Friday, August 21, 2020

Sport as Solvation to Reduce Stress

Stress is commonly known as a response, or a characteristic framework safeguard. In for the most part perceived circumstances, stress can be irritating, upsetting, and the disconnect from movement. The majority of our age will in general work, and a similar sum works in the administration business. We don't anyway acknowledge how a lot, or to what extent every week we should work. Normally the working hours consolidates somewhere in the range of 35hpw and 45hpw, however much of the time this is the standard which simply the agreement contains. The general definition is â€Å" working longer methods gaining more†, so individuals do, and reach totally records of â€Å"long hours „of work, for example, 60/70hours every week. Consequently we gather scarcely any more coins, and incredibly significant level of pressure, which reflexes at our homes, and on our wellbeing condition. This is only a little advance forward to accomplish mental catastrophe, to demolish home adjustment, or essentially get a coronary episode. Do we need this? To keep ourselves ready for action, we could set our day with some game action, which as I would like to think is the best answer for any sort of stress. Most importantly, it will medicate as out from the propensity being grinding away, at home and work once more, so check out you neighborhood to locate a pool or exercise center. At that point go along with it and attempt to arrive for in any event two times per week at starting. Nobody sais to lift the heaviest loads, yet analogically you will think that its unwinding. Precisely the equivalent with pool or some other sorts of game, for example, running. Try not to attempt to exhaust and the outcome will be ensured. You begin to rest better, your fixation will improve, and after at some point you need have the option to leave without it. Its difficult to bring an end to propensities, however recollect, nothing keep going for ever, and particularly our wellbeing. There are cash to gain, yet no wellbeing. In the event that you wish to wind up as sickly in your mid forties, disregard the game action and continue filling in as insane, anyway you need welcome the reality of earned cash since you will spend them for clinical treatment.

Sunday, July 12, 2020

SEEDMATCH

SEEDMATCH © Shutterstock.com | maximmmmumSeedmatch is the biggest crowdfunding platform in Germany. The website is growing swiftly and in this article, we will look at 1) what is Seedmatch?, 2) benefits of using Seedmatch, 3) why and when to use Seedmatch, 4) options to raise funds fees on Seedmatch, 5) how to be successful on Seedmatch, 6) Seedmatch success stories.WHAT IS SEEDMATCH?Seedmatch is a German crowdfunding website that was launched in 2011. The company supports young companies with innovative ideas and products by connecting them to investors. Instead of investment opportunities being available only to a small group of wealthy businesses, angel investors or venture capitalists, the platform allows anyone to invest any amount in a startup with an innovative idea.Seedmatch is an equity based crowdfunding platform rather than a reward based one. This means that instead of a receiving a gift or an early version of the product or service in question, the investor can receive a share i n the company. This makes the products on offer more interesting to serious investors as well as smaller scale ones. The startups are under no obligation to give any voting rights to any investors that makes this an attractive opportunity for them as well.In addition, startups can use the crowd’s intelligence and opinion to test their business idea and make relevant changes to the final offer. The company has a success rate of 95 percent with over 70 rounds of successful funding. There are over 35,000 registered users on the website and total invested capital in projects is over 21 million Euro.Though there is no restriction on the type of project that can be launched for crowdfunding on the website, there are some categories that are more popular with investors than others. These include projects that have a detailed business plan, and areas such as big data, consumer electronics, e-commerce, energy, food, health, mobility, 3D printing, mobile, and IT security.HistorySeedmatch is the biggest crowdfunding or crowd investing platform in Germany. The company was launched in 2011 and by 2012, collected over 100,000 Euro in financing through successfully funded startup projects. The first project to collected 1 million Euro successfully was the “Projekt AoTerra” Today, it is known as Cloud and Heat and focuses on providing heat through the operation of cloud servers. Patented technology helps the company achieve its aim, and it is now in its second phase of crowdfunding. This was in the second quarter of 2013 and November 2013; the e-Volo collected 1.2 Million Euro.One of the biggest crowdfund generators has been a Hamburg startup by the name of Protonet. This company managed to collect 1 million Euro in just four hours on Seedmatch and then managed to collect 3 million Euro in total for their project. Though not the most money collected through a crowdfunding campaign, it is currently the record holder for the fastest million collected.Germany has a smaller venture capital presence than the United States or the United Kingdom, and the Investors are traditionally more averse to risk. The founders had to work hard in the beginning to establish credibility with these investors. The initial two projects took time to close but since then the pace has picked up considerably. The platform aims to create transparency and present each startup in the most detailed way possible through a business plan as well as videos and provide QA sessions for investors. BENEFITS OF USING SEEDMATCHSome of the benefits of using Seedmatch for crowdfunding include:Market Leader: The company is the leading crowdfunding platform in Germany. This early initiation into the crowdfunding arena has ensured that the company can understand the market and leverage existing structures to make an impact for startups and investors.Smart Investors: The pool of investors registered on the website are an intelligent swarm and take active part in the entire process from actual f unding to providing valuable feedback to the startup. This can help tweak the offering and the product to improve chances or long term success.Transparent Proces: The company has made it a point to provide a transparent process for both investors and the startups that list their products for funding. There are high standards for quality information that startups need to meet. Information provided to the crowd includes total amounts to be collected and already collected as well as information on yield potential and potential risks.Investor Privacy: Since there is a minimum investment limit of 250 Euro per investor, often investors put in larger amounts than usual for crowdfunding models. Keeping this in mind, the company aims to provide security to these investors. This is done by a strict privacy policy that protects the investor data from third parties.WHY WHEN TO USE SEEDMATCHThe website has certain criteria in place for the kind of ideas that can be put forward for funding on Se edmatch. Though there may be many creative projects and ideas put forward by startups, they may not all be appropriate for crowdfunding or even crowdfunding through Seedmatch. In general, the idea needs to be from a young and innovative company that is not yet established but has a sustainable and scalable business model. Some of the most important criteria for a Seedmatch startup include:Inspiring Idea: The idea needs to be able to generate enthusiasm among potential investors and inspire these investors as well as potential customers.Innovation: The idea being brought forward by the startup needs to be an innovative product or service with clear points of differentiation and value addition for potential customers.Trends: Often, popular ideas follow a current trend or attractive categories in both business-to-consumer markets as well as business-to-business ones. Some popular categories include education, big data and IT security, consumer electronics, e-commerce, energy, food, hea lth, mobile, and mobility.Facts and Proof of Concept: Empty marketing phrases and terminology are not acceptable, and startups need to prove that the idea will work and deliver as promised.Strong Founding Team: The team presenting the idea needs to be competent in terms of both the product development side and the sales and marketing side.Scalability: Any business idea presented needs to be sustainable over the long term and scalable over time.Strong Communication: The startup needs to be able to develop a strong and sustained channel of communication with investors during the crowdfunding campaign and beyond it. This communication should be a two sided critical exchange between the startup and its potential and final investors.Minimum Investment Goal: A startup looking to list its project for funding needs to have a minimum capital requirement of 100,000 Euro.Other Factors: Other important factors for the startup include a current website for the business, a headquarters in Germany and necessary legal documentation for the startup.OPTIONS TO RAISE FUNDS FEES ON SEEDMATCHAs mentioned briefly before, the startup listing its project on Seedmatch needs to have a minimum capital requirement of 100,000 Euro. The minimum amount that can be invested is 250 Euro and on average each investor puts in about 600 Euro. This minimum investment amount ensures that even an amateur investor takes the time to assess the viability of the project itself. This is also why the company needs to provide detailed information about its business model and viability backed by facts and figures and not just marketing jargon.A commission fee is charged by Seedmatch on all successful crowdfunding rounds. This fee is between 5 and 10 percent of the total funded amount. Any transaction costs for the transfer of funds is also charged only if a round of funding was a success.HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON SEEDMATCHStarting Crowdfunding on SeedmatchApplicationThe first step to listing a campaign on Se edmatch is to send the company introduction to the pitch desk. There are specific structures and formats to follow for this pitch. Once the pitch is sent in, it is evaluated internally first to assess whether the idea is viable for a crowdfunding platform. A response is usually received within 10 to 15 business days. If the feedback is positive and the idea deemed viable, the next step is to send in detailed documentation. This includes a business plan among other information. Once this is also approved, the startup is then invited to Seedmatch for a physical meeting where the business concept is discussed along with the details of the funding execution. The aim of the meeting is also to get to know the startup and for a startup to get to know the team at Seedmatch. When there are no further issues to clarify or work on, work is done on closing a funding agreement and the 4 to 6 week preparation process is initiated.Setting Up the CampaignThe point of the campaign is to tell investo rs the story of the company. The website provides support here by providing comprehensive structures that can be used to introduce a business concept. An important aspect of this introduction is a presentation video which can help give an authentic and enthusiastic image of the startup team to the investors. Seedmatch helps startups develop these if needed.Inviting People Once a profile page of information is created, funding can begin. It is up to the startup team to create a buzz and invite people to the fund page. This can be done through friends and family networks on social media outlets. The more people that hear about the campaign, the more likely the chances of reaching funding goals.Funding ConclusionOnce the target amount is reached, or a specific period of time passed, the funding round will be concluded. Investor relations can be managed through the same account on Seedmatch for the long term. It is important to keep the investors in the loop for your achievements, succe ss and even setbacks through regular reports. Continued advice and feedback can also be sought as different stages of the project are achieved. These investors should not be treated merely as a source of capital but as members of an extended team for the project, whose belief in a project is rewarded through involvement.Finding Investors on SeedmatchInvestors are generally attracted to startups that are able to:Showcase a product or service that is unique, innovative and with a clear USP.Provide accurate statements and facts about the business idea, business model and potential viability of this idea.Provide structured information in a clear and engaging way with the right graphics, the right photos and the right videos. Differentiation is key to remaining foremost in the minds of a potential investor as they go through multiple projects on the website.Demonstrate the advantages of their project and business model.Mistakes to AvoidA few basic mistakes to avoid when using Seedmatch t o fund a project include the following:Don’t make claims without facts â€" Users who donate to projects tend to question what they read and there should not be claims or marketing phrases that cannot be supported by facts.Don’t give unnecessary details â€" There is often a tendency by the project team to put too much information and long descriptions in their introduction. It is a better practice to keep the information provided brief and relevant. This can help capture and retain investor interest.Don’t forget to communicate with investors â€" More successful crowdfunded projects have usually had teams that were able to build a relationship through relevant communication with the right investors and potential customers.Don’t make errors in spelling and grammar â€" The profile presented by a project or startup is the investment offer to the outside world. This offer should be as perfect as possible and any errors in this presentation can end up separating the successes from the failures.SEEDMATCH SUCCESS STORIESSome of the most successful campaigns on Seedmatch include:ProtonetThe Product.  Protonet is a small server and private cloud. The product is targeted towards individual consumers and small businesses. Both a hardware and software solution, the product aims to help make the setup of a home network and server easier. According to the company, Protonet is a ‘one button social infrastructure and private cloud.’ The company has placed a lot of emphasis on design and usability of their product.The Campaign.  The project was listed on Seedmatch for crowdfunding. It managed to generate a record amount of 1 Million Euro in just 4 hours, unbeaten as of now on any crowdfunding platform. The total amount generated for the product was 3 Million Euro.Current Situation.  The company managed to raise money beyond expectations during its crowdfunding campaign. This means that there is more chance of a quicker product development and international expansion. The company had planned to push beyond German speaking countries in the middle of 2015, but are now in the financial position to do so much sooner. More on the Protonet success can be found here. BonaverdeThe Product.  The product is described as the world’s first roast-brew-grind coffee machine. The product claims to turn green, unroasted beans into freshly brewed coffee in under 14 minutes. Unroasted beans stay fresh longer than pre roasted ones. Therefore, the company is basing its business proposition on this enhanced flavor. When it launched officially, the company also aims to serve as an online marketplace for raw beans, connecting farmers to the end user.The Campaign.  The company is running several crowdfunding campaigns across various platforms. Their campaign on Seedmatch is ongoing, with over 1.2 Million Euro already collected.Current Situation.  The company has preorders worldwide through its other reward based crowdfunding campaigns. With capital still being raised, progress has yet to be seen. There has been some recent unhappiness from backers because of post campaign redesign of the product. Details can be found here. AoterraThe Product.  The product aims to provide heating and hot water using wasted heat from running servers. The end result is a powerful, decentralized, green solution. The project is now known as Cloud and Heat. The company identified two sources of revenue for itself: the sale of the heating equipment for free heat output and cloud services.The Campaign.  The campaign raised 1 million Euro in 2013. This was the first project to raise a million Euro for Seedmatch.Current Situation.  The company is now on its second round of funding via Seedmatch to further grow the business. The details of this campaign can be found here.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

The Death Of The World - 1733 Words

Ali strolled in on a colleague, likewise a decent companion that has worked with for as far back as five years his name is Adie, his taking diazepam, a drug used in the treatment of anxiety or muscle spasms. Adie expressed that he had forgotten to carry his own prescribed ones in a hurry to get to work that day, and he could not skip his scheduled time to take the drug. Adie is asking Ali not to say anything to anybody and guarantees it was just a one-time thing, and it could never happen again. Ali believes him and chooses not to educate anybody concerning what simply happened. At that point a month later Ali see him taking another dose of diazepam, putting them in his pocket without checking with anyone and minutes after Ali see him go into the toilet. Recollecting the occurrence that happened the last month before, Ali went in into the toilet not long after he has gone in and a wrapping of diazepam was found. Ali chooses not to let him know he had seen all the happenings. Resolving the dilemma with NMC code of ethics As an authorized professional medical attendant would be the main individual included in settling on the choice on regardless of whether to report your associate’s activities, being as you were the only one who saw the occasion (Garwood-Gowers, Tingle, Wheat, 2010). NMC code of conduct that states respect people s right to privacy and confidentiality (NMC, 2015), according to the dilemma Adie is asking Ali not to say anything to anybody,Show MoreRelatedThe World : The Death Of The World766 Words   |  4 Pageschange the lives of every being on this world. Falling through the sky, a chunk of high tech scrap breaks down pieces tearing off and becoming molten, as a life of sorts insides tries desperately to survive. All effort goes in vain as the hunk of hull has no way of being controlled. Heading for the peak of the biggest mountain in the continent, the now house sized chunk hits the mountain side with enough force to be felt on the other side of the world. As fate would haveRead MoreThe Death Of The World1165 Words   |  5 Pagesdistraction from my impending death. â€Å"Let go† is all I hear. Initially to me that means letting go of life, but my hand begins to feel a weight so profound it’s as if the universe was in the palm of my hand. The realization sets in that it is only the stone I carry around. The stone is familiar, comforting and smooth with the continuous wear of being in my possession. Is this what drowns me, what holds me back, what is causing me to sink further away from the world? As if I’m cutting a piece of myRead MoreThe Death Of The World1730 Words   |  7 PagesDeath removes a person, but sometimes it adds more in their place. It was cold when we first found out. Specifically, it was thanksgiving of 2010, late November and cold, but not quite winter. It was cold when he finally passed too. Mid October this time though, so maybe it wasn’t really cold, it just felt barren and unforgiving to me. Kind of like winter makes you feel. It still feels like winter sometimes when I remember that bitter time. My grandpa was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer whenRead MoreThe Death Of The Western World2220 Words   |  9 Pagesand more refined enjoyments than the sordid realities which the world now offered†¦ This quote, recorded by Richard Hartley Kennedy, a 19th century British surgeon living in British India exemplifies the almost macabre fascination with the Hindu rite of widow burning known as Sati that the Western World has developed over the course of the last several hundred years. Perhaps, this morbid obsession originated with the Western World seeing in Sati a Romeo and Juliette like expression of true loveRead MoreDeath Of The Ancient World2949 Words   |  12 PagesDeath. Something that no one wants to think about much less encounter. Yet we all must come face to face with death in some way or another. The whole process of losing a loved one and taking care of the remains made me wonder why we honor the dead the way we do. Why do we bury them or burn them? What dictates that religion, environment, culture? What is the point of doing anything at all for the dead? To honor their memory or ease the pain for those left behind? Death in the ancient world held aRead MoreThe New Wo rld Of Death1584 Words   |  7 Pagesmy comrades and I set out on this day for our homeland. I do not perceive Ithaca as being far away physically, albeit the mental endeavour seems as if it will carry into eternity, or until the end of the world. As if it cannot exist anymore, and reality becomes only a speck in a vast world of death. As if a whirlpool of thought, emotion, and sound are suddenly whisked away into a small funnel and absorbed elsewhere. A concept I can imagine, yes, but I cannot describe simply. It is a thing of imaginationRead MoreDeath Penalty Is Not A World Of Unknown Essay1087 Words   |  5 PagesThe sun is overshadowed today with the cloud of death lingering in the air. Everything is somber, watching a man prepare to take his last breath in the name of justice. As the clock ticks away to the man’s fate, so do his crimes. For the crimes he committed can’t be forgiven and shall be given the justice of the ancient times. The life for a life shall be commenced as the clock ticks his final moments. As the countdown ends, the world watches the man’s last breath. The man is dead and justice hasRead MoreShort Story : The Death Of The World708 Words   |  3 Pageswaters terrified me, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from them. The tidal waves rammed against the walls of my shelter, scaring me to death. While the cement structure held its place, the slithering water snaked through any openings and filled the stories one by one. Just like the construction beneath me, my own mind was starting to flood with thoughts of death. My sturdy shelter no longer made me feel secure. Instead, I felt frailer than ever. I wished this nightmare would just end. Though theRead MoreCancer : The Leading Cause Death Of The World Essay1558 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world. An astounding average of 1.6 million deaths occur due to lung cancer every year, making it the most common type of cancer worldwide (1). Lung cancer is broadly classified into two types: small cell and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). 85% of all lung cancer cases are NSCLC. NSCLC has several different histologic subtypes, some of which are: squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Of the three, adenocarcinomaRead MoreDeath Is The World s Universal Fear910 Words   |  4 PagesDeath is the world’s universal fear. The majority, if not the entirety, dread the day of their personal reckoning. Affirmed by the studies of creditable psychologists, people become heavily motivated by anxiety for their own mortality (Thagard, 2012), harboring particular rationales for fearing its end. It be clear, apprehension of death gravitates towards the extremely real possibility of unachieved accomplishments and an uncertainty of a hereafter (Quincy, 2007). But at the same time, what happens

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Downsizing Of The American Penal System - 1474 Words

Literature Review Downsizing From the 1920s to the early 1970s the United States was experiencing a state of stability when it comes to the American Penal System. Murayama (1970) speaks on the American penal system, her main focus when taking a look at the system was the issue of mass incarceration. Murayama (1970, pp 629) states that since 1970 the number of people that are incarcerated has quadrupled. As a result of this corrections experts that were both inside and outside government began to emphasize two major goals for the American penal system. First was to address the concern about rehabilitation and second was to find a way to stabilize the size of the U.S. prison system. A National Advisory Commission report from 1973 was†¦show more content†¦The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was signed into law President Clinton in an attempt to reduce crime. The Act called for 100,000 new officers, $9.7 billion budget for prisons and $6.1 billion in funding for programs that are des igned for prevention of crimes which were designed with significant input from experienced police officers. (1998) Currently there are 2.2 million adults in the U.S. penal population which is the largest in the world. Slightly under twenty-five percent of the world s prisoners are held in American prisons. The rate that americans are being incarceration is 5 to 10 times higher than the rates in areas Western Europe and other democracies. (2014, pp 3) Travis states that the American prison population is mostly composed of individuals that are consider â€Å"disadvantaged part† of the nation s population. These type of people included men under age 40, minority, and poorly educated. (pp 6) The growth of incarceration in the United States during four decades has prompted numerous critiques and a growing body of scientific knowledge about what prompted the rise and what its consequences have been for the people imprisoned, their families and communities, and for U.S. society. (p p. 11-12) Types of Crimes Brown states that people are deeply concerned that the Justice system is locking individuals up for petty crimes such as jaywalking. Brown made it clear that he was against the use/need for

Sarbanes Oxley Act Research Paper free essay sample

Abstract The purpose of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities law, and for other purposes. (Lander, 2004) The Act created new standards for public companies and accounting firms to abide by. After multiple business failures due to fraudulent activities and embezzlement at companies such as Enron Sarbanes and Oxley recognized a need for the revamping of our financial systems laws, rules and regulations. Thus, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was born. II. Background/Purpose The Sarbanes Oxley Act was signed into law on July 30, 2002 by then President George W. Bush. After major scandals involving multiple large firms embezzling funds, two Senators took on the task of revamping the financial system criteria to the laws in place currently. Senator Paul Sarbanes was a Democrat representing the state of Maryland in the United States Senate for thirty years. In 2002, he was the Senate sponsor of the Sarbanes Oxley Act which was unanimously passed 99-0 in the 100-member Senate. Michael Oxley was a Republican representing the state of Ohio in the House of Representatives, while a member Oxley served as the chairman of the Committee of Financial Services. Oxley was the House of Representatives sponsor of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which passed overwhelmingly with a 423-3 vote in 2002. After the Act was put into law both retired from their positions. (Institute, 2010) The Sarbanes- Oxley Act was established to revitalize investor’s belief that the financial market is a sound body and uncorrupt. The Act focuses primarily on large public firms in light of failing corporate giants such as Enron, which incurred over 1. 2 billion dollars in debt and had to file bankrupt. Looking deeper into the Enron scandal, the company created subsidiary organizations (that were named after Star War characters) to hide its financial dismay and declining financial status. As a result of these careless gestures stakeholders for Enron suffered juristically, their stock value plummeted and anyone with an investment in Enron lost big time. The corporate level executives were aware of this upcoming judgment day and failed to report to their investors or employees. Enron’s stock price peaked at $90 per share which raised flags about there being no supporting evidence behinds these claims of financial superiority. First, Forbes released an article questioning the stock prices without evidence and then Vice President of Corporate Development blew the whistle and exposed Enron and all of its upper managements wrong doing. Parties involved lost everything, but the major players were penalized by fines or jail time. Kadlec, 2002)The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was put in place to control the public dismay along with preventing this massive injustice to Americans and our financial system from happening in the future. III. Economic Impact Our economy has become increasingly complex and is expanding beyond our country’s creators imagined. Our financial system cannot function properly without the guidelines put in place by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, it’s a wonder our economy has functioned until its creation. There is no telling what amount of fraud or embezzlement has taken place since the creation of our country’s financial structure without these guidelines. Accounting principles set in place by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act maintain the credibility of the accounting profession and financial system as a whole; it serves as a checks and balances mechanism. The biggest change in result of SOX was the creation of the Public Company Oversight Board which provides oversight for auditors of public companies establishes auditing and quality control standards for public company audits and performs inspections of the quality controls at audit firms performing those audits. Arens, Elder, Beasley, 2013) Another particular â€Å"game changing† piece of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is Section 404 which created unprecedented requirements regarding reporting internal control procedures. (Green, 2004) IV. Requirements for Publicly Traded Companies Public companies issuing securities, public accounting firms, and firms providing auditing services whether they are domestic or foreign must comply with Sarbanes-Oxley. (Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404, 2002) Additionally, publicly traded companies with a market capitalization greater than $75 million must comply with these new rules.(Don E. Garner, 2008) A company’s management is required to provide an external auditor with all financial statements for the current review period. Upon reviewing these statements the auditor issues a report classified as unqualified, unqualified with explanation, qualified, adverse, or disclaimer based on what they find or do not find. All public companies reports are availab le on the Securities Exchange Committees website, below is a sample of what this report looks like. You can imagine what a relief this was for investors, to be able to search any company and find statements solidifying their prospective investment. Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm The Board of Directors and Shareholders of McDonald’s Corporation We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of McDonald’s Corporation as of  December  31, 2012  and  2011, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended  December  31, 2012. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of McDonald’s Corporation at  December  31, 2012  and  2011, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended  December  31, 2012, in conformity with  U. S. generally accepted accounting principles. We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), McDonald’s Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of  December  31, 2012, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated  February  25, 2013, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. ERNST YOUNG LLP Chicago, Illinois February  25, 2013 McDonalds Corporation  2012 Annual Report  45 Young, 2013) In its annual report, the Company must report on internal controls over its financial reporting. Four key elements must be included in this report: Statement of Responsibility by Company Management (the CEO and CFO) for establishing and maintaining an adequate internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting. Secondly, Statement identifying the framework used by management to evaluate the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Managements Assessment of the effectiveness of Internal Controls over financial reporting. Lastly, Attestation by the companys external auditor on Managements assessment of the effectiveness of the companys internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. (Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404, 2002) V. Impact on Company Costs/Market Implementing SOX requirements can be particularly costly to qualifying companies. In addition to being responsible for the entire audit cost, they are responsible for implementing and updated an internal controls system. The Act imposes heavy penalties for all that do not remain in compliance. Slaughter, 2012) After the Enron scandal investors were extremely weary with their investments SOX had a two part effect on the market. First, the authors of the bill intended to give investors’ confidence in a previously broken market. Second, the law aimed to cut short opportunities for companies to defraud institutional and individual investors. The Sarbanes Oxley Act inadvertently may have shrunk the market, by setting these requirements they discouraged some small and medium sized businesses from going public to avoid these extra costs. Additionally, this act has kept away some of the foreign business’ because of all of the regulation associated with being a public firm in the United States. VI. Effectiveness Sarbanes-Oxley is effective as it was created to be. SOX was not created to put an all-out stop to fraudulent activity, but to monitor and control it as much as possible. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is underrated in my opinion; it put a major stop to these horrifying activities of corporate level executives thinking they can just ride off into the sunset with other people’s money. The Act holds these people and their organizations accountable and has an actual protocol how companies should be reviewed and what the consequences are for non-complying companies. Although costly to businesses this is what is best for the financial market and the investors for work together and thrive. Paul Regan, president of accountancy Hemming Morse in San Francisco and a pioneer forensic accountant, notes that â€Å"there’s still plenty of fraud. But if we didn’t have Sarbanes-Oxley, the misstatements would be significantly worse. † (Curtis C.Verschoor, 2012) Barbara Roper, director of investor protection at the Consumer Federation of America, expresses reservations about the law’s efficiency â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley has clearly enhanced the integrity of the financial markets and the quality of financial reporting,† she says. â€Å"My criticism is that the reforms are being eroded. It’s chugging along but still facing challenges. † ( Office, 2006) Works Cited Arens, A. A. , Elder, R. J. , Beasley, M. S. (2013). Auditing and Assurance Services. Old Tappan, NJ: Pearson Education. Curtis C. Verschoor, C. (2012, September 05). Has Sox Been Successful?

Thursday, April 23, 2020

USC Receives Largest Increase in Applicants in 20 Years

University of Southern California has always been one of the most competitive universities in the US. This year, the competition got ever tougher. USC received a total of 64,000 applications for the Class of 2022. That’s a 14% increase from the 56,000 applications the university received the year before. It’s the largest applicant pool USC has ever had, and the largest percentage increase the university has seen in the last 20 years. The large applicant pool means the admissions office has no choice but to force the acceptance rate even lower. This year 8,200 students were offered admissions to be a part of the USC Class of 2022. USC acceptance rate dropped by 3% from last year to an all-time-low 13% acceptance rate. Last year, USC’s freshmen class size was 3,358 with a 37.1% yield. USC should expect a similar class size, with the hopes of boosting their percentage yield. The accepted students this year are diverse and high-achieving. The accepted students of the Class of 2022 has an average unweighted GPA of 3.86, and 1 in 7 of them are the first in their family to go to college. 26% are from underrepresented minorities (black, Latino, Native American, and some who reported multiple ethnicities), 25% Asian, 16% Latino and 6% African American. Additionally, 17% of the accepted students are international students from China, South Korea, Canada, India, Brazil and more. Congratulations to the USC Class of 2022! We’re excited to see what you do as a USC Trojan. Whether you got into your dream school or not, your admissions experience is valuable and we want to feature your application story. Join otherUSC Admitsand turn your success into insights for future applicants bycreating a profile. Plus, you get to earn some extra money!