Real-Life Math -- Solution
"The math that we use in our daily work is really very simple,"
says Ralph Becker, the owner of a bed and breakfast. "So, math is only moderately
important for us most of the time."
To determine the total square footage
that you are using for business purposes, it is first necessary to determine
the amount of square footage that is used for personal use. To do that, add
the footage of the rooms used only by you.
Used by
you = 150 square feet + 100 + 115 + 50 + 50
Used by you = 465 square feet
Then
subtract that amount from the total square footage of the house.
3,600
square feet total - 465 square feet used by you = 3,135 square feet used for
business purposes
Now, to determine the percentage
of the total square footage that is used for business purposes, you must divide
the total square footage used for business purposes by the total square footage
of the house.
3,135 / 3,600 x 100 = 87.08
About
87 percent of the house is used for business purposes.
Math skills
are "absolutely" needed, says B and B operator Harriet Gould.
"You're
constantly calculating what room fees are going to be, because it's always
different," she says. "We don't use credit cards. Most B and B people do,
but we don't, so we're asking them to pay by cash or check, so we're constantly
calculating sales tax and lodging tax.
"There's a fair
amount of bookkeeping that needs to be done."