INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your total costs consist of both fixed and variable costs for a specific number of units of a product or service. Your fixed costs are costs that do not change over the time period you're evaluating. In contrast, variable costs can be altered and may increase or decrease depending on the circumstances.  Capital expenditures such as equipment would typically be fixed costs. The amount you pay each month to lease your business space would also be a fixed cost. Variable costs include your utilities, employee payroll, and the supplies that are used to produce your product or service. These costs are variable because they generally will increase as your production level increases. Calculate variable costs for each output level or production interval. Add the variable costs to the fixed costs to get your total costs. Once you have your total cost, you can figure out the average cost for each unit of the product or service you sell. At each output level or production interval, simply divide the total cost by the number of units.  For example, if your total cost to produce 500 widgets is $500, your average total cost per unit is $1. But if your total cost to produce 600 widgets is $550, your average total cost per unit at that quantity is $0.92. You can also calculate the average fixed cost and the average variable cost. Your change in cost is measured in the same way that the change in quantity is. Deduct the costs for the smaller production interval or output level from the costs for the larger one. This amount is your change in cost for that particular interval. For example, if it costs you $500 to produce 500 widgets and $550 to produce 600 widgets, your change in cost would be $50.

SUMMARY: Calculate your total production costs. Find the average cost for each unit. Subtract the old cost from the new cost to get the change in cost.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There are many kinds of freelance work, and some of it might not be worth your time. A lot depends on what you hope to accomplish. Are you just trying to make a little extra money, or are you hoping to work the equivalent of a full-time job? What is your ultimate goal? Asking yourself these questions will help you see what you need to do to move forward. Take the time to develop a basic, professional cover letter that you can send to employers. Describe your skills in detail. Having a basic template ready to go will make applying for jobs much easier. Remember that this basic cover letter will simply serve as a template. When you start applying for actual jobs, you'll need to customize your letters, adding specific details tailored to individual jobs. Check freelancing websites like oDeska, Elance, and Freelancer. These websites will list available freelance jobs and let you advertise your services. Search these sites regularly for jobs, as they are updated frequently. Remember that there are not nearly enough well-paying jobs out there for all the qualified people who want to freelance, but with some persistence, you may find what you need. Consider setting time aside every day to search for jobs online. On freelancing websites, good profiles explain your skills in detail and include something that sets you apart from others. Choose a high-quality, professional-looking profile picture, and build portfolios with a few examples of your very best work. Enter “write for us” or something similar into a search engine, and peruse the offers that appear. You might find jobs not included on the biggest freelancing websites. If you think a particular business could use your services, send them an email. Do your homework. It's not advisable to send hundreds of form emails to every person you know and every company you think might conceivably hire a freelance writer. You'll only waste time and energy (and annoy people). Direct these emails only to those companies you have reasons to contact, and personalize your messages. It's probably not a great idea to apply for every single job you see. You will be a stronger, more efficient writer when you tackle subjects you know well. The cliché that you should “write what you know” applies to freelance writing too. Consider your possible areas of expertise. Are you a doctor, economist, or computer expert? Are you an excellent cook? Do you know a lot about the entertainment business? Could you write about parenting? Explore potential jobs in the areas that fit your skills and interests.

SUMMARY: Clarify your goals. Create an excellent cover letter. Sign up for freelancing sites. Perfect your profiles. Use search engines. Contact people and companies directly. Look for jobs that fit.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Printing out a standard form letter is akin to sending your customer an advertisement flyer. Instead of making your customer feel special and appreciated, it might have the opposite effect and cause annoyance. Plan to write out thank-you notes individually in your own handwriting.  If you have too many thank-you notes to write to be able to write each one out by hand yourself, ask another employee to help you out. It really will be worth the time it takes to write out letters individually. If it's impossible to write the notes by hand, you'll need to find a different way to personalize them. At the very least, the customer's name and your true signature should be included in each thank you letter. In some cases it might be appropriate to write a thank-you email, rather than sending a handwritten note. This can be appropriate when you have an established personal relationship with the customer. The key is to make sure it's personalized and sincere. If there's any chance your email could be mistaken for an advertisement, send a handwritten note instead. Both thank-you cards and company stationery are appropriate for a business thank-you letter. If you have just a few notes to write, an elegant thank-you card, such as the kind you buy in a stationery shop, will make your customers feel that they are a top priority. Otherwise, use heavy-weight paper printed with your company's letterhead.  Avoid using regular printer paper for a thank-you letter. Choose thank-you cards that would be appropriate to send in any business setting. If your business is quirky and fun, it's fine to use colorful cards that represent your company the way you want it to be represented. Avoid using cards with inappropriate or overly personal images or messages. If you want to go even further to express your appreciation, you can send a small gift along with your note. This is not at all necessary, but for special customers it might be just the right thing. The gift should be small and useful. It can be representative of the services offered by your business, or something unrelated to your business but professional in nature.  Small gift ideas include bookmarks, magnets, candy, a t-shirt, or a gift certificate. The gift should not exceed a $25 - $50 value. Some companies have ethics policies that actually disallow them from accepting expensive gifts.

SUMMARY: Write the letter by hand. Choose stationery for your thank-you letter. Consider sending a gift.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You should brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once after you eat dinner. Remember to also use floss to clean hard to reach places your toothbrush can't reach. Consult a dentist right away if you notice any problems with your teeth such as cavities or crocked teeth. Brush it enough to get the tangles out! If you brush to much your hair will look dull and straight! Spice things up by wearing new hairstyles everyday. No one wants to be next to a girl who smells bad! Deodorant can easily be found at your local drugstore with various different scents. Be careful some deodorants have harmful ingredients in them! Nobody wants to sit beside the stinky kid so showering is essential. Shower with scented body wash and use scented lotion to smell nicer. Establish a routine for days your feel like showering your hair, using body or face mask etc however don't over wash your hair even if it's oily. Keep your nails short and clean by filling them and removing any dirt from under the nails. Soaking your nails in warm olive oil will moisturize your cuticles and prevent your nails from being brittle. Once your nails are long enough tryout some cool nail designs.

SUMMARY:
Take care of your teeth. Don't brush your hair a lot. Wear deodorant when ever you think you will sweat! Take a shower everyday! Have nice looking nails.