Retail Management Essay Example for Free

Retail Management Essay What can an independent retailer learn from this case? An independent retailer can pull several insights from this reading. First and foremost the market is becoming severely competitive which means that independent retailers will have to adapt to the environment. Adaptations such as; benchmarking other retailers, pinpointing customer needs wants, developing a long-term strategy for adaptation are to be made. It is imperative that retailers find ways to draw-in and maintain customers by changing with the market. Soft line specialty stores have found that the recent economic downturn has hurt the industry and in turn created intense competition for retailers to find new ways to get more sales from existing customers. Some good ideas for retailers to consider after reading this case are, repositioning old images, continuing to target the youth market, and creating a life cycle of retailing whereas, when a customer outgrows a particular brand, you have another brand for the consumer to grow into. There are also many ways that our ever-advancing technology can be incorporated into retailing to aid companies in increasing revenues.

Library catalog Essay Example for Free

Library catalog Essay Today, libraries are intensified and triggered by many advances and rapid inventions of science and technology that are greatly affecting the library operations as a whole. The non-stop discoveries of this new technology, particularly computers, redefined the role of libraries. A library is a collection of information, sources, resources, books, and services, and the structure in which it is housed. It is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In a more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books (â€Å"Library†, 2009). The library, more than any instrument of the society, is open to public use and the knowledge embodied in books are the foundation of a society to attain or develop more the potentialities of man which in return, will be a great factor in the progress of a nation. The library has the responsibility to upgrade its status through open access to these advances, to develop a plan of action in order to contribute and to become an effective partner especially in instruction, research and extension programs of an educational institute (Enem, 2002). From the statements above it is proven that the library has a big role not only to the students but also to the society and our country. Through the help of modern technology and information system, the library circulation system can improve. Library circulation or library lending comprises the activities around the lending of library books and other material to users of a lending library. A circulation or lending department is one of the key departments of a library (â€Å"LC†, 2009). Library circulation provides lending services and facilities for return of loaned items. Renewal of materials and payment of fines are also handled at the circulation desk. Circulation staff may provide basic search and reference services, though more in-depth questions are usually referred to reference librarians at the library reference desk. The circulation desk is in most cases staffed by library aides instead of professional librarians. The functions of the circulation desk staff may include the lending materials to library users, checking in materials returned, monitoring materials for damage and routing them to the appropriate staff for repair or replacement, troubleshooting circulation technology, i.e. library circulation software, scanners, printers, etc. , and collecting statistics on library use, i. e. patron transactions, material checkouts, etc. The two categories of Information System (IS) are the manual or traditional system and automatic or also known as Computer-Based Information System (CBIS). Before the use of CBIS, all the data are processed manually in a traditional system, where all the information are written and stored in different files. Sometimes, this process is called non-computerized system. Non-computerized is not efficient because it consumes a lot of time to find and update the information. To eliminate this problem, a new system was created which is known as computerized system or CBIS. Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) is composed of hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, people, and procedures that are configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information (Abraham, 2009). The library of University of the Philippines Diliman was established in 1922 has grappled with four basic concerns: the book fund, staff development, library services and information technology. And in 1999 the university had opened an online public access catalog and launched the university library web. Another school that has a library system running in web based is the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 1999. Each year, the school library acquires new resources and upgrades equipment for the use of students. As of august 2009, the library has a collection of over 122,000 book titles and more than 45,000 titles of electronic books. Using CBIS nowadays as a tool for development not only uplifts a company’s reputation, but also help fix things to the best. And also by using the intranet as a platform of the system can be a great help for improving the services of the library. An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet technologies to securely share any part of an organizations information or operational systems with its employees. Sometimes the term refers only to the organizations internal website, but often it is a more extensive part of the organizations computer infrastructure and private websites are an important component and focal point of internal communication and collaboration (King, 2002). Mr. A. T. Valdes, the librarian of NPCMSTI said that the library is an instrument that is used to provide data and information needed by the student in his study by collecting books that are important in their subjects as references. He added that from the books collected and selected, they are maintained in  order to be available to the students when the need it (personal communication, April 6, 2002). In addition, there are problems encountered in the manual or traditional library system of NPCMSTI based from the study conducted by the students of NPCMSTI. These include more effort and slow inventory of books, inefficient searching of books, inefficient generation of reports, and inefficient monitoring of books. The library has more than 4000 number of books and monitoring all these books require a lot of time and effort (Carreon, Delmendo, Maala, Mendoza Penequito, 2008). Considering the advantages brought by CBIS and the problems encountered in the existing library system of NPCMSTI, the researcher decided to propose a computerized library system for NPCMSTI. Company Background The vision of the NPCMSTI library is to be a functional media center for meritorious resources especially in Nautical Science or Marine Transportation, Marine Engineering, Computer Science, Criminology, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and Technical Vocational courses towards an excellent training development of professionals, diligent seafarers and skilled workers in the community. Its mission is to seek endeavor to provide quality service and to support the school’s educational programs, planning, research and extension services and instructional needs of the academic through stipulating bits of information comprehensively in any structure, in any part of the country, and of the whole world. Quality Objectives. The school library has the following objectives: (1) to strengthen and upgrade the library resources; (2) to upgrade library facilities and equipment;(3) to train personnel to enhance their technical skills and competitiveness; and (4) to link and network with local, national and international institutions. The library has a total of 11,832 book collections from the Degree courses to Non-Degree courses. The primary function of a library system are to facilitate the loan of books to borrowers, record receipt of returned books, and keep track of the status of books that should be returned. Reference Services. The obligation of the library is to render full assistance to readers in using the library and its contents. The librarian handles library resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, biographies, atlases, and gazetteers. Orientation. The librarian’s unique responsibility is to utilize fully his resources in making as nearly certain as possible that the best materials for the particular purpose find their way to the readers. Also, the librarian serves as the mediator between man and the graphic records that he and his previous generations have produced and that the goal of the library is to maximize the social utility of graphic records for the benefit of the society. Library Hours. The library is open with its continuous hour service, from Monday to Friday which starts from 7:30 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. Responsibilities of the Library Staff. The Northern Philippines College for Maritime, Science and Technology Library is manned by a Librarian, Assistant Librarian, and Library assistants. The Librarian shall administer the library, direct the activities of the staff, keep financial records of the library, keep records of the replacement of books, in charge of collecting and monitoring late fees, select and purchase books, library materials and supplies, stimulate growth of library services, attend library meetings or seminars, undertake indexing, classification and cataloging books and non-book materials and maintain relations to publishers and distributors. The Assistant Librarian shall take charge in absence of the librarian, help the librarian in indexing, classifying and cataloging of books and responsible for materials like clippings, periodicals and other documents, take charge in clipping and binding press and reviews, undertake the processing of books and non-book materials from putting accession number and stamping ownership mark to shelving. The Library Assistant shall issue and retrieve books at the circulation section, do the shelving and shelf reading of books retrieved, Paste torn pages of books and periodicals, undertake filing of clippings in the vertical file, type book cards, paste pockets and date due slips in books, cover books with plastic cover, stamp on books and periodicals, and file cards in the card catalogue. Cataloging and Classification. In the cataloging and classification of the book collections, the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules is adopted and the method used to describe an item that the library acquired. Also, the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the Sears List of Subject Heading and the Cutter Number of Tables are used in the NPCMSTI library. Borrowers. The student registered in the college, faculty members, staff, administrators, alumni of the college, and scholars or researchers from other institutions or organizations with endorsement letter from their librarians can use the services of the library. Importance of the Study This study is important to the following entities: To the Community. Through the help of this study it shall uplift the community’s education of the Filipinos by improving the services of the library. To the NPCMSTI. The output of the study shall be a great aid to the people using the library in the school. By improving and implementing the computerized system, books are monitored and also the quality of service that the school renders shall be uplifted and it also helps meet the vision and mission of the school. To the Staff-in Charge. The output of the study shall help easy recording and accessing of books records. By this study, librarians can monitor the status of the book at the library if it is available or borrowed. They can easily generate book reports such as available books, borrowed books, and inventory of the books by category. From this they shall save time and effort, and they can do more output in simple way. To the Faculty. The study would be beneficial to them for faster searching of the book information. By using the computerized system, the instructor can determine the book information in which they can use as their references in their subjects that they are teaching. They can also determine the book status whether it is available or borrowed by using the search feature of the system. From this they can save more time and effort. To the Students. The study would be beneficial to them in which searching of the book information would be faster. By using the computerized system, the student can determine the book information and also the book status if it is available or borrowed by using the search feature of the system or if they know the title of the book they want to borrow, they can easily determine if that book is available at the library, from this study they can save more time and effort. To other Researchers. This shall be a reference in conducting studies related to computer on wider prospective and may also serve as a basis for further study related to computer program. To the Researcher. Through this, the researcher shall be able to determine and appreciate the impact using technology for the productivity of every individual. Statement of the Problem The main aim of the study was to design and develop a computerized library circulation system for NPCMSTI. Specifically, the project aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What are the processes involved in the existing library circulation system of NPCMSTI along the areas on: a) borrowing and returning of books and other reading materials, and b) inventory of books and other reading materials, and  report generation? 2. What system features can be incorporated in the proposed library system in terms of: a) functionalities, b) back-up and restoration facilities, and c) security and control measures? Objectives of the Study The researcher aimed to design and develop a computerized library circulation system for NPCMSTI. Specifically, the study aimed to achieve the following: 1. Identify the processes involved in the existing library circulation system of NPCMSTI along the areas on: a) borrowing and returning of books and other reading materials, and  b) inventory of books and other reading materials, and report generation. 2. To determine the system features that can be incorporated in the proposed library system in terms of: a) functionalities, b) back-up and restoration facilities, and c) security and control measures. Definition of Terms The following terms are operationally defined: Administration. This refers to the supervision of the library by full-time, professionally-trained staff under a well-defined organizational setup. Back-up. This is the capability of the system to create a copy of the database. Book Category. The classification of a books as Filipiniana or Foreign. Borrowing of books. This is the process of lending available books and reading materials at the library. Inventory of Books. The process of generating a list of books borrowed, list of books available, and list of Filipiniana books and Foreign books by course. Filipiniana. These are books and non-book materials, published in the Philippines or abroad, written by Filipinos in any dialects or in English. Foreign. These are books and non-book materials, published in the Philippines or abroad, written by foreigners in any dialects or in English. Library System Functionality Features. These are the functions that are incorporated in the system such as searching of books, and verifying of borrowed books and returned books. Library Automation. It is an innovation using the computer to enhance the operation of the library. Library Circulation. It is comprised of the activities around the lending and borrowing of library books and other material to users. Library Environment. This refers to the physical condition, site, facilities and equipment of the library. Library Resources. This refers to the library personnel, book collection, services and use of the library. Non-print. These are non-book materials in various formats and style. Readers Services. These are services provided to customer such as bibliographical instruction on the effective use of the library, abstracting, information retrieval, reader’s guidance, and indexing. Report Generation. The process of generating a report on books needed by the librarian. Restore. Capability of the system that restores backup database into the system. Returning of Books. The process of returning the borrowed book at the library by the borrower. Searching of Books. The process of searching books at the library. Security measures. These are the computer controls that the library system will adopt in-order to protect the information or data in the database. Services. These are the activities that ensures maximum access and availability of resources and satisfactory use of the Library. Staff. They are the human resource of the library that maintains the services. This includes the professionals and the non-professional staff.

The Makeover Beauty Salon Marketing Essay

The Makeover Beauty Salon Marketing Essay Introduction The Makeover Beauty Salon is a beauty salon that aims at rendering maximum customer satisfaction by providing the best service, using high quality products, and building a pleasant environment at an affordable price, to meet the needs of customers of all social status. I am the owner of The Makeover Beauty Salon and I perceive an unsatisfied customer need for a low-cost salon that provides maximum flexibility and great customer attention. Using this strategy, The Makeover Beauty Salon will gain much reputation and create long-term relationships with its customers. The Makeover Beauty Salon is the only area salon to be online and fully automated and will have the most aggressive marketing campaign of any other area salon. The Makeover Beauty Salon will target two different market segments: Youngsters will typically make up 70-75% of the clientele.   Young mothers with children.   http://www.bplans.com/hair_salon_business_plan/images/bc49aab41b914ef99dca65af1ff71a82.png Future Opportunities The main segment of the population that is targeted by the salon is the younger generation, which is the youth. It has been noticed that adolescents like different and new looks, which are apart from others. They like to look very special and The Makeover Beauty Salon has all the means to satisfy the needs of the main targeted group. This opportunity will be researched and developed on a trial basis. For example, every weekend, people can go to the salon and i will do their makeup or hair. If successful, it could become a major new source of income without creating the need for additional staff or production space. The management team of The Makeover Beauty Salon I will be the only manager of the salon. I will have as assistant, Miss Shazia. The latter takes the responsibility of supervising the workers when I will not be present at the salon. Miss Shazia has a degree in management of salon and she has two years of experience from another salon. I have also appointed two caretakers, Mrs Aisha and Miss Dolly, who will take care of customers children when the customers will be pampering themselves. Growth opportunities improve employee retention within our industry. The salon acknowledges the need for growth of the individual. II The Business The company After a tedious search for a suitable place for the salon, finally one was found at the centre of the island. The location of the salon would be perfect, as it can welcome customers from all over Mauritius. The exact location is in the centre of Curepipe. The recently completed highway in the surrounding offers  hundreds of thousands of local residents, shoppers from outside the area, and travelers that use this new highway.  With this high concentration of customers there  is no big and sophisticated salon in the locality. This is one of the main advantages of opening the salon at that particular location. Services and products offered The Makeover Beauty Salon is considered an innovating beauty salon which offers a wide range of services that include: Hair:  cuts, relaxers, perms, colors, shampoo, conditioning, curling, reconstructing, weaving, and waving Nails:  manicures, pedicures, polish, sculptured nails Skin Care:  European facials, body waxing, massage Makeup: bridal makeup, casual makeup, formal makeup, amongst others Service is offered on a walk-in basis or by appointment. The Makeover Beauty Salon will emphasize a customer-centric service where the customers needs are always the priority. The Makeover Beauty Salon will also sell hair care products, which is forecasted to account for about 15% of sales. These professional-quality supplies will include shampoos, conditioners, brushes, combs, and other styling aids. Company Overview The Makeover Beauty Salon is located in Curepipe and will offer affordable priced, convenient hair styling. The Makeover Beauty Salon will accept walk-ins as well as appointments for the entire family. The salon will grow its market share based on superior customer attention. The Salon is a family hair salon, also known as a quick hair salon and this new salon has everything to set up a new path and disguise people in an unexpected way. It is owned by Miss Chellen, who has recently returned from the United States, with innovative ideas, after advanced studies about the fashion and makeup line, and also in beauty salon management. Company Ownership The Makeover Beauty Salon will be entirely owner by me. I have done a degree in Beauty Salon management and a degree in General Cosmetology in the United States. I also worked in a salon for more than 5 years there. I have a very friendly approach in the salon and when I am tutoring. Salons motto: The trend begins here Vision Mission The Makeover Beauty Salons vision is to create a harmonious, productive, and profitable salon environment, supplying the community with Avon cosmetology. The mission statement is very clear: The Makeover Beauty Salon has been established to set a new path in the beauty line by providing an exceptional service which aims at satisfying people of all age. Through its services, the salon aims at exceeding customers expectations. Objectives To cater for the fast changing trends of makeup and hairstyles. To make people look more special and different from others. To supply services and products that enhances our clients physical appearance and mental relaxation. Keys to Success Set up the salon in a location easily accessible to everyone. The environment should be very appealing, friendly and relaxing. Try to be as innovative as possible in styles. Dare to try something new. Aim at complete customer satisfaction by offering the best service at affordable prices. The Makeover Beauty Salon can best be described as presently being in the business of cosmetology, education, and wellness. In recent times our key strengths have been customer service. The Makeover Beauty Salon will use automation to keep hold of clients. According to studies, it takes 3 times the amount of effort to attract a new client than the effort to retain a satisfied client. at present, 10% of all salons are automated. in the vicinity, 3 salons are automated and none use the technology to market and track clients. Automation is a key to growing and maintaining our target market. Goals and Objectives It is the goal of The Makeover Beauty Salon to provide the community with an institution of cosmetology that targets all socioeconomic standings and is a model for the industry nationally. Startup Summary After several months of search for a salon to purchase, the owner decided to start a salon from the ground up. The Makeover Beauty Salon will incur the following start-up costs: Computer with point of sale terminal. Computer with printer for back office. Five cutting stations, each station requires a barber chair, cabinet, large mirror, blow dryer, curling iron, electric razor, several pairs of scissors, spray bottle, two sided mirror, and assorted combs and brushes. Desk for reception area. Three couches for the reception area. Display shelf for sale of retail products. Assorted plants. Assorted toys for the children. Legal fees for business formation and generation/review of contracts. http://www.bplans.com/hair_salon_business_plan/images/6ff2aec4851d460cb0a964e4122e4fa2.png Startup funding Start-up Expenditure to Fund $2000 Start-up Assets to Fund $104,000 Total Funding Required $106,000 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up $8,450 Cash Requirements from Start-up $89,720 Additional Cash Raised $0 Cash Balance on Starting Date $89,720 Total Assets $98,170 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing $0 Long-term Liabilities $40,000 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) $0 Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) $0 Total Liabilities $40000 Capital Planned Investment Chellen $100,000 Investor 2 $0 Other $0 Additional Investment Requirement $0 Total Planned Investment $100,000 Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) ($1,100) Total Capital $98,900 Total Capital and Liabilities $104,000 Total Funding $106,000 Start-up Requirements Start-up Expenses Legal $1,000 Stationery etc. $100 Other $0 Total Start-up Expenses $2,000 Start-up Assets Cash Required $89,720 Other Current Assets $0 Long-term Assets $7,000 Total Assets $104,000 Total Requirements $106,000 III Management Team I will be working full time at the Makeover Beauty Salon. She will be in charge of all recruitment and training, purchasing, and retail sales. Apart from the assistant manager and the two caretakers, I will also employ a receptionist to  take care of all of the appointments as well as the people who walk in, and be responsible for the point of sale.  The receptionist will be paid an hourly wage. I even plan to hire some part-time hair stylists during wedding periods and the eves of festivals, which will operate on an hourly/commission basis.   I thought of using a partial commission basis to create incentives for greater customer attention. The better service employees provide to their customers, the greater customer satisfaction will be derived and the more money they will make off commissions. Miss Chellen will be pleased to pay for this type of performance. IV Organizational Structure The organisational structure of The Makeover Beauty The New Looking salon will be like a flat organisation structure. It is supervised closely by the founder. Thus, efficiency is maintained and so is the satisfaction of customers. The salon is structured as follows in the diagram below. Director Children Caretakers Manager of salon Assisstant Manager Part-timers Part-timers Part-timers Diagram 1: This represents the business structure. Intellectual Property The patent license, trademark and copyright agreements have already been applied for approval. V Industry Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢outstanding location. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Well-qualified employees with good hair cutting skills with a wide style collection, and Customer-focused business practices. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢A wide range of services offered. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cutthroat prices. Weaknesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢As a new entrant to the market, The Makeover Beauty Salon lacks brand equity that many other salons have gained over years of service. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Large costs related with a start-up company. Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢A steady growing market that is traditionally unaffected by the economic environment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The ability to decrease marginal fixed costs as the customer base grows. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Increasing sales opportunities as more people from an individual family visits The Makeover Beauty Salon. Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Competition from already established salons. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢A change in traffic patterns as they relate to the mall where The Makeover Beauty Salon is located. The hair styling industry is highly divided with national chains, some of which operates diverse franchises catering to all the market segments, and also including thousands of mom and pop salons that are very limited in scale and services. This makes for an extremely aggressive market that has low barriers to entry and exit. Moreover, the customers of hair styling have considerable control due to the low switching costs they have. However, most companies have tried to pursue only one general strategy in gaining more reputation. The Makeover Beauty Salon is of the view that that it is possible to offer a differentiated service through superior customer service at no greater considerable cost if the right employee incentives are provided. With this strategy in mind, the salons purpose is to boost the number of clients served by at least 30% per year. Target Market The Makeover Beauty Salon will be targeting two different groups of customers, but will lay more emphasis on the youths. It will work hard to distinctly appeal to each of these groups. By focusing on more than one group, the salon is minimizing its risk that in a downturn one group will negatively affect the company. Market Segmentation The Makeover Beauty Salon will target three different market segments: Youngsters will normally make up 70-75% of the clientele, as they are very conscious about looking good, having perfectly trimmed eyebrows and they like to keep changing their styles regularly. Young mothers with children. Most young children are notoriously difficult when it comes to getting haircuts. A family style salon is a more laid-back place that allows the children to play while they are waiting and then will work with the parents in calming the kids nerves when they are ready for their shearing. Target Market Segment Strategy The Makeover Beauty Salon will target each of the two groups separately. The youngsters will be pampered in a very bright, appealing, colorful and attractive atmosphere. Employees will use the latest equipment available with them, which would suit their preferences and with which they will feel at ease. The Makeover Beauty Salon will also  target mothers with children by offering the kids toys to play with while they wait and child-friendly hair stylists. Moreover, children will receive a special rate reflecting the fact that childrens hair grows so fast that it can be costly to keep up with regular cuts, as well as the recognition that it generally takes lesser time to cut a childs hair so it should be naturally less expensive. Competition and Buying Patterns The Makeover Beauty Salon competitors include: Traditional barbers. They do not work on appointments as it offers an open door service. While barbers are willing to give you whatever cut you want, they are generally providing straight forward haircuts, typically on the conservative side. The advantages of a barber are they are low-cost and easy to use. Their disadvantages is often conservative styling capacities, sometimes a long wait as the barber may be an old timer who enjoys to chit chat. Franchised quick salons.   An example of this would be Supercuts or Best Cuts. In essence this is a franchised version of The Makeover Beauty Salon. The advantage of this style is the store will be the same from location to location and some people like this predictability.   Independent salons. These salons typically focus on a specific niche and do not serve a large group of customers. The advantages to these could be an independent salon that caters for all of your needs. The disadvantage is that because they tend to be more focused, more often than not this type of salon will not offer exactly what  customers are looking for. Competitive Edge The Makeover Beauty Salon aims to be very different from the beauty salons which offer only one or two services. From surveys, it has been concluded that customers often get frustrated as they have to get their hair done at one place and facial and makeup done at another place. This becomes very annoying for clients as they have to travel a lot and it is tiresome as well. Therefore the Makeover Beauty Salon plans to offer all these services under the same roof. As such, clients will be more at ease to make themselves beautiful. There exist several salons that are already proving the same services as the Makeover Beauty Salon, but they charge very high prices which everybody cannot afford as these salons are situates mostly in towns, where high rent have to be paid. Therefore, to attract the maximum number of customers, the Makeover Beauty Salon plans to offer better quality service than the other salons, but at affordable prices so that everyone can afford making then look beautiful, especially the youngsters, as they are the one that the salon is targeting at. Basically the atmosphere prevailing at the Makeover Beauty Salon will be very cozy and relaxing, where clients would love to be pampered. A welcoming drink will be served to clients as they enter the salon they can chose amongst tea, coffee, juice, soft drink. A television will be located in the waiting room and a radio in the hair-drying area, as this may take some time. VI Marketing Plan Marketing Strategy The Makeover Beauty Salon has a very simple marketing strategy: satisfying its clients. Miss Chellen is of the view that when a customer leaves her salon, he/she should have a new look which would be perfect for the occasion the latter would be attending, and the latter should also be representing the Makeover Beauty Salon through his/her makeup and hairstyle the client should be a medium of portraying the salons qualities, service and image. Miss Chellen has no plans to advertise her new salon. According to researches, a satisfied customer is able to influence 11 14 people positively. Therefore, the owner of the salon is of the view that its the satisfied customers that will bring new customers to her salon and her business grows. She has, in her mind, a strategy to reward her potential clients who are able to attract new customer into the salon. Sales Strategy The Makeover Beauty Salon sales approach will be based on exceptionally professional communications with the customer. Normally the quick salons lay emphasis on being quick and inexpensive, often at the cost of customer service. Anytime that a potential customer will talk with someone at the Makeover Beauty Salon, the owner/employee will have an opportunity to impress the customer. Employee training will emphasize seizing these opportunities. The Makeover Beauty Salon will also have the chance to increase sales of its retail hair care products every time it has a customer in the chair. The Makeover Beauty Salon offers interesting discounts on the hair care products for employees to use these products, so that they can explain to the customer about their personal experiences. Additionally, the Makeover Beauty Salon offers a product-based commission structure for the hair care products where they give away the product to the employee for commissions for selling the items to their customers. These personal testimonials and commission structure will allow  the salon to generate good sales from the retail hair care products. Sales forecasts The first diagram above depicts the first years forecast of the Makeover Beauty Salon sales. In the first 4 months, sales will be very steady as the salon will experience new customers, who will get to know about the services that the salon offers. During the subsequent months, an increase in all the services offered is expected, as the customers will be satisfied with the service of the salon. Sales Forecast Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Sales Youngsters $20,150 $35,260 $41,100 Women with small children $2,015 $3,526 $4,110 Retail hair care products $29,225 $32,975 $40,500 Total Sales $51,390 $71,761 $85,710 Direct Cost of Sales Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Youngsters $2,600 $4,750 $4,900 Women with small children $260 $475 $490 Retail hair care products $14,500 $26,000 $27,500 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales $17,360 $31,225 $32,890 VII Operation Plan Facilities The salon will be offering home styling and makeup for brides or any other special weekends, but for that, an appointment is compulsory this should be done at least 3 weeks before the due date. Potential clients will not be charged with the travelling costs. Hours of operation The salon will be open week from 8 am to 5pm on Monday to Saturday. However, on Saturdays and public holidays, it will be opened from 10 am to 1 pm. Employee Training Education Employees will be trained not only in their specific styling duties but in the philosophy and applications of our concept. They will receive extensive information from the owner and be kept informed of the latest information concerning styling and makeup applications through continuous training. Systems Controls A big emphasis is being placed on extensive research into the quality and integrity of our products. They will constantly be tested for our own high standards of effectiveness and professionalism. Cosmetic products costs and inventory control will be handled by our computer system and checked daily by management. Facilities The salon will be offering home styling and makeup for brides or any other special weekends, but for that, an appointment is compulsory this should be done at least 3 weeks before the due date. Potential clients will not be charged with the travelling costs. Hours of operation The salon will be open week from 8 am to 5pm on Monday to Saturday. However, on Saturdays and public holidays, it will be opened from 10 am to 1 pm. Employee Training Education Employees will be trained not only in their specific styling duties but in the philosophy and applications of our concept. They will receive extensive information from the owner and be kept informed of the latest information concerning styling and makeup applications through continuous training. Systems Controls A big emphasis is being placed on extensive research into the quality and integrity of our products. They will constantly be tested for our own high standards of effectiveness and professionalism. Cosmetic products costs and inventory control will be handled by our computer system and checked daily by management. VIII Financial Plan Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund $1,817 Start-up Assets to Fund $60,600 Total Funding Required $62,417 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up $60,100 Cash Requirements from Start-up $500 Additional Cash Raised $0 Cash Balance on Starting Date $500 Total Assets $60,600 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing $0 Long-term Liabilities $61,917 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) $0 Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) $0 Total Liabilities $61,917 Capital Planned Investment Owner $500 Investor $0 Additional Investment Requirement $0 Total Planned Investment $500 Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) ($1,817) Total Capital ($1,317) Total Capital and Liabilities $60,600 Total Funding $62,417 Important Assumptions The following section will detail important Financial Assumptions. General Assumptions Year 1 Year 2 Year 2 Plan Month 1 2 3 Current Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Long-term Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Tax Rate 30.00% 30.00% 30.00% Other 0 0 0 Projected Cash Flow The cash flow depends on assumptions for inventory turnover, payment days, and accounts receivable management. Our projected same-day collections are critical, and are reasonable and customary in the salon industry. We do not expect to need significant additional support even when we reach the less profitable months, as they are expected. http://www.bplans.com/hair_salon_business_plan/images/d5e510e0cfe04c2484123f1575a810dc.png Projected Cash Flow Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Cash Received Cash from Operations Cash Sales $277,143 $504,802 $525,337 Subtotal Cash from Operations $277,143 $504,802 $525,337 Additional Cash Received Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received $0 $0 $0 New Current Borrowing $0 $0 $0 New Other Liabilities (interest-free) $0 $0 $0 New Long-term Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Sales of Other Current Assets $0 $0 $0 Sales of Long-term Assets $0 $0 $0 New Investment Received $0 $0 $0 Subtotal Cash Received $277,143 $504,802 $525,337 Expenditures Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Expenditures from Operations Cash Spending $251,600 $275,200 $279,200 Bill Payments $101,816 $172,090 $181,489 Subtotal Spent on Operations $353,416 $447,290 $460,689 Additional Cash Spent Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out $0 $0 $0 Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing $0 $0 $0 Other Liabilities Principal Repayment $0 $0 $0 Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment $0 $0 $0 Purchase Other Current Assets $0 $0 $0 Purchase Long-term Assets $0 $0 $0 Dividends $0 $0 $0 Subtotal Cash Spent $353,416 $447,290 $460,689 Net Cash Flow ($76,273) $57,513 $64,648 Cash Balance $20,307 $77,820 $142,467 Projected Balance Sheet of The Makeover Beauty Salon Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Assets Current Assets Cash $20,307 $77,820 $142,467 Other Current Assets $0 $0 $0 Total Current Assets $20,307 $77,820 $142,467 Long-term Assets Long-term Assets $7,320 $7,320 $7,320 Accumulated Depreciation $1,464 $2,928 $4,392 Total Long-term Assets $5,856 $4,392 $2,928 Total Assets $26,163 $82,212 $145,395 Liabilities and Capital Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $11,945 $14,341 $14,968 Current Borrowing $0 $0 $0 Other Current Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Subtotal Current Liabilities $11,945 $14,341 $14,968 Long-term Liabilities $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 Total Liabilities $56,945 $59,341 $59,968 Paid-in Capital $60,000 $60,000 $60,000 Retained Earnings ($1,100) ($90,782) ($37,130) Earnings ($89,682) $53,652 $62,557 Total Capital ($30,782) $22,870 $85,427 Total Liabilities and Capital $26,163 $82,212 $145,395 Net Worth ($30,782) $22,870 $85,427 IX Critical Risk factors Management Risks: It can be considered the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate event or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from uncertainty in financial markets, project failures and legal liabilities in the Makeover Beauty Salon. Other potential Management risks may be: Defective products/services. Health and safety incidents. Faulty equipment.(e.g. damaged wires or sockets) Environmental risks (e.g. noise pollution and the use of eco-friendly product) Technological obsolescence. Theft of assets Marketing Risks: Marketing is a risk and you cant go on happily thinking that whatever youre doing is working for the best of the organization. By the time you do so, the market will have shifted from under your feet. Some marketing risks may be: Government action ( pass law to limit the time for using salon till late night) Rival (imitation of ideas is done quickly by competitors) Operating Risks: It is a risk arising from execution of a companys business functions. As such, it is a very broad concept including e.g fraud risks, legal risks, physical or environmental risks in the Makeover Beauty Salon. Other forms of operating risks may be: the type of product received from suppliers the neighbourhood problem which can halt work the defect that hairstyle is not done according to customer wish regulation which employee dont accept culture for where on a day some worker have to leave for prayer Financial Risks: It is basically any risk related with any form of financing. Risk is probability of unfavorable condition; in financial sector it is the probability of actual return being less than expected return for a business company. Intellectual Property Infringement: It is the infringement of an intellectual prop

Free Color Purple Essays: It Was the Worst of Times :: Color Purple Essays

The Color Purple Essay: It Was the Worst of Times The book The Color Purple was written by Alice Walker.   The book was not written in a conventional manner.   It was a series of letters spanning the life of Celie, the main character.   Most of the letters were written by Celie and some by her sister Nettie.   The theme of the book is to be true to yourself in spite of difficulties and never let go of what you believe in.   Do not let people make you think you are something that you are not, then you have the will to survive during the worst of times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Color Purple is about Celie’s life.   In the beginning of the novel, we learn that Celie was raped by her father.   We also learn that Celie’s mother is ill and is unable to take care of the family.   Celie is forced to cook and clean for her family.   Celie conceived two children because of her father’s continuous raping.   She never sees her children and believes that her father killed them.   A man from town wanted to take Celie’s sister Nettie as a wife, but her father convinces the man to take Celie instead.   Celie is now forced to marry an older man who already has children.   Celie’s husband constantly beats and rapes her without any remorse.   He even made Celie nurse Shug Avery, his mistress, when she was ill.   It is now that Celie learns from Shug Avery about love.   Shug Avery encourages Celie not to take the abuse from her husband anymore and that she deserves bette r.   Celie would finally leave her husband when she found out that he kept her sister’s letters from her.   Nettie was the sole reason why Celie had managed to survive.   Celie could not tolerate any more abuse and left with Shug Avery and Mary Agnes.   Mary Agnes was Celie’s stepson’s mistress.   Celie eventually meets up with Nettie and her two children whom she believed to be dead.   She than goes back to her husband who has drastically changed since Shug Avery and Celie left.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This novel was set in the early 1900’s.   During this time, the black people were oppressed by white people.   They were abused and taken advantage of.   Not only were the black people were oppressed but also women were oppressed.   They had little freedom and were unable to be self-sufficient.

The History of Roller Coasters Essay -- Roller Coasters Amusement Park

The History of Roller Coasters Everyone remembers their first ride on a roller coaster, an experience of terror, joy and excitement, as you tower over amusement parks going through curves and loops. From wooden wonders and steel coasters to twisters and corkscrews, the great rides began with the Russian ice slides in the 17th century and have developed into the ultimate thrill machines of today. The origins of the roller coaster will probably never be a settled issue, historians and coaster enthusiasts could argue where it all began (Harris). The success and evolution of the roller coaster and white-knuckle ride has inextricably mirrored the growth and changing perception of the amusement park industry over the years. A period of intense innovation and development in roller coaster science have been interrupted by long periods of decline and neglect, but with each era comes a new success for coasters. Many inventors have aided to the progression of roller coasters and what they are today and it is important t o understand what they have done. There are many inventors who have contributed to the advancements of roller coasters and each of them have had a huge impact on what roller coasters are today. The earliest inventor would be August John Mueller, known as John Miller professionally, who was born in Homewood, Illinois in 1874. At the age of 19 Miller started working with a man named LaMarcus Thompson and became his chief engineer. By 1911, Miller was a consultant to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC), where he designed more than a dozen coasters for PTC, including the mammoth Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts. During the late twenties and the Depression years Miller was associate... ...r Coaster Thrills in 3-D. Distributed by Goldhil Video, Thousand Oaks, CA 1994. (ES) Bennett, David (1998). Roller Coaster: Wooden and Steel Coasters, Twisters, and Corkscrews. New Jersey: Cartwell Books, Inc. (SS) Harris, Tom (1998). How Roller Coasters Work. http://howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster.htm [Accessed 9 April 2002]. (PS) Rathe, Andrew. Coaster – World.com. 2001. http://www.coaster-world.com/index.php. [Accessed 15 April 2002]. (ES) Sandy, Adam (1996). Roller Coasters. http://ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/ [Accessed 9 April 2002]. (PS) Silverstein, Herma. Scream Machines: Roller Coasters Past, Present and Future. New York: Walker, 1986. (PS) Throgmorton, Todd H. Roller Coasters of America. Osceola, Wis.: Motorbooks International, 1994. (PS) Wiese, Jim. Roller Coaster Science. New York: John Wiley, 1994. (PS)

Talkin the Talk: An Examination of Black English in the American Education System :: Free Essays Online

Talkin the Talk: An Examination of Black English in the American Education System How many people here believe that schools should require the use of standard English at all times? That schools should respect all languages? How many people believe that Ebonics is a legitimate language that should not be compared to standard English? Most of you are probably wondering why I am interested in Ebonics. Obviously I’m not black. But, that does not mean that I can’t take an interest in the success of my friends and classmates. I attended Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, Massachusetts. My town is supposedly a liberal, open-minded place. But I always wondered why there were very few black students in my advanced-level classes and how come some of the black friends I had in the beginning of the year were no longer around at the end. I talked to one of my friends about this once. She told me that many black students in our school had moved from a nearby city and that they were not used to the academic standards of the school. Many of them became discouraged due to the lack of support of the teachers and some students even dropped out. This is a problem. In my opinion, many teachers do not respect students’ cultures if they are not a part of the mainstream, white culture. Although language is on ly one part of this respect, it is a large part of every student’s culture. Even though there has been a movement to improve inner-city schools and increase the success of black students, these programs would benefit any school around the country. Although the debate over the legitimacy of Ebonics as a language had been burning out, the Oakland school board decision in 1996 re-sparked this debate. Every marking period, in the Oakland school district, many African-American students brought home report cards singed with bad grades. In a school district where 53% of the student population is African-American, what concerned the school board was that these black students accounted for 71 percent of "special needs" students and received an average GPA of 1.8, compared to the average of 2.4 for all other students (Perry xi). It was time to correct that problem. The school board of Oakland, California organized a task force to do just this. The Ebonics Resolution, as the plan was called, recognized Ebonics as a legitimate language that deserved respect within the classroom.

Market Background

Market segmentation is the process of â€Å"dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers who have distinct needs, characteristics or behavior and who might require separate product or marketing mixes† (Kotler, 2004). Underlying the decision to segment the market is the recognition that a single market is not composed of people with homogenous needs, attitudes amd behavior and therefore requires a different marketing strategy for each group of people. This process helps marketers in identifying opportunities for a new product or product mix by identifying specific needs of a group of consumer marketer (Kinsey, 2005) Market segmentation can be done in many ways. A company with a customer base over a large geographic area can divide its market into various geographic areas. It can also segment the market on the basis of demographic factors such as gender, age, family size or family life cycle stage, profession, education, ethnical background etc. Other techniques include psychographic segmentation is another type of segmentation that is â€Å"based on social class, lifestyle or personality characteristics† and behavioral segmentation that is â€Å"based on the consumer knowledge attitude, use or response to a product† (Kotler, 2004). Other than the geographic segmentation all the other segmentation techniques requires a lot of consumer research with a demographic research on a lesser extent. Whatever segmentation techniques are used the market segments identified must be measurable in terms of size, purchasing power etc, accessible through target marketing, substantial, differentiable so that they should deserve the investment in a separate marketing strategy and actionable that is creating a marketing strategy for it should be practically possible for the company (Kotler, 2004). The task at hand is to segment the beverage market, decide on the target market and then design the most effective product mix for that segment. The beverage under consideration has an ingredient that is perceived to have health advantages. Thus, the drink can be positioned to be a wholesome addition to a healthy diet. The fact that their competitors have limited themselves to athletic males has left most of the market open for new product. The company can market the product to a much larger psychographic segment which is of health conscious consumers. On a secondary level some demographic segmentation can be done where students and young professionals are targeted through relevant marketing strategies that promote the drink as a source of nutrients needed for mental and physical growth necessary to cope with a demanding environment. Also a market strategy can be designed such that it encourages product use n the morning with breakfast. This type of strategy comes in the occasion segmentation as part of the behavior segmentation. With a powerful promotion program the beverage can become a necessary morning drink for all health conscious people. As the product is being promoted as a health drink it should contain appropriate nuitrants and vitamins and fruit extracts whose details should be given on the package. As it is being promoted as a morning drink it should be light and should not have sharp taste or smell. Also along with individual packages it should be available in easy to open packages that contain at least seven servings. Kinsey, J & Yeap, C. (2005). Buyers and Market Segments: Food Marketing Economics. Presented at APEC 4451/5451 lecture at University of Minnesota