Saturday, February 15, 2020

Race, Politics, and Reconstruction, 1865-1875 Assignment

Race, Politics, and Reconstruction, 1865-1875 - Assignment Example Thompson worked at the radical end of the party. He was against the conservative compromises involved. He wanted the national government to reject it because it was coated with ethnicity and discrimination. Ruby was the first Black to be chosen into the state council. This became possible only because fewer Whites contested in the elections than Blacks. George ensured all races were treated with equivalence. He advocated for the fortification of civil constitutional rights of the Blacks. As the president of Texas Colored Labor Convention, he was able to assemble Republican electors in Texas. George built a foundation for black power and governances in Galveston. He cleverly advocated for their civil and party-political civil liberties. He worked cautiously with the hostile White politicians. This way, he opened more occasions for the Blacks through â€Å"compromise† politics. In the post-civil war period, Thompson had significant political power (Rabinowitz 265). He had to ensure he gratified both his goals and that of the wider social order. Through his political dispositions, Ruby compromised to ensure that his race was at least prosperous. In his efforts to safeguard the welfares of the Blacks, Ruby made some compromises in the aim of satiating later goals. In 1874, the Democrats efficaciously reclaimed power. He did not seek re-election because the Whites were prevalent in the assembly. The White politicians exhaled hostility, and Ruby had to tread carefully to guarantee his interest, and that of the Black community received the preferred

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Airport Improvement Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Airport Improvement Program - Essay Example Sponsors are generally permitted to expend AIP money towards major airfield capital improvement efforts as well as repairs. Projects eligible for AIP funding include; airport safety associated enhancements, improvement of capacity, protection of the environment in the airports and enhancement of security. The funds can also be used on professional services that come with the eligible projects i.e., plans, survey services and designs. It should be noted that the operating expenses associated with the same projects are not eligible for AIP funding. The projects must therefore be sufficiently justified apart from complying with federal requirements of procurement and environmental safety. In major primary airports, AIP grants cover 70% of the total eligible costs or 80% for implementation of noise programs. The range of coverage for general aviation airports, reliever and small primary airports ranges from 90%-95% of the total cost as per the statutory minimum requirements. AIP grants to airports are aimed to fund planning, development and implementation of noise compatibility projects at the public-use airports. In order to be eligible for AIP grants therefore the airports must either be owned by the public, privately owned but with scheduled services & a minimum of two thousand five hundred enplanements yearly. Also private airports designated as relievers by FAA are eligible. Inclusion in the NPIAS is another important eligibility requirement for AIP. AIP funds are generally used towards projects contributing to capital improvement at the airports. The funds can thus be expended on most of the airfield capital improvement projects and in some unique events on terminals, and hangars as well as some nonaviation developments. Professional services related to the projects are also eligible for funding. On the other hand, those projects associated operations in the airports and improvements that are revenue generating are typically not funded by AIP. Other

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Essay --

2. What were weaknesses of the Weimar Republic? How did different political groups seek to remedy these weaknesses? The Treaty of Versailles, which put an end to World War I, caused a number of positive and negative outcomes in Germany. Germany was in need of a democratic government in order to meet the harsh provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Established by members from the Social Democrat Party in 1919, the Weimar Republic became the central power in Germany for the following years. The republic was found in the city of Weimar and was a replacement, so to say, for the imperial government that had previously stood as the central authority. Even though the Weimar Republic managed to lead Germany for 15 years, it experienced devastating drawbacks such as hyperinflation, lack of support from the public, and the constant efforts from different groups to overthrow the government; because of these factors, different political groups sought a resolution, such as overthrowing the government and pushing for a strong leader. Severe economic problems arose in Germany essentially due to the punitive provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. â€Å"The German government began to print money to pay its bills.† (McKay, 872). In order to make up for the massive debt and reparations connected to the Treaty of Versailles, the government started to print loads of money. The influx of money across Germany due to newly printed bills caused prices to rise. Money became rather worthless with an abundance of it, which hurt many people’s incomes. Hyperinflation soon occurred, which put the economy in a weak position and further contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. Many resented the government because of its agreement to the ... ..., Lativia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Romania, and Yugoslavia. 4.) How were the principles of national self-determination applied to the redrawing of Europe after the war and why didn't this theory work in practice? The map of Europe was redrawn after World War I such that the countries that desired independence had their own self-governing nation. This caused the German Empire, for instance, to grow smaller and not encompass the small countries that had previously been a part of the empire. Although these territorial changes were seemingly beneficial to some, they ultimately did not work in practice for various reasons. The countries that achieved independence were not successful for reasons such as their failure to establish diplomatic relations with other countries and weak infrastructure; these reasons combined resulted in a weak country.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Financial Services Overview Essay

The financial services industry is one of the most widespread and established industries in the global economy. All companies who have sales from the management of money for either individuals or institutions are included under this umbrella. In the United States alone, according to the Census Bureau 2007 industry report, it included 503,156 establishments, had approximately 6.6 million employees, and had revenues of 3.6 billion dollars. Financial services used to be a safe haven for conservative investors who thought the stocks provided higher than normal dividend yield, stable performance and revenues and some defense against volatility. Within the last decade however, the collapse of global financial economy due to the subprime market and derivatives market falling apart has led to more careful involvement in this industry. Moreover, greater regulation in both the U.S. and overseas has led to more controlled administration of many companies in this industry. This industry is also extremely susceptible to the waves of the economic cycle. The most opportune time to buy is during economic recessions since financial service companies tend to rise out of recession rather fast because interest rates are usually relatively low. Financial investments are typically undervalued during recession when stock prices are low. Collapse of the Market Although once considered a conservatives market 2008 and 2009 saw a shift in this thinking due to major issues arising in the financial services industry. Although a long-standing crisis of almost a decade, the collapse of the global economies came when in June 2007 Bear Stearns announced to the world that two of its major hedge funds, totaling in over three billion dollars, were failing. The disaster of these companies arose because they were cripplingly invested in the derivatives market based on the US subprime mortgage market. Additionally in September of 2008 Lehman Brothers, a U.S. investment bank, folded as well. Their meltdown gave headway to the issue of how interlocked and intertwined debt had become in this industry. Liquidity and credit quickly froze globally. Since that market crash international governments have focused on trying to regularize the financial system by putting money into the economy and bailing out banks. Since the crash banks and financial institutions have had more difficulty raising money and higher quality capitol. Furthermore, a important detail of the crash had to do with global trade imbalance, those of which are a key feature of the global economy. The emerging economies of rising countries such as China and India helped to finance the credit and housing bubbles that emerged in the United States and Europe. Since these countries continue to expand and grow they bring with them large capitol inflows into western economies. Another issue that the crash brought to light was the scandals from the financial institutions themselves. Goldman Sachs was accused of defrauding investors by failing to disclose conflicts of interest between with of its clients, Paulson & Co., and it’s investment decisions in their mortgage portfolio. Goldman Sachs was not the only financial services company to be caught up in scandal however, the sovereign debt crisis in Europe threatened the Europe an banking system and over shadowed the gossip of companies within this industry. Industry Trends Near Sourcing Outsourcing has been one a fast growing trend in the market within the last decade. However, apprehensions about data and security issues, increasing and hidden costs, and revived interest in American employment and quality are leading companies back to the United States. Many firms, especially within the financial services industry, are reverting back to operating in the U.S. This should quickly increase in 2013. Operating Excellence Cross line-of-business service models can grow a company many benefits however operating structures have been put on the back burner because of the pace of business strategy and regulatory change. Very few companies have shifted from coordination to standardization, which may lead them higher profits. Since many company structures are very set, it is complex to change the architecture of a company quickly. However since companies are getting used to government regulation after the crash, they can now focus on open source thinking and operating structures to increase revenues. The Experience economy Costumer experience is quickly becoming a key component to differentiation for financial services companies. Technology and business models are constantly changing to customer demand and now these same companies are coming to terms with the fact that the product is no longer the key differentiator. The sustainable competitive advantage comes from customer experience. Companies are expanding both their technology and their company culture to give consumers better access to great experience. Increasing Yield A strategy that has been implemented by central bankers in recent years is to add money into capitol markets to keep interest rates low and garner interest from riskier investors focused on yields. This increases junk and frontier bonds. Nevertheless well-established firms will stick with their well tested strategies and high performance instead of going after high and risky returns. Look for jump start companies in the financial services industry to take higher risk propositions and reputable companies to maintain their status quo. ETFs In the beginning of 2013 there were less than 100 ETFs. However, because the SEC removed regulation obstacles, money managers are making plans to get their ETFs to the market as soon as possible. Giving buyers more choices and then potentially lowering costs and finding more flexible solutions are positive consequences of this increase in ETFs. Regulation Since the near collapse of global markets within the last 5 or so years, regulation has been at an all time high. In the United States, the consumer financial protection bureau has appeared to control financial services firms and products by focusing on mortgages and loans. Since many governments feel that regulation has helped get the global economy back on its feet, there is no indication that there will be much if any deregulation in sight. Competitors Overview Although there are many companies in the financial services industry, Goldman Sachs has only a few direct competitors that can plausibly contest their industry lead standing. JP Morgan Chase & Co., and Morgan Stanley are two of their toughest competitors in the United States. Both companies beat market estimates easily. Morgan Stanley has started to focus more on wealth management rather than investment banking. Although many analysts believe that currently the only banking sector doing well is investment banking. Additionally, underwriting has gone up almost 30% and mergers and acquisitions have gone up more than 20%, both of which hurt companies such as Morgan Stanley, Shwab, and Merril Lynch. Furthermore, due to the slowing of mortgage financing and limited demand for loans, there is a decrease in revenue for major mortgage banks including JP Morgan. Within its industry Goldman Sachs continues excellence due to it’s strong client management. The stress put on effective management of capitol and regulating expenses is shown across its business. In addition, many smaller financial services companies are withdrawing from Wall Street in 2013 simply because they cannot compete with the capitol power of the major market players. Direct Competitor Comparison| | | GS| JPM| PVT1| MS| Industry| Market Cap:| 66.66B| 178.99B| N/A| 40.36B| 997.91M| Employees:| 32,000| 255,898| N/A| 57,061| 30.00| Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy):| 0.01| 0.01| N/A| 0.18| 0.47| Revenue (ttm):| 34.30B| 90.84B| 27.32B1| 27.38B| 90.52M| Gross Margin (ttm):| 0.91| N/A| N/A| 0.87| 0.53| EBITDA (ttm):| N/A| N/A| N/A| N/A| -575.82K| Operating Margin (ttm):| 0.36| 0.36| N/A| 0.17| 0.26| Net Income (ttm):| 7.37B| 21.43B| 290.00M1| 1.09B| N/A| EPS (ttm):| 14.49| 5.60| N/A| 0.53| 2.04| P/E (ttm):| 9.58| 8.43| N/A| 38.68| 13.71| PEG (5 yr expected):| 1.46| 1.18| N/A| 1.93| 1.97| P/S (ttm):| 1.94| 1.95| N/A| 1.45| 11.02| | | JPM = JPMorgan Chase & Co.| Pvt1 = Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. (privately held)| MS = Morgan Stanley| Industry = Diversified Investments| 1 = As of 2012 | SWOT Analysis Strengths The three most advantageous strengths that Goldman Sachs has is their position as a global market leader, their international reach, and their talent and business relationships. Earning a market leading position means that they generally have higher margins, revenues and benefits, along with the capability to raise debt at a lower cost. They also tend to be more stable than their competitors. Having international reach gives them the advantage of working with companies that are international and companies based internationally giving them access to a much larger network. Lastly, though the economic meltdown has affected many companies, Goldman Sachs has held tight to its highly talented staffing and maintained it’s business relationships, thus preserving its rock solid foundation. Weaknesses A main weakness that Goldman Sachs unfortunately possesses is that it is concentrated in a few key products. This becomes risky because if one or more of their products goes under, it may take out the whole company. Another weakness they have is their high attrition rates. Although they hire the best and most talented people they often leave with the know how of the company for better jobs and opportunities. Hiring new employees means not only spending more money on training but also wasting valuable time finding the right niche for them in the company. Opportunities There are many opportunities for Goldman Sachs presently. Even though they already have international reach, there is opportunity to expand further. A strong international presence will increase growth and profit, expand the customer base, and lead to more stability. Also the emerging markets profit significant prospect to expand products to developed countries, while bringing in new sources of capitol. Another major opening is the economic slowdown and competitor banckruptcies which should help to eliminate some of their competition. This means that all the companies who can avoid bankruptcy, as Goldman Sachs should be able to do, will have increased profit margins. Less competition also means that there will be more money and higher prices. Threats Although the credit market crisis peaked in 2008, it is still an issue for firms to deal with. The cost of borrowing increases, which lowers margins and limits the free cash flow to shareholders. This coupled with mortgage issues could have prove to be very damaging to firms in this industry. Since mortgage loans are worth their not what it was purchased for but rather an unknown value, this increases uncertainty risk, increases discount rate for future cash flows and decreases stock value. Lastly, to attempt to stop inflation, the threat of a high rise in interest rates could strangle the profit margins of a business quickly, especially if they rely on raising money to finance expenses. Since the financial sector profits from borrowing low and lending high, this would particularly hurt this industry. Porters Five Forces Analysis Bargaining Power of Suppliers For Goldman Sachs their suppliers have little bargaining power because inputs are not a large part of costs. Therefore the firm will have long-term positive impact due to this, adding value to the company. Bargaining Power of Customers Fortunately for Goldman Sachs the customer base is extremely large and the product is tremendously valuable to them. Sincere there are so many customers generally no single one has customer has much bargaining leverage. Also, because the product carries such significance they are willing to pay a higher price, which is good for the firm. Intensity of Existing Competition The financial sector is a large industry which allows for many companies to exist without diminishing too much of the market share from each other. For Goldman Sachs, having many competitors is not necessarily a positive prospect, however having an industry large enough to handle so many firms balances out that negative. Moreover, government regulation limits the competition to an extent and the United States government has been heavily regulating since the recent crash. Threat of Substitutes The major threat of substitute occurs when contemplating alternative investment sources. However, Goldman Sachs is a dominating player in its market. This is especially the case because although mutual funds and hedge funds have given way for investors and individuals to receive higher returns and invest more heavily, they do not have the same level of customer satisfaction. Goldman Sachs prides itself on going above and beyond in creating products and services specifically suited for it’s clients, and making the ultimate customer experience. Threat of New Entrants New entrants in the financial services sector are very limited. High capitol requirements severely affect the plausibility of a company entering this market. Moreover, high sunk costs dissuades firms from entering because there is such a large up front cost with no guarantee for revenue in the future. Lastly, because companies such as Goldman Sachs have such strong brand names their customers tend to be extremely loyal, thus leaving little new customer base for new entrants.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Zar A Marketing Strategy - 1313 Words

Introduction Zara was founded in 1975 in Spain. Inditex which is the parent of Zara Company was founded ten years later by Co finder of this company, Amancio Ortega . Inditex has 7 other brands like Pull Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterqà ¼e. These companies have the same sales management approach with a focus on customers. In 1975, Zara opened its first store in A Coruà ±a in northwest of Spain. Today, Zara operates over 2000 stores in more than 88 countries around the world (Lu, 2014). The scale of production for Zara is close to 450 million items in a single year. According to Vincen, Kantor, and Geller (2013) Zara has enough knowledge in producing and offering fashion design products with reasonable prices. In addition, Zara is famous in quick delivery of new collection merchandise to their stores. According to Forbes, other retailers take six months to deliver new items to stores; however, Zara has ability to produce and deliver new products within two weeks. In fact, Zara had more advantage than any other brands in this fields. This competitive advantage for Zara is based on controlling business procedures in supply chain. This company is very different from most retailers who outsource their manufacturing to third party firms in other countries. Zara owns and closely controls their supply chain process which helps them to have more market demand (Lu, 2014). Zara Value Chain A value chain can be described by all activities that help aShow MoreRelatedGlobalization of South Africa8279 Words   |  34 Pagesemployment equity, skills development, ownership, management, socio-economic development and preferential procurement. Successful implementers of BEE also see it as a means to create economic growth in SA, and a vital element of their enterprises strategy. 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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

How Can Renaissance Coffee Shop Build Upon Their Marketing Mix in Order to Increase Their Sales - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1877 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? How can Renaissance coffee shop build upon their marketing mix in order to increase their sales? Contents Action plan: Preface: Acknowledgements: Problem identification: The current market share: Action plan: Activity Date Place Conduct an interview with the Cafe manager to gather primary data about the business 15th August 2014 Pioneer Mall, Renaissance coffee shop Visit the ministry of trade to gather secondary data about the industry 20th August 2014 Lesotho, Maseru, The ministry of trade and cooperatives Draft an outline of the project 21st August 2014 The library Write up the first draft of the project 25th August 2014 The library Submit the first draft 2nd September 2014 School Receive a critic on the first draft 5th September School Revise and improve the project 6th September 2014 Library Revisit the working premises of the cafÃÆ' © for further data collection 10th September 2014 Pioneer Mall, Renaissance coffee shop Preface: Research Question: How can Renaissance coffee shop build upon their marketing mix in order to increase their sales? Hypothetical framework: Renaissance coffee shop is a modern day cafÃÆ' © specializing in serving rich, nutritious and yet affordable meals, mostly focusing on sandwiches and hot beverages. The cafÃÆ' © hosts a broad customer base, ranging from working middle class individuals to high profile personnel such as the king, His majesty king Letsie III. The coffee bar faces fierce competition from well established international conglomerates such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“WIMPYà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“SPURà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . These multinational corporations hold two great advantages over Renaissance coffee, firstly, they benefit greatly from their track record as they have been established for many years now. Secondly, they benefit from economies of scale of advertising, since there are hundreds of outlets throughout the world, the contribution of each is signi ficantly low. I am on a mission to apply the knowledge I have acquired from my business and management studies course to draw up a proposal that will help Renaissance coffee build upon their marketing mix in order to increase their sales. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Can Renaissance Coffee Shop Build Upon Their Marketing Mix in Order to Increase Their Sales?" essay for you Create order Acknowledgements: Mr. Thatho Pontso, firstly for sharing his vast knowledge of Business with me, to make it achievable for me to work on this project and secondly for guiding and motivating me, giving me the courage to complete the project. My parents for the support they have shown me till this far. The management of the coffee shop for allowing me access to their books and accounts, as without them this project would have not been possible. The stuff at the coffee shop for their views, comments and overall cooperation. Problem identification: Renaissance coffee shop first opened its doors in November 2009. It was opened collectively with the Pioneer mall and has since been the under dogs, relative to its closest competitors. As part of my data collection I will mainly rely on primary data. This will include surveys ang questioners to the management, staff and the public at large. I prefer using primary data because I can get more accurate and reliable results. The surveys and questioners will be tailored to address the issue at hand of marketing. However I will also make use of secondary data such as the business accounts and records. I also intend to obtain further secondary data from the ministry of trade about this particular industry on a national level. This will help me realize just how much potential the business has to grow. In assessing the market share, sales, income statements from launch date and primary data were obtained and assessed. These reports show exactly the position of the business. Expansion is indispensable to a businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s success. A company will inevitably, at some stage seek to develop. This development may well be organic or peripheral, to attain higher sales and returns, improved economies of scale, and bigger market share. Organic growth is when a company increases its operations with in-house funds such as preserved profits or selling assets. Whilst peripheral growth is when expansion is funded with money obtained outside the company, this might be through a loan or selling a share of the company. Equipped with a rising economy, expansion is a widespread incident in Lesotho, in all industries. As such, this branch of the assignment draws up a marketing plan for the cafÃÆ' © to be a cut above the rest Investigation: The marketing mix is a set of manageable, strategic marketing tools that a business make use of to create a preferred response from its target market. It involves everything that a business can do to manipulate demand for its products or services. It is also a tool to help marketing planning and execution. There for in other to later be able to make suitable suggestions to the business on how to alter their marketing mix, I had to establish their current market position in respect with their closest competitors. I conducted a survey within a population of hundreds of people who do their shopping at pioneer mall, taking only a sample of 50 people which are potential customers due to the lack of resources and time. My survey questions were as follow: How often do you eat out in a month? Favorite restaurant in town? Have you been to Renaissense? If they have been: What was your experience like at Renaissense? How likely are you to recommend it to someone else? Any suggestions for improvement? If they havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t been there before: Have you heard about Renaissense before? What keeps you going back to your favorite restaurant? My survey results: How often do you eat out in a month? 4 or moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 3-4 times 1-2 times Only once 10 25 10 5 What is your favorite restaurant in town? Spur Ocean basket The Sun hotels Renaissance Other 20 10 15 3 2 Have you been to Renaissance? Yes No 23 27 What was your experience like? (Sample population is now 23) Excellent Good Acceptable Bad Poor 3 13 4 3 0 How likely are you to recommend it to someone else? Very likely Likely Maybe Not really Never 3 13 4 3 0 Do you have any suggestions for improvement? Two of the customers recommended a wider menu, with more divers dishes The 3 with bad experiences complaint about moody waitresses Others suggested that the service could be made quiker. The current market share: With competition severe as never before, businesses discover the necessity to grow, either through the two possibilities I have pointed out, organic or external growth. This is to strive for being the market leader in the particular industry. Renaissance CafÃÆ' © has not been left behind, the management decided to expand the businesses operations by opening a second outlet at the Maseru mall. As still part of my research, I also interviewed the 2 of the waiters/waitresses at the restaurant in other to help me later when giving an evaluation: My survey questions were structured as follows: What is your greatest strength as a server? What is your greatest weakness as a server? What is your favorite part of serving? What is your least favorite part of serving? Why do you think you are valuable member of this stuff team? The results I obtained: Waiter 1: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I have been a waiter for several years now, so even when things get hectic like having a customer over flow or just being really busy, I am able to remain calm and hopefully help others do the same, not that I am any less busy, but I know that focus and teamwork are the key to successful waitering. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am probably a bit too reluctant to ask for help.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The constant challenge. every day is something different. Each shift provides me with new challenges and the ability to try and improve on how I handle them. Tips are also a huge motivator, the more the customer tips, the more attention we normally pay to him or her *giggles* à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Bad or no tips, any other answer would be lying.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am a quick learner and a team player. I believe on each shift I contribute a lot to the work done here.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Waiter 2: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I believe that I am able to deal with all the moods the customer has, patience and a soft heart are vital here. Otherwise you might find yourself in a fight with the customers.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My greatest weakness would beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think of any, I enjoy my jobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My favorite part would definitely be good tips and customers that treat waiters wish respect and integrity.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My least favorite part would be also bad tips after giving a really good service, however I always try to give my best so that every customer leaves the best he or she can doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I see myself as a team leader, for I am able to do my job well and hell others with theirs too, I also try to always motivate my colleagues.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Data analysis: In this research project, I will be using Marketing Mix, with the 4 Ps model as my data analysis tool. I chose the marketing mix because it is ideal and crucial for determining a product or services offer. I will also be applying the Ansoff matrix. The Ansoff matrix is a strategic planning tool that provides a framework to help business strategies for future growth. Marketing mix: Price- since Lesotho is a third world country, with a struggling economy, I think the business should consider the loss leader pricing method in order to attract customers and increase market share, then maybe later when they have a well established market they can convert to Marginal-cost pricing. Product- since the business is dealing with competition from global companies with menus that are prescribed by head offices overseas, the business can take advantage of this by altering their menu to offer more indigenous dishes of which the American based companies cannot offer Promotion- since the business is struggling, advertising on media platforms will not be possible as this will cost the business significantly, but rather I believe the business can practice alternative methods such as: using free social networking sites such as facebook, or they can start organizing special events such as karaoke nights to gain popularity. Placement- I believe the business should place itself as a premium brand rather than a bargain. This is because completion is high in that sector, with the town seeing more fast food outlets than ever in history. Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff matrix crucial strategic planning tool that helps devise strategies for future growth, I will be using it in my research project to help me devise plans or suggestions on how the business can actually grow in the future. This tool consists of the following; Market penetration Market development Product development Product development Based on the data I have collected through the surveys and research I conducted, I believe the business should apply market penetration and product development. The reason why market develop and diversification would not work is because market develop requires a lot of capital as the business is required to venture into new markets; this is followed by intense promotion of which the business cannot afford. While diversification is the most risky strategy because both product and market development are required. In this case of a restaurant, product development is significantly cheaper than in other industries, the chef should just be more experimental and the customers can be used as testers through special offers such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“chefà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s specialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  References www.wikipedia.com www.managementhelp.org www.contentmarketinginstitute.com www.sba.gov Page 1

Monday, December 23, 2019

Minds, Brains, and Science by John R. Searle - 1815 Words

Functionalism remains, to this day, one of the most influential theories of the mind. While many facets of functionalism has been tested throughout the century, one of the more interesting questions came in the form of computers. Similarly to a human brain, could computers also think? This idea was explored by John R. Searle, in his book titled, Minds, Brains, and Science. The author is a renowned American philosopher, particularly in the philosophy of language and mind, and is currently teaching at the University of California, in Berkeley (â€Å"John R. Searle,† 2014). Searle earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Oxford, and has made several contributions to his field on topics, such as consciousness, artificial intelligence, and the problem of free will (â€Å"John R. Searle,† 2014). His â€Å"Chinese Room† experiment is known as one of the main critiques to the concept of artificial intelligence. In Searle’s book, Searle describes his thought process into this experiment during the second chapter, titled â€Å"Can Computers Think?† Searle’s purpose of this chapter in the book is to explain his perspective on the idea that digital computers will never develop the capability to form thought processes, and that a concept such as artificial intelligence could never exist, because our mental states exist in a biological manner. He utilizes his â€Å"Chinese Room† argument to aid in the development of his objectives. Before Searle goes into any detail about the purpose of this passage, he introduces theShow MoreRelatedConsciousness: Our Portal to Fulfillment 977 Words   |  4 PagesHuman culture expands rapidly and our concept of consciousness is rapidly evolving with it. Philosophers have filled the void concerning the true nature of consciousness not yet determined by science. 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Searle and Alan Turing are two philosophers that I will be relating to in order to examine the likelihood of a computer being able to â€Å"think† or not â€Å"think† and I will look into how a computer and a human have more in common than what â€Å"humans† actuallyRead MoreTuring, Searle, and Artificial Intelligence1260 Words   |  6 Pagescapable of passing the Turing test, is being insulted by a 10 year old boy, whose mother is questioning the appropriateness of punishing him for his behavior. We cannot answer the mothers question without speculating as to what A.M. Turing and John Searle, two 20th century philosophers whose views on artificial intelligence are starkly contrasting, would say about this predicament. 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Hofstadter, in his work Gà ¶del, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, remarks that one may contend that Artificial Intelligence is born of a machine’s ability to perform any task that had been previously confined to the domain of humans (601). However, a few sentences later, the author explains Tessler’s â€Å"Theorem† of progress in AI: â€Å"once some mental function is programmed, people soon cease to consider it as an essential ingredientRead MoreEssay on The Mind/Body Problem, Seen Through a Crisis2040 Words   |  9 PagesThe Mind-Body Problem seen through a Crisis The issue of the origins of consciousness has been a problem that has philosophers and scientists alike, puzzled for years. Is it a matter of science? Can it be explained through neurobiological processes or is it just something that simply cannot be reduced to words? Rene Descartes had struggled with this issue centuries ago, trying to explain this problem through his idea of substance dualism. This idea states that the mind and body are of two separateRead MoreThe Question Of Human Existence1776 Words   |  8 Pagesabout whether or not the mind is separable from the body. Renà © Descartes, often referred to as the father of modern philosophy, first questioned this idea. The 17th century French philosopher stood out for being an intense rationalist. Rationalism is the belief in knowledge by thinking reasonably, rather than emotionally. In a time when many philosophers backed up their arguments with religion, Descartes trusted in nothing more than logic. Due to rapid new discover ies in science, that were proving many