Why a parents’ role is key to a child’s educational performance

The school test - a parents' role is vital

The role played by parents in encouraging educational achievement is more significant than that of schools or the child, a study has found.

The study also found that the socio-economic background of a family not only affected the child's educational success - it also affected the school's effort in delivering education.

Researchers Professor Gianni De Fraja and Tania Oliveira, from the University of Leicester and Luisa Zanchi, of Leeds University Business School – both in the UK - found that the parents' effort is more important for a child to do well at school and is more important than the school’s own efforts.

Professor De Fraja said: "Parents from a more advantaged environment exert more effort, and this influences positively the educational attainment of their children.

"By the same token, the parents' background also increases the school's effort, which increases the school achievement. “

She added: “Why schools work harder where parents are from a more privileged background we do not know. It might be because middle class parents are more vocal in demanding that the school works hard."

READ MORE on how best school your child at Hubpages.

How to Run a Franchise Business

Here's another article I have just posted at Hubpages.

Franchising is one way to start a business for yourself - someone has (usually) done all the hard work and created the opportunity. However, running a franchise brings with it some extra responsibilities over running a normal business. A franchise is useful if you lack business experience, especially in management.

Essentially franchisors are looking for motivated people with good communication skills from different backgrounds. That's one reason why franchisees are statistically more likely to succeed than normal business start-ups. And they provide lots of work: according to the Economic Impact of Franchised Businesses report, in 2005 American franchises operated 909,253 businesses which provided 11 million jobs.

Once you have found a franchise opportunity you will need to understand the mechanics of how it runs.

• A good franchise offers a complete business package which includes training, marketing, helping you start-up, and operational procedures. These procedures, known as the 'operations manual' dictate what you can, and cannot, do with the franchise. 
• The franchise generally comes with a mentor - someone who knows how to make your investment a success. Make good use of this opportunity by writing down questions to ask and keeping a record of what is said.
• Recruit staff just as you would in a normal start-up. Check references and have a 90-day probation period. Once recruited they, and you, have to abide by the operations manual. 
• Don't lose sight that this is your business - you will have to stay close to the day-to-day operation to ensure it works correctly and maintain customer satisfaction. Depending on the type of franchise you will have to hire specialist help such as an accountant to help you run the business.

You can read more about running a franchise business opportunity at Hubpages.
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You can earn money online - a simple guide

Well, I've finally gotten round to submitting my first article to Hubpages. I think the idea of this website is great!

My first article is about earning money online - afterall, it's what most of are interested in!

We've all known this feeling - the empty wallet! 

If you have spent any time at all on the internet you will have seen lots of adverts - and success stories - about people who have made a fortune from running an online business.
And, they claim, you can too. But remember: if it were really that easy then everyone would be doing it!
Lots of people would love to quit their day job and work from home to earn money online.
This is a simple guide on how you could use your skills and expertise to make a new online career for yourself.
I’m assuming at this point that you have Googled for terms like "ways to make money online" and then been deluged with the number of pages and websites that offer a solution.
Earn An Income Online By Flipping Blogs!Firstly, there's no easy or best way to make money online. If you really are serious about this then you need to approach it as a business - something you will have to apply yourself to and work hard at.
Some of the options open to you are:

• data entry (though this will be relatively low-paid for the amount of work you will be required to do)
• sign up with several freelance online job portals (they offer a wide range of work)
• carry out online surveys for money (some of these are quite fun and some do pay. Most let you rack up lots of points which can be exchanged for gifts or, sometimes, cash. But please be certain that they are 100% legitimate.)
• start a blog and put Google Adsense adverts on it. Blogger has now introduced Amazon Associates too. (You will need to update a blog on a regular basis and write about things people want to read!) Youtube has some interesting videos on this subject
• Online trading: I've put a Youtube video on this page because it explains how you can buy goods cheaply from liquidation suppliers and then sell for a profit on sites like eBay. Worth doing but you will need the cash to buy the initial stock.

You can read the rest of the sparkling article over at my zone at Hubpages!
Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net