Monday, Dec 19, 2016

Foster Chartered Accountants 123 Taylor Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, ON K1N 6V5 Mr. Craig Jones November 8th, 2006 135 Miller Drive Ottawa, ON Dear Craig, Thank you for your letter of October 20th. I am always happy to hear from accounting students at the University of Ottawa. I hope you have enjoyed your studies there as much as I did 15 years ago. In this letter, I will do my best to answer all of your questions about self-employment so that you can decide whether starting your own accounting business is right for you when you graduate next spring. One thing you’d have to ask yourself is if you have the personal traits common to most entrepreneurs. Are you a high-energy, goal-oriented individual? Do you persevere despite setbacks? Successful entrepreneurs do not shy away from risk; nor are they foolhardy—there’s a fine balance between being willing to go out on a limb and being cautious with your assets. Clearly, there are advantages and disadvantages to owning your own business. It is very satisfying to be your own boss and to have people working for you. You have to keep in mind, however, that developing your business involves working long hours, especially in the first five years. Even if your business and your reputation become more established, you will always be responsible for the success or failure of the business, and for whether or not you get paid. The business climate is not what it was 10 years ago; there are many government regulations that make it difficult to become successfully self-employed. If you start a business which is unsuccessful, it will be tough getting hired by a big accounting company afterwards. For these reasons, I think it might be wiser to work for someone else first, so that you can see what the accounting business is like. Then, after a few years, you can decide if you want to open your own company. I would suggest that you go to the Small Business Consulting Service for more advice. They have courses on how to get started, how to do marketing, and more. You can also schedule a one-on-one appointment with the small business consultant there, Mr. Ray Hill, whom I have found to be very helpful. I wish you all the best in your future. Yours truly, Nina Foster Nina Foster, President, Foster Chartered Accountants.

Tips for Managing Stress Work-related stress affects many Canadians. Problems at work are more often the cause of stress-related health complaints than any other kind of problem, even financial or family concerns. And the longer hours you work, the worse it gets. Long-term work stress can lead to what is called job burnout, the symptoms of which include a negative outlook, low energy, and a lack of interest in nurturing personal relationships. Entire businesses suffer when workers are stressed: each case of stress-related illness leads to an average of 30 days absent from work. Sources of stress Stressors are challenges that come into a person's life and create stress. They can be positive or negative - a long-awaited promotion can provoke stress as much as getting fired can. Some stressors are external. Often employees ignore or blindly accept external stress, because they think these are unimportant problems. However, even small problems, such as an uncomfortable office chair or the constant noise of a photocopy machine can make you edgy and prevent you from doing a good job. Other stressors are internal: they are not workplace problems, but they are perceptions you create of the workplace. One example might be feeling that your hard work isn’t appreciated. Stress-Busters You’ve probably heard all the usual tips about minimizing stress in general: eating healthy foods, finding an engaging hobby, keeping in touch with friends and family. Here are some hints that apply more specifically to the workplace: ƒ Remind yourself why you are working. What was it that got you interested in your field to begin with? Try to direct your attention to the attractive aspects of your job. ƒ Take more control of your time. Learn to say “no” when asked to do too much. One sure-fire time-saver is to cut meeting time. In one poll of managers, “meetings” were named as the single major reason for wasted time. ƒ Keep work at work. Make life your focus outside of work, by leaving your job in the office. Avoid the temptation to check your email and messages from home. ƒ Set realistic goals, and stick to them. ƒ Control what you can and let go of the rest.

STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS We are pleased to announce that a Manager of Information Systems has been contracted. Out of over one hundred and fifty applicants, we have selected FIT Retail’s own John Carter. Mr. Carter has been part of the Information Systems team for five years as Technical Support Assistant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Computer Science from Sullivan University. In his new role, he will oversee our two existing internet sales systems - the mail-order and the live auction site. In addition, he will design and build any new components for FIT’s website, manage tech support for the website, and supervise the systems training of all staff. We welcome John to his new position effective September 1st. Staff can contact Mr. Carter atjcarter@fitretail.com or at extension 234. In other good news, Heather M. Smith is the new vice-president of our instrument division, replacing Thomas Berman, who has retired. Ms. Smith also will serve as a director on the board. Ms. Smith has eighteen years of relevant experience in consumer goods. For the past five years, she held the position of vice president of marketing for Tru-Tone, Inc. Smith has a background in marketing, strategy development, and project management. She holds a master’s degree in engineering management from St. Mary’s University and is fluent in both Russian and English. Ms. Smith’s extension is 565, and she can be reached atheather.smith@fitretail.com. It is with mixed emotions that we announce the resignation of Joe Blough, assistant personnel manager for the past twenty years. Mr. Blough has been a respected and valued member of the FIT Retail team. Mr. Blough has announced that he wants to take a different direction with his life and career, and has decided to take on the position of Volunteer Coordinator for the local United Way charity. We will miss him, and we wish him the very best in his new endeavour. *
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. What is the title of John Carter’s new job?
2. How long did Joe Blough work for the company?
3. What kind of master’s degree does Heather Smith have?
4. What is John Carter’s extension?
5. Who speaks Russian?
6. What is Blough’s new job title?
7. Who was the old vice president in the instrument division?
8. Who went to Sullivan University?
9. What date will John Carter begin?
10. How long did Heather Smith work for Tru-Tone?