Many people think that they can get all the nutrients they need by following a healthy diet plan or on the other hand they believe it doesn’t matter what they eat as long as they take their multi vitamin tablet each day. Well unfortunately in both these scenarios their overall nutritional status will come up short.As a result of over processing and over planting the food we eat today has considerably less nutritional value than food we ate in the 20′s and 30′s, the only way an individual can really achieve a high nutritional status from their diet would be to eat 100% organic, this includes meat, milk, veggies, fruits and grains, a pretty difficult and expensive commitment.Alternatively just relying on a multivitamin and mineral nutritional supplement tablet may also leave the body wanting for more nutrition. The over all bioavailability of a tablet is questionable as is the potency. So how does one achieve optimum nutrition and not go broke? A quality nutritional supplement powder.Following a healthy diet plan is a good start, try to include organic when possible and limit the amount of processed foods you consume, knowing that not only are they not adding much nutritional value they often can contribute to the nutritional drain. But one of the easiest and economical things you can do to ensure optimum nutrition is to include a complete multi vitamin and mineral nutritional supplements powder as a regular part of your daily routine.Unlike tablets or pills, the powder form is high potency and easy for your body to digest and absorb. Nutritional supplements can play a significant role in ensuring your best nutritional status, by combining with a healthy diet plan you can rest assured you are doing what you can to stay at the top of your game.
Pharmacy Degree Education Options
Degree training opportunities are available for those looking to gain an education in the field of pharmacy. An education in this specific field will allow students to pursue a number of careers. Those who desire to be technicians, assistants, and pharmacists can gain the skills needed to enter the workforce. Students looking to enroll in an accredited school or college can do so to obtain a variety of degrees in this field. Pharmacy degree education options are available at an associates, bachelors, masters, and doctorates degree level.Associates degree training programs provide students with the means to obtain the education they desire. An education in pharmacy at an associate’s level will take students around two years to complete. Students will have the opportunity to study a variety of subjects including:Math
Physics
Humanities
With an accredited education at an associates level students can enter into careers working with:
Hospitals
Department stores
PharmaciesEducational programs at this level will allow students to decide if this is the career for them. An associate’s degree will prepare student who wish to obtain a bachelors degree in the field.Graduate degree programs include both a master’s degree and a doctorates degree. Students can earn these degrees in pharmacy from a number of accredited schools and colleges. A masters or doctorates degree typically takes students an additional two to four years of study to obtain. With either of these programs students will have the opportunity to learn:Pharmaceutical sciences
Communication
CalculusStudents who choose to earn a masters or doctorates degree in the field can look forward to working for:Pharmaceutical manufacturers
Government agencies
Health insurance companies
Colleges and universitiesGraduate degree training programs are available to assist students in preparing for the career of their dreams. With an education at a masters or doctorates level students will receive the pharmacy training needed for a lifelong career.With a bachelors degree program from an accredited school or college students can gain the knowledge needed for the career they desire. Degree programs at this level allow students to receive their training and degree in just four years. Students can learn biology, chemistry, business management, and more. Students can also complete health care training, recordkeeping, and terminology. The skills students can obtain at a bachelors level of study will help them to gain employment as pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, and pharmacy assistants. With a degree at this level students can train for various careers in the field. A bachelors degree can help put students into the working world or enter into a graduate degree program.Students looking to enter a career in the field of pharmacy will need to obtain a license in order to practice. Students will need to study for and pass the required examinations in order to receive their license. A variety of states also require that pharmacy assistant students pass a certification examination. With an accredited educational training program students can gain the knowledge and skills needed to enter into the career they desire in the field of pharmacy. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education ( http://www.acpe-accredit.org/ ) can approve quality pharmacy degree programs for full accreditation.DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?
There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.
In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.
But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.
Different Types of Financing
One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.
Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.
But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.
Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.
Alternative Financing Solutions
But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:
1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.
3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.
In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:
It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.
A Precious Commodity
Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).
Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.
Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?