Public policy on public houses; a look in to influencing factors on Essay

Public policy on public houses; a look in to influencing factors on attitudes of binge drinking 18-24 yr olds - Essay Example involve consuming about half the weekly dose of alcohol in a single drinking session and those who indulge in binge drinking perceive consuming large amounts of alcohol as being beneficial for them. The reasons for binge drinking are complex, but are associated with stress, uncertainty, peer pressures and low self - esteem experienced by young adults as they gradually assume adult responsibilities. Those young adults who indulge in binge drinking episodes may be new to drinking in groups, but they do have an ability to say no and hence are not addicted to alcohol. However, these young adults want to form bonds and get rid of stress, thinking that alcohol can help them with a quick fix, thanks to the unethical marketing campaigns of the 1980s in which United Kingdom and European brewers tried to retain their sagging markets by focusing on the younger generation. This dissertation attempts to identify the influencing factors associated with attitudes of binge drinking which can have an impact on marketing for educating the public and designing interventions for positively influencing young adults. Binge drinking has attracted much attention in recent years, not only in the United Kingdom, but also in many other countries that have a predominantly Anglo – Saxon culture (MCM Research, 2004, Pp. 2 – 5). Although several definitions of binge drinking have been presented in literature (Oei, 2004, Pp. 160), (MCM Research, 2004, Pp. 2 – 5) and (Alcohol Concern, 2003, Pp. 1), the phenomenon usually refers to the consuming of half the recommended weekly dose of alcohol in a single drinking session and this translates to consuming about five servings of alcoholic beverages in rapid succession (Norman, 1998, Pp. 168). The phenomenon of binge drinking usually translates into scenes involving young people of both sexes struggling along on public streets, young men and women being noisily sick on the streets at late hours, fights and brawls of the most barbarous character

The strength of an electromagnet Essay Example for Free

The strength of an electromagnet Essay Mass of iron filings attracted in grams (g) dciana, please do not redistribute this coursework. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it for the good of other students. Please, do not circulate this coursework elsewhere on the internet. Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. 0. 0185 This work from www. studentcentral. co. uk 0. 0190 HV6 from HV6 coursewrok HV6 work HV6 info HV6 0. 0185cofa far sefafaw orfa fak infa fofa fa! Mass of iron filings attracted in grams (g)codc dcr sedcdcw ordc dck indc fodc dc. 0.0185 Weber refuted dcianas rationalisation hypothesis. 0. 0175coeb ebr seebebw oreb ebk ineb foeb eb. 0. 0180coca car secacaw orca cak inca foca ca. Mass of iron filings attracted in grams (g)coaa aar seaaaaw oraa aak inaa foaa aa. 0. 0185coac acr seacacw orac ack inac foac ac; 0. 0190 This dissertation from www. studentcentral. co. uk 0. 0180cobg bgr sebgbgw orbg bgk inbg fobg bg. Average Mass of Iron filings in grams (g) dciana, please do not redistribute this paper. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it for the good of other students. Please, do not circulate this paper elsewhere on the internet. Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. 0. 0187 dciana, please do not redistribute this dissertation. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it for the good of other students. Please, do not circulate this dissertation elsewhere on the internet. Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. 0. 0187 This dissertation from www. studentcentral. co. uk 0. 0185 xRbb Visit coursework ef in ef fo ef for ef more project ef Do ef not ef redistribute xRbb Average Current in Amps (A) nX6ehKf5 Visit coursework cc in cc fo cc for cc more paper cc Do cc not cc redistribute nX6ehKf5 2+coce cer sececew orce cek ince foce ce; 2+ FUZlDg from FUZlDg coursewrok FUZlDg work FUZlDg info FUZlDg 2+coed edr seededw ored edk ined foed ed; Average Voltage in Volts (V) NTBfPtDXg from NTBfPtDXg coursewrok NTBfPtDXg work NTBfPtDXg info NTBfPtDXg 3cogd gdr segdgdw orgd gdk ingd fogd gd; 3coca car secacaw orca cak inca foca ca. 3 P5zpmk from P5zpmk coursewrok P5zpmk work P5zpmk info P5zpmk Graphs: This hypothesis from www. studentcentral. co. uk Fig 1. 5 Fig 1. 6 DKREDG7nc Visit coursework db in db fo db for db more cours db Do db not db redistribute DKREDG7nc Conclusion: hFxX4CVX Visit coursework fa in fa fo fa for fa more work fa Do fa not fa redistribute hFxX4CVX From the results obtained in this experiment, it becomes very clear that changing the positioning of the solenoid on the iron core has no effect on the electromagnets strength. This is because from Fig 1. 4, 1. 5 and 1. 6 the results show that there is hardly any significant change in the results. However when the solenoid is placed on the right hand side of iron core there is a slight change of 0. 0002 grams of iron filing collected in comparison to the other two positions (middle and left hand side) but this change is quite insignificant. The voltage also remained the same throughout all the nine experiments (as expected) and was measured with a voltmeter since the power supply was set to 3 volts at all times and therefore was anyway a constant (the voltage was measured with a voltmeter eventhough it wasnt really needed because the power supply was set to 3V). From the results that were obtained for current a conclusion could not be drawn and there for it is difficult to say anything about current in this specific experiment. There was one set of results (Fig 1. 4, Right hand side position) that was slightly anomalic (0. 0002g) in comparison to the other results but this will be later on analysed in the evaluation. Weber suppressed dcianas functionalism . I can conclude by saying that my hypothesis was correct since the results (except for current in Amps) received were as I thought they would be. dciana, please do not redistribute this project. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it for the good of other students. Please, do not circulate this project elsewhere on the internet. Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. Evaluation:coee eer seeeeew oree eek inee foee ee. As in most of the experiments there are always a few improvements that can be made to get even better and more reliable results than the ones obtained from the previous one. The first factor in this experiment that could be improved is that of the ammeter readings, since the ammeter that was used was first of all not digital and only went up to 2 amps (however for this experiment we were looking at a greater current than just 2 amps). So either a potentiometer /variable resistor (to decrease the current) or a digital ammeter could be used, which would display higher currents than just 2 amps. The second factor in this experiment that could be improved would be that of the coiling of the wire around the metal coil because the wires were supposed to be tightly wrapped around the coil so there would be a 1 mm space between the wires (the solenoid was made up of 25 loops of insulated wire). Not following this factor was the reason for slight anomalic results (see Fig 1. 5) between the positions middle and right plus left and right because for the two sides (middle and left) one partner looped the wires around the metal core and for the other side (right) the second partner looped the wires around (obviously differently than the first partner) the metal core. The third factor that could be improved in this experiment would be that of the tape (to keep the solenoid in place), since this could have been measured (e. g. 4cm per experiment) because in this experiment the tape was not measured and therefore became an uncontrolled variable. It is very difficult to say whether the last positions (right) results were anomalic because of the third factor or simply because the balance might have been reset incorrectly since the difference between the right hand side position and the other two positions (middle and left) was just 0. 0002 grams. If this experiment was to be done again then it would a good idea to have a closer look at the three factors mentioned above.cogc gcr segcgcw orgc gck ingc fogc gc; Altogether this was a successful experiment because not only was the aim met but also the hypothesis was proved to be correct and most of the results were also reliable except for perhaps that one set mentioned above. coce cer sececew orce cek ince foce ce; Bibliography: fo ea fGCSE Double Science Physics Book The Revision Guideor ea more dissertation ea Do ea not ea redistribute mqR8F15 I would like to acknowledge this book in helping me with scientific evidentiary support.

HOW TO USE CABLE NUT :: essays research papers

CABLENUT ADJUSTER v4.08 Copyright (C) 2000,2001 CableNut Software - www.cablenut.com ------------------------------------------------------ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): http://www.cablenut.com, has a frequently asked questions guide as well as other content about the CableNut Software. INSTALLATION: The CableNut Adjuster is compatible with Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/NT/2000/XP each CCS file is tagged with an Operating System specific tag to show what Operating System it is compatible for. Explanation of specific terms are found below. 2K = Windows NT/2000/XP supported 9X = Windows 95/98/98SE/ME supported Cable_normal = Cable connections that can support up to 250KB/sec Cable_fast = Cable connections that can support over 250KB/sec Adsl_normal = Adsl connections that do not have the 1.5Mbps speed package Adsl_fast = Adsl connections that can achieve 1.5Mbps speed, or more ------------------------------------------------------ ADJUSTER.EXE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Main CableNut program CABLENUT.HLP CableNut help file UNINST-CABLENUT.EXE CableNut uninstaller OFFICIAL SITE.URL Official CableNut site README.TXT Software readme info ..CCS/ CableNut Custom Settings (CCS) sub-folder 56K/ 56K_9X.CCS Dialup 56K modem tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME 56K_2K.CCS Dialup 56K modem tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP Cable/ CABLE_NORMAL_9X.CCS Cable broadband tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME CABLE_NORMAL_2K.CCS Cable broadband tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP CABLE_FAST_9X.CCS Cable broadband tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME CABLE_FAST_2K.CCS Cable broadband tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP Adsl/ ADSL_NORMAL_9X.CCS Adsl broadband tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME ADSL_NORMAL_2K.CCS Adsl broadband tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP ADSL_FAST_9X.CCS Adsl broadband tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME ADSL_FAST_2K.CCS Adsl broadband tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP Satellite/ SATELLITE_9X.CCS Satellite Internet tweak file for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME SATELLITE_2K.CCS Satellite Internet tweak file for Windows NT/2000/XP ------------------------------------------------------ GETTING STARTED: 1. Locate the CCS sub-folder in the CableNut folder. (This can either be done by the desktop shortcut, the start menu shortcut, or by locating the CableNut install folder.) ------------------------------------------------------ 2. Run the CableNut Adjuster program. (Adjuster.exe - shortcuts are on the desktop, and in the start menu.) ------------------------------------------------------ 3. Select 'Open Custom Settings File' from the file menu. (This will load a specific CCS file into the Adjuster.) ------------------------------------------------------ 4. Select the correct CCS file that corresponds to your Internet connection. (All of the CableNut CCS files are located in the CCS sub-folder.) ------------------------------------------------------ 5. Click open on your selected CCS file. ------------------------------------------------------ 6. The values for the specific CCS will show. ------------------------------------------------------ 7. Press the 'Save to Registry' button. ------------------------------------------------------ 8. This will install the selected CableNut tweak file. ------------------------------------------------------ 9. Restart your system. (A restart is needed after every change in the Adjuster.) ------------------------------------------------------ 10. Your system is now tweaked for optimal Internet speed.

The Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia Essay -- Biology Essays Resea

The Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a disease that has plagued societies around the world for centuries, although it was not given its formal name until 1911. It is characterized by the presence of positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are so named because of the presence of altered behaviors, such as delusions, hallucinations (usually auditory), extreme emotions, excited motor activity, and incoherent thoughts and speech. (1,2) In contrast, negative symptoms are described as a lack of behaviors, such as emotion, speech, social interaction, and action. (1,2) These symptoms are by no means concrete. Not all schizophrenic patients will exhibit all or even a majority of these symptoms, and there is some disagreement in the psychiatric community as to the exact diagnostic criteria. In addition, there is a great deal of debate as to the causes of the disease. While some proposed causes have been proven false, such as bad parenting and poor will power (2), there are many theories that remain. One of the most famous and most debatable is the dopamine hypothesis. The proposed hypothesis states that the brain of schizophrenic patients produces more dopamine than normal brains. It is this increased dopamine that is believed to be responsible for the symptoms of the disease. However, the is much debate in the scientific community as to the exact mechanism by which altered dopamine levels, especially in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and limbic system, produce schizophrenia. There is much clinical evidense that provides support for the dopamine hypothesis. The first evidense that dopamine may be involved in schizophrenia came from amphetamine users. Amphetamines work by causing the brain to produce mo... ...ital Cortex: Focal Abnormalities in Orbitofrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia" From Meador-Woodruff Laboratory Homepage (University of Michigan) http://www-personal.umich.edu/~himmw/pubs/index.html (5) "Detailed Description of Our Studies" From Meador-Woodruff Laboratory http://www.umich.edu/~jmwlab/ (6) "Dopamine, Glutamate, and the Neurochemical Circuitry of Schizophrenia" From Department of Psychiatry Homepage (University of Michigan) http://www.med.umich.edu/mhri/res/95/meadorwoodruff/meadorwoodruff.html (7) "Schizophrenia 'Trigger' Described" From NARSAD Homepage http://www.mhsource.com/advocacy/narsad/trigger/html/?_requestid=1006565 (8) "Altered Neural Circuits in Schizophrenia" http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/fr51.html (9)Rosenzweig, M.R., Leiman, A.L., & Breedlove, A.M. Biological Psychology. Sinaur Associates Inc: Massachusetts, 1996

Korea and Ted Talk Ted

â€Å"My escape from North Korea† Summary: Honesty Lee saw her first public execution at age 7. A child growing up In North Korea, the moment affected her, but she didn't understand the government repression going on around her. Lee was very scared on her roundels to save her family from being Jailed. She crossed them through the border but once they got there they got Jailed.Lee spent almost all of her money to free her family from Call but once that happened her family got Jailed again and she was at the lowest point of her life, she said. She was at a loss for what to do next to free her family again. She had no money, had no other options, and was scared for her entire family. Reflection: Lee's story is powerful and a good reminder that getting to freedom is only half the battle. She provided a human story of love, strength, and bravery.She also didn't Ochs the story completely on her, but on the plight of her people and gave thanks to â€Å"strangers† for their lov e and support. It's ironic, however, that we (most in the media and the uninformed demographic of outsiders) see her country as just that†¦ Strangers in a strange place in time. Think you're having a rough life†¦ This woman's journey – hunger, hiding from North Korean and Chinese police, facing death, passing bodies in the river. Eventually, she attempts to save her family ? so courageous.

Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes

When most of the people want to buy shoes they usually enter a shop, find a pair they like and, if the price is acceptable for them, buy it. But there is also another group for whom buying shoes is worse than a visit to hell. Unfortunately, I belong to the second one. For me it is almost impossible to find the pair I would visually like and that, at the same time, would be comfortable. I would usually wander through the shops for days and find nothing that would satisfy me. Very often I would loose hope and buy anything that at least seems fitting and then solemnly regret it. I thought it would be the same with this pair but I could not have been more wrong. When I first saw them on a shelf I did not pay much attention to them. There was nothing eye catching in them, just a plain pair of black sandals. At first I did not want even to try them on. Eventually, having checked all the pairs in the shop, I asked the shop assistant to show them to me. I was really surprised when I took the shoe into my hand. The pair that looked terribly heavy on the shelf was in fact very light. My surprise was even greater when I put these shoes on. Naturally, after all my bad experience with footwear, I expected all the worse. I was extremely astonished when I discovered that the two leather belts crossing each other at the instep, which I suspected of being tight and pressing the foot, were very comfortable. When I walked around, although their construction seemed very fragile as it consisted only of three stripes, two at the instep and one around the ankle, they kept firmly at foot. Their red lining looked very extravagant but it perfectly underlined th eir sports character. To be honest, thanks to their simple but elegant flat heeled design they looked as good with shorts or jeans as with nice summer dress. When I decided to buy them I still was not sure whether I was right, though there was nothing I could hang my doubt upon. Fortunately, all my ... Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes When most of the people want to buy shoes they usually enter a shop, find a pair they like and, if the price is acceptable for them, buy it. But there is also another group for whom buying shoes is worse than a visit to hell. Unfortunately, I belong to the second one. For me it is almost impossible to find the pair I would visually like and that, at the same time, would be comfortable. I would usually wander through the shops for days and find nothing that would satisfy me. Very often I would loose hope and buy anything that at least seems fitting and then solemnly regret it. I thought it would be the same with this pair but I could not have been more wrong. When I first saw them on a shelf I did not pay much attention to them. There was nothing eye catching in them, just a plain pair of black sandals. At first I did not want even to try them on. Eventually, having checked all the pairs in the shop, I asked the shop assistant to show them to me. I was really surprised when I took the shoe into my hand. The pair that looked terribly heavy on the shelf was in fact very light. My surprise was even greater when I put these shoes on. Naturally, after all my bad experience with footwear, I expected all the worse. I was extremely astonished when I discovered that the two leather belts crossing each other at the instep, which I suspected of being tight and pressing the foot, were very comfortable. When I walked around, although their construction seemed very fragile as it consisted only of three stripes, two at the instep and one around the ankle, they kept firmly at foot. Their red lining looked very extravagant but it perfectly underlined th eir sports character. To be honest, thanks to their simple but elegant flat heeled design they looked as good with shorts or jeans as with nice summer dress. When I decided to buy them I still was not sure whether I was right, though there was nothing I could hang my doubt upon. Fortunately, all my ...

Making Sodium Silicate or Water Glass

Making Sodium Silicate or Water Glass You can prepare sodium silicate or water glass from gel beads (silica) and drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide). Sodium silicate can be used to make chemical gardens, like those that result from Magic Rocks, which you can make yourself. Sodium Silicate Materials All you need to make a sodium silicate solution are water, silica, and sodium hydroxide. Silica comes in those little packets labeled Do not eat that you find with electronics, shoes, and other products. Sodium hydroxide is readily available in its pure form or can be found as drain cleaner. 6 g silica gel beads (crushed)4-8 g sodium hydroxide (4 g for water glass, used in the Magic Rock project, or 8 g for the stoichiometric ratio for sodium silicate)10 mL water Prepare Sodium Silicate Wear proper safety gear, which includes gloves.Heat 4 to 8 grams of sodium hydroxide in 10 milliliters of water.Once the sodium hydroxide is dissolved, slowly add 6 grams of crushed silica gel beads. Heat the solution between additions. If the crushed beads wont dissolve, add a little more water to the solution.You now have sodium silicate or water glass. NurdRage has a YouTube video of this procedure if youre interested in seeing how its done.

Guide to Doing Laundry in College

Guide to Doing Laundry in College Doing laundry in college can be a challenge - but it can also be easier than you might think. Just remember: you dont have to be psychic to do laundry correctly. But you do have to read, so just check the labels if youre not sure. Preparation Read the labels of anything unique. Have a fancy dress? Nice button-down shirt? New bathing suit? Pants or skirt made of a funky material? Anything that seems a little out of the ordinary might need extra care. A quick read of the tag instructions (usually found by the neck or waist or on the bottom inside left-side seam of shirts) can help prevent disasters. Anything needing special care or a certain water temperature should be separated from the rest.Sort out anything new. If you just bought a new, bright-red t-shirt, made tie-dye shirts with some friends, or have any other clothes that have dark (like black, blue, or brown) or bright (like bright pink or green) colors, these kinds of clothes might bleed (i.e., have their colors seep out and stain the rest of your clothes). Wash them separately on their first wash - but they should be good to join their friends for the next go-around.Separate clothes by color. Put the darks (blacks, blues, browns, jeans, dark towels, etc.) in one color and the lights in another (whites, creams, tans, pastels, etc.). Some colors, like light gray, can go in either pile, so feel free to move those around to make your loads around the same size. Washing Put one load of similarly colored clothes (e.g., darks or lights but not both) in the machine. A few rules here: dont squish them in. Dont pack them in. Just kinda throw them in so theres enough room for things to move and swim around once the machine fills with water. If you pack things in, they wont get clean and the detergent gets stuck on everything.Put in the soap. Read the instructions on the box or bottle. Dont necessarily use one full cap or one full cup; detergent companies like your money so they make it easy to put too much soap in. Put enough in for one load, which may be only half a cup. Read, read, read to find out how much you really need.Set the water temperature. A good rule of thumb to follow: Darks need cold water, lights need warm water, sheets and towels need hot water. Easy cheesy.Hit start! Drying Separate anything that cant go in the dryer. This may be something you found by reading the labels. It may also be things like bras with underwires, fancy underwear, bathing suits, or sweaters that would otherwise shrink from the heat.Put your clothes in the dryer. Take your clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer. If you want, you can add a dryer sheet; doing so will prevent static cling and make your clothes smell fantastic. Youll have to guesstimate how much time your clothes will need. If you have stuff that you dont want wrinkled, pull it out when its still a tad wet and hang it up. If you dont care, just dry it until everything is super dry and ready to go. Tips If you have nasty stains (like wine or dirt), try rubbing something on it before washing your clothes. (You can find stain-removal products near the laundry soap in any store.)If you love how clean clothes smell, consider putting a dryer sheet in each of your drawers, putting one between your towels, or hanging a few randomly in your closet.Because college laundry rooms have so many machines, consider having a night where you and your friends hang out and do something to pass the time while washing clothes. That way everyones clothes get clean and you can at least have some fun in the process.

Corporate reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate reporting - Essay Example Accountants use corporate reports to check on the firm’s activities in line with the management’s transparency and accountability. On the other hand, other external users such as banks use corporate reports to establish the firm’s ability to repay loans. Corporate reports indicate the profitability of a firm on a periodic basis. Corporate reports are through three different sources such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the respective company and other federal regulators (DiPiazzaJr and Eccles, 1997). Benefits of corporate reporting include provision of reliable information, flexibility and accountability. On the other hand, corporate reporting improves accuracy, diversity, corporate governance, ease of communication, transparency and attainment of company targets. Corporate reporting promotes flexibility through the directors’ ability to break down any key financial changes hence making it less complicated to achieve. The corporate report’s accuracy and validity are through an auditors’ letter. Since auditors also use corporate reporting, this improves transparency as well as attainment of a firm’s objectives. Diversity and ease of communication are through the use of IFRS and IABS requires a company to produce different types of reports including equity statement, cash flow and income statements respectively. Additionally, the ease of comparison and its usefulness to different users makes it an efficient tool for communicating Easy jet’s progr ess (Hooghiemstra, 2000). The primary disadvantages of corporate reporting include excessive information hence making it difficult to analyse the information since the information has not been two different users. On the other hand, there is over emphasis on the primary users (investors) instead of focusing on the real company events, as well as other users. In some instances, the information used may have been prepared using out-dated accounting methods hence useless for the business

Orientation day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Orientation day - Essay Example Moreover, the background information established that even graduate students should contact their academic department regarding orientation. Only students enrolled in any online-only major or program did not have to attend orientation. We were aware that failure to attend the Undergraduate International student’s orientation would deny me the opportunity to register for classes and would force me to start classes the following semester. As such, I activated my MyISU Portal prior to registering for International Advising and Registration. The university required undergraduate international students to register for the Indiana State University orientation day before attending. The University of Indiana State University orientation day was on summer 2014. We therefore arrived on campus on Thursday, May 8, 2014 in preparation for the orientation that took place on Friday, May 9, 2014. The events of the University of Indiana State University orientation day started at 8:30 am EDT at the Hulman Memorial Student Union building where all new students gathered. After a brief introduction, one of the University administrators presented the rules and regulations that govern the code of conduct at the University. After the presentation, the University a guide who showed us important buildings of the Indiana State University that included lecture rooms, library, administration block, cafeteria, laboratories, hostels, and sporti ng facilities. We also did Student ID in police department of public safety and attended the immigration seminar that addressed immigration regulations, accommodation and dining services, medical aspects, banking, transportation, student employment, community service and student activities and organizations at the University. Through the program, the new undergraduate students had a chance to meet the

Should the government be neutral in matters of conscience by jerry Essay

Should the government be neutral in matters of conscience by jerry mills - Essay Example The importance and relevance of neutral government The main idea of the article lies in the fact that there should be strict separation between the church and secular laws in order to eliminate unjustified oppression on people’s conscience and provide all the conditions for personal liberty and human natural rights realization. Law making and church should act in accordance with each other to help people understand what is right and what is wrong in our world (Mills). If the church imposes definite things and the laws does not even try to disprove them, such situation prevents people from good understanding what is good and evil and can’t help form right principles with the youth. Jerry Mills presents several arguments to support his point of view, which are mainly based on previous works by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson (Mills). According to Madison, neutral government should strive for establishing common morality. At the same time the social system is supposed t o provide such human rights as individualism, opportunity and stability (Mills). In his draft ‘Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments’, Madison provided quite well-reasoned explanation for the necessity of division between state and church power: religious liberty is considered to be a part and parcel of human natural rights and it should be completely free of civil legislature; religions are not in need for any civil support: there are a lot of historical examples when religion arised in response to certain opposition, not support of legal laws (Mills). In order to demonstrate horrible consequences, which church and state relationship caused, Thomas Jefferson described Virginian law about Quakers, which stated that in case Quakers refused to take an oath of adherence to the Crown, they were exiled from the state, imprisoned or even sentenced to execution (Mills). The author’s ultimate goal is to create a civil system, which would allow for moral pluralism without domination of leading factions. There are two ways how governments could deal with factions: the first method suggests that government removes the reasons, which evoked the fraction existence by making people believe in one thing; the second method is associated with neutral government, which is supposed to control the effects of factions’ activities (Mills). Such social regime implies government tolerance of citizens’ adverse interests and views. According to Mills, the main task of ‘sufficiently neutral’ government is supposed to be the promotion of democracy, control and restriction of dominating factions’ invasion into other communities (Mills). Conclusions The main question of the article is about the role and influence of government in human life. Even in our modern democratic world, there is no common consent about the extent to which government could or should intervene in social activities without putting any restrictions on human freethinking. We assume the Mills’ arguments against church and state consolidation are relevant and support his point of view about importance of establishing ‘sufficiently neutral’ government, which would interfere into social and personal life of citizens to acceptable extent and

Gran Torino Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Gran Torino - Movie Review Example The beginning of the movie shows Walt Kowalski as a loner, whose wife has recently died leaving him alone in a neighborhood which is gradually being filled heterogeneous working-class ethnic minorities. In such a scenario, the American flag hoisted in front of his house and his meticulous mowing of his lawn maintaining boundaries are suggestive of the strict boundaries Walt has in his mind. He is strictly American, who drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, drives a vintage Gran Torino and hates Land Cruiser and Hmong people. He refers to his Hmong neighbors as, "swamp rats" and "barbarians". He even doesnt mind closing the door on Thaos face when the later turns up at his door asking for jumper cables. However, his endeavor to save his lawn one night accidentally saves Thaos life and leads to a battery of interactions between the Lor family and himself. Initially reluctant to take the relationship with his neighbor any forward after that night, Walt throws away all the gifts and flowers that the Hmong neighbors leave at his doorstep as their mark of gratitude towards the man who saved their child. On one hand, this scene shows how the Hmong culture pays respect to a person who has helped them, on the other hand, it also shows how Walt is not ready to accept gratitude for a deed that he never actually intended to do. Walt only tried to keep people out of his lawn. However, he actually saves Sue from being harassed by three colored boys in a desolate area. It is Sue who introduces Walt to Hmong culture by enlightening him with the fact that, Hmong is a race of hill people. The party scene at Lors house actually shows Walts adaption to a new culture which till date he had no idea about. The audience along with Walt comes to know that Hmong think a persons soul resides on his head and should never be touched. They also consider it rude to make eye contact while talking and would most likely be found smiling while being

Cats and Dogs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cats and Dogs - Assignment Example Actually, dogs are considered to be the descendents from wolves. It is widely held that dogs have evolved from the wolves which had made their entry to the northern hemisphere in search for foods. Cats, on the other hand, find its origin in the Felidae family. It is believed that cats have been evolved around 12 millions years ago. (Carney, 2011) A major physiological difference between cats and dogs is that the sense of hearing is better among cats compared to dogs. The hearing part of their body has been created in such a way that they can hear the kittens as well as the rodents’ ultrasonic sounds. (Carney, 2011) The sense of smell is much better among dogs than cats. Dogs generally have wet noses which help in dissolving the scent molecules and thus help them in detecting those smells that can not be perceived by any human being. Hence, dogs are used to catch criminals by the police forces across the countries. Cats do not possess such characteristics. (Carney, 2011) Dogs are considered to be the most loyal creature. Dogs are very faithful to their masters. Dogs obey their master’s orders instantly. Dogs are also very protective about their masters. Cats, on the other hand, are regarded as one of the most independent and distrustful creatures. Although, cats are quite responsive to their owners than the strangers, but they are not as loyal as dogs to their masters. (Carney, 2011) The cat lovers very often argue that dogs are more expensive to maintain than cats. Dogs need substantial grooming and special types of foods to make them healthy and look good. Cats, on the other hand, do not need such maintenance costs. One needs only a little box, some toys and a food bowl for a cat. While dogs need regular bath, it is not quite necessary for cats to be bathed frequently as cats are quite efficient in taking care of their personal hygiene. (Carney, 2011) Dogs are considered to wonderful companion for human being as they form a habit of adjusting

Gran Torino Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Gran Torino - Movie Review Example The beginning of the movie shows Walt Kowalski as a loner, whose wife has recently died leaving him alone in a neighborhood which is gradually being filled heterogeneous working-class ethnic minorities. In such a scenario, the American flag hoisted in front of his house and his meticulous mowing of his lawn maintaining boundaries are suggestive of the strict boundaries Walt has in his mind. He is strictly American, who drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, drives a vintage Gran Torino and hates Land Cruiser and Hmong people. He refers to his Hmong neighbors as, "swamp rats" and "barbarians". He even doesnt mind closing the door on Thaos face when the later turns up at his door asking for jumper cables. However, his endeavor to save his lawn one night accidentally saves Thaos life and leads to a battery of interactions between the Lor family and himself. Initially reluctant to take the relationship with his neighbor any forward after that night, Walt throws away all the gifts and flowers that the Hmong neighbors leave at his doorstep as their mark of gratitude towards the man who saved their child. On one hand, this scene shows how the Hmong culture pays respect to a person who has helped them, on the other hand, it also shows how Walt is not ready to accept gratitude for a deed that he never actually intended to do. Walt only tried to keep people out of his lawn. However, he actually saves Sue from being harassed by three colored boys in a desolate area. It is Sue who introduces Walt to Hmong culture by enlightening him with the fact that, Hmong is a race of hill people. The party scene at Lors house actually shows Walts adaption to a new culture which till date he had no idea about. The audience along with Walt comes to know that Hmong think a persons soul resides on his head and should never be touched. They also consider it rude to make eye contact while talking and would most likely be found smiling while being

Follow up to the previous order (Human Rights and Oil Companies) Essay

Follow up to the previous order (Human Rights and Oil Companies) - Essay Example In spite of the clear connection between ecological degradation and human suffering, human rights abuses and ecological deprivation have been regarded by most institutions and administrations as isolated concerns. Only as human rights campaigners have the tendencies to put concentration chiefly on natural resources conservation without dealing with human effects of environmental abuses. Accordingly, victims of ecological deprivation are undefended by the laws and mechanisms laid out to handle human rights violations. Human rights activism presents a crucial opportunity to tackle the issue of human impacts of ecological degradation and can serve as a catalyst for encouraging concepts and action in the actual world. Environmental setbacks are more handle to address than most believe. Every man, woman, and child has the right to a safe and healthy ecosystem. The fact is while international standards and systems have been set aside as legal ventures, implementation has always been domina ted by international relations. This paper seeks to look at the effects of oil companies in Nigeria the environment (Emeseh 45-60) According to Kalu and Ngozi (19-38), the Niger Delta in Nigeria has been the center of focus of environmentalist, human rights promoters and fair trade unionists across the globe. The trial and execution of radical environmentalist Ken-Saro-Wiwa and eight other cohorts of the Ogoni ethnic minority made universal headlines. The then non-violent protests of the Ogoni people make world-attention too. The activities of large oil firms such like Shell Elf, Agip and Mobil, amid others have caused many worries and backlash. A sequence of exploitive and fraudulent government in Nigeria have been endorsed and sustained by western administrations and oil companies, attentive on gaining from the fossils fuels that can be exploited. As individuals and transitional oil companies have been

Electrotherapy and Osteoarthritis Essay Example for Free

Electrotherapy and Osteoarthritis Essay Osteoarthritis has been described and defined as a condition involving the human bones that is caused by the breakdown of the joints, leading to the loss of cartilage, or what is known as the ‘cushion’ between the bone and the joint, in the affected joint or joints. Osteoarthritis is known to affect more than twenty million people every year in the United States of America alone. This degenerative disease affects persons aged above forty five, and it is found in both sexes, and it does not distinguish between races and colors and ethnicities. The hands, the feet, the spine and the large joints of the body fall prey to this debilitating disease, and until today, research has not been able to reveal the specific cause of osteoarthritis, although it is true that it can be directly attributed to the impact of ageing. Injuries in a joint, ageing and being overweight can also lead to the onset of osteoarthritis. The pain in osteoarthritis is caused due to the rubbing of the bones together after the cartilage that cushions them has been worn out. Some of the prescribed therapies to deal with the disease are exercise, stringent weight control, resting of the painful joints, pain relief medication, electrotherapy, and alternative therapies, and if the pain is excruciating, surgery. Electrotherapy is today one of the most accepted and used skills of physiotherapists, although it is by no means new. The use of heat, cold and electrical stimulation have been in use for a long time now, but the inherent problem is that the benefits and the advantages or disadvantages if any have not been analyzed or accounted for, and this means that the method is not as widely used as it can be. However, it remains a fact that electricity has been used by medical practitioners for hundreds of years now, and it is now one of the most common treatment approaches, giving new hope to millions of sufferers across the globe. (Kitchen, Sheila 2002) Take for example this table demonstrating the improvement in the management of pain in osteoarthritis using electrotherapy. Recent research has been able to prove that electricity would be able to bring immediate relief for both acute as well as chronic pain, and it must be remembered that in the case of osteoarthritis, the pain can be both acute and chronic. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism of electrotherapy is not known yet, although it is true that the method can block the transmission of pain signals across the nerves, and can also cause the release of endorphins, or the natural painkillers that are created by the body to combat pain. There can be several different types of electrotherapy methods, and some of them are: TENS, or ‘transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation’, inferential current, and galvanic stimulation. One must note that all the three methods use electrotherapy to stimulate nerves and muscles, through the adhesive pads that are applied on the skin. Electrotherapy must never be used over malignancies, open infections, over pacemaker leads, and over the throat, because it may cause lowered blood pressure, and over a pregnant uterus, as it may affect the fetus. In the year 2004, a randomized double blind pilot study on the impact of electrotherapy on about sixty four osteoarthritis patients suffering from moderate to severe pain in their various joints was conducted. The aim was to study whether the therapy would be useful in alleviating the pain for these patients, and it was found that it would definitely be able to provide temporary relief from severe and intolerable pain. At the present time, stated the researchers who were involved in the experiment, pain relief for osteoarthritis is predominantly medication, and this approach could bring better relief. In the study, the approach was to apply micro to milliamp current to certain specific areas of the patient’s head. This would result in the release of endogenous opioids from the various pain management areas located within the human brain. For a period of two weeks prior to and tow weeks after the study, the subject pain was self assessed using the ‘value scale’, and none of the physicians, patients and the device operators were let in on which device was real and which, false, and the data thus collected revealed the interesting fact that electrotherapy was indeed beneficial in bringing down the pain of the patients of osteoarthritis. According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, there is sufficient evidence available to prove that physiotherapy management of the knee joints is a very good idea, and that there is a lack of evidence to prove that electrotherapy, specifically shortwave diathermy, including ultrasound, microwave and shortwave may be useful in managing the pain. It may however be true that a recent Cochrane review was able to prove conclusively that TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation may be quite effective in controlling pain in these patients. However, better designed studies have to be made before it can be stated that TENS can be used to treat pain for osteoarthritis sufferers. (Bennell K, Hinman R, Crossley K 2001) It is important that the treatment plan must be made with the complete cooperation and consultation with the patient. The treatment goals would depend on the timescale of the treatment that he or she is undergoing for his osteoarthritis, the patient profile, and the affected joints. This would ensure that the patient achieves the maximum benefits of the treatment, so that he may be able to continue living a healthy and active life. Although research has shown that electrotherapy methods like laser therapy and ultrasound do not bring in any significant levels of improvement in the long term for the pain, they do bring in immediate relief from the pain. (EMHM Vogels, HJM Hendrick et al 2003) This cannot be taken to mean that electrotherapy does not bring relief for patients of osteoarthritis; it has been found that low power laser therapy has brought great relief for the pain of sufferers of osteoarthritis in Russia and in Eastern Europe. A study showed that electrotherapy brought relief for pain, mobility, tenderness and functioning in these patients, with relatively little adverse effects. In all probability, the mechanisms treated successfully using laser electrotherapy included peripheral nerve stimulation, resolution of inflammation, enhanced chondrocyte proliferation and increased matrix synthesis. (Ghassemi, M, Marks R 1999) There can be no doubt that the studies conducted so far are by no means conclusive, and the issue of handling the joint pains of those suffering from osteoarthritis with electrotherapy must be analyzed and studies further to bring in real statistics and real results. Perhaps, very soon, there may be available some sort of revolutionary treatment for the management of pain, which these patients would be able to use without fear of side effects or other complications, so that they may be able to continue to live an active and healthy lifestyle.

The Global Soft Drink Market Situation

The Global Soft Drink Market Situation Executive summary The purpose of this business report is to provide insight on the market trends facing the soft drink industry and a detail strategy for the launch of a new carbonated soft drink Ice-cola in Pakistan. The idea of launching a carbonated soft drink in Pakistan is to change consumer tastes, a growing emphasis on product safety, and enhancing the market shares and profit percentage. Soft drinks are non-alcoholic (carbonated) as well as non-carbonated beverages which can be classified in number of categories. Soft drinks are in high demand and are preferred by almost every category of society in the world. More specifically, the demand for the carbonated soft drinks in Pakistan is highly influenced by certain characteristics like spiky taste, culture and social trends in parties and religious attributes. The strategy of new soft drink Ice-cola (which is going to be launched in Pakistan) will have to face competitive market in terms of other carbonated soft drinks particularly giants Pepsi and Coca -Cola because these soft drinks have already well maintained its positions in Pakistani market for a long time. However the strategy of new soft drink Ice- Cola has also competitive advantages in terms of changing consumer taste and refreshing sparking element that will ensure profitability and quality acceptance in Pakistani society. Introduction Soft drink industry Soft drinks are common preferences among all the individuals in almost every region of the world. The name soft drink especially separates alcohol element from this category and the term drink which includes a number of soft drinks like colas, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, squash, and fruit juices are among the most common types of soft drinks. Soft drinks are gradually overtaking hot drinks and other beverages as the major drink sector in the world. However the US remains the biggest market at present and Asia seems to be the main driver of sales growth in the future. Now-a-days soft drink is more favourite refreshment drink than tea, coffee and other hard drinks. Murray (2006) has explained the soft drink industry by stating, For years the story in the nonalcoholic sector centered on the power struggle between Coke and Pepsi. But as the pop fight has topped out, the industrys giants have begun relying on new product flavors and looking to other carbonated beverages for growth. Global Soft drink Market Situation Soft drink industry has a powerful impact on the lives of its consumers from throughout the world. The consumption of the soft drinks continued to increase year by year because of link between healthy diet and soft drinks. King (2010) states that in 2009 Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia are fastest growing regions as compare to developed markets. In soft drinks category, bottled water, carbonated, non- carbonated and other fruit juices are available in the market. Bottled watered drinks have achieved sound sales growth due to distinctive attributes of the product which is refreshing element in hot weather and sugar free flavored water. On the other hand, a number of functional drinks had been also a part of consumers interest. Each soft drink has certain attributes which attracts its consumers. It is reality that some soft drinks remain very popular in the market for certain reasons such as brand image, quality and price. The market size of the soft drink industry has bee n changing with the time being. This industry has 46.8% market shares within non-alcoholic industry. The global soft drinks market was valued at $479bn in 2009 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% to reach $556bn in 2014. According to financial forecast period to 2014, soft drinks sales are expected to increase 39.8% to PKR19.5 billion ($233 million). (Euromonitor Passport GMID) Pakistani soft drink market situation The soft drink market in Pakistan enjoys a dynamic growth in context of volume and value sectors because of Pakistan Government have reduced excise taxes to encourage soft drinks manufactures and importers. The Government of Pakistan has also decided to tax the soft drink industry on the production capacity rather than on actual production. Pakistani market situation about soft drinks achieved a slightly smooth and positive growth during the years. CAGR 4.2 % represent satisfactory line for soft drinks stability in Pakistan. Simultaneously there have been some inflationary pressures on soft drink industry. However still this industry remains stable successfully to keep the strength of market shares (Euro monitors Passport GMID). The cause for the positive market growth for soft drinks and particularly in carbonated drinks is because of the hot climate, peoples preferences and various life trends. Soft drink industry in Pakistan may expect increase of sale growth 30.5%. The price and consumption of soft drinks stand almost in an equal rate among various regions of Pakistan. In rural areas prices of soft drinks are slightly reduced than posh areas (Euro monitors Internationals soft drinks in Pakistan). Carbonated drinks Within the soft drink market, carbonated soft drinks continue to dominate the market, because of the traditional flavoured beverages, sugar- and caffeine-free drinks. Mostly Carbonated drinks are dominated by artificial flavours based on cola, sweetened with sugars or with non-caloric sweeteners. On consumption level, there are some factors which influence the consumers to buy carbonated drinks for certain reasons like, status symbol, taste, variety, brand ambassador and advertising campaign especially in Pakistan. The demand for the carbonated soft drinks is mainly influenced by the taste of the customers, age groups and the demographic conditions. For example the demand for carbonated drinks escalates to high number in Pakistan especially during the summer period and slightly drops in winter. The main target segment for carbonated drinks is the youth. The carbonated cola drinks are high in demand in Pakistan because of a number of reasons for example; all cola carbonated drinks are served in restaurants, hotels and parties within meals and customers enjoy a spiky and refreshing flavour of carbonated drinks which is not possible by other soft drinks (fruit juice etc). Moreover Alcohol is not consumed due to religion restrictions in Pakistan. However on the whole carbonated based drinks like Coca- cola, Pepsi (low caloric cola drinks) have been remained at the top demand in Global soft drinks industry. There could be more significant volume opportunities in future by carbonate taking its enough shares, with carbonates likely to pick up most of the volume growth as previous % shows like 23.8 % and 24.0 % in 2008 and 2009 respectively. (Euro monitors Passport GMID) Soft drinks Chart by Volume Percentage Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks, trade interviews, Euro monitor international estimate, Euro monitor GMID passport. From the above graph, it could be analysed easily from 2003 to 2009 the volume % of cola carbonates as compare to other soft drinks has achieved higher %. It clearly indicates that cola carbonates (soft drinks) are consumed and produced more than other drinks in the market due to the demand and higher consumption level. Competitors In the present market of soft drinks in Pakistan there are some giant and minor competitors for Ice- Cola in the market. The following classification of soft carbonated drinks in Pakistan in terms of competition can draw a clearer picture. Classification in terms of competition First Preference Pepsi Second Preference Coca-Cola Followers Preferences 7-up, Mountain Dew, Sprite, Marinda, etc The others Amrat -cola etc. Pepsi and Coca-cola Pakistani carbonated soft drink market is dominated by Pepsi. Today Pepsi brand is part of global portfolio of beverages brands which includes carbonated soft drinks, juice drinks, coffee etc. Pepsi is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by Pepsi Co. Now there are a number of Pepsi variants available in the market such as (Diet Pepsi, crystal Pepsi, Pepsi twist, Pepsi max and Pepsi Gold etc) and Pepsi is recognized as No 1 Pakistan National drink. Major competitor of Pepsi is Coca- Cola. Pepsi is bit sweeter than Coca- cola and is liked by all (Pepsico.co). Coca- cola is next to Pepsis competitor and international recognized brand. Coca- Colas basic strength is its brand name. With this brand name the sales growth is increasing ever year and under this trade mark Coca cola,- zero, Diet Cock and Coca- cola Zero has developed its own competitive market. Coca- Cola volume growth is very aggressive in different markets in the world, particularly in three markets Viet nam, India and Pakistan. The volume growth is 27%, 25% and 18% respectively. While Pepsi with its diversification in drinks, packaging and broad market sector is more successful than Coca-cola to maintain its successful position in the Pakistani market. Pepsi and Coca-cola brands have various % in terms of market analysis in different markets of the world. According to Beverage digest report 2009 in the U.S market PepsiCo 30.8 % market share while Coke have 42.67 % market shares. This shows cokes positive strength as compare to Pepsi in U.S market. (Coca-cola .com). (Research proposal for soft drinks) Pepsi and Coca-Cola market scenario in Pakistan Pakistani beverage industry is dominated by Pepsi and Coca-cola brands. These are two major brands in carbonated soft drink industry in Pakistan. Pepsi-co faced initial problems while settling in Pakistan in 1959. However it came again in 1963 with dominant strategies. It used franchised entry mode to develop its market in Pakistan. One of the major reason of its success as compare to Coca-cola in Pakistan is this, it cater a huge segment and due to the diversification of their product line and particularly franchising entry for them to take quick decisions. The taxes that Pepsi saves because of using franchising entry mode enables it to focus more on advertisements and promotions of their products increase sales profit. Availability and meeting the consumer demand is one key factor that contributes to Pepsi success in Pakistan. At first, Coca-cola operated its business in Pakistan in 1950 as a franchise and became the leader of the soft drink industry because there was no competition at that time but in 1960 it has to face competition in the shape of Pepsi. In 1966 coca-cola operated its business in Pakistan as a multinational company and took over all the franchises business at that time. Since that time it became very hard for Coca-cola to maintain its markets shares as previously. Being a multination company it has to pay huge amount (3 times higher than Pepsi) of tax to Government. (PepsiCo, Inc.) SWOT Analysis of Pepsi and Coca-cola Strengths Pepsi Coco-cola Establish name and sound reputation of company International brand image The demand of Pepsi is more high than its competitors Coca-cola bottle image and use of it brand image on various objects International competitive position and more market shares than competitors Broad advertising and promotion opportunities in business world Weakness Pepsi Coca-Cola Pepsi does not offer any discount to its retailers High prices Target consumers are only young people Rare availability in remote areas of Coca -cola in Pakistan Pepsi tins are not available in far remote areas of Pakistan Taste differentiation is not successful and great, almost similar to Pepsi Opportunities Pepsi Coca-Cola Company is thinking to enter rural areas Successful brand image may enhance the opportunity to advertise less popular products Sponsoring many cultural shows and sports give an opportunity to enhance sales growth of Pepsi Increasing opportunities of internet offers Training and service opportunities Company is trying to Threats Pepsi Coca-cola Major competitor is coca-cola, at international level cock brand is more strongly advertised rather than Pepsi Dominant threat to this industry is changing consumers drinking habits in terms of health Imitators of Pepsi brand in Pakistan and customers complaint about the non-availability of original drink Major competitor (Pepsi) has a strong position in the market. Non carbonated drinks such as juices and tea have maintained good position in the market External threats of labor strikes in Pakistan (Pepsi. Com, Coca-cola.com) Performance analysis of Pepsi and coca-cola Make a graph or pie chart here to show Pepsi and Coca-cola Scenario, collect data by your self Sales analysis Market share analysis Expense analysis Financial analysis Analysis in own words Reasons of launching Ice-Cola in Pakistan To increase sales growth, revenue and market shares To maintain good reputation in the market among competitors To introduce a new brand in to soft drink industry Brand Philosophy of Ice-cola Ice- cola would be a new soft drink for the people of Pakistan and for all the other people of the world. Carbonated cola drinks are usually for eradicating thirst and for have a feeling of refreshment. Same is the production philosophy with Ice-cola. It will introduce an innovative and refreshing taste in the soft drink market and enhance the number of carbonated drinks in the industry. Mission Statement Ice-Cola mission is to be the first priority of consumers in soft drinks market and it will provide best and different taste to consumers. Therefore, they can enjoy a fun and refresh feeling after having it. This brand believes in strives for honesty, fairness and integrity in the whole process of launching. Industry analysis of Ice Cola According to Aaker (2009) Market analysis builds on customer and competitor analyses to make some strategic judgments about a market (and sub market) and its dynamics. Ice cola is pure Pakistani product because it will produce domestically and Ice cola will have competitive advantage against the other imported soft drinks like low cost etc. As earlier mentioned it is pure Pakistani drink so the company can take the advantage of be Pakistani and buy Pakistani also. Ice cola can be customized according to the various needs and demand of the Pakistani culture, which may take place from time to time. During the development of the idea of this product the technological changes are kept in mind. Initially during the production of ice cola existing technology will be used. Later on with the passage of the time if there is change in technology then new technology will be introduced for long run after appropriate pre- testing. Currently there are no as such legal concerns about this business. Being a food item there is no as such restriction imposed by the government because as this product is domestically produced and all the ingredients used is HALAL. As there are many soft drinks are available in the local market but Ice-cola focus will focus on the health of the consumer. This product is healthy and it will produce locally so more consumer will replace there other carbonated drinks and energy drinks by some locally produced healthier carbonated drink. Company is forming its own market with the unique taste with cola flavour and original taste without the effect of any harmful chemicals. Over the couple of years the sale of soft drinks in the Pakistan has doubled and the demand of the soft drinks especially locally produced increased within the last three years so the growth rate of the industry would be sound. Over the last three years no new firm has entered in the Pakistani soft drink business and no new product has been launched by the competitors so since last three years. Distribution channels of ice cola. Theory Existing distribution channels can be described by how direct they are to the customer. Trends and emerging channels, new channels can offer the opportunity to develop a competitive advantage Channel power structure for example in case of a product having little brand equity, retailers has negotiating power over manufacturers and can capture more margins. Market segmentation of Ice-Cola According to Ferrell and Hartline (2008) to enter into a new market, any product strategy would follow the criteria of segmentation according to the chosen market scenario. They illustrate that there could be different approaches to segment the market. Various approaches do work in different circumstances. Most of the time it depends that where (chosen market) the product is going to be launched. However it should follow certain characteristics like substantial, accessible and measureable. So it can generate profit. Ice cola will be use different methods of segmentation of product in Pakistan on the basis of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Geographic Segmentation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Demographic Segmentation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Psychographic Segmentation Geographic Segmentation a) Geographic Region Ice cola first of all will target it product in major cities of Pakistan like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and then it started targeting its products into different other cities. Then it will target whole country and afterwards will operate in other countries of Europe and East globally. So its geographic segmentation will be large. b) Density Ice cola first operated in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi. Then it will start targeting urban, rural and sub-urban areas of Pakistan. c) Climate This is also fact that climate has great effect in targeting different market segments. Ice cola will mostly target in the hot weather countries like Dubai, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. Demographic Segmentation Target Market of Ice cola Teenagers Adults Sport persons And also late 50s Total population of Pakistan is 165 million (GDP 2008). Ice cola targeted all genders including males, females especially youngsters. The focus target of Ice cola would be age group between 15-32. Age The focus target age would be 15-32 because it represents the larger portion of the Pakistani population. As it has been estimated from the above figures that target consumers are between 15-32. Therefore highest 39.20 % of total population will consume Ice-cola at the most. The higher the consumption level, the higher the profit would be in the long run. Religion As Ice cola is operating in Islamic country. Therefore it will make its products with HALAL MATERIAL. Because it targets Islamic countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. As, alcohol and different other materials that are prohibited in Islam, so Ice cola will not use any kind of material in its product. Therefore internationally it will target Muslim Countries first and later it will operate at global level. Psychographic Segmentation This will be the most important segment which Ice cola will use in its product. It will tell us what customer thinks about our product. It describes point of view of customer about the product. It is the science of using psychology and demographics to better understand customers. So when Ice cola will realize the needs of customers. Then it will start working on different products according to customers need and demand. Pakistans climate is usually warm and humid which causes dehydration and increase in thirst. In Pakistan soft drinks are not only considered a liquid intake but considered as a status symbol among friends, colleagues and family affairs. Holidays and particular religious events for example; Eid and fasting month (Ramadan) the sale of soft drinks increase. Moreover in the other seasons (winter) soft drinks sales do not affect highly but keeps a steady progress. For the next coming years (2010-2014) it can be estimated a steady growth overall. Increase in sales growth is expected due to the young Generation favorable approach and sparking fun towards carbonated cola drinks in Pakistan. Market entry strategy and market development Operation plan Operation plan of the product includes inventory, shipping, storage, and inventory control procedure and customer service. Kent (2003) states that inventory are a significant element of any businesss operation plan which gives hold to the structure of business. Inventory is the raw material or stock goods held by any business. Effective inventory management (control) in operation plan can lead the business to generate huge profit and poor monitoring might be in result of disaster of the business. In case of Ice cola just in time inventory will be used in case of product. It will reduce the storing cost which will give us competitive edge against target customers. All manufacturing operations will take place in Ice cola factory. Aaker (2009) illustrates that distribution system include three type of sections. For example; Alternative distribution channels, new emerging channels and powerful channels. He emphasis on this issue that do not consider only existing channels but also think for new potential ones through which product could be more easily available for its consumers and business users. For Ice-cola production outward suppliers will pay the shipping charges for the finished goods. In case of bulk purchase of the goods company will pay only 30% charges, purchase of 50,000 units in a month is the limit for the propose. Trained workers and machine operators will be hired from the other factories as a part time employee at 900Rs. a day and they will train our permanent workers. Finished product of the Ice cola drink will be stored in company retained building which has capacity to store 150,000 units in it. Rent of the building is Rs. 35,000 per month. Ice-cola will maintain the finished goods inventory of 60,000 units at any time including the factory. Kent and Omar (2003) specify the importance of maintenance and customer service particularly in term of new product launching. A new business can take two way benefits. At first, it can make loyal relationship with its consumers by providing guidance and support after a sale. Secondly, it could prove additional positive source of revenue in the form of life time customers. By keeping in touch with customers and providing quality assurance after sale is a key point to generate profit through product. A detail survey could be conducted after six month period of launching the product to find out the market trends, response and consumer demand. Later on product can be changed according to needs. Marsen (2007) narrates certain points in term of facilities in operational strategy to run the business successfully. It is very important to note that how target customers are going to get the product. Key suppliers and transportation facilities might be close to the operation centres according to the nature of the business. These facilities should be positioned adequately to make the profitable way of business. Marketing Plan Product Wilson (2006) illustrates about product and product dimensions that for a number of customers product is only a tangible and physical entity which is placed in the market for buying and selling. However product is main priority of any business organization because through this firm plans to achieve its objectives. Moreover, Wilson (2006) narrates the relationship between customer and product. Product should be designed according to the core market requirement. Price Ferrell and Hartline (2008) strongly advocate the significant value of pricing strategy because this is the only element of marketing mix that leads to revenue or profit and price has a direct connection with customer demand. Therefore, price of a product could be charged in a number of ways such as value, optional, psychological, geographical etc. In case of Ice-cola, the firm will fallow its motto BE PAKISTANI BUY PAKISTANI as a result company will offer a high quality product at a low price. It will allow firm to position as a one of the best quality and price wise best brand. This provides companys partners an opportunity to sell a high quality product, while increasing their margins and selling a high quality product to the resellers. Purchase price of retailer of one can would be Rs 25. Discount Offers In the competition with the other soft drinks available in the market Ice- cola will offer at special reduce prices to gain the market shares in special events like Ramadan, Eid, Basant and other events. Price setting statistical data Promotion Aaker (2009) states that modern marketing has replaced ancient meaning of promotion with the concept of MC (marketing communication) or the coordination of all promotional activities such as ( media advertising, direct mail, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, packaging, store display, website design, personnel) to produce a unified, customer-focused message. Any way of promotional medium could be adapted according to the product development. Ice -cola will be promoted by different communication channels in the Pakistani market. Communication channels TV campaigns (Through cable) Bill board Local news paper Advertising campaign Placement Place deals with the distribution channels and various options for the consumers to access the product. Baines (2008) describes that according to the type of the product placement or distribution channels are positioned. Sometimes middleman may involve in the distribution and placement of the product. This is all about mainly satisfying the consumers and makes convenient approach for consumers to access the product in time. Ice-cola would focus on the big and high growth market cities of Pakistan like Lahore Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan and then Ice cola will also focus on the small cities and rural areas of Pakistan. Therefore Ice cola will available every single grocery store in Pakistan. In future Ice -cola could be launched internationally in Middle Eastern and European countries. People Write it for ice-cola According to Baines and Fill (2008) (people) customer service staff of any firm play significant part in term of product presentation, convince their consumers to take competive advantages of it. They create a corporate image and maintain that image in the minds of consumers which could be the most effective marketing tool to have potentail customers in the long run for market decelopment.   Five ps image should be here like this Positioning Porters value chain model It determines where value is added and for isolating the costs. The cost structure is also helpful for formulating strategies to develop a competitive advantage Use this model according to ice-cola Organisational Plan Ice cola will be partner firm. The partnership will be lie between the founders of the company. Partnership will be according to their share of capital invested in the firm. Profit will be distributed between them as per their percentage share in the firm. The every decision will be taken with the consensus and majority of votes will be required to take the decision. On every important document the signature of at least three members should be there. This will also be implying on the financial matters of the firm. Partners and their contribution to capital are as follows. Name of the partners Contribution Saba Imtaiz 19 % Suhail Ahmed 15 % Asma Zubair 16 % Yasir Ali 19 % Isha Saghir 18 % Wahab Munir 13 % Hierarchal Structure The hierarchal structure of the Ice cola company would be as follows: Board of directors Partners of firms Chief executive officer Asma Zubair Chief financial official Talha Shahid Marketing manager - Nimrha Basheer HR Manager Abdul Hanan Production manager Sidra Zaheer Operational manager Nadia Afzal Organisational Chart Board of Directors CEO Finance Marketing Human Resource Manager Manager Manager Finance Finance Marketing Marketing HR HR Officer Officer Officer Officer Officer Officer Forecast Financial Plan Project financial statement of company (Ice-cola) is given below Performa Income Statement (PKR 000s) Pest analysis Profitable strategy Key success factors These factors help to achieve marketing objectives Access to essential unique resources Ability to achieve economies of scale Access to distribution channels Technological progress These factors could change over time as the product progresses through its life cycle. Critical reflection on the assignment process Conclusion

The Scarlet Letter - Roger Chi :: essays research papers

Imagine a man having insecurities of his own, with a somewhat deformed and unpretentious appearance, finding that his spouse had betrayed him. For Roger Chillingworth, it was a completely heart-breaking devastation. In The Scarlet Letter, Chillingworth is the husband of Hester Prynne. When they married, he knew that she didn't love him, but still proceeded to commit the rest of his life to her. Consequently, a story of forbidden passion, hatred, and jealousy unfolds. Starting off as a scholar, Roger Chillingworth finds himself in a doctor's position later in the book. His back is deformed, and one shoulder is higher than the other, giving him a hunchbacked appearance. Chillingworth is not physically attractive and very slender. His eyes have a 'strong, penetrating power,'; (Chpt. 10, p. 157) and he is a loner. 'Old Roger Chillingworth, throughout life, had been calm in temperament, kindly, though not of warm affections, but ever, and in all his relations with the world, a pure and upright man.'; (p. 157, Chpt. 10) He enjoys studying and the pursuit of knowledge. When Chillingworth finds out that Hester cheated on him, he cannot be blamed for being dismayed and livid. He feels betrayed, and calls Hester's sin unpardonable. His rage quickly becomes resentment, and he develops a strong desire to find out with whom Hester had an affair with. Chillingworth seeks nothing but revenge. When Arthur Dimmesdale defends Hester and her actions, Chillingworth begins his suspicion. Chillingworth quickly becomes determined to withdraw the truth from Dimmesdale, who in fact was the man for whom Hester had betrayed him. The spite Chillingworth feels towards Dimmesdale grows stronger as his suspicion about Hester and Dimmesdale seems more and more likely. Chillingworth plans his vengeance during all of his waking hours. He becomes close to Dimmesdale, hoping maybe he would get a confession, but it didn't happen. The two soon lived together, while Chillingworth still prodded. From then on, Dimmesdale's life became miserable. 'Roger Chillingworth's aspect had undergone a remarkable change while he had dwelt in town, and especially since his abode with Mr. Dimmesdale. At first his expression had been calm, meditative, and scholar-like. "Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they [people of the town] had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight the oftener they looked upon him.'; (Chpt. 9, p. 155) While pretending to be Dimmesdale's trusted confidant and physician, Chillingworth is actually slaying him by means of medicine and mental torture.

The First World War (WWI) :: World War 1 I One

During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. (Villard-227) â€Å"The airplane may be all very well for sport, but for the army it is useless† (Quoted in Villard-227) Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. (Villard-228) Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. (Villard-229) It was followed by the first aerial dogfight in 1912. This consisted of a primitive exchange of pistol fire between British and German planes . (Harvey-95) The first flying experience for the United States occurred in 1862, during the Civil War. General McClellan went into battle against the South with a balloon corps floated by hydrogen and pulled by four horses. (Saga-51) Literary fiction started to breed ideas about the use of planes in warfare. The most famous writer to explore the idea was H.G. Wells. He wrote The War In The Air, a book about the future in which battle is conducted with planes. (Wohl-70). In Germany, literary fiction preceded the actual development of warfare in the air.

My Favourite Band Essay

I have always loved music since I was young . My favorite band is One Direction . I love One Direction because they are the most amazing band in the world . When I first heard their music, I knew that they were always going to be one of my favorites band. They song made me want to get up, dance, and sing . Their music is catchy ,fun to listen to and over all great. One Direction are a British-Irish boy band consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson . The cutest guys you could imagine . I like One Direction most because their voice is very nice and when they sings their voice comes from the heart and which is very touchy and tends the song listen many times. They competed on the seventh season of The X Factor . One Direction’s first single is â€Å"What Makes You Beautiful† . The first song of one direction that makes me feel crazy is What Makes You Beautiful . A catchy tune began to play, it made not only my body dance b ut my heart too. A deep and sweet voice began to sing meaningful lyrics that made me smile so much it hurt my cheeks. One Direction’s song Little Things has the emotions kind of moving, with the lyrics that make you want to cry because they are so meaningful. One Directions voices are reason why I love them so much. Their singing voices and talking voices can catch anyone speechless . Their voices are so beautiful, in every single way possible. I mostly like Harry and Zayn voices . Each member has beautiful personalities as well, another reason I love them so very much. Liam has a sweet and caring personality. Louis believes he will never grow up and thinks everything needs to be fun in a way. Zayn has a sweet, over protective, bad boy personality. Niall has an adorable, care free, special personality that makes everyone love him. Harry has the perfect kind of personality. He can be shy, but at the same time completely friendly. Harry is very sweet and seems to always make people feel special. One Direction is the most important thing in my life. I absolutely in love with One Direction. Especially, Zayn Malik! I hope that my dream to go to One Direction 2013 World Tour will come true .

Business Plan for a Recreational Business

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Away with the old and in with the new ‘X-Treme Gravity’ recreational park. The business is viewed as exhilarating, enjoyable and flexible. It accommodates almost all ages and different packages are designed to suit the customers’ capacity and beyond that to boost one’s confidence by motivating them to overcome their fears. The first task accomplished was the brainstorming and mind-mapping session. This was done in order to develop an exhilarating and fresh idea for recreational businesses. The factors considered for the business were divided in to two. There were the external factors that were considered such as economic factors, political factors, the socio-cultural factors and the competitors in the industry. Then, there were the internal factors considered which include: the start-up costs, the returns on investment, the assets and other resources required and the overall financial budget. The business’s main center is located in Karen within Nairobi. These premises offer several extreme and outdoor sports such as paintballing, go karting, dirt bike racing, and zorbing, among others. The business also extends their services by offering extreme sports packages for certain extreme sports that cannot be done on the premises. Therefore, the packages comprise of mountain climbing, trekking, scuba diving, snorkeling, white water rafting and sky diving to different areas within Kenya. The vision of this business is; to provide excellent customer services, build long-term relationships with the clients, create awareness & increase stipulation for the extreme sports. Various sources for the research were used, such as: The Internet, newspapers, magazines, journals, public banners, the general public, individual businessmen and successful companies. The task of SWOT analysis was much of a group contribution, whereby the group members contributed information based on their own knowledge and understanding of the business. The financial projections of the business were based on estimated values. The business interviewed companies with similar products such as, ‘Out of bounds’ and ‘Kitengela adventures, to acquire reasonable figures for costs and revenues. They were mainly interviewed via email and telephone. Our business also did surveys and face-to-face interviews. A market research was carried out to determine market growth, trends and needs. Survey objectives were determined and the questions were prepared based on these objectives. The promotional campaign was addressed and researched through a market survey. Overall, the business was seen as viable and acceptable. MISSION STATEMENT: AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE BUSINESS -Short Term goals: From 1 to 12 month of operating: a)Establish the target market and inform the target market of the products existence by 10% in the first year. )Creating a promotional and marketing plan that will fasten the awareness process by 15% in a year. c)Using discount and seasonal pricing to increase the demand of the products and services in the market by 10% in the first year. d) To develop a relationship with our customers in order to create a friendly environment and to keep them loyal to our business. This will maintain and steadily increase revenue by 5% each year. -Middle term goals: From 13 to 60months: a)Design a marketing plan that will keep our customers loyal to the business. Profits will steadily increase by 10% in a year. )Design a plan to increase our customer’s margin; revenue will increase by 9% in a year. c)Increase the profit monthly through the above plans. Profits should increase by 15 in a year. d)Receive higher returns on the investment of 12% in a year. e)Grow in the market and expand the business’s market share by 6%. f)Increase revenue and sales margins after the first year, by 10% each year thereafter. – Long-term goals: a)To expand the business by locating it in different areas to facilitate the access of our products to potential customers in those areas; revenue will increase by 15% in a year. )To design a plan that will expand the business in terms of the target market; profits will rise by 18% in a year. c)Maintain long-term relati onships with the clients and receive customer feedback. Market share will expand by 7%. d)Introduce new activities and extreme sports packages. Profits will increase by 19% in a year. e)Maximize profit margins and revenue margins by 22% in a year. f)Continue expanding in the market to eliminate any other competition. Increase market share by 10%. KEYS TO SUCCESS The essential keys to success of this business include: Create an environment for people to feel good about themselves, both physically and mentally. †¢To keep our customers comfortable by creating a relationship with them †¢Provide special activities for various holidays. †¢To insist on excellent customer assistance at all times †¢To recruit professionals in the different domains to insure customers’ satisfaction Always a follow up on the customers’ experiences in our premises and in outdoor facilities arranged by us. IDEA GENERATION When selecting an appropriate business, the group identif ied various factors and their implications on the business. EXTERNAL FACTORS CONSIDERED: Economic factors: These included factors such as inflation, unemployment, economic growth and income inequality. Each factor was considered and evaluated in order to determine the most detrimental one to the business in the market. Initial surveys and experiments show that Income inequality will affect this business the most in this market. Political factors: These include the political upheaval in the market. Another major detrimental factor to businesses in Nairobi is the political factors. Therefore, it is important to study the current political situation and the impact it will have on our business. Socio-cultural factors: These include factors such as population structure, lifestyles and behavior of the market. This was vital to consider since the nature of the business is one that has rarely been explored before and therefore, its success depends entirely on the customer behavior and lifestyles. Competition: The fewer the competitors, the easier the success of the business. Therefore, the business was selected based on the number of competitors in the market. X-Treme Gravity faces its main competition from â€Å"Out of Bounds† and â€Å"Kitengela adventures†. (Sourced from surveys) The pie chart shows which one of these factors is seen as the most detrimental in the market, especially for our business. INTERNAL FACTORS CONSIDERED: Assets and resources: The assets and resources for the business are limited, since most of the sports being done on the premises are outdoor and require, one-off payments for the main equipment. Similarly, since the business is outsourcing for the extreme sports packages, then the assets and resources required are controlled. Financial budget: The business was also selected because the preparation of the projected financial budget was not impractical. Initial start-up costs: The initial start-up costs for the business are relatively high for the new business. This is because the business is being located in Karen and the cost of acquiring lad is quite expensive. However, it is a one-off cost. Return on Investment: The return on investment is attractive. This encourages more investors to ‘pitch in’ and the success of this business highly depends on the attractiveness of the investment. Profitability: The nature of this business is very dynamic which constantly eliminates any new type of competition to this business. The business may experience high initial start up costs but these costs are likely to be recovered fully within the course of the business. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION / COMPANY SUMMARY COMPANY DESCRIPTION AND OWNERSHIP: 1. 1Company description The business is mainly accentuated around extreme sports. We provide our customers with different thrilling activities. These include: A set of activities that can be enjoyed in either the ‘X-Treme Gravity’ recreational park or outside the premises. Our premises are situated in Karen, Nairobi. This is our main center, and it will be an extreme sports recreational park. Then we extend our services by offering other extreme sports packages so that certain extreme sports such as scuba diving, skydiving, mountain climbing and white water rafting, among others, can be done in style. The extreme sports packages have been designed in such a way that it stretches out to different, unique places within Kenya that are best suited for that particular extreme sport. The main objective of this business is to provide a new way of enjoying and relaxing during leisure time to our Nairobi residents. Therefore, ‘X-Treme Gravity’ is not only an extreme sports park but also a fun park, specifically founded to add enjoyment in the lives of our customers. EXTREME SPORTS AGENTS: We extend our services as extreme sports agents and the procedure that tour business followed is: 1. 2Company Ownership After a careful analysis of all the different possible ownerships available, this company will operate as a limited company for the following advantages: a)The ordinary shareholders are the owners of our company. b)The ordinary shareholders at the AGM elect the Board of Directors. )The members of the company can vary from two till infinity (depending on the no. Of shares) d)The shares are traded on the stock exchange. e)There is a separate ‘legal entity’ from the shareholders f)There is a limited liability to shareholders. g)Funds and finance are raised through the issue of shares and redemption of debentures. (MBA Publishing Ltd, 2005) COMPANY LOCATION AND FACILTIES : This company will be located in Karen considering the atmosphere we would like to create for our customers as well as the issue of land. Extreme sports which need to be done outdoors will then have its appropriate locations where customers will either be transported there using the company’s facilities or use their private transport. Those w need to hire out our company vehicles to pick and drop them to our premises need to give a weeks advance notice, including the numbers needed to be picked. (Sourced from Kitengela Glass) The facilities included are: A cafeteria: The cafeteria is designed in a modern art style. It extends outdoors so that our customers can enjoy the outdoor breeze on a sunny day under the table umbrellas. People may also sit in the well-designed, creative loft. Changing rooms: These have been included on the premises so that the people doing the outdoor sports can change there and lock their belongings in the secure lockers in the changing rooms. Picnic site: There is a picnic site on location, which has bee well designed to fit the description of â€Å"peaceful, relaxing and scenic†. This has been specially introduced for the schools, companies and families. An area filled with nature and comfort perfectly designed specifically for the satisfaction of our customers. Go-kart and dirt bike tracks: The premises also include two separate tracks for go karting and dirt bike racing. Attention has been given to developing these tracks so that various competitions can be held on location under the categories of ‘junior karting’ and ‘team building’. Artificial rough rock wall: This has been installed on location as well for the purpose of training for rock climbing. There is one separate wall for juniors and one separate one for adults and professionals. Within this area, individuals are also trained for abseiling/ rappelling. Rope crossing/ Tarzaning/ aerial rope structures: Once again, a separate area within the premises will be dedicated to all the rope games (heights), where ropes are tied to various tall structures very high off the ground. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PRODUCT AND SERVICE DESCRIPTION: X-TREME GRAVITY will be offering the following activities within the premises: 1. Paintball: P aintball is a sport in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with pellets containing paint (referred to as a â€Å"paintball†), usually shot from powered paintball gun (or marker). Wikipedia, 2007) The area for paintballing has been designed in such a way that it offers flexibility in the types of paintball games that can be played on location. These variations in the paintball games have been done intentionally, to offer a wider variety for customers ranging from the age group of 10 onwards. Among the paintball games that can be played on our premises are: Capture the flag- players need to steal th e enemy flag and defend the friendly flag Elimination- shoot the enemy team; may replay if hit King of the hill- one team defends a raised flag while the other team attempts to lower the flag. Zombie- a few players are considered enemy (only die with goggle shots) which will turn others into their team by hitting them Speedball- players start from 2 far sides of a round field trying to capture a flag placed in the middle and returning it to friendly base. (Wikipedia, 2007) 2. Go-karting: T He business chose to introduce go-karting on the premises because it is a very fun-filled, enlivening and stimulating game. The game requires a person to hire out a go-kart and complete several rounds, competing with other fast drivers on the same tracks with them. The idea is to reach the finish point before the opponents and the thrill lies in the speed at which they drive the go-kart. The game has been designed and split in to two categories: The ‘junior karting’ for all the children under the age of 12 and ‘team building’ for adults and companies who come to the premises for ‘team building’ activities. We can also provide photography, video recording and product displays if required. (Envermeyer, 2009) ‘TEAM-BUILDING’ GO KARTING: What better way to get your workforce motivated than a Grand Prix-style event? Once your staff is confronted by a track full of adrenaline-fuelled workmates and a burning desire to win you will soon see who responds best under testing conditions; there really is no better way of bringing people together than on the race track. (Envermeyer, 2009) â€Å"JUNIOR KARTING†: All likelihood the next Formula 1 Champion will have started his career in a go-kart. Youngsters from 8 years upwards are competing on a regular basis and whether you are trying the sport to see if the child has potential or simply looking for a different type of birthday treat the karting could be something to consider. Envermeyer, 2009) 3. Dirt bike riding: This game has several similarities with go-karting. To start with, it is a game that spells out ‘wild and crazy’ fun, just as go-karting. Separate dirt-bike tracks have been designed in such a way that the tracks are dusty, uneven, uphill, downhill, through bushes, testing various levels of difficulty. The tracks are quite long and the game requires a well protected and geared up individual to ride a motor cross bike through the different levels along the track, competing with his/her opponents along that track. The deal is to reach the finish point before your opponents. The game is only applicable for children above the age of 15 and requires a certain level of skill or enthusiasm. (Dirtrider. net, 2005) 4. Aerial ropes / Rope crossing and Tarzaning: This activity emphasizes on height and balance. There are several activities involving ropes within the premises that have especially been designed for ‘team-building’ activities, ‘junior’ activities and ‘professional training’. One rope is tied from one tall structure to another and a person is to balance him/herself on the one end to the other wearing the harness and other necessary protective gear, for our client’s protection. However, this is just one of the many activities with the ropes. There are bridges made of ropes only, suspended high off the ground, there are ‘Tarzaning’ activities as the name suggests and many more. (South Stafford shire council, 2009). The ropes are suspended very high of the ground and they have been positioned in an area within the premises that has outdoor, adventurous, bushy excursion scenery. This helps overcoming the fear of heights. Some of the trails we offer are: MINI AERIAL ROPES TRAIL: 8 years of age & up: This trail is to be created especially for small adventurers. The trail is similar to the regular trail, but is adapted to the younger clientele. This trail permits children to have fun going from one tree to the next all the while at their own rhythm and abilities. Although, the trail has different levels of difficulties for the juniors as well. Participation Requirements: (South Stafford shire council, 2009). Must measure a minimum 1m40 arms extended, from fingertips to toes. Adult supervision is obligatory. Be in good health. THE ‘CAP JASEUX’ TRAIL: Aerial ropes course in Cap Jaseux consists of 73 suspended bridges, which cross over 4 distinct areas. These bridges wind through a majestic trees, bushes and woods, from platform to platform within’ the trees. Each section is composed of a complete route with each its own challenges and surprises, but always respecting the capacities of each hiker. (South Stafford shire council, 2009). Participation Requirements: You must be over 8 years of age and measure a minimum of 1m80, arms extended, from fingertips to toes. Participants under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult (an adult can accompany a maximum of 3 young participants). Participants cannot be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Participants must be healthy. 5. Zorbing: The activity of sphering, zorbing or globe riding is the recreational practice of humans rolling downhill in a bouncing sphere, generally made of transparent plastic. Sphereing is generally performed on a gentle slope, but can also be done on a level surface, as well as on water, permitting more rider control. The zorbing zone has been designed with several exciting and challenging barriers. While rolling downhill in the plastic ball, the sphere is rolled down n a certain direction and from there it meets several ‘cushioned’ barriers that make the sphere ‘bounce-off’ the cushioned barrier. We offer two types of spheres, the single holder and the double holder. Zorbing is a very flexible game as it can be done in various ways. It could be rolled down, it could be in water, it could be bounced off various barriers. Extras: We also include a low level of water in the zorbs. Extreme dreams, 2009) . 6. Wall/rock climbing and abseiling/rappelling: For those who are interested in high-adrenaline adventures and the terror of height, wall/rock climbing was not forgotten in the mixture of the creation of X-TREME GRAVITY. In this sport, the climber wears a harness and other protective equipment before the activity begins in order to protect them from accidents of any sorts. The built-in wall/rock wall has an uneven, rough texture just as in a real adventure. Individuals are required to climb it using different levels of support. The wall stretches very high. On reaching the top, then the individual is required to climb down using the appropriate equipment from the other side of the wall. This helps in overcoming fear of heights and it can be used especially for training of using the appropriate equipment and climbing and descending aptly, for a real rock climbing expedition. (Wikipedia, 2007) EXTREME SPORTS PACKAGES: The business is keen to provide exciting, thrilling and adventurous extreme sports packages and therefore, X-treme Gravity has designed several exhilarating packages for the introductory stage of the business. The business looks forward to expanding and introducing more new and unique extreme sports packages over time. The packages that X-treme Gravity introduces, includes: Mountain Climbing White-Water Rafting and Kayaking Scuba Diving Sky diving Mountain Climbing If you enjoy climbing/hiking, Kenya has a lot to offer, the most favorable areas being, the Aberdare Mountains, the Chyulu Hills, Hell's Gate, Mt. Susua, Mt. Longonot, the Menengai Crater in the Rift Valley, Ngong Hills, located south-west of Nairobi, Cherangani Hill, Mt. Elgon and Mt Kenya. (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) Mt Kenya offers a rewarding hike as well as challenging climbs. There are eight routes up the mountain, three of them being the most popular and accessible to anyone of reasonable fitness. Naro Moru, lying to the west, is the easiest ascent with Sirimon to the north and Chogoria to the east being equally popular but you still need to be fit and properly equipped. Batian at 5,199meters is the summit and should only be attempted by experienced climbers. You need to be accompanied by a porter or go with organized tour. Be careful of altitude sickness and hypothermia. The best time of the year for climbing is from mid-January to late February and from late August through September but it is accessible most year round. (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) You will need warm, wind proof clothing, strong comfortable walking boots, gloves, a tent and a good sleeping bag as well as a stove and high-energy food and drinks. Several places hire equipment (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) Mount Kenya Routes and Rates (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) Sirimon Route – The least used of the three principal routes. Because Sirimon is on the dry side of the mountain it offers some of the finest forest walking to be had on any tropical mountain. In the lower sections, above the Park Gate. Higher up, Hugh specimens of St John's Work interspersed with small thickets of Bamboo. Near the top of the track, beautiful alpine flowers and the start of the tussock grass. Animal life abounds and parties often come across buffalo, elephant and sometimes-even lions. Naro Moro Route – Although the least scenic of the three principal routes, it remains the most popular. Firstly it is the fastest route to Lenana and back if you enter from the main road. Secondly both the Naro Moro River Lodge and Mountain Rock Hotel offer excellent facilities for climbers, including equipment hire porters and comfortable accommodation. Chogoria Route – Having reached the road head, Chogoria is the fastest and, arguably, the most beautiful and spectacular route up the mountain. Itinerary: (Packages designed by X-Treme Gravity) Option 1: -2 night 3 days. Sirimon Route $537 pp (Kshs. 42950) Day 1: Transfer from Nairobi and beginning of ascent. The first night is spent at Old Moses Day 2: Trek from Old Moses up to Shiptons Hut, in preparation for the final ascent. Day 3: Starting very early in the morning, ascend up to Lenana Point for Sunrise. The descent begins shortly afterwards, back past Old Moses in order to meet the vehicle, for the transfer back to Nairobi. Option 2: 2 nights 3 days. Naro Moru – route. From US$537 pp (Kshs. 42950) Day 1: Transfer from Nairobi and beginning of ascent. The first night is spent at the Met Station. Day 2: Trek from the Met Station up to Mackinders Hut, in preparation for the final ascent. Day 3: Starting very early in the morning, ascend up to Lenana Point for Sunrise. The descent begins shortly afterwards, back past the Met Station in order to meet the vehicle, for the transfer back to Nairobi. Option 3: 3 nights 4 days Sirimon Route from US$600 pp (Kshs. 48,020) Day 1: Transfer from Nairobi up to Old Moses. Day 2: Trek from Old Moses to Shiptons Hut. Day 3: Starting very early in the morning, ascend up to Lenana Point for Sunrise. The descent begins shortly afterwards, back to Old Moses for the night. Day 4: Final descent and transfer back to Nairobi. All Prices include: All prices exclude: Park FeesTipping PortersClimbing Gear & Sleeping Bags GuidesBeverages & Mineral Water Accommodation in huts 3 simple meals per day Cooks White-Water Rafting and Kayaking Kenya has three rivers; the Tana, the Athi and the Ewaso, suitable for rafting at all levels of competence up to exhilarating Class V white water. The experience is more rustic and less crowded than the Zambezi version. (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) Below are details of the rivers we run and the rates for established trips. Rivers and Rates: The Tana River – one day rafting trip: Our premiere one-day trip ideal for people with a day or two to spare when visiting Nairobi, or those basing themselves in the capital (only 100kms along the Nyeri Rd). This will be an exciting day of thrills (and often spills) with a great mix of high action white-water (up to grade V) interspersed with scenic calm water where bird life abounds. Not enough? Why not leap feet first into a big surfing hole, jump a 30ft waterfall or swim The Devils Toilet Bowl (water level dependant). (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) A typical day trip starts with you being picked up from either The Norfolk hotel, or Sarit Centre in Nairobi by 8am. A 1. 5hr drives sees you arriving at our Camp at Sagana. Here you can relax with tea/coffee and biscuits before receiving a comprehensive safety briefing. After signing a compulsory release and assumption of risk form, we drive up to the put-in where you will receive some final practical training before heading down river. The trip is either 16km (high water season) or 8km (low water season) and lasts approximately 4hrs. This varies greatly due to the water levels and we often find ourselves rafting 8km one day, then 11km the next due to rain upstream. The trip takes out at Savage Camp, where you can enjoy a solar heated shower or relax in the pool before enjoying a three-course BBQ lunch. Trips depart Savage Camp no later than 5pm for Nairobi to ensure you arrive back at your pick up point before dark. Other options available on the Tana include scenic float trips from the camp downstream on completely flat water for those not wishing to experience any white-water. This trip lasts 4hrs and takes in the abundant bird life inhabiting the lush riverine forests along the river. To date our guides have recorded over 120 species of birds on this section. A Kenya Professional Safari Guide usually takes trips. (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008). New to our repertoire of Tana trips is the full moon run. This takes in the white-water section only and lasts about 3hrs. (Packages designed by the X-treme Gravity) Prices All prices are in US dollars: One day trip — 99. 00 (Kshs. 7,910) One day/one night —137. 00 (Kshs. 10,920) Scenic float trip — 82. 00 (Kshs. 6,540) Full moon trip — 124. 00 (Kshs. 9,950) The Athi River – 3 day rafting expedition: Itinerary (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008) If you like multi-day expedition style trips then the Athi is for you! Flowing through Tsavo National Park, we raft up to 80km`s of Kenya’s second longest river with three days and three nights on the river. The river gives an awesome mixture of relaxing calm water with game viewing (Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, crocodile and hippo have all been seen from our boats) and abundant birdlife interspersed with some great white-water (up to grade IV). The trip usually goes out fully self supported with our guides providing breakfast (full cooked or cereals/fruit/toast), lunch (a selection of cold meats and cheeses with bread/salad and fruit) and dinner (three courses). If a more luxury trip is your style then vehicle support (at an extra cost) is available to bring those added necessities. (East Africa Shuttles & safaris Ltd, 2008)Day one: gets you to Athi at Kibwezi, a short drive from the Mombassa road. After our comprehensive safety briefing, you will set out in the afternoon to raft the short distance to our first camp, Bushwhackers. Set on a secluded sandbar mid river. The first night is spent round the campfire listening to the sounds of Africa and swapping stories with the guides about the days ahead. Day two: after breakfast and an early start you will soon reach our first major rapid followed by a few calm sections interspersed with smaller rapids down to our lunch spot. More rapids and flat open plains where hopefully you will see some of the animal’s native to this area follow this. Late afternoon we arrive at our second camp `scorpion` on the relatively unpopulated left bank of the river. Day three has some of the best rapids with the legendary `Vietnam` taking you through dense undergrowth and crocodile burn providing an awesome hit. After another fun packed day you will arrive at our final camp, `Hippo`, where you will spend a final night by the fire relaxing and re living the previous day’s action. Day four: we return to Nairobi by around lunchtime. Price (US Dollars) – $623. 00 (Kshs. 49,800) All prices exclude: Tipping Beverages & Mineral Water Scuba Diving and balloon safaris Kenya has nearly 600 kms of coastline, nearly all bordered by spectacular coral reef. The Indian Ocean provides warm, hospitable waters, with coral reefs teeming with marine life, ideal for scuba diving. Often on our way to dive sites the boat will slow down to play with a school of friendly dolphins or stop to dive with the gentlest of giants, the whale shark. (Africastay, 2004) In Kenya we work with Diving the Crab and Diani Marine – Kenya's top dive schools. Both are based at Diani Beach on the South Coast of Kenya and are accredited to run PADI and SSI dive courses. Diani Marine was established in 1978, Diving the Crab in 1983 so both schools have nearly many years experience of scuba diving in Kenya and operate very well run dive bases, equipped with the latest equipment, dive boats and high qualified instructors and dive masters. Africastay, 2004) The package: 7 night’s accommodation at beach side hotel on the spectacular Diani Beach + flying safari to the Masai Mara for 2 nights 3 day in Luxury tented camp. on full board with 3 game drives per day in 4Ãâ€"4 vehicle Optional extras such as diving with Whale Sharks, scuba dives and courses, dolphin watching, kite surfing + windsurfing; Flights from Europe not included, airport transfers included and park fees included Location, Mombassa Region, Diani, South Coast Price, from US $ 1,198 (Kshs. 5,800) All prices include:All prices exclude: Flights, Included Tipping Availability: All yearBeverages & Mineral Water Skydiving Divers are usually based at a single beach resort and make their way to a local airstrip before falling out the sky at enormous heights. At Diani, skydivers take a short trip to Ukunda airstrip, and ascend in a Kenya Twin Otter, completing the spectacular and exhilarating drive by landing on the doorstep of their chosen accommodation to enjoy a well-earned drink. Mowngera Kioga, 2005) This means that at Diani, skydivers stay at the Safari Beach Hotel – take a short 10 minute drive to Ukunda airstrip, take off in a waiting Air plane [Twin Otter], and then dive directly over the beach- landing on the sands right at the doorstep of the resort. For the skydiving addict, th is is a perfect arrangement. For most skydivers, it's all about the fall- the pure freedom of flight that lasts from the time a jumper leaves the plane until the parachute is pulled at around 2000 feet. The average diver falls at the incredible speed of 120 miles per hour- but those who have never tried it may be surprised to know that this experience does not feel like falling- the continued momentum of the plane sends the diver earthward on a sustained arc- which means that there is none of the stomach lifting â€Å"plunge† sensation that you may expect. (Mowngera Kioga, 2005) This is the nearest experience possible to flying free as a bird n freedom at its most pure and simple. Packages 2 night, 3 days, Diani beach. US $ 1,074, (Kshs. 85,900) Day 1: Transfer from Nairobi to Mombasa Diani Day 2: sky diving day. Day 3: Starting very early in the morning, for the transfer back to Nairobi. Location, Mombasa, Diani Region, Kenya, Africa All prices include:All prices exclude: Flights, IncludedTipping Availability, January, February, March, November, December,Beverages & Mineral Water CURRENT SITUATION AND SWOT ANALYSIS INDUSTRY PATTERNS: Whilst millions of shillings are being pumped into the sports industry especially the extreme sports industry, by companies in the form of sponsorship, most extreme sports remain at amateur levels, bedeviled by problems. This is in sheer contrast to the thriving environment businesses are currently enjoying. Among the most attractive extreme sport is mountain climbing and trekking which is mainly practiced in on Mt. Kenya, Mt. Elgon, the Aberdare Mountains, the Chyulu Hills, Hell's Gate, Mt. Susua, Mt. Longonot, the Menengai Crater in the Rift Valley, Ngong Hills, located south-west of Nairobi, Cherangani Hill, as just a few to mention among others. Extreme sports are a combination of both professional and corporate social sports at the same time. The second most popular extreme sport is Skydiving, which is usually based at a single beach resort and make their way to a local airstrip before falling out the sky at enormous heights. At Diani, skydivers take a short trip to Ukunda airstrip, and ascend in a Kenya Twin Otter, completing the spectacular and exhilarating drive by landing on the doorstep of their chosen accommodation to enjoy a well-earned drink. Throughout the 2002 event, over 120 divers made continual skydives over 2 weeks. Kenya has a weak reputation for extreme sports compared to the other sports, the coastal regions are mainly the scene for these sports mainly because of the huge water bodies (sea), and on the other hand, motor sports tend to recover the reputation through big sporting events like the Kenya Safari Rally, which takes place around Easter. The rally, which starts and finishes in Nairobi, follows a route that covers 4,000 kilometers (2,486 miles). Large crowds follow the event in the rural areas and the cities. During the rally, daily results dominate radio, print, and television news coverage as Kenyans cheer for the local heroes competing against top international drivers. In the sports industry, the rules of play change constantly. Sports organizations must deal with an ever-evolving array of challenges such as risks that can threaten organizations' ability to compete in this dynamic and high-profile marketplace, finding professionals experienced in identifying and solving the unique risk management challenges facing companies and organizations within the sports industry. Some of the major challenges are Designing and negotiating cost- effective, custom-made insurance programs tailored to the needs of your company or organization, Establishing a loss-control program by assessing the risks facing your company or organization and preventing losses before it is too late and designing a claims management program that will help reduce your total cost of risk. The Government says that it will support establishment of extreme sports lottery that will among other issues help fund the welfare of extreme sports people and promote sporting activities in the country. President Kibaki said a committee will soon be formed to manage the lottery to improve extreme sports in the country. â€Å"We want to have institutionalized mechanisms in Kenya that will promote various fields of Extreme sports and improve the welfare of extreme sports people in the country,† the President said. In recognition of the importance of sports, President Kibaki said the Government has initiated measures to strengthen the sports industry in Kenya. He disclosed that the Government has allocated resources in the budget to support sports development programmes. Said President Kibaki: â€Å"My Government has also established the sports stadia management board and set aside funds for maintenance of sports facilities countrywide. † The President said, in addition to these measures, programmes will be intensified for the promotion of extreme sports through identification and training of talented young people from the districts and provinces up to the national level. He observed these sporting activities are essential not only for nurturing good health but also in creating opportunities for individuals and communities to socialize among people â€Å"Thus sport contributes to building a cohesive society that is an essential base for a strong and prosperous nation,† the Head of State said. The President pointed out that sports have become a source of dependable employment for many young people and urged extreme sports people to aspire to excel in their chosen fields in order to benefit from these sports. In terms of market needs, there is legitimate great need for extreme sports entertainment. A growing economy means more people have more money to spend and leisure activities are gaining a premium. The local entertainment industry mostly consists and is almost limited to media. People are willing to spend a lot just to enjoy the pleasures of extreme sports and explore these sports to rise in the sports industry for economic purposes. Some of these sports are professionally practiced around the world and cost quite a lot compared to the local sports but this in turn brings a benefit to the country as a whole, not only financially but economically and socially as well. In terms of promotion and engagement, our emerging culture has a tremendous tie to sports. People will develop a personal identity with a sport; being in such a group fulfills a strong social need. This is a social need that is currently only served by mainstream sports. Club sports tend to disappoint but there is a legitimate social need not being met here. This is because club sports are usually amateur played and do not engage in team building so as to play among people and get to know the sport very well, such an example is golf, which is played individually, so it is up to the player to play it right. COMPETITION AND BUYING PATTERNS Competition is mainly among touring companies, lodges and resorts that associate with different packaging styles and enhance these extreme sports. They help in the practice of these sports such as to get the appropriate locations for the sports. These touring companies have professionals who help in the process of undertaking these sports, where they guide the actual practitioners all through the way. Some of these companies include Africa scope safari and tours located in Nairobi, Extreme Safaris located in Mombasa, Kenya eco lodges, Kenya diving resorts, Mt. Kenya treks, Burguret Chogoria, Wildlife safaris, the ultimate expedition and various others. This leads to a monopolistic competition among the market therefore competition is intense due to many choices and a wide range of variety for customers to make decision upon. These touring companies create a ‘smart’ marketing strategy in order to attract their customers. This is done through affordable and attractive packages and offers that customers look forward to all the time. This is mainly generated during the peak seasons although most recover their costs through high pricing but in an attractive way or package therefore making the competition intense. This allows very little room for new entrants in the market therefore creating barriers to entry. The buying patterns are mostly the youth who are excited to explore these sports in many ways. This is because most of them are fearless of the risks and are energetic therefore allowing them the opportunity to participate in these sports. Even though money is an issue, as most of them are not employed, they still do these sports as they borrow money from other sources. Following the youth are the middle-aged adults who have fear of safety but still some of them dare to challenge themselves. These people are mostly employed but still have concerns about prices due to economic downturn plus some get limited salary just enough to survive. This in turn causes a high pricing pressure on the companies allowing them to target their market. Therefore in summary, the main market here is the market with high income and flexible lifestyle who can afford to enjoy these sports at any time although those with an average income tend to save but this eventually takes a long time before they practice these sports. OTHER PRODUCTS THAT AFFECT OUR BUSINESS PRODUCTS: Other competitor’s products: The extreme sports industry is dormant in the industry currently. Perhaps the biggest reason for that are the backward trends of the society and the cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the idea is to make extreme sports a new and latest fashion in Nairobi in order for the business to succeed. However, the downfall in our competitor’s products allows our business to pick their weaknesses and turn them in to our strengths. SWOT ANALYSIS: STRENGTHS: a)Excellent staffs that are highly trained and are very customer attentive: Customers are drawn to excellent services since it is the only indicator of the quality of services. Since we are employing highly trained staff who will provide efficient and effective services to our customers; keeping the customers in mind at all times; it is expected that the reputation of our business will grow rapidly as a result of our efficient staff. )Well-equipped ground state of art equipment: This is an indicator of quality of the services we provide. Apart from that it offers a competitive edge for our services. c)The business is able to establish a strong reputation for our services because the business is monopoly in the market. The nature our of the business apparently makes us stand-alone and as a result gain customer loyalty. d)Th e business is a unique idea: We offer our services as a package. This will be convenient to our clients especially those who normally prefer paying at once when booking. )Superior service offering: Extreme sports; sky diving, scuba diving mountaineering, Bungee diving and white water rafting. f)The Internet: Our website www. xtremegravity. com promises to be significant technological solution for our products in the areas of registration, communication and information delivery system. The website has demonstrated the ability to provide more extensive and current information at reduced costs. g)A state-of—the art computer system: utilizing the latest software that continues to enhance our productivity and expand our capacity. There is real time processing where customers requirements are processed as they are received. WEAKNESS a). The business is struggling to build brand loyalty. The business has not yet developed footing with the customer and is still creating market demand for the product. b). Difficulty in finding well skilled workers: -Extreme sports are very fragile and needs highly skilled workers who unfortunately are very difficult to find. c). Lack of knowledge, awareness and information of the new business being offered. Most of our local customers tend to be ignorant in extreme sports and consider it as a ‘sport for others’. We therefore in our promotion strategy focus intensively on creating awareness of this new product. d). Seasonal revenues posses as another weakness. Apart from the locals we are also targeting tourist who actually and factually jet according to the season. We therefore need to adjust in promotions during high and off pick season to maximize our profits. OPPORTUNITIES a). Growing awareness due to the rising awareness in health, fitness and extreme sports and interest too. The government and the world health organization in general have organized campaigns stressing on Importance of physical fitness. This advantage since awareness is being created and indirectly advertising our product. b). Ability of developing long-term customers . Basing on the monopoly nature of our product, there is a great potential of developing long term customers who are very much loyal to our product. c). At the moment very low competition in the market for this product. We have the potential of acquiring the lion’s share of the market. THREATS. a)Seasonal interest in particular sports which is in direct competition with our own sports. Examples of these sports include the marathons e. g. Lewa marathon, the safari rallies e. . KCB and cycling. Most people tend to plan for this programs in their Holiday calendars and this Impacts negatively to our business at these times of the year. b). Lack of knowledge and interest in our product. Extreme sports is not In the mind of most people while others who have information about it tend to behave like they have other better things to handle than go for su ch sports. c)Many fears and safety concerns associated with our product. Due to the risks associated with this sports, some of our expected customers turn away from it and making them o change their minds may not be that easy. )Legal and liability issues. Extreme sports continues to be exposed to liability issues in many aspects in many aspects of the experience it provides . The potential concerns range from health and safety issues to various forms of verbal or physical abuse in an increasingly litigious society, there is always potential for legal actions. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The business will operate using the common organizational structure. The business operates using the concept of ‘departmentalization’ and in particular the ‘vertical functional’ approach. Since the business is in the preliminary stages, most of the positions besides, the directors are vacant. (Organizational structure, O. E. ) MANAGEMENT TEAM: Since this is a new business being ventured, the management team is constricted to the main departments for this business. As the business expands, we will be able to employ more managers and initiate other secondary departments. Qualifications: A basic Bachelor of Business degree or A bachelor’s degree with any one area of expertise required for that position A professional degree Masters of Bachelor of Administration (MBA) At least 5 years work experience. The vital departments for this business have been addressed and managers are required for the field of: General manager: The general manager will be in charge of the day to day running of the business and will mainly accentuate around the administrative staff and the sundry staff. Extreme sports / Outdoor manager: The extreme sports manager is required and is perhaps the most vital manager for this business since the business mainly comprises of extreme sports and a leader is required for the extreme sports specialists. Cafeteria manager: Since the premises will also consist of a cafeteria, it is necessary to have a manager controlling the daily activities for the cafeteria and reporting to the general manager or even to a director. The manager is also required to observe the needs of the staff. Marketing manager: Another very important section of the business. This is essential because the business requires expertise knowledge on marketing and promotion of the business is to be successful and expand. Therefore, a marketing manager is required. Financial and accounting manager: A financial manager needed to fill the position. Required to maintain the basic book keeping for the business and calculate the daily finances. Work hand in hand with internal auditors. SALARIES AND REMUNERATION FOR MANAGEMENT AND STAFF: Constant for three years: No. Kshs. Directors remuneration p. a22,000,000 Managers salaries5300,000 Staff salaries10250,000 Proffessionals salaries8280,000 2,830,000 FINANCIAL PLAN FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES: The following are the financial goals of the business for a year. ?Achieve revenue growth of 10% per year Increase earnings by 15% annually ?Increase dividends per share by 5% per year ?Increase net profit margins 2% to 4% ?Boost annual returns on invested capital from 15% to 20% ? Stronger bond and credit ratings ?Recognition as a â€Å"blue chip† company ?A more diversified revenue base ?Stable earnings during recessionary periods ?Return on investment (ROI) of 15. 5% ?Solvency ratio of about 30%; ?Dividend distribution of at least 30% of the net profit, unless dictated otherwise by long-term investments and/or acquisitions and/or exceptional circumstances. DIVIDEND POLICY: In recommending the dividend, the directors will consider the following: The availability of distributable profits: Dividends will be given on a basis of the profits that are distributable The availability of liquid funds: In a time of solvency problems, dividend payments will be adjusted accordingly Whether the revenue reserves are adequate or need to be increased by further profits ploughed back into the business A balance between dividend growth and capital growth The liability to advance corporation tax, which arises from the payment of dividend. (Dividend Policy and account, W. M. ) IMPORTANT ASSUMPTIONS: There are certain factors that are not mentioned and cannot be explored, therefore X-Treme Gravity analyzed, debated and made an assumption based on those factors. These factors are mainly pertaining to the projected financial statement and the start-up plan for the business. The specific assumptions are stated in the calculations for revenue and expenses. For a broad view on the assumption though, these factors were considered: The tax rate of 30% per annum (approximated) The estimated cost of equity The estimated cost of debt i. e. bank loans and debentures The cost of marketing and research The number of expected customers for each year The number of expected customers for each outdoors sport and the extreme sports packages. The fixed cost remains constant for the first three years The fees per person from: The entrance fees, activities and the picnic site remain constant for the three years. The variable costs will increase by 10% each year. START – UP PLAN FOR THE BUSINESS: (Sourced from Finance lecture notes, WACC, F. A. ) Since the business will operate as a limited company, there are various sources of funds and finance for this business. These include: Bank loans Ordinary shares Preference shares Corporate bonds: Debentures Bank loans: These are currently being given at an interest rate of 16. 50%. The business cannot highly depend on its shares for raising its initial investment since it carries a high risk. Therefore, a bank loan will also be used, with an annual interest of 11. 55% after tax. Ordinary shares and preference shares: The business is issuing five million ordinary shares and one million preference shares for the first year. The cost of equity is 13. 50% and 12. 50% respectively. Debentures: The business is also issuing corporate bonds for the purpose of long-term security. The cost of its debt is 9. 0% after tax. SourcesAmount (Kshs)Cost of debt/ equity (%)After-tax cost (%)WeightsWACC (%) Ordinary Shares (@ Kshs 5)25,000,00013. 50%-0. 364. 86 Preference shares (@ Kshs 10)10,000,00012. 50%-0. 141. 75 Bank loan17,500,00016. 50%16. 5(1-0. 3) = 11. 550. 252. 89 Debentures17,500,00014%14(1-0. 3) =9. 800. 252. 45 Total70,000,000111. 95% The estimated tax rate is 30% each year and the required rate of return is 11. 95%. INITIAL START-UP COSTS: (Start-up costs sourced from different businesses) CostKshs. Cost of purchasing land in Karen42,000,000 Cost of construction and renovation7,000,000 Cost of business van / bus1,500,000 Cost of furniture for the lobby and cafeteria1,600,000 Cost of office furniture and equipment1,200,000 Cost of marketing research750,000 Cost of acquiring licenses1,000,000 Cost of outdoor tables and chairs320,000 Cost of activity equipment (W3)13,154,000 Total69,424,000 CALCULATION FOR REVENUE AND EXPENSES: PROJECTED INCOME STATEMENT: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS: PROJECTED INCOME STATEMENT: The projected income statement shows that the initial year expenses are very high relative to the revenue. However, the business will still make a profit in the first year. The net profit margin for the first year is 2. 4%, which indicates that for every Kshs. 100 of revenue earned, a profit of 2. 74 is being made on it. The second year projections indicate a sharp increase in the net profits. The net profit margin increases to 17. 23%. This shows that the business will be picking up especially in the second year. In the third year, the net profit margin indicates that, the net profits are increasing at a slow rate but the margin is still very high. MARKET RESEARCH AND SURVEY DESIGN METHODS OF RESEARCH: The business used various methods for research: ?Surveys / questionnaires ?Face-to-face interviews ?Telephone and e-interviews. Market experiments Surveys/ Questionnaires: The business highly depended on the surveys to determine whether the sample market accepted this business. The survey was used to determine several factors that required fieldwork that could not be gathered otherwise. This was the main form of research. Face-to-face interview: These were conducted with the general public as well as several travel agencies such as Twiga tours and Ibis. It was used to determine information such as the form of operation of a travel agent, the costs involved for outsourcing with travel agents and the marketing costs for using travel agents. Telephone and e-interviews: These were conducted with those companies that were too far to travel to. Our competitors ‘out of bounds’ and ‘Kitengela adventures’ were interviewed via telephone due to distance. Similarly, banks, insurance companies, hotels and lodges were interviewed via email due to the timing constraint for these firms. The market experiment: This was conducted for the purpose of the promotional campaign effectiveness. The general public was asked whether they could recall the advertisement for the business, whether they could summon up the slogan for the business and what other details they could evoke. OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY: Before conducting the survey, the business opted to decide the key objectives or goals that the survey was trying to achieve. After viewing the different aspects that required the attention of the market, the questionnaire was designed strategically to cover all these aspects and objectives. The objectives selected are: ?To determine the potential demand for extreme sports as a recreational activity in the market. ?To establish the potential competition for extreme sports, outdoor sports and extreme sports packages in this market. ?To identify the ability and the chances of the business survival in the market. To establish what the general public of this market is looking for in this business. ?The demand for different types of extreme sports. ?The preference for Karen as a location and the opinions of the general public, concerning the location for the business. ?To determine other locations for the business. ?The audience’ opinion on the pricing of the packages and products offered by X-Treme Gravity. ?To determine the target market for the business’s products and packages. ?Analyzing and identifying the key external and economical factors that are barriers to the success of this business. ?The acceptability / viability of the business. SAMPLE SURVEY: (Web surveyor, 2009) X-TREME GRAVITY QUESTIONNAIRE This is a recreational business that is mainly accentuating on extreme sports such as skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, mountain climbing and trekking, among others. The business is a new and unique idea for leisure in Nairobi City, mainly developed for the purpose of diverting people to healthier ways of enjoying their leisure time. We will be carrying out various extreme sports within our premises (which has been conveniently located). We also extend our services as extreme sports agents. Those activities that cannot be done within the city (e. g. the water sports) will be arranged for in different areas within Kenya. These packages are directed towards anyone and everyone, ranging from school children to adults. (Circle your choice) NB: The 5 – point scales used, range from: Bad (1), Average (2), Good (3), Very Good (4), and Excellent (5). 1)How do you prefer extreme sports? 1 2 3 4 5 2)Are you? Male Female 3)What age bracket would you appear under? a)11 – 20 b)21 – 30 c)31 – 40 d)41 – 50 e)50+ 4)Are you currently? )Employed b)Looking for a job c)Studying d)Retired 5)During your leisure time, you enjoy: a)Doing some sports b)Going on a long vacation c)Watching TV at home and lazing around d)Others 6)If a new extreme sports business develops in the markets, would you: a)Be one of the first to try the sports for this new business b)Wait for a while for the business to settle in to the market and then try it. c)No, I prefer doing my ow n activities at the sports club d)No, it’s not my area of interest. 7)The location of the business would be in Karen. How would you prefer it? 1 2 3 4 5 ) Which district do you live in? ___________________________________ 9)Would you find the location of the business in Karen? a)Convenient b)Out of the way- too far for you to get there c)Appropriate for the type of business (extreme sports) d)Skewed / biased 10) If you had a choice, where would you locate this business? _____________________________________________ 11)Since the business offers extreme sports packages, among the rates included for these packages are: What would you think of these rates? Extreme sports packages: Ranging from Kshs. 30,000 p. p. to Kshs. 90,000 p. p (approximately) 2 3 4 5 12)Approximately how many people do you think will turn up in the first year? a)150 – 300 b)301- 450 c)451 – 550 d)550 + 13)Out of these extreme sports, which would you like the most? a)Sky diving b)Bungee Jumping c)Water sports i. e. Scuba diving, white water rafting, surfing d)Mountain climbing & trekking e)Others 14)The idea of a new extreme sports recreational park would be? a)Exciting b)Unique c)Not realistic d)None of the above 15)According to you, which one of these economic conditions will the biggest factor to affect the market for extreme sports adversely? )Inflation b)Unemployment c)Downturn in economic growth d)Income inequality e)Others 16)From this business, your biggest expectations are: a)Excellent quality of services b)Fun and exciting extreme sports packages c)Reasonable prices for the extreme sports packages d)Other activities besides extreme sports 17)Do you see this business as? a)A new and unique business in the market b)A similar business to a few other competing businesses that already exist c)A small business competing with many small businesses of its own type 18)Out of these factors, which would affect majority of the businesses in Kenya? a)Economic factors i. . re cession / downturn in the economy b)Political or legal factors c)Socio – cultural factors d)Competition 19)To what extent does your chosen factor affect the survival of a new extreme sports business? 1 2 3 4 5 20)What other suggestions or advice would you give for this new extreme sports business? ~END OF SURVEY~ Thank you for your cooperation and time. We assure you that your responses in this questionnaire will be kept highly confidential. RESULTS OF SURVEYS AND DATA COLLLECTED: DATA COLLECTED: A total of 36 surveys out of 50, were successfully completed. INTEREST IN EXTREME SPORTS: Level:No. Of people(%) 1-Bad26% 2-Average38% 3-Good925% 4-Very good1028% 5-Excellent1233% TARGET MARKET Class of people:No. of people(%) Gender: Male2569% Female1131% Age group: 11-201233% 21-301953% 31-4038% 41-5013% 50+13% Occupational status: Employed822% Looking for a job38% Studying2569% Retired00% Lifestyles / Behavior: Innovators1542% Conservatives411% Not interested514% Wait for business to settle1233% LOCATION: Preference for Karen: LevelNo. Of people(%) 1-Bad26% 2-Average925% 3-Good1542% 4-Very good411% 5-Excellent617% The location is: No. Of people(%) Skewed/ biased:411% Convenient:617% Out of the way:1233% Appropriate for the business:1439% DEMAND (IN TERMS OF CUSTOMERS) FOR THE 1ST YEAR: No. Of customers expected in the first yearNo. Of people(%) 150-3001850% 301-450822% 451-550514% 550+514% INTEREST IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXTREME SPORTS: Type of extreme sport:No. Of people(%) Sky diving1028% Bungee jumping822% Water sports822% Mountain climbing1028% ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE BUSINESS ADVERSELY: Economic factors:No. of people(%) Inflation38% Unemployment1131% Economic Recession925% Income inequality1336% CHANGES IN UNEMPLOYMENT AND INCOME INEQUALITY OVER TIME: YearsUnemploymentIncome inequality (%)(HDI) Year 200540%0. 521 Year 200640%0. 532 Year 200740%0. 532 Year 200845%0. 544 Year 200943%0. 541 TYPE OF BUSINESS IN THE MARKET: Type:No. of people(%) Monopoly2569% Oligopoly822% Monopolistic 38% PROJECTED MARKET SHARE FOR THE BUSINESS: Year:No. Of competitorsMarket share Year 2009337% Year 2010526% Year 2011720% Year 2012817% OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING THE BUSINESS ADVERSELY: Factors:No. of people(%) Economic factors1747% Political-legal factors822% Socio-cultural factors719% Competition411% ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: Figure 1. 2 shows that, 86% of the sample market has a great interest in extreme sports while 14% of the sample market does not. This permitted us to continue further with the business proposal. Figure 1. 3 supplements figure 1. 2. After determining the interest in extreme sports by the sample market, the level of preference was determined. The figure shows that 33% think of extreme sports as ‘excellent’ while 6% think of extreme sports as ‘bad’ due to lack of interest. Figure 1. 4 shows that 42% find the location of the business ‘good’ while 6% find the location of the business ‘bad’. 25% find the location ‘excellent’. The reasons are illustrated below: Figure 1. shows that 39% find the location of the business ‘appropriate for the type of business’ while 33% find the location ‘out of the way’. Hence, this explains why the highest level of preference is ‘3-good’. Figure 1. 6. Indicates that majority of the sample market expect a turn up of ‘150-300’ customers in the first year. Figure 1. 7. Sho ws that Economic factors will affects the business the most. Competition in the market will least affect the business. Figure 1. 8. Shows that income inequality will be the most detrimental factor for the business, followed by unemployment, economic recession and then inflation. Figure 1. 9 shows the demand for various extreme sports. Skydiving and mountain climbing have the highest demand. Bungee jumping and water sports have a lower demand. Figure 2. 1. Indicates that unemployment rate has increased at an increasing rate from 2007 onwards. After 2008, the unemployment rate grows at a decreasing rate. This is a major factor affecting our business. Figure 2. 2 shows that income inequality (measured using HDI) has been on an upward trend since 2005. After 2008, the HDI has gradually decreased and this could be a positive signal for the business. Figure 2. 3. Shows that the projected market share for the business will rise at an increasing rate. This indicates the chances of the business growth and expansion in the market, is high. The expected number of competitors determined the market share over the years, depending on the profits and the return on investment in the business. RE – ASSESSING THE VIABILITY OF THE BUSINESS POSITIVE COMMENTS: ?A new and unique business: Most of our potential clients believed that our business is very interesting, exciting and unique as opposed to other recreational businesses. There is a chance for survival with this business. Location for the on-premises activities: There are several activities that we are offering on location. The location of the business, as mentioned earlier, is in Karen along Karen road. Even though it seems inconvenient to our potential customers, the surveys indicated otherwise. People actually find the location for the business appropriate and acceptable. ?Diversifying: With a business such as extreme sports, that has rarely been explored, the idea is to spread the risk. Therefore, besides offering extreme sports on the premises, we are sports agents, also offering extreme sports packages. Prices for the products are reasonable: Another surprising result of the survey are the prices. Many of the people in the market find the prices reasonable for the nature of the products being offered. NEGATIVE COMMENTS: ?Uncertainty with the location for extreme sports packages: There were a lot of questions that were raised conc