Effective Business Planning new ways of thinking result in better planning

For nearly three decades, companies have relied on sales and operations planning (S&OP) in their
effort to improve business performance. What originally started as basic production planning in the
1970s evolved into S&OP in the 1980s. During that period, companies developed aggregate planning
processes to align supply, demand and resources such as capacity and inventory. By the mid-1990s,
S&OP further evolved to include product and portfolio management and financial projections.
Effective Business Planning
new ways of thinking result in better planning.

With the beginning of the 21st century,
many companies recognized the value of
integrating all company plans into a single
executive process to manage the business.
S&OP continued evolving to en -
compass alignment with business strategy
and inclusion of other strategic functions
in a company, such as information
technology, human resources and other
areas requiring significant investment in
order to accomplish these strategies.
Integrated Business Planning
The evolution of S&OP well beyond its
original demand/supply balancing roots
has led to a current best practice known
as Integrated Business Planning (IBP).
This holistic process involves planning
across the enterprise to integrate all of a
company’s resources, thereby linking
strategic, operational and financial goals.
It has three principle components:
1. It is a process led by senior management
that evaluates and revises time-phased
projections for demand, supply, product
and portfolio changes, strategic projects
and the resulting financial plans.
2. It is a decision-making process that re -
aligns the tactical plans for all business
functions in all geographies to support
the business goals and targets.
3. It is a vehicle used to reach consensus
on a single operating plan
to which executives hold themselves
accountable and allocates
the critical resources necessary to
satisfy customers in a profitable way.
Through IBP, companies can experience
the benefits of S&OP across a broader spec -
trum and have a better process and forum
to focus on managing risks and more
quickly leveraging opportunities in the
most optimal manner for both the business
enterprise and customers. That’s good
news for companies that have recognized
the value of IBP and have implemented an
effective executive led process.
For other companies, the bad news is
that their S&OP processes have too narrow
of a focus. This means they have not
realized the financial and operational
value that their competitors are achieving
by evolving to an IBP level of maturity.
People, Process and Tools
Effective IBP requires three primary elements
to be working in concert: people,
processes, and tools.
People – For the process to operate
effectively, some key principles and best
practices need to be in place:
> Establishing a disciplined, regular, and
routine process governed by a process
calendar, sometimes called the “rhythm
of the business” or cadence.
> Demonstrating leadership participation
and ownership of the process,
including devoting the necessary time
and allocating adequate resources.
> Operating the process with open and
honest communications.
What is important for the leadership
team to recognize is that S&OP/IBP re quir -
es effective communication based on the
current reality of the business environment.
Management is expected to either
execute the consensus plan or communicate
why the plan cannot be met. With the
metrics available on the state of the business,
as well as the updating of the latest
assumptions and plan projections, there
is no justifiable reason for keeping the
executive team in the dark about the latest
projections. One of the arguments in
favor of this integrated process is its ability
to greatly reduce un certainty and to
have the ability to take timely act ion to
close gaps in a cost-effective manner.
Processes – It is important that S&OP/
IBP is the one primary process used by the
leadership team to align, integrate and synchronize
the plans for the business every
month. This gives leaders a regular and
routine forum to ensure that decisions
are made and accountabilities
assigned for leveraging opportunities
and addressing issues.
Tools – Industry’s adoption of
S&OP and its recognition of the
need to further evolve into IBP have
led to development of more sophisticated
technological tools to facilitate
the transition. When technology enables
the development of credible qualitative
and quantitative information on demand,
supply, prices and costs, it enables more
I M P R O V E M E N T
GEORGE PALMATIER AND COLLEEN CRUM FEATURE BY
FALL 2011 manufacturing-today.com 13
1970s 1980s
Production
Planning
EARLY 1980s 1980s
Balancing Supply
& Demand and
Inventory Control
LATE 1990s 2000s
Product and Portfolio
Management Integration
EARLY 2000
Supply Chain
Collaboration
MID LATE
TO PRESENT
Sales & Operations
Planning
Financial
Integration
Scenario Planning
and Strategic
Deployment
PEOPLE &
BEHAVIORS PEOPLE &
BEHAVIORS
PROCESSES
PROCESSES TOOLS
TOOLS
“Integrated”
“Organized”
Graphical
Executive
Presentations
What Our Clients Tell Us
People, Processes and Tools — Success Requires
All Three Working Together
GRAPH DATA: © Oliver Wight International
focus on the analysis of the information,
including development of scenarios.
Since S&OP/IBP is an aggregate-level
plann ing process, the tool set required to
support it is less demanding than for the
detailed item-level planning that occurs in
day-to-day, week-to-week operating systems.
There is, however, a caveat: the IBP
process will not be fully effective unless it
is connected to the detailed plann ing and
execution systems. Again, technology
offers a solution; business software
providers now have product offerings at
the detail level for demand planning, collaborative
planning, supply planning, customer
order management, financial analysis
and project management, all with associated
integration capabilities. Available
S&OP/IBP technology now includes a way
to manage qualitative information, such
as assumptions, risks and opportunities,
as well as the development and comparison
of multiple scenarios.
The Progression Stages
There are four stages of progression to
S&OP/IBP – all of which represent a natural
progression to a fully-capable and
best-practice process.
> Stage One: Improved Comm uni ca tions –
At this first stage, data is incomplete
requiring verification and other issues
are unresolved as yet, but a calendar and
cadence have been established.
> Stage Two: Problem Solving – There are
still problems in the process, but data
for decision making is more trustworthy
and problems are more visible and
actively addressed.
> Stage Three: Problem Prevention –Near
term problems have been addressed
allowing the management team to focus
its attention further ahead into the
future planning horizons.
> Stage Four: Strategic and Tactical Decision
Making –Mature process has solidly
implemented problem solving and prevention.
The management team closes
gaps between reality of the situation and
its alignment with business goals.
Those companies that have implemented
S&OP only to the Stage Two level will
still have a process to help effectively operate
the business, but they may not be in a
position to gain a competitive advantage.
In fact, they may be vulnerable to losing
competitive advantage when IBP be comes
a standard practice in their industry.
Make the Transition
The best starting point is to get an independent
assessment or diagnostic of the
current process using the industry best
practice model as a frame of reference.
The diagnostic can be performed in a
matter of days by experienced S&OP/IBP
experts. A proper diagnostic includes
reviewing the aggregate planning management
process and its connection to
the detail planning and execution
processes currently in place. Results of
this assessment can provide the framework
for the next move to establishing a
more fully-integrated planning process.
That will require a combination of people
exhibiting the appropriate supporting
behaviors, a process that is regular
and routine, and tools with the ability to
process aggregate plans and connect to
detailed plans, facts, and assumptions.
Properly implemented, the process
provides both leadership and management
with regular and routine visibility
and transparency of past and projected
performance. Key performance indicators
and metrics are an integral part of
the IBP process.
The most current and best view of the
business, both quantitative and qualitative,
offers leadership and management
the opportunity to make the best decisions
at the optimal time helping to
ensure favorable and profitable results.
The companies that do S&OP/IBP well
can expect significantly greater benefits
than those that only operate with an antiquated
basic demand, supply, and inventory
balancing approach. mt
14 manufacturing-today.com FALL 2011 I
M
P
R
O
V
E
M
E
N
T
FEATURE BY GEORGE PALMATIER AND COLLEEN CRUM
George Palmatier and Colleen Crum are prin cip -
al and managing principal, respectively, with Oliver Wight
Americas. Located in New London, N.H., Oliver Wight principals
are leading business improvement specialists who educate,
coach and mentor people to lead and sustain change on
the journey to business excellence and outstanding business
performance. For further information, call 800-258-3862 or
visit www.oliverwight-americas.com.
Leadership Phase
Diagnostic Determine Value
Leader Education
Determine Plan
Appoint Teams
Design Team
Education
Management
Business Review
Process Design and Education
Strategic Review
Product & Portfolio
Review
Demand Review
Supply Review
Infrastructure/
Administration
Review
Financial Review
Integration
Reconciliation
Implement the Process
Performance Measures
Ag gregate to Detail Planning
Development Phase Ownership Phase
Fast Track Proven Path for S&OP/IBP
Assess
Progress
Assess
Progress
Document
Results
Decide on Fast Track
Presentation & Integration
Tool
Aggregate to Detail
Synchronization Design
Improve
Communications
Problem
Solving
Problem
Prevention
Tactical
Strategic
Decision
Making
Cycle 0 Cycle 1-3 Cycle 4-6 Cycle 7-8 Cycle

Millions to get rebate on health insurance premiums

 By Julie Appleby
Associated Press

Millions of consumers and small businesses will receive an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates from their health plans this summer under a provision of the health care law that effectively limits what insurers can charge for administration and profits, a new study projects.

Almost one third of people who bought their own insurance last year will get rebates averaging $127, according to an analysis of state data by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

"This alone is not going to make health insurance affordable for large numbers of people, but it is getting excess administrative cost out of the system," says Larry Levitt, a study author.

The percentage of consumers and businesses in line for rebates varies widely by state. In Texas, for example, 92 percent of consumers who purchased individual policies are expected to get rebates because insurers spent too little of their premium dollars on medical care. But in Vermont, Rhode Island, Iowa and Hawaii, insurers are likely to owe less than 1 percent of consumers who bought policies on the individual market.

Under the federal law, insurers must spend at least 80 percent of premium revenues on medical costs or quality improvements; the remainder can go toward administrative costs, sales commissions and profits. If companies set premiums too high, rebates in the form of checks or discounts off future premiums are due consumers and businesses by Aug. 1.

The requirement, aimed at holding insurers more accountable and slowing premium increases, went into effect last year and applies to all health plans, except those offered by self-insured employers. Insurers had criticized the rule as being too strict, while sales agents feared insurers would reduce their commissions.

The figures are based on the latest estimates insurers provided state regulators, so the actual rebate amounts may differ, according to the report's authors. The total dollar projection is similar to one released Wednesday by a Goldman Sachs analyst, but slightly lower than one made previously by the government, which had said rebates could be worth up to $1.4 billion.

Nationally, an estimated 3.4 million people who bought their own coverage are projected to receive rebates this year from 215 insurance plans, according to the study. The biggest dollar amounts are expected to go to consumers in Alaska, where per person rebates are expected to average $305, Maryland, $294, Pennsylvania, $243 and Idaho, $241. Insurers hit the spending targets for policies sold directly to consumers in several states, including Hawaii, Maine and the District of Columbia, so no rebates are expected for individual consumers there.

More than a dozen states sought to relax the standard for insurance sold directly to consumers, saying it would cause insurers to withdraw from their markets. The Obama administration granted seven such requests, choosing to phase in the requirement between now and 2014 in Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire and North Carolina.

Rebates averaging $76 per enrollee are projected to go to more than one quarter of small businesses nationally, covering an estimated 4.9 million people. When averaged by state, the biggest per-enrollee rebates will go to businesses in Alaska at $517 and Alabama, at $203 and Oregon, $172. No rebates will go to small businesses in eight states, where insurers met their spending targets, including Hawaii, Minnesota and North Dakota.

For the most part, insurers who offer coverage to large employers met the targets. Still, 19 percent of large employers, covering 7.5 million people, are likely to get rebates averaging $72 per member. Employers must use some or all of the rebate for the benefit of workers.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry trade group, said the spending rule could have unintended consequences, potentially causing some insurers to withdraw from certain markets and that it does not address the biggest reason for rising premiums – underlying health care costs.

“Moreover, the taxes, benefit mandates and other regulations in the health care reform law will cause premium increases that far exceed the value of any prospective rebates,” the group said in a written statement.

Ana Gupte, a senior health industry analyst at Sanford Bernstein, says insurers in some markets lowered premiums to avoid paying rebates, but others risked having to pay a rebate because they didn’t want to underprice their policies. Some insurers may have miscalculated — and thus owe a refund — because of lower-than-expected utilization of health care kept their medical costs below projections, she says.

Looking ahead, Gupte expects to see fewer rebates in future years "because utilization (of medical care) will go back up, so the spread between pricing and cost will get narrower."

Still, Alexandria-Va.-based health industry consultant Robert Laszewski says the projected rebates are so small as to count mainly as a "rounding error" that most consumers won't even notice.

"If it saved you $200 on a $10,000 premium, does it feel like your insurance is more affordable?" asked Laszewski, a former insurance industry executive. He said some sales agents who saw insurers reduce their commissions as a result of the law have also begun charging clients a fee for helping them choose a policy.

But consumer advocate Timothy Jost, a professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law, says the goal was never to deliver large refunds.

"The purpose isn't to generate rebates, but to force insurers to align their premiums more closely with their (medical) claims costs," says Jost. "Each year, premium costs have gone up more than medical costs, so what the rule does is force insurers to be more efficient and, if they charge too much, to give some back."

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communications organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

7 Everyday Activities That Reduce Your Lifespan

Research has shown that unhealthy habits can take away as many as eight years of life, on average. Sometimes, even the smallest everyday activities we partake in can greatly affect our health and vitality. Take a look at these seven everyday activities that can reduce your lifespan.


Personal traits like optimism and pessimism can greatly affect many areas of your well-being and general health. The thing about negative thoughts is that they promote and heighten stress levels and reflect what you think about yourself. If you can approach a situation with positivity, and not negativity, you will be more productive and determined. The effects of positive thinking can yield increased life span, lower rates of depression and stress, and even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A key to leading a healthy life is eating healthy foods. Too much intake of processed foods can cause an array of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and even increased risks cancer. The key to processed foods is moderation of high saturated fats and sugar products.

Believe it or not, there may be conditions of living in a highly urbanized environment that can degrade your health. Surrounded by pollution, noise, millions of strangers, lights, pavement, and a lack of nature, city life can be harmful for our mental and physical health. Urban designers are faced with an important milestone: for the time in history, the majority of the world’s populations are now living in urbanized cities. This poses a plethora of problems that deal with housing, health, environment, and social conditions.

Nearly four billion people around the world are using cell phones — and more signing up by the very minute. It’s an alarming concept to think that the combined radiation, even though they are low-level radio-frequencies, from all these cell phones could potentially affect our health adversely. While the wireless industry affirms that radiation from cell phones lacks the strength to alter molecules in the human body and lead to cancer, other scientists are not so quick to label them as completely safe.

According to researchers at a Toronto Hospital, every hour spent behind the wheel could lead to a 20-minute loss in life expectancy. If you factor in tiredness, stress, traffic, weather conditions, mindlessness, and road conditions, the chances for crashes increase dramatically. Many people are getting behind the wheel too emotionally charged or under the influence to drive safely, which affects everyone else on the road. Fatal accidents continue to be a leading cause of death for young and older people alike.

Nowadays we have laptops, desktops, advanced TV sets, gaming systems, and cell phones. All these technologies have one thing in common that is not only bad for your health, but may be life-threatening: you have to stare at a screen. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, increased risks of heart attacks and strokes are more prevalent in people who spend more than four hours in front of a screen a day. Aside from harmful effects to your vision, this study may also not account for another factor that comes with simply looking at a screen – it indicated prolonged sitting or periods of inactivity.

Conditions like insomnia, anxiety, attention deficit disorders, and depression are not life-threatening, but may impose many inconveniences in our lifestyle. Many people who regularly take medications to treat these conditions, may experience distressful side effects like decreased alertness and coordination, time sensitivity, breathing problems, and misjudgment. The concern about these psychiatric medications is that they are increasingly being prescribed for people who show little or no signs of what the medication is supposed to treat. Since the FDA does not require many drug companies to provide long-term effectiveness of a particular drug, it falls to people to make the right choices in which medications to take.

Lifestyle Blue For Small Businesses From BCBSRI

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has recently introduced Lifestyle Blue which is the newest medical plan aimed at small businesses.  This is the first of its kind for the state of Rhode Island and there is great anticipation for success.  The plan is for employers with fifty or less employees and are looking for quality health insurance that is affordable.

The plan is outlined with and three in one approach to appeal to small business owners.  Each plan is geared towards the different stages in life making it suitable for all ages.  It’s also tailored with demographic area in mind as well.

The first plan is called On Your Own, which is aimed at young, active and healthy employees.  Then there is the Family Matters plan targeted for employees with families who need quality health care.  And the third plan is House To Yourself for empty nesters.  There really is something for everyone and small business owners will like this aspect.

There are varying deductibles, urgent care, and emergency co-pays including varying prices for prescriptions so members truly do have options.  Employees pay the same rate regardless of the plan they choose keeping costs down.  None of the plans have co-pays for primary care visits assuming the physicians used are designated as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs).  Small business owners are always looking for quality plans that can give their employees real options and this plan from Blue Cross seems to hit the nail on the head.

Written by Sam Tabes

avoid eating foods

The question of whether or not genetically modified foods (GMO's) are safe for human consumption is an ongoing debate that does not seem to see any resolution except in the arena of public opinion. Due to lack of labeling, Americans are still left at a loss as to whether or not what is on the table is genetically modified. This lack of information makes the avoiding and tracking of GM foods an exercise in futility. Below are just some of the food products popularly identified to be genetically modified:

1. Corn - Corn has been modified to create its own insecticide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that tons of genetically modified corn has been introduced for human consumption. Monsanto has revealed that half of the US's sweet corn farms are planted with genetically modified seed. Mice fed with GM corn were discovered to have smaller offspring and fertility problems.

2. Soy - Soy has also been genetically modified to resist herbicides. Soy products include soy flour, tofu, soy beverages, soybean oil and other products that may include pastries, baked products and edible oil. Hamsters fed with GM soy were unable to have offspring and suffered a high mortality rate.

3. Cotton - Like corn and soy, cotton has been designed to resist pesticides. It is considered food because its oil can be consumed. Its introduction in Chinese agriculture has produced a chemical that kills cotton bollworm, reducing the incidences of pests not only in cotton crops but also in neighboring fields of soybeans and corn. Incidentally, thousands of Indian farmers suffered severe rashes upon exposure to BT cotton.

4. Papaya - The virus-resistant variety of papaya was commercially introduced in Hawaii in 1999. Transgenic papayas comprised three-fourths of the total Hawaiian papaya crop. Monsanto bestowed upon Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore technology for developing papaya resistant to the ringspot virus in India.

5. Rice - This staple food from South East Asia has now been genetically modified to contain a high amount of vitamin A. Allegedly, there are reports of rice varieties containing human genes to be grown in the US. The rice will create human proteins useful for dealing with infant diarrhea in the 3rd world. China Daily, an online journal, reported potential serious public health and environment problems with genetically modified rice considering its tendency to cause allergic reactions with the concurrent possibility of gene transfers.

6. Tomatoes - Tomatoes have now been genetically engineered for longer shelf life, preventing them from easily rotting and degrading. In a test conducted to determine the safety of GM tomatoes, some animal subjects died within a few weeks after consuming GM tomatoes.

7. Rapeseed - In Canada, this crop was renamed canola to differentiate it from non-edible rapeseed. Food stuff produced from rapeseed includes rapeseed oi (canola oil) l used to process cooking oil and margarine. Honey can also be produced from GM rapeseed. German food surveillance authorities discovered as much as a third of the total pollen present in Canadian honey may be from GM pollen. In fact, some honey products from Canada were also discovered to have pollen from GM rapeseed.

8. Dairy products - It has been discovered that 22 percent of cows in the U.S. were injected with recombinant (genetically modified) bovine growth hormone (rbGH). This Monsanto created hormone artificially forces cows to increase their milk production by 15 percent. Milk from cows treated with this milk inducing hormone contains increased levels of IGF-1 (insulin growth factors-1). Humans also have IGF-1 in their system. Scientists have expressed concerns that increased levels of IGF-1 in humans have been associated with colon and breast cancer.

9. Potatoes - Mice fed with potatoes engineered with Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki Cry 1 were found to have toxins in their system. Despite claims to the contrary, this shows that Cry1 toxin was stable in the mouse gut. When the health risks were revealed, it sparked a debate.

10. Peas - Peas that have been genetically modified have been found to cause immune responses in mice and possibly even in humans. A gene from kidney beans was inserted into the peas creating a protein that functions as a pesticide.

The GMO link to strange disease

As early as 2008, NaturalNews.com reported about a condition called Morgellon's disease. The article went on to report the symptoms of the disease as follows: crawling, stinging, biting and crawling sensations; threads or black speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; granules, lesions. Some patients report fatigue, short term memory loss, mental confusion, joint pain and changes in vision. Furthermore, there have been reports of substantial morbidity and social dysfunction leading to a dip in work productivity, job loss, total disability, divorce, loss of child custody and home abandonment.

Prior to its reporting, the condition was dismissed as a hoax, but upon further investigation, the evidence pointed out that the disease was real and may be related to genetically modified food.

Despite this link being established, the CDC declared Morgellon's disease of unknown origin. Worse, the medical community could not offer any information to the public regarding a cause for the symptoms.

When a research study was conducted on fiber samples taken from Morgellons patients, it was discovered that the fiber samples of all the patients looked remarkable similar. And yet, it did not seem to match any common environmental fiber. When the fiber was broken down, and it's DNA extracted, it was discovered to belong to a fungus. Even more surprising was the finding that the fibers contained Agrobacterium, a genus gram-negative bacteria with the capacity of transforming plant, animal and even human cells.

Morgellon's disease is not the only condition associated with genetically modified foods. A growing body of evidence has shown that it may cause allergies, immune reactions, liver problems, sterility and even death. Moreover, based on the only human feeding experiment conducted on genetically modified food, it was established that genetic material in genetically modified food product can transfer into the DNA of intestinal bacteria and still continue to thrive.

Heeding the warning

Time and again, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has warned that GMOs pose a serious threat to health, and it is no accident that there can be a correlation between it and adverse health effects. In fact, the AAEM has advised doctors to tell their patients to avoid GMOs as the introduction of GMOs into the current food supply has correlated with an alarming rise in chronic diseases and food allergies.

This should come as no surprise. More than 30 years ago a food supplement called L-trytophan killed 100 people and affected 5,000 to 10,000 more. The cause was narrowed down to the genetic engineering process used in its production. If the symptoms had not had three simultaneous characteristics - namely, they were unique, acute and fast-acting - the disease could never have been identified.

7 of the Seemingly Minor Things You Should Always Alert Your Doctor About

It's a bit unnerving to think how many people use the internet as a source of medical information. Why use "Yahoo! Answers" when your doctor can give you much more legitimate insight into your medical questions? Some people seem to think that their questions and concerns are far too minor for their doctor. However, your doctor has time for even the smallest question, and what you may think of as inconsequential may be the answer to (a) the mysterious cough you've developed over the past month, or the answer to your constant anti-fatigue. By alerting your doctor of these so-called "small" concerns, you may save a lot of time and stress on both ends. You may live a healthier, longer life because of it. 



If possible, you should tell your doctor before you travel abroad. For example, if you're traveling to tropical or subtropical areas, Malaria could be a danger. If you bring back an illness from another country, you can save the doctor a lot of detective work by being frank about your travels. It may help him or her narrow down the potential causes of the illness and better proceed with treatment. You will also be doing your part to stop the spread of the illness to others around you.

Some non-prescription drugs could have negative interactions with (a) the prescription given to you by your doctor. You should tell the doctor if you take any herbal supplements, multivitamins, or homeopathic remedies. Additionally, you should tell the doctor if you use a chiropractor or other specialized forms of healing. You may think of herbal remedies as harmless, but they can both weaken the effects of a drug and make them considerably stronger, depending on the combination. For example, the potency of birth control can be compromised by St. John's Wort. Your doctor can help you identify whether or not you can safely take your supplements while also utilising a prescription.

Many people opt not to tell their doctor about their drinking habits, or lie about the extensiveness of it, because they feel ashamed or feel the information is irrelevant to the health problem in question. This couldn't be further from the truth. Alcohol can have direct consequences is one of the many areas of your health. It can interact with medication, increase the risk for breast cancer in women, and compromise your liver health. If doctors know that you drink regularly, they can prescribe medication that does not interact with alcohol and they may know to look for risk areas in your health that otherwise may have not been problematic. They will not judge you for how much you drink; they only have your health in mind.

It may be embarrassing to tell your doctor about what goes on in the bathroom, but it is not anything they haven't heard before, and it could be more serious than you might think. Explaining the basic abnormalities in your stool matteriashop to your doctor can help them identify if you aren't getting enough of a particular nutrient in your diet. The cure could be as simple as eating more fiber. However, if you see blood in your stool matteriashop regularly, it could be the early stages of colon cancer. There's no reason to live with the discomfort of irregular stools. Let your doctor give you advice rather than putting up with it.

Sleep can have serious effects on your overall health. Lack of sleep can cause mental illness, diabetes, obesity, depression, and even the rapid aging. Likewise, many things can sabotage your efforts, such as drinking alcohol sleep before bed, too much caffeine, sleeping with a pet, or back pain. With so many factors at play, it is crucial that you discuss your sleeping habits with your doctor. They can help you identify the source of your sleeplessness, causes of exhaustion even if you do get enough sleep, and how to get more quality sleep that will improve your overall health.

If you want cheap medicine, don't assume the doctor can't accommodate you. There are generic prescriptions that are chemically identical to your prescriptions and your doctor will., has no problem prescribing them to you. They may also be able to give you a card that discounts to your prescription or keeps it at a set price each time. Of course, your doctor would prefer that you let them know when you can't afford treatment or a prescription instead of opting not to get the healthcare you need.

You may feel silly telling your doctor about the persistent cough you have or the times when you randomly feel like you can't swallow, but these could be clues to a much larger problem. Tell your doctor about any abnormality you have, no matter how small. Don't assume that it doesn't matter or that the doctor won't care. There are many health problems that can be lessened by early detection, which starts with being aware of your body and honest about the potential concerns you might have.
August 9th, 2010 TermLifeInsurance.org Staff Writer  October 12th, 2010 TermLifeInsurance.org, June 22nd, 2010 SashaRichardson 

Find Your Business Life Cycle

Your business is changing. With the passage of time, your company will go through various stages of the business life cycle. Learn what upcoming focuses, challenges and financing sources you will need to succeed.

A business goes through stages of development similar to the cycle of life for the human race. Parenting strategies that work for your toddler can not be applied to your teenager. The same goes for your small business. It will be faced with a different cycle throughout its life. What you focus on today will change and require different approaches to be successful.

The Seven Stages of Business Life

1. Seed Stage: The seed stage of your business life cycle is when your business is just a thought or an idea. This is the very conception or birth of a new business.
• Challenge: Most seed stage companies will have to overcome the challenge of market acceptance and pursue one niche opportunity. Do not spread money and time resources too thin.
• Focus: At this stage of the business the focus is on matching the business opportunity with your skills, experience and passions. Other focal points include: deciding on a business ownership structure, finding professional advisors, and business planning.
• Money Sources: Early in the business life cycle with no proven market or customers the business will rely on cash from owners, friends and family. Other potential sources include suppliers, customers and government grants.
2. Start-Up Stage: Your business is born and now exists legally. Products or services are in production and you have your first customers.
• Challenge: If your business is in the start-up life cycle stage, it is likely you have overestimated money needs and the time to market. The main challenge is not to burn through what little cash you have. You need to learn what profitable needs your clients have and do a reality check to see if your business is on the right track.
• Focus: Start-ups requires establishing a customer base and market presence along with tracking and conserving cash flow.
• Money Sources: Owner, friends, family, suppliers, customers, or grants.
  3. Growth Stage: Your business has made it through the toddler years and is now a child. Revenues and customers are increasing with many new opportunities and issues. Profits are strong, but competition is surfacing.
• Challenge: The biggest challenge growth companies face is dealing with the constant range of issues bidding for more time and money. Effective management is required and a possible new business plan. Learn how to train and delegate to conquer this stage of development.
• Focus: Growth life cycle businesses are focused on running the business in a more formal fashion to deal with the increased sales and customers. Better accounting and management systems will have to be set-up. New employees will have to be hired to deal with the influx of business.
• Money Sources: Banks, profits, partnerships, grants and leasing options.
4. Established Stage: Your business has now matured into a thriving company with a place in the market and loyal customers. Sales growth is not explosive but manageable. Business life has become more routine.
• Challenge: It is far too easy to rest on your laurels during this life stage. You have worked hard and have earned a rest but the marketplace is relentless and competitive. Stay focused on the bigger picture. Issues like the economy, competitors or changing customer tastes can quickly end all you have work for.
• Focus: An established life cycle company will be focused on improvement and productivity. To compete in an established market, you will require better business practices along with automation and outsourcing to improve productivity.
• Money Sources: Profits, banks, investors and government.

5. Expansion Stage: This life cycle is characterized by a new period of growth into new markets and distribution channels. This stage is often the choice of the small business owner to gain a larger market share and find new revenue and profit channels.
• Challenge: Moving into new markets requires the planning and research of a seed or start-up stage business. Focus should be on businesses that complement your existing experience and capabilities. Moving into unrelated businesses can be disastrous.
• Focus: Add new products or services to existing markets or expand existing business into new markets and customer types.
• Money Sources: Joint ventures, banks, licensing, new investors and partners.
6. Decline Stage: Changes in the economy, society, or market conditions can decrease sales and profits. This may quickly end many small companies.
• Challenge: Businesses in the decline stage of the life cycle will be challenged with dropping sales, profits, and negative cash flow. The biggest issue is how long the business can support a negative cash flow. Ask is it time to move on to the final life cycle stage...exit.
• Focus: Search for new opportunities and business ventures. Cutting costs and finding ways to sustain cash flow are vital for the declining stage.
• Money Sources: Suppliers, customers, owners.
  7. Exit Stage:This is the big opportunity for your business to cash out on all the effort and years of hard work. Or it can mean shutting down the business.
• Challenge: Selling a business requires your realistic valuation. It may have been years of hard work to build the company, but what is its real value in the current market place. If you decide to close your business, the challenge is to deal with the financial and psychological aspects of a business loss.
• Focus: Get a proper valuation on your company. Look at your business operations, management and competitive barriers to make the company worth more to the buyer. Set-up legal buy-sell agreements along with a business transition plan.
• Money Sources: Find a business valuation partner. Consult with your accountant and financial advisors for the best tax strategy to sell or close-out down business.

Each stage of the business life cycle may not occur in chronological order. Some businesses will be "built to flip"; quickly going from start-up to exit. Others will choose to avoid expansion and stay in the established stage.

Whether your business is a glowing success or a dismal failure depends on your ability to adapt to it's changing life cycles. What you focus on and overcome today will change in the future. Understanding where your business fits on life cycle will help you foresee upcoming challenges and make the best business decisions.