Pros and Cons of Home Study Distance Learning Courses

March 8th, 2010 by admin No comments »



Have you been looking into improving your education but can’t quite decide whether a distance learning home study course or evening classes at a nearby college would be best for you. You will get a whole raft of both positive and negative opinions from whomever you ask.

Rumours are rife that so called distance learning schools are nothing more than well organised scams designed to separate gullible people from their cash. You will often hear that employers do not consider the diplomas that they offer, to be a genuine qualification While there is some truth in statements like these, you will be surprised at just how often these ideas turn out to be nothing more than urban legends.

So, let us separate the wood from the trees so to speak.


No doubt, you have read stories about politicians or prominent business people who have paid good money for their higher education degrees from a diploma mill. The story becomes the main topic of conversation on the TV and in the newspapers for a few days and then it is back to business as usual. Although this does happen from time to time, more often than not, this is not the case.

Finding out if the distance learning institution has accreditation is the most important thing to establish early on. Degrees and diplomas from accredited institutions are readily accepted by employers as legitimate. Ultimately, unless you tell them otherwise, the employer will not know that you obtained your diploma via an online training course. All he knows is that you successfully completed all the required requirements for your degree. There is nothing printed on the diploma and more often than not the employer will not ask to see it anyway.

Something else that you may think or have been told about distance learning is that it is easier than sitting in a classroom. This is simply not true. If you don’t have the required self-discipline needed for distance learning, you may in fact find home study more difficult. At the end of the day, the course is going to cover the same material whether you study at home or in a classroom. That is what academic accreditation is there for.

In any case, your assigned instructor plays a crucial role in how well you do as well as how much and how fast you learn. With that in mind, you should make a point of finding out all you can about the tutors involved with the distance-learning program. Their history and reputation should give you a good idea how well you might do.

Can credits be transferred from one school to another?


If you have started a distance learning program and want to move to a new school, you should be able to take earned credits with you. Once again, accreditation is the key. On the assumption that both your distance learning institution and your new school are both accredited, your official transcript will go through the same review process. Although some credits may not transfer, most will. As already pointed out, it is very much in your own interests to do as much research as possible before embarking on a distance learning course.

How much quicker will I complete my degree course with distance learning?

It all depends on the type of person you are and your own personal learning pace. Home study allows you the advantage of learning at your own speed rather than the set pace of classroom tuition. If something is easy for you then go ahead and breeze through it. Ultimately, you are the one that is in control.

By: Alan Kenyon

Feasibility Study for Small Business: The First Step towards Success

March 5th, 2010 by admin No comments »



A feasibility study way before laying down the foundation of a business, especially a small one, is a must. This is because a small business owner cannot afford to make mistakes. A small folly can cost him a fortune, setting the business in doldrums even before it sets off.

To begin with, think what you want to gain from the business. If you intend to manufacture products of a particular category, you may wish to market it efficiently, so that the business generates profits. To market the products well, you need to position them in the right market. Remember just talking to a few people in the industry would not be enough. You may have to talk to thousands of people and obtain expert advice on whether your business plans will work.

After studying, the market you will have to set prices for your different product categories carefully. You cannot price your products more than what the buying power of the public in the particular area that you have targeted. So, fix a price that the masses will be willing to pay. All these details must be a part of your feasibility report. Let us find out what a feasibility study is and how to go about it.

What is a Feasibility Study?

Feasibility study refers to the research that determines the viability of one’s business plan. It is market report comprising various details on the preferences of the consumers, consumer habits and their buying power, and the competition that the new business is likely to face in the targeted area.

Make a feasibility Report:

You can hire the services of a consultant who can make a feasibility report for you. These companies use various methods like – Internet, surveys, industrial seminars and conference, and much literature is available on the subject to create the perfect feasibility report for you. If the industry you intend to get into is well defined such as toy manufacturing, you can use ready reports conducted by the national professional organization. If not, you may also seek professional services of the consultants who can give you relevant advice on necessary business tactics after studying the market trends.

Importance of Feasibility Study:

It determines the potential of the market where a product is set to sell. A feasibility study gives a business planner insight into whether the product is required in the market, and if yes, then will the consumers afford to buy it at the price determined. This survey can prove significantly important in formulating price strategies for a company’s products or services, which is a determinant of a business’ success.

By: Alexander Gordon

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Business Plan – Sample Case Study

March 2nd, 2010 by admin No comments »



Many Entrepreneurs toil over writing their business plan and they very much stress over writing the executive summary. So, let me give you some advice. First write out a rough draft executive summary and do not worry about its perfection. Why?

Well, because after the business plan is completed you will no doubt end up re-writing it anyway, thus it pays to make a general outline for your business plan and write your executive summary as a guide, all the while realizing you will change it later. Below is a sample Executive Summary for a Hygiene product called Teeth Wipes, a product originally conceived by Charles Shooster Ph.D. in the 1990’s.

Teeth Wipes

Executive Summary

(Rough Draft – Editing Copy)

In Today’s extremely fast paced society more and more people are neglecting their personal hygiene – brushing teeth takes time and there is not always a toothbrush handy. The emphasis on desire for appearance is evident from the movie star role models on TV to the average person on the street. This mass media incited phenomena in human populations and their desire to look their best and feel good is World Wide. Our product Teeth Wipes, a registered Trademark [1997], fulfills the desires of people to look good and have a fresh clean smile all the time.

Currently one-thirds of Chinese Citizens smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day and the number is growing – their teeth are stained yellow. In the United States and First World Nations there simply there is no time to brush our teeth after each meal, nor is it even feasible. Teeth Wipes clean teeth instantly and add fresh breath that lasts for 1 to 3 hours or more on each use, allowing the mouth to feel refreshed and clean with peppermint flavor.

Unique opportunities for distribution include Restaurants or after Airline meals. Many alternative distribution options allow us to move quickly and inexpensively in the market place without high marketing costs or paying outrageous fees for shelf space at the top Grocery Retailers. Teeth Wipes will also be sold in Vending Machines at Airports, Bus Terminals and Travel Centers. Our product is needed everywhere here on Earth and in space with NASA Astronauts. When water supplies are shut off or damaged from the Catastrophic forces of Mother Nature, Teeth Wipes can be distributed for rescue crews and those receiving vital aid from FEMA.

With two special formulas, one with the standard thymol, menthol and sodium fluoride solution it becomes a plaque and tooth decay inhibitor the other an organic blend without fluoride. This allows us to sell Teeth Wipes in Organic Food Markets and in Multi-Level Marketing Online Catalogs, where the MLM company can offer it to its 100,000s of thousands of distributors.

We will use direct telephone selling to purchasing agents and buyers of retail chains with an online video demonstration to secure sales and then keep costs down by automating the ordering process online. This low-cost disposable product will entitle our company to with on-going revenues as customer awareness and satisfaction grows.

We will solicit $200,000 in capital from a few investors and give them 20% of the founding stock of the company. This initial capital will be used to prime the pump with 200,000 “Teeth Wipe” pre-packaged units ready to be shipped, as well as for website development for secured transactions by credit card and commissions to salespeople who will call upon lists of retail industry buyers from such groups as:

Vending Machine AssociationsNational Association of Purchasing ManagementNational Restaurant AssociationC-Store News and AssociationRecreational Camping AssociationMulti-Level-Marketing Companies Future line extension of Teeth Wipes include “Infant Teeth Wipes” and “Pet Teeth Wipes” for Dogs, Horses and other important animals.

Our nearest competitor Oral-B is selling their “Brush Ups” product, which is somewhat similar in a package of 12 for $8.99 retail. At this price point they are missing the masses in the market place, which we intend to take as our loyal customers.

Lastly, we see a huge market for military use around the world, especially with deployments into regions of the World where water is scarce such as Africa or the Middle East or where the water has been compromised due to biological warfare or previously destroyed infrastructure in the battlespace.

Our goals are to start without high expenditures and to use our capital wisely and as cash flow while stacking up sales volumes to lower our costs, generate income and make a profit. Any questions?

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As you can see this is a rough draft, which was written prior to the completed business plan. It is not perfect of course and that is purposeful. So, stop worry and start writing your business plan, do not let the little things cause procrastination, as there is no room for hesitation in an entrepreneurial company. Think on this.

By: Lance Winslow