Teenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy - 2089 Words

A few weeks ago, I was at a store when I came across a very young girl. She must have been no older than seventeen, but was so obviously pregnant. This did not surprise me since this is something common here in the Imperial Valley; we have such a high rate of teen pregnancy. What really caught my attention was that she was not alone; she had in her cart a toddler that kept referring her to mom. All I could think of was that such a young girl should not be concerned with raising a child, especially not two. Most young girls should be spending their teen years hanging out with their friends, going to parties, and enjoying school, but getting pregnant so young cuts out all your years of fun and freedom. The reality of the problem is that every year, teenage pregnancy, in the Imperial Valley, is increasing at an alarming rate. The Imperial Valley Press states that the â€Å"Imperial County has the fourth-highest teen pregnancy rate among 58 counties in the state† (Ruth 6).  "Officials credit these high rates to a lack of sexual education that teaches both abstinence and protection and access to reproductive health care in the county† (Ruth 6). That brings the question to what the community should be doing to decrease these rates and help prevent teen pregnancy. Pregnancy at such a young age is the result of many things that come with great consequences. It should not be a problem that is overlooked. I believe that there is a solution to this problem: to establish sex-educationShow MoreRelatedTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1664 Words   |  7 PagesTerrazas English 4 Miss Stahlecker 4 November 2015 Teenage Pregnancy According to cda.org, in 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women that were in between the ages of 15-19 years old. Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society. This paper will talk about teenage pregnancy, statistics, ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, and after birth options. So why is teenage pregnancy so important? Some people are concerned about teens getting pregnant at such an early age. There areRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1546 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage pregnancy is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy ends. Low-income communities have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the United States. Because of the fact that this is a very controversial issue in the United States, it is very important that most questions be addressed. Questions like, why is a teenage girl in Mississippi four times as likely to give birth as a teenage girl in New Hampshire? Or why is the teen birth rate in Massachusetts 19Read MoreTeen Pregnancy : Teenage Pregnancy1404 Words   |  6 PagesLauryn Jones Block 5 4/27/16 What is Teen Pregnancy? Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20. A girl can become pregnant from sexual intercourse after she has begun to ovulate which can be before her first menstrual period, but usually occurs after the onset of her periods. In well-nourished girls, menarche usually takes place around the age of 12 or 13. Most teenage girls don t plan to get pregnant, but many do. Teen pregnancies carry extra health risks to both the motherRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1743 Words   |  7 Pagesnegative media teenage mothers struggle to find the positive sides to motherhood. Teenage pregnancy can be dificult and life changing, but unlike the renowned negative beliefs all over the world, there are positive sides to teenage pregnancy. Most research that is done on teen pregnancy is based on the hardships and struggles on teen mothers, making it easy to forget the good that can come from teen pregnancy. A teenage mother can create a good l ife for herself and her children. Teenage mothers areRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy905 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"16 and Pregnant†/ â€Å"Teen Mom† Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy? (Agree/Promote) When it comes to the topic of do TV shows like â€Å"16 and Pregnant† and â€Å"Teen Mom† promote or discourage teenage pregnancy, most of us will readily agree that it in fact does promote teenage pregnancy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how does this promote teenage pregnancy. Whereas some are convinced that it promotes teenage pregnancy through the fame some of the young couples haveRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy871 Words   |  4 Pagesof do TV shows like â€Å"16 and Pregnant† and â€Å"Teen Mom† promote or discourage teenage pregnancy, most of us will readily agree that it in fact does promote teenage pregnancy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how does this promote teenage pregnancy. Whereas some are convinced that it promotes teenage pregnancy through the fame some of the young couples have achieved, others maintain that it in fact discourages teenage pregnancy by showing the struggles and realities ofRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1057 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage pregnancy is a common thing here in America. It seems teens are getting pregnant more than the average married couple. There are some risk factors teen moms face and there is also another great turn outs. There is a major difference between the two. It’s important to tell teens the turnouts of teen pregnancy for the good and bad parts. There are risks of having sex, teen moms can make a difference for her and the baby, the risk of having HIV and/or any other STD’s, and the effects on theRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1341 Words   |  6 PagesTeenage pregnancy is a prominent dilemma in our nation because it continues to place adolescents into delinquency. According to the United States Health and Human Services, three out of ten American teen girls will become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of twenty. That is nearly 750 ,000 teen pregnancies in a year (1) (HHS Pg.2 2014). Also according to U.S. Department of State, teen pregnancy budgets the United States and tax payers approximately seven billion dollars annually (2)Read MoreTeen Pregnancy And Teenage Pregnancy1456 Words   |  6 Pagesteenagers (Kristof). Clearly, teen pregnancy is a concern among many people in the U.S. One way to help the teen pregnancy statistics would be birth control. Teenagers should have more access to birth control, particularly LARCs (long-acting reversible contraceptives), and be more informed about it. There are many reasons why this should be. For starters, it would help the child and the mother. It could also help the U.S. not be so high on the list of number of teen pregnancies in the world. Over timeRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1328 Words   |  6 PagesTeenage pregnancy has been famously depicted as a situation that involves the female adolescents. For one to be dubbed as a pregnant teenager, s he ought to be at the early age of twelve years though in most scenarios it has been fourteen and older. In the developed as well as developing countries, the cause of the teenage pregnancy has been common with most of them being related to the specific situation of the teenager as well as the group that the teenager interacts with. However, the rate of the

The Morality Of Animal Testing And Its Effect On The...

The Morality of Animal Testing and its Effect on the Biomedical and Consumer World Animal testing has been a controversial problem in today’s society and it affects people from all over the world1 not just animal activists or scientists. Most of the products and medicines used today have been tested on animals. These animals used in experiments have been thought to only benefit society but morally this hurts our society. This hurts our society because now animal testing has become a social normality and then humans have started to become null to this as time goes on. This slippery slope will only get worse if this is not stopped. This also hurts our society because scientist, physicians, and lawmakers must decide the justification for†¦show more content†¦Although animal testing is very beneficial in some biomedical experiments, animal testing for ordinary consumer products is unjust and unnecessary. Most humans in society have had a pet or animal companion and there are very few of those owners that would be willing to give up their beloved family member. It is hard to think about sacrificing a loved one just for a simple cosmetic or just another weight loss pill. Now the other side of this argument is when that animal could help the better of humanity like curing cancer or diabetes, where does one draw the line between just and unjust? There are many books and articles that explain the emotional aspect of animal testing. An important article that explores the answers of the previous questions is that of Cass Sunstein called â€Å"The Rights of Animals†. Cass R. Sunstein writes about domestic and wild animals, also how society had developed compassion for these animals by protecting their rights. Sunstein uses various arguments that are related to feelings and emotions. For example, in her beginning paragraphs she tries to relate to the reader and talks about domestic pets that are more like family members than they are pets. Sunstein uses emotion in order to show the reader that there is more to animals than just money and statistical value, people must now find what is morally correct. In her article Sunstein states â€Å"[A] full- grown horse or

Sales Free Essays

Coming out of the first year of the merger, what new opportunities should the new â€Å"Defining Entity† pursue in order to grow business? EDS Market Strengths ? Heath care ? Insurance ? Communications ? Electronics ? Aerospace ? Defense industries A. T. Kearney Market Strengths ? Manufacturing ? Consumer products ? Transportation ? Chemical pharmaceuticals Combined Strengths ? Automotive ? Financial services ? Energy ? Retail When companies combine/merge the whole objective is to gain new opportunities, gain market share, grow the business, to become more innovative and to improve product offerings, utilizing/sharing the existing resources and data. We will write a custom essay sample on Sales or any similar topic only for you Order Now From the case study the company has already been successful in proving that their merger was a win, win. Already they have leveraged off each other by gaining the Rolls-Royce account which would fall under a combined strength category, they were able to provide together more services to Rolls-Royce that individually they previously could not offer. Why these opportunities, and why did I decide this, because each company already possesses and provides services and strengths in individual fields, and has a history of established relationships within given market segments. It is obvious that by combining the two companies, both companies have deepened and widened their new customer opportunity base. They can now unite and build off these pre existing strengths and relationships with more to offer and become the one stop shopping entity that they strives to be. They now also have the opportunity to engage and play in each others sandboxes to say. Not only can they leverage off each other’s existing customers they now have the opportunity to gain new and, competitor’s customers, based on the fact that they now have more to offer then their competition in both arenas. If I was Brian Harrison, I would immediately put in place a team consisting of members from each company that would utilize and compile existing data to come up with a list of who are our customers are today, who are our top customers, why are they our customers, what services do they obtain from us today, what services can we provide for them tomorrow now that we are one company. What customers generate the most revenue, why are they loyal to us, does it have to do with price, commitment, quality of service or maybe our technology. Who is our competition what services do they provide that we don’t and how do they market them. This information would provide the company with a strategic target market. How would you sell into each new opportunity you identified? What sales approach or customer interface strategy would you use? Based on the above data collection the sales force could identify which customers to go after first. Our sales approach would be â€Å"one stop shopping†, not only can we consult you on better practices, we have a team to implement them. Just think of the time and money your company would save, purchasing would only have to cut one PO, your staff would only have to deal with one company. We could provide services for your company that would allow you to cut your overhead, bottom line savings would be enormous across the board. I would have international sales meetings, combining all sales personal from each company. I would split them up in cross functional workshops to strategize and gain an insight of what works in their marketplace with their customers and how, why, where and when. Cross the board training would have to be a must, each sales personal would have to learn as much as they could about the others business. Sales people would have to engage in workshops that promote trust between each other, â€Å"Only when salespeople trust and respect each other can they successfully work together towards a common goal. † (pg 330). Then based on that information the Marketing team would have to come up with ideal marketing strategies to sell our combined services. Tools would be provided such as websites and manuals to answer each industries questions and start building relationships and merging into one company. I would then break them into territories two by two, manager to manager, bringing the other to customer meetings not only selling their original piece but the whole concept of our combined solutions. Utilizing the expertise of the other to gain the customers loyalty and commitment that we are the best company that can offer you more bang for you buck. EDS acquired â€Å"one of the world’s largest and most respected global management consulting firms† (pg 524). This is on A. T. Kearney’s website â€Å" A. T. Kearney is a global team of forward-thinking, collaborative partners that delivers immediate, meaningful results and a long-term transformational advantage to our clients and colleagues. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors on CEO-agenda issues to the world’s leading organizations across all major industries and sectors. † http://www. atkearney. com. It would be an epic failure for both companies if EDS and A. T. Kearney could not make this merger work. What sales management implications would the new â€Å"Defining Entity† face in getting the sales job done? As with every new merger, comes the combining of what the case referrers to as ego’s or individual company cultures. EDS has more international business then A. T. Kearney trying to merge on an international level would defiantly create several roadblocks. What maybe acceptable in one company, of course may not be acceptable in another. For example what happens if one of those companies goes by a strict code of ethics, while the other does not always follow those rules, this will quickly cause a conflict, especially in the sales world. Would one company want their customers approached in an un-ethical way, what kind of reputation is this new company supposes to reflect to their customers? What happens if one company is all commission based while the other company believes in a base salary with a company car, commissions and bonuses? How would management work together to overcome such obstacles, what are the education levels of one company over another, in this case your bringing a bunch of IT systems personal and mixing them with those selling solutions to management personal. After extensive training the sales people from the other company still can not fully connect on how to sell your services or concepts. Once culture has their customer service and organization set up on one set of systems and your company is on another, how do you make them talk as one, work as one? Sometimes more manual labor is incurred in trying to integrate these companies. For instance at Carestream Health I have to manually give one of our Distributors – Quantum invoice information so they can bill their customer, our systems do not work together and because of cost they probably will not for a long time. What is the cost of training everyone and how. Management styles could be completely different; one company uses hands off approach, while the other is a complete hand on organization. How can they combine two sales forces and make them one, to have the same goals to accept the same compensation plan, that could be lower or higher then they are used to. Management would have to face so many internal and external obstacles while trying to reflect a smooth transitional merger to the customer. A consistent set of reports and data collection would have to be done to make sure the merger is benefiting the companies. Regular monitoring of how a business is performing is also important to determine if goals and objectives are being met. In conclusion if the merger produces the revenue, growth and success that the two companies were striving for, then it was well worth the many avenues it took to get there. References A. T. Kearney’s Retrieved On November 11, 2012 http://www. atkearney. com http://www. albanyhardware. com Spiro, R. L. , Rich, G. A. , Stanton, W. J. (2012). Management of a sales force. (12th ed. ). McGraw-Hill How to cite Sales, Essay examples

Customs Regulatory Compliance Management †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Customs Regulatory Compliance Management. Answer: Introduction Regulatory compliance includes the objective which an organization wants to achieve by following relevant laws, policies, and regulations. The companies follow harmonized sets of compliance controls for keeping operational transparency (Oyewunmi and et al, 2017). The file includes flexibility in procedures, type of payment terms, customs to demand duty and strategy for communicating with stakeholders. Flexibility in procedures so that that compliant traders can be rewarded, encourages compliance amongst all traders. Yes, I agree that by allowing flexibility in processes that complaint traders can be rewarded encourages compliance amongst all traders. Authorized economic operator (AEO) refers to the party which is involved in the international movement of products in whatever function that has been approved by. These operators with large business use trusted trader programs like authorized economic operator program (Arjoon, 2017). This program is organized by the Australian Customs for offering various facilities to international trade of goods. Small scale companies are unable to use TTP due to its high prices. By lowering prices of entry requirements, small businesses will able to use this program. It will not only provide benefits to the organization but will also enhance sales and profitability of the program. Along with this, small scale firms will get an opportunity to expand their business by managing work appropriately and effectively. The firm will get benefits like faster clearance of goods, less interference by customs and high level of services. These features will help small scale companies to conduct their trade properly and more efficiently. The security function of the program will assist companies in securing their personnel, information and other business related processes (Grainger, 2016). Increasing use of TTP in both small and large sector will increase its popularity and profit worldwide. Type of payment terms As an exporter of tropical fruit, I am dealing with a new customer having the potential to further large purchases. But the case is to provide excellent services and product in the first shipment. For this kind of consignment, I will select cash in advance. Under this payment term, the exporter will able to eliminate the risk of non-payment or credit risk. In this, I will able to receive payment before the transport of good services and good products to the customer. There are two options available for cash in advance: credit cards and wire transfer. The customer can transfer money by using any of the both options (Komarov, 2016). National customs legislation Department of trade and customs (Australia) looks after the various functionalities of trade. Along with this, the national customs legislation provides traders rights to perform trade safely and properly. In the given case, warehouse license fails to keep warehoused goods safely. Thus, Section 35A(1) of the Customs act 1901 will be used by the client (Barone, 2016). This provision allows the owner to seek to have duty remitted under the particular circumstances like stolen of products. The warehouse owner will able to get the particular amount in the form of compensation for the stolen goods. Warehouse operator will be liable to pay the amount equal to the duty which would have paid on stolen products as per the claimed. Identification of stakeholder and strategy for communicating with them As per the given case, IT team will upgrade the IT system for improving the automated risk management and shorten the time to clear cargo. The stakeholders of the team will be: Application Engineer Database Administrator Network Architect Programmer Designer Programmer Analyst IT manager IT Leader Network system administrator Network Engineer As a customs official in charge of a major international airport, it is necessary for me to upgrade the system for improving the current situation. The communication strategy which will be used for informing stakeholders about the system operation is as follows: Statement of purpose: This will include purpose behind using communication strategy for the stakeholders. Current Situation: This will include information regarding the current situation of the system and reason behind its upgrade (Afanasieva, Ivanov and Yanushkevych, 2017). Organizational objective and communication objective: This step will include the link between the goals of airport and communication. Selection of communication method: In this, I will use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for communicating with the stakeholders. I will send all the needed information through email. Along with this, I will conduct formal and informal meetings with stakeholders for increasing understanding and relationship between them. All the ideas, strategies, etc. will be discussed in these meetings (Arjoon, 2017). Work plan: In the end, last concluded plan will be communicated to the stakeholders for starting their work as per the plan. SAD and its purpose: Single Administrative Document (SAD) is also known as Form C88 which is used for international trade to and from the European Union Customs. All traders and agents can take advantages of SAD for declaring report, export, transit and community status declarations. This document is segregated into 54 boxes, and its full version comes in 8 different parts. These parts have various functions which are used by the traders as per their need. SAD was established in 1988, and its legislations help in conducting trade in secure and safe manner (Komarov, 2016). This document covers the placement of any product or their services under any customs process by using any mode of transport. The purpose of SAD is as follows: To ensure openness in national administrative requirements. To decrease the number of administrative documentation To minimize the amount of information requested by the traders To standardize and harmonize the data To provide proper safety and security to the private and confidential information. References Afanasieva, V., Ivanov, L., Yanushkevych, D. (2017). Modern Approaches to Risk Management and Their Use in Customs. ,3(4). Arjoon, S. (2017). Virtues, Compliance, and Integrity: A Corporate Governance Perspective.Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management, 995-1002. Barone, A. (2016).Managing Global Logistics for Business Growth: A guide for small to medium enterprises pursuing the global market growth through cross-border trade (export/import). Buoyant Capital. Grainger, A. (2016). Customs management in multinational companies.World Customs Journal,10(2), 17-35. Komarov, ?. V. (2016). Risk management systems in Customs: The Ukrainian context.World Customs Journal,10(1), 35-44. Oyewunmi, O. A., Osibanjo, O. A., Falola, H. O., Olujobi, O. J. (2017). Optimization by Integration: A corporate governance and human resource management dimension.International Review of Management and Marketing,7(1). Customs Regulatory Compliance Management – Myassignmenthelp.Com Question: Discuss About The Customs Regulatory Compliance Management? Answer: Introducation On the behalf of the government of the specific nation state the role of custom is to execute a plethora of management policies that deals with the business that takes place on the border. The functionality and accountability of customs administration differ from one nation state to another. Role of the customers executive ranges from collection from the proceeds, trade compliance and facilitation, prohibition of substances which are deemed to be illegal in the country, protection of cultural heritage and enforcement of intellectual property law. Globalization has directed companies from all over the world to set up places of operations like factories and offices around the world. As the economy of several countries opened up to the regulations and restrictions of international trade, customs administration garners more and more importance. With the increase in international trade in the recent years the environment of exchange has also changed exponentially in terms of pace, difficu lty, size and level of trade, extensive technological advancement and revolution in global trading practices. Therefore, the changes have tremendously affected the role and accountability of the customs authorities around the world. The idea of the customs is not to restrict but to filter, the policies and items that are against the rules of the country. Indulgence in international trade ensure a boost to the economy and allows the economy to grow and to gather more and more investors. The role of a gatekeeper is to restrict without understanding the inside matter with careful observation. The gatekeeper is doses not understand the nuances of policies and the items that are in the exchange rather they set a standard for allowing certain things and disallowing certain things. On the other hand, compliance management has an aspect of analyzing, speculating and reviewing an idea before discouraging or accepting it. Risk-management Risk management of a company is based on identifying a risk, analyzing the outcome and the impact this risk would have on the future and also the current operation of the business, then is the part where the management of the organization plans a strategic idea to reduce the impact of the investable or deflect the risk which is possible. This may include several market research and policies and decision making. After the plan has been implemented by the management it is also the duty to look after and monitor the after effects so as to be careful that the decisions are working on a positive note for the company(Chance Brooks, 2015). A response should also be gathered from the customers and the internal members of the company to record the views for future recognition and identification of such risks and problems. Non-compliance is a risk that is faced by the company sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly, to keep up with the ever changing international trade policies and deci sions in the border force and customs, companies have to be very careful. The customs and the Australian government have come up with several ideas and reforms that behave like a risk based compliance management for the betterment and facility of the traders who operate within the borders of Australia (McNeil, Frey, Embrechts, 2015). Compliance risk In the corporate governance set up the compliancemanagement plays a very critical role. Compliance means to conform and to comply with rules, regulations, guidelines, standards and laws of the relevant body of governance. In an organization the compliance managers deal with the regulatory, financial and reputational risks that the company may face while performing the daily operations of the business. In many cases, ensuring compliance to rules and guidelines necessitate organizational changes as well pertaining to technological installations, oversight and audits of the books and records of the company. As such, compliance can be a major cost and organizational challenge in heavily regulated industries such as banking(Cohen, Krishnamoorthy, Wright, 2015). Compliance risk can be defined as the probable for losses and jurisdictional penalties due to the failure to comply with the rules and regulations of an organization or government bodies. Sometimes the business organizations that run fully based in the legal jurisdictions can also face compliance risk and this is where the importance of compliance management and efficiency becomes significant to the daily operations of the business. There are times that an organization faces a failure in compliance due to the possibility of management failures. Sustainability risk, heath of the workforce, quality of the new or diversified item, corrupt practices among the employees and also failure of taking up social responsibility can also build up in the company that further on becomes a compliance risk to the company. Any business organization that s legally set up in a country to operate is bound by some regulations of that country. Be it a home grown business organization or a multinational com pany. Compliance to all the customs regulations is mandatory for a company to operate within the economic environment of a country. The main role of an authority who is from the revenue department is to collect the taxes and duties payable in accordance with the law(Baxter, Bedard, Hoitash, Yezegel, 2013). Approach taken by a Customs administration to manage compliance In order to manage and keep a check on the compliance management of a business organization, the customers administrators have a set of guideline. For example, the customs officers monitor the records of the company in order to understand that the company is following all the rules or regulations or not. The customs have a set of rules for each industry to operate accordingly and the company usually follows these rules in order to keep a harmonious situation the economy without conflict among the businesses operating in the same industry. Customs rule vary from nature of business to scale of business and the hold of the customs authority on the operations of the business also depends on the industry(Freund, 2016). For example, if a company is dealing with import and export of products then the involvement of customs administration will be much more than a handloom or textile industry. Business organizations usually think that a planned compliance audit is all that a company requires fulfilling the requirements for compliance. Hence compliance audits only provide a narrow view of the way compliance is handled within the administration of a company. Compliance management deals with an organization consistent and continuing compliance requirements. The solutions to the compliance requirements gathered by the management of the company should be customizable and should have the ability to expand with the vision of the organization. There are several punishments that the Customs body of Australia is able to impose for non-compliance of the rules and regulations. These penalties may vary according to the level of non-compliance of the rules and its effects on the trading(Boll, 2014). Assessing the trade activities of the company includes tariff concessions, evaluation of tariff classification; chiefly for multinational business organizations and branded goods Customs valuation is very curtail to maintain the compliance with the government of Australia. A team should be appointed by the management of the company in order to monitor the changing policies of the government and legislative changes, there are several third party companies also available who can be appointed to do the analysis for the company(Elliott, 2016). Customs Compliance Strategy 2016 The Australian Border Force (Customs) has recently launched Goods Compliance Update. It provides with four areas of focus. Pertaining to the particular interest of the importers in the country review of the correct use of Tariff Concession Orders (TCOs) and correctly revealing the customs value of imported goods have been stated clearly. For over 18 months, it has been the prime concern of the customs of Australia that TCOs offers a free rate of duty where no substitutable goods are produced in Australia and the subject of a number of Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) cases(Grainger, Customs management in multinational companies, 2016). The usage of Tariff concession orders without continuous monitoring of the products or service as well as the applicable TCOs are not recommended, provided the change in Customs and the AATs views on TCO as eligible. The procedure for the valuation of goods can be a complicated because a lot of prerequisites have to be kept in the mind. It is a mandate that a business organization should always analyze the amounts that are paid in addition to amounts that appear on the commercial statement. It also has to be reviewed that whether they are needed to be integrated in the customs value. Furthermore, the concept of free goods is a myth hence there will be rules regarding valuation and analysis to evaluate the amount of that product(Rothengatter, 2016). Trusted Trader The Australian Trusted Trader is a voluntary business improvement facility steps that are taken in collaboration in between the government and business organizations in order to seek trade benefits for the importers and exporters that have a history and record of customs compliance and have effective security practices to protect non-compliance. It encourages the trade practices of a secure supply chain and business organization that have a good record of compliance, rewarding such businesses with a variety of benefits to smoothen the business process(Widdowson, Blegen, Kashubsky, Grainger, 2014). Some of the rewards or benefits that are enjoyed by the traders who are enlisted in this facility are: assigned account manager who will deal with and take care of the account management and keep in check whether the company is in compliance with the legal duties this person is also going to be the point of contact for the customs department. These companies are also eligible to get premiu m and priority based trade services form the government. Traders who are associated with the government have the liberty to use the Australian Trusted Trader logo, which is a sign of goodwill and prosperity for the company. It not only allows the company to grow in the eyes of the customers but also has a significant impact among the industry and market. A mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) has been drawn up in between Australia and some other countries to facilitate trade, the companies that have been enlisted to the Trusted Traders will have access to trade facilitation benefits as well. The MRAs between the Australian Government and other trading partners are: New Zealand Customs Service, Republic of Korea Customs Service, Canada Border Services Agency, Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. This arrangement will facilitate and benefit the traders in expansion and in import and export in between the above companies. The MRAs will offer Trusted Trader exporters with differentiated border services and treatment in signed countries, simultaneously on business arrival in Australia with the countries that have signed the MRA will also receive priority treatment (Mein, 2014). Customs Valuations and Transfer Pricing The transfer pricing modification to the price of imported goods is one of the prime ideas of focus for the Australian border force. These kinds of adjustments in the cost and pricing should be uncovered with Customs and accounted for in the records of the company. There are sometimes confusion and misunderstand regarding the interaction between customs valuation and transfer pricing in the importers this is a place where unknowingly companies may suffer from non-compliance(Missbach, 2015). Conclusion The government of Australia with the Customs valuation policies and decisions encourage the business and flow of business within the country to promote the economy of Australia. The customs are surely not being a gatekeeper as there is a lot of facilities and benefits are being awarded for the inflow and outflow of business form the country, if there was a strict gate keeping policy of the customers it would have restricted a lot of business opportunities within the country that would lead to a blockage of value in the economy, rather a risk based management approach by the customs administration of Australia analysis a problem or an issue of non-compliance within an organization and plans ahead of taking any steps or changes in the policies. This not only encourages new and young investors in the economy but also boosts and grants expansion and growth opportunities for the old traders in the industry. References Baxter, Bedard, Hoitash, , Yezegel. (2013). Enterprise risk management program quality: Determinants, value relevance, and the financial crisis. Contemporary Accounting Research, 30(4), , 1264-1295. Boll. (2014). Mapping tax compliance: Assemblages, distributed action and practices: A new way of doing tax research. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 25(4), , 293-303. Chance, Brooks, . (2015). Introduction to derivatives and risk management. Cengage Learning . Cohen, Krishnamoorthy, Wright, . (2015). Enterprise risk management and the financial reporting process: The experiences of audit committee members, CFOs, and external auditors. Contemporary Accounting Research , 1178-1209. Elliott. (2016). TPP Risks and TTIP Opportunities: Rules of Origin, Trade Diversion, and Developing Countries. CGD Policy Paper. Washington: Center for Global Development. Freund. (2016). Other New Areas: Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation, Accounting, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and More. . Assessing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, , 66. Grainger. (2016). Customs management in multinational companies. . World Customs Journal, 10(2), , 17-35. McNeil, Frey, Embrechts, . (2015). Quantitative risk management: Concepts, techniques and tools. Princeton : Princeton university press. Mein. (2014). Customs-private sector partnership: not just wishful thinking. World Customs Journal, 8(1), , 129-36. Missbach. (2015). The extradition of people smugglers from Indonesia to Australia: political and legal challenges. Rothengatter. (2016). Possibilities for and limits to enforcing tax compliance measures on irregularworkers. Journal of Sociology, 52(2), , 139-154. Widdowson, Blegen, Kashubsky, , Grainger. (2014). Review of accredited operator schemes: an Australian study. . World Customs Journal, 8(1) , 17-34.

Emily Dickinson On Drugs Essays - American Christians,

Emily Dickinson On Drugs? Emily Dickinson's poems often make me ponder her mental stability. Sometimes I wonder if she was psychotic or on some kind of mind-altering drugs. In Dickinson's poems "I felt a funeral in my brain," "My life closed twice before its close," and "Because I could not stop for Death," we shall see whether or not Mr. J's theory of her insanity stands true. In the piece "I felt a funeral in my brain," she views her own funeral in her head. At one point she thought, "My mind was going numb;" now I strongly believe that one has to be on "crack" to write a line like this. "Then Space-began to toll;" I don't believe Emily Dickinson graduated from the D.A.R.E. program because normal, non- drug using people do not normally space out and see their funerals in their heads. "And I dropped down, and down," in other words, Emily just passed out. Not only was Emily passed out, she was also having near-death experiences according to the poem "My life closed twice before its close." Maybe she was trying to kick the habit and became depressed. "It yet remains to see If Immortality unveil A third event to me" means that she is worried about dying and she wondered if there is anything for her after this life. Once again, in her poem "Because I could not stop for Death," Dickinson is writing about her death, only she's talking in the past tense like she's already dead. Depression? Withdrawal? Crack? Will someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with this woman? This lady is obsessed with her own death; my suggestion to her is to get a life before she really does die. Obviously Emily is on some kind of mind-altering drugs. Otherwise, she would not be constantly writing about her own death; she would be writing about trees and birds, love and happiness.

Informative and Descriptive Details in Writing

Informative and Descriptive Details in Writing In composition, a detail is a particular item of information (including descriptive, illustrative, and statistical information) that supports an idea or contributes to an overall impression in an essay, report, or other kind of text. Details that are carefully chosen and well organized can help make a piece of writing or an oral report more precise, vivid, convincing, and interesting. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Supporting DetailAnalysisComposing My First College Essay, by Sandy KlemDescriptive Details in Stegners Town DumpHow to Write a Descriptive ParagraphParenthetical Details in Capotes Place DescriptionPractice in Revising a Place DescriptionPractice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific DetailsProcess AnalysisSpatial OrderSpecificityStatus Details in Tom Wolfes DescriptionsWriters Notebook EtymologyFrom the Old French, a cut-off piece Examples and Observations The charm, one might say the genius, of memory is that it is choosy, chancy and temperamental; it rejects the edifying cathedral and indelibly photographs the small boy outside, chewing a hunk of melon in the dust.(Elizabeth Bowen in an interview in Vogue, September 15, 1955)Bad writers never examine anything. Their inattentiveness to the detail of their prose is part and parcel of their inattentiveness to the detail of the outside world.(Clive James, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: Lessons on How to Write. Cultural Amnesia, 2007) Reading for DetailsIn reading, one should notice and fondle details. There is nothing wrong about the moonshine of generalization when it comes after the sunny trifles of the book have been lovingly collected.(Vladimir Nabokov, quoted by  Brian Boyd in  Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years.  Princeton University Press, 1991 John Updikes Detailed Description of the Running MateShe wears Adidas jogging shoes, and a dove-gray sweat suit with canary-yellow p iping down the sleeves and legs. In winter, she adds a cable-knit Norwegian sweater; in summer, she strips down to crimson track shorts, with slits in the sides for greater freedom of motion, and a grape-colored tank top, stained to dark wine where she sweats. When it rains, she produces from somewhere a transparent polyethylene bandanna.(John Updike, The Running Mate. Hugging the Shore: Essays and Criticism. Knopf, 1983 Details and Character TraitsSometimes it takes only one or two details to light up a character for your readers. . . . The old mans carefully parted hair suggests that he has not totally given up. The tinny clatter of cheap crockery implies that the restaurateur has fallen on hard times. The sullen teenagers one-shouldered shrug connotes indifference tinged with contempt.(Monica Wood, Description. Writers Digest Books, 1995 Natalie Goldberg on Original DetailsLife is so rich, if you can write down the real details of the way things were and are, you hardly need anything else. Even if you transplant the beveled windows, slow-rotating Rheingold sign, Wise potato chip rack, and tall red stools from the Aero Tavern that you drank in in New York into a bar in another state and time, the story will have authenticity and groundedness. . . . You dont have to be rigid about original detail. The imagination is capable of detail transplants, but using the details you actually know and have see n will give your writing believability and truthfulness. It creates a good solid foundation from which you can build.(Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, 2nd ed. Shambhala, 2005 Significant DetailsDetails are never simply embellishments. They serve the narrative in terms of dramatization, characterization, structure, and style. . . .Over and over again were told that good, active writing is concrete rather than abstract. Its specific rather than general. And its in these notions of active writing that details make all the difference. A detail must be both significant and specific.(Joanne Meschery, Details! Details! Details! Writers Workshop in a Book, ed. by Alan Cheuse and Lisa Alvarez. Chronicle Books, 2007 Sensory Details- The night air rushed in about us through the tilted wind portals at the front of the front windows and the smaller ones in back (we were in the zippy Terraplane that Tex and I had brought from Detroit), and with it the hot, flat scent of tall corn; a sudden tang of skunk come and gone; the smell of tar when the dirt roads stopped, fainter now with the hot sun gone; and, over a rare pond or creek as the tire noise went deeper, something rich and dank, with cowflop and dead fish mixing with the sweet-water weeds.(Roger Angell, Romance. The New Yorker, May 26, 2003)- I remember the air whistling around me as I ran, the panicky thud of my bones in my sneakers, and then the slabs rising in the light from the street lamps as I sped past the little candy store and crept under the fence.(Alfred Kazin, A Walker in the City, 1969 Persuasive DetailsDetails are what persuade us that someone is telling the truth- a fact that every liar knows instinctively and too well. Bad liars pile on facts and figures, the corroborating evidence, the improbable digressions ending in blind alleys, while good or (at least better) liars know that it’s the single priceless detail that jumps out of the story and tells us to take it easy, we can quit our dreary adult jobs of playing judge and jury and again become as trusting children, hearing the gospel of grown-up knowledge without a single care or doubt. . . .We think in generalities, wrote Alfred North Whitehead. But we live in detail. To which I would add: We remember in detail, we recognize in detail, we identify, we re-create . . ..(Francine Prose, Reading Like a Writer. Harper, 2006 Tom Wolfe on the Power of Symbolic Details[T]he recording of everyday gestures, habits, manners, customs, styles of furniture, clothing, decoration, styles of traveling, eating, keeping house, modes of behaving toward children, servants, superiors, inferiors, peers, plus the various looks, glances, poses, styles of walking and other symbolic details that might exist within a scene. Symbolic of what? Symbolic, generally, of peoples status life, using that term in the broad sense of the entire pattern of behavior and possessions through which people express their position in the world or what they think it is or what they hope it to be. . . .Here is the sort of thing Balzac does over and over. Before introducing you to Monsieur and Madame Marneffe personally (in Cousin Bette) he brings you into their drawing room and conducts a social autopsy: The furniture covered in faded cotton velvet, the plaster statuettes masquerading as Florentine bronzes, the clumsily carved painted chandelier with its candle rings of molded glass, the carpet, a bargain whose low price was explained too late by the quantity of cotton in it, which was now visible to the naked eyeeverything in the room, to the very curtains (which would have taught you that the handsome appearance of wool damask lasts for only three years)everything in the room begins to absorb one into the lives of a pair of down-at-the-heel social climbers, Monsieur and Madame Marneffe. Balzac piles up these details so relentlessly and at the same time so meticulously . . . that he triggers the reader’s memories of his own status life, his own ambitions, insecurities, delights, disasters, plus the thousands and one small humiliations and the status coups of everyday life . . ..(Tom Wolfe, The New Journalism. The New Journalism, ed. by Tom Wolfe and E.W. Johnson. Harper Row, 1973) The Lighter Side of DetailsSergeant Heppelfinger: I tell you itll all blow over. Everything is perfect- except for a couple of details.Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith: They hang people for a couple of details!(William Demarest and Eddie Bracken in Hail the Conquering Hero, 1944)

The Risky Us High School Behavior, Drug Abuse and Alcohol Impairment Essay

The Risky Us High School Behavior, Drug Abuse and Alcohol Impairment - Essay Example The researchers randomized the two groups of the participants; the students were selected from the high school and screened for the driving license allowing the independent, uncontrolled and unsupervised driving activity. It was distributed 30 days before the period of the study and a survey for 15-week of the research carried out on the vehicle that served instrumental in the period. The parent provided the consent and the privacy of the participants and data protected by the certificate of confidentiality.The collected data or the demographic factors were analyzed using the multivariate sequential logistic regression. The treatment group provided the immediate feedback information of the green lights without the effect of the gravitational force as well as flashing lights after an occurrence of an event. The treatment group – lights plus received the feedback from the light only and the feedback sent by the parents indicating the risks and the score for the week.The events w ere not significantly different between the two groups and showed that the calculated measure of central tendency and measures of variation were higher in light plus group in relative comparison to the first group throughout the period. Lights plus group involved themselves in the few events. Thirteen percent of the sampled students were reported to drive while impaired (DWI) in the period of study. Evaluation and recorded events showed that 74% of the lights only group made the sharp cornering while 10% applied the hard braking.

Analysis for Higher Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis for Higher Learning - Essay Example As the report declares the movie â€Å"Higher Learning† is a drama about different issues of university student life, especially as they relate to all kinds of prejudice: sexual, racial, social included. Racial prejudice is one of the main themes. At the start of this movie, we can see one of the movie’s main characters, Remy, who is an outcast and misfit, ignored by another students. We also find Kristen, who has a little bit racial discrimination and isn’t sure of her own identity yet, and Malik, who is an African American confused about his own identity. Each of them ironically share some of the same prejudices toward each other and others. Each of them value some of the same things about life but do not realize they have anything in common. This essay stresses that when Malik gets on the elevator and meets Kristen by chance, Kristen reflexively grabs her bag, even though they have never seen each other. Malik notices and shakes his head to himself, accustomed to the scenario. This is the introduction to racial tension in the movie. The point that we should consider is why Kristen did that. If she had personally had a bad experience with a black person, it would be understandable. But what is more likely is that Kristen had the fear of being alone with a black man because of her preconceived bias and her lack of relationships with black people in her primarily caucasion neighborhood near Disneyland.

Health Care Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Research Paper Example Despite the federal government having some public funds to compensate the public on sickness and death, there lacked public programs and legislations that would facilitate the realization of these efforts by the government. The raising concerns of wage loss were because of failure to be paid in the event of illness. This led to the introduction of insurance schemes (sickness funds) to cover against loss of wages due to illnesses by workers. There arose evolutionist reformers in the progressive era of the early 20th century whose motives were to address social concerns especially for the working group (Palmer para 4-5). The efforts of the reformers received great support by the government of Roosevelt who equally highly esteemed the health of the people. The early period of the century, saw combined efforts by the AMA (American Medical Association) and the AALL (American Association of Labor Legislation) design and formulate legislations and health care bills that were meant for effec ting the universal accessibility of health care to the U.S citizens. Shortly after these moves, the reformers introduced the concept of cost of illness as against concentrating on the lost wages through which they brought about the concept of ‘sickness’ insurance. Health sector regulations were not left behind as well in the reforms with the end of great depression (1935) marking the introduction of social security act. The great depression had serious implication to every American as well as the various departments such as the health care sector with general low finances in circulation within the entire economy. This therefore encouraged the insurance sector to introduce the medical covers through which medical expenses to the public would be easily met. Latter on some employers took to their role to provide health care to their employee, which equally marked great steps. By the mid century, over two thirds of the U.S citizens enjoyed some form of medical coverage over the private insurance schemes. However, the achievement of compulsory national health insurance as were the efforts of the reformers failed due to the opposition that resulted from the doctors, business, insurance sector as well as some labor groups. However, by the year 1965, great steps had been taken within the sector and there was assenting to the legislation to universal health care in the United States (Palmer para 16-20). According to a brief by the Maine Health Access Foundation, the last thirty years have seen great efforts by the state government to improve on the accessibility of health care support through insurance especially to the uninsured (Maine Health Access Foundation 3). The states have undertaken multiple roles in the health care provision system of America by serving as a regulator, administrator and a purchaser among other roles. The comprehensive health care reform has been a great phenomenon to be implemented within many of the U.S states. The guiding facto r to these notable reforms has been to provide universal, quality and affordable services in health care to all her citizens. Therefore, individual states have been responsible in developing and adopting health care policies, which in common are seen to have focused much on expanded Medicare coverage (Maine Health Acc

Examining The Major Functions Of Online Banking Information Technology Essay

Examining The Major Functions Of Online Banking Information Technology Essay Online banking is the practice of making bank dealings via the Internet. It will give you an outstanding chance to bypass the time-consuming, paper-based aspects of usual banking in order to manage your finances more competently.   By switching to electronic bills, statements, and payments, the average American family can save 6.6 pounds of paper in one year! And you can grab any fake (scam) transactions faster than if you received a statement by snail post. Thanks to pioneering technology and the Internet in particular, we no longer have to leave the house to make payments. Online banking is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can do it anytime, anywhere.   Online banking allows us to do various services with the click of a mouse. You can: 1.      Pay a bill. Electronic bill payment service allows a depositor to transfer money from his or her online account  to a creditor or merchant, for example to a public utility or a outlet. There is no need to stand in a long queue on a weekend morning to handle your transactions! The payment  is practically instant, though some financial institutions can wait until the next business day to send out the payment. If it is necessary, the bank can publish and mail a paper cheque or bankers draft to a creditor who is not set up to receive electronic payments.    2.      Schedule payments in advance. Most banks recommend clients the ability to schedule a payment on a particular date. Once the amount is entered and the payee is checked off, the funds are automatically deducted from your online bank account.   It is mainly useful if you constantly forget due dates. For example, you can schedule credit card or mortgage payments to make sure that you will not incur late fees and damage your FICO score. 3.      Transfer funds. Do you want to transfer money rapidly and securely? With online banking, you can  make money  transfers between your own  accounts, or send money to a third party account as well. All you need is recipient/payee information and enough funds in your account. Quite often, the operations are performed in real time. 4.      Manage all your accounts in one place. Online banking is an enormous time saver because it provides a chance to handle a number of bank accounts (checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, etc.) from a single site. Most new accounts you open will be automatically added to OB (Online Banking). 5.      View images of your checks online. Do you need a copy of a paid check? With online banking, you can see and print scanned images of the front and back of all checks you have written. It is easy and convenient. 6.      Apply for a loan or credit card.   By using an account online, you can apply for a credit card or a loan (a car loan, a student loan, a mortgage, a home equity loan, etc.) from the same bank. If you have a good credit score and long relationship history with your bank, your application is likely to be accepted.    7.      Purchase and manage CD accounts. You can purchase a certificate of  deposit from your bank If you have money you want to invest,. Online banking lets you compare all available offers as well as the terms, for example APY or maturity periods. When you confirm the purchase, the funds will be automatically deducted from your account.   8.      Order travelers checks. You can order American Express Travelers Cheques online. The bank will typically charge your online account for the sum of the cheques you bought and an express delivery cost.   9.      Increase your overdraft. Log in to online banking and click on Overdraft in the menu You can increase your overdraft online. 10.      Order a cheque book. Save your time by ordering cheque book online. You will need to visit your bank once when you get a confirmation letter that your cheque book is ready for collection.   11.      View up-to-the-minute account statements and balance. There is no need to wait for the bank statement to get to your P.O.Box to check account balances. You can view all transactions and withdrawals every day just by logging in to your online account. Additionally, you can immediately report errors or unauthorized transactions in your statement.   12.      View automatically updated spending report. All of your purchases are sorted into common categories automatically no receipts to keep, no expenses to enter. It is straightforward to see where your money goes! 13.      Track your payment history. Online banking provides an opportunity to look for your payments by transaction type, date, description or amount. When did you last pay Company X? When did you buy your computer? To whom did you make your most recent payment? Your bank knows the answers.   14.      Integrate the data with personal  finance  programs. Online banking lets you bring in electronic payment data in personal finance software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money. You will be able to enter into your online accounts directly from your personal finance program. An Internet connection and online account log in information is all that needed. 15.      Change contact details.   Have you moved to a new house? Changed your telephone number? You can log in to your online account and change contact information (e-mail address, telephone number, password, etc.). It is more secure than to send this information by e-mail.   16.      Utilize investment research.   You can receive real-time quotes, analytics, news and stock market information to make a more relevant and profitable decision. 17.      Take advantage of online brokerage. Internet banking lets you invest online. You can place and confirm  trades 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most banks offer a wide range of money market instruments from various issuers. 18.      Get alerts. This service lets you to get timely e-mail messages from your bank about any critical changes related to your Internet accounts. For instance, you can get alerts when you make a withdrawal or change your contact information.   19.      Verify terms and conditions. You can verify all information about your account online whenever you forget your interest rates or payment due date. 20.      Chat with your customer assistant department. If you need help, you can send message to your banks customer assistant department. They will be in touch with you and try their best to help you solve your problem.   Now that I described various functions of Online banking it is the time to discuss Citibank functions and how they do them and what is the purpose of doing such functions. Here is the Citigroup Mission Statement: Citigroup Inc. (Citi) recognizes that foreclosures affect the individual, the family and the community. We also understand that early intervention and a full understanding of the available options are important for mitigating or minimizing the impact of foreclosures. Citis Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP) is dedicated to finding solutions that preserve homeownership and help mitigate the challenges faced by borrowers. We work directly with borrowers at risk of losing their homes. We also work with any and all stakeholders who advocate on behalf of borrowers, including non-profit organizations, elected officials, government agencies, regulators and others. Our strong partnerships with these stakeholders help us to develop and implement homeownership preservation solutions and enable us to magnify our outreach and assistance to borrowers. For example, OHPs hotline for housing counselors greatly enhances their ability to work with us on behalf of our borrowers. And our borrower and counselor outreach programs, which we conduct in collaboration with partners in numerous locations around the U.S., bring help directly to at-risk communities. First I will explain the definition of e-banking. e-banking is defined as the automated delivery of new and traditional banking products and services directly to customers through electronic, interactive communication channels. E-banking includes the systems that enable  financial institution  customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet. Customers access e-banking services using an intelligent electronic device, such as a personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA), automated teller machine (ATM), kiosk, or Touch Tone telephone. While the risks and controls are similar for the various e-banking access channels, this booklet focuses specifically on Internet-based services due to the Internets widely accessible public network. Accordingly, this booklet begins with a discussion of the two primary types of Internet websites : informational and transactional. Citibank offers vast amount of electronic banking products and services which enables customers fast and secure access to banking through Citibanks portfolio of bank. CitiDirect Online Banking business bankings new direction and is defined as a powerful new way to bank that puts customers banking functions all in one place at your fingertips and within reach of your entire organization.   For small companies, it means accessing global capabilities from your desktop and for multinationals its about getting a handle on your world. CitiDirect is the cornerstone of Citibanks vision of the future of banking. CitiDirect lets you access your accounts-real-time -and an ever-expanding portfolio of industry-leading products and services through the Web, so you can be more efficient, more flexible and more in control of your banking. Customers can access their information on bank balances, initiate both local and foreign currency payments and would shortly be able to initiate trade transactions and customer service requests. Benefits: Banking that changes as you change Customer Banking Services Leading Edge Security Online Support Fast, Efficient and Easy to Use Easy Access, Total Control Citibank Paylink is Citibanks premier payment product, enabling an absolute outsourcing of the payment route to Citibank for efficiency, time and cost savings to our customers. Citibank Paylink needs data creation, approval at customers offices and diffusion via on-line modem to Citibank where payment is authenticated and securely practiced either as cheques or Electronic Funds Transfers to receiver at Citibank or other banks. Citibank Paylink can also be edged with accounting systems to be given payment data prior to transmission on-line to Citibank. SAP R/3, JD Edwards, SUN and most major accounting systems have been successfully interfaced with Citibank Paylink. Citibank Paylink also incorporates a perform at library, which can be used for regular payment instructions of dealers, and beneficiaries. Citibank Paylink suggests a fast, suitable, consistent and secure way to effect payments, including: Foreign Currency/ Money Market Deal initiation Mass Payments Processing for Dividends, etc Accounts Payable Process Management Regional Payments Services Electronic Payroll Processing Customs and Duty Payments Benefits of Citibank Paylink: Security and control. Facilitates straight through processing Enhanced reconciliation Convenient, Flexible and adaptable system Elimination of check order, printing and signing process Time and cost savings Citibanking Online deals with cash management which is an progressively more important factor in overall business performance. Information on your bank accounts must be exact, up-to-date and instantly reachable. Citibanking Online is Citibanks Windows based electronic banking display place providing integrated access to account information. This system allows you to see, in a matter of seconds, the very latest of information on accounts you hold worldwide via a computer terminal in your office. Citibanking Online s competence and power provide a clear competitive edge wherever whenever you do business. Benefits:   Historical Data Simple Access and User Friendly Software Comprehensive Data Provides Instant Information Real-time Online Information Citibanking is considered as a product that offers admission to all Citibank branches around the globe. You can easily and from your own office, you can get connected to Citibanks network in a few seconds. You can also view the very latest information on accounts held globally. You can also transmit or transfer instructions to any Citibank location or branch in the world. Citibanking performs in either a single workstation or multi-user surroundings providing features and attributes adapted to meet your specific needs. Benefits: Security. Rapid, cost effective communications. Reliable, accurate records. Enhanced productivity. Citibanking is well-matched to financial institutions and global corporations; It is also well suited to trade transactions and works well with cash management.

Chaucer and the Catholic Church :: essays papers

Chaucer and the Catholic Church The Catholic Church, which governed England, Ireland, and the entire Continent of Europe, had become extremely wealthy by the late fourteenth century. The cathedrals that grew up around shrines to saint’s relics were incredibly expensive to build. The amount of gold that went into decorating them surpassed the riches in the noble’s chest. Moreover the boxes used to hold the relics were more jewel-encrusted than the kings crown. In a Century of disease, plague, and scarce labor, the sight of a Church ornamented with unused gold seemed unfair to the people. Considering the Churches great display of material wealth, it suddenly seemed hypocritical for them to preach against greed. There is a two way process where the Church has an influence on the society and the society influences the Church. This is because it is the people from the society who make up the Church. Those same people became the characters the Geoffrey Chaucer used in The Canterbury Tales. In the general prologue, various pilgrims are introduced, a Nun, a Munk, and a Friar, all remarkable figures of the Church. They represent distinct areas of Christianity, with some holding to strict worship of Christ and others clearly disobeying the laws. As the prologue continues, more characters are introduced, a Summoner and a Pardoner who represent the corruption of the Church. The Summoner is unlawful, unfaithful to the Church and engages in un-christian like behaviors, such as having sexual relations with prostitutes. While the Pardoner is a dishonest person who shows no doubts about passing off false items as the relics of saints. Basically conning people of their money by making them believe that they have sinned and need to buy pardons.

Police Officer Job Description Essay

Police officers in cooperation with the general public are in front line to fight and prevent criminal activities. The officers respond to the needs of the people in the community. With the use of technology, the officers should be able to gather enough information that can help in the prosecution of offenders. The police officer is required to carry out some specific duties as directed by the shift sergeant, as a way of maintaining and enforcing laws. The officer has to investigate complaints, ensure order is maintained, help people, and identify criminals. Identifying problems associated with enforcing law, conflict resolution, and assisting the public whenever need be are also part of the officer’s duties. You will also be called to carry out some activities that require physique such as containing violent people or animals, and be able to run fast when responding to distress calls. The supervision for the officers is carried out in a general form (Higher Education Careers Professionals, 2008). Essential duties As an officer, there are essential duties you have to perform, but there are other duties that you might be required to carry out as well. The main duties include detecting and apprehending those who act against the laws. The officer will be required to take necessary steps incase of physical hazards and law breaking activities by criminals. You are also required to take necessary actions whenever there are distress and emergence calls (LS/TB/JO, 2006). While on shift, you will be required to carry out investigations on issues that might occur during the period, and come up with the best action to take. As an officer, you have to reassure the community of their safety by ensuring frequent presence. In all these, you will be required to write a report indicating all activities that took place while on shift. Finally, you have to complete a departmental report that will have to be forwarded to the relevant authorities (Higher Education Careers Professionals, 2008). Minor duties may include; carrying out a review on reports about the incidences occurring while on duty, giving testimony about such incidences, and finally, you will be required to carry out any duty assigned by the supervisor. Education, Ability and Skills Applicants must be at least high school graduates, but priority will be given to college graduates. The applicants should not be less than 21 years of age. The applicants should exhibit the ability to identify problems and come up with sound solutions from analyzing all the available alternatives. In case of unexpected situations, you should show the ability to respond very quickly and swiftly. There are different working conditions which you must have the ability to work in all of them. In case of emergency, you must have the ability to work with the patrol car, and must be able to get in and out of it easily. There is a physical and agility test that all the applicants must be able to pass during their graduation. With the increased technological use, you need to have knowledge of computer usage and cameras. Applicants must be able to communicate fluently both verbally and written means, to the departmental members and the entire public (LS/TB/JO, 2006). In general, the duties of the police expose the officers to the challenging tasks and diverse activities. After serving as a police officer for sometime, one is entitled to rise to the other specialized areas like the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte Essay Example

The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte Essay Example The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte Paper The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte Paper In the short story, â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† by Bret Harte, the individuals are portrayed to have a numerous amounts of different personal characteristics. Mother Shipton, for example, was believed to be a very mean old woman. There was also Uncle Billy, who was respectively known as the town’s drunk. Furthermore, the town had a very flirtatious young woman by the name of â€Å"The Duchess†. She was known to engage with a lot of the men from the town. Nevertheless, there was Mr. Oakhurst, who was a tranquil man who loved to gamble. The love for gambling was so real that he often thought that life was a poker game. With every obstacle that was thrown Mr. Oakhurst’s way, he approached, faced, and dealt with each situation without any issues. To begin with, when Mr. Oakhurst first realized he was about to be kicked out of Poker Flat, he was not anxious about it by no means. Mr. Oakhurst figured that somethig was up when he noticed how the people of Poker Flat were acting. The statement, â€Å"I rechon they’re after somebody, likely it’s me†(2). Afterwards, he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped away the red dust of Poker Flat. Mr. Oakhurst sometimes thinks of life as a card game where you can get a good hand or a bad one. When the people of Poker Flat lost to Mr. Oakhurst, he was often accused of stealing their money they believed that he was cheating. The people of Poker Flat never stop to think that Mr. Oakhurst lost games to other people in the town. In addition, Mr. Oakhurst was a very nuturing person. Mr. Oakhurst made it his business to make sure that all the other who had been exiled with him did not lack anything. For instance, Mr. Oakhurst played Tom Simson in a poker game. To Mr. Oakhurst, it was very apparent that Tom did not know how to play a game of poker. Mr. Oakhurst knew that the other players would take advantage of Tommy. So, Mr. Oakhurst made sure that he played as hard as he could to guarantee he wo

How to write a business plan, FM World - Emphasis

How to write a business plan, FM World How to write a business plan, FM World Whether youre setting up a new business venture or want the go-ahead for a project, theres one essential document you need. Robert Ashton gives a step-by-step guide to writing a good business plan. Theres a memorable conversation in the famous Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland, where Alice asks the Cheshire cat for directions. Unfortunately, Alice doesnt know where she wants to go, stating that it doesnt matter where she gets to, as long as she gets somewhere. This leads the cat to respond that it doesnt matter which way she turns. If you dont have a crystal clear vision of where you want your business to go, youll be as confused as Alice when you hit a crossroads. Your business plan is your road-map. But in order to write it, you have to decide what you really want to achieve. This means youll have to spend time immersed in the strengths and weaknesses of your business, a process which, in itself, has numerous pay-offs. Studying and researching your company helps you to take a critical look at what you have to offer and who your competitors are. This enables you to better navigate the industry minefields and gives you a benchmark against which to measure success. Many people think of business plans as a necessary evil, written only to gain external funding. Instead, look at them as an essential planning tool, whatever your financial situation. Remember, if you dont plan where to go, youre inadvertently planning on going nowhere. Crafting your business plan Heres a seven step guide to writing a winning business plan. Work through each section and youll have an ordered, content-rich document that gets you to where you want to go. Step one Description of the business After the executive summary (see step seven), the first thing youll need is to describe your business. Get started by asking the following questions: What do I sell or offer? And why? Whom do I sell to? What is the history of the business? What is my vision for the future? What is different about the services I offer? What is the legal structure of the company? Think about your audience carefully before you write the description. Ask yourself what words and phrases they will understand and be careful not to include too much jargon. Step two Market research Think about your industry and what you think the future trends will be. Then analyse your competition. Determine what size of the market they hold and then clearly define where you fit into the mix. Step three Marketing and sales strategy Ask yourself why companies buy what you offer and how you plan to sell it. Think about how you are going to reach the organisations that need facilities management support and what pricing plans youll offer. Whether youre an in-house department, specialist contractor or a large multi-service company, therell be a variety of ways to reach prospects. Step four Management and personnel team Many facilities management companies claim that people are their best asset. Think carefully about your management team and outline the background, experience and qualifications of each individual. The people on your team will often make or break your success. Fully evaluate their credentials and look out for any weak skill sets that could be improved with training. Step five Operations Analyse the location of your business, in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Your own premises, production facilities and IT systems must be excellent. Make sure you address any weaknesses in your plan with recommendations for improvement. Step six Financial forecast This section requires you to translate the contents of your plan into numbers. Include cash flow statements, profit and loss forecasts and a sales forecast. Dont forget that if youre looking for funding: you need to spell out how much you need and how youll repay the loan. Step seven The executive summary Leave this until last, even though it goes right at the beginning. Once youve followed all the other steps youre in a position to write this stand alone document, which outlines the key points in your entire plan. Keep it to a maximum of two pages. And remember, some people will only read this section so make it shine. Tip: rather than trying to distil the full document down, follow your original document plan (see Style tips box). Just write less in each section this time (a couple of sentences or a paragraph, rather than several pages). Finally, the ink may be dry but your business and the facilities management industry is constantly changing. Your business plan is a dynamic document, so you need to update it regularly.

Risk & Return Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk & Return - Assignment Example The term business risk is used to refer to the uncertainty associated with the future projections or expectations that company holds in relation to the returns from the business (Besley, 2008). This risk is calculated either on the basis of assets or it may be calculated in terms of equity. In other words an organization tries to identify the return or loss it will face by investing a certain amount of money in assets or the return the company will gain by investing money that it has obtained through the measure of equity financing. If an organization does not obtain money from external sources and only obtains money from internal shareholders, the business risk is calculated in terms of the risks associated with organization’s own operations. The level of business risk an organization experiences is dependent on the stability of its operations. A business is said to have stable operation when organization experiences a steady flow of sales and purchases over a long period of time and there are lower chances that there will be any changes in these trends. A business is said to have unstable operations when the demand and supply of that business is difficult to predict or keeps on changing. For example: a power supplying monopoly is said to have lower risk of business since it is the only supplier and consumers do not have different options to choose from so its sales may not decline or fluctuate in the long run. A business that has stable operations is said to have lower business risk because it can easily meet its debt requirements in future through its sales and returns. On the other hand, a business that is unstable may not be able to meet its debt requirements on time and that is why such a business is said to have a higher business risk. An organization’s financial is risk is denoted as the risk that an organization experiences other than its business risk and is

Data wharehousing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Data wharehousing - Essay Example This is a concept of OLAP mainly used when it’s being related to data mining. This is possible through pre-aggregation, an aspect of relational databases in that they not only facilitate the creation of tables, but also can manipulate them together with the data they contain. Pre-aggregation in connection with OLAP basically explains how factual information, in this sense data that has been collected can be used to come up with probability estimations used for distribution (Kozielski & Wrembel, 2009). Data mining is a concept that has been confused with OLAP for a while. These two terms, though different have been used synonymously to refer to the other. However, these are two similar but different terms when viewed critically. Data mining is a data knowledge discovery mechanism that aims at identifying, from a pool of data, sets of useful and important data that may have been ignored, classifies the data in relation to the whole set and associates it to its class. This data a nalysis concept focuses mainly on dividing the existing data into small manageable sets, as regards their relationship. On the other hand, OLAP focuses on addition of more data to a pool that is already in existence. This is made possible since OLAP gives data a multi-dimensional approach, creating summaries in different dimensions that are then added up to the original data, making it more comprehensive A general definition associated with OLAP is that which describes it as software put in place to create a platform in which the user interacts easily with a complex database accessed online and is able to prompt the database for a service which n return provides a report in a form understandable to him/her. However, there are many other definitions attached to this concept. It’s amazing that some people even used the full name of the acronym as a definition, but this is entirely questionable since it does not give gist of what the concept is or what it refers to. The most com monly used definitions are listed below (Becker, 2002). First, there is what we can call the popular definition. It’s a precise and interesting definition of OLAP as set of many spreadsheets in a package. This is just but a typical meaning, mainly used to people who have little or no knowledge in information technology. Its true OLAP is used in spreadsheets to enhance the view of data, but it’s certainly not a set or group of spreadsheets. Secondly, OLAP has been popularly defined as a report given or presented with some extra information attached to it. This is adopted from the way OLAP works, by presenting data from different dimensions with diverse interpretations. In this case, OLAP allows the database users to scan through different perspectives of an issue. Lastly, there is the technical definition attached to OLAP. It describes on-line analytical processing as enhanced, friendly browsing of similar, multidimensional data. When a user prompts a query to the softw are, it may take up to less than a minute to give an output, hence its attribution as a fast software. It also does this in levels with a set of new data for each level. MegaSave uses data marts, tools used in presenting data and facts in multi-dimensions. The best definition, therefore, for such a scenario is the last one. This is so because so far,

Personal Worldview Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Worldview Paper - Essay Example The theorists and researchers as well have always been interested since ever in exploring the history and origin of world views people have developed in their minds about countless issues, which have been being transferred from one generation to the other for the last several centuries. The researches reveal that the religious people, philosophers, intellectuals and thinkers have rendered valuable services in respect of making the minds of the people about various realities attributed to the universal phenomena. The worldview, according to Carol Hill, concentrates upon the basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes that culture’s concept of reality (The American Scientific Affiliation). Hence, the adherence of a large majority of the people to the norms, values, mores, taboos, traditions, customs, cult and festivals etc prevailing in some specific social establishment turns out to be decisive is respect of transferring the cultural traits from one generation to the other and so on (Macionis & Plummer, 2008). ... The adherents of Christianity make up the greatest religious community of the world. The belief system of the faith seeks inspiration from the Holy Scripture Bible, which is viewed to be the word of God sent from the Lord for the spiritual uplift and moral guidance of the humanity. Hence, the Bible can be stated as the finest and most reliable source of inspiration for the entire Christian community existing on the face of the earth. The Bible consists of Old and New Testaments, which concentrates upon the covenant made between God and the House of Jacob regarding the worship of God, love for Christ, obedience of the parents, and strict adherence to the commandments clearly mentioned in the Scripture are the source of a blissful life on the earth, as well as the only way to obtain eternal success in the life hereafter (Flannelly et al, 2008:4). Being the most authentic source of the Christian faith, Bible lays stress upon strict observance of patience, endurance, tolerance, fair play , justice and sacrifice. I have learned from the Scripture (Leviticus, 18-19). The same views have been endorsed by the saints and preachers that a true Christian should follow the commands of God by worshipping Him, and obeying one’s parents and elders. I was taught that the Christians are forbidden from imposing any hurt on others. Being a Christian, I abhor stealing, debauchery, extra marital relationships, homosexuality and hurting and harming the neighbors (Leviticus, 19: 7-16). The records of the Christ’s life and sayings, preserved in the minds and hearts of his followers, also endorsed the true teachings of Jesus, which were followed and transferred from one generation to the other on the one hand, and

Walmart Winning Strategy Essay Example for Free

Walmart Winning Strategy Essay Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates retail stores in various formats around the world, aggregated into three reportable segments: (1) the Wal-Mart U.S. segment; (2) the Wal-Mart International segment; and (3) the Sam’s Club segment. We are committed to saving people money so they can live better. We earn the trust of our customers every day by providing a broad assortment of quality merchandise and services at every -day low prices (â€Å"EDLP†) while fostering a culture that rewards and embraces mutual respect, integrity and diversity. EDLP is our pricing philosophy under which we price items at a low price every day so our customers trust that our prices will not change under frequent promotional activity. Our fiscal year ends on January 31. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the largest retail company in the United States and has been ranked number one on the Fortune 500 Index by Fortune Magazine. Wal-Mart has four parts to their corporate strategy. Wal-Mart is dominant in the Retail Market. Wal-Mart has expansion in the U.S. and International Market. Wal-Mart has a creation of positive brand and company Recognition. Wal-Mart is able to branch out into new sectors of retail. Wal-Mart’s public affairs strategy must work to make implementation of these policy goals happen. Its public affairs strategy enables the company to move into other sectors of the marketplace and expand into foreign countries. The public affairs strategy also involves gaining access to politicians who can help Wal-Mart achieve its goals. Wal-Mart has a very active Political Action Committee that gives almost a quarter million dollars annually. While Wal-Mart’s public affairs strategy works well with its corporate strategy. We feel that there are a few recommendations which could make the company work better. Recently, Wal-Mart has been criticized for their opposition to allowing their employees to be unionized. Wal-Mart needs to clarify their reasons for their opposition to unionization. The public affairs strategy must also address the negative feelings harbored by some groups who feel  that Wal-Mart is encroaching into far too many other sectors retail than it should. These concerns must be addressed if Wal-Mart is to enjoy continued success in creating positive name recognition. The mission of Wal-Mart is to serve their members with strong advocacy, quality information, and responsive member services. Their vision is to continue building on our unique position, â€Å"the only research association serving an international membership.† Effective strategy incorporates a view from the customer and stakeholder perspective, and includes an understanding of customer needs, product and service characteristics, desired relationships and the desired â€Å"corporate image† that the organization wants to portray. Reference: https://:www.walmart.com https://www.balancedscorecard.org

Marketing plan of LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival

Marketing plan of LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Listed as a not for profit organisation since 1996, the Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd, now known as the LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, has always been at the forefront of the fashion world. Over the years, the LMFF has become one of Australias top fashion events and focuses on target markets that are fashion oriented, social oriented and a mixture of both. The events success can be recognised by the efforts made by many individuals and businesses that have been with the organisation for many years. On March 14, 2011, the LMFF launched Fashion Full Stop: Decades of Australian Fashion, an event that celebrated designers, along with many labels and styles that have shaped Australias history in fashion. With tickets ranging from $79 to $39, 4000 fans filled the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centres plenary auditorium. Due to this, the event has been deemed a large priority in future shows and an extremely important opportunity to raise the profile of the organisation (LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Pty Ltd, 2011) Therefore the main objective of this event is to be recognised both nationally and internationally as the leading event of its kind and stimulate activity across the retail, clothing, footwear, and creative sectors. The purpose of this marketing plan is to identify LMFFs many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ; and these must be used in union with several marketing strategies, actions and a budget of $47 200 to eventually achieve the overall objective. Although the companys strengths and opportunities outweigh the organisations weaknesses and threats, the growing competition within the fashion industry and changes in the marketing environment need to be of focus. For the event to be a success, the organisation must modify or maintain the strategies and actions to directly reflect these changes. Event Information The aim of the Fashion Full Stop Opening Runway event is to celebrate and promote iconic designers, labels, styles and moments from the 1960s to today, stimulate sales and present Melbourne as a precinct full of design superiority. Assessment of the Marketing Environment Internal Environment Strengths: Since the LMFF initiated in 1996, the unique LOreal brand image has flourished Created brand awareness, recognition and emotional value to its target audiences Has built a reputable media profile Has been able to grow and produce a diverse range of activities Showcases many strong brand names and sponsors Sales within Melbourne and other parts of Australia have skyrocketed Increased staff attitude towards the event, opinions about the event, and expertise and experience during the event Weaknesses: Certain markets are not focused, e.g. low income earners. This may be intentional as the event focuses on exclusivity. Due to the lack of detail about the event in regards to online advertising, television advertisements and more, previous customers may have a perception that the event may be similar to the previous year or be similar to competition. External Environment 3.21 Micro-Environment Competitive analysis and Venn Diagram Direct competitors (offer similar, but somewhat differentiated events) include: Location Prices Target Market Offerings and/or Sales Date and time Rosemount Australian Fashion Week Sydney Similar Same Similar Different Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane Similar, but offer free events Similar Achieved an increase of 61% on ticket sales and 33% on attendance in 2008 (Lindsay Bennett Marketing, 2010) Different Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Melbourne Nearly all events are free Similar Very similar Different Perth Fashion Festival Perth Similar Same Very similar Different New Zealand Fashion Week Auckland (outside Australia) Very similar Similar Very similar Same Similar offerings Party Eclectic Well known SOCIAL HIGH PROFILE INTERNATIONAL Indirect competitors (seek to provide the same benefits to the consumers, but in a different form) include: Port Fairy Folk Festival Future Music Festival Moomba Festival 3.22 Macro Environment PESTE Analysis Political forces/legal and regulatory influences The LMFF is required to uphold and adhere to many political and legal regulatory practices and the most important include: Drinking laws: all underage visitors must be accompanied by an adult in bars and dining rooms (LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Pty Ltd, 2011). Entry: refused entry is given to any person that is affected by alcohol/drugs, behaves aggressively or reduces the reputation of the LMFF or any organisation associated with the LMFF (LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Pty Ltd, 2011). Intellectual property: in the interest of all the stakeholders, registered designs, trademarks, patents, and copyrights all need to be respected by using intellectual property laws. It encourages technological innovation and artistic expression in industries (Commonwealth of Australia , 2010). Economic trends In economic troubles, fashion, the arts and entertainment often get sacrificed because of a decrease in disposable income. However, the slowdown within worldwide expenditure due to the impact of the global economic crisis has had a little effect on the LMFF. In fact, consumers are still spending a large amount of income, visiting the festival on an annual basis, and sponsorship is still going strong. Socio-cultural trends According to Easey (2008), fashion is ultimately about change.many of these changes are brought about by designers trying to create something new to satisfy customers, but others are because of influences beyond the control of designers or manufacturers.some are within a companys control and others are way beyond it. Therefore, the LMFF opening runway show will have to focus on the current needs and wants of the target market and find a way to satisfy them. Technological trends In several industries, the development and utilisation of new technology gives the opportunity of improving a consumers experience. Recently, designers such as Alexander McQueen and Alexander Wang used technology to stream their fashion shows live online (Moore, 2010). The brand DKNY has also started using a barcode technology for invitations and seating arrangements for its fashion show (Moore, 2010). This type of technology could be developed for use in the LMFF opening runway show. Environmental trends Recently, an ethical fashion forum has developed a mission to support  and  promote  sustainable practices, facilitate  collaboration, raise  awareness  and provide the  tools  and  resources  needed to reduce poverty, reduce environmental damage and raise standards in the fashion industry (Ethical Fashion Forum, 2011). Therefore, the push to become green is fairly large on fashion shows and designers. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Established in 1996 Unique LOreal brand image Not for profit organisation Stimulates sales within Melbourne and several brands Presents Melbourne as a centre of design superiority Diverse range of activities Unique Strong brand names Good reputation Popular shows created annually/positive track record Staff attitude and opinions Staff expertise and experience Existing media profile/reputable media partners or sponsors Location Celebrity attraction Although variety of offerings, certain markets are not focused on Perception that customers may already know whats of offer Lack of detail Current marketing campaigns are shallow and not environmentally friendly OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Increase visitors and attract tourists Boost retail sales and economy Exposure for sponsors/volunteers Upcoming designers and existing designers to showcase talent Build reputation of Melbourne Opportunities for the LMFF to create something different Competition/growth of other tourism areas in Melbourne Limited finance Infrastructure renewal due to increase of visitors Safety and security Major events throughout the year that target market prefer to spend time and money on Hard to create niche products/services due to continuously changing environment Increase in push to become green Target Market Consumer Information There are three types of target markets: Primary: approximately 50% of attendees, require a small amount of marketing costs, go for the fashion and are loyal to the event. Secondary: approximately 30% of attendees, require a slightly larger amount of marketing costs, use the fashion event as a social experience. Tertiary: approximately 20% of attendees require a large amount of marketing costs; go as its an event close to home. Target Markets and Market Segmentation Market Research For the purpose of improving the LMFF event and in order to determine the characteristics of the primary, secondary and tertiary target markets, secondary research has been used. This information has not been directly extracted from the audience, but instead from a variety of sources. A useful way in identifying the reasons why several target markets visited LMFF was to create a brand bullseye, which takes into account a variety of emotional and functional perceptions, opinions and hot buttons (Skildum-Reid et al, 2007), see appendix 1. Consumer Segmentation The primary target market are associated with the fashion world and are visiting the event to connect with designers, musicians, consumers, and retailers. In other words they are high profile guests who have been actively engaged with the festival throughout its history and continue to support LMFF into its future (LOreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Pty Ltd, 2011). The secondary target market enjoys socialising, spending a large amount of disposable income and are easily influenced by peers and the media. The tertiary are people that are interested in the arts, but use location and convenience to satisfy their needs and wants. Demographics Variables Target Market Primary Secondary Age 21 50 18 30 Gender Female and Male Female and Male Marital Status No No Education Yes Yes Children living at home No No Income Middle to upper class, large amount of income, between $50 000 $110 000 Lower class, large amount of disposable income, equal to or less than $30 000 Internet use/ type High/Broadband High/Broadband Online buying habits Medium High and know how to buy online tickets, etc Television viewing preferences Pay television Pay television and free to air television Transport use Private Public and Private Beverage and food preferences Expensive and prefer alcohol and tea/coffee Cheap and prefer alcohol and sweet drinks Employment status/occupation Employed, usually in the fashion industry Student, unemployed or new worker Location Both domestic and international Domestic and urban/metropolitan areas (Information collected from EIT Inc, 2005; Frankie, 2011; Fashion TV, 2011) Psychographics Variables Target Market Primary Secondary Lifestyle City prone Enjoys shopping Quality oriented Frequent buying behavior Interested in the arts music, dance etc Upscale and well-off Trendy Globetrotters Value-for-money oriented Social status activities No major responsibilities City prone Big spenders Personality Independent/Opinion leader Brand and fashion conscious Very sensitive to advertising Competitive Always searching for the newest trends and products representative of their social image Influenced by peers Outgoing Opinion formers Street-smart (Information collected from EIT Inc, 2005; Frankie, 2011; Fashion TV, 2011) Objectives Overall Business Objective The overall business objective of this event is to be recognised both nationally and internationally as the leading event of its kind and to stimulate activity across the retail, clothing, footwear, and creative sectors. SMART marketing objectives The objectives below conform to marketing standards of setting objectives which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, and Time bound (Skildum-Reid et al, 2007). To obtain international and national prime time stories on channel FTV, various advertisements on national radio station NOVA, and a major advertising campaign with a colour photo in the magazine Frankie, one month before the event. To increase ticket sales domestically and internationally by 10% compared to the previous years opening runway event. To increase awareness and recognition of the brand LOreal in Australia from 20% to 35% by February 2012. To obtain five more sponsors prior to the event in order to increase funds by $150 000. Marketing Strategies Link to objective Rationale Strategies Measurement mechanism 1 This will achieve a large market penetration in the target markets and will encourage ticket sales before the event 1.1 Provide digital footage of highlights of last years event to various television and radio stations Number of televised stories that use the material 1.2 Create opportunities for video and audio interviews with designers of the event Number of interviews 1.3 Create and distribute press kits to local and international media Quality and acceptance of media kit 2 This will achieve market growth and showcase the event as being popular and well-known 2.1 Release early bird tickets at a discounted price to loyal customers Advance ticket sales and/or revenue, customer database 2.2 Provide online ticket purchases through connection of event website and ticketing company Ticket sales and/or revenue, customer database of event and ticketing company 2.3 Cross-promote with the event designers, singers and dancers through various advertising campaigns Number and quality of cross promotions 3 This will boost ticket sales and product sales before the event due to brand loyalty and recognition 3.1 Offer and provide samples of LOreal products to customers Number and frequency of customer purchases, customer opinion and satisfaction 3.2 Cross-promote event with LOreal advertisements Number, quality and success of cross promotions 3.3 Start an online social page e.g. facebook to discuss the brand/product/event Number of visits/hits/comments/likes/followers 4 This will allow the event to produce better offerings in regards to the exclusivity of the event and will increase the events profile 4.1 Create a sponsorship proposal and press kit that stands out from competitors Acceptance of proposal and number of responses, number of proposals from competitors Action Plan Actions Action Officer Time Frame (months before event) 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Strategy 1.1 Action 1.11 Contact FTV and NOVA representatives to find out deadline Public relations/media team Action 1.12 Collect and compose footage of event and audio interviews Public relations/media team Action 1.13 Send to FTV and NOVA by deadline Public relations/media team Strategy 1.2 Action 1.21 Develop an interview script Public relations/media team Action 1.22 Contact agents of designers or designers directly and set up a meeting to interview Public relations/media team Action 1.23 Collect and condense interview data into clear information Public relations/media team Action 1.24 Send to editor of magazine by deadline along with press kit Public relations/media team Strategy 1.3 Action 1.31 Contact media representatives to find out deadline Public relations/media team Action 1.32 Write media release and information Public relations/media team Action 1.33 Develop press kits to send to magazine Public relations/media team Action 1.34 Send to editor by deadline Public relations/media team Strategy 2.1 Action 2.11 Contact ticketing company to inform them of intention to sell tickets to event, with prices and discharge information Marketing team/Ticketing manager or assistant Action 2.12 Create online flyer to advertise event and early bird discount Marketing team Action 2.13 Send flyer to ticketing company database and event database through both mail and e-mail Administration Strategy 2.2 Action 2.21 Liaise with marketing team of ticketing company about website link Marketing team Action 2.22 Create link within current event website with information and prices of tickets IT team, marketing team, ticketing manager or assistant Strategy 2.3 Action 2.31 Develop a partnership agreement Public relations, marketing team Action 2.32 Contact agents and set up a meeting to propose potential partnership  arrangement Public relations, marketing team Action 2.33 Create and edit advertisement/promotion Marketing Action 2.34 Inject cross-promotion into public Marketing Strategy 3.1 Action 3.11 Contact LOreals sales and marketing team and set up a way to receive an x amount of samples Sales and Marketing team Action 3.12 Contact various intermediaries such as makeup counters, hair salons, fashion magazines to inform about samples Marketing team Action 3.13 Distribute samples to intermediaries to implement in marketing campaigns Sales and distribution team Strategy 3.2 Action 3.21 Develop a partnership agreement Public Relations, marketing team Action 3.22 Contact LOreals marketing team and set up a meeting to propose potential partnership  arrangement Public Relations, marketing team Action 3.23 Create and edit advertisement/promotion Marketing Action 3.24 Inject cross-promotion into public Marketing Strategy 3.3 Action 3.31 Create a user login on facebook.com IT Team Action 3.32 Organise and disseminate information and media on profile page with links to several other pages and event website IT Team, media team, marketing team Strategy 4.1 Action 4.11 Write a marketing plan Marketing team Action 4.12 Identify competitors and sponsors Marketing team Action 4.13 Write a sponsorship proposal and press kit Marketing team Action 4.14 Send sponsorship proposal and press kit to identified sponsors Public relations, marketing team Contact sponsors and decide on sponsorship funds Marketing team Marketing Budget The marketing budget was based on a calculation of 20% of the total price of 4000 tickets sold in 2011. Ticket cost Total $79 x 4000 $316 000 $59 x 4000 $236 000 $39 x 4000 $156 000 $708 000 Average $236 000 Total Marketing Budget after 20% $47 200 Objectives Need Description/Calculation of Costs Cost 1 Advertising/publicity costs for Frankie and NOVA and FTV Frankie: 3 x Full Page, W: 210mm x H: 275mm @ $4670 each (Frankie, 2011) $14010 NOVA: 20 x 30 second ads over 7 days, 6am 6pm prime time @ $50 each (Australia Trade, 2010) $1000 FTV: 10 x 15 minute shows over 7 days, 7pm 7:15pm @ $20 cost per thousand (CPM) of 50, 000 (Boone, 2009) $10 000 Total $25 010 2 Mailing costs 5,000 x letters @ $58c each (Australia Post, 2011) $2900 Ticketing commission 4000 tickets x 10% increase = (4400 x $79) x 0.01 commission $3476 Printing costs 2 colour copy flyers per A4 page = 2500 x A4 pages @ $38c each (Officeworks, 2011) $950 Website development Overall cost (Cmather, 2011) $495 Website maintenance 30 hours @ $30 per hour (Cmather, 2011) $900 Advertising and promotion for cross-promotion with designers Billboard 6m x 3m for 8 weeks @ $1500 per 4 weeks and a one off $300 installation cost à · 2 (halves with cross-promotion) (GOA Billboard, 2011) $1650 Total $10 371 3 Samples cost 20 000 samples @ $10c each $2000 Advertising and promotion costs for cross-promotion with LOreal 25 x national light weight bus stop advertising @ $690 each à · 2 (halves with cross-promotion) (Adshel, 2011) $8 625 Social Website Usage is free $0 Distribution costs Covered by LOreal $0 Total $10 625 4 Printing costs 20 pages x 100 booklets = 2000 colour pages @ 0.38c = $760 + 100 booklets x $1.95 each for binding = $195 (Officeworks, 2011) $955 Mailing costs $1.20 x 100 booklets (Australia Post, 2011) $120 Total $1175 Overall total $47 181 Monitoring and Evaluation Objective 1: Measurement and evaluation mechanisms include: Number of televised stories that use the material Number of gained interviews Quality and acceptance of media kit Continuous partnerships with companies Objective 2: Measurement and evaluation mechanisms include: The difference in the number of ticket sales and/or revenue collected in prior year and current year Customer database increase and loyalty Number and quality of cross promotions Employee satisfaction LMFF annual review statistics Objective 3: Measurement and evaluation mechanisms include: Number and frequency of customer purchases/ LOreal annual review Number and frequency of sample intake Customer opinion, satisfaction, perception, and behaviours through surveys Number, quality and success of cross promotions Number of visits/hits/comments/likes/followers on facebook page Increase in ticket sales for LMFF overall events Objective 4: Measurement and evaluation mechanisms include: Acceptance of proposal Number of responses from sponsorships Number of proposals from competitors to sponsors Number of contracts signed with sponsorships compared to previous years, see appendix 2 Sponsorship funds increase and resource availability Sponsor reliability, efforts made, and perception of event Conclusion and Recommendations The LMFF has repositioned one of its most recently popular events called Fashion Full Stop: Decades of Australian Fashion. This popularity is proven by creative director, Grant Pearce, who stated in previous years, there hasnt been a show on opening night, theres just been a small presentation but this is a major theatrical show (Merhab, 2011). This success has been assisted by creating numerous objectives, marketing strategies, and an action plan that concentrates on increasing advertising, sponsorship and sales. The LMFF needs to continuously check and track the success of their initial objectives and modify or maintain the strategies and actions accordingly. These changes need to directly reflect the target markets and their various needs, wants and demands. Appendix Appendix 1. Appendix 2. Principal and Government partners: Loreal Paris, State Government Victoria Major Partners: Herald Sun, David Jones, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Pacific Brands, Centralpier Spirit of Docklands, SpecSavers, Paper Stone Scissors, Eye Media, Westfield, City of Melbourne Event Partners: Marie Claire, 565 Lasoo, City of Stonnington, Peroni Italy, Colonial First State Global Asset Management, Woolmark, Sportsgirl Official Product Partners: Champagne Devaux, Yering Station, Lavazza, Lexus, Raffaello, Chambord, Sanpellegrino, Toll Ipec, Nine west, kikki.K, Synergy, Steve Madden Platinum Partners: Chadstone, Deloitte, Victoria Racing Club, Wilson Parking Gold Partners: Middletons, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Deutsche Bank, MyCatwalk.com, Melbournes GPO, Fashion Weekend Melbourne, Image Box, The Just Group, Collins 234, Nikon, QV Melbourne, Kookai Media Partners: Artichoke, WGSN, Frankie Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Vogue Australia, 3AW 693, FASHIONTREND, FashionTV, Harper Bazaar, Grazia, Nova 100.3FM, InStyle, Madison, Avant Card, Hoyts, Yen