Nadine Smith reports:

"Tone refers to the attitude of a writer toward the subject he is writing about. A writer can convey his attitude directly, by stating his opinion, or indirectly, through his choice of vocabulary and stylistic elements. As an essay writer, your job consists of investigating the purpose or significance of the author's tone...Key to determining the tone of a text is discerning the writer's emotion...Even a business brochure conveys a formal, professional tone of voice; sincerity, solemnity and frankness count as emotions too...Once you've determined the writer's attitude or approach to the theme or subject matter, you must also establish its significance. In other words, you need to convince your reader why the tone of this text is important to the rest of the text, or what point the writer is trying to convey, whether deliberately or inadvertently, through the tone...Precise definitions of terms, such as 'community' and 'custom,' help strengthen an essay's persuasiveness by adding clarity, hindering any objections a reader may have. Each example from the text that illustrates themes...must also include a discussion of their relation to the dominant tone or tones of the text...Readers should be able to maintain a continuous understanding of the connection between the role of tone (as declared in the thesis) and the specific evidence presented subsequently...As with a typical essay, the evidence for the thesis should follow in the body paragraphs of the essay. The standard number of major proofs, or premises, of an essay is three, and each usually requires one paragraph or more. The thesis about tone belongs in the introductory paragraph, and definitions about relevant terms or any introductory discussion of the importance or definition of tone belong here as well."

Jessica Kent reports:

"Writing a business check is similar to writing a personal check. Always use a pen when writing business checks. Write all the information clearly on the check to ensure proper payment is made. You can also use your computer to print checks through common business software programs. Be aware that the company’s image is reflected in the type of check you choose to use. An attorney, for example, may not want to use checks with pre-printed cartoons as that choice would be more suitable for a toy store...Write the date at the top of the check. Use the date the check is being written, not a date in the future. If the check number is not pre-printed on the check, number the checks in the checkbook you are working with before writing any checks. Pre-numbered checks cut down on the issuing of duplicate check numbers and helps to keep track of any checks written...Write the name of the payee in the space provided. Use the entire name of the company...Indicate the amount the check is payable for in both words and numbers. Do not use abbreviations. The bank will use the two formats to ensure the check is being cashed for the proper amount. When discrepancies exist, banking errors can occur...Complete the memo portion of the check with pertinent information...Check with the company you are making a payment to and verify if the entire account number needs to be included on your check. For security reasons, some lenders allow you to put only the last four numbers of the account...Sign the check. Even if you are using a software program to write your checks, the check must still be signed in ink. Record the check information in your checkbook to make reconciling the bank account easier at the end of the month...Avoid writing checks payable to 'Cash.' If a check payable to cash is lost or stolen, anyone can endorse the check and cash it for the amount written. Similarly, do not sign checks that do not have both a payee and amount filled in. Signed checks are the same as cash."

Think Fast Improv reports:

"Scripted theater and Improvisation are, by definition, opposites.  Although performance skills are shared between the two, their goals are different.  Improvisation seeks to organically create themes, plot[,] and characters at a moment’s notice, never to be seen again, while traditional theater predetermines those elements and through repetition asks performers to interpret and bring them to life.  Yet, despite these differences, the ideas generated from improvisation can provide a strong base on which to write broader stories...One of the most important components of improv is teamwork, and one of the most valuable products of teamwork is the variety of ideas and perspectives that are brought into a scene.  No matter how imaginative you are, the combined brilliance of several playful and creative minds is superior.  People who improvise live for those moments when two or more players collectively discover a rich reality that would have been nearly impossible to create singularly.  Through improv you access more scenarios and character choices, and you are guaranteed to be exposed to ideas and dialogue that you would not have thought of on your own.  By working with a stage partner you will come up with character responses that you would not have expected from yourself, because of the unique perspective and prompting of your partner...[D]o not limit the possibilities.  Even a simple off-hand remark given within a scene can be inspiration for a written piece of action/adventure, romance, or mystery.  A basic idea from an improv scene can later be flushed out in your writing, regardless of the genre you are working in...On your own, the skills of improv help when you find yourself in front of a blank screen or piece of paper.  Improv games and muscles can be exercised for creating plot twists, characters, relationships, and strong dialogue choices.  Improv skills also help you manage separate characters as they interact with each other, making sincere choices that will move your story forward...In short, an improv class or show is an excellent cure for writer’s block.  Whether working on your own or with a group, the ideas and moments that come from improvisation can be used to further your own writing."

CarsDirect reports:

"Unfortunately, most people cannot take advantage of writing off car payment interest on their taxes. This deduction usually applies only to those who are self-employed or own their own business. It is not for people who work under another employer or people who are on some form of government assistance. And as always, take some caution when you deduct anything from your taxes...Get a notebook and start to write down how much time you spend using the car for work[-]related purposes. This includes any time spent going to and from business appointments. Keep track of your mileage and how often you use your car...You need to calculate the entire expenditures of your car. Multiply your monthly fee by 12 to get the exact dollar amount. If you have had your car for less than 12 months, calculate the expense by multiplying your monthly fee by the number of months you have leased the vehicle or car...If you are using the same car for both business and personal use, calculate the percentage of how much time you use the car for business use...Deducting the costs of leasing a car is ideal for those who use any vehicle for 50% or more business[-]related reasons. If the said car is used strictly for business, this does not apply, but please check with a tax professional for more information and to make sure you don’t get audited...If you’ve been leasing a car that costs a lot, then you need to configure the lease conclusion cost. Ask your tax professional how to do this...When writing of[f] the interest of your automobile, it's important to take [into] account the extra costs. This includes gas, insurance, and maintenance fees. Keep records of everything you spend and save copies of bills or receipts for proofs of purchase...Bring in all your information and papers that pertain to business[-] and auto[-]related expenses. Carry a notebook with your car lease information, car leasing bills, insurance papers, receipts, etc. Be prepared to answer questions about car[-]related and business[-]related usage, so make sure you’ve figured out and deducted the costs ahead of time...If you’re new to deducting business[-]related expenses, or have any questions, please consult a tax professional for advice."

Roslyn Frenz reports:

"Businesses institute dress codes for a number of reasons, including enhanced professionalism and to minimize distractions. The office memo introducing a new or different dress code should be clear about how the employers expect the employees to dress, while maintaining a polite[,] positive attitude. Supervisors or human resources personnel should write the memo using proper memo format and informative message techniques...Most businesses explain dress code policy in employee handbooks or other types of new employee and orientation material. Memos carrying dress code information may remind employees to adhere to dress code policy. Any memo that alters or creates a dress code would probably be followed by an official policy change noted in the employee handbook or official company code of conduct...Memos are shorter and more informal than the average business letter. They are usually one page or no more than approximately 250 words. Most memos omit salutations, closes and paragraph indents. Memos do include subject lines that indicate what the memo’s regarding...The memo may also list the date and time of its sending underneath or across from the subject line. Most memos include the writer’s initials, or occasionally a signature, at the bottom of the page...The main goal of writing a dress code memo is to briefly inform the staff of a new dress code policy or changes to current dress code. Dress code memo writers should use standard informative message composition. The writers should include a summary of the key points in the first paragraph, the details of the dress code, the reasons behind the policy, any potential negative dress code situations and a positive, forward-looking conclusion. The writer should ensure that the message maintains and builds goodwill...Goodwill in messages is an important effort that demonstrates care and appreciation for employees. Goodwill is especially important in informative memos that may seem negative to some employees. Employees who don’t like dress codes or don’t want to conform to the dress code may appreciate benefits to the policy listed after each instance of new regulations. Employees tend to receive information on new codes better when they understand the reasons behind the policy changes."

Heather Fishel reports:

"Resume: The term is something usually associated with job seekers and the business world. For high school students, a resume might seem unnecessary. Yet having a resume, or brag sheet, on hand is helpful no matter where you are in your high school career. Creating a resume doesn’t have to be difficult. With a few easy steps, you can create a brag sheet that will help you fill out college applications and apply for scholarships. Once your brag sheet is complete, you can take it with you to college [fairs and] on-campus interviews and even use it in the future as you apply for internships. Follow these guidelines to write a clean, professional resume that will help you in high school and beyond...Before you begin writing your brag sheet, it’s a good idea to make a list of what you’ll be including. To start, think about everything you've done over the course of your high school career. Gather [transcripts and] your school information and jot down your cumulative GPA. Ask your mom or dad to help you make a list of the awards you’ve won and extracurricular activities you’ve participated in throughout high school. You’ll need the dates of each of these items as well, so be sure to make a note of that too. Once you’ve collected all this information, keep it in a binder or folder. You’ll want to refer to it as you create your resume, so it’s good to have it in one place. It’ll also help you fill out college applications when the time comes...Even though you’re in high school, your brag sheet should follow in this traditional style. Here’s what to include on your resume:

• Your name, address, phone number[,] and email address belong at the very top of the page.

• The name of your high school and your graduation date should follow next. If you’ve taken any honors or AP classes, you can list them below if you’d like.
  

• Any work experience you’ve had, such as a part-time job, comes after your education information. List your job title, the company you work for, and the dates of your employment. If you have multiple jobs to list, be sure to put the most recent positions first.

• If you’ve participated in extracurricular activities, those should appear next on your brag sheet. List the clubs, sports, volunteer work, or anything else you’ve been a part of through school. Be sure to include any positions you held and the dates you participated.

The one section of a professional resume that you don’t need to mimic is the references page. It’s rare that colleges will ask for references so don’t feel like you have to include them. Letters of recommendation fill this need for a reference...One of the biggest mistakes students make when creating a resume is under-explaining their role in extracurricular activities. Admissions offices love to learn about applicants based on their experiences in clubs and activities outside the classroom. Make an effort to explain yours in detail, especially if they're unique. Jot down any positions you held...The extracurricular section of your brag sheet is like your high school work history – tell colleges exactly what you did and where you excelled...Any accomplishments that you’re proud of deserve a spot on your resume...Once your resume has all of the information written out, you’ll need to format it properly. This resume will represent you to colleges and maybe even potential employers, so be sure it exhibit[s] who you are as an adult. Most importantly, check to ensure your brag sheet is free of any grammatical or spelling errors. While looking for these potential mistakes, revisit your verbs and make sure your sentences are active, not passive. Once that check is complete, change the font to one that’s readable – most offices prefer the standard Times New Roman in size 12. Although it’s not an exciting font, it’s one that will work with every computer and operating system. Also, be sure to keep your resume in black and white. Admissions officials frown upon pictures and colored text. If you’re unsure about the overall appearance of your resume, you can check out some great examples online...Keep your brag sheet as brief as possible...Don’t panic if your resume isn’t pages and pages long...Not all college applications will allow you to upload a resume or brag sheet. If you’d still like to send yours in, just ask the admissions office. Most are more than happy to accept these via email."

Lucy Natek reports:

"The objective of a change proposal is to make official suggestions about how something, usually organizations, projects or documents, should be changed. The proposal needs to specify the exact problem in need of change, the way it should be changed and the expected benefits the change will bring. The goal of a change proposal is to convince the decision makers a specific change needs to take place, so the proposal must be detailed, based on facts and concise[;] otherwise you risk it getting rejected and the proposed benefits not being realized. List your basic points. Let it be clear what you will be writing about, what your goal is and the exact order in which you will present your ideas. Title this section 'Summary' or 'Executive Summary,' if you're proposing an organizational change. Briefly describe the overview of the problem. Write about what exactly led you to proposing the change, the background of the problem and why you see the proposed change as a necessity. If there is existing research regarding the issue, mention it here as it will serve as a good factual backup of your concerns. Title this section 'Overview' or 'Background.' Create a timetable. Specify how long the proposed change will require to successfully be implemented. The best planned schedule will break down all the needed changes into smaller actions and set deadlines for all of them. You should also identify who should be responsible for meeting each deadline. Title this section 'Schedule.' Outline the budget...[I]t is important you work out the budget correctly and in detail before you propose your changes. You may not be able to predict exactly how much everything is going to cost, but you should try to make as precise an estimation as possible. Title this section 'Budget.' Format the proposal correctly. Every change proposal needs to have a title page on which you write the name of the proposal, your name, the organization you work for, the date and the name of the people or organization the change proposal is intended for. Also create a table of contents, and place it behind the title page."

Shala Munroe reports:

"Weekly sales reports can be in a memorandum style or as a standardized report. Compare the two to see which works best for your firm. Sales reports are key to helping you gauge how well your company is meeting its sales goals. A weekly sales report can be written as basic memorandum or as a standard, more formalized report. Either method will provide the opportunity to notice trends in sales numbers before they become so low that they can't be brought up to meet quarterly or annual sales predictions, or before an increase in sales becomes a lack of inventory problem. Weekly sales reports also provide an opportunity to share success or potential problems on a weekly basis, allowing for immediate action if necessary...Start the sales report with the date. Include the dates the report covers, the specific department and other pertinent information, such as the sales region cover or specific product. Lead with the main accomplishment or most significant number of the week...Give the week's sales numbers, then compare them. After giving the week's biggest accomplishment, break down the sales numbers for the week. This could be broken down by product or salesperson, or whatever makes sense for the product or service you're selling. Then, include a summary of how this week's numbers compare to this time last [year or] to last week's numbers or how much closer you are to your quarterly sales goal. Add other relevant statistics, such as the number of cold calls made versus the number of resulting sales. Discuss any challenges that hindered sales for the week, such as rainy weather keeping your staff from selling outdoor equipment...Fill in categories to track the sales from your team each day. The categories might include information on how many of each product were sold, the number of cold calls made, the number of follow-up calls made, the number of incoming sales calls and the total sales by each salesperson and the department as a whole. Fill out the same standardized report each week to help you compare the sales numbers later. Add an explanation at the bottom of the page for any numbers that look abnormal...Describe any specific successes or failures for the week, but be brief. For example, praise one salesperson who might have doubled her typical weekly sales. Or explain that another salesperson's numbers were low because he was on vacation half the week...File your sales reports by month to make it easier to compile monthly and quarterly sales reports."

Trudy Brunot reports:

"Customer experience determines whether shoppers who enter your store leave with a purchase. A variety of factors influence that experience, among them your inventory, staff and pricing. However, without the right store atmospherics -- how you stage your business to make shopping a unique, inviting and pleasant event -- traffic and sales inevitably drop. Looking at your store with a customer's critical eye can identify where your atmospherics fall short. Regular walk-through audits give you a reading on shopper reactions to your store that translate into customer satisfaction and loyalty...A checklist allows you to organize your walk-through. Listing what you want to study in a sequence that mimics how a customer travels through the building makes your evaluation efficient...The Compliantia.com website recommends dividing the areas being critiqued into subsections...The desired characteristics for each line item serve as your measurement. A simple four-point system -- with ratings from poor to outstanding -- suffices to grade important characteristics. The window subsection of the exterior checklist area might grade these characteristics: Clean, Well-lit, Appealing Display...The store's appearance, floor plan and amenities such as fitting rooms, seating and bathroom facilities work together to welcome shoppers. Your walk-through might devote a section to each to rate accessibility, cleanliness and general appeal. A walk-through can draw attention to frayed or dirty carpets, cracked or smudged mirrors and burned-out light bulbs. The Retail Owners Institute includes image-supporting factors such as music, scent, lighting and signs on its recommended walk-through checklist. These present your store's personality and tap into a shopper's emotions. During your evaluation, ask if the music reflects your target customer's taste and if the volume allows for conversation, identify any foreign odors and confirm that existing fragrances don't overwhelm or offend, and pay attention to spotlight placement and overall store brightness...Your walk-through gives you an opportunity to review your visual merchandising, a key component in enticing shoppers to buy. You can rate basic display tools, such as fixtures and hangers, for compatibility with the store’s image...Your walk-through also should highlight instances where marked-down merchandise detracts from higher-priced new arrivals and could project an undesired bargain-basement image. Alternatively, empty or bare shelves may send a wrong signal about your financial stability. Signs throughout the store also merit a place on your checklist. They represent your silent sales staff. The merchandise itself deserves a place on your checklist so that you can take a fresh look at the overall impression your selection gives shoppers as they browse...Walk-through audits work well to evaluate loss-prevention preparedness and store safety. Separate checklists would apply, but the concept remains the same. For a loss-prevention walk-through, suggested audit points include adequate lighting, security tags, price tags and locked cases. A safety audit would check for items such as clear aisles, sturdy shelving, electrical cords, adequate spacing between fixtures and debris-free floors. These audits, combined with your general walk-through, can lead to improvements that customers will reward through returned visits."

Neil Kokemuller reports:

"A thesis statement is commonly required in a persuasive writing assignment...It is an opening [of] your writing that forms the subject or theme for the rest of the paper. A thesis statement actually answers the question 'What is this about?' or 'Why should I care?' for the reader. Therefore, it can't present a question for the reader to answer...Your thesis is typically presented in the first paragraph of your paper. It helps direct the reader on what to expect in the remainder of the document. One strategy is to use your thesis to take a controversial stance on a particular [point of view]. The rest of the paper that follows should convey evidence, facts and insights that support the thesis statement."