Business

Indiana Payroll, Unique Aspects of Indiana Payroll Law and Practice

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Indiana payroll has some unique aspects and conditions. Some of the details and laws are set forth in this article, including information regarding: tax withholding and reporting; unemployment insurance taxes and reports; wage and hour laws; and child support withholding.

The Indiana State Agency that oversees the collection and reporting of state income taxes deducted from payroll checks is:

revenue Department

Compliance Division

North Central Indiana Government

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2253

(317) 233-4018

http://www.ai.org/dor

Indiana requires that you use the Indiana form “WH-4, Employee’s Withholding Exemption and County Status Certificate” instead of a federal Form W-4 for Indiana state income tax withholding.

Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 or 401(k) cafeteria plans to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Indiana, cafeteria plans: are not taxable for income tax purposes; not taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are: not subject to income taxes; taxable for unemployment purposes.

In Indiana, supplemental wages are taxed at a flat rate of 3.4%.

You can file your Indiana W-2 forms magnetically if you wish.

The Indiana State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:

Department of Workforce Development

government center of indiana s.

10 N. Senator Ave., Room 331

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2277

(317) 232-6702

http://www.state.in.us/workcomp/index.html

The state of Indiana taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $7,000.00.

Indiana has optional quarterly wage reporting on magnetic media.

Unemployment records must be kept in Indiana for a minimum period of five years. This information generally includes: name; Social Security number; hire, retirement and termination dates; wages per period; payroll periods and payment dates; termination date and circumstances.

The Indiana State Agency charged with enforcing state wage and hour laws is:

work Department

Wage and Hour Division

402 West Washington St., room W195

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(317) 232-2673

http://www.state.in.us/labor/

The minimum wage in Indiana is $5.15 per hour.

The general provision in Indiana regarding overtime pay at an employer not covered by the FLSA is one and one-half times the regular rate after a 40-hour week.

Indiana state new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire. The employer must report the elements required by the federal government of:

  • Name of the employee
  • employee address
  • Employee Social Security Number
  • Name of the employee
  • Employee Address
  • Employer Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)

This information must be reported within 20 days of hire or rehire.

Information can be submitted as a W-4 or equivalent by mail, fax, or electronically.

There is a $500 fine for a late report in Indiana.

You can contact the Indiana New Hire Reporting Agency by calling 866-879-0198 or 317-612-3028 or on the web at http://www.in-newitze.com.

Indiana does not allow mandatory direct deposit

Indiana requires the following information on an employee’s pay stub:

  • regular time and overtime pay

  • hours worked

  • item deductions

    • Indiana requires that the employee be paid biweekly or biweekly; less frequently for FLSA-exempt employees.

    Indiana requires that the time lapse between the end of the pay period and payment of wages to the employee not exceed ten days.

    Indiana payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees be paid their final pay by the next regular payday and voluntarily terminated employees be paid their final pay by the next regular payday.

    The deceased employee’s wages are due when normally due to the surviving spouse; if none, another distribute after the affidavit of right; inheritance not greater than $25,000.

    Reversion laws in Indiana require that unclaimed wages be paid to the state after one year.

    Additionally, Indiana requires the employer to keep a record of wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of 10 years.

    Indiana payroll law requires that no more than $3.02 may be used as a tip credit.

    In Indiana, payroll laws covering mandatory breaks or meal breaks state that those under the age of 16 must have 30 minutes during the 3rd through 5th hour of a shift of at least 6 hours.

    There is no provision in Indiana law regarding the retention of wage and hour records, so it is probably wise to follow the FLSA guidelines.

    The Indiana agency charged with enforcing child support laws and orders is:

    Child Support Office

    402 W. Washington St., Room W360

    Indianapolis, IN 46204

    (317) 233-5437

    http://www.in.gov/dcs/support/index.html

    Indiana has the following provisions for child support deductions:

    • When to start withholding? 14 business days after the withholding order is sent to the employer.
    • When to send the payment? payday
    • When to send a termination notice? Within 10 days of termination.
    • Maximum administrative fee? $2 per payment.
    • Retention limits? Federal Rules under CCPA.

    Please note that this article is not updated for changes that may and will occur from time to time.

    Home Kitchen

    Why should you go for quality kitchen and bathroom cabinets?

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    One of the most important parts in the renovation process is the installation of new kitchen and bathroom cabinets. A house cannot be considered complete without elegant gray cabinets. You must be wondering, why gray cabinets? Why not blue or green or any other color? Well, gray cabinets follow most kitchen/bathroom appliances and cabinets. Therefore, if you have to play it safe, then you have to use the most used kitchen/bathroom cabinets, that is, the gray cabinets.

    This is a secondary thing for all those who believe that it is not necessary to spend money on choosing the right kitchen and bathroom cabinets. According to them, any kitchen furniture can be installed and painted to match the furniture. To all those people, I’ll just say that you can install shoddy kitchen or bathroom cabinets and use them for a couple of years, but after that, you’re going to have to replace them because those aren’t going to last a thousand days. On the other hand, a Quality kitchen/bathroom cabinet will last longer and give your kitchen or bathroom the look it deserves.

    If you want your guests to come to your house, see your kitchen and bathroom and applaud your taste, then you need to install cabinets with class. If these things don’t matter to you, then you can install some random cabinets that are available in the market. If you’re renovating your home, it’s best to improve on the mistakes you made the first time while building the house. If your kitchen and bathroom cabinets got damaged due to moisture, termites or any other reason, this time you should think differently and buy kitchen/bathroom cabinets that are immune to moisture and termite attack.

    There are several types of kitchen cabinets available in the market, such as flat cabinets and shaker cabinets. The flat type has the options of clean lines without indentations or bevels, while the shaker cabinets come in different patterns and are ideal for contemporary designs. Basically, the design, color and shape of the cabinets depend on your style and requirements. There are so many options available that you will be totally stumped when choosing the most appropriate kitchen/bathroom cabinets for your home. If you are planning to buy it from a reputable store, you can get valuable help from the store staff members, but still, it is up to you to make the decision. People can just give their opinions, the rest is up to you, whether to accept their opinions or ignore them.

    If you have the time to shop for the wood and have a carpenter work on it, that’s great, but if you’re looking for a quick and convenient solution, then you should go for ready-to-assemble cabinets. There are many online stores, as well as real stores, that offer custom kitchen/bathroom cabinets. All you have to do is remove the packaging, assemble the cabinets and install it in the kitchen and bathrooms. It will only take an hour or two to complete the tasks and your cabinets will be ready to use. I really like this method because it saves a lot of time and money, which you would have spent like the carpenter’s labor charges. If you want to know more about RTA cabinets, you can browse the web. You will find various websites that sell a wide range of RTA cabinets at cheap prices.

    Digital Marketing

    6 Ways to Put Your Business Website to Work

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    The most important component of a company’s online strategy is its website. Unfortunately, many small businesses put up a website and then forget about it, even when promoting their products or services online. With these tips, you can put your business website to work by helping sell the products or services your business offers.

    Regularly update the site

    While it is important that the content on a website is informative, it is also important that it is up to date. Updating your site regularly with creative and informative content can attract a regular audience and help increase your site’s search engine rankings. If your site can’t be updated easily, then you should replace it with one that can.

    add a blog

    One of the best ways to update your website is by writing blog posts. If there is currently no blog on your website, you should add one so that you can promote your business and the products or services you offer. The blog posts can be written by the same person or you can recruit different people from your business to add blog posts on a regular basis for your customers to learn more about your business.

    Hire professional help

    Most small business owners rarely have the time to spend updating their website, but keeping your content current and updating product or service information is vital to your success. Instead of trying to maintain a website yourself, hire a digital marketing agency to update your business site. They can also manage your social media accounts and create online strategies to help increase your company’s revenue.

    allow comments

    Most people like to be able to read reviews about products or services they are thinking of buying, especially if the reviews are written by a company’s customers. Allow your customers to add reviews or testimonials about your business and your products or services to the site. Even bad reviews can help improve your search engine rankings and allow the business to find areas where it needs to improve.

    vary content

    When web visitors click on a website and find nothing but a sea of ​​text, some of them may be turned off and will leave the site in moments. The digital marketing agency you have hired can add different types of content to your site to make it more interactive. Adding videos, podcasts, and images to break up the text can make your site more engaging.

    Link to social networks

    If there are social media accounts for your business then you need to have their icons on your website. This will attract many of your customers and web visitors to follow your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media accounts. If you are not using social media for your small business, then you need to open accounts to use it to promote your business.

    Your company’s website is the center of your Internet presence. As such, it should work to attract new visitors to the web and help convert them into paying customers.

    Relationship

    Fun Learning Under the K-12 Curriculum – All for the Achievement of Human Excellence

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    Lucky were the learners who had the opportunity to enjoy learning: with all the necessary support from stakeholders, a journey to learning was truly fun and meaningful.

    With a healthy curriculum that addresses their needs for authentic learning, life skills were taught through lessons/activities in and out of the classroom provided by a conscientious and effective classroom teacher.

    Parental support and maximum attention to their needs were provided, such as books, technology, among others: students had the opportunity to develop their expected skills, showing their passion; thus, making a huge impact on your learning.

    I had always been concerned that each lesson, project or assignment was within the learning environment/experience of my students. The following learning activities tell us all about how I translated the K-12 curriculum into authentic, relevant, and impactful learning:

    Mini City Tour

    Familiarization with the community :with the help of parents agile the children were able to see different places in San José del Monte, from the welcome marker to SM town, Nolasco market, San Pedro church, Gumaok East, Central and West Barangay offices, the generic pharmacy, the Grotto Vista Resort and St Joseph the Worker. Church to the Old Town Hall to the Sanctuary of the Grotto of Lourdes.

    sculpted dioramas

    To show their knowledge about their neighborhood, students had the opportunity to create a diorama representation of their health center, basketball court, daycare center, sari-sari shop etc.

    writing big books

    Write stories about your experiences, showing your writing style, from reflecting on the mini tour to other learning activities. My students wrote over a hundred books. He asked them to share their written work with their classmates.

    Tame Your Dragon Presentation Video

    Giving them the opportunity to use technology to create ideas on how negative emotions can be managed, showing them the essence of social emotional intelligence in action. I think by doing this they would have empathy and be well-adjusted human beings later in life.

    good deeds for the week

    An activity sheet in which they wrote down the good deeds they had observed during the day. Not only did they have the opportunity to be aware of their behaviors when dealing with the people around them, but they were also able to develop their language skills, particularly in the use of grammar, let’s say the past tense of the verb: I listened carefully, spoke quietly, did not intimidate a seatmate, to mention just a few.

    weekly celebration

    The students were always ready to show off their dancing skills and singing prowess whenever we had a classroom program like Nutrition Month, Linggo ng Wikaetc.

    parade

    A regular culminating activity where parents join in the fun and excitement by preparing costumes or props to make the celebration meaningful and memorable for the children.

    resource person

    During the celebration of the Month of Nutrition we had invited a lactating mother to answer questions from the students about breastfeeding, proper care of the baby, among others.

    game cards

    Verb cards were part of the lesson where they had fun learning sight words in sentence, sentence… and paragraph. Few had difficulty building sentences, others with paragraphs.

    Urban Gardening

    Instill in their young minds the value of planting vegetables, caring for seeds or young plants, etc. we had gardening at home.

    Bangkang Tsinelas

    To instill the value of caring for our environment, in particular the importance of clean water flowing in watercourses, the students had bangkang tsinelas race in which they could see the state of their to know and do the necessary actions within their capacity as small defenders of the environment.

    Exhibit

    As a way to show their love for their culture and that of others, they held a great exhibition of different provinces in Region 3 where the people, their culture and their arts were highlighted.

    Quarterly Classroom Based Awards/Recognitions

    Recognizing exemplary works, performances and all…selected students received ribbons and certificates; his always supportive parents were also recognized.

    I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to all agile parents who, in one way or another, have supported their children’s learning journey, with me. Along with other great stakeholders, may you continue to be enthusiastically involved in your child’s education.

    Health Fitness

    Guaranteed fat loss

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    Cardio is not only an obsession, but also a phenomenon in our community. Everyone from endurance athletes to seniors, soccer moms to weekend warriors can be found huffing and puffing in organized running groups, spin classes at local gyms, or on a treadmill at home. We’re hooked on cardio training, but how can we use cardio to get the best results from our efforts?

    As a fitness expert, I work with clients who are often looking for similar results, but don’t know how to reach their goals. Some come to me for help losing fat; others want to improve their 10k runtimes. An effective cardiovascular tool that I have been incorporating into some of my training programs is ‘High Intensity Interval Training’ (HIIT).

    HIIT is a powerful concept that describes activity performed in short, intense bursts of full sprints (30-60 seconds at a time) with minimal rest between each sprint. This versatile type of workout can be done anywhere and on any type of cardio equipment at your local gym.

    Research shows that high-intensity interval training is more effective for both fat loss and cardiovascular improvement than slow, steady aerobic workouts like long runs and/or walks. For example, athletes like sprinters, who push themselves for 45 to 60 seconds at a time, tend to have less body fat and more lean muscle tissue than marathon runners. Think of how athletes in other sports like tennis, soccer, and hockey perform high-intensity tasks for short periods when they compete and when they train and stay lean year-round. HIIT is a very effective way to build muscle, burn fat, and reap all the cardiovascular benefits.

    High-intensity interval training has also been shown to raise EPOC levels in the same way that an intense session of resistance training would. EPOC stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption and is scientifically defined as the “recovery of the metabolic rate to its pre-exercise levels”. In layman’s terms, it means that you continue to burn calories at a high rate long after a HIIT workout.

    In addition to the effect on your COPD levels, HIIT is effective because it makes it harder for your body to adapt to the activity. If you ran 5K every day for the next year, your body would eventually adjust to the routine. At the end of the year, you’d be running that 5K much faster than you started, and you’d be burning far fewer calories than you initially needed. The body needs new challenges to continue improving. So if you’re looking to improve your fitness level or burn more calories by running, you’ll need to gradually increase your distance. That means spending more time running and training, and less time with family and friends, doing the things you love. HIIT allows you to continue to challenge your body without spending a lot of extra time doing it.

    My clients love the results and versatility of HIIT, and they love that it can be done in 20 minutes or less. You can do HIIT anywhere, on the treadmill or on a soccer field. One of my favorite places for high intensity interval training is on the big beach hill at Mooney’s Bay. Here are some tips for HIIT when you’re not in the gym:

    Football field:

    o Heat as long as you need.

    o From one side of the field, run as fast as you can to the other side.

    o Walk back to the other side. As you walk back, take a deep breath and get ready for the next sprint of wind.

    o Once you are back on the side you started from, repeat the sprint and walk backwards 5 more times.

    Swimming pool:

    o In a 25 meter pool, heat as long as you need.

    o Perform a full 25-meter sprint

    o If you are a good swimmer, go back to swimming and relax, prepare for the next sprint.

    o Once you have returned, take a few seconds to prepare for the next sprint.

    o Repeat your sprint and swim on your back for 5 more cycles.

    Have fun!

    Legal Law

    my relationship with my parents

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    I really value my relationship with my parents. The role of my parents and siblings in my life can hardly be overstated. To begin with, I must say that my parents have always been very supportive. Your opinion has always played an important role in my decision-making process. Whenever I had a problematic situation throughout my life, I necessarily talked to my parents about a topic that generated an apparently insoluble dilemma. I could go talk to my father about almost anything. When I was in high school and actually throughout my college career, my parents used to give me valuable advice on what kind of men I should choose for relationships, what classes I should take, and what clothes I should wear. They always taught me something. I can’t say that I necessarily followed his advice. The last source I always refer to when I have to make an important decision is my own brain. I think I’m smart and experienced enough to make my own decisions. However, it is always important to consult my parents simply because they might give me a different perspective that I would never have thought of on my own. Although your input may not be exactly what I’m looking for at a particular time in my life, your input is extremely valuable. It’s hard to explain, but sometimes when I find myself in a really complex position and feel like I know the answer to a question that’s haunting me, I’m going to talk to my parents anyway. Most of the time I am totally sure that I will not follow their advice and that my own decision will be the one that I will make eventually, but it is important to me that my parents listen to my story and contribute to my decision. In other words, there are times when I need to talk to someone. My parents and siblings are the only people I will select for that role.

    My parents and siblings give me great moral support in times of difficulty. However, the role of these people in my life is not limited to comforting me when I cannot find a way out of a complex situation. My relationship with my brother and sister is somewhat different. Of course, my brother and sister are very supportive in almost any situation and I’m sure they are the people I can count on should I have a dilemma to deal with. However, there has always been tremendous competition between us in the family. It was always vital for me to surpass my brothers in almost all aspects of life. When I was a high school student, I felt like I needed to get better grades in all the classes we took together. When it came time to choose a university to apply to, I always had to know which schools my brother and sister applied to so I could apply to a better one. That supreme desire to be the best in the family has always dominated my personality. At this point I can’t say for sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes I excelled at something and that gave me enormous satisfaction. Other times I suffered considerable failure and that completely devastated me. However, now that I can look back over my entire life and consciously evaluate everything I’ve done, I can confidently state that I wouldn’t have accomplished most of the things I’ve done in my life if I hadn’t had my brothers. They were the source of my energy and drive that motivated and inspired me to persevere and keep going, even when the situation was bleak and hopeless. My brother and sister are those people I have to thank for almost everything I have achieved throughout my life. I didn’t realize that when I was younger. Now I can clearly see his role in my life.

    Lifestyle Fashion

    17 tips to become a potential boyfriend

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    Are you looking for a girlfriend or do you want to know how to get a girlfriend? To get a girlfriend, it all comes down to your attractiveness and qualities as a potential boyfriend. It may be impossible to become a perfect boyfriend, but it is possible to get closer to the ideal boyfriend that most women are looking for. Here are some tips to help you become a potential boyfriend and have a better chance of succeeding in the dating arena.

    Be trustworthy. Your future girlfriend will trust you with her physical and emotional self and if you are not trustworthy enough to take care of her emotionally and physically, you should not be dreaming of being her boyfriend. To be trustworthy, you have to be loyal and able to get attached to a girl, which means that fidelity is a must if you want to be trusted. Displaying the qualities of being a one-woman man can help you become the potential boyfriend most women are looking for.

    Know what you want and go for it. A man who can’t make decisions because he doesn’t know what he wants is a big turnoff. Indecision is not a good trait for a boyfriend. Knowing what you want and taking action are very attractive traits. For example, if you really want a relationship, you put yourself out there and tell him that you’re interested not only as a friend, but also as a boyfriend. Of course, there is a chance that you will be rejected, but a man who knows what he wants is not afraid to take risks just because he is afraid of losing. Not taking a step forward or taking a chance on something you want will get you nowhere. You will go unnoticed unless you step forward and do something. To be a potential boyfriend, you have to know what you want and you have to do something about it.

    You are not insecure and you know your worth. Not knowing your worth or not caring about yourself can make it difficult for you to find a girlfriend. No one wants to have an insecure boyfriend. You have to love yourself first in order to love others. A man who knows his worth is more confident and this is an admirable trait, especially for the opposite sex. Most women are attracted to confident and confident men.

    Be compassionate and loving. A compassionate and caring person is not selfish. He has a heart that cares about others. Women are caring and compassionate by nature and have a soft spot for men who are kind and concerned about the well-being of not only their family and friends, but the well-being of other people as well. To become a potential boyfriend, you must be caring and compassionate.

    Be honest. No one wants a relationship based on lies, so in order to become a potential boyfriend, you need to be honest from the start. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to impress her. Be yourself and honest from the start and that is a good trait that women look for.

    Be chivalrous. In this modern generation, most men carry themselves too modern that they often lack the “gentlemanly” qualities that men should normally have. Being a boyfriend, even in this new generation, requires you to act like a gentleman, so being more gentlemanly can help you secure a spot to become a potential boyfriend. No matter what generation you are from, being chivalrous melts the hearts of women. Simple chivalrous acts like opening the door for her, pulling a chair, protecting her while she walks the streets, picking her up or walking her home, putting gloves on her hands or jacket on her shoulder when she is cold, etc. it goes a long way. Women may be independent, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be treated like ladies. Those little acts of courtesy can make a woman feel special and make her want you as a boyfriend.

    Be generous. Being generous is not just about giving lavish gifts. If you can afford it, then shower her with gifts, but generosity also means giving your time, love, and affection in abundance. Showing your love can include spending on gifts or dates, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend more than you can afford to show your generosity. It is good for a woman to know that you are willing to spend on her, but she always remembers that what counts are her thoughts.

    You are open to compromise. A relationship won’t work if you don’t know how to find the middle ground and compromise. Showing that you are not closed-minded and that you are open to compromise on issues or things that the two of you cannot see face to face, makes you a potential boyfriend.

    You are willing to open up. Most men are standoffish and most women find it attractive at first, but if you keep putting up walls that seem hard to break down, it could push women away. It may be true that men want their own space but there are times when men should open up too. People, including women, will open up to you more if you’re willing to open up too. To become a potential boyfriend, be more open and let her in.

    You should be trustworthy. A woman should feel safe around you because you are a trustworthy man. You are consistent and always do what you said you would do. If you said you would show up at a specific time, then show up on time. Reliability is one of the traits most women look for in a potential boyfriend.

    You are serious and you don’t just play. Most women are looking for a boyfriend who doesn’t want to play games, so they are looking for someone to support themselves. If you just want women to have fun, don’t look for a girlfriend or a relationship. Most women looking for a boyfriend want a real relationship and if you are serious then you can be a potential boyfriend.

    You are someone who takes their future seriously. Most women don’t want a lucky, easygoing guy, but they do want a boyfriend who takes their future seriously. To become a potential boyfriend, you must have future goals, have a career, and have financial security. He can support himself and, of course, his future partner. If you are looking for a girlfriend, of course you have time to invest in the relationship even though you are focused on your career or else your girlfriend will suffer if you put her last on your list.

    Don’t expect physical intimacy too soon. To become a potential boyfriend, you have to be patient. Don’t expect to have sex on the first or second date, wait until she’s ready or the time is right. A man who is ready for a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship waits patiently and respects a woman’s reserved nature. By waiting patiently, he shows that sex is not his main intention, but that he really wants a relationship and is willing to wait until she is ready.

    Be a good listener. Listen carefully when she is talking and let her know that you are really listening. Remember even the little details about her. Most men often think that women talk a lot and don’t think that everything they say is worth listening to. Let him know that you are different and that you know how to listen. Making eye contact while listening to her can help you make emotional connections with her. Most women want to be heard and they want a boyfriend who knows how to listen.

    Show interest in his passion. Like most men, women also want their man to show an interest in what they do. A man who really wants a relationship with a woman is also interested in everything about her, including her job, hobbies, and her passion. Showing support and interest in things important to her can help you become a potential boyfriend.

    Make friends with his family and friends. Most women consider the opinion of their close family and friends regarding relationships. It is best to make friends with people close to her to have solid support and show that you are serious and sincere with your intentions. Considering the important roles of your family and friends in your relationships can help you become a potential boyfriend.

    Always be positive. Many men met rejection after rejection before finding the one meant for them. Do not be so hard on yourself. Think another rejection brings you one step closer to finding the right one for you. Enjoy the dating experience and you will eventually find the one for you.

    Attracting women is an art that can be learned. To become a woman magnet and learn how to charm women, visit Become a Woman Magnet

    Pets

    Harry Potter to Christians: It’s not good to hear voices

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    That is the popular sentiment and, thank God (if I may use the name G), the politically correct sentiment among most Christians today. You will remember that in the second book of the Potter series, Chamber of Secrets, only Harry Potter heard the voice of the Basilisk. When he confided in the two friends of his, one told him that even in the magical world, hearing voices is not a good thing. Just like art that mimics reality, can’t we say that even in our non-magical world, it’s not good to hear voices? Whether those voices are from God or someone else.

    Most of us would agree that hearing voices in your head, voices that aren’t there, is actually a bad thing. In fact, it used to be a sign of being crazy. But what if the person claims to be hearing the voice of God? How can we know if God is speaking to this man in such a way that we cannot immediately lock him up in the madhouse?

    The obvious answer is that we people who don’t hear voices from Harry Potter have to remember the eleven different ways God speaks to humanity. Some of those forms are observable and objectively verifiable. Others are not observable but can be verified. Examples in the first category are times when God spoke to Moses out loud and all the other Israelites could hear his conversation. Or when God the Father spoke to Jesus during his baptism, and the others gathered listened to that talk. Or when the wayward prophet Balaam had a conversation with his donkey. He makes you wonder who the goofy animal was at the time, doesn’t he?

    Only bold men and women choose to listen to the voice of God today. Many Christians do not listen to God because they do not know what exercises to do that will allow them to hear his voice. While other Christians choose not to listen to God for fear of what their friends will say about them. They are likely to be seen as crazy, religious fanatics, and trying to glorify themselves. Worse still, those Christians will impose their morality on the rest of us because they claim to have listened to God. Right?

    The value of listening to God is that it saves lives. I remember the time God told me to pray for a certain Dee Jay (Strawberry Jan) who used to be on KEZY 1190 AM. He told me that she was in danger and that he should pray for her often. So I did, even though he didn’t know her, and didn’t know anything about her personal or professional life. Six years later, she was almost killed by a drunk driver on the freeway. Finally, some 15 years later, I met Strawberry Jan in person. I’m sure my prayers were central to God’s plan to save her life in that accident, prevent certain injuries, and lessen others over the years.

    If you are brave and want to listen to God, contact me toll-free at (877) 230-0100 or by email at [email protected]

    Real Estate

    Insider Secrets to Investing in Real Estate in Nicaragua

    admin

    Word spreads: “Nicaragua is the new Costa Rica” but with prices 45-55% lower than its neighbor to the south. Nicaragua is truly recovering from its troubled and often misunderstood past, and beginning to transform itself into a sought-after tourism and investment destination. Misconceptions still persist, but in many ways that only increases the opportunity that Nicaragua offers.

    The democratically elected government of Nicaragua is showing great capacity for reform in line with its commitment to a free market economy. The country is booming and tourism is now the number one industry, up more than 19% in 2005, even considering an unprecedented year in 2004. There is a real buzz in the air for this land of opportunity. Whether you’re looking for a vacation or retirement destination, a place to start a business, or a place to invest for the future, Nicaragua is definitely worth considering.

    How much is good real estate information worth?

    Knowledge of the market based on basic facts and trends, rather than hype and hype (in both directions), can make the difference between a good investment and a great one. The objective of this article is to capture the essence of the successful real estate investor in Nicaragua. We have consolidated the experience of hundreds of investors and identified seven successful strategies to successfully invest in real estate in Nicaragua.

    We hope this encourages more investors to take the first step to confidently explore real estate opportunities outside of their home countries. Although imbued with a Nicaraguan flavor for the purposes of this article, many of the principles and steps highlighted in this article will also be valid in other investment destinations and contexts.

    Seven successful strategies to invest in real estate in Nicaragua

    1. Understand the link between tourism and real estate

    Tourism generated nearly $200 million in 2005, according to the Nicaraguan government, more than any other industry in its $5 billion economy. Current projections indicate that by 2007 there will be more than a million visitors to the country. The visitor profile has shown a marked shift from budget tourists to more affluent and sophisticated travellers, with high-end hotels in tourist areas showing consistently high occupancy.

    There is a strong relationship between the leisure and vocational markets and the market for second homes and nursing homes. The areas that attract the most tourism are also generating the highest levels of real estate activity. For certain real estate products, the link between tourism and real estate is particularly direct and immediate. Pelican Eyes…Piedras y Olas, the highest quality hotel in San Juan del Sur, with occupancy levels well above industry standards since its opening, offers investors the possibility of buying a villa or duplex unit and participate in the income generated by the hotel.

    2. Know where you are in an ownership cycle

    Nicaragua has seen considerable price increases in recent years. We have calculated percentage changes in serviced lot prices between 2002 and 2005 for seven well-known real estate developments in the Pacific that have been active during this period (most developments are newer) and are still selling properties. During this period, prices have risen an average of 87%. Unimproved colonial houses in Granada have increased by about 25% per year for the last three years. These price hikes indicate that Nicaragua is already on the map as an investment destination, the positive trend in prices has begun, but we are just seeing the beginnings of a “second wave” of investors: the early retirement and retirement market.

    Speculators still make up a sizeable proportion of investors, but an increasing number of early retirement/retirement and second home buyers are emerging. Much has been made of the baby boomer generation when looking at future buying trends in many markets around the world. Baby boomers began turning 50 in 1996, and 78 million of them began entering their period of highest earnings and highest discretionary dollars. It is said that over the next 20 years, the baby boomer generation will likely constitute the largest potential market in history for real estate products, especially second homes and timeshare/fractional ownership deals.

    The real estate product on offer has also evolved from simple lot sales (sold primarily to speculative buyers) to turnkey products with sophisticated facilities and services for long-term investors and the retirement market. Steady growth in condo builds and sales has been evident for 18 months and is accelerating.

    3. Follow trends, not events

    Most of the foreign investment in the real estate and tourism sectors in Nicaragua is concentrated in the southwestern part of the country. To take the Pacific coast as an example, in conjunction with Calvet & Associates, we have cataloged over 70 developments in the Pacific marketing to foreign buyers between El Tránsito and the Costa Rican border. The southwest of the country also includes the colonial city of Granada, Lake Nicaragua, and the beautiful Laguna de Apoyo crater lake.

    Several investors are looking for areas where there is less activity, for example, waterfront areas further north. Prices may be lower in the northern part of the coast, but for a reason, and it is important that investors take this into account before buying a property. The southwest coast has more dramatic geography, whiter sand beaches, richer biodiversity, better surfing, safer swimming areas, and refreshing lake and ocean breezes, and yes, a more recent investment drive, too. This is not to say that there will not be price appreciation and development in the more northerly beach areas, but a significant price differential is likely to remain in the future.

    4. Build a good network

    Investors often complain about market information overload and building a good network will allow you to triangulate and contextualize the information you receive. It’s no wonder that, given the hype around the real estate market, a lot of stories and hype are being told. Do your due diligence, work with real estate agents who know the market, learn from the pros, and be skeptical of claims that you can trade your property for 100% more” when International Living investors come to town in a few weeks. “.

    A good tip is to buy only what you see. Decide what you think the inherent value of the property you are looking at is. Do not factor in the “new coastal road”, “new airport”, “new Marriott” in the price. Certainly not if you are investing for the short term. Coldwell Banker Nicaragua has a network of attorneys, project managers, master planners and investment analysts who have a long history of advising investors on the acquisition and development of real estate in Central America; these are independent third parties who can provide advice without emotional foundation.

    5. Due diligence in everything

    More specifically, retain competent legal representation and purchase title insurance. Nicaragua has a particularly complex title history and some buyers who have not done enough research on the title history of the purchased property are now embroiled in difficult legal problems. Several real estate developers try to persuade buyers to use their own legal team for property purchases. Our advice is to hire an independent attorney to at least review (if not draft) the purchase contract you are signing and advise you to check the title history of the property.

    Coldwell Banker Nicaragua recommends that investors take out a title insurance policy. Other real estate agents do not recommend title insurance as the due diligence that occurs can slow down the buying process and raise difficult questions. Pursuing title insurance will force your attorney to dig many years back into the history of the property you are purchasing and follow a series of criteria in your report. If you are purchasing parcels of untreated land outside of a development, your due diligence list should be longer and will cover infrastructure issues, environmental issues, and development permits.

    6. Invest with confidence, develop with awareness

    This is the slogan of the Nica Dev campaign run by Donn Wilson, a developer, entrepreneur, and surfer who has made San Juan del Sur his home. Nica Dev recognizes that real estate investors are entering another country and have an obligation to respect the land, the people and the environment. When you arrive in Nicaragua, the impression you get is of a warm nation that welcomes international visitors. For this warm feeling to last in the future, local Nicaraguans must also benefit from the real estate and tourism activity that is developing in the country.

    Las Fincas, a development aligned with the Nica Dev campaign, is designed with sustainable development principles built in. For example, a basic solar power setup is provided for all who purchase, and the project runs a number of active community outreach projects that feature highly effective, yet low-cost, low-tech solutions for cooking and purifying drinking water. Skills and suppliers for low-impact construction with things like rainwater capture, composting and recycling, hard to find 18 months ago, are now available in the country. Coldwell Banker Nicaragua is launching its own campaign to generate funds for the Nica Dev fund, as well as other projects that our clients are involved with here in Nicaragua. We will give our clients the opportunity to contribute to selected projects at closing.

    7. Become an expert in investing in real estate in Nicaragua… before you invest

    Coldwell Banker Nicaragua Real Estate has launched a series of concise buyer information sessions to help investors interested in the real estate market in Nicaragua in their decision making. The reports highlight real estate hotspots, analyze market trends, and establish good-value investment opportunities.

    Shopping Product Reviews

    Sage 100 – Is rebranding really a good strategy for an established accounting software brand?

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    As part of its rebranding strategy, Sage announced in October 2011 that its MAS 90, MAS 200, and MAS 200 SQL product lines will now be called Sage 100. This is a new branding strategy for the company in an effort to align its product brand in North America with its UK-based European division. With a wide range of product lines, the enterprise software giant wants to streamline all of its software solutions under its company name, which is Sage. For the company, this is an excellent strategy, but does it really create a positive impact for its partners and end users?

    Analyzing the rebranding strategy from a marketing point of view

    The brand is one of the most crucial factors in identifying a product. It takes a lot of effort to establish a brand. This includes building a positive reputation for a brand that creates identity for a certain product and separates it from its competitors. Experts believe that a well-established brand should not change easily as it can create a huge impact in the market. In the case of Sage’s leading ERP solutions, namely MAS 90, MAS 200 and MAS 200 SQL, changing their names to a suite of products known as Sage 100, as expressed by many partners, is not a smart move.

    The term MAS stands for Master Accounting Series. This is the top of the line accounting software since the early 1990s, capturing a huge market share in both Europe and America. Over the years, it went beyond its accounting functionality and evolved into enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. That said, the MAS product lines have not only established themselves as a brand for over 20 years, but have also captured a significant share of the ERP market. The brand name has already been sponsored and endorsed by CPAs, bookkeepers, IT and business professionals in many countries. It has also laid a solid foundation in the industry and changing the name could create a bit of confusion. MAS customers will continue to search for and use the term MAS instead of Sage 100 whenever they talk about the product.

    Rebranding Affects Partners’ Search Engine Marketing

    Because ERP software is a very expensive product, software resellers (partners) choose the business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategy to distribute the software to customers, who are mostly small and medium-sized businesses. The sales cycle can sometimes take anywhere from a few months to over a year to close. Because of this, most MAS resellers take advantage of SEO to market the product over the internet. The MAS 90 and MAS 200 brands are already optimized as keywords on many websites and changing them to Sage 100 can hurt your SEO efforts and market visibility on the internet.

    Any SEO professional knows that optimizing keywords to rank high in search engine searches takes a lot of effort. Changing the name to Sage 100 means these software resellers have to start from scratch and optimize for a new keyword. Selling software online through SEO is one of the main strategies of many large resellers and this rebranding strategy can make a big impact.

    The new rebranding strategy

    Sage 100 Standard will now be the new name for MAS 90, Sage 100 Advance will now be the new name for MAS 200, which is a client-server version of MAS90, and Sage 100 Premium will be the new name for MAS 200 SQL. However, the functionality and features of these solutions will not change, except as normal with updates and upgrades.

    It would be like General Motors saying that we no longer want to call it Corvette but the new name will be C-100. Sorry, but people will still be looking for a Corvette, not a C-100, no matter how much you want it. Even when Microsoft acquired Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, and Axapta, they did some rebranding of Microsoft per se, but still kept the name intact because the names were already known to the general public. (ie Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains or Dynamics GP for short).

    Is this rebranding a really good strategy for an established brand? Only Sage Software and resellers can tell. If the company will lose market share and resellers will decrease their income, this shows that it is a bad move. The new Sage 100 product lines will ship beginning in October 2012, and only after that date will answers be found.