Corporate Social Responsibility Of A Corporation - 1967 Words

Corporate Social Responsibility A corporation ready to take responsibility for any impact of its decisions or actions of its stakeholders is one definition of corporate social responsibility. Incorporations corporate executives/ managers act in the interest of the people affected and involved within organizations known as stockholders. Many have argued thoughts on the topic of social responsibility, determining different groups to be served or to serve the corporation they exist, in this paper three articles will be examined. Milton Friedman will examine the stockholder model while R.Edward Freeman will concentrate on the stakeholder model and Joseph Heath on the market failures model. I will argue Joseph Heath’s market failures model†¦show more content†¦65). This reference states that the main goal of the stakeholder increase in profits and the agents are the ones that need to make this happen. Even if the agent does not hold earning profit as a main goal in being socially responsible, they mus t do it anyways. Agents may have a different view of what they think is socially responsible however they may not put their own social responsibilities towards any actions towards the firm. This is because as Friedman states, â€Å"If these are â€Å"social responsibilities,† they are the social responsibilities of individuals, not of business† (pg. 66). This means acting with individuals own responsibilities in mind towards the firm, the agent is no longer an agent as they are not acting in the best interest of the firm and when this occurs they serve themselves turning into a principal. By doing this the agents are taking away the property rights of the principals. The agent is then being selfish as they are not acting in favour of the employers, principal’s, best interest. Friedman also states, â€Å"The executive is exercising a distinct â€Å"social responsibility,† rather than serving as an agent of the stockholders, only if he spends the money in a different way than they would have spent it† (pg. 66). Everything an executive is to do is to be done how the stockholders would like it completed. However I do not agree with these arguments stated

Disadvantages of Socialized Medicine Essay - 1252 Words

In today’s society, there is growing sentiment that our government should provide a â€Å"socialized† type of universal medicine for the masses; that the onus to provide healthcare should no longer be on the individual or business. I posit that entrusting our healthcare to a government that can barely manage itself is misguided; that even if The United States could successfully implement a system of socialized medicine the economic and medical hardships this would cause to so many would far outweigh the benefits to a relative few. Although socialized medicine appears to provide adequate healthcare for each person, regardless of economic status, in reality this flawed and expensive system penalizes everyone associated with it. It will†¦show more content†¦The first way to judge universal health care’s ineptitude is by assessing the number of people left untreated. Two years after the implementation of socialized medicine in England, â€Å"more than ha lf a million people were on waiting lists for hospitalization, an increase of 350,000 from before the implementation of this system† (Smoot 2). Today, that number has nearly doubled. â€Å"There are about a million people waiting to get into hospitals†¦.Almost 900,000 Canadian patients are on waiting lists at any one point in time.† (Goodman 2). When asked about the possibility of a waiting period in the US if we were to adopt this system, Dr. Vitaly Levin, a Russian anesthesiologist who previously practiced under socialized medicine, states, â€Å"The chances are definite.† Minor procedures thought to be routine in the United States are considerably less obtainable in countries that embrace government sponsored health insurance. According to John Goodman, author of The Five Myths of Socialized Medicine, â€Å"Among people with chronic renal failure, only half as many Canadians as Americans get dialysis, and only a third as many Britons.† He continue s stating â€Å"the rate of coronary bypass surgeries [in the United States] is three or four times what it is in Canada and five times what it is in Britain.† (3). In addition, of those who are actually treated, their chances of survival dramatically differ from those under capitalistic systems of healthcare. Dr.Show MoreRelatedEssay Disadvantages of Socialized Medicine2594 Words   |  11 Pages (Grim). In light of these failures, one must ask if this same government provides a sufficient answer for our current medical crisis. Although socialized medicine appears to provide adequate healthcare for each person, regardless of economic status, in reality this flawed and expensive system penalizes everyone associated with it. Socialized Medicine is â€Å"any of various systems used to provide the entire population with complete medical care through government subsidization and regularization ofRead MoreThe American Health Care System1823 Words   |  8 Pages Socialized medicine has lately been a rising topic in the American society. It is a term which is used to describe the universal health care system. It is a system by which medical and hospital care for all minor cost are covered by means of government derived from taxation. The original meaning was confined to systems in which the government operates health care facilities and employs health care professionals. This narrower usage would apply to the British National Health Service hospital trustsRead MoreThe Issue Of Health Care1674 Words   |  7 Pagesof all medical expenses. However, this bill didn’t pass due to the American Medical Association equating it as â€Å"socialized medicine.† [6] Although a universal health program was not successful, advocates of the plan continued to advocate for government-funded health insurance by diverting the focus to provide coverage to Americans of the age of 65 that of at an economic disadvantage. [7] Several more decades pas sed, and several more attempts failed. Where we are now As of 2012, it is recordedRead MoreU.s. Health Care System1329 Words   |  6 Pagessupplies military veterans with health care via a network of government-run hospitals. Canada s in contrast to the U.S. offers a single-payer system for health care to its citizens that they offer services that are supplied by private physicians (socialized medicine). Physician care in the U.S. is typically provided by a doctor in private practice but can come from the government as well. A good number of U.S. and Canadian physicians also utilize a fee per visit rate (Physicians for a National Health ProgramRead MoreBenefits : The Changing Nature Of Benefits912 Words   |  4 Pagesand negotiated for new employee benefits that have since become common in both unionized and non-union companies. Federal and state legislation requires companies to offer certain benefits to employees. Finally, employers may find themselves at a disadvantage in the labor market if they do not offer competitive benefit pa ckages. In the United States, legislation requires practically all employers to offer the social security benefit, unemployment insurance, and workers compensation insurance. LargerRead MoreThe United States And Universal Health Care1582 Words   |  7 Pagesthe United Sates spend more money per person on health care than any other nation, yet they still have many health disadvantages and below average health outcomes compared to other nations with different systems. The United States should switch to a universal health care system to make health care more accessible to its citizens, improve health conditions, and make it so that medicine and treatment is more affordable for everyone regardless of their social status. Universal health coverage ensuresRead MoreHealth Care Reform And The Underinsured1747 Words   |  7 Pagesits roots, America was founded by and populated by immigrants; however, nearly 300 years after the first settlers arrived, there is still a gross inequality between races. The African Americans are one group of people that have been at a social disadvantage since their forced arrival to this continent. African Americans have been residing in North America since its very early youth, when slavery was taking root in the 1600’s. Yet, even in this modern age of social progress, there is clear evidenceRead MoreHealth Insurance1677 Words   |  7 PagesKingdom the government, through National Health Services (NHS), owns nearly all hospitals and directly employs almost all doctors. Because there are very few private insurance and private hospitals their health care is often referred to as socialized medicine. The NHS focuses on preventative health care and non life – threatening conditions. Elective care - such as a hip replacement is considered a low priority. Such procedures require patients to go on a waiting list where treatment might take asRead MoreThe Canadian Healthcare System For All Services Provided By Physicians And Hospitals1242 Words   |  5 Pages The Canadian healthcare system was first established in the late 1940’s and is made up of socialized health insurance plans that provide coverage to every Canadian citizen. Publicly funded and managed, rules are set forth by the federal government. In the 1960’s, Canada in essence, has had universal healthcare coverage for all services provided by physicians and hospitals. Change your source ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada 2014) Whereas, the healthcare system in AmericaRead MoreSingle Payer Healthcare for the United States5163 Words   |  21 Pagesmany have attempted to elucidate. Given its many components and manifestations, defining and quantifying quality of care, in the context of health, is extremely difficult. Literature Review Quality of care, as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), is ‘the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge’† (Kongstvedt, 310). When it comes to quality of care, â€Å"physicians

Pro abortion Essay Example For Students

Pro abortion Essay Pro-Abortion over Pro-lifeAn unborn child doesnt have a soulA sixteen year old walks down a nameless back alley on the mainland, one of only a million others, and she carries with her an unborn child of 4 months. She had tried to hide it but the signs were finally showing, Who was the father were the cries and pleas of those whom she loved. She was raped a year ago by her ex-boyfriend and now carries their unwanted child. Should she be forced to carry and care for the child she hadnt planned for? Should she be forced to love a child who will for her every waking moment remind her of the night her rights were stripped from her? Should she not have the choice to safely abort her unwanted child instead of resorting to a back alley where she may endanger her own life? Sadly this kind of a story was a reality for thousands of teens worldwide, but not only teens suffer from this fate. Women of all kinds have to suffer the choices and consequences that they must make, but should they not ha ve a choice to abort their unwanted children instead of resorting to the back alley scenes of coat hangers and illegitimate drugs? Many will argue firstly that it is against religion and faith to kill a child, to destroy a soul, especially one so pure as an unborn babys. See thou thats just the thing. Its an UNborn baby a.k.a. not a human a.k.a. it doesnt HAVE a soul! So you wouldnt be killing anything, just a fetus that has in it potential to become a human being, potential to become a living being. But thats all it is, potential. Its like trying to argue that liposuction should be illegal because your killing fat that has potential to grow parasites and bacteria. Category: Philosophy

Marketing strategy Essay Example

Marketing strategy Essay This unit entitled Marketing requires me to produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product. The product that I have chosen to devise a strategy for is the forthcoming video games console, Nintendo Gamecube, which is released in Europe on May 3rd 2002. I will have to carry out research about the principles of marketing; the way that close competitors will compete when the console is released; the strength of the brand name; possible marketing models/strategies; analysing the possible implications of external influences, etc. in order to produce a powerful strategy that will ensure that the product will do well in its market. OBTAINING INFORMATION Information that will help me to complete this report can be obtained from a number of different ways. Some obvious methods that will be used throughout the report for obtaining data and information towards the formation of the marketing strategy are: * The Internet: this method has become one of the most popular in finding information since there are many search engines available on the Internet as well as websites of the Nintendo company itself and many other sites designed by fans and video game players from around the world. The information provided is secondary data, but it can be very informative on enriching my knowledge about Nintendos console and marketing via the abundant sites devoted to Business Studies such as Biz/ed (www.bized.ac.uk) and Business Teacher (www.businessteacher.co.uk). We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing strategy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer * Primary Data: this type of data can be collected through observation and by carrying out primary research methods such as questionnaires, telephone interviews and personal interviews. These will be useful as specific information can be extracted from the public. * Information From Books: lots of information can be found in books about businesses and marketing. It is useful to extract knowledge from more than one book, since no one book will contain all information required. One book may cover something in more depth than another. For example, the Business Studies book by Carlo Raffo et al. is more detailed and easier to understand than the Marketing textbook by Ian Swift, but the book by Ian has more analytical and evaluative technique, which are essential in this report. In order to prepare for the coursework, background information will need to be read from textbooks. The information can then be applied to the product and business being investigated. WHAT I PLAN TO DO What I plan to do for this coursework is to collect as much information as possible about my product to understand about it first. Reading product reviews from the Internet, buying game magazines and talking with my friends about it will carry this out. I can then read the theory about marketing and the various aspects on the topic and apply the theory to what I know about the Gamecube and the market that it is running in as well as the competitors it faces. Strategies for the product will consequently be developed for the product throughout the report with the aid of analysing other firms strategies and by collecting primary data and secondary data. PROBLEMS ENOCUNTERED The main problem that was encountered in this report was time constraints. The obstacles that were present were revising for exams and the Swiss exchange, which both reduced the time I had in completing the project. I therefore had to work faster with this report and ensure that deadlines were met, even if it meant handing some areas a few days after! Extra time was also devoted to completing areas of the report due to the time constraints. This was certainly a new experience and something that I can learn from in the future. I found out how stressful it was in completing this report with about 4 other things to do at the same time! In addition I have realised that all this could have been handled slightly better if I planned out my plan and tasks more carefully! ACTION PLAN Throughout the report, I kept a log and task plan to refer to. This allowed me to monitor how far I was in the completion of different tasks and also how much time I had left in completing it. It was especially useful during when the Swiss exchange was in action, as I could see how much work I had to still do and catch up on, in order to be on schedule. If I had not kept a log, I would have had to constantly read through the work I had done to see where I was and what I had done last. ACTION PLAN FOR UNIT ONE REPORT Dates: Task: Comment: Apr. 8, 2002 * Choose the product for which the marketing strategy will be based on. * Start gathering background information from the Internet and magazines/newspapers about the company that is manufacturing the product and also about the product itself. * Start reading some theory about marketing from textbooks, worksheets, information sheets, and from the Internet. The product that I have chosen to produce a marketing strategy for is the Nintendo Gamecube. I have chosen this product as I am very interested in video games and am going to purchase the console when it is released so I thought it worthwhile to use a product that I am interested in! I have started to do some general reading about the product and the company by visiting some websites like www.nintendo.com, www.gamespot.co.uk, www.cube-europe.com and by reading some of the magazines such as the Nintendo Official Magazine and the NGC Magazine. In addition, I have started reading some theory on marketing by reading the Introduction to Marketing section from the Marketing book by Ian Swift, the What is Marketing section in the Business textbook by Carlo Raffo et al., and The Principles and Functions of Marketing section in the Advanced Business Textbook by Dan Moynihan and Brian Titley. Apr. 10 * Create a plan for the report and an action plan to show how the report will be completed and the tasks that need to be fulfilled throughout the duration. * Produce a section titled, Information Gathering to analyse secondary sources used during the course of the report. * Start writing up an introductory section about Nintendo and the Nintendo Gamecube. This plan and log was created. However, it is very liable to changes throughout, if some tasks are unable to be completed due to time constraints. At this time, I am already aware of two time constraints: the first is that I am involved in the Swiss Exchange and the Swiss students are coming over for a week from April 24 to May 1; the second is that the AS examinations are very close (the first one being on May 13) and so revision time will also need to be taken into consideration. It is too early to predict how these constraints will affect this report and I will comment on them later on in this log. Like the unit one, I have started producing an Information Gathering section to analyse the sources that I have used. In addition, I have managed to start typing up the section about Nintendo and Gamecube using information from the Internet and promotional leaflets from HMV, Bluewater and Dixons, as well as magazines. Apr. 13 14 * Commence writing up an Introduction to Marketing section, detailing the principles of marketing and a summary of some key features. * Read theory on market research from textbooks, books, worksheets, etc. * Talk with friends about their views about the Gamecube and Nintendo in general. After reading the theory behind the basic ideas of marketing, I started to type up this section. I found the terms fairly easy to understand and concepts used, quite accessible. This is probably because I recently bought a handbook called The Complete A-Z Business Studies, which I have found very useful for quick reference of terms and jargon. I also began reading the theory behind market research. Reading this part was fairly straightforward, as I have taken part in many of these, including telephone interviews, questionnaires and customer surveys. I have also managed to talk with friends at school about what they think about Nintendo and its latest console, during lunchtime in the canteen and during free periods. Some of the information I have picked up can possibly be used in the presentation, and also in the decision of an appropriate strategy. Apr. 15 * Start typing up section on market research. * Plan a rough questionnaire that could be used to collect primary data from the public. * Decide on an aspect of the marketing strategy to present to the class via a PowerPoint slideshow presentation. Start reading some theory for this aspect. I started to type up this section on market research, but have to leave gaps, while I decide which methods of field research to carry out. At the moment, the only confirmed method is the use of a questionnaire, as this is a very popular method and can obtain answers and data to specific questions. For my presentation, I have decided to choose price as my aspect of the marketing strategy. This is because I think price is a very important factor in the video games industry because of the amount of competition in this market. Apr. 27 28 * Start putting together some slides for the aspect for presentation. * Produce the final questionnaire on computer, print it out and photocopy 25 sets, so that 25 members of the public can be asked. * Find a marketing strategy for a service or product by interviewing an senior employee from companies such as Sony or Playstation, and judge it with reference to the principles of marketing. This week (Apr. 22 26) has been quite difficult for me, because my Swiss exchange partner came over on Apr. 24 and will be staying here until May 1. I therefore had little time to do a lot of what I had intended to do, because I had to go on trips with the Swiss party and entertain them during the weeknights. I have only managed to put together a couple of slides for the presentation, which is to be done on Monday Apr. 29. I intended to have filled the slides with a lot more information then I have done. However, I know what I want to say and I can add more to the slides on Monday before the presentation, as I have time during the day. Overall, I was fairly satisfied with my presentation, but personally believe that it could have been one of higher quality if it were not due to the time constraints. Due to the Swiss exchange, I did not have time to print out the final questionnaire and photocopy it. Nor did I have time to find a marketing strategy to judge. Apr. 29 * Gather data using my questionnaire from people at school who have an interest in video games. * Read the theory on marketing strategies such as market penetration, market development and diversification as well as the use of the Ansoff Matrix and the Boston Matrix to make judgements about products sold by the business. Again, due to time constraints of the Swiss exchange, I could not do these tasks. Instead, I had to complete the unfinished tasks from the weekend, i.e. I managed to complete the questionnaire on computer and print it out. I also managed to photocopy 20 (not 25, due to insufficient paper!) copies of the questionnaire. I have also found some details on the Internet about the marketing strategies of X-Box and Nike. However, due to time constraints and pressures of exam revision, I could not carry out my original intention of interviewing senior employees from Sony or Microsoft about their marketing strategy. I think, that if I did this, the information would be a lot more detailed and specific to what I need than the information obtained from the Internet. May 2 * Start typing up the section on marketing strategies, analysing each one in turn and then deciding which one best suits Nintendo for its latest console. * Analyse results from the questionnaire, by displaying them in graphical format and by looking at peoples opinions overall. Today, I managed to gather data for the questionnaires produced from friends at school during a free period. The majority of my friends wanted to fill in the questionnaire as they are fans of video games and thought it exciting to have a say in this report! I also managed to start reading some theory on marketing strategies and the Ansoff Matrix. This section was new to me, so I had to read it a few times and compare information provided from different books with each other to fully understand it. Unfortunately, I have not managed to complete the tasks that were set for today. As a result, these tasks have been put back until next time! May 4 5 * Read the theory and start typing up the section on external influences and how these will affect the Nintendo Gamecube. I have managed to type up quite a bit of the section on marketing strategies. Analysis of the questionnaire has also been started, using Microsoft Excel to draw charts and graphs for the data collected. The decision of a strategy and control of the marketing mix can therefore be related to these findings. I have not managed to type up the section on external influences, but have had some time to read into the topic, as I have covered some of this information in unit 2 with Mr. Glover. Therefore, I already had some knowledge in this area, but here, I would have to apply it to the real world. May 11 12 * Complete typing up the section on external influences. * Look into areas of the marketing mix. I have started to type up the section on external influences and have noted how any of these would affect Nintendos marketing strategy for their new console. I have also started to read about the different aspects of the marketing mix. May 14 * Type up the marketing mix section I have managed to start typing up the aspect of price and also write a brief introduction about the marketing mix and its importance to a products success in a market. I also managed to find the Sony Corporate site on the Internet and have sent them en e-mail (see appendix for evidence) asking them some questions on their marketing strategy such as how they decided to market the Playstation to consumers. May 15 Today, I got an e-mail reply from the Sony site concerning the questions I asked them about their marketing strategy. They said that they were not allowed to send this sort of sensitive information through the Internet and therefore offered to send me a marketing information pack through the post. I took the offer and replied with my postal address. Shortly afterwards, they replied saying that they would dispatch the information as soon as possible. May 17 19 * Continue typing up the marketing mix section I have nearly finished the aspect of price and have started the aspects of promotion, placing and distribution. The aspect of promotion was easy to understand as it is everywhere and we see it wherever we go. However, the aspect on distribution was slightly more difficult as I had never learned anything about it before. Consequently, I had to read a few textbooks about it and refer to a business dictionary to understand some of the jargon used by the sources. May 21 * Continue typing up the marketing mix section and any other areas that have not been completed I have nearly finished the marketing mix section, although the aspect of promotion took longer to write up than originally thought! However, I have not yet received the information pack from Sony that I requested for last week and they have not sent any e-mail to me concerning any problems over it. Therefore this piece of information cannot be used in the report, but I believe that it would have been very useful in helping to decide the overall strategy for the Gamecube. In any case, I have included the e-mail contents between myself and Sony in the appendix. May 23 Hand the report into Mr. Glover Hand the report into Mr. Glover 2.0 INFORMATION GATHERING Type of secondary source: Textbook Title: Marketing Edition: First Edition 2000 Company: Hodder and Stoughton Authors: Ian Swift This textbook was used throughout the report as a guide and aid for analysing and evaluating various aspects of marketing. Compared with the other sources, it did not contain as much detail about aspects of marketing such as the four Ps of the marketing mix. However, I found the way it showed me how to analyse and evaluate conditions in marketing very useful. This source is reliable as Business Studies examiners have written it for A level students, so the information would be useful. In addition, it was a recommended book by Mr. McCool, which made it even more reliable and helpful! Type of secondary source: Business Handbook Title: The Complete A-Z Business Studies Handbook Company: Hodder ; Stoughton Authors: David Lines, Ian Marcousà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and Barry Martin This Business Studies dictionary was extremely useful for quick reference throughout the report. If there was a business term that I did not understand like market capitalisation, I could just flick to the appropriate page and find a definition and explanation of the term and sometimes, there were diagrams to make the explanations even more clearer. The source is reliable as it has been written by two A level examiners and a University Head and has been designed for students doing A levels, GNVQ and a degree level in Business Studies. Type of secondary source: Textbook Title: Advanced Business Company: Oxford Authors: Dan Moynihan and Brian Titley This was one of the main textbooks that were used in the completion of this report. The textbook was easy to use, because the information was easy to find as it is laid out in chapters and then sub-chapters. I found the key words boxes through the unit sections very useful as it helped me understand the information they provided. It also made me familiar amongst the terms and vocabulary associated with businesses. A feature that I found beneficial was that they provided some appropriate websites to visit at the end of each chapter in the units, which allowed me to carry out additional research and background reading. When I cross-referenced this book with the Business Studies Book by Carlo Raffo et al., I often found that this Oxford textbook was slightly vague on topics such as the aspects of the four Ps. It explained the theory well and concisely, but I found the approach of using diagrams to re-enforce what the theory explains by the Business Studies book by Carlo Raffo more appea ling. Then again, this source contained a lot of relevant information to the report, which was especially useful. This source is quite reliable since it is a school textbook specifically targeted at the AVCE course that is being studied and has only been published recently. It covers all the necessary units of the course and is written by examiners. Although at time, it can be simple and vague, it generally provided interesting and useful information. Type of secondary source: Textbook Title of book: Business Studies Company: CPL Authors: Dave Hall, Rob Jones and Carlo Raffo This textbook was extremely useful. It was very informative and there were lots of diagrams used to help illustrate the concepts, such as the one illustrating the different stages of market research. The information it provided was very detailed as it discussed the advantages, disadvantages, effects, and consequences of various aspects of business such as the different types of management styles that could be adopted. The main areas that were used from the book were information on: the four Ps, market research, the product life cycle and a table comparing advantages and disadvantages of different methods of promotion above the line. Most of the information was relevant to this unit, although the book was really aimed at AS/A Level students. I was able to understand the information they provided as they defined all the technical terms at the end of each unit and gave examples of what it meant through diagrams and case studies. This textbook was also strongly recommended by Mr. McCool and therefore shows that it must be a very good source of information. 3.0 INTRODUCTION TO NINTENDO AND GAMECUBE Nintendo is a Japanese video games company and is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video games worldwide, created such icons such as Mario and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend Of Zelda and Pokà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mon. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including Nintendo 64 and Game Boy the worlds best-selling video game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Washington, serves as headquarters for Nintendos operations in the Western Hemisphere, where more than 40 percent of American households own a Nintendo game system. Nintendo Gamecube was originally unveiled at Tokyos Space World show back in August 2000 and now, 18 months later, Nintendos new home consoles is UK bound. Initially codenamed Project Dolphin, Gamecube is a games-only machine. It uses Nintendos own anti-piracy optical discs, while up to four people can plug in and play. But it does not end there. The console links up with Game Boy Advance has broadband capabilities and two console colours, purple and black, which will be available at launch. The infrastructure for online gaming is still in its early stages, but Gamecube is prepared. Underneath the console are two ports, one for a 56k Modem Adaptor and one for the faster Broadband Adapter. The main Gamecube controller will come in two different styles, depending on the colour of the machine that you buy. There will also be an additional controller thats half purple, half clear. But what makes Gamecubes controller different? Well for starters, theres a built in rumble pak allowing you to feel every bump and scrape. Nintendo has also added another analogue stick, so in Luigis Mansion for example, you can move with one stick and control Luigis torch with the other. Character and vehicle control will also be further enhanced thanks to the controllers two analogue shoulder buttons. Depending on how hard the buttons are pressed down, they will cause characters to move faster or slower. A new dimension in gaming will arrive alongside the Gamecube as Nintendos home console will also connect with Nintendos handheld, the Game Boy Advance. Using a special link up cable that slots into a Gamecube controller port and the top of the Game Boy Advance, youll be able to control games on your television using Nintendos portable games machine. Titles like Sonic Advance and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle will even allow you to swap data between the two machines. This means that you do not have to your TV and Gamecube to continue developing you characters and their skills. With Gamecube and Game Boy Advance you can do this on the move. The specifications of the console and the freedom of creativity it gives game designers when producing games for the console, has attracted many third-party developers. For example, THQ (who created WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64) have joined with Yukes (a Japanese based company that created the Smackdown! series on the Playstation) to produce Wrestlemania X8, a Gamecube exclusive; and Capcom, have been working on Resident Evil: Biohazard, also a Gamecube exclusive. (Sources used: the Nintendo site: www.nintendo.com, free Nintendo Gamecube leaflet from HMV and the May 2002 edition of the Nintendo Official Magazine) 4.0 AN INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING Some definitions of the term marketing often suggest that it is the same as advertising or selling. This is far from correct, as selling is, in fact, just one of many marketing functions. One definition from The Chartered Institute Of Marketing that has gained wide acceptance is the following: Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumer requirements profitably. The definition places consumers at the centre of an organisations activities, which is what marketing is all about. Marketing should be seen as a business philosophy, as it is this philosophy that business organisations exist and prosper by satisfying customer demand. The above definition can also be illustrated in a diagram, as shown below: (An Ingredients Of Marketing Diagram from Page 1 Marketing: Everybodys Business, Second Edition by Dave Needham and Rob Dransfield)

What to Read in March

What to Read in March Not sure what to read this month? Try these suggestions based on   authors born in the month of March! Robert Lowell (March 1, 1917-September 12, 1977): Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet who inspired the confessional style of other poets such as Sylvia Plath. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was a United States Poet Laureate. His own personal history and his family and friendships were important subjects in his poetry. Recommended: Life Studies (1959). Ralph Ellison: (March 1, 1914- April 16, 1994): Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American literary critic, scholar, and novelist. He won the National Book Award in 1953 served on The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recommended: Invisible Man (1952). Elizabeth Barrett Browning: (March 6, 1806- June 29, 1861): Elizabeth Barrett was an important English Romantic poet. Many do not know that Brownings family was part-Creole and spent much time in Jamaica, where they owned sugar plantations (kept by slave labor). Elizabeth herself was highly educated and was vehemently opposed to slavery. Her later works are dominated by political and social themes. She met and married the poet Robert Browning after a long epistolary relationship. Recommended: Poems (1844) Garbriel Garcà ­a Mrquez (March 6, 1928-April 17, 2014): Gabriel Josà © de la Concordia Garcà ­a Mrquez was a Colombian author of plays, short stories, and novels. He is considered one of the most important writers of the twentieth-century, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Garcia Marquez was also a journalist who criticized national and international politics, but he is best known for his fiction and magical realism. Recommended: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967). Jack Kerouac: (March 12, 1922- October 21, 1969): Kerouac was a pioneering member of the 1950s Beat Generation. He originally went to college on a football scholarship, but upon moving to New York City he discovered Jazz and the Harlem scene, which would change his life, and the American literary landscape, forever.   Recommended: On the Road (1957). Louis L’Amour (March 22, 1908-June 10, 1988): Louis Dearborn grew up in North Dakota during the sunset years of the American frontier. His interactions with traveling cowboys, the great Northern Pacific Railroad, and the world of cattle ranching would shape his later fiction, as would the stories of his grandfather, who fought in civil and Indian wars. Recommended: The Daybreakers (1960). Flannery O’Connor (March 25, 1925-August 3, 1964): Mary Flannery  OConnor was an American writer. She flourished in the essay, short story and novel genres and was also a significant contributor to literary reviews and commentaries. Greatly inspired by her Roman Catholicism, her works often explored major themes of ethics and morality. She is one of the greatest Southern writers in American literature. Recommended: A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1955). Tennessee Williams: (March 26, 1911- February 25, 1983): Thomas Lanier Williams III is one of Americas greatest playwrights and an important presence in the history of homosexual writers. His works are heavily inspired by his own life, especially is unhappy family history. He had a great string of successful plays in the late 1940s, before shifting to a more experimental style which was not as well-received by audiences. Recommended: Suddenly, Last Summer (1958). Robert Frost: (March 26, 1874- Jauary 29, 1963): Robert Frost, perhaps Americas greatest and most successful poet, first explored a variety of careers, such as cobbler, editor, and teacher, before publishing his first poem (My Butterfly) in 1894. Frost spent some time living in England during the early 1900s, where he met such talents as Robert Graves and Ezra Pound. These experiences had a profound influence on his work. Recommended: North of Boston (1914). Anna Sewell (March 30, 1820- April 25, 1878): Anna Sewell is an English novelist, born into a Quaker family. When she was a girl, she severely injured both of her ankles, which confined her to crutches and limited walking for the rest of her life. Recommended: Black Beauty (1877). Other Notable Classic Writers Born in March: Theodore Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss (March 2, 1904-September 24, 1991)Tom Wolfe (March 2, 1931-  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Douglas Adams (March 11, 1952-May 11, 2001) Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879-April 18, 1955)John Updike (March 18, 1932-January 27, 2009)Philip Roth (March 19, 1933-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Lawrence Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ) Gloria Steinem (March 25, 1934-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )John Fowles (March 31, 1926-November 5, 2005)

SAT Latin Subject Test Information

SAT Latin Subject Test Information Lingua Latina optimum in universo, et utinam possem student singula die. If you know what this Latin phrase means, then perhaps you better showcase that Latin talent and sign up for the SAT Latin Subject Test before you apply to the school of your choice. Want to know more? See below. Note: This test is not part of the SAT Reasoning Test, the popular college admissions exam. Nope. This is one of the many SAT Subject Tests, exams designed to showcase your particular talents in all sorts of fields.​ SAT Latin Subject Tests Basics Before you register for this test, (which only pops up twice a year) here are the basics about your testing conditions: 60 minutes70 - 75 multiple-choice questions200-800 points possibleMacrons appear on the testVariations of Latin words appear in parentheses on the test. For example: iudicium (judicium).Questions following a poetry passage will always include one question requiring you to scan the first four feet of a line of dactylic hexameter verse or determine the number of elisions in a line (just to keep it interesting). SAT Latin Subject Test Skills So, whats on this thing? What kinds of skills are required? Here are the skills youll need in order to master this test.: Choose appropriate grammatical forms of Latin wordsChoose Latin words from which English words are derivedTranslate from Latin to EnglishComplete Latin sentencesChoose alternative ways of expressing the same thought in LatinAnswer a variety of questions based on short passages of prose or poetry SAT Latin Subject Test Question Breakdown As you can see, the majority of the test is based on those reading comprehension questions, but other Latin knowledge is tested, too: Grammar and Syntax: Approximately 21 - 23 questions Derivatives: Approximately 4 - 5 questions Reading Comprehension: Approximately 46 – 49 questions These questions include three to five reading passages and one or two poetry passages. Why Take the SAT Latin Subject Test? Since many people believe Latin to be a dead language – no one really speaks it in everyday life – why should you showcase your knowledge of it? In some cases, youll need to, especially if youre considering choosing Latin as a major in college. In other cases, its a great idea to take the Latin Subject Test so you can showcase a different skill other than sports or drama club. It shows the college admissions officers that you have more up your sleeve than your GPA. Taking the test, and scoring high on it, demonstrates qualities of a well-rounded applicant. Plus, it can get you out of those entry-level language courses. How to Prepare for the SAT Latin Subject Test To ace this thing, youll need at least two years in Latin during high school, and youll want to take the test as close to the end of or during your most advanced Latin class you plan to take. Getting your high school Latin teacher to offer you some supplementary materials is always a good idea, too. In addition, you should practice with legitimate practice questions like youll see on the test. The College Board offers free practice questions for the SAT Latin Test along with a pdf of the answers, too. Sample SAT Latin Subject Test Question This question comes from the College Boards free practice questions. The writers have ranked the questions from 1 to 5 where 1 is the least difficult. The question below is ranked as a 4. Agricola dÄ «xit sÄ“ puellam vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse. (A) that he would see the girl(B) that he had seen the girl(C) that the girl would see him(D) that they will see the girl Choice (A) is correct. The sentence presents an indirect statement introduced by Agricola dÄ «xit (The farmer said). The underlined indirect statement has the reflexive pronoun sÄ“ (referring to Agricola) as its accusative subject, the noun puellam (girl) as its accusative direct object and the future infinitive vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse (to be about to see) as its verb. The use of the masculine future active participle vÄ «sÃ… «rum indicates that sÄ“, not the feminine puellam, is the subject of the infinitive. The underlined portion of the sentence may therefore be translated as â€Å"that he would see the girl.† Choice (B) mistranslates the future infinitive vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse as pluperfect (had seen); choice (C) mistranslates puellam as subject rather than object (the girl would see); and choice (D) mistranslates sÄ“ (referring to the singular Agricola) as plural (they). The entire sentence may be translated as The farmer said that he would see the girl.† Good Luck!

How was social media influenced Zara market Dissertation

How was social media influenced Zara market - Dissertation Example ZARA, the brand of Inditex group, has skyrocketed for success despite its contrasting model of business than typical fashion brands. The primary and secondary research based was conducted to assess the performance of successful ZARA in social media. The results revealed that customers value social sites of ZARA at a higher rate than competitor’s brand. The dominant reasons for this following remained the value attributed to customer driven fashion which in turn results in increased customers’ love for brand. The results have also revealed the potential of another inch of success for ZARA. This can be gained by moving a mile towards sales generation impulse at social media sites. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1. BACKGROUND 3 1.2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 8 1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 8 1.4. METHODOLOGY 9 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1. SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS ROLE IN THE BUSINESS 10 2.2. CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA 14 2.3. IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CUSTOMER 15 2.4. MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY OF ZARA 16 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 20 4. DATA ANALYSIS 22 6. LIST OF REFERENCES 36 7. APPENDIX 40 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. BACKGROUND Within the technological development and its intervention in businesses, the move of social media is being defined as driver of strategic imperative. Social media has resulted in massive wipe out of distance barrier across the world. Different social mediums have been developed for different purpose such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Plus, and so on. Each social medium is targeting different and overlapping set of user base. The core of wide range of benefits from social media remains in the increased power of customers towards business. Therefore, businesses also have to expand their presence to almost all social mediums in order to expand reach to the customers on the virtual world. Among different organizations that have received impact from the social media, the ZARA is also one o f them. ZARA is fast fashion brand of the Spanish group Inditex. ZARA contributes nearly 66.11% o the total revenue of Inditex (Inditex, 2012). ZARA foothold in different market is as follows: DIVISION MARKETS NO. OF STORE AMERICA 18 219 EUROPE 43 1296 ASIA AND REST OF WORLD 25 410 (Inditex, 2012) Other highlights about ZARA are as follows: (Inditex, 2012) ZARA has set an example for businesses as it has become multibillion dollar brand without massive advertisement like other competitors (Parekh, 2013). ZARA only employees 0.3% of its revenue on advertisement and generates its success from word of mouth (Bhagwat, 2011). This word of mouth is generated from the highly fashion sensitive customer base of ZARA which constitute following age group and characteristics: (Sardar, 2013) This word of mouth and customer reviews from the business model of ZARA in contrast to the traditional model as follows: (Sardar, 2013) The social media has also impacted ZARA like other brands in the fashio n industry. However, as a matter of fact that fashion retailer ZARA has always been in deviation to the typical trend of fashion retailer and have managed to won the game of competition, the social media standing of ZARA is also different and light than other brand (Bulman, 2010). According to the Akahoshi (2012) ZARA is a social brand for the reason that it has applied information from the social media to refine and update innovation and art in its products. The distribution of fans for ZARA for the last six months for

Comparing Texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparing Texts - Essay Example The ways in which language is employed to discover its subjective and illusionary nature is different when employed in poetry, plays or novels. Time and intended audience also become factors in how authors choose to explore this element of language. By comparing the use of language in Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author -- both intended for mature, educated audiences -- to the more modern novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling intended for a less mature, less educated audience, it is possible to see how truth is questioned through language. Shakespeare’s tone in Sonnet 18 is playful and ironic as he subtly pokes fun at the Romantic language that was then informing literature. He uses formalized constructions to build up an idealized sense of his female character consistent with the concepts considered important by the Romantics, â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day, / Thou art more lovely and more temp erate† (Shakespeare, 1969: 1456/1-2). However, he never actually tells his audience anything about this person. All the audience is permitted to know about her is that she exists, even if only in Shakespeare's mind. This levity within the very formalized, academic poetic world was out of step with his contemporaries. Despite the levity, Shakespeare used a very formalized style, informed by the newly introduced Italian sonnet style but with a twist. Shakespeare sticks to the 14 line structure and the iambic pentameter expected for a sonnet, but he follows his own rhyme scheme that blends more comfortably with the English language (Furniss & Bach, 2007: 579, 581, 593). This scheme follows an abab cdcd efef gg pattern. It gave him greater flexibility in matching the rhyme. Even then, he found it necessary to stretch the rhyme a bit, as in lines 9-12: â€Å"But thy eternal summer shall not fade, / Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; / Nor shall death brag thou wan der’st in his shade, / When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.† Combined with the relaxed approach taken by his tone, the formal structure of the poem makes it difficult for a modern audience to understand the joke. Through his use of language, Shakespeare brings his subject down from Romantic idealism to the everyday world of the common man. While Shakespeare mentions that â€Å"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, / And often is his gold complexion dimmed;† (5-6), giving the scene a sense of beauty, he keeps his subject on the level of the real by adding the twist of providing his readers with a description befitting just about any woman. Through tone, style and poetic devices such as imagery, Shakespeare manages to poke some fun at the traditional academic approach to poetry by bringing in more common language usage. Shakespeare’s woman, because of his tone, style and poetic devices, flashes in our minds as a woman of high quality, sub stance and perhaps even nobility, but still a living, breathing, human woman. In the same way that Shakespeare uses figurative language to both expose and hide his female subject, Pirandello uses meta-theatre to both expose and hide his characters in Six Characters in Search of an Author. From the beginning, it seems these characters are fully exposed to the audience. There are specific stage directions provided ensuring that the audience is aware there are no theatrical tricks being employed. Directions at the opening of Act I specify the stage should be "half dark, and empty, so that from the beginning the public may have the impression of an impromptu performance." The Characters begin to demonstrate their

Child Development Models Essay Example for Free

Child Development Models Essay This essay will describe the different explanations for childrens behaviour, examining the Psychodynamic, Behaviourist and Social Learning perspectives. It will also evaluate each of these theories and make reference to their practical application. In doing so, the essay will set out how parents, child psychologists, social workers and teachers can aim to understand childrens behaviour.  As Haggerty (2006) states, The theory supporting psychodynamic therapy originated in and is informed by psychoanalytic theory. The psychoanalytic approach to therapy was developed by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist. Freuds model proposed that an individual has three elements to their psychological self: the ego, superego and id. The id is the most primitive, consisting of largely unconscious  biological impulses. The ego uses reality and its  consequences to modify the behaviour being urged by the  id. The superego judges actions as right or wrong based  on the persons internal value system.  (Strickland ed., 2001, p.637)  According to Freud, children progress through various psychosexual stages of development. He claimed that, at particular points in the process, a single body part is particularly sensitive to erotic stimulation (Stevenson, 1996). The first stage begins at birth and continues until approximately 1 year old. It is classified as The Oral Stage because the mouth and lips are the main focus, displaying biting, sucking and chewing behaviour. The Anal Stage comes next and usually occurs between 1 and 3 years old. Toilet training encourages the child to enjoy expelling faeces. At this point the id will be satisfied by this instantaneous pleasure and will be in conflict with the ego and superego, which are concerned with controlling bodily functions to satisfy social expectations and practicality.  The Phallic Stage occurs between approximately 3 and 5 years old and contains one of Freuds most controversial theories, the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex in females). His theory states that the child becomes focused upon the genital area and experiences turmoil in the form of an unconscious desire to possess the opposite-sexed parent and eliminate the same-sexed parent. What Freud termed the Latency Period comes next. He believed that sexual drive lay dormant due to repressed impulses and desires. At this stage, children focus upon non-sexual activities and form same-sex friendships.  At approximately 12 years old, a child faces puberty and enters what Freud classes as The Genital Stage. The focus returns to the genitals but this time in relation to others. There is now an interest in relationships and exploring sexuality. When a child is unable to resolve the conflicts that occur at any of these stages, fixation can occur. If needs are not met in a satisfactory way or if the individuals conscience or superego cannot deal with impulses and drives to love and to hate, then complex character traits emerge (Errington and Murdin, 2006). For example, oral fixation may result in an adult displaying pessimism, sarcasm or gullibility, whilst phallic fixation may result in recklessness or fear of commitment. Freud, like many who begin a movement, now receives much criticism. One area of weakness is the limited scope of his research, as his therapy work mainly focused upon upper middle class women. Another popularly criticised aspect of Freuds work is the emphasis on sexuality as, in his view, everything seems to stem from expression or repression of the sex drive (Boeree, 2006). Despite criticism, Freuds methods underpin the commonly held belief that childhood experiences are hugely important to personality development. In practical terms, those working with children today place great importance on ensuring that a childhood contains opportunities to develop, to learn the difference between right and wrong, and to learn to appropriately act upon or repress urges.  Behaviour therapy is defined as A collection of psychotherapeutic techniques aimed at altering maladaptive or unwanted behaviour patterns, especially through the application of principles of conditioning or learning. (Colman, 2006). The main influencers of this theory were Pavlov, Watson and Skinner. Ivan Pavlov, later to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his research into the digestive system, observed that dogs would salivate upon seeing their keeper, apparently in anticipation of being fed. (Strickland ed., 2001, p.478). Pavlov extended his experiment and rang a bell immediately before food was served to the dogs. Eventually, the dogs would salivate upon the bell ringing, even if no food was then served. This led Pavlov to develop an understanding of conditioned responses and unconditioned reflexes.

lorraine hansberry-an annotated bibliography :: essays research papers fc

Lorraine Hansberry: An Annotated Bibliography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lorraine Vivian Hansberry was born May 19, 1930 in Chicago and raised in a middle-class family. When Hansberry was only eight years old she had her first experience with civil rights. Her father fought a lengthy legal battle in the late 1930’s against harsh covenants which kept Chicago’s blacks in the ghettos. To make a statement the family moved into an all white neighborhood which was against the law at that time. The house was often vandalized and the children were faced with hostility as they walked to and from school. Hansberry’s father fought the city’s Jim Crow laws all the way to the Supreme Court and won. This whole experience would later serve as an inspiration for Lorraine Hansberry’s play â€Å"A raisin in the Sun†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hansberry attended the University of Wisconsin for two years and then studied painting in Chicago and Mexico, before she realized she had no talent for it. Moving to New York in 1950, she held many jobs, while perfecting her skill as a writer. Hansberry said, â€Å"A woman who is willing to be herself and pursue her own potential runs not so much the risk of loneliness as the challenge of exposure to more interesting men- and people in general†. She became involved in the civil rights movement and married a white jewish man; their marriage would only last a few years before Hansberry began exploring her feelings for women. She joined the Daughter of Blitis, a pioneering lesbian organization and had two letters published in their journal, â€Å"The Ladder†. However, it was for her play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, that she received her praise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hansberry was the first black to direct a play on Broadway since 1907. â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. Hansberry was also named

A Comparison between Drug Policy as Social Control

Nicolas Beltran English 101 /Ms. Jackson March 13 2012 While reading â€Å"Drug Policy as Social Control† by Noam Chomsky and â€Å"Crito† by Plato I noticed a similarity between the two. People in higher power have ways of stabilizing populations. The government is customized to make people fail and the less fortunate are targeted. The inequalities of the government aren’t dealt with but they surely do exist. Law’s are strictly enforced to populations where mostly black males live and populations where crime rates are high. Not all people have to deal with the law the same way due to social class.The government has it’s own way of controlling people who are thought to be dangerous. How does the government control people? The government is able to put fear in the hearts of people. Governments have tried to take away programs which help people who are struggling. People worry about public assistance such as welfare because they need it and the govern ment uses the poor populations weakness to their advantage. The government has it’s own way of silencing people who they feel might be a threat to people in higher power like Socrates.Socrates from â€Å"Crito† had information that might have endangered the government. That is the main reason why he was sentenced to prison. Both Socrates and Martin Luther King served time in jail. Neither of them were a threat to their communities. They were wise men who both were the voice of their community’s. The government seen them as dangerous so they were killed. This is why I believe the governments selected method of keeping things stabilized is unfair to the thought to be dangerous population. Countries are unfair when it comes to giving everyone equal rights.There are people who are superior to the law. Did you notice not one sentence in â€Å"Drug Policy as Social Control† said anything about targeted rich or white people ? I wonder why no upper class people a re being arrested. No one is perfect and we know the poor and dangerous aren’t the only people who get their hands on drugs. Many people get away with illegal transactions but they fly under the radar because they are rich. The upper class people do the same things the less fortunate populations are doing by taking and selling drugs but are less likely to be imprisoned.In â€Å"Drug policy as Social Control its specifically says â€Å"none of this has anything to do with drugs†. The main purpose in the so called drug control is to criminalize dangerous black populations. Our country is known to give people equal rights and freedom. It isn’t as it appears as you can see our country has favorites and the poor are targeted. While the upper class seems more united the government makes the poor hate each other. The way the government works the less fortunate are setup to fail.Job opportunities are decreasing and so are job wages. There are less support systems for t he people who need them. The Percentage of poverty is increasing while the rich get all the attention as their wealth keeps growing. In â€Å"Drug Policy as Social Control† it says, â€Å" If we wanted to stop drug use in the United States there’s an easy way to do it†. This means that the government can prevent drugs from getting into the country but they don’t because it helps them control populations by using drugs to criminalize black men.Where is the justice in this method of controlling people ? In my opinion this is a setup. These problems continue occurring in our country but there is no change. The voices of dangerous populations will continue to be controlled by the government. Hopefully one day poor and thought to be dangerous communities will not be recognized as what they are thought to be. The voices of these communities have been silenced for thousands of years, so has Jesus Christ. All these leaders have died for what they believed in.

Week 3 Devry Business Law Assignment

The definition of a valid contract is that it complies with all of the legal requirements for a contract. There are several types of contracts. First is a unilateral contract, which is one that only one of the parties involved makes the promise. The other party involved would than act in return for the promise stated. A bilateral contract is when both partied make a promise. An implied contract is when there are surrounding circumstances along with facts, which show that a promise was created. A contract is not executed when all of the parties involved have fully completed their promise and contractual duties.In order for the offer to be valid, there are several basic elements. First, there must be intent to contract. Secondly, it must be communicated to the acquirer. Lastly, the terms and conditions needs to be certain and definitive. All parties involved have the right to duress from one another. If these elements are not met, the contract may be seen as invalid. In contract law, i n order for a contract to exist, one part must make an offer and the other must accept the offer. There are several rules to the accepting of an offer. First, prior to the offer being accepted, the offer may be withdrawn.The offeree must accept the offer, which is the person who was made the offer. Another person cannot accept the offer of their behalf without specific authorization. For example, if a power of attorney exists, another person may be able to accept the offer. If the offer specifies a method in which the acceptance should be given, it must come in that form. For example, if the offeror states that the acceptance must come via fax and no other method is allowed, it is the only form that can be accepted. In order for a binding contract to be created, there must be consideration in order for it to become legally sufficient.The consideration in contracts is when one party for a specific promise gives something of value from the other party stated in the contract. The consi deration may be given for the performance of an act or not performing an act. One example of this would be that one party pays another party to not put up a fence of their property. In order for the contract to become enforceable, the consideration must be adequate. The adequacy does not mean that the price matches, exceeds, or is the fair market value. Instead, it means that the agreed consideration is measured.There must be value that can be objectively determined in order for consideration to exist. Pennsylvania law allows for the recovery of damages when a contract is breached. Essentially, any damages incurred due to the breach will total a sum that will compensate the non-breaching party for all loss in which they sustained. In order for this to take effect, the non-breaching party must present sufficient evidence of what exactly the damages where. The damages needs to be reasonably foreseeable at the time the contract was entered into and also reasonable certain as to the cal culations.Examples of these damages would include lost profits, lost rental income, an increase of rental costs, an increase of labor costs, an increase of material costs, and so forth. References: Miller, R. L. , & Jentz, G. A. (2010). Business Law Today: Comprehensive Edition. In R. L. Miller, & G. A. Jentz, Business Law Today: Comprehensive Edition (pp. 248 – 256). Cengage. Schwartz, S. (2012). Schwartz & Blackman. Retrieved from Pennsylvania Commerical Law: Breach of Contract and the Duty to Mitigate Damages: http://www. schwartzandblackman. com/pennsylvania-commercial-law- breach-of-contract-and-the-duty-to-mitigate-damages-part-two/

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essays

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essays Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essay Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essay ? In recent old ages. research workers have begun to concentrate attending on an emerging tendency of devouring energy imbibe assorted with intoxicant AmED. Consumption of AmED is thought to hold a correlativity with bad behaviour and negative effects on the consumer. Several research articles have examined the assorted aspects of this pattern. Some of the points of consideration that have been researched include the motives behind devouring AmED. the effects of devouring AmED on intoxicant ingestion and the likeliness of prosecuting in hazard taking behaviours after devouring AmED compared to alcohol entirely. This literature reappraisal will analyze the undermentioned four articles in an effort to research this country of research. Energy drinks are drinks that boast the ability to supply the consumer with an addition in energy. Energy drinks often contain big sums of caffeine. The upper daily recommended bounds for an grownup in respects to caffeine is XXX. Levels of caffeine can be up to 300mg per functioning. A 6oz java contains 100mg. The caffeine from energy drinks is known to hold a stimulating consequence on the nervous system. Many trade names of energy drinks contain extra chemicals including plant-based stimulations ( guarana and yerba mate ) . The consequence of these on the organic structure is non good understood as there has been small research. Simple sugars such as glucose and fruit sugar are besides found in some energy drinks. Other possible ingredients include glucronolacteone ( a of course happening metabolite ) . aminic acids ( taurine. carnitine and creatine ) . herbs ( Ginko Biloba and ginseng ) and vitamins. In a research paper by Peacock and Bruno ( 2012a ) . forms of usage and motives behind the ingestion of AmED were examined. The focal point of this probe was to analyze the motive of participants to devour AmED through self-reporting techniques in the signifier of an on-line questionnaire. The sample of 400 participants aged 18-35 old ages who had reportedly consumed AmED in the past 6 months. The consequences of the survey indicated that 75 % of participants used AmED for energetic intents. 50 % coverage usage to widen their stay at a public locale. 60 % claimed they were motivated by situational fortunes. such as assorted drinks incorporating ED. 40 % reported sharing AmED with a comrade. 20 % used AmED to dissemble the spirit of intoxicant. 50 % of the sample reported utilizing AmED to hold more merriment and merely 33 % reported consuming AmED to acquire more rummy Peacock Al et ( 2012a ) . In add-on to gustatory sensation and situational grounds. the participants in this survey appeared to be motivated by functional and hedonic results. Merely a little figure of participants being motivated by the desire to increase the degree of inebriation or experience similar effects to arouse drugs. A survey conducted by O’Brian. McCoy. Rohdes. Wagoner and Wolfson ( 2008 ) . where by responses from 4. 271were recorded via a web based study. Participants who consumed AmED in the past 30 yearss reported devouring significantly more intoxicant in a typical imbibing session every bit good as describing more imbibing Sessionss than those who did non devour AmED O’Brian et Al. ( 2008 ) . AmEd consumers besides reported episodes of hebdomadal inebriation and among the sample who reported devouring AmED a individual imbibing session consumed 36 % more than pupils who didn’t non describe ingestion of AmEd. The consequences of Peacock et Al. ( 2012b ) indicate that although hazard taking behaviours occurred during Sessionss of ingestion of both intoxicant and hazard taking behaviour that occurred with AmED was statistically less than the hazard taking behaviours that occurred in intoxicant alone Sessionss. However ingestion of AmEd did ensue in higher negative physiological and psychological results than those reported from devouring intoxicant. Verster. Aufricht and Alford ( 2012 ) . conducted a reappraisal of articles of articles associating to the ingestion of AmED. It was revealed through a review of multiple correlational surveies that there are presently deficient decently controlled surveies to pull any steadfast decisions sing the effects of AmED. Decisions reached in their study were that merely a minority of the pupil population on occasion consumes AmED Vester ( 2012 ) . Research besides suggested some grounds that AmED may ensue in an addition in some facets of alcohol- induced public presentation damage. There is no consistent grounds that intoxicant alters perceived degrees of poisoning. no grounds that ingestion of ED causes an addition in alcohol ingestion. no direct grounds exists to propose that ED is linked to drug and intoxicant dependance or maltreatment. A personality predisposed to higher degrees of hazard taking behaviour may be the primary ground for increasing intoxicant and drug maltreatment and that AmED may be a constituent of that life style. The literature available associating to AmED ingestion is deficient. Soon there is an deficient sum of grounds to associate the ingestion of AmED to an addition in hazard taking behaviour. addition in ingestion of intoxicant or negative effects on wellness. To understand the true effects of AmED farther research is required. To pull more concrete decisions about the consequence of AmED there is a demand for more complex and decently controlled clinical surveies need to be undertaken. Research design needs to research relationships with a within capable design whereby the relationship between the consumption of AmED and the ingestion of intoxicant is farther explored and documented.

7 More Fixes for Dangling Modifiers

7 More Fixes for Dangling Modifiers 7 More Fixes for Dangling Modifiers 7 More Fixes for Dangling Modifiers By Mark Nichol Some time ago, I pointed out the perils of dangling modifiers, presenting sample sentences and offering annotated revisions. Unfortunately, my stock of such specimens, discovered in the course of my editing work and in leisure reading alike, has grown rather than diminished. I therefore here inflict another set of them on you, one of as many rounds as are necessary to finally eradicate dangling modifiers from the face of the Earth. As a guest columnist for DailyWritingTips explained quite well in her post on the topic, â€Å"The dangling modifier is usually a phrase or an elliptical clause (a dependent clause in which some words have intentionally been left out), often at the beginning of a sentence, that either doesn’t modify anything specific in the sentence or modifies the wrong word or part of the sentence.† Here’s a dissection of sentences entangled by dangling modifiers: 1. â€Å"Drawn from a series of wildly popular cookbooks, international culinary celebrity, Australia-based Steve James, presents practical versions of the world’s greatest vegetarian cuisine.† The sentence implies that the celebrity in question is drawn from the cookbooks. Whenever you’re confronted with such a contextual contortion, start with the subject. While you’re at it, level the adjectival stack by relaxing the person’s description: â€Å"Steve James, an international culinary celebrity based in Australia, presents practical versions of the world’s greatest vegetarian cuisine drawn from a series of wildly popular cookbooks.† 2. â€Å"Once used to store ice, food, and alcohol, guests can still explore the mine and enjoy its cool temperature all year round.† Guests can consume ice, food, and alcohol, but they can’t store it. That’s the mine’s job, so recast the sentence to say as much by, as in the previous example, simply starting with the subject, followed by the reference to its earlier purpose: â€Å"The mine was once used to store ice, food, and alcohol, and guests can still explore the tunnels and enjoy their cool temperature all year round.† 3. â€Å"Originally founded as a purveyor of trinkets for Japanese festivals and carnivals, the company’s rise to prominence began in the early 1970s.† The use of a possessive form of a noun immediately after an introductory modifier is a screaming sign of a syntactical screw-up. The subject of the sentence is not â€Å"the company,† but â€Å"the company’s rise to prominence,† so it is the company’s rocket to stardom, not the company itself, that is incorrectly being identified as having been founded. Recast the sentence so that the company itself, not its ascendancy, is the subject: â€Å"The company, originally founded as a purveyor of trinkets for Japanese festivals and carnivals, rose to prominence beginning in the early 1970s.† 4. â€Å"As your mortgage loan originator, you will receive the benefit of my lending experience and ongoing education to help guide you throughout the entire loan process.† I’ve heard of self-service, but this is ridiculous. This sentence seems to be confused about the identity of my mortgage loan originator, who (in this case, anyway), inappropriately puts the customer first. The writer is offering their expertise, so the subject must be a first-person pronoun: â€Å"As your mortgage loan originator, I offer you the benefit of my lending experience and ongoing education to help guide you throughout the entire loan process.† 5. â€Å"While going to the bar one last time, my ‘Mike Johnson’ campaign sign accidentally falls out of my jacket pocket.† The writer’s â€Å"Mike Johnson† campaign sign has obviously gone to the bar too many times already if it can’t prevent itself from falling out of his jacket pocket. The writer must introduce themselves into the modifier to make it clear that they, not the sign, are frequenting the bar: â€Å"While I’m going to the bar one last time, my ‘Mike Johnson’ campaign sign accidentally falls out of my jacket pocket.† (Also, the quotation marks around the candidate’s name are optional, but because those words are presumably featured on the sign, the marks are appropriate.) 6. â€Å"Bordered by Libya, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic, the CIA list for natural hazards includes ‘periodic droughts and locust plagues,’ which places Chad in a proper biblical context.† Chad, not the CIA list, is bordered by the other named nations, so why is it relegated to the end of the sentence? Introduce it, appropriately, in the introductory phrase: â€Å"The list of natural hazards for Chad, bordered by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan, includes ‘periodic droughts and locust plagues,’ which places the nation in a proper biblical context.† (Notice, also, that I reordered the heretofore randomly listed names of countries alphabetically; for geographical entities, a sequence corresponding to relative location is also appropriate. Avoid arbitrarily ordered lists.) 7. â€Å"Since releasing their 2002 debut, the biggest criticism directed at the band has been that they couldn’t replicate their raucous live energy in the studio.† Is â€Å"the Biggest Criticism† the name of the band? No. The unnamed band released the debut, so the sentence must be heavily revised to shift â€Å"the band† to immediately follow the introductory modifier: â€Å"Since the release of their 2002 debut, the band has been the subject of criticism, primarily that it couldn’t replicate its raucous live energy in the studio.† (Also in American English, at least a band is a single entity and should be referred to by single pronouns.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorLatin Plural EndingsThe Difference Between "Shade" and "Shadow"

The Political Economy of European Integration Essay

The Political Economy of European Integration - Essay Example To start with, we must define the objective that has spurred the nature of economic integration. The primary objective of having or creating a (regional) economic integration is for the said union to form an agreement among its member countries to reduce and remove tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production (i.e. labor, capital and entrepreneur); and also, to attempt to achieve economic gains from the free flow of trade and investment between its neighboring countries. The EU as an organization is comprised of independent European countries whose sole, main objectives are economic and social progress for the European region and its people. That is why they have long-planned on engineering an economic integration program in an attempt to converge all the European regions in order to meet and implement the objectives of the formed union so as to provide a much better living and working environment for its people - the Europeans (Going for Growth, 2003). Economic integration for Europe has definitely brought convergence to this continental region. Since its foundation, the EU had gone through three legal stages for it to achieve its economic objectives, these stages were: the creation of the customs union, 1958-1985, the single market 1985-1992, and the economic and monetary union 1992-present (Hitiris, 2003). Initially, as a customs union, it removed different barriers in trading between member countries of the EC and adopted a common external trade policy in which individual state governments no longer has to determine or make their own external trade policy anymore. Then the Single European Act or the single market implemented in 1987 allowed factors of production particularly labour, capital, and entrepreneurs to move freely from one member country to another. And after a few years, the EU started to launch its full economic objectives by implementing the economic and monetary union policy to its region; through this, it paved the way to the removal of the remaining obstacle to cross border investments. And also, one of the most highlighted criterions made in this final treaty was granting the citizenship of the union - everyone with a nationality of any member country becomes an automatic citizen of the union, giving its people all the rights to move and reside freely among the union' s member countries. With all of these mentioned and guided by the democratic principles of the union, the EU has definitely succeeded in converging its member countries into becoming a prosperous European economic region of the twenty-first century that is continuously grow year by year in terms of economic figures and admitting more and more European countries into the union; and currently, is even ranking second in the growth of world economies next to the United States and preceding Japan. However, it is also important to take stock of the fact that the success or failure of an economic integration depends primarily on its objectives. Therefore, a previously independent country participating in an economic union - converging its economy to other member countries by sacrificing a part of its national sovereignty can only be justified if the union is able to achieve its

Time is of the Essance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Time is of the Essance - Essay Example Increasing the daily working hours can reduce the working days of a week, whereby ensuring the smooth functioning of the organization. Having a 4/10 routine has some advantages and disadvantages for the organizations as well as the employees, which are analyzed below: The reduced working days in a week give more time to the employees to handle their personal / domestic affairs in a better way. So it is very unlikely that they will require time away from their work for visiting the doctor or any other domestic need. The 4/10 schedule i.e. 4 days a week and 10 hours a day gives employees 52 extra days in a year, providing them freedom of action to meet their personal commitments. Once the employees will be mentally free from their individual issues, their work performance will automatically increase. The other advantages of 4/10 routine can be economy in use of energy i.e. gas and electricity as the organization will remain closed for an additional day. The expenditure incurred on transportation of employees to workplace and back to their homes will be reduced as a complete trip per vehicle will be reduced for a week (Maklan, 1977). Besides having a number of advantages, there are a few drawbacks as well of the 4/10 routine. Although it is giving a day off, but on the other hand it is increasing the workload and committed time during the working days. The biggest drawback is for those organizations which are related to customer service; as such a routine will make them deprive their customers of their services for more days. It may affect the repute as well as social rating of the organization in total. In addition to this, there is an element of boredom attached to such long working hours which will eventually result in less enthusiasm during work. Working ladies, who leave their children in day care, are bound to extend the care timings as well, which ultimately keep them away from their children for

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art history - Essay Example orld styles of flattened figures and animorphed images combining the figures of animals and humans in different ways for different meanings to the ‘new’ world styles which included more humanism in expression and optical experience reflected in the art forms. By the time of the Romans, there was a much greater emphasis and development of naturalistic expression of form, including natural bodily movements, weight and strain. A comparison of the Grande Ludovisi Sarcophagus (The Ludovisi Battle) and the Dying Warrior from the Temple of Aphaia reveal both the similarities of cultural beliefs as well as the differences of emphasis of expression. Both the Grande Ludovisi Sarcophagus and the Dying Warrior present similar images of death and dying using marble as a base material, but they remain sharply different because of the scale of the individual figures as well as several of the smaller visual elements involved in each. Although separated by approximately 700 years, both the earlier Dying Warrior statue and the Ludovisi Sarcophagus represent mastery of sculptural art in different dimensions. Both of these works of art are presented in marble and each detail some sense of battle. The Ludovisi Sarcophagus can be seen to have been carved from a single block of marble that measured at least nine feet wide by five feet high and four and a half feet deep (â€Å"Art of the Roman Empire†, 2005). Of only slightly smaller scale overall, the Dying Warrior from the east pediment of the Temple of Aphaia measures just over six feet long. However there has been a great deal of discussion regarding just what the statue is truly made of. While some scholars say it is marble, others have suggested the statue was first created in poros, the native rock of the island on which the temple stands (George, 2001). In addition, a great deal of detail about this statue can still only be guessed at as several segments of the statue are missing, particularly the knee joint of the

Domestic Violence around the World

Domestic Violence around the World Domestic Violence around the World Domestic violence or abuse occurs when one a partner, ex-partner or a family member tries to physically emotionally or sexually dominate the other (Buzawa, 2002). Domestic abuse has been happening around the world and the United Nation through a research found out that, there is a correlation between the poor performing economies and womens discrimination. Countries that have high rate of women violation incur very high costs that are detrimental to their economies and therefore all governments should aim at reducing the rate of sexual violation and other discrimination that women undergo. Living conditions of women have been improving since the year 1994 when 179 governments met in Egypt and decided to improve women living conditions. Stan Bernstein, a senior researcher said that they are still many cases of women discrimination around the world that constitute to grave human rights violations and therefore we should all try to eradicate this in our society as this would improve our economies. According to a report titled state of the world population 2000, it is claimed that 1% increase in the number of women attending secondary school it would lead to an increase of 0.3 of the countrys economy. If, for example the Pakistani government increased its education budget by only a small percentage this would translate in to an economic growth worth $262 million. The report shows bleak statistics about women abuse. One out of three women is abused and in most cases, by people that they know. Sexual abuse results to deaths, stillbirths, unwanted pregnancies and abortions that are committed to get rid of the unplanned child. More than 80 million children are not planned for. Women all over the world fear discussing family planning methods and ways of having protected sex with their husbands for fear of being physically abused. This has resulted to increase in HIV/Aids leading to poor economies. The report suggests that governments should do more to change these scenarios. Some remedial measures planned are banning female genital mutilation, the sale of low dosage oral contraceptives, adding in the constitution laws that govern sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality of all women. If all this are embraced by all the countries of the world then women violence would be reduced or even eliminated. References Buzawa, C. (2002). Domestic violence: the criminal justice response. London: SAGE, 2002. United, Nations.2000. Womens unequal treatment hurts economies. Worldwide abuse a massive violation of human rights. Retrieved on August 26, 2009, from http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/20/un.population.report/index.html

Essay --

Gerald Arenas Ms. Howell English 10 CPA February 25, 2014 Annotative Bibliography of Romantic Era Poetry Blake, William. â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell†. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. 2010. Web. 2-10 24. January 2014. â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell† is about Heaven and Hell. It questions if Heaven is as good as it seems, or is it deceiving us. Throughout the poem we see that the narrator is on the deception side. Firstly he states that the Bible is the causes of human errors. The narrator also feels positively about Hell, because he describes his walk in Hell as, â€Å"delighted with the enjoyments of Genius†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Finally, in the narrator’s imagination, he explains that he read the following sentence, â€Å"How do you know but every Bird that cuts the airy way, Is an immense world of delight closed by your senses five.† What the author is trying to say is that we commonly use the Bible as our religious beliefs, but it’s possible that the Bible is limiting how we perceive the world. Coleridge, Samuel. â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.† The Pennsylvania State University. 2013. Web. 27 January 2014. â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† begins with three men walking to attend a wedding. One of the wedding guests’ hand gets grabbed by and old man, the mariner. After the mariner lets go, the wedding guest â€Å"listens like a three years child† to the story the mariner is about to tell. The story begins with the mariner and he crew out at sea. The mariner explains it suddenly got dark and they unexpectedly encountered a giant sea bird, called the Albatross. The Albatross was a symbol of good luck, but the mariner felt the need to kill it. The mariner did just that. Once the Albatross was slain the weather got clearer and the crew congratulated him for his... ...ther example from â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell† would be is sight of a â€Å"mighty Devil folded in black clouds†. â€Å"The Prelude† uses personification to further explain the potential of the earth. This can be seen from the quote, â€Å"Walk on this Earth† (148). It tells us the earth is powerful and it is also imagination, because the earth can’t walk. In â€Å"he Rime of The Ancient Mariner†, the author uses imagination to better display the mood of a certain scene. After the mariner shot the Albatross, the narrator sets a creepy mood by stating that, â€Å"The bloody Sun, at noon†. Imagination can be seen here, as the sun cannot be bloody. The author in â€Å"Adonais† uses imagination to further set the mood of the scene. â€Å"The shadow of white Death, and at the door.† (VIII) describes how scary death is and is imagination, because Death isn’t a physical person that can stand at a door.

Move N Store Inc.:”Pack and exhale”

Mission Statement: â€Å"Pack and exhale† – Offer peace of mind to customers by providing most efficient and reliable moving and storage services available. We strive to exceed customer’s expectations by building relationships between you and our team to consistently meet your needs. By utilizing the highest standards of design, development and management, we will provide facilities that consistently deliver satisfaction, value and peace of mind for our customers. Company Description: Establish a self-storage business in the US and India that offers portable moving solutions, packing services and off-site storage solutions for residential and commercial customers. Move N Store Inc. offers long and short term storage in a warehouse type of facility with climate controlled and non –climate controlled floors. Some of the key features at each facility are: * On-site managers who reside at the facility and operate from the office from 9AM – 5PM. * Automated / Controlled gate access to the facility so the facility is accessible 24/7. Loading bay with large garage doors accessing the loading dock, so that vehicles can be parked directly outside the elevator lobby for ease of loading and unloading. * Surveillance cameras on each floor in several areas for customer safety. * Individual door alarm for each unit. * Well lit aisles and lobby areas. * Completely fenced facility. * Boat, RV or Car parking in some facilities based on geographic al location and customer. A good marketing plan should focus on three objectives: increasing occupancy, increasing tenant value to the facility, and improving marketing efficiency. It should also be based on results and flexible. It will clearly outline specific activities to accomplish those three objectives, with deadlines. The marketing plan will provide strict guidelines for logo usage, copy creation and offers so that the plan has a consistent and recognizable look and feel. The plan will also discuss how the marketing is going to be tracked for effectiveness and what constitutes â€Å"effective† so that quick, smart decisions can be made throughout the year. The marketing plan will be comprehensive and focused on the target markets that produce the best results. It will be a combination of building relationships in the community, customer referral, key influencer referrals, search-engine marketing, social networking, Yellow Pages ads, and niche marketing specific to the local community. The marketing plan will be implemented on a consistent basis with tracking and measuring to make ongoing improvements. Online marketing will become an important part of the marketing plan as it attracts new customers and allows existing customers to maintain their accounts. As stated in an article by Carr, June 8, 2010: When was the last time you opened a phone book? Do you remember what ad was on the last billboard you saw? You have probably thrown away or recycled all of the bulk mail unopened that you’ve received in at least the last year. I think there’s an important reason for all of this. All of these forms of advertising are relatively invasive and, at the moment the potential customer is receiving the message, they’re not actively in need of or searching out your product or service. On the other hand, internet marketing – more specifically, search engine marketing – is a different story. The potential customer is actively seeking out a solution to their problem. They’re hoping that they will find your product or service to solve one of their problems. This means, as a business owner, it is critically important to the sustained growth of your business that you pay close attention to your online presence and aggressively try to improve it. Start a social media campaign, set up an email auto-responder, and, most importantly, discover which keywords you should be targeting and go after them with whatever resources you have. The top three tactics that will be used are: Internet marketing, database marketing, and community-network creation and maintenance. The plan will include having an effective search-engine marketing program. Second, there will be a comprehensive program to target key influencers in the area surrounding the facility; these key influencers can be real estate agents, chambers of commerce, business-networking organizations, apartment communities, housing communities, etc. Lastly, will be a program to reach out to the community and become a credible organization that helps others. Through helping others the business will become known throughout the community which can help improve business. A brief outline of the marketing plan is as follows – On a Daily basis, do the following: * Track all incoming calls to determine their sources. Keep track of the total number of calls, sources of the calls and the percentage of calls that turned into visits. * Speak with the store manager once a day to see if he needs any help. Supporting the manager keeps him/her motivated. Make at least five to 10 outbound calls each day to drum up business from commercial accounts. All managers should have a quota of outbound calls to make. * Send out postcards to those people who called during off hours. Use a caller ID device to record the phone numbers of people who call when the office is closed. Use an online reverse directory to get their addresses. Then mail them a postcard with a time-sensitive offer. On a weekly basis, the marketing plan is: * Call all the â€Å"centers of influence† in town to remind them of the facility’s presence (i. e. call the real estate offices, truck-rental places and all of the other businesses who have the potential to send you business. * Play ’Mystery Shopper† by getting the District Manager’s to call the facility and disguise their voice to hear how your employees really handle themselves when they talk with customers. * Look for opportunities to get coverage by the local media. There are countless opportunities to piggy-back storage onto a current-events news story. Find one angle each week and send out a press release. * Consider running specials to rent slow-moving units. Look at the units that aren't moving and make weekly adjustments if necessary. Waiting until the end of the month may not give the management enough time to properly react to competition or the changing market in the local area. On a monthly basis the facility shall perform the following activities: * Call and/or visit competition to see what they're up to. This is an activity that needs to be done at least once a month. * Conduct regular training sessions with managers to keep them up-to-date. Conducting monthly meetings for managers and other employees makes a lot of sense. Read industry trade magazines to keep abreast of current issues. Owners and managers must be committed to staying up-to-date with the latest industry information. * Schedule a monthly coaching session by phone with an outside self-storage expert, employees and managers like to listen to experts above owners. Using an outside expert to give basic feedback is a great idea. * Go to monthly networking events, such as at the chamber of commerce. Managers and owners should make an effort to get out into the community to network. Review occupancy rates by unit size to make necessary price adjustments. * Hold a contest for store managers, and vary them from month to month. Give them some realistic goals to shoot for and then reward them for meeting those goals. This strategy is inexpensive and effective. On a quarterly basis, marketing plan for the store shall include: * Hold unannounced, random events for customers to thank them for their business. For example, wash the car of each one of your tenants who comes into the facility on a given day. * Create seasonal fliers. Fliers are inexpensive and effective and can be created for any or all services at the facility. In addition to handing those out off-site, fliers can be designed to be placed under people's unit doors to announce various promotions. * Direct mail can be tested on a targeted group within five miles of the facility. Direct mail and Value-Pak mailers can be effective. * Find an additional item to sell at the office based on customer feedback. * Play â€Å"Undercover Boss† by working at the facility one day each quarter to find out how things really work. Owners sometimes never even see their storage facilities. Working at the facility is the single most-effective means for owners to understand what really goes on in their businesses. On a yearly basis, marketing plan for the store shall include * Attending the annual self-storage conference and expo in Las Vegas and taking store managers along. * Having a qualified consultant do an external marketing audit of the facility. * Review financial numbers with a qualified expert to see what areas of business can be improved. Some ways to measure the effectiveness of advertising are : Using website stats – using a website counter to figure out how many visitors have viewed the website. As stated in an article by Kathleen, â€Å"At the very least you should be aware of what keywords are bringing traffic to your site, how many are coming directly by typing in your domain name, and other referring pages. More detailed info such as bounce rates, visitor paths, landing and exit pages will all give you additional information to assess what marketing value your website is providing. Use Direct Mailed Surveys – Mail surveys to current customers and customers who have made enquiries to figure out which areas need to be improved and work on those areas. Ask people how they found about the business – If a cold call is placed and if it is not known where the person came from, it is good to figure to where the person came from. Was it the sign in the yard? An ad that was placed in the paper? Crai gslist? Check the response on ads – When ads are run continuously, stop the ads to figure out if it has made a change in revenue. If there are no changes, then there is no point in spending dollars on the ad campaign and it would be better to divert the funds to other options. Call reporting – this is a methodology to ensure if incoming calls were being handled appropriately and in the most effective manner to hook more tenants. This system tracks how many calls were received from print and internet advertising, a report usually provides details such as time of day you receive the most calls, where the calls originate and the length of the call. It can also be helpful in measuring how many after-hours calls are being missed. Call-tracking and recording programs – These programs help management play back calls whenever they choose to without the employees’ knowledge. If all call recordings are reviewed for the exact nature of conversations and how they are being handled, the management can begin working on refining the sales process. Other strategies that can be used in addition to advertising are: * Participating with the local community in hosting events such as food drives, charity auctions, provide storage for boy/girl scouts, provide assistance during natural epidemics such as storage for people who have lost homes during a storm or flood. Sponsor cookouts for a local fire or police station. * Partner with local baseball or football teams and provide tickets to customers based on a raffle each month. * Advertise on Valpak, Craigslist, GroupOn (for coupon discounts) and other local magazines. * Use social media network such as Facebook or Twitter for promotion. * Build LEED or environmen t friendly facilities to show responsibility towards the community and world as a whole. * Provide an online payment system for customers to pay their monthly rental fees. Some ways to measure customer satisfaction are as follows: 1. Survey Customers This is probably the only way to get customer feedback, surveys can be provided in several ways (through mail, email, or over the phone). In order to get the best information, customers should be allowed to answer questions on a weighted scale (as in â€Å"Rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 indicating complete dissatisfaction and 5 indicating complete satisfaction†). Repeat customers may have to survey again to see how their experience changes over time. . Understand Expectations The business must make an effort to discover the expectations of customers in terms of both service and products in order to ensure that their needs are met. 3. Find Out Where You’re Failing If customer requirements are not being met, the management needs to find out where the failure is occurring. Are the products less than what is advertised? Are employees making promises that cannot be met? Are custo mer service representatives dropping the ball on dispelling customer concerns and managing their complaints? Whatever the case, it is important to know where the lines of communication are breaking down so that relationships with customers can be mended. 4. Pinpoint Specifics Whether a customer is satisfied or not, the data collected will need to accurately assess what is working and what isn’t. So inquiries into level of satisfaction should include more than just the overall experience. The business needs to determine the products or services they purchased, what they liked or disliked about their sales interaction, how the actual purchase compared to their expectations, and any suggestions they have for mprovement. 5. Assess the Competition As part of the survey process, the business may want to consider inviting customers to compare and contrast similar products or companies to find out what they are offering. This helps in understanding what is lacking in the business. As stated in an article by Kevin Cacioppo, â€Å"Customer satisfaction is the state of mind that customers have about a company when their expectations have been met or exceeded over the lifetime of the product or service. The achievement of customer satisfaction leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. † He also states that: In addition to a clear statement defining customer satisfaction, any successful surveying program must have a clear set of objectives that, once met, will lead to improved performance. The most basic objectives that should be met by any surveying program include the following: * Understanding the expectations and requirements of all your customers. Determining how well your company and its competitors are satisfying these expectations and requirements. * Developing service and/or product standards based on your findings. * Examining trends over time in order to take action on a timely basis. * Establishing priorities and standards to judge how well you've met these goals. Gap Analysis is a popular assessment tool to find out the ‘gap' between what exists verses what is needed or desired. The steps involved in this are – * Identification of customer expectations, Identification of customer experiences, * Identification of management perceptions, * Evaluation of service standards, * Evaluation of customers’ communications. Gap analysis generally refers to the activity of studying the differences between standards and the delivery of those standards. For example, it would be useful for a firm to document differences between customer expectation and actual customer experiences in the delivery of medical care. The differences could be used to explain satisfaction and to document areas in need of improvement. Other tools to bridge gap in customer expectations and experiences could be by sending mail-in surveys to customer to get feedback on the service received, going out of the way to make sure a customer’s needs are addressed, providing top notch customer service are also ways to bridge gaps. Bottom line for any small business such as Self Storage is getting to know customers, listening to their concerns, making customers feel appreciated and personal touches such a learning their names might be important in retaining business and building relationships.