Problem: Article: Provide your contact information, like your cell phone number and email address, for your coworkers so they can reach you when you're out of the office. Tell them when you'll be available and how quickly you can be expected to respond. For instance, if you have to stay home because one of your children is sick, tell your coworkers that they can reach you between 8am and 5pm by phone, text, email, or Skype. Use your resources and help to develop others by training them on your projects. Show them some of the things you're working on and teach them how to do it. Have them take notes in a meeting that you don't necessarily need to be at so you can free up more of your time for other work. If you know that a certain employee is really interested in an aspect of your work, enlist them to help with that. This gets some work off your plate while also helping them meet their goals. Review your other responsibilities and delegate tasks when possible. Got some copying or shredding to do? Ask an intern or administrative staff. As a working parent, you'll need a bit of leeway sometimes to balance your competing responsibilities. If the kids get sick or if Thursdays are super busy for you with their schedules, working from home that day might be beneficial. Ask your boss if you can do this by offering them something in return. Don't just say, "Working from home will give me more time with my kids." Instead, say, "The time I would save commuting on Thursdays would help me get those financial reports in to you quicker and with more detail." You can also ask for flex time. Perhaps you would like to work later on Mondays and get off early on Tuesdays. Ask your boss if this would work for the company. Though many supervisors understand how hard it is to manage work and a family, some do not. If you feel that you have too much work to do, are constantly working nights, and have very little time with your family, have a talk with them and come prepared with solutions. Say, "I wanted to talk to you about my workload. I come in early every day and take very few breaks, but I still can't seem to get it all done unless I work late. I was wondering if I could share some of my assignments with some of the new staff who are looking for more to do." Working parents often have tons of meetings, events, and tasks to do during any given day. Keep your work life organized by keeping a calendar with all your meeting times and locations. Make a tasklist at the beginning of each day and complete major tasks first and minor tasks as the day goes on.
Summary: Let your coworkers know how to reach you. Train one of your employees or interns to step in for you occasionally. Ask for flexibility at work in clever ways. Have a talk with your boss if your responsibilities become overwhelming. Keep a calendar and task list.

Problem: Article: Adding a negative integer is the same as subtracting a positive one. This is easier to see by testing this out with the number line method described in another section, but you can think about it in words too. A negative number is not a normal quantity; it is less than zero, and can represent an amount being taken away. If you add this "taking away" to a normal number, you'll end up making it smaller. Example: 10 + -3 = 10 - 3 = 7 Example: -12 + 18 = 18 + -12 = 18 12 = 6. Remember that you can always switch the order of numbers in an addition problem, but not in a subtraction problem. Sometimes turning your addition problem into a subtraction problem as described above can end up with odd results like 4 7. When this happens, reverse the order of the numbers and make your answer negative. Say you begin with 4 + -7. Turn this into a subtraction problem: 4 - 7 Reverse the order and make it negative: -(7 4) = -(3) = -3. If you aren't used to parentheses in your equations yet, think of it like this: 4 - 7 turns into 7 - 4 with a minus sign added. 7 - 4 = 3 but I should make it -3 for the right answer to the problem 4 - 7. Two negative numbers added together will always make a number more negative. There is nothing positive being added, so you'll always end up with something further from 0. Finding the answer is simple: -3 + -6 = -9 -15 + -5 = -20 Do you see the pattern? All you need to do is add the numbers as though they were positive and add a negative sign. -4 + -3 = -(4 + 3) = -7 Just like the addition problems, you can rewrite these so you only have to deal with positive numbers. If you're subtracting a negative number, you're "taking away" some "stuff taken away", which is the same as adding a positive number. Think of the negative number as stolen money. If you "subtract", or take away, some stolen money so you can return it, that's the same as giving that person money, right? Example: 10 -5 = 10 + 5 = 15 Example: -1 -2 = -1 + 2. You already learned how to solve this problem in an early step, remember? Reread Learn how to add a negative and a positive number if you don't remember. Here's the full solution to the last example: -1 -2 = -1 + 2 = 2 + -1 = 2 1 = 1.
Summary: Learn how to add a negative and a positive number. Learn what to do if this turns into a subtraction problem with a smaller number first. Learn how to add two negative integers. Learn how to subtract a negative integer.

Problem: Article: " Take advantage of barriers to enter into the market, using them to dissuade competitors from challenging your market share. In some cases, an established company's ability to manipulate hurdles to enter and compete in its market becomes an effective tool against new competition, further entrenching the business and preserving its profit potential for the foreseeable future. For example, you may own an Asian-themed restaurant located in a mall. This would provide an economic moat, since it is unlikely the mall would want to open multiple Asian-themed restaurants in the same area. This prevents new business from competing with you. To create the moat, you may be able to negotiate a site monopoly on your type of business if you are located on a multi-business site like a mall or strip shopping center. Once you've gained a competitive advantage, your work is far from complete. To be successful, you will need to continuously maintain your competitive advantage, through pricing, product features, and marketing. For example, if you are in the technology space, you need to be continually designing new products that are faster, less expensive and have more functionality. After all, your competitors are not going to sit back and allow you to steal their market share. Sometimes you may need to take chances to keep ahead of the pack and differentiate your business, but with big risk often comes big reward. Just remember to do your research before diving head-first into new ideas. A good way to do this is to join a local professional association that offers speakers with expertise in your field and an annual conference. You will be able to get new ideas and see what others in your industry are doing. Look for updates on their websites, get on their mailing lists, and watch for new product announcements as well as changes in pricing. Ask for your customers' opinions frequently with online surveys and customer advisory boards. Your sales force should be updating you with feedback they hear from current and potential customers while on sales calls.
Summary: Create an "economic moat. Stay on the cutting edge. Predict future trends in your industry. Research and monitor your competitors constantly. Adapt to your customers' wants and needs.

Problem: Article: You want a green face, not green hair! Pull it back in a ponytail and tuck it behind your ears. For even more security, slip a wig cap over your head. To make for an authentic green witch costume, try to cover up exposed skin that you don't want to paint green, like your hands and ankles. Use long black gloves and a long skirt for a look that's both elegant and efficient. Buy a large witch hat or move your hair forward if you'd rather not paint your ears.
Summary:
Tie back your hair. Let any face paint dry before you get dressed.