While home care typically includes chore and housecleaning services, home health care usually involves helping seniors recover from an illness or injury. That is why the people who provide home health care are often licensed practical nurses, therapists, or home health aides. Most work for home health agencies, hospitals, or public health departments that are licensed by the state.

How Do I Make Sure That Home Health Care Is Quality Care?
As with any important purchase, it is always a good idea to talk with friends, neighbors, and your local area agency on aging to learn more about the home health care agencies in your community.
In looking for a home health care agency, the following 20 questions can be used to help guide your search:

How long has the agency been serving this community? Does the agency have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one. Is the agency an approved Medicare provider? Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations? Does the agency have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)? Does the agency offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for? Does the agency write a plan of care for the patient (with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family), and update the plan as necessary? Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment, describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver? How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality? Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting? Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary? Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day? How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? How are agency caregivers hired and trained? What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints? How does the agency handle billing? Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay, and is financial assistance available to pay for services? Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers? Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled? What type of employee screening is done?

When purchasing home health care directly from an individual provider (instead of through an agency), it is even more important to screen the person thoroughly. This should include an interview with the home health caregiver to make sure that he or she is qualified for the job. You should request references. Also, prepare for the interview by making a list if any special needs the senior might have. For example, you would want to note whether the elderly patient needs help getting into or out of a wheelchair. Clearly, if this is the case, the home health caregiver must be able to provide that assistance. The screening process will go easier if you have a better idea of what you are looking for first.

Another thing to remember is that it always helps to look ahead, anticipate changing needs, and have a backup plan for special situations. Since every employee occasionally needs time off (or a vacation), it is unrealistic to assume that one home health care worker will always be around to provide care. Seniors or family members who hire home health workers directly may want to consider interviewing a second part-time or on-call person who can be available when the primary caregiver cannot be. Calling an agency for temporary respite care also may help to solve this problem (see the Respite Care fact sheet for more information about these services).

In any event, whether you arrange for home health care through an agency or hire an independent home health care aide on an individual basis, it helps to spend some time preparing for the person who will be doing the work. Ideally, you could spend a day with him or her, before the job formally begins, to discuss what will be involved in the daily routine. If nothing else, tell the home health care provider (both verbally and in writing) the following things that he or she should know about the senior:

Illnesses/injuries, and signs of an emergency medical situation Likes and dislikes Medications, and how and when they should be taken Need for dentures, eyeglasses, canes, walkers, etc. Possible behavior problems and how best to deal with them Problems getting around (in or out of a wheelchair, for example, or trouble walking) Special diets or nutritional needs Therapeutic exercises.

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In addition, you should give the home health care provider more information about:

Clothing the senior may need (if/when it gets too hot or too cold) How you can be contacted (and who else should be contacted in an emergency) How to find and use medical supplies and medications When to lock up the apartment/house and where to find the keys Where to find food, cooking utensils, and serving items Where to find cleaning supplies Where to find light bulbs and flash lights, and where the fuse box is located (in case of a power failure) Where to find the washer, dryer, and other household appliances (as well as instructions for how to use them).

Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations will vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.

The cost of home health care varies across states and within states. In addition, costs will fluctuate depending on the type of health care professional required. Home care services can be paid for directly by the patient and his or her family members, or through a variety of public and private sources. Sources for home health care funding include Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Veterans’ Administration, and private insurance.

Medicare is the largest single payer of home care services. The Medicare program will pay for home health care if all of the following conditions are met:

The patient must be homebound and under a doctor’s care; The patient must need skilled nursing care, or occupational, physical, or speech therapy, on at least an intermittent basis (that is, regularly but not continuously) The services provided must be under a doctor’s supervision and performed as part of a home health care plan written specifically for that patient The patient must be eligible for the Medicare program and the services ordered must be “medically reasonable and necessary” The home health care agency providing the services must be certified by the Medicare program.

To get help with your Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY/TDD: 1-877-486-2048 for the speech and hearing impaired) or look on the Internet at http://www.medicare.gov.

There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services. These include the following:

The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003. The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at http://www.vnaa.org. The postal addresses are: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110.

To find out more about home health care programs where you live, you will want to contact your local aging information and assistance provider or area agency on aging (AAA). The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging (at 1-800-677-1116 or http://www.eldercare.gov  can help connect you to these agencies.

Because it is not always clear to the average person when an ailing senior needs home health care and when he or she needs nursing home care, it is usually best to consult a medical professional for advice. The following case study describes one situation in which home health care proved to be the right choice.
Francis is 84 years old and recently had a stroke. She was hospitalized briefly and then discharged to continue recovering at home. To enable her to return home, her doctor called a home health care agency, and the agency gave Francis a complete home health care plan for six weeks. Since the doctor ordered the home care for Francis, Medicare paid for it.

For the first week after Francis went home, a nurse visited her every day. The nurse met with Francis’s family to discuss her special dietary needs and to arrange for exercise therapy to help Francis regain her strength. Once that was done, the nurse visited Francis twice a week to check on how well she was recovering. The home health care agency also sent a homemaker, a personal care attendant, and a physical therapist to visit Francis several times during the week. The homemaker would do the shopping and cook light meals. The personal care attendant would help Francis bathe, get dressed, and walk. The physical therapist would keep Francis moving and see to it that she got some exercise to aid in her recovery.

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by isafmedia

Sharia law: non-compliance and enforcement of contracts governed by English Law

The Investment Dar Company KSCC v Blom Developments Bank SAL [2009] EWHC 3545 (Ch)

Few cases involving Islamic Finance contracts have come before the English Courts but where they have, the Courts have traditionally been reluctant to examine issues of Sharia compliance when looking at the enforceability of an English law contract. However, in a recent High Court decision, it was held that there was an arguable case that a Wakala (agency) agreement did not comply with Sharia law and was therefore void. Summary judgment was denied to the Claimant bank on this issue and the Islamic Investment Company in question will be able to run this argument at trial. Discussed below are the implications of this decision.

In Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf v Symphony Gems NV & Others [2002], the Islamic investment company, IICG, entered into a Murabaha Agreement with Symphony Gems. Under a Murabaha Agreement, the Islamic financial institution (“IFI”) purchases an asset identified by its customer from the seller/manufacturer and then immediately sells the asset to the customer on deferred terms at a mark-up to the original purchase price. The mark-up is regarded as profit earned by the IFI. The payment to the IFI by its customer may be made as a single payment or by instalments. Most such instruments have a 6 – 12 month maturity.

The Agreement in that case was expressly subject to English law and jurisdiction. In addition the Agreement stated “the purchaser wishes to deal with the seller for the purposes of purchasing supplies under this agreement in accordance with Islamic Shariah”. A dispute arose as to who took the risk of a failure to deliver. Under Sharia law (and according to the principles of a Murabaha), the risk of a failure to deliver falls on the IFI (IICG in that case) as it receives a profit for accepting that risk. However, the wording of the Agreement did not support that position and the judge held that “…it is a contract governed by English law. I must simply construe it according to its terms as an English law contract”. He rejected the arguments that it was not in compliance with Sharia law, did not bear the hallmarks of a Murabaha Agreement and was therefore illegal because (a) the parties had chosen English law as the governing law without any restriction or limitation and (b) the Agreement was not to be applied in a jurisdiction where Sharia law was the law of the land.

In that case, it was also argued that the terms of the Murabaha Agreement contradicted IICG’s constitutional documents which required that IICG carry out its business in a “manner which is consistent with Islamic laws, rules, principles and traditions”. The Agreement was therefore ultra vires or beyond the powers/capacity of IICG to enter into. In the UK, statute intervened many years ago to bring to an end the external operation of the ultra vires doctrine in invalidating transactions entered into by a company beyond its objects and powers as a protection for third parties who, when contracting in good faith, are entitled to assume that their counterparty has the requisite power/capacity to enter into the contract concerned. The Bahamas, where IICG was incorporated, has enacted a similar law. In any event, English Courts have shown some reluctance to apply the doctrine (described as a “technical” rule in another case) to enable a party to avoid its contractual obligations.

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Shamil Bank of Bahrain v Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited and Others [2004] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 1 also involved a Murabaha Agreement. In that case, there was a payment default by the defendants. The Agreement contained the following wording regarding the choice of law – “Subject to the principles of Glorious Shariah, this agreement shall be governed by and constructed in accordance with the laws of England.” The Appeal Court held that “there could not be two separate systems of law governing the contract”. Statute in the UK only contemplates the choice of the law of a country to govern contractual obligations. Whilst it is possible to incorporate specific provisions of foreign law into an English law contract (subject to certain limited restrictions), this Agreement referred to Sharia law in general and not to any specific provision that was intended to be incorporated. Principles of Sharia, it was pointed out, are not simply principles of law but relate to other aspects of life and behaviour and, in any event, are susceptible to differing interpretation depending upon the strictness with which they are interpreted or applied. Furthermore, it was said that it was highly unlikely that the parties had intended that an English Court should determine any dispute as to the nature or application of religious principles. English Courts, in other words, determine disputes on the basis of English law (although there may be occasions where they also accept expert evidence of foreign law, this will be the law of a country and not religious law).

In the latest case, the question of capacity arose again. Blom made deposits with Investment Dar Company KSCC (“TID”) under a Master Wakala Agreement. In essence TID, as Wakeel (agent),would accept deposits from investors such as Blom and would pool the deposits, using the Wakala capital in Wakala assets of a prescribed type. TID would invest the deposits as agent for the investors including Blom.

The Master Wakala Agreement was expressed to be governed by English law and precluded TID from taking any point on non-compliance with the Sharia. In this case TID was a Kuwaiti company whose constitutional documents stated that the “objectives for which the company is established shall be Sharia compliant. None of the objectives shall be construed and interpreted as permitting the company to practice directly or indirectly any usury or non-Sharia compliant activities.” One such objective specifically stated that the company was to “carry out all financial transactions in a Sharia compliant manner”.

Despite the terms of the agreement, TID argued that the contract with Blom was non-compliant because TID was taking deposits at interest. Blom pointed to the Sharia Committee approval and said the argument being advanced by TID was nonsense. On an application by Blom for summary judgment, the judge said there was an arguable case that the transactions entered into by TID were ultra vires TID. As, moreover, questions of capacity of a corporate entity are governed by the law of the place of incorporation, the fact that the Master Wakala Agreement was governed by English law was irrelevant. On appeal to the High Court, this view was not challenged.

It seems clear that the TID/Blom case is distinguishable from the Shamil Bank/Beximco case, although the issue of capacity/power to enter into a transaction was referred to in the IICG/Symphony case and was rejected primarily it seems on the basis that Bahamian law (like English law) had enacted statutory protection for third parties and in any event English Courts were reluctant to allow parties to invoke ultra vires as a means to avoid contractual obligations. TID is a Kuwaiti company where no similar statutory protection is available and when this comes back to court, evidence will need to be produced as to what Kuwaiti law says about Sharia compliance in the light of TID’s constitutional documents. However, weight will also have to be given to the fact that (a) the Sharia Committee in this case appears to have approved transactions which it is now alleged are non-compliant and (b) TID has stated in the Agreement that it would not at any time assert the arrangements made under the Agreement contravene the Sharia.

There is no suggestion in this recent case that the English Courts will do anything other than look at English law when construing the terms of an English law document (the decision in Shamil Bank v Beximco will therefore be followed) and they will not, therefore, say that a document is unenforceable because it does not comply with some aspect of Sharia law (particularly since this is open to differing views). However, they might entertain an ultra vires argument if evidence is adduced that this is relevant as a matter of the law of incorporation of the Defendant.

In the writer’s view, the way that the capacity issue can be addressed is to express the financing obligation or investment to be conditional upon the production of an opinion (or fatwa) as to Sharia compliance. This could be issued by the Sharia Committee of the obligor or by the Bank’s Sharia Committee and should in any event be coupled with representations as to Sharia compliance and to the effect that there is no conflict with the entity’s constitutional documents, together with the insertion of a waiver of defences based on Sharia law issues (as was the case in the Master Wakala Agreement). If one wanted to go further one might consider bolstering the representations by obtaining a legal opinion as to the capacity of the contracting party from a local lawyer.

Wafa Sultan explains Sharia Law

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