SWOT Analysis Of The Post Office Ltd

SWOT Analysis Of The Post Office Ltd The Post Office Ltd in United Kingdom, a subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd, attained its separated identity in 1987 Post Office in UK is quite famous for two main services, first and the obvious one from its name is clear, that it provides the Postal services to its customers. Second reason for its popularity is the Post Office Card Account which is basic account allowing customers to collect benefit payments. There are other services also being provided by the Post Office, which are discussed in brief in the assignment. Today, Post Office has around 11,843 (according to an auditor working for the post office) branches spread around UK, and offer various range of services for its customers. The management of Post Office have been very resourceful in adopting technology as a part of its operational functions, with the new horizon system introduced in the year 2000 (ref), revolutionizing the basic system of serving Post Office customer. As, technology is advancing, traditional manner of Post ing letter is fading away, exposing the entire Post al industry with danger of extinction. Thus, it has now become imperative for the organization like Post Offices to conduct a through SWOT analysis in order to sustain and survive in immensely hi-tech global market. Strengths The Post Office of United Kingdom has to be appraised of its diversified operations. The process of division and diversification can be traced back to the year 1986, when the company got separated and became subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd, to attain its separate identity from mere the once providing the Post al services. The process of diversification was persistent and continuous and today Post Office provides more than 8 different kinds of services to its customer veering from saving and investment, to telephone and from government licenses to bill payments. So, it would be justified to evaluate this diversification of Post Office in different services to be one of its major strength. This diversification helps Post Office to attract a large mass of customer, ranging from men, women and children, old and young as well as business and social. Extensive and Diversified Services The different kind of services that the Post Office provides starts from its Post al services, where the branches accept mail for two collection and delivery divisions i.e. Royal Mail and Parcel Force. In banking services, the Post Office has arrangements with various banking corporations and customer of these banks can use basic services of banks like cash withdrawals and cash deposit. In savings and investment services, the Post Office since long has been an agent of national saving and investment, providing customers with the basic services of depositing money and withdrawals from their saving accounts. For telephone services the Post Office provides home landline telephone services, and also provides top-up for various services networks. Insurance services is quite diversified in itself, as Post Office provides insurance in most of the areas, starting with Car and Van Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance, Life (term) Insurance, Over 50à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s cover (for elderly citizens) pet insurance and its very famous travel insurance. Foreign Exchange services is a very essential service that the Post Office provides, as the customers just walk in to their Post Office and can convert currencies, but not all Post Office branches provide these services. Government Services include providing checking and sending services for passport Offices and the driving license authority (DVLA), and providing fishing and well as road tax. It was important to briefly describe the services the Post Office provides, as it is one of its major strength diversified services for diversified group of people. Post Office has done extremely well in identifying its opportunities in the past and kept on introducing new service lines in its portfolio, this has helped the Post Office to survive in its long journey, and grabbing these opportunities in the past has today become its strength, the Post Office no longer just survives on the Post al services that it provides to its customer, and has successfully made its other services like insurance and license services very profitable. Infrastructure The venture of General Post Office began in the 1660, by Charles II and has eventually evolved as the modern Post Office as we know of today. Today the Post Office has around has 12,000 branches spread widely and all around UK. This major establishment sure has taken time, but today when we evaluate this wide coverage by the Post Office it sure is its true strength. The only word to describe this coverage by the Post Office is National infrastructure. It truly has developed over a period of time a national infrastructure enabling it to reach to each and every customer all around UK. Possessing this national Infrastructure is quite advantageous for the Post Office as it becomes quite effortless to make its new product reachable. This large infrastructure also facilitates more customers spread all around UK. It has also helped the Post Office to reach its customer and for the customers to reach it easily, making them closer and intact with their customers. Weaknesses Improper distribution It is very important for every organization to be able to evaluate its weakness. Weakness is internal interference that becomes hurdle for the organization to achieve its objectives. In case of Post Office the operations have been suffering losses since the year 2006 and the management had to take drastic measures to convert these losses in profit in order to survive. There lies the weakness in its strength of national infrastructure, in the financial year 2008-09 the Post Office had to close down around 2500 Post Offices all around UK in order to reduce the operating expenses of the organization. The organization had around 14,376 branches spread around UK, which got reduced to around 12,000 branches in the year 2009, which shows how the distribution of the Post Offices was unproductive. Unproductive distribution of Post Office resulted in division of customer to a part that it became unprofitable. Questionable customer service quality Out of its extended number of branches which is around 12,000 only 373 are directly owned by the Post Office Ltd. The rest around 98% are either sub-Post Offices or franchise are privately owned. The Post Office has not got any consolidated training system, which would enable its braches to provide consolidate training to its customer advisors. The only training method adopted in Post Office all around UK is the old staff training the new staff, which is certainly not a professional manner of training a staff. Training becomes an important part of working with the Post Office as the system it uses to serve the customer is horizon. It is a very complex hi-tech system, which enable the advisors to reach all its product with ease, but in order to be able to use the system efficiently, a systemized training methodology should be adopted, which is not practised in case of Post Offices. Hence leaving an efficiently trained customer advisor to serve the customer, which certainly reduces its quality of services, and the direct effect of these can be seen with the Post Offices losing its largest footfall customer to highly efficient and quality customer services competitors. Industrial dispute Post Office is a subsidiary of Royal Mail Ltd, which also own Royal Mail, and Parcel Force, which are its collection and delivering division. Royal Mail is been a centre of a number of recent industrial disputes with the Communication Workerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Union. The extended dispute between the management and the staff lasted around 7 months and resulted into the staff going on a number of strikes, which disrupted the business severely. Post Office thrives certainly, but not majorly on its Post al foot fall customer for its other services. There was a enormous decrease in the number of Post al customer, because of the strike called on by CWU, in the year 2009, which makes its internal dispute with the staff a major weakness. The strike carried on by the staff resulted into inefficient delivery of the mails, which makes the customer hunt for another more efficient delivery or courier service provider, hence decreasing its own customer line. Opportunities Extensive range of services enabling cross-selling opportunities Extended customer line of the Post Office, from banking, Postal, investment, insurance, pension, licensing customer and others provides a huge potential to the Post Office to enable the cross selling to its customer. Every pension customer is a potential over 50 life cover customer, and bureau de change customer is a probable customer for selling travelling insurance. Every DVLA customer is a probable car insurance customer. With such a huge potential customer foot fall, the Post Office surely gets a competitive advantage over its rivals in the market. Further consolidation in the banking industry The Post Office offers a huge line of financial products, from foreign exchange, to insurance, from credit cards to investment opportunities to its customer. The Post Office offers basic banking services by the means of cash withdrawals, cash deposit, cheque deposit etc, looking at such a huge line of customers. The post office should capitalize on their banking customers by providing basic savings and current account services either through organic growth or with a joint venture with a trustable partner and take advantage of reforming financial services. A national infrastructure would surely provide them with the competitive advantage and make their operations economical and sustainable for longer period of time. Further consolidation of brand image The Post office in the year ending 2008-09 closed down 85 of its crown post offices, out of, which 70 were sold to W H Smith, which is expected to make 2.5 million in additional profit in that financial year. This strategy can be critically evaluated and taken at a next level, by creating a joint venture with Hallmark, Greetings cards or such established organization, to which posting services can be related. The customers will have the convenience of two related services at a single stop. This can work in advantage for both the organization as it adds value to the product and the services. Threats Revolutionary changes within the Industry The postal Industry, is going through a lot of changes, technology is taking over the traditional mailing system. People as well as corporate industry rely heavily on technology for communication. Using the technology has its own set of benefits, as it is safer, cost effective and faster than traditional mailing methods. Advancements in technology are inevitable and the near future can be visualized with reducing dependence on postal system. This is a sure threat for the postal industry as technological advancements is eating away its probable market. A research conducted at the royal mail showed a reduction of 10 million customer using postal services compared with the last year, this give a serious indication as to how the reliance on the postal system is reducing (http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?q=royal%20mail%20striketab=allscope=allstart=2). Increase in competition The mailing industry is becoming intensely competitive, unlike in the past, where the post office enjoyed the monopoly of having the maximum share of the industry. Companies like DHL, TNT, Fed-ex etc are providing intense competition to the UKà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s oldest posting organization. The customer has evolved from merely being cost effective to cost against time evaluation, today the customer are ready to pay a suitable extra amount for ensuring the time and safety of the delivery, the private players have certainly gained their confidence in this sector by providing safe, secure and timely services. Thus, the Post Office faces sever competition from these private players in national and international market. Overall assessment of the organisationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s position 10% of the marks are allocated for overall conclusions on the balance of SWOT elements. SWOT analysis is a continuous process, and just as important as other management functions. The fact that the post office has been extending its line of product and service offerings to its customers proves that the post office has been conducting a continuous research on the product line. Recently, it has been offering its postal services on-line, which facilitates the customer to utilize their services at the comfort of their home. Industrial dispute, for which the Royal mail has faced much criticism, has proved very damaging for it overall brand image. National joint-venture or organic growth in banking industry is one of the biggest opportunities that lie in-front of the post office. Advancing the product line of the post office, a national level merger with W H Smith or any other stationary or greeting cards organizations will be an opportunity of adding brand value to its organization. Finally, talking about the threat that the post office faces is quite clear with the significant increase in the number of customer reeling on technology to communicate. Modern customer is ready to let go of cost if the services offered are time specific, private player are surely a notch ahead of post office in providing such time efficient services, which gives a set back to post office services. But, I see a promise in post office management, as it has been able to overturn its losses into profits and been able to maintain an extended and well diversified product and service portfolio, which I see being continued in the near future.

How Do You Spell Baby Murder? - A B O R T I O N :: abortion argumentative persuasive argument

  Ã‚  Ã‚   Approximately 1.6 million murders are committed legally each year. With the exception of laws in few states, the mutilated bodies of the victims are thrown into dumpsters like pieces of rotten meat. While these victims lay waiting in the infested dumpsters to be hauled off to a landfill, the murderers are in their offices waiting for their next patient--the accomplice to the murder. This is the murder of an innocent child by a procedure known as abortion. Abortion stops the beating of an innocent child's heart. People must no longer ignore the scientific evidence that life begins at the moment of conception. People can no longer ignore the medical and emotional problems an abortion causes women. People must stop denying the facts about the procedure, and start hearing the silent screams of unborn children.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The argument by the pro-abortion side is that the unborn child is not truly a child. Many people who are pro-abortion justify their beliefs through the concept that a fetus is only a blob of tissue until it is born, or the statement: life begins at birth. Abortion is not as simple as removing a "blob of tissue" (as the pro-abortion activists put it) from a woman's body. Abortion is the destruction, dismembering and killing of a human life--an unborn baby. "But it is scientific and medical fact based on experimental evidence, that a fetus is a living, growing, thriving human being, directing his or her own development" (Fetal Development). A fetus is not just a blob of tissue, rather a fetus is Latin for "offspring or young one." Human life begins at fertilization, therefore it is wrong to murder the innocent child in the womb. At a US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meeting, most scientists said that life begins at conception or implantation of the embryo. No scientist at the meeting claimed that life begins at birth (Factbot). Professor Hymie Gordon of the Mayo clinic stated "' . . by all criteria of modern biology, life is present from the moment of conception'" (Fetal Development). In a 1963 Planned Parenthood pamphlet entitled 'Plan Your Children' it states "an abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health" (Factbot).

Sample-Formal-Lab Report

TENS 2146 Electric Devices and Measurements Lab 3 Current and Voltage This report was prepared by: L. Wall Fall 2009 Prof. R. Alba-Flores Team Members: J. White, L. Wall Conducted on: September 17, 2009 Submitted on : September 24, 2009 Abstract: In this lab students experimented with light emitting diodes. The student built a basic circuit with two LED's and resistors in parallel. The results showed that the voltage is the same in parallel. The items that were in series had the same current.The results also showed that the current from each branch could be summed up to equal the total current from the source. The experiment also helped the student to see the voltage drop across the diode was almost the same each time. This lab showed the effects of current and voltage in a parallel circuit. This experiment also showed how the brightness was effected by changing the voltage. Equipment and materials: †¢ Multimeter †¢ Power Supply †¢ Connecting wires †¢ A bread boar d †¢ A 330 ohm resistor †¢ A l k ohm resistor †¢ 2 Red LED's Theory: A light-emitting diode (LED), is an electronic light source.The first LED was built in the 1925 by Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, a radio technician who noticed that diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when current was passed through them. The LED was introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962. All early devices emitted low-intensity red light, but modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infra red wavelengths, with very high brightness. [1] Figure 1. Basics Physics principle of an LED LED's are semiconductors. They will only work if placed in the correct direction.Placing the LED in the improper direction could potentially damage it. The LED could also be damaged if it was not installed with the use of a resistor. They can not be connected directly to a power source. The anode is the positive end and the cathode is the negative end. LEDs are beneficial because th ey do not require much voltage to be illuminated. The LEDs are great for conservation of energy . When we subtract the LED voltage from the supply voltage it gives you the voltage that must be dropped by the dropping resistor. A decrease in voltage will result in a decrease of the brightness of the bulb [1].Figure 2 shows the electrical symbol and the actual shape of an LED. Figure 2. Electrical symbol and the actual shape of an LED Ohms law is used to be able to calculate the current and the resistance across each of the elements in the circuit. To analyze the circuit It must be known that the voltage is the same in a parallel circuit. The current is the same in a series. The current through each branch can be added up in order to determine the current from the source. From Kirchhoff's loop law it can be determined that the sum of all of the voltage drops around a closed loop must sum to equal zero.The objective of this lab was for the student to use their knowledge of items such a s LED's, series and parallel circuit configurations, Kirchhoff's laws, and Ohm's law in order to properly analyze and solve problems with given circuit. [1] Light Emitting Diodes, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode Procedure: First thing we did in the lab was to create the circuit. We created the circuit by using resistors with values of Rl = 330 ohms and R2 = l k ohms and also by placing the LEDs after the Resistors so there would be no damage done to the LEDs.This s shown in figure 3. The voltage supply was set at 8 Volts and then we tested the values for voltage and current. To measure voltage the meter has to be in Parallel with the circuit. Current is measured by placing the Multimeter in series with the circuit. In preparation for the experiment we built the circuit (shown below) using Multisim. We used simulations to get all the required measurements and used Ohm's Law (E=I*R) to solve for the rest. In the lab we set up the same circuit by connecting the resi stors and the LED's in a parallel circuit to the power supply.Most of the connections were done using the breadboard. We measured current by placing the Multimeter in series with the entire circuit. We set the Multimeter to measure amperes and turned the power on. We continued this using the 8, 6, 4, and 2 volts (adjusted on the power supply) while noting the brightness of the LED's and writing down the value given by the Multimeter. We then connected the Multimeter in parallel with each resistor and LED's to measure voltage. We set the multimeter to volts then cycled through 8, 6, 4, and 2 volts on the power supply and noted the reading for each connection.We then used Ohm's Law to calculate the current through as well as the resistance for each LED. We also calculated the entire current to see if it matched what we measured. Figure 3 Circuit built in the lab Sample Calculations: To calculate the current through each resistor-LED branch, Ohm's Law (V = IR) was used. In this Lab the equation used was I Rl = VRl / R 1 Example: IRl = VRl / R1 = 5. 8 V / 3300 ? = 0. 0176 A To calculate the total resistance of each LED, Ohm's Law was used. In this lab the equation RLED = V LED / ILED was used. Example:RLED = V LED / ILED = 2. 18 v /0 . 0175 mA = 124. 57 ? To calculate the total current that the power supply was providing to the two branches, the equation IE = IRl + IR2 was used. In this lab the equation that was given to use was ILEDl = IRl . Example: I LEDl + I LED2 = IE .0175 + . 0058 = . 0233 Simulation Results: Multisim was used to perform the simulations. Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 shown the results obtained in the simulations. Table 1 summarizes these results. Figure 4. Power supply= 8 volts: Voltages measured across R1 and R2 and currents through each LEDFigure 5 . Power supply= 6 volts: Voltages measured across R1 and R2 and currents through each LED Figure 6. Power supply= 4 volts: Voltages measured across R1 and R2 and currents through each LED Figure 7. Powe r supply= 2 volts: Voltages measured across R1 and R2 and currents through each LED Table 1. Comparison of Pre-Lab simulations and actual Lab data Looking at the comparison chart above we can see that the voltage and the total current was close in value when looking at the Pre-Lab and the Actual Lab.The actual Multisim simulation charts are printed and attached to this lab report. Looking at the comparison chart above we can see that the voltage and the total current was close in value when looking at the Pre-Lab and the Actual Lab. The actual Multisim simulation charts are printed and attached to this lab report. Conclusion: In conclusion when simulating the circuit in actuality or in Multisim; the LED voltage, current, and brightness are affected by the decreasing of the voltage supply. By decreasing the voltage supply the brightness of the LEDs also decrease in intensity.When determining the factors that are involved in the brightness of the LED we must look at the circuit and se e if the resistors and the LEDs are connected properly. We must also look at the value of the current passing through the current. To determine the current through the LEDs Ohm's Law was applied. To find the current we must first measure the voltage and the resistance, and then after finding those two values we divide the voltage by the resistance. Which Ohm's Law is I (current) = V (voltage) / R (resistance).After finding the current in the LED it is seen that the current is almost equal to the resistor that is closes to that LED. I am in agreement with the measurement that was taken for the voltage supply of 8 volts, 6 volts, and 4 volts; but I disagree with the values for the voltage supply of 2 volts. The measurement collected in Multisim fo and the actual measurement value more that the other voltage supply ranges. When the LEDs were reversed the resistor and the LED current and their voltages changed to O or ‘r' due to there was zero or no flow of current and voltage.The voltage is what supply energy to the components in the circuit. So decreasing the amount of voltage will decrease the amount of energy current, and the amount of current is what determines the intensity of the LED. The pre-lab seemed to simulate more accurate values than the results of the values in Table 1. Due to the fact that there is more human value in the actual measurements than the simulated ones; plus the actual values have been round and round again. The simulated and actual values are very close in value; but do to human error the values are not and can not be exactly the same.

The Public Needs to Know †Revised Version Essay

Our program against domestic violence provides a safe shelter for victims and their families within our community. In order to support a broad range of issues and diverse group of victims, our program has many services available to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Staying at our shelter is usually the first step towards a normal life for a family that has a history of domestic violence. It is our goal to apply all areas of our expertise to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of every family that reaches out to us for help. Shelters have been proven to be a way out for victims who are generally in a more violent situation than victims that would use other services while still staying at their home (Itzhaky & Ben Porat, 2005). Our program is comprised of many services to provide the greatest amount of help to the victim. Though not every victim or family will need a physical shelter to stay, ensuring that we always have a safe place for victims to stay at is always our primary concern. For the duration of their stay, the victim will work closely with our professional staff to assist with fixing or finding the safest way out of the victim’s relationship. Residents of the shelter follow a plan established by our councilors that has been tailored specifically for each victim. We provide basic necessities that would be needed for day-to-day life at no charge. We can also provide a means for the victim to apply for food stamps since in most situations, the aggressor has the only form of income for a family. Our shelter has a state-of-the-art alarm system, which will give the victim a peace of mind that their aggressor will not be able to come after them under our care. Although it is not to be used as a replacement for 9-1-1, we offer a crisis line for individuals that feel the need to speak to a counselor right away. The crisis line is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our counselors are able to give immediate advice on domestic violence situations, and can assist the victim with leaving the home or residence they are currently staying at to safely make it to our shelter. If a counselor feels that the  victim is still in immediate danger, he or she will contact emergency services for the victim to ensure that no one is harmed. Child abuse, whether direct or indirect, is another area in which we offer our services. Many times, the children affected have witnessed domestic abuse happening between their parents, and may have been victims themselves. We have counselors in our shelter that are educated and trained to help children become social, and ensure that their interaction with other children is safe for everyone. Male children that see domestic violence happen in the household are three times more likely to apply domestic violence in their own household when they are grown up (Straus , Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980). During their stay at the shelter, we will provide transportation for the children to get to their current schools. We have an on-site clinic for all domestic violence victims to use at any time, but for severe injuries, we will refer victims to the hospital. Many cuts and bruises can be tended to within our shelter, so using our clinic does not create a financial burden for the victim since a hospital will charge for a visit. Counseling services are also offered by our program, and do not require residence within the shelter for a victim to speak with a counselor. Areas of counseling include providing advice to victims that do not want to leave their current residence, help with victim’s friends or families, and serving victims that have previously stayed at the shelter. We offer one-on-one counseling with trained professionals, and group counseling for victims that have experience similar levels of abuse. It is important for victims of domestic violence to understand that they do not necessarily need to stay in our facilities in order to receive help. Sometimes friends or family of victims will suspect that something isn’t right in their relationship, and our counselors can assist acquaintances with reaching out to the victims to ensure that the victim receives the help they need. Public education is the final, and sometimes overlooked service that we offer as a domestic violence shelter. Not all victims wish to initiate the call for help, and spreading our word that we are here to help can give them the drive they need for us to provide our services. In order to ensure we reach the most amount of people in our community, we have brochures in almost every public facility in the area. We strive to reach areas that are geographically separated from major cities, since women who are far away from shelters are more likely to  delay requesting services from domestic violence shelters (Saftlas, Wallis, Schochet, Harland, & Peek-Asa, 2011). Domestic violence shelters are very important for the victim to have, benefits of our shelter immediately affect the victim’s quality of life. After just three weeks, most victims will already feel an improvement in their situation and have a greater outlook on life (McNamara & Fields, 2000). Without our shelter, victims of domestic violence would have nowhere else in the community to turn for a long-term shelter and assistance. As long as a victim is staying at our shelter, that person is no longer in a situation where they can be harmed, emotionally or physically. Our shelter benefits the community by strengthening each victim to become an independent person, and enables each person of the community to turn around and give back to different areas by volunteering to help others. In conclusion, our shelter provides many services that would suit the needs of many victims from domestic violence. We provide housing, crisis support, help for children, basic healthcare, counseling, and public education to help as many victims as possible. The benefits of our shelter are specifically tailored to assist the victim get back on track to have a normal healthy life again. Finally, it is our goal to provide the highest level of service to each person that reaches out to us, since it could be our very own friend, family member, or colleague. References Itzhaky, H., & Ben Porat, A. (2005). Battered women in shelters: Internal resources, well-being and integration. Affilia, 20, 39-51. McNamara, J., & Fields, S. (2000). Psychological Reports. Differential functioning of outpatients and patients of a domestic violence shelter on the abuse disability questionnaire, 56, 893-894. Saftlas, A., Wallis, A., Schochet, T., Harland, K., & Peek-Asa, C. (2011). Prevalence of intimate partner violence among an abortion clinic population. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1412-1415. Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (1980). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.

buy custom Opportunities Existing in the Market essay

buy custom Opportunities Existing in the Market essay Opportunities existing in the market turn into profitable ventures as a result of a meticulous analysis of the current market as well as assessing and evaluating current trends in the market. An effective market analysis will enable an individual answer fundamental questions like, what the emerging trends in an industry are, what strengths and/or weaknesses do your competitors have, the suitability of your location, whether your concept fills a certain gap in the market and the potential customers one can serve in a year. In order to identify opportunities and potential threats, one needs to study the dominant trends in the industry of his interest. The analysis entails scanning the environment for opportunities like a competitors failure/flaw, population increase leading to higher demand for your product, a market gap, among others. Threats include stiff competition, introduction of similar products and customer dissatisfaction. If one is swift in spotting opportunities and threats before others, he stands a better chance to expand their market share. This, in turn, stimulates your firms production, which could lead to increased profitability. The next step towards finding opportunities is the rigorous assessment of the local market area. Here, one needs to use economic and demographic statistics to help them determine the sales potential that the market oe is preparing to serve holds. These statistics ought to be compared with those from other regions so that the entrepreneur can assess the strength the market area possesses. Analyze your market area by first defining its geographic size. Secondly, obtain data on the demography of your cut out area. These include data on the age of most people in the area, their education level, gender as well as their level of income. In most cases, there will be other firms who entered the market before one does. They are, therefore, sources of competition. However, from the synthesis of the content of what we covered in the first week, I understand that the same competitors could as well be rich sources of valuable information that could help one analyze market opportunities and demand. Finding opportunities also means assessing your competitors weaknesses and strengths as well as learning form their achievements and failures. Acquiring new customers is one of the utmost delights that businesses boast of. Most business enterprises are more focused on the acquisition of new customers than working towards unlocking the value of the existing customers. It is surprising how many businesses fail to consider the existing customers as the most valuable assetsPreviously, I believed that real profits came from new customers because all businesses toiled to register new customers, regardless of their current customer base. However,, after the discussion of the second weeks topic on customers and their value, I now realize that the business existing customers are the source of its real profits. Obtaining a new customer is far much costly than dealing with an existing one. For a business to unlock the value of its customers, it must appreciate that customers are its most precious asset. They, therefore, ought to be treated the same way one treats gold. Issues that existing customers raise should be dealt with before those of prospective customers. Customers need to be provided with products of high quality that satisfy their needs. I have learnt that customers are a rich source of valuable information, if they are listened to and respected. When I start employing my entrepreneurial skills in the near future, Ill listen and have respect for my customers. This will be so because I understand that this will enable me cut down on the cost of testing new products in the market. Customers can be retained by use of exceptional customer service strategy. Personalizing responses regarding customer inquiries is also a powerful tool for cultivating customer loyalty and goodwill. This might be time-consuming, but the rewards of constant use of these tools are much far greater. In summary, customers are a business most valuable asset, and the more a business looks after its chief assets, the profitable it is likely to get. Buy custom Opportunities Existing in the Market essay

Free Essays on The Lamb and Innocence

THE LAMB AND INNOCENCE The works of William Blake are often mentioned as painted visions. The pictures he gives in his poems, especially The Songs, are not merely descriptive visions but dramatic and deeply psychological works. The world of innocence is painted through the perception of children. The whole atmosphere is evoked by nursery rhyme and melodious songs in consequence of which the poems may seem a little bit simple but in fact they carry a heavy meaning and idea of the poet’s concept of religion and innocence. In Blake’s epoch, children were considered to be sinful before God for only the ones who accepted Christ were forgiven and were the heirs of eternal life. Children, incapable of making such decisions as to accept and follow Christ were automatically taken to be condamned. Blake’s idea was accordingly revolutionary. He believed that the innocence was the state of perfection similar to that of God. It was the state of man before the fall of Adam and Eve, the state of incessant joy and a mind which knows the virtues of delight. According to Blake the children were not born condamned but were the owners of innocent souls which were in close touch with God. They were His constant companions. The experienced mind, on the other hand has lost these virtues and accepts the existence of God logically and by reasoning. The idea of God has to be then incomprehensible (because of the lost virtues) and the image of God is that of someone powerful and frightening who is required to kee! p the world in order. In experience, religion is degenerated into the notion of control and prohibition. ( Gillham,1966). The key poem in the Songs of Innocence is The Lamb. The speaker is a child addressing an animal ( specifically a lamb) and asking about its creator Little Lamb, who made thee? Gave thee life, and bid thee feed†¦ Gave thee clothing of delight†¦ Gave thee such a ... Free Essays on The Lamb and Innocence Free Essays on The Lamb and Innocence THE LAMB AND INNOCENCE The works of William Blake are often mentioned as painted visions. The pictures he gives in his poems, especially The Songs, are not merely descriptive visions but dramatic and deeply psychological works. The world of innocence is painted through the perception of children. The whole atmosphere is evoked by nursery rhyme and melodious songs in consequence of which the poems may seem a little bit simple but in fact they carry a heavy meaning and idea of the poet’s concept of religion and innocence. In Blake’s epoch, children were considered to be sinful before God for only the ones who accepted Christ were forgiven and were the heirs of eternal life. Children, incapable of making such decisions as to accept and follow Christ were automatically taken to be condamned. Blake’s idea was accordingly revolutionary. He believed that the innocence was the state of perfection similar to that of God. It was the state of man before the fall of Adam and Eve, the state of incessant joy and a mind which knows the virtues of delight. According to Blake the children were not born condamned but were the owners of innocent souls which were in close touch with God. They were His constant companions. The experienced mind, on the other hand has lost these virtues and accepts the existence of God logically and by reasoning. The idea of God has to be then incomprehensible (because of the lost virtues) and the image of God is that of someone powerful and frightening who is required to kee! p the world in order. In experience, religion is degenerated into the notion of control and prohibition. ( Gillham,1966). The key poem in the Songs of Innocence is The Lamb. The speaker is a child addressing an animal ( specifically a lamb) and asking about its creator Little Lamb, who made thee? Gave thee life, and bid thee feed†¦ Gave thee clothing of delight†¦ Gave thee such a ...

10 Easy Ways of Helping Turtles Survive

10 Easy Ways of Helping Turtles Survive Sea turtles have lived on Earth for about 110 million years. However, due to human activity, 6 of the 7 sea turtle species- green, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, flatback, hawksbill, and leatherback- are now classified as endangered. The seventh species, the loggerhead, is classified as threatened (likely to become an endangered species in the near future). Organizations Dedicated to Helping Sea Turtles Contact the following organizations to donate, volunteer, and learn more about ways to help the sea turtles:Sea Turtle ConservancySEE TurtlesTurtle Island Restoration NetworkThe Ocean FoundationOceanic Society How to Help Sea Turtles Survive According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, sea turtles face threats from overharvesting and poaching, global warming, ocean pollution, and the encroachment of human activity on their nesting sites. Although targeting these problems may seem like an overwhelming task, there are specific actions you can take to ensure the survival of sea turtles. Baby hawksbill turtle after being rescued. Jereme Thaxton/Getty Images Source Your Seafood Responsibly Sea turtles often become the bycatch of irresponsible fishing methods. Educate yourself on how your seafood was caught and support organizations that advocate for the sustainable catching of seafood. The Monterey Bay Aquariums Seafood Watch website and app allow you to look up specific types of seafood and determine if they were responsibly sourced. In addition, organizations like Too Rare to Wear also have information on products that have been made from turtle shells, like jewelry and souvenirs, which are often sold to tourists in tropical regions. Get Rid of Pollution Sailors from the USS Thorn use bolt cutters and knives to free the only surviving sea turtle in a group of four found tangled in some long-ago discarded netting, July 10, 2001 in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. Navy / Getty Images Help make beaches safe for turtles and other marine animals by participating in cleanups to help remove trash from the beach. Doing so will also stop more trash from entering the oceans, reducing the chances that a turtle may become trapped or eat it. Many local groups organize such cleanups year-round, or you can organize a beach clean-up day with some friends. Cleaning up the beach may also help make that locations habitable for turtles again. After a 2-year beach cleanup in Miami that removed over 11 million pounds of trash from the environment, olive ridley turtle hatchlings were spotted making their way from the nest to the ocean, which had not occurred in decades. Previously, the turtles had been able to lay eggs on the beach but could not maneuver in the trash. Replace Disposable Plastic With Reusable Items Plastic bag at sea. These can be dangerous to sea turtles who mistake them for food, such as jellyfish. _548901005677/Moment Open/Getty Images You can help prevent trash from ever entering the ocean in the first place by recycling and reducing the amount of trash that you create. For some items, consider using their reusable counterparts, like shopping bags and water bottles to reduce your chances of polluting the beach. Plastic bags are especially troublesome, as sea turtles can mistake them for their favorite snack: jellyfish. You can also avoid other single-use items, like balloons during a birthday beach bash, which will likely end up in the ocean where they will be eaten by turtles and other wildlife. Keep Beaches Dark at Night WWF volunteers coax released baby green turtles that were found at a nest site the day before, to the waters edge with lights at Acyatan Beach on August 23, 2018 in Adana, Turkey. Chris McGrath / Getty Images Nesting turtles and hatchlings use the moons natural lighting as a guide. Instinctively, they follow the brightest direction to find their way to the water, but if they are disoriented by artificial lighting, they may wander inland and die of dehydration or predation. Avoid all forms of artificial light while at the beach at night, including flashlights, flash photography, video cameras, and fires on nesting beaches. If you do need lighting, try to avoid directly illuminating the beach, using a shade to minimize the amount of light shining in the area. If staying at a beachfront property, be sure to turn off all lights at night. If you do see disoriented baby turtles at night, do not take it upon yourself to move the turtles. Contact a nature conservancy organization or local authorities. Be Careful When Boating and Fishing A moving boat can seriously injure or kill a turtle, so stay alert if you are boating in the ocean. If you spot sea turtles in the water, stay at least 50 yards away. If they are close to your boat, put your engine on neutral or turn it off until the turtles swim away. Change your fishing location if you spot sea turtles nearby or they show interest in your bait. And remember to collect all of your fishing gear and supplies once youre done, especially fishing line, hooks, and nets. Don’t Disturb the Turtles An NPS volunteer helps Kemps ridley sea turtle hatchlings reach the water at South Padre Island National Seashore. Who knew volunteering could be so adorable?.  © qnr via Flickr Never pick up a hatchling. Though it may be tempting, doing so may frighten or disorient them. If you do want to watch one, attend a sea turtle watch hosted by an organization, which would allow you to observe the sea turtles without disturbing them. Do not catch a baby turtle in an aquarium or bucket of water. This will use up the energy they need to swim to the ocean after they emerge from their nest. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Global warming can skew the gender ratios of sea turtles, as well as the distribution of predators and prey. Although climate change might seem like too big an issue to tackle, there are many steps you can personally take to reduce global warming. Adopt a Sea Turtle Support sea turtle conservation efforts by â€Å"adopting a sea turtle† or making a donation to a wildlife conservation program that monitors and helps satellite-tracked turtles. You can also â€Å"adopt a nest† during nesting season. Avoid Beach Activities at Night Try to avoid walking on the beach at night during the summer, as this may frighten nesting turtles back into the sea. To help make it easier for turtles to navigate the beach, you can also remove beach furniture and other equipment from the beach before the nighttime, as turtles may become caught in them or become disoriented. Help Spread Awareness There are many ways you can help make a positive change for sea turtles. One main way is through education. You can help educate your local neighborhood or school by giving presentations, and tell people about the cause during conversations. Sources â€Å"Adoption Programs.† Seaturtle.org, Seaturtle.org, www.seaturtle.org/adopt/.â€Å"Endangered Ocean: Sea Turtles.† Ocean Today, National Ocean Service, oceantoday.noaa.gov/endoceanseaturtles/.â€Å"Information About Sea Turtles, Their Habitats and Threats to Their Survival.† Conserveturtles.org, Sea Turtle Conservancy, conserveturtles.org/information-about-sea-turtles-their-habitats-and-threats-to-their-survival/.â€Å"Ways to Help.† Ways to Help the Sea Turtles, Nova Southeastern University, cnso.nova.edu/seaturtles/ways-to-help.html.â€Å"What Can You Do to Save Sea Turtles?† NOAA Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 6 June 2016, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/what-can-you-do-save-sea-turtles.â€Å"What Is the Difference Between Endangered and Threatened?† Wolf - Western Great Lakes, U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, Mar. 2003, www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/esastatus/e-vs-t.htm.