meekscutoff.com
Archive

April 26, 2022

Browsing
In Pet

A Detailed Guide to Starting a Pet Supply Store

No Comments

With the entrepreneurial mindset, one has come across the perfect business idea and thus, is looking forward to starting a pet store. A viable pet supply store, from fish tanks to dog toys, sells anything or everything related to the pets. Some pet supply stores only provide products required to keep a pet healthy. While other stores have walk-in clinics and adoption centers.

This article offers an ideal roadmap for people striving to establish a perfect pet supply store. 

Plan the business: 

A well-formulated plan majorly contributes to the success of the pet supply store business. A few important topics that are to be considered for the preparation of a business plan are:

  • What costs are to be incurred for opening a pet supply store? 
  • Who will be the target market?
  • How will the pet supply store earn money?
  • How much can a pet supply store’s owner charge from the customers?
  • What will be the name of the store?

Conducting thorough research can help the owner come up with the best possible solutions for the mentioned questions. 

Plan the business structure:

For opening a pet supply store the owner needs to determine its business structure. The four most commonly recognized business structures that can be chosen for the pet supply store are sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), partnership, and corporation. It is suggested to study the pros and cons of these four business models before deciding the one for the pet store. 

Prepare and register for taxes:

Based on the type of business structure, one must be aware of the legal formalities of how the pet supply store is going to be taxed. For filing taxes, the owner needs to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). It is the EIN that uniquely identifies the particular pet supply store and thus, allows the business to file taxes.

Apply for required licenses, permits, and insurances:

 

The individual must apply for and obtain the required licenses, permits, and insurance for opening a pet supply store. For instance, a pet supply store operating out of a physical location typically requires a Certificate of Occupancy. This particular certificate confirms that all building codes, zoning laws, and government regulations are met by the particular store. In addition to licenses and permits, a pet supply store needs appropriate insurance to operate safely and securely.

Define and promote the brand: 

It is the brand of the pet supply store that represents its business and lets it stand out from the competitors. Therefore, efforts should be made to develop and promote a unique and attractive brand. Establishing the online presence of the brand is considered one of the best ways to promote the company’s brand. The owner can either invest in creating an SEO-optimized website or run paid advertisements on different social media platforms. 

Conclusion

Many people in Kuwait strive to set up their pet stores but not all are aware of the procedure of opening the same business. It is the above-mentioned simple steps that will make it seamless to establish a pet supply store in the market.

by
Read More
In Business

Get to Understand if a Criminal Defendant Indeed Has to Testify

No Comments

The question, ‘Should a criminal defendant testify?’ has brought up numerous debates on how it alters the trajectory of criminal cases in courts. Some insist that it is not a good idea, while others believe it is excellent. Though accused of a crime, a criminal defendant has the right to either testify or not in a case. Should a defendant refuse to testify, it will not be held against them and cannot be used as an inference of guilt. However, the fact that a defendant can testify does not always make it a viable idea.

However, getting a little information about criminal cases can help many change their minds on this issue.

Criminal Defendants are Innocent until Proven Guilty

All criminal defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. As simple as the statement is, the prosecution has to prove that a criminal is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. Proving guilt involves calling witnesses to testify against the criminal defendant. In most cases, the defendant’s testimony adds very little ‘power’ to prove the defendant’s guilt. 

The Defendant’s Testimony can be Detrimental

Criminal defense lawyers often advise their clients against testifying in court. This is so because the defendants may bring up evidence that might go against them in some cases. Once a defendant agrees to testify, they open themselves up to having prior bad deeds used as evidence against them. The jury may take up these misdeeds, which might be unrelated to the crime, to conclude that the defendant committed the crime in question. 

A defendant has the right not to testify

Indeed, according to many state laws, the defendant reserves the right not to testify. The defendant’s choice not to testify cannot be held against them in any court of law, and the jury cannot use it to infer that the defendant is guilty. The defendant remains innocent until proven guilty, even when they refuse to testify. 

Why a Defendant Should Not Testify

A criminal trial can be highly stressful, with so much being investigated in detail. Many defendants fail to handle the stress well and end up agitated or nervous. Even when they are not guilty, the jury might wrongfully interpret their body language as signs of guilt and further use them in their verdict. Criminal defendants always have little to no experience in testifying, unlike the police, who are trained to do so. Cross-examination is often a difficult situation, especially where a zealous prosecutor has undergone training to draw out information from criminal defendants. 

The idea of criminal defendants testifying is not a walk in the park. The guidance of their attorneys plays a vital role in determining whether they should testify or not. However, the defendant has the right to decide whether to testify or not. In most cases, defendants should refrain from testifying in court as it has the potential to bring up issues and new evidence against them, putting them at a higher risk of losing the case. With all these in mind, should a criminal defendant testify?

by
Read More
In Tech

Key Features of a True Agile Business Transformation

No Comments

Agile business transformation is a change to the way an organization reacts to the often-changing needs of the clients, changes to technologies, risks, growth, and any internal or external changes that may or may not be predictable. They are often referred to as a business and process transformation or agile and lean business transformation.

This transformation requires behavior change in all members of the organization as well as eliminating wasteful processes in a business. The leadership team must learn to transform their structure to support a new way of discovery and delivery. Agile and Lean are tools designed to support the organization through this evolution. They also guide the business by encouraging a proactive attitude rather than a reactive one.

In uncertain times, such as the pandemic, major business disruptors constantly threaten the global economy. Outdated, monolithic, and top-down hierarchies are not effective at helping businesses compete, grow, and thrive.

An agile business transformation has a strategy for helping businesses successfully undergo a journey from a traditional operating model to an agile one. It is an important part of a company’s digital transformation plan. It is focused on a collaborative process improvement focused on competitive advantage and value creation through different methodologies.

An agile operating model is:

  1. Non-linear
  2. Flexible and cross-functional
  3. Product-focused
  4. Contextual

Businesses must be able to engage in change management to support the implementation of agile methodologies and digital technologies; otherwise, they will be agile in name only (AINO).

Agile adoption can only provide short-term improvements in project management. However, agile transformation requires fundamental organizational changes that drive value in processes:

  1. Time-consuming and complex
  2. Comprehensive transformation of business structure
  3. Strategic
  4. Focused on agile principles
  5. Continuous delivery

There are three common ways to achieve agile business transformation:

  1. All-in. This is an immediate commitment at all levels of an organization to achieve agile transformation via structured waves.
  2. Step-by-step. A modular approach where agile teams implement agility across the business over time.
  3. Emergent. Transformation begins at the bottom and goes up, carrying out organizational change over time.

These three approaches share common components:

  1. Aspire, Design, and Pilot (ADP) model. This is the actual development and execution of agile transformation initiatives.
  2. Scale and Improve model. This gives structural and operational support to ADP while implementing the changes in the business structure needed to implement agile principles and encourage an agile mindset.
  3. The Culture and Change team. These people work to renew the company culture and remove barriers to adoption.

The benefits of an agile business transformation are convincing, but the transformation can be a long journey. You’ll need an effective change management strategy, strong support from the C-Suite, full buy-in from your sponsors, and the right digital tools to implement, monitor, and perfect your approach.

If your business is considering a shift to agility, invest the time and resources needed to ensure your new agile framework has a strong backbone supported by an agile mindset and principles. Integritas Solutions will be able to provide the services you need to achieve a successful transformation to become an agile organization.

by
Read More