Sunday, September 15, 2013

How to track the fruads in a small / medium company?

What is the main challenge a small or medium business faces these days? Could it be competition?  Could it be loosing customers? Could it be employee frustration, or could it be the downfall of profits? I've met quite a lot of small to medium businessmen in Sri Lanka. They actually knew how to handle the core of the business and earn revenue. But their biggest challenge was to cope up with the fraudsters and frauds. It wasn't easy. They came up with all forms of phases and faces. They exists everywhere. What are the ways of tracking those and protecting businesses from frauds?
 
 
 
 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Apply for a Chevening Scholarship 2014/15 year

Applications for 2014/15 Chevening Scholarships are now open.

Please visit below link for more details.

http://www.chevening.org/apply/


(Please share this news via your blogs )



Friday, July 19, 2013

Things required for running, as an exercise

I happened to read some hilarious comments in a gossip web site where men in Sri Lanka expressed their sadness over their wives getting  fat and not paying any attention to keeping up the body shape after a baby is born. Then I thought this is a timely article to write. Running is of course a good way to keep up not only the body shape but the good health. It is one of the best form of exercise for both men and women.

I'm not a professional runner, but I was an athlete once upon a time in life. I've run without any of these luxuries and then with all these things. Therefore I know the difference it makes you feel. On the other hand, the best motivation to run is , buying expensive running suits and items. Then you have no choice, but to run because otherwise you will feel guilty for the money you spent on those :)





(picture credit - http://withheart.com)

Friday, July 12, 2013

The power of a single story - My perspective

I came  across this awesome speech called the "Danger of a Single Story”, by Chimamanda Adichie, a young Nigerian author. While explaining the single stories she went through in life, she points that "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” omg how true ! How many of us lives with single stories? It is much more powerful than we think it is and we should also think how a single story creates.

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html


Saturday, June 29, 2013

What NOT TO DO when raising a daughter?

Bring up a girl child is one of the most challenging yet very satisfactory experience in life. A girl's life is mostly depend on how the parents brings her up. Having the opportunity to be open up with many girls and many elderly women, I thought I should summarize this article in to what are the mistakes we do with brining up a girl and how to address and overcome those.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

How to make life easy in a Sri Lankan kitchen? - Appliances and equipments for a busy family

How to cook Sri Lankan food easily?

I have some of the friends who usually works nearly 12-16 hours a day either from office or remotely logged from home. In some families, both husband and wife work such long hours due to the nature of their jobs. By the time they come home, they are too tired to cook a meal. Therefore they either settle for a short eat or take away food from a restaurant. But its not a pleasure to eat from outside every day and every meal. I thought I should pen a small note which might help them. I have to assume that these appliances are affordable for them and the electricity bills are bearable.



(picture credit - http://riceandcurry.files.wordpress.com)

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Things to consider when starting a small / medium business in Sri Lanka

Once a friend of mine teased that "you should never encourage a foreign investor to invest in Sri Lanka". Well if you exclude the legal and political frame work, there are many benefits of investing in Sri Lanka. I've worked with investors from all continents except Africa. I can assure that compared to many countries, Sri Lanka is not as bad as they say. I have to agree its not easy to practically operate smoothly. But there are many benefits. In this article I'm trying to give a summarized picture of both sides, the risks and the benefits of starting a business in or with Sri Lanka and more in to how to over come some of the difficulties.
 
 
(picture credit - http://mysrilankaholidays.com)
 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

How to raise a happy and safe child in Sri Lanka - 1

Recently one of my truly Sri Lankan aunts asked me how to help her niece with her baby. After listening to her long explanation on how the niece refuses her help and how she think the niece should have listen to her advice, and how she thinks that niece is not a good mother, I told her "may be the best way to help is that you just shut up and mind your own business" :D



 
(picture credit - http://stophavingaboringlife.com)
 
Couple of years before I started reading and researching on this topic. I could not find much local writings on this. There are many expert articles in the internet from mental and physical health experts. But I feel I must write this, because in Sri Lanka, raising a happy baby is much to do with the society and its attitudes. Parents and family has to do the main part of it, but society too have a role in it. I'm still not an expert, but I can at least write some crucial points I came across during my studies on this. 

Monday, May 27, 2013

How to answer accounting interview questions on basic Debit and Credit?

Why on the earth I'm writing on debit and credit?
 
There were couple of requests from my friends to write a summarized  article on this topic. Most of the accounting job interviews contains at least few questions on debit and credit.

There are thousands of articles in internet on debit and credit. But I thought I should write a summary version customized to Sri Lankan interviews, so that it could be useful for someone who do not have much time to prepare for an interview.


(picture credit - http://jobsearchnow.net)

Since there are much detailed articles already in the net, I've taken most of the below examples directly from some sites and the relevant link is given under each quoted paragraphs. Please refer to those separate sites for explanations and more details. But if you already know your theory and just need a revision, this article is sufficient.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

How a women can help another women? !


(picture credit - http://www.bbcamerica.com/)

Men on women !

Recently I happened to read some of the comments made by male readers regarding a lady in one of the gossip web sites . I was quite shocked to read those. For a moment I thought what sort of an animal society we are living in. Men in this country are sick.  But then again I remembered that, these are the people we try so hard to help. These are the men we try to develop and uplift. If the attitudes of the men in Sri Lanka changes, women in Sri Lanka will anyway reach the sky. So much of potential just go hidden in shades of pathetic men.

Women for other women

I feel that, before we change men, women should make an effort to respect each other first. Out of desperation, I thought I should have this in writing, even if its out of my scope for this site.

Monday, May 6, 2013

What to consider when giving funds to non governmental organizations (NGO's) - 1

What are the things donors should take in to account when giving funds to organizations in Sri Lanka?
 
A small scale foreign donor asked me the above question and I actually Googled to find a proper answer. But failing which, I realize I can answer this question to a reasonable extent. I have come across many NGOs in various stages in different contexts. This article contain some information I gathered during my involvement with NGOs as an employee, as a researcher and as an informed citizen :). I have audited many NGOs, but my professional ethics prevent me from disclosing any of those findings. But the things I experienced surely leads me to  this article :)

 
(picture credit - jdsrilanka.blogspot.com)

How to simply assess the suitability of an organization to receive funds and what to consider?

Friday, May 3, 2013

What not to tell your patients - Message to Sri Lankan doctors with love


(picture credit - http://media.rd.com)

I was tempted to write this after listening to this particular incident in couple of family get-togethers. This is about a very simple statement made by a doctor with a good heart, but resulted ruining a whole family. I thought I should write it down.  Because in case if there are any young doctors who are willing to search and find what not to tell your patients, this could be a great example.

Monday, April 29, 2013

How to change a career - A scientist turned in to an event planner


 I could not log in to my blog for nearly an year. But today I came across an amazing launching of a web site by an upcoming event planner in Sri Lanka. I just could not resist, but post this.

I have met many people who says "oh we choose to be a doctor / engineer / lawyer /banker/ accountant etc, no body told us life will be so complicated and unhappy with this job". But many do not even consider quitting and start a whole new path. I met this scientist who has a MSc Hon from university of Auckland, then turned in to an event planner.