When it comes to choosing the right reporting tools for creating business reports, the good news is you have lots of options. Here's a quick rundown of some of those choices.

First, take a look at what you already have on your desktop. Microsoft Office includes thousands of templates for a wide range of industries and report needs. You may be able to find just the look you want, from business plans to cash flow projections to employee performance reviews, ready and waiting for you.

The template is only one piece of the business report creation puzzle. You also need to generate those reports. But manually inputting data can be tedious and lead to numerous errors. There are a few reporting software packages on the market that plug into these Office templates, allowing you to automatically generate reports with data that flows from your database, spreadsheet, or other data source.

For example, Windward Reports from Windward Studios lets you use Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint to design templates and then connect those templates to your data. Another company that offers Office-based reporting is LJZSoft, which has a suite of tools that work with an SQL database.

If you like the idea of using Microsoft reporting tools to create templates but Office's business templates don't meet your needs, you can design the templates inhouse or hire a report designer. If you opt for the latter, be prepared to pay – and possibly quite a bit – for that privilege.

Another approach to generating business reports would be to use a software program that includes a proprietary design interface. For instance, Jasper Reports is an open-source tool from JasperForge, and Cognos lets you create ad-hoc queries. And of course, no list of reporting tools would be complete without a mention of Crystal Reports. Keep in mind that these types of tools are typically less flexible to use, however, because the design component is banded and therefore inherently limited.


Windward Reports has all the resources you need to have the reports you need for your business. Find the real bottom line and make sure you're guiding your business the way it needs to go.

When it comes time to throw a party, all too often it’s a hurried affair without a lot of planning put into it. But with just a little time to put into planning a party, you can really execute some cool party planning ideas that can make it a really great party. And it doesn’t take a lot of money to do it either.

Of course, any time you’re going to put any effort into putting together a real party, you’ll want to send out invitations. Depending on the kind of party it’s going to be will require different invitation wording ideas, but basing your invite off of the event makes it easy. Football parties, soccer, birthday, even Christmas parties all makes figuring out what to put on the invite fairly simple. Making sure you get the time and date of the party is the most important, and if there’s going to be cost involved, you may want to have an RSVP system set up, either with a call back, an email back or even sending back an enclosed RSVP card.

Having a cool banner in place when people come into the party is also a great touch. Not only does it announce the party, and adds a lot to the party atmosphere, but it makes for great pictures too. If there’s going to be some kind of fixed meal plan, you may need to have name cards for the seating arrangement too. This will simplify things and add a level of order to what can be a rather chaotic party, especially if there’s going to be a lot of people.

Take the time to put a little planning into a party and you’ll ramp up the excitement and the anticipation. Not only will your guests have a better time, but you will too. You’ll be surprised at just how much a little planning and preparation adds to your party, and once you do it this way, you may never go back to the impromptu parties again.

PaperDirect has all the supplies you need to have a great party. Whether you need invitations, banners or even name cards, you can find everything you need online. Check it out and plan your next party today.

  Funerals, while not something to be considered every day, is still something that has to be considered. Insurance companies sell all types of life insurance, including burial insurance, which is one way to make sure your costs are covered when that time comes. Unfortunately, that isn’t the only step involved when  preparing for a funeral.

So many elements of the funeral process have been co-opted by the funeral homes that most people think that’s the only place you can take care of all the details. While it certainly is a one stop shop to cover all the bases, by no means is it a law or a requirement that you do so. But funeral home directors would like for you to think so. That’s how they manage to make as much money as they do. By controlling every aspect of the funeral from the time the body is brought in to the time it’s buried, funeral homes charge the family every penny they can get.

Funeral homes make a profit on everything having to do with the process. From the rental of the viewing room the chairs, and even how many people show up can all be charged somehow. But the biggest money-maker is the casket. Funeral homes make more per casket delivery than any other part of the process. Being able to charge $8500 retail for a $1500  wholesale casket explains why the average cost of a funeral in the US has risen to well over $10,000.

But by looking around, taking the time to look through all the resources available, you’ll find that you can get that same casket for the $1500 and have it delivered. Not only is that perfectly legal, but it saves the family thousands of dollars on that one item alone. Other resources will show you how to save hundreds, even thousands more over the entire funeral process.

Why should you have to pay for things you don’t need? Why should you pay more than a reasonable price for things you will need like caskets? Why should the family have to bear even more hardships than the loss of a loved one? The answer is, you shouldn’t and they shouldn’t. Check out the resources available online and save yourself and your family a lot of money, time, headaches and heartaches.

Dignified Caskets has resources available to show you how to save all kinds of money on funeral arrangements. Not only that, but they have some of the most reasonable casket prices available anywhere. Check them out and make your arrangements as hassle free as possible.

When it comes to jobs, if you have a degree, your odds of having a job increase exponentially. If you have a job and have a degree, increasing your knowledge base with a better degree usually means you can have a better job, higher pay, more benefits and perks and a better lifestyle. Nowhere is this more truly represented in today’s difficult economic situation, than in the medical field where going from an RN to a BSN nursing degree pays huge dividends.

When it comes to jobs, the only field where jobs are pretty much guaranteed to anyone with a degree or training is the medical field. While doctors are in demand, the part of the medical field that has the highest demand is for nursing. Nurses of all skill levels have almost a carte blanche guarantee of a job. This means if you have an LPN or an RN degree, you do have a job with decent pay. One benefit to moving up and getting a BSN degree is that you get a better job, higher pay and better benefits. Paid vacations, 401k retirement plans and all sorts of other great benefits can be available when you graduate with that BSN degree.

The awesome part of this deal is the fact that there are a lot of nursing programs available that will enable you to go from an RN to a BSN online. This means not only do you get to work your job, have your home life and still have the ability to take the classes you need to improve your life. Great programs are available that give you the flexibility to grow and learn and reap the benefits of having an improved degree. Putting forth that effort and sacrificing that time will certainly pay off in the long run.


CCU or Colorado Christian University has a diverse selection of degree programs. Enroll today and begin that career path you've always wanted to explore.