Eastwind Trading Company Essay

The potential opportunity and long term sustainability of Eastwind Trading Company lies in the uniqueness of their product. The Swanson pearls are the only remaining collection of handmade freshwater pearl buttons in the world. The amount is limited and cannot be easily duplicated due to current environmental condition. Therefore, the fact that no one else carries these types of buttons is the main competitive advantage the Eastwinds Trading Company posses. This exclusiveness, however, can also result in the company’s weakness: very perishable, expensive, and difficult to handle small items that require careful organization and specialization to control costs. The company is still in the existence stage. Gail and Martha are now focusing in getting enough cash to cover all the expenses the acquisition of the business will bring. However, they may also need to center their attention in how to generate enough tools to make their business expand and become a viable company. By having a product that is unique and hard to duplicate, this advantage is long-term. There is a great opportunity in expanding the business by creating new bias of selling the pearls. Hiring sales representatives that will cover all the nation, approaching clothing manufacturers and designers that will buy the buttons at wholesale price and covering the areas that were previously uncovered by the Swansons are some of the main goals of Martha and Gail. These goals will situate the business at a competitive advantage against competitors by satisfying the needs of customers that would be attracted by the exclusivity of the buttons. The key risk for investors is that button business is such an unconventional deal that it may result unattractive. The demand for exclusive buttons in the manufacturer industry as there are other types of cheaper fastenings that can be used for clothing i. e. Zipper and plastic buttons may be decreasing. Consequently, the Eastwind Trading Company needs to implement some sort of diversity in its line to supplement the sales of the raw material when the demand for buttons is low. Martha and Gail have experience in management and marketing which makes a good addition to the development and success of their future business. Their experience can be applied in the development of a new strategy that will re- introduce the pearls in the market while expanding the product in areas that were never covered by the previous wners. The fact that the raw material could be cut off leaving a semiprecious stone that could be mounted as earrings, necklaces or rings is a plus for the business and needs to be exploit at its maximum. Despite the fact that the pair was advised by the financial counselor that they will be working in an â€Å"anemic lending environment, they sell the bankers only the concept of the buttons business, ignoring the more profitable concept of selling them as jewelry. As a result their offer was rejected by about 10 financial institutions. Finally, Stadium Bank would lend the money but only if guarantee by the Small Business Administration (SBA). By having the SBA guaranteeing their debt Martha and Gail may be removing the bank’s incentive to work directly with them. If they encounter a financial problem they may be ignored by the bank instead of getting assistance as borrowers since SBA is guaranteeing the loan by 90%. The fact that the company’s loan has to be personally assured by their owners may be a downside for the negotiation. Gail and Martha’s personal assets may be affected if this venture goes wrong. We hardly recommend Eastwind Trading Company to analyze extremely careful the terms of their loan, see if the loan is right for them and confirm that what the bank is offering is what their business really needs to flourished and succeed before they sign any agreement with the lender. As for right now we will turndown Eastwind’s project. The venture has no strategy in place to explain how the company plans to diversify itself through the use of new products or new services related to the existing product except for the vague ideas associated with the jewelry’s’ creation which is in fact the most profitable option. When a business is such an unconventional deal as the sale of buttons is, it may result unattractive. The key to success will be then to create a really strong business plan, marketing strategy, a good team of sales rep, well-organized channels distribution and an aggressive advertizing campain in order to sale your ideas and pursue your business aspirations.

New Russians essays

New Russians essays New Russians or new wealthy pigs? They are the rulers of Russia. This bunch has no style. These are the New Russians, or in another words mafia- a new breed that managed a social change that has shaken the country in the last five years. Media describes them as crooks that have money, no style, and a belief that life is good and getting better. They have an easy life, while honest citizens work ten times harder just for a piece of bread. They have everything: the most expensive cars, houses in every big city, and the best-looking girls. To me they are truly disgusting. They have no manners. The one thing in their mind is money. New Russians expect to be respected wherever they go, and if they are not than your name will be on their Pay back list. It is the easiest to tell a difference between a normal Russian person and a new Russian. New Russians are these big, buffed, men with shaved heads, who either wear bright colored suits or all black leather outfits. Who constantly smoke either cigarettes or cigars while talking on the phone or with someone in person. Their heads, when compared to their bodies are extremely small. Its like a new race that was discovered lately. All of them look alike. If you see one eating you will be disgusted. Their fingers would be covered with grease. They loudly chew, and talk with their mouths open; in another words they are worse than pigs. Mafia steals money from government and people. People are scared of them. They always think that they are better than others. A ten-year-old kid is smarter than a New Russian. They dont get money through thinking or working hard; they get money through cheating and killing innocent people. If you ever run into a New Russian know that in the outside they might be strong and rich, but inside they are disgraceful breed a...

Romantic Phrases for Dating in Italian

Romantic Phrases for Dating in Italian You’re drinking a glass of vino rosso during aperitivo as you talk to your friends, and then someone catches your eye. There’s an Italian that you can’t keep your eyes off of, and this person notices you, too.   Eventually, you two start chatting and  make plans to meet again another time at the same aperitivo. That date leads to another and another until you find that you’re head over heels for this person. If you’re in the midst of something like that or you want to be prepared just in case it happens, below you’ll find both romantic and practical phrases for dating in Italian. If you finish this list of phrases and still want more, check out this one of 100 Ways to Say I Love You. Phrases for Spending Time Together   Dovremmo uscire solo noi due qualche volta. - We should  go out just us two sometime.Sei libero/a stasera? - Are you free tonight?Perchà © non ci vediamo di nuovo? - Why don’t we meet again? TIP: If you’re talking to a female, you’ll use the -a ending, and if you’re talking to a male, you’ll use the -o ending. Click here to learn more about gender agreement. A che ora? - What time?Ci vediamo allora. - I’ll see you then.Qual à ¨ il tuo numero di telefono? - What’s your phone number?Ti va di prendere un aperitivo? - Do you want to get an aperitivo?Posso invitarti a cena? - Can I invite you to dinner?Ti va di venire a cena con me? - Would you mind having dinner with me?Passo a prenderti alle (9). - I’ll pick you up at 9. If you’re unfamiliar with how to tell the time, click here. TIP: If you’re a male, you’ll use the -o ending, and if you’re a female, you’ll use the -a ending. Ho trascorso una splendida giornata con te. - I spent a wonderful day with you.Grazie per la bella serata!  - Thanks for the great night!Quando posso rivederti? - When can I see you again?Cosa prendi? - What do you want to drink?Offro io. - I’m paying.Mi piaci tantissimo / Mi piaci davvero tanto. - I like you so much.Vuoi diventare la mia ragazza? - Do you want to be my girlfriend?Baciami. - Kiss me.Abbracciami. - Hug me. Phrases to Use When You’re Apart Mi manchi. - I miss you.Ti amo, piccola. - I love you baby.Ti voglio bene, mia adorata. - I love you, my dear. There are two ways to say â€Å"I love you† in Italian. This one is the less serious version. You can learn more about the differences between â€Å"ti amo† and â€Å"ti voglio bene† here. Also, both of the pet names used above are being used for talking to a female. Mi à ¨ bastato uno sguardo per capire che tu fossi la mia met della mela. - One look was all it took to know that you were my soulmate. (Literally: It only took one look to understand that you were the half of my apple.)Sei la mia anima gemella. - You’re my soulmate. (Literally: You’re my twin soul.)Vorrei poterti baciare proprio ora. - I wish I could kiss you right now.Sono cosà ¬ contento/a che ci siamo incontrati. - I’m so glad we met.Buongiorno bellissima / principessa. - Good morning beautiful / princess.Non sei come gli altri. - You’re not like others.Sei affascinante. - You’re fascinating / charming.Voglio godermi ogni attimo con te. - I want to savor every moment with you.Sento qualcosa di forte per te. - I have strong feelings for you.Avrei voluto restassi con me. - I would have liked for you to stay with me.Mi hai colpito subito. - You caught my eye right away. / You made an impression on me right away. ​To learn how to form sentences like the ones above with fossi and restassi, click here to learn about the imperfect subjunctive mood.

An Examination On How Enlightenment Values And Science Have Impacted The 20th Century Society

An Examination On How Enlightenment Values And Science Have Impacted The 20th Century Society Explain how science and enlightenment values (E values) produce various kinds of social engineering in the 20th century that are designed to produce a better world. The Enlightenment values espoused by the philosophers of the 18th century were a significant shift for Western culture, and guided individuals and governments to carry out both good and bad decisions. The core Enlightenment values were based in freeing humans from the old order, or Acien Regime, using reason and power of human intellect. Kant’s essay â€Å"Was ist Aufklarung?† describes the fundamental principle that â€Å"Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his†¦inability to use [his] understanding without another’s guidance†¦Have the courage to use your own understanding is therefore the motto of the Enlightenment.† The notion that the standard of living and human happiness could improve through greater knowledge and progress fueled Rousseau’s argument for a society based on reason, and a new civil order based on natural law and science. During this period, politics began to focus more on the citizenry and the protection of indi vidual rights through a fair rule of law by democratic process, shown in documents such as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Declaration of Independence. Such political freedom was hard to come by in the feudalistic system. One proponent of such ideas was John Locke, who argued for democracy, individual liberties, and the eradication of religious authority all opposing the old order of Feudalism and religious rule. Locke also proposed an idea that all Enlightenment thinkers could agree on: liberty is impossible without a guarantee of property, which the state must protect. Locke said that â€Å"the State†¦is a society of men established for the sole purpose of the establishment, preservation, and promotion of their civil interests†¦life, freedom, the possession of external goods, such as are money, land, houses, furniture, and things of that nature.† This is based on the idea that only those owning property can defend and take care of the state. Enlighte nment thinkers hoped that all could own property, an impossible concept in previous centuries where property ownership was limited to certain echelons. The progress of man could come through better policies and a better use of reason through not only political thinking but also science. The â€Å"enlightened† saw science’s potential to improve the standard of living through harnessing nature via industrialization and the liberation of man. Andrew Ure theorized that steam-engines not only employ many workers, but also leave â€Å"thousands of fine arable fields free for the production of food to man, which must have been otherwise allotted to the food of horses.† Through industrialization, man could have a better life and consume more. The rise of science and technology through an increasingly literate population contributed to the downfall of religious authority as they delivered tangible benefits in a manner controllable by humans, unlike religion. Additionally, the availability of technology allowed some to gain more wealth from their property. Science and technology resulted in the success of many industries in countries that adopted Enlightenment values. They were embraced by many â€Å"enlightened† politicians and leaders, as it gained them support from the improved lives. For some, science was a means to better technology and a better standard of living, and for others science was practiced to discover more and advance reason. Charles Darwin fell into this second general category, and while his work became the basis for evolutionary studies it was also perverted by those who turned Darwin’s natural evolutionary theory into â€Å"Social Darwinism.† Simply put, Darwin proposed that members of a species that were more suitable for an environment and responsive to change would more likely succeed and reproduce. Species could evolve through changes in populations, not through individuals, and nature is unable to determine who is fit and who is not. His ideas contradicted the Lamarckian Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics, which state an individual’s changes due to its environment could be passed on to its offspring. Interestingly, both theories of evolution would be used to justify social engineering in the 20th century. Through the Enlightenment and its accompanying values, Europeans produced new standards for humanity through quantifying the presence of democracy, social mobility, and individualism for all. One problem with the Enlightenment and factors for the future manipulation of its ideas was their Eurocentric nature. People, namely Europeans, could use reason and could therefore use it to reform less perfect societies into utopias. Those embracing Enlightenment values considered themselves superior to the â€Å"uncivilized,† and believed that the triumph of Europeans was due to a natural superiority in their political and financial skills, which was thought to be grounded in science. Some elites adopted Lamarck’s theory of evolution to justify their position, since they believed their acquired cultural skills could be passed on to offspring, marking the beginning of population genetics. Enlightenment values implied that humans could control their destiny, and had a right to eart h and its resources. While nature could not determine who was fit, the appropriate combination of reason and science could identify the fit (Europeans) for their protection to produce a superior human being. It was through this thought that the success of science and technology began to be used to legitimize social systems/policies and ideologies. The European superiority in science and technology jumpstarted the carving of empires in Africa and Asia through the mission to â€Å"civilize.† Then Prime Minister of France, Julien Ferry, championed colonial expansion using social Darwinist and Lamarckian ideas when he declared la mission civilisatrice: â€Å"indeed the higher races have a right over the lower races†¦because they have a duty†¦to civilize the inferior races†¦I maintain that European nations acquit themselves with generosity, with grandeur, and with sincerity of this superior civilizing duty.† At the same time, however, it was intended to spread French civilization, and therefore a better life, freedom, and ownership of property. This was the beginning of the twisted application of Enlightenment ideas to legitimize superiority abroad and domestically. The beginning of Enlightenment-fueled superiority complexes came through a mixture of the idea that man could progress through advancements of science and reason, and the idea that only finite resources and property exist. As a population depletes resources and takes property, competition will ensue and only the best adapted will survive and possess the right to the available property. Through an interpretation of Darwinist evolution, it was proposed that all populations have a distribution of characteristics, and some members have exclusive advantages making them an elite, favored group that is adaptable to change. Once a favored group became so distinct, it could no longer breed with the original, now deemed lesser group, and the new group became a higher species. It was through prejudices and the previously mentioned quantifiable Enlightenment traits (i.e. democracy, reason) that Europeans could identify the superior group and use social policies to advance it. One glaring issue w ith Enlightenment values was that the emphasis on celebrating reason led some to classify non-homogenous belief systems (i.e. indigenous beliefs) as irrational, therefore making them illegitimate. A divide materialized as some Europeans thought those who were inferior to them could be civilized through education or colonialism, whereas others saw a lack of successful characteristics as a lack of a qualification to breed. Herbert Spencer, who coined the term â€Å"survival of the fittest,† and strongly supported Social Darwinism said that â€Å"the forces which are working out the great scheme of perfect happiness, taking no account of incident suffering, exterminate such sections of mankind as stand in their way, with the same sternness that they exterminate beasts of prey and herds of useless ruminants,† with a comparison of the inferior to beasts of prey and herds of useless ruminants. From here, the tenets of Nazi and Soviet social engineering emerged. While the Nazi and Soviet political elite had differing views on the definition of a perfect society and what the standard of humanity should be, both used Social Darwinism and Enlightenment values to justify social planning and their respective ideology. The NSADP saw value in Social Darwinism, and the perversion of the Enlightenment values manifested themselves in Nazi ideology as they believed they were applying scientific facts to produce the ÃÅ"bermensch. While the application of the ÃÅ"bermensch in Nazi Germany was racial, the concept of the ÃÅ"bermensch from Nietzsche derived from the Enlightenment struggle to free the population from the old religious order. Nietzsche himself declared â€Å"God is dead. God remains dead,† and the â€Å"ÃÅ"bermensch shall be the meaning of the earth!† Humans now created new values, as the value system given by the religious order was dead. To the Nazis, politics was simply applying science to further the struggle for Lebensra um by removing â€Å"lesser† peoples and repopulating the land with the Aryan ÃÅ"bermensch. Hitler stated that â€Å"this earth is a trophy cup for the industrious man. And this rightly so in the service of natural selection. He who does not possess the force to secure his Lebensraum†¦must step aside and allow stronger peoples to pass him by.† The Nazis manipulated science, in this case, natural selection to justify their ideology and programs of racial superiority. From here, the Nazi eugenics program was born to select favorable characteristics for the ideal Aryan and proliferate those, while deselecting unfavorable ones through the extermination of weaker peoples. Another domestic program following this science was the Lebensborn program, which had â€Å"pure-blooded† Aryan women mate with SS officers to birth Aryan children along with kidnapping Aryan-looking children from occupied countries. The Nazis had a vision of the ÃÅ"bermensch and specifically had an image of what the master race would look like, and sought to create that. On the other end of the political spectrum, the idea of the Soviet man came from the Communist Manifesto, which defined liberation through a proletarian revolution, resulting in the rational allocation of property by the state. Soviet planning revolved around the idea that enlightened people could accelerate transformation of the unenlightened to an enlightened, elite, cooperative race through re-programming as according to Kant â€Å"reason†¦requires trial, practice, and instruction†¦to progress gradually from one stage of insight to the next.† Ideally, communism strives for the equality espoused by Enlightenment thinkers, but Soviet materialism sought to create a definite social group. To achieve these goals, the Soviets used Lamarckian theory (genetics was looked down upon), determining party officials could reprogram a society that could pass down cooperative traits. Lamarckian the ory and evolution was the science used by Stalin to legitimize his policies when he declared the â€Å"Party†¦undergoes a process of metabolism: the old and obsolete passes away, the new and growing lives and develops†¦and leads the cause forward†¦it will merely rid the Party of people who are getting in its way and hindering its progress.† This was attempted through the creation of gulags and the disappearances of noncompliant individuals by the NKVD. This thought that the government could control man to control his destiny is reminiscent of Enlightenment ideals of man’s ability to use reason to reform a more perfect society. Based on A, consider whether or not the 19th and 20th Century actions and policies of little e has actually resulted in the achievement of big E goals in the real world. Is the current world Enlightened in the manner that E principles would have anticipated. If so, how. If not, why not? The current world is both in some ways Enlightened and not as anticipated by Enlightenment values. Indeed, many first-world citizens enjoy liberty to an extent, can own property, have their individual rights protected by law, and are not under religious law. These were impossible under the Ancien Regime. Yes, social security, welfare, and insurance are present now in many societies. Science and technology mostly make life better for individuals in the world through technological and medical advances, and the standard of living has greatly increased since the 18th century. However, it is important to note the significance of â€Å"many first-world citizens† and the word â€Å"mostly.† Enlightenment values envisioned equality for all, and that is very much not the case. The equality gap is massive in the current world, and is growing larger through the very means that guarantee Enlightenment-envisioned rights for some. Citizens here in the U.S. can struggle to own propert y and receive care that improves their standards of living and guarantees their rights. Citizens abroad may not be liberated at all and subject to oppression by the government or an entity that considers itself superior. Similarly, science continues to be abused just as it was in previous centuries to either harm individuals (i.e. weaponization of diseases) or to raise individuals above others. While many live under a society that grants them Enlightenment values, even more live under conditions opposing Enlightenment values. Ultimately Enlightenment values are about the relationship between humans, and as a whole we have not, and may not, fully realize these ideals yet.

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals - Assignment Example An anticoagulant is a medication taken mainly by people who experience health problems caused by blood clots in the body, such as strokes, deep vein thrombosis and other related cases as a blood thinner. It is mostly injected under the skin as it comes in a solution form. Only a health provider can administer this drug since its dosage varies with different patients. Like any other drug, this medication has its side effects. The effects are a rash or itching at the injection point, makes a patient experience dizziness, confusion and sleepiness as it affects the nervous system. Cases of low blood pressure are also extremely common in patients who are on anticoagulant medication. It is an exceptionally strong medication hence it's severe side effects that a patient has to cope with in the treatment process. They are situations where this drug can interact with some food types taken by a patient. Foods such as Kale, broccoli, spinach and tulip greens which are recommended by nutritionists as good blood-boosting supplements in a diet contain vitamin K. This vitamin reduces the effectiveness of anticoagulants as it produces blood- clotting substances. Therefore, in this case, the interaction of the drug and the food may have negative impacts on a patient. A patient is advised to avoid foods containing vitamin K as well as vitamin E as they prolong clotting time. From this research, it is clear that food and drug interactions can have negative impacts on the health of a patient. Therefore, medical practitioners should give advice to patients on what foods to avoid when on medication. This would create awareness to patients since many of them take drugs with foods that interact. This poses them to severe health related issues even when on  medication.

Accounting Information Systems and Control Issues Essay

Accounting Information Systems and Control Issues - Essay Example A Control Manager warrants efficient and effective exploitation of resources in an organisation so that the planned goals are achieved. It seeks to measure the divergence of actual productivity from the benchmark performance and analyses the causes of the divergence if any and renders measures to take corrective actions. Controlling has several features: As dynamic in nature, it enhances the coordination of activities taking place in an organisation and helps in the process of planning. Internal control In the context of accounting and finance, internal control relates to a process by which the structure, the flow of task and authority, the people and the management information systems are designed in a manner so as to help an organization achieve definite goals and objectives. By this operation an organization directs monitors and measures its resources. Control plays a significant part in checking and identifying fraud and defending both physical resources like land and machinery a nd intangible resources like goodwill or intellectual property (Trenerry, p.126). The objectives of internal control in an organisation would mean delivery of reliable financial reporting, opportune feedback when operational goals are achieved and conformity with rules and regulations. At the level of a specific functional department, internal control, also referred to as operational control, refers to the means by which definite objectives are achieved. For example, all the transactions that are taking place between the company and the suppliers are should be accounted for. Internal Control system is implemented over Financial Reporting to ensure accounting statements are accurate so that the financial statements are reliable (Harrer, p.2). Revenue Control Issues in FoodRUs FoodRUs, a countrywide chain of wholesale depot, supplies to the small to medium scale shops and catering businesses. The credit terms with its customers is that if a customer has good credit records then they c an buy on account. Else they are to pay 100 % cash before taking delivery of their merchandise. The company also has an online portal through which they sell their products. The main control problem that

Westward Hilton Hotel Competitive Advantages Case Study

Westward Hilton Hotel Competitive Advantages - Case Study Example It is evident when Enz (472) says that hotel revenue per available room rose from a rate of $66.65 to $123.10 within a period of seven years. In addition, customers could quickly locate the hotel from afar due to its strategic position made it easy to access. The competitive advantages enjoyed by Westward hotel were sustainable. The hotel had the ability to accommodate many transient travelers. Enz (456) says that the hotel was located in a 13-story building with 300 guest rooms. It is evident the hotel was spacious enough to hold a large number of businessmen and visitors at a go. The hotel management had also employed enough staff to cater for the large visitor turn out. Additionally, though transient travelers do not have a demographic preference, the hotel was strategically located for the tourists acting as an added advantage. The human practices and culture at Westward hotel were not easy to imitate for competitors. For the most competitor, time was an essential and significant component in the production. Efficient utilization of time was the primary cause of success in most hotels. Few if none could allow their members of staff to sleep while on duty. Westward was different as they tolerated some of their elderly workers to take a nap. According to Enz (471), the Westward Company was tolerant and trusted their workers. They allowed an older woman, who worked at the laundry, thirty minutes nap daily while on duty. In addition, Westward had a family environment where managers interacted closely with employees. The hotel management took good care of their employees motivating them and their families. They showered their employees with a seasonal gift during festive holidays like Christmas. Enz (471) further states that Westward gave their employees a chance to be and express themselves. In most business e nvironments, employees are expected to stick to the company rules and regulations.