Human Trafficking Charges and Penalties

Human trafficking is a gigantic underground industry that affects innocent individuals all over the world. According to the U.S. Department of State, 2007 estimates of the number of people forced into servitude range from 4 million to 27 million. This large difference in estimates suggests that very little is known about the human trafficking industry, and that the stories that reach the public may be just the tip of the iceberg. To combat modern-day slavery, states across the U.S. have outlawed the practice and will heavily prosecute anyone found to be involved.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the holding and transport of individuals against their will to force or coerce them into sexual exploitation or manual labor. Young girls are particularly at risk of becoming a victim of modery-day slavery; based on U.S. Department of Justice statistics, an estimated 50% of all trafficking victims are children and approximately 80% are women and girls. About 70% of all female trafficking victims are forced into the sexual exploitation industry, while 30% are forced into manual labor.

When most people think of human trafficking, images come to mind of someone being forcibly kidnapped and kept under house arrest. In fact, experts believe that many victims of human trafficking are in plain view everyday but are tied down by other means. Traffickers may use threats of violence, loan sharking, or other means to prevent victims from fleeing. Many transnational victims have their passports or other identification confiscated or hidden from them to keep them from leaving.

Charges and Penalties

Any person who is found to be involved with modern-day slavery will face severe criminal penalties. In Florida, for example, it is a second-degree felony to commit human trafficking through the transport, housing, funding, or recruiting of a victim. Individuals who benefit from money that is knowingly tied to trafficking may also be prosecuted. The penalties tied to a conviction include:

Up to 15 years in prison, and

Up to $10,000 in fines, and

Restitution payments to discovered trafficking victims and their families

Any involvement in modern-day slavery is a serious offense, and suspects should expect to face an aggressive prosecution in court. A conviction for a single offense could haunt you for the rest of your life and greatly reduce your freedoms for years.…

10 Ways to Build Security in Your Data Center Warehouse

Your data center warehouse stores passwords and user Ids of several databases & systems. This makes the security of your data center a necessity. Here we will provide you different ways to ensure the security of your warehouse.

A� First thing you need to make sure for proper security of your data center is to build it on right spot. Make sure that it is at least a distance of 20 miles from headquarters and 100 ft from main road. Do not build it near airports, power plants and chemical factories. Do not build it near areas prone to earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.

A� Ensure that your data center possesses at least two sources for all utilities like water, voice, data and electricity. The water lines should be underground.

A� Consider the walls of the data center. Foot thick concrete walls are always a better option and are very effective against damaging elements. Besides this, these walls are quite inexpensive. To add some extra security, you can go for walls that are lined with Kevlar.

A� Don’t forget that it is your warehouse, not an office building. So, you should try to avoid windows or limit windows to administrative area only. You can also use bomb-resistant glass in windows.

A� You can also use landscaping to protect your warehouse. Huge boulders and trees are capable of hiding your data center from cars & other vehicles passing by it. Where landscaping could not secure the building, you can use cash-proof barriers there.

A� You can control access to parking lot using retractable barriers at every entry point of vehicles. Retractable bollards are one the most apt solutions that will allow you to control access to parking area.

A� Arrange security for bomb detection. For places that can be likely targets, you can provide guards with bomb sniffing devices that are portable. They can also use mirrors to find out underneath the vehicles for any sort of explosives.

A� For exits, use doors without handles outside. Whenever these doors are opened, a loud alarm will automatically inform the security command center about some mishap.

A� Use ‘surveillance cameras’ around the perimeter of your data centre building and at every entrance & exit. You can use a combination of cameras as well such as standard fixed camera, low light camera, pan zilt zoom camera and some motion detection devices.

A� Make sure that walls and ceilings do not provide any hidden access points.

These are the ten ways to ensure the security of data warehouse centre.…

Things to Consider When Hiring a Transport Consultant

The usual situation and problem of workers nowadays is moving from one place to another for job-related conditions and/or professional reasons. So, you need to look for a company that offers auto transport services because not everybody own personal cars and cannot buy one that may be used when transferring from one place to another. So, the best solution you can possibly do for this kind of situation. But before you can actually hire a transport consultant that will help you when you move or transfer, you must consider a few things and some pointers to be remembered. You must also have other options so that in case you can retry on another transport consultant.

The very first thing you should consider is if the transport consultant has any idea if the car to be used is registered with DOT or not. Also, in case of emergency and injuries, the transport consultant must acquire of a car service which has valid insurance covers. This must be reasonable, fair and favourable on your part because the value of the car will be nothing compared to you and what can possibly happen to you.

Also, your transport consultant must provide you with a set or list of registered companies offering quality service and facilities for transport. The best thing is if your transport knows which among these companies can give you the most fitted and reliable service for transporting of your things. And, this should be done and guaranteed with the best car they have. Most of the time, movers carry their loads using trailers. But, you can always rent or hire a transport car with the help of your transport consultant. He or she must consider what will be efficient to you, your companions if there are any, and friendly to the budget. The only thing that will only spoil your trip is if your car will be exposed to damages and obstructing elements.

The price will always be an issue here once you choose or acquire of transport services including your transport consultant. Remember, the price will always determine what type of service you will be having. Why? The higher amount you pay the better quality you will get. Whichever will you be having, you should always keep in your mind that it is what you get in the end that matters. And, that is the very first thing that your transport consultant that should be doing. He or she must take into account what you will need and what will satisfy your demands.

So, these are only some of the important and very essential things you need to always keep in mind and remember so that next time that you will need the services offered by a transport consultant, you will have a wide range idea of what you should consider. And, this will serve as your guide as you go on to the next step of your life when you …

Six Theories of Motivation

You might have the best 3PL services to run your contract warehouse. However, your staff might lack the motivation required to perform their duties. Without enough enthusiasm from employers and employees, any business is destined to collapse. Therefore, a proper incentive is needed, no matter what kind of work you do. Whether you run your own business, or you are an employee working under someone else, the most important thing is to have a goal set in your mind. In order to reach that goal, you and your employees need motivation so that everyone can excel in their work. In general, there are six theories of motivation.

1. The first theory is about your acquired needs. People might be motivated to do a task that gives them what they desire. For instance, people might be looking for power, growth, friendship or any other achievement through their particular job.

2. The next theory is called extrinsic motivation. This basically involves people who are looking for external rewards in their tasks. They might not be looking for many acquired needs, but want greater rewards than that, such as praise from their boss, the promise of money, etc. People who have such incentives may also fear punishment.

3. The third kind of enthusiasm comes from intrinsic motivation. This incentive comes from within. A person might be enthusiastic about doing a task that pleases them, or something they are passionate about. These kinds of people enjoy their work and remain satisfied. Motivation therefore is already present inside the person and just requires some positivity to be harvested.

4. The next level of enthusiasm comes through the investment model. People might just be enthusiastic about finishing a task that they started. Since they have already invested time and money in that particular job, and have worked hard to achieve their goals, they have a sense of duty and accomplishment towards it.

5. An enthusiastic person might also be determined because of the endowed progress effect. This is when a person is already progressing at a productive rate. It often increases motivation within them, enough to proceed further with the task. In fact, it never hurts to have healthy competition revolving around the workplace because it eventually makes the organization increasingly enthusiastic about its goals.

6. The last theory is related to psychology. A positive psychological effect might be very helpful towards inspiring someone. A person might be interested in doing a particular task because it gives a feeling of being themselves, and proving their capabilities to others. Since the ultimate goal is set in their minds, they will have an easier and more motivated journey towards reaching their goals.

This is not all. There might be many more theories which might also be very complex. Whatever they are, one cannot deny that without enough motivation, one cannot succeed in any business. To set firm in any kind of work you plan to do, you need to first decide your level of …

How to Save Thousands of Dollars Through Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is an effective technique for gathering information or even small amounts of work from the general population, typically for free. This can be anything from voting on the best website design to translating books and articles, to designing the next big “thing”. Almost anyone using the web has been involved in crowdsourcing one time or another. Among CAPTCHAs – those aggravating little boxes which force you to try to pick words out of ink-spills – a popular brand is reCAPTCHA. Every time a reCAPTCHA is solved correctly, it helps convert one word from an old book or newspaper into digital text. For more information, visit the Google reCAPTCHA website

One specific task, say re-typing books, is a cumbersome process. For one person, this may take a few full work days. Also, most would want to be paid; Fairly. So in two days, one could have a digitized copy of War & Peace, and be missing a few thousand dollars if they paid someone to do this. However, if a million different people each type one word, one could have a digital copy of War & Peace, The Grapes of Wrath, and East of Eden. For free. The task of typing one word would be so menial that it would not even be considered work.

Effective crowdsourcing techniques are based around breaking a task or goal into the smallest unit of work possible. This is not often enough to survive on, however. The task for each person must either

A) Have a clear goal that excites the user

B) Benefit the user in some way

C) Create a useful product in which the crowdsourcing task is a byproduct (Google’s reCAPTCHA)

D) Be so effortless that it could be completed during that involuntary-browsing phase most web users reach late at night.

With enough of a crowdsourcing effect, any company can reduce the amount of employees they need, or man hours they need, saving them thousands or even hundreds of thousands. Take wikipedia for example. They have a relatively small article writing staff for how many articles they have. Wikipedia mostly falls under point (A). The ultimate goal is providing real, true information.

Google’s reCAPTCHA service, as mentioned before, falls under point (C). It’s one of the most used, off-the-shelf CAPTCHA products. Whether it did or didn’t digitize books, you would still be typing words to it, so digitizing books is a byproduct.

A lot of business directories, or yellowpages, type websites fall under point (B). Users are able to sign up, write reviews for companies, and then receive some kind of reward. Anything from some sort of point system, or score system, or even a monetary system. This saves the business directory company from having to purchase products or services from every business and later discuss them.…

Finding the Right Fulfillment Solutions Provider

Choosing the right fulfillment solutions provider for your business is a decision not to be taken lightly. The company that you decide upon should, hopefully, be an improvement over your own ability to provide high quality services in a reliable and efficient manner while also maintaining your bottom line. Finding a business partner that meets or beats all of these requirements is not an easy thing to do. Nor should it be. Good help is hard to find, but it shouldn’t keep you from making a profit. Finding the right fulfillment center with a sound distribution network, at an affordable price, will no doubt ensure that your company has a unique competitive advantage over the other guys in your industry.

So how do you find the right fulfillment company for you? Before answering this, it is imperative that you have a sound understanding of your company’s own talents and deficiencies from a logistical standpoint. When you know what your organization is not, then the answer to what you are looking for from a potential partner in fulfillment distribution should suddenly become clear. This new business associate must be able to satisfy not only your needs, but more importantly, they have to be willing and able to step in and provide these services to your customers with the same passion for quality that your company has worked hard to become known for.

Your business partners and customers have come to expect efficient quality at an affordable price. Ensuring this trust is not betrayed is the best way to keep your clientele loyal and happy. In order to make certain these valued relationships are not compromised, please remember that you need to do your homework first. There are plenty of “decent” fulfillment houses out there to find. Finding a “great” fit for your company can be done if you are simply willing to put in the necessary time and effort.…

Finding a Great Warehouse to Meet Long Term Business Storage and Fulfillment Needs

When looking to find warehouse space for your business, there are many considerations. The important thing is to lay those down on paper – and measure potential warehousing partners against your exact current needs, and how it can meet potential future needs. Not all warehouses are created equal. Sure, you may just want a cheap place to hold some buyer beware. Here we outline key considerations that should be on your list when evaluating potential warehousing partners.

Questions to Consider When “Interviewing” Potential 3rd Party Warehousing Companies

1. Can the warehouse meet your growth needs and grow with you?

2. Is there a variable inventory storage cost structure that will allow you to save during seasonal downturns when you need less space? And additional space during peak season, “on demand”, when business is up?

3. Will they add you as an additionally insured on their insurance policy and provide you a certificate of insurance?

4. Is the warehouse clean and tidy? Suitable for your product?

5. Is adequate security in place?

6. Do they have rodent and pest control measures in place?

7. Do they meet required standards for building safety and maintenance (look around, are fire extinguishers in place and is inventory well stacked on appropriate racks).

8. Do they provide fulfillment services?

9. How is fulfillment services billed – what is the cost structure?

10. Are they connected to transportation carriers that can cost effectively deliver your freight to customers or other centers>

11. Do they have attractive courier account rates which you can leverage – can they pass on their discount to you to help you realize savings to offset warehousing costs.

12. What is the total cost to you?

With the last point on warehousing services cost, be careful to make an apples-to-apples comparison. Based on the services/benefits you need (the questions above of which will help); formulate what each prospective warehousing partner can offer, the ones you will need now or in future, and then come up with a projected budgeted cost.

Switching from One Warehouse to Another – Measure Costs Carefully Now

Consider warehouse switching costs now. If you go with a lower cost warehousing service provider because some advanced services you might require in future, not now, then compare short term savings to the costs of switching – moving all your warehoused inventory to a new warehouse location. Consider also soft-costs. A key facet of employing a 3pl warehousing partner is that they’re closely integrating into your operations and will become a key partner and hopefully, problem solver.

Having to re-establish a strong relationship with a new partner requires “starting over” in many respects. You have to re-explain everything you need as you’re leaving a warehouse and the people there that know you and your business well. There’s cost there. Also, beware 3PL ‘s that are larger and where your only interaction is with a salesperson. Often, promises come easy …

Using Conveyor Systems

Conveyor systems are primarily built to move products from one area to another in a warehouse or production facility. Making an efficient and consistent way to transport many products whether heavy or light, to different areas of the facility.

A conveyor system is built up out of parts which fit together to build the whole system. The parts can be:

Gravity roller conveyor – meaning that the conveyor is not powered and the items travel along by being pushed or through gravity such as an incline.

Gravity skatewheel conveyor – skatewheel conveyor are another form of gravity, the skatewheels are attached to the conveyor and the wheels on the top where the product can be moved across.

Belt conveyor – products are moved along a belt which is moving.

Wire mesh conveyors

Plastic belt conveyors

Bucket conveyors

Spiral conveyors – a sprial conveyor takes the products up or down to a different level in a small space.

Vibrating conveyors

Pneumatic conveyors

Belt driven live roller conveyors

Lineshaft roller conveyor

Conveyors are often used in many industries such as:

Distribution

White Goods

Logistics

Manufacturing

Printing

Engineering

Automotive

The advantages of using a conveyor system are:

It is more efficient than manual moving – A conveyor system offers more efficient ways of moving products around a production or warehouse facility. This means that more throughput is possible than using a manual moving system.

Better tracking – Using a conveyor system enables items to be properly tracked and processed with a management system. This means that items are traceable and can be followed allowing for quality control.

Increase productivity – Using a system means that the process can be refined and improved to make a more efficient process. This leads to greater productivity that can be reproduced day after day.

Things to think about when looking for a conveyor system.

When looking for a conveyor system it is important to get the right advice at the start of the process. This saves time and money later on if the design and system development is given planning time at the beginning.Getting a company that have worked with systems that suit the purpose that you are looking to automate mean that the learnt experience can be passed on and make the process run you need to automate? It’s worth asking the question if you need to automate your processes and what benefits that will have.

Way’s to optimise the system.

Through good planning and knowing the goals at the start of the project helps make optimising the process better. It’s always better to know what is possible and get the right advice from the system at the start of the planning. Then optimising becomes part of the planning…

What Is Your Real Labor Cost?

What do your employees really cost you? More than likely, it’s more than you think. What makes it even worse is that your employees probably don’t know what they really cost you either. And yet, he is one of your most important resources. Not only do we need to know his true cost, but we also need to learn how to best develop him so he can produce more for you and earn more for himself. It’s the holy grail of managing people, but in this chapter, we will focus on determining the true hourly cost of our direct labor-employees on the job site.

Most contractors have it in mind that the hourly wage is the cost of one hour of labor, and as there is variation within the group pay scale, a ball park labor rate is the average of all direct hourly wage rate. Not so.

Burdening the hourly wage

In reality, to put an employee out in the field and producing revenue for the company has many other costs associated with that effort. We call those additional costs directly associated with the direct labor cost as “Labor Burden”. Most contractors carry these costs in G&A because many of these costs such as insurances are paid on a regular basis regardless of the ongoing jobs in the field. But it a simple truth is that if you didn’t need the employees you wouldn’t need the additional costs. So, many construction companies prefer to use the burdened labor rate in their direct cost of labor rather than carry it in overhead (G&A).

The following is a list of typical labor burden costs.

• Company portion of Social Security

• Workers compensation

• Company portion of private insurances

• Company pension fund matching

• Vacation pay

• Paid sick leave pay

• Training costs

• Paid breaks

• Uniform service

• Company provided tools

Indeed, it is not uncommon that a burdened labor rate can be as much as 30% higher than a straight hourly contract wage. For this reason, the additional costs of burdened labor have been forcing many construction owners to not hire company employees; rather it is cheaper to contract the work out at a straight hourly wage. However, a vast majority of contract labor is not covered by required insurance and can cause some major liability if injured on the job. In addition, contract labor may not have the skills a trained employee would have and as a result poor workmanship can affect the contracting company in many ways; after all the customer is their client and not the contract employees’.

There is little doubt, in most construction jobs, using contract labor can be less effective than using well trained company employees; it has to do with building a competent workforce with training and a sense of company identification. But, if competitors use cheaper contract labor, it can really force the issue. Besides, most illegal aliens use this form of …

Avoiding False Alarms Associated With Braxton Hicks Contractions

Many first time moms and first time dads will rush to the emergency room at the first moment that the mother has a contraction. This is not always necessary. If you take Lamaze Class, they should teach you about how to know when it is time to go to the hospital. It is a little known fact that the mother can spend most of the labor process at home. It is actually recommended that women stay at home as long as medically possible. This allows the mother to calm down and be more relax, rather than spending 24 to 48 hours in a hospital bed. This article is not about figuring out when your wife or girlfriend is in labor. Rather I would like to talk about signs that she is not in labor.

Although contractions are a good indicator that the labor process is beginning, it can also be a misleading indicator. The mother will actually have contractions all throughout the pregnancy starting about six weeks into the pregnancy. These contractions start off extremely mild. So mind in fact, that the mother may never feel them. These contractions are called Braxton Hicks contractions. Towards the end of the pregnancy the mother will start to actually feel these contractions. Sometimes these contractions can cause false alarms and needless trips to the birthing center. These contractions, also known as false labor, will behave differently than real labor contractions. Unlike true labor contractions, false labor contractions will not grow in intensity and the frequency will not increase over time. False labor contractions will eventually subside.

One way to ensure that you know if your wife or girlfriend is having labor contractions or Braxton Hicks contractions is by timing them. Time the duration or the contractions and the time between the contractions. Surprisingly there is an app for that. You can download an app for Droid or IPhone, which will help you keep track of the duration and frequency of her contractions. Note whether the average time between the contractions is increasing. Unless otherwise directed by her physician, the rule of thumb is to call get ready to go to the hospital If the contractions last for 60 seconds, are less than five minutes apart, and these averages go on for more than an hour. At this time you should contact the doctors for further guidance.

If the contractions are being felt before 37 weeks, it is important that you pay close attention to the severity and consistency of the contractions. If the contractions become more rhythmic, frequent or painful these may be signs of preterm labor. She might start having menstrual like pains, vaginal bleeding or spotting, or have any change in the level or color of the vaginal discharge. She might feel pressure in the cervix and back pain unlike what she felt before. These are all signs of preterm labor and you should contact her doctor immediately. I do not provide this …

What to Do If You Think You Are Going Into Labor

There is a lot to do when you are preparing for your new baby. Finding just the right crib, getting baby clothes and other items together are a lot of fun, but it isn’t the only thing you will need to do. You’ll need to put together a plan so that everyone is aware of what to do when that day finally comes.

Calls to Make

You’ll need to call your labor coach or coaches, so they can meet you at the hospital or birthing center. You’ll also need to call your doctor, so that he or she is aware that delivery is near. If there are other friends and relatives you wish to call, do so before leaving home, as cell phones are usually not allowed in hospital facilities. They could interfere with some of the equipment.

Grab the Suitcase

It’s a good idea to have a suitcase packed and near the front door when you approach your due date. Babies come on their own schedule, and you may be asleep when it begins. In that suitcase, you’ll want supplies for both you and baby. I also recommend you have something to do, such as a book or crossword puzzles. You won’t need them during labor, but if you have to stay in the hospital for any length of time, it will come in handy.

Prepare yourself

Labor is going to last quite a while, and there are a few things you might want to consider prior to leaving. If you have long hair, braid it tightly, preferably in two braids. It could get very messed up otherwise. You may want to avoid using the restroom before going to the hospital. The urge could be caused by more than the need to have a bowel movement.

Remember your Classes

Hopefully, you and your coach have attended childbirth classes. These classes not only explain what is going to happen, they will also give you some things to do to make the process easier. The class you choose should have at least a few breathing exercises. These are important for both you and baby, as many of us tense up and hold our breath when we’re in pain. Keeping plenty of oxygen in your body could help you avoid a C-section.

Labor and delivery are difficult, but advance preparations and a list of what to do prior to it can make it a bit easier. Ask your doctor if he or she has any other advice for you, as each situation is unique.…

Know the Signs When Your Dog is in Labor

Dog pregnancy is very difficult to figure out. Since dog’s cannot speak to us, the only way we know how dogs are feeling is by their reaction and behavior towards the ones they love – you. Only YOU know your dog more than anyone else, so you can determine what is different about your furry family member.

Your dog will get sick and begin to vomit just before labor. As your dog gets to her “nesting” place, she’ll walk in circles to get settled. Once your dog has nestled into the place she will give birth, you’ll notice clear discharge come from the vaginal area. After about an hour of this, the discharge starts to look greenish and your dog’s puppies will begin to come. Remember, during this process keep speaking comforting words to your dog. Especially if you are close with our dog, she will feel very calm to hear her name in a soft tone.

As the puppies begin to come, they may come all at once or they make take 20-30 each. You may need to help out if your dog is busy birthing one, to take care of the ones already birthed. All you’ll need is a washcloth, it should be big enough to cover the puppy, but small enough so it won’t get in the way.

Once a puppy is birthed, gently wipe away the placenta by wiping against the grain of the puppies hair. This will encourage the puppy to begin breathing. Also, you may need to cut the umbilical cord. Tie a knot of string just above the puppy and another knot just above that knot. Take sterile scissors and cut the space between the two knots.

Once your dog has birthed the entire litter, she will be exhausted. Make sure you help your dog with using the bathroom. During pregnancy, your dog may have to use the bathroom, so take special care that your dog doesn’t urinate and birth puppies at the same time.

The birthing process can be an amazing experience, and runs smoothly usually. Keep your local vet hospital or your personal veterinarian’s number handy in case something goes wrong. Remember, let your dog have some alone time with her new pups at the end.…

Essential Warehouse Supplies for Janitors

Having a mop and a broom on hand for cleaning up is not the most efficient way to handle the important job of janitorial work. Janitorial products are inexpensive warehouse supplies, but can greatly increase the janitor’s ability to work safely and efficiently.

Instead of storing mops, brooms, cleaning solutions and other essential cleaning supplies in a haphazard manner, consider buying a janitorial supplies cabinet. These cabinets are divided into two segments. One is for taller items like brooms and mobs. The other segment is divided into shelves for storing cleaning products and includes a separate base for a bucket. Made from 24 gauge steel, the shelves can each hold up to 85 lbs in weight.

With big 8″ rear wheels and swiveling 4″ front casters, a janitor can easily take all of his essential supplies with him as he works with a janitor cart. Among all the warehouse supplies for cleaning, these carts are some of the best, saving time and increasing work efficiency. The cart holds a large capacity plastic bucket on one side and has a 23 gallon capacity plastic bag holder on the other side.

Mopping up floors can be tiring work. A good, ergonomically designed mopping system makes quick work of mopping. The large capacity bucket, clearly marked in quarts and liters, makes mixing solutions easy. The large casters make it easy to move the system as you work. The handle gives increased torque and makes wringing out the mops easy, eliminating the wrist and arm strain.

Where there are hazardous spills, you need to be able to set up clearly visible barriers quickly. With up to 16 articulating panels on wheels, light weight, bright yellow folding barriers can be erected in seconds and stored away compactly when not in use. Other safety floor stands and barriers include warning labels and can be used when needed for traffic control.

Wet-dry vacuum cleaners are essential warehouse supplies in industrial settings. These come in a variety of price ranges, ranging from light to medium duty models for well under two hundred dollars to heavy duty machines that can cost up to five hundred dollars or more.

One man cannot efficiently sweep up a large warehouse floor manually with just a broom. However, one man who has a broom forklift attachment can easily get the job done. These heavy duty brooms can clean up both liquids and solids and will even easily sweep up gravel and other heavy debris. These warehouse supplies are ideal for use both inside and outside of the warehouse.

These are just a few examples of janitorial supplies you can buy that will greatly improve efficiency and safety in the workplace. A good warehouse supplies company will have everything from replacement mops to storage sheds to supply you with all your janitorial needs.…

Labor and Birth: Hospital or Birth Center?

What is a birth center?

Before you even start looking into a birth center you are going to have to meet the requirements of having a low risk, healthy pregnancy.

OK you have passed that test; you are low risk and ready to check this out. So what is a birth center? This is a place where you can enjoy a mellow, low tech, comfortable and safe labor. They are usually an independent facility, not at all like a mini-hospital, but more like being in a nice hotel or bed and breakfast.

Many couples who choose this option still wonder about what, if something, were to go wrong. Don’t worry! Emergencies don’t just happen. They develop. And there is usually plenty of time to transfer to a medical facility, if needed. In pretty much all birth centers you will be taken care of by a midwife, and have a backup hospital close by. Birth centers are equipped with IV’s, oxygen, medication and infant resuscitation, and trained and licensed medical practitioners who know exactly what they are doing.

Some of these birth centers are known as freestanding. This means you will be going to them routinely throughout your pregnancy, and having all your appointments at the same place you will be laboring and birthing. For all you nervous mommies, this gives you time to acclimate.

Hospitals

Most labors and births take place in a hospital, especially if you have an obstetrician. In most cases you will deliver at the place where your care provider works or “has privileges”. So keep this in mind before choosing your provider.

Hospitals are good places to deliver for those who have high-risk pregnancies, have had previous birth complications, are planning on doing a VBAC or need a cesarean section. In these situations it is important to have the knowledge and back up from the hospital staff. Many times you will have on-staff pediatricians, anesthesiologist, and newborn medical technology.

Hospitals have come a very long way in the last century. They are no longer that cold, sterile, scary place no one wants to go during labor. Many hospitals, especially those with birth centers have very accommodating rooms. These rooms can include, jetted tubs, dim lights, private bathrooms and sometimes the option of a birthing tub. You may be able to labor, deliver, and recover all in the comfort of one room.

One thing to keep in mind is that all hospital policies can vary, so make sure you know what your priorities are for your labor. Many policies differ between routine IV’s, fetal monitoring, birthing positions, time limits, and cesarean policies.

Which one should I choose?

Birth Center Benefits include having more control and involvement during your labor, your pick of invitees, no pressure in getting an epidural, a network of services, lower costs, breastfeeding help, and a speedier check out.

Hospital Benefits include the backup of immediate medical intervention if needed, benefits to the high risk mothers or …

What Is a Time and Attendance System?

Time and attendance systems are the computerized equivalent of the paper time sheet and can automate day-to-day employee tasks such as scheduling employees, tracking work hours, managing project costing and calculating accrued benefit entitlements through simple to sophisticated software. They commonly replace a spreadsheet scheduling system.

These systems can reduce the administrative hassles of managing paper time slips and can greatly reduce the mistakes. They are mostly needed in bigger companies with staff whose work schedules are constantly changing. They can also cut down on the biggest crime: buddy punching.

These systems also provide time tracking and schedule management capabilities including setting the break times, lunches, time off and overtime. The systems will also track late punches and show any patterns of absenteeism. Most systems also include auditing and reporting tools as well as give managers direct access to their employee data.

Companies with employees who are mostly salaried probably don’t need this type of system. Companies with mostly hourly or part-time employees probably do as so companies with a mix of salaried and hourly staff.

The need for a time and attendance system often begins when a company hits about 25 employees. Companies with more than 1,000 employees often turn go larger, more powerful systems that can create complex schedules, incorporate more advanced labor planning and can even include employees’ desired work schedules.

Time and labor management systems that are designed for larger companies feature more sophisticated functionality such as recording an employee’s daily work by project, job and/or location and sophisticated job costing and job planning capabilities. They also have more robust reporting tools. Job costing like this is invaluable to companies that need to monitor their workforce productivity or forecast their workforce needs.

Employees use identification cards or a computer to punch in and out each day. Some use proximity cards which only need to be waved near a time clock reader. Magnetic stripe cards are also often used. For security purposes and to avoid buddy punching some companies use biometric input devices that check handprints or fingerprints to ensure that the correct employee is doing the punching in and out.

A growing number of companies are letting their employees enter their own information directly into the time and attendance system. They allow them to enter their vacation time, sick time and their flex-time hours.

How do you find a good Time and Attendance System? You can surf the internet or you can go directly to and use the Time Attendance Software Selection Tool. The Selection Tool will ask you a series of questions and then show you the products best suited to your requirements.…

Industrial Shelving – A Solution For Heavy Industrial Businesses

Do you have a large amount of inventory? Tired of having to deal with all sorts of problems? Industrial shelving can help you manage your inventory, keep portions of your order on the shelves as well as ensure that you are ready to go with whatever you might need at the moment. Shelving made for industrial uses can stand up to the tests of time. Best of all, it is made out of sturdy materials to ensure that you will never encounter a problem.

Industrial shelving also does not have to be expensive. There are many companies which sell second hand industrial shelving as well as low priced new shelves. This makes the cost to the company that buys it much lower. Best of all, you do not have to worry about paying for the shelving right away as many of these companies will allow you to buy on credit. You simply pay them within thirty to sixty days and you will continue to enjoy your shelving. This allows the business to focus on extending their business and increase their sales while still having the materials necessary to do so.

Shelving is a portion of the business that few think about. You need shelving regardless of what you sell. Services are one of the few businesses that do not require that the business have shelving in all situations. Some service based businesses do require that you have industrial shelving due to the toxic materials that they use. Industrial shelving is also useful for individuals who operate a business out of their home. For example, someone who often works with automobiles or other types of vehicles needs to store their equipment and supplies. Many of these supplies are toxic to the environment so it is wise to use industrial shelving.

Shelving for industrial uses is not available everywhere. However, there are a number of different companies that sell it. Best of all, you do not have to be an expert to purchase it. Industrial use shelving is the perfect solution for almost every heavy use situation.…

One of the most difficult things about moving to a new city can be leaving all your usual services behind. You’re used to a particular hairdresser, plumber and mechanic, and it is tough to make the switch. There are ways, though, that you can smooth out the process and find good services in your new city. Read on to learn how.

Do Your Research

First, do your research. Start online, searching for whatever service you need. You might be looking for car repair Edmonds WA. In that case, check out several possibilities. Read about their services and qualifications. Make note of customer reviews. Check out Better Business Bureau ratings. One or two possibilities will probably come out on top.

Ask for Recommendations

You can also ask for recommendations. As you get to know people in your new city, ask them who they go to for their services. You new neighbors, for example, might be able to recommend a good electrician, plumber or handyman. Someone at work could point you in the direction of a talented hairdresser.

Try Them Out

When you’ve done your research, gotten some recommendations or both, then pick a couple good candidates, and give them a try. You never really know how well a service will work for you until you use it once or twice. If your dishwasher is acting up and your neighbor advises you to call a particular appliance repair shop, then do so. It’s worth a shot.

Make a Switch

Finally, remember that if you aren’t satisfied with a service for whatever reason, you can always make a switch. You are not obligated to stay with the first place you choose. In fact, you can try out a number of different shops for each service until you find one that is a good fit for your needs and your budget.

Finding new services in a new city isn’t easy, but if you persevere, you’ll have new favorites very soon.…

Contract Warehouses – What You Need to Know

In any business, maintaining accurate and precise control of inventory and its associated costs is critical to staying lean in these uncertain times. Storing and maintaining inventory can be a very expensive and labor-intensive process that will quickly consume your operating budget, if not streamlined for maximum cost efficiency. Most businesses are not ‘in the business’ of managing inventory, they are in the business of selling goods. For this reason, many companies choose to outsource their inventory management and product fulfillment operations to contract warehouses. These businesses exist solely to oversee the safe storing and shipping of products, allowing business owners to focus on the core competencies of their business.

In the past, many companies chose to handle receiving goods from manufacturers, investing in land and warehouse space, and paying and training a labor force to ship goods and respond to customer complaints. As one can imagine, this cost is exorbitant and unrealistic for young businesses in today’s marketplace. As a result, some investors saw a need for a low-cost solution for businesses who needed to move and store products, and decided to absorb the cost of industrial real estate and a skilled workforce. With an optimally efficient operation, these business can provide a low-cost service to their clients while still making a profit by defraying their costs across multiple clients.

These warehouses and the exceedingly competent fulfillment professionals staffing them consolidate multiple companies’ cost of maintaining a warehouse and shipping operation, allowing each to reduce their inventory and fulfillment costs dramatically. The logistics professionals who run these warehouses are often highly-trained and industry-certified in their roles. You can rest assured that they will accurately fulfill every order so that it arrives at its final destination safely and on time. Additionally, since their entire business is moving inventory, a third party fulfillment center can offer a much more efficient operation than any business could ever hope to achieve in-house.

A warehouse solution means you never have to worry about receiving, shipping, or managing the physical movement of goods ever again. The warehouse can receive inventory directly from your manufacturer, and store it according to any particular product specifications. For instance, if you order produce or anything else that must remain cold, warehouses have a refrigerated storage solution to protect your goods from spoil. Many warehouses also offer distribution services including accurate packing and shipping, and timely delivery of orders. Today, many warehouses even have a customer service department on their payroll to handle any concerns your customers may have with the product or delivery.

Effectively, a warehouse allows you to completely outsource the central operations of your business. This frees you up to focus on growing your business. By focusing on what you do best, and allowing a fulfillment warehouse to perform according to its core strength, you can make your business leaner, reducing costs and growing profits exponentially. In fact, many entrepreneurs are effectively outsourcing both the operations and marketing of …

Data Warehouse Development – Get Knowledge From Your Data

Business Model Development

The first step in data warehouse development is to define the enterprise business model by gathering and listing all real life business activities and drawing up a case model. An enterprise business model to be effective must be consistent, where business requirements should be identified through a complex and systematic approach.

Some models are based on functions closer to an organizational structure which is liable to change with emerging business trends. They also demonstrate how business workers and other concerned entities work together to achieve business processes. The essence in an enterprise business model though is a consistent framework.

Data Model and Architecture Development

When a model is in place the next step is to create a system data model – an abstract data model which describes how data is used and represents business events, entities, transactions and sundry real life activities that are defined by the enterprise business model.

The third step will be to define the data warehouse architecture which is a framework detailing how the elements and services of the warehouse mesh together and how to direct the data warehouse’s growth over time. This is analogous to a set of building documents, blueprints, plans and specifications prepared prior to construction.

Datawarehouse Development

The final step in data warehouse development when the foregoing steps are set, documented and planned is to establish a physical database. A data warehouse requires a physical data base system where computer hardware is one of the prime considerations. The computer’s processing power should be able to cope with the intensive processing that will arise.

Storage devices must be able to hold large volumes of data which are updated frequently. Networking support, one essential feature, must be fast and efficient. Other considerations are the selection of the right software applications. The market is replete with relational database software applications. Some of the well-know names in the field are Microsoft SQL, Informix, PostgresSQL, Sybase and MySQL.

Education, Training, Documentation

Successful implementation requires educating users and systems staff members into the complex technologies involved. The data warehouse development training process will need several layers of training to ensure that the model is productive and generates the necessary data in a productive and meaningful manner.…

Compensation – What’s It All About?

Compensation is the other side of wages or salary. Simply put, wages or salary is due to an employee and the compensation is offered by the employer. When we talk of wages, many factors come into play. These include their performance, skills, years of experience, etc. Their pay is usually decided keeping in mind factors such as market value, unions, or the social norm that is prevalent at a given period.

Compensation is also known as cost to company. This perhaps defines the basic tenet in running a company. There can be no company without its work force and the work force in turn cannot exist without compensation from the company.

The employer determines the pay for the employee. For an employer, this consists of more than the money. It includes benefits, tangible and intangible rewards, etc. The employee may be receiving more than just a certain sum of money in his pay check. The extras are covered by the employer. Compensating employees usually is the major portion of a company’s expenditure. Considering the fact that they spend a large sum of money towards their employees, the employer also considers it an approach to hiring and retaining their employees as well as generating good will and receiving loyalty in return.

To sum it up, compensation is related to the contract between an employee and his or her employer. This compensation is critical to the employees as well as the Company and extends to the general economy. Thus, it becomes more than just a basic reason for working. No one wishes to expend energy for no return. Similarly, a worker is not likely to offer his services for nothing. After all, we work in order to provide for our needs and this includes our family’s needs. For that little bit more than the money, we also seek recognition and status because it gives us a greater sense of accomplishment.

There is a variety of concepts that can be used to understand compensation towards a work force. These are economic, psychological, sociological, political, equity based and communications. Each of these concepts is brought into play while setting basic standards of compensation and as such, also defines the relationship between an employer and employee holistically. One cannot establish wage parameters without understanding the above mentioned concepts as the human workforce does not work in isolation. After all, labor or the human resources that a company depends on works in conjunction with the others in order to help the company grow.…

Cosmetologist: A Career in Beauty

Cosmetology is an exciting and rewarding career that focuses on beauty in terms of skin care, nail care and beauty and hair care and style. A career in cosmetology could land you in a field you will love from becoming a professional hairstylist in an upscale (and high-paying) salon to starting a job as an aesthetician in your very own nail shop. Learn more about how to get started in a job that lets your creativity shine through.

Cosmetologist Career: Education

If you wish to become a cosmetologist, you will need to be at least 16 years in age and attend a state-licensed cosmetology school or barber school. Some states require students to earn a high school degree or GED before they can enroll in a cosmetology school or program. Cosmetology training programs typically, last about nine months and often, results in an associate’s degree. Those who wish to become nail technicians will have a shorter program the term length differs by state. Some states require nail technicians/manicurists to complete 500 hours of coursework, while others require only 400 hours, and some states might accept hours working as an intern, as credit towards your schooling hours.

Cosmetologist Career: Licensing

Additionally, any cosmetologist workers including hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists (excluding shampooers) are required to be licensed, in order to practice anywhere in the United States. After completing a state-approved cosmetology program, individuals are typically, required to take a state-administered exam, in order to receive their license. In most states, skin care specialists, manicurists and pedicurists, generally have a separate licensing exam.

Cosmetologist Career: Earnings

One of the most exciting opportunities for cosmetologists, hairstylists and aestheticians is that their earnings increase substantially as they become more experienced and start building their clientele. The list of cosmetology career options doesn’t end in working as a hair or nail stylist or aesthetician licensed cosmetologist can advance their career to manage or open their own salons, to become image consultants or sales reps or to teach in cosmetology/barber schools. According to (2009), cosmetologists earn an average annual income of $11.21/hour, which figures up to about $23,330 a year. However, the earnings vary considerably by job title.

Cosmetologist Career: Occupation Outlook & Expectations

According to the BLS (The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), the projected employment for Personal Appearance Workers (e.g. – cosmetologists, barbers, nail care and skin care technicians). However, this employment growth is estimated to vary according to specialty. To better explain this, here is an example: The increase in jobs for skin care specialist is expected to be much faster throughout the next seven years (2018), than the projected job growth for other cosmetology occupations that require either an associate’s degree or post-secondary training.

A career as a hairstylist, manicurist, color specialist, aesthetician, Botox specialist or whatever dreams you have in the world of personal beauty and style can be very promising throughout the United States, as predicted by The Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Jump start your …

Fundamentals of Warehousing

Warehousing is one of the most important logistical aspects that new businesses fail to take into account while formulating their business plans. Need for warehouse plays a major role in the budgetary considerations of any new venture, as it calls for creating infrastructure in the form of storage buildings, means of transportation, and associated maintenance costs and manpower. In fact, this work is different form core business aspects and requires certain level of expertise and knowledge. The following are certain basic fundamentals and facts pertaining to this warehousing concept.

1. Warehousing is important for companies and firms that deal in manufactured goods and products. Furthermore, this can also have significance for companies providing services with respect to various equipment. However, this is only relevant when the company or firm does not have its own facilities.

2. Storage and transportation services can be acquired from outside agencies that specialize in these kinds of services or already have extensively established infrastructure in terms of transport and storage. Usually, companies prefer to blend the two concepts of renting storage space and having their own. More specifically speaking, companies have their own warehousing facilities near their base of operations and hire storage space when it is needed at some remote locations.

3. Warehousing is especially important for companies that are involved in export and import businesses. Material imported can be stored in the storage facilities located near the ports. This is particularly beneficial because until the goods are taken out of the storage facility, no duties are required to be paid. Furthermore, in case the goods are exported from the same location, no duties are also required to be paid.

4. The majority of storage facilities can be around ports, airports, industrial townships, and industrial sectors of major cities. These are the prime locations for companies and storage facilities. The location is advantageous from the point of view that spurious transportation costs can be reduced through the storage facilities. These locations are also ideal for storage facility owners because of the easy availability of clients.

5. The cost of hiring these storage facilities for the warehousing purpose varies depending on the services that are needed. Storage facilities range from fully manual to semiautomatic and to even fully automated, where even the cranes and forklifts are controlled by computerized software. The level of material security increases with rise in the level of automation in the warehouse. It has a direct bearing on the rent of storage units. In addition to this, storing perishable items requires climate control, such as cold storage, and hence costs more.

6. The process of keeping track of materials stored in the storage facility is known as Warehouse Management System (WMS). WMS calls for specialized skill and requires expertise in handling logistic aspects and computer software. Furthermore, big industrial storage facilities are also equipped with loading and unloading docks for trucks and transport vehicles to carry goods from or into warehouses. Also, some of these types of storage …

Understanding Child Labor

In America, Child labor is strictly prohibited which means children under the age of 18 years cannot be employed. While this holds good for organizations not to employee children, there are several children who deliver newspaper every day, who sell magazines at the stations, who help parents at their farm. Do these activities come under the scanner? We need to be very specific and clear in defining what entails child labor.

Legislation has been fairly clear on explaining further and making certain allowances for children to be allowed to work only in certain areas and under specific conditions.

If the child has a found a job and it requires him to drive a motor vehicle, it would be a problem with quite a few jurisdictions that have very clear boundaries and limits to defining what is allowable and what is not.

Children need to be over 16 years of age to be able to qualify to apply for a driving license. The child labor laws also prohibit children below 16 years of age in most of the states to take up jobs that involve driving motor vehicle. So under both counts minors would have to wait to become 17 years old to be able to take up the job and the license.

The child labor laws are laid down detailing the conditions, the situations and the kinds of jobs along with timelines that the children can be engaged in legally and also specifies where they cannot be engaged. Children for example may not be allowed to serve in any public place beyond office hours and definitely not on night shifts.

All the states are very diligent and take extra care to ensure the labor laws are complied with. Children cannot be employed to work at nights and work continuously beyond 8 hours. The conditions at place of work have to be conducive for children to be employed.

The child protection legislations are explicit in detailing and guiding managements not to employ children where there is a chance of likely danger to the safety of the child or the situations are likely to be dangerous to his health. Children therefore cannot be made to work near fire, explosives, water or climb up on roof tops to work etc.

Should your require more information about the laws in a particular state, you could check the government website or contact a local employment attorney.…

Warehouse & Inventory Optimization Combats Against Recession

A key factor for minimizing costs and maximizing operational effectiveness in the current and future economic climate is an effective Logistics, Warehouse and Inventory Management strategy. Many companies, regardless of industry sector, have survived the recession to date through drastic cost cutting exercises frequently having reduced the workforce and either closing or “mothballing” manufacturing and production facilities.

This strategy is often borne out of necessity and has the immediate short term benefit in terms of cost reduction and this raises two further questions; “What else can you do to improve your cost base?” and with evidence in some sectors that the worst is behind us, “How should you be planning not only to recover but also to grow and become stronger than you were before the economic downturn?”.

That is not to say that the recession is over, nor will there suddenly be a sharp rise in demand, but planning how to react to economic recovery and capitalize on every opportunity as and when it arises is crucial. Where measures have been taken to rationalize and contract to combat recession, businesses need to be sure that they can react to the inevitable upturn in trade as and when needed and not be found wanting or lacking in resource and strategy when the time comes.

Long term security will be highly dependent on a robust and sustainable Logistics and Warehouse strategy within your business and within that of your customers and suppliers throughout the supply chain. In order to survive, companies must endeavor to undertake the widest review possible to ensure that all elements of their warehouse processes and facilities are not ‘sub-optimized’ and that inventory levels are minimized yet remain effective.

This requires analysis and developed solutions for:

Appropriate Warehouse and Inventory management techniques

Optimized target inventories (holding cost vs. ordering cost vs. service)

Tactical stock location/s and picking / stowage strategies

Dynamic inventory targets reflecting varying demand patterns

Safety stock requirements to meet specified service targets

Improved demand forecasting to allow for optimized inventories

Benefits analysis of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) or consignment stocks

Optimized warehouse / stores layout and Materials Handling practices / solutions

Most importantly the costs of current warehouse and inventory operations (per item or unit load dispatched), must be clearly identified and the on-going cost reduction strategy must define requirements for flexibility in the business over the next 3 to 5 years.

The strategy must be tested to ensure Interface / interaction between Warehousing and dispatch and other operations / departments within the business as well as integration with existing ERP / MRP systems and WMS modules.

This process is kept simple and comprises of the following key steps which include within them all of the areas identified above:

Current State Logistics Review for your business focusing on your warehouse and inventory costs; product volumes; your production / warehouse locations; customer base; your suppliers and distribution networks.

Future State Strategy proposal showing what your costs could be and …