Upon getting information about an upcoming school science fair and the need to consider a topic of interest, many students will typically have no idea where to get started. While the science fair is typically a common occurrence in any school at any grade level, there are different types of topics that should be taken a look at depending on the age of the student. After first taking a look at the many different categories of science projects, you will be able to locate a suitable choice of topic to take to the next level.There is a wide variety of categories that fall under the types of science projects that can be chosen for a school science fair. These include biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, environmental, mathematics, engineering, and earth science. While you may not have yet learned very much in any of these categories, don’t be afraid to see what each one entails. Taking a good look at your interests will allow you to focus on the right direction to take.Many resources are also available for those who are unsure as to the topic they are wanting to use to create their science projects. If you take a look at the topics that fall under the biology category, you will likely notice that there are topics that deal with plants, animals, and humans. For those who are in 2nd grade or 3rd grade, an interesting topic may be to determine if ants are picky over what type of food they eat. While this topic might not be of interest to an 8th grader, it is certainly something in the biology category that an elementary school student would enjoy.Along with the biology category, a high school student may want to take a look at diffusion and osmosis in animal cells as this would be a more appropriate topic for the grade level. A student in 6th grade would be more advanced than an elementary school student, but not as advanced as a high school student. At this middle school grade level, a topic of how pH levels effect the lifespan of a tadpole may be of interest.Whichever resource is used to locate a topic for science projects, it is always a good idea to consider the grade level of the student prior to making a selection. It is always assumed to be best to have a project at an appropriate level in order to keep the attention of the student and provide a fun and enjoyable learning experience.
What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime
What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.
As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.
That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.
Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.
Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.
Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.
Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.
That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.
Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.
Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.
My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.
Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.
And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.
All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:
• Farm eggs
• Fresh vegetables
• Cow’s milk
• Freshly baked bread
• Coal for our open fires
Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.
Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.
Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.
Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.
My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.
The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.
Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.
Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.
People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.
In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.
Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.
• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.
• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.
• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.
On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.
Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.
We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.
Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.
My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.
4 Tips To Managing Your Business Loan’s Interest Rate
How can you or your business better manage its current interest rates?Four tips:1) Should You Have A Loan In The First Place?Interest rates are essentially a cost of doing business. Thus, just like any other cost to your company, if your interest rate is too high compared to the returns that those funds will bring in via increased revenue or through cost savings – then you are better off not taking the loan in the first place.What better way to manage high interest rates then not to have to pay them.And, if you already have the loan in place (say to buy some new equipment or inventory), if the loan is costing more than it is worth to the business sell off those assets and pay back the loan. It will be better for your business in the long run.2) Understanding Your Interest Rate:Most rates are based on some risk profile of the borrower. Either credit history, cash flow realization or use of funds.Think about it. A borrower realizes that running a business is not all that easy and simply walks away from their business loan. That is a big risk especially in this economy.Or, a business’s cash flow is barely enough to cover the loan payment to begin with then has a slow revenue period. Will that business be able to make the next loan payment?Or, a borrower wants funding to open a new online business. But, that business is an online gambling site that could be shut down by the government at any time.If you understand how and why lenders price loans, then you can work to mitigate those risk factors (like improving your credit and cash flow or running a legitimate business).Thus, you take away their reasons to charge a high rate or increase your interest rate. Even if you have already taken the loan, when your situation improves, go back to the negotiation table and threaten to take your business elsewhere.You can only help yourself through knowledge.3) Protect Yourself Before You Take The Loan:Small increases in interest rates really should not effect your payment all that much (unless it is for very short-term loans like under 12 months).Example: Let’s say you have a $100,000 business loan at 8% for 3 years. Then, your rate increases to 10%. Your monthly payment will rise less than $100 per payment. Not great but not really all that bad either. Here is why:When making your decision to take a loan, you should always understand what you are getting in return for that new cost. If a $100,000 loan costs you $12,000 over three years in interest, then those funds should return much more to your company over that same period. If it does not, you should not take the loan.But, you should also create a buffer in your revenue estimates especially if you know the economy is in a rising interest rate environment.It your rate does not rise, then that is pure benefit to your company. But, if it does, you are protected or have managed for it.Let’s say your business requires a 30% return on investment and a $100,000 loan will cost you $12,000 over its life. Thus, your company needs to realize some $145,000 to achieve that 30% ($100,000 in principle with the remaining to cover your interest costs and return requirement). Thus, you make sure or look for projects that will return at least that amount.Or, if you think your rate will rise or we are in a poor economy like we are now, then add a cushions. Only accept or look for projects that will return $150,000 or more. Thus, your interest rate can rise a few percentage points and your business will still realize that 30% return.The goal here is to manage your interest with your decision before you request any outside debt or funding by picking the right projects or getting a business loan for the right situation only.4) Paying More:You can always manage your overall interest rate by paying more in principal. Thus, instead of paying more in interest over the life of the loan to your lender; work to reduce the principal that they can charge interest against.A $100,000 business loan at 10% for three years has a payment of $3,227. And, if you pay the loan out, your total interest would be $16,162.But, if you add a little extra to your payment each month (say $580 or 18% increase in your payment) then your overall interest for the life of the loan would drop to $12,811 – essentially making your interest rate 8% (not 10%).Here, you are paying more to reduce principal (to your benefit) then to your interest (their benefit).Further, you end up paying off the loan 7 months earlier.The higher your interest rate gets (say with a variable rate that keeps rising), the more benefit paying additional principal will help.The bottom line is that in a rising interest rate environment, your will pay more. But, you can also manage your business loans to ensure that what you do have to pay is being paid to your benefit and not just going to your financial company.