5imp5on Sim-Pak RedwoodRandom Length Unit

Shipping

Sim-Pak units, in upper grades Clear All Heart, Clear and B Grades, can be loaded in All-Door cars. For truck shipment, it takes 32 Standard units or 16 Jumbo units for a full load. Sim-Pak can be included along with other items. The 6 mil polyethylene covering provides excellent dust and moisture protection. lt is opaque so lumber is protected against discoloration due to ultraviolet light. When T I G patterns are shipped in Sim-Pak units, rub strips are placed between adjoining units to prevent abrasion and breakage.

Special Note: In order to meet cuslomer needs, Simpson product specifications and warranties are continually updated. lf the orinted date on this literature is more than 12 months old, please contacl Simpson Timber Company, California Operations, for any changes that may have occurreo.

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effort to accelerate the receipt of cash, defer payment of cash and invest cash surpluses at the highest rate possible over the term the funds are not needed. Steps toward effective cash management practices include: o Expediting collections. o Reviewing credit and collection policies and procedures with the objective of accelerating cash flow. o Establishing discount policies that induce early payments by customers. o Enlisting the assistance of outside sales personnel in the collection effort. o Implementing automated daily cash balance reporting systems. o Utilizing accounts payable systems that defer cash disbursements to the full extent of the credit term provided by the vendor.

If you have not reviewed your cash management practices for some time, you may be inadvertently reducing your profits.

Statistics gathered over the past several years indicate an incieasing number of embezdements in small businesses. Unfortunately, because of the small number of employees in these firms, the safeguards normally available through establishment of a sound system of internal control in a large organization cannot always be realized. Nevertheless: r Monthly bank statements should be sent directly to the owner who should examine cancelled checks for alteration. au- thenticity of the sigrature, payees who are unfamiliar, checks made payable to '.cash," and second endorsements bv the company's employees. o Bank reconciliations should be reviewed by the owner each month for reconciline items that are unusual in nature oi amount, or that remain open for an ex_ tended period of time. e Payroll records should be reviewed frequently to determine that all names included are employees of the firm and that pay rates are commensurate with the work the employee performs for the frrm. o Fidelity bond insurance should be obtained as an inexpensive means of protecting the firm against financial loss. Determine periodically the financial health of yourbank by investigating : o What is the bank's ratio of non_ performing to performing loans? A ratio of 1.590 is normal. o What is the bank's ratio of equity to total assets? In this critical area of capi_ tal, has it been over extended? How broad is its customer base? o How long has the bank been around? Most failed banks have been relativelv new.

. What is its ratio of equity to problem loans? The best bankJ have a- five-toone ratio, average banks about two_ or two-and-a-half-to-one.

A few years ago, when the long distance discount services were first available. there weren't too many choices and, most likely, €myone would save you money over using AT&T's regular long distance calling. But now the market place is crowded with services and deciding which one meets your needs is an arduous and boring task.

The three most critical elements to analyze are rates, service options and service quality. Two publications available to help you ile: Lower Phone Costs, a 7Gp. guide to the phone industry prepared by Consumers Checkbook ($6.95 - 806 lsth Street N.W., Suite 925, Washington, D. C. 20005) and Shopping For Long Distance klephone Services, a checklist of questions from the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York. For a free copy, send a stamped, self-addressed legal-size envelope to BBB of New york. 257 park Avenue South, New york, Ny 10010.

To select the best telephone service, experts advise analyzing at least three months of your current phone bills and attempt to create a composite sample bill with average calls and durations. Instead of buying a service based on advertising or sales pitch, ask several services to quote on your composite "sample" bill. Use their toll-free g00 number to obtain more information about each. (Source: "In Business," Vol. 7, No. l)

Mountain States

(Continued from page 2 4) levels of all employees in this indusrry. While we do not have all of the answers. we are making progress and intend sharing it with all interested members in hopes of building stronger businesses.

My purpose in this commentary is to call attention to the fact salary surveys are simply a tool in determining the industry "standards" or "base." This means that a great deal of management discretion must be used in the development of a total, rewarding compensation package. There certainly is nothing wrong or improper about paying an employee twice as much as the industry "standard" if that employee is also producing twice as much as the next fellow and if that productivity contributes to the success and profit of the business in relatively proportionate ways. On the other hand, unproductive and noncontributing employees should not be "rewarded" with industry "standards."