S Consultants Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

EPA's Rules on Compensatory Mitigation for Impact on Wetlands, Streams and Other Waters BenefitsIn 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopted new rules that dramatically changed its approach to mitigation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates fill in wetlands and other waters of the United States. The new rules adopt a mitigation hierarchy that moves away from the prior preference for on-site, in-kind mitigation in favor of mitigation banks and watershed-based  more...

Public/Private Partnerships and Major Infrastructure Construction BenefitsThe term public/private partnership (P3) has recently emerged as one of the latest buzz words in the development area. States and local governments are struggling with resource limitations and ever-increasing demands of infrastructure. The involvement of the private sector offers an enticing solution for meeting massive infrastructure needs. At the same time P3s provide an opportunity for  more...

Documentation and Proof of Construction Delay BenefitsTime truly is money, especially in construction. Consequently, being able to determine and document delay is a crucial skill for owners, contractors, subcontractors, design consultants, project managers and their legal team. This teleconference will focus on the key terms, important contract provisions and the most successful approaches to the determination of delay. It will include a  more...

IRS Form 5471: Information Return for U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations BenefitsAs more U.S. companies view global markets as a necessity to survive and to grow, more U.S. companies own foreign subsidiaries to conduct foreign operations. Whether you are a growing multinational company with subsidiaries all over the globe, or a small, closely-held company that owns a Canadian subsidiary, you will have to file IRS Form 5471 for every foreign corporation that you own.  more...

New Developments in Greywater Irrigation Systems BenefitsDue to drought, climate change, groundwater over-drafting and sheer population increase, pressure is on developers and builders to conserve water in new developments. The focus for such conservation is on the landscape, which currently uses about half of all urban water. This teleconference will teach you what greywater really is, all the environmental and financial benefits of reusing it,  more...

New Developments in Greywater Irrigation Systems BenefitsDue to drought, climate change, groundwater over-drafting and sheer population increase, pressure is on developers and builders to conserve water in new developments. The focus for such conservation is on the landscape, which currently uses about half of all urban water. This teleconference will teach you what greywater really is, all the environmental and financial benefits of reusing it,  more...

Internal Controls BenefitsWhether you're part of the Fortune 500 or a small private company, understanding how to develop and implement effective internal controls is critical to your business. In addition to helping you comply with the law, a good system of internal control can dramatically improve your bottom line. In this 90-minute teleconference, you'll learn about basic internal control concepts that will help  more...

Health Care Reform: Implications for Employers, Insurers, and Individuals BenefitsHealth care reform could have a more significant impact on the United States economy and on our personal lives than any federal legislation in the past 100 years. Beyond the partisan politics and media hype are the practical concerns of employers, HR professionals, attorneys, third-party administrators, and other consultants and professionals who work with group health plans and related  more...

Measuring Inefficiency on a Construction Project BenefitsEfficiency is often the key to profitability. Conversely, inefficiency boosts costs, busts budgets and kills profits. Given the consequences, understanding and managing the efficiency of construction is important to everyone on the project - from the contractors, subcontractors and suppliers that experience inefficiency to the owners and design consultants whose actions can lead to  more...

Developing, Managing and Analyzing a Budget: Understand and Implement an Effective Budget for Better Management and Financial De BenefitsThis teleconference will show how proper planning and budgeting are the keys to success, and operating without a plan or budget is an invitation to fail. This concept holds for businesses - no matter how large or small - nonprofits and governments. Budgeting is a dynamic process, not a static one. By knowing the types of budgets and processes that have worked for others, one can create an  more...

Providing Investment Advice to Retirement Plan Participants Without Triggering Liability BenefitsThe current recession and volatile financial markets highlight the importance of financial literacy. Until recently, retirement plan sponsors have been constrained in the types of investment advice that can be provided to plan participants. Plan sponsors have long wanted to provide the investment advice their participants desire, but without incurring liability for advice given in good  more...

Automated Meter Reading and Advanced Metering Infrastructure: A Guide for Municipal Water and Energy Utilities BenefitsCan you make a sound business case for AMR/AMI? What does it take to have a successful advanced metering system project? Advanced metering systems are evolving to meet municipal needs for efficient customer service, infrastructure management and conservation. But, acquiring and successfully integrating automatic meter reading/advanced metering infrastructure presents unique challenges to  more...

Withholding of Taxes on Payments to Foreign Persons and Entities BenefitsIn an increasingly global society, many U.S. payors of items of income are unknowingly subject to withholding tax obligations for payments to foreign individuals and entities. Understanding the rules for withholding on these payments can reduce liability to the IRS. After this teleconference, you will be able to identify when income is subject to withholding, evaluate the proper procedures  more...

Current Trends in Carbon Credits and Markets BenefitsThe world of greenhouse gas regulation is increasingly complex. International, national, state and regional greenhouse gas reduction programs typically include carbon offsets or allowances as one of the tools to achieve compliance. This teleconference will help those who are involved with and responsible for climate change programs and compliance to understand the nature, use and value of  more...

Statement on Auditing Standards No. 104 - No. 111 Risk Assessment Standards nThis teleconference will provide experienced and inexperienced auditors a concise summary of the risk assessment standards. In addition, this will provide auditors recommendations on how to become more efficient and effective in their application of these standards leading to less time required to implement the standards and a greater realization on audits. Since the majority of auditors may be  more...

SAS 70 Requirements, Obligations, and Audit Survival Best Practices nToday's regulatory requirements are forcing corporate customers to become more aware of their vendors' internal controls and security than ever before. Maintaining an up-to-date SAS 70 report based on an audit of the effectiveness your organization's control objectives and activities can help satisfy these customers' concerns. To successfully navigate the SAS 70 audit process, it is important to  more...

Understanding the Language of Mold Assessment Reports nLaymen and professionals who do not deal with mold assessment reports on a regular basis are likely to struggle with understanding the language presented in a mold assessment report. They may be prone to accepting the written word of the consultant at face value, without question. This would be a mistake for anyone. For others it could be considered negligent and result in liability. Far too many  more...

Tax and Practical Aspects of Business Succession Planning nClosely held family businesses are often as important to the owners of that business as are their own children. With business failures increasing in today's economic environment, the importance of a well planned, dynamic and long-term succession plan is vital to the continuation of the family business as it is passes from generation to generation. Tax considerations are one part of that plan, but  more...

Community Benefit Agreements nCommunity benefits agreements can increase public participation in the planning process, promote smart growth and environmental justice goals, and bring neighborhoods, local governments, and private interests together to make development projects more sustainable, transparent and accountable. Negotiating a CBA can be a win-win solution for community groups and developers. The community receives  more...

Share-Based Compensation - Impact of Recent Events on the Use of Equity Compensation nExecutive compensation continues to be a hot topic across many industries. Recent changes in share-based compensation rules, principally the changes to Financial Accounting Standards 123(R) [FAS 123(R)], and market uncertainty and declines have led to significant changes in how companies and executives view the role and the value of equity as part of an overall compensation package. Join our  more...

Common NEPA Mistakes and How to Avoid Them nSince 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act has been the cornerstone for environmental protection in the United States. To implement NEPA, federal agencies must prepare environmental impact statements or environmental assessments to study the impacts of their proposed actions. Unfortunately, some federal agencies, their consultants and affected citizens do not fully understand the  more...

Compliance With the PCI/CISP Credit Card Security Standards nThe Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is now in its third year of existence and iteration. Derived from the original VISA Cardholder Information Security Program and MasterCard Site Data Protection program, PCI-DSS's now 245 distinct requirements have troubled merchants and financial institutions alike for years. This teleconference will help you understand how PCI-DSS applies to your  more...

Tax Due Diligence in Acquisitions nBuyers and sellers of businesses typically are focused on getting the deal done and the relative economic benefits to each. They often fail to consider potential undisclosed tax liabilities resulting from pre-closing operations, and rarely want to hold up negotiations thinking about the "what ifs." However, when the "what ifs" turn into "what now," it is important that potential tax risks be  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs nMounting evidence indicates that worksite wellness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time,  more...