Is it worth dying for one’s Christian principles? Essay

This question cannot really be answered with just a yes or no response, any one who answers it must be able to explain why because everyone has their own informed opinion on this question. Some people would say yes because as all Christians believe, there is life after death with God, so there is no reason why we should wish to escape death but the main reason that most people would come up with for saying no is that nothing is as important as your own life and that you should protect it at all cost no matter what is required (there is a limit e.g. most people would not be willing to kill another person). Martyrdom is a strong reason, not so much in that â€Å"If I die I will be a martyr and everyone will praise me!† Which people who say no might accuse Martyrs of doing, and they would say it is wrong to do that, but more in the sense â€Å"Martyr’s were willing to die so should I be willing to show my devotion to God by sacrificing my life for others and to witness the truth.† Some believe that when presented with death there are more important things than one’s self to think of, those being justice, mercy, forgiveness and peace while people saying no would counter with something like dying for your beliefs could be seen as suicide because you would just be letting yourself die and even God does not like people committing suicide. If you were in a place where Christians were persecuted and you died for your beliefs, you would be an inspiration for hope, so that your sacrifice may lead to better things for all people. This is a key point, that every sacrifice no matter how big or how small is important, but people in the same situation might not be willing to die because even Jesus the Son of God didn’t want to die, he prayed to God â€Å"my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.† So people argue that there is nothing wrong with not being willing to die f or one’s Christian belief. In my opinion I would have to say that in most cases it is worth dying for one’s Christian principles e.g. if you were in a place where Christians were being persecuted and people were denouncing their Christian principles, then in order to show them that you should never give up hope and to inspire them, it would be worth openly showing your Christianity which would certainly lead to death. But in other cases it would be a waste, e.g. if you were involved in a project that involved helping others less fortunate than yourself and you were told that if you were a Christian you would be killed, then I would use one of the arguments put forward by someone who might have said yes as reason for saying no which is to put other things before one’s self by thinking about all the people that need your help so desperately. In theory, there are more arguments as to why people should be willing to die for their Christian beliefs, but realistically even people who say yes, would in fact not be prepared to die, although there are some people who would, these are the true martyrs.

Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was a brilliant man. His works on philosophy, physics and mathematics are still heavily influenced much to all of these studies today in our modern world. Descartes was born in March 31, 1596 in La Haye, France; he was named after one of his godfathers, Rene Bruchard des Funtaines. Descartes parents were Joachim and Jeanne Descartes, he also had one brother and one sister and two half siblings. Growing up Descartes had health issues â€Å"infirmity of the lungs, (Rene Descartes). When he was enrolled in school around eight years of age at Jesuit college La Fleche in Anjou he had permission to wake up at eleven in the morning instead of earlier like all the other school kids, in regards to his fragile health. Descartes kept this daily routine for almost the rest of his life he believed that, â€Å"the only way to good work in mathematics and to preserve his health was never to allow anyone to make him get up in the morning before he felt inclined to do so; an opinion which I chronicle for the benefit of any schoolboy into whose hands this work may fall, (A Short Account of the History of Mathematics’). Descartes left school at around 1912 and they began to study law at Poiters, and graduated with honors for his degree and license in law, although he didn’t pursue a law degree. In 1617 Descartes chose to join the army rather than the church; He served in the army of Prince Maurice of Orange and then Breda. He was more of a mercenary for the Catholics and Protestants. One day in late fall of 1618, Descartes was walking around and saw a Dutch placard, which spiked his curiosity; and by luck the person he stopped was Isaac Beckman.Beckman was a highly educated Dutch philosopher; he translated for Descartes in return if Descartes would work out the problem. After a couple of hours passed, intrigued by Descartes, Beckman â€Å"sparked his interest in mathematics and the New Physics, he concluded that his real path in life was the pursuit of true wisdom and science, (17th Century Mathematics-Descartes). † During his leisure time in the army, Descartes studied mathematics; in November 10th-11th, 1619 he had a series of dreams that he believed is one or the most important days of his life.The visions he had were his first ideas of new philosophy and his works of analytical geometry. He continued to serve in the army under his family traditions and influence and was persuaded to volunteer under Count de Bucquoy in the army of Bavaria, and then he resigned his commission in 1621. Descartes traveled throughout parts of Europe for a couple of years still purely giving himself to mathematics in 1628 while residing in France he met Cardinal de Berulle, the founders of the Oratorians. Berulle loved his conversation with Descartes, â€Å"and he encouraged Descartes to devote his life to the study of truth, (Rene Descartes-Biography). For the nest twenty years Descartes lived in seclusion in Holland and made regular trips to France. In the course of time Descartes wrote a piece of his collections, â€Å"Le Monde†, he didn’t want it to be published in that time; because the Catholic church had burnt all of Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) and him in house arrest. Descartes had lived in fear the same thing could happen to him if he didn’t correspond with the rules. Yet he was book â€Å"Le Monde† was published many years later.Despite not being able to release that book, he did write another book in 1633 and was published in 1937. â€Å"In 1637 Descartes published Optics, Meteorology, and Geometry, a collection of essays. The preface to the collection is titled Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences, (Rene Descartes-Biography). † â€Å"La Geometrie† is what his contribution to mathematics is still used till this day. Before his discovery mathematici ans used capital letters (A,B,C) for known quantities in algebraic notation and unknown quantities were lower case letters (a,b,c).In the â€Å"La Geometrie† he gave his ideas and instead of using capital and lower cases letters, he shifted it to just (a,b,c) as know quantities and (x,y,z) for unknown. In that time he also in verbal expression of exponents such as â€Å"square, cube at etc†, he replaced it with numeral superscripts. Descartes argued that, For the square of a magnitude did not differ from it in kind, as a geometrical square differs from a line, rather, the square the cube and all powers differed from the base quantity only in the number of â€Å"relations† separating them respectively from a common unit quantity.That is since: 1: x=x; x2 =x2: x3=†¦ (Descartes: Mathematics and Physics) Descartes â€Å"rule of signs† a law given for determining whether the number of positive or negative real roots of polynomials â€Å"Descartes’ â€Å"rule of signs† does not give the solution of a polynomial equation, but it does give information on the number of positive and negative roots of the polynomial, (17th Century Mathematics-Descartes). † He also proposed in â€Å"La Geometrie† that each point in a two dimension form can have two numbers on a plane, giving a horizontal and vertical locations; which is known as Cartesian coordinates. He used perpendicular lines (or axes) crossing at a point called the origin, to measure the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) locations, both positive and negative, thus effectively diving the plane into four quadrants, (17th Century Mathematics-Descartes). † With the Cartesian Coordinates, Descartes showed that the x and y axis supported simple equations of straight lines, to more complex coordinates of equations with different exponents. For example y=x2+4 is a curve parabola. Descartes was more famously known as a philosopher giving his two sense in things a nd pursuing to uphold the truth.He continued to keep adding to his collections of writing Meditations, Principia Philosophiae and others. In 1649, Queen Christina of Sweden invited Descartes to live in Stockholm to tutor her in philosophy and she insisted in working with him at 5 in the morning; which he was used. The early hours and the harsh weather affected his health and he died of pneumonia in early 1650. Besides his great deal of being dubbed â€Å"the father of modern day philosophy† Descartes math contributions are value of us today.His idea of the Cartesian coordinate is in our mathematical calculators and the coordinates are what we use in math in almost all grade levels. Without Descartes influence exponents wouldn’t have been as simple, and also being able to determine positive and negative real roots. Descartes believed everything can be related to math and that there was always an answer, even if it was imaginary numbers too. His contributions in all area s of studies helped shaped the modern studies. Rene Descartes was a brilliant man indeed. Works CitedBall, W. W Rouse. ‘ A Short Account of the HIstory of Mathematics' (4th edition). 1908. Biography, Complete Dictionary of Scientific. Descartes: Mathemtics and Physics. 2008. December 2012 . Rodis-Lewis, Genevieve. â€Å"Descartes' lofe and the development of his philosophy. † Cottingham, John. The Cambridge Companion to Descartes. 1992. p 21-58. School, The European Graduate. Rene Descartes-Biography. . Unknown. 17 Century Mathematics-Descartes.

Things Fall Apart Culture Research Paper

Maduena 1 Thomas Maduena Mrs. Aisola English 4 December 16, 2012 Unconventional Culture of the Ibo People in Nigeria The Ibo people, traditionally known as Igbo, are one of the largest and most significant ethnic groups of Southern Nigeria (Igboland). Their culture and traditions are so diverse because their group is fragmented into subgroups. Chinua Achebe explains the tough and cultural ways of the Ibo people in his novel Things Fall Apart.Their customs can be compared but, nevertheless they have kept their traditions stayed the same throughout their history. Origin; Ibo people originated in the Kingdom of Nri. â€Å"Nri Kingdom in the Awka area is the cradle of Igbo civilization and culture† (destee. com) It is also one of the most oldest Nigerian kingdoms. Although Nri people were a different group, they influenced the traditional Igbo people with their customs and practices. â€Å"There is a little bit of Nri in all of us†¦ Igbo is Nri and Nri is Igbo†¦ you ar e Nri and Nri is you†¦ † (destee. om) The orgin of the Igbo people can be argued about, but no doubt the originated from the Nri People. Traditional Society; Although some ill-informed people would only see that the Ibo people are very primitive and barbaric, they had their own form of government, leadership, and economy. â€Å"The basic unit of Igbo life was the village group†¦family head† (qub. ac. uk) The â€Å"family head† or modern colloquial, the man of the house, would be the older male, In most cases the father. He settled all issues within and outside his family, and was the one to Maduena 2 talk to higher members of the clan or in the village. Social status is based on wealth, regardless of occupation. The Igbo distinguish between obgenye or mbi (the poor), dinkpa (the moderately prosperous), and nnukwu madu or ogaranya (the rich). â€Å" (everyculture. com) Titles were a major role in every Nigerian tribe whether it be the Ibos, Yorubas, or Hausas. A title gave respect and honor to their family. â€Å"Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages†¦ fame rested on solid personal achievements. † (Things Fall Apart P. 1, Chinua Achebe) His title was earned throughout his life and solely on himself, which gave him a god reputation and being respected. There was a hierarchy of ascending titles that were to be taken in order, accompanied by an ascending scale of payments. † (qub. ac. uk) Titles were not easy to come by and had an extensive process. Rituals were acquired and having a title gave the person a sense of success. Their villages are very dependent on one another. Any interference with their village would be taken up to the leader of the clan and if necessary brought up to the elders. Decisions would affect their entire village or town and need to be thoroughly checked with. Oracles played a key role for Ibo villages because of their consistency of being dependable.In â€Å"Things Fall Apart † the Oracle was an important character in their decisions made. â€Å"And there were indeed occasions when the Oracle had forbidden Umuofia to wage a war. If the clan had disobeyed the Oracle they would surely have been beaten. † (Things Fall Apart P. 11, Chinua Achebe) The Umuofia people are so superstitious that they will not make any major decisions without first consulting the gods through the Oracle. Their thought is that only the Gods can justify when the time to war is right. Government; The Igbo leaders of the village and the common people all work together to form a democracy.They all participate to make their villages such a working Maduena 3 community. â€Å"Perhaps it was the small scale of their political institutions that made Igbo Land such a good example of what a democracy should be. Some of the first European visitors to this region were struck by the extent to which democracy was truly practiced. † (qub. ac. uk) Igbo people are not the barbari ans people think of them to be. They just have an unconventional way of having a stable society. Family and Marriage; Families would live in the village group, but all living in separate segments.Males and elders would receive the outmost respect. The oldest male was usually the leader of the compound and there were many different groups in that compound. The rule of seniority was usually the placement where the person would be in their status. Marriage was ideal for every woman especially. â€Å"When a boy betroths a girl, the matter does not end there. The families of the contracting parties will embark on a series of investigations about the character, home training, lineage, health, clan relationship They needed a man to provide for them and their future children. (kwenu. com) Marriage was not as simple as it is modern days. Marriage requires thoroughly planning to get the best for their child, presumably their daughter. Polygamy was common and looked upon. If they were a succe ssful man, they had as much wives as they could marry. Men would have multiple wives and several children. Wives were ranked according to the order in which they married the common husband. Seniority was also important in children. The first male and female children of the domestic group were more important than the next children to be born.First-born children were given specific and responsible positions in their family. Rite of Passage; Children are normally the ones to have significant events happen to them. Circumcision is common in present day around the world. Ibo people too believe in this. â€Å"The difference is they also circumcise girls. The rite of Circumcision, whereby a child Maduena 4 is initiated into his culture, occurs on the eighth day after birth, when he or she is circumcised. † (kenwu. com) Another rite in Igbo culture would be Iru-mgbede (fattening of a girl before marriage).Igbo people believed that if the mother were physically healthy, the child woul d be born healthy and able to survive. Igba Mgba (wrestling) was how one became a warrior or well known throughout the community. This was the way Okonkwo first started to build his reputation as a fine skilled warrior. â€Å"As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalizine the Cat. † (Things Fall Apart P. 3 Chinua Achebe) Amalizine the Cat was an amazing wrestler whose back would never touch the ground, Okonkwo defeated him and with that gained his honor and respect. Every man wanted to be respected.Culture and beliefs; Spirits, gods and the unknown were not something to be interfered with and the Igbo people greatly feared the supernatural. † The darkness held a vague terror for these people†¦children were warned not to whistle at night for fear of evil spirits. † (Things Fall Apart P. 9 Chinua Achebe) Night was deeply feared. Animals were thought to become more vicious at night. Moonlight however would bring tranquility. People would go out for walks and children would be playing. Most marriages and festivities would be held in the evening leading on to the night. One of the biggest celebrations was the Feast of New Yam.Most West African countries celebrate this. The Feast of New Yam symbolized the end of a harvest and the beginning of the next work cycle. â€Å"†¦To honor the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan. New yams could not be eaten until some head first been offered to these powers. † (Things Fall Apart P. 32 Chinua Achebe) They strongly believed in sacrifice and giving the their higher beings. Although beating their wives and children is looked upon as strength to keep things in order, many Maduena 5 African tribes including the Igbo culture practiced the Week of Peace.Any disrespect towards traditions was dealt with the elders of the elders of the tribe. No work or violence should happen during to week of peace in order to pray for his or her future crop to gr ow. â€Å"Okonkwo broke the peace, and was punished†¦ † (Things Fall Apart P. 25 Chinua Achebe) His punishment was to sacrifice a female goat, a hen, a length of cloth, and one hundred cowries in order to keep from harvest turning out bad. Respect to their culture is mandatory for everyone in the tribe. Modern Igbo culture; Today, there are as many churches as well as mosques and traditional religion worship centers in Enugu State.The state is predominantly made up of Christians, but also had many catholic and protestant churches in Enugu State. Much of the Igbo’s traditions are still celebrated, but things like abusing your children and wife is not kept. Monogamous relationships are much more common and they celebrate holidays because they are converted into Christians. † One of the most important events in Igboland is Christmas and it signifies home return in the village†¦Igbo families consider their one and only real home their house in the village. It is the two weeks around Christmas which bring families back together to the village. (igboguide. org) Modern Ibo people are more focused in unity within their family and their villages. Unlike in Things Fall Apart, masculinity is not a major attribute, peace and affection has replaced it. Although the Ibo culture and religion has changed, the tough and rigidness is something they will always have. Ibo people are very spiritual, as shown in Things Fall Apart. Ibo people in nature show respect, if respect is shown towards them. Their customs have changed, but that will never change who they are at heart. Maduena 6 Figure 1 http://www. globalsecurity. rg/military/world/nigeria/maps. htm Figure 2 http://amaigboyouth. wordpress. com/maps/ Maduena 7 Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. London: William Heinemann Limited, part of Reed Consumer Books, 1959. Print. Advameg Inc. â€Å"Countries and Their Cultures. † Economy. n. d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Akbondu. â€Å"Black Pe ople : Nri Kingdom†¦ the Cradle of Igbo Civilization. † Black People Meet. . n. d. , 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 12 Dec. 012. . Froiland, Andrew. â€Å"African Tribes – Ibo – Igbo Culture. † African Tribes – Ibo – Igbo Culture. Minnesota State University Mankato, n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . Onyemaechi, Uzoma, and Ann Arboy. â€Å"Igbo Culture and Socialization. † Igbo Culture. University of Michigan, n. d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. .

The Role of the Egyptian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of the Egyptian Religion - Essay Example The New Kingdom is the time period between roughly the sixteenth century BC and eleventh century BC in ancient Egyptian history. It could be described as the ancient civilization’s most affluent period with the most power it ever enjoyed. The main stalwart of Egypt’s power during this time, taking the civilization to a new height was Ramesses the Great. His campaigns into the Levant, to recover the once lost lands brought him great splendor as a king. Particularly of remembrance was his great military victory at the battle of Kadesh. The Egyptian religion played a strong roll in the lives of the people. The gods, who were believed to be manifested in their cult images, were taken care of by the priests. Offerings were made to them regularly to bring their blessings upon the people. There was a sense of hierarchy about the gods as well with Isis enjoying a higher position than the local gods like Tawaret. The primary difference in this came from the institutional gods be ing there to help in concerns of kingship whereas the local gods were prominent among the locals of Egyptian towns. There was a kind of ascendency involved with the higher state gods starting out as local deities but climbing slowly to a higher level as more temples were built in their name and opportunities for their worship increased.

Discuss the role of university research in innovation in the knowledge Essay

Discuss the role of university research in innovation in the knowledge economy - Essay Example Basic research is a study aimed at greater understanding of the phenomenon under study. The main objective of applied research is to answer and address real-world challenges. It includes systematic analysis of practical part of science. It deals with practical challenges and uses experimental methodologies to solve them. Research and innovation is linked to social and economic development of a country. In Europe, most projects contribute to minimizing regional disparities by improving innovation and research potential. Research has been growing since the end of Second World War. Most firms participate in applied research because it can be marketed easily. Most industries can collaborate with universities specialized in applied technology. Mechanism of Research Governments have made policies to structure innovations and research in the universities. They ensure that there is a return on public investments in terms of social prosperity and economic growth (Rothaermel & David 2008, p.17 ). The role of different actors in the field, their abilities to conduct the research currently are on transnational research networks. Information on research and innovation is necessary for policymakers so that they may be able to see how they can help the universities to promote their innovation and research in the market.... Government support is not enough in most institutions. In most cases, universities collaborate with industries in conducting research. Universities have people, units, and functions, which are involved in partnership actions that have an effect on technological and economic development. They do this by licensing and spin-offs. Universities differ in the way they organize their programs or activities so as to foster innovation. Research institutions, majorly in the United States, are more concerned about their societies in the recent past. This is because they represent the inner resources of knowledge in those societies. Competency of individuals, knowledge and skills and their application has improved significantly in the economy where these individuals work. Most countries focus on the development, application, preservation, and discovery of all forms of knowledge and skills. These are the humanistic, scientific, and social knowledge. They therefore assist publicly and privately fu nded universities. The institutions then appreciate these contributions by appropriately contributing to the development in economy. They enhance knowledge linking activities, which improve technology commercialization, enhance workers’ competency, and assist community and organizational change and increase competency of professionals (Chen, K & Kenney, M 2007, p 1056). They also provide social, economic, and cultural organizational analyses to train and educate individuals and to bring individuals and groups concerned about rational, informed discourse on matters of common concern (Gebauer et al 2005, p.650). The capabilities of these universities are vest in many places, not only schools of business and

Global and Sustainable Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global and Sustainable Development - Essay Example The New European Division of Labor too coincided between 1450 and 1640 (actually he clubbed these two periods together), when social classes and ethnic groupings came into existence with bureaucratization, which is the "process aided the limited but growing power of the king. By increasing the state power to collect taxes, the kings eventually increased state power to borrow money and thereby further expand the state bureaucracy," http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/wallerstein.html At the end of it all the supreme power vested in the absolute and greatly empowered monarchy. These periods also saw homogenization of the local population when minorities got expelled and capitalist groups without local standing were either hated or feared (e.g.: Jews, protestants). During this period, Catholic Church became strong and even threatened the States. Militia was established to protect the emperor's regime and the state from outside invasion. The kings were free from the earlier feudal laws and many enlightened emperors used the opportunity to inspire institutions, arts etc. and the local bourgeoisie got strengthened. Northwestern European states improved by 1640 while Spain, Italy and Liberian America declined and England became the most important state. Division of labor, fall in wages, Europe becoming the centre of capitalism, increase of politico-economic groups etc. happened during this time and finally, industrialization stepped in. The third and fourth stages occur in 18th century and beyond and this capitalism belongs to the industry and not to agriculture. This period is marked with exploration and exploitation of new markets, competitive world systems, shifting of core regions into industrial concerns and manufacturing. Division of labor between labor class and landowners became part of the development of capitalist world economy. He says political and economic conditions completely changed the north-western Europe after the end of feudalism. With the imperialistic policies Europe became a major power in the world. He traces the modernization of the world through the historical and economical happenings and he feels that modern society and world system have increased the disparity between haves and have-nots because the relationship between the core, peripheral and semi-peripheral remained relative and not constant. During these developments, other problems like sexism, racism, where biology defined the position and such positions are socially unchangeable, cropped up. World system commoditized everything and the politics for accumulation, struggle for benefits and truth as opiate crept in. Wallerstein has rendered powerful contribution to sociological practice. "What distinguishes the historical social system we are calling historical capitalism is that in this historical system capital came to be used (invested) in a very special way" Wallerstein (1983, p.14). The world system he has detailed still remains one of the best theories, an all-enveloping perspective. "A world-system is a social system, one that has boundaries, structures, member groups, rules of legitimation and coherence. Its life is made up of conflicting

How to stop climate change Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to stop climate change - Coursework Example The second step is focusing on the big win to attain total control of activities that may have negative impact on climate. This can be done through establishing programs that promote environmental hygiene as this is the first step towards climate preservation. The author of this article believes that people do not respond actively to environmental preservation measures because they consider it a big and tedious process. He then proposes the need to simplify the preservation processes as this will convince people to engage in positive environmental practices. The third step of climate preservation is technology. People should research on alternative ways of reducing negative climate impacts with technology such as using solar power to cook instead of black-coal and reducing carbon emission in aircrafts. The use of solar energy can redress extreme temperate zones an act that can in turn create a conducive environment (Lovins, 2011). Technological inventions may give possible solutions to almost three quarters of the climate problems.According to my opinion, the three steps listed in this article gives perfect solution to the climate problems. Instead of campaigning and holding debates on environmental matters, the experts should introduce systems that trigger environmental conservation. For instance, every nation should establish organizations that deal with waste materials globally as this will reduce climate risks by at least 10%. People should be motivated to ensure climate preservation practices.

Analyse case study financially Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyse case study financially - Essay Example However he purchased the stock from his partner and became the sole owner. In 1994, when Harvey retired, it was agreed that his wife, Barbara will own the business and after her, it would go to Bruce. However, Bruce will be running the business and getting its proceeds and in turn will look after Barbara’s medical expenses, pay for mortgage ($23,500) and pay her $500 every month. Due to the recent issues raised by Barbara that Bruce had not been paying her properly, Bruce has come up with a contract. The contract indicates that he will make a down payment of $50,000 and then $500 thereafter for the remainder of Barbara’s life. Barbara and family are confused, whether this was a fair offer or not. In order to identify a fair offer, it is essential to understand the reasons behind Bruce pushing this contract to be signed at the earliest. It is clear that the return on total assets has doubled in one year, indicating that the assets are effectively generating profits for the bar. The return on equity has also doubled, indicating that the payoff on equity is higher (Drury, 2005). This can be main reason behind Bruce wanting to own all of the Crowne Inn, as he will be the sole owner of the company and can claim the entire profits. It is evident from the above ratios that the Crowne Inn has actively reduced the debt level over the past few years and the debts contribute to lesser than 50% of the assets. The total equity in the company has also risen in the last three years. Based on these ratios, the total debt can be cleared within a period of another 3 years and the whole company will be owned by the equity shareholders. Hence Bruce is very particular about buying the whole company, as he and Sharon only will have the claim to the business’ proceeds (Pendlebury and Groves, 2003). Barbara gives importance to her relationship with her son; however she is also particular about the oral agreement that Bruce has to take care of her. It is

Internet for Business Assignment Personal Statement

Internet for Business Assignment - Personal Statement Example And this event has been my chance. Having had Thortons' chocolates every day of my life here in UK, I am excelled at the chocolate tasting quiz and almost guessed all the chocolates presented to us. We spend the whole Saturday morning touring the locality and taking pictures of the lush gardens and other sceneries. During the afternoon, we attended a series of interactive workshops which includes sampling the dessert gallery collection which features some of my favorites from Thorntons. The highlight of the day was the opportunity given to the guests to create their own chocolate sculptures. I personally enjoyed this part of the weekend as I was able to experiment. However, the sculpture didn't turn out the way I want it to be. The presenters also educated us about the origins of the chocolate, how cocoa beans are transformed into chocolate bars as well as the process of making some Thorntons masterpieces. Our Saturday ended with a three course private dinner as we are serenaded by classical music which dates back from the time of Mozart and Beethoven. The last day of our Chocolate Lovers Weekend commenced with a sumptuous breakfast. I am surprised as one of the hotel staff brought free chocolates into our room together with fruits to be dipped in the chocolate fountain. I have always believed in you... Subject: Thornton's Chocolate Lovers Weekend at Hilton Tewkesbury Dear Sir Mike, I have always believed in your commitment in maintaining the leadership of Thorntons in the confectionery industry. The launch of Thorntons Chocolate Weekend at Hilton Tewkesbury which you envision to add more customer value proves to be correct having experienced the fun myself last week. The activities designed for this event highlights truly highlights the company's quest in making Thorntons a part of the consumers' daily life. Acquainting our customers on how they can make their own chocolate sculptures and fountains at home gives them the chance to delight their guests and loved ones using our products. Also, the incorporation of leisure, good music, and sumptuous meals further stress and link Thorntons chocolates with relaxation and indulgence. With all these good points however, I believe that the event can still be improved by designing different activities according to each guest's preferences. Having a different set of activities per weekend will not only customize experience but will enable the company to know more about the inclination of its customers. Having a weekend for teens will also be possible noting the fact that teens' spending on confectionery is increasing rapidly. I believe that with the number of people joining the event, the Chocolate Lovers Weekend will have an impact on internet business trends especially because the primary publicity used is online advertisement. Thorntons should continue informing customers about these events through websites that they visit. Sincerely, Your Name

The resistance of the wire Essay Example for Free

The resistance of the wire Essay I will do this buy putting crocodile clips on each end of the wire. I will then take the readings for the current after the wire and the voltage across the length of wire. I will then double check this by using a multimeter and measure the resistance across the piece of wire. I will repeat this three times. I will repeat the same method for all the other lengths of wire. Fair test: I will make it a fair test by using the same thickness of wire every time. I will use the same amount of voltage on the battery pack every time I take a reading. I will use the same equipment every time. I will also measure the thickness of the wire before every reading I take to make sure that it is always the same. I will make sure that the temperature of the wire is the same each time because as the temperature increases it causes the atoms to move around more, which creates more resistance as the moving atoms create a better barrier for the current. Results 1st Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) 2nd Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) 3rd Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms)Â   Average Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) Analysis: In my prediction I said that: I predict that as the length of wire increases so will the resistance. I have found that my results are actually incorrect because I havent calculated the resistance but I can analysis the affect the length of wire has on the current. These results are incorrect because the voltage shouldnt be the same each time. The voltage should be measured across the wire so as the length increases the voltage should decrease. The resistance is then found from diving the voltage by the current. I can see from my results that my prediction was right because after the current has passed through the wire it decreases. This is more evident as the length of the wire increases because the current decreases as the wire increases. I can see from my average of results that when the length of the wire has doubled the current has almost halved because when the length of wire was 30 cm the current was 0. 65 amps and when the length of wire was 60 cm the current was 0. 32 amps, half of 0. 65 is 0. 325. I can see on my graph that my results a fairly accurate because three out of five of them touch the line of best fit and the forth point is 0. 1 amps higher than the line of best fit. My reading for 30 cm is 1. 1 amps higher than the line of best fit. From reading the line of best fit the reading for 30 cm should be 0. 54 and I got the reading 0. 65. The reading for the 70 cm of wire that I got was 0. 26 but on my line of best fit it is 0. 25. I can also see from my results the amount at which they decrease each time the length of the wire is increased is very similar. The difference between 30 cm of wire and 40 cm is 9 amps, the difference between 40 cm and 50 cm is 7 amps, the difference between 50 cm and 60 cm is 7 amps and the difference between 60 cm and 70 cm is 6 amps. This also shows that my results were fairly accurate and reliable. Evaluation: The first thing I would like to do is do my experiment again so that I can measure the resistance properly so that I can see if my prediction is really correct. I would measure the resistance properly by measuring the voltage across the wire and the diving the voltage by the current. I can see from my results that because all my readings do not touch the line of best fit they are not totally reliable. This may be because the temperature of the wire was different each time as I did not monitor the temperature or the length of the wire may not of been accurate because of the way the crocodile clips were placed. I would like to improve this by using pointers instead of crocodile clips; I would do this because pointers would be more accurate. The pointers would be more accurate because the tips have a much smaller area than the crocodile clips giving a more accurate measurement of the length of wire. As well as making these modifications I would also improve my investigation by testing the same wire but different widths of wire. I would do this to expand on my investigation.

Advantages and disadvantages of E-business

Advantages and disadvantages of E-business Using Internet technology to provide improved customer service, make more efficient business processes, increase sales, and reduce wastage is called E-business. E-business uses the internet tools such as websites, online banking, and web based customer relationship. Advantages of E-Business: There are many benefits an organisation can get with having an E-Business solution for the business. Worldwide Presence: The major advantage of engaging business online, to have presence nationwide or worldwide. IBM uses the e-business term to provide services to the customer and was one of the first companies uses this term. Dell Inc. and Amazon are the other success stories using E-Business to flourish their business. Cost Effective Marketing and Promotions: using internet to market products is a very nominal method which guarantees the worldwide reach. Pay per click advertising is a effective technique which ensure the business only pay for the advertisement that actually viewed. Better Customer Service: E-Business has change the customer services image enormously. Number of customers can visit or the website at same time. Some website have online chat feature to help the customer to find out more about the product they are interested in. moreover orders can be placed online by processing payments securely over the internet and products can be shipped to the customer. In this case customers even do not have to leave the house. Disadvantages of E-Business: Even above mentioned advantages there are some disadvantages of the E-Business. Some of them are listed below. Sartorial limitation: the main disadvantage of E-Business is lack of growth in some sectors i.e. food. Consumer prefers to look the food products physically before buying. Costly maintenance: substantial recourses are required to setup online business which requires computer upgrade, personnel trainings and website upgrade. This can be a disadvantage for some organisation. Security concern: The security concerns also lead to privacy issue. There are many examples of contact lists and personal details were hacked or exposed due to weak E-Business system security. Virus threat. Physical products constrain. Perishable goods. Types of business organisation: There are two major types of the business. Private sector: Private firms are owned and run by private individual. There is further classification in private sector firms. Sole traders: A sole trader owns and runs a business. They contribute capital to start the enterprise, run it with or without employees, and earn the profits or stand the losses of the venture. Sole traders are found mainly in the retail trades (local newsagents), small scale service industries (plumbers), and small manufacturing and craft industries. Advantages: Easy to setup Can keep all the profits Make key decision. Flexibility Disadvantages: Unlimited liability Limited access to capital Pressure of being solely responsible. Partnership: Partnership is defined as the relation who subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit. A partnership is not a separate legal person distinct from its members; it is merely a relation between persons. Each partner (there must be at least two) is usually personally liable for all the debts of the firm. Advantages: Greater access to capital Shared responsibility Easy to setup. Disadvantages: Unlimited liabilities All partners liable for the debt of each other. Partnership dissolves on death of one partner. Potential of conflict. Limited companies: Limited companies are essential to be register at companies house. Company must issue a memorandum of association that includes nature of business and structure of the company. Limited companies also called Limited Liabilities Company. Shareholders have limited liabilities, if company winds up shareholders do not have to pay anything. Limited companies are further categorised in two types. Private limited company (LTD) A private limited company is one where the liability is limited to the value of the shares issued. This means that any debts are debts of the company, not of the owners. Company is owned by 1 to 50 shareholders and must have at least one director. Accounts have to prepare and submit to the companies house annually. Legally company can sue and can be sued. Public limited company (PLC) A Public limited company the one which can issue and trade their shares in the stock exchange for general public. Therefore ownership is open to anyone who wants to buy shares. There can be minimum two owners but no maximum numbers. Company must have at least two directors and a fully qualified company secretary. Public sector: Public sector businesses are owned by government. Government holds majority of the stakes in public sector industries. In last twenty years number of government owned firms reduced massively. Very few examples remain for instance: Royal mail, Royal Bank of Scotland. Aims of an organisation: An aim for any business organisation is a long term goal, something to be achieved over a significant period of time. These aims based upon a planned management strategy. For instance for a private company, aims might include To survive To achieve profitability by a certain time To increase profits To achieve technical excellence To improve quality of our products To be leader in the market To improve market share To enter global market. P 1.2: Stakeholders: Stakeholders are group of people who have an interest in a business organisation. There are a number of groups and individual who can be describe as stakeholders in any business. The Business Owners Managers Staff Customer Suppliers Community Government Figure above shows the possible stakeholder in a business activity. Some of the stakeholders are internal, some are external. Internal Stakeholders: Internal stakeholders are those who are members of the business organisation. For instance: Owners Manager Staff and employees External Stakeholders: External Stakeholders  are not a part of the firm and have an interest in the business. For instance: Customers Suppliers Community Government I will discuss the stakeholder in respect to my business later on in my business plan. P 1.3: Organisational Functions: Organisations arrange their resource recourses into different business functions. All organisations, whatever their business nature is have to manage the following business functions. Finance Human Resources Sales and Marketing Administration Research and Development. Each of the function needs to work tighter so the organisation can achieve their goals. Finance Function The financial section of the organisation will keep manual/electronic records of money received and paid out by the organisation. This information will then be used to produce various financial statements for tax purposes and to comply with legal requirements. The information will also be used to produce management accounts to enable senior managers to plan and review business strategy. The finance department or unit may also be responsible for administering employee expenses and salaries. For payment of wages the finance department will need to take into account statutory deductions such as tax, and employee contributions such as pension or loan repayments. Human Resources Function Human resources or Personnels main responsibility is the recruitment, selection, training and development of staff. This will involve developing staff to maximise their potential in a manner that furthers the organisations objectives.   Human resources may also need to comply with legislation applicable to the country in which they are based. For example in the  UK  employers will need to maintain accurate personal records in a manner that is compliant with the UK Data Protection Act 1984. Human resources often adopt a welfare role which includes looking after employees whilst they are at work. They may also create policies that balance organisational needs with those of the employee. They will also interpret employee welfare legislation and ensure that the organisation is complying with the applicable legislation. Sales and Marketing Function The marketing department will research customer needs to develop strategy and product to satisfy that customer need. In its research, the marketing department will investigate the market they are aiming at; the type of consumer making up the market (age, background sex etc) and the preferences of the consumer within that market. The marketing department will then need to marry consumer preferences with producing a product that is profitable. Once the product has been designed by the production department marketing will then need to package, advertise, and promote the product. Sales are responsible for persuading the consumer to purchase the end product, manufactured through marketings research. The Sales Departments selling strategy could involve  mailshots, travelling sales representatives, telephone sales and devising the sales interview. Administration This involves dealing with all administrative tasks including mail handling, dealing with enquiries/complaints, catering, and computer services. They will also produce documents (eg  forms, stationary, and newsletters) for the organisation and maintain the organisations premises and equipment. This function although not always recognised is vital, as it is the glue that holds the organisation together. Without an administrative department, customer complaints would not be resolved, customer orders may not be processed, and the workforce may not have the tools they need to complete their tasks. Research and Development Function The aim of research and development is to improve existing products, create new and better products, improve production methods, and create effective processes. This will enable the organisation to reduce costs, increase profitability and remain ahead of the competition. As not all research will lead to new/improved products/processes companies will need to allocate a specific portion of their budget to research and development activities. P 2.1: E-Business impact on consumer: E-Business brings the merchandise information to the online consumers home wherever they are. The choice available through E-Business to the consumer is enormous. Usually visiting a store physically means trek around, looking for the item consumer wants. E-business made it easy for the consumer to access the stores online to find their relevant item. Online shoping websites like theonlineshoppingtown.co.uk illustrate how e-business provides the consumer vastly increased verity of products available 24/7, both physical goods as well as services such as finance and insurance. P 2.2: E-Business impact on Business: E-business has made a deep impact on society. People can now shop online in the privacy of their own homes without ever having to leave. This can force larger brick and mortar retailers to open an online division. In some cases, it can also force smaller businesses to shut their doors, or change to being completely online. It also changes the way people look at making purchases and spending money. E-business has changed the face of retail, services, and other things that make our economy work. Undoubtedly, it will continue to influence how companies sell and market their products, as well as how people choose to make purchases for many years to come. P 2.3: Market Research: Market research is the procedure of using a variety of methods to collect, analyzes, and report data about possible consumer groups. Market research is used as a marketing strategy. Formal market segmentation requires comprehensive market research. The market research will helps to identify  quantitative  and  qualitative  patterns in consumer groups.  Quantitative  consumer data  refers to numbers such as age,  income, and family size while qualitative data relies on characteristics such as  education, occupation, and personality.  There are several ways you can go about segmenting  a population to target a market. Some are more relevant to your business than others. The  following describes different aspects of market segmentation used for marketing research that will help you in identifying a niche and maximizing business marketing. Types of Market Research: Surveys are the most commonly used  and least expensive market research method available. They can be conducted online, in person, or by phone. Focus groups are a method by which companies gain feedback on products by asking questions in an interactive group setting. This method might also be used to gain feedback on  services,  concept, advertisement, ideas, or packaging. Technology: Apart from surveys and questioners there are few tools available on internet that are used to collect data of the consumers accessing specific business over the web. I tried to access the tools to collect current data of particular business but all of them where required to have a paid membership. I used Google web analyser to analyze website traffic. Another tool which can help finding information about the anchor text used by the linking sites is SEO Books Back Link Analyzer http://tools.seobook.com/backlink-analyser/). It Supplies multiple output data including backlink status, link text, page title, outbound links, links on page, IP address, link type and Google information. P 2.3: Market Research impact on E-Business: Today we are living in vibrant world where numbers of things are changing very rapidly. Therefore it has become very complex to predict anything. Business is also a part of this rapid changing world and it is very difficult to predict any next move of market or customers respectively. However, to achieve success in the business world, it is very significant for any business to have full information about the market progress and the customers behaviour. Therefore, business requires a solution which can help them to gather these facts and figures. A most effective solution for this problem resides in the form of market research, that provides a great possibility to identify the numerous trends in the market and customers need. Market research is a combination of few methods like surveys, analysis, trends, prediction. Adopting the effective market research method can help business to identify new market trends, their competitor activities, acceptability of their products in market, scope for new products, and reason behind failure of products. A large numbers of business organisation have made market research an essential part of the organisation. However, many others take the help of external agencies and advisors. Mode of doing market research may be whatever but one thing is clear that market research significantly help organisations in making right moves at the right time. By making market research an integral part of companies work structure, companies can easily avoid number of shocks coming from market and increase their success rate considerably. Therefore, in simple words we can say that by getting the help of market research, it is possible for any organisation to succeed in the business world. Chapter 2: Online Business Development: Introduction: Handyman online is a website which will provide wide range of repair and maintenance services around the home. This idea for the e business is not unique but in a way it is different from recent trend of customer services. The idea comes through my mind when I required some paint and patch work need to be done around the house. It was not a very large area so there was no need to hire professional contractors as a most people are fear of lengthy process and expensive labour. In search of the person who can carry out this small job I search in the local yellow pages, unfortunately I could not find any person. I browse the internet to search for the right person for the job. I narrowed down my search to 3 persons who carry out this kind of jobs in that area. When I called 2 of them refuse to come and visit the site due to lack of time and one of them promised to visit and never turned up. I have a degree in civil engineering in which I spent three years to learn about construction and its requirements before I come into the IT field. As per my pervious knowledge in the specific area I visited the (do it yourself) DIY stores like Homebase and BQ. I browsed for my required material and the actual work didnt take not more then 3 hour to finish. This draws my attention to the market potential and lack of required skilled staff in this area. People like me spend enormous amount of time over the internet to search person to carry out such a small tasks like assembling a cupboard, hang out a curtain or change the lock. In my case I was very disappointed about the response of the persons to carry out my required work. In my opinion there is a lot of potential in this market which I will discuss later in my report. Mission Statement: Mission is to reach and provide the customer high standard handyman services in quick and efficient way and creates employment opportunities. Goals: Create over 20% of business from repeat customers. Generate  steady revenue per year by the end of year two. Develop the business into full-time employment within 12 months. P 3.1: The Market research: Handyman Onlines target market has been divided into two segments: home owners and property managers. There are 1,340 potential customers in the property manager segment.  This group is growing at a 4% annual growth rate. There are 25,190 potential customers in the home owner segment. This  group has a 5% annual growth rate. Competition Handyman online will receive competition from several sources. The most well-known competitors are detailed below: Handymen Fix-It-Up: This is a one man company that is specialized in electrical problems and plumbing. Painting and patios are not serviced. When speaking with the customers regarding their experience with this company their expression was mixed. Handymend.com: This is a handyman company that employs three different workers as handymen. This is a large company (for handymen) with a far less intimate customer experience. If a customer used this service on four different occasions, they are likely to receive four different people on the service calls. Contractors (General) Raj Contractors: This is a full-service general contractor. The organization is large with 17 employees. This company does a mixture of commercial and residential work. This company has an eight hour minimum contract. MF Contractors: This is a small sized contractor of five employees. They concentrate on residential jobs and have a smaller minimum of four hour projects. P 3.2: Market Analysis Summary Handyman online has identified two different market segments, home owners and property managers. As I discussed earlier, like in my case the most important segments as they are the customers who often have small repairs. These repairs are too small for to hire a contractor and complicated enough for the owner to perform themselves. Customers often call the service provider who they are familiar with, regardless of the suitability. For this reason, word of mouth referrals will be very important. Possible customers normally ask neighbours or friends and any other property managers for advice on handyman service providers. Handyman online will take advantage of word of mouth marketing by providing exceptional services to keep customers satisfied. Excellent service will result in new and repeat business. Market research outcomes: As I discussed earlier, I divided the potential market into two distinct customer groups: Home owners The value of the homes ranges generally between  £160,00  £655,00. 48% of home owners try to make small repairs themselves; they often start the repair and later realize that they do not have the appropriate skills to complete the repair. The remaining 52% do not attempt to repair it, they call a professional person to perform the repair. 62% have owned their home for more than two years. 73% of the customers wait until several small problems accumulate before they call a handyman for repair. This behaviour can be explained by not wanting to incur a large upfront charge just to have someone fix one thing. Property managers: Typically do not have their own in-house repair man in an effort to reduce overhead expenses. The range of monthly rental costs of their units is  £350- £675. Market Analysis Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Potential Customers Growth CAGR Home owners 5% 24,090 25,295 26,560 27,888 29,282 5.00% Property managers 4% 1,234 1,283 1,334 1,387 1,442 3.97% Total 25,324 26,578 27,894 29,275 30,724 P 3.3: Company: Handyman online will be formed as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) by myself. i will be the sole employee and owner of the company and I will hire the staff time to time according to the nature of the job. The company will incur certain start-up costs, primarily tools, detailed in the Start-up Summary section. Start-up requirements: Handyman online will incur start-up costs related to start of the business. The following table details the start-up costs as well as indicated the needed capital for initial operations. Stan will be using his personal tools for jobs but will need to purchase the following additional equipment/tools: Assorted plumbing tools including: slip wrenches, snakes, teflon tape, and assorted caps, nuts, and bolts. Electrical tools including: electrical gauge meters, wire cutters, various wires and wire caps, and soldering iron. Painting material including: paint brushes, paint roller, pneumatic paint sprayer, air compressor, sand papers, spackle tools and masking tape. Pressure washer. Various general tools. Assorted power tools (drill, saw, sander, Dremel). Assorted nails, bolts, screws, and fixtures. Laptop with portable printer for mobile invoice printing and submission. Mobile phone. Start-up Expenses Legal  £800 Accountant  £600 Brochures  £250 Insurance  £250 website registration  £25 Website hosting  £75 webpage development  £500 Total Start-up Expenses  £2,500 P 3.4: Details of cost: Start-up Assets Cash Required  £20,500 Other Current Assets  £0 Long-term Assets  £8,000 Total Assets  £28,500 Total Requirements  £31,000 Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund  £2,500 Start-up Assets to Fund  £28,500 Total Funding Required  £31,000 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up  £8,000 Cash Requirements from Start-up  £20,500 Additional Cash Raised  £0 Cash Balance on Starting Date  £20,500 Total Assets  £28,500 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing  £0 Long-term Liabilities  £31,000 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills)  £0 Other Current Liabilities (interest-free)  £0 Total Liabilities  £31,000 Capital Planned Investment Investor 1  £0 Other  £0 Additional Investment Requirement  £0 Total Planned Investment  £0 Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) - £2,500 Total Capital - £2,500 Total Capital and Liabilities  £28,500 Total Funding  £31,000 Loan required  £31,000 P 4.1: Company Services Handyman online will provide repair and maintenance for home owners and property managers. All type of services will be provided from just  £40 per hour plus parts. Handyman online will give every customer at least one hour of work at their property. All work is handyman work, for larger nature of jobs that require a contractor; Handyman online will search an experienced service provider free for the customer. By providing only handyman services, handyman online will always attempt to repair the problem first, replacement is only an option if the item cannot be repaired. This differs from a contractor philosophy which is generally to replace everything first. Repairing items is far less expensive for the consumer. Handyman online will offer a one year guarantee for all of their repair and maintenance work, The goal is to not have any unsatisfied customers. Offered services include: Minor plumbing Leaky faucets, repair/replace fixtures, sprinkler repair, minor drain problems, garbage disposal install, install ice maker lines. Minor electrical Ceiling fan repair and install, electrical plugs and switches, vanity lights, motion lights, cable and phone line installation. Fence repair Metal and wood fence repair and install, electric dog fences, gate and latch install. Window, wall and door repairs Small hole repair, door installation, window maintenance and repair. Decks and patios Deck repair and maintenance, chemical cleaning, pressure washing, wood replacement, handrail installation. Painting Interior and exterior (short of an entire exterior of a house). Weather proofing Weather stripping, caulking. Flooring Carpet and hard wood repair Company Ownership: I am the founder and owner of Handyman online. The company will remain a one-man operation for the foreseeable future. P 4.2: Market Analysis Summary Handyman online has identified two different market segments, home owners and property managers. As I discussed earlier, like in my case the most important segments as they are the customers who often have small repairs. These repairs are too small for to hire a contractor and complicated enough for the owner to perform themselves. Customers often call the service provider who they are familiar with, regardless of the suitability. For this reason, word of mouth referrals will be very important. Possible customers normally ask neighbours or friends and any other property managers for advice on handyman service providers. Handyman online will take advantage of word of mouth marketing by providing exceptional services to keep customers satisfied. Excellent service will result in new and repeat business. Marketing strategy: Website Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy will employ two distinct mechanisms: Search engine submission: This will be most useful to people who are unfamiliar with handyman online but are looking for a local handyman. There will also be searches from customers who may know about handyman online but are seeking additional information. URL on all printed material: For every printed piece of material that we offers, the sites Web address will be listed, encouraging a visit to the site. Website Development Requirements The site will be developed by me because I have an experience to develop a website. I will seek help from a friend to develop some aspect of the website. The value of the development will not increase more then  £600, it will not have to be listed as a payout of 1099 income for tax purposes. P 4.3: Sales Forecast The sales forecast has been developed in a conventional way to increase the possibility of achieving the sales goals. The forecast sales breaks down is based on the activities that Handyman online will perform. Required parts to replacing the faulty ones will be invoiced separately, there consumables such as nails, caulk, and etc., that will be used will be included in the  £40 hourly fee. These consumables are captured in the direct costs of goods as a percentage of the overall service charge. The different services have different percentages assigned to each type of service. Handyman online will perform a wide range of jobs, that will be billed at the same hourly rate. The competition typically bills out electrical work at a higher rate, and painting at a lower rate. Company has chosen a single hourly rate to encourage customers to use the services for more then one repair on the same visit. Sales Forecast Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Sales Plumbing  £4,250  £12,500  £16,550 Electrical  £3,698  £10,875  £14,399 Fences  £782  £2,875  £3,807 Windows  £1,360  £4,000  £5,296 Decks  £945  £4,500  £5,958 Paint  £2,508  £7,375  £9,765 Weather proofing  £1,403  £4,125  £5,462 Parts  £850  £2,500  £3,310 Floors  £1,615  £4,750  £6,289 Total Sales  £17,410  £53,500  £70,834 Direct Cost of Sales Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Plumbing  £298  £875  £1,159 Electrical  £185  £544  £720 Fences  £23  £86  £114 Windows  £109  £320  £424 Decks  £38  £180  £238 Paint  £226  £664  £879 We

Foils in Shakespeares Hamlet :: The Tragedy of Hamlet

Foils in Hamlet Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a well known play. Shakespeare uses foils in Hamlet to further create and explain Hamlet’s character. Foils are created in a play to help the audience better understand a major character by giving the character someone to talk to and compare the major character to. [Using the definition as the thesis was not a good idea in this paper. The assignment said not in the first paragraph, i.e., the paper was to be about how foils affect the meaning of this play.] Foils are minor characters created in a play to help the audience understand a major character better by giving the major character someone to talk to and compare them to. Ophelia can be considered a foil to Hamlet because she helps us see the different attitudes Hamlet has toward certain things. Hamlet, after finding out that his father was murdered, starts acting crazy and giving Ophelia mixed signals about his love for her. Ophelia believes Hamlet loves her but, because of her father’s wishes, constantly turns him down and denies that she feels the same way. Ophelia finally denounces denies that she loves him but Hamlet states that "I did love you once." He also stated that "You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not." "Get thee to a nunnery." These lines from the play states [SV -1] that Hamlet was pretending to be delirious and pretending to love Ophelia because of what Claudius has done to his father. Not only does the scene, "Get thee to a nunnery," show how Hamlet feels about Ophelia, but it also shows how Hamlet feels about marriage and women. Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to the convent because she should not want to be a "breeder of sinners" and because there should be no more marriage. Hamlet does not want anymore marriage because that would mean more children and according to Hamlet the only children born to marriage are sinners. Ophelia is also considered a foil for Hamlet because of the difference in the way each grieved for their father’s deaths. The difference between the way Hamlet and Ophelia grieved is that Ophelia’s grief was actually for her father, whereas Hamlet’s grief was for his mother.

Population Growth, Industrialization, and the Environment Essay

Population Growth, Industrialization, and the Environment Human population growth was relatively slow for most of human history. Within the past 500 years, however, the advances made in the industrial, transportation, economic, medical, and agricultural revolutions have helped foster an exponential, "J-shaped" rise in human population (Southwick, Figure 15.1, p. 160). The statistics associated with this type of growth are particularly striking: "Human beings took more than 3 million years to reach a population of 1 billion people...The second billion came in only 130 years, the third billion in 30 years, the fourth billion in 15 years, the fifth billion in 12 years..." (Southwick, p. 159). As human population has grown, there has been simultaneous growth within the industrial sector. Both of these increases have greatly contributed to environmental problems, such as natural resource depletion, ecosystem destruction, and global climate change. Also linked with the increasing human population are many social problems, such as poverty and dise ase. These issues need to be addressed by policy makers in the near future in order to ensure the survival and sustainability of human life. One of the major effects of the huge population increase has been the depletion of natural resources and the destruction of ecosystems. In the 1960's, theorist Paul Ehrlich predicted that, given the skyrocketing figures of human population, the amount of food produced would not grow at a fast enough rate for human survival (Professor Carr Everbach, personal communication). He predicted mass starvation and death by the year 2000 as the result of uncontrolled population growth. Clearly, this did not occur. Ehrlich did not foresee the advancements ma... ...hods of sustaining the burgeoning human population before these problems reach the threshold of catastrophe. References Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., & Lo, K. (2002). "Global Warming Continues." Science, 295, 275. Kerr, R. A. (2002). "A Brighter Outlook for Good Ozone." Science, 297, 1623-5. NPR Radio Broadcast, March 17, 2002. http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1140067 Poliakoff, M., Fitzpatrick, J. M., Farren, T. R., & Anastas, P. T. (2002). "Green Chemistry: Science and Politics of Change." Science, 297, 807-810. Quay, P. (2002). "Ups and Downs of CO2 Uptake." Science, 298, 2344. Southwick, C. H. (1996). "Chapter 15: Human Populations." Global Ecology in Human Perspective. Oxford University Press, 159-182. Wattenberg, B. J. (March 8, 2003). "It Will Be a Smaller World After All." New York Times: Editorial/Op-Ed Section.

International Business Essay -- essays research papers

Today’s world of rapid increase in and expansion of technology is the reasons for recent International Business growth. The rapid growth in international business makes an understanding of organizational behavior all the more important for contemporary managers. Businesses have expanded internationally to increase their market share, as the domestic markets were too small to sustain growth. Business transactions are also becoming increasing blurred across national boundaries. Companies engage in international business to expand sales, acquire resources, diversify their sources of sales and supplies, and minimize competitive risk. When operating abroad, companies may have to adjust their usual methods of carrying on business. This is because foreign conditions often dictate a more appropriate method and because the operating modes used for international business differ somewhat from those used on a domestic level. In many ways, then, we are becoming a truly global economy. No longer will a firm be able to insulate it from foreign competitors or opportunities. International business usually takes place in more diverse external environments than found domestically. Businesses worldwide are no longer going International but expanding globally. This fast occurring global expansion of businesses all over the world has been given a new term, it is called international business. As human beings, we encounter risk every day of our lives. As a manager, risk becomes even more importan...

Personal Ethical View Point

Even though I do not always speak up when I know something is wrong, I have a strong code of personal ethics because I believe loyalty, honesty, and above all, respect for others will guide me to make me the proper ethical decisions throughout my life. I feel that I am a very loyal person. I believe that I am easy to get along with and can make friends without effort. Once I make friends, I have them for life. I have always prided myself on supporting decisions that my friends and family make, even if I know they are a mistake. Who am I to correct anyone’s actions?I understand the importance of making mistakes, so we can learn from them. Along with loyalty, I pride myself on having great fortitude. I am not easily swayed in my beliefs. I will listen to other view points and understand the importance of different beliefs, but I stand strong with the facts that I have discovered in which I developed my beliefs. Although I say that I respect other people’s opinion, I will fight for a cause I believe in, and I will back it up with every bit of energy I have if I feel something needs to be done to correct an action.I have noticed that I will tell people the truth, even if it may hurt them, but I will only do so when asked for an opinion. I know that telling a lie will only hurt me in the long run, so I am thankful that I am an extremely honest person. Lies will always come back to haunt me, and I am aware of that fact. I prefer to go through life without the stress of being caught in a lie. Honesty always pays off in the long run, even if it may cause feelings to be hurt. Working hard is a trait I value in my life. Not just physical labor, but mental work as well.I am tenacious in working through a problem until it is solved. I generally work hard on everything I set out to accomplish. I also believe that it takes a great sense of critical thinking to achieve successful hard work. I recognize that working hard comes with a set of rewards unattainable a ny other way. Along with all the great qualities I have, I would not be human if I said I did not have some negative qualities as well. To me, having some negative qualities does not necessarily mean it is a shame, but instead, I believe having negative points only helps balance out the positive.For instance, I have been known to be overly quiet when I should have spoken up on someone’s behalf. In other words, I do not always stick up for others when they are being treated poorly. I do get an overwhelming feeling that I should be strong and say something, but the quiet person inside me feels more comfortable and I weigh the options of making a situation worse, rather than better. When I notice something is wrong, I have a tendency to ignore the situation unless it involves me. I believe this goes back to deciding if my opinion will make a situation worse.I know this is a quality that I must work on in order to continue to become a better person. If more people spoke up, maybe this world could become better? This is what I consider to be my biggest character flaw. Additionally, I also have been known to give into peer pressure. Not when it comes to drugs or other unhealthy activities, but I will often follow others actions when participating in activities that make me feel uncomfortable. Also, I often take advice from people, even if I know it is not the best advice. Perhaps this is a way of showing respect to others.As I have stated, I pride myself on being a strong person, but sometimes this conflicts with the desire to make others feel valued around me. When I speak of value, there is only one thing that I value the most, and that is my family that I have created. The best gift I was given was my children and my loving husband in which I would do anything for. They are the reason I try to be successful. I have worked very hard at teaching them a great sense of personal ethics of their own, and I support my family’s decisions whether I feel them to be right or wrong.If a member of my family does make a decision that could have had a better outcome, I let them figure out the issue, and I always suggest new ideas in order to still give a structured solution, while that individual still learns from their mistakes. Again, even though I do not always speak up when I know something is wrong, I have a strong code of personal ethics because I believe loyalty, honesty, and above all, respect for others will guide me to make me the proper ethical decisions throughout my life. How might you use your personal ethics to determine a course of action?I have an example in which my personal ethics were greatly tested. When I was still working as an Assistant Security Director, the head Security Director was a very harsh, uncaring, pushy type of a person. He often treated all of his employees very poorly. He called everyone awful names. Once an employee had made a mistake within their job duties, my boss would forever hold that over their h eads and often referred to those employees as â€Å"his retards. † He would even introduce them to other people that were hired into our department as retard # 1, 2, & 3.On a daily basis, I would watch our most manly men come into the security office with their head held high, only to watch them leave feeling less of a man, and their heads hung low. My boss would also make sexual remarks to all the female security officers and I know it made them feel very uncomfortable. The Security Director knew that what he was doing was terribly wrong, because he threatened everyone’s jobs if they went to his boss. Most of the employees felt helpless. I believe this is where the quiet part of me stood in the way, because I did not say anything to him or anyone else even though I was just under his rank.I would often go home and reflect what the Security Director had done for the day and watched how people’s feelings were affected, including mine. After much embarrassment, hu rt feelings and lack of pride, I finally let my personal ethics shine through. After a lot of intense reflection, as well as begging from the rest of the staff, I decided it was time to do what I could to stop my boss’s behavior. I stood up for all my employees knowing I could lose my job. I was tired of knowing in my heart that what he was doing was wrong on so many levels. I went above his head and secured a meeting with his boss. I spoke up and evealed all of my boss’s behaviors. I was completely uncomfortable doing so, but I knew it was the right decision that I had made. In the end, the Security Director was given a choice to leave or be publicly dismissed of his duties. I believe the result of me adhering to my strong code of personal ethics was the catalyst for this situation. All the employees who were harassed and bullied by my boss were so thankful and appreciative. My company had hired an investigator and every single employee was interviewed on the topic. A lmost everyone stood behind me and showed their support. I guess they just needed someone stand up and be heard.

Effective Persuasion Week Six Assignment

The author did a magnificent Job to persuade my thinking toward health care system in the United States that health care should be considered as a fundamental right to all U. S. Citizens. The author's essay was easy to follow, well constructed, and straight-forward to his topic sentence. Writer had a strong introduction, supportive points, and a conclusion. The author provided enough facts to support his [her argument regarding health insurance should be accepted as basic right for all theU. S. Citizens Just like education. Health care converges are very expensive that a normal person cannot effort. I like the fact he presented in his/ her writing that even citizens with health insurance will still end up paying out of their pocket. Insurance companies more concerns about their profits than providing health coverage. There is always a waiting list or have to wait in line to see a doctor even if you are covered by insurance. The entire U. S citizens have to stand up and fight for thei r rights.I also legalized that the author did not use any I statements, which means the author is not bias. That is true that having health care system to the U. S. Citizens will save many lives and courage the health of all Americans. I will be using feedback from Written to make my persuasive essay more effective. Wrestling's feedback helps to fix some of the common grammar errors such as leaving out commas, right words choices; using awkward construction such as â€Å"his/her†, spelling check, and much more can help me to make my persuasive essay more effective.Written also recommend avoiding using first and second person such as I and You in sentences. With the help of Written my essay will be grammar error free, which will sound much better when the reader will be reading it. My essay will persuade my audience every effectively. I will make sure my essay is error free and well constructed. I will be using all sorts of sentences types in my essay to ensure my audiences do not get bored or lose his/her interest while reading my essay. I will be providing strong facts and examples to support my topic sentence.To make sure my essay is not bias I will ensure not to use gender pronouns such as â€Å"he,† â€Å"she,† â€Å"him/her,† or any of these substitutions. Use of gender pronouns is awkward in academic writing and can divert the audiences from the point you are trying to make. To fix this dilemma I will be using plural nouns such â€Å"their† or â€Å"they. † I will ensure not to use â€Å"l† statement sentences such as â€Å"l think† or â€Å"l believe† to make my essay sound opinionated and ensure to provide both side of the stories so the audience do not think the my essay is biased. By Sizing

Organizational Databases

Organizational Databases Randal Chatman University of Phoenix CIS 207 Information System Fundamentals Carlos Andrade December 19, 2011 Abstract This paper is designed to discuss the structure and use of a database system that is currently being used by a nationally recognized telecommunications and entertainment company. It will contain information about the specific type of database that is being used by this company. According to Webopedia, â€Å"a database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a  computer  program  can quickly  select  desired pieces of  data.You can think of a  database  as an electronic filing  system† (Database, 2011). Every company has some type of database system that holds information that needs to be accessed regularly by the employees to be used to complete a task or goal. There will be some recommendations of improvements to the company procedures of the use of the described database. Organizational Database Now that we are in the computer age we no longer need to use a pen and a sheet of paper to write down information that we will need to refer back to in the future.Nor will we need to use a filing system with folders and large clunky file cabinets to store company information. In today’s business world companies use databases to store company information and keep it organized. What exactly is a database? According to Webopedia, â€Å"a database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a  computer  program  can quickly  select  desired pieces of  data. You can think of a  database  as an electronic filing  system† (Database, 2011). Companies in today’s business world use databases to organize various types of information for the benefit and use of its employees to complete a task.In order for computers to access the database, it will need a database application. â€Å"A database application is a computer program whose primary purpose is entering and retrieving information from a computer managed database† (Database Application, 2011). There are several types of data base applications such as Microsoft Access, Oracle, and My SQL. Oracle is a database application that we will look at in a little more detail as it pertains to a specific department of nationally recognized business. Oracle has been around and creating database technology for over 30 years.When it comes to using Oracle with the department mentioned. It is mainly used to maintain and organize an inventory or devices that are being sold to the public. These devices include cell phones, tablets, computers, and a wide variety of accessories for the higher priced merchandise. Oracle keeps a count of the exact number of a particular product the department has. The products are organized in two categories. The first category is called serialized items which contains everything with a serial number. The serialized items are also the most expens ive items in the department.Of course all these items have a model name and number but in order to keep track, these items have sku number associated with them. The sku numbers in the serialized category all begin with a 6. This is a way to prevent confusion when it comes to what goes where. The second category is called non-serialized items which contains items without a serial number. These items are also assigned a sku number and these numbers begin with a 7 or a 4. The Oracle database is masked by the department’s point of sale system.This was designed so that there is a smooth communication between what is sold and what is still in inventory. The database system is a companywide used system and is also used to access inventories of various locations in order to transfer products back and forth. This helps when one location is out or has low quantities of a product and may need additional units. Of course there are times when all great database systems have issues that ma y affect the workplace. Because the Oracle database system runs behind OPUS which is the point of sale system it can affect potential sales within the organization.Serialized items cannot be sold when the database is down because the specific serial numbers must be removed from the system. Non-serialized items can continue to be sold because they are only counted by their sku only and there are not any specific serial numbers associated with those sku’s. A recommendation for improvement is to develop a backup database that will supplement when the main database crashes. By having this in place, it can improve the amount of down time that is associated with inventory count information.Businesses across the country are using databases to store company information and keep this information as organized as possible. Database applications have made this process easier by allowing these businesses to have access to the information they need daily. Though all businesses use database s for different reasons, databases are now a necessity for a successful organization to thrive in today’s business world. References Database. (2011). Webopedia. Retrieved from http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/D/database. html Database Application. (2011). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Database_application

Overcoming Fear Essay

Fear can be a very crippling emotion. When I was little, my biggest fear was falling off of a bicycle. I was always afraid of bicycles because I watched my best friend fall off of one and break her arm. As I got older, however, I realized that learning how to ride a bike could be very beneficial, as well as a lot of fun. Something I did not know at the time, however, was that learning how to ride would end up being beneficial to me in other ways as well. One day, when I was about eight years old, I asked my grandfather if he would teach me how to ride the bicycle he had bought for me two years earlier. He looked at me and said, â€Å"Are you finally ready, honey?† After telling him yes, my grandfather said that he would take me out that Saturday and give me my first riding lesson. As Saturday approached, I grew more and more apprehensive. Part of me was really looking forward to learning how to ride, while the other part of me was scared to death of falling off and getting hurt. My grandfather seemed to sense my fear, and when Saturday arrived, he took me to the local bicycle shop. We went straight to the section of the store that had all kinds of knee and elbow pads, as well as other protective equipment for riding bicycles, skating, and other activities. He told me to pick out the knee and elbow pads I liked best and said that they would help prevent me from getting hurt if I fell off of my bike. When we got back home, he helped me put on my pads and then went and got my bicycle out of the garage. He showed me how to get on the bike, and then proceeded to walk beside me, holding onto the bike as I pedaled down the sidewalk. Once we turned the corner at the end of the block, my grandfather let go for the first time. He stayed right beside me, ready to catch me if I started to tilt sideways. I was only able to go a few feet before my grandfather had to catch me. He continued to encourage me to keep trying, and, after falling off several times, I was finally able to ride my bicycle up and down the sidewalk in front of my house without any help from my grandfather whatsoever. I learned that riding a bicycle was a lot easier than I could have ever dreamed. By buying me the knee and elbow pads and telling me that they would help protect me, my grandfather helped to diminish my fear of riding a bicycle. Now when I am faced with a situation that scares me, I think back to that day my grandfather taught me how to ride. I may still feel fear from time to time, but I know that I can overcome it by asking myself, â€Å"What will help me to conquer my fear?†Bibliography not needed – This is a true depiction of an actual event in my childhood.

Marketing Communications Coursework assignment

Marketing Communications Coursework - Assignment Example The factors are essential in identifying the motives of buyers and isolating the target market. Scholars refer to the five aspects as the Five M’s of Advertising. The Farmer is a television-advertising run by RAM using the Richards Agency situated in Dallas. Jimmy Bonner from Creative Group directed the advert while Paul Nelson was the producer. Most advertising managers find difficulty in comprehending consumers within appropriate strategic levels. Furthermore, they find it difficult to apply collected information in developing and creating alternative stands. However, putting using the means-end technique increases awareness on the factors that motivate consumers. The effectiveness of this approach is that it factors goals valued by people relating them to the qualities and features of the product in question. To evaluate RAM’s Farmer, this discourse applies the MECCAS framework. This model analyses a laddering model that is a specific interviewing aspect used by marketing communication consultants to unravel values attached by people on products. The approach is that laddering interviews fit into the means-end approach that the Meccas model applies during analysis. Differentiation does not constitute the only factor that facilitates selling of a product. The desirability of a product or a service depends on the connection that consumers have with their perception towards the same good or service. It is important to mention that the means-end approach is significant because of its ability to identify essential factors that motivat e consumers to buy goods and services. In addition, the model explains the relationship between the consumer’s motives and their attributes to products or service in market. Marketing communication consultants use market research in determining the goals of an advertising campaign in their marketing

Police Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police Report - Assignment Example But instead of lining up, they went to an alley right in the middle of the line and went inside it. There was a stair leading below and opened a steel door casually. The man was greeted with a guard who was dressed in a suit. The wall had a green floral design and they were greeted cordially by the guard in suit whom the man responded by giving him a tip and greeting him â€Å"how are you doing†. They seem to know each other and the man seem to be a frequent customer of the area. The place is dimly lit and looks reddish where they were met by another guard in suit who was eating a burger. The man gave him another tip and they get inside another door. They were met by a man who appears to be a waiter in red suit. They proceeded in the alley where there were scores of men who were dressed like waiters. The man again greeted them cordially and gave pleasantries indicating familiarity of the place. The man opened another door which appears to be a kitchen of a restaurant or club. Again the man seems to be familiar with the people inside who this time were cooks and chef. Until finally, they came in a place which appears to be a club. The man was eagerly met by somebody important in the club and he was called â€Å"Anthony, nice to see you while shaking his hand†. The person who received them called the waiters who quickly assembled table for them. Anthony talked to the people around shaking hands with them and exchanging pleasantries. The woman looked amu sed. He finally sat and the woman was amused that they gave them a suit. The pleasantries continued because another group of men who appears to be important greeted him across the table and raised their glass. The woman who was the date of the man asked â€Å"what do you do?† Anthony replied† I am in construction†. Anthony replied â€Å"You don’t look like you are in construction†. Their conversation was interrupted by the drum

Community nurse assigned to the Bright family Essay

Community nurse assigned to the Bright family - Essay Example Mitchell, the youngest sibling attends a primary school. Though his performance had always been commendable at the class but it deteriorated noticeably is the past few days. His attendance record has degraded accordingly. He has indulged in several clashes with fellow classmates which marks his corrosion in conduct. It has seemed an alarming situation to the school and the authority has expressed concern about the child. Susan’s family stays away from them but they are in stable and sound physical a well as economical condition. But Bruce’s parents split from each other years back and his mother Maureen moved away from the house; though she kept in touch with Bruce and his family. Now Royce, Bruce’s father is 73 years old and he is residing just two streets away from Bruce. But he is going through certain problems and he is unable to eat properly or maintain his house. Memory loss is another effect of age that has become fatal for him. Quite recently Royce underw ent certain minor accidents. His living room caught fire when he left an electric heater on. A community nurse assigned to the Bright family is the in charge of making decisions about which support services are to be provided to them in order to resolve their problems permanently. The Bright family is in dire need of some sort of health and old age care services so that Royce, the 73 year old father gets to lead a peaceful life. He is suffering from health as well as psychological problems like Dementia caused by aging and these need immediate attention. The Aged care services decided by â€Å"Assessment for Aged Care† would be the best option for Royce as his son and daughter-in-law are both tied up with their stringent family condition. The kids are either busy working or too young to take sufficient care of their grand father. At the same time the Bright family needs continuous inspiration and aid to cope up with the taut economical condition. The young kid Mitchell needs attention so

A company that provide great customer service in its industry Essay

A company that provide great customer service in its industry - Essay Example nt here to understand the concept which was coined by George Ritzer whereby he kept the name ‘McDonaldization’ which is in relevance with the continuation of Max Webers theories related with bureaucracies. (Bassett, 1992) Max Weber has put in place a definition related with bureaucracy as being a large hierarchical organization which governs the basis of formal rules and regulations and which forms a lucid arrangement of tasks that need to be undertaken. McDonald’s believes in satisfying its customers all over the globe as there is a premise to regard the customers as the most important entity for the existence of this international fast food chain. The customers for McDonald’s mean everything for them as they are the people who introduce new and fresh concepts into the restaurant industry every now and then. Workers at the restaurant are given the tasks to grill, preparing French fries, working the front register and lastly taking orders at the drive through windows present at the selected McDonald’s outlets. McDonald’s has a network of authority starting from the workers, crew chiefs, shift managers, salary managers and up till the owner of the outlet in essence. (Lowenstein, 1997) McDonald’s has enforced within the fast food chain an impartial application of rules and policies so that there is no compromise on this tenet at any cost. McDonalds has maintained highest quality standards, personalized greetings at the registers and doors as well as at the drive through windows. McDonald’s has attained the role of being a bureaucratic chain more so because it is the most efficient means of managing a diverse set of people across varied geographic locations and societal segments. This leaves one to wonder as to why the process of McDonaldization has attained so much success when one thinks about McDonald’s. One must attach special linkage with fresh changes and mind-blowing conceptual moves when there is a visualization of McDonald’s in the