Lessons from the Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lessons from the Cold War - Essay Example The United States is widely considered to be the â€Å"winner† of the Cold War for several reasons. Firstly, there is simple geography: if you look at a map, the United States exists now exactly as it did during the years of the Cold War (in fact, it actually grew somewhat during the conflict, adding Hawaii and Alaska as states as opposed to protectorates or territories), whereas the Soviet Union dissolved as a political entity, becoming Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, and several other smaller states between the Black and Caspian Seas (Brooks 450). More importantly, however, was the fact that the political ideology of Russia shifted – the one-party, the communist government ended, the economy was capitalized, state-run corporations became privately owned and so on. So, the state of the Soviet Union and the form of government and economy that it represented both ended, while the United States remained the lone Superpowe r. There are various explanations of how the Cold War was â€Å"won† or â€Å"lost† without recourse to a nuclear war. One of the major theories is that the United State’s more efficient and productive economy simply outpace the Soviet one, leading the Soviet government to either fall behind militarily or socially – both of which would have led to the downfall (Brooks 449). The classic explanation can be summarized as ‘the United States could make tanks and cars, the Soviet Union, one or the other.’ Any explanation that fails to take into account Soviet leadership, however, is somewhat naà ¯ve. The fact is that Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, genuinely sought openness and freedom for his people, and allowed them the freedom to choose what type of economy they wanted, which allowed the Soviet Union to fall without violent backlashes towards either the United States or its own populace (Brooks 454).

The collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery is generally understood to Essay

The collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery is generally understood to have been multi-causal. Describe the various factors that co - Essay Example Previously, the fishermen caught fish only in certain areas and there too they were unable to fish at a great depth. This limited the amount of fish that were caught and hence a balance in the ecosystem was not majorly disturbed. With the introduction of efficient machines, huge areas were covered and fishing could be done at greater depths, which resulted in a rapid decline in the fishing stocks. The Collapse of fishing industry has left a strong message to the Government and to all the companies linked with the utilization of natural resources. Natural resources are the assets of a country and to over exploit them just for the sake of making extra profits is harmful for the future of the country. Canadian forests are now facing similar threats and it is being feared that they may meet the same end as the Fishing industry. Ten percent of the world’s forest land is present in Canada and the wood industry generates billions of revenue for the country (Canada, 2010). However the forests are suffering from overcutting of wood and if Government does not introduce policies to barricade the practice, Canadian forests may be doomed like the Atlantic Cod Fishery.

System of Inquiry Essay Example for Free

System of Inquiry Essay In an age where truth is relative and compromise is the norm , where people are afraid to take a stand on the thorny issues like Bioethics , Euthanasia , Racism , Abortion etc that clutter our daily horizons – it’s high time now to face these vexing issues boldly and set – up a firmer Code of Ethics at the conscious level of a human . No matter how many laws you make but unless it is dwelled at the conscious level it won’t be that effective ; as ethics is not limited to specific acts and defined moral codes , but encompasses the whole of moral ideals and behaviours – a person’s philosophy of life to be precise . A high performing compliance and ethics program is best organized as an integrated capability assigned to the individuals with overall accountability. As far as the ethics in the system of inquiry goes – reflection , decision making under circumstances of complexity , skills of analysis , synthesis and evaluation as well as communication skills are some of the hallmarks. An ethical system of inquiry program supports the organization’s business objectives, identifies the Ethical and legal boundaries to establish an alert management system. Once an issue is detected, management must be prepared to respond quickly and appropriately . It will enable the organization to better prevent, detect and respond to similar problems in the future. An effective systems of enquiry should include reasoning and conclusions that can be reduced to a form that can be effectively communicated plus a systematic approach that goes a long way in handling any sort of inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry seeks what is right in an organization. It is a habit of mind, heart, and imagination that searches for the success, the life-giving force, the incidence of joy. Every system of inquiry needs to be ethical and ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard. Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face. Ethics is not following the law. A good system of inquiry does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it. Law can be a function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. Law may have a difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas and may be slow to address new problems. A robust system of inquiry should have mechanisms for making good ethical decisions which further requires a trained sensitivity to ethical issues and a practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action. Having a method for ethical decision making is absolutely essential. When practiced regularly, the method becomes so familiar that we work through it automatically without consulting the specific steps. The more novel and difficult the ethical choice we face, the more we need to rely on discussion with others about the dilemma. Its only by careful exploration of the problem, aided by the insights and different perspectives of others, can we make good ethical choices in such situations. Work ethics is relative to the time period in which it is measured and the variables are not independently predictive. We must redefine work ethics to reflect the attitudes, desires, and behaviors of today’s employed if we are to develop pedagogy that will foster changes in worker behavior that will be sustained as situations change. Most contemporary research focuses on teaching skills and knowledge, and not attitudes. Work-related social skills and habits are the most important entry-level skills sought in employees. As business, industry, and education face challenges to produce workers and students who perform at optimum levels, all are faced with the issue of the work ethics. Nearly all discussions with emphasis of linking or improving businesses and education captures work ethic somewhere in the discourse. Underlying questions concerning work ethics is the development of an acceptable definition that is current with today’s environment, the determination of whether work ethics is a teachable characteristic, and the development of acceptable and practical pedagogy.

Importance of Sports Essay Example for Free

Importance of Sports Essay Sports such as football or baseball involve lots of physical activities. Sports and exercises help in strengthening and toning the muscles and bones in the body. In short, the importance of sports for kids is that it keeps them in an excellent shape. When children or adults plays team sports, be it cricket or hockey, they learn to work in groups. They learn that if the team wins, they win and if the team loses, they lose. This way they learn how to work in groups. Thus, the importance of sports for kids is that they understand what is team spirit and thus, when they grow and actually start working, it will help them immensely in building relationships with their co-workers, and also to work in harmony with others. Sports makes people mentally strong. Success and failure are both parts of sports as well as life. A sportsman knows that there will be times when he will win matches, there will also be times when he will lose them. A sportsperson knows how to handle defeat and thus, treats success and failure equally. This is an important life lesson too, which sports can teach a person. Besides this, another importance of sports for children or for adults is that it teaches them how to handle competition, and be fearless when facing the adversaries. Children and adolescents ooze with physical energy. When they are involved in sports, their physical energies are used up in a constructive way. Teenage is such an impressionable age, if adolescents are given free time they might get involved in wrong activities or may fall in bad company or may also display anti-social behavior. Thus, the importance of sports in society is that it keeps adolescents from becoming anti-social elements, who might otherwise disturb the delicate fabric of society. Heres hoping that now you know what is the importance of sports. Besides being important for kids, taking up a sports career in adult life, has its own benefits. A sportsperson often travels to other countries to play matches and in the process, learns a great deal about the cultures of these countries. Even the spectators or TV viewers are thoroughly entertained while watching professional sports, making it an excellent recreational activity.

Poe’s The Black Cat and Hawthorn’s Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young

Poe’s "The Black Cat" and Hawthorn’s "Young Goodman Brown" In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne analyzes the Puritans’ consciousness and the hidden wickedness of their nature. He takes a naà ¯ve Puritan man and takes him on a journey into the dark forest to meet an old man whom we presume, is the devil. As the naà ¯ve Puritan embarks on his journey, his wife "Faith" kisses him good bye. The Puritan has an overwhelming feeling of guilt as he is entering the forest to meet with the Devil. He realized what he is doing was forbidden and none of his forefathers or fellow Puritans would ever commit such a sin. During his meeting with the Devil his naà ¯vetà © dissolves. He sees Deacon Gookin, his old catechism teacher, and other upstanding members of the community, whom he looked up to and feared, dancing around the Devil’s fire. He is told that the Devil has helped his father and Grandfather in years past. His innocence is completely destroyed when he sees his own wife Faith dancing around the Devils circle . He screams in agony: "My faith is gone. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a ...

The Cradle :: essays research papers

THE CRADLE My book is called The Cradle by Arthur C. Clarke. The setting of this book takes place in sunny West Keys in Florida. The main characters in this book are Carol Dawson who is a Miami photojournalist. She takes pictures and writes stories about the pictures and sells them to the local news and newspaper. Nick Williams is a woman-hating Ivy League drop out who captains a boat for his own scuba diving company. Troy Jefferson is Nick’s trusty crewman who aids Nick in the epic story. This also is Non-Fiction. To begin the book Carol travels to the West Keys to cover a whale beaching. She meets Nick and Troy who take her out further into the sea to cover the whale beaching. Carol and Nick decide to dive where some dolphins are swimming. Everything goes good until they stumble upon a golden trident. Little did they know what it was and what power it possessed and what trouble came with it? They have several encounters with mobsters who thought it was a buried treasure, and the Navy who recently lost a new test missile around the area Nick and Carol found the golden trident. Nick, Carol, and Troy return to the spot where they found the golden troublemaker too look for any other secrets. Unfortunately they are caught in space ship which has settled there. Confused, Nick and Carol wonder around the unknown in search of answers. They found more than they bargained for. They found the secrets of the world, but worse of all; they found the fate of man kind and everything around it. After several cliffhangers Nick and Carol meet the actual aliens themselves. After showing them what is going to happen to world in a few years Nick and Carol ask them to keep the trident. The aliens wager a deal with them. Nick and Carol full fill the deal but the aliens don’t full theirs. The disappointed Nick and Carol hide the trident in a spot on the space ship, hoping that the aliens won’t find it. Nick and Carol are successful in their attempts to save man kind, and the world lives as it would today. The good points about the book were that it always left you hanging. At the end of every page it left you wondering about what will happen on the next page. It had a very good story if you like the kind of story it is.

National Student Speech Language Hearing Association :: Personal Narrative Writing

National Student Speech Language Hearing Association Even though I have only been in college for one semester I feel like I have done something very significant. I have met a person with a disorder, but they are unaware that they have this disorder. This person is a child and he can not speak. I have also experienced a feeling I have never had before. As a speech pathology major, I decided to join a club geared towards speech production and I knew I wanted to work with children. As I was climbing the stairs to my phonetics class, I saw a flyer for N.S.S.L.H.A. (National Student Speech Language Hearing Association). The flyer stated that the organization was only for people who were majoring in Communication and Science Disorders. But it said nothing about what the club did. Out of curiosity, I went to the first meeting on September 18th. I found out that the people in the organization help children and sometimes elderly people with speech problems. The first activity I did with N.S.S.L.H.A. was attending a book reading at Barnes and Noble. I was the first reader of the year and I was so excited because I love to do activities with children. I read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to 15 children and their parents. I was actually also nervous because I wanted to do a good job. When I saw the kids that had come to hear me read I became so nervous that I made mistakes reading a children’s book. Even though this was a big deal to me, I had no idea of what was to come. I found out that the following weekend was a Flagstaff Family Day. This day was dedicated towards early intervention awareness. So when I arrived there I saw that most of the children were impaired somehow. Some of the children couldn’t pronounce certain letters, but there was one little boy named Jason who couldn’t talk at all. I decided to spend time with him because I had never spent time with a child like him before. Jason is about three years old and I was amazed by him. Since he is so young he doesn’t quite know that he has a speech disorder. I was making crafts with him; stuff like paper tambourines and masks.

Code of Ethics Essay

The code of ethics is a very important part of the business workplace and must be managed in the right way in order to become successful and maintain the perfect work role. Being able to come up with ideas and plans for code of ethics is a good thing in the workplace because it gives the employees boundaries and policies that have to be followed in order to have a good code of conduct. Code of conduct is a little different from code of ethics because conduct talks about behavior skills in the workplace and ethics plays a role as choosing the right ethical behavior that an employee might show. There are many organizations out there and mostly all of them have either a code of ethics, code of conduct, or even both. These codes are put into the working industry and the environment of the workplace in order to run a business that has no complications and employees have to do what their told. In order to create a code of ethics for an organization, you need to know the components to which can be referenced back to the code of ethics. A code of ethics is also to be accompanied by plans for organizational education, implementation and audit. The overall achievement for creating the code of ethics for the workplace is to come up with a perfect solution theory and be able to translate it into a code that speaks out to the employees and lets them know the rules and regulations of their present day work environment. There are many components that make up the code of ethics because it is initially the rite of passage for workers in a business working environment. What does a statement mean when it is called unethical? Who is the one to decide on whether or not a situation is ethical or not? What are the exact theories and solutions of ethics in the workplace? All these questions relate in a way because of how the work environment is suppose to play a role only by following the right code of ethics and conduct. But there are some who say that the code of ethics cannot be morally wrong or right. Some others believe though that the ethics of code should not have a place in the business industry. We live in a world that is filled with competition and every single individual is trying to be the best they can be at trying to get ahead of one another. In order for this theory to play out, it would be practically impossible for a code of conduct or ethics to be able to be played out in the work environment. By being ethical, there are many ways to win over certain individuals and be at the top of the rat race. In order to be a winner, it is a long journey and passage, but with cretin components of ethics, a positive individual is able to build up work power and use it towards a workplace in a professional way. No matter how badly you need something to be done, going beyond the established code of ethics in the workplace to achieve it is simply unacceptable. † (Lalwani, 2010) Before someone goes into the path of work ethics, one must first take a look at the ethics and benefits of a workplace in order to become a winner of the business industry. Soon as an organization has an established code of conduct and ethics, it is always better to be able to have a greater image and function than a normal man. When a code of ethics is established in the workplace, it enables self-regulation on part of the employees, and it is this code of ethics that guides employees when challenging decisions have to be made. † (Lalwani, 2010) This quality is able to enforce professionalism in the working environment and can also be a provider of products and services in and around an organizations capital. If none of these accusations are able to be produced and made ethically, it is due to the lack of inspiration towards the ethical code of conduct. These are some examples of code of conduct and code of ethics: â€Å"Misrepresentation of data, taking advantage of a professional situation just for personal benefits, working for an organization whose values and ethics conflict with your personal ethics, instigating colleagues and fellow employees to follow unethical paths for group benefits or gains, stealing or misrepresenting information for personal benefit, or on behalf of the employer for the benefit of the organization, stealing or misrepresenting information for personal benefit, or on behalf of the employer for the benefit of the organization, flouting the norm of confidentiality in the workplace regarding sensitive information that will benefit the organization, engaging in corporate espionage, misreporting the amount or number of hours worked, taking credit for work done by another colleague, dressing inappropriately or against the dress code set by the organization, getting personal with any colleague or superior in a professional setup, being dishonest in professional situations for personal or group gain, being insincere, uncommitted, and disloyal towards the organization, violating the established code of ethics in the workplace in the name of individual rights, disrespecting the personal values and beliefs of colleagues in the workplace, with which you have no concern, and dealing with problems in the workplace in an unprofessional manner by making the issue personal. (Lalwani, 2010) By all these rules and codes being engage in opportunity and failure, by following these codes of ethics, you can be the best employee that you possible can be in a work place. A workplace should be able to have ethical organizational subjects helping to decide what is right from wrong. But there are many certain business basics that one must follow and endure in order to play a role as a fellow works men. The basic role of ethics in the work place is for employees to make sure that productivity and progression of the business stay to a descent speed. In not doing so, unprofessional actions can start to take place and employee management will be harder to deal with. By carrying out suitable training to establish workplace ethics, these ethics can be imbibed by every person that comprises an organization, to achieve a common goal that has been laid out by this organization. † (Lalwani, 2010) There are many goals that employees set themselves to and to accomplish those daily goals, they must follow the code of ethics and the code of conduct in the workplace. There are multiple key components of work ethics in the business industry. But there are some organizations that go above and beyond the code of ethics and would soon end up violating the key components of an ethical work environment. There are companies such as Enron and Goldman Sachs show, which have dealt with violations towards the ethics code of conducts and have gone outside of their boundaries only to have failed. The code of ethics is the set of behavioral rules employees should follow to ensure the company’s values are reflected in all business dealings. Regardless of the size of the business, clearly defined codes and closely monitored transactions should keep your company from violating laws and make it a place where employees feel comfortable doing the right thing. † (Sullivan) The first major component of ethics is the values of ethical decision making. Businesses are able to express the performance of a company or an organization in terms of how they work with suppliers, employees, and customers on a day to day basis. â€Å"A primary objective of the code of ethics is to define what the company is about and make it clear that the company is based on honesty and fairness. (Sullivan) Values are defined as a word that describes interactions and the importance of what a company has to offer. A second component of ethics would be the principles of it and how they work towards the company’s performance. The principles come into play by supporting a value of the business industry then having employees of a company following the right scheduled operations. When principles play a role in the business world, customer satisfaction is the most important subject of running a business. No customers, no business. â€Å"Corporate responsibility to the environmentally friendly use of natural resources is another business principle that often is found in code of ethics. (Sullivan) Manager support comes from both the principles and values of the code of ethics. This subject is able to include a process of reporting any ethic violations towards the code of ethics and by the process of which people can run an organization. â€Å"To reflect how seriously management considers the code, some businesses display the code of ethics with management signatures in prominent areas, such as the break room, where employees will see it on a daily basis. † (Sullivan) The fourth component that comes into play with the code of ethics is personal responsibility. Personal responsibility regards that each of the employees working in an organization have total responsibility to uphold and keep with the program of ethics. There are both legal and moral issues regarding this certain component because if an employee decides to violate an ethic of code, he or she will have to deal with the consequences. The requirement for personal responsibility is that it can relate to the other components towards the code of ethics. If an employee goes against the rules of ethics, the violators will become an issue towards the company. â€Å"This is meant to show that it is not sufficient to merely adhere to the values and principles but to help ensure every employee supports the code of ethics by reporting violators. † (Sullivan) One of the final components of ethical decision making is compliance. Compliance comes into play when any laws or regulations are referenced as rules towards an association or organization. Relating back to the Enron case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was the execution of falsified financial records and became a big problem for Enron. The full details of financial filing is that when a file becomes a record, is has a lot of information towards any company or organization. â€Å"Compliance to all financial reporting and any licensing requirements such as ISO 9000 by the International Organization for Standardization can be documented, along with the expectation that all licenses will be maintained and legal regulations met. (Sullivan) Overall, the code of ethics is a great way to pursue organizational skills in a company and by doing so an organization is able to come up with a code of ethics that employees can follow on a day to day basis. The construction of ethics is how a company or organization is built around by provided a good work environment for certain individuals in the workplace. In order to build an ethics program that helps and supports a company’s actions, you must have a compliance program that is in relation to the code of ethics. There have been recent financial scandals that have been seen by corporate companies. Financial scandals have shown us that there is more need for compliance programs and the need of better business ethics throughout organizations. Out of the National Association of Corporate Directors, there are about 280 corporate CEO’s that have been discussing the problems of the code of ethics being dealt with in all companies. It’s about one out of three CEO’s that talk about how highly they were affected by ensuring legal compliance. When it comes down to the brass tacks of a corporate organization, every organization should have a code of ethics and the only way to come up with one is to construct multiple ideas that support and help the employees of a major organization. By building an ethics and compliance program, most companies are entitled to realize that it takes a lot of development and time to be put into the creation of an ethics and compliance program. Businesses are filled with all sorts of different codes, but here are some examples that can relate to an ethics program and be able to support the company in a long term effective program: â€Å"Establish a code of conduct that reduces risk of criminal behavior, detect wrongdoing, foster quick investigations, minimize consequences, demonstrate company’s ethical/legal philosophy during an investigation, reduce fines if company is found guilty of wrongdoing, and enhance company reputation and stature. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) It is not all just about coming up with the code of ethics and that’s it. A company or an organization always has to look at the options they are able to deal with in order to create the perfect effective program. A lot of companies have the power to create the best programs possible, but with just three options to look at, a program can go from a failure to a progressives and successful plan. Here are the three examples that are able to help out building the perfect effective program: â€Å"Develop in house from scratch, hire and external consultant, and use a pre written manual. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) Most companies use these options to create the perfect system, but some company’s decision makings go the wrong direction and they eventually have to find of decisions the hard way. A company or organization must have strong decision making skills because creating a code of ethics from scratch is the hard part of developing a program. The company also might have to fully understand the complexity of creating a knowledge list of codes that can be support in the workplace. Companies are dealing with the hiring’s of an extra consultant to help them out with an organizations decision making. Organizations say that an extra consultant might be a cost effective plan, but the question is, what else is left? It all comes down to actually building the ethics program of choice. A company or organization should either use a manual of choice or a pre written template that they can base their ideas off of. By using these two subjects of choice, organizations and companies find it a lot easier to make guidelines towards the production of building a code of ethics. Companies are looking for the strength in an idea to be produced in the program of needs. In order to come up with the best ideas and tools for running a business, it is important to look for the right tools that can implement the ethics of business and strive to create the perfect program. Here are some examples of what a successful compliance program should provide in their development of ethics: â€Å"Sample policies and procedures, step-by-step instructions for the development of a program, a business ethics training program outline with classroom materials and a detailed session leader’s guide, business ethics and compliance officer position description, templates for employee involvement, and sample code of conduct. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) After coming up with the perfect ideas to support a company’s foundation, an organization must start to implement the ethics program into the business workplace. The next step to creating a perfect code of ethics is to bring the ideas to the corporate office of the company and have the executives take full responsibility for implementing the code of ethics into the company’s compliance program. By taking the idea to corporate, the effectiveness of the tools needs to be yielded with a solid program that the company or organization can work with. Such as understanding it, endorsing the program, and being able to monitor the code of ethics for total true effectiveness. â€Å"With step-by-step guidelines and accompanying examples of policies, procedures, a training program and an employee survey, such an effective tool provides an excellent road map for implementing an ethics and compliance initiative. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) After all the hard work is completed by creating the compliance program, certain companies have to make certain decisions that can be related to the code of ethics from the workplace. The compliance manual should provide the full files of what the code of ethics is suppose to represent and how it is suppose to be reliable with the company’s boundaries. The files can be written with policies, surveys, forms and training session outline for the organizations progression levels. â€Å"Also, businesses should ensure their ethics compliance system manual is fully endorsed by The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a tool to maintain a culture of integrity. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) Overall, the construction of building the code of ethics come from a lot of planning and brainstorming ideas towards the relations of an organizations boundary limit and employee’s satisfaction.

Final Marketing Plan Presentation Essay

The Allstate Corporation is the largest publicly held personal lines property and casualty insurer in America. Allstate provides insurance products to approximately 16 million households. Allstate was founded in 1931 and became a publicly traded company in 1993. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ALL and widely known through the â€Å"You’re In Good Hands With Allstate ®Ã¢â‚¬  slogan. (Suite 101, 2013). Being such a large provider of consumer protection takes hard work and dedication from every individual in the company to provide consumers with the highest level of customer service. While Allstate was trying unsuccessfully to diversify, rivals were revolutionizing the auto insurance business, which Allstate still counts on for most of its sales. Auto premiums generated 55% of its $31.4 billion in revenue last year.Geico and Progressive Corp. found a new formula for growth in the relatively mature business. They crafted a lower-cost model combining direct sales over the Internet and telephone with heavy television advertising. Offering lower prices and more convenience, they grew rapidly at the expense of Allstate and other insurers that sell mostly through agents.Allstate’s second-place share of the auto insurance market fell to 10.4% from 11.3% over the past five years, while Chevy Chase, Md.-based Geico jumped two points to 8.7% and Progressive climbed to 7.9 %( Suite 101, 2013). State Farm Insurance the largest car and home insurer in the U.S. and a mutual company owned by its policyholders consistently rated better for claims handling and service than Allstate. The claims department of Allstate has some of the most critical interaction with the consumers because it is during a time of need. Consumers contact the claims department when they have suffered a loss to establish a claim. The claims adjuster has the responsibility of obtaining claim pertinent information from the consumer to effectively evaluate the loss. At Allstate Insurance claims departments are separated according to customer needs. Large claims offices known as Market Claim Offices, MCO, are strategically located to provide adequate coverage across the nation. A Market Claim Office presides over a few states or an individual state depending on claim volume and consumer coverage. Allstate has specialized offices that handle claims for the entire nation but only if they meet certain criteria. The Hudson Express Office out of Hudson, Ohio is an office with a focus on handling claims with a reduced cycle time or the  time from claim submission to claim settlement. A starting to examine the external factors impacting customer expectations, which may or may not be off-kilter with necessary protocols and the terms of coverage insurance in general, is the media’s unflattering portrayal of the i ndustry; especially in light of post Katrina claim controversies and litigation. Aside from merely being a nuisance, the media also contribute to customer apprehension, which invariably affects the entire claim experience, starting with the initial exchange. Customer leeriness combated, comfort level enhanced easily by treating the customer and the claim with care and speed. To meet this reduced cycle time the Hudson Express Office only handles smaller claims with a total loss under $10,000. Everything within the Hudson Express Office is completely in house with no need for outside adjusters. A challenge area that arises because there are no outside adjusters is to efficiently write an estimate for structure damages and example of this comes from a customer’s review: (Five Weeks and Still Waiting, Jan 18 2013)†. I was broadsided by a driver who didn’t stop at a stop sign at a 4 way intersection. My car was left un-drivable. She didn’t have her insurance card with her. After a lot of investigating I found out who her insurance company was and called them myself. They told me an adjuster would be out to look at my car. No one showed up. I have called every day since. I have been told that as soon as they receive the police report and accept liability, they will put me in a rental car. It has been almost 5 weeks!† Description of the new product of service Allstate aims to compete more effectively with Geico and Progressive on their turf. After a successful four state pilot of the new Claim Satisfaction Guarantee for auto insurance across the country. Will Shorten claim cycle time ultimately results in higher customer satisfaction because the consumer can resume life as usual sooner rather than later. Allstate Insurance has implemented a new web-based customer service center to in able consumers to provide claim pertinent information via their computer through the use of the customer website. Consumers are able to enter file notes into the claim as well as submit a list of stolen or damaged items through the customer website that can be instantly attached to the claim. An opportunity area for decreased cycle time is with regard to property estimates. An in house  estimating system is utilized by inside adjusters to create a preliminary damage estimate. For smaller less complicated damage areas a web based estimating system would allow consumers to generate their own estimates. A simple web page can include multiple selections for damage areas including fences, doors, and windows. Once a damage area has been selected, multiple choice questions would allow consumers to describe the damaged area as well as the style and material the damaged area. If a consumer does not know the material or style, a default or average style and material would allow an initial estimate to be completed. Once the consumer receives an estimate or invoice from a contractor to complete the work, the claims department can review it for validity and issue any supplemental damages incurred. On simple claims, a consumer could file and settle a claim online without waiting for a call from a claims department representative significantly decreasing claim cycle time. SWOT Analysis The idea of developing a page on an insurance claim and being able to submit your complaint and receiving an instant response sounds great; Allstate needs to ensure that claims are being handled in a way in which will not create the webpage to become overloaded, it has to be user friendly and appropriate for any age group .Other considerations include the cost effectives of this type of service and how it will benefit the consumer and profitably for the brand.New automation also lists the opportunity in cost saving measures such as employee down sizing. Other key item to consider when marketing this type of service can be Advertisement on social media, newspapers,word of mouth, Blogs etc†¦ which are all great ways of promoting the new product and it also provides an opportunity to identify other forms of the same productoffered by the competitor. Target market including geographic Target market is middle market emerging affluent and mass affluent consumers with retirement and family financial protection needs. Priority status at the network repair shops and with our Service Centers. saving time and effort by having Allstate manage the entire repair process. Using the online system with real time updates to electronically monitor your vehicle at the repair shop. Progression updates are given on repairs so you can  spend time doing other things. working to minimize the repair time, which means a quicker reunion with your car. Quality factors including the quality of repairs, Guaranteeing repairs for as long as you own or lease the vehicle is one market point. If a policyholder has a burning question about a claim at 2 a.m., they are able log in to the online service site at any time to check the status of the claim. Porter’s five competitive forces model Allstate’s Consumer Segmentation Strategy When purchasing insurance or any other product or service, consumers have more choices than ever before and they know it. But decision making power is not in the customer’s hands alone. A company can build tremendous customer loyalty over time by making it a top priority to understand and meet its customers’ needs. As a result, Allstate will continue to refine its product offerings, marketing outreach and customer service based on careful research. Allstate serves four different consumer segments with distinct interaction preferences (advice and assistance versus self-directed) and brand preferences (brand-neutral versus brand-sensitive). Marketing research is an approach conducted to evaluate particular strategies.As well as the tactics used toward the web-based estimating system. The marketing research will help to connect with the consumers to analyze what is needed to research opportunities and evaluate marketing actions. This will also help to prevent uncertainties for the new service provided. The market research will allow the chance to determine how well the system is working. The competitive intelligence will help to identify what competitors are doing and how Allstate can differentiate service to gain customer loyalty. Marketing research will aid in developing a strategy that will increase the satisfaction of our new product of service. Allstate is working to provide quality service and conveniences. Therefore, the quantitative research will touch base on many incentives needed to process the claims. Other approaches will involve the act of identifying any other areas of concern. In which could relate to technical issues and a collection of data needed to estimate totals. The marketing research approach described will enhance the quality and promotion for Allstate’s new web-based system. The overall marketing plan should ensure the quality of each area of the  product and should provide the opportunity for clients to get on the site with hassle free problems and get the service that each individual needs. The mission should be to provide the best customer services and to ensure that the client gets what is needed in the end. Positioning statement Our Shared Vision provides the â€Å"why, how and what† behind everything we do at Allstate. It provides the road map for our continued success. Through this vision, we will truly put the customer at the center of everything we do (Allstate, 2013). We will become an even more valuable company to our customers, associates, investors, our communities and society a company with strong earnings potential and financial performance that sets the benchmark for our industry. We are the Good Hands: We help customers realize their hopes and dreams by providing the best products and services to protect them from life’s uncertainties and prepare them for the future. Deliver substantially more value than the competition by reinventing protection and retirement to improve customers’ lives. Put the customer at the center of all our actions. Utilize consumer insights, data and technology to serve customers and generate growth and attractive economic returns. Take an enterprise view of our people and processes and work as a single team to advance Allstate rather than our individual interests. Strategy and Position Description An automated online estimating system needs to be easy to understand and easy to use. The first element to the estimating tool is it needs to be easy to understand as well as aesthetically pleasing. When a customer logs on to his or her internet profile the option to choose an action needs to include selecting an existing claim on the insurance policy. Once the claim has been chosen, there will be a selection for estimating system. When the estimating system is chosen, the customer will be prompted regarding the damages he or she has sustained. For example, a customer was a victim of a recent theft loss where the front door was kicked in. The customer will select the damage option for entry door which will lead to a chain of questions regarding the  door. Options for the door will include material in which the door is made such as wood, metal, or fiberglass and whether or not the door is painted. Next, the customer will indicate the size of the door, if the customer does not know how to measure a door there will be a help icon that will advise the proper ways to measure a door. Style is another important factor in the cost of entry doors, options such as flush, panel, French, or security are the most common doors available. The next area of focus will include the damage sustained, whether the door, frame, or both are damaged will determine the proper repairs. The last area of concern for an initial estimate is whether the hardware is damaged and what type of hardware the customer currently has. When all of the information has been entered the estimating system will automatically construct an estimate for the removal and replacement of damaged property as well as the disposal of any debris. When the estimate is finished a disclaimer will be needed to inform the customer that the estimate is only a preliminary estimate and if any discrepancies arise when a contractor has seen the damage to inform the claims department for a review of the estimate. Since claims are being filed online, the movement on this is a little quicker. First of all, it reaches the company faster. The need to have the customer come in and get the information then in-putting it into the computer and have it looked at by the investigating agent, then processed, prepared for payment (if need be). Instead, you are cutting out the getting information process, and the inputting it into the computer by the agent. Instead you call or go online and put the information yourself and then let it get processed and then get paid. The affect it has on the movement is that it gets through quicker, you get faster response time from the company, and you get as accurate information as possible. The life cycle in a sense lasts shorter. Instead of taking a few weeks (possibly), it could take up to a week or less. So the life cycle in this case is a shorter one, which is good much better for the company overall. The only downside to this is that even though you get pretty accurate information, you then need to process it into insurance terminology so to speak, in which case you have an agent process the information. It’s also a good thing, because the agent is proof reading it so to speak to make sure that the information posted or given is  correct, and is process correctly, and is given to the proper division within the company. It’s sort of a backup plan and a much needed help for the customer who really has little to no knowledge on how insurance claims work. So overall, it is a faster and easier process which is set up to help the customer, and speed up the process to get claims paid quicker. Over time, while it does become easier, eventually other companies will begin to do this as well, and people will switch to whoever is cheaper. Service Packaging Packaging is not needed for our products or services. Instead we are offering our customers an easier way to file insurance claims. Normally a client would have to call in to the hot line number in order to file a claim. Once the operator answers then the client is expected to listen to numerous options and select which one applies to their personal needs at that moment. This process can be time consuming and aggravating depending on how many clients the customer service representatives the operators are assisting. The next step would be to explain the situation to the operator and wait for them to file the claim for the person. The on line website will be a fast working, easy to navigate website. There is nothing more aggravating then trying to complete information on a website that is slow and takes a long time to accept information. With technological advances, being able to file on line may be more convenient for those who do not have time to call the hot line and file claims. Clients will be able to access the website from laptops, cell phones, iPad, or any other media devices that allow access to the internet. Add value because it will be less time consuming for customers, if a follow-up is needed then the information may be easier to retrieve due to the pre-online registration. With every question there will be a detailed explanation of what information is required for that particular question. The question and additional information will be explained thoroughly to customers without them having to wait on hold in the phone for long periods of time just to speak with a live operator. This will add value to the customers in three ways. The online website will save time. Allow customers to have a more hands-on experience with the editing of claim information. Product Life Cycle Over the lifecycle of a product, a company’s differentiation and positioning strategy would need to change as the market, competitors, and product change. â€Å"When we say that a product has a life cycle we assert four things; Products have a limited life, Product sales pass through district stages, each posing different challenges, opportunities and problems to the seller, Profits rise and fall at different stages of the product lifecycle, and Products require different marketing, financial, manufacturing, purchasing, and human resource strategies in each life cycle stages† (Product Life Cycle | Stages and Limitations of Product Life Cycle (PLC), 2014, p. 1). â€Å"Product life cycle (PLC) deals with the life of the product in the market with respect to business or commercial cost and sales measures† (Product Life Cycle | Stages and Limitations of Product Life Cycle (PLC), 2014, p. 1). There are â€Å"five stages of each product lifecycle: product development, introduction, growth, maturity, and decline† (Product Life Cycle | Stages and Limitations of Product Life Cycle (PLC), 2014, p. 1). During the introduction stage, Allstate will be launched into the market. Sales grow slowly in this time, and informative advertising is done (Dinesh Bakshi, n.d.). Many firms do not earn profits in this stage. There wouldn’t be much price skimming because our product is not a new invention and does have competitors. Due to the amount of competitors in the insurance market, competitive pricing is used. Sales rapidly grow during the growth stage, so we use persuasive advertising to gain customers. Competition is stiff at times prices may be reduced to stay a top competitor. Even though competition may be stiff, firms start to earn more profits in this stage. Our sales increase slowly and the highest figures are reached during the maturity stage of the product cycle. Since competition is at its max level, it would be in Allstate’s best interest to implement promotional pricing. Our profits are also at their highest level. We use competitive advertising to attract and retain our customers (Market Force, 2005-2014). Next we enter the decline stage where sales and profits decrease. During this stage, we must determine if the decline is temporary or permanent by conducting marketing research. Production may be stopped if the decline is considered to be permanent. If the decline is temporary, extension strategies are  implemented. The extension stage comes into play to come back from the decline. Original products may be reintroduced in other variations by changing the design, starting a new advertising campaign, and more (Dinesh Bakshi, n.d.). Pricing The price strategy of the web based system. The primary goal is to assure that this meets the needs of our loyal customers and anticipated customers. Moreover the pricing of our new web based system is an essential part of the marketing piece. Indeed this product of service can be very successful through proper indications of the pros and cons. Other price strategies could relate to what new services are provided by our competitor’s. However, researching the value, quality and conveniences of the product of service is essential. Pricing strategies with our new service can work to help gain satisfaction from the customers. Consequently, if the market research is not implemented correctly; this can work against the organizations overall plan. Contingency plans will also help the guide the new product in the process of service. Most of all pricing factors outline important steps of the web based system. In which will differentiate us from other insurance organizations such as Sta te farm. Furthermore one of all states insurance pricing strategies would involve a small fee. This fee will be deducted from the insurance holders policy every month or every six monthly. The web based system will be done as a package deal. Therefore customers will have the option to participate or not. The new product of service will also be explained to every customer .As well as step by step instructions to give a better understanding of how to use the system. Ultimately the use of the system operates to have claims estimates completed in a timely manner. Customers immediately have an opportunity of seeing the breakdown of damages and cost online. Overall the web based systems pricing is a concern that customer will have a choice to speed the process of with their claim .Although there are some people who may prefer to wait to speak with a claims adjuster. Most of all the new product of service will eliminate many problems with the process of claims. Customers will have an opportunity to view their own claims, and get a compete estimate without waiting for a call back from a claims adjuster. Although  this is a preliminary estimate of the claim, this is a positioning factor that gives Allstate’s customers satisfaction. Pricing figures are major factors towards marketing as well as the competitors. Promotional Strategy Allstate has several online competitors (Progressive, eSurance and Geico) that equate themselves as easy and fast. One of Progressives main thing is â€Å"price match†, which allows consumers to compare rates without providing too much personal information. Many people are reluctant to participate in many online services such as this because they think they will bombarded with spam and other marketing tactics. Generally, customer just a roundabout amount of what they would have to pay for car insurance based on their specific coverage needs. Allstate has identified this problem and created an innovative solution. First and foremost, Allstate designed a new way for customers to shop for quotes and have them delivered. According to â€Å"Marketing Edge† (2014), quotes would be delivered â€Å"anonymously (no personal information required), fast and easy, helpful (accurate), contemporary, and intuitive† (para. 4). Allstate needed to spread the word on this innovation, and the best way was to implement a campaign. This campaign included banner ads online and other tools designed to focus on online shoppers. Allstate needed to market themselves differently than their competition in order to stand out, excite consumers, and provoke attention. According to â€Å"Marketing Edge† (2014), â€Å"The new anonymous quote tool was the centerpiece of the program. Once it went live on the www.allstate.com site, DRTV, paid search, and online advertising campaigns were implemented in order to drive traffic to it. The DRTV campaign used a unique URL, â€Å"getallstate.com† for tracking purposes. Online banner ads linked directly to the site so visitors could be tracked through initiation and completion of a quote. The Program Objective: Develop and market a category-unique online shopping/quoting tool and introduce it to consumers in a way that cost-effectively invites greater shopping/quoting in the direct channel† (para. 7). This creative strategy had continued to allow online shoppers the freedom  and convenience to stay anonymous. Customers do not even have to provide their name to receive a quote (estimate). There is no application to feel out and no surveys to take. All of the other necessary information is gather by simply inputting your zip code. There are helpful tools strategically placed to assist customers, and the web site design is contemporary but not too flashy. According to â€Å"Marketing Edge† (2014), Based on their information, shoppers are presented with an array of estimates in a matrix that allows them to compare different features and levels of coverage that meet their unique needs. And it provides a price for each option. The tool demonstrates throughout the ease with which consumers can obtain the customized price and coverage information they want† (para. 10). Professional Selling Effort In order to market the new automated system for making claims, Allstate needs to express to the customers exactly how beneficial it will be to them. The best approach would be to build the value to the customer. They would have to show the customer exactly how it would benefit them to manage their claims online rather than deal with a claims adjuster right from the get go. Several people will find it convenient to be able to fill out the accident forms right from their mobile device, like their smart phone or tablet, while others will not be so prone to using technology as they are not technologically advanced. We will show the customers not to be afraid of the new systems, and that they are a benefit, not a burden. Initial Budget The budget is a financial plan for Allstate that quantifies the resource allocation plan for the years to come. To start, Allstate would have to create a specific amount, generated from how many people are going to be monitoring the online claims, and how many hours those individuals are going to be putting in. A sum of $208,000 will needed for ten individuals needed for the new system, all set at 40 hours per week and being paid $10 per hour. Allstate will have to create a budget for the person or company putting together the mainframe for putting together the portal for online claims, and setting up the website. Allstate will have to keep in mind that it is going to be a process to put this together and a lot of storage is going to be needed for their clientele. Generally, websites and web design  are going to cost Allstate anywhere from $1,000 t $2,500. Allstate will create jobs for this new system, and they will have to advertise or promote within in order to fill those jobs, b ut this will be very minimal cost to Allstate. The company expects to have a gross profit in the first year of $250,000-$500,000 due to the amount of claims that are not going to need claims adjuster to visit sites to assess the damage personally. The targeted output rate is 1,000,000, and with the average of 86% of all applicants that start the claim online actually finish it, that leaves 860,000 people that use the online claims and pricing. Allstate does not expect any losses with the new market plan. Success Plan Measurement There are several ways to measure the success of Allstate’s marketing plan. For Allstate to accurately measure their success plan they must â€Å"start with the end in mind† (Dyke, 2014). One of the first things to do is ask why the project began and what the goals are. Companies cannot lose sight of why they started something. Once that drive is lost the campaign goes under and the company is next. Numbers do not lie, so if the marketing plan is working it will show in revenue. Dyke (2014), â€Å"Measure success on your marketing program’s ability to meet the needs or desired outcomes of an objective. Remember your business planning here – start with setting your goals, list objectives that meet these goals and then identify tactics that will achieve your objectives. The best objectives are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and tangible)† (para. 13). To start tracking progress and success, Allstate must determine who their audience is. having a newsletter can be the turning point for a business. You can see which articles have the most readers and track statistics. Dyke 2014, † Begin to gather intelligence around the reader’s interest in the topic, taking the newsletter from a passive strategy to an interactive strategy, and one that can be measured. At the bottom of each online article, give readers several options. They can comment or ask questions, request that a lawyer call them, request a white paper or a helpful form or  checklist you’ve developed, or they can register for topical events. Remember, your responsiveness to requests is critical in developing relationships† (para. 20). Next, reducing that amount spent on proposals and pitches will help to increase rates in other areas. get to know clients rather than just what they think they want. Allstate must stay one step ahead of the competition to succeed. Many say the â€Å"perception is reality†, so it is imperative to know exactly what Allstate’s clients think about them. This can be done by implementing satisfaction surveys for the clients to ensure all their needs are met. All threats or problems acknowledged or revealed by the client must be handled swiftly. Allstate must â€Å"market for the sake of revenue, not for the sake of marketing – and take the momentum of your success and apply throughout all your marketing initiatives† (Media coverage: grabbing the bull horn). Ethical Issues Reference Dinesh Bakshi. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dineshbakshi.com/igcse-business-studies/marketing/revision-notes/814-product-life-cycle Dyke, S.V. (2014). CBA Practice Link. Retrieved from http://www.cba.org/cba/practicelink/mt/measureefforts.aspx http://www allstate.com/claims/report- Insure Me. (1993-2014). Retrieved from http://www.insureme.com/insurance-agent/marketing-tips Market Force. (2005-2014). Retrieved from http://uk.marketforce.com/price-checking/ Marketing Edge. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.marketingedge.org/marketing-programs/collegiate-echo/challenge-history/dma-international-echo-showcase/winner-allstate Perreault, W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2009). Basic Marketing. A marketing Product Life Cycle | Stages and Limitations of Product Life Cycle (PLC) . (2014, Summer). Textile Learner, (1), 1. Retrieved from http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2013/12/product-life-cycle-stages-and.html Strategy Planning Approach. (17th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Company

Casablanca Review Essay

Some suggest that Rick Blaine’s (Humphrey Bogart) popularity among college-age people grows out of his role as a classic existential hero. What is existentialism? What existential traits does Rick have? Are these appealing to you? Why would they have such appeal to the above-mentioned audience? Existentialism is an early twentieth century philosophy that deals with individualism, and assumes that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves. Rick throughout a bulk of the film seems aloof, and is out for only himself. In the beginning of the film Rick was a totally different he was very optimistic, but because of Lisa leaving him in Paris he became very angry. Until Lisa comes back into his life he seems to only be out for himself, the way he runs the club he seems to have no regard for anyone but himself. I understand as to why college age students would be drawn to these traits, but if you ask me these traits do not appeal to me. The reason I believe it appeals to college students is because a lot of college age students see the way he acts and sees him as independent, which college students are trying to achieve when they’re on their own. Another reason I believe that his character appealed to this audience is because of when he shoots Major Stresser, this appeals to these students because they see him as a hero. As in Welles’ Citizen Kane, the function of the flashback is quite important both to the narrative structure and the development of the main characters. Discuss the flashback to Paris. The flashback in this movie played an important role in the film, in the flashback they show Rick as a happy, loving man. He seemed to be in love with Lisa and seemed very excited to run away with Lisa. The reason this is so important is because throughout the movie Rick is always depressed and seems to only care about himself. The flashback consisted of Rick and Lisa planning to meet at a train station to run away together, when they were scheduled to meet we see Rick there without Lisa arriving. This incident is what has turned Rick into the man that he is during the movie; this is why they go back to this flashback during the movie. This flashback also explains the reason as to why he got angry when Sam played â€Å"As Time Goes By,† and as to why he becomes infuriated when Lisa shows up to his club in Casablanca. Like stated before people see Rick as an existential hero because of the way he acts through the film, seeming very reserved and only seeming to care about himself. The flashback shows why he became this way and lead to him becoming the existential hero that he became. Select some examples from the dialog and discuss. I believe one of the most famous quotes from the movie was in the end of the film when Rick and Renault are walking away into what seems to be a mist, and Renault mentions to Rick about leaving Casablanca and joining the Free French at Brazzaville, then he utters a quote that is very popular in films today â€Å"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I believe that this quote was so popular because of the set up for this quote; the quote itself is very mysterious and is generally leading towards something that isn’t good. The fact that the quote came about right after Rick had killed someone because of Renault setting him up, makes it even more mischievous, and there was also the point I made before because of they were walking into a dark mist made this scene one of the strongest exit lines and scenes I’ve ever seen. Another very strong example from the film was when Rick says to Lisa â€Å"Here’s to looking at you kid. This line showed the two sides of rick in the movie, the first time when he said it was in Paris this is while Rick was happy, and had a gleam to him that was totally different then throughout the movie where he always seems to be negative and down on life. Another reason that the quote in Paris was very strong was because when this quote happened the lighting in the shot was very bright as compared to the bulk of the movie while he was angry where the lighting always seemed to be dark. On the other hand the second time he used this quote was when he was trying to get Lisa to go with her husband, this shows the other side of Rick because the way he said it seemed to be half hearted. Another thing that made the scene more telling was because as compared to the very bright set the first time he said it, it was dark and his facial expressions were not as strong as they were when he initially said it.

Free Essays on DNA

With the start of the new millennium having rapidly passed us by without technology failing us as we were all fearfully expecting, it is safe to come to the conclusion that we can count on technology to benefit us in many ways, one way being as a crime-fighting tool. No, science has not yet built something that we can see the future with. It is not surprising that technological advances are being utilized all over the country, as well as the world, to fight crime by deferring criminals as well as catching them after the act. Throughout history, detectives have searched for the perfect method of catching law breakers. The use of DNA by law enforcement in recent years has been proven its extraordinary value in identifying criminals who, in the absence of this technology, would go free. This While it’s true that the old fashioned way of fighting crime is still necessary (policemen on the beat, investigations, etc.), we now have advanced methods of finding the worst criminals using forensic science. A crime can occur in the middle of the night or in an isolated area where no witnesses are present. It’s only the evidence left behind that os the true witness to their crime.... Free Essays on DNA Free Essays on DNA With the start of the new millennium having rapidly passed us by without technology failing us as we were all fearfully expecting, it is safe to come to the conclusion that we can count on technology to benefit us in many ways, one way being as a crime-fighting tool. No, science has not yet built something that we can see the future with. It is not surprising that technological advances are being utilized all over the country, as well as the world, to fight crime by deferring criminals as well as catching them after the act. Throughout history, detectives have searched for the perfect method of catching law breakers. The use of DNA by law enforcement in recent years has been proven its extraordinary value in identifying criminals who, in the absence of this technology, would go free. This While it’s true that the old fashioned way of fighting crime is still necessary (policemen on the beat, investigations, etc.), we now have advanced methods of finding the worst criminals using forensic science. A crime can occur in the middle of the night or in an isolated area where no witnesses are present. It’s only the evidence left behind that os the true witness to their crime....

Drive-in Business Plan Essays

Drive-in Business Plan Essays Drive-in Business Plan Essay Drive-in Business Plan Essay AutoRama Drive N Nicholas Boothe December 1, 2009 Business Plan ENTR280-01 Executive Summary AutoRama Drive N is a startup business located in the southern Indianapolis area. AutoRama provides the community with an old fashioned 50’s style diner/drive-in that serves a variety of grilled and fried foods, as well as healthier alternatives. AutoRama is not the everyday low quality fast food restaurant. AutoRama prides itself in the quality of food, and the cheap prices it is able to offer to the community. AutoRama will differentiate itself from its competitors by providing a whole different experience. The food will be old fashioned, and freshly cooked to order. The parking lot will be filled with auto enthusiasts and their vehicles, while the diner will be a family friendly 50’s era restaurant. AutoRama is there to serve the community, and do its part to improve its surrounding areas. AutoRama will do its part to get cars off the streets, and into the parking lots, with sponsorships of local meets and events, as well as providing discounts for car clubs and those wishing to designate spaces for weekends and meets. AutoRama is a partnership, with Nicholas owning half of the business, with 80,000 invested, and Amanda and Kevin both investing 40,000 each. This is enough to get the business started, and initial training and organizations in order. 16 months will be taken to find the right property, have the building finished, and all equipment installed and ready for business. During the few weeks after completion and before the initial opening, selection and training of employees will take place to ensure that AutoRama will be ready to run as soon as the doors open. The company will establish itself in the market by strong marketing techniques in print and radio, as well as through sponsoring local events, and through word of mouth. Hosting events with other local events will be the main way of AutoRama getting its name out into the public. Although there are other fast food restaurants located in close proximity, they are complete different structures from AutoRama. Nothing about the business is the same, and this will set AutoRama apart from the competition, and make the company successful. The company will be managed by the three who have a financial stake in the business, Nicholas, Amanda, and Kevin. This will have more of an impact, and more of a drive to succeed, and do well. All three have years of experience in the restaurant business, and have had great success in ventures past. The management structure will be that of a horizontal system, where all employees are created equal, and everyone brought into the business will have equal say into changes needed to be made, and suggestions for improvements. This will provide the best possible working atmosphere, along with allowing no employee to feel left out of the business, and so everyone feels responsible for the success and achievement. Objectives: * The first objective is to secure a building site, where access is easy from main roads, with plenty of extra space, or about an acre. * Establish a presence in the automotive community, as well as in the family based restaurant category. * Become profitable within the first 18 months of business, with loans and investments paid off in 30 months. Keys to Success: Strict guidelines throughout the business process, with checks to ensure proper procedures are followed. * Never stop looking to improve some part of the business structure * Strong visibility in the surrounding community, as well as a strong social presence in local events. * Ensure customer satisfaction and repeat customer transactions. Mission: * It is AutoRama Drive N’s mission to deliver value old fashioned food, b rought back from the 50’s for your old style dine-in experience. AutoRama will provide a friendly clean atmosphere, welcome to families and car enthusiasts alike. II. Company Description Cops have always been attracted to the car scene. There has been a newfound energy to crackdown on speeders and drivers breaking the law. But, the good comes with the bad. Nice cars are generally all lumped together into a typical stereotype, so cops are especially watching for these â€Å"nice cars† and catching every little thing they do wrong. Even cars that are parked are being harassed. Local businesses complain about unwanted activity after store hours. AutoRama Drive N is the answer to those that share a common interest in cars, enjoy hanging out with friends, and meeting new people, all while having true American dining. The restaurant is a startup business set in a mid50’s-60’s era, with parking spots surrounding the building which have an intercom you can order from, while also having an inside dining area. The food will be American based, including tenderloins, hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs in different combinations, all accompanied by a side of fresh cut and seasoned fries. All food is fresh, and made to order. Soft drinks will be made available, with freshly made root beer available on tap. The company is not only to appeal to the car crowd, but to all families. This would be a family safe atmosphere, which is alcohol free. The parking lot would include an acre of parking spots for special events, and everyday customers. This gives plenty of room for car clubs to park together in sections, and also enough room for family vehicles not associated with different groups. Spots can be reserved at a small fee, to ensure room. Parking spots up front surrounding the building can also be reserved in advance. AutoRama Drive N will be located in the far edge of the suburbs, so not to disturb the local communities, but be within a short driving distance of the majority of the community. This will give enough room for expansion, and not hamper those with louder vehicles from participating. There will be activities such as burnout contests, car shows, etc. to bring in crowds for special occasions. AutoRama Drive N will be a limited liability corporation, with Nicholas Boothe as the majority owner, at 51%, and Kevin Donald and Amanda Rachel splitting the remaining ownership. Hundreds of local people access local online auto forums every day, and this will give widespread advertising, while promoting the good cause of bringing everyone together. Industry Analysis The fast food and quick service restaurant industry includes about 200,000 restaurants with revenues annually reaching $120 billion. The top 50 companies hold about 25% of industry sales. A typical fast food restaurant generates about $670,000 annually. The average American eats at a fast food restaurant on average 11 times a month, and over 800,000 meals a year. Fast food has grown in popularity with the economic downturn. This has made value more important, and the value and quickness associated with fast food has grown and become synonymous with American culture. Quality of food is also a new trend in the fast food industry. Not only how well the typical fast food is made, but the ingredients included also. The world has become very health conscious when it comes to fast food, so healthy alternatives need to be available. Like all food based industries, the fast food industries profit margin is dependent upon the food prices. The prices of corn, beef, and oil have all risen. High oil prices have led to alternative fuels, which in turn raised the prices of corn and other products in the production of ethanol. This has made it more expensive for farmers to feed their cattle, which has led beef and chicken prices to rise. Because of this growing food price, coupled with intense competition, and shrinking profit margin, companies must find a way to set themselves apart, in value, price, and as an overall business. The fast food industry is a volume-driven business, and transaction speed is extremely important, along with accuracy. Innovations are constantly being implemented to speed the process from ordering to delivering the product, and providing quality food and service. Although large companies have advantages in purchasing, financing, and marketing, but small companies have unique products and serve a local market. This will allow the small company, such as AutoRama, to adapt to the environment, and acclimatize to its customers. The key to entering into this saturated market is differentiation from the major market holders. A typical fast food restaurant includes a combination of hamburger and chicken meals, french fries or similar, and soda. AutoRama Drive N differentiates itself from other competitors in several ways. First, the typical hamburger found in fast food restaurants, cooked in bulk, and kept in heating trays, being dried out, and soaked in grease will not happen at AutoRama Drive N. AutoRama will be operated on a cook to order basis, using only fresh ingredients, and environmentally and health conscious processes. Key competitors include restaurants such as Sonic, In-N-Out Burger, Rally’s, and the big companies such as McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Burger King, although the larger companies are less likely to change to a local environment, and conform to locals surrounding the area. The drive-in concept and carhop delivery service are trademarks of the classic American dining. This 1950’s feel provides an escape from everyday fast-paced life, while still providing the quick and efficient services of a fast food restaurant. AutoRama’s niche in the market is the focus on auto enthusiasts. No other drive-in restaurant incorporates their business with a focus on the auto enthusiast. In the last decade, there has been an increase in the amount of car collectors, and car enthusiasts. With baby boomers reaching retirement age, they are going back to their early adult lives, and buying what they wished they could buy at earlier ages. This auto theme focuses not only on those buying cars from their early lives, but all auto enthusiasts of all ages. Auto aftermarket part companies are in abundance, which makes them more readily available to the everyday driver. This is a culture, where all are brought together by a common interest, or a common lifestyle. AutoRama is the place where this lifestyle can be celebrated. Market Analysis Food away from home accounts for over $529 billion annual sales, with fast food restaurants accounting for more than 77% of sales. Statistics have shown that consumers eat out 2-3 times per week, and that number continues to grow. AutoRama Drive N’s market consists of a wide array of customers, mainly consisting of 16-55 year olds, with our automotive marketing towards males, and the restaurant and family atmosphere towards women and families. With Indianapolis being the crossroads of America and the racing capital of the world, AutoRama connecting with the auto enthusiast is the target market segment. Being based on the south side of Indianapolis, AutoRama is located only about 12 miles from downtown. This provides easy access to the local car scene, while also being in a close proximity to nationally recognized racing organizations. There are also hundreds of members of local car clubs, and online car enthusiast forums that have yet to be tapped into. The southern Indianapolis continues to grow about 2,000 a year between 2005 and 2010. There are eight local universities within 20 miles, along with two major shopping malls, and 14 municipal parks and recreation areas. This provides AutoRama with a growing market, and a greater number of consumers. The auto enthusiast typically does not have just one place to meet. There is usually not enough space for a group of cars to park together, whether it is to hang out, or for other purposes. This is where AutoRama’s large parking lot comes in. Not only will AutoRama cater to the everyday consumer looking to enjoy a nice fast meal in a 50’s style diner, but will also be able to entertain car shows, car club events, and other recreational activities. Although the diner will only be open from 11am-11pm weekdays, and 10-12 on weekends, these activities will not be limited by the time, or day of the week. This is a true 24/7 meeting spot for customers. Main competitors of this 50’s style dine in restaurant contain just a few companies, such as Sonic and Dog N Suds. Dog N Suds is closer in proximity, in downtown greenwood, but is limited due to the restaurant size, limited hours of operation, and overall unstableness of the franchise. The nearest Sonic is in Camby, which is about 20 miles southwest of the city of Indianapolis. Sonic has no room to be able to handle any size of a crowd, and is in a far location from most consumers. Although other fast food restaurants are in the area, such as Wendy’s, McDonalds, and Burger King, non offer the wide selection of food, the drive in service, the 50’s style atmosphere, or the parking lot that can cater to large groups of people. Since AutoRama Drive N is just a local startup company, most advertising will be done locally, and through word of mouth. AutoRama will sponsor local events and meets, and take part in being socially responsible in the local community. Since AutoRama will be based more towards the auto enthusiast culture, AutoRama’s main focus will be advertising to car groups and clubs, local car shops, and online forums where local communities share common interests in cars in online blogs and forums. AutoRama will be a clean, family friendly atmosphere. There will be strict rules enforcing cleanliness, appropriateness, and great quality and service. The drive in part of the parking lot will have intercoms with a menu available to look at when ordering to ease the process if you do not wish to get out of your car. This will also help to keep costs down, due to fewer employees needed if the consumer does not require face to face interaction. Food available will include fast food meals such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries, but also a more full service feel with ribs, tenderloins, and various chicken meals available. If fast food doesn’t seem to fit your eating habits, there will also be healthy alternatives available, such as salads, grilled items instead of fried and healthier side items such as side salads, baked potatoes, slaw, and vegetable mixes. All meals will be produced quickly, allowing the consumer to order and go, or sit and relax while enjoying their fresh cooked meal. To promote AutoRama’s business, especially during startup, there will be discounts for supporting car club members, and forum members. This will help get the business out there, while also marketing to the auto enthusiasts the company is going for. Management Team and Company Structure The management team will be limited during first startup, until additional resources are needed. The startup will consist of Nicholas Boothe, the founder of the company, Amanda Rachel, assisting manager, and Kevin Donald, assistant manager. As the company grows, responsibilities and roles may change, with the addition of personnel and division of responsibilities. With the lesser amount of workers for start up, this will keep overhead low, allowing the business to grow, but keeps key positions for success filled. This will cause more work for current employees, but will pay off in the end as the company develops and grows. Nicholas Boothe, founder of AutoRama Drive N, has extensive restaurant and food experience. He has worked in the restaurant/fast food industry since the age of 14. He has held every position in the restaurants he has worked at, allowing him to gain experience and knowledge of all aspects of the restaurant business, working in businesses that have expanded, and early on, businesses that were closed. He has a BA from the University of Indianapolis in Finance and Management. Nicholas will be able to take care of the company’s finances, along with managing other employees, including scheduling, meeting local and national work and safety laws, and taking the company to the next level. Amanda Rachel has had 6 years in the restaurant industry. Amanda has a BA from the University of Indianapolis in Marketing and Business Administration. Amanda will take care of the bulk of the marketing strategy for AutoRama. She will assist Nicholas in marketing the company to locals, and establishing a following of customers in the surrounding area. Amanda will also work with local shops in getting the AutoRama name out into the public, as well as into the automobile based community. Kevin Donald, who served in the United States Air Force, and also managed a small franchise in California, nearly doubled the sales of his restaurant in 13 months, has decided to put his time and interests into this new venture. While Kevin has no educational background in this area, the skills he learned while serving, and the on the job experiences are more than enough to qualify him for a management position. With these three key manager positions filled with people that know the business, have seen different strategies, and seen businesses fail, this should be a firm foundation for a promising company. For the first three quarters of operation, Nicholas will not be taking any salary for the company. This will allow a salary of $26,000 per Kevin and Amanda, who have no stake in the company. This will allow the management team to evaluate where the company stands financially, the growth rate, and what, if anything needs to be changed. During these first three quarters of business, the company will project sales based on weekly performance, and allow room for growth, especially when key events are being held. If the company is growing at a steady rate, this will allow for the hiring and training of more employees. If the company seems to be lacking in any area, these constant evaluations will show where improvement is needed, and will be addressed immediately. As the company grows in the future, more staff will be needed, along with different shifts for scheduling purposes. There will be an afternoon to early evening shift, from 11am-6pm, and an afternoon to evening shift, from 4pm-11pm. This will allow for overlapping during the busiest evening hours. Beginning and ending shifts will also require workers to show up, 30 minutes early, and stay 20 minutes late, to help with the days start up, and clean up after shifts. This will be a fast paced workforce where everyone is there to help. Although there are designated managers, and people in charge, the company will operate on a horizontal basis, where no one will be looked down upon because of the position they hold. Everyone will be seen as an employee of AutoRama. Training will be up to each manager, all of whom possess the skills necessary to run each part of the business. Every employee will be trained in each job category, so there will be no shortage of help if one part of the business becomes backed up, or is understaffed at any point. Starting wages for servers would be $4. 13 an hour, two dollars more than servers get at other restaurants, as this position will be mainly tip based. Cooks will receive a starting wage of $8. 00 an hour, with re-evaluation after the first 30 days, then every six months after that. Cashiers will start out making $7. 50 an hour, with the same re-evaluation as other positions. Each employee can look to work between 25-35 hours at first, with hours evening out as the company grows, and more employees are added. This will prevent employees from becoming overworked, but still provide an adequate amount of hours to support their needs. Operations Plan The management team is made up of professionals that have experience in the industry, and know what works best through strategies and planning. AutoRama will be managed by a horizontal, open door type of management philosophy. Since this is a small startup business, all input is welcome, and everything will be reviewed and considered into implementation if there is belief from the whole that the new concept could help the business. Filling positions will be a process, gone through with the approval of each manager, to make sure each member is a perfect fit for the company. After completion of an application, each potential employee will be subject to an interview with each manager. After the interviewing process, there will be a 30 day trial period, where an employee, if not meeting up to performance standards, may be let go for any reason. After the 30 day trial period, a review process will be put in place to let the employee know what they can work on, what they are doing well, and just overall performance feedback. Each position at AutoRama will have a step-by-step outlined process of rules, guidelines, and procedures for all duties and responsibilities associated with employment. Staff selection will be based on availability, experience, and overall appeal to work in a business and helping it grow and succeed. Food supplies will be obtained mainly through food wholesalers in the area, with inventory closely being monitored to more closely project the company’s exact needs. As the company grows, it can move from wholesalers to companies that take orders and deliver needed goods, such as Piazza Produce, or other locally popular companies. There will be refrigerators and freezers with enough capacity to store all goods needed to operate on a daily basis, along with room for excess reserves. All equipment will be purchased, rather than leased. This will allow the sale of equipment if the company decides to upgrade, or replace with newer units, and able to recoup some of the initial investment. This will also allow the business to use the equipment as long as possible, or until a better solution is acquired, and will reduce downtime if the lease runs out and the unit must be replaced, etc. AutoRama will comply with all local and state regulations according to restaurant food and safety guidelines. There will be guidelines to be followed to ensure a healthy atmosphere. AutoRama will also be teaming up with local law enforcement according to the auto enthusiast area of the business. AutoRama will enforce a strict set of rules for cars that frequent the parking lot of the restaurant. There will be a small fee for the use of the area, and reserved areas during promotional activities. With this fee, a window decal will be provided. With this decal, there is a promise to adhere to all laws on the roads, and be safe for themselves and others. Those who do not wish to partake in the decal program will not be allowed access to the site during closed business hours. This will let the police know who is welcome, and the guidelines they must follow. This will prevent the generalizations given to car enthusiasts as a whole, which will provide better relations between the auto community and law enforcement. On a daily basis, all inventories will be checked twice, in the mornings and evenings, for availability, as well as quality. The restaurant and its surroundings will also be inspected for cleanliness. Upon completion of these two steps, it is time to begin the day, and start food preparation. All ovens, grills, and fryers will be turned on and checked, and set to cooking temperatures. As the daily employees show up for their shifts, they must make sure everything is set up properly, and ready for customers. Since all employees are trained in every part of the restaurant, if there is anything that needs to be done, anyone can do it. The management team will be responsible for the smooth running of operations on a daily basis. They must make sure all employees schedules meet the company’s needs, as well as comply with the availability of the employees. The basic operational hours are 11am to 11pm, with hours varying on holidays, as well as special events that AutoRama will be holding. During these hours, the management team must make sure the hours are staggered, with the most employees scheduled during peak business hours during the day. Employee’s breaks must also be kept in check to ensure compliance with federal regulations. AutoRama is located on the south side of Indianapolis, where there is a dense population of middle to high class citizens. This is also where the majority of automobile enthusiasts tend to congregate during the weekends, as well as the where the majority of car events tend to be held. This puts AutoRama in the main focus area of the target population, as well as accessible from main roads to provide ease of access. This gives visibility to a greater number of people, which could be critical to the success of the business. Product/Service Design and Development Plan As AutoRama is a startup company, there lay many obstacles left in the future. With a plan, those can be easily achieved and overcome. The schedule starts as an outlook from where the business is now, in the development and planning stages. The timeline before startup is approximately 16 months. In this time, all decisions about products served, advertising and promotion structure, companies used for products, building and materials needed, etc. will be distinguished and put into development. First, a site for the business needs to be found. Allow approximately two months to find the right site for the foundation, and development of the business. During this time, an overview of the building needs to be developed, and planned out, so as soon as a business site is found, the building development can begin. Once a business site is decided upon, AutoRama needs to start looking for distributors in the area to receive its inventory from. This is a critical part of planning, because timeliness and availability is essential to the business. This will take about 3 weeks to study and inquire into different distributors and complete the proper research and background checks. During this time when the physical business is not yet finished being built, the focus can be put on non-tangible goals. Here, AutoRama will look into the advertising and promotion aspects for the best way for the business to get its name out, attract new customers, and keep existing customers continually coming back. The most cost-effective, farthest outreaching ideals will be put in place. This will take approximately 3 months to study, test, and decide on implementation strategy. Next the equipment will be decided upon. The equipment that fits the needs of the business and that will be able to meet any goals, and handle all production needed of the kitchen, will need to be found. Different manufacturers will need to be contacted, so that each product may be researched, and possibly tested before purchase, to make sure the equipment will be adequate and cost effective. This process should take approximately 2 months. What will make or break the business is the food, or the product. You can have the best equipment and best ideas of a business, but if the food isn’t up to par, then everything else becomes a moot point. AutoRama will be testing many ingredients in the different recipes, and providing samples for feedback before deciding on the best recipe for the food for the business. Once a recipe for each product is reached, a trade secret must be obtained to make sure the food at AutoRama stays unique and sets itself apart from the competition. Allow about 3 months for all testing and experimenting with the recipes. About this time, the physical building should be reaching completion. During this time, the outlay will be critiqued, and finalized for the optimization of space. Once the kitchen and â€Å"behind the scenes† space of the building are finalized, the dining area, or customer area, needs to be designed. Since the theme of AutoRama Drive N is that of a 50’s diner, the approach and overall look of the area should reflect this time change. Decisions on materials, as well as delivery and setup, should take approximately 3 months to be finished. During the remaining two months, finalizations should be under way, including the selection of staff, scheduling setup, and process of day-to-day activities should be set up. During this time, training will also occur, as well as an opening strategy for the first month’s startup, and a special grand opening plan. This allows time for mishaps to be taken care of, and everything to be in order in time for operations come March. Challenges and risks aren’t always preventable. AutoRama acknowledges that everything can’t be perfect, and recognizes some risks and challenges it may have to overcome. If the distributor falls through, or cannot meet orders, there must be a backup plan in order, with a different company that would be able to deliver. This will prevent a sudden reduction in inventory, which could be very bad for business. Indiana is known for its fluctuating weather. If for some reason the weather slows down the development process of the business, there is an allowance of time the last two months to provide some room for inaccuracies in time planning. The business plan is also set up to be able to start at a later date if it becomes necessary. Financial Section The company is privately held by Nicholas Boothe, Amanda Rachel, and Kevin Donald. Each member contributed $125,000. 00 for startup capital, with an additional loan of $77,500. 00. This will allow for all startup costs to be taken care of, as well as backup funds in case something unforeseeable happens. This will allow AutoRama Drive N time to acquire and generate its own funds, and function solely upon itself. Each member owns one third of the business, until year three, where there will be an option for Kevin and Amanda to sell their share in the business to Nicholas. AutoRama Drive N| | Balance Sheet Year Beginning March 1, 2011| | Assets| Liabilities| Current Assets (cash)| $10,000| Current Liabilities| $44,000| Petty Cash| $0| Accounts Payable| $34,000| Accounts Receivable| $0| Notes Payable| $68,500| Inventory| $10,200| Interest Payable| $8,200| Prepaid Expenses| $4,200| Taxes Payable| $12,000| Fixed Assets| $200,000| Federal Income Taxes| $60,000| Buildings| $120,000| State Income Taxes| $20,000| Equipment| $38,500| Property Taxes| $25,600| Furniture| $10,000| Other| $120,600| | | | | Total Assets| $392,900| Total Liabilities| $392,900| AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending March 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $182,400. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$54,720. 00| | | Gross Profit| $124,400. 00| | | (1) Avg. 600 guests weekday, 900 Friday and 1200 weekend @ average $8. 0 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $5,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $6,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300 . 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $25,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $52,760. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $71,640. 00| | 016| Taxes| $20,059. 20| | 017| Net Profit| $51,580. 0| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending April 30, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $166,400. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$49,920. 00| | | Gross Profit| $113,200. 00| | | (1) Avg. 550 guests weekday, 800 Friday and 1100 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 0| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $4,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $3,500. 00| | 009 | Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $12,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $35,760. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $77,440. 00| | 016| Taxes| $21,683. 20| | 017| Net Profit| $55,756. 80| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending May 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $132,800. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,800. 0| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$39,840. 00| | | Gross Profit| $89,680. 00| | | (1) Avg. 400 guests weekday, 650 Friday and 950 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $4,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $ 3,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $8,000. 0| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $31,760. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $57,920. 00| | 016| Taxes| $16,217. 60| | 017| Net Profit| $41,702. 40| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending June 30, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $152,000. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$45,600. 00| | | Gross Profit| $103,120. 00| | | (1) Avg. 500 guests weekday, 700 Friday and 1025 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $4,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $3,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $4,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $27,760. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $75,360. 00| | 016| Taxes| $21,100. 80| | 017| Net Profit| $54,259. 20| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending July 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $187,200. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$3,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$56,160. 00| | | Gross Profit| $125,760. 00| | | (1) Avg. 600 guests weekday, 950 Friday and 1250 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 06| Part Time Employee Wages| $8,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $5,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $4,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $550. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $33,960. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $91,800. 00| | 016| Taxes| $25,704. 00| | 017| Net Profit | $66,096. 00| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending August 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $164,800. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$3,800. 00| | 03| Allowances (3)| -$1,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$49,440. 00| | | Gross Profit| $110,080. 00| | | (1) Avg. 500 guests weekday, 850 Friday and 1150 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $6,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $4,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $3,500. 00| | 12| Equipment Upkeep| $450. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $30,360. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $79,720. 00| | 016| Taxes| $22,321. 60 | | 017| Net Profit| $57,398. 40| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending September 30, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $139,200. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$2,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$980. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$41,760. 00| | | Gross Profit| $93,660. 00| | | (1) Avg. 400 guests weekday, 750 Friday and 1000 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $4,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $3,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $2,500. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $26,260. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $67,400. 00| | 016| Taxes| $18,872. 00| | 017| Net Profit| $48,528. 00| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending October 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $115,200. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$2,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$980. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$34,560. 00| | | Gross Profit| $76,860. 00| | | (1) Avg. 300 guests weekday, 600 Friday and 900 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 0| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $4,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $3,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $2,500. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $26,260. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $50,600. 00| | 016| Taxes| $14,168. 00| | 017| Net Profit| $36,432. 00| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending November 30, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $86,400. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$2,800. 0| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$980. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$25,920. 00| | | Gross Profit| $56,700. 00| | | (1) Avg. 250 guests weekday, 400 Friday and 650 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $3,750. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $2,900. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $2,500. 0| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $24,660. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $32,040. 00| | 016| Taxes| $8,971. 20| | 0 17| Net Profit| $23,068. 80| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending December 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $93,600. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$3,800. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$680. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$28,080. 00| | | Gross Profit| $61,040. 00| | | (1) Avg. 275 guests weekday, 425 Friday and 700 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $3,950. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $3,400. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $1,500. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $24,360. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $36,680. 00| | 016| Taxes| $10,270. 40| | 017| Net Profit| $26,409. 60| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending January 31, 2011| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $83,520. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,400. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$680. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$25,056. 00| | | Gross Profit| $56,384. 00| | | (1) Avg. 240 guests weekday, 380 Friday and 635 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $3,150. 0| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $2,400. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $1,500. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $22,560. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $33,824. 00| | 016| Taxes| $9,470. 72| | 017| Net Profit| $24,353. 28| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Month Ending February 28, 2012| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $88,160. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$1,400. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$680. 00| | 04| Cost of Goods Sold| -$26,448. 00| | | Gross Profit| $59,632. 00| | | (1) Avg. 255 guests weekday, 415 Friday and 660 weekend @ average $8. 00 per transaction. | | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $8,160. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $3,650. 00| | 007| Rent| $4,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $2,400. 00| | 009| Utilities| $1,300. 00| | 010| Insurance| $700. 00| | 011| Equipment | $1,500. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $350. 00| | 13| Depreciation| $500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $23,060. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $36,572. 00| | 016| Taxes| $10,240. 16| | 017| Net Profit| $26,331 . 84| | AutoRama Drive N| | Balance Sheet Year Ended February 28, 2012| | Assets| Liabilities| Current Assets (cash)| $20,000| Current Liabilities| $44,000| Petty Cash| $2,000| Accounts Payable| $34,000| Accounts Receivable| $18,000| Notes Payable| $68,500| Inventory| $5,800| Interest Payable| $8,200| Prepaid Expenses| $4,200| Taxes Payable| $12,000| Fixed Assets| $200,000| Federal Income Taxes| $60,000| Buildings| $120,000| State Income Taxes| $20,000| Equipment| $38,500| Property Taxes| $25,600| Furniture| $10,000| OTHER| $146,200| | | | | Total Assets| $418,500| Total Liabilities| $418,500| AutoRama Drive NCOGS- Year Ended February 28, 2012Sales $1,591,680. 00Net Cost of Goods Sold $ 382,003. 20Gross Profit On Sales $1,209,676. 80 AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Quarter Ending May 31, 2012| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $507,200. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$10,800. 00| | 03| Allowances (3)| -$6,480. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$152,160. 00| | | Gross Profit| $337,760. 00| | | (1) Mar:625,930,1250 Apr:550,850,1125 May:500,680,970| | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $26,640. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $18,600. 00| | 007| Rent| $13,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $16,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $3,900. 00| | 010| Insurance| $2,100. 00| | 011| Equipment | $8,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $1,350. 0| | 013| Depreciation| $1,500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $92,090. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $245,670. 00| | 016| Taxes| $68,787. 60| | 017| Net Profit| $176,882. 40| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Quarter Ending August 31, 2012| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $517,120. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$16,200. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$6,900. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$155,136. 00| | | Gross Profit| $338,884. 00| | | (1) June: 525,715,1030 July: 600, 975, 1280 Aug:530, 870, 1180| | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $26,640. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $19,200. 00| | 007| Rent| $13,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $19,500. 00| | 009| Utilit ies| $3,900. 00| | 010| Insurance| $2,100. 00| | 011| Equipment | $8,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $1,350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $1,500. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $95,690. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $243,194. 00| | 016| Taxes| $68,094. 32| | 017| Net Profit| $175,099. 68| | AutoRama Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Quarter Ending November 30, 2012| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $381,440. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$16,200. 00| | 003| Allowances (3)| -$6,900. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$114,432. 00| | | Gross Profit| $243,908. 00| | | (1) Sept:450, 750, 1025 Oct:400,600, 930 Nov:325, 480,740| | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $26,640. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $19,200. 0| | 007| Rent| $13,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $19,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $3,900. 00| | 010| Insurance| $2,100. 00| | 011| Equipment | $8,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $1,350. 00| | 013| Depreciation| $1,500. 00| | | |   | | 014| Total Expenses| $95,690. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $148,218. 00| | 016| Taxes| $41,501. 04| | 017| Net Profit| $106,716. 96| | AutoRam a Drive N| | | Income and Expense Statement| | | Quarter Ending February 28, 2013| | | Income | | | | | | | | Acct Code| Item| Amount| | 001| Sales (1)| $277,760. 00| | 002| Discounts (2)| -$16,200. 00| | 03| Allowances (3)| -$6,900. 00| | 004| Cost of Goods Sold| -$83,328. 00| | | Gross Profit| $171,332. 00| | | (1) Dec:300, 440,720 Jan: 270,390, 640 Feb: 275, 420, 665| | (2) Discounts for club members and coupons| | (3) Allowances for special deals, unsatisfactory experience| | | | | Expenses| | | | | | | | Acct Code| | | | 005| Full Time Employee Wages| $26,640. 00| | 006| Part Time Employee Wages| $19,200. 00| | 007| Rent| $13,500. 00| | 008| Advertising and Promotion| $19,500. 00| | 009| Utilities| $3,900. 00| | 010| Insurance| $2,100. 00| | 011| Equipment | $8,000. 00| | 012| Equipment Upkeep| $1,350. 0| | 013| Depreciation| $1,500. 00| | 018| Dividend Payment- Owners| $27,000. 00| | 014| Total Expenses| $122,690. 00| | 015| Operating Profit| $48,642. 00| | 016| Taxes| $13,619 . 76| | 017| Net Profit| $35,022. 24| | | | | Risk Assessment Although potential risks are unwanted, it makes a business and its partners stronger to be fully aware of any risks associated within the market. However unlikely some events may seem, to have a strategy to overcome these forebodings will allow the business a greater chance of survival. In the fast food/dine-in industry, there are factors that are out of anyone’s control. Listed are possible risks that may be associated with AutoRama Drive N, and the industry as a whole: * Increasing food prices, such as beef, potatoes, etc. * In the restaurant industry, profit margins on food products is slowly shrinking, as prices for food increase because of feed prices, fertilizers, and demand continue to grow. * Economy continues in recession * The economy is slowly recovering from the drastic downturn it took over the past several years. Markets are slowly starting to recover, and businesses are slowly returning to before recession standards. Auto crowd does not convene as much as anticipated * With this being a drive-in style restaurant, and advertising mainly to the automotive crowd, the auto enthusiasts are a large proportion of the consumers AutoRama hopes to reach. If there is not enough support from the auto community, resources will have to be reallocated more towards the advertising and promotions to draw in the desired customer basis. * Location * Altho ugh planning and research went into the decision of location, if the location does not prove to be optimal, then advertising and promotions must change in order to bring in the desired crowd. Once the customers have experienced the unique atmosphere and food that AutoRama delivers, this will become less of a risk. * Appeal * AutoRama must appeal to the local customers in the surrounding area. Since this is a small startup business, the customer base is minimal, and during the first startup, it is crucial to the businesses success to get the name out there, and appeal to the local customer base. Through research and planning, these risks can be greatly minimized, some almost non-existent. Having a plan to deal with each of these areas is crucial all around for the businesses development and survival.