In the world of business, fixed costs are often referred to as overhead costs. This is the money the business needs to spend simply to keep operating. More accurately, we can say that fixed costs are the costs that do not increase or decrease as the business produces more or fewer goods and services. Fixed costs for a business are similar to (but not exactly the same as) those for a personal budget. A business's fixed costs include rent, utilities, building leases, equipment, machinery, insurance premiums, and labor not involved in the production of the goods and services. For example, let's say that we own a basketball factory. Our monthly fixed costs include: building lease = $4,000, insurance premiums = $1,500, loan payments = $3,000, and equipment = $2,500. In addition, we pay $7,000 per month for workers that don't directly affect the production of our basketballs janitors, security guards and so on. Adding these up, we get a value for our fixed costs of $18,000. In business, variable costs are a little different than they are for personal budgets. A business's variable costs are the expenses that are directly affected by the amount of goods or services produced. In other words, the more a business creates (in terms of products produced, services rendered, and so on), the greater its variable costs will be. Variable costs for a business include things like raw materials, shipping expenses, labor that is involved in the production process, and so on. In addition, utilities can be a variable expense if they fluctuate with the output of your business. For example, since a robotic car factory uses a large amount of electricity and since the amount of electricity needed will increase as more cars are produced, utilities can be classified as a variable cost. In our basketball factory example, let's say that our variable costs include: rubber = $1,000, shipping = $2,000, factory worker wages = $10,000. In addition, our factory uses a large amount of natural gas for the rubber vulcanization process and this cost increases as production ramps up this month's utilities bill was $3,000. Adding up our expenses, we get total variable costs of $16,000. As with personal budgets, the formula for calculating a business's total costs is quite simple: Fixed Costs + Variable Costs = Total Cost. In our example, since our fixed costs are $18,000 and our variable costs are $16,000, our total monthly cost for the factory is $34,000. Most businesses' fixed and variable costs can be found on their financial documents. Specifically, the income statement should contain all of the variable costs tied to the production of the business's goods and services in addition to crucial fixed costs like rent, utilities, and so on. The income statement is a standard financial document nearly all businesses with some sort of accounting operation should have one. In addition, you may want to consult another document called a balance sheet to determine how much money the business needs to pay back in the future. The balance sheet contains (in addition to other important figures) a business's liabilities the money it owes to others. This can help you determine your business's financial health: if you're just barely making enough money to meet your total cost and you have major liabilities, your business may be in an unfavorable position.

Summary: Add up your business's fixed costs. Figure out your variable costs. Add your fixed and variable costs to determine your total cost. Find your business's costs on its income statement.

Selling stocks as soon as they rise in price is a sure way to move nowhere fast. Practice self control and hold on to solid stocks unless you're desperate to raise cash. Good stocks can result in big payoffs over the long run. If you buy and sell repeatedly, much of your profit will go to commissions for brokers, and your gains will suffer. "Day trading" is stacked against newcomers, because they trade against seasoned professionals and computer programs designed to buy and sell at optimum moments. Instead, hold on to stocks of companies that are solid and growing. If your stocks pay dividends, reinvest them to increase your earning potential. Once your portfolio is established, revisit it every so often and make appropriate changes. Move money out of sectors that aren't performing well and invest more in areas that are seeing greater returns. Add more investments with additional funds as they become available in order to continue diversifying. Ideally, you want to sell a stock when it reaches the value you determined when investigating the company and when the value is not expected to rise much more. If your stock has not met the target value and doesn't look like it's going to, sell it, especially if the price falls below the moving average. This is typically seen as the "last chance" to get rid of a stock before it dips too low.

Summary: Buy and hold good stocks. Add to your portfolio as you go. Know when to sell.

Known by the "fever tree" and "blue gum tree" pseudonyms, the eucalyptus tree is primarily exported from Australia, and its oil serves not only as an insect repellent, but also a natural insecticide. While OLE is not recommended by the CDC because it lacks the extensive testing required for commercial repellents and synthesized materials, the efficacy of OLE as a mosquito and deer tick repellent is widely recognized. One example of an OLE-based insect repellent is to mix 2 tablespoons of witch hazel (relives skin irritation), 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil like almond or olive, a half teaspoon of vodka, and 100 drops of OLE. Shake it in a spray bottle, apply it to the skin, and reapply every few hours. A simpler approach would be to just blend 1 part OLE with 10 parts witch hazel (sunflower oil as a substitute) and apply it directly to the skin. The oil from citronella comes from a grass indigenous to some Asian countries, and is extracted via steam distillation. Aside from various benefits like being an antibacterial and antiseptic, the insect repellent properties work on mosquitoes that carry Yellow Fever, lice, and fleas. Citronella oil may evaporate quickly, requiring frequent reapplication. Apply minimal amounts of pure citronella oil to your forearms for up to two hours of protection. Mix citronella oil with some vanillin then moderately apply it on your skin to get brief protection. . Lavender oil is extracted from the flowers of the lavender plant via steam distillation, and has been known as a soothing fragrance for quite some time. Whether applied directly or as part of a formula you've concocted at home, it can also be used as an insect repellent. A liquid soap can be created by adding 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil to some Castile soap, a plant oil-based soap made without animal fats. You may also dilute it into a carrier oil like olive oil, or put it in some apple cider vinegar. Create a potent mix by using 10-25 drops of lavender oil with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the contents until blended and dab on your skin when applicable. Try a heavier lavender based option by using 25 drops of the essential oil and a quarter cup apple cider vinegar. Mix together well and apply as necessary. Combine 15 drops of lavender oil, a few tablespoons of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and some distilled water. Shake up the combo and spray it on exposed skin. In some tests, the use of undiluted clove oil repelled three species of mosquitoes for up to four hours, which outperformed diluted oils by up to two hours, and similar undiluted oils like citronella and patchouli, against three species of mosquitoes. Clove plants can also be placed around the yard to repel insects before they even get to you. Mixing equal parts clove oil with some makaen oil mixture and applying approximately 0.1g for every 3x10 cm of exposed skin has shown a repellency of over 95% efficacy for up to 5 hours. Try 6 drops of clove oil mixed with patchouli, grapefruit, lavender oil, and carrier oil for a easy to use spray.
Summary: Use oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE). Sample some citronella oil. Patchouli oil can be used in the same manner for similar results. Make lavender insect repellent Choose clove oil.