The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products” Essay Example

The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† Essay â€Å"The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ On the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† Submitted By: SANUSI SANI BUHARI Student No: 200922R7018 The Dissertation has been submitted to the Skyline University College In partial Fulfillment of the Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration (International Business) December-2012 Acknowledgement The writing of this dissertation has been one of the most significant academic challenges I have ever had to face. Without the support, patience and guidance of the following people, this study would not have been completed. It is to them that I owe my deepest gratitude. * Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al Saed, who undertook to act as my supervisor despite his many other academic and professional commitments. His wisdom, knowledge and commitment to the highest standards inspired and motivated me. * My friends and whoever directly or indirectly helped me to during the course of the dissertation. * The authors of the various books and web sites as well as the facilities and university library that helped me gain various information for this dissertation. Abstract This research paper describes the buying decisions of ‘consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products. People have different choice according to needs. Business organizations and telecommunication sectors judge product on usability. Data analysis suggests many important elements impact the buying decision of an individual or any specific company. Data analysis also suggests Microsoft and Apple continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware. The main objective of this research is- which product do people prefer? We will write a custom essay sample on The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer To find answers to the research questions of this research, data analysis and descriptive study has been used, because it involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way. This method is used to obtain a general overview of the subject, and answers who, what, and why of the study. The two giants pride themselves for producing cutting edge consumer and business products, and are leading the developments in software and hardware. But what about their websites how do they both compare, and more important, which one is better and more usable? This study will help reader to find all this answer. Chapter No. | Particulars| Pg No. | 1| Introduction * Aims of Independent Study * Objectives| 6-7| 2| Literature Review| 8-29| 3| Research Methodology| 30-32| | * Research Design| 31| | * Research Approach| 31| | * Research Instrument| 32| | * Sampling Design| 32| 4| Data Analysis| 33-37| 5| Conclusion| 38-40| | Bibliography | 41-42| | Appendixes | 43-46| Aims of the Study Technology has slowly started to rule our lives. No matter where we are, we have access to some sort of technological appliance such as cell phones, computers or televisions. Anything one could think of that might, in even the slightest way, make our lives easier is now available. So many different types of devices have been conceived and developed that is has become a complicated and confusing decision when trying to choose the right product. Computers and other forms of technology impact our lives daily. We encounter computers in stores, restaurants, and other retail establishments. We use computers and the Internet regularly to obtain information, experience online entertainment, buy product and services as well as communicating with others. Most of us carry a computer or a mobile phone with us at all times so we can remain in touch with others on a continual basis and can access internet information by the touch of a button. Businesses use computers to keep track of bank transactions, inventories, sales, credit card purchases and also provide business executives up to date information to make important decisions. Government’s use computers to support our nation’s defense system, for space exploration, for storing and organizing vital information of citizens, and other important tasks. Computers are used everywhere, and is a vital tool in one’s life. When you turn to your computer, it’s nice to think you’re in control. There’s the trusty computer mouse, which you can move anywhere on the screen, summoning up your music library or the internet browser by one click. Although it’s easy to feel like the director in front of your own desktop or laptop, there’s a lot going on inside, and the real man behind all these operations is the ‘Operating System’. The purpose of an operating system is to organize and control hardware and software so that the device it lives in behaves in a flexible but predictable way. Most desktop or laptop PCs come pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows. Macintosh computers come pre-loaded with Mac OS X. The operating system (OS) is the first thing loaded onto the computer. Without the operating system, a computer is useless. When it comes to computer technology, the two biggest giants are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. Microsoft and Apple are by and large the biggest producers in cutting edge consumer and business products. Between the two companies, they continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware. Question is, which do people prefer? Prior to this, I’ve decided to base my study on ‘ The buying decisions of consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products ’ Research Objectives Research Objectives ascertains specific points that may aid in gathering information related to the main objective. The purpose of this research will be: * To know the factors that affect the buying decisions of customers * To determine the products and services provided to customers Literature Review As stated by (Allan 2001), Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions. While jointly developing a new Operating System (OS), working alongside IBM, Microsoft released Microsoft Windows. On February 26th 1986, moved its headquarters to Redmond, and decided to make the company go public. Microsoft worked closely with Apple during the development of Apples Macintosh computer, which was introduced in 1984. Revolutionary in its design, the Mac featured a graphical user interface based on icons rather than the typed commands used by the IBM PC, making its programs simple to use and easy to learn, even by computer novices. ( Iceboat, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper 1991 p. 304) Apple INC was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977; the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years, but removed the word Computer on January 9, 2007, to reflect the companys ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. (Price 1987) On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer important of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Jonathan Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone. The iMac featured modern technology and a unique design. It sold close to 800,000 units in its first five months. Through this period, Apple purchased several companies to create a portfolio of professional and consumer-oriented digital production software. On May 19, 2001, Apple opened the first official Apple Retail Stores in Virginia and California. Later on July 9 they bought Spruce Technologies, a DVD authoring company. The same year, Apple introduced the iPod portable digital audio player. The product was phenomenally successful  Ã¢â‚¬â€ over 100 million units were sold within six years. In 2003, Apples iTunes Store was introduced, offering online music downloads for $0. 99 a song and combination with the iPod. The service quickly became the market leader in online music services, with over 5 billion downloads by June 19, 2008. It can understandably be said that when it comes to computer technology, the two biggest names are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. (Suhail 2009) It success has become so immense that a customer’s choice can either be one of the two. Other competitors are too far off, but what do these two giants give in return to society? To most people, Microsoft represents computing. Those with a dynamic interest in technology usually believe that Microsoft Windows is the computer. This kind of brand association you won’t see in other companies, which makes it a very powerful source in the world of technology. Apple computers have grown very popular in the last few years, and its simplicity and user-friendly attributes is what keeps customers captivated. Historically, Microsoft began the personal computer revolution with their Windows Operating System, which offered people a different platform for their computer needs. Apple also introduced, with their own line of Macintosh computers and devices, though it did have it ups and downs. Microsoft followed a general policy by marketing their computers with non-expensive hardware and software parts which allowed every house to have a PC (personal computer). People can afford their computers with no restrictions on the type of hardware. Apple had a different mind frame whereby they went for exclusivity and decided to sell their products at a much higher price than Microsoft PC’s. Its elite hardware and software is what makes it more expensive. (Admin 2010) Although where Apple has the upper hand over Microsoft is related to security. Apple Mac computers are generally more secure because of its OSX operating system. Suhail 2009) It has more protection built in against malware and viruses. Customers want to feel comfortable and safe, knowing that the product they are purchasing is protected against threat at all times. Windows (operating system of Microsoft) is more prone to malware and viruses, and requires expensive protection software to make the PC more secure . Another advantage of Apple computers is they are more efficient when it comes to graphics acceleration and games. Microsoft has problems with that. If one would buy a Microsoft based PC, they would need to spend an additional amount to handle graphics of that scale. On the other hand, Microsoft is committed in making its products and services easier for everyone to use. The Windows operating system has many in-built accessibility features that are useful for individuals who have difficulty in typing, using the mouse, seeing or hearing difficulties. Microsoft also produces other computer hardware’s such as Xbox, Zune, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (MSJ 1986) Apple also offers a wide variety of products such as the iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and the newly introduced iPad. Factors affecting buying decision Homepage The homepage is one of the most important pages of the whole site because it’s the first, and in many cases the only chance you get to impress the visitor enough to keep them browsing. You’ve got a few seconds to convince them that the site has enough value for them to keep using it, because if it doesn’t, the visitors will leave. Apple’s approach to the homepage has been consistent throughout all the years that the site has been running. They use this page as a kind of advertising board that always shows a big ad of their latest product, followed by 3 other ads to another 3 products or news that is important at the moment. If you’re not interested in any of the 4 suggested items, you can use the large navigation bar at the top, which is split into their core businesses: Mac, iPod and iPhone, followed by a couple of other important links, such as the online store and support pages. The navigation bar also incorporates a search field. (Dmitry Fadeyev) One other thing to note is the lack of content. You’re not distracted by sidebars, notices or extra navigation items — there are only a few items on the page, focusing your attention and making the decision of where to go next easier. Microsoft has a different approach to their homepage. Firstly, they feature a similar style of ad at the top, designed to be attention grabbing. These are large images, but only one out of 3 ads is shown at a time — you have to hover over the other two to expand them. This focuses attention, but may potentially weaken the effectiveness of the two hidden ads since the visitor has to work to see them right at the top of the page is the navigation, together with search. Flow All of the content of Microsoft is extremely monotonous, especially the â€Å"Learn More† box with a list of 8 links. The dry presentation gives the user less incentive to click around. Some Microsoft sites use better layout to direct the flow of attention, but they generally all suffer from the same illness: too much content. When you present the user with too many choices, you make them work — they have to think about what they want and they have to process more information. By reducing choice, Apple directs the users through a more carefully designed funnel, which generally delivers a better experience. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Navigation Apple’s website has a large navigation bar at the top, which remains there consistently whichever section of the site you go to. The options available show the main sections split by its lines of business as well as a couple of essentials, such as support and the store. The bar also integrates search and branding as the home button displays the Apple logo instead of a label. Any extra sub-navigation is located on individual site pages and is placed within the context of that page, whether on a sidebar, or as a horizontal bar at the top. Microsoft has a similar navigation bar on the homepage, but that navigation bar is not consistent across the site. Actually, all of the sub-pages tend to use their own navigation bar, in style and in content. The homepage navigation thus acts as a site map to the rest of the Microsoft website sections. In a lot of the navigation bars, including the one on the homepage, Microsoft uses drop-down menus — unlike Apple. They don’t just use drop-down menus — they use huge drop-down menus. In some cases, the menu even has a scrollbar (in Firefox): Is this good or bad? In a recent Alertbox entry, Jakob Nielsen, a well known usability guru, has written that mega drop-down menus can work. They work because they present a lot of choices in groups, so they allow for easier scanning as you can jump to the group that you want and scan the items inside them. You have to get certain things right though, like the order of the groups and only mentioning each element once, for them to work well. In this case, it makes sense for Microsoft to go the route of the drop-down menus, but feel that they may have gone a little too far. For example, some options point to the same thing, like the ‘Office’ drop down and ‘Office’ option in the ‘All Products’ drop down. The drop-down also blocks the content below, so if you accidentally moused over the menu, you have to mouse off from it again to get to the content below — all the while being careful not to hover over other items. There are also a lot of options under each group — sometimes showing about 13 items, which makes processing the options much more difficult. Also, the inconsistency of navigation across the different sections makes it much harder to jump from one area of the site to another, e. g from the Office site to the Xbox site. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Readability Because most of the content on the sites is text, it’s vital to ensure that everything is readable and legible. Here are the main things to consider when working on readability of your site’s content: * Make the text large enough so that it’s easy to see and read. Ensure that there is enough contrast between the text and background. * Provide enough white space around the text to keep other content and graphics from distracting the reader. * Provide plenty of headings or highlighted/bold text to allow users to quickly scan the content for key information. * Add images and icons to make it easier to focus on indivi dual sections of the text, i. e. product or feature descriptions. * Keep the text short and to the point. Apple does a great job of keeping everything easy to read. The text is generally small, but never too small so as to be a problem. Headings are set in heavier type and stand out, allowing you to quickly get the gist of each section. Apple also makes heavy use of white space to separate everything apart and adds images to make each text blurb more interesting. It follows the general usability guidelines by breaking things down into small bite size pieces of text that are easy to digest. It looks a lot busier than the Apple site because there is more content on one page and there are many different treatments for headings and highlighted words. Dmitry Fadeyev) Too much variety causes visual chaos on the page, with each different colored or bold item competing for your attention. In this case, the page really needs to be simplified to make it easier for the viewer to process. Search Apple’s search is integrated into the navigation bar. When you type something in the search box you actually get live search results with AJAX, by way of a l ittle box which pops up, showing you the results as you type. It’s very well done — there is no lag when typing, the results are grouped in categories and are fetched very quickly, usually before you finish typing your full query. If you want to see more results you can just hit Enter when you’ve finished typing and you’ll be taken to the standard search results page. It’s very clean and organized by categories. You can drill the results further down by category, selectable from the menu on the right. It’s functional and clean, and works well when you’re trying to find any products that they sell. Aesthetics Apple’s website aesthetics closely mirrors that of its product line. The navigation bar looks like it’s crafted out of aluminium and features gentle gradients and indented text. There are also plenty of reflections and minimalist design elements. Apple has always worked on unifying the look and feel of its interface across its entire product line, from the hardware to software, and their website is no exception. Do aesthetics have anything to do with usability? Actually, they do. Research shows that people perceive better looking interfaces as more usable. The site follows a faint Windows theme with the light blue clouds, but there is little else to say that this is a page for Internet Explorer or Windows. The look and feel is very generic and doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself or build a coherent brand. The designs are overall pretty good, but pretty good just isn’t enough. There are plenty of inconsistencies and a lack of polish, which puts Apple ahead in this area. Consistency Consistency is important because it allows you to develop usage patterns. This basically means that if your site has a consistent interface throughout, your visitors will quickly learn how it works and will be able to use this knowledge in any of the new pages that they visit, since they’ll all be using the same, or very similar, interface. Apple does a great job of keeping the interface consistent. All of the product pages feature very similar aesthetics and are structured in the same way. The whole site looks and feels the same throughout and the global navigation bar at the top is always there, on every page. This means that the entire experience is very unified and coherent — you know you’re on the same website wherever you go. Could you tell that this is a Microsoft page if you took away their logo? Custom graphics, styles and colour palettes across all the Microsoft sections help little to maintain a coherent brand image on the web. Microsoft really struggles here. There are many different sections across Microsoft. com and they all feature their own look and feel, including their own navigation. So once you go to a section on their site, be it the Microsoft store, the Office site, or the Security pages, they will all look and feel like separate websites. What’s worse, the global navigation bar is also gone, meaning that you have to go back to the homepage, or the site map, to see an overview of all of their sites. It’s really an ecosystem of websites hosted under the same domain and therefore it doesn’t get the benefit of consistency that Apple has. The brand image is also terribly fragmented making it impossible to define what a Microsoft site looks like. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Marketing Nobody will argue that Apple is the kind of viral marketing. You might find some PC ads/commercials on local magazines and newspapers, but you will not find great Mac vs PC / Get a Mac / Buy a Mac / Hello, I am a Mac, and I am a PC commercials like Apple produces. Security When it comes to Mac vs. PC security concerns, many experts think that Windows has caught up with Apple. Before Microsoft Windows 7, we have all heard that Windows operating system is a targeted platform for malicious attacks. Of course it is true, but the question is. Does the operating system has the right tools to defend itself? With Mac computers, you wont need to worry about viruses as you do in Windows operating system. The real problem is not only about viruses, but about security breaches that allow hackers to penetrate into your computer, and steal your valuable art works, photographs and important (and sometimes secret) media assets. It was proven that both Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard have their own glitches. DailyTech. com posted an article, saying that one prominent Mac hacker has pointed out that Mac OS X Snow Leopard is less secured than Microsoft Windows 7 OS. Well, if a Celeb hacker says so, we should probably take it pretty seriously. So it seems, at least when making a business decision, that you shouldnt pick a Macintosh over a PC, just because people are telling you that Macintosh doesnt have viruses, or they are more secure. Apple OS X Snow Leopard is based on the UNIX core. That fact alone doesnt make it more secure than Windows 7 as you can see. We just couldnt ignore the fact that viruses are real pain in the axe. As a power PC user, with all those pop-out windows saying You have been infected with a Virus † I would probably be very happy knowing that I can work quietly, without worrying about viruses and all that crux horrors that the Internet brings with it. You just cant blame Windows operating system for being more popular. Financial Analysis Its important to step back and examine just how close each of these companies really are in terms of revenue and earnings. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to report approximately $2. 85 billion in net income ($3. 07 in EPS) on about $14. 62 billion in revenue when it releases its results. Yet, its well known that Apple regularly beats consensus estimates by quite a large margin and that actual results will come in well above the consensus. Just last quarter, Apple not only beat revenue estimates by over $1 billion, but it annihilated EPS estimates by reporting $0. 88 above the $2. 45 consensus – a 36% beat. In fact, Apple has regularly beaten consensus estimates by well over 35% each quarter over the past year. (Andy M. Zaky) Financial Alchemists Turley Muller, who is currently the most accurate analyst on Apple, offers a more realistic view of the company. Muller believes that Apple will report about $3. 1 billion in net income on ($3. 35 in EPS) on $15. 15 billion in revenue. And while I think Muller has left some room for upside surprise, its clearly best to use his numbers rather than the consensus as a measure of comparison. Microsoft, on the other hand, is expected to earn $4. billion in net income ($0. 46 in EPS) on $15. 26 billion in revenue when it releases its results – just a hair above Mullers revenue estimates for Apple. And while Microsoft regularly reports upside surprises itself, the gap between consensus estimates and Microsofts actual results is nowhere near as wide as it is with Apples results. Thus, if Apple reports at the higher end of Mullers estimates, and if Microsoft reports closer to the consensus, its quite possible that Apple might have a shot to beat Microsoft in revenue for the first time in its history this quarter. The chart (Appendix 2(A) details a quarterly revenue comparison of Apple and Microsoft over the past few years. As one can see from the chart, Apple is within striking distance of surpassing Microsofts quarterly revenue. Since Microsoft and Apple are on a different fiscal year, the chart realigns their results based on the calendar year. (Andy M. Zaky) So the big story in tech earnings is whether history will be made in the decades-long battle between Apple and Microsoft, or whether Microsoft will postpone the inevitable and maintain its dominance over Apple for at least one more quarter. Even if Apple doesnt beat Microsoft in sales this quarter, it will almost certainly do so next quarter and by quite a large margin. For the September quarter, analysts expect Apple to generate approximately $16. 81 billion in revenue compared to a projected $15. 16 billion in revenue for Microsoft. So even conservative estimates, which have yet to be adjusted to account for iPad sales, already put Apple ahead of Microsoft by nearly $1. 2 billion next quarter. My estimates put Apple ahead by $3. 2 billion as I expect Apple to record nearly $18. 9 billion in revenue. Whats even more surprising is that Apple will likely far surpass Microsoft in revenue for the entire 2012 fiscal year (Appendix 2(B). Im looking for Apple to record $81. 6 billion in revenue, well above the $70 billion Im expecting out of Microsoft for the year. You can view my track record on Apple at Philip Elmer-DeWitts column Apple 2. 0. Even the analyst consensus puts Apple well ahead of Microsoft next year, with revenue estimates of $72. 6 billion (AAPL) versus $67 billion (MSFT). The chart below compares Apple and Microsofts annual fiscal revenue for the past several years. While quarterly data must be compared on the calendar year to show a side by side comparison over a particular 3-month period, yearly data can be analyzed on the fiscal year. And, what about other metrics? Net income growth, total net income, total net cash, cash flow, book value, total assets and the economic sensitivity of each companys primary operations are just a few of the other key factors to consider when comparing the two companies. While Apple will surpass Microsoft in revenue in the near future, that doesnt necessarily mean that Apple automatically deserves a larger market capitalization. But it does appear that Apple will not only record more revenue than Microsoft, it will also eventually (within the next few years) earn more in net income, generate a larger amount of cash, and outpace Microsoft in terms of growth in net income and revenue. The earnings beat wont come easy for Apple. Due to Microsofts extraordinarily high operating margin, the only way Apple will beat Microsoft in earnings is by simply outpacing it in sales. Since Microsoft pushes more of its revenue to the bottom line, Apple will have to significantly outpace Microsoft in revenue to win on the net income front. The chart below compares Apple and Microsofts net income for the last several fiscal years (Appendix 2(C). Though these two companies no longer really operate in the same space as they once did with Apple turning its focus on the consumer and Microsoft on enterprise spending, both companies are dominating their respective industries. Update 7/20: As expected, Apple has once again crushed the consensus estimates on the top line, beating analyst revenue expectations by over well $1 billion when it reported $15. 7 billion in revenue Tuesday afternoon. In fact, Apple even surpassed my lofty expectations of $15. billion by $100 million in sales. Unless Microsoft far surpasses analyst expectations of $15. 24 billion in revenue, it appears that Apple has already won the race. Microsoft primarily makes its profits from business to business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating system to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. That’s not to say t hat they don’t sell to consumers — they do, and they have consumer only product lines as well, such as the Xbox gaming console, and of course home users also buy Windows and Office. This means that their business targets pretty much everyone, from home computer owners to developers and enterprises; which in turn stretches the purpose of their website to try and serve everyone. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware, like its iPod music players and Mac computers. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer — marketing, selling and providing support for its products to consumers. They don’t have to worry about selling licenses to manufacturers because they’re the only manufacturer, so the key purpose of the website would be to advertise and promote their multiple product lines, as well as selling them through their online store. (Andy M. Zaky) Cost Analysis Other factor that affects buying decision is cost. People have been arguing online about how much more expensive Macs are than PCs or not for more than a decade (and in print for years before that). These discussions usually involve some hard facts but also some persistent myths. As a longtime Windows guy who has recently migrated to the Mac, I think Im in a retty good position to try and sort out reality from fiction. Lets take a look at what you can really get for your money these days. Hardware For those of you who are left, what I have found in my research is that neither side has a lock on good value. If you start with Apples relatively short list of SKUs (three or four model variation s for each of its lines, such as MacBook Pro, MacBook, and iMac) and then look for comparable Windows machines, youll find that Apple bests the competition in some ways and not in others, but the pricing, overall, is surprisingly on par. Only a few years ago, it seemed like a no-brainer that Windows hardware was much cheaper. But if youre talking name-brand hardware, thats just no longer the case. On the other hand, if you search the Windows side first, youll quickly discover machines that in features and price fit in between the Mac SKUs. And in those niches, they represent very good values. So theres one answer to the question of whether Macs or Windows represent a better value: If one of those in between PCs suits your needs best, youd be paying an unnecessary premium to get a Mac instead. Lets look at some hard numbers. I started my research with top-of-the-line notebooks I spent an hour on Dells site trying to find the cheapest notebook that offered everything Apples $2,799 MacBook Pro 17 provides. That

Natural Grocers Essay Example

Natural Grocers Essay Example Natural Grocers Essay Natural Grocers Essay Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Natural grocers The grocery store started in the 1955 as a family venture offering door-to-door services to people in Golden, Colorado. They sold whole grain bread and offered educational books on nutrition to the people. The family knew that as people were increasingly being informed about nutritious food there would be an increase in their sales. This venture was so successful that the family started a retail store within six months. Various strategies were employed to achieve this fit (Natural Products, 2001). Grand strategy Natural Grocers came up with several strategies that have enabled them to be the leaders in the produce market. This include; Specialization, the company has, over the years specialized in specific areas of providing there consumers with only organic food and thus have gained a wealth of experience in as far as organic food is concerned. The company has also positioned itself near to stores whereby the consumers can access other goods that they do not offer. The other very important aspect is that the company always buys straight from the producers and this makes sure that they cut the intermediaries and boosts their profits. It is also a fact that the company also is very willing to open up new branches in other towns to increase their sales. The biggest strategy that is employed by the company is that of education, the company is able to boost their sales by making sure that more people are informed about nutrition and so they gain new customers, at the same time they retain their customers by proving them with healthy recipes, nutrition seminars, cooking demonstrations and pet care. How does the company implement its long-term goals? The long-term objectives of the firm include continued provision of organic food and nutritional help, as well as being involved to a big extent in the conservation of the environment. Ultimately, also the biggest long-term objective is continued profits and expansion of its operations throughout the states. This will be achieved by strictly adhering to the strict selection process, maintaining a good rapport with the customers and the general population, through aspects such as corporate social responsibility (Hansen M, 2002). Short-term objectives and action plans that allow the company to achieve the goals The short-term objectives of the firm involve the day-to-day running of the activities of the firm. This is achieved in a great sense by maintaining a good management team and adhering strictly to the clearly spelt out code of conduct. The other action plans includes; embracing technology and thus can be able to advertise themselves more, while on the hand the company has set enlisted its shares in the stock market to be able to increase their profits but also to be more competitive ( George S, 2002). Firm’s functional tactics, how does the firm gain a competitive advantage? The firm has been able to maintain a competitive edge in the area of grocery for many years. The biggest functional tactic is that the company maintains a personal appeal to every customer, such that it is not just a store but also more like a local corner shop where the attendant knows the customer. The biggest tactic is that of being able to identify new areas for expansion and ultimately advertisement. Hansen, Maren. Increasing Organic Agriculture at the Local Level: A Manual for Consumers, Grocers, Farmers Policy Makers. Santa Barbara, Calif: Community Environmental Council, Gildea Resource Center, 2002. Print. Natural Products. Auckland, N.Z: Slice Publications, 2001. Print. Parker, Philip M. 2007-2012 World Outlook for Independent Grocers, the. ICON Group, 2006. Swinnock, George. The Christian-Man’s Calling: Or, a Treatise of Making Religion Ones Business: Wherein the Nature and Necessity of It Is Discovered. : As Also the Christian Directed How He May Perform It in [brace] Religious Duties, Natural Actions, His Particular Vocation, His Family Directions, and His Own Recreations. London: Printed for T.P. and are to be sold by Dorman Newman, at the Kings Arms in the Poultry, next Grocers-Alley, 2002. Print. The Grocer’s Companion and Merchant’s Handbook: Containing a Comprehensive Account of the Growth, Manufacture and Qualities of Every Article Sold by Grocers. Also, Tables of Weights and Measures, and Information of a General Nature of Value to Grocers and Country Merchants. Boston: B. Johnson, 2003. Print.

Women Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women Artist - Essay Example The painting contains both contemporary and mythological subjects, as well as intimacy that arose during the reign of Louis XIV. The painting depicts a lavish garden setting with an aristocrat couple enjoying a lush picnic. However, the man is distracted by a shepherdess who is passing by as she gathers flowers of her own. In a flawless setting, Boucher takes the viewer to an imaginary land of love, innocence, and youth naughtiness. Boucher uses fine decorations and Rococo style details to allow viewers experience the beauty and innocence of love. In the painting, the surrounding bushes and trees have richly worked foliage while the woman’s dressing consists of creamy folds that epitomize characteristics of Rococo style (Levey 164). Additionally, these styles are typical of aristocratic paintings depicting their playfulness, intimacy, and lavish holidays. It is clear there is intimacy between the two couple lying on the ground whereby the man is making flowers on the woman’s hair. Unfortunately, this intimacy is interrupted by a shepherdess who is passing by and has taken the man’s attention from his woman. Furthermore, the beautiful landscape gives an insight into perspective because it shows that objects become smaller and sky bluer as the distance increases. Light illuminates in the middle of the picture creating a focus on the subjects, and contrasting with the shadows cast by the trees on the right side of the painting. These add to the overall theme of the painting, which is love and beauty Elegance and detailed decoration throughout the painting are other elements that extend the beauty in the painting. For instance, there is use of pastel colors that bring out the sensuality of the scene and the mythological subjects. Furthermore, the blue shading of the sky in the background is lovely to look at, and this is complimented with a little foreground with enumerated trees that

Wk 4 Compare the different law enforcement tactics to combat human Essay - 1

Wk 4 Compare the different law enforcement tactics to combat human trafficking. Is law enforcement criminal intelligence sharing and cooperation on human trafficking working - Essay Example (Simon p1) The question posed is whether the different law enforcement tactics to combat human trafficking including criminal intelligence sharing and cooperation is working. I would say that based on the research in the 2 articles provided it is working at least to the extent of slowing down the rate of increase of human trafficking incidents if not actually decreasing them. Some of the causes of human trafficking are beyond the direct control of law enforcement such as poverty, political and/or social inequalities, natural disasters like Katrina and political influences. Also the extent of human trafficking is difficult to quantify due to the reluctance of victims to alert law enforcement even if they can for fear of deportation and/or retribution from the traffickers. The 2 articles provided address the issue of US human trafficking in different ways. Simon discusses effective policing whereas Hepburn et al focuses on advances in legislation. Simon’s methodology is to survey Florida police departments and non government social service organizations (NGOs) to assess their policies for fighting human trafficking. He notes that proactive community policing has proven more effective than traditional reactive policing in fighting crimes such as human trafficking. This involves officers interacting with members of immigrant communities, preferably in their own language, and NGOs catering to them to gain intelligence about suspected trafficking operations. Also since prosecutions are pursued federally there must be cooperation between the 2 levels to ensure local police identify and stop the crime, manage victims and protect evidence to ensure prosecutions are effective. Police officers must be trained not only in the law but also how to deal empathetically with fearful victims. On the other hand, the Hepburn et al article outlines developments in

Nigerias Growth and Economic Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nigerias Growth and Economic Experience - Essay Example overty in Nigeria can be attributed to a shortage of vital resources and the endurance of harsh and inhospitable conditions including the breakdown of economic, demographic, ecological, cultural and social systems and bad governance. A community living in the oil producing areas in south of Nigeria displaced by pollution or the migration from rural to urban areas which undermines infrastructural facilities is a good example. A publication courtesy of the UNDP categorised Nigeria as one of the poorest countries in the world. Moreover, there also came a report of the central bank of Nigeria reporting 69.2 per cent of the population being poor. Proportionally this statistics will conclude that two thirds of the Nigerian population are experiencing income poverty. As well in the remote areas of the country, to be specific those in the north east felt that 50 per cent of them were poor and the corresponding figure for the south east was 54.5 per cent (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2009). The poverty gaps are widening and a greater proportion of the wealth is being concentrated in the hands of the wealthiest 20 percent.it is thought that the highest income earning statues is enjoyed by just 10 per cent of the population who have a 31.4 per cent share of the total national income. Nearly 50 per cent of the total income is owned by the twenty per cent of the highest income earning group. Only an insignificant ten per cent of the national income is owned by an estimated 20 per cent of the poorest portion of the population. Reports done by organisations such as UNDP highlights how the poor in Nigeria experience and understand their poverty as quoted by (Pyke and Ali-Akpajiak, 2003). This is so despite the fact that Nigeria’s average growth rate between 2003 and...The country embarked on tenure of democratic change through repeated elections and competitive political structures set in place. However, the new institutions are weak and inchoate, politi cal allies appear divided and self-serving, popular legitimacy is fragile at best and these fledging regimes face numerous challenges including detrimental economic conditions, (Lewis, 2007). The economy had a detrimental decline due to slow growth, joblessness; slack investment, institutional disarray and fitful policy changes. These pressures have contributed to mounting trends of ethnic, religious and local conflicts. Economic outlook A critical look at poverty measurements shows a grim picture. Statistics focus on just 0.2 per cent of GDP on health care and 0.7 per cent on education. Though the country has its own share of problems, external investors have the capacity to contribute positively to its share of long-term investment through joint ventures. A huge beneficiary as an asset is the current high price of crude oil. Proper management and governance has the potential of sustaining Nigeria’s development and prosperity in this century and far beyond.

Main Objective Is Profit Maximization Commerce Essay

Main Objective Is Profit Maximization Commerce Essay In this assignment I am looking at profitable organizations which have main objective is profit maximization. I am going to look at this in the context of starting a small firm. I will be looking at the problems and requirements when aiming to begin a business either in manufacturing or in the tertiary sector. I will future explain that why plan is important for baseness? Also I will right about types of businesses, sectors, of businesses and I will talk about some businesses. Market analyzing mission and vision statement also are very important for a success business. Introduction In this assignment I am going to write about the business plan. What are the important factors for a new business? I will write about the requirement of the business, types of the business, business sector and then I will explain each business sector advantages and disadvantages. 2. Business Definition Business is an economic or financial activity, which is associated with permanent and regular production and sharing of goods and services for fulfilling human needs .Stephenson defines business as, The regular production or purchase and sale of goods undertaken with an objective of earning profit and acquiring wealth through the satisfaction of human wants. According to Dicksee, Business refers to a form of activity conducted with an objective of earning profits for the benefit of those on whose behalf the activity is conducted. (KALYAN CITY LIFE, 2011) A business plan is the arrangement for the business, clarifying that what it exists, for and what products, services it provides to society. Rebecca Jones wrote in Information Outlook. A business plan is a roadmap for the organization, showing the destination it seeks, the path it will follow to get there, and the supplies and wherewithal required to complete the journey. almost every succeed company needs a business plan. Due to Lack or upland of proper planning is one of the most frequently cited reasons for business failures. So business plans helpful for companies identify their goals and objectives also provide them with channels and strategies to reach those goals. (Reference for Business, 2012) There are main three types of business one primary, secondary and Tertiary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extractive (primary) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manufacturing (secondary) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Services (tertiary 3. Deferent Types of Businesses Sectors We have three type of businesses sectors one is public sector 2nd is private sector and 3rd is voluntary sector/ non profitable but I will discuss about private sector. 3.1 Public Sector Public sector can be defined in the different way, Public sector in owned and run by the Government for the people. Government collect money by taxes and this money are used to finance most of the public sector. Central or local government or public corporations are Involves. The government makes all decisions in this sector Shareholders have LIMITED LIABILITY. A board of directors run the business and must have the words public limited with the company name or letters PLC. Accounts must be published. Main aims of public are to use recourses well for the benefit of the community. Some example is royal mail in the UK and BBC TV channel. 3.2 Private Sector A company owned by at least 2 shareholders and shares are sold privately. Profits are shared with shareholders dividends and Shareholders have LIMITED LIABILITY. Private sector has a board of directors to run the business. Name must be end with the word Limited or letters Ltd. Private sector business are owned and run by private individual. 3.2.0 Types of Private Sector: We have many types of private business but the most common are bellow. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ 3.2.1Sole Trader Business of this sector has owned and controlled by one person Money is usually provided by the owner. This means that legally the owner and the business are the same. Sole trader has unlimited liability. There is not much legal paper work. Funding for business will be from owner side, banks, credit card, and bank overdraft. Power and right will be on one hand, profit will on one share low VAT and tax. 3.2.2 Partnership When 2 or more than 2 people running a business which aims to make a profit is called partnership. The maximum number of partners is usually 20. Money is provided by partners. They are easy to set up but may have a Deed of Partnership and will share their profit and loss according to their agreement. They are unincorporated. Easy to start, funding is same like sole trader also from partners. 3.2.3 Franchise It is an agreement between a franchisor and a franchisee and allows the use of a business name to franchise. Franchisee must provide the money to start their business and franchisor provides materials, training and advice. Franchisee must make regular payments to the franchisor. Main aims of private sector are profit, growth, increased market share and maximize sales. 4. Legal requirement For a new business you should know the legal requirement of the business and must register the company companies act 2006 in the UK. For example the business should be legal and register with company registrar. If the business is partnership then must submit partners all agreement paper with registrar without registration of the company no one can start the business in the UK.4. Legal requirement For a new business you should know the legal requirement of the business and must register the company companies act 2006 in the UK. For example the business should be legal and register with company registrar. If the business is partnership then must submit partners all agreement paper with registrar without registration of the company no one can start the business in the UK. 5. Funding Options For business funding is the most important fact without money no one can start business and fund will never have enough, so shortage can be serious at firs stage. Depending on the structure of Business, business will have different sources of funding or finance. Some resources are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Loans from Banks and Financial Institutions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shareholders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some banks provide our draft à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some time government provide loans for some business such in Pakistan for agriculture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sale shares à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Partners Some other resources are shareholders and partners, depending on the organization legal structure of firm. 6. Compliances 7. Protecting your Intellectual Property IPR main benefits are to save the company products and services from your Oppositions or competitors and prevent unauthorized users and action. If you have branded a only one of its kind product then you must patent it. This means registering the manufactured goods and its design to put a stop to others from doubling it. If dont, then the competition can just steal the product design from you, and will cost you a lot. Example of a patent shielding a firm from any more business copying its product was when apple clime that Samsung copy their product and the court still on process for more detail ( http://news.cnet.com ). Patenting is an expensive or valuable, though, and it must be done correctly. So IPR is very important for a company to register other hand it will cost a lot to the company. 7.1 Trademark A trademark is a brand name. A trademark includes any name, word, sign, device, or any combination, used or intended to be used to identify the organization such as MacDonald, HP computers, coca cola. http://www.bitlaw.com 7.2 Copyrights Copyright is the ownership of the of intellectual property (IP) The select right to make copies, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, and artistic work, even audio, printed, video. It should register under copyright law act January 1, 1978, is protected for the duration of the author or inventor and for 50 years period of after his or her death. For example Adam Smith is the right person for his book Wealth of Nation no one can write this book or print it by other name. 7.3 Industrial Designs Manufacturing Design is concerned with all the human being aspects of machine-made goods and their bond to people and the environment. The designer is responsible for these products and their impact on society and nature. Such as apple I pone 5, 7.4 Patents The protection a person or a company a new product or way of doing something by stopping anyone else from copying or using it for a particular period of time. For example any Madison formula. 8. Contracts An agreement between two or more parties to avoid the future problem and it is written and enforceable by law. For new business you have to sign many corrects like with Employment, Shareholders, Agency, Vendors, with other business, banks and financial institutes. Every things should be clear and must be Confidential also it must include Term, Confidential information, representations and warranties, indemnity, limitation of liability, assignment protection of intellectual property. 9. Insurance 10. Mission statements: Mission statements are targeted at external and internal stakeholders its means that the statements must be suitable for a wide range of audients or readers. A mission statement is a idea or guiding hand, which provides a shared direction and focus for the firm internally so its mean that mission statement are meant to encourage and motivate everybody. The mission statement should: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Show the direction and aiming that the business to head in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Give some sort of statement of success -what the business wants to do and achieve à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Classify the way in which the business is aiming to develop over a period of time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allow the business to use the mission statement for the growth of specific goals and objectives to reach their aims. these should be relevant for all levels of the organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide inspiration to employees to work towards achieving the goals and objects or vision set out by the statement. (mindtools, 2012) 11. Vision statements While a mission statement shows the way on which a business wants to head now and is of immediate relevance to all stakeholders, a vision statement is a more common statement looking at where the business or organization wants to be in the future. A vision statement essentially outlines what a company wants to be in the future and it may well be related to some sort of future outcome. (mindtools, 2012) http://www.diffen.com/difference/Mission_Statement_vs_Vision_Statement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ 12. Market analyzing Market analyzing will assist to the business and some benefits are below à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Understand the market and give you a bug picture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Attract the customers and beat the competitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Market size à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who is your customers and who is your competitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What customers need Best way to understand the market is market research. Market analyzing will help to understand the market and give you a big picture to you organization by analyzing the market will understand the behavior of end users and will beat the competitors because you know that what customers wants. Market research will give lots of information about the competitors. Try to make the products different from your competitors and this different will stand the business out from crowd and for competition there are three main things are very important 1. Quality issues 2. Customer services 3. High price 12.1 Segmentation Customers Its mean grouping of customers by their age, gander, stander, location by segmentation will easily target the customers so we can segment it by 1. Demographic ( how old they are) 2. Socio-Economical (who much they want to spend ) 3. Geographic ( where the live ) 13 PEST Analysis 14. Planning a new business For this section I have a profitable business plan and I will recommend a Dominos franchise which is much better than other businesses. If we start a sole trade business or partnership business it is very difficult for as to competition with big business. So there is a big chance to failure of the business. We will run business under the banner of an already established business I mean Dominos Pizza. We also take advantages of their brand, ideas, operating techniques and much more which already tested and tried. Brand name we can use Dominos pizza is well know brand in the market and have much demand in the all over the globe. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ 14.1 Capital investment For Dominos pizza franchise total investment is  £290000 + (VAT approx  £49000. VAT will claim back/ Constriction cost (shop fitting and project management fee) approx  £130000 Equipment cost approx  £ 80000 Legal/ Planning / Architects approx  £17000 Opening cost approx  £ 25000 Fees (training fees approx  £ 45000 Total approx  £ 290000 + VAT More detail available in appendix 14.2 Funding In assignment question the say that dont worry about money but any way in case we face to the shortage of funding we can use alternative way like loan from banks, bank overdraft, credit card, and loan from financial institute. 14.3 HR and Training In one franchise approximately 25 jobs we can create so we will advertise it in local news paper and we will select right candidate for training. After the selection we have to do contract with our employees for minimum 2 years. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ Conclusion From above discussion it is clearer that planning is very fore a business. Without planning no one can achieve their goals effectively. Also invest the capital on the right business because everyone wants to invest their money for profit and other important thing is we should do business on legal way. If you want to be a success business man you have to create image in the society like Apple, MacDonald and, Dominos. Policies and procedure should clear to employees and customer and Health and safety environment provide to employees and customer. Franchise is more profitable the other business because we can use their logo, trademark also it is well known in the market,.

What I Learned from Mark Twain Essay examples -- How Education Has Chan

A multiplicity of books changed my life, connecting me with minds from many nations and ages, making me a citizen of the world and the universe, instead of a person bound by the horizons of a village and the flickering light of the living room TV. As a young person four books influenced me most-the meditations of Marcus Aurelius, the dialogues of Plato, Thoreau's Walden, and Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. The first two books made me an idealist, believing in the power of the mind to improve one's life and give it order and meaning. I loved the stylistic power of Walden, the exactness of its description. Often Thoreau writes as if giving tongues to leaves and riverbanks, as if rather than speaking himself, he let them speak. "Simplify! Simplify!" Thoreau said, and following his advice I tried not to encumber myself with too many possessions, or trade leisure and the time to think for things I didn't need. It may be because of Thoreau that I write mostly about people who don't have much in the way of consumer goods, but whose minds and spirits reach out to each...