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  • Article Check - Fifteen Areas Reviewed in a Due Diligence Study

    Problems With EFT
    EFT transactions are transmitted through an automated clearinghouse. This is known as an ACH operator and is a secured and preprogrammed system. It functions as a clearing facility controlled by private organizations or a Federal Reserve Bank and is a recognized system for inter bank electronic fund transfers. The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) governs these systems and is responsible for their functionality.Problems with EFT become apparent when financial institutions do not abide by the NACHA operatives and regulations. These are detailed and stringent policies related to implementation, conformity and accountability. If these guidelines are not adhered to, it is not possible to eliminate problems of EFT.ACH transactions are stored in related files that follow an ASCII-format. These enlist several electronic transactions, and are categorized by their credit or debit values. At times EFT systems and securities may contain loopholes creating possibilities for EFT frauds. This occurs when an unau
    rred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions

    How Not To Write A Headline
    • Iraqi Head Seeks Arms • Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant • Include Your Children When Baking Cakes • Clock Thief Faces Time In Jail • Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers • Crack Found on Governor’s Daughter • Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says • Stolen Painting Found by Tree • Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter • Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years • Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus? • Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over • Miners Refuse to Work after Death • Only Rain Will Cure Drought • Children Make Nutritious Snacks Make Nutritious • War Dims Hope for Peace • If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile • Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures • Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges • Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead • New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group • Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft • Kids
    The due diligence study is done by investors or lenders to be certain that your company is operating properly and efficiently. The in depth due diligence study will uncover any accounting errors and any operational problems. After completing the due diligence study, the investors or lenders must be satisfied that they are invested money in a company that conducting its business in the best possible way. The due diligence study will review the following fifteen areas:

    1. Corporate records:

    • The company’s original articles of incorporation or articles of organization

    • By-Laws and minutes of any Board meetings, executive committee meetings, and

    shareholder meetings

    • Stock issuance and transfer

    • The company’s communication with shareholders

    • Press clippings and press releases

    • Applications for and documents authorizing the company to do business in another state

    • Stockholder agreements, voting, proxies, and other similar documents

    • The company’s organization chart showing how it is structured and if there are any affiliates

    2. Insurance:

    • All insurance policies, their coverage limits, the deductibles, renewal dates, and premiums

    paid or owed

    • Insurance claim history

    3. Government regulations and filings:

    • Reports and correspondence with any governmental authority

    • Licenses, permits, approvals, etc.

    • Bonds posted for licenses, permits, etc.

    • Records of any investigation, inquiry, or inspections by government

    • Government orders with which the company must comply

    4. Financing:

    • Documents evidencing loans, secured and unsecured, and personal guarantees

    • Bank agreements confirming lines of credit

    • Documents evidencing sale, lease-back, instalment purchases, sales contracts, loan

    agreements

    • Correspondence to and from lenders

    • Evidence of satisfaction or liens or debts

    5. Financial information

    • Audited financial statements

    • Unaudited monthly and quarterly financial statements

    • Capital budgets, changes in accounting practices

    • Inventory summary

    • Aged accounts receivable and payable

    • List of all assets with purchase price

    • Correspondence with inside and outside accountants

    6. Taxes:

    • Federal, state, and local tax returns

    • Any adjustments, settlements, recapture, or notices with taxing authority

    • FICA, FUTA, and other employee withholding

    • Calculations of tax basis, book basis, and depreciation of all assets

    7. Customer information

    • Customer agreements

    • List of 10 largest customers and list of sales to each

    • Government or quasi-government customers

    • Catalogs, product literature, advertising, and price lists

    8.

    • Agreements concerning distribution of stock, stock options, preemptive rights, and stock

    option plans

    • Agreements or contracts concerning capital expenditures

    • Licenses, agreements, franchises, joint venture or partnership agreements

    • Interconnection agreements, leases, any document limiting the company’s line of business,

    and non-compete agreements

    • Agreements entered into in the normal course of business and agreements not in the

    normal course of business

    • Agrements to pay of indemnify the debts or liabilities of third parties

    • Documents regarding acquisition or disposition of businesses or assets

    • Agreements or contracts with directors, officers, stockholders, or affiliate or relatives of

    such parties

    • Sample purchase orders and distribution agreements

    • Copies of documents evidencing the company’s or stockholders’ interest in any entity in the

    same industry

    • Bartering contracts

    9. Employee-related documents

    • Employment, union, nonunion agreements, memoranda of understanding, grievance

    settlements

    • Letters offering employment

    • Consulting and independent contractor agreements

    • Personnel policy manual

    • Employee health benefits, bonuses, deferred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions<

    South Korean Business - An Introduction To Business In Seoul
    Seoul, as the capital city of South Korea, is a growing and strong economic area, and now one of the main trading posts in Asia. Korean people have a very traditional business culture and practices and understanding the Korean culture is thus very important if you wish to succeed in business in Korea. Understanding the Korean way of doing things is essential. This article aims to throw light on the Korean business market, Korean business strategies, Korean business trends and Korean business culture.Korean business is well known for its vertical social structure based on age and social status. Korean companies' organizational arrangement is highly centralized with authority concentrated in senior levels. Individuals having high rank likely to have more authority than their subordinates. Superior's approval is necessary for finalizing a decision.In Korean business settings, superiors assign responsibility of business to trusted and reliable subordinates. Age is an imperative constituent within a relationship in Korean
    it is structured and if there are any affiliates

    2. Insurance:

    • All insurance policies, their coverage limits, the deductibles, renewal dates, and premiums

    paid or owed

    • Insurance claim history

    3. Government regulations and filings:

    • Reports and correspondence with any governmental authority

    • Licenses, permits, approvals, etc.

    • Bonds posted for licenses, permits, etc.

    • Records of any investigation, inquiry, or inspections by government

    • Government orders with which the company must comply

    4. Financing:

    • Documents evidencing loans, secured and unsecured, and personal guarantees

    • Bank agreements confirming lines of credit

    • Documents evidencing sale, lease-back, instalment purchases, sales contracts, loan

    agreements

    • Correspondence to and from lenders

    • Evidence of satisfaction or liens or debts

    5. Financial information

    • Audited financial statements

    • Unaudited monthly and quarterly financial statements

    • Capital budgets, changes in accounting practices

    • Inventory summary

    • Aged accounts receivable and payable

    • List of all assets with purchase price

    • Correspondence with inside and outside accountants

    6. Taxes:

    • Federal, state, and local tax returns

    • Any adjustments, settlements, recapture, or notices with taxing authority

    • FICA, FUTA, and other employee withholding

    • Calculations of tax basis, book basis, and depreciation of all assets

    7. Customer information

    • Customer agreements

    • List of 10 largest customers and list of sales to each

    • Government or quasi-government customers

    • Catalogs, product literature, advertising, and price lists

    8.

    • Agreements concerning distribution of stock, stock options, preemptive rights, and stock

    option plans

    • Agreements or contracts concerning capital expenditures

    • Licenses, agreements, franchises, joint venture or partnership agreements

    • Interconnection agreements, leases, any document limiting the company’s line of business,

    and non-compete agreements

    • Agreements entered into in the normal course of business and agreements not in the

    normal course of business

    • Agrements to pay of indemnify the debts or liabilities of third parties

    • Documents regarding acquisition or disposition of businesses or assets

    • Agreements or contracts with directors, officers, stockholders, or affiliate or relatives of

    such parties

    • Sample purchase orders and distribution agreements

    • Copies of documents evidencing the company’s or stockholders’ interest in any entity in the

    same industry

    • Bartering contracts

    9. Employee-related documents

    • Employment, union, nonunion agreements, memoranda of understanding, grievance

    settlements

    • Letters offering employment

    • Consulting and independent contractor agreements

    • Personnel policy manual

    • Employee health benefits, bonuses, deferred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions

    The BRAVO Formula
    According to Jerry Weissman in his book, “Presenting to Win,” there are over 30 million PowerPoint presentations given every day. Unfortunately, these presentations are not captivating or memorable. Thus, a lack of presentation training in America is creating a business culture that abuses presentation software and the art of public speaking. Let’s get back to the basics and adopt something I like to call the BRAVO formula.“B” is for Bold Boldness is about taking ownership. It’s about being courageous. You need to take control and own your content. No faking is allowed. The harsh reality is that faking it will not work in the public speaking arena. Audiences are far more perceptive than you think. Here are a few tips to help make sure you don’t come across as a faker:Start strong It sounds straightforward, but it is harder than it sounds. By taking a strong initial stance, it shows that 1) you are credible, 2) you are passionate, 3) you have a game plan. Be creative with you
    statements

    • Capital budgets, changes in accounting practices

    • Inventory summary

    • Aged accounts receivable and payable

    • List of all assets with purchase price

    • Correspondence with inside and outside accountants

    6. Taxes:

    • Federal, state, and local tax returns

    • Any adjustments, settlements, recapture, or notices with taxing authority

    • FICA, FUTA, and other employee withholding

    • Calculations of tax basis, book basis, and depreciation of all assets

    7. Customer information

    • Customer agreements

    • List of 10 largest customers and list of sales to each

    • Government or quasi-government customers

    • Catalogs, product literature, advertising, and price lists

    8.

    • Agreements concerning distribution of stock, stock options, preemptive rights, and stock

    option plans

    • Agreements or contracts concerning capital expenditures

    • Licenses, agreements, franchises, joint venture or partnership agreements

    • Interconnection agreements, leases, any document limiting the company’s line of business,

    and non-compete agreements

    • Agreements entered into in the normal course of business and agreements not in the

    normal course of business

    • Agrements to pay of indemnify the debts or liabilities of third parties

    • Documents regarding acquisition or disposition of businesses or assets

    • Agreements or contracts with directors, officers, stockholders, or affiliate or relatives of

    such parties

    • Sample purchase orders and distribution agreements

    • Copies of documents evidencing the company’s or stockholders’ interest in any entity in the

    same industry

    • Bartering contracts

    9. Employee-related documents

    • Employment, union, nonunion agreements, memoranda of understanding, grievance

    settlements

    • Letters offering employment

    • Consulting and independent contractor agreements

    • Personnel policy manual

    • Employee health benefits, bonuses, deferred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions

    Medical Billing - Software ROI
    One of the most heated arguments in the medical billing world, at least when it comes to the software company, is ROI or return on investment. This is something that is very difficult to calculate as far as what you want your ROI to be and everybody has their own theory and opinion on the subject. If you're a software company just starting out, or better yet, thinking of starting a medical billing software company, there are some basic things you need to consider when figuring out what you want your ROI to be. What follows is a list of the most basic of these items. For starters, you have to figure out what your cost of production is going to be before you even hire any programmers to create this software. This basically involves the cost of the lease on the building you'll be using as well as any other fixed costs such as utilities, insurance, etc. Add all this up and put the estimated total in one column.The next thing you're going to have to calculate is the salaries of all the people who will be responsible for get
    ents

    • Interconnection agreements, leases, any document limiting the company’s line of business,

    and non-compete agreements

    • Agreements entered into in the normal course of business and agreements not in the

    normal course of business

    • Agrements to pay of indemnify the debts or liabilities of third parties

    • Documents regarding acquisition or disposition of businesses or assets

    • Agreements or contracts with directors, officers, stockholders, or affiliate or relatives of

    such parties

    • Sample purchase orders and distribution agreements

    • Copies of documents evidencing the company’s or stockholders’ interest in any entity in the

    same industry

    • Bartering contracts

    9. Employee-related documents

    • Employment, union, nonunion agreements, memoranda of understanding, grievance

    settlements

    • Letters offering employment

    • Consulting and independent contractor agreements

    • Personnel policy manual

    • Employee health benefits, bonuses, deferred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions

    Analyzing Your Competition
    The who, what, where, when, why, and howKnowing your competition allows you to identify a niche and develop your own unique selling proposition (USP). Clearly defining and understanding the core value you offer your clients can depend on your having a firm grasp of your competitors' strengths and weaknesses.Where do you start?1) Make a list of your competitors. Think big in this step. Don't just think about your direct competition; think about indirect competition in other industries as well. For example, as a copywriter I could list my competitors as fellow copywriters that do freelance work. But I don't want to stop there. Other potential competitors may include large ad agencies, small ad agencies (each may play a different role with clients), technical writers, a company's in-house writers, journalists, and even fill-in-the-blank templates you can purchase on the Internet.2) From this broad-based competitive list, list specific companies you compete with. For example, in the "other copywriters" categ
    rred compensation, pension, profit sharing, stock

    options, employee stock purchases, retirement, and other employee benefits

    • Financial statements and list of assets and valuation for all employee plans

    • Actuarial reports and nonfunding for any employee plan

    • Tax returns and other communications with taxing authorities regarding employee plans

    10. Real property

    • Description and copies of all real property leases and options

    • Mortgages in which company is a party

    • Deeds, title reports, surveys, and certificates of occupancy for all real estate owned in

    whole or in part by company

    • Special use permits or variances for any real property occupied by company

    11. Environmental matters

    • Information regarding compliance or noncompliance, claims, permits, licenses,

    correspondence, and notices with any environmental protection laws or regulations

    • Inspections, citations, audits, feasibility studies, corrections, and outstanding enforcement

    actions

    • Spill reports, notifications, clean-up requirements, and financial estimates for clean-ups or

    violations

    • Intracompany correspondence, memos, and reports relating to environmental matters

    • List of all above-ground and underground tanks, their contents, and their location

    • Information regarding prior ownership and uses or company-owned property

    12. Intellectual property,

    • All patents, patent applications, invention disclosures, and list of important unpatented items

    • Documents of ownership or other agreements concerning acquisition, security, and

    confidentiality of information

    • Trademarks, pending trademark applications, registrations, renewals and unregistered

    trademarks

    • Trade names, manner and territory of use of trade names, and state or federal failings of

    trade names

    • Concurrent use agreements, settlements, or registrations

    • Copyrights, copyright applications, registrations, renewals, assignments, and documents

    • Any licenses of patents, trademarks, trade names, or copyrights

    • Disputes, legal proceedings, infringements, judgments, decrees, settlements, or court

    orders regarding patents, trademarks, trade names, and copyrights

    13. Banking

    • Bank accounts, credit agreements, debt instruments, and lines of credit

    14. Litigation/Disputes

    • All documents regarding any actual or pending litigation, administrative proceedings,

    government investigations, disputes, grievances, and inquiries

    • Consent decrees, judgments, court orders, settlement agreements to which the company is

    a party

    15. Miscellaneous

    • Analyses by investment bankers, engineers, management consultants, accountants

    • Marketing studies, credit reports, and other financial reports

    • Pending powers of attorney

    • Organizational charts, job descriptions, job titles, salaries, start dates, and bonuses

    • Internal management reports

    This list should help you prepare, but it is only the legal portion of a due diligence study. There may be other areas considered in a due diligence study such as product or service studies, competitive analysis, market analysis, and reference and background checks. A due diligence study is often undertaken by investors or lenders before any investments or loans are made.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. Copies of any articles will be provided free of charge.

    For information about other important legal, tax, and business topics, free copies of articles, or EBooks, please visit our website at u>www.IndigoBusinessSolutions.net. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Indigo Business Solutions is a registered trade name.

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