Amazon Self-Publishing Royalties Heres What You Need to Know

Amazon Self-Publishing Royalties Heres What You Need to Know Amazon Self-Publishing Royalties and Costs: Here's What You Need to Know If you’re reading this post, you’re probably already familiar with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon’s self-publishing service for indie authors. But you may be somewhat less familiar with the mechanics of Amazon self-publishing royalties: how much authors get paid, when they receive payments, and of course, how much Amazon takes out of those payments for things like printing/delivery costs.We’ll answer cover all these topics and more in our pithy primer on Amazon self-publishing costs and royalties! Let’s start with one of the most commonly asked questions, for KDP authors wondering when they can expect their share of profits. Everything you ever wanted to know about Amazon royalties! 🠤‘ When does Amazon pay royalties to authors? 🕑Amazon starts paying royalties 60 days after the first sale is made, with further payments coming through every month. Depending on where you do your banking, you can elect to be paid through direct deposit - also known as Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) - wire transfer, or check. However, no matter which avenue you go down, there’s no way to receive your royalties any sooner than 60 days. So if you have bills to pay, make sure you’re not counting on your royalties coming in right away.In terms of which payment method is best for you, you should know that there’s no payment threshold for direct deposit. For check and wire payments, you’ll be paid only after you make a certain amount in royalties (for instance, $100 in USD and CAD and  £100 in the UK). See the full list of payment thresholds here.Now let’s talk about the program’s ebook and print royalty plans - which, as you can imagine , are pretty different from one another.How do ebook royalties work? 📠±Amazon offers two ebook royalty plans: the 70% option and the 35% option. To be eligible for the 70% plan, you’ll need to do all of the following:Publish something that’s not in the public domain.Price your ebook between $2.99 and $9.99. This price also needs to be at least 20% lower than the lowest list price for a print version.Pay for file delivery. This doesn’t require any extra effort on your part - the delivery fees are automatically deducted from your royalty payments.Keep in mind that only books sold to customers in certain countries are eligible for the 70% plan. Additional copies sold outside those territories will go on the 35%. Don’t worry, the 70%-eligible territories include all the big Anglophone markets - the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand - in addition to several others, primarily in the EU. If you enroll in KDP Select, the list expands to include Brazil, India, Japan, and Mexico.How do print royalties work? 📘For those thinking about self-publishing a print book, Amazon offers two distribution tiers for self-published paperbacks. Each comes with its own royalty structure, and in both cases, the cost of printing the book is deducted from royalty payments.If you go through the regular Amazon-only distribution channels, you can expect 60% of the list price for every paperback sold. But if you distribute your book through Amazon’s Expanded Distribution plan to non-Amazon retailers, like Barnes Noble and Books-a-Million, you’ll be looking at 40% instead. (In lieu of opting into this plan, we recommend using IngramSpark for expanded distribution. You can read more about why here.)The cost of self-publishing on Amazon 💠°Unlike vanity presses, which make authors pay for publication, Amazon won’t charge you any money upfront to self-publish your book. Instead, delivery costs (for ebooks) and print ing costs (for paperbacks) are subtracted from your royalties. Let’s break the cost of Amazon self-publishing down below.What are the ebook delivery costs?If you’re on the 70% royalty plan, ebook delivery costs will be deducted from your royalty payments. They vary depending on the currency used. For instance, you’re looking at $0.15 per megabyte in USD and CAD, and  £0.10 per megabyte in GBP. This cost is waived if you select the 35% royalty plan - which may be a boon if you want to set a high price for your book anyway (as the 70% royalty plan requires it to be lower than $9.99).What are the paperback printing costs?As for the printing costs associated with self-published paperbacks, those depend on A) your book’s page count, and B) whether you choose to print in black-and-white or in full color. Don’t worry, you won’t have to figure this out yourself - Amazon calculates your printing cost and displays it for you as you’re uploa ding your book to the platform. It will also suggest a minimum list price to ensure that your book sells for enough to cover the cost of printing.Your printing cost is calculated according to the following formula (where fixed cost depends on your page count and ink type):Fixed cost + (page count x cost per individual page)You can find fixed costs in USD in the following table:Paperback specificationsFixed costAdditional cost per pageBlack ink with 24-108 pages$2.15 per bookNoneBlack ink with 110-828 pages$0.85 per book$0.012 per pageColor ink with 24-40 pages$3.65 per bookNoneColor ink with 42-500 pages$0.85 per book$0.07 per pageTo give you a sense of how the calculation works, Amazon would charge $4.45 per copy to print a 300-page paperback in black-and-white, because $0.85 + (300 x $0.012) = $4.45. You can read more about Amazon printing costs here.What about other costs?Of course, the print and delivery costs that come out of your royalties don’t include all the optional expenses you may incur if you want to put out a high-quality, professional-looking volume. The full suite of services like editing and cover design can set you back a couple thousand dollars. And that doesn’t even factor in marketing costs - which can include Facebook advertising, Amazon’s native ads, and any other external promotions you want to run.This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to save when self-publishing. For instance, while you may have had to pay for typesetting previously, apps like the Reedsy Book Editor allow you to format your book for free. There are also some book promotion services that will list your book free of charge, though keep in mind their submissions can be competitive. If you really want to cut costs, you can even self-edit and design your own cover, though we wouldn’t recommend this unless you already know a lot about design.At the end of the day, the best way to save on self-publishing is to stay informed. The more yo u know about the costs, royalties, and other aspects of various publishing plans, the more cost-effective (and generally effective!) your path will be. To that end, here are a few more resources you might want to check out:How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book in 2019?The 13 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2019What Is the Best Service for Print on Demand Books?The Complete Guide to Ebook DistributionWe hope this post helped you understand Amazon self-publishing royalties and costs a little better! However, if you still have questions, leave them in the comments and we’ll answer to the best of our ability.

Sigma Motion Inc. Application #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sigma Motion Inc. Application #4 - Essay Example The founder of the company, Ron Burton, is an experienced businessman in the linear motion products environment and he inherited the skills running family business from his father. The impression from the case is that, the Burton family incorporated nonfamily management in its desire for the company’s success. Alderson (95) points out that engagement of nonfamily management in family business is an important practice in ensuring continuity of business activities in case the successor is not fully prepared to assume the top leadership position. In reality, for a family business to be successful, there must be proper coordination between the family and the external workforce. According to the case, Sigma Motion Inc had several competitive advantages that gave room for its continued success. These competitive advantages included its small size, competent engineering team, high quality of products, customization of services, a wide product line and a proficient management team. Essentially, the small size of the company facilitated apt reaction to customer requests and market changes. In addition, with a well established and competent engineering team, the company was able to diligently handle technical issues and give prompt advice to customers. In essence proper handling of customers has the impact of developing customer loyalty and consequently providing a wider market. Provision of high quality products and a five year warrant plan by the company contributed to its better performance than its competitors. The establishment of a deep production line facilitated rapid business growth and sustainable product development. Consequently, establishment of a p roficient management team composed of internal family members and external mangers was a significant step to ensuring long stay of the company in the linear motion

Negative effect of video games on children Essay

Negative effect of video games on children - Essay Example This proposal argues that while video gaming offers an enjoyable level of entertainment, the negative effects ultimately outweigh the positive benefits and should be altered through increased regulations and parental limitations. One of the primary problems with video gaming systems is their ability to completely consume the individual. While the intentions of the systems are such that they are purposely addictive, this becomes a large problem when one considers this addiction oftentimes begins to function as a sort of drug like control mechanism. Multiple studies have shown that individuals engrossed in video gaming have not only become linked to the in-game experience, but have also allowed it to dictate other aspects of their lives (Anderson 2005). Consider a scenario when an individual purchases a video game and becomes engrossed in the narrative. Not only does the individual become entrenched in these aspects of the game during their playing time, but it has been shown that the game has such a powerful hold that they will rush through work or daily activities as a means of returning to the gaming world. In effect, the game has overtaken the individual’s life and has crippled their ability to function in a normal and productive way. Another negative aspect of video gaming is the potential for video games to cause increased levels of violence among children. From this perspective one need only consider the nature of video games to view the potential for such violence. In many regards the appeal video gaming holds is the ability to experience forbidden realities; for these reasons many video games involve committing crimes, murder, and death (Silva). With the addictive nature of the gaming system it is no large jump to assume that these elements can influence the gamers cognitive structure. In response to these negative effects this essay proposes two major changes. The first change is a call for increased parental regulation on children’s video gaming habits. As children are the primary consumers of video games it’s necessary for parents to step-in and ensure that their children’s gaming habits are not destructive to their overall production and scholastic progress. The second element proposed is that tighter restrictions be placed on the nature of video games. As Munger indicates in Fig. 1 video gaming has demonstrated increased violence levels in adolescents. While the movie industry has faced increasing regulations in terms of ratings, with adolescents only being admitted to certain movies based on age, in-large part the video gaming industry has gone unchecked. What is restricted for children under 17 to view in movies is readily available for them to interact with in video games. With tighter regulations on these aspects, children will have less access to these negative elements and this will in-turn reduce the potential for violence or crime resulting through increased video game play. In order to achi eve this, small steps need to be taken, beginning with individual parents petitioning government representatives to take action. While these proposals are believed to be strong in that they will reduce the negative effects of video games, there are objections that exist in response to their core contentions. In terms of increased parental

Managerial Applications of Technology - Final Case Study

Managerial Applications of Technology - Final - Case Study Example The very first thing to do is to set up a framework for IT acquisition (p. 592). This entails identifying the appropriate IT applications that would be used in the organizational restructure, justifying that the new set of IT applications to be acquired is worthwhile in terms of costs and benefits, and planning the processes of acquisition and implementation of the newly acquired IT applications (pp 592-594). Some of the options available for IT acquisition are through lease of the required IT applications, outright buying or purchase of the application, developing the applications in-house or subcontracting the whole IT process to external managers/consultants. Whichever option chosen must be cost-effective; it must also help in initiating business process redesigning within the organization (pp. 600-606). If properly handled, this organizational transformation would also be instrumental in connecting the organization’s databases and 2 enterprise systems, and providing a smoo th link or integration to the organization’s business partners (p. 606). All the processes highlighted above could only successful happen if there is effective managerial or leadership establishment. This signifies that all the organization’s employees must support and work hard towards the change. 3 Outsourcing/Off-Shoring: Pros and Cons Question 2: You’ve been asked to work with HR to evaluate the potential for outsourcing some IT functions including the potential use of off-shore resources. What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with outsourcing? What can you share with your HR partner regarding the reasons to outsource, factors to be considered, and potential risks? Based on your knowledge of outsourcing/off-shoring what are your thoughts regarding work that would not be good a candidate for outsourcing/off-shoring? What methods will you suggest to measure the value of an outsourcing/off-shoring relationship? Answer 2: Some organizations percei ve IT outsourcing as a way of subsidizing their capital expenses and working towards cost-effectiveness to maximize profits (p. 506). However, there are some important factors that should be strictly considered before outsourcing/off-shoring some functions of any organization’s IT Department. Some commonly touted advantages of outsourcing/off-shoring include that it is cost-saving; it allows business expansion; it creates exposure to better technical expertise; it is flexible and encourage better quality and improvement; and it supports major organizational transformation (pp.506-510). But some of the disadvantages of outsourcing include de-motivation in in-house IT professionals; having negative effect on business strategy; the problem of confidentiality risks; and the fear of sudden collapse of IT provider. The main reason why an organization may seriously consider outsourcing its IT functions is to reduce the overhead capital 4 expenses on its IT requirements. However, it is helpful to consider some factors before going into outsourcing: these include choosing the right external IT Service Provider; estimating the cost of off-shoring; and identifying which applications should not be outsourced based on the importance of their confidentiality to the organization’s future. Even though all the factors outlined in the

Definitions And Concepts Heritage Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay

Definitions And Concepts Heritage Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay This Chapter provides some definitions and concepts concerning the heritage building conservation. It outlines previous researches related to objectives of this research. In addition, the Chapter summarises past researches conducted on the heritage buildings of the old city of Ghadames, world heritage site, Libya. Theory of conservation, laws and international legislations, and international organisations that have an interest with heritage buildings are also discussed in this Chapter. 2.2 Definitions and Concepts 2.2.1 Heritage Buildings Heritage buildings are defined as those which are old and significant either in terms of architecture or of history (Chien, 1992). Heritage buildings are also defined as existing buildings with significant cultural value to society (CIB Commission, 2010). Feilden, (1994) defines heritage building in his book, Conservation of historic buildings, that building which gives us a feeling of admiration and make us need to know more about the people who lived in this building and their culture as well as knowing its beautiful, historic, archaeological, economic, social, and political value. At the beginning of last century and after signing the Venice charter in 1964 for architectural conservation, the heritage building concept has been extended to include all buildings that have architectural value and cultural. The architectural conservation concept has also been extended. It has not been limited on archaeological landmarks and religious and palaces as was in the past; but according to Itma (2007), the buildings that should be conserved have been divided into two main types: 1. Monuments: They are important buildings correlated with a collective humanitarian value on international, regional, or denominational religious level, and to conserve them, their original case must be retained without any change, this can be applied only to archaeology and some distinctive architectural buildings such as the Dome of the Rock Jerusalem (Kobbat Assakhra- Kodos) in Palestine and Colosseum in Rome, Italy. 2. Documentary buildings: They are considered as documentation for historic phases of a heritage area. In general they have less historic value than the previous buildings due to their availability in several areas around the world. They usually are found in heritage centres for old cities and towns. According to UNESCO World Heritage Website, (30 December 2012), UNESCOs Convention related to the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) has defined and classified cultural heritage as follows: Monuments: architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features, which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science; Groups of buildings: groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science; Sites: works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view. Deciding how old a building must be in order to be called heritage is difficult. In some places, 100 years old is heritage, while in other places, maybe 50 years old is enough. However, based on the Italian Law, Itma (2007) classified buildings as heritage buildings if their age is more than 50 years. 2.2.2 Approach of Architectural Conservation Strategies for action are being identified in present time in the field of preservation and restoration for heritage buildings according to international standards created by UNESCO, whether through International Conventions issued by International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) or through versions of International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and conventions issued by World Heritage Centre (WHC), where standard definitions for methods of cultural properties preservation and standards have been issued. Generally, there are seven (7) approaches in a conservation program, used individually or a combination, depend on the circumstances and objectives of a conservation project. In the following subsections, some approaches of a conservation program are explored. 2.2.2.1 Conservation Heritage building conservation can be described by many words. According to Norlizaiha Harun (2011), conservation is a technical activity towards heritage buildings. It includes physical action to preserve the fabric and construction material of the heritage buildings. It is a process to prevent decay and the action is aiming to prolong the life of the buildings. An article, Historic preservation projects can be green, by Wishkoski (2006), defines conservation as a process that preserves, protects and maintains during physical change. The International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites in its Venice Charter (1964) describes the process of conserving a historical monument as: it implies preserving a setting which is not out of scale. Wherever the traditional setting exists, it must be kept. No new construction, demolition or modification which would alter the relations of mass and colour must be allowed. Burra Charter Article 1.4, (1990), defines cons ervation as all the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance. 2.2.2.2 Preservation Preservation is a process aiming to stop the deterioration, decay or dilapidation state. It provides structural safety and should be carried out only in such a way that evidence of the construction or use of the fabric would not be obscured (Norlizaiha Harun, 2011). According to Civic Amenities Act, (1967) as quoted by Farayune Hajjar (2008), preservation is to protect individual buildings, structures and other artefacts that were preserved because of their relation to the great figures from the nations heritage. Moreover, it was concerned with groups of historic buildings, townscape, and the spaces between buildings. Preservation is also concerned with limiting change, and the conservation is about the inevitability of change and the management of that change. 2.2.2.3 Restoration The Burra Charter (1999) as referred in Article 1.7, defines the restoration approach as returning the existing fabric of a place to a known earlier state by removing accretions or by reassembling existing components without the introduction of new material. The Venice Charter (1964) as referred in Article 9, defines the process of restoration as a highly specialised operation that aims to preserve and reveal the aesthetic and historic value of the monument with the main focus on respect for original materials and authentic documents. Accordingly, Restoration is the process of returning a building to its original condition at a specific time period. It should work from actual evidence, as stated in the secretary of interiors guidelines (See Appendix C Standard no. 6) that repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the avai lability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structure. Therefore, the restoration in any case must be preceded and followed by an archaeological and historical study of the monument (Venice Charter, 1964). 2.2.2.4 Reconstruction Reconstruction Approach means the building of a historic structure using replicated design and/or materials. This approach is taken when a historic structure no longer exists but needs to be physically in place for contextual reasons. Reconstruction means also returning a place to a known earlier state and is distinguished from restoration by the introduction of new material into the fabric (Burra Charter, Article1.8, 1999). Additionally, according to Appleton Charter, (1983) reconstruction means recreation of vanished or irreversibly deteriorated resources. 2.2.2.5 Rehabilitation Rehabilitation in general means that there is a good previous case of an object, then this case has deteriorated due to certain reasons or by the passage of the time. Therefore, this object has become unfit for the modern era and needs to carry out some modifications. These modifications make this object able to continue and perform its functions again with retaining its original value. In particular, architectural rehabilitation means a series of stages of rebuilding a building to its original case to perform its old functions or a suitable new function. In other words, it means repairing and developing the building by preserving its parts and components that possess historical, architectural and cultural values during the eras in which the building has passed since its construction. This means finding a new function for the building that makes the building useful and usable, and at the same time able to continue to insure the existence of people who perform maintenance works (Itma, 2007). According to Tyler, (1994), rehabilitation describes a suitable approach when existing historic features are damaged or deteriorated but modifications can be made to update portions of the structure, even rehabilitating the building for a new purpose. When rehabilitation is chosen as the appropriate intervention technique, alterations or additions may be made, but they should not be confused with original historic elements. 2.2.2.6 Maintenance Maintenance means the continuous protective care of the fabric and setting of a place, and is to be distinguished from repair. The repair involves restoration or reconstruction (Burra Charter, Article 1.5, 1990). Maintenance can also be defined as some work focuses on retaining a property in good working condition by repairing features as soon as deterioration becomes apparent, using procedures that preserve the original character and finish of the features. In some cases, preventive maintenance is carried out before noticeable deterioration. Maintaining properties in good condition often assures that more aggressive (and expensive) measures of rehabilitation, restoration, or reconstruction are not needed at some future date (Denver Landmark Preservation Commission Planning and Development Office, 1995). 2.2.2.7 Renovation Renovation is refurbishing and/or adding to the appearance of an original building or elements of a building in an attempt to renew its appearance in keeping with contemporary tastes and perceptions of conservation (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 2008). Renovation means also to improve by repair, to revive, and thereby enhance the usefulness and appearance of the building. The basic character and significant features are respected and preserved, but some alterations may also take place. Alterations that are made are generally reversible, should future owners wish to restore the building to its original design. The words rehabilitation and renovation are often used interchangeably (Denver Landmark Preservation Commission Planning and Development Office, 1995). 2.2.3 Conservation Guidelines The design guidelines are prepared to assist property owners, developers, architects, and designers of projects. In other words, they are written to be used by the city planners, Landmarks Commission, architects and developers, and especially the property owners, tenants, and construction trades who may be doing work on an older or heritage building in a city (Williams Elmer, 2010). They offer suggestions for conservation of heritage buildings and compatible new design to maintain buildings historic identity. According to Gioulis (1997), these guidelines are intended to: Increase public awareness of the value of historic architecture and the importance of design issues. Help reinforce the character of heritage buildings and protect their overall appearance. Preserve the integrity of designated heritage areas. Assist property owners and architects in making basic design decisions. Improve the quality of development. Protect the value of public and private investment. 2.3 Purpose of the Design Guidelines Organisation The guidelines are to assist in making improvements to the exterior of eligible residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and agricultural heritage properties, and are not to be interpreted as bylaw requirements. According to Heritage Restoration Grant Program (2009), guidelines for building conservation have two objectives: Ensuring the long-term stability of the building, in terms of its economic viability, structural improvements and compliance with building codes, when applicable. Restoration and retention of the architectural features which caused the building to be originally approved for assistance. The guidelines help protect the overall character of the heritage buildings by emphasizing preservation of architectural styles, building character, original features and streetscape elements that make up the communitys unique collection of heritage buildings. They provide background information and recommendations to help guide the appropriate conservation work and alterations to existing buildings. For additions, new construction and site work, they emphasize the compatibility of new buildings or features with existing or established historic character (Williams Elmer, 2010). 2.4 Assessment of the Current Level of Heritage Conservation and Building Defects Some previous studies reviewed the conservation activities and assessed the existing conditions of heritage buildings with taking into consideration, the conditions of building defects and conservation approach used for these buildings. For example, in Malaysia S. Johar et al (2009) reviewed the conservation activities on a traditional old mosque in Malaysia. They studied the concept and importance of conservation in general, the conservation activities on heritage buildings and mosque in Malaysia, and the approaches used for conserving to preserve the Muslims house of worship. They found that the four key conservation principles namely minimal intervention, conducting scientific research and laboratories testing, documentation of conservation work and applying effective methods and techniques for conservation. Meanwhile for conservation program, the seven approaches are preservation, reproduction, restoration, maintenance, redevelopment, rehabilitation and consolidation. Several app roaches are normally adopted for one building conservation project. Whats most important is the justification in adopting the approaches so that it complies with one of the key conservation principle, namely minimal intervention. Other research also in Malaysia by A Ghafar Ahmad et al. (2008) highlighted the existing conditions of heritage buildings in Malaysia with the main focus on the conditions of building defects and conservation approach to these buildings. The study conducted a pilot survey on several heritage towns and cities based on the existing heritage trail in Malaysia. The broad objective of this pilot survey was to examine the level of building defects and the location of building defects that normally occur in various types of historical buildings in Malaysia. At the same time, it also looked into the conservation approaches that has been done to these heritage buildings either the method are acceptable according to the basic principles and philosophy of building conservation. The study found that Malaysia faces several problems in dealing with the issues of heritage buildings. In addition, Hashimah Ismail Shuhana Shamsuddin (2005) highlighted the qualities that support the old shophouses as part of Malaysian heritage. They examined these qualities from two broad aspects, namely contribution to urban form and aesthetic aspects. They sought to highlight the strength of the old shophouses and the impending factors that threaten the continuous presence of these heritages building Malaysian town. The findings indicate that the practice of conserving the old shophouses is still not effective. A more effective measure in preserving the old shop houses needs to be undertaken. A research by Alattar, (2010), investigated a number of issues involved in the conservation process of the urban heritage of central Baghdad, which encompasses a unique collection of urban forms that belong to different phases of Baghdads history. Her study of the conservation efforts in this area revealed the appreciation of the built heritage and the will to maintain them. On the other hand, it disclosed the uncertainty of the strategies and tools utilised in the conservation process. Itma (2007) presented the situations of conservation projects in Palestine especially in the city of Nablus, by shedding light on the local institutions of labour in the domain of architectural conservation, and their important projects since the agreement of Oslo until 2007. He proved that there was not a complete or an extensive project of conservation in the old city of Nablus, during the mentioned period, but only small projects of maintaining and optimizing the old destroyed buildings. In addition, there was a very limited number of conservation projects conducted on some important heritage buildings in the old city of Nablus, Palestine. Mokadi (2008) highlighted the architectural and physical fabric of the throne villages in Palestine. The study attempted to study the historical centre of Deir Estia as a case study for the throne villages. That is to say, the study attempted to highlight the aspects of shortage and suffering, recent attempts of development, focusing on the available factors that can support establishing a tourism track which can cooperate in keeping the centre and enhancing the economic level, and to achieve building a strategy of developing that area. The study found that the throne is now facing rapid change of its physical fabric as a result of political, economic, social, and planning factors, in addition to the shortage of awareness level for the Palestinian character and values. Swilem (2008) aimed at keeping on the sustainability of the popular markets and conserve them as an economical cultural and tourist aspect. Her research attempted also to find solutions to the current market problems as well as to motivate investment in the popular markets through creating job opportunities and investment opportunities. She found that the traditional streets suffer from some problems. To overcome on these problems, the researcher suggested some strategies and policies to achieve sustainable development for the traditional streets. 2.5 Conservation Guidelines of Heritage Buildings Conservation guidelines for developing and utilizing heritage building must be created to protect these buildings from random works that influencing the historic value of a heritage building. Preparation of the conservation guidelines helps guide the development of heritage area as well as the development of heritage buildings and lots located within a heritage area. At the same time, these guidelines guide the conservation of this underutilized area into one of vibrant urban destinations. The guidelines direct development of the site; chiefly its public places, individual buildings and lots. This controls the utilization of heritage and new buildings for uses that will conserve as well as indirectly preserve the area and its heritage buildings. Several previous studies established conservation guidelines of heritage buildings. Alattar, (2010), explored the references for heritage understanding other than the physical structure, including culture, history, and traditions. The researcher tried to promote the awareness of all heritage aspects, and developed guidelines for a strategy that considers all active elements of the historical experience and provided a sustainable framework for future conservation plans for heritage buildings in Baghdad. Farayune (2008) provided the design guidelines of conservation Jakarta Kota as a heritage area, which improves and enhances the physical element and environment facilities. It is also in the revival Jakarta heritage area to become attractive place and tourism place in Jakarta. The design guidelines were based on the survey and analysis of the study area. The study found that conservation of Jakarta Kota was not only about conservation and preservation of the heritage building, but also about some aspects that need to be put on focus such as social, economic, culture, people activities and environmental facilities. These things can encourage the Jakarta Kota Area to be liveable. Abu-Hantash N. A. (2007) investigated the issue of adaptation of traditional residential buildings to contemporary needs. Her study was an attempt towards the development of a general policy for conservation and adaptation of traditional residential buildings in the heritage centre of Palestinian cities. The study demonstrated the high potentiality of the traditional house to satisfy the contemporary needs of its inhabitants. In addition, the research revealed that the modification needed varies from one building to another and are to be determined according to the building value and the level of intervention it allows. The research outlined a general policy and guidelines for housing conservation that could be applied to other heritage cities in Palestinian. In addition, Rabba I. H. (2004) examined the present reality of Dhahrieh old town by documenting its heritage monument and diagnosed the old towns problems and difficulties, in order to identify policies to safeguard its histori cal heritage. He concluded a set of policies, guidelines and suggestions to conserve the old town of Dhahrieh, Palestine. 2.6 Benefits of Conservation of Heritage Buildings Conservation of heritage buildings can generate social, economic and environmental benefits that reach far beyond the virtues of conserving a legacy for future generations. Investment in heritage properties conservation can, for instance, boost property values and tax revenues, create local jobs and skills, attract new businesses, and promote tourism (Municipal Heritage Partnership Program, 2012). The incorporation of many abandoned heritage buildings in the redevelopment process presents numerous advantages. The benefits of conservation of heritage buildings can be classified under three main topics: environmental, social, and economic (Stas, 2007). 2.6.1 Economic Benefits Conservation of heritage buildings generates economical benefits (economical returns). It represents a good way for national economic development across tourism (Itma, 2007). Conservation of a heritage building is more economic than its demolition or its rebuilding. Several economic impact studies discussed if heritage conservation yields significant benefits to the economy. In other words, these studies ask the question, Is heritage conservation considered as an economic development tool? A significant number of these studies have been undertaken across the U.S., and the answer to this question is a resounding yes-heritage conservation yields significant benefits to the economy. Rypkema (1991) compared the relative costs of building conservation versus new construction, and found that conservation makes more economic sense than new construction. Wolf et al (1999) reached the same conclusion documented by Rypkema (1991), in many cases; it is more efficient and profitable to conserve heritage buildings than construct a new building. 2.6.2 Environmental Benefits Conservation of heritage buildings generates very important benefits to the environment. A number of studies around the world have addressed this subject. Review of the literature revealed three main environmental benefits gained by conservation including: Reduction of hazardous materials; Preserving of the embodied energy; and Preserving of the Energy. 2.6.2.1 Reduction of Hazardous Materials Heritage buildings are more suitable for the environment because they have been built by using traditional materials such as mud, lime and stone. Traditional materials are natural materials. Therefore, they do not cause any pollution of the environment and also its preparations do not affect the environment. Modern building materials are generally reliant on large scale industrial processes that can emit very substantial levels of greenhouse gases, can require significant energy consumption and are often transported hundreds if not thousands of miles. For example the manufacture of cement alone accounts for 3% of greenhouse gases produced worldwide and the manufacture of PVC (Poly vinyl chloride) demands a lengthy process that requires a significant consumption of energy (Donough Cahill, 2004). A study carried out by De Sousa (2001), in the greater Toronto area, Canada found that the reduction of health risks posed by hazardous is the most important environmental benefits associated with Brownfield development. Moreover, vacant properties often contain an array of conditions such as illegal dumping, leaking, and fire hazards that pose serious threats to public health and the environment (Schilling, 2002). 2.6.2.2 Preserving of the Embodied Energy The retention of the original buildings embodied energy is one of the main environmental benefits of reusing heritage buildings. Rypkema (2005) defined the term embodied energy as the total expenditure of energy involved in the creation of the building and its constituent materials. The embodied energy can be also defined as the embodied energy is the quantity of energy required by all activities associated with a production process, including the relative proportions consumed in all activities upstream to the acquisition of natural resources and the share of energy used in making equipment and other supporting functions, i.e. Direct plus indirect energy (Treloar, 1997). Wishkoski (2006) gives an example: a heritage building with approximately 308,000 exterior bricks, each with an embodied energy value of 14,300 Thermal Units (BTU), represents 4.4 million BTUs of energy expended in the original construction of the building, or 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity. Planners, architects, investors, and public officials must take into consideration the energy used in the production and assembly of materials needed for new buildings, from their origin to their end of life and subsequent reuse. Conservation causes much less destruction of the natural resources than new construction. Statistics reveal that building construction consumes 40 percent of the raw materials entering the global economy every year (Bahl, 2005). Interestingly, about 85 percent of the total embodied energy in materials is used in their production and transportation (Bahl, 2005). In Australia, studies showed new buildings have much higher energy costs than buildings that are conserved. In 2001, new buildings accounted for 25 percent of wood harvest, 16 percent of fresh water supplied, 44 % of landfill, and 45 % of carbon dioxide production and up to half of the total greenhouse emissions from industrialized countries (Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004). Besides that, demolition of buildings causes environmental loads. Whereby, the large volumes of construction waste strain landfill capacities and leads to environmental concerns. Therefore, conservation of the heritage buildings is the best resolution for this issue. Rypkema (2005) argues, the process of demolishing a historic building has a significant impact on the environment. When a building is being demolished, first, tens of thousands of dollars of embodied energy are being thrown away. Second, it is being replaced with materials vastly more consumptive of energy. Further, modern construction methods are incredibly wasteful of resources. Studies show that Up to 25 percent of the total waste generated in the United States and other countries is directly attributed to building, construction, and demolition activities (Bahl, 2005). These waste products can be environmentally hazardous and polluting, both as solids and in the atmosphere. The waster also stresses the capacity of lan dfill sites. 2.6.2.3 Preserving of the Energy. Preserving of energy is a great advantage that can be gained from conservation of heritage buildings. The old construction methods were used with taking into consideration to keep the weather out without consuming energy, namely, keeping the heritage building cooling in summer and heating in winter. When a heritage building is preserved or restored, those old cultural methods are preserved and brought back to active duty. Very likely, the old building was strategically placed to get the best orientation to the sun to make the most use of the solar energy, and the interior space and its openings were efficiently organized to keep the air circulating and cool down the space without using any sort of air conditioning and electricity. Preserving a heritage building helps avoid the consumption of additional energy by getting advantage of the old construction methods designed to cool and heat the space and keep the weather out without energy consumption (Stas, 2007). 2.6.3 Social Benefits Conservation of heritage buildings entails significant social benefits. Those benefits can be categorized under (1) Job creation, (2) Crime reduction, and (3) The sense of place factor (Stas, 2007). 2.6.3.1 Job Creation One of the social benefits for conservation of heritage building is job creation. According to Rypkema (1999), investing in vacant properties is an important tool that creates new job opportunities in communities and urban centres. Further, the labour intensity of building conservation generally means that there is a greater local economic impact in jobs and income than with the same amount spent on new construction. 2.6.3.2 Crime Reduction Abandoned heritage buildings can quickly become havens for vandals, homeless, arsonists, and drug dealers, and as a result drive down property values, taxes, and services, and discourage investment in a community. Schilling (2002) describes the effect of abandoned buildings on communities as a disease that once started it can quickly spread throughout a neighbourhood. The residents often felt unsafe walking on streets that have abandoned buildings. Local governments may succeed conserving one building but often do not have sufficient resources to keep the demand of a growing number of vacant properties. Some property owners feel helpless in trying to recruit new tenants. Property owners become less interested in investing in these neighbourhoods. Many residents eventually leave while those who remain become accustomed to blight as the neighbourhood deteriorates. This cycle continues with each new pocket of vacant and abandoned properties (Schilling, 2002). In Contrast, by conserving those vacant properties for another use, the illegal activities that used to occur in those properties will be eliminated, which will bring peace and safety back to the neighbourhood. 2.6.3.3 The Sense of Place Factor The built and natural environments are elements that express the distinctiveness of a community or a neighbourhood. Rypkema (1999) wrote about the sense of community and ownership: A sense of ownership acknowledges an individual benefit from, an individual stake in, and an individual responsibility for ones pl

Movie: Stand And Deliver - Mr. Escalante Should Be An Inspiration To E

Movie: Stand and Deliver - Mr. Escalante Should Be An Inspiration to Everyone In the movie Stand and Deliver, double entendre ran rampant. During an Algebra lesson one day at the beginning of the school year, Mr. Escalante told Angel, a gang member, to "fill the hole". Not only was he referring to the hole as an illustration, but also to the hole in the students lives as a result of lack of education, the gangs, and in many cases, a poor upbringing. Mr. Escalante must have seen some potential in Angel and was trying desperately to fill the hole caused by a lack of education in his life. However, Angel, tied very deeply to his gang "family", would have none of it. Jaime wants Angel to pull a complete attitude reversal by learning and self...

Reporting Practices And Ethics Paper Essay

As you visit a medical clinic or hospital you may have concerns about the medical care you will receive. You would hope that you will receive fair and ethical treatment from the staff. It is the responsibility of the staff to do the best job possible to service not only the paient but also the employer. There is a need for an ethical foundation, especially in the health care setting. According to â€Å"Bringing Ethics And Integrity Into Focus† (2012), â€Å"Patients and family members desire high quality care, patient safety and the latest medical technology. But, ultimately, trust in the integrity of the caregiver is the foundation for their peace of mind.† Elements of Financial Management Financial management is vital to an organizations effectiveness. Financial management consists of four elements. The financial manager takes the necessary steps to identify and organize the organizations objectives. This is the element called Planning. Controlling is when the financial manager ensures that the plans set by the organization are being followed properly and efficiently. The financial manager then makes the decision of how to use the resources of the organization to carry out the plans that have been established. This is where the organizing and directing comes in. The last step that the financial manager makes is the decision making process. This is where the financial manager will make informed choices through primary tasks of analysis and evaluation. Accounting Principles and Financial Ethics Standards It is very important that accounting and financial professionals abide by the ethical standards that regulate what kind of business is conducted, how they use their skills and who they serve. This is called Gernerally Accepted  Accounting Pricinples. Ethical standards are determined largely by professional accounting and finance organizations and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Accountants and financial professionals must continue their education and practice the ethics that prepare them for their positions, and they must also continue that education by learning new information that can affect their practices. Accountants must be objective, avoiding conflicts of interest. They must not, for instance, perform accounting services for firms that they have a vested interest in. When working with a client’s financial information, financial professionals have access to a great deal of personal information. This is not only limited to financial information but also includes the names and contact information of employees as well as the names and locations of firms with which the company does business. Financial professionals are required to keep that information private except when ordered to disclose it by a court of law. Keeping information private is an example of an ethical standard. Another example of ethical standards of conduct and financial reporting practices would be the company Enron. Enron is a company known for it’s ethical scandals. Enron was unethical due to the fraud that was committed by it’s top executives. On paper the accountants made Enron more powerful than they appeared. Subsidiaries, known as special purpose entities have a single purpose and it was not necessary that they were included on Enron’s balance sheet. These subsidiaries were used to hide risky investment activities and financial losses. (Folger, 2011). It was later determied that Enron assets and profits were inflated, and even fraudulent and non-existent. Enron was one of the worst accounting scandals of all time. Conclusion With the Enron scandal, organization ethics are more important now than ever, but not only does it make a businesses practice sound, it also allows the employees of the organization to go by a higher standard of integrity in their daily functions. It is more critical in health care settings than any other environments that there is an ethical foundation. It is important that health care staff conduct themselves with integrity, honesty, and respect for others and health care organizations must adopt standards of professional practice and having ethics is critical to the care patients  receive. . References Bringing ethics and integrity into focus. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/bringing-ethics-and-integrity-focus Folger, J. (2011). The Enron Collapse: A Look Back. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1211/the-enron-collapse-a-look-back.aspx