The Futility of Dreams in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay exampl

The Futility of Dreams in Of Mice and Men    Everyone has a dream they hope to achieve, but dreams are not always possible to attain. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, two ranch hands, George and Lennie, find work in Salinas Valley. Lennie, constantly getting into trouble, inadvertently causes the two of them to be run out of town and thus have to find new work regularly. George and Lennie's search for work in the hope of accomplishing their dream of a small farm of their own displays how futile realizing dreams can be. The major themes identified by commentators in Of Mice and Men are friendship and isolation, hope and futility(Votteler 334). Through George and Lennie's friendship, the hope to achieve their dream is kept alive. "George, little and clever, feels that Lennie has been given into his keeping"(Moore 341). "Simpleminded and gentle, Lennie possesses great physical strength and becomes unwittingly destructive when startled"(Votteler 334). Although Lennie is very strong, he is also very timid and has trouble remembering things, but under George's control, Lennie is calm and docile since he just does what George tells him to(Moore 341). According to Moore, "Of Mice and Men tells the story of two drifting ranch hands, George and Lennie, who dream, as rootless men do, of a piece of land of their own, where they will 'belong'"(341). George tells Lennie that the loneliest guys in the world are like them working on ranches, have no family, no place to belong for continually moving on to a new ranch, and have nothing to look forward to(Steinbeck 13). With them, it is not like that because they have a future, somebody to talk to, and are working toward getting their own farm with a couple ac... ...ited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 341-342. Rascoe, Burton. "John Steinbeck," in Steinbeck and His Critics: A Record of Twenty-Five Years, edited by E. W. Tedlock, Jr. and C. V. Wicker, University of New Mexico Press, 1957, pp. 57-67, in Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, pp. 336-339. Shurgot, Michael W. "A Game of Cards in Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'," in Steinbeck Quarterly, Vol. XV, Nos. 1-2, Winter-Spring, 1982, pp. 38-43, in Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, pp. 362-365. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. Votteler, Thomas. Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 334-335.   

Teleportation :: essays research papers

Teleportation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I had a chose between two superpowers, to turn invisible or flight, I would break the rules and choose to have the ability of teleportation. I was ready to answer right away, but I put some thought into this question, such as the capabilities and limitations of these superpowers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I fly, can I carry people or objects just by touching them (ala Superman 2)? Would I be able to carry something, someone equal to, or more than my own weight or would this be too much of a challenge while flying? I would probably worry about enough sufficient oxygen, since flying requires air to work, just as swimming requires water. The higher I go the more lack of oxygen, the slower I will travel in proportion to the thinning air, therefore no flying in space. In addition, it is very important to remember I am not invincible. Therefore, if I try to fly through a brick wall, I would definitely injure myself; this also applies if I collide with a plane or bird. If I would choose to be invisible, I hope that everything I am wearing will turn invisible too and I would not have to strip naked or anything. If other invisible people want to, fine, I am not going to stop them. More power to them for being comfortable with there body. I hope that this would not be required. If I am invisible, would I have a small invisibility aura surrounding me, and would the things caught in that aura go invisible? If I pick something up, does it turn invisible, or does it just float there or if I drop something, would it be visible again, whether I like it or not? For example, if I was wearing an invisible baseball cap, and threw it in the air, would it be visible after leaving my hand? In addition, would it be invisible again if I catch it? If I want that hat to be invisible, do have to tuck it under my shirt (ala Harry Potter's invisibility cloak), or turn visible and then back invisible to catch the stuff I am holding. Therefore, if I were going to choose this superpower, God forbid, if I rob a bank, and slip into the vault, I would have to stuff the money into my pants and shirt to avoid the cheesy movie effect of money floating out of the bank.

Existing Good or Service Business Proposal

Existing Good or Service Business Proposal T. J. ‘s Corporation Business Plan Tresa Milton ECO 561 March 25, 2013 Dr. Guthlac Kirk Anyalezu T. J’s Corporation Business Plan T. J. ’s Corporation Business Plan In today society the development of technology, which are items that individual normally use being transferred into a different era. These are the items which, individual’s use every day newspapers, magazines, and now books has been supplementary to the technology world in the form of Kindle, Nook, eBook, or on CD's. T. J. s Corporation will produce a technology which, will take a book, which the corporation can use and scan it into an eBook along with an accurate synthetic voice for individuals to listen. However, T. J. ’s Corporation will show how the revenue will increase, determine the profit-maximizing quantity, and marginal revenue to maximize profit. Also T. J. ’s Corporation will analyze mix of pricing and non-pricing. T. J. â€⠄¢s Corporation will be looking for a location to work on the proposal and have the supplementary employee’s to help with transference of books to the digital format. T. J. s is currently working out of a small building and with the new proposal needs something bigger. Working in a small building puts the employees in the situation where he or she is working with little run to work. With the new location it will allow T. J. ’s Corporation to work on the new design and have the consumer’s product out faster. Assumptions and Market Structure Although other corporation have books out in eBook, the books are merely only accessible in the merchandise provided by that company. T. J. ’s Corporation merchandise consumers will have the option of reading the book quite or read along with the digital sound track.Since, T. J. ’s owns a patent on their technology their company is considered monopoly, because T. J. ’s is permitted the only business that i s selling this type of merchandise (McConnell, Brue, ; Flynn, 2013). Also there is an assumption that any employee which will be working in a month is about $300 based on sales. T. J. ’s Corporation has to generate another digitizer for their workers to have so more books can be downloaded quicker. Growth of Revenues TJ’s Corporation requires an improved marketing strategy for their digitized books this approach will allow sales to increase. If T.J. ’s changes the prices of their books their revenue will also increase. T. J. ’s Corporation is using a small website and on the sight the prices are as follow: $10 for books with failed copyright (old books), and $15 for books containing an copyright (new books). T. J. ’s Corporation sold 1,000 old books and 2,000 new books in the first six months. T. J. ’s did some research, found the new books could be brought for $5 charge and CD are $20 (R. L. Copple, 2013). With this information the company can rise their new books price to $18 to add a $3 profit and lower their older books to $7.The change in price could actually help boost the sales of the books because the older books are at a lower price which could increase revenues and the increase in price on the newer books will increase the profit. In addition, if Bury were to market his books to high school and college students there could be an increase of revenue. Bury would need to add text books to the books being digitized but if students have the option of listening to someone read the books the information might be easier for them to understand.The pricing on the books would have to be increased because of the actual price of the textbook and a higher copyright fee. The addition of the books would help to increase revenue and bring more traffic to his site for the other books. Profit maximizing Will Bury would need to look at his fixed costs (those costs that do not change the output) and the variable costs (costs that do change based on the level of output). Bury's variable costs are the five dollars for the copyrighted books that will help to expand his catalog and the costs associated with his website.This can be in the form of number of transactions or purchases and the fees associated from them. In addition, Bury will need to hire an assistant and the $40,000 that he pays will include taxes and benefits, the purchase of $14,000 in computer equipment to advance his technology, and $6,000 in advertising. This would be $60,000 a year or about $7,000 a month of fixed costs. Marginal costs and marginal revenue If there is an increase in output there will always be a raise in profit as long as marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost.There will always be a need for books to be digitized so there will always be one more unit of good to be produced and sold. There will always be new books being written and this means that there will be a constant need for books to be digitized. There will be m any choices for customers especially when new books are released. Pricing and non pricing There are many types of pricing that Bury could use and needs to take a look at all to see what would fit his business. Bury could offer single or multi unit pricing, quantity discounts, and any specials or discounts that he feels he could offer during holidays.Bury could offer promotional discounts as a way to increase revenue and bring in more customers. If Bury was to look at when book fairs or sales occur he could set up a table with information and computers for customers to purchase or look at his database. With non pricing the strategy is to make the price less of a factor with customer purchase and make product difference a greater factor (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2009). Marketing research, new product development, and advertisement could be considered non pricing competition because Bury is trying to find ways to increase his sales. Barriers to entrySince, Bury's business is considere d a monopoly and is the only one with the technology then there should be no barriers. A barrier occurs when there are other companies that exist in the marketplace and have established patents that will make it difficult for the product being copied (McConnell, Brue, ; Flynn, 2009). Since, Bury does have a patent that means that he will out skill his competitors and with his new technology he will dominate his industry. With these barriers there could be a problem at the beginning but once the company is establish Bury wont have any problems. Product DifferentiationWill Bury's product is very different from what is out in the market because it is a digital and voice synthesized is more convenient than eBooks or books and CD's. With his product he offers customers a more convenient way to listen and read books in one place. In addition, for those avid readers the introduction of eBooks will allow for multiple books to be housed in one location. Minimized costs Mr. Bury will need to find ways to minimize his costs so he can increase his revenues. At the present time Mr. Bury will not be able to hire a full time assistant but once he has an established revenue then he can hire a full time assistant.Another way to save money would be to have his children or wife help with digitizing the book. In addition, if Bury was willing to train and work with high school and college students he can have multiple people to work part time and can have the books digitized faster. This means that he can increase his catalog of books fast and he will be able to offer more books for his customers. Conclusion At present, Mr. Bury has many options available to him that he can implement to have a successful business. The main item that he has to consider is the price, cost, and the manufacture level for creating the digital books. Mr.Bury has done a great job of identifying the costs associated with copyrighted material and the price that he would want to sell his books. One item tha t he would want to consider is the fact that he could change the price of the old and new books to increase his revenue and he can look to see if could lower the price that he pays for the royalty of the book. Currently the market is small and with Mr. Bury being a monopoly with his patented technology, he can really expand his market. The one item the Mr. Bury has to watch is the economy and has to remember that he has to stay on top of the competition. References Copple, R. 2012). How do ebooks cost. Retrieved from http://graspingforthewind. com McConnell, C. R. , Brue, L. S. , ; Flynn, S. M. (2009). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies (18th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Company. New Good or service business proposal  This assignment focuses on introduction of a new product in the existent line of business and explains the method for development of goods for generating more revenue. The concepts of elasticity of demands, market structures in addition to profit maxi maximizing techniques are also discussed which are helpful for the good and also to counter the barriers

Worst Day of My Life

The Worst Day of My Life It was August 20th 2005 on a Friday morning. I woke up and I was feeling alright. I did what I usually do on Fridays. I cooked, cleaned, took a shower, brushed my hair, and then sat in the living room to watch T. V. Next, my favorite show came on and I was happy and excited to  watch the new episode. Later, the phone rang while I was watching the T. V, then I got up  and then answered the phone. It was my sister in law calling, to tell us that our father had passed away about  an hour  ago.I could not believe what I was hearing; I throw the phone on the floor, fell to my knees and started crying. My mother and everyone else ran towards me, asked me what was wrong and what I found out over the phone. I could not talk at all; I was out of breath from crying. But they all knew something terrible had happened. My mom picked up the phone from the floor and then talked with my sister in law, to find out the sad truth. My mom was shocked like me when she hea rd what I heard.When my siblings found out, we all fell apart and started to cry and hug each other. We prayed and asked god to get us through the tough time we were going through. After we prayed I went and sat in the corner with my brother and older sister. Three of us kept sitting and crying. After that my mother was trying to comfort us, but she could barely talk because she was crying so much. Unfortunately crying wouldn’t change the reality. My mother had to break the news to everyone over the phone.It was very painful hearing my mom breaking the news to the rest of the relatives, but we had no choice. In conclusion, our life has changed dramatically ever since my father’s death because my mother had to take all the responsibilities. Life was never the same for us, for we are missing the head of the household. Since the loss of our father is a fact, we had to live with the pain and get used to it. And every time that date passes we remember the grief of losing ou r father. Worst Day of My Life The Worst Day of My Life It was August 20th 2005 on a Friday morning. I woke up and I was feeling alright. I did what I usually do on Fridays. I cooked, cleaned, took a shower, brushed my hair, and then sat in the living room to watch T. V. Next, my favorite show came on and I was happy and excited to  watch the new episode. Later, the phone rang while I was watching the T. V, then I got up  and then answered the phone. It was my sister in law calling, to tell us that our father had passed away about  an hour  ago.I could not believe what I was hearing; I throw the phone on the floor, fell to my knees and started crying. My mother and everyone else ran towards me, asked me what was wrong and what I found out over the phone. I could not talk at all; I was out of breath from crying. But they all knew something terrible had happened. My mom picked up the phone from the floor and then talked with my sister in law, to find out the sad truth. My mom was shocked like me when she hea rd what I heard.When my siblings found out, we all fell apart and started to cry and hug each other. We prayed and asked god to get us through the tough time we were going through. After we prayed I went and sat in the corner with my brother and older sister. Three of us kept sitting and crying. After that my mother was trying to comfort us, but she could barely talk because she was crying so much. Unfortunately crying wouldn’t change the reality. My mother had to break the news to everyone over the phone.It was very painful hearing my mom breaking the news to the rest of the relatives, but we had no choice. In conclusion, our life has changed dramatically ever since my father’s death because my mother had to take all the responsibilities. Life was never the same for us, for we are missing the head of the household. Since the loss of our father is a fact, we had to live with the pain and get used to it. And every time that date passes we remember the grief of losing ou r father.

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Example for Free (#5)

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Strategic Plan (66) , Business model (48) , Catering (14) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints For any journey the path must be defined with clear and recognizable details for it to be successful. The concepts of markers and landmarks which define the direction of a journey apply to that of any business. We need detailed plans and objectives as well as landmarks and directions we would like the business to travel. The objective of Two Brothers food truck is to create a trusted and popular place for people of the Wenatchee valley to enjoy a quality meal using locally sourced goods and services at a value which all residents of the valley can easily afford. With this detailed strategic business plan we will discuss the concepts which will guide our plan and the obstacles we may face and how we will work to overcome them. Strategic Objectives, Measures, and Targets The objective is the same in all business and that is to keep the business operational and profitable. The profitability of any business is the main reason for which we strive to open and operate businesses; this fact will be  the main reason to implement fundamental financial objectives. The concept of Two Brothers food truck is to keep costs low, maximize profits while maintaining quality ingredients and service to the consumer. The main factor which way affect the profitability of the food truck is locally sourcing fresh ingredients due to the grow cycle of our region. At some point the truck will have to purchase items from a vendor or local grocer to maintain inventory levels. However the other menu ingredients like breads, meats, and dairy items will in most cases be readily available thanks in part to the availability to local butchers and dairies, we plan on baking our own breads. Thanks to the lack of competitive restaurants using locally sourced items we see no issues wit h these items. Methods of Monitoring and Controlling Two Brothers Strategic Plan We understand the importance of a happy employee and their relation to happy customers and relationships play a major role in any business. We strive to build relationships with the community and place high regard on personalized service to each person that visits Two Brothers whether it our guests are local or people visiting the Wenatchee valley. One major way we intend to ensure this will happen is to always empower our staff and make our staff feel like they are part of this business and guide them to feel as emotionally invested in the ideas and concepts of Two Brothers food truck as we do. We plan to offer incentives like shift meals, paid time off after time invested in the company, profit sharing, company events, and bonuses for college students whom receive exceptional grades, we feel the food truck should be a stepping stone and an example of characteristics they can take with them into their careers. We feel that investing the time and energy in our staff and showing them we care as much about them as we do the business will encourage them to feel the same and want to invest time and energy in our customers to ensure their return business and the customers overall satisfaction. Marketing and Information Technology Strategies and Tactics In today’s era of social media and more and more people using their mobile devices for everyday operations we feel we need to maintain that connection. Luckily for Two Brothers food truck the Wenatchee valley is relatively small and offers great coverage for mobile data with most carriers. We would like  to take that a step further and offer a Wi-Fi hot spot as well as charging stations for most devices, we would like to power these items using mainly solar energy to add to the concept of a sustainable culture we are trying to maintain with the business. We understand the importance of technology and social media in the operations of business and how technology can be an aid in our business operations. We plan on focusing our attention on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets to advertise our business which will provide the customer with daily information on specials as well as access to coupon programs we provide. Using social media will provide an outlet for our customers to provide reviews and feedback on our business. Many people feel that bad reviews can hurt a business; we feel that bad reviews provide an opportunity for us to make a new friend and change a process which may harm our business with future guests. Two brothers would also like to develop a smartphone application for iOS and Android which we find is also lacking with many businesses in the Wenatchee valley. This application will also provide instant access to our business as well as letting us track our market. As far as marketing outside of social media we plan to brand our image using items like car clings, bumper stickers, clothing, and sponsorship of local team sports, we feel that the Wenatchee valley is a closely knit tight community and word of mouth and these visual cues will travel fast into making Two Brothers a household name in the Wenatchee valley. Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues Regulatory conditions for mobile food service entities like Two Brothers food truck are rather strict in the Wenatchee valley. We will need to focus on consumer safety within the regards of the regulations put forth by the local health department and maintain or equipment and employee paperwork to remain compliant with these standards. Another important element of the food truck will be a base of operations where we store product and prep for day to day operations. This facility will also have to fall within the guidelines set forth by the health district to ensure food and consumer safety. Two Brothers also plan to offer beer and wine at some point in the future operations of our food truck which is legally allowed in Washington State. We will also have to follow the guidelines set forth by the Liquor Control  Board which are monitoring levels of service, age appropriate clientele, and ensuring on premise consumption only. All of these aspects will be factored into our operational details and regulations will be posted per Washington State RCW’s. Business Model and Strategic Plan Part I The goal is to bring a cross section of favorite foods to the community. Some of these will consist of a local high school favorite the Zombie. The Zombie is fluffy dough stuffed with a variety of meats and cheeses then baked to perfection. Other culinary options will include the popular Cuban sandwich as well as bratwursts, homemade fried chicken, fresh cut fries, and several types of wings and sauces. The goal is to bring in as much locally grown items as well as using local providers for most of our items, keeping it home grown is one of our mottos. We also plan and scratch making as many items as we can to provide the highest quality and freshest product possible, another concept lacking in our town. The goal is to bring the highest quality foods for the most reasonable price that we can. I our idea will be to closely follow what Costco tries to bring to their customers. The goals of Two Brothers food truck are to bring items to customers with little or no access within walking d istance to their locations. We will highlight our operating times to ensure each location we stop at will have ample time to order and receive their items in a fashion congruent with their time frame. We will also provide an â€Å"Order Early† option via text, email, and phone orders so that clients will be able to bypass lines and pick up items whilst on the go. Wenatchee is a smaller mid-size market with many businesses and average options for quick lunch options. Wenatchee offers the same fast food and casual dining as larger cities with a sprinkling of mom and pop restaurants which make up the rest of the options none of which offer high quality ingredients with reasonable pricing structures it is usually either quality or fair price, Two Brothers will accomplish both high quality and fair pricing by operating on volume sales to move business. The plan for Two Brothers is to hand craft all possible food items to cut costs and increase quality of our products because we believe that the more hands something touches through the supply chain the more cost it involves in the end product. This will set us apart from most other options locally and  create an amount of exclusivity of market. What will also help Two Brothers is the relative lack of food trucks within the Wenatchee valley area. We plan to monopolize this fact and create a structure where we remain the top contender with first to market entry with home baked breads, oven roasted meats, and locally grown produce (when available). We will market on our commitment for high quality, price friendly foods which focus on family and togetherness. The vision that I see for the Two Brothers is for it to grow into a family run business with maybe two to three locations in total in the valley, keep it home grown and support the valley by staying true to family, friends, and c ommunity. While the quality and reputation of the establishment are paramount, so is the success of profit. Once I am able to show continued growth and a solid profit margins the possibilities are limitless for expansions. Are good profit margin will also allow for commitments like sponsoring a little league team, giving us a positive public image. The guiding principles or values would be to stay true to myself stay grounded if the business does become a success, and keep my promise to the customers by providing them with fresh food and a fun experience at Two Brothers. The culture of the business reflects my culture and that of my family, and when I say culture I mean that of respecting everyone whom we interact with. We will have a diverse menu because I want a diverse crowd. The social responsibility and ethics would be making sure we only provide fresh ingredients, only buy from the best, and never serve anything that is subpar our internal motto is â€Å"create what you would want to eat.† I will not hesitate to take the opportunity to make things right and apologize on behalf of the business, always treat others the way I want to be treated, and with respect. The business cannot be a success if the mission or vision statement is not only followed but also if the staff and owners do not promote what they inspire. The vision is to have the business grow, but it can do only that if the customers are treated with respect. We as a business must keep our word or promises on the service and products we say we will deliver on. For the business to be successful every promise made must be followed up by not only the owners, but also by staff, and those who we conduct business with Two Brothers. The only way to maintain a competitive advantage over larger chain restaurants, sandwich shops, and fast food joints, is to keep the promise we made in our mission statement,  and continue to stay focused on what is most important, the customer. Strategic Plan Part II: SWOTT Analysis The business world of today the rate of a business succeeding is far outweighed by the rate at which they fail and this needs to be understood when undertaking these endeavors. One of these factors to success or to failure is external factors and how they will work in the operations of a business. In this paper there will be a definition of some external factors for the Two Brothers food truck and how well the business adapts to these factors. We will analyze the supply chain and as well as the operations into consideration along with the identification of other issues and opportunities that may happen. Economic, Legal and Regulatory Forces and Trends One of the biggest driving external forces that can impact my business is the need for people to know where their food is coming from and that it is a good and healthy choice for them. Today’s focus on obesity has many people turning away from the fast food chains like McDonald’s and turning to options like Chipotle for healthier options and knowledge that their food is coming from excellent sources and is handpicked as well as made fresh daily. The Wenatchee Valley is very compact so the ability for people to travel for lunch is easy except the only real options are fast food restaurants dominating a large percentage of the choices. Because these health trends are extremely popular among the many in the valley it is wise to include social factors of healthy living are a huge positive trend for the food trucks fresh philosophy. The active population of the valley is more likely to be health conscious because it is the goal to be in shape and fit with the amount of outdoor recreation in the valley and surrounding areas. Therefore, by eating healthy homemade options provided by the truck, the average Wenatchee resident is a positive external force. Competitive analysis as an external force that we can use to measure the possibility of success or failure or trends which may affect the business. Since the food truck is in the Wenatchee valley and we are known for our agricultural history there is a large population of Hispanics thanks in part to the long history agriculture and the need for skilled labor. Mexican cuisine and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Taco trucks† are quite prevalent in the area and a different style food truck would be an outlier among the usual fast food chains and the family-owned restaurants. This provides an advantage as the food truck has something new, and different to offer. In addition, the resta urant is mobile and can be available in various areas gives it advantages over restaurants and most other food trucks since most are mainly stationary and no longer mobile. Because the food truck will be in a mobile we can monopolize areas where many people work with the least amount of food options available, we have to cater to them this way and offer a quick high quality option for lunch. The Wenatchee valley also has many spots for tourist exploring attractions of the city and events that could support the food truck. Since the warms temperatures of the valley in the summer and the mild winters, I expect people to at least stop for food or for something to drink year round as well as eventually becoming a destination spot for locals. External technological forces/trends could go either way depending on how the business is opened. First impressions do matter – as much as businesses do not want them too especially in the era of social media. Wenatchee is a smaller town so word of mouth spreads quickly via sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Craigslist so in this situation, it is very important that the food truck makes a strong first impression. Also the local newspaper is a popular source of information to the valley and perhaps some sort of coupon or deal in the newspaper would be a good way to attract residents to the restaurant. Because the written part of paper has its counterpart on the web, online advertising would probably be an attractive option in attracting the many tourists which visit the city all year round. Supply Chains Organizations Impacts Considering the resource logistics for any business, a strong force that can negatively/positively affect the food truck is the cost of transportation of materials. Originally, the plan was to hand pick fresh material daily through local growers and vendors. However, this would be inefficient and extremely expensive. It makes more sense that these material are obtained from a local source which can deliver on a weekly basis. These items should be items that would definitely have to be locally or regionally located because they have to contribute to the buy local stay local theme. For  example, the vegetables would mainly be locally grown within the season and meats locally purchased and regionally harvested while any baked goods would be homemade by us using regionally sourced materials. Identification of Issues or Opportunities Culture is another internal force, which can make the food truck a great and popular option. Having a family-owned business with a small group of friendly employees makes a huge difference in how a local business is perceived. Hiring employees who not relate well with the business owners generally results in employees perform their duties but may not love the business or take part in the enjoyment that the owners may have in operating the business; in other words, these employees will do their job but they will not have the passion that family has operating the business. Generally, the friendly service that customers will receive from the deli will likely be an incentive for them to return again. The feeling should be relaxing enough that customers will want to continue to hang out after their meal if they have the time. Over time, places like these become a sort of â€Å"favorite† hang out for people; this is very similar to how bars become places where people can hangout and relax while socializing and eating. With technology being so prevalent and because this is a tight knit valley, it is expected that people will have want to socialize so providing portable seating will be an important element. Leadership is an essential part of any business and can lead to better efficiency. It’s very important for the business to have a good set of leaders. In a small business situation the leaders should be the owners, there is a sense of warmth and gratitude when being greeted and served by the owners/operators. Sometimes, a customer may ask a certain question that requires a bit of prerequisite knowledge about a certain type of food or product and to answer the question. When the owners are available, and a part of the general operations, that knowledge is passed on the other employees when the owner is serving guests. Good leadership also is integral to making a business run smoothly. There usually has to be someone â€Å"in charge† that can direct people around in case they are lost. In this  case, if an employee is making a certain product and is confused on how to finish it or continue with it, the owner can usually step in and aid in the completion of the product. Therefore, a good leader will run the business in a smooth manner while the lack of a leader can result in the business losing money because of customer dissatisfaction (due to problems such as excessive wait for food, bad service, bad food, etc.) The internal strategy will be to keep consumers pleased and to keep their visit to the food truck memorable so they would want to come there again. Operating the food truck as a fun family oriented business will keep people hopefully wanting to hangout and comeback for that family open arms feel. Possibly providing outdoor games and events will give the customer something to keep them occupied and enjoy their stay. To keep the menu a bit unique, there would be a diversified menu by serving specific options and specials on different days of the week. There would also be incentives provided in the form of discounts, punch cards and options for catering a large group of people, such as parties, weddings or other events. Economic forces and trends that can benefit or work against the food truck are most definitely included the price of oil and prices of raw materials. Because transportation is a must in any business to bring items to the truck and the truck to the clients, rising gas prices will hurt business and cost more. Similarly, a lack of local items in the area will also exacerbate the situation and raise prices of raw materials to be used by the food truck. Nice weather in the summer and good snow in the winter increase the draw of tourism to the valley this would increase the number of potential customers increasing business. In regards to regulatory forces/trends that would affect this business would be the health inspection and how they regulate length of time a certain product is fresh. As an example, if health regulations of food trucks are usually more stringent and regulated than say a brick and mortar business since the food truck has the ability to become mobile and the options of  safe storage of foods is limited more so than the regular restaurant. By not following health procedures and safety, laws would be broken and there would be the risk of the business closing or people being hurt by contaminated foods. Because this is a small food truck business, it would not be too difficult to make changes unless the changes are extreme – like the change corresponding to the reliable sourcing of local goods. Making changes to the menu or making different items is usually just a change in how a certain product is prepared. Because food trucks usually provide food made on premise and is easily adaptable to many items this will not be very difficult if changes needed to be made. However, if people were to ask for particular items or drinks these would have to be purchased and that could take some time for delivery. The food truck is a small scale business; it is easier to apply changes than it is for bigger businesses that may be spread out in several locations. The most recent global issue for most business right now is the price of oil. Gas keeps the trucks moving and the equipment operating whether they are buying items, operating as in cooking food items, or moving from location to location gas is an unavoidable cost and rising prices could pose a threat to the sustainability of the business. Other options of clean energy can be examined to ensure the best operating options for the business. Providing great service seems almost nonsensical as every business strives to do so. Small businesses have to make greater strides in this department. Consistency is the key in order to be consistent a system or process is needed for every detail. When there are definite procedures for the everyday tasks the employees and the customers know what to expect. For instance the opening and closing procedures will have specific tasks and duties every day. This type of consistency will keep a positive momentum. Strategic Plan Part III: Balanced Scorecard The reason an individual opens a business is to be successful and make a profits to provide as their livelihood. My vision and my mission for my  business are to be one of the most popular food trucks in the Wenatchee Valley area. In addition, should be a highly respected business and not just another business serving food. Getting to know the customers on a personal basis and prove friendly service that is appreciable and that leaves customer with a sense of superior service that keeps them coming back. But mostly, the food truck will provide great food that people will enjoy to eat and crave. The vision for the food truck is to see it open and available to travel to multiple locations throughout the Wenatchee Valley so that the entire valley can access the unique options we offer. Because the initial location will be near the main medical facility and high school in the southern part of the valley, it can hold a considerable market share over other restaurants in that area of the valley since no other locations exists. After that the financial perspectives include market share, the vision influences the market share in this way and it allows for enhancement of profitability and the competitive position. More restaurants around the valley use the same supply chain operations that the initial food truck would have, keeping the costs relatively the same. Increasing the number of food trucks would, also help to lower prices of raw materials because the business would be buying larger quantities for more trucks and use volume pricing. This in turn would reduce the cost of spending but would increase the profits. The mission values are to provide great tasting food to a large variety of people of different social groups and to provide great service. To achieve such a goal, it is very necessary that some objectives for customer service and employee satisfaction are put into place. Obviously, the amount of satisfaction that the employees will have will translate to a higher level of service they provide to customers. Therefore, increasing employee satisfaction is a must for the food truck. Stimulating and offering incentives to the employees is a great way to keep them productive. A method of stimulating the employees would be to rotate the duties. A rotation of duties ensures that all of the employees understand the functions of the different stations but they also understand all the cleaning duties as well and knowing each station helps in the overall  understanding of the business. This, in turn, affects their productivity and how they relate to the customers. The satisfied customers, in turn, helped to enhance the customer’s value perspective in areas such as customer retention and customer value. Providing warm, friendly service is an asset to the food truck will have and will set it apart from other options in the valley. An objective that should be maintained is to keep the same level of service and customer satisfaction going throughout time. Ways to measure customer satisfaction is how customers react to the food truck on social media sites such as Facebook and Craigslist or frequency in which they visit. Offering a punch card with a reward is way to measure the frequency that they visit the food truck. Obviously, a majority of people frequenting the food truck signifies that the truck is a popular destination and signifies the mass popularity of the truck. Noticing changes in trends can help an owner to understand where problems may exist. An important strategic objective that should be respected in the organization of the food truck is keeping service quick and without any hassle and maintains a high level of quality and service. To achieve this objective, the food truck needs to, again, maintain a fast and reliable service plan for the company. This requires planning, as the employees need efficiently to produce the product that the customer wants. This is not only encompassing the employee perspective but also the customer service perspective. Popular restaurants usually have a method through which they create menu items in an efficient manner. They create recipes and options on the menu which staff and customers can use to guide their experience and production processes. This orderly method that will be developed is essential for the business to run properly because it reduces the work that the employees do and allows the customer more freedom in choosing how they want their foods prepared as well as options available. In addition, I feel like this will be a necessary feature of the food truck because other restaurant businesses serving food create items from various  ingredients and recipes will also be producing their products in a similar procedure. Therefore, to keep competitive and streamlined to business practices of the industry this method should also be used in the food truck. Designing and building a strategic objective is a crucial element for any business to operate successfully in the world today. Creating a mission statement with clear and defined objectives will help guide the business through their operations and should be looked to consistently to maintain the objectives set forth by the business creators. By doing this the management and operations of the business will be understood and how the business relates in the marketplace and how to operate through growth and handle competitors. A foundation of objectives will maintain the core concept of the business when changes or shifts in the market place occur and when new strategies need to be developed to handle these changes. The foundation of any business operation is the consumer and the major influence on whether they become a customer for life is the employee. These two factors are the direct drivers for any business and their happiness can bring about failure or ensure success. When the mission and core values are established and clear then it becomes easier for these two factors to provide the success businesses need to remain operational and sustainable. Reference Pearce, John A. , & Robinson, Richard B. . (2009). Strategic management. formulation, implementation, and control. United States: McGraw-Hill. Thompson, Arthur A. , Gamble, John E. , & Strickland, A. J. (2006). Strategy: winning in the marketplace: core concepts, analytical tools, cases. United States: McGraw-Hill Companies. MacDonald, Denise. (2008, October 15). Mcdonald’s marketing strategy. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gun Control - Essay Example It is suggested that in a typical year, the possibility of murders committed by use of firearm is two out of three. Different demographic groups are affected by crime differently. Victims attributed to violent crime include; the low-income earners and those living in developed urban areas. Not only are the people in this kind of demographic division more likely to be the victims but also possibilities of them being perpetrators are also high as well. Repeatedly, the issues relating to crime are normally told in a statistical perspective rather than real life stories (Wilson, 2007, p. 2 & 3). Officials in elected posts opt for scare tactics rather than reasoning while dealing with the gun control issue. Opinions have been raised regarding the guns control issue with some of the opinion that gun control will reduce violence crime while others are of the opinion that gun control is unwanted interference into a citizen’s personal affairs (Wilson, 2007, p. 4). How has the gun indus try prevailed against additional strengthened gun control laws? The gun industry has employed various tactics to ensure that they remain in the market despite the numerous additional laws that are legislated for the sole purpose of controlling guns within the American community. Wal-Mart, which is regarded as America’s largest retailer of firearms, has been indicated to be intergrading with democrats as well as president Obama’s policies and in particular the health care reform bill. In support to the government’s reforms in the health care Wal-Mart suggested that it supported the notion that companies ought to contribute to its employees’ cost of health care. It is such moves in one way or the other create a soft spot on the government in regards to the firearm industry (Roig-Franzia, 2009, p. 2). The gun industry has also used sections of the existing laws to its advantage as indicated by Roig-Franzia. The mayors against illegal guns group is said to ha ve failed to repeal amendments brought forth by Todd Tiahart that prevented the bureau of firearms from sharing crucial information on the grounds of privacy. This kind of amendments only help to assert more market share to the gun industry as most of the clients will be willing to purchase a firearm on the basis that their privacy is guaranteed (Roig-Franzia, 2009, p. 2). Policies that restrict or control the use of gun have a dim future ahead as they are bound to fail according to the gun rights advocates. This is because most of the perpetrators of crime most of the time possess a firearm through illegal means that might include stealing or buying it from the black market. It is also suggested that by using the gun control, crime rate might rise, as the criminals will be confident while attacking their victims as the probability of the victim to be unarmed is high. In conclusion, these perspectives only increase the life of the gun industry even more (Wilson, 2007, p. 11). Accord ing to Bruce and Wilcox, the role of the Regan administration was minimal in the deliberation of gun control issues by the congress. The NRA on the other hand kept up extensive efforts to ensure Attorney General was neutralized in terms of his reserves to McClure Volkmer bill. It is the passage of the legislation in 1986 that indicated the NRA’s zenith influence especially on Capitol Hill. NRA campaigned vigorously in Washington D.C and its grass roots. The NRA is said to have

Geometry proj2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geometry proj2 - Essay Example be used to find the area of a parallelogram since the rectangle has been obtained by translating a triangular section of the parallelogram without loss of area thereby maintaining the base length and height. 4. How do the base and height of the parallelogram compare to the base and height of the original triangle? Write an expression for the height of the parallelogram in terms of the height, h, of the triangle. 10. Show how you can find an area formula for a kite using a reflection. (hint: Reflect half of the kite across its line of symmetry d1 by folding the kite along d1. How is the area of the triangle formed related to the area of the kite) 2. A company sells cornmeal and barley in cylindrical containers. The diameter of the base of the 6-in-high cornmeal container is 4 in. The diameter of the base of the 4-in-high barley container is 6 in. Which container has the greater surface area? Which container has the greater volume? 3. The roof of a 50 ft circular building is shaped like a cone with a diameter of 40 ft and height 20 ft. What is the surface area of the building and roof together? What is the volume of building and roof together? (5 points) 5. On Sept. 3, 1970, a hailstone with diameter of 5.6 in fell at Coffeyville, KS. It weighed about 0.018 lb/in.3 compared to the normal 0.033 lb/in.3 for ice. About how heavy was this Kansas hailstone? (5 points) 7. Two storage bins are built in the form of rectangular prisms, and the two bins are similar. One stores wheat at a cost of $.15 per bushel, and the other stores corn at a cost of $.20 per bushel. The bin storing the wheat has a square base 80 ft on a side and is 120 ft tall. If the cost of storing the wheat is $8000, and the cost of storing the corn is $36,000, find the height and the length to the nearest whole number of a side of the base of the bin storing corn. (2 points) 9. Two similar cylinders contain juice. The first cylinder has radius 6 in and height 10 in., contains orange