Divine Chocolate Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2997 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? I. Introduction At the request of the Board of Directors, this presentation will examine the â€Å"social enterprise† organisation from several perspectives. First, the social enterprise form of organisation will be defined, with a focus on the social enterprise sector in the UK, and other data specific to social enterprise organisations operating in the UK. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Divine Chocolate Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order A description of the social enterprises currently operating in the UK will be presented. The presentation will then discuss the concept of â€Å"social firms† and how they fit in to the business environment of social enterprises previously examined. This will be followed by a discussion of several aspects of our social enterprise, the Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate), beginning with its origins and mission, and concluding with recommendations on how our social enterprise can formulate an effective long-term strategy for success. II. What is Social Enterprise? A social enterprise can be defined as an organisation that is driven by motives that are not exclusive to earning a profit from its operations (Pepin, 2010). As of 2010 there were at least 62,000 organisations that could be defined, to some extent as social enterprises operating within the UK (Pepin, 2010). The aggregate turnover generated by these social enterprises exceeded  £32 billion per year (Pepin, 2010). The additional, non-profit measures that social enterprises are measured by include various social, cultural, environmental, and other measures (Fichtl, 2007). For social enterprises, these additional non-profit measures can be viewed as being of greater significance to the organisation than the profit motive, given that social enterprises are more likely to direct surpluses generated via operations to meet certain social objectives, as compared to utilising such surpluses to increase shareholder wealth through activities such as dividend payments (Berardi, 2013). Social enterprises operate in several sectors of the economy, but are most numerous in the training, housing, education, and retail/wholesale sectors (Berardi, 2013). The main source of income for social enterprises is the general public, which accounts for 37% of income generated by social enterprises in the UK (Berardi, 2013). The public and private sectors contribute 18% and 13% respectively, and grants and donations contribute 14% to the income generated by social enterprises in the UK (Berardi, 2013). III. What do Social Enterprises do? Social enterprises are established in order to address certain environmental and/or social needs through the operation of their business (Berardi, 2013). The most frequent objective of social enterprises in the UK is to improve a particular community, with a quarter of all social enterprises falling in this category (Berardi, 2013). Another frequently occurring objective of social enterprises, accounting of 24% of social enterprises in the UK, is the goal of addressing social exclusion in society in general, a community in particular, and/or a sector of the economy specifically (Berardi, 2013). Additional goals common in many social enterprises are the goals of improving the health and wellbeing of a community, and helping protect the environment (Berardi, 2013). Social enterprises need not devote all of their resources to address one particular objective (Berardi, 2013). Some social enterprises attempt to achieve several goals, which in addition to those already described ab ove, including goals such as promoting literacy, supporting vulnerable individuals in society, assisting in providing affordable housing, and helping to increase employment (Berardi, 2013). IV. Are any Social Enterprises Successful? There are many successful social enterprises operating in the UK (RBS, 2013). One such successful enterprise is the Green Machine organisation (RBS, 2013). Green Machine reuses paint supplies in an effort to address the estimated 56 million litres of paint wasted each year in the UK (The Green Machine, 2014). The Green Machines labour force consists of 40% of individuals who can be categorised as disabled or disadvantaged, thus demonstrating a social enterprise attempting to address more than one social and/or environmental goal (The Green Machine, 2014). A social firm is a type of social enterprise that attempts to create quality jobs for individuals who are disadvantaged in the labour market (Social Firms UK, n.d.). The criteria required in order for an organisation to be considered a social firm is as follows: 1) â€Å"Social Firms are businesses that combine a market orientation and a social mission† ; 2) â€Å"More than 25% of employees will be disadvantaged pe ople† ; and 3) â€Å"Social Firms are committed to the social and economic integration of disadvantaged people through employment† (Social Firms UK, n.d.). Thus, the Green Machine organisation, in addition to being a social enterprise, can also be considered a social firm, given its commitment to finding employment for disabled and disadvantaged individuals (The Green Machine, 2014). V. What kind of Social Enterprise is Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate)? As discussed above, social enterprises do not necessarily conform to any one particular type. (Berardi, 2013). The Day Chocolate Company is partly owned by the farmers who supply the cocoa used in the production of Day Chocolate Companys chocolate products (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The cocoa farmers are located in Ghana, West Africa, and own 45% of Day Chocolate Companys shares (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The cocoa farmers are organised as a co-operative called Kuapa Kokoo, made up of 45,000 members across 1,000 villages in Ghana, West Africa (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). The chocolate is purchased from the farmers on a fair trade basis, in order to achieve better trade conditions for the farmers and promote the sustainable farming of cocoa in Ghana, West Africa (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). Thus, Day Chocolate Company can be viewed as a social enterprise of the type that attempts to improve a particular community and by creating employment opportunities (Berardi, 2013). Secondary effects of these goals, such as promoting education and literacy are also achieved (Divine Chocolate, n.d.). When establishing a social enterprise in the UK, the organisation must be established as one of the following business structures: limited company; charity; charitable incorporated organisation; co-operative; industrial and provident society; community interest company; sole trader; or business partnership (Gov.UK, 2013). There are benefits and drawbacks to each of the aforementioned business structures, and an organisation will choose which of the business structures is most appropriate in its particular circumstance. VI. Motivations and Expectations of the Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate) In the early part of the 1990s the cocoa production in Ghana was privatised, and the government of Ghana controlled the export of cocoa out of the country (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). However, when state support of the cocoa industry in Ghana collapsed the livelihoods of thousands of cocoa farmers in Ghana were put at risk (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). It was at this time that the idea for the Day Chocolate Company was created (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The mission of the Day Chocolate Company is to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in West Africa by putting them higher up the value chain (Divine Chocolate, 2012). Day Chocolate Company attempts to achieve this objective by sourcing the cocoa necessary in the production of its chocolate goods from the farmers of Ghana, West Africa according to fair trade standards (Divine Chocolate, 2012). Rather than being motivated by a goal of increasing shareholder wealth, the Day Chocolate Company emphasises a si gnificant return of its profits from the sales of chocolate, in markets where such products are in high demand, in particular the UK and America, back to the cocoa farmers in Ghana, West Africa (Divine Chocolate, 2012). The Day Chocolate Company was encouraged by the success of fair trade marked organisations such as the coffee company Cafedirect (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). Cafedirect began in 1993, and by 2005 had succeeded in becoming the 6th largest coffee company in the UK (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). The success of Cafedirect had a direct impact on the livelihoods of coffee farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). VII. The Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate) Organisation The Day Chocolate Company was established in the UK in 1998 as a private company limited by shares (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005; Usa, n.d.). When it was established in 1998, Day Chocolate Companys shares were owned by the fair trade organisation Twin Trading (52%), the cosmetics company The Body Shop (12%), and the Ghana cocoa farmer co-operative Kuapa Kokoo (33%) (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The cocoa farmers share was financed by a  £400,000 loan from the Department for International Trade Development (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). In 2006 the Body Shop decided to donate its shares in the Day Chocolate Company to the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative (Divine Chocolate, 2011). In January 2007 Day Chocolate Company changed its name to Divine Chocolate Ltd in order to â€Å"more closely align the company with [its] flagship brand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Divine Chocolate, 2011, p. 1). Day Chocolate Company has a significant presence in several countries, most notably in the UK, C anada, and the United States (Divine Chocolate, 2012). In the UK, supermarkets Waltrose and Sainsburys expanded their Day Chocolate Company offerings in 2012, and there is now a Day Chocolate Company 45 gram chocolate bar onboard Virgin Airlines flights (Divine Chocolate, 2012). As a result of the â€Å"demise† of the companys Irish distributor, availability of the products in the Irish market decreased (Divine Chocolate, 2012). However, exports to Scandinavian countries, including Sweden and Norway increased, which served to partially offset the decline in the Irish market for the companys products (Divine Chocolate, 2012). VIII. Day Chocolate Companys (Divine Chocolates) Business Activity Between the years 1998 and 1999 the Day Chocolate Company recorded sales of  £103,500 (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). By 2004 its annual sales had grown to  £5.5 million (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). For the most recent year with available financial data, the year ended 30 September 2012, the companys sales stood at  £7.5 million (Divine Chocolate, 2012). However, between the years 2011 and 2012 the Day Chocolate Companys profit on ordinary activities after taxation declined significantly, from  £59,000 in 2011 down to  £27,000 in 2012 (Divine Chocolate, 2012). The decline in profit between 2011 and 2012 was attributed primarily to an increase in administrative expenses (Divine Chocolate, 2012). The cocoa farmed by the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative is shipped to Germany, where an independent chocolate manufacturer combines the cocoa and other ingredients into an edible chocolate product (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The German facility ships the chocolate to a war ehouse in Hull, from where it is distributed to wholesalers and the retailers (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). IX. Profits/Surpluses at Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate) The Day Chocolate Company has used profits from its operations to expand within the UK and beyond its core UK market, in particular the United States (Divine Chocolate, 2012). The Day Chocolate Company has also remained true to its core mission, in that it has continued to utilise profits from its operations to improve the lives of the cocoa farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana (Divine Chocolate, 2012). However, the benefits derived from the profits generated by the Day Chocolate Company are not limited to the cocoa farmers (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). According to Doherty and Tranchell (2005), over 100,000 Ghanaians living in communities with Kuapa Kokoo societies have benefited from necessities such as medical care and medications. Several schools have been constructed, and each school serves an area covering a 4 km radius (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). The fair trade agreement premiums that accumulated through the year 2005 were sufficient to cover the school ing costs of an estimated 250,000 Ghanaians for an entire school year (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). A leading cause of death in many parts of Africa, water borne disease, has been reduced significantly, in significant part due to the increased availability of clean water supplies (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). X. Strategy of Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate) An important aspect of the Day Chocolate Companys strategy has been its concerted effort to convey to the chocolate consumer market the level of misfortune that has plagued the lives of many of the farmers responsible for the cocoa used in the manufacture of all varieties of chocolate products (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). Through its website, and through its direct encounters with supermarkets and other potential sellers of its products, the Day Chocolate Company has attempted to show that society can help change the lives of the Ghanaians for the better by purchasing their product (Golding, 2006; Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The Day Chocolate Company has also enlisted the help of organisations such as Christian Aid, in efforts to bring their products to the shelves of an increasing number of outlets (Turner, 2013). For instance, Christian Aid ran a campaign called, â€Å"Stock the Choc,† in an effort to have the Day Chocolate Companys products carried at Te sco (Christian Aid, 2009). A similar campaign by Christian Aid succeeded in getting Sainsbury to carry the Day Chocolate Companys products in its many stores across the UK (Lamb, 2008). The Day Chocolate Company recognises that appealing to consumers based on its mission alone will not be sufficient so sustain its organisation (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The emphasis on the quality of the product itself can also be seen at the level of the Ghanaian cocoa farmers (and co-owners) themselves, as demonstrated by one farmers statement in 2008, that â€Å"we [the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative] want people to feel good about our chocolate, not guilty about the poor farmer in the Third World† (Vidal, 1999). XI. Challenges of the Day Chocolate Company (Divine Chocolate) The most significant hurdle for a company such as Day Chocolate Company has been establishing itself in the market. When it first entered the market in the late 1990s, the UK chocolate market was dominated by the companies Cadbury, Nestle, Masterfoods, and Kraft Jacob Suchard (Johnson, Scholes, and Whittington, 2005). The â€Å"highly competitive† UK confectionary market did not experience any significant changes in the handful of years subsequent to the entry of the Day Chocolate Company either (Johnson, Scholes, and Whittington, 2005, p. 757). The difficulty in making an impact in the market can further be seen by comparing the sales teams at the UK confectionary leader, Cadbury, and the Day Chocolate Company (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). Whereas Cadbury has approximately 150 members on its sales team, the Day Chocolate Company has but three (Social Enterprise Academy, n.d.). The economies of scale of the larger firms are formidable (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005) . For instance, in the late 1990s Nestle UK expended  £9 million on the promotion of a single product within its vast portfolio, the Kit Kat Chunky (Doherty and Tranchell, 2005). Other challenges that the Day Chocolate Company must confront are not unique to the organisation. Most significantly, macroeconomic factors, such as a stagnant economy may impact demand, leading to another decline in sales, such as that experienced for the year ended 30 September 2012 (Divine Chocolate, 2012). In addition, an increasing number of retailers are beginning to compete in the fair trade chocolate market, which may have an impact on the Day Chocolate Companys market share of what is already a small segment of the total chocolate market (Reed, 2009; McGrath, 2012). XII. Recommendations and Conclusion The Day Chocolate Company has succeeded in carving out a niche for itself in the chocolate market. However, it must continue to expand into new markets, given that other organisations, including some of the large chocolate companies are beginning to compete in the fair trade chocolate market. The company should seek to leverage its experience in the fair trade chocolate market as best it can. The company may need to divert a greater amount of its profits to this growth strategy, and this may impact the amount that it uses in meeting its mission of improving the livelihood of the cocoa farmers in Ghana. Although the company may temporarily fall short of this mission, at least it will provide an opportunity to create a more stable and potentially long-lived social enterprise. REFERENCES Berardi, A. (2013) What does social enterprise offer the third sector in the UK, and how can academic research contribute to the emergence of social enterprise within the research context? Accessed on 5 May 2014 from: https://www.sosyalinovasyonmerkezi.com.tr/yayin/2020130001.pdf. Christian Aid (2009) Stock the Choc. Accessed on 8 May 2014 from: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/stock-the-choc-postcard.pdf. Divine Chocolate (n.d.) Education Matters. Accessed on 6 May 2014 from: https://www.divinechocolate.com/us/good-stuff/news/2013/4/education-matters . Divine Chocolate (2011) Divine Story. Accessed on 7 May 2014 from: https://www.divinechocolate.com/us/about-us/divine-story. Divine Chocolate (2012) Annual Report 2011-2012. Accessed on 6 May 2014 from: https://www.divinechocolate.com/uk/sites/default/files/img/pages.pdf. Doherty, B. and Tranchell, S. (2005) New Thinking In International Trade? A Case Study Of The Day Chocolate Company. Sustainable Development, 13(3), pp. 166-176. Fichtl, E. (2007) The Fair Trade Movement in Historical Perspective. Accessed on 6 May 2014 from: https://www.ericfichtl.org/images/uploads/Fichtl_FairTradeMovementHistoricalPerspective.pdf. Golding, K. (2006) The Challenges of Mainstreaming Fair Trade: A Case Study of the Day Chocolate Company. Accessed on 7 May 2014 from: https://www.crsdd.uqam.ca/Pages/docs/pdfColloques/colloque_international/Seance_1/GOLDING%202006.pdf. Gov.UK (2013) Setting up a social enterprise. Accessed on 5 May 2014 from: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-a-social-enterprise. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. Prentice Hall: Saddle River, NJ. Lamb, H. (2008) Fighting the Banana Wars and Other Fairtrade Battles. Random House: New York. McGrath, C. (2012) Why Kraft Foods Cares About Fair Trade Chocolate. Accessed on 8 May 2014 from: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-kraft-foods-cares-about-fair-trade-chocolate/ . Pepin, J. (2010) Social Enterprise and The Social Investment Market in the UK. JPA Europe. Accessed on 5 May 2014 from: https://evpa.eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Social-Enterprise-and-the-Social-Investment-Market-in-the-UK-An-Initial-Overview.pdf . RBS (2013) Shortlist for RBS SE100 2013 awards announced! Accessed on 6 May 2014 from: https://se100.net/news/shortlist-rbs-se100-2013-awards-announced. Reed, D. (2009) What do Corporations have to do with Fair Trade? Positive and Normative Analysis from a Value Chain Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(1), pp. 3-26. Social Enterprise Academy (n.d.) Divine Chocolate Case Study. Accessed on 7 May 2014 from: https://www.theacademy-ssea.org/assets/0000/2881/Divine_Chocolate_Case_Study.pdf Social Firms UK (n.d.) What is a Social Firm? Accessed on 6 May 2014 from: https://www.socialfirmsuk.co.uk/about-social-firms/what-social-firm The Green Machine (2014) Green Machine (enterprise) CIC reusing paint sup plies in Bracknell. Accessed on 7 May 2014 from: https://www.greenmachinecommunityrepaint.co.uk/ Turner, S. (2013) A fairer chocolate. Accessed on 8 May 2014 from: https://www.christiantoday.com/article/a.fairer.chocolate/31748.htm. Usa, I. (n.d.) UK Starting Business (Incorporating) in the UK Guide Volume 1 Strategic, Practical Information and Basic Regulations. International Business Publications: Washington D.C. Vidal, J. (1999) If you eat chocolate then you can make a difference. The Guardian 6 December 1999. Accessed on 8 May 2014 from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/07/christmasappeal2006.johnvidal.

Support The Frightfullly Hopeful Future of Technological...

Support The Frightfully Hopeful Future of Technological Singularity Imagine. One day your Doctor regretfully informs you the person you love the most in your life is tragically going pass away due to an incurable disease. Instantly, overwhelming feelings of despair and anger burn inside your chest while graphic scenes of funeral details and goodbyes flood your mind eventually propelling you to the rhetorical question everyone asks, â€Å"Is there anything we can do?† Then, The Doctor hands you a pamphlet saying, â€Å"Have you ever heard of nanotechnology?† This Doctor is no â€Å"Mad Scientist†; in fact, he is a highly trained professional that has saved several lives with his proposition. What would you say? This small-scale scenario is the perplexing situation the human race will have to face in the near future. Although some would consider the merger of technology and human biology a completely â€Å"crack pot† idea, It is this hasty decision of judgme nt that explains our reaction to fear. This fear resonates with most of the population globally since it is this very generation that has witnessed the exponential growth of technology. Physically, psychologically and spiritually, technological singularity threatens our future and shakes the foundation of morality. However, does this change bring about negative or positive ramifications? With Technological Singularity’s future being so unpredictable, it would not be wise to ignore its possibilities especially since it was the human race,

What makes a family Free Essays

Family It was three pickoff In the morning on a cold spring night In 1988. My parents woke me up and told me it was time to get ready to go to the airport. We were leaving Russia to move to the united States. We will write a custom essay sample on What makes a family or any similar topic only for you Order Now My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had moved to the United States a few years back. I was ecstatic to be once again reunited with my relatives especially with my cousin Yang who I was very close to. I Jumped out of bed with so much excitement; I can almost see my heart pumping out of my chest. It was a matter of minutes until I was standing by the door wearing my Black oat and a suitcase next to me. Prior to my relatives leaving, we would spend every weekend, holiday and special occasion together. I would Impatiently Walt for the weekend to come so I can see my cousin Yang and my grandparents. My grandmother would bring little gifts every time she saw me and my grandfather was my hero, regardless of the situation I can always count on him to take my side. Upon moving to Brooklyn, I expected that everything would continue to be the same as It once was In Russia. Within a few months, I realized that this was not the case. My grandparents were occupied with their jobs and other responsibilities. Yang lived to ar of a distance to walk so our time together was limited. We no longer had time to see each other on weekends or spend holidays together. My parents had also become extremely busy trying to construct a new life and part of that process required for them to work on weekends. My father was struggling to accept that he was once a business owner in Russia and now a blue collar worker. He soon began to channel his anger and frustration on me. â€Å"l wish you were a boy’ he said, â€Å"l could have taught you manly things. † However, he never took the time to Inquire about my life or teach me about life. Soon, I did not Like spending time at home. I would often find myself feeling lonely and wishing I had a brother or a sister that I can be close to. I wanted to feel what it would be like to be loved again. During my first summer in Brooklyn I felt lonely. School was out of session and I had no friends. I would be at the playground near my house watching other kids having fun. My English was still not very good and I had trouble approaching the other children. One day I noticed a girl that, like me, was also alone. She was sitting on a bench about ten feet away and noticed her glancing at me. Within a few minutes she approached me and asked in Russian â€Å"what is your name? ‘ â€Å"Lairs. And what Is yours† I replied. Her name was Anna. She was instantly very talkative and continued asking me questions such as â€Å"where are you from? † and â€Å"how far is your home? We ended up staying at the playground until sundown, and it was one of my happiest days from that summer. It did not take us long to become close, We spent every day of that summer together and I realized that her situation was very similar to mine. She had also moved with her parents from Russia not too long ago. Eventually they divorced and her mother gave the responsibility of raising her to her grandparents. Unlike me, however, Anna was stronger and more confident. She had control of her emotions and could not be Influenced by others. The opinion of others also did not matter. Be who you want to be, not who others want you to be,† she said â€Å"But I don’t want to make my father 1 OFF â€Å"He is already always angry, what difference does it make? † she said â€Å"I am scared I will be in trouble† I said â€Å"We will face the consequences together† she said I thought that if I followed her lead, maybe I too can come out of my shell and be as strong as she was. Anna was protective of me and cared for me as if I was her little sister. After school we would often go to her grandparents’ house for dinner and it made me nostalgic of the days my grandmother would cook for me in Russia. After a while her grandparents accepted me as their own grandchild. They invited me to all of their special occasion and holidays. I began spending more time with them instead of my own family. One morning after leaving her grandmother’s house to go to school, Anna stopped unexpectedly. She grabbed my arm and said â€Å"can I ask you a question? † I was confused and hesitantly said â€Å"sure. † â€Å"Do you want to be blood sisters? † she asked. â€Å"How do we do that? † I asked puzzled. Let’s both cut our pinkies, put them together, and we will become sisters by blood† she answered. We felt so strong about our friendship that on May 21st, 1992 we created an unbreakable bond. Anna became the sister I had always wanted. When I needed to turn to someone for advice or for help I turned to Anna. She did not Judge and supported me regardless if I was right or wrong. I have never trusted a person so much in my life. We discussed education, relationships, careers and marriage. This was something I was unable to do with any of my family members. Of course, we would have our disagreements and fights, but through it all our bond always minded strong. We laughed together, cried together and shared life’s ups and downs together. I was blessed to have her in my life. When I reminisce about that day, I realize that although what we did was childish, it also speaks a powerful message. While your parents will always be your family through birth, as you go through life you determine who you can call family. Anna showed me that this can extend to include those that are not your relatives. In my life, Vive formed my family to be people that influence my life, who help me through tough times, and who love and support me regardless of the circumstances. How to cite What makes a family, Papers

The Capital Structure of Entity

Question: Write an essay onThe capital structure of an entity . Answer: Introduction The capital structure of an entity presents how the entity finances its operations with the help of different sources of funds. The financial structure of an entity is the balance between all the liabilities and equity. It is the mix of long term and short term sources of funds used by a firm. It is the mix of debt and equity funds of an enterprise. It is important for an entity to have an optimal debt equity balance which generates the maximum value for the firm. The optimal debt equity mix should be such that the cost of capital for the entity is the least. The financial structure of the firm is very important, as the whole of the operations of the company is dependent on its finance (Vanderbeck, 2013). Healthy finance gives healthy and smooth functioning activities. Equity The equity capital represents the difference between value of assets and cost of liabilities. As per company accounts equity refers to shareholders equity. Equity is the cheapest source of finance. A negative equity is called as shareholders deficit. The equity shareholders of a company are the shareholders of the company who invest in the company by buying the equity shares of that company in anticipation of earning dividends. When a company is formed it needs capital in order to operate its business, so the company raises capital by issuing equity (Needles Powers, 2013). The shareholders subscribe to the share of the company and then the shares are allotted. Now, this becomes the permanent capital of the company which needs not be refunded. Only at the time of liquidation after payment of all the liabilities if any amount is left is distributed among the shareholders proportionately. The equity fund is dedicated wholly for the operations of the entity. The value creation of the shares is a source of investment appraisal for the equity shareholders. The best part of equity fund is that is has no associates costs unlike debt funds. The option to pay dividend is in the hands of the company (Vanderbeck, 2013). Even if the company earns sufficient profits the company is not obligated to pay dividends because the investors totally understand that the funds are really important for the growth of a company. Also the equity funds help to maintain the leverage of the company (Needles Powers, 2013). There is no obligation on the part of the company to pay back the funds. But the main drawbacks of equity financing is that, raising equity as a source of finance is demanding, costly and a time consuming method. It may require a lot of attention of the management. In order to raise equity, the company needs to have comprehensive check on its background and past performance, this if very often required by the potential investors. The company has to spend a lot of resources and time on this irrespective of the fact if it manages to raise any fund or not. Also there are a lot of legal and regulatory norms which are to be taken care of before raising funds through equity (William, 2010). Therefore, we see that equity as a source of finance is one of the best ways to raise capital for a business. It has a lot of advantages and one of the cheapest sources of finance. The only problem which lies is the issues related to its procurement. The company needs to build up an image and keep up progressive work if it desires to keep the business funded by equity. Overall, equity represents the own funds of a company. Debt The debt portion of the capital of a company represents the cash borrowed by the company at a fixed rate of interest with a fixed date or intervals to repay it. Debt may be represented by a loan or sale of debentures, the form will not change the nature of the debt. The lender always has the right to get back his money he lends along with the interest or as the agreement specifies (Needles Powers, 2013). Lending to a company to a company in theoretical terms is safer than in practical world. Investment through debt from lender point of view is more risky and it also provides higher awards. The performance of the company is the whole basis for procurement of loan. If the company has a good asset base with continuous profits then they can easily procure loans from the market. The main advantages of debt financing include no participation of outsiders in the business. When a company raises fund through a loan, the lender will not be there to tell the management on how to use the funds, it be the wholly decision of the management. Once the loan is repaid, the relationship with lender comes to an end unlike equity funding. Another advantage of debt financing is tax savings (Needles Powers, 2013). The interest paid in connection with loan is tax deductible and helps the companies to reduce its tax burden. Also when a company has taken loan it knows from before at what time and intervals is it required to pay interest along with exact numbers. This way the company can prepare its budget and check for availability of funds accordingly. The disadvantages of debt financing is that the companies need to have a good credit rating in order to procure loan, else it would the terms and conditions of loan shall be very harsh on the company. The company will have to maintain a series of smooth cash flow so that it is always has availability of funds to pay back loan instalments and interest amounts. If the lender would require collateral in connection to a loan provided by him, then this can bring the assets of the company at risk. So in order to decide if to or not to use debts as a financing tool the management needs to answer a few questions. It needs to check if it wants to have full control over the business of the company. Also, it needs to know it can pay back the loan timely and efficiently and if it would be comfortable in doing so. The company needs to check its credit worthiness before taking a loan and also it the worthiness is enough to get the company the desired amount of debt (Horngren, 2013). The management of the company needs to check it has sufficient assets to provide as collateral for the loan. Comparison of Debt and Equity of two companies For the assessment we have chosen two biggest retails which are listed on the London stock exchange, the first is Kingfisher Plc which has a market cap of 7237.25 million and the other is Next Plc which has a market cap of 7368.98 million. We have calculated few liquidity ratios for both the companies for better understanding and comparability. Debt Equity Ratio: the D/E ratio is a finance ratio which helps the entity to measure its financial leverage. It helps the company to calculate what part of its capital is financed by debt and what by equity (Horngren, 2013). Debt Ratio: the debt ratio helps the companies to calculate what part of the companys assets is financed by debt or outside funds (Needles, 2011). Equity Ratio: the equity ratio helps the companies to calculate what part of the companys asses is financed by equity or own funds (Horngren, 2013). Interest Coverage ratio: this ratio helps the investor to calculate the companys ability to meet the interest payments as they fall due. Earnings per share: this ratio helps the investor to calculate profit earned on each share of the company. Analysis of Debt and Equity of Kingfisher Plc Kingfisher Plc is the largest home improvement retailers of Europe and the third largest in world. It has its headquarters situated in London. It has around 1176 stores in across 11 countries all over the world (Kingfisher Plc, 2015). Following are the equity, debt and asset components of the company for last five years: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Total Debt 3508 3474 3503 3741 3906 Total Equity 6186 6239 6317 6156 5727 Total Assets 9,694 9,713 9,820 9,897 9,633 We see that the company has over the period of five years tries to maintain is debt is to equity ratio of near about 0.5 to 0.7. This shows that the company is properly leveraged and there are no major variances in the financing of the company. The capital structure of the company is consistent and is healthy. Analysis of Debt and Equity of Next Plc Next Plc is another one of the largest clothing, footwear and home products retailers with about 700 stores. It is the largest clothing retailer of England, having left behind Marks and Spencer in the year 2012 and 2014 (Next Plc Ltd, 2015). Following are the equity, debt and asset components of the company for last five years: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Total Debt 2,018.30 1,960.40 1,858.40 1,608.00 1,631.50 Total Equity 311.80 321.90 286.20 285.60 222.70 Total Assets 2,330.10 2,282.30 2,144.60 1,893.60 1,854.20 We see that the capital structure of Next Plc is not very balanced. The proportion of debt as compared to equity is very high. This indicates that most of the operations and assets of the company are financed by loan funds (Lanen, 2008). The company is under huge obligation and it needs to take measures to improve its equity capital base. Comparison of the ratios of two companies Debt Equity Ratio Debt Equity Ratio 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Kingfisher Plc 0.57 0.56 0.55 0.61 0.68 Next Plc 6.47 6.09 6.49 5.63 7.33 The healthy debt to equity ratio lies within 0.5 to 2 depending on the industry in which the company operates. We see that Debt equity ratio of Kingfisher Plc is normal whereas that of Next Plc has crossed the threshold of 2. It is a bad sign for the company and the management of Next Plc needs to take some measures in order to correct it. Debt Ratio Debt Ratio 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Kingfisher Plc 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.38 0.41 Next Plc 0.87 0.86 0.87 0.85 0.88 Debt ratios of 0.4 or lower are considered well whereas ratio of 0.6 or more is not considered healthy. The debt ratio of kingfisher Plc has maintained over the period of 4 years and is below 0.4. But the debt ratio of Next Plc is very high and is not appropriate. It represents high leverage which can bring the company at stake (Horngren, 2013). Equity Ratio Equity Ratio 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Kingfisher Plc 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.62 0.59 Next Plc 0.13 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.12 The equity ratio of 0.6 and higher is considered good and ratio of 0.4 and below represents financial instability for the company. Kingfisher Plc has maintained its equity ratio around 0.6 over the period of five years. But the equity ratio of Next Plc is not appropriate. This represents that the company is mostly financed by loan funds. Interest Coverage Ratio Interest coverage Ratio 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Kingfisher Plc 24.27 50.54 64.25 37.37 26.71 Next Plc 26.44 25.45 24.54 22.97 19.82 Higher the interest coverage ratio better it is for the company. We see that the interest coverage ratio of Kingfisher Plc is not very stable but still at a better position than next Plc. The level of interest coverage ratio for Next Plc has maintained a steady form, but still the company needs to improve its performance, Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Kingfisher Plc 17.77 24.19 29.76 23.77 26.95 Next Plc 442.57 419.62 366.12 297.80 282.01 The earnings per share dont determine the performance of the company; it is the wealth maximization on which the company should focus. We see that EPS level of Kingfisher is very low as compared to Next Plc, this is so because of the debt equity ratio. The capital structure of Kingfisher has a higher proportion of Equity as compared to Next plc. Having more debt in capital structure creates a lot of burden on the company. Recommendation From the above calculations and graphs it is very clear that the capital structure of Kingfisher Plc is healthy and needs no changes, whereas the capital structure of Next Plc is very inappropriate and is highly levered. The capital structure of Next Plc requires immediate attention. The liquidity of the company will be at stake if the company continues to use this proportion of loan funds from outsiders. Even though Next Plc is the largest cloth retailers with highest revenue; the liquidity of the company if not proper can result in tremendous losses to the company (Albrecht et. al, 2011). Conclusion Equity and debt plays a vital role in shaping the destiny of the company and a comprehensive evaluation of the company considering these two provides a clear-cut picture. In the above report too, the comparison is done between Kingfisher Plc and Next Plc with the help of equity and debt. Therefore we see that proper generation of operating revenues is not the only feature which determines the financial position of the company. The capital structure of the company plays a very important role in determining the financial status of the company (Shim Siegel, 2009). References Albrecht, W., Stice, E. Stice, J 2011, Financial accounting, Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Horngren, C 2013, Financial accounting, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia Group. Kingfisher Plc 2015, Kingfisher Plc Annual Report and accounts, viewed 8 July 2016, https://www.kingfisher.com/index.asp?pageid=61 Lanen, W. N., Anderson, S Maher, M. W 2008, Fundamentals of cost accounting, NY: Hang Loose press. Needles, B. E. Powers, M 2013, Principles of Financial Accounting. Financial Needles, S. C 2011, Managerial Accounting, Nason, USA: South Western Cengage Learning. Next Plc Ltd 2015, Next Plc Ltd. Annual Report and accounts 2015., viewed 8 July 2016, https://www.nextplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2014/next-annual-report-2015-final-web.pdf. Shim, J.K Siegel, J.G 2009, Modern Cost Management and Analysis, Barron's Education Series Vanderbeck, E. J 2013, Principles of Cost Accounting, Oxford university press William, L 2010, Practical Financial Management, South-Western College.

Becoming a Teacher free essay sample

Everyone has progressed to where they are in life because they had a teacher. A teacher is defined as someone who gives instruction and communicates skills. Our children are our future, and they need to be prepared for the future or they will not be successful in the working world. Teaching makes a difference in them, because it gives them tools to help them be successful in the future. I would like to tell you why I would like to become a teacher. I have chosen to become a teacher because I myself am a product of someone whom I consider to be the best teacher in the world. As a child in West Virginia, a wonderful teacher named Mrs. Bonnie Fisher inspired me. Mrs. Fisher taught me that any dream was possible. If I put my mind to accomplishing any goal I could make it happen. Mrs. Fisher inspired me to be the best I could be at anything I wanted to be. We will write a custom essay sample on Becoming a Teacher or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Through my childhood and in to my adult life I have had other important teachers who inspire me to accomplish my dreams. These wonderful inspiring people in my life have helped me in my decision to become a teacher. The job of a teacher means different things to different people. For some, a teacher is simply a person who informs students about necessary information like math formulas, historical facts, or literary works. Yet for others, and for me, teachers are much more. They give their students not only their knowledge, but also their passion. They get involved in the lives of their students. They make their students feel good about themselves and they help the youth realize and fulfill their dreams. Being a teacher will have so many joys and challenges. Some of the challenges of becoming a teacher are helping students overcome every day challenges. Everyday is different because each day the students have something new and exciting to share with you. I can’t wait to become that teacher who has influenced a child, as Mrs. Fisher to me.

buy custom The History of Texas essay

buy custom The History of Texas essay In 1519, the first European explorers arrived in Texas. They found Texas inhabited by various Native American tribes. The Indians of Texas included the Caddo Indians, the Comanches, the coastal people and the Jumanos. From 1519 to 1848, Mexico and Spain were among the countries that aimed to colonize Texas This essay will focus on the legacies of the Spanish and Mexican colonial governments and their settlers on the modern state of Texas. It has also discussed the aspects of the legacy such as the politics, law, society and home life. The legacies of the Spanish colonial Government and their settlers on the modern state of Texas Although the Spanish colonization of Texas was brought to an end by the Mexican colonial government in 1821, Spain left a noticeable legacy in the modern state of Texas. For example, Spaniards introduced the Roman Catholic rligion in Texas, and as a result, the present Catholic religion in Texas continues to have many followers. Almost all inhabitants in Texas were practicing the Catholic religion during the end of the reign of Spain over Texas. The Spanish colonial government precedents have influenced the laws in the modern State of Texas especially in the areas of family law, judicial procedure, water and land law. Though Texas practices the Anglo-American legal system, it has retained some Spanish legal practices which include adoption, homestead exemption and community property. Spanish language is widely spoken and adopted in Texas. For example, several towns and rivers in Texas have Spanish names. Many influences by Spanish abound in Texas music, art, theatre and architecture. European livestock such as cattle, mules and horses were introduced in Texas by the Spanish in the 1690s. The Spanish farmers also introduced irrigation and tilling to the land and, as a result, changed the landscape of Texas. The legacies of the Mexican colonial Government and their seettlers on the modern state of Texas In 1821, Mexicans freed the rule of Spanish and began to create its own government. The Mexican colonial government and their settlers left a noticeable legacy on the modern state of Texas. The constitution of the Mexican colonial government has contributed to the legacy of Texas constitution. With Mexican independence in Texas, Coahuila y Tejas constitution (1827) was introduced in Texas. Many influences by Mexican are depicted in Texan art. The signing of forty-one impresario contracts by the Mexicans in Texas led to the emigration of many Mexicans to Texas. The Mexican colonial government and the settlers created a multicultural society in Texas. The biological origin of Mexican American people in Texas is traced to the racial mixture that resulted after the Spanish-Mexican conquest In 1820s. The emigration by Mexicans to Texas led to the emergence of three towns in Texas. Today in Texas, there are visible remains of Mexicos colonial government buildings. Some of the buildings include homes of the colonial officials and government office buildings. Buy custom The History of Texas essay

Thinking and Decision Making Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thinking and Decision Making Paper - Essay Example The employees who are known to possess the creative thinking abilities within their personalities are usually seen in a very positive way and they are given the room to exploit their strengths, not only for their own good but also for the sake of the long term success of the organization itself. Creative thinking thus opens many avenues for success and growth within the domains of the organizational reigns in an abundant capacity. Creative thinking does not usually depend a great deal on the way scientific and logical thinking models operate. It distances itself from the same and relies more on the creative input, brought forward by the artist (the employee). (Halpem, 1997) Thus creative thinking style is not possessed by each one of the employees within the workplace. It is a very sought after skill and one that is innate right from the onset of one’s recruitment within an office place setting. Creative thinking is usually rewarded in a very handsome fashion, with salary incentives, perks, medical allowances and so on. The creative artists or employees are seen in a much respected way and are given the dignity that they so richly

Neoliberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neoliberalism - Essay Example The citizens of Mexico are usually precluded from exercising their rights and inhibited from accessing justice in their system. The fact therefore that the people of Chiapas, who Speed uses in her study and who were involved in the Zapatista movement have in more ways than one framed their struggles in the context of enforcement of human rights. Human Rights and the Neoliberal Rule Interesting similarities could be drawn to the fact that the most controversial foreign policy decisions by the administration of the United States in the recent years usually get defense from unique quarters. These policies have always been defended on the basis that the government is spreading democracy and enforcing the realization of human rights. Most of these policies are considered neoliberal. One characteristic of neoliberalism is that it has a cultural system. This system focuses on the priority of the individual. Consequently, the values and discourse of individual freedoms and the notion of meri tocracy will lead to the establishment of neoliberal policies, governance and a rule that is neoliberal in nature. Mexico is one of the major traders under NAFTA. One significant factor of most of the transnational projects in the Latin America has focused on the tensions of development of neoliberal project. In the development of neoliberal rule therefore, strong attachments can be seen between the human rights movement and the explosion of a strong constitutional review that is more focus on bills and judicial reviews about the same time when there are developments in neoliberal reforms. Most of the works in neoliberal reforms and globalization embrace the idea that most administrations in the world try to adopt policies that are imposed upon them by the world. Most trading partners in the world on the other hand would not be willing to do trade with regimes that are oppressive and lack the respect for human rights. It is therefore clear that for such policies to be adopted there has to be a movement stimulating the recognition and realization of human rights and freedoms. Consequently, the recognition of such rights ultimately reproduces neoliberal rule and policies that come with it in several aspects of the administration. Human Rights as a Tool of Resistance to the Neoliberal State and the New Global Order Countries’ cultures, markets and politics no longer operate with the boundaries but also without and at international levels. One common and complimentary interest to the global order is the concept of neoliberal rule and policies that come with it. There are different stand points from which globalization is contested. During the cold war, it was characterized by localized global conflicts and national struggles became the proxies from which the United States and the Soviet Union fought their wars. Today, the resistance movements are framed, interpreted and attributed to grievances to neoliberal globalization and the institutions that govern it . This is because as the states develop and there is a stronger and higher recognition of human rights, most of the protests are influenced by the national economies and the administrative policies in the country but one way or the other, they are deflected by the new global order. This has seen the

The Film Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Film Industry - Essay Example Films have a very major core purpose that they all presume and that is creating entertainment (Aldikno, 1998). One of the major works in the film industry came in the early 1970s where a film known as Don't Look Now, directed by Nicholas Roeg was produced. The turn of events in the movie can be said to have led to the new generation of films. As such, it introduced the theme of murder as well as deaths. The last part of the film can be said to be sublime moving and further, a meditation on grief, which is frightening as well as relationships and beyond. For instance, Laura Baxter and John, who is her husband goes to enjoy their time together at Venice as a way of forgetting their daughter’s death (Rick 2001). The couple had indeed killed the daughter by drowning her. Two sisters, one of whom is blind and has capabilities of a psychic informs the couple that the little girl is still with them and this is manifested by the girl appearing in a red coat while wandering through the streets. With the reference to this episode of the film, the following discussion will aim at examining the earliest responses in regard to the film as a new medium and to pinpoint the potentials that would have been lost due to the responses. Moreover, the paper will aim at examining a film text that realizes the ideas that were set out from those criticism responses. When the theme of murder and deaths was introduced in the early films, many mixed responses concerning the theme arose. As such, the theme was not only a new concept but was also a new viewpoint and as such, it impacted mixed feelings among the audience. First, it tended to conflict the conceptions of the custom as well as some specific representations that were considered dynamic. In regard to this, the introduction of this new theme indeed was seen as changing the traditional view of the films (Catherine, 1992). These responses were therefore negative and many are the people who saw this notion of murder as going a gainst the set customs. In the early times, murder was a serious issue and by incorporating such scenes in a movie, some people, who followed the customary laws to the letter, felt that the films were disrespectful and going against the desired will of the society. They argued that people were likely to adopt such behaviors and as such, the society would develop a sense of insecurity. According to their perceived feelings, such movies did not portray the best of the pictures and hence had to be abominated (Catherine, 1992). On the other hand, some people received the theme of death and murder in films cordially as they saw it as an opportunity to take the film industry to a higher notch. When a film entails differentiated themes in its context, it assumes the shape of an abstract and as such, they provoke a certain organized association. In a film, a theme can be used but not at all times make a film successful. This is usually dependent on the feelings of the people towards it. How ever, if the theme is materialized, then the impression of the employed theme tends to be associative and as such, it becomes accepted by the audience. It is essential that the films, while incorporating the murder theme, to ensure that the plot of the film is designed in such a way that it have the capabilities of inferring something to the audience. In the same line of thinking, such an effort would indeed give rise to the most interesting and acceptable feelings in regard to the

Development of a UAV for Team Purpose

Development of a UAV for Team Purpose Career Episode 3 CE 3.1 Introduction During my final year of my Bachelors Degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering I made a project known as Loon Copter. This was a group project as it held a lot of importance in my career. It was completed in the allocated 6 months semester duration of my 8th i.e. final semester of my engineering. I completed my bachelors degree in engineering from Medi Caps Institute of Science Technology, Indore, India. My project guide was Prof. Sachin Puntambekar. CE 3.2 Background The primary need for this project is for the development of a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) which can be used for collaborative teaming purposes. The main intension behind configuration of this loon copter was to develop a UAV suitable for operations in dangerous situations like in forests or urban areas. They are mostly termed as MAV i.e. micro air vehicle. To keep the replacement cost low, the overall cost and complexity of the MAV should be kept low. Thus, components used by remote control flight hobbyists should be accessible for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) should be the area of target. It is a cost-effective project with future scope. CE 3.3 The basic ideas behind this project was to make one that could be either purchased or can be built in-house. For adding new feature and functionality I had to undergo surveys that could help find out the unmet needs and that can be added to the drone. So, from my survey I decided upon a drone that is not only waterproof but that can be submerged into the water and function there. The idea was inspiring as it was creative and innovative. There has been a development on waterproof drones that could land in water with the help of air floatation devices but homemade DIY drone that could go underwater was something new. CE 3.4 Loon copter is a multi-mode vehicle which was named after a diving duck in Michigan that has the ability of traditional exploration vehicle for rescue and research work like: 1. on land: it can hold sensors that are below waters surface and it is buoyant. 2. in air: it can hover over large areas like traditional drones. 3. underwater: it can replace the remotely operated underwater vehicles i.e. ORVs. The objective and aim behind this project is that using the combination of aerial, underwater and on surface in a single drone that would help to develop new possibilities. Due to its size and its feature of underwater use it can travel large distance in short span of time when compared to submarines. It also has the feature to enable sensor loitering over large area of interest to hover upon as a multi-copter when compared to a winged aircraft. CE 3.5 For the development of this loon copter I had to start with various research work and had to look at the problem statements. I started by undergoing various literature review from various engineering technology magazines and from the internet. Then my duties as a team leader, further involved diving the entire project into various parts and designing of its structure and work flow so that I could assign it accordingly to my team mates. I had to divide the project in parts along with assigning time slot for it so that the whole project is completed on time. The later part involved deciding upon the component requirement based on its precision to work and its ability. Then preparation of schematic diagram for the hardware had to be done so that I could start with the implementation of the hardware outer structure based on the layout designed for the PCB i.e. printed circuit board. I had to look at all the safety rules and regulation and take proper measures when needed as being a team leader. And then it involved the final software coding part so that the project comes alive. At the end, it ended with a preparation of a small presentation along with detailed description of the project in the report. CE 3.6 Professional Engineering Activity After involving in research on various loon copters, I involved myself in designing rationale of the 3D model of loon copter. It generally uses a design that makes use of an open-air mount for electronics systems. A watertight box had to be installed in the electronic system so that the quad can be submergible in water. In my project, I bought an outdoor surge box which was used as the watertight box for the exterior frame of the quadcopter. It was suitable for my system due to its large volume that was enough to hold the flight controller along with the mounts for the arms along with being light enough in terms of weight for the flight. The box can be designed in customized form to house electronics in the outdoor environment such that it has gaskets that are surrounded on the outer side of the box.ÂÂ   This helps to open and close as per the need and requirement to the interiors of the box along with keeping it watertight at the time of flight or submersion. Below Diagram shows the 3D model of my project loon copter. CE 3.7 The next step involved designing of the arm which was made up of ÂÂ ½ inch PVC piping that are connecting the watertight electric housing box to the rotors and the flight motors. PVC was chosen as it is light in weight and strong and can be waterproofed by applying PVC cement. And the wires can pass through them as they are hollow. The main issue with the arms is the buckling force at the PVC tube at its hub connection point. It is calculated based on the following formula: They are fixed at the connection point and the motors will be used to apply the force at the end, and using the following formula the buckling force is calculated to be 5440 lbf. CE 3.8 The next stage was about selecting the propeller and for that the load that the quadcopter will lift had to be considered and was the main concern. For my project the all up weight (AUW) would be approx. 2.5kg i.e. 5.5 lbs. considering the safety factor and versatility of the quadcopter, it should be able to lift double the AUW. Thus, propeller was designed to lift at least ÂÂ ½ the AUW. For this the most convenient was to use long propeller with slow spinning rate. It involved a lot of trial and error methods in terms of the size and pitch. The later process was the selection of the motor that would run the whole system. It was selected based on the weight and the type of propeller and bearing in mind the AUW of the quadcopter. So, looking at the calculation of 2.5kg AUW and 12 x 3.5 prop, a minimal 708kv/motor was required to lift at least 5kg of weight. And with this criterion, I found a motor that could be used for this process that was Aero sky performance brushless multi-rotor motor MC2217 of 800KV. CE 3.8 After choosing the right components based on its requirement and looking at various calculations, I then started with working on the wiring and the connection of the hardware structure of the quadcopter. The wiring diagram can be seen below. It can be said that the drone was designed and implemented using this wiring schematic diagram and it was such that it weighs 8 pounds and the motors and propellers were purchased within the assigned budget. Also, a ballast was constructed to increase its natural buoyancy from -1.5lbs to +3lbs of the craft and it can be adjusted to -2lbs. The arms could yield 5000 times higher to the expected max. load which was much higher than that was required. The deflecting arms wouldnt have any effect on the propellers too. CE 3.9 Therefore, after its complete design and structure it self-stabilized with the help of arrays of sensors integrated on it. The camera attached and mounted at the top of it are used to provide surveillance of the terrain and the loon copter attains an appropriate lift. The remote controller is used to give commands to the copter so that it can work and function as per the user requirements. The areas that are in-accessible to humans physically can be reached using this loon copter and it will provide a real-time audio-video transmission. CE 3.10 There were certain difficulties I faced while executing this project like first was to stabilize the flight, when I used an aluminum frame there was no stability and the frame didnt absorb the vibrations of the motor. So, to overcome that problem I used PVC. The other problem faced was with the weight of the frame. Due to the use of wooden frame, more power was required to lift such heavy weight. So, for that I made use of powerful motors with the velocity of 980KV and 18000rpm approx. so they could easily lift the whole structure. The third problem that occurred during this project was the concern of power supply. As the motor that was used was more powerful so it would in the end require high power for execution and for that regular batteries would not be sufficient. Therefore, I made use of lithium polymer battery also known as LiPo battery that was fulfil my requirement of battery that would provide 2000-2200 mAh current rating approximately. CE 3.11 Summary It can be further extended to monitor hazardous parameters like overheat or gas leakage. One can apply SMS technology to send commands for it to function. It can be used to have a feature like it can be expanded to control the air and mobility of air power roles and for cross governmental cooperation. These are few examples. Overall, after this project I learned to manage a team and how to handle tough situations. I had to coordinate with my project guide as well as the team mates. I had to keep a balance of work and keep into account all the progress that was made. I applied a lot of my engineering knowledge into this project and in return I also gained relevant knowledge though rigorous and intensive research and analysis on various components and related topics. It was a great learning experience. At the end a detailed project report was made on my project.

Essay --

Danielle C. Dillon Europe in the Middle Ages Fall 2013 Final Exam Many things effected society in Medieval Europe, some having a more profound effect than others. Europe in the Middles ages was a time of learning and of cultural growth, but it was also a time of more serious things such as the Black Death. The way Europe coped with these unforeseen challenges, helped shape their society and culture, and we still learn about them today. The Black Death was of significance in Europe, but what exactly was it? The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague was a wide spread infection in Medieval Europe that wiped out one third of the entire population during this time period. This plague affected the Lymph Nodes, where the bacteria found a suitable place to reproduce. How was the black plague spread you may ask? This is where some of the advances made in Europe during the Middle Ages, backfired and actually had a negative effect. It is widely known that the Black Plague was transmitted through rats, but it finds in origins in Asia. Thus the fleas found on these rats, must have come to Europe somehow, for this we look at trade routes. It was very common for markets and fairs to open up with imported goods in Europe, some of these goods coming from Asia, thus traveling salesmen and their merchandise are largely responsible for the transmission of the disease. Another reason this disease was so deadly was the lack of medicine, and knowledge of science. Though there was knowledge of science and medicine in the time, it does not compare to what we know now, including the knowledge of incubation periods. We know now because of modern medicine, that diseases can be transmitted before symptoms show, this was not known in M... ...olarly endeavors, rather than strictly practical ones. Humanists also believed that the entirety of society should be well versed and able to speak articulately. The focus also changed during this time period to the â€Å"here and now† rather than the afterlife. The worth of individuals began to become more important, rather than just their worth in relation to society as a whole. Renaissance Humanism was the first time in history that people began to question authority and the teachings they had learned, it was the first time in history that individual expression was commonly accepted. Medieval Europe was a time of great tragedy (The Black Death) but it was also a time of great advancements in learning and culture. Perhaps one day thousands of years from now, people will read of our advancements and note their profound impact, as we do with Europe in the Middle Ages.

Middle School Essay

As we start this new school year, I wish to welcome all of you to Roberto Clemente Middle School. In the previous year, we have introduced and developed new ways to teach students and maximize their capabilities in learning different subjects and disciplines. Even if there are problems encountered along the way, your efforts and inputs have been vital to create new methods and alternatives to address these issues. As we enter to school year 2009-2010, I encourage each one to continue supporting our projects and endeavors to further develop student growth and achievement. Through the years, Roberto Clemente Middle School has sought to improve our education and facilities by constantly training teachers and introducing new practices wherein they can learn and develop. At the same time, to meet the challenges of 21st century education, our faculty and administrators have aligned new systems of instruction and presented new ways to appreciate information with the use of new technological alternatives. To continue pursuing our vision for excellence, Roberto Clemente Middle School shall continue its pursuit of effective instruction as well as dwelling into new ideas that can improve practice. We believe that for your children to grow and develop holistically, it is crucial to raise appreciation and motivation. Due to this, our programs are focused on setting the balance between what students need and your expectations. We deem that this process can create new avenues for our students to become adaptive to the changing trends of the current time. This year, we seek to improve our state scores by addressing on subject areas that are lagging behind standards. For example, we have hired some new and experienced Math teachers. Their inclusion into the faculty can help encourage our teachers to learn and develop in the process. At the same time, our educators in English and Math have undergone seminar and training to introduce and develop new teaching strategies available today. This can help them address further your children’s needs and develop a better learning environment in the classroom. These together with the results shall be communicated to you accordingly in the meetings we shall be setting up for you. To ensure your active participation and involvement this year, Roberto Clemente Middle School has come up with different programs and schemes that enable everyone to take part in helping reach our vision and goals. One approach we seek to do is encouraging parents and guardians to take part in meetings. The time frame for this would be the second week of July which would run from 9am – 3:00pm. In here, I and teachers shall be available for consultation and open forum of significant and relevant issues that may be of interest for everyone. At the same time, part of the responsibility of teachers is to enhance communication is by formally writing letters showing the progress of your children in school. This can actively give you insights and ideas of his/her standing compared to other students. Likewise, it can encourage sharing of opinions and thoughts on issues significant for your child’s growth. With your inputs and opinions, we can derive new approaches and schemes that are suitable on both parties. These approaches can help you in monitoring the progress of your child and finding ways to participate in guiding and exploring opportunities for improvement. It is through these aims and goals that I seek to promote the necessary plans for this school year. Your participation and cooperation in these initiatives can help us recognize these visions and remain to be dynamic and accountable for every action we pursue. Again, welcome to Roberto Clemente Middle School and thank you for your trust in what our school can offer for your children.

Walmart Diversity Essay Example

Walmart Diversity Essay Example Walmart Diversity Paper Walmart Diversity Paper | Wal-Mart’s Diversity| Course Research Paper| | Alicia B. Clennan| 647 Pilgrim Dr. San Antonio, [emailprotected] com210-912-4537GM 591: Leadership and Organizational BehaviorProfessor Marco  Faggione| 12/12/2010 | Wal-Mart’s Diversity Introduction The organizational that will be the topic of discussion in my final project paper is Wal-Mart Corporate. Wal-Mart was founded in 1962, with the opening of the first Wal-Mart discount store in Rogers, Ark. The company incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc on Oct 31, 1969. The company grew to 276 stores in all states by the end of the decade. In 1983, the company opened its first Sam’s Club membership warehouse and in 1988 opened the first supercenter. Wal-Mart became international company in 1991 when it opened its first Sam’s club. Wal-Mart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,692 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $ 405 billion, Wal-Mart employs 2. 1 million associates worldwide. I am a sales associate at Wal-Mart in the jewelry department. I was hired in June of 2010 and I was not familiar with the corporation yet. However, I recognize how well the organization performs. Wal-Mart believes that business wins, when everyone matters and the true strength of diversity is unleashed, when each associate is encouraged to reach their full potential. As for as with Wal-Mart’s Diversity, personally I am not so familiar and only experience in a not so much with their purpose due to being employed in a span of four months. Research shows other issues with Wal-Mart’s ethical diversity. Wal-Mart is always under the microscope when it comes to discrimination. Evidence shows that there are complaints about favoritism, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination. These unethical issues are a problem in today’s occupation society. Problem Statement Wal-Mart has been a target of criticism for its employment practices and its effect on the larger economy and community. There are several incidents mentioned on the web and in court cases. At my Wal-Mart, I have noticed favoritism. Favoritism between managers and employees is a big problem in Wal-Mart. One way of thinking of favoritism is getting called to do the more responsibility type of work. This is like trying to be friends with the boss to get higher in the employment ladder. The managers seemed to have certain picks between subordinates about who gets the special attention. Like I said, I have noticed this act at my Wal-Mart. Most of the night shift girls are friends with one of the night managers at my Wal-Mart. I noticed them going out of their way to please this supervisor. There is an organization called Wal-Mart Watch which began a nationwide public education campaign to challenge the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, to become a better employer, neighbor, and corporate citizen. This organization lets employees (former and present) leave blogs on â€Å"Wal-Mart Speaks Out† discussing issues they see in their Wal-Mart. One individual with the initial RR wrote writes: I was passed over at least five times for promotions because the only people that were getting promotions were the drinking buddies of a manager. She has since been fired; I was a union steward for 20 years in California and have never seen such disregard for labor laws. In this town, in retail if you are injured at work you are fired; this doesn’t only happen at Wal-Mart in [Colorado], it happens at all the grocery stores. I am outraged that they aren’t being forced to treat their employee’s better. With this information, it is unaccepted in the workforce. This can be considered unprofessional relationship in the workforce. It is almost as serious as a manager or a supervisor is having an affair with one of their workers. Favoritism also leads to other problems. These other problems have been reported of happening. Sexual harassment and discrimination for males vs. females have been reported about Wal-Mart. Several cases have been seen through the court systems. One example that will be mentioned later on in the report is of a sexual harassment case that took place in Crosby, TX. Another example that I will mention about in the discrimination of female workers, is about a gender discrimination lawsuit that was the largest in U. S. history. It happened to be about women not getting promoted and pay equally to men. Sexual harassment in the workforce is unacceptable. Wal-Mart has its share of complaints. In Crosby, TX, a former Wal-Mart employee had sued Wal-Mart for sexual harassment from her supervisor. Theil (2008) reported that a former employee named Jenna Aryain of Wal-Mart was sexually harassed by her supervisor. The incident happened on February 25, 2005 as a cashier. Aryain said that for four months her supervisor, Darrel Hays allegedly subjected her to appalling remarks every day. Her supervisor committed her about her looks and made sexual advances to her. Ms. Aryain allegedly complained to another supervisor and no action was taken by Wal-Mart. On June, 20, 2005, her supervisor allegedly yelled at her during work. She left work early that day and told her parents what had happened. Her father called the store manager, Gwendolyn Furr and Chelly Whiddon, an assistant manager, to arrange a meeting to discuss what was going on. Supervisors are much as guilty as the employee. Most supervisors have favorite employees that they count on with certain tasks. When an energetic employee is in your organization, most supervisors call upon them to do the task because they know that it will get done. Your other employees may have the same qualities as the energetic person so they felt left out. (Bielous, 1997) Literature Review Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Manual for Managers and Supervisors by Gibson (1998) guides the upper management on the importance of a sexually harassed free work environment. It lets managers know that the best defense for the sexually harassment subject is an offensive approach. There are actions that companies must take in order to eliminate sexual harassment. By creating a zero tolerance policy against sexual harassment and other inappropriate conduct by company managers and supervisors. Why is it important that managers and supervisors learn this subject? There is an automatic liability on the company if a manager or a supervisor is accused of sexual harassment or doesn’t stop it from happening. There is a law that makes it clear that prevention and elimination of sexual harassment is a must in the workplace. Gibson (1998) also writes that if a victim started the conversation of sex talk that they can claim sexual harassment at any time. A hostile work environment can be considered abusive if the behavior becomes severe or pervasive. Flirting or vulgar language is merely annoying and may not be hostile enough to take legal action, but it usually considered prohibited by company policy. Also a romantic relationship between management and subordinates is not against the law. If one does exist it cannot get out of hand. Getting out of hand may be determined as favoritism in the workforce. The relationship must be consensual between both parties in order to prevent harassment. A hostile environment in the workplace can consist of sexual play while on the clock. In the handbook that Gibson (1998) wrote, he mentions steps a company can take in preventing sexual harassment. First off, a company needs to have a strict written policy prohibiting sexual harassment. The policy should also define, provide examples, outline a procedure for reporting with several avenues to bypass his or her supervisor, mention assurance that all cases will be taken seriously, guarantee all cases have adverse consequences like discharge to the harasser, and all supervisory personnel to immediately report and sexual harassment. Along with a written policy, the company must train each employee on sexual harassment to avoid any pitfalls. The company needs establish an effective procedure for handling sexual harassment complaints. One good idea mentioned is to designate two individuals, one male and one female, in handling the complaints. Some individual feel more comfortable talking to someone of the same sex. Monitoring your management staff for anti-harassment behavior is a good idea or even including EEO preventive practices in daily routines. The organization should quickly investigate all claims and observed conduct. Feel free to give the victim time off to gather their thoughts to prevent them from quitting or suing the company. Separating the victim from the harasser may sound like a good idea, but be careful in where you put the victim. If the victim doesn’t like the area because of disadvantages of moving, it could be considered retaliation. The organizations should take all complaints seriously, even though it did happen five years ago. The employee can’t sue because of the time length; still the organization can make sure that the incident still needs to be controlled. The organization needs to have all sexually harassment cases documented for legal reasons. Valid documents may consist of statement from witnesses, complainant, and the alleged harasser. Other documents may include what the employer did to resolve the conflict. The company should make sure all confidentiality be taken to prevent further liability. Upper management should make sure that no retaliation takes place. In chapter eight, Gibson (1998) mentions an effective way to handle the complaint of sexual harassment. The organization needs to take the complaint seriously. Don’t be judgmental about the case even if the complaint comes from a chronic complainer. The company can be liable on how they handle the sexual harassment complaint. Try to put the victim at ease and assure with confidentiality. Assure the victim that non-retaliation is intolerable and should be reported. Handle all cases with action even though the victim asks that no action should take place to the harasser. The company can still be held reliable. Conducting an in-depth sexual harassment investigation can be difficult Gibson (1998) mentions. An immediate investigation by a neutral person should be handled as quickly as possible. This person is usually a member of the HRO or EEO. Other managers or supervisors should know what is going on in case they are asked to assist. Keep an investigation under general guidelines such as treating all cases separate, keep them valid until proven frivolous, protect the victim from further harm, document complete and accurate, keep all fact a â€Å"need to know† basis, limit the number of people who have access to the information, tell all parties to keep the case confidential, and never broadcast the facts as a training tool. If the case of the harassment to be found true, take prompt corrective action. Consider case by case on the severity of punishment to the harasser. If the victim doesn’t get discharge, warn them that next time a discharge will occur. Inform all results to effective parties in order to protect privacy. Make sure you follow up on all cases to make sure no one has been retaliated. Sometimes the investigator may come to some special circumstance when trying to resolve situations. If the accused wants a lawyer, assure them that there is no need for one and they are not required to have one. Also if there was no witness to the alleged claim, the investigator must take the credibility of the parties when determining the outcome. If the claim can’t be determined if it happened or not, then education to both parties must take place about sexual harassment. Further assure the victim that his or her employment conditions won’t be retaliated. Make sure the complaint is filed for legal reasons. If the claim turns out to be false, determine if the person deliberately lied or simply misread the conduct. Disciplining someone who misinterpreted the action may think they were retaliated, and the company could be held responsible. The law for gender discrimination makes it clear on what is expected in the workforce. Corporations are abided to follow laws and regulations in the United States. US Code Section 2000E-2: Unlawful employment practices (a) Employer practices It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individuals race, color, religion,sex, or national origin; or (2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Analysis Ethical concept in the workforce keeps the organization is regarded as good character and conduct. We need to make ethical decisions based on focuses of moral dilemmas. Moral problems is that of an ethical consequences of a decision that was made. Ethical leadership is a responsibility that managers and supervisors must abide by. These responsibilities may include caring, honesty, principled, fairness, and balanced choices. Favoritism, does not match under those qualities. Favoritism is the soul issue that Wal-Mart faces today. I have seen favoritism in my workplace. Also favoritism is being viewed at all Wal-Marts around the world. With the other issues that Wal-Mart faces, sexual harassment and gender discrimination, favoritism is usually the root of the problems. Favoritism is more likely to be inevitable in any organization. Organizations should try to reduce them as much as possible. Emotional conflict is difficulties within oneself that arises because of anger, mistrust, dislike, fear, and resentment. Emotional conflict can the energy out of a person and can be distracting. You may see this emotional distress in teams, among co-workers, and in superior-subordinate relationship. There are certain levels of the conflict. One level of conflict you may have is interpersonal conflict. This is a conflict between two or more people. Sexual harassment may become an interpersonal conflict. When your supervisor makes sexual remarks or advances to an employee, conflict arises. When sexual harassment occurs it puts emotional stress on the victim. The victim feels anger toward the incident. Sexual harassment is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. That person will start feeling resentment in that did she do something wrong to cause the harassment. Effects of sexual harassment can vary depending on the individual, and the severity and duration of the harassment. Often, sexual harassment incidents fall into the category of the merely annoying. However, many situations can, and do, have life-altering effects particularly when they involve severe/chronic abuses, and/or retaliation against a victim who does not submit to the harassment, or who complains about it openly. Indeed, psychologists and social workers report that severe/chronic sexual harassment can have the same psychological effects as rape or sexual assault. Stereotyping is a commonly held popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of stereotype and prejudice are often confused with many other different meanings. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. Gender diversity is the proportion of males to females in the workplace. Corporations may have more of an even distribution or the employee pool is composed of mostly males or mostly females. This can have an effect on how people interact and behave with one another in the workplace and would impact culture and social environment. Similarly other demographics such as population, racial characteristics and such all contribute to the work environment. Though gender discrimination and sexism refers to beliefs and attitudes in relation to the gender of a person, such beliefs and attitudes are of a social nature and do not, normally, carry any legal consequences. Sex discrimination, on the other hand, may have legal consequences. Though what constitutes sex discrimination varies between countries, the essence is that it is an adverse action taken by one person against another person that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. Discrimination of that nature in certain enumerated circumstances is illegal in many countries. Currently, discrimination based on sex is defined as adverse action against another person that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. This is considered a form of prejudice and is illegal in the United States. Wal-Mart’s reports on gender discrimination of women in their corporation are illegal and should be taken care of. Like every class-action ruling, the certification should not be construed in any manner as a ruling on the merits or the probable outcome of these cases. When these cases arose back in 2001, women were getting 79 cents to every dollar a man made. (Friedman, 2010) Solutions There are solutions that could be used in order to correct the problem Wal-Mart faces. Training, discipline, and monitoring of all employees of Wal-Mart are the best steps in the right direction. If done right, Wal-Mart can start becoming a more successful corporation that others can follow. The corporation needs to take steps in training everyone in the organization on the right and wrong things to do when it comes to diversity. Having quarterly training will give each employee an implant of the things that are wrong. Being an ethical corporation involves everyone. First, start with training your supervisors about the right and wrongfulness of favoritism in the workforce. Tell them that even the little things may be perceived as playing favoritism. Cautioned them about the negative reactions of an extra relationship between supervisor and a subordinate can lead in the wrong direction. Also keep reminding your employees the zero tolerance policy about sexual harassment. Assure people that there will be consequences if supervisors abuse their power. Wal-Mart needs to let their employees that there will be no retaliation if reports are being filed. Let your employees know that gender discrimination is all in the past. Your employees would like to know if they are being paid the same amount. Let you employees know what the pay scale is in your organization. Train your employees on the right and wrong of gender discrimination. Training has its pros and cons. The good thing about training the material is that it gets the information out there to the right people. A people need to here that there are rules and regulations that corporation has to abide by. The bad thing about training is that it can take up a lot of time while people are training. Discipline is another possible solution. Strict guidelines and closure of all cases will ensure everyone is treated equally. Make sure that if someone is sexually harassed that the supervisor or anyone in the organization will be punished. Make sure the punishment is fair and justified. Treat each case upon severity of the case. Like training, discipline also has its pros and cons. Discipline will let everyone in Wal-Mart know that the company is not playing around when it comes with sexual harassment. One thing bad about discipline is that one person may view the severity differently than another person in your organization. Then punishment may be differently and the victim may think that the harasser got off scot free. Frequent monitoring of all your employees is another way we can solve the problem at Wal-Mart. Managers should more frequently review those security cameras. Make rounds to your entire departments and ask questions about how everything is doing. Make sure you not just talk to the supervisors; also talk with all of your staff, even the janitor. The good thing about monitoring is that you can interact to your staff and it lets them know you care about them. Sam Walton would love this idea. The bad thing is that the manager will lose valuable time in his office handling paperwork. Reflection Viewing Wal-Mart after writing this report has a much more meaning to me when I go to work. I can start using my ideas to make a difference in the work place. I can spread my knowledge to my fellow workmates. I can let them know how important it is too seek help if there are any problems. Alvarez, F. , Moser, A. (2010). Targeting Employers for Gender-Based Pay and promotion Discrimination: The Next Big Thing?. Employee Relations Law Journal, 36930, 46-53. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Bielous, G. (1997). Do you play favorites?. Supervision, 58(8), 9. Retrieved form MasterFILE Premier database. Friedman, E. (2010, April). Appeals Court Rules Wal-Mart Sex Discrimination Case Can Go to Trial. Retrieved from http://abcnews. go. om/WN/Business/wal-mart-sex-discrimination-case-trial/story? id=10480510 Gibson, P. , (1998). Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Manual for Managers ans Supervisors: How to Prevent and Resolve Sexual Harrassment complaints in the Workplace. Employment Human Resources management Professional Series. Chicago CCH Incorpated. Ozbilgin, M. Pringle, J. (2009). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work: a Research Companion. Cheltenham,UK, Northampt on, MA Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. Thiel, J. (2008). Harassment Claim Advances. HRMagazine, 53(10),99. Retrieved from Business Source complete database.

Michael Porters 5 Forces Essay Example

Michael Porters 5 Forces Essay Example Michael Porters 5 Forces Essay Michael Porters 5 Forces Essay Rivalry within an Industry (High) The intensity of competition in the kopi-kaya toast industry is high. Coffee Box competes with popular chains like Toast Box, Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Wang Cafe whom with their huge base of existing customer owns a major portion of the market share. The high rivalry among competing firms are also due to the similar offerings of menu items. Competitive Rivalry within an Industry (High) The kaya and toast industry is one of highly intense competition, very much like the rest of Singapores Food and Beverage sector. It is in such competitive environment that this company would operate in, under pressure from major chains that currently lead the market, such as the Ya Kun Kaya Toast, the Toast box owned by the BreadTalk Group, and the Killiney Kopitiam. Threat of New Entrants (High) A key contributor to the proliferation of this kopi-kaya toast business is its low entry barrier. The need of expertise in toast and coffee, if even any, can easily be acquired and new entrants can effortlessly familiarize themselves with most of the operation in this business. Barriers to entry (Low) One major factor that has contributed to this seemingly lucrative business of traditional kopi and toast, is its low barriers to entry. There is minimal requirement of field expertise, an average sum of budget and a less demand for capital or resources. This low barriers to entry has, especially in the past two decades, see the tremendous growth of this kopitiam business, also justified by its growing popularity among local market. Threat of substitute products (Low) The threat of substitute products in the traditional coffee-and-toast business is low, with western chains such as Coffee Beans or the famous Starbucks as potential candidates. However, majority of the local market business professionals including appear to be loyal customers in traditional cafes rather than the western brands. Known as the quintessential breakfast for generations of Singaporeans, the threat of substitute products in this industry is low as yet. Threat of substitute products (Low) Many business analysis and researches over the years have come to show that the surprisingly low threat of substitute products in this kaya and toast business, has added a stability dimension to this industry. Despite the challenges from western cafes, with all its modern offer, the traditional cafe business remain strong and firm among the mainstream. It appears that the local market has, apart from all alternatives choices that they could have choose or might have choose, preferred the traditional toast of bread and kaya, along with a cup of coffee not made of modern machines, but brewed from the more appealing coffee-socks method. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Low) The large number of existing suppliers in the local food and beverage industry has resulted in a relatively low bargaining power of suppliers. Suppliers in this industry are weak in terms of bargaining power, also due to the standardized pricing of ingredients like flour and eggs. The quality of such ingredients do not vary significantly in quality, which also contributed to lowering the bargaining power of suppliers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Low) The huge amount of suppliers in the coffee and toast business, which apparently is still growing in numbers, has given the traditional cafe owners substantial amount of bargaining power over themselves. A more informal way of saying it is that traditional cafe owners in this business are in fact, spoiled with choices, and not without reason. It is because most owners in this industry are operated on a franchise model, or on a similar chains model, their bulk purchasing have lend them significant strength which favors them over suppliers in negotiating terms. Bargaining Power of Customers (High) Customers are powerful in terms of making decision given the wide variety of choices in this sector. Customers are able to switch between choices, depending on factors like price and place (location). The local cafe business that has been flourishing in the recent past years also ensure a low switching cost that guarantee customers substantial purchasing power. Bargaining Power of Customers (High) The customers have a good reason to embrace the flourishing of this traditional cafe business, as it now means that they would have the luxury of choosing from a wide variety of choices for their moment of traditional coffee, or more commonly known as kopi, and the favourite kaya toast. A high bargaining power of customers explains a freedom to choose between options, with a low switching cost. Price-sensitive customers would opt for cheaper alternatives and companies should be well aware of this buying power in order for them to remain competitive in business.