You’re never too young to be concerned about the environment and other ecological issues. At a time when most young women are beginning to use skin care products and cosmetics, many companies are competing for their purchases. Many teenagers simply follow the mainstream and begin using products that are readily available and widely advertised. But others have chosen a different road: ethical skin care products.What is Ethical Skin Care?In general, companies who produce products using ingredients from only natural and sustainable sources can be thought of as producing ethical products. Another facet of ethical products involves not testing on animals. Packaging is important, too. Glass is a preferred packaging material as is recycled and recyclable plastic. The ingredients used in ethical products are generally certified organic, meaning that they are free from pollutants like pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In an era when irradiated and genetically modified ingredients are common, ethical products eschew these in favor of choices that are more natural. With no animal products, alcohol or chemicals or synthetics, ethical cosmetics and skin creams are less likely irritate the even the most sensitive skin.Ethical Skin Products for TeensTeenagers have special skin problems. Their skin is changeable and many suffer from oily skin and skin conditions like skin acne. Skin care lines like Face Boutique have completely rethought skin care and designed effective products that address acne and other skin problems. For example, some products contain prebiotics. Prebiotics help promote the growth of “good” bacteria and are thought to have a beneficial effect on some skin conditions. This makes them good candidates for use in natural skin care products for teenagers whose skin is often clogged and distressed.What’s Not in Ethical Skin ProductsEthical skin products generally do not contain petroleum products, parabens, sulfates or phthalates. Petroleum products like mineral oil clog the skin. Parabens are artificial preservatives. Sulfates are salts of sulphuric acid that can dry the skin. Phthalates are petroleum products that are used to make plastics like PVC. Finally, ethical skin treatment products do not contain GMOs. GMO stands for “genetically modified organism,” a substance who’s very DNA has be altered by scientific means.Using ethical skin care products is a great way for teens in the UK to support companies who choose to manufacture products in an environmentally responsible way.
Instant Access Payday Loans: The Fast Solution to Financial Emergencies
A financial emergency is more than just an inconvenience; it is a panic-inducing demand that can leave our delicately balanced monthly budget in tatters. The specific nature of the emergency might be anything, but the result is the same: a need to access funds as close to immediately as possible. The best solution? Instant access payday loans.These loans are specifically designed for borrowers who are in need for a small injection of funds and have no time to wait around for approval. In fact, very often the applicant needs to pay their debt within hours, so even a 24-hour wait is too long. Only instant loan approval will do.Of course, in offering payday loans so swiftly, lenders take quite a risk – or at least seem to be. And, as we all know, nothing is free in the financial world. For this reason, it is important to take a careful look at the terms, conditions and compromises that have to be made as part of any loan deal.All In The NameThe first clue to the terms and conditions that come with an instant access payday loan is the name itself. These loans are granted against an upcoming paycheck on payday, so while there is no need for collateral, there is a need to have a reliable source of income.There are some compromises that come with it too. The size of the paycheck is what dictates the affordability of the loan. For example, a monthly income of $2,000 would mean a maximum repayment (in full) of $2,000 is required. Applicants can look forward to instant loan approval if that repayment is affordable.The good news is that payday loans are generally capped at just $1,500, regardless of the size of the paycheck. However, it still means that borrowers must be able to repay the principal and pay the interest in total from one check.Cost of a LoanSo what is the actual cost of an instant access payday loan? Well, there is considerable pressure placed on borrowers to clear short-term loans like this. But it is made all the more difficult when the interest rate is taken into account.The typical interest rate charged is around 30%, a rate that is justified by lenders by claiming they leave themselves vulnerable by not carrying out credit checks. Of course, instant loan approval is great compensation for the borrowers, who need the cash so quickly.Still, the fact that 30% is added in interest to the loan means that a total of $1,950 is needed to clear a $1,500 payday loan. This is a large sum to take out of a paycheck in one go, and if some careful budgeting is not done in advance, it can cause some serious trouble.Finding the Best DealOf course, different lenders will offer different terms, with some online lenders charging more competitive rates of around 20%. Though still high, it nonetheless means a lower sum is needed to repay an instant access payday loan. It will come as no surprise that online lenders offer the very best deals, so taking time to search the Internet is a worthwhile exercise.It is always a good idea to create a shortlist of the best offers available, detailing the interest to be charged, the repayment terms and whether instant loan approval is available. Luckily that is all made easy through the comparison sites that are in operation.And do not forget to check the reputation of any online lenders that seem to offer a good payday loan deal. The Better Business Bureau website offers a grading system; A-grade lenders the only ones that should be considered.
The Three P’s of Project Management
Project Managers are People Managers. Many of us have heard this over the years, but is that it? Are we nothing more than people managers? I will agree that we are responsible for managing people and that this is a portion of the PM (Project Manager) role. I ask that we take a moment to look at a couple of facts. Many PM’s get certification from the PMI (Project Management Institute) which is ISO (International Organization for Standardization) recognized certification. Additionally, one could also receive a Masters Degree in Project Management. With that in mind, are PM’s really nothing more than people managers? Is there really a perception that PM’s do nothing more than manage people? Is people management the most important function of a PM?In this article I want to present the three P’s of project management. The three P’s are to take into account the elements and structure of project management. As most of us know, there are five project management process groups and nine knowledge areas (please refer to the PMBOK guide for clarification). I can assure you that there is more than people management when it comes to the process groups and knowledge areas. On the other hand, without people and without people management projects can not be accomplished. So people management is important but without the other two P’s will a project be successful? Let me present the three P’s of Project Management and follow them with a review.1) People Management
2) Process Management and
3) Performance ManagementPeople Management is essential in regards to project management. It takes the leadership of the project manager to guide a team towards working together in symmetry to accomplish the objectives of a project. I feel that cooperation and collaboration are a couple of key ingredients when it comes to people management. Without cooperation and/or collaboration by the team or an individual on the team, a project can end up in jeopardy.How do you build a team that fosters collaboration and cooperation? I have found that the best decisions are made by a team not an individual. Early on in a project I bring the team together to discuss the objectives of the project. Then to engage the subject matter experts and the IT resources in a discussion that elicits the best decisions. I ask questions and encourage the team to do the same. Next we look at making a decision. I follow this up by looking for options or alternatives by asking if there is a better way. The information presented here leads to new and better decisions. New decisions are based on new information, get the team to to collaborate and cooperate and the best decisions will be made. The best information will be presented and individuals will be contributors.It is common for any team to go through forming, norming, storming and conforming in order to grow. The PM expects this and is prepared to manage it accordingly so the team performs. It is persuasive assertiveness that, when used effectively, leads the team in overcoming differences and strives for project success.To this point we have only discussed people management, and frankly, teams can be organized for all sorts of reasons and the team leader can use the information above to leverage the team. Is people management another term for project management?Process Management is equally important to People Management. Without either of these, the ability to provide a successful project outcome is severely diminished. To improve the outcome of a project the PM utilizes sound and repeatable processes that lead to a successful project implementation. PM’s use their knowledge, skills and effectiveness to incorporate the project management process groups and knowledge areas. If the project management process groups and knowledge areas are not effectively managed along with the team there will be project chaos. If your project is in chaos or total chaos, what areas of project management are not being effectively involved in your project? Do you need to look far?I feel that without the utilization of a project management process that projects will wander and drift like a message in a bottle, no charted course and an unknown destination. I have felt the pains of projects without process. They struggled with technology implementations, cost over-runs and the project scope in constant flux. The end result, failure.I found that a similar team managed the next version of an application with a project management process in place, the results were outstanding. There was a solid scope document that provided the necessary information for user acceptance testing. There were five change requests made that went through the change control procedure, four were approved. The plan target date was not only achieved, but the work was completed ahead of schedule. Being ahead of schedule meant cost savings thus the project was completed under budget. All of this was achieved and there were no product defects.Could this have been accomplished with people skills alone? Would you be able to create project symmetry without a project management process? I feel you already know the answers to these questions.Finally there is Performance Management. For the most part, this category falls under process management for all intensive purposes. I like to breakout performance management and look at it from a different perspective. The purpose of performance management is to answer the question … How is you project coming along? When that is asked it should be able to be address the triple constraints. Is the project on schedule? Is it within budget? Will it meet the project scope? By measuring the triple constraints, a PM can track the actual progress of a project and make adjustments based on this information. Performance management holds the team accountable and keeps the senior team informed.Let’s take a moment to look back at earlier questions. Are project managers nothing more than people managers? Is people management the most important function of a PM? My response to this is that project managers must balance both people and process management. One without the other will not provide the optimum outcome.Special Note: I want to convey that I am not overlooking Quality. Quality falls under the knowledge areas which is referred to in the earlier process writings. I hope to go into greater detail on this topic in a future article. In addition, I am not overlooking problem management. I feel that problem management falls under people management since problems are found by people and decisions are made by people.With everything that has been presented here, it is important to keep in mind that Project Managers bring so much more to the success of a project than their ability to manage people. The three P’s of project management, (people, process and performance management) take into account much of the criteria needed for successful project management. As project managers, we are trained, skilled and experienced in this field. If projects are going well we know we are doing the right things. If projects are not going well, reflect on this and take action to correct its course. How well are your projects being managed?