Fast food restaurant Essay

Introduction: Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. History: The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread and wine. A fixture of East Asian cities is the noodle shop. Flatbread and falafel are today ubiquitous in the Middle East. Popular Indian fast food dishes include vada pav, panipuri and dahi vada. In the French-speaking nations of West Africa, roadside stands in and around the larger cities continue to Sell—as they have done for generations—a range of ready-to-eat, char grilled. Meat sticks known locally as brochettes. Market size and major players †¢Dominated by McDonalds having as many as 123 outlets. †¢Domino’s pizza is present in around 274 locations. †¢Pizza hut is also catching up and it has planned to establish 147 outlets at the end of 2009. †¢Subways have established around 145 outlets. †¢Nirula’s is established in Delhi and Northern India. However, it claims to cater 50,000 guests every day. It has future expansion plans for more than 50 outlets every year, for next three years. Major players in fast food †¢McDonalds 132 outlets †¢KFC 72 outlets †¢Pizza hut 147 outlets †¢Dominos Pizza 274 outlets †¢Cafe Coffee Day 833 outlets †¢Barista 200 outlets Fast food contains high amount of †¢Calories †¢Saturated Fat †¢Carbohydrates †¢Sugar †¢Sodium †¢Proteins Why do people eat it? ?Quick and Easy ?Tastes good ?Provides satiety and comfort? It’s everywhere Dual Income families ?Work day-away from home ?Shifts in Traditional Food habits ?High income urban dwellers ?Variety of choice of foods ?Home delivery, take-away restaurants, American chains INDIA EMERGING MARKET FOR GLOBAL PLAYERS The percentage share held by foodservice of total consumer expenditure on food has increased from a very low base drastically. Eating at home remains very much ingrained in Indian culture and changes in eating habits are very slow moving with barriers to eating out entrenched in certain sectors of Indian society. The growth in nuclear families, particularly in urban India has decreased drastically. India, exposure to global media and Western cuisine and an increasing number of women joining the workforce have had an impact on eating out trends. Major players of fast food in India †¢ Mc Donalds †¢ KFC †¢ Pizza hut †¢ Dominos Pizza †¢ Coffee day †¢ Barista Kentucky Fried Chicken About the Company KFC Corporation, or KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. KFC is a brand and operating segment, called a â€Å"concept† of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. KFC primarily sells chicken in form of pieces, wraps, salads and sandwiches. While its primary focus is fried chicken, KFC also offers a line of roasted chicken products, side dishes and desserts. Outside North America, KFC offers beef based products such as hamburgers or kebabs, pork based products such as ribs and other regional fare. The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, Menu items. KFC’s specialty is fried chicken served in various forms. KFC’s primary product is pressure-fried pieces of chicken made with original recipe. The other chicken offering, extra crispy, is made using a garlic marinade and double dipping the chicken in flour before deep frying in a standard industrial kitchen type machine. Kentucky Grilled Chicken – This marinated grilled chicken is targeted towards health-conscious customers. It features marinated breasts, thighs, drumsticks,and wings that are coated with the Original Recipe seasonings before being grilled. It has less fat, calories, and sodium than the Original Recipe fried chicken. Nutritional value KFC formerly used partially hydrogenated oil in its fried foods. This oil contains relatively high levels of trans fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a court case against KFC, with the aim of making it use other types of oils or make sure customers know about Trans fat content immediately before they buy food. Advertising One of KFC’s latest advertisements is a commercial advertising its â€Å"wicked crunch box meal†. The commercial features a fictional black metal band called â€Å"Hellvetica† performing live, the lead singer then swallows fire. The commercial then shows the lead singer at a KFC eating the â€Å"wicked crunch box meal† and saying â€Å"Oh man that is hot†. In 2007, the original, non-acronymic Kentucky Fried Chicken name was resurrected and began to reappear on company marketing literature and food packaging, as well as some restaurant signage. KFC Business Strategy KFC fast-food chains are currently under the restaurant division of PepsiCo Incorporated. Some major threats include the changing attitudes of society toward healthier eating habits, KFC has more than 9,800 outlets located in 77 countries. In marketing, KFC restaurants are not restricted from locating within close proximity of other KFC restaurants. There are two alternative strategies for KFC. The first strategy involves keeping PepsiCo beverage division and snack foods division together, and a divestiture of PepsiCo restaurant division; selling Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC. MC Donald’s About the company: McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 31,000 local restaurants serving more than 58 million people in 118 countries each day. More than 75% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. The strong foundation that he built continues today with McDonald’s vision and the commitment of our talented executives to keep the shine on McDonald’s Arches for years to come. To read more about McDonald’s history, vision and executives, click on their links in the left menu. We drive our business momentum by focusing on what matters most to customers. Our owner/operators, suppliers and employees work together to meet customer needs in uniquely McDonald’s ways. The powerful combination of entrepreneurial spirit and System wide alignment around our Plan to Win enables us to execute the best ideas with both large-scale efficiency and local flair. Products McDonald’s predominantly sells hamburgers, various types of chicken sandwiches and products, French fries, soft drinks, breakfast items,and desserts. In most markets, McDonald’s offers salads and vegetarian items, wraps and other localized fare. Portugal is the only country with McDonald’s restaurants serving soup. This local deviation from the standard menu is a characteristic for which the chain is particularly known, and one which is employed either to abide by regional food taboos (such as the religious prohibition of beef consumption in India) or to make available foods with which the regional market is more familiar (such as the sale of McRice in Indonesia). Advertising. McDonald’s has for decades maintained an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic Games, and makes coolers of orange drink with their logo available for local events of all kinds. Nonetheless, television has always played a central role in the company’s advertising strategy. To date, McDonald’s has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising, as well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions. At times, it has run into trouble with its campaigns. PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRY I. Environmental friendly products cost high: Government is legislating laws in order to keep check on the fast food industry and it is emphasizing more on the usage of bio-degradable and environment friendly products. But associated with this issue is the problem that fast food player faces – the cost associated with the environment friendly product. They cost much higher than the normal products that companies uses for packaging or wrapping their products. II. Balance between societal expectation and companies economic Objectives: To balance a society’s expectation regarding environment with the economic burden of protecting the environment. Thus, one can see that one side pushes for higher standards and other side tries to beat the standard back, thereby making it a arm wrestling and mind boggling exercise. Health related issues: obesity I. Studies have shown that a typical fast food has very high density and food with high density causes people to eat more then they usually need. II. Low calories food: Emphasis is now more on low calorie food. In this line McDonald has a plan to introduce all white meat chicken. Mcnuugget is with less fat and fewer calories. Swot analysis of fast food industry Strengths †¢Quick service †¢Affordable †¢AttractionWeakness †¢Different preferences †¢Lack of customization †¢Unhygienic and unhealthy Opportunities †¢Growing nuclear families †¢Growing urban lifestyleThreats †¢Oppositions from various organization †¢Location †¢Ready-to eat †¢Health concerns ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 1. How often do you use fast-food services? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Fortnightly d. Monthly 2. Which fast food restaurant would prefer? a. McDonalds b. KFC c. Pizza Hut d. Subway 3. What are the reasons for eating fast food? (You can tick more than 1) a. Appearance of products b. Price of the products c. Flavor of products d. Convenience of the products 4. What else do you buy when purchasing fast food’? a. Carbonated (fizzy) drinks b. Coffee, tea c. Ice cream d. Crushers 5. What time would you normally buy fast food? a. Before 12 pm b. Between 12-3 pm c. Between 6-9 pm d. 10pm or later.

Critical thinking Essay

1. How does critical thinking affect you as a reader and writer? How can thinking critically improve your writing? Critical thinking affects a person as a reader and writer in that it is essential to be able to absorb and assimilate knowledge from the environment as well as organize one’s own thoughts and express oneself in a clear and comprehensive manner. It is important to consider critical thinking as being a twofold process. As a reader, one is able to utilize critical thinking as a tool to analyze information being taken in from the outside. Not all information is useful or truthful to a person, and critical thinking is a method of filtering out what is incomprehensible or untruthful and absorbing what is meaningful and valid. As a writer, critical thinking is used in relation to one’s own personal creative thoughts, coming to subjective conclusions about what one believes about the world and expressing these beliefs through writing. Critical thinking is able to improve people’s writing in that the ideas one wants to express become central to the writing process, to develop the perfect way of stating what one desires to say. It is essential to utilize critical thinking in both reading and writing, so that one is able to take in and organize the information from the external environment and make personal judgments and assertions about what one believes. All situations and experiences are both objective and subjective, in that people experience events within the context of the external world. It is important to be able to digest and process information from the external world in an organized fashion, so that one is able to accurately describe and share one’s experiences with others. 2. Read the following Discussion Question response written by Owen, a fictional student. Identify areas of vagueness and ambiguity and discuss how you might clarify the e-mail message using the writing principles addressed in the text. In the response written by Owen, the writing style is such that the reader is not able to clearly understand what is being said. There are instances of vagueness and ambiguity in the writing, and Owen is left appearing as if he does not truly understand what he is supposed to be writing about. For instance, Owen states that critical thinking affects him in â€Å"all ways†. Although this may be true, there is not enough information describing in which ways he is affected. It is important to include enough detail in writing, so that the reader is able to fully comprehend what is being claimed. Owen goes on to say that clear writing is the â€Å"hardest thing in the world†. Although Owen may be having difficulty with his own writing, clear writing is not the hardest thing in the world for all people. Instead of generalizing and making blanket statements, Owen should be plain and honest in saying that clear writing is difficult for him personally. Further on, Owen claims that critical writing is like business writing in that they both need a certain amount of structure, yet then claims that â€Å"structure is harder†. These ideas are simply uncorrelated and do not logically proceed from one another. One cannot compare two styles of writing as being similar and then immediately state that they are dissimilar, at least not without a clear explanation and transition. Overall, Owen could improve his own writing style by paying attention to explaining himself in detail, by taking the necessary time to organize his own thoughts before writing them down. It is vital to express oneself in a clear and comprehensive manner, so that other people are able to easily understand what is being conveyed.

Nursing Home Carez Advocacy, Inc Marketing Plan

MM522 Marketing Plan Of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. Sherry Y Montique December 11, 2011 Marketing Management 1. 0 Executive Summary Where would you want to live if you needed daily assistance? In your home, of course. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy aims to be a guiding factor in transitioning you or your loved one into that new home. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become an indelible part of our health care landscape. These facilities provide 24 hour inpatient nursing and supportive care to residents whose disability or condition necessitate the availability of nursing care on an extended basis. It is estimated that over 40% of Americans will use one of these entities at some point in their lives. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Through specialized training and experience, of the two personnel the operation of NHCA is to assist the unwilling aging and disable population with the unwanted transition of being admitted into a nursing home or assisted living community. Because this of life altering process can be deemed traumatic because of the unfamiliarity, many of the residents are confused and unhappy with the impending experience that lies ahead. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be there to walk the resident and families through this process with as less stress as possible as they adjust to their new home with as much pride and knowledge possible. As the services of NHCA are uncharted there will be critical issues to overcome however; to ensure that the business is successful Nursing Home CareZ will create an aggressive market strategy to include direct marketing, networking, and creating community relationships to continually garner referral sources. Staying on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population and following the Medicare and Medicaid regulations will keep Nursing Home CareZ aligned with the target market. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy’s marketing mix will comprise the approaches of pricing, product, promotion and distribution. The 1st years start up cost to include the integrated marketing communication budget is $13,320. 00. Market research showed the need for this service because of the continual growth of the aging population and the inability of family members being able to take care of their loved ones at home. With this reality, long term care facilities will continue to be the place required to provide the care to our seniors and persons with disabilities or short term medical care. The marketing plan will assist NHCA in the following areas to gauge performance: * Revenue and Expenses monthly * Customer satisfaction * Success of community involvement and relationship building Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. will position itself as the premier first line of contact to long term care transition. The positioning will ensure leveraging to gain a competitive edge in the industry with knowledge, integrity and a passion to help others. NHCA, expects to become profitable by the end of the 1st year, and has projection of $240. 000 in gross revenue for year two. 2. 0 Situation Analysis: Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. time line for inception is immediate, with a targeted goal of 6 months to 1 year. Issues facing the successful creation of this company would be the lack of education and knowledge of long term care and regulations, laws, rights and processes of Medicare and Medicaid. The community partners could contribute to the critical issues if social worker and community case managers and such failed to refer potential consumers to the company for services. However, the management skills, experience and vast knowledge base of NHCA, Inc. will provide a solid base for the target market to have a successful transaction into any long term care facility. 2. 1 Market Summary In this century, the rate of growth of the elderly population (persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the growth rate of the population of the century as a whole (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). In the comparison, the total population, as well as the population less than 65 years old, tripled (U. S. Census Bureau,). Under the Census Bureau’s middle series projections, the number of persons 65 years old and over would more than double by the middle of the next century to 80 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). According to the U. S. Census Bureau, it reported the aging population of persons 65 years and older, numbered 39. 6 million in 2009. They represented 12. 9% of the U. S. population, about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72. 1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. People 65+ growth will report as 19% of the population by 2030. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011 and Administration on Aging, 2011) Today’s census reports that the total US population in 2010 was 308, 745,538 up 9. 7% from 2000. Of that number 13. % are persons 65 years and older. This is makes up for more than 50% of the adult population. The Census Bureau projections seem to be heading in the right direction. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011) Shirley Chisholm once said, â€Å"Service is the rent we pay for the time we live on this earthâ€Å". (Women’s History, 2011) Changes in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may force older adults to ma ke unforeseen changes in their lifestyle in order to remain independent. Long term care is an option that most dread due to the lack of affordable and accessible placement options available to them. Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). With this impending implosion in growth of baby boomers, nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of our elderly. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much to take in and they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill be there to assist those residents and family members with understanding the woes of the transition into their new life and hold their hand through the process. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis Strengths: * 20 years in the health care industry with 10 years of strong middle management experience * 5 years in the long term care industry as a Business Office Manager * Vast knowledge of what is needed for successful transition/admission and s tay at nursing homes * Strategic alliance with hospital case managers, social workers and community agencies and lawyers * In house Notary Public Strong knowledge base of existing governmental regulations as they relate to long term care Weaknesses: * Company has no brand recognition * Owner has very limited experience as a full time advocate in this field * Low to no financial capital; limited startup funds * Owner is not a licensed social or case worker * In home startup business * No establish network connections for community resources Opportunities: * Expand business to cover larger geographical area * Possible growth potential to bring on employees based on need and experience * Find location and create building space to accommodate larger client base * Potential growth through use of social media and client referrals * Potential contract/ referral source with existing long term care facilities to act on their behalf Threats: Recessionary economy means the potential clients may not be willing to spend * Target market financial resources may hinder their ability to seek the services of the company * Competitive market of existing adult and aging services may prevail because of brand name * Governmental rules and regulations may change and the need for advocacy may diminish * Nursing homes and assisted living organizations may employ staff to provide the same services 2. 3 Competition The Department of Health and Human Services under the guidance of the Security of Health and Human Services, created Medicare and Medicaid programs with grant funding to assist families of all ages to live and survive on a dignified level. With our aging population, the need to focus on their care came to the forefront, so Medicaid State programs were created to pay for home health services including skilled nursing care, home health care, personal care, chore services, and durable medical equipment. (Center for Medicare & Medicaid 2011) The target market can qualify for Medicaid in order to receive the following services through the referral source of Aging and Adult agencies. Depending on the needs of an individual, the target market may receive help with personal needs such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and cleaning from a home health agency while at home with family members. Because of certain insurance guidelines, licensed healthcare workers can only give these skilled nursing services and other medical services. Skilled nursing care ncludes services and care that can only be performed safely and correctly by a licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), or physical therapist. Most seniors and families are unfamiliar with these types of services and do not have a clue how to obtain them. That is where organizations such as those listed below come into play. Aging and Adult Services, located in Norristown, Pa offers their services to the residents of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, is one of the compe ting agencies that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. (NHCA) has to contend with. AAS offers many different services to the senior market such as care management, family caregiver support program, domiciliary care, nursing home transition, and protective services to their clients. 2 services that AAS provide which are direct threats or competitive to the existence of NHCA are the Information and Referral (I&R), and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, and Pre-Admission Assessment services collectively. These services assist the community with the pre-knowledge base of the potential admission into nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The Information and Referral service attempts to link consumers with appropriate resources. I & R are available to the consumer by calling or visiting any of their agency’s five offices. (MCAAS. montcopa. org 2011). The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and the Pre-Admission Assessment services offer the consumer assessments to determine whether they are appropriate for placement into long-term care facilities and at what level. With these services Aging and Adult can then refer the consumer or their loved ones or families to nursing facilities in their geographical areas. They then can provide them with a list of items that will assist them with this new change in their life style or transition. (mcaas 2011) COSA is the other agency that will be a threat to NHCA as it provides very similar services of Aging and Adult but, to the consumer or residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Their mission/goal is to provide or enable senior citizens to maintain their independence and dignity, while living on their own with community resources available to them. (COSA 2011) COSA receives federal and state funding because they serve as Area Agency on Aging. COSA is slight different from Aging and Adult services because their main goal is helping the senior population to remain in their home as long as possible, even when they are eligible for nursing home care. They are encouraging the families of the senior to help provide the care that is needed in a home based as opposed to in a long-term care facility. COSA is an informational resource service for person of any age needing assistance on benefits and services available to the older person. COSA 2011) With each of these two organizations services they offer many community based services for seniors and their families, but with Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. , it will provide the personal one on one care that the resident and family need to make the transition into the nursing home or assist living. Nowhere in the market research was it uncovered that this type of service is offered or provided with Aging and Adult or COSA. Now, is there a possibility that there is a potential for th is service to one day be added, yes. However, the target market is plentiful enough to allow for this. The population of the aging adults continues to grow which will allow for the need of referral resources, which the aging and adult program will continue, just as NHCA can expand and grow with the population. With researching potential competition to this new company, it was found that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in association with Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) sponsored the Nursing Home Transition Demonstration Program which is designed to provide transition options to nursing home residents who wish to move back into the community. The grant funded service was given to 12 states in 1998 with Pennsylvania being one of the state’s fortunate to participate. (ASPE. HHS. gov 2011) This type of service is not considered a threat to the organization however, it is very similar but works on the back end of residents that are living in nursing homes or assist living. These are great resources to return into the community to continue to live happy and productive lives. 2. 4 Product (Service) Offering Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. s an independent company that will be there to assist those in need of understanding the process of being admitted into a long-term care facility. This process is considered life altering and many people are confused and unhappy about what is about to happen to themselves or their loved one. Services being offered are designed to help alleviate the stress of dealing with the pressures of this change. The service will assist families and the target market while transitioning and adjust ing into a new phase of life. There are many questions and situations that come with moving into long term care nursing and often the families and residents are not prepared and need someone to hold their hands during this process. Families of newly admitted residents into nursing homes, find themselves unknowledgeable of what to expect and thus unprepared to place their loved one in the home. Because of this they make decisions that could backfire and cause damages or add additional stress of the move. Some families have a power of attorney, some are guardians and some are just the family and they are not sure what they can and cannot do for their loved one. Through extensive research it was determined; there is a need for this service. Experience and working practice of the potential owner of NHCA revealed the need was great and something was missing from the target markets’ transition process into the long term care facility. Intervention was required to assist the consumer so the business solution was created. As the Business Office Manager of a nursing home, the target market and families come into the facility with questions as to the appropriate way of handling the admission process according to the guidelines and rights set by Medicare and Medicaid. The major concern often that residents and families have is related to the financial aspect of being admitted into the long-term care facility and how to handle the legal process. Nursing home admission personnel and the social workers of the hospital are often unknowledgeable of this aspect and cannot provide the correct answers. When the medical need for a person to transition into a nursing home or assisted living has been determined, the referral process beings by searching for an appropriate facility based on the need of the resident. One factor that comes up in the search is the cost of the facility and most importantly, who will pay for this stay? This question can easily be answered with throwing out numbers or by saying; â€Å"you will not have to pay for a thing, your health insurance will cover it†. Well, the truth is, that is not totally correct. This is where the expertise of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill come into play. Explaining this process in detail and walking the client through the steps is a part of the benefits of the company. There is more to transitioning into a long-term care facility, then health insurance. The consumer has to have an assessment done to determine if the resident was appropriately placed and for how long. Once this happens then the resident can be made a ware of the financial responsibility. There may be internal personnel that can assist residents and families with this information, but they can only intercede to such level, because it becomes a conflict of interest. Nursing homes can only assist to a point without affecting the rights of the resident. With NHCA, the resident will have the personal care of someone being there to help gather all of the necessary items, to make the stay at home successful. This would not be limited to, use of a notary public a minimal or no cost. Direction and assistance on completing Power of Attorney request. Help with completing the Medical Assistance Long Term Care grants and gathering of the documents needed to ensure eligibility of the grant. Residents often require a guardian over their person and medical needs and NHCA can assist with locating attorneys to assist with this process. Some of the target market have homes or apartments in the community and they are assessed as appropriate to return to the community after a short stay in the home and they are unsure of how to handle the payment of household bills while in the nursing facility, NHCA services can explain the most helpful way of approaching this obstacle by contacting those vendors and arranging the most appropriate solutions. Listed below are some examples of the services Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. will provide, to the target market: * Medicaid long term care grant application completion assistance * Notary public * Financial Management assistance * Power Attorney guidance * Guardianship Process assistance * Hands on assistance with documentation gathering * Notification to community vendors of residents’ inability to pay * Assistance with selling of home in the community and placement of personal possessions * Personal banking assistance Assistance with setting up transportation for personal needs outside of nursing facility * Referral source for family services to cope with the stress of loved ones being in the home * Attend resident medical care conferences with the family to provide additional support * Referral source to personal care aides while in nursing facility * Home Modification assistance (designed for return back home to community) * Question filtering (provide answers to all qu estions or direct to local answers) When doing the market search development, it was discovered that this need was not totally being met. Two examples were: Rosemarie has a sister who recently entered into a nursing facility and the sister has a trust fund that determines her to be a private pay resident for about one year. Towards the end of the year, Rosemarie will need to complete a Medicaid application for her sister and she truly was confused as to what was needed and the steps to follow in completing the application. She requires assistance to complete the application and she had many questions. The nursing facility was only able to assist to a certain degree, but Rosemarie still needs help. This is where Nursing Home CareZ Advocate Inc. could assist Rosemarie to help her sister to continue to receive the care she receives and deserves while in her nursing home. Another, example is Virginia. Virginia has been admitted into a nursing home with her medical insurance as her primary payer source. The consumer was given the information that her insurance will cover the stay in the nursing home for the entire time. The resident found out that the information was false. The health insurance decided to stop paying in the middle of the stay. The consumers’ personal finance was not as those of Rosemarie’s sister. Virginia did not have the money and thus she needed to apply for a Medical Assistance grant for the nursing home. She also did not understand her responsibility and was not comfortable with the staff of the nursing home to provide her with the correct information for her benefit. Again, this would be a great opportunity for her to utilize NHCA, an outside neural party, to walk her through this process while providing her comfort in knowing she is secure in making her decisions. 2. 5 Keys to Success For Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. to be successful, the company must continue to stay on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regulations are very important to the viability of long-term care services and NHCA must be able to provide services that align with the rights of said target market. This being said means, having a vast knowledge of the regulations and the rights of the consumer once in the nursing facility. The main selling point is being available to answer any and all road blocks that the target market may encounter. Having the resources and referral knowledge is a critical piece to the success of the business. The competition provides a huge referral base to the target market, so NHCA will need to keep the networking window open to expand the knowledge offering. Another factor NHCA will need to be success is to maintain a high level of ethics, trust and moral character while working for and with the target market. The aging population came from a time when your work ethics and your loyalty meant something. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. ill be based with the desire to help the target market of the aging population and make the transition and stay in the long term care facility as comfortable as possible and stress free as possible. Communication will be another key factor to success. 2. 6 Critical Issues Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. as a service based company will need to do the following items to get the word out and advertise its’ benefit to the potential target market, the aging population. The marketing strategy will begin by utilizing the internet by creating a web page describing the company’s service ability. It will also utilize networking with nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and continuum care facilities, local hospital social workers and community case workers, community event planning, in-services’, visits to senior centers and adult day centers, and by creating relationships with the community areas on aging referral agencies. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is to focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The children would like what is best for their parents and loved ones along with peace of mind, and relief from guilt while assisting them with the transition into long term care nursing. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc can provide this service to them and more while ensuring their loved one maintains their existing quality of life, dignity, respect and pride. NHCA is able to address the questions and concerns of the market segments because, of the compassion it possesses and the vast knowledge foundation of long term care services. . 1 Mission Statement Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Founded in 2011, NHCA’s vision is to provide assistance, guidance and knowledge to the desires of long term care bound individuals. Nursing Ho me CareZ strives to challenge the perceptions of long term care. The NHCA team passionately pursues excellence, and accountability in providing future residents and families the tools necessary for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility. With the goal of arming the clients with the knowledge required to promote independence and self-esteem, the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy team will help people live better lives, one life at a time. Values are fundamental to every organization’s success. It is with this in mind that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will effectively demonstrate the core values of respect, integrity, pride, compassion, responsiveness and dignity. These principles will guide the actions and foundation of its existence. We strive for a nurturing atmosphere that encourages this organization as it ensures these values are touched by all in the community it serves. 3. 2 Marketing Objectives * Build Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc Name Recognition in the community and among referral sources. * Become #1 choice among referral source with assisting families in transitioning into assisted living or skilled nursing services * Focus on relationship marketing techniques Develop/implement marketing ideas to increase professional referrals * Inform target audience (those needing immediate in-patient nursing care) about features and benefits of our product and its competitive advantage, leading to a 10 percent increase in sales in one year. * Develop campaign/program to build the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy brand consisting of (but not limited to) special events and relationship-building tactics. * Increase a steady stream in marketing pre sence * Maintain positive and strong growth each quarter (based on hospital and assisted living census) 3. 3 Financial Objectives * Raise adequate funding for start-up Begin development implementation for the on-going funding needs of years two and three * To acquire 60 to 70 clients/potential residents within the first six months of start-up * Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter (based on hospital census) through effective marketing relationship with community based organizations To fund the start up cost Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has secured a low interest loan for $20,000 and pulled personal finances of $10,000. One of the largest items that NHCA will acquire in the start of the start-up budget is a computerized medical records system to track the client base. The other start-up needs are minimal in cost and can be managed. The cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 00 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year would bring in $120. 000in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet the goal of the first six months target of $60,000, the client base will need to be at least 60 residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, the business would be on track for its goals if the six month mark would come in at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case. If the business begins on this track, the target goal of 1% in the 3rd and 4th quarter will be met. 3. 3 Target Markets The overall populations we wish to serve are older people (65 and older), in need of daily assistance, who value community and the contributions of their peers. According to the US Census Bureau the 2010 census poll reported persons 65 years and older to be 1,959,307. (US Census 2011) â€Å"The percentage of the population over 75 is growing rapidly, thanks to better nutrition, preventative health care, and living conditions in our country over the course of the last century, not to mention the Baby Boomers. At the same time, the increasing kinds of career opportunities for women, and the growing cost of health care, have contributed to a nursing shortage which threatens the quality of professionally-provided elder care. † (Bplans – 2011) â€Å"Almost half the workforce today is female, meaning that most workers male and female have no one at home to provide care to older ailing or infirm relatives. † (Bplans 2011 – â€Å"Moen and Yu 2000†) As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. The Census analysis of the 20 mile-radius of the business base area indicates a large concentration of individuals over 65 years of age (38. 5%). This target area will include a cross over into two adjoining counties; Montgomery County and Delaware County. This is a combine population of the 1,388,853 county residents in Pennsylvania. Total population in Montgomery County in 2010 was 799,874. Demographics include 79. 0% Caucasian; 8. 7% African American, 6. 4% Asian, 4. 3% Hispanic or Latino and 2. 0 % of persons reported as other race or two or more races. 51. 5% of the population was female. 8. 5 were male. 26. 1% of the target market lives alone and 9. 95 living with others (family members). The age breakdown of seniors is 60-64(4. 0%), 65-74 (7. 4%), 75-84 (5. 5%), and 85 years and older (2. 0%) totaling 165,924 persons. (US Census 2011) Total population in Delaware County was 588,979 in 2010. The demographics include 14. 3% persons were 65 years and older. The age breakdown for seniors is 60-64 (5. 3%), 65-74 (6. 7%), 75-84 (5. 1%), and 85 years and older (2. 5%) totaling 109,394 persons. 52. 1% was female and 47. 9 were male. 72. 5% of the population was white; 19. % was African American; 4. 7% was Asian; 3. 0% was Hispanic or Latino and 2. 2% was persons of other races. Median household income in 2009 was $61,848 and home ownership was 72. 2%. Persons below poverty level reported at 9. 3%. Persons aged 25 years and older with graduate degrees reported 34. 4%. 27. 4% of the target market in Delaware County lives alone. (US Census 2011) Of the 275,318 potential target market needing the services of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, has been reduced by 60% given the factors of persons healthy enough to care for themselves and having family member to care for them. The number becomes 96,361 persons 65 and older in both counties. This number may appear low but in actuality it is significantly high. These people will need nursing home care or already receive care base on their medical needs. The target market of 96,361 can become potential clients/customers in need of answers and solutions to the process of admittance into a long term facility. Of these potential clients who live in sub-counties which are within 12-16 miles of the home office, it is estimated about 35 %( 26,499. 28) will have the means $250 to $1000 ($68,333. 50 average Median income) to pay for the services. Based on the 2010 census data from US Census. com) The target market also refers to the influencer, the family member of the persons needing long term care services. An Adult child of the prospective resident, 35– 70 years of age, married with children, and lives nearby or in another city or state. He or she currently provides some assistance to the parent and their s earch for a long term care facility is prompted by an incident or recommended by healthcare professional. Their need is quick and they are usually on a schedule – most often come to us in a crisis mode. (phdmkt. om 2011) During the research process to zero in on the target market, it was discovered the market could be expanded to cover persons aged less than 65 years of age, because of the mounting need for nursing home services based on medical needs. Based on marketing conversations there are persons who live alone and are unable to care for themselves or require more than a home aid every so often to care for them. NHCA has the potential to expand the market base to include those persons. This market group could produce a quick turnaround by getting well faster and discharging home, thus allowing for new clients. Medical care needs will never cease and long term care needs will always be at a forefront therefore, Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy can easily develop a large client base and expand to more counties inside Pennsylvania within the next three to five years. 3. 5 Positioning Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will position itself as the premier first line contact of long term care transition. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging NHCA’s competitive edge: existing industry experience and knowledge, integrity, community relationships, and a passion to help others. NHCA is a hands-on resource service that aims to assist the elderly population with transitioning into the long term care phase of their lives with ease and self respect. Dealing with health issues is worrisome as it is without having to enter into a nursing home or such, and not understanding all that is involved in the process. With the impending implosion in the growth of baby boomers, and unexpected medical needs, nursing homes and assisted living communities will continue to become an option of the future. With this being the case, the management team of NHCA will be able to use its vast industry knowledge, practice skills and personal passion for helping others to assist the clients gain the understanding required to help the transition into long term care become a difficult free and dignified occurrence. 3. 6Strategies The single most important objective of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is to position itself as the premier long care term advocacy informational provider, serving the elderly and medical needs targeted market even if they are not in the age bracket of the senior population. The marketing strategy of NHCA will focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The company will focus on creating customer awareness concerning what services are being offered, which will support in developing the customer base. The point that NHCA will seek to communicate to its target market is that it offers the best education and personal service to the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Providing future residents and families of long term care the tools essential for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility is the primary goal. This message will be transpire through a variety of methods. The first will be the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Web site, which will provide a source of service information and offer the consumer the opportunity a free consultation to discuss their concerns. Time will be devoted into ensuring the site will provide as much information about the company, the owners, and its professionalism so the customer will come away with a since of comfort n knowing that they will be taken care of during this unexpected time in their lives. Other avenues of marketing methods will be local advertising. The target areas will be local nursing homes, community resource services, hospitals, senior center, and day programs and doctors offices. The goal is to leave brochures, business cards and leaflets with the social workers, office managers o r care workers of each entity. Information will also be sent out at the request of those who viewed the web site. The cost to produce the printed literature will be minimal as it will be on the need bases and much will be found on the web site. Another method will be the use of the social media. This is where the cost of advertising will be the least to non-existent. Social media sites of today have thousands of people on them and it will be a brilliant way of promoting the service and the company. Word of mouth will also be an excellent communicator. 3. 7 Marketing Mix Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc’s marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, product, promotion, and place/distribution. Pricing – The pricing strategy used by NHCA is a mix between penetration and psychological pricing to capture a gain in the market share and once this is achieve the price will increase slightly. This will also be based on a sliding scale of financial qualification and the service needs of each client. When the idea was created it was determined that the focus was not on high profits, rather on serving the greater good and those who require assistance at living a more. It was mentioned that the cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 0 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year will bring in $120,000. 00 in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet this target goal at the end of the first fiscal year, the client base will need to be at least 120 potential residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, business would be on track to cover its expenses and still maintain a place in the market if at the end of the six month the rev enue is at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case per month. As the business grows, the revenue budget can increase to double in year two to $240,000. 0 which constitute additional 120 clients or more based on the service needs required. Place/Product – Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will be a direct channel service provider. With the sensitivity of medical care and needs, which are private and personal in nature the market segment for NHCA, as consultant of services will be best suited at handling the distribution of service. Many of the clients will come through referral sources. The location of the company is a home office, set up to accommodate 2 desks, a conference table for 4 and seating for 3. The approach to potential clients will be hands on. After receiving the referral of a person requesting help or has concerns with transitioning into a long term care facility, they will be contacted via telephone to introduce the company, determine the need and set up a meeting. For those families that are unable to come to the office for a meeting, NHCA will go to them. Meeting the resident at the hospital or nursing home will never be an issue. Assuring the resident or family is extremely comfortable with the process is important. The outcome of success knows, the client has a full understanding of what happened to them or their loved one and the transition was smooth and done with dignity. Educating and empowering the client is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as the client is walked through the move. Once the client accepts the services of NHCA, the next step is answering all questions, assist with paperwork required for the admission process or with the Medical Assistance application based on financial need. A transition into a long term care facility can be nerve raking, confusing and full of anxiety for the strongest and healthiest person however, with that being said finances always becomes an issue. Past knowledge and statistics show that nursing homes or assistant living facilities have gained reputations for taking everything from their residents upon admission to their facilities. Educating and empowering the client on their rights and responsibilities is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as they are walked through the new phase of life. If the resident requires assistance with banking, guardianship or contacting community vendors, NHCA will be there to handle this for the resident or family member. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will assist the resident or family until all matters have been conducted and the residents’ stay is secure and free of financial concerns. IMC Promotion â€Å"Your way home is through our caring hands†. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be dedicated to providing the highest level of quality service with compassion and commitment through exceptional standards for the aging population. It is the hope of NHCA, that the residents and families who seek assistance will receive thoughtful, quality care today and tomorrow. Integrated Marketing Communications Budget Quite a few advertising efforts will be used to promote the business. The marketing mix will consist of direct marketing, social media, the company’s web site and some advertising. Promoting the business will start with promoting myself as the owner and founder. Creating a bio to hand out to the local referral sources will begin the promotional stage of getting off the ground running. Exposing the business to Special Events, Open Houses, Healthcare Fairs, Senior Expos, etc, identify local groups, churches, senior groups, etc. nd build Nursing Home CareZ’ reputation as â€Å"source† for aging issues through seminars/lectures, and educate the local communities about senior living options. The promotional process will follow as: * Print advertising * Direct mail * Broadcast advertising on radio (or Internet sites or social media) Advertise by visiting the local hospitals, senior community centers, local churches, the area M edicaid public assistance offices and adult and aging organizations to introduce myself and hand out business cards, flyers or brochures. There is minimal cost in visiting with the exception of handing out business cards and brochures. Cost of purchasing 5000 business cards is $55. 00 and the creating custom brochures cost is $800. 00. Advertise on several of the social media sites to utilize the word of mouth affect. Face Book, Twitter, Blogs, Linked In, Biznik and on Craig’s List. The social media has been prone to take the smallest post and spread it like wild fire. Even though many of these sites are young than the target market target, they can still reach the families of the target market and those you may work in the industry of which NHCA is catering to. Advertise by hosting or attending several community events that are geared towards healthcare services. * Participation in community projects * Fairs – Health Fairs or Job Fairs * Give-a-ways of pens or pencils, and post-it notes * Coupons at the bottom of the flyers giving a 20% discount within a 2 month time span * Trade Shows – local convention centers host shows which the target market or family members attend such as arts and crafts, flowers, cooking lessons and pet shows. The cost of attending the community events will be $3000. 00. Most community fairs for free to participate as many are awareness driven. The cost to purchase custom pens, pencils and post-it note pads to distribute are as follows: 2000 pens $365. 00, 500 pencils $227. 00, and 500 post-it notes $230. 00. The coupons does not generate an expense and the cost of trade show for 2 days at 7 hours each day averages $2000. 00 Advertise in The Times Herald daily newspaper weekly newspaper and on the web viewer ship: 1/4 page 6 columns x 5† inch ad for 2 months, then monthly for two additional months. Cost: $1100. 00. Advertise in The Delaware County Times daily newspaper, weekly: 25 words per week for 12 weeks. Cost: $900. 00. The company’s website will be utilized to advertise and promote the business by informing them of the services. The target market will have basic information designed to peak their interest enough to want to place a telephone call to inquire further. Building the web site with the initial start up cost: $120. 00 Found a web designer and web host in one for a minimal cost. Steps taken to launch the web site are: submitting the website to search engines like Google, Ask Jeeves, and Bing and to web directories. Putting the website address in the email address, on the flyers, brochures, and on the business cards is the next step. By registering the company’s website for more than one year, will keep the search engines from classifying the company as a spam organization. Collecting and analyzing the data will assist in further developing the marketing strategy. Becoming a member of the Social Medias such as Face Book, Twitter, You Tube help strengthen the community relationship with the social workers of the hospital, assist living communities, and the referral based resources. Using multimedia devices on the website will assist in further interaction with the target market. The design of the website will be user friendly as the target market may or may not have experience with computers. 3. 8 Marketing Research As stated previously in this plan, the growth rate of the elderly population persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the previous census predictions, an as they are getting older they are requiring more medical care. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). Families are unable to care for mom or dad, aunt or uncle so the nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of the elderly. In trying to determine if this service business would be a worthwhile endeavor, the owner sat down to asked a few questions with an existing nursing home administrator, wound care nurse, community case worker and a marketing director. As a result of the questions asked such as; can you tell me when families are approached at the hospital for discharge planning as their loved one just fell and fracture their hip, what is the attitude or knowledge base of what happens to the elderly in the home? The response was; ‘the first thing that came to the family members mind was abuse or neglect, or that the home was going to rob their mother or father blind. This comment is common to many who do not have a full understanding of what happens as their loved one transition into long term care. Another most important question is how or who will pay for my loved one to stay in the nursing home? Will her rights be protected and how much say will I have in the care of my parent or loved one? The last comments that came up, was the guilt the families feels when having to decide place the mother or father into a long term care home. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much for them to take in; they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has the good fortune of being affiliated with existing nursing homes and has an excellent work history and knowledge base to have recognized the issues current residents of nursing homes were facing. As a Business Office Manager for the last 10 years, the owner has the leverage of understanding the ins and outs of admission processes of long term care and the steps taken to make for a smooth transition. In the final decision process in this impending situation, the owner of NHCA also talk with case managers, county assistance office employees and several local attorneys’ who handle the guardianship processes on behalf of nursing home. All agreed, with positive feedback, there was a problem. An outside liaison is needed to assist residents and their families with coming to terms with their new home. By offering the service, it is allowing a sense of empowerment and a sense of peace. Transitioning into a long term care facility for these residents, with a knowledge base of what lies ahead and knowing their new home will truly be their home will make it all worth it. References 1. Advanced Marketing: One Stop for Newspaper Advertising. (2011). Retrieved from https://www. le-services. com. 2. Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE). (2011). Help for People in Nursing Homes. Retrieved from http://www. carie. org/programs-services/advocacy-services/help-for-people-in-nursing-homes 3. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2011). Nursing Homes Overview and Payments 4. Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA). (2011). Retrieved from http://www. co. delaware. pa. us/depts/cosa. html 5. Department of Health & Human Services: Administration on Aging. (2011). Aging Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. aoa. gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/index. aspx 6. Eiken, S. & Heestand, A. (2003). Pennsylvania Transition to Home Program . Retrieved from http://aspe. hhs. gov/daltcp/reports/2003/PAtrans. htm 7. Green Leaf Health Care Assisted Living. (2011). Professional Healthcare Development Marketing Plan. Retrieved from http://www. phdmkt. com/images/sample%20marketing%20plan%2007. pdf accessed 8. Keller, K. & Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing Management. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 9. Lewis, J. (2011). About Women’s History: Shirley Chisholm Quotes. Retrieved from http://womenshistory. about. com/od/quotes/shirleychisholm. htm 10. Marketing Plan Objectives and Strategies. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. smallbusinessnotes. com/starting-a-business/marketing-plan-marketin

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The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe by Mary Sarotte Essay

The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe by Mary Sarotte - Essay Example The author, Sarotte, has also been able to effectively bring together the flawless descriptions. The author has also taken into account an analysis which is challenging in terms of the creation of the post Cold War order (Dale 2009). Here the focus of the book has been on German aspect of the overall period. The author has also been able to effectively look into the historical perspective and has also been able to keep track of the events in order of how the events occurred (Sarotte 2010). In the case of most of the geopolitical events, it was found that the 1989 events did not stay in link with the initial promise that had been developed (Sarotte 2010). The book by the author has focused on the reports and ideas that have been focused on the exchange by the statesmen and the other governmental officials. The overall book and the document is very well laid out and described. The book however does lack new information. The topic of discussion however has been on a single topic of Nato expansion which makes a major contribution. There was one underlying question throughout the Cold War which focused on whether the Soviet communism was the cause for the Washington to build up their forces in Europe. The doubt here was whether this has been the cause for the stationed forces or whether it was simply to validate the existence and the presence of Nato (Sarotte 2010). In time with the disappearance of the Soviet, the answer to this was clear and evident. The other main question that related to Nato was that of the nuclear weapons. The book has also taken into account the several questions of nuclear weapons and the questions relating to the shadows of the denuclearisation of Germany. The questions of the presence of the US military in Europe have also been high. The author has been a little hesitant and unsure of Nato expansion without having a clear idea of the benefits of the expansion (Sarotte 2010). Here there is little attention and positive elements that the aut hor finds in her book about Bush and the author has presented Bush to be a very tactful leader who also shows high boldness. There are two main elements that are found to be missing in the book. Firstly, the way the book has been developed and presented, this could have been written several years ago and the overall analysis as presented in the book, could have been presented in a much more effective manner (Sarotte 2010). There are numerous elements in the book where there have been irrelevant discussions and there has also been a major disconnect in the overall discussion. Here of these one of the examples has been of the marketing strategies discussed in the paper. The second major limitation of this book is the lack of focus on the corrupt activities of the Chancellor which could have been brought out in a more effective manner. Here these activities have a major role in the overall courting as well as the persuasion of the Germans and the unification with the Atlanticist (Dale 2009). As a whole, the book has been well presented and also very thoroughly researched. Here however a lot more positive elements could have been presented in the book to provide a higher level of acceptance and also more recognition to the book as a whole. The author has been able to effectively use all the research to provide a well presented book, with a few tweaks and improvements, the book and

I don't have any topic or image for this, please choose one Essay

I don't have any topic or image for this, please choose one - Essay Example This very museum is famous for collection of all very old and rare pieces of art. Proper security measures are available to ensure that the picture remains safe since there has been a history of stealing and damage being caused to this picture in the past. The painter himself, Leonardo Di Vinci, lived in Europe, Italy, and is world renown for his paintings all over the world. In his pieces of art, he usually made use of the natural angles, proportions and various patterns that gave him an edge over other painters of his time. This is one of the many pieces of arts that has been gifted to the world by the genius. Every angle of the picture holds some interest for the students of art and has led to various assumptions on each angle. For example, in case of eye brows, it is being often said that they were removed unintentionally during the course of art making. A scrupulous review of the picture reveals that there is hardly any hair on the face, the only one that can be detected is prob ably through the employment of single use of the brush. Regarding the subject of picture, the lady herself, on many occasions is being termed as a lady named Lisa Gherardini (Klein 15), who was born in the late XV century and the painter did not even give the portrait to her just because he was totally obsessed with the art that he had crafted. The face expression has held attention of many over number of years through decades. The background of the picture equally compliments the facial expressions and beauty surrounding the face. Many pieces of his art were incomplete, however due to his personal interest and fascination of the subject of the picture, the incumbent brought it to the level of perfection that has many in intrigue. Though exact date of this picture is unknown, yet it is being believed that picture sketching took place somewhere in the early days of the XVI century (between 1503 and 1506) (Goyer and Yorkey 210). The lady on the picture is often named as La Gioconda. I t is being said that the entire portrait took nearly three years to reach the final point of completion, or the point where it is today. From the subject point of view, there is mystery all over the face of the lady. It is being considered as a real mystery for number of reasons. Umpteen amounts of mysteries and stories are attached to it, while some specialists are not sure about the gender, others term it as unresolved, others term it as self portrait while the few of the rest term it as the picture of his wife. To another opinion, she was the wife of a Florence citizen named Francesco Del Gioconda (Cremante 236). The timings attributed to this picture are late afternoon onwards when the natural light would spark at a little low intensity which matched the requirements for portrait sketching perfectly. It is also being said that the painter himself, Leonardo Di Vinci, fell in love not just with the painting but the model in picture. Many have it that he used to carry this portrait along with himself and during the course of its sketching, music and peaceful environment were always in the background to bring the best and most natural expressions out of his subject. Considering its importance and value in the field of arts, it has been stolen number of times, however, on all occasions it was recovered. One of those attempts was made by a person named Vincenzo Peruggia (Crispino 106) early in the XX century .The man was the employee at the very place and it took a

European balance Essay Example for Free

European balance Essay Analyze attitudes toward and evaluate the motivations behind the European acquisition of African colonies in the period 1880 to 1914. During the late 1800’s, Europe had a steady decline rate of available work, so Europe, as a whole, was looking for a way to improve overall. Many European countries look towards Africa to create new colonies for Europeans to better their own country. European’s attitudes towards Africa was Europeans were a superior race in comparison to Africans. Motivation was acquired from the help of strong nationalism to then acquire new land to build upon their country to improve its economy and create new available work. European nations all had different reasons to control parts of Africa. Chancellor Otto von Bismark said to his Countryman exploring in africa, â€Å"Your map of Africa is very nice, but my map of Africa is in Europe. Here is Russia and here is France, and we are in the middle. That is my map of Africa. † (Doc 3). He argues that he is focusing on Europe and he is only willing to establish colonies because France and Russia are doing it as well. Eugene-Melchior de Vogue, French diplomat, describes how the European balance of power is now becoming a world balance of power (Doc 10) in the book, The Master of the Sea. Nations would have to develope more colonies in Africa in order to stay visible to other bigger and powerful nations. Another way to show awareness and capability was to colonize Africa, Archibald Philip Primrose stated. (Doc 8). This statement makes it clear that Primrose was pro imperialism due to the political pluses that it provides. The belief of European nations have the right and is automatically entitled to go to Africa and occupy their land was stated by Martial Henri Merlin. (Doc 11). He believed that imperialism is the correct and the most important thing to participate in. This point of view is justifiable through the fact that is is indeed the Governor of Africa. Europe was always competitive especially when it came to the output of resources. A French diplomat who goes by the name Eugene Melchoir said that in order to stay competitive, you must go to far lengths. The colonization of Africa is changing europe from a balance of power to a world balance of power. Joseph Chamberlain a British industrialist, says directly in one of his speeches that economic improvement of countries is available through the process of colonization. If nations were to engage in colonization, there would be less unemployment, more trade, and an overall better economic environment. In conclusion, the motivations have a wide range and all correlate to one another. To maintain power, change and fix social and political issues, and stay competative were all prominent motivations.

Approaches On Factors Affecting Self Employment Commerce Essay

Approaches On Factors Affecting Self Employment Commerce Essay There are diverse approaches and theories to the factors affecting self-employment efforts of individuals. Lambing and Kuehl have pointed out personality traits, cultural influence, economic conditions and the combination of these factors as the major factors influencing self employment. Other authors like Saini and Rathore (2001:5-6) argue that social, religious and cultural, psychological, political, and economic policies are the main factors affecting self employment. Another approach to the factors affecting self employment is described in a more summarized way by Khanka (2004:33-37). These factors are economic aspect, noneconomic aspects and government measures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The economic aspects comprise of capital, inputs and the market; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The non-economic factors are the social and political circumstances such as social mobility, security and psychological factors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Government measures and actions comprise issues such as economic and industrial policies and strategies which influence both the above factors. There are countless approaches to analyzing the factors affecting self employments, nevertheless the in one way or another, it seems they are all saying the same thing in different words. Regardless of their dissimilarity of treating the individual factors, they are harmonizing to each other. So much so that the major factors affecting self-employment schemes can be classified into various aspects such as support system factors, personal traits, government policies, and socio-cultural factors. Personality Trait Factors These are a set of aspects related to an individuals personality either inborn or learned which determine an individuals profession. The argument over learned or unlearned (inborn) character traits is endless in that a consensus has not been reached yet among scholars. When it comes to entrepreneurs, Lambing and Kuehl (2000:16) argue that entrepreneurs have an innate unique personality which cannot be taught. Schumpeter (in Deakins, 1999:11) holds the same idea Lambing and Kuehl (2000). This implies that the personality of entrepreneurs is inborn and learning has minor influence in becoming an entrepreneur. On the contrary, many authors, like Peter Drucker (in Lambing and Kuehl, 2000:15), believe that socio-cultural influences (learned traits) are sources of entrepreneurial personality. Kirzner also promotes that any one has the potential to be entrepreneur and he/she appears and operates within set production constraints (Deakins, 1999:11). Both ideas imply that, everyone having the inherited traits, environmental exposures are determinant factors of entrepreneurial qualities. However, still many others accept that both sources (nature and nurture) equally contribute to the individuals entrepreneurial personality. Thus, in this study, the researcher prefers to have the stand with the third group believing both factors have their own share of contribution to the entrepreneurial personality. According to Lambing and Kuehl (2000:16), whether entrepreneurial tendencies exist at birth or developed as the person matures, certain traits are usually evident in those who achieve success. Socio-Cultural Factors These set of factors focus on such aspects as values, norms, beliefs, family and community entrepreneurial traditions, societal attitude, etc. It is considered in terms of social behavioral approaches, which stresses the influence of the social environment. It has been identified that different cultures have varying values and believes (Lambing and Kuehl, 2000:18-19). That is, some culture encourages entrepreneurship whereas others discourage, some promotes achievement whereas others give low value to entrepreneurship. For example, the Japanese have been known to have an achievementoriented culture which helps entrepreneurs persist until they succeed. That is, they give high value to entrepreneurship and encourage entrepreneurs to succeed. With respect to this, McClelland (Deakins, 1999: 18) has identified that the historical role models influence of heroes on subsequent generation induced a high motive of achievement on the population. On the contrary, in some cultures, entrepreneur ship may be conceived as an occupation for low self-esteemed persons. For example, it is well described in Lelissa (2006:17) and UNESCO (2002:132) the negative social image held on the TVET program which discourages entrepreneurial ideas of TVET graduates (this will be discussed further in this section later). The entrepreneurial tradition of the family has the most significant impact on the early development of entrepreneurial personality. Young (in Batra, 2003:26) maintains that entrepreneurial activity is generated by a particular family background and experience as a member of certain kinds of group and as a reflection of general cultural values. In respect to this, Saini and Rathore (2001:5-6) described that entrepreneurial traditions of the family as well as the community are important factors within which the entrepreneur grows and internalizes the values and norms. In addition, Batra and Dangwal (2003:13) have stated that caste and community are the most important socio-cultural determinants of entrepreneurial supply and performance. With regard to societal attitudes, the TVET program itself is victim of negative image held by the society in Ethiopia. According to a research finding (Lelissa, 2006:17), it has been discovered that trainees of TVET institutions are considered as low achievers or failures of grade ten (national examination) students who are forced to attend TVET which discourages the potentially motivated students. This image of the society at large and the view of the graduates in particular is a barrier to have confidence and envision in their vocational career in general and starting new venture in particular. That is, the graduates feel inferior of their friends who joined the degree program and strive for higher education after a period of wage employment service which is a government requirement as a path way to higher education. This path way may force the TVET graduates to work on a paid employment for the sake of getting a two-year work experience which is levied by the government policy as a requirement. The negative images has been found to be global that a UNESCO monograph on perceived status of TVET stated as TVET is often seen as a poor alternative to university or college courses, and the career paths resulting from TVET programs are often seen as less desirable as far as the career success of young people is concerned (Hiebert and Borgen in UNESCO, 2002:132). Thus, the graduates are highly occupied by the drive to achieve higher education opportunity rather than thinking of job creation (self-employment). Demographic factors such as gender may also contribute to graduates entrepreneurial success as a result of the influence of backward social and cultural environment. Though in the relatively long past times women are confined in the four walls of houses performing household activities, currently they are emerging as successful entrepreneurs (Khanka, 2004:18). This is due to educational equity and technological advancement that helped women to come out of the four-wall confinement and enabled them currently to run their own enterprises successfully. Likewise, religion as one component of social factors, the performance of individual entrepreneurs is directly or indirectly inspired by religious ideas (Khanka, 2004: 14). That is, in some religions high profit and interests are considered as a sin deeds. Thus, the social and cultural environment at which the entrepreneur emerged is important source of entrepreneurship as well as entrepreneurial personality. Government Policies and Ations Under this category, factors that influence entrepreneurial success include governments economic and industrial policies, trade laws and legitimacy, promotion of free market, individual freedom, economic stability, introduction of new technology, etc. The economic and political environment includes various factors that either facilitate or inhibit the would-be entrepreneur the undertaking of a business venture which are necessary conditions for the success of the business. Among the economic factors lack of capital, working place, facilities and market are at the forefront. The week availability of credit services and the very limited accessibility of financial institutions is a barrier to start a new venture. A World Bank report (2005) has identified that some of the graduates are not interested to be self-employed due to lack of capital, lack of training and lack of national policy which favored self-employment. The problem of capital and inadequate provision of micro-credit services are therefore central to the TVET graduates to start new micro and/or small enterprises. Hence, government economic policies which encourage new entrepreneurs in the provision of credits, availability of facilities, presence of technical assistance (consulting personnel), establishment of entrepreneurial incubation centers, facilitation of infrastructures, arrangement of working places and market are some of them just to mention few. With respect to the policy that favors new entrepreneurs, the training areas (sectors) affect the extent to which graduates are self-employed. That is, in relation to the governments 70/30 (hard/soft skills) proportion training direction, soft skill training s such as business fields may not be benefitted from incentives and encouragements. There is a tendency to discourage soft skills (occupations) training areas and, as a result, low access to the opportunities to soft skills graduates, as experiences of entrepreneurial efforts of the soft skills graduates showed. In this regard, for example, an attempt of establishing a small firm on auditing service by accounting graduates was inhibited by a concerned governments Audit Office until related guideline is prepared but not realized and the graduates effort has been discouraged so that the group was banned. In addition, with respect to government actions and policies favoring new entrepreneurs, economic regulations and taxation benefits are also important factors. Political stability, freedom of entrepreneurs, promotion of free market, absence of corruption, guarantee of security, etc. are also influential factors connected to the political environment (Dollinger, 1999:57). Support System Services Factors related to available support services include a number of services such as the quality of training institutions, on the job training provision of companies, financial and commercial institutions, research findings, entrepreneurial personnel support, consultancy services, etc. These support services have their share to the success of TVET graduates in venture creation efforts. Some scholars generally assume that entrepreneurs are born and support services are less important. However, it is proved that with the right type of training, follow up support and assistance, one can develop oneself as an entrepreneur (Batra, 2003:35). It is clear that the latent potentials can be cultivated and developed through wellconceived and integrated type of training including entrepreneurial skills. With this respect, Batra has stated that the right type of entrepreneurial training helps to identify and develop the natural, inherent and potential virtues of the human being which are lying dorm ant. From this we understand that the type and quality of training offered in a TVET institution is vital for the TVET graduates entrepreneurial venture. Institutions (schools) with exciting courses in entrepreneurship and innovation tend to develop entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial environment (Hisrich Peters, 2002:13). This shows that the institutions ability to equip the trainees with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude paves the way to the idea of entrepreneurship and realization of a venture. In relation to the role of training, the quality of trainers in their entrepreneurial skills and awareness about the expected output (entrepreneurial capability of graduates) is also one pivotal input. Encouragement to self-employment is further stimulated by trainers (teachers), who can significantly influence individuals to regard entrepreneurship as a desirable and viable career path (Hisrich Peters, 2002:13). In addition to the trainers role for the entrepreneurial development of the trainees in training institutions, career guidance and counseling support is another contributing component of the quality of the TVET graduates. Hiebert and Borgen (in UNESCO, 2002:131) have well stated that guidance and counseling services are essential for the goals of TVET to be fully realized and that they should for that reason be fully integrated with all TVET programming. These services should be provided beginning at the time of enrollment in orienting their occupational choice, inculcating positive attitude through out their training and showing direction of their career path through the provision of career information including entrepreneurship. Another aspect of education and training background of the entrepreneur is experience of a previous business. This experience may be expressed in terms of any kind of exposure to a business environment be it free service ( practices in the form of apprenticeship or internship) or wage employment for a specific period of time. Some graduates choose wage employment because they acquire experiences without incurring cost such as know how to run a business, identify the way in which things operate in a business environment, learn skills of leadership and coordination, had a network of contacts, etc. In this respect, a research finding (Lambing Kuehl, 2000:90) in a survey on source of business ideas of 500 successful entrepreneurs revealed that most of them (nearly half) (43%) of the respondents said they got the idea for their business from the experience they gained while working for wage in the same industry or profession. Therefore, it is clear that work integrated training methods such as apprenticeship, internship, cooperative training and free practice programs are of paramount importance. In addition to the above factors, support services such as financial and commercial institutions, micro and small enterprise development personnel support, consultancy services, research findings, etc., have their own role for the entrepreneuri