A Separate Peace The Internal Constant Essays -

A Separate Peace: The Internal Constant While everyone on this earth is physicly unique, all share many internal emotions and internal struggles with each other. Although outside they are different than anyone else, inside there is commonplace. In the book A Separate Peace, I believe that one of the main characters, Gene, resembles me as he grows up into this world. In A Separate Peace, Gene had a great friendship with a boy named Finny, whose friendship resembled that of my friendship with my best friend, Mason. Whenever I would go anywhere with Mason, I would not know what to expect, but one thing I did know was that it would be exciting. This was the same for Gene and Finy; Gene would go along with Finny, never expecting what would happen next, but enjoying the sense of freedom. For example, one morning Mason decided to hike to the "500 acres," a large plot of land close to where we lived. We discovered an Indian reservation and a small clearing under the dense forest of oak trees next to a five foot waterfall. Mason told me never to tell anyone about this place and so I did not.(so here I am telling this to my English teacher...). Gene and Finny entered a large gymnasium and discovered a few pole vaults. Finny abruptly picked one up, ran, and pole vaulted, breaking the school record. He then told Gene never to tell anyone about Finny breaking the record. Both of these instances are incredibly alike. Finally, Finny was symbolicly killed because of society. Finny was wounded and wound up in a cast. He eventually died after he had seen what society really was. This situation is a lot like Mason's situation. Mason moved out of our neighborhood and his new next door neighbor introduced him to drugs, killing that free spirit which made him alive. Society had taken the best of both Mason and Finy, but like Gene, I still had that inspiration which could never be stolen from either I or Gene. In addition to these close relationships, Gene is a lot like me in that he must deal with growing up and maturing. One step in maturing is knowing who to listen to and who not to listen to. At Gene's school, teachers enforce rules, cutting and chipping away at all that his friend Finny stood for -- freedom. Gene was torn between one question; Is it better to live by rules and boundaries which teachers have, or to live like Finny? He finally matures and picks the Finny route, a wise decision. I have struggled with that question for quite some time now. Only recently have I chose the Finny route, and currently I am trying to follow that narrow path. For example, I am not satisfied with any church in my area -- they are all too strict and confined. While the preacher preaches rules and strict discipline, I close my ears. Also, now I enjoy challenging authority, such as challenging vice principals who enforce tank top rules. In addition to this, Gene faces pressure from his peers. Some students decided to be Gene's enemy because they believed that Gene was sully responsible for Finny's death. In the same but not so dramatic way, some students decided to be my enemy because they believed that I was sully responsible for their bad grade in my math class. Gene is a unique person who is amazingly like me at times. The people he deals with and the problems he faces as he grows up are like the people and problems that I have dealt with or will have to deal with. Growing up is a learning process. When that freshman goes into the wrong locker room, she realizes her mistake usually the hard way and covers it up by investigating the coke machine then quickly exiting, hiding the fact that she's learning something and growing up, and thinking that the rest of those guys have no more growing up to do. Growing up is something that we all have to face, so we are all alike in this respect, even though we try to hide this fact. It's amazing how many teenagers commit suicide thinking that they are the only ones who have to grow up.

Merloni Case Essays

Merloni Case Essays Merloni Case Essay Merloni Case Essay Elettrodomestici SpA is an Italian company based in Fabriano and is one of Europe’s biggest makers of home appliances. In February 2005, Merloni Elettrodomestici was renamed Indesit Company, Indesit being the best known of the Group’s brands outside Italy. The Company was also operating under its historic brand, Ariston, and the regional brands Hotpoint, Scholtes and Stinol. During the perio from 1984 to 1986, Merloni undertook a number of initiatives to improve efficiency in inventory control and logistics.One such initiative was the transit point experiment where in the Milano region, regional distribution centre was eliminated in favour of tranit points which held zero inventory. The following is an analysis of the Transit Point Experiment conducted by Merloni: Cost saving in terms of infrastructure cost of regional warehouses and their maintenance. The company would require lesser amounts of overall inventory to be maintained. As regional warehouses would be closed there would be lesser labor requirements. Transit Point methodology works similar to JIT where-in the required amount of goods are shipped at the required time.Since it works more on the Pull from the customer and due to elimination of regional warehouses, the effect of bullwhip should be lower. Because the regional warehouses will be eliminated, the capacity storage of the central warehouses should be expanded to meet the requirements of the extra Cycle inventory. This would come as an additional cost to the company. Intensive planning of daily shipment should be done. It is not only required to calculate the exact amount of goods to be shipped but also the arrangement of the goods (to eliminate time in loading/unloading activities).Because of this intensive planning more skilled administration staff would be required. If the customer does not order wihin 3pm, the delivery of the product would happen only after the second day. This can lower customer satisfaction. Since no inventory is maintained in near-by locations (as all goods come from central warehouse) if there is any excess demand or out of stock condition (for retailers), the goods will have to be fetched from central warehouse which would take a lot of time. This can lead to loss of goodwill with retailers especially those serving the rural markets.Demand variability is not easily supported by employing Transit Point methodology. If there is an urgent demand for goods in excess of truckload capacity then it can lead to huge additional cost. Another important point which is not mentioned in the case is the importance of the transportation medium. If any of the vehicles breaks-down it could lead to huge delays and pile up of demand. Merloni needs to keep some extra vehicle for a backup. It also needs to maintain the vehicles in good condition. The cost of this has not been accounted for.Since the experiment was carried out only in Milano a relatively smaller numbers of trucks (1 Trailer truck and 3 Small trucks) were required. If the Transit Point methodology is applied through-out Italy, Merloni will need to build up infrastructure and teams to coordinate the the movement of trucks and their transactions. In Merloni, it is the responsibility of the warehouse manager to manage and develop the customer relationship. If the warehouses are eliminated Merloni would still need additional office space for the warehouse managers who also act as Customer Relationship Managers.Another important question is where would Merloni keep the spare parts required for its service personnel. If these too are kept at the central warehouse it could lead to delay thus have a negative impact on the quality of service. The Merloni experiment was conducted when the weather was good. If the weather is bad near the central warehouse but alright in other areas where there is demand, then it can lead to delays. The cost of such delays would be large as Merloni would have to use extra vehicles to ensure the earliest delivery of all the goods once the weather becomes good. Quantitative Analysis:Now we shall look at a quantitative analysis of cost incurred by the company before and after using Transit Point methodology. The case is for region of Roma (information as per exhibit 10). (Ax) would represent cost incurred by using Pre-Transit Point methodology and (Bx) would denote cost incurred by using Transit Point methodology. Calculate the Average Volume/Month at the Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in Roma. Assuming 20 working days in a month. Average daily demand served from regional warehouse = 154. 8 pieces Average Volume/Month = Average daily demand x No of working days = 154. 8 x 20 = 3096 pieces.Operating Cost at RDC From exhibit 10 of the case it can be seen that the operating cost at Roma is 3605 Lire/Piece/Month Average inventory levels at RDC = 1200 pieces (from Exhibit 8a) Total Operating Cost/Month at Roma RDC = Operating Cost/Piece/Month x Avg Inventory = 3605 x 1200 = 4326000 Lire Therefore, Operating Cost per piece sold = Total operating cost / No of pieces sold = 4326000 / 3096 = 1397. 28 Lire (A1) As per the case, by using Transit Point methodology the Operating Cost has reduced to 20%. Therefore, New Operating Cost per piece sold = 20 % of original Total Operating Cost = 0. 20 x 1397. 28 = 279. 5 Lire -(B1) Inventory Cost at RDC From exhibit 10 of the case it can be seen that the inventory cost at Roma is 1035 Lire/Piece/Month. Total Inventory Cost / Month = Invetory Cost/Piece/Month x Avg Inventory = 1035 x 1200 = 1242000 Lire Inventory cost per piece sold = Total inventory cost / No of pieces sold = 1242000 / 3096 = 401. 16 Lire. (A2) Using the Transit Point methodology, zero inventory is maintained. Therefore, Inventory cost per piece sold = 0 Lire (B2) Short Haul Transportation Cost The short haul transportation cost is the cost of transporting goods from regional warehouse or transit point to retailers.This cost would be common for both pre and during Transit Point methodoly usage period Short Haul Transportation cost = 4300 Lire/Piece (A3),(B3) Long Haul Transportation Cost is the cost of transporting goods from the central warehouse to the regional wareho use or transit point. During the pre Transit Point period goods were transported from the central warehouse to the regional warehouses using trailer trucks. Total number of pieces to be shipped per month = 3096 pieces Capacity of one trailer truck = 120 pieces Therefore, Number of trailer trucks required = Total quantity / Capacity of trailer truck = 3096 / 120 25. 8 trucks Distance between Roma and Fabriano = 165 Km approx. (source: distance-calculator. co. uk/distance-from-fabriano-to-rome. htm) From Exhibit 11, Cost of using a trailer truck for transport upto 165 Km = 0. 36 Million Lire Therefore, Total transporation cost = Cost/Truck x No of trailer trucks = 360000 x 25. 8 = 9288000 Lire Transportation cost per piece sold = Total transportation cost / No of pieces sold = 9288000 / 3096 = 3000 Lire (A4) In Transit Point methodology both trailer truck and smaller trucks can be used depending upon the lot size. Since the average daily demand is 154. pieces, a minimum of one trail er truck will have to be used every day. i. e. Total volume of goods carried by trailer trucks/month = No of trailer truck in a month x Volume carried by 1 trailer truck = 20 x 120 = 2400 pieces The remaining amount would be carried by smaller trucks. Volume to be carried by smaller trucks = 3096 -2400 = 696 pieces. Therefore, No of smaller trucks required per month = Volume carried by smaller trucks / Capacity of smaller truck = 696 / 45 = 16 trucks This means that in addition to trailer truck a smaller truck also needs to be done for 4 days in every week.From Exhibit 11, Cost of using a smaller truck for transport upto 165 Km = 0. 2 Million Lire Total transportation cost = (Cost / Trailer truck x No of trailer trucks) + (Cost / Small truck x No of smaller trucks) = (360000 x 20) + (200000 x 16) = 10400000 Lire Transportation cost per piece sold = Total transportation cost / No of pieces sold = 10400000 / 3096 = 3359. 17 Lire -(B4) Inventory cost at central warehouse Because the re gional warehouses are going to be removed, some amounts of inventory will be moved to the central warehouse.Total inventory level at all 17 regional warehouses = 14330 pieces Assuming 50% of this is Cycle Stock and the remaining Safety Stock, the Cycle Stock (= 7165) will be moved to the central warehouse. Average Safety stock = 7165 / 17 = 421 pieces. Safety stock required at central warehouse as per Risk Pooling = 421 x v17 = 1735 pieces. Therefore, additional stock required at central warehouse = Safety stock + Cycle stock = 1735 + 7165 = 8900 pieces. Assuming inventory cost as those prevailing in Roma, the extra inventory cost at central warehouse = 8900 x 1035 = 9211500 LireAdditional inventory cost/month/piece sold = 9211500/(20*3096) = 148. 76 Lire -(B5) Therefore, Total Cost incurred by the company before deploying Transit Point methodology = (A1) + (A2) + (A3) + (A4) = 1397. 28 + 401. 16 + 4300 + 3000 = 9098. 44 Lire Total Cost incurred by the company by deploying Transit P oint methodology = (B1) + (B2) + (B3) + (B4) + (B5) = 279. 45 + 0 + 4300 + 3359. 17 + 148. 76 = 8087. 38 Lire Therefore by using Transit Point methodology, Merloni has saved 1011. 06 Lire. Now taking this Transit point experiment to India, we can make the following observations Geography – The geography of India is different from Italy.India is equally wide in North- South and East – West directions. The approximate width is ~3500Kms. This is very high compared to Italy. The towns and cities are farther apart compared to Italy. For a product like home appliances (refrigerator , washing machine , dish washer etc) the market is still in towns and cities in India. The road conditions are also not that good. This means the transportation time between cities will be more compared to Italy. Another point to consider is the demand in a town; this may not be enough to meet a truck load of products.Company will have to find a way to store the excess products which is not being supplied. See exhibit1 for details. Infrastructure Another option we can consider is to have a transit point method for big cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore etc. We can have a transit point set up in outskirts of city and we can have small trucks to distribute units to retailers. This will help to free up or reduce the storage space in ware house in each city. But this again will depend on where you have the center ware house located and will be applicable only if ware house is in a day’s drive from the city.Also we can try this in states like Kerala where the towns are closer by. But even though this frees up inventory storage space, company may still have to have a small space to store items which don’t get distributed or collected the same day. As given in Merloni case we will not be able to leave products in alley or plan to keep in sales office as space is a big constraint. As in Merloni case we may not be able to reuse the storage space for an exhibi tion house in the case of India, as the storage location is located in outskirts of city in most places.The market segment for home appliances is the people who stay in the city limits and will be reluctant to travel so much for buying a home appliance. Transportation – The fuel price costs and spare parts costs will contribute to the transportation cost and will drive it higher. This in turn will result in a higher transportation cost per unit and will eat into the margins. This will be significant in case of a transit point experiment since the delivery is made per day. Another concern is the quality of service – timely delivery and state of goods delivered.The time of delivery is very critical in the case of a transit point plan. The delivery to the hub should reach on time to ensure the timely delivery of goods to retailers. With the poor condition of roads and lack of service/repair support along the way, there is a significant risk associated with timely delivery . If a truck breaks down, it is definitely going to add half a day delay to the delivery. Inventory – As explained in Infrastructure section, the transit point plan will help to reduce inventory held in big cities and move the same to central ware house location. This again may help ompany to close down its own Storage location in cities and use private/public warehouse option for the storage of minimal inventory in cities. Customer Service With the transit point plan, the timely delivery of goods in big cities will improve. This will make the retailers in this area happy. But if we try to implement this pan India, it will result in poor delivery times and dissatisfaction. The reasons for this are given above. Labor amp; Cost – There may not be any significant reduction in labor expenses, as company may have to get new systems in place to support the transit point plan for big cities.This will kind of compensate for the reduction in storage space cost we are getting i n cities. Again we will also need people to take care of the transit point plan execution in big cities. Recommendation Based on the above analysis, below given are the recommendations to implement a transit point plan in India. Implement this plan only in big cities like Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai ,Kolkata, Kerala etc. We can try out this experiment first in a big city like Mumbai and get learning’s from there to improve the system and then fan it out to other cities.Another option to make this work is to have multiple large ware houses spread across the country so that every major city is located at a distance of 300-400Kms from the ware house. From this point we can try to run trucks to cities and do a delivery of products to retailers in the city and nearby areas in a 12Hr time frame. For e. g. We can collect distribution data from Tier II big cities like Ahmadabad , Bhopal , Allahabad ,etc. over a period of time and see if it any of the cities have enough dema nd to meet a truck load. We can also include the close by towns for this calculation.Based on this we can run a transit point distribution around those cities. See exhibit 2. The transit point plan will work well for a manufacturing line where the demand is more fixed than a home appliance store. This will work well as the factory have a well defined schedule on what products will be running in which Assy lines and for how long. In the case of a home appliance store the demand is driven high by a number of local factors like local holidays, local festivals, bonus pay out etc. For a diverse country like India these factors vary widely.A local festival is more limited to a local city or a town and may not be even applicable for the entire state. This makes it more difficult to forecast and plan. On a big picture the transit point plan in this format cannot be implemented pan India as it will result in delayed deliveries and low satisfaction levels. The poor infrastructure, widely spre ad cities, diverse culture and quality of transportation service – all act as variables and makes forecast difficult and can cause a failure in the plan. Exhibit 1 Let us consider a case where the central ware house is located in Bhopal.The approximate distance to close by cities like is as given below. 1. Bhopal – Ahmadabad – 500Kms 2. Bhopal – Allehabad – 500kms 3. Bhopal – New Delhi 700kms 4. Bhopal Patna – 700kms In Indian road conditions we cannot expect a truck to cover more than 400Kms during night and to add to it there will be delays in check posts , for having dinner , traffic blocks etc. More issues will be there in rainy season amp; winter. Hence it is clear that with a central ware house in Bhopal we will not be able to make a delivery to these cities on time. Exhibit 2We can have ware house in Ahmadabad and use it to meet the demands of close by cities like Vadodara, Surat, and Gandhi Nagar etc. 1. Ahmadabad to Vadodar a – 100Kms 2. Ahmadabad to Surat – 300kms 3. Ahmadabad to Gandhi Nagar 70kms 4. Ahmadabad to Udaipur – 250kms. But before implementing this we need to do an ROI calculation to see whether this is viable or not. Need an essay? You can buy essay help from us today! Read more: ukessays. com/essays/economics/case-analysis-on-merloni-elettrodomestici-spa-economics-essay. php#ixzz2b1VHlgpp

History of Arts and Artists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Arts and Artists - Essay Example Like civilization, art has its own progress and/or decline as an observer might consider. Art has primarily been known as the appreciation of beauty which has been expressed early on through paintings and carvings in various forms. In this essay author pays exclusive attention to the history of art through human civilization. Ancient art on the other hand followed a quite similar way of expressing one’s appreciation of beauty but could be said to have improved in details. Prehistoric and ancient art have been expressed mostly in paintings on walls and stones. Egyptian art, for instance, made use of more vivid illustrations, adding more details to the subject which usually picture their culture. The pyramids themselves were an expression of the artistic point of view of ancient art. This essay covers the renaissance era, that brought artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Their beautiful paintings were concentrated more on culture and religion illustrations with the use of more deeper colors. It also pays attention to the baroque period which was borne in France and dominated by artists like Bernini, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Realism was described, as style that came to existence with its objective rejecting the ideas set by romantics. Contemporary art movements like Dadaism, which was an effect of World War I are also explained in detail. Artists at this time saw the atrocities of war and used art as their instrument of sending their messages to the world, facing the realities of war and not just concentrating on the beautiful things.

Drug Testing in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Testing in the Workplace - Essay Example This approach has streamed a mix though strong reaction with or against the act. The random drug test and medical assistance is legally applicable incase of rational grounds especially when there is probability/occurrence of an accident involving the worker. Observing behavior such as alcoholic odor on breath, glassy eyes, unsteady composure, slurred speech and multiple errors while working substantiate a proper drug test without any prior notification. Incase the test results positive the employee should be granted rehabilitation epoch and permissible to return to employment following an evaluation by a Substance Abuse Professional [SAP] (Drug and Alcohol Testing). Often such an employee challenges the drug test lest if the result is positive. The victim should be elucidated that workplace drug testing is not a vindication of dismissal, it is adapted by the company to safeguard its work environment as well as to achieve the expected performances & production goals by its employees. Strict action maybe taken incase of recurring liabilities of any employee. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "civil disobedience can be defined as refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government" [1866]. This means that the individuals responsible for civil disobedience are willingly accepting the legal consequences on behalf of their actions since they are involved in falsification of the law. The justification of severity of the legal action is dependant upon the act executed by the persons and its consequences. The mode of action and the motivation for acting must be kept in view while legally examining the act (Civil Disobedience). In terms of environmental causes or animal rights, civil disobedience is often the universal retort by the populace concerned about such issues. Such a dilemma requires action that reflects the protesters' compassion towards the egalitarian principles. The conventional environmental groups have turned believers of incorporating undeviating policies like civil disobedience so as to protect their cause. This usually occurs due to the disappointment concerning the leisurely outcomes of the governmental authorities regarding vindicated environmental issues. It so happens, that such environmentalists involved in safeguarding their root violate the law through their aggressive obliteration of the court, however justified in the other case. These concerns need to be addressed in-depth by the governmental authorities by crafting the laws in accordance to the mainstream causes of today. Ecological laws should be addressed to cater to the environment and the wild life to avoid such extremist behavior of their supporters. From a resource in the Internet find a current article regarding Deep Ecology, environmental activism, or environmental extremism. Read the article and post a short summary (about 100 words or so) of its main points as your response to this DQ. Include the reference information for your article so everyone can find it if they are interested in reading the material. 250 words The

Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Congress - Essay Example Thus, the veracity of the claim of the ‘broken branch’ and the possible solution for fixing the ‘broken branch’ are discussed in the discussion which ensues forthwith. What Organizational Changes Congress Might Make To Work More Effectively It is true that in light of the limitations prevailing upon the Congress, there are some changes that can be ratified to make the Congress more effective. One of the changes which the Congress can make to work more effectively is instituting a room for the selection of an effective party leader with juniors working under this party leader. Another way to fix the US Congress is to build a better and more dynamic electoral system. This artifice can be achieved by establishing open primaries which would end gerrymandering among politicians. This is because, gerrymandering effectively provides politicians with a leeway which they use to pull away from their own districts. There cannot be proper representation in the event tha t politicians make a dereliction on their own jurisdiction. Conversely, amendments can be made to the rules of the Congress to make Congress function more effectively. The crux of the matter herein is that experts such as Mann and Ornstein contend that the problem besetting the Congress is not really about the representatives in the Congress, but the outdated traditions, procedures and rules which govern the operations of Congress which bar legislative processes and progress. Particularly, Article 1, Section 5 of the American Constitution reads that each House has the capacity to determine the Rules of its Proceedings. In this light, in the event that an incumbent Congress finds the rules, traditions and rules of its predecessor [to be] unproductive, archaic or inhibitive, members of the Congress may move in to amend these laws (Mann and Ornstein, 48). Amendments can also be made so that the remunerations of Congressmen can be tied to their performance. While some such as Vermeer ha ve christened this move as No-Budget-No-Pay principle, there is a strong push to this effect to bar Congress from getting paid, in the event that Congress fails to make budget spending and decision in time. The need for this move is underscored by the fact that since 1952, Congress has passed budget planning and spending bills in a timely manner, only four times. Despite this state of affairs, the gravity of the matter is underscored by the dire financial and political situations which stem from the failure of the Congress to pass budget spending and planning, as was seen on October 1, 2013. In this case, the US government came to a sudden halt when the House Republicans failed to agree on their efforts to link the passage of the 2014 budgets of the federal government since they were fighting against the implementation of the healthcare reform. Consequently, 40% [800,000 workers] of the US’ public service was temporarily forced out of work, while 1 million federal American em ployees were made to work without payment (Vermeer, 220). It is also important to have the Congress [to] have all presidential nominations either conformed or rejected within 90 days, after that the Senate receives the presidential nominations. The importance of this proposal has its underpinnings in developments which have taken place in the US Congress. In 2011, more than 200 positions that had been presidentially appointed remained unfilled, following the senators’

Business Plan Of Curves Fitness Commerce Essay

Business Plan Of Curves Fitness Commerce Essay The main objectives of the operations of Curves Fitness which provide its backbone for operation include: providing a wellness program or strategies which they will offer to various businesses situated and operating in London; to create working relationship with five companies in a span of one year; and to expand their operations to England by the end of their second year. As the objectives illustrate, the company is geared towards expanding the reach of their businesses first towards their main location with the hope that the future will allow the business to be as well practiced in England. FACTORS AFFECTING SUCCESS In the course of operations of Curves Fitness, it is also very important to put into consideration that will put the business into the pedestal of success. One of the keys which will be influential to success would be marketing services to individuals and companies. It is acknowledged by the company that these set of strategies will be an invaluable asset to the business which will provide its edge against competition. Another factor which is expected to contribute to the success of the business is the recruitment of experienced managerial talent. This move will ensure the business that the organization is going to be managed by individuals who are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to run the kind of business. Dedication and hard work of the founders will be another key to a successful performance as the founding team acknowledges the fact that it is them who will be the foundation of the business and it is them who will make the business move. The last factor which wi ll be key to the success f the business is the lowering of over-all costs. The business is looking for economies of scale so that they will incur lower costs in their operations to generate greater profit. MARKETING STRATEGIES The marketing strategies of the business include its practices and measures which are executed towards the dimensions of people, product, place, and promotion which forms part of the companys marketing strategies. The business should properly manage their marketing mix in order to come up with strategic formulations which will bring the organization into success. The company puts too much emphasis in the importance of their employees as they are regarded to be the reasons behind better and effective provision of the organizations basic services. The fitness service provided by the organization is geared towards serving markets which fall under the category of small to medium sized businesses which they assume would be made possible through an establishment of an enduring or lasting relationship with their client database. The main operation of the business will be based on London and in the succeeding years, it will cover the rest of the remaining parts of England given the success in its performance. In the entire England, 46% of men and 32% of women are overweight, and out of which 17% of men and 21% of women are situated in London. This number is good enough to realize the potential of a fitness business whose market is not segmented because the target market includes all potential businesses. Particular market segments of the business include corporate employees, manufacturing employees, industry employees, and others. To establish a brand that is premium in terms of personality and market appearance, the management of the business decided to utilize a pricing strategy which in which the prices of the companys basic services are comparable to the prices of the higher end fitness centers. There will be a 100 pounds monthly fee for the employees who decide to avail of the corporate employee program of the fitness center while on the other hand the employer will pay an annual fee of 150 pounds per employee regardless on whether or not the employee has availed of their fitness services. This will be used to maintain the companys equipment and to continue to provide better service to the public who patronizes their fitness center. To be bale to make the public aware on the existence of Curves Fitness, it is regarded that they need to have a well evaluated and a successful promotional strategy in which they can advertise their products and increase the awareness of their target market regarding the existence of their business. The company will establish advertisements targeted towards their market which will be a tri-media promotional campaign appearing on televisions, radios, and newspapers. Brochures and flyers will also be distributed to provide an awareness campaign and client education. Although the company realizes the effectiveness of these media, advertisements will only be done at a minimum to incur minimal costs. The company also believes in the power of word of mouth as a successful promotional tool, and this technique will be the focus of the organizations promotional campaign. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE A carefully designed and well-evaluated organizational structure should be designed by the companys management so that there will be proper hierarchy in terms of authority and distribution of organizational power. The organizational structure matrix will also provide an illustration of the flow of decision making activities and will determine the levels or position in the entire organization. The organizational structure of Curves Fitness holds that the Chief Executive Officer is at the top of the organization. This goes to show that it is the Chief Executive Officer who is vested with the organizational powers and has the highest authority and decision making capacity in the entire organization. The Chief Executive Officer is followed by the Director of Finance and Administration, Director of Health and Wellness Programs, and Director of Sales and Marketing. These three directors hold equal positions and are also equal in terms of authority and powers in decision making activities. They report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The Finance and Accounting Department is held under the supervision of the Director for Finance and Administration; the Director for Health and Wellness Programs directly handles the Program Director and the Health and Fitness Specialist; and the Director for Sales and Marketing Director directly handles the Personnel Manager. These people w ho were mentioned report directly to the respective directors of their departments but not to the Chief Executive Officer. Lastly, the bottom of the organizational chart is composed f the aFitness Centre Manager and three attendees. These employees are the ones at the bottom of the organization and are the one with the least powers in terms of authority and decision making activities which concern the management of the business. FINANCIAL RESOURCES Establishing your own business is never an easy task to handle. Given the complexities of the current economic condition and the global financial crisis, capital requirements are often one of the most complicated dimensions for businesses which are just starting. The source of the capital requirements are often too hard to obtain. In the case of Curves Fitness, the total amount which will be initially needed for operation would most probably be at an estimated 300,000 pounds. This amount is expected to cover all the initial and incidental expenses which will be incurred as the business is built and on the first few months of its operation. On this capital requirement, 200,000 pounds will be self-funded, that is from the personal fund of the owner. Moreover, the remaining 100,000 will be made possible through a bank loan which is expected to help the owner handle the necessary financial expenses which will be required for the operation. Approximately about 140,000 pounds of the initia l capital requirement will be allocated for the leasehold improvements which will be very critical for the location of the fitness center. Furthermore, 75,000 pounds will be distributed and allocated in the purchase of gym equipments and other facilities needed to be able to provide the service which the business intends to provide the public. The remaining fraction from the capital requirement will be sued to pay for the initial rent and pay roll in a span of the first six months of the business. The first few months of operation is very crucial for the company that is why it is very important for the business to have a stable capital requirement to fund for the operational expenses for up to at least the first six months. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS The management anticipates that the first three years of the operation of Curves Fitness will show a progressive financial performance which will be characterized with gradual growth of net profit. The first year might note small profit because the business is still paying much for its capital requirement and there are many incidental expenses which need to be covered since the business is just starting with its operations. For the first three years of operation, the sales which will be generated from the provision of the general services is expected to be also progressive starting at 539,075 pounds on its first year and is expected to grow to 825,600 on its third year. Moreover, the total operating expenses will remain the same for the first two years which is valued at 300,600 pounds for the first two years and on the third year the operating expenses will be lowered to 246,600 pounds. The operating expenses are expected to be lower on the third year because the necessary expenses have already been paid on the first two years. The net profit of the company is also expected to grow on a three year basis. For the first year, the net profit is expected to be valued at 146,270 pounds, 223,238 pounds on its second year, and 387,375 on its third year of operations. TIMELINE To be able to be assured of timely operations, the business will follow an established timeline which will provide a guideline for the business operation. The very first task which the business will emphasize is confirming its vision, mission, and objectives which might actually take a while before being finalized. The next activity will be market research which will provide the opportunity to explore activities which will generate profit. Pro-financial accounting and analysis will also be done to be bale to adhere to the companys financial requirements and to project its financial performance in the years to come. The business environment will also be analyzed and there will also be determining of strategies and business control which will provide the business with a framework for operation. The last task is the documentation and presentation which will embody the general background of the business. CONCLUSION The success of Curves Fitness is almost a clear vision in the United Kingdom market. It has been acknowledged that the country is suffering a health care crisis which is threatening to the productivity of the labor force. Furthermore, there are also changes with regards to demographics. Combined together, these factors will be the foundation of the success of the business as such give Curves Fitness a great potential in the United Kingdom fitness industry.

Graduation Speech: Show the World Your True Self :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

There was a time when I dreaded going to high school. During the weeks before I started my freshman year, all I could picture were mazes of hallways and classrooms, unfamiliar faces of students and teachers, and upperclassmen who loved to torture frightened freshmen. Fortunately, my visions were exaggerated. I soon got into the swing of things in high school. I figured out which teachers really did give you detention if you were late to class, which classmates were safe and those I didn't want as my lab partners. I began to find my place in the school, as well as everyone else's place there. By October, I knew who was who and what was what. In November, everything changed. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes. I went through chemotherapy, lost all my hair and missed 40 days of school. Most people didn't know I was sick. My teachers helped me keep up in class, my friends were as supportive as they could be and I wore a wig to hide my bald head. It was at this point that I dreaded going to school again. I didn't feel like I fit in anymore. I had lost my place, and didn't know how to find it again. Ironically, the one thing about myself that I was most ashamed of helped me to fall back into place. Towards the end of my treatment, in a small burst of bravery, I decided to stop wearing my wig. I declared I didn't care what people thought, that I didn't want to hide anymore. But inside I was very scared. How would people react to a bald girl? But despite my doubts, one Monday in April I came to school with only a baseball hat covering my baldness. I had never had so many people stare at me before. They tried to hide it. I could tell they didn't want to be rude -- they just couldn't help themselves. I didn't say anything, mostly I just looked at the floor. That's what I did until the end of the day when one girl blurted out what I'm sure everyone else was thinking, but was afraid to say, "So why did you shave your head?" You can imagine my reaction to that one. But, oddly enough, after that one question, things were easier. Over the next three years, I became a typical high school kid again.

An Insight into Michael Collin’s Life

In 1916 during the Easter Rising his role was relatively low key, but y 1922 he ultimately gave his life in the Civil War for what he believed in. Michael Collins took part in the Easter Rising in Dublin. He fought alongside others in the General Post Office, and he was singled out as the most active and efficient officer in the place' by Despond Fitzgerald, who had been put in charge of the General Post Office canteen. L This would suggest that Collins always had leadership qualities and a passion for Ireland's Freedom, which would play such an important part in later events such as the treaty negotiations of 1922.It would also imply that he had an important part In the Rising. However, Collins only played a relatively low key part, which was shown because he wasn't one of the people who were court-martingale. This factual evidence contradicts the source, which shows even though this source is from a witness of the Rising and would have seen first-hand Collins' part, it automaticall y has a low weight of argument because it's provenance. The source is from one of his close associates who were on the same side as Collins in the Rising and therefore it will be in Collins favor towards his significance in the Rising.Also, Despond Fitzgerald isn't the right person to edge his part in the rising because he was in charge of the Canteen, so only really saw Collins during meal times, which isn't when he would be making decisions or under pressure from the British forces closing in. Despond Ryan, however, fought alongside Collins in the General post Office, paints the image of Collins very different to Fitzgerald. He said that Collins ‘sat in a corner, a look of horror in his eyes, a pallor spreading across his face†¦ Straining his control to breaking point'2 this suggests that he wasn't efficient or significant and broke under the pressure of the Rising.Therefore, this indicates the Rising could have happened without Michael Collins. Both these sources were dated to 1 916 which makes the source reliable because it's gives a good indication of the feelings towards Michael Collins at the time of the General Post Office takeover. However, Despond Ryan was Parse's literary executor, and as Pears was executed after the rising for being one of its leaders, Ryan resented Collins for receiving limelight from the Rising, and not being executed like his close associate. Consequently, he is likely to describe Collins in a critical and negative light.The aftermath of the Rising resulted in Collins being sent to Foregone and whilst there he was one of the organizers of a program of protest and non- cooperation with authorities. He saw it as an opportunity to improve his guerrilla tactics and spread revolutionary gospel until it was emptied in December 1916. During his time in Foregone Collins made sure that the other refugees did NT give information about themselves up, as he knew that it was possible to beat them by wearing them down. He wrote to a friend ‘For a time they'll raise war – in the end they'll despair† 3.Collins knew the British would ire of trying to get information, and he saw it as an opportunity for networking with physical-force republicans from all over the country and improving his guerrilla tactics. The provenance of this source is from a letter. Collins wrote to a friend while in Foregone, so it gives a clear insight into his intentions which makes this source accurate. However, because it is from himself he may think he is making more of an impact than he actually is. Yet, this is unlikely because they all got released quickly from the camp which would back up this letter and give it a good weight of argument.The canteen staff in Foregone described Collins as ‘highly respected' and when they took problems to him he ‘always listened logically. This helps us understand Michael Collins' short term significance because he learnt from the military blunders made; such as the sei zure of indefensible and very vulnerable positions like SST Stephens Greene and filled the vacuum made by the executions of the leaders of the Rising. Likewise, Foregone would have been different without Collins as the internees wouldn't have been able to hold out and the Irish wouldn't have developed such a fighting force.It's a useful source because they were employed to work in the Foregone canteens so they are indifferent to Collins, which gives this source a high weight of argument which can be generalized to how others must have seen him who weren't closely involved with him. Then again, as it is written so long after, it can be doubted On the contrary, the source was wrote over half a century later, so it's questionable how far someone can precisely remember what the canteen staff thought about Collins. Michael Collins had many responsibilities after leaving Foregone.He was appointed Finance Minister and is described as ‘the unlikely Finance Minister who proved himself an administrator par excellence. ‘6 Collins produced a Finance Ministry that was able to organize a large bond issue in the form of a â€Å"National Loan† to fund the new Irish Republic which was placed in bank accounts of the trustees. This proves how exceptionally significant he was and what a great asset to Ireland he was. The British declared the finances Collins acquired as illegal but Collins carried the money through successfully even though he held down four major positions.The other three being Adjutant- General, Director Of Intelligence and the Director Of Organization. ) FINANCE MINSTER SOURCE He also organized jail breaks because ‘he would obtain information from a wide variety of people' (Lick O'Connor). Lick O'Connor was he is a well- known intellectual figure in contemporary Irish affairs who was born after the death of Michael Collins which makes him a secondary source, his great- grandfather was Matt Harris, Land Leaguer, Fabian, and Irish Parliam entary party Member of Parliament, which means he grew up being surrounded by animal views to Michael Collins and be more likely to support him.Also without Collins, the finance effort would have been a lot weaker and there would have been less information known by Ireland to aid themselves in jail breaks ACT. Collins was a man of ‘charismatic nature' and his ‘reputation for decisiveness' made people want to seek his assistance and advice, which meant he was significant in the sense that he had leadership qualities which helped the Sin Feint, for example in elections.This was said by Winston Churchill which gives it a high weight of argument because he was an enemy f Collins so if he was complimenting Collins then it is more valid as information as he is likely to oppose him. In the Anglo- Irish war, Michael Collins played the most important role in this struggle. As director of intelligence of the AIR he crippled the British intelligence system in Ireland and replaced i t with an effective Irish network. At the same time he performed his other responsibilities.He was significant because he maximized efficiency of and minimized losses which made Ireland able to withstand the larger British forces. For example ‘ the British made desirously high estimates of their enemy' because of Collins tactics they thought that Ireland had a lot more man power than they really had, also, republican victories had widespread support from the Irish, including every level of society, and reaching deep into the British administration in Ireland.Without Collins the Irish Revolution would have been less effective without his skill in guerrilla warfare. The British government perceived him as a murdering criminal mastermind and thought about placing ‘E 10,000' on his head if he was ‘dead or alive. This was discussed with Winston Churchill but ejected making Collins both Britain's most wanted man and a Hero to Ireland. It seemed to be futile because he wa s anonymous to the British authorities and Collins used this to his advantage to unease his enemies, which would suggest why the price would have been so high.Mark Sutures wrote ‘l wonder how it is that the archbishop sees Collins apparently without difficulty and our intelligence fails' These sources all give a good insight into how exasperated the British became with the notorious Michael Collins, and even though they desperately tried to capture him, they just couldn't. These al are primary sources with a high weight of argument because they were on the opposing side Of the Anglo- Irish war so they wouldn't want to outline their failures to capture him, and/or compliment him in the process.ANALYSIS When the war ended Collins was sent to go to the treaty negotiations. He went out of loyalty to De Valier, even though he was opposed to being sent to London as part of the Treaty delegation. ‘To me the task is a loathsome one. ‘8 This source gives a good insight into how Collins felt at the time. Also Collins negotiation skills and political knowledge was small compared to De Baler's ND it meant giving up his shrouded identity.Nevertheless, David Lloyd George said that Collins ‘did not have De Baler's slippery political cunning' but he didn't doubt he was ‘the head and front of the movement;9 this source is important and has a high weight of argument because someone opposing him recognized his significance. Lloyd George was very unfavorable of Collins at this time as he was the British prime minister. But then again, why would the British want to negotiate with Collins? They thought he was a murderer, so they must have realized he would be more impartial than De Valier in negotiations.When, Collins signed the treaty saying ‘I may have signed my own death warrant' because he knew that many people wouldn't agree with it but he did it for the long run good of Ireland. Britain wasn't willing to give a better deal than that and he signed it under treat of ‘immediate and terrible war' if it wasn't signed. This shows the British had the dominant position at the time of the signing, which suggests it could have been forced. However, he had still achieved a lot because Ireland got half of her freedom back with is half more than she already had, and he was repaper to sacrifice himself for it.

How to Build a Great Dental Assistant Resume (Examples Included)

How to Build a Great Dental Assistant Resume (Examples Included) Whether you’re looking to become a newbie dental assistant or you’ve just finished your 5000th gentle reminder to patients about flossing regularly, it’s important to hit all the right notes in your resume. Consider resume maintenance a kind of career flossing: it needs to be done if you want to avoid more work and aggravation later. Let’s look at how to build a dental assistant resume at different stages: one entry level, one experienced in the field, and one about to move up to the next level of becoming a dental hygienist. First up: Barry, who’s looking for his first job as a dental assistant.Download This Resume in MS WordBarry Schwartz123 Street Drive, Apt. 2Springfield, MO 44444(333) 123s)How to Write a Perfect Occupational Therapist ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Receptionist Resume (Examples Included)How to Create a Perfect Retail ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Sales Associate Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Social Worker Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Truck Driver Resume (With Examples)

Seasonal Effects in Stock Markets

Seasonal Effects in Stock Markets Read about how the seasons of the year affect the prices at stock markets. Prices in stock markets around the world are mostly driven by rapid changes in relevant information. But certain seasonal and calendar-related trends, and trends that have very little to do with the stocks themselves or economic conditions also influence the prices. The trends are well-known and are anticipated by most investors, so it is debatable how great an effect they really have; however, there are still ways a smart investor can take advantage of them. From a research and analysis point of view, understanding seasonal effects is important because they often explain changes in the markets that are not attributable to prevailing economic or business circumstances, and as such become a significant variable. The January Effect, the December Effect, and Santa Claus Rallies These three phenomena are closely related. The first to occur is the December Effect, which usually happens during the weeks immediately before and after Christmas, in which markets will decline. The reason for this is that many traders will sell off shares just before the end of the year, in order to claim a capital loss for the year and reduce their taxes. The January Effect is a market rally in the first week of January when the shares sold at the end of the year are repurchased. The effect is significant: According to investment advisors, Ibbotson Associates, since 1924 the average monthly returns for stocks in the S P 500 have been approximately half a percent higher in January than in the other 11 months of the year. Sometimes, particularly in years when the December Effect is especially strong or happens a bit earlier in the month of December (typically in years when Christmas Day falls in the middle of the week), the markets will experience a â€Å"Santa Claus Rally†. This is a bit of a recovery, though usually not as strong as the January Effect, thanks to share buying by bargain hunters. Read also:  Black Economy  |  Financial Crisis of 2008   The September Effect In the US markets, September is historically a low point during the year. Since 1926, the monthly average return for the S P 500 has been positive for every month except September, even taking into account huge declines in the stock market in 1929, 1987, and 2008. The September Effect is largely an American phenomenon; it does appear in markets outside the US, most often when the September drop in the US markets is especially strong, but not as consistently. The usual explanation for the September Effect is the end of summer, which is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday on the first Monday in September in the US. Consumer spending tends to decline in September, and the month is the beginning of the third quarter, historically the weakest period economically in the year. Markets rise again after September, as businesses and consumers begin to prepare for the holiday season in the last two months of the year. Turn of the Month Since at least the 1880s, and possibly earlier, the cycle in stock markets all over the world has been one in which the markets are highest in the few days at the beginning and end of the month, and lowest in the middle of the month. In the modern era, the effect is attributed to the behavior of mutual funds, a large proportion of which serve as investments for retirement funds. Money is usually directed into mutual funds at or shortly before the end of the month, increasing share purchases across the entire market for a brief period of time – usually, six to eight days overlapping the end of one month and a start of the next. The effect, however, has existed for much longer than mutual funds have, and so the explanation for it is incomplete. Some researchers have speculated that it is largely a psychological effect; people tend to be more optimistic and active at the beginning or end of a month, and more inclined to spend money. Turn of the Quarter Just as the beginning and end of the month tend to be more active periods in the stock market, the market at the end of the quarter usually advances as well. This is a more modern effect, and can usually be attributed to an activity derisively called â€Å"window dressing†: Fund managers who report their activities in detail on a quarterly basis will often purchase stocks that have performed well during the quarter in order to make their portfolios more attractive. Because window-dressing involves stocks that are generally already comparatively high-priced, the activity can have a big effect on the entire index. Prices changes in stocks in short periods – hours or days – move up or down in a logarithmic rather than a linear trajectory, so prices change upward when there is a significant amount of window-dressing taking place actually accelerate. Window-dressing is not illegal, but is generally regarded as unethical; many trustworthy fund managers do not engage in the practice, but enough others do that it has a noticeable impact on the market. Blue Mondays The first day of the work week traditionally is the worst day of the week for stock markets. Since 1885, the average daily return in the US markets has fluctuated between 0.4% and 0.8% during the Tuesday-to-Friday part of the week. The average daily return for Mondays, however, is actually a loss of about 1%. The effect is partly psychological; most people are apparently not enthusiastic about getting back to the daily grind after the weekend. There is also an identifiable cause in the reporting habits of companies, one which can be attributed, oddly enough, to a trend started by Adolf Hitler. Brutal megalomaniac though he was, Hitler was capable of being clever at times; in the last few years before the outbreak of World War II, he developed the habit of making his most provocative political moves over the weekend – a time he knew that politicians in France, England, and Russia were likely to be enjoying their days off in the countryside, unable to assemble and react quickly to whatever rotten stunt he was pulling. These days companies that have particularly bad news to report, items such as large financial losses, unexpected changes in key personnel, or other things that would surely have a negative impact on their share prices, tend to release the information over the weekend.

Hospitality Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hospitality Operations Management - Essay Example Intangible factors on the other hand, include branding, image and reputation, innovations, and market position of the business model within the marketplace. Perishability factors are associated with products that can go bad or be destroyed for being poorly stored or for not having been preserved correctly. 1 These factors influence the magnitude of an investment in order to ensure the target goals and operational objectives are met. For instance, the hospitality industry, especially in cases where meals are prepared and offered to vast customer segments, preservation of recipes falls under intangible factors while the ingredients to prepare the meals fall under perishables. To preserve ingredients, investors are required to finance the refrigeration facilities. In order to protect an establishment from corporate espionage, the business model has to consider intangible factors such as patenting of innovation. Lastly, the fact that most business establishments in the hospitability industry deal with different customers; the services offered, such as accommodation and entertainment, require the presence of assets such as rooms, swimming pools, spas, and restaurants. High Valley Hotel seeks to expand its business scope in order to lure and serve more customers as part of a strategy to satisfy the objective of increasing revenue generation as well as the capacity of operations. With reference to the nature of the tangible factors that High Valley Hotel has to consider during the expansion, depreciation and maintenance of the property are among the most vital factors. The establishment seeks to increase the current number of rooms in order to host more clients at any given time since demand continues to increase. However, in the construction of the desired rooms, quality of materials of use as well as the nature of

Substance Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Substance Abuse - Essay Example The reach of substance abuse also extends to schools, communities, health and welfare agencies, the justice systems and to society at large. We all shoulder the costs (Beverly Conyers, 2003). Children of substance abusers suffer the most, from direct effects on their physical and mental health to influences on their own use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs. The family's role in the development and results of substance abuse is unique: it suffers some of the direst consequences and holds the potential of the most powerful protective influences against it. A focus on families is critical to understanding and preventing the destructive intergenerational cycle of substance abuse and addiction. Alcoholism and drug abuse often are referred to as family diseases because the serious negative consequences of addiction and the importance of recovery affect not only the substance abuser but also all members of the family. There are certain reasons as to why people start substance abuse (Pauline G. Boss, 2001). Parents and family members can have an enormous positive impact on children's substance-use decisions and behavior. No protection is absolute, but parents hold the greatest number of tools and have the greatest opportunity to shape children's choices when it comes to trying and continuing to use cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. People are spending more years unmarried. ... Increase in divorce The recent trend shows that the number of divorce have increased over time. Parental divorce can have an important impact on a child's risk for substance use. For example, teens with divorced parents are 50 percent likelier to drink alcohol than teens with married parents. Increase in single parent families Children who grow up in two-parent homes are at lower risk for any kind of drug abuse than children who grow up in single parent homes. Families today are equally likely or more likely to be comprised of childless couples with two careers, single parent families or cohabiting couples with children than they are of the 'typical' family of years past. Increase in Economic disadvantage The financial condition of a family can lead a person to substance abuse. The increase in single-parent families has served to broaden the economic inequality across households, often with single-mothers comprising the poorer end of this spectrum. However its still not clear that the relationship between substance abuse and economic condition is very strong. To fit in a group of friends Children or teens when moving around places and cities due to the professional life of a parent or due to any other reason, make new friends everywhere. The new friends might be doing substance abuse hence to fit in with them the children have to be like them that is to do substance abuse otherwise they are not included in the group. Peer pressure Peer pressure is a major reason for children doing substance abuse. The peers call children names and tease them about not doing substance abuse. The children usually don't like being called names and being teased by others. Hence to prove the others