Management Skills and Entrepreneurship

Business Description The business has developed out of the need to create employment for young people in Amman who happen to be gifted in calligraphy. The idea is a personal product that has been in existence since childhood. The following is therefore a description of the business from its inception, structure, and ownership.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management Skills and Entrepreneurship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company that is to be established will be under the name H.T, which is derived from the initials of the partnership. The source of the capital is from a local bank in Amman coupled with savings of the partners. The main product of the business will be male jewellery. This decision is based on the market need for this product since business environment in the UK has much of female jewelleries and less of the male jewelleries (Bean 2007, p.17). The available outlets for the jewelleries are also rather expensive and monotonous since the trade is dominated by a handful of companies offering similar products. When established, this business will provide the population with a choice when shopping for jewellery besides creating a sense of satisfaction since each product will be unique. The bulk of shoppers in the UK has also changed with more and more men being involved in shopping and making financial decisions. With the well performing economy, the population will have more money at its disposal. The company to be set up aims to put in place an effective marketing strategy to attract buyers of all ages and ethnicities. Amman was chosen to serve as the headquarters for the business and as a source of labour raw material and resources required (Government in Jordan 1978 p.13) because it provides a good centre for the trade. Amman is known globally for her beautiful handmade ornaments, which have mostly been women’s ornaments (Jordan 1989, p.28). The population i s largely gifted in making the ornaments. This makes the marketing strategy for the capital and the country in general (Skinner 2003, p.15: South 2008, p. 12). Calligraphy is an art that dates back in the country to the Middle Ages as evidenced by the discovery of ancient works of art in the prehistoric sites in the country (Herr 1983, p.45).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The works of art have however been marketed in the country alone without exploitation of the international market. The jewellery will be made from different raw materials for start. Clients will be given the choice of selecting the kind of jewellery they want. Traditionally, the jewellery has been made from metals such as gold, silver, and bronze. This decision made the pricing high for the common market. This business enterprise targets to make cheap jewellery for the low income markets in the UK, as wel l as the upper class market thus creating a room for choice between the materials used. The capital required is estimated at a hundred thousand US dollars distributed in terms of equipment, labour, and export price. The three costs represent the largest financial requirements of the company. Buildings The company intends to start the trade by using an old warehouse that has been renovated. The warehouse is big enough to house the offices of the company in one section and the manufacturing area in one part. The floor size is also enough for storage. There are also plans to purchase more offices in some of the office blocks in downtown Amman with other plans being in the advanced stage to acquire a warehouse in the outskirts of London. This will constitute the main buildings owned by the company. The rest will be acquired depending on the demand, market, and quantity produced. Assets The assets that the company intends to acquire and own include tools used for the moulding of the meta llic jewellery, engraving tools, brushes, cameras, protective clothing, land for setting up the business, and a warehouse for storage of the goods waiting to be exported to the UK. The company also intends to acquire a van to transport the products to the airport. With time, more will be acquired to facilitate the movement of the staff and the trade equipment. Some of the other assets that the company intends to acquire include cranes to move the large boxes, forklifts, and advertisement assets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management Skills and Entrepreneurship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Goals and Objectives The company has come up with goals and objectives to guide it in the future developments. These have been described as long-term and short term with the time period to be achieved defining the two. In the long-term goals, the company targets to be the leading export company in Jordan dealing with c alligraphy. The other goal includes increasing the net worth to a billion dollar company with branches all over the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The company also targets to be the leader in research and development in the country of Jordan creating employment to a mere thousand people both here and in the UK. The short term goals for the company are those to be achieved within a period of a year. The first short-term goal is to double the gross sales every two months. Secondly, the company targets to double the profit margins within the same period. The sales of jewellery is the third short-term goal. The company targets to make more than a thousand sales within the first two months of its inception in the UK. The fourth short term goal is to control a large market share of the male jewellery within the first year. The last short-term goal involves the introduction of new products into the market with the company targeting to introduce women’s jewellery in the market by the en d of the same year. Philosophy The company’s philosophy is based on the need to create employment for the youth in Amman by providing cheap and quality jewellery for the UK market. The current image of the company is that of a small firm with the desire to expand in the UK. The image the firm intends to create is that of a large company and a market leader in jewellery and supply of ornaments in the UK. The company is focused on achieving its set goals and objectives as governed by the laws formulated by the partners.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Legal structure The business is a partnership with members being drawn from the Capital, Amman, and having the common interest of making money and being self-sufficient. The partners include H.K and T. A from whom the business name is derived. Each member bases the sharing of the profits and other running costs on the contributions. The members however own business in equal proportions. Therefore, the sharing of the profits is on a 50-50 basis. The legal structure is not fixed. However, the company welcomes any likeminded shareholders and partners. The contributions they make will define the proportion of the profits they get after each sale. This will benefit the company by increasing its market share and capital base besides enabling it to expand to other markets. Location The business is to be set up in the outskirts of Amman, with an outlet in the capital of the UK. These locations were selected for several reasons. Amman was selected, as described above for its cost in terms of labour and human resource. The cost of the building, and other things needed to set up the location were relatively cheap compared to the prices elsewhere. The building location is on a lease from the previous owner, and plans are underway to fully process it. The neighbourhood is friendly and sparsely populated. This will provide an adequate environment for business. The floor space will consist mainly of the manufacturing area, and will therefore mostly house the labourers. The transportation facilities in place include pulleys for hauling large boxes, which will contain the raw materials and the completed works. The site also has ample space for parking, which will accommodate the vehicles transporting the Jewellery to the airport. It is also close to the airport. Thus, security in the area is also adequate. There are other businesses in the same location though they are mainly involved in the pottery business. The site is advantageous because the raw materials are just in the n eighbourhood. A smelting plant is located in the vicinity to provide raw materials for the metallic jewellery. The second site in London was chosen because of the strategic position to enable and facilitate in the marketing of the jewellery. This will however be changed with time to the centre of London where there are more customers and distribution outlets for the company products. Production Plan and Quality Control The production plan for the company from delivery of the raw material to the final product is short because most of the products will be handmade thus requiring no sophisticated process. The raw materials will depend on the particular product. For the bracelets, the raw material will mainly be silver and gold with iron being a major component. They will be moulded into shapes and cut using simple tools. Coating the resulting materials will then be made using the desired metals or alloys. The accessories to make them appear beautiful will then be added by the artisans followed by engraving of the ornaments by the use of calligraphy. This process will be followed for most of the jewelleries except for those requiring special processes. Quality control will be assured by ensuring that there is a quality control department in the company for checking the quality of products besides ensuring that only those that meet the set standards make it to the market. The quality assurance in the company will also work in collaboration with the quality assurance departments in both countries involved in the field of the jewellery trade. Management and Organisational Plan The management framework for the company will include the manager, sales representatives, and other key officials in the management. The finance section will have to be manned by one of the members. To begin the company, few numbers of the staff will be involved in management since this will be expensive for the company to maintain. The full time personnel will be the labourers involved in maki ng the jewellery. They will constitute the largest number of employees. Part-time workers will be utilised in the finance section. Personal responsibilities and those of the other partners will involve making the jewellery though this plan will later change to management functions after getting adequate labourers. Business Opportunities The business has a variety of opportunities in the region where it will be opened. The following is a description of the potential customers, the geographical area, and the competition. Potential Customers The population of the UK and London in particular is very large. Thus, it will provide the market needed by the jeweller. The purchasing power of the UK citizens is larger than that of Jordan as presented by the GDPs of both counties (Riley 2002, p.13: Sant 2004, p.76). The market also has a large appetite for handmade jewellery. It therefore suits the perfect consumer group. The choice to market the jewellery for the male sex is based on the theor y that the male sex also has a higher purchasing power compared to its female counterparts in this country. The average male also considers owning a piece of handmade jewellery from Amman to be prestigious and in fashion. Amman’s items and generally those from tm the Middle East are also fast moving here with stocks running out in the few centres offering them. There are varieties of customers in the business having different requirements in the way they prefer their jewellery to appear. Most of the customers prefer golden and silver jewellery. For those who cannot afford them, the company hopes to create gold-coated and silver-coated versions of the ornaments that it will produce. Geographical Area The company targets to conquer the market in London before proceeding to other markets within the UK. These are the long-term goals in the company’s framework. The plan is to establish outlets across London in the shortest time possible. This will involve a lot of strategic planning and re-investment back to the company. Other cities planned for expansion include the financial centres around the country. Business Competitors The business faces stiff competition from other companies in the region providing the market with similar products (Campedelli 2010, p.43). These are more established in the market. Their prices are competitive. To deal with competition, the company intends to lower the running costs by operating from Amman and exporting the jewellery to the UK using cheap cargo flights. Since the innovation uses labourers without the use of machines, the operating costs are set to be lower in relation to those for other companies thus maintaining the lower prices (Duhigg 2012, p.29). The other criteria of dealing with the competition will involve the limitation of the number of administrative employees and establishment of a strong marketing policy (Steingold Bray 2001, p.32). Marketing Strategy As indicated above, due to high competition in the industry, the business will have to adopt an elaborate marketing strategy to ensure success in the market (Marketing handbook 2006, p. 19). The strategy will be implemented in the pricing, costing, sales projection, and marketing plan. In developing the company, a research into the unmet need of handmade male jewellery in the UK preceded. This established that the products offered in the market were monotonous with fewer than ten companies offering handmade products. The market, though not significantly large now, had a chance for expansion with the shares meant to rise (Blythe 2006, p.18). The company has embarked on an ambitious project to open up new markets in the UK by approaching market partners and evaluating the need for mergers and added partners. The market stands to be affected by the invasion of newer products from china, which are selling at a considerably cheaper price based on China’s cheaper technology. This could however be overcome by the use of cheaper raw materials and production of more attractive jewellery with the option of having most of them custom-made to meet the needs of each client. National Economic Trends in the UK The UK’s market is experiencing a growth. This means that more and more men will be able to spend on accessories such as jewellery. This will increase the market to a greater size besides reducing competition (ICC financial survey 1979, p.12). The population is also shifting with the aged in the populace contributing a large number. The economy is also noted to be stabilising after the effect inflicted by the global crisis a few years ago (Book 2009, p.29: McLean Nocera 2010, p.13: Shiller 2008, p.19). Employment rate is also reported to be improving. Thus, more and more people are able to earn a living. The economy of Jordan is also reported to be performing well. The unique characteristic is the high unemployment in the country especially around Amman. This project therefore will exploit the existing economic conditions in both countries to produce a well performing business leader in the male jewellery section. In the year 2011 alone, the British economy improved from the previous years after being facilitated by the increase in the production and manufacturing sectors. The value of imports to this country has risen over the years. Jordan continues to be a major source of imported handmade jewellery to the UK (Amman et al 1996, p.32). The projected growth rate for the Jewellery market in the UK is 2% every year. This is a positive thing for the company (Amman et al 1996, p.32). As it stands, the jewellery market has a total size of over 4.5 billion pounds (Harrison 2010, p.29). This means that the market is performing well and is set to improve. The largest share of the jewellery section is made up of precious metals such as silver and gold. Even in the tough economic times in the UK, the jewellery market is described as growing at a fast rate, which is also encouraging. After precious metals, other categories with recorded growth include watches and costume jewellery (Amman et al 1996, p.32). The marketing plan will be as indicated above. This will involve commercials, adverts, and personalised marketing strategies. Salespeople will also be included in the marketing of the company. Their role will be to sell the company to the large public. There will also be competitions on the streets where the winner walks away with prizes as a way to promote the company. Business Operations The business will operate based on the written-down operations schedule. Each employee will have a designated task in the company. The operations will be organised in the form of the functioning of the company. Operational Function For the business to be operational, an elaborate structure will be provided with the inclusion of all employees and the supporting staff. In the manufacturing area, the personnel will consist of the labourers involved in the making of the jewellery. The y will be housed in the warehouse in the company grounds. Their day will start at 8 am to 5pm. The company will start with a handful of employees before proceeding to employ more in the manufacturing section within the next years. The service to be offered will mainly be the provision of the jewellery. In some special cases, delivery will be made at a fee. The other services to be offered to the clients will be shipping to the desired places. This will however start once the appropriate marketing procedures are in place. To increase the company’s market share, other services to be offered will include the engagement of personal information on the jewellery. The other significant service that the clients will receive includes the provision of accessories that match their taste and fashion. This will be initiated through the marketing strategy that will be set up in the company’s agenda. For the personnel, the company plans to ensure that they are provided with adequate payments to retain them. This will be met through aggressive marketing to ensure that the company has a large profit margin. Housing will be provided to them after the company establishes market control. For those without this provision, the company will embark on the payment of house allowances. Workers will initially work on a contract that will be renewed every six months. Based on the success of the company, most will be retained as permanent employees. The other incentives that the company will use to lure and maintain gifted artisans will be the use of gifts and special payments in the form of commissions for goods sold. This means that each employee will be paid in commission as a percentage of goods sold and made in addition to the regular salary. The employees will also work for five days a week with the weekend and extra hours worked being paid as overtime. A working schedule will also be made for the workers who will be consulted before the timetable is set up. Technology In this section, the technology and application to be used in the company and its operations will be discussed. Since the company will mainly provide handmade materials to market, the technology to be used is simple and readily available. The most important of this will include electric drills and engraving equipment. Since most of the calligraphy will be handmade, electrical appliances will have a limited use thus cutting down power consumption and or saving on the much-needed capital. The other tools to be used include hammers and chisels. They will be used to give the jewellery the required shapes by making the engravings. The other technology to be used include the transport pulleys and forklifts that will be utilised during transportation and packaging of the finished products. Mechanisation will be needed in the packaging of the jewellery, moulding the shapes, and coating the alloys. Electric saws will be utilised during the initial manufacture of jewellery from the raw mater ials to make the metallic frames on which to engrave and attach any added ornaments. The company will also utilise computers and office ware to keep track of finances, processes of manufacturing, as well as distribution. Finances This section covers the financial structure in the company in the present, past, and the expected financial situations. Capitalisation Plan This summarises the financial need of the company including the capital and any added expenses in the running of the business. The main means of raising the required capital in the business is through acquisition of a loan from a local bank here in Amman (Forstater Forstater 2007, p.31). This will fund 95% of the project with the rest of the money coming from the pockets of the partners. A bank loan provides the best opportunity to fund a business (Allman 2006, p.23: Banks 2011, p.13). The bank will be paid in a schedule that will be agreed upon based on the company’s returns and the loan size. The estimated tim e for payment of the loan is projected to be five years when the company is projected to have stabilised to become self-sufficient. The capital gathered will be split between paying labourers, buying raw materials and new equipment, as well as acquiring the new warehouse. To begin with, the company will lease the warehouse and obtain the raw materials from the smelting plant. This will cost around 50,000 dollars with the bulk of it being the raw materials. The rest of the money will cater for the shipping costs, the distribution, as well as the marketing of the products. Personal contribution to the business will be 20,000 dollars from personal savings. The rest of the money will be gotten from partners and the profits made in the first sales. The partners will make the products in the first few months. When the company has established itself, more labourers will be added on to provide their services. The estimated cost of materials is at 20,000 dollars. Advertisements and other mar keting strategies are estimated at 5,000 dollars including offers, sale prices, and payment for the sales officers involved in the process of selling the brand to the male customers in the UK. In the purchase of fixed assets, the building and land on which it stands will be valued with the company willing to spend about 20,000 dollars for the same. This is however not fixed, as the company is still in the process of working out the final price with the original owners of the asset. The money will also be used to purchase the technology to be used in the manufacturing process with the main utility being the electrical equipment. The purchase of the initial gold and silver raw materials will be made using capital from the loan because it serves the biggest proportion of the money being spent. Transport costs and tax levied on the final products to the market will also be included in the loan though this is estimated not to be over 10,000 dollars. The company’s vehicle to be use d to transport the final products to the airport to get raw materials is no included in the budget. Raw materials and jewellery will be transported using the locally available means of public transport. Cabs and rental cars will be used in doing this and in the transport of personnel to and from the airport. In the UK, transport to the outlets will also be via public means. This will continue until the company makes enough money to buy a van and other modes of transporting the jewellery. Security is a major component of capital. Jewellery is expensive and a target for theft. To avoid this, some of the money will go towards hiring guards during the transit of the precious metals and in the transport of the jewels to the final destination in the UK. The purchase of insurance for the company and employees will also be a significant step needed to cover any loss of the raw material, the jewellery, and other assets both in the production and in marketing processes because any loss will b e a setback for the company. The company will also set on a risk-reducing plan by ensuring that the market is evaluated adequately before entry and production of little jewellery to test the market. Contingency plans for the company will also be made should the company fail to make the targeted profits for the first year. This will involve laying off any employed on a contract basis and using the amount of money spared to pay any remaining part of the loan. The table below shows the source and cost of assets. Asset Cost (US$) Source of Funds Raw materials 20,000 Bank loan Pickup truck 6000 Bank loan Packaging machine 12,000 Bank loan Office desk and chair 600 Currently owned Warehouse 30,000 Bank loan Recurrent expenditure for the first year (salaries and overhead costs) 50,000 Bank loan and profits Personal computer 1000 Personal savings Financial Projections (USD) Expected profit in the first year 10, 000 Profit in the second year 50, 000 Profit in the thi rd year 100, 000 References Ali, W Bisharat, S 1989, Contemporary art from the Islamic world, on behalf of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, Amman, Scorpion Pub., London. Allman, B 2006, Banking, MN: Lerner Publications Co., Minneapolis. Amman, H, Kendrick, D, Rust, J, Tesfatsion, L, Judd, K 1996, Handbook of computational economics, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Amman, J 1968, 293 Renaissance woodcuts for artists and illustrators, Dover Publications, New York. Ballantyne, J 1844, Principles of Persian calligraphy, Madden and Co, London. Banks, E 2011, Finance, Routledge, New York, NY. Batt, R 1995, Amman, Maqbul Academy, Lahore. Bean, R 2007, United Kingdom, National Geographic, Washington, D.C. Bienkowski, P 1991, Treasures from an ancient land: the art of Jordan, Stroud, A. Sutton Pub, Gloucestershire. Blythe, J 2006, Marketing, SAGE Publications, London. Book, I 2009, Economics, World Book, Chicago. Campedelli, M 2010, Appliedcaligraphy graphic design, Links International, Barcelona. Duhigg, C 2012, The power of habit: why we do what we do in life and business, Random House, New York. Forstater, M, Forstater, M 2007, Economics, Chicago Review Press, Chicago. Government in Jordan 1978, Ministry of Information, Amann, DTI. Harrison, B 2010, Finding a role?: the United Kingdom 1970-1990, Clarendon, Oxford. Herr, L 1983, The Amman Airport excavations, 1976. Mich, American Schools of Oriental Research, Ann Arbor. ICC financial survey 1979, Knitwear manufacturers – turnover, profit, assets, liabilities, Company, London. Jordan 1989, Economy, Amman, DTI. Keman, H 1987, Coping with the economic crisis: alternative responses to economic recession in advanced industrial societies, Sage Publications, London. Marketing Handbook 2006, Writing to win more customers, Hollis Pub, S.l. McLean, B Nocera, J 2010, All the devils are here: the hidden history of the financial crisis, Portfolio/Penguin, New York. Product n.d., Analysis, Notes From the Rabbit Hole | Biiwii.co m’s Unique Market Perspective Notes From the Rabbit Hole | Biiwii.com’s Unique Market, Perspective, http://www.biiwii.com/. Riley, P 2002, The one-page proposal: how to get your business pitch onto one persuasive page, Regan Books, New York. Sant, T 2004, Persuasive business proposals: writing to win more customers, clients, and contracts, AMACOM, New York. Shiller, R 2008, The subprime solution: how today’s global financial crisis happened and what to do about it, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J. Skinner, P 2003, Jordan, Gareth Stevens Pub, Milwaukee, Wis. South, C 2008, Jordan, Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, Tarrytown, NY. Steingold, F Bray, I 2001, Legal guide for starting running a small business, Nolo, Berkeley, Calif. Watkins, D 1999, Jewellery, New Holland, London. This essay on Management Skills and Entrepreneurship was written and submitted by user Miranda Delaney to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes on Your Common Application - guest article by Nancy Griesemer

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes on Your Common Application - guest article by Nancy Griesemer Introduction by Brenda Bernstein: As college application deadlines approach, I wanted to share some tips on the actual submission of your application. I give this same advice to job seekers by the way (â€Å"Print your resume!†). We have been so lulled by the convenience of online forms that we forget to dot our i’s and cross our t’s. On the Common Application, carelessness can lead to errors and missing information. Following the advice in Nancy Griesemer’s article below might be the most important thing you do as you prepare to submit your college applications! Its All About the Print Preview or Why Your Application Looks Funny by Nancy Griesemer In the old days, applying to college required a dependable typewriter and gallons of correction fluid. Although it was a tedious process that kept application production to a minimum, final documents told a story and reflected something about the care with which the entire application package was put together. These days, every document submitted through an electronic system like the Common Application looks exactly the same- tediously the same. Instead of style and neatness, what differentiates applications is attention to small details and the ability to navigate limitations imposed by the software controlling the submission. And keep in mind, what colleges see is exactly what you see when you preview the document. So its up to you to check for accuracy, completeness, and how well the document â€Å"presents† to readers looking at hundreds of virtually identical forms. This holds true for the Common Application, the Universal College Application (UCA) or most other applications you submit electronically. And this is why all systems strongly suggest you â€Å"Print Preview† your document before pushing the submit button- regardless of how tired you are or how close you are coming to deadline. Otherwise, you risk sending a document that may contain errors or is weirdly cutoff. In case you’re curious, this is because when you complete an application online, your response is posted in an efficient â€Å"variable-width† typeface. Systems can only enforce a character count and cannot measure the physical length of a response. And not all characters are created equal. For example, the Common Application sets a 1000 character limit on the question asking you to â€Å"briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.† The suggested â€Å"word† limit is 150 words or fewer. But because characters are not equal in the amount of space they take up, your essay can easily exceed the word limit imposed by the document. If you doubt this is the case, try typing 1000 â€Å"W’s† or â€Å"M’s† and paste your â€Å"document† into the answer box. You’ll find that all are happily accepted by the program. Now, press preview. What you will see is only about half of your â€Å"document.† If you substitute with 1000 â€Å"i’s†, you will see all of the document plus lots of additional white space allowing for even more characters. â€Å"W’s† and â€Å"M’s† take up way more space than â€Å"i’s.† In the Common Application, the problem occurs not only in the short answer section but also in the fill-in-the blank responses in the â€Å"Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience† section. Even if the application allows you to describe in detail all the awards and honors you received as a member of your high school dance team, it’s possible they will not all show up on the documents colleges actually read. A second, more obscure formatting problem involves spacing. If you persist in hitting the â€Å"enter† key for multiple paragraphs or if you like to write in haikus, you easily run the risk of scrolling beyond the space allotted for an essay response, regardless of the word or character limit. The Common Application appears to allow no more than eight single lines in the 150 word short answer, even if those lines are single words and fall well within all limitations. Finally, please be aware that neither the Common App nor the UCA â€Å"spellchecks† your documents. For those of you who print previewed your documents after pushing the â€Å"submit† button and noted some truncating, don’t despair. If you stayed within the character limit- in other words, if the application allowed you to type your entire answer, the data is still there. It is available to readers if they care to take the time to go back into the system and read the complete answer. I won’t lie to you, however. It’s not easy to retrieve the data, and it’s extremely unlikely that the average admissions reader will bother. And sad to say, spelling errors are yours to own. Keep in mind that you may correct both of these problems in alternate versions of your electronic application. You cannot resend, but you can make corrections for applications you send in the future. So what should you do? Preview- not just for typos but also for what shows up on the document. If truncating occurs in such a way that the response makes no sense, go back and edit. Look for extra words and tighten up your prose or paragraphing. For other responses, use standard or easy-to-understand abbreviations (capt. for captain). Do not use text-speak or nonstandard abbreviations. Unfortunately, there is a little more bad news for users of the Common Application. The Common App’s system requirements list a limited number of â€Å"supported browsers,† which include modern versions of Internet Explorer and Safari, among others. Students using Safari, however, have reported problems previewing applications. And anyone using an older version of Internet Explorer or Chrome could be out of luck. Hopefully, these issues will be corrected in next year’s version of the Common App. For now, you’ll just have to put up with the inconvenience and move your operation to a computer using a supported browser. You can go through some gyrations to make it work, but frankly, it’s usually easier to simply move computers. By the way, the Universal College Application does not have similar browser limitations or issues. In the event you are experiencing problems with your online application, do not hesitate to contact the various â€Å"support centers. But whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute. Responses can be significantly delayed depending on traffic to the site. [Republished with permission of Nancy Griesemer. Original article can be found at https://collegeexplorations.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-all-about-print-preview-or-why-your.html] Need assistance with writing a college application essay? Contact The Essay Expert at 608-467-0067 or through our Web Form. Save

Productive assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Productive assessment - Essay Example As a result he was able to see the different features and benefits that each product had to offer. Consequently, he could deduce the marketing rationale of why a certain model was more or less than another and what features one could expect to find on the model in the lower, median, and high end price ranges. Dee Fink of the Oklahoma Instructional Development Program labels this approach â€Å"Doing† because Donald’s exposure to the products permits him to categorize them and create an appropriate hierarchy in his mind from which to delineate a value for each product that he can understand and remember. Dr. Charles Bonwell conducts Active Learning workshops where he helps school teachers learn this technique. According to Dr. Bonwell, the purpose of his workshops is to train instructors to move away from the classical approach of relying almost exclusively on the lecture as the primary learning tool to moving into an environment where the student participates directly i n all aspects of his/her learning experience.

How is the analysis of a drama's plot, character, and theme different Assignment

How is the analysis of a drama's plot, character, and theme different from that of a novel, or a short story - Assignment Example Differentiating the analysis of the aforementioned literary works probably would lie on the approach of an individual to how one understands the story. In a novel or short story, the events are told in a conversational way so that the incidents are almost completely interpreted as to how he would have wanted it to be. In addition, descriptions of events and characters as well as their feelings make the analysis of a novel or short story easier. In drama however, since the unfolding of the story is seen in the conversations of the characters and lacks the author’s explanation of their feelings, the interpretation relies more on the analysis of the conversations and the very words used. Also, as drama is made to be seen and heard like movies or plays, its analysis also involves the facial expressions, volume and tone of voices of the characters.

Intercultural communication class- research paper

Intercultural communication class- - Research Paper Example nships between these multicultural societies it is also very important to understand how the world today is characterized by an ever growing number of contacts that results from communication between people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Samovar, 2006). This paper takes a stand that cultures plays an important role in determining the method of intercultural communication amongst the Hispanic community living in United States. Culture has different meanings although it is used to denote to a set of standards, values, art, practices and music of a particular group. Becker (2004) defines culture, as a complex whole that includes beliefs, arts, knowledge, morals, law, and any other capability and habit which is acquired by mankind within a society. Furthermore, he denotes that culture is normally acquired and learned, as opposed to biological traits which are inherited (Samovar, 2006). As we are made to comprehend that this was innovative against the background of colonialism, social evolution and racialism which were the most common ideologies during the nineteenth century (Davis, 2000). They are regarded as a highly group-oriented form of social setup. In this sense, Hispanics put strong emphasis on the family as the main source of the identity of an individual, and it protects against the hardships an individual passes through. People who do not have the capability of creating this set up are not easily trusted, and this process is very cautious (Toomey and Chung, 2012). The model of a family, amongst the Hispanics normally comprises of aunts, grandparents, cousins, etc. They use the term Familismo to describe their strong and supreme loyalty to extended families. Due to an emphasis on harmony, collectivity and corporation amongst the Hispanic people, this group normally emphasizes collective responsibility (Toomey and Chung, 2012). Within these groups, there is a very rigid definition of sex roles. The elderly are revered and very much valued

Individuals With Asperger Syndrome

Individuals With Asperger Syndrome Asperger Syndrome (AS) or (Aspergers Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940s, it wasnt until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th. Edition (DSM IV) and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents. Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. Its important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of improper parenting. By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naivetà ©, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can easily become victims of teasing and bullying. While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with AS often have deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some children sound like little professors. However, persons with AS can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context. While specific Asperger syndrome causes are not known, research is being conducted to understand Asperger syndrome and how it can be effectively treated. One study is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show how abnormalities in particular areas of the brain cause changes in brain function that result in the symptoms of Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders. Other research includes testing the effectiveness of an antidepressant in individuals with Asperger syndrome who exhibit high levels of obsessive/ritualistic behavior. Another Asperger syndrome research study is collecting and analyzing DNA samples from a large group of children with Asperger syndrome and their families to identify genes and genetic interactions that are linked to Asperger syndrome. Although there are many possible symptoms of Aspergers syndrome, the main symptom is severe trouble with social situations. Your child may have mild to severe symptoms or have a few or many of these symptoms. Because of the wide variety of symptoms, no two children with Aspergers are alike. Parents often first notice the symptoms of Aspergers syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact with other children. Children with Aspergers syndrome may. Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking. Dislike any changes in routines. Appear to lack empathy. Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent. Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word beckon instead of call or the word return instead of come back. Avoid eye contact or stare at others. Have unusual facial expressions or postures. Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Aspergers syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs. Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized. Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor. Have heightened sensitivity and become over stimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction. A child with one or two of these symptoms does not necessarily have Aspergers syndrome. To be diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a child must have a combination of these symptoms and severe trouble with social situations. Although the condition is in some ways similar to autism, a child with Aspergers syndrome typically has normal language and intellectual development. Also, those with Aspergers syndrome typically make more of an effort than those with autism to make friends and engage in activities with others.

Heroin Legislation :: essays research papers

The Heroin War: Why We Must Change our Battle Plan If a single reason can be given to illustrate the urgent need for reform of the current Australian drug policy it is this; that the prohibition strategy is simply not working. The toll from heroin deaths in Victoria has risen 73 percent over the last ten years, addiction and overdose rates are soaring and the price of heroin is declining. The Federal Government is applauding the ‘zero-tolerance’ regime. The Prime Minister displays the seizure of large amounts of the drug and apprehension of suppliers as proof that the law is working, while the obvious truth is illustrated on our streets. No matter how ‘tough on drugs’ the government becomes they will never eliminate their presence in society. This is clear from the failure of the approach in other nations. For example the US carries out a drug associated arrest every 20 seconds, with no signs of any decline. All that prohibition succeeds in achieving is turning the drug trade into an illegal, dark and murky black market affair. We must now ask the question, are we going to stand staunch in policies which have proved to be unsuccessful or are we going to take a brave leap into a more hopeful future? There is great fear reverberating through the community; fear of stepping into a more open and frightening, yet decidedly more promising way of tackling the issue. Reform does not mean, as opposers argue, condoning the use of drugs. It means accepting that drugs are part, admittedly an unfortunate part, of our society which will not simply ‘go away’. The refreshingly new ideas of controlled heroin trials, legal injecting rooms and greater availability of clean needles should be given consideration. Lightening of the law would bring drug use out of the shadows it has long inhabited, removing the violence, criminality and risk which go hand in hand with the current drug trade. It is argued that any easing of drug laws would reduce the cost, and increase the availability of street heroin, but if pure, safer heroin is prescribed under clinical conditions, will this not reduce the desire for heroin on the street? Casting light into the alleyways will surely lessen the sinister nature of the black trade. Addicts would not have to turn to crime to finance their habit and dealers would not have the violent hold over those they supply.

Bi Canadian Tire

CASE SYNOPSIS The IT group at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), located at the headquarters of a network of five major business groups, is faced with developing an implementation plan for the development of a business intelligence (BI) infrastructure and business capability at Canadian Tire Retail (CTR). Concurrent to this initiative is the development and implementation of an IT strategy for CTC that places a number of programs on the priority list, with BI seen as a high priority item for which the organization can score some â€Å"quick win† business success.CTR is a major Canadian retailer of automotive, sports and leisure, and home products. CTR business analysts have had the benefit of working with an information warehouse for the past nine years. However, numerous technological, organizational and people challenges associated with the information warehouse have lead to the realization that a complete redesign of the information warehouse is required. Students are require d to analyse the business context of the BI initiative and identify the major challenges that will be associated with its development and implementation over the next 2. years. They will then develop an implementation plan that accounts for these challenges and ensures that CTC will be able to realize the full business value of these investments. Suggested  Questions 1. What is BI and how can it help Canadian Tire? In the case there are 10 common challenges of BI implementations, which of these would you rate as most important for Eubanks and Wnek at CTC, and why? How would you address them? 2. To what degree do you think CTC/CTR’s organizational structure influences the business intelligence initiative?Specifically, what challenges will the shadow IT groups raise for the implementation of the BI strategy? Is this important? Why or why not? 3. Compare the exhibits that depict the current versus the future desired BI infrastructure. What challenges exist for the implementati on of the BI initiative? 4. Given your analysis, develop an implementation plan to project completion. This plan must lay out the priorities and address the major challenges you have identified.

Background to Primary Justice in Malawi

BACKGROUND TO PRIMARY JUSTICE PILOT PROJECT In May 1999, the Malawi Government and DFID/MaSSAJ (Malawi Safety Security and Access to Justice) commissioned an external consultancy agency to conduct a study on Primary Justice in Rural Malawi, to investigate issues that are related to the protection, safety and access to justice by the poorest and most vulnerable groups in rural areas in Malawi. The research report revealed that between 80 to 90% of the population in Malawi access justice in the informal sector.However, it was again realized that the informal sector had several gaps which called for an intervention. Primary Justice Pilot Project was carried out from 2003- 2007 aiming to address the identified gaps. The project examined the various roles of marriage counselors, village head persons, Chiefs, religious and party leaders and government officials in dispute resolution. These service providers were found to be points of reference in matters relating to land, theft of farm pro duce, livestock, and household goods, witchcraft, matrimonial cases, inheritance issues and chieftainship, just to mention a few.The research revealed that there is urgent need to consolidate and develop locally credible and widely accessible systems of safety, security and justice that would operate within a human rights framework. The pilot project aimed to address a number of issues; 1. Capacity building of primary justice service providers 2. Enhancing record keeping and documentation of cases 3. Enhancing networking and linkages- referral mechanisms; between the formal and the informal 4. Public awareness 5. Dispute resolutionTo be able to achieve this, 14 District Implementing Agencies were identified and were referred to as â€Å"Entry Points† for the pilot Districts. Basically the role of the Entry Points was to receive funds from the Managing Agency, CCJP Lilongwe, and use it to facilitate various activities which would aim to achieve the above five project objective s. Initially, GTZ was the Managing Agency and CCJP Lilongwe took over from November 2006 to March 2007, where the pilot project phased out. Currently, CCJP Lilongwe and DFID is finalizing the concept of Primary Justice Malawi, covering all the 28 Districts.

Polska

Polska Gypsies: The forgotten victims of the Holocaust The Holocaust was a well-organized and ruthless persecution and annihilation of the European Jewry and other minorities, which was marked by increasing barbarity as the territories under German rule expanded. During the 12 years of Nazi domination millions of people including mentally ill, homosexuals, Poles, Russians, Catholic priests, Jehova's Witnesses, Gypsies, homeless and poor as well as many others perished in the name of pure, Aryan race. Hitler believed that "the stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker"‚  where the ladder has to be eliminated if needed in order to persevere the greatness of the superior (Hitler 285). The European Jewry was targeted as the "sickness"‚  that had to be cured using "extraordinary"‚  but necessary methods. While examining the Holocaust one is forced to wander about its "Jewishness."‚  The question is not whether the Holocaust "had a distinctly Jewish aspect t o it"‚  but why thousands of other minorities that perished during that time are still not accounted for? To be more specific, one should also focus on the non-Jewish victims that were included in the genocide of the 1933-1945 period.Adolf Hitler in Yugoslavia.This concern stems from the fact that the annihilation of the Gypsies who were included in the "final solution remains one of the most neglected chapters in the history of that fateful era"‚  (Lewy VII).To gain understanding of Nazi agenda and its success, it is necessary to learn about the founding factors that contributed to its rise in power. National Socialism is the root of Nazism where its ideologies have been carefully crafted by numerous German thinkers as well as non-German writers such as Thomas Carlyle, Auguste Comte and Georges Sorel. The basic premise of National Socialism is "collectivism freed from all traces of an individual tradition"‚  (Hayek 183). Nearly...

Sickle cell anemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sickle cell anemia - Research Paper Example Most people do not know the difference between the sickle cell disease and the sickle cell trait and instead they ignore all this and discover only after the baby has been screened and found to have the trait or the disease. If the mothers were aware about the sickle cell anaemia, they would go for screening but for most mothers they are not aware of the disease and they therefore cannot be educated on how to take care of themselves and their children when it comes to anaemia. Sickle cell anaemia has been said to be mostly evident in African- American women. The interview taken showed that most of them were not aware that the disease is most prominent among them and they were not aware of what to do if they are found to be having the said disease. The demographics of the sample show that most of the women who were interviewed are paid below 50,000 dollars. An interview should have been conducted that shows the search relating to those women who are paid above 50,000 dollars in order to reflect how poverty contributes to the disease. This would have shown if most of the women who are paid over 50,000 dollars have been screened and if they aware about the disease or if it is just a matter of ignorance from everyone. The sample was only focused on African -American women who earned less than 50,000 dollars. It would have been widened to include women who were not African-American so that it can be shown that the disease is mainly prone to African-American women. This would have created the distinction between other ethnic groups and tribes and the African- American women. The sample indeed showed that most of the pregnant women were not aware about the disease but this could be so because they do not receive any education regarding the disease and therefore get into relationships without knowing if they have the disease or not. Others choose not to share such information to their partners out of fear of what would happen if they gave out such information. It has b een said that most of the women fear telling their husbands that they have the disease. A sample of husbands who have sickle cell or those whose children have sickle cell should also have been included to see if they are aware of how the disease is transferred. Ignorant husband are also a contributory factor to the spread of the disease. If you take an example of the men who have sickle cell anaemia, a fraction of the men would have portrayed that most of them did not share with their wives the fact that they had anaemia. Another study would have been carried out for those husbands who did have the sickle cell disease to reflect whether they shared the fact to their wives and if they shared it what precautions they took. The spouse’s ignorance too, leads to the spread of the disease as much as it is a disease that is rampant among pregnant mothers. The knowledge of one of the spouses would have contributed a great deal if they shared the fact to their partners. Since their pa rtners do not want to tell their wives that, they have sickle cell anaemia and on the other hand, the wives fear telling their husbands this leads to a situation where the disease is only discovered while giving birth. A sample of the children with anaemia should have been taken to reveal whether the children are aware of the disease or for those who have it whether they are on medication or if they are on treatment for the same. A great risk is

Current Problems with the US Public Education Essay - 103

Current Problems with the US Public Education - Essay Example Low-income is the source of poverty for a number of Americans today. According to (Strauss 1), the numbers of students of children, from preschool to 12th grade, that benefit from the federal free and subsided feeding have increased exponentially over the years.   Children from low-income backgrounds now dominate most of the public schools. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the federal education policy has not considered poverty to be a major challenge to the education system in the United States. It is obvious that students find it difficult to cope with school hence ends up missing classes or are psychologically affected by the poverty levels in their homes. To emphasize the magnitude of the problem of poverty, a study by National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed that schools with high-income students sent more students to college as opposed to those that have been sent by schools dominated by low-income students (Strauss 1).The No Child Left Behind Act is one of the major policies that give the parents a leeway to choose schools for their children. The law allows parents to consider taking their children to schools of their choice while at the same time providing a free tutoring platform for schools that do not perform well. Safety is also captured as a major consideration in the choice of the school that the parent prefers. The law provides that both local and state school districts should provide information to the parent in order to make an informed choice of the school to take their child.