Month: July 2022

Vertical Integration Controls Costs, Lowers Prices

Some large manufacturers in China are moving to bring production processes in-house to have better command over costs, delivery and supply. Benefits for buyers could include lower export prices.

High component costs, coupled with labor challenges and other factors that contribute to pricing pressures, are leading many China companies to incorporate upstream and downstream processes in their production. While carried out mainly by large enterprises, vertical integration is helping stabilize component costs and supply, speed up delivery and turnaround, and, more importantly, keep a lid on export prices.

Quotes for LCD TVs, for instance, are projected to fall in coming years because more companies are investing in facilities for producing high-generation display panels in China. At present, the component is sourced largely from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, and accounts for roughly 80 percent of total product cost. When display panel suppliers raise quotes, China’s TV makers have no choice but to pay up.

Government subsidies and rebates, however, are encouraging domestic TV manufacturers such as TCL Corp. to branch out into LCD panel production. Together with Shenzhen Century Science & Technology Investment Corp., TCL established joint-venture company Shenzhen Huaxing Photoelectric Technology Co. Ltd solely to make display panels. For constructing an 8.5G LCD panel facility in Guangdong, Shenzhen Huaxing received a 500 million yuan ($76 million) subsidy from the city government.

There are now seven 6 to 8.5G lines in China, of which five are locally owned or invested, and three more are pending approval. The country could possibly have 10 high-generation LCD panel facilities by 2012. When these are all operational, supply is likely to outpace demand, which could then pull down panel costs and, consequently, reduce LCD TV export prices.

Assimilating downstream processes can result in lower prices as well. Dongguan Sopoer Electronics Technology Co. Ltd used to concentrate on electronic components for telecom products. The company branched into manufacturing finished items last year, including diplexers, power dividers, directional couplers, low-noise and power amplifiers, and standing wave ratio alarms. Its clients have been able to save time and money as they no longer have to procure from different sources.

The downside of integration

Being able to do most, if not all, manufacturing processes does have its drawbacks.

Companies need to spend a substantial amount of money to be able to carry out such steps in-house. The return on investment, however, is not always guaranteed and may take years to be achieved. In some cases, ROI is seen 10 years after the expenditure.

This is one reason most suppliers that are integrating processes are in industries where government subsidies or rebates are available. BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd, for instance, received a rebate of 1.6 billion yuan ($242 million) when it constructed a 6G LCD panel line in Hefei, Anhui province.

Overcapacity is another problem as it can drive prices to rock bottom. This is a boon for buyers, but companies that invest large sums of money to integrate upstream processes would have to wait a lot longer to see positive returns.

The boom in the construction of 6 to 8.5G facilities is an example. International players are now actively developing OLED panels. It is possible that by the time all 10 6 to 8.5G lines in China are operational, most demand from major markets will be for OLED displays. This could then result in an oversupply of 6.5 to 8G LCD units and may hurt companies that invested in such facilities.…

 

Introduction

PayPal is the world’s largest payment processing company, with over 50 million account holders worldwide.

Part of the huge eBay empire since they became a wholly owned subsidiary in October, 2002, PayPal offers what is generally a fast, easy and safe way to both receive and send money online.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that as a part of the eBay group, over 90% of eBay merchants and traders accept PayPal as their preferred manner of payment. So it is that the company now handles more than £9.5 billion in online monetary transactions every year.

PayPal offers a payment system and method wherein even the smallest business or private individual can send and accept money to and from a huge number of countries worldwide, as long as both parties to the transaction have an email account.

In addition, PayPal is able to offer many of the financial facilities most commonly associated with banks and other similar commercial institutions such as credit cards.

The simple and basic fact is that it is almost impossible to run any kind of successful online business without using the services of PayPal.

Although many other companies have tried to set up services that replicate most or all of what PayPal do, so far, no-one has succeeded in capturing either the imaginations of marketers (if they are only ‘clones’, then why switch over to a company with no additional benefits?) or any significant share of the market either.

PayPal does not therefore have a complete monopoly of the payment processing business online, but, certainly as far as the internet marketing community are concerned, they might as well have!

And in general, PayPal do a pretty good job of what they do and most of the time they are able to keep the wheels of worldwide internet business spinning relatively smoothly.

Indeed, the vast majority of online business entrepreneurs who deal with them are more than happy to do so, presumably because that have never suffered any appreciable problems when working with PayPal.

Yet it is important to understand from the outset that they are a privately owned payment processing company and not a bank, although it does seem that they have been moving in that direction recently.

 

Earlier this year, PayPal announced that they are going to shift their European operational HQ to Luxembourg in order to establish a legal entity (PayPal (Europe) sarl. & Cie, S.C.A) that will eventually be regulated as a bank by the Luxembourg financial regulatory authorities, who are, in turn, controlled and monitored by the central financial control body of the European Union.

But until that happens, PayPal is not legally a bank.

Nor are they able to offer true ‘merchant accounts’ either, although you will see countless websites that either claim that a PayPal account is a merchant account, or that they operate in exactly the same way.

It is simply not factually true on either count!

PayPal are no more able to offer ‘merchant accounts’ (as they are understood by the leading financial institutions and major banking corporations of the world) than they are able to operate as a bank.

PayPal is a privately owned payment processing company, unquestionably the number one company in their business on a global scale, but still a privately owned company that moves money about, and nothing more than that.

Now, this might seem to be a matter of little or no importance to you and I should not be at all surprised if the question on your lips were not ‘So what? Very interesting, but why should this matter to me?’

For the overwhelming majority of people who are using the services of PayPal, the answer to this would be that it does not matter one jot!

However, there are times when the legal status of the company can become a matter of great significance indeed.

You must therefore be forewarned of exactly why because otherwise you are potentially totally unwittingly putting your livelihood and whole business enterprise at significant risk.

When you are operating any kind of money making venture online, if you cannot work with PayPal for whatever reason you will soon discover that life will suddenly become immeasurably more difficult, and you can take that from someone who has been in that exact situation more than once.

In this scenario, your customers expect to pay you with PayPal, but you cannot accept their money. They expect to be paid with PayPal in return but you are powerless to oblige.

Massive numbers of online entrepreneurs all over the world rely on the services of PayPal to keep their cash-flows moving and their businesses fully operational.

 

If you are one of these people, then you must know what you are dealing with when you work with …

Tennessee Methamphetamine Laws

“Four ‘re talking two, three hundred boxes of sinus pills. There ain’t that many smurfs in the world.” –Breaking Bad

Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 417 makes it a crime to manufacture, deliver or sell methamphetamine, or to possess with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. If the amount is.5 grams or more the offense is a Class B felony punishable from 8-30 years, and if the amount is less than.5 grams the offense is a Class C felony punishable from 3-15 years. Fines of up to $100,000 will also apply.

Tennessee Code Annotated 39-17-433 makes it a crime to promote methamphetamine manufacture. Promotion can come in many forms. Selling, purchasing, acquiring or delivering any ingredient, chemical, drug or apparatus that can be used to produce meth, knowing it will be used to produce meth or with reckless disregard for its intended use is a crime. It is also a crime to purchase or possess more than nine grams of an immediate methamphetamine precursor with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, or deliver it to another person who they know intends to manufacture methamphetamine. Finally, possession of more than 15 grams of an immediate methamphetamine precursor is prima facie evidence of criminal intent. “Prima facie” means that evidence alone, without being rebutted, would be enough to prove the state’s case. Violation of Tennessee’s methamphetamine promotion law is a Class D felony punishable from 2-12 years. Fines and forfeiture of property may also apply.

Immediate methamphetamine precursors include over the counter items such as ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. Tennessee methamphetamine laws are very strict about over the counter substances that could be used to produce methamphetamine. Pharmacies keep detailed, real-time records of the purchases of these substances such as Sudafed, and in Tennessee an individual cannot buy more than 3.6 grams of a methamphetamine precursor per day, or more than 9 grams in 30-day period. A driver’s license is required to make the purchase, and the buyer’s name and address will be entered into the database. Purchases of these substances are strictly monitored. If a high number of Sudafed purchases are made by an individual over a period of time, the police will begin investigating and criminal charges could follow under Tennessee’s promotion of meth manufacture laws. Additionally, buying pseudoephedrine products for another or attempting to buy them with a fake id are crimes.

It is also a crime to initiate a process intended to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Under the law, “initiates” means to begin the extraction of an immediate methamphetamine precursor from a commercial product, to begin the active modification of a commercial product for use in methamphetamine creation, or to heat or combine any substance or substances that can be used in methamphetamine creation. Initiation is a Class B felony punishable up to 30 years.

Because of the number of serious crimes related to methamphetamine, it is important to consult a Memphis drug crimes lawyer if you or someone you know has been charged with violating these laws. The penalties can be harsh, but there may be ways to challenge the evidence, keep the offense off the individual’s record, or avoid jail time.…

Making the decision to put a loved one into assisted living can be difficult. You may feel like you are giving up on them, or that you are not able to care for them yourself. However, there are many benefits to assisted living that can make it the best decision for your loved one.

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living is a type of senior housing that provides assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). This can include help with bathing, dressing, eating, and using the restroom. Assisted living residents typically live in their own apartments or rooms and have access to common areas, such as dining rooms and living rooms. They also receive help with medication management and other health services, as needed.

The Benefits of Assisted Living

There are many benefits to assisted living, both for the resident and for their family members. One of the biggest benefits is that it can provide a sense of community and social interaction for residents who may be otherwise isolated. Assisted living facilities typically have many common areas where residents can gather and interact with one another. This can help to reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation and can improve mental health.

Another benefit of assisted living is that it can provide peace of mind for family members. When you have a loved one in an assisted living facility, you know that they are being taken care of by professionals, and if you choose assisted living in Orlando, you know they are receiving some of the best care available. This can help to ease worries about their well-being and can give you more time to focus on your own life.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to put a loved one in assisted living is a personal one. However, there are many reasons why it can be the best decision for both the resident and their family members.…

Is Your Business Struggling? ERP Software Can Help

Many businesses have been hit hard by the recession. Small and medium-sized businesses are among the hardest hit, and they often lack the resources needed to recover. Even though times are turning around for many, smaller businesses still have a long road ahead of them. Slow sales have caused many to lay off employees and run their businesses on a skeleton crew. Now, a larger crew is needed, but additional payroll is out of the question.

While the cost of operating with a small staff may not be evident immediately once things start turning around, it will become clearly evident after a short period of time. Most companies have had to weather short periods of time with a short staff, but the ongoing, unrelenting shortage they experience due to the economy downturn may be the worst yet.

Companies coming out of the recession have a particular set of problems. There is a mountain of work that needs to be done due to the increase in sales. However, there is not enough money collected to pay for staff. But staff is needed to bill and collect money earned from sales. It’s a vicious cycle. Fortunately, manufacturing software can help.

The bills are also being neglected. Some companies are simply struggling with the day-to-day operations of their business. As mentioned before, ERP software can help. Is it the solution for your company?

ERP software, or Enterprise Resource Planning software, has had its critics because it takes the place of human workers. Smaller companies strive to create a personal atmosphere for their customers; the human touch is needed to achieve it. Nobody likes to eliminate jobs, but drastic times call for drastic measures.

Manufacturing ERP software creates a paperless office atmosphere in which less work is needed to perform everyday tasks. The software keeps track of customers and streamlines the ordering and invoicing process. The software does not eliminate the need for workers, it merely reduces it, giving you the time you need to catch up.

Most programs have added features that support electronic ordering, confirmation and billing. If you’re doing it the old-fashioned way, standing at the fax machine and making countless phone calls, you are wasting a great deal of time that could be put to better use.

Manufacturing software is not generally used for office tasks, but it can be adapted for any type of business atmosphere. Streamlining simple office tasks can dramatically increase productivity. Workers who are freed up from mundane office tasks can be used to see to the more important aspects of your business. Do not underestimate how a few small changes and the addition of ERP software can change your business.…

Handling your construction project can be hectic if you lack professionals to guide you through the process. At times you may spend more than the construction budget drafted by your quantity surveyor, and this becomes stressful. In such a situation, hiring a contractor will make you enjoy peace of mind as you watch your project handled by a professional. Here is how a contractor will come in handy.

Diverse Network with Vendors

Sourcing for construction materials can be hectic, more so the rare ones, but the process will be seamless with professional contractors like Bomar Construction. Contractors are well versed in the industry and have developed great networks with reliable supplies. Due to the diverse networks established, you will enjoy access to quality materials at an affordable price. With this in mind, you will have peace of mind and focus on other things.

Experience

Due to the diverse experience contractors possess, there is an assurance your construction project will be handled with maximum professionalism. Your contractor will manage the workers on your behalf and ensure everything is done within the stipulated period. You will only need to visit the site regularly and see the work progress.

Financial Management

Many financial expenditures are involved while undertaking a construction project, and the expenditures can be overwhelming if not careful. A contractor can manage your project finances and ensures that everything runs smoothly. Contractors are always transparent and will provide receipts for the items purchased or any transaction related to the project. You won’t have to worry about financial management after hiring a contractor.

Communication

Without a contractor, regular communication with your workers can be hectic, especially if you are far, and this can easily lead to hitches within the project. A contractor will constantly communicate and update you on the project’s progress. In case of challenges, your contractor will also communicate that to you.

Hiring a contractor will give you peace of mind and ensure your project is completed within an agreeable timeframe. For quality results, ensure you settle for a professional contractor.…