Starting a Business After Graduation †Marketing Research Essay

Starting a Business After Graduation – Marketing Research Essay Free Online Research Papers Starting a Business After Graduation Marketing Research Essay Making a good career decision involves both self-assessment and market research. Begin the self-assessment process by examining your skills and identifying what kinds of products or services you can offer. What skills do you most enjoy using? If you are artistic, merchandising a store and designing advertising may appeal to you. Or you may be mechanically inclined, enjoy solving puzzles or helping people. All businesses require dedication, determination, passion, flexibility and urgency. Consumers today have a wonderful sense of well-being and wealth, but you should be prepared for a sharp or extended decline. There are all sorts of things that can turn people away from shopping, so plan for good times as well as rocky ones. If you want to get into a retail business because times are good, you may want to think again. If your passion for going out on your own and dealing directly with the public is not extinguished by the prospect of difficult times. I planned to retail a fashion store with a specialty retailer. Which is a power retailers like target tend to sell needs, specialty retailers tend to sell wants. They focus more on neighbourhood convenience, the richness of the shopping experience, and inventory that meets the needs of their target customer on a personalized basis. Small stores show surprising strength and flexibility in the face of competition from large-scale retailers and e-commerce outlets. They offer the consumer a warmer atmosphere, and perhaps a broader and deeper selection of goods. Many stores can be owned and operated by one person with minimal assistance. Compared to manufacturing operations, specialty retail outfits are relatively easy to start both financially and operationally. However, a number of failures are due to undercapitalization, poor location and insufficient market analysis. Most successful small businesses provide something attractive or advantageous by taking whats already there and developing some innovative features. I will develop a special community consciousness which is to full fill my customer’s need. Example, if they have any special banquet, they could me order or propose what kind of material for their unique dressing and their design as well. Although a great location may not guarantee success, a bad location will almost always guarantee failure. A new retail business needs to be where the customers are. I need to find a location with a reasonable degree of security, access to public transportation for your customers and employees, adequate parking for commercial as well as personal vehicles, room for an office, and that all-important sales space. Where you locate will settle on the hours you keep, who your clients is, and what types of promotions you do. Also, where you set up shop will impact how long it will take you to grow. Luckily, I have lots of options. The best retail location combines visibility, affordability and lease terms that I can live with. Retailers need to be where the action is, so deciding where to put my business is every bit as important as the business that I decide to go into. Take the time to analyze the areas that appeal to me. There are three phases of choosing a location for your retail business: selection of a city, choice of an area or type of location within a city, and identification of a specific site. The place I choose for my fashion store which is a new shop house beside the road. Because it is a new shop lot so I think every passenger pass by will be have a look on that. There will no traffic flow, corresponding nature of next-door stores, capability of packing problem. There will be no zoning changes that will be advantageous for competitor or even allow new competitors to enter your trade area. I will take my positioning statement from my business plan and present it in the 3-D world of location, architecture and interior design. Use scale, colours, textures, materials, amenities and layout to express my stores philosophy. I will use a neon, elegant columns and casual corners, subdued hues and marble floors to set the stage for my customers. My store has planned two key elements: store design and store layout. Store design is concerned with atmosphere, image, interior design and exterior design factors. Store layout involves the internal arrangements of each department, selling and sales support allocation, and the evaluation of space productivity. To set up my store, consider consulting with architects, interior designers and lighting engineers. Working with skilful designers gives me an invaluable resource: Not only will they know the best location for air conditioners and elevators, but they can help build flexibility into lighting systems that will keep me from incur costs when floor layouts are altered. Designers keep abreast of the hottest colour schemes, materials, sources and trends to a degree that would be impossible for someone outside the trades to do. For my own opinion, to make my own business success, there is a lot of market segmentation I need to know which is:- ? Sensitive to prices changes If we are not sensitive with this, our customer might be get a more special offer from my competitor In making your pricing decisions, you need to answer these questions: ? What prices are shoppers willing to pay for the merchandise? ? Where do you want to be in comparison with your competitors pricing: equal, above or below? ? What is the suggested real price proposed by the supplier? ? What are the qualities or characteristics of the merchandise that influence a shoppers perception of quality and value-style, perish ability, scarcity, richness, commodity or other? ? Packaging and pop display This is the most important passion to my customers. Through the packaging we can know that what the quality of material in the shop is and so on. ? What are the consumer psychological characteristics? What is my customers’ feeling, sentiments, buying motives and behavioural patterns and designs? ? Product-variety marketing Produces how to move products that have different quality features, styles, size and so on. ? Target marketing Select one or more of them, develops products and marketing mixes tailored to each. This is making few same design or same colour dressing from them to attend those unique banquets. Other that that, the promotional mix also I need to be more aware. Advertising and personal selling such as point of purchase display, exhibition, usually non-recurring in nature. ? Introduction Heavy advertising and public relations to build awareness. ? Growth Heavy advertising and public relations to build brand loyalty. Decreasing use of sales promotion. Personal selling to maintain distribution. ? Product research Which is concern with the analysis of the strengths and weakness of the existing products, development of new products, product diversification and all kinds of product line decision? ? Media research Broucher, flyer, banner and streamer ? Consumer research This is concerned with the discovery and analysis of the consumer. ? Sales research This relates to the problem of regional variations in sales, fixing sales territories, measurement of effectiveness of sales force, evaluation of sales method. Research Papers on Starting a Business After Graduation - Marketing Research EssayAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanOpen Architechture a white paperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export Quotas

How to Be Successful in High School Complete Guide

How to Be Successful in High School Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There's a lot of pressure in high school to prepare for the future, but between classes, extracurriculars, and trying to have a social life, thinking about what comes after high school can feel like being told to climb a mountain with no help. Instead of fixating on the future, success in high school means thinking about what you can donow. Being on top of things in high school is a great foundation for success in the future. But what does being successful mean? How can you get started today? What should you worry about, and what should you let slide? This guide will help you learn how to be successful in high school no matter where you are in your education. With tips and goals to strive for, you'll be prepared for the future at any point in high school- it's never too late to start getting a plan together. What Does Being Successful in High School Mean? "Success" is a tricky thing to aim for- everybody has different goals and priorities, so the first step of how to be successful in high school is to determine what your goals are. It's important to understand that success won't look the same for everybody. Not only is every person coming from a different background with unique abilities and hindrances, but people also don't all want the same thing. Some have high career aspirations and income goals, while other people want to travel the world, and still others want to improve their own communities. Every one of those things is a kind of success. Regardless of what your individual goals are, one thing is true- the earlier you start to prepare, the better equipped you are to achieve those goals. Whether you're shooting for the moon (literally!) or sticking close to home, planning your roadmap to success means you understand not just where you're going, but how to get there. You don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to finish everything you need to do, so start as soon as you can. Your goals don't have to be this literal, but they can be! How to Set Goals for Success in High School Take some time to brainstorm what you want for the future. Don't be afraid to dream big- if you want to be an astronaut, write it down! If you want to solve world hunger, write it down! You'll figure the rest out later. Brainstorming gets your ideas down on paper, and later you'll refine them into actions. Once you know for certain what you want, you can start figuring out how to get there. Say you want to solve world hunger- that's pretty abstract, so you need to figure out how you can tackle such a big problem through concrete actions. Do a little research to find out what efforts are already being made. What skills do you have? How can you use those skills to add to the work in progress? If you're aiming for a particular career goal, do some research into how the best of the best got where they are. What degrees do they have? What colleges did they attend? What interests do they have that lead to their career? Match these up with your own desires and factor them into your goals. For example, let's say you want to become an astronaut. You don't just become one by doing a job interview- you need a few more things before you'll be accepted into NASA, like a bachelor's degree in a science or math field. That means getting a degree should be a high priority for you. Part of goal-setting is determining which colleges best suit your needs. Make a list, and start researching what criteria you need to meet to get accepted. Each item you list will need its own set of goals, such as reaching a certain GPA or getting a particular SAT score. Write all this down- you'll want to keep it for planning concrete steps! Next, you need either an advanced degree or 1,000 hours of in-command time on a jet aircraft. Consider which you'd rather do, and plan accordingly. If you want the advanced degree, repeat the search above for grad schools and doctoral programs. These later goals may not be things you can do right now, but you can break them down into smaller pieces that you can start working on as soon as today. If you'd rather go for the 1,000 hours of flight, joining the military or becoming a commercial pilot are both options. Again, each of these comes with its own set of goals to accomplish, so keep breaking those into smaller and smaller achievable pieces, such as getting your physics grade up or joining science-related extracurriculars. Lastly, becoming an astronaut means you need to be in prime physical fitness. This is something you can start now, especially with NASA's requirement for swimming- if your shuttle makes a water landing, you'll need to be prepared to swim! Setting physical fitness goals (or any type of goal) now gets you into the habit of practicing them, something that will serve you well as you progress through your life. No matter what your dream career is, you can follow these steps. And even if you don't make it into your dream school or you find that the field you once aspired to isn't right for you later in life, you're still set up for excellence! Aim high, and you'll have your pick of options- don't limit yourself now because you're unsure if you can reach your highest goal. Your organization session doesn't need to look anywhere near this fancy. The #1 Key to Being Successful in High School: Prioritization Prioritization is one of the most important skills you can have as a student. Being naturally gifted or having a great work ethic doesn't mean much if you can't figure out where to direct your skills. That's why setting goals should always be your first step to success. Once you have a list of goals, including ones for the long- and short-term, you can start to prioritize them. Look at where you are in comparison to where you need to be. What can you do to get there? What can you do right now that will make the most meaningful difference? Obviously, if you're aiming to be an astronaut, you can't just walk into college and ask for a degree. You have to work to get there, which means asking yourself what you can do to get to your dream school. You can apply, of course, but that application needs to be polished. How do you polish it? What can you doright now to get your application into shape? For example, say your physics grade has slipped. You need a good GPA- especially in science courses- to make it into a program that will help you become an astronaut. What can you do to fix that? Studying more is an obvious choice, but "more" isn't a concrete goal. Two hours per week is a good starting point, but you can break that down even further and make it actionable. Two hours per week equates to about 25 minutes per day, so let's round that up to a half hour.Studying an extra half-hour per day is an actionable goal, one that's not so big that you'll have to entirely rewrite your life to achieve it, but not one so small that it won't make any meaningful difference. Upping your study time is more immediately important than being able to swim three pool lengths in astronaut gear. You've got time to work up to that- your Bachelor's degree will take you four years, and whatever training you do beyond that will add on time- so focus on what you can fixright now. Not only is your physics grade something you have control over, but you also have less time to fix it, so it needs to be higher on your priority list. Prioritizing will allow you to plan out milestones and tackle them in an order that makes sense. Rather than trying to do everything- swim three pool lengths, get into college, raise your physics grade, rack up 1,000 hours piloting jets- you confront them one at a time, crossing one off and moving to the next. Get yourself some highlighters and colorful tabs, because it's time to start a planner. How to Keep Track of Everything You Need to Do All this goal setting is great, but you have to keep track of them or you'll be stuck spinning your wheels without direction. Consider getting a planner or making use of a calendar to stay on top of everything. Passion Planners are a great choice. They're goal-focused and contain lots of tools for getting inspired and breaking your goals into actionable items. This structure is great for those who have big dreams but struggle with getting started and following through. There's even an academic version that only covers school months, and there are tons of tutorials online for how to best use (and decorate) them. If the structure of Passion Planner doesn't work for you, plenty of other people swear by Bullet Journaling. This system uses a series of symbols to dictate what should be done now and what should be done later, as well as encouraging you to break tasks into actionable items. If you prefer to be a bit more free-form in your planning, Bullet Journaling may be for you. Whatever route you end up taking, the important thing is that you give yourself structure and a means to execute your goals. Set due dates. If you need to raise your physics grade, set that goal sometime in the future- say, raising your B- to an A by the end of the quarter. Since you've already asked yourself what you can do to get there, you can assign your goals, such as studying an extra half hour per day, joining a study group, or turning in missing assignments, to specific dates. Write that extra half hour down on every day, and write another reminder once per week, for example, to complete a missing assignment. Essentially, keeping track of everything means setting goals, breaking those goals down into actionable items, setting deadlines, and following through. Aim high, but all the little stops on your roadmap are important, too. Think of the small tasks as steps in a large staircase with your goal at the top- you can't leap directly to the top, but you can get there one step at a time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: How to Be Successful in 9th Grade Planning for specifics is how you achieve big goals, but general planning is great too. Even if you're not sure what you want to do with the rest of your life yet, there are still big steps you can take to make sure you're on track for success later in life. It's never too early to start thinking about college, even if you're not ready to settle on one school or field of study yet. One of the best ways to ensure that you're ready for college, even as soon as ninth grade, is to make sure you're taking challenging, useful courses. If you don't know what you want to do with your life, that's okay! Elective courses can help you figure that out. Your course load in ninth grade should be a mixture of required classes, electives, and challenging classes. There's no magic number of AP or honors courses that will magically get you into your dream school, but colleges do want to see you making the most of what's available to you. That said, if you find yourself struggling to keep your grades up, it's okay to reassess. You need to pass the classes in order for colleges to take them seriously, so be sure you're taking on a workload that you can handle. For a freshman, one to two AP courses is a great place to start. Ninth grade is also a great time to start getting involved- really involved- in extracurriculars. If you're into journalism, you may not get a coveted editor position as a freshman, but you can start taking on additional responsibilities and writing stories that matter to you. To return to the astronaut example, you can consider joining a science or math club at school, and going for a leadership position down the road. Don't be afraid to start thinking about college choices. That doesn't mean you have to make concrete plans, but doing some research into what requirements schools have and what features appeal to you is a great way to start narrowing down your choices early on. Instead of looking through every conceivable school junior year, you'll already have a possible list narrowed down. In tenth grade, keep up good habits and keep forming new ones. How to Be Successful in 10th Grade Tenth grade is a time to start thinking seriously about your future plans. It’s a good time to research schools and potentially start narrowing them down. You have plenty of time to apply, so don’t stress about whether or not you’ll get in- use this time to think about how you’ll set yourself up for success rather than worrying about whether or not you’ll succeed. As with ninth grade, you’ll want to focus on keeping your grades up, getting involved in extracurriculars, and taking honors and AP courses in tenth grade. Shoot for one to three AP courses in your schedule, but always keep in mind that your grades come first. If you’re struggling in your regular classes, it’s okay to cut back. You want to find a healthy balance of schoolwork and extracurriculars, which may sometimes mean letting something go to fix where you’re struggling. It may feel a bit like playing Whack-a-Mole, but prioritization and goal setting will help you focus on what’s most important. Now is a good time to take the PSAT or PreACT for the first time. If you have a sense of where you’re starting from, you’ll know where to focus your studying efforts as you get closer to taking the real thing. Even better, you’ll have more time to study. Instead of crunching junior and senior year, you'll be able to focus on weak points rather than trying to bring all your scores up at once. If you’re not 100 percent on track with where you want to be, that’s okay! Spend some time thinking about how you can correct course and get back on schedule. There are no hard and fast rules for success, as every person is unique. Things get a little more serious in eleventh grade. How to Be Successful in th Grade Eleventh grade is why it’s important to start planning early. Suddenly you’re faced with the very real task of college applications and standardized tests, and it can feel like things are closing in on you. Still, don’t panic. Even if you haven’t started preparing yet, you can get yourself back on track. In eleventh grade, it’s time to start thinking seriously about college applications. That doesn’t mean filling them out- though you can start early, applications won’t be due until the next year, even for early decision. Instead, focus on your standardized test scores. Take an SAT or ACT test if you can and see where you’re at, compare that to your college of choice’s average score, and start working to make sure your score is at that level. If it’s already there, great! You can instead work on getting a higher than average score to look even more impressive in your application. Junior year is the most important one for your GPA. Every year is important, but junior year is the last full year you have to impress colleges before applications, so make it count.To be competitive for college, aim to take two to four AP courses in eleventh grade, and keep those grades up. If you struggle your junior year, it’s not the end of the world. You will need to explain things to colleges you apply to, and also demonstrate that you’re working to fix anything that’s slipped. That’s why it’s important to have a plan- when you know where you’re going, getting back on track is far easier. Get started early so you can look this excited on graduation day. How to Be Successful in 12th Grade If only senior year was the time to relax after all your hard work. Instead, now is the time you’ll be putting all that hard work into action, applying to colleges, seeking leadership positions in the extracurriculars you’ve been involved in, and continuing to maintain your GPA. If you’ve been on track until this point, congratulations! Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, with the added responsibility of applying to colleges. If you’re coming at this a little late and are worried about your odds, don’t panic- you still have options. Maybe you slipped in junior year, or maybe you just didn’t know that you had to get started early. You can still achieve success, even if you’re a little late to the game. Identify any weak points in your grades, extracurriculars, and courses. What can you correct? What will make the biggest difference right now? If you haven’t started SAT or ACT prep, do so now. Take a practice test and start working to get your score up to your target. Though your social life might suffer with these additional demands, it’s important to make the most of the time that you do have. Don’t burn yourself out, but do be sure you’re putting in the work. No matter what, don’t feel like it’s the end of the world. Maybe you don’t get into your dream school. Maybe you don’t get into most of the schools you apply to. That doesn’t mean a great future is out of reach- it just means you need to reassess. Consider enrolling in community college and transferring to a four-year school when you’re ready, or starting at a lower volume school and transferring later. These are perfectly legitimate options that can lead to a wonderful and lucrative future for you- getting started late is better than never getting started at all. It’s important not to let yourself give up. You might run into obstacles and need to change plans, but it’s never too late to strive for more. Keep making goals and reaching for new milestones, because there are always options. You might not see results right away, but good planning and effort will be rewarding. 5 Tips for How to Be Successful in High School Making goals and prioritizing them is a great way to be successful in high school.But there are other skills you can cultivate, too, that will help you on your path to success. #1: Start Planning Early The earlier you start getting your plans together, the better. Your plans can change over time- don't be afraid to be flexible- but you simply can't achieve your goals if you don't have any. Making goals early and breaking them down into digestible pieces gives you clear milestones to achieve. It's far easier to hit a bunch of small goals leading to a larger one than to jump right from a C to an A, so the earlier you can start, the smoother your path to success will be. #2: Follow a Schedule Figure out what you need to do, how long you have to get it done, and break that into smaller achievable goals. "Raise my grades," is a good goal, but you can't jump right there- instead, commit to studying two hours per week or completing one missing or extra credit assignment per week. Set a schedule for when you need to get things done, but also schedule in time for workand for breaks. If you work at a specific time every day, you'll find yourself settling into a more efficient pattern. And giving yourself regular breaks ensures that your brain is always performing its best rather than struggling to focus after hours of studying. #3: Designate a Study Space It sounds strange, but picking one particular place to study in can actually be a big help in focusing better. If you have a desk or a quiet place in your home, decide that that's your studying zone and clear it of distractions- no phone, no magazines, no video games. When you sit down there, you'll start to associate it with studying, and your brain will find it easier to shift into work mode. If you can avoid it, don't make a place that has a different purpose, such as your bed, your dining room table, or your noisy living room your study space. If you try to use the same place for multiple purposes, it loses its association with studying. Find somewhere that you can get work done andonly use it to get work done. #4: Find Unique Ways to Practice Studying is good, but you have to study smart. Reading the same things over and over again won't necessarily help, so find ways to really engage with what you're learning. Flashcards are a popular study method for a reason- writing the information down and quizzing yourself on it repeatedly can drill it into your mind a whole lot easier than reading and re-reading the same page of notes. But you can try other things, too, such as coming up with your own mnemonics or even teaching the material to somebody else. If you're struggling to understand or memorize something, get creative with it rather than forcing yourself to keep studying in a way that isn't working for you. #5: Find a Study Buddy Not only is studying easier when you have somebody to quiz you, but accountability is also a great way to motivate yourself. It's far harder to cancel plans with somebody else than to cancel plans with yourself. Of course, be sure you find somebody who isn't just there to hang out. Your ideal study partner should be somebody whoalso has goals and who isn't going to distract you when you're trying to work. Tell each other what you're going to get done, and hold each other accountable for achieving it. Check in to see what their progress is, and tell them what you've achieved. When you share your goals with others, you get them involved and invested in your success, making you more likely to keep going when you feel like giving up. What’s Next? All these tips for success will help you prepare for college, but you still need to apply. This guide to college applications will help you understand exactly what schools are looking for. Even if you don't want to go to Harvard, you can still study like you do. If your application is Harvard-ready, you're also ready for most other schools- the higher you aim, the better your chances are no matter where you want to go. Grades are a crucial part of a successful college application. This guide to getting a 4.0 GPA will help you plan effective studying habits, giving you a better chance at getting into your dream college. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

An Outstanding Multicultural Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

An Outstanding Multicultural Manager - Assignment Example No one should be discriminated against in any way. Being committed to educational equity, I have to ensure that everyone has access to it. I will fight for all equities, be it racial, gender or sexual orientation. I will reevaluate value system or worldview to ensure that I don’t justify my inattention to any given group of underrepresented or disenfranchised students because of such worldview or value system (Ramsey, 16). Secondly, I can give lessons to my students regarding the critical multicultural issues like poverty, sexism, racism, and heterosexism. To ensure that cultural diversity is well addressed and practiced fully, I will start imparting knowledge on such issues to younger students because children from disenfranchised communities begin experiencing the problems at the youngest ages. Thirdly, I can provide an integrated multicultural curriculum all the year, every day and not just during special celebrations or months. This will ensure that the students are continuously learning how to deal with cultural diversity. Fourthly, I can practice correct pronunciation of each student’s full name so that every student can feel included. Students do not have to change or shorten their names to make it easy to be pronounced by anybody. This will contribute to making students feel cared for and not discriminated against. Fifthly, I can make sure that students that come from disenfranchised communities are fairly treated and not placed unjustly into lower academic tracks (Ramsey, 125). Moreover, I can tirelessly fight to get them into talented and gifted programs. In order to also benefit high achievers, I can fight tracking altogether. Sixthly, I can direct my effort towards building coalitions with other teachers who are from the different race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, class, home language, and so on.

Breastfeeding Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Breastfeeding - Annotated Bibliography Example The researchers noted the presence of a divide in understanding the breastfeeding approaches that Amanda was taught while in hospital and putting these approaches into practice. Importantly, this disconnect exists despite Amanda indicating her ability to understand concepts. Conversely, the second case presents Connie’s frustration to breastfeed her infant twins despite her motivation. It is instructive to point out that Connie, who is a registered nurse, received support from nurses who taught her the approaches to breastfeed. Nonetheless, she faced many obstacles despite the instructions she received, which effectively frustrated her although unrelenting practice eventually achieved success. The authors’ work is crucial in a clinical setting since it underlines the importance of nurses to develop interventions tailored to the needs of an individual mother. In addition, the researchers’ work highlights the importance of considering the motivation and cognitive appraisal in establishing a breastfeeding

Consider The Theme Of Loneliness In The Novel Of Mice And Men. How :: English Literature

Consider The Theme Of Loneliness In The Novel Of Mice And Men. How Does It Affect The Characters? I will be looking at the theme of loneliness, how it effects the characters, how the scenes roll in with what's happening etc. When you read about George and Lennie you realise that they have a history. You think that they are a perfect pair. One is smart, aggressive, quick and looks out for the other (George) while the other one (Lennie) is slow, dumb, big, strong, kind, caring and needs to be looked out for. They fit together like a jigsaw. George and Lennie are the main characters and they are the only ones with the biggest dream - to get a big house with rabbits. That's what keeps them getting through the day. Their relationship together doesn't look close but it is. George once told Lennie to jump into a river. He did it and nearly drowned which I think showed George how much Lennie trusted him so Lennie thought that he would always be safe. Ever since then, George hasn't taken advantage of his power over Lennie. Two things drive their relationship. Their dreams, that keeps them going through the day and the fear of loneliness. Neither one of them wants to be alone nor so they fear it. Like when Lennie threatens to go into the cave alone and so therefore George fears and tries to keep him. George is a sharp man. His features are very precise and fixed. Each part of him is defined: small strong hands, slender arms and a thin bony nose. Steinbeck also says that he has restless eyes, which sometimes scares me because you get this picture in your head of tired open eyes. Steinbeck describes George like this so that he is the opposite of Lennie, which makes them opposite in every way. George's personality is a bit bad tempered. He's like Lennie's mother because he's always looking out for Lennie, which I guess makes him a caring person. He's also short tempered, as he gets agitated very easily, usually at Lennie. I think that the reason why George is so frustrated is because he has to put up with Lennie's stupidity all the time, which would make anyone frustrated. I guess you could call George friendly because he made friends with all of the people at the ranch except for Curley and his wife. He didn't make friends with them because being friends with them would cause trouble. That's a smart thing and being smart is another quality of George's personality. I think that by making George the opposite of Lennie, Steinbeck is

Adidas Internal Analysis Essay

1. Introduction Competition and competitive markets are common in every industry. Especially since Globalization is influencing our economy, companies need to stay competitive in order to survive against new rising competitors, which are basically rooted in the Middle East Asia. Analyzing own strengths and weaknesses and capturing new opportunities or avoiding threats, are one of the most important factors for reaching this goal. This paper is dealing with the German apparel â€Å"Adidas†, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers for sportswear and sport utilities. But why are they one of the leading global players in this certain industry? There are some key factors, which influenced their worldwide success. A part of different departments, e.g. : research and development, human resources and in-and outbound logistics, which are working together in a fluent way, elements like customer relationship management and brand recognition are the main drivers for capturing new custome rs and the retention of regular customers. The intention of this dissertation will be, to explain Adidas’ internal strategies and the construction of their individual competitive advantage. One important basis for this competitive advantage is the â€Å"resource based view modelâ€Å".The resource-based view as a basis for a competitive advantage of a firm lies primarily in the application of the bundle of valuable intangible and tangible resources at the firm’s disposal. (Crook, T. R., et. al., 2008). In this scientific paper, I will conduct an internal organizational analysis of the firm. I will figure out how and why Adidas is one of the most important companies in its industry and will identify their success. 2. General Information and Organizational Structure The Adidas AG (Adidas Group) is a German multinational corporation, which designs and produces sportswear, accessories and sport utilities. The company is based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. The corporation basically consists of three companies, â€Å"Adidas†, the brand itself, â€Å"Reebok  sportswear† and â€Å"Tailor-made-Adidas Golf Company†. Reebok is a subsidiary of Adidas since 2005 and also a manufacturer of athletic shoes, clothing and accessories. â€Å"Tailor-made-Adidas Golf Company† designs and markets all products which are related to Golf. The Adidas group is the largest sportswear producer in Germany and Europe and the second manufacturer in the world, right behind â€Å"Nike†. The company was founded in 1924 as the â€Å"Gebrà ¼der Dassler Schuhfabrik†, but was officially registered in 1949 by Adolf Dassler, after the split of â€Å"Gebrà ¼der Dassler Schuhfabrik† between him and his older brother Rudolf. On e of the most important competitors of Adidas was and still is, â€Å"Puma†, which was established by his brother Rudolf Dassler in 1949. The structure of the organization is very well defined. There are different functional departments such as marketing, production, R&D, customer services, operations, distribution, and human resource with clearly defined jobs at all levels. The vision of the Adidas Group is to be the leader in the sportswear industry, with sub-brands built upon a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. In order to achieve the goal a profound understanding of the consumer and customer is essential. To satisfy the needs of the customers it is essential to build a strong customer relationship in order to understand their buying behavior (AdidasGroup, 2013). Adidas ´revenue in 2012 was listed at 14.488 billion euros and profit was listed at 1185 million euros. In 2010, Adidas worked with 1,236 independent factories, in 69 countries. 69% of these factories where located in Asia and the rest in Europe and the U.S. 27% of the Asian factories are based in China. In 2006 the sales of Adidas ´ in the A sian regions and in the emerging countries (South Korea, Romania, Russia, Croatia, and Brazil etc.) increased up to 147,8%. (Annual Report 2012, 2013) 3. Resource Based View 3.1. Tangible/Intangible Criteria In every business are many types of resources and assets. Some resources are clearly visible and tangible and others may not. The Resource Based View is a device to assess the amount of tangible and intangible resources, in order to capture possible capabilities with the goal, to build a sustain competitive advantage. The device is differentiating between intangible and tangible resources. Intangible resources are skills, services, corporate  reputation or knowledge a firm can provide. The collective knowledge of a firm’s workforce represents a tremendous resource. Intangible assets are difficult to quantify in financial terms and often impossible to sell. Education and experience are the main drivers for the knowledge of a corporate workforce, and grows within the structure of a particular industry. Tangible resources are known as raw materials, products or workforce. Corporations that are committed in primary resource extraction have holdings of very tangible goods or reso urces and often own the land outright on which their resources are located or manufactured (Freiling, J., 2001). Furthermore, but less a tangible resource, the corporation owns the rights to the coal, oil or any other raw material, that is located on public land. In both cases, the resource is a physical reality, more or less tangible and the value of which can be financially determined by observing the going market value of a certain good. Regarding â€Å"Adidas†, as one of the most important global players in their industry, it is also possible to distinguish their resources. Adidas is holding more than 50.000 employees, all over the world into their workforce. CNC machines are used in the assembly line for the mass production of shoes, which is more or less their cash cow and keeps them successful. The Research and Development departments are equipped with CAM. Software’s for creating cutting edge designs. The main manufactories are located in Vietnam and China and the bases for the organization are based in Portland, Oregon (U.S) and in Herzogenrauch, Bavaria (Germany) (Adidas Group, 2013). Patents, partnerships, sponsorships and cooperation’s with universities are intangible assets, which Adidas owns. 3.2. Capabilities Especially in times where raw materials and resources are gaining more and more value, companies need to use their assets and resources in the most efficient way, in order to stay competitive. These opportunities are called â€Å"capabilities†. Capabilities can be described as organizationally embedded non-transferable firm-specific resources. (Crook, T. R., et. al., 2008). Capabilities can be divided into distinctive and threshold capabilities. On the one hand, Threshold capabilities or resources are fulfilling the general criteria a firm has to provide, in order to survive on the market. Regarding our example of Adidas, the threshold criteria for their certain industry are  buildings, land, workforce, several departments and outsourced manufactories. But on the other hand, there are distinctive capabilities, which should not just keep the company alive, but deliver a competitive advantage. (Porter, M.E.1980). Also known as core capabilities, distinctive capabilities are the talents and unique elements that are embedded within the organization. These essential characteristics are considered highly preferred, since they provide the business with what it needs to be competitive in the marketplace and also provides the firm a competitive advantage. Therefore distinctive capabilities are generating the core competencies of an organization and are the key driving forces for a company to achieve its competitive advantages. Adidas utilizes its key resources and capabilities to create value and performance excellence. Distinctive capabilities that Adidas holds are e.g., Special R & D departments and correlations (universities), sponsorship agreements (FIFA/ NBA) , diversified operations, network and portfolio, good reputation as mid-priced brand in the industry, distribution network and strategic innovation. (AdidasGroup, 2013). 3.3. Value Chain Analysis Understanding what a particular business or firm is all about, it is necessary to analyze the specific activities the company is going through in their daily work process. The competitive advantage is build up on added values the enterprise is giving their products. Michael Porter ´s â€Å"Value Chain† is modeling a chain of different activities, companies are performing in order to deliver and provide valuable products or services. Porter is differentiating between primary activities and supporting activities. Primary activities are more or less focusing on generating profit margin and to exceed the cost structure of particular products. These activities are mainly enabled by supporting activities, which are industry-specific (Daft, L.R., 1983). By sourcing the activities, process flows can be mapped and can be used to isolate specific activities, in order to decrease the cost structure. Focusing back on Adidas, the company is separating their activities as following; in-/ and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales and services as primary activities. Supporting activities in their  key industry are; procurement, research and development and human resource management. Value chain analysis examines business’ units and examines how products pass through the chain, in order from inbound logistics to service, market & sales and other sections. The information provided shows where in the chain products are slowed or altered from the intended design or its usage. 4. Competitive Advantage One of the most important goals of Adidas has been, to develop a strong competitive advantage, in order to stay successful and survive against the large number heavyweight competitors. The industry, in which Adidas interacts, is characterized by a set of many specific features. The extreme rivalry between Adidas and its competitors, Nike, Puma or New Balance is higher than ever before. Nevertheless, most of these brands outsourced their production and re-defined themselves as brands or marketing organizations. Despite the fact that Adidas currently ranks right behind Nike in the segment of sports shoes and sportswear market, Adidas still has been a successful business enterprise right from the beginning of their establishment by Dassler in 1945. The encouragement and application of a spirit of constant and updated technological innovation and excellence has resulted in generating such a powerful competitive advantage for Adidas that its market opponents find it hard to beat. The high performance, market orientation, technological development and brand promise, created the expected value for customers. Especially the company’s policy and corporate culture, that includes providing their customers with the necessary technological applications, in order to meet and satisfy the full needs of their end-consumer. (Kumar, V. & Reinartz W. 2012). Ultimately, this translates to tailor-made performance products for individual customers. Tailor-made is concentrating on especial product line and a particular market segment. Therefore technological superiority of its products is the primary factor of market penetration for Adidas. Nevertheless, an intense and targeted marketing mix and strategy is the second most important key driver of success. An important fact and promotional tool for products has been, to integrate celebrities and professional sport idols into their  marketing mix. This strategy seemed to be very successful and generated a steady source of profit and sales. Consumers appreciated and enjoyed the emotional experience, to share the same daily products with their idols or people, who are influencing them. Furthermore, Adidas is following the main rules of Customer relationship management. Feedback from regular customers and surveys about particular products or advertisements created a high level of customer invo lvement and loyalty, what turned out to be the most effective strategy. These methods and tools helped Adidas to develop and build a long-term profitable customer relationship. 5. Conclusion 5.1. SWOT / TOWS During the economic crisis in year 2009, many companies and enterprises suffered turnover, profit and had to restructure their business. Many different factors were key drivers for this crisis, but not successfully adapted strategies regarding supply and demand. Consultants, who are analyzing and advising enterprises, implement different methods and tools, in order to improve the client’s business. One of these powerful tools is the SWOT- Analysis. But what is SWOT? How should companies or consultants use this tool, in order to succeed? And the most important question is, is Adidas using or ever used this methods, if yes how did they? SWOT is expecting from its users to examine, internal strengths and weaknesses of their business and to summarize external opportunities and threats, in order to develop new strategies for improvement. (Bà ¶hm, A., 2008). After developing these ideas, the proper implementation of them is important as well as the examination itself. The TOWS-matr ix ore the TOWS-analysis involves the same basic process of listing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats like the SWOT analysis is claiming from its users. But furthermore the TOWS analysis is a tool that enables managers to take advantage of opportunities and minimize threats by exploiting strengths and overcoming weaknesses. In case of Adidas the strengths are mainly, their strong brand value as one of the most successful brand, a strong and proven marketing strategy, networks and strong franchising, their leading position in the industry as one of the largest player in the industry, diversified  operations in different parts of the world and the most important strength is their competitive pricing. But the enterprise has also some weaknesses. Some of the weaknesses Adidas might has to struggle with are the bad performance of Reebok in non US markets, stiff competition and similar big brands which means customers have high brand switching, high cost structure and the dependency on sport industry/athletes/sponsorships (Borowski, A. 2011). External factors are including the threats and opportunities. Increasing prices for raw materials, forged product-imitation and the tough competition in the sector with Puma and Nike are the key threats, which could menace Adidas (AdidasGroup, 2013). It is possible to use strengths to avoid threats and to capture opportunities, with the help of the TOWS-matrix. Therefore strategies, which Adidas could use in order to capture opportunities and avoid threats could be, to use diversified operations in different parts of the world and strong brand recognition for sponsorships in growing markets and the well-considered usage of celebrities (not just for advertisement, also for opening private sport academies). To minimize internal weaknesses by capturing opportunities, the enterprise should keep their focus on their strong and proven marketing strategy, networking and their strong franchising, in order to stay competitve and build close long-term customer relationships (Borowski, A. 2011). A part of that, the acquisition of competitors could decrease cost structure and rivalry within the industry and safe their status quo for the future. 6. Bibliography â€Å"Adidas, Deutsche Telekom, Infineon: German Equity Preview†. Bloomberg L.P. 16 January 2008. Retrieved on 15th of March from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ah3ZhaeNWMdM&refer=germany AdidasGroup, (2013) Retrieved on 18th of March from http://www.adidas-group.com â€Å"Annual Report 2012†. Adidas. Retrieved on 10th March 2013 from http://www.adidas-group.com/en/investorrelations/financial_data/default.aspx Barney, J.B., (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management. Texas: A&M University. Borowski, A. (2011). Adidas Marketing Strategy – An Overview. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag Bà ¶hm, A., (2008).The SWOT Analysis. Mà ¼nchen: GRIN Verlag. Crook, T. R., et. al., (2008). Strategic resources and performance: A meta-analysis. Strategic Management Journal. UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Daft, L.R., (1983). Organizational Theory and Designs, St. Paul: West Pub. Co. Freiling, J., (2001). Resource-based View und à ¶konomische Theorie: Grundlagen und Positionierung des Resourcenansatzes. Heidelberg: Deutscher Università ¤ts-Verlag. Kumar, V. & Reinartz W. (2012). Customer Relationship Management – Concept, Strategy, and Tools. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., and McHugh, S. M. (2012). Understanding Business (10th edition). UK: McGraw-Hill Education. Porter, M.E. (1980). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press. Satya Sekhar, G.V., (2009). Business Policy and Strategic Management. New Delhi: I K International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd

Albert Camus the Stranger Meursault Is Aloof, Detached,...

Albert Camus The Stranger: Meursault Is Aloof, Detached, and Unemotional In The Stranger, Albert Camus portrays Meursault, the books narrator and main character, as aloof, detached, and unemotional. He does not think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in relationships or during emotional times. He displays an impassiveness throughout the book in his reactions to the people and events described in the book. After his mothers death he sheds no tears; seems to show no emotions. He displays limited feelings for his girlfriend, Marie Cardona, and shows no remorse at all for killing an Arab. His reactions to life and to people distances him from his emotions, positive or negative, and from intimate†¦show more content†¦Nothing seems to be very significant to him. Later on in the book, after he kills an Arab, not once does he show any remorse or guilt for what he did. Did he really feel nothing? Camus seems to indicate that Meursault is almost oblivious and totally unruffled and untouched by events and people around him. He is unwilling to lie, during his trial, about killing the Arab. His reluctance to get involved in defending himself results in a verdict of death by guillotine. Had Meursault been engaged in his defense, explaining his actions, he might have been set free. Meursaults unresponsive behavior, distant from any apparent emotions, is probably reinforced by the despair which he sees open and feeling individuals experience. He observe s, for example, Raymond cheated on and hurt by a girlfriend, and sees his other neighbor, Salamano, very depressed when he loses a dear companion, his dog. Meursaults responses are very different, he doesnt get depressed at death nor does he get emotionally involved. He appears to be totally apathetic. Thus, he seems to feel no pain and is protected from lifes disappointments. Sometimes a person like Meursault can be appealing to others because he is so non-judgmental and uncritical, probably a result of indifference rather than sympathetic feelings. His limited involvement might attract some people because an end result of his distance is a sort of acceptance of others, thus he is not a threat to their