Causes of obesity Essay

Alderman describes the problem with great success that gets the reader’s attention. She introduces the problem by explaining common causes of obesity, which are addressed in Michelle Obama’s campaign recently. Referring to the nation’s first lady to address her issue, Alderman intensifies the problem so the reader can â€Å"see† it better. She then quotes the Center for Disease Control and Prevention statistic that â€Å"one of three children in this country is overweight or obese.† The author also uses statistics and facts to dramatize the problem making the reader actually â€Å"feel† the problem, thus appealing to their pathos. She evokes a sense of anxiousness for the parents because they may feel surprised and worried if their children have the same problem with obesity. To inspire such pathos and to further convince the reader that the problem must be solved, she applies logos. She explains that if action is not taken, many kids are at risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In addition, by referring to Michelle Obama and giving credit to a study and relevant sources, she also establishes her ethos. By creating pathos, logos, and ethos while describing the problem, Alderman is very effective in giving the problem presence. Alderman is also very successful in describing her solution; she does a terrific job of enhancing the power of her proposal through striking visual texts. Each element in her solution is emphasized with capitalized, bold headings such as â€Å"FACE THE FACTS.† Within these categories are her recommendations to all parents. She speaks directly to them and her goal is to inform them of new information about what they can do to keep their family healthy and avoid childhood obesity. Using the visual technique, Alderman creates a sense of trustworthiness, which appeals to her audience to do what is recommended.

Healthcare Policy Analysis Essay

Its finally happening!We get to manage our own health care .Our issues with Healthcare and insurance is finally looking up in a positive way .Finding a doctor won’t be such a hassle nor will it be someone else telling you who you have to pick . Insurance won’t be so high and even has made it possible to carry insurance without it breaking our pockets each month .This new way of insurance marketing is a great idea . I feel this will save our pockets and cost of health care can finally go down .The facts are exceptional and putting a great attitude in a lot of people to feel good about going to a physician again . For the first time in most states, small businesses and consumers who do not have affordable health insurance through an employer will be able to select coverage with the confidence that they will be offered a plan, and that their premiums will predominantly reflect its value, rather than their health, gender, or occupation. Also for the first time, individuals with incomes under $92,000 for a family of four will be eligible for subsidies to help pay their premiums for plans sold through the exchanges. It is essential that federal and state governments continue to work hard to ensure that all Americans who lack health insurance can begin shopping and signing up for coverage nine months from now.What a marketplace indeed . A health insurance marketplace otherwise known as health insurance exchange .This is a government regulated and standardized health care plans in the United States. Individuals may purchase health insurance eligible for a tax reduction . All exchanges must be fully certified and operational by January 1, 2014, under federal law. The federal government has spent $2.2 billion to help states establish their health insurance exchanges, which require creating websites to let millions of small businesses and individuals in every state buy health insurance from qualified health plans.Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have received conditional approval from HHS to operate a state-run marketplace in 2014. These states are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho,  Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. HHS’ approval of these marketplaces is conditioned on the states addressi ng a short list of issues highlighted in the review process. This Issue Brief examines issues related to managed competition and the use of a health insurance exchange for the purpose of addressing cost, quality, and access to health care services. It discusses issue that must be addressed when designing an exchange in order to reform the health insurance market and also examines state efforts at health reform that use an exchange. The basic component of managed competition is the creation an organized marketplace that brings together health insurers and consumers (either as individuals or through their employers).The sponsor of the exchange would set â€Å"rules of engagement† for participating insurers and offer consumers a menu of choices among different plans. Ultimately, the goal of a health insurance exchange is to shift the market from competition based on risk to competition based on price and quality. Among the issues that need to be addressed if an exchange that uses managed competition has a realistic chance of reducing costs, improving quality, and expanding coverage: Everyone needs to be in the risk pool, with individuals required to purchase insurance or face significant financial consequences; effective risk adjustment is essential to eliminate risk selection as an insurance business model forcing competition on costs and quality; the insurance benefit must be specific and clear without standards governing cost sharing, covered services, and network coverage there is no way to assess whether a requirement to purchase or issue.has been met; and subsidies would be necessary for low income individuals to purchase insurance. The public plan option is shaping up to be one of the most contentious issues in the health reform debate. Proponents also believe a public plan is necessary to drive private insurers toward true competition. Opponents view it as a step toward government run health care and are wary of cost shifting from the public plan to private insurers. There were three key events significantly impacted the legislative session. Obamacare Became the Law of the Land,With the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the individual mandate and President Obama’s reelection, supporters and opponents of the health reform law now  accept that like it or hate it the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. This reality shifted the political tone at the Capitol, resulting in less of the fierce rhetoric from years past. Most of Colorado’s Republican lawmakers remain opposed to federal health reform, but several bipartisan bills were passed to help facilitate a smooth implementation of the law. Colorado democrats took control of both chambers and the balance of power remained the same in the colorado Senate, with Democrats holding a 20-15 seat majority. Control of the Colorado House of Representatives, however, shifted from Republicans to Democrats, who picked up five seats for a 37-28 seat majority.With control of both chambers and a Democratic governor the Democrats wielded significant power in getting their agenda passed. The economy saw slow But steady progress and difficult budget discussions and painful cost cutting dominated previous legislative sessions, but this year’s Joint Budget Committee had an easier task. Colorado’s economic recovery outpaced the nation , and General Fund dollars were up 5.5 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2013-14. With more money in state coffers, legislators restored cuts and made new investments in health care and other programs. The budget passed on a party-line vote, with Democrats praising it as a smart and strategic approach to state spending and Republicans saying it isn’t prudent enough and doesn’t spend money in the right places. Open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s new state insurance exchanges begins in October 2013, with coverage beginning in January 2014. For the first time in most states, small businesses and consumers who do not have affordable health insurance through an employer will be able to select coverage with the confidence that they will be offered a plan, and that their premiums will predominantly reflect its value, rather than their health, gender, or occupation. Also for the first time, individuals with incomes under $92,000 for a family of four will be eligible for subsidies to help pay their premiums for plans sold through the exchanges. It is essential that federal and state governments continue to work hard to ensure that all Americans who lack health insurance can begin shopping and signing up for coverage nine months from now.With some help from our key players health care just might work this time . Thank Obama and his team for another shot in a another chance at good h ealth . Fronstin, Paul and Ross, Murray N., Addressing Health Care Market Reform Through an Insurance Exchange: Essential Policy Components, the Public Plan Option, and Other Issues to Consider (June 2009). EBRI Issue Brief, No. 330, June 2009. Available at SSRN: http://www.ebri.org/http://ssrn.com/abstract=1426184 https://www.statereforum.org/exchange-governance http://www.apihealthcare.com/hwie?_kk=hie&_kt=afa5ea9c-2ead-4efc-84dc-d7e709e1a31b&gclid=CLKB_7aQpLkCFY9AMgodsVcA6Q Molly Voris of the Washington Health Care Authority shared the state’s enacted Exchange enabling legislation. Access the legislation here: http://www.statereforum.org/sites/default/files/final_5445.pdf T. S. Jost, Health Insurance Exchanges and the Affordable Care Act: Eight Difficult Issues, The Commonwealth Fund, September 2010. References Oapi healthcare (2013). Welcome | State Refor(u)m. Retrieved from https://www.statereforum.org/ T. S. Jost, Health Insurance Exchanges and the Affordable Care Act: Key Policy Issues, The Commonwealth Fund, July 2010.

Child Development Essay

Purpose of the course: The course meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:45 to 10:00 in Mayborn 105. My office hours are Wednesdays from 10-12 and nearly anytime by appointment in Hobbs 217a. The course is about experimental methods of research on child development. It is designed for students concentrating in child development, cognitive studies, or psychology. The prerequisites include at least one course about child development and at least one course about statistics. The course is built around empirical articles about child development (many of the articles are â€Å"classics† that you may have read about in your other courses) and around readings about statistics & research methods. The main purpose of the course is to bring to life the basic elements of experimental approaches to psychological science in the context of child development research. To accomplish this we will read chapters about statistics and research methods. These concepts will be anchored to child development by applying them to classic (and recent) research reports, by applying them to hands-on experiences of designing and implementing data collection protocols, and by applying them to the entire research process by writing a research proposal. Requirements: 1. Come to class and participate. This will count 5% of your final course grade. I hope everyone receives the entire amount of credit. I’ll distribute an attendance list at the start of each class. It is fine to miss two classes. If you need to miss, please email me the day before. As for participating in class – it is a good thing for students to ask & answer questions in class. Sometimes I’ll ask people to hold on to their questions and ask me after class, so I can continue with the lecture. 2. Midterm exam. This is the only test in the course and will count 40% of your final course grade. It is a â€Å"concept mastery† test. You will be expected to define, explain, and apply the statistical concepts and the research design concepts to the empirical papers that we have read up to that point. It involves teaming-up with classmates in order to identify a classic research study, to design dependent variables and independent variables based on that study, create an observation sheet, and observe a few children. Then students should, individually, summarize what you observed in a table, and report your observations within a scientific style format. It will count 15% of the your final course grade. 3. Term paper in lieu of a final exam. This is to be a 12-20 page paper roughly following the format of an NIH research proposal. It will count 40% of your final course grade. 4. Letter grades: Excellent or outstanding work will receive a grade of â€Å"A† or â€Å"A-â€Å". Good or very good work will receive a grade of â€Å"B+† or â€Å"B†. or â€Å"B-â€Å". Work that minimally fulfills the assignments will receive a grade of â€Å"C†, and work that does not fulfill the assignment will receive a grade of â€Å"D† or â€Å"F†. The Vanderbilt Honor Code: I strongly encourage students to brainstorm together, to study together, and to team up to prepare for tests together. However, all written work should be your own. Tests are to be taken on the scheduled day and assignments are due on the scheduled day. I will make exceptions for documented medical emergencies, family emergencies, and participation in official Vanderbilt events.

Karl Marx and Marxism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Karl Marx and Marxism - Essay Example This essay highlights the mode of production is therefore the basis of society, and it consists of everything in the spectrum of production, from raw materials to social relations between workers.   Therefore, each of Marx’s four-prong critique of alienation are all related to Marx’s formulation of historical materialism.   Political change in this society can only occur through change in the modes of production, which would in turn change the surplus value equation and decrease this alienation.   The state has its basis in the mode of production, and the conflict between intercourse and production is complicated by the alienation of labor.   Basically, this represents Marx’s point of view that the Hegelians were isolated and unable to connect with the real world, while he was able to see historical progress in a new way and thus see new developments such as surplus value and worker alienation.  As the paper declares  Marx establishes the legitimacy o f his arguments by stating that communism is not an over-intellectualized or abstract process, but a real phenomenon based on the real world and real events, such as the capitalist labor process as he sees it.   He supplies these events throughout his text in the form of historical processes that are seen to be continuing in the present.  He states that the conditions of the communist movement are not installed by ideas, but already exist.  Ã‚  Ã‚  

What are the justifications state legislatures have used to pass laws Thesis

What are the justifications state legislatures have used to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage - Thesis Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.59 Vermont†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦59 California†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦59 In Re Marriage Cases†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..59 Prop. 8 and Strauss Case†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..66 Perry v. Schwarzenegger†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..67 Perry v. Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦73 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..73 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.80 Cases and Statutes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦86 Abstract This dissertation will focus on an analysis of states where same-sex marriage has been legalized. The bulk of the analysis in this regard will be court decisions, as courts provide much more evidence and argument for their positions than do legislatures. The conclusion is that courts use different standards of review for same-sex marriage, which indicates a clear split between jurisdictions on the matter. Another conclusion is that courts, in making their decisions regarding same-sex marriage cases, tend to reach in order to get to the desired conclusion. This seems to hold for both courts ruling against same-sex marriage and courts ruling for same-sex marriage. The conclusion is that the courts that rule on... The researcher states that same-sex marriage has been a source of controversy in the modern era. Same-sex marriage implicates gay rights, as this is the basis for the success that homosexuals have had in recent years. The modern thought regarding homosexuals may be traced to 1977, which was a watershed year for the homosexual rights movement, according to Fejes. It was during this year that homosexuals began to be positively portrayed. States were also eliminating sodomy laws, and more states began offering protections to gays and lesbians. Also during the 1970s, the same-sex couples began nascent efforts to marry – in 1970, the first gay couple attempted to obtain a marriage license in California. They were denied, as were other couples in Wisconsin and Colorado. During the 1980s, same couples pushed for marriage to a greater extent, as the era of AIDS was ushered in. AIDS affected same sex couples, and encouraged them to pursue marriage, because same-sex couples were increas ingly denied the right to make health care decisions for their ailing partner. The gay marriage debate picked up steam in 1993, as the state Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled that the state’s refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples was an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination that would need to be justified by a compelling state interest. However, this move by Hawaii produced a major backlash, in the form of the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed by the federal government in 1993 in response to Hawaii’s decision.

How is a neuron like atoilet for therhold and all-or none properties Essay

How is a neuron like atoilet for therhold and all-or none properties - Essay Example The neurons are stimulated when they reach a specific level which is known as the threshold. Every neuron has its own threshold on which it can be stimulated. Below the threshold the neuron is not stimulated enough to fire impulses to cause its desired effect. This is known as the all or none property followed by all the neurons of the body. The threshold and the all or none law can be compared to the toilet. When the toilet is in the normal position without any interaction it is known to be in the resting position. This can be compared to the resting membrane potential of the neurons in which the neuron is not firing impulses. Similarly when the toilet has to be flushed the lever is to be pushed hard enough so that the flushing can begin. Same is the case with neurons which have a stimulatory threshold level which can only be achieved if the resting membrane potential has reached the threshold level. As the flush won’t work with the right power the neurons will also not work with the right stimulatory power. When the process of flushing starts it reaches a peak when the water stops being drained after which the water is poured back in the toilet.

Features Of The Ancient African Art Research Paper - 2

Features Of The Ancient African Art - Research Paper Example The book talks about the cultural belief behind the costume. The locals or indigenous members of the Kuba community believe that in order for life to be balanced you have to connect with the ancestors, therefore; the costume assists them in the connection. The book emphases that like in many African cultures death is a natural event and is characterized as a rite of passage, therefore, these costumes are designed for such events and rites of passage in the society. The Bwoom is a very iconic and symbolic artifact from the Kuba community. It represents a sign of royalty from the society. The mask assists the masquerade element to act out in its design and appearance. This aspect gives us an overview of the origin of the Kuba Kingdom, therefore; it will act as an archive for the history of this unique community in this globe1. This particular mask is named Bwoom because it is like a cornerstone of the community. This is a special mask in the community and it is different from any other mask ever used in the community. It is the only mask not used in funerals or any other sorrowful event in the community. During joyful occasions such as harvests and weddings, the males would be the mask on the forehead and see-through, the holes under the nose of the mask while dancing the. When people whore the mask in any occasion they would cover all parts of their bodies to give a real representation of the spirit. The picture below shows a Bwoom Helmet. The mask the will act as an exhibit dedicated to the tourist and researchers who are interested in the African culture. Including the artwork in the museum is also reflective of the shift of the ethnologists in western culture to view African cultures as diverse and complementary to other cultures.

E-business in UAE Challenges and Opportunities Research Paper

E-business in UAE Challenges and Opportunities - Research Paper Example This score measures the availability of online services and products in the country’s e-market. In addition, the score of effectiveness measures the level of transaction process that can be completed through the internet. An effective system will enable consumers complete the whole transaction process through the internet. This paper will therefore access the UAE e-commerce through its growth, opportunities, barriers, and the effectiveness of UAE cyber laws. Although UAE’s e-commerce has experienced considerable growth, there have been barriers of effective trading and expansions. These barriers can broadly be categorized as technical, societal, legal & ethical, organizational, cultural or perceptual barriers (Bade 106). Each of these barriers has an effect on the UAE e-commerce. UAE is an Islamic country that has strong value for religion and societal laws. The fear of exposure to western culture is the main cause of restriction on internet usage among the UAE citizens . This has greatly affected the growth of e-commerce since it depends on the internet. Organizational barriers relate to the ability of employees to handle e-commerce through the internet. The UAE culture and value of Islamic religion, makes UAE employees to develop a negative attitude towards exposure to the internet. Internet abuse among employees is also a factor that has restricted growth of e-commerce in UAE. Technical barriers have also contributed enormously to the slow growth of e-commerce in UAE. Although major towns have excellent infrastructures such as high bandwidth and secure high-speed internet, other areas lack such infrastructures. This has halted expansion of e-commerce beyond major cities such as Dubai. Similarly, the UAE has no practical legal regulations that ensure web users the security of sensitive information. This has also contributed to the slow growth of e-commerce in UAE. Despite the availability of constraints and barriers that prevent effective trade, the UAE has many unutilized potentials that can be exploited through effective application of e-commerce. Application of e-business can greatly influence how traders and customers interact with each other through the online services (Reilly 78). The real estate sector can be a major business potential for an investor of e-business. Due to the growing number of investments, the real estate industry is growing constantly. However, there is lack of connection between property developers and buyers or tenants. The e-business can greatly improve the mode of doing business in the real estate sector. E-business will enable tenants or buyers to make payments or purchase products more easily. Other than the real estate sector, the travel industry has many unexploited opportunities that can be exploited through e-commerce. Automated payment systems and booking of tours and transportation is a significant opportunity for e-commerce. The tourism sector will become a major beneficiary of e-comme rce through automated travel packages and bookings. Due to the increasing popularity of Dubai as a tourist destination, the transport sector is a major opportunity for e-business in UAE. The favourable internal and external business environment in UAE has facilitated availability of e-business opportunities. Availability of supportive infrastructures is the main factor that has contributed to the

A commentary on the potentials of social media applications Essay

A commentary on the potentials of social media applications - Essay Example 11 Supporting of experimentation and take up 12 Creation of synergies: 13 Bibliography 19 Introduction The previous five years have resulted to a growing excitement within the community of education about web2.0 technologies. The technology is an umbrella term used to refer to numerous internet applications including wikis, social networking, virtual societies, folksonomies and blogging among others. Even though these applications differ in function and form, all of them share a characteristic that is common. That is, the supporting of interaction that is internet based within and between groups. Web 2.0 technology marks a different isolation from the 1900s internet applications and also the early 2000s internet applications, allowing forms of exchange that are â€Å"interactive† rather than broadcast† whereby information sharing is â€Å"many-to-many† as compared to one to many. Web 2.0 applications focus around sharing and appropriation of content between commun ity users whose outcome is multiple dimensions of user-driven communication, content recreation and creation and collaboration. Commentators are now talking of a write/read web where individuals can generate easily their own content and also utilize content generated by others. For instance, Wikipedia is unique from the online Encyclopaedia Britanica. This is because, Wikipedia is a document that is open thus being updated, created, refereed and edited by its readers. This has made it derive authority and accuracy from the ever ongoing consensus and discussions rather than depending on a single expert word. Given the significance of collaboration, creation and communication to using of the above named technologies, educationalist have been on the forefront pointing out the web 2.0 potential for enhancing and supporting learning. The education agendas have focused on social software emerging practices. Social software is categorized broadly as software that enables interaction betwee n groups. The most common among individuals are discussion forums that are internet based, dating sites and social networking. From the studies carried out by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), it was concluded that, new opportunities for modernising and innovating training and education institutions and for purposes of preparing the 21st century learners, could only be achieved through the uptake of social media applications outside settings of formal education (Alan-Mutka 2009, 2010). The increased rates of internet use for mail sending and receiving are a good indicator of the conceived significance of the internet for knowledge and communication. In addition to that, the internet is crucial for information exchange. With the innovation and introduction of multiple applications in social media, interactive and active internet usage has been encouraged and the trend is further developing. The social media applications provide its users with communities and online networks for knowledge exchange and multi-directional communication (Fry 2004, p.305). Moreover, this application allows individuals to share and publish digital content like videos, photos and music. In the current world, the educational use of social software is not well incorporated. As such multiple actions are needed across practice, policy and developer communities prior to it becoming effective and widespread.

College Costs How Much Essay Example for Free

College Costs How Much Essay Growing up, students were taught to get a higher education in order to make a comfortable living for them and their families. Now, those college graduates are crippled with large amounts of debilitating student loans and are unable to start a family of their own. According to the credit bureau TransUnion, the average student loan debt carried by each borrower has risen 30% to $23,829 in the past five years. These graduates should be stimulating the economy by buying cars and houses, but instead they are sending their paychecks to the bank to pay back their enormous loans. The aggregated amount of student debt has soared over the past several years due to so many people deciding to go back to college after being laid off from their jobs, a rapid rise in college tuition, and schools that give out worthless degrees. The New York Times states that in the 1970s, the median wage was 40% higher for college graduates than for those with just a high school diploma; today, the wage premium has risen to about 80%. Although there are options to get a degree quickly, it is not always the best idea. It is concerning that some schools promise a degree in less time, yet charge the same amount as a four year university. The Art Institute is one of the biggest offenders. They offer a three year culinary program that costs close to $100,000 while the graduates only average about $12 per hour after graduation. It is impossible to pay back those types of loans with basically a minimum wage job. Also, possible employers would much rather hire someone who has been studying the subject for four to six years rather than just a few months, so it can be very challenging for those students to find a job. The fact that our country’s student loan debt is currently valued at $1 trillion dollars, while the cost of tuition is rapidly increasing, is the most concerning effect of this crisis. Today, about half of college graduates are either underemployed or do not have a job at all. The tide is not going to turn until the job market improves. One of the problems in the job market is that jobs are not opening up as quickly as they should because people are pushing back retirement to help pay for their children’s loans. Students fresh out of college are putting off getting married and starting families because they do not have the secure job future they were promised would come with their college degree. Families have also decreased in size because parents are not able to afford as many children. Public schools are overflowing with students because the alternative private schools are just too expensive. This debilitating debt could cause the millennials, people aged 18 to 34, to be one of the first generations in America to not make a better living than their parents did. It is not ethical to force such a large amount of debt on an 18-year-old who has never even had a credit card before. Too many schools use students as pawns to make thousands of dollars than actually helping them succeed and become a member of a functioning society. The student loan debt problem is going to continue to rise dramatically unless we stop the problem where it started- the greedy universities and â€Å"for-profit† schools. Our government needs to make laws and restrictions based on how much a school can charge for tuition. Because filing for bankruptcy with student loans is impossible, the schools continue to raise the cost of tuition knowing that they will most likely get their money in the end. Now, we have schools charging ridiculous amounts for a mediocre degree while the average graduate makes about $12 an hour. There is no way in the world that graduate would be able to pay off those gargantuan student loans without having more than one job. Tuition should be a percentage of the average income of an employer with that degree so that it is possible to pay back in a reasonable amount of time. If schools went back to offering a great education for an affordable price our country would have a much easier time fixing our limping economy.

The Production Of An Alternative Construction Material Economics Essay

The Production Of An Alternative Construction Material Economics Essay To prepare an industry study of all the construction materials currently being used in housing and commercial developments. To review the waste management system in the Philippines and look for areas that are sustainable sources of PET materials. To identify the current drivers and trends of the real estate and construction industry, as well as the Non-government Organizations (NGOs) in order to explore the viability of introducing the EHB products for their construction needs. To prepare a business model for each market segment, namely: (1) Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and (2) Real Estate Developers and Contractors. This MRR is focused on the following market segments: real estate developers, construction companies and NGOs. The study is limited to the Philippines specifically the National Capital Region (NCR) and provinces within a 130 km radius. Other construction materials that have the potential to be used with PET flakes aside from the concrete hollow block are excluded from this study. This MRR focuses on the Ecoblock venture into the Philippine market through the NGOs specifically on housing and development programs; and eventually cater to the local real-estate developers and contractors. Hence the desired outcome of this MRR would be a venture strategy considering the economic conditions, market outlook, competitive analysis, risks analysis and capital sourcing. President Aquinos State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 2010 highlighted the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).  [1]  The PPP was seen as an important strategy for infrastructure development. It has also been estimated that the pipeline of PPP projects (infrastructure projects for transportation, water, power, health, and agriculture) for the year 2012 will amount to USD 5.49B. Another factor that can have an effect on these projects is the upcoming election in the year 2013 that can increase government spending on infrastructure developments. Lastly, the issue of corruption (specifically in government infrastructure projects) is seen as an important political factor in the construction industry of the Philippines. The corruption issues of the Philippines regarding infrastructure was discussed during Finance Secretary Cesar Purisimas meeting with Ernie Bower, the senior adviser and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.  [2]  In this meeting, it was cited that the PPPs program of the Philippines will be able to address the current issues on corruption. According to Purisima, the right infrastructures should be accompanied by forward-looking policies for the Philippines to be competitive through highly-viable and promising ventures. It was also made clear that corruption is a major factor that will hinder the gov ernment to increase spending for infrastructure projects. As shown in Figure 1, the Philippines gross domestic product (GDP) decreased from 7.6% in 2010 to 3.7% in 2011. This is due to the negative export growth rates in 2011 that was influenced by the global economic conditions particularly the economic and financial crises in US and Euro countries  [3]  . The domestic factors on the other hand include the decreasing demand and negative growth rate in agricultural production and the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects. Based on the GDP projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank, the Philippine economy will slightly improve in 2012 due to the support of growth in private consumption (higher OFW remittances), investment, and government spending  [4]  . However, if the debt woes in Europe will worsen and the recovery of the US economy will not be sustained, the Philippines will experience lower exports and foreign investment that may lead to lower GDP growt h. Considering these factors the Philippine government must be able to increase government spending on infrastructure projects to prevent the economy to slow down further. As shown in Figure 2, even if demand in the economy is lower in 2011 due to the lower GDP growth rate, overall prices still increased which was brought about by the increase in prices of petroleum in the global market.  [5]  Looking at the disposable income of Filipinos, if the overall prices increase, the purchasing power will tend to decrease. This might affect the amount of disposable income that might be allocated for house purchase. Based on Figure 2, inflation is lower in the 1st quarter of year 2012. Meanwhile, the 91-day Treasury bill interest rate decreased when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attempted to stimulate economic growth. The peso-dollar rate remained stable due to the increase in inflow of remittances. The stability of the peso-dollar rate is very important in the construction industry due to the fact that some of the materials being used in construction are imported. The instability of the peso-dollar rate will affect the price of these materials. As shown in Figure 3, construction output in 2011 went down. This is due to the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects.  [6]  The construction-to-GDP ratio decreased from 5.7% to 5.2%. The increase in government spending can increase the GDP for the coming years. Growth of other industries will also open opportunities for the construction industry. As shown in Table 1, the tourism industry, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and the mining industry are continuously experiencing growth which may lead to more construction projects. For the tourism industry alone, 47 hotels with 14,000 rooms will be constructed by the year 2013.  [7]   Due to the Philippines stronger financial position, the Standard and Poor raised the Philippines international debt rating to one notch below investment grade (BB+).  [8]  According to the DBS Group, the Philippines can achieve investment-grade credit rating with a year or two. Once this is achieved, more investments will flow to the country. The social factors that we will be considering in this study will give emphasis on the population growth rate, age profile, and housing backlog in the Philippines and try to correlate them with the construction industry in the country. As of July 2011 the Philippines has an estimated total population of 103.775 million and out of this, 11.86 million reside in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Philippines has an average population growth rate of 1.9% and the NCR has an average population growth rate of 1.78%. The majority of the population in the Philippines belongs to the working class (15-64 years: 61.1% or 62,201,170 as of 2010). This is the portion of society who are about to start their own families until those who are about to retire from their respective careers. People in this segment are also the ones who have the capacity to invest in residential developments. As of 28 December 2011 Philippines housing backlog is currently 3.6 million.  [9]  The government will tap shelter agencies like the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), the Pag-ibig Fund, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the National Housing Authority, the Home Guaranty Corporation, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to reduce the housing backlog by 50% with an annual target of 350,000 housing units. To achieve this, the Aquino administration highlighted the need for more PPP programs to use the underutilized government lands. The insufficiency of available funding resulted to this housing backlog. The government needs Php 1.7 trillion to address the Philippines housing needs. In 2011, several typhoons and flash floods occurred in the Philippines between May and September. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will develop recovery and rehabilitation projects for victims of flash floods in NCR and other provinces with a total of 187,008 families. Also, projects will be developed for the victims of typhoons that entered the country, which affected 1.4 million families  [10]  . Last June 28, 2012, the general membership meeting of the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) was held to discuss the current issues that the industry currently faces. In this meeting, innovation was considered as a driver of productivity. According to Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao, the players of the industry must be able to re-evaluate their resources and processes to make it more efficient, responsive and relevant to the present stringent requirements of the industry.  [11]  Regarding PPP for infrastructure projects, the government must demand from its private partners new technologies that will accelerate delivery time while ensuring public safety. However, Canilao also recognized the fear of being the first to try something different. With this, he emphasized that those players who will not invest in technological innovation might be left behind at bidding time. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippines may adopt new construction trends in Japan, particularly on the latest technology on roads and bridge construction.  [12]  The construction and engineering technologies from Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will help the Philippines build disaster-resilient infrastructures that would mitigate the effects of climate change. Technological innovation in the Philippines doesnt only happen with government projects, private manufacturers of construction materials also try to innovate the products and processes to improve the product offering. Cement manufacturers like the Holcim Group created a green sustainable solution for cement.  [13]  The company is trying to minimize the impact of cement manufacturing in the environment. The company focuses on bringing down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by reducing the clinker factor by using mineral components as alternative materials.  [14]  Innovation on the use of raw materials was accompanied by improvement in the process namely: (1) use of alternative fuels; (2) co-processing; and (3) quarry habilitation policy. Co-processing is considered as a globally accepted technology that helps the company process water streams in the cement kilns to properly dispose hazardous industrial wastes.  [15]  The quarry habilitation policy would ensure that the quarry sites can be used productively by the community before they are completely mined out. Holcim Philippines was the first company to submit a Final Mine Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan to the Department of Natural Resources (DENR), which will serve as a blueprint in restoring quarry sites. Land development and construction have a direct impact on the environment wherein land conversion from agricultural to urban and residential greatly reduces bio-capacity (ability of the land to produce food and other resources for the society).  [16]  Because of this, sustainable land development is becoming more important in the construction industry. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) developed an ALI Sustainability Framework to chart, monitor, and report the companys progress in sustainable land development. The increasing awareness about environmental impact of construction activities will eventually affect the way residential and commercial developments are built. In 2006, the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) was formed as a national non-profit organization through the alliance of building and construction industry leaders from the private and public sector.  [17]  This organization was formed to ensure an ecologically and economically sustainable industry. This resulted to a local green building rating system that is now called Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE). The BERDE scheme will serve as a benchmark for all property developers in the country. Last August 17-19, 2011, the first Philippine International Total Green Movement Exhibition and Conference was held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Manila. The joint venture of the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. (PCA), Global-Link Exhibitions Specialist, Inc. (GESI), Philippine Society of Ventilating, Air-conditioning, Refrigerating Engineers, Inc. (PSVARE), Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Manila, created the Green Philippines 2011.  [18]  This event featured four exhibit segments on construction (Green Construct), manufacturing (Green Manufacturing), lifestyle (Green lifestyle), and energy (Green Energy). Also, last August 16-17, 2011, the 2nd Sustainable Building Technology Conference was held that invited international sustainability experts to discuss the best practices for a green industry. These events would show that the players in the c onstruction industry are already leaning towards environment friendly development projects. The construction industry is one of the most hazardous and risky occupations in the country. With this, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWG), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement last May 4, 2011 to strengthen the campaign to minimize accidents in construction activities. This MOA aims to promote the welfare of construction workers and prevent the recurrence of construction-related incidents, notably the ones that recently killed or severely injured workers early 2012.  [19]  Also, this MOA is an off-shoot of DOLE Department Order No. 13 (which provides the Guidelines Governing Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry) and aims to intensify the holistic and extensive execution of the policies and programs set forth in D.O. No. 13 in construction sites. The construction industry in the Philippines is currently leaning toward ecological friendly materials due to the global campaign to save the environment. The materials that are available range from pre fabricated walls and blocks to bricks that is considered to be the oldest building material used. The pre-fabricated walls and blocks use polystyrene as an aggregate that is added to the concrete mixture to produce a lighter and insulating product. Reinforced fire bricks are also one of the common construction materials that are used in construction of homes. Reinforced bricks are made of industrial wastes such as rice hull, coal ash, silt, mud and clay. The existing market for pre-fabricated walls and blocks are the contractors for commercial buildings and high-rise residential buildings. There are also some contractors that use pre-fabricated materials for home construction but the homeowners still prefer to use concrete hollow blocks (CHB) because of the high cost of the pre-fabricated material. The walls are pre-ordered by the contractor and are sometimes manufactured on site to avoid delivery expenses. On the other hand, the reinforced firebricks are used in home construction. This material is usually specified by the people who belong to the higher class of society mainly because of the price of this construction material. Pre-fabricated walls are used in exterior and interior applications in building construction. The lighter wall means that the foundations of a building project could be smaller due to the reduction in weight that the foundation needs to support. Installation time for the pre-fabricated wall is shorter compared to using conventional materials in wall construction. The product is smoother and does not need additional plastering (only the joints require additional concrete) because of the smooth finish that these walls generally have. The pre-fabricated walls also serve as good insulators that result to less energy consumption. A notable disadvantage of using this product, aside from the cost, is that the sizes that are available are only limited and could not be cut to size. The advantages of using reinforced fire brick in construction is that it uses less cement and is stronger than concrete. Bricks are also weather resistant and are considered to be ideal in tropical countries like t he Philippines because it slowly absorbs heat to keep the inside of the house cooler. Bricks do not need cement plastering and the walls do not need to be painted. The disadvantage of using this material is the high cost. Even if it requires less cement and no paint the cost of the material is still higher compared to common construction materials used. In the Philippines, CHB remains as a backyard industry because it is easy to produce, especially the non-load bearing CHB. The CHB can be produced manually by using an improvised mold. In producing a non-load bearing CHB, a mixture of sand, gravel, cement, and water can be manually compressed using the improvised mold. There are three reasons why CHB is still being used in construction, namely: (1) cost; (2) availability; and (3) ease of installation and handling. CHB still remains as the a cheaper choice in construction of a concrete house. As a backyard industry, CHB is available nationwide with similar product specifications. Lastly, CHB is a traditional product. With this, majority of the laborers or construction workers are familiar with CHB in construction. The familiarity of the laborers with a product is the main reason why CHB is still being used. The demand for quality, economy, and completion time are the major considerations for all construction projects that usually dictate the choice of technology  [20]  . The traditional construction material currently being used for construction projects is the CHB. Based on the interview with key players in the real estate industry, another alternative is the pre-fabricated walls. For fabricated walls, the entire wall is built off- site or on-site before installation as compared to CHB that are stacked one on top of another. In the Philippines, only 5% are using prefabricated building material in housing construction  [21]  . Over the years, different types of construction materials have been offered containing recycled plastic, such as PVC pipes. Recycling is especially important for thermoset polymers since this form of plastic cannot be reheated and melted back to liquid form. In the Philippines and in other countries, shredded plastic has been used as aggregates for bricks and construction blocks. Most of these, however, are not widely offered commercially and are not load bearing. The demand for this product is readily accessible in most areas and the market is sensitive only to the price relative to the quality of the product they receive. At present the 4-6inchconcrete hollow blocks prices are standard for all and vary only between the volume suppliers and the backyard suppliers because of their respective approach to the business. The buyers of the product favor the suppliers who are nearer to them (because of transportation costs) and if satisfied with the quality they retain their suppliers. However there are instances where the buyer changes suppliers in lieu of quality issues for this reason, industry rivalry will be considered medium. The technical skill and labor required isnt advanced nor does it require highly specialized machines to deliver the product, the only obstacle is the cash required to: 1) purchase the hollow block maker and; 2) to secure working capital requirements. The cost of a concrete block mixer is between Php30,000-P40,000, and a mold container would be approximately Php5,000 per piece. Normally a block maker can start a small-time business with 6 molds which is equivalent to Php30,000 therefore a backyard business can start at a Php60,000 investment excluding working capital. The disadvantage of this practice is it sacrifices the quality/durability of the blocks due to the lack of compression of the block being formed thereby resulting in a lower PSI rating. The difficulty in securing funding for this particular business is high because the business is not unique while the returns in this type of business do not instantly translate to high growth profits. The local venture capitalists who provide seed capital to startups look to sunrise industries such as the BPO sector and IT services delivery, or the next big website investment. The prospects of a potential participant to capture market share will primarily be on their ability to reduce the cost of their concrete hollow block while maintaining a reasonable quality and service. In order to achieve this, the potential participant must have a large base of clients in order to achieve economies of scale in their production of quality products and a person who will provide assistance to the client to ensure proper delivery and satisfaction, a backyard hollow block maker will not be able to be competitive and for this reason the threat of new entrants is rated as medium taking into consideration these factors. Some projects outsource their hollow block while others make it onsite. While it is preferred to buy the product in order to avoid the cost of investment and taking into consideration that there is abundant supply for this product (but at varying prices depending on which type of supplier: backyard supplier, volume supplier or a wholesaler, and depending on the volume purchase of the buyer the bargaining power of buyer is medium given the availability of a quality product in the market. The demand for reasonably priced hollow blocks are assumed to be growing at 10.5% and construction materials 5.4% which supports the argument that demand is good. Another consideration is that the real-estate residential development is in the form of condominiums and they make use other products such as pre-fabricated walls instead of hollow blocks. The construction boom doesnt directly translate to increased hollow block use and the prices of hollow block are generally stable therefore for these reasons the suppliers bargaining power is low. The bargaining power of cement and sand suppliers remain low since there are abundant sources for these suppliers. The PET flakes suppliers have a medium bargaining power since they are less abundant than the cement and sand suppliers. Moreover, the local PET suppliers have different methods in shredding and cutting the plastic such that those suppliers that have the ability to shred PET flakes at a certain size have a stronger bargaining power than others. For the low cost housing sector and other housing projects hollow blocks are still preferred. The emerging sector of high-rise residential projects make use of pre-fabricated products and gypsum boards however the market share of these products is only 5% for construction materials, therefore the threat of substitutes are rated medium. The success in this industry will be in the costing of the product and the quality. In order to reduce the overall cost of the product there is a need to meet operation efficiency and effective marketing in order to achieve economies of scale that will bring down overall costs for our firm while producing a good quality product. Opportunities Emphasis on PPP programs for government infrastructure projects Good forecast for the tourism, BPO, and mining industry Movement towards sustainable community development The use of plastic as an aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines The high amount of investment on PPP programs is seen as a good opportunity for the construction materials industry. For year 2012, several PPP projects are in the pipeline, namely: (1)14 projects on transportation; (2) 2 projects on utilities-water (3) 2 projects on power; 1 project on health; and (4) 2 projects on agriculture that amounted to USD 5.49B will increase the demand for construction materials. These PPP programs will also serve as an opportunity for private companies to increase their annual construction projects. The growth of three industries, namely: (1) tourism industry; (2) BPO; and (3) mining industry will also contribute to the growth of the construction materials industry. The increasing annual foreign tourist arrivals and domestic travelers opted for the increased in resorts, hotels, and condominiums. The increase in number of accommodation facilities was accompanied by the Republic Act of 9593 or Tourism Act of 2009 wherein the roads that are not initially classified as national but lead to tourism sites, airports, and seaports will be improved which will be included in the DPWH budget for 2012.  [22]  For the BPO, construction of commercial buildings is also expected to increase to meet the demand of the industry. The investment of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) would show that the mining still remains as a promising industry (Table 1). Investment on mining would result to more office sites and barracks for mining companies. The movement towards building more sustainable developments is seen as an improvement for the construction industry. New technologies for products and processes will help improve the viability of construction projects in the Philippines. By focusing on the impact of construction of the environment, the need for environment-friendly products may increase as the industry try to include the societys welfare in planning construction projects. The use of plastic as an aggregate is currently being used in Germany. However, this new aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines. This is seen as an opportunity for the company to introduce a product with more benefits than the existing products in the market. Threats Competition (large companies) Emergence of new products Competition especially against large competitors is seen as a major threat because these companies are already established in the industry. New companies that may introduce new products in the market may face difficulties especially if these products are not patented. Large companies can simply launch the same product at a larger scale. The availability of funding for these large companies will give them an advantage to produce more products. The more products a company manufactures, the opportunity to capture a larger market is bigger. Also, large companies can be seen as good suppliers for developers and contractors who want a steady supply of materials. Even if CHB currently remains as the primary choice for wall construction, emergence of new products as a substitute may pose as a threat for the CHB market. Even if only 5% in Philippines uses prefabricated building components in housing construction, the boom in the construction industry may increase the market for pre-fabricated walls. Across time, if more housing developments will be built using pre-fabricated walls, the demand for CHB may decrease. The cost of the EHB is at P5.90 per unit. The cost of direct labor is the largest at P2.52 per unit, followed by raw materials at P2.12 and factory overhead at P1.26. The key assumptions for these figures are assuming that 2,991,150 units of hollow blocks will be manufactured for the year. The hollow blocks will be used for 5,175 houses which represent only a conservative 5% of Gawad Kalingas projected housing projects. The cost of EHB at the end of the third year of operations will be at P4.94 assuming that quantity manufactured has grown to 4,307,206 units. The cost savings is achieved mostly on the labor side at P1.91 per unit (24% savings from P2.52per unit) brought about by more productivity. The hollow block machines full capacity for one year is 9,000,000 of hollow blocks, therefore as long as quantity improves to no greater than this amount, economies of scale can be achieved since there is little reason for labor and overhead costs to increase. Currently the market price for concrete hollow blocks is at P13.30 per unit which is 56% more than the cost of our EHB, the EHB is projected to sell at the CHB market price therefore we feel this cost is competitive enough to be in business. The pricing of EHB will not be lower since the EHB is a superior product compared to the CHB nor will be priced higher since the market may still be critical of the product in its launching phase therefore the best entry strategy is to price it aggressively at par with the CHB market price There is a 21% cost savings per square meter with the use of EHB versus CHB. This is based on Table 2. The addition of PET flakes lessens the requirement for both cement (27% less cost) and sand (32.7% less cost). Additional savings is realized from the labor cost on painting, layering and plastering in hollow block aggregate components, which lead to an overall reduction in cost per square meter. The Filipino construction materials market experienced an annual growth of 6.54% but is expected to witness a more sustainable growth of 5.36% until year 2015  [23]  . Being a supply-driven industry, supply of construction materials come from local suppliers based on the location of the project. However, with the boom in the construction industry (10.5% average annual growth rate), smaller projects like GK projects experience sh

Enhancing Quality of Palmyrah (Borrasus Flabellifer) Jaggery

Enhancing Quality of Palmyrah (Borrasus Flabellifer) Jaggery STANDARDIZE AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF PALMYRAHÂ  (Borrasus Flabellifer) JAGGERY S. Mary, K. Velauthamurty, S. Srivijeindran, G.Sashikesh Palmyrah (borrasus flabellifer) Jaggery is one of the ancient sweetening agent known to man and is an integral part of traditional diet in many parts of Sri Lanka. Jaggery is produced by concentrating the Inflorescence sap of Palmyrah palm (Sweet Toddy) to a thick consistency. The product has sweet in taste and golden yellow in colour. However existing jaggery available in the market is inferior in its quality as liquefaction and deterioration of color. It shows poor keeping qualities due to the presence of moisture. Through this research attention to be made to eradicate its hydroscopic nature in the existing jaggery to upgrade it. Optimization of quick lime (CaO) and pH of sweet toddy to produce jaggery are to be carried out. In the period of May to June different areas in Jaffna peninsula four field trials were carried out to collect sap by using quick lime with above 95% purity produced at Palmyrah Research Institute. Physical and chemical quality characteristics of produced jagg ery in laboratory and commercial samples were studied according to comply with Sri Lankan standards for jaggery. Quality of jaggery was enhanced using proper technology and sweet sap with acceptable lime with higher degree of purity. For suitable jaggery production, 2.508 Â ± 0.411 grams of lime (96 % purity) per one liter of sweet sap was optimized and this jaggery was scored high score than jaggery from other field trials. Key words: Palmyrah (Borrasus flabellifer) Jaggery, quick lime and sweet sap Introduction Jaggery industry is one of the ancient and large cottage industries in palmyrah society. The product normally made in household level has bitter taste due to the presence of excess amount of lime with low purity. As sugars are known to be hygroscopic it is possible for melting of jaggery (Molasses) due to presence of excess moisture in the environment and other moisture absorbing impurities from quick lime and triple super phosphate for deliming the quick lime and minor improper practices in processing. Even if the demand for jaggery according to their food based applications is continuously growing in the rural, urban and semi-urban markets palmyrah jaggery cannot be marketed whole of the year, means up to next season. Because sweet toddy production is seasonal and produced jaggery shows poor keeping qualities. Quick lime used in the preparation of jaggery is generally obtained from furnacing oysters (mostly sea shell in Jaffna) using coconut husk charcoal and the temperature is not up to the optimum level to produce pure lime. Therefore there is a high possible for adulteration by impurities presence in quick lime. Traditionally lime used to prevent the fermentation of sweet sap, is produced mainly from sea shell and hardly from oysters. But no studies were yet carried out on the composition and purity of quick lime used in local production. Another major issue is the local tappers are using excess amount lime which present in sweet toddy. Availability of quick lime at higher degree of purity will ensure the maintenance of extreme alkaline pH of the sweet toddy with minimum amount of it.When tappers bring limed sweet sap to the production unit at different time periods few of them get fermented and it is also used for the production. This issue leads to the poor quality of jaggery. According to these basic principles this research is proposed for improving and standardizing the quality of palm jaggery. This project will upgrade the quality of palm jaggery and increase the market demand for palmyrah jaggery. Materials and Methods Matured and healthy female palmyah palms were labeled near to jaggery producing areas of Jaffna peninsula in the period of May to June. From this palm, well prepared and healthy inflorescence were identified for sap collection and the sap was collected in earthen pots, which was kept under hygienic condition. Selected inflorescences were tapped in the evening between 5 to 6 p.m to ooze out sweet sap. Before attaching sap collecting pots with inflorescence according to tappers experience day before experiment day with the inflorescence underwent experiment, known amount of quick lime with 96 % purity was applied to arrest fermentation. Four field trials were carried out. Fresh sap exudation was collected at morning between 7 to 8 a.m. The pH of the sweet sap in each pot was measured by pH meter2 and brix was measured by hand refractometer. Collected sweet sap in separate cans was brought to laboratory in aseptic, sterile and dark condition. Within one hour whole samples were pooled an d pH of pooled sap was measured. Jaggery was produced and packed in polyethyene packets. Sensory evaluation of produced jaggery was carried out to select best samples on the basis of sensory attributes. The colour, odor, appearance, flavor and texture were evaluated by 12 untrained persons. The total acceptability of the samples was evaluated using five point hedonic scale subjectively. Collected data were statistically analyzed using the MINITAB statistical analysis package according to the Freedman nonparametric test at 5 % level of significance. Results and Discussion Different field visits were conduct to optimize lime for the processing of palm jaggery and all the summarized results were recorded in the table 01. In field visit 1 (T1), field visit 2 (T2), field visit 3 (T3) and field visit 4 (T4) amount of applied quick lime were 4.668 Â ± 0.847 g/L, 3.188 Â ± 0.242 g/L, 2.508 Â ± 0.411 g/L and 2.051 Â ± 0.833 g/L and pH of them were 11.51, 10.62, 9.43 and 8.23 respectively. According to Sri Lankan Standard1 fresh jaggery samples from T1, T2 and T3 field visits at the time of packaging moisture content of all was below 10 %. Sweet sap samples with pH between 7 and 8 quickly changed into acidic medium with time and this indicates the microbial activity is present considerably. Jaggery from field visits 4 shows melting property and moisture content was below 12.5 %. It was identified that fermented sweet sap also course melting of jaggery. Therefore pH of sweet sap needs to be maintained above pH 9 in large scale application. For the suitable jaggery production without deliming step 2.508 Â ± 0.411 grams of lime (96 % purity) per one liter of sweet sap was optimized. Table 01: Summary of all field visits Sensory evaluation Sensory data obtained through the five point hedonic evaluating test, revealed that there were significance difference in colour (p = 0.012), appearance (p = 0.003) and texture (p = 0.001) characteristic among the jaggery samples produced in the laboratory. However there were no significant difference in flaver (p = 0.296) and mouth feel (p = 0.145) among the samples. The sample code 115 gained the highest sum of the rank for the colour, appearance, and texture. Therefore code 115 sample was selected as best sample Produced jaggery in laboratory scale from all the field visits, according to the sensory evaluation quality of colour, texture and appearance were increased with decreasing pH. Produced jaggery sample from each field trials were in the figure 01. Table 02: sensory attributes of the jaggery Figure 01: Jaggery samples from four field visits (codes 175, 101, 115 and 142 were jaggery samples from first, second, third and fourth field visits respectively.) Conclusion Palmyrah jaggery would be a most popular sweetener in Srilanka. However it shows poor physico-chemical qualities. On the basis of facts jaggery can be produced without deliming step from fresh, unfermented and filtered sweet sap of palmyrah palm. Sweet sap should be maintain in pH 9 by using purified quick lime to arrest fermentation and it can be useful to get quality improved jaggery as high consumer acceptance in market. References SLS 512: 1981-Specification for jaggery – moisture content. Pp. 23 Mandal D, Tudu S, Mitra SR, De GC (2006). Effect of common packaging materials on keeping quality of sugarcane jaggery during monsoon season. Sugar Tech., 8(2/3): 137-142.

Flood Stories of the Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the Christian Bible :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

The Flood Stories of Gilgamesh and the Bible The amazing stories of the great flood that are described in The Epic of Gilgamesh which is translated by N.K. Sandars and â€Å"The Story of the Flood† which is the King James version, both stories similarly. Many of the events of each story are very similar in ways and very different in some of them. From reading both stories I concluded that there was a huge flood that took place in that area of the world. Even though the way both stories describe the flood; The Epic of Gilgamesh is more imaginable. I say that because it is more realistic to have rain for six days, six nights than for forty days, forty nights. Both flood stories have a major similarity and difference though. Both stories described the same flood but they did it in different ways. One difference that backs it up is in The Epic of Gilgamesh the rains that cause the floods only last six days, six nights and in â€Å"The Flood Story in Genesis† the rains last forty days, forty nights. A quote that tells about the flood is when Utnapishtim said, â€Å"For six days and six nights the wind blew, torrent and tempest and flood overwhelmed the world, tempest and flood raged together like warring hosts (pg. 25).† This quote by Utnapishtim describes how bad the weather, rains, and wind were during the six days and six nights of the storm. On the other hand in â€Å"The Story of the Flood† it rained for forty days, forty nights. While God was talking to Noah he said, â€Å"For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth (pg. 48 line 4).† This quote describes how long God will have the rain go for. It also says th at he is doing it to destroy all of mankind. After reading the two stories I concluded that forty days and forty nights was too long for it to rain without stopping; that is why the flood in Gilgamesh is more realistic. The length of the rains in the flood story in The Epic of Gilgamesh is easier for someone to believe than the length of the rains in Genesis. Even though the stories were different there was many similarities in the stories.

Essay --

People all around the world have dreams of opening a business by creating a service, or product that is consumed by customers. Opening a new business requires a lot of hard work, patience, and extensive planning in order to operate a successful and legal business. However, before a person attempts to open a business, they must be sure they are up for the challenge, and they must be guaranteed that they have the right tools, personality, and experience to be a successful entrepreneur. Pick a mentor that owns a business who can give you advice. They can advise you of things you never knew, or things you should be aware of. Having this kind of person can save you a lot of trouble, and encourage you on the way. When opening a business you must have motivated, strong-minded, and goal oriented people that will provide the proper effort, planning, organization, funding, and structure of the entire business. To begin, creating a business plan for your company is essential for the future of y our company, and how it intends to create revenue 3-5 years down the line. It is the most important step, and the first step of beginning your business. A business plan is an essential roadmap for business success; it is a formal statement of a set of goals for your business, the reasons they should be completed, and how you plan on reaching those goals for further success. Your business plan should contain an executive summary. An executive summary includes what you want out of your business, where you plan on taking it, and why it will be successful. Also, if you are seeking financing to get a loan, an executive summary is a great way to grab the investor’s interest. It shows the investor your intensions with your business, the structured guidelines... ..., it must be registered with the appropriate authorities in order to maintain everything legal. This process is knows as â€Å"Doing Business as† (DBA name), which is a business that is named something different than your personal name. â€Å"For example, consider this scenario: John Smith sets up a painting business. Rather than operate under his own name, John instead chooses to name his business: â€Å"John Smith Painting†. This name is considered an assumed name and John will need to register it with the appropriate local government agency.† (www.sba.gov) Not all states require registering a business under â€Å"DBA†, which is why it is imperative to conduct precise research. Generally, every business must have an Employer identification number, which is used to identify the entity of a business. In order to be assigned an (EIN), you must apply for one. One way to apply is online.

Those Winter Sundays

Those Winter Sundays Historical Context/Info about Author: Robert Hayden grew up in a poor African-American section of Detroit known as Paradise Valley. At a young age, his parents separated and his mother could no longer afford to keep him so he was sent to live with a foster family. His adoptive father was a strict Baptist and manual laborer and while he was a stern man, he always attempted to care for and nurture Hayden’s love of literature. Summary: The poem, composed in 1962, is a tribute to Hayden’s stepfather in an effort to express both his gratitude for all the hard work he had done for him as well as the regret that he feels for not appreciating him more during his lifetime. The poem’s power is emphasized through the technique of using flashbacks from his childhood and juxtaposing them against the knowledge and newfound respect he now has as a man. This short, simple poem touches on topics such as family relationships, coming of age, and sacrifice for loved ones. Literary Devices Used: Symbolism & Imagery – Those Winter Sundays has many symbols and imagery that are well utilized in order to convey Hayden’s message. He refers to his stepfathers â€Å"cracked hands†, which in this case, is used to symbolize the hard work this father was willing to go through for the love of his family. Another symbol present in the poem is his â€Å"polished good shoes† which is another symbol used to express the indirect nature of a fathers love. Even though he was strict and withdrawn he would take the time to make sure that his son would have a better life than he had. Syntax/Structure- In order to emphasize the labored existence of his father, the author repeatedly uses the â€Å"c† sound, which kind of adds the element of pain. Examples of this alliteration include, cracked, banked, thanked, and chronic. The overall structure of the poem also attributes to the underlying tone. It is constructed very simply which may help to express the simplicity of the love between a father and son. They did not lead an extravagant lifestyle and his father didn’t do go out of his way in order to show affection towards his son, but the point was he did what needed to be done even if it was hard, without calling for any appreciation and that was enough to show his love for his family. The poem also ends with a rhetorical question, â€Å"What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices? which helps to show the regret and change in heart the man has had through his own personal growth. Tone- the poem’s tone shifts in the beginning from a cold, harsh tone to a warmer comforting tone by the seventh line. Although by line nine the poem’s tone shifts again to a negative uncomfortable tone. The cold, harshness of the tone described in the first stanza reflects through the coldness of the house, the Father’s cracked achy hands and the fact that no one has ever thanked him. This fluctuation of tone indicates the uncertainty the son feels about his father and whether or not he truly does care for him, which of course as a man he realizes he always had.

Chevalier: Food and Restaurant

Chevaliers A case study in MIS- Management| June 7 2012 | F and b services | | LO1 Understand the operational and economic characteristics of hospitality operations 1. 1 analyses the nature of the product and service area 1. 2 Evaluate the different influences affecting patterns of demand within hospitality operations. 1. 3 Compare customer profiles and their differing expectations and requirements in respect of hospitality provision 1. 4 Analyze factors affecting average spending power in hospitality business LO2 understand product development within a hospitality environment 2. evaluate the key stages in product and service development applied within a hospitality operations 2. 2 analyses the features which contribute towards the customers perception of products and services 2. 3 assess the opportunities and constraints affecting product and service development within a hospitality environment 2. 4 evaluate different merchandising opportunities for hospitality products and services LO3 understand pricing and profitability concepts within hospitality operations 3. 1 evaluate different methods of pricing taking into account additional pricing considerations 3. assess the factors in hospitality operations which affect revenue generation and profitability LO4 be able to use appraisal techniques to analyse and improve operational performance and make proposals for action 4. 1 apply different performances measures and appraisal techniques to individual aspects of hospitality operations the product and the whole operations 4. 2 determine the effectiveness of different quantitative and qualitative appraisal techniques and their application to hospitality operations 4. 3 apply approaches to business analysis evaluation and planning appropriate to hospitality operation, making proposals for actions.Introduction I read out whole case study and I found a chevalier is hospitality establishment which is situated on beach and because of many problems their sales going down. I found that there is no management, services are not that much good, bad condition of restaurant, no signage, lack of staff training, no experienced persons in establishment and proper cleaning. Customers become less day by day because they are not satisfied with services and atmosphere. Chevaliers get easily make money from restaurant but they don’t have proper planning and experienced persons to run business in good way or making more profits.Their restaurant situated on the beach and it is really very good location for business because customers attract from natural things. People love to see views and enjoying food while watching sea views. Chevaliers situated on beach with three storied restaurant. In this restaurant they have beach level kiosk, la carte restaurant and it can cover up to 100 covers and they also doing outdoor catering facility with 200 covers. In this establishment most of the people come from middle class families. Different types of customers come he re to enjoy food like parents with children’s, walkers, joggers and couples.From the last one year chevaliers business in loss because of less customers. The success of any hospitality business depends mainly on its development plans. Business development includes a wide range of activities that create new or changed offerings, organizations process. It enhances sales, improves customer satisfaction, augments quality, diminishes costs and achieves numerous benefits for organizations to be successful and here I implement different strategies to improve business. There are numbers of things to run business and make more profits like pricing of f and b, accounting and maintenance etc.Lo1 understand the operational and economic characteristics of hospitality operations. Nature of the product and services areas Buffet service A Buffet Service is a self-service serving style where the guests serve themselves. This style is a great method for feeding large numbers of people with min imal help. The dinner buffet is the most practical and congenial way in which to care for your guests. There can be many variations of the Buffet Service. It can be either country casual or semi-formal. It provides a more relaxed method of dining and a more varied menu than a full service meal.The entertaining buffet presentation of food can be placed on one or more tables close but away from the tables where the guests will be seated during dinner. The guests will go to the buffet tables and serve themselves from a variety of menu items. There are hot buffets and cold buffets. Cold buffets are typically salads and sandwiches. Also the backyard barbeque can be a Buffet Service. An entertaining dessert bar can be used for an afternoon gathering of friends. The Buffet Service can have a staff where the guests bring their own plate along the buffet line and are given a portion from a server at one or more stations.An advantage of buffets is that guests have the ability to review food b efore selecting it and taking only the quantity needed. Since a buffet involves people serving them it is less elegant than Table Service. Buffet Service is used anytime there are large gatherings even at many formal wedding receptions. Buffet means to feed large number of people at one time. In chevaliers we provide a buffet service for customers. There are different types of buffet services in this world. Chinese buffet, Indian buffet, Italian buffet etc. but here I decided to implemented French, continental buffet for customers because of English, kiwi peoples.In New Zealand most of the people love to eat continental food so the French buffet is best option. In buffet system we provide many dishes with one cost and guest enjoy food with bulk quantity. Customers have to serve themselves from different stations like a salad bar, hot items, desert station and all entree, mains. Here we provide out door dinning, friendly environment, private parties etc. according to customer needs. (http://restaurants. about. co) Best location for buffet and setup Buffet setting requires planning with regard to layout and easy access for every guest. Buffet best location is near kitchen.So that if dishes empty needs refilling it won’t take time as chevaliers kitchen is near to main hall. Moreover it will be easier for guests as well as they don’t have to wait long for food and it will effect on chevaliers sale as if customers happy then they will come back again. Traffic flow and a food are essential to the success of a buffet line. The Right Way to Set Up a Buffet Table * Stack plates at the head of the table and silverware and napkins at the end. * All the food should be accessible from both sides even for small groups and all lids and covers should be completely removed once serving starts. Beverages should be served on a separate table that's far enough away from the main buffet so as not to cause traffic congestion. * Dessert should also be served separately on its own table and should not be put out until after the main course. * Provide tongs and ladles instead of forks and spoons for serving whenever possible. * Refill often to maintain freshness and flavor Benefits for chevaliers by Buffets service The most obvious benefit of a restaurant buffet is that chevaliers feed a large quantity of people with minimal amount of staff. This is great for payroll. It also allows rotating the food in the restaurant kitchen faster.It is beneficial for the establishment. Buffet as special promotions can draw in customers on a budget who may not routinely dine out at restaurant. And also it offers a great way to cut food costs and increase profit margin. It helps to generate more income. Layout of the kitchen The main consideration is designing a kitchen is that the layout should allow easy cleaning and continuous workflow from receiving raw material through preparation and cooking to final presentation. Equipment’s should be movable or plac ed on clean area. In the kitchen serving food and there must be a division of preparation areas For exampleVegetables storage and preparation should be near to delivery as vegetables have soil on them which carries c perfringens spores and if the vegetables are carried through the kitchen dust from the vegetables may settle on cooked food. Section of raw meat preparation should be separated from cooked food preparation to avoid cross contamination because raw meat is frequently contaminated with salmonella. Ventilation Adequate ventilation in a kitchen is very important for two reasons firstly to keep the temperature and humidity down and second one is to remove cooking smells steams.Kitchen floor It should be made hard wearing, mats, easily cleaned material which will not absorb moisture and will not affected by food such as grease etc. Decor interior design in restaurant Decor play very important role in restaurant sales and popularity. Decor should be according to location and se t particular theme on decor like flowering, sports etc. in decor so many things included like ceiling, flooring, furnishing and the interior should be air conditioner or heating facility according to seasons.As we are already observing that with our present decor of chevaliers we enable to attract customers so that’s why we need to change our decor such as lighting, as light should be changed according to the time of day. Also same as with sound/ music volume during day time it should be low volume as customers need low volume they want calm music at that time in lunch time customers want loud music. And in dinner they are for fine dining so they want romantic music collections. Also we will put flowers on each table a complied with candles. And also we put outdoor tables for those who want to enjoy their food with sea.Bar setup in restaurant Bar should be located in one area, the food buffet and the dinning in another area. It will help or work eases congestion and reduces p otential food and drink disasters. A bar placed at the back of a restaurant more intimate away from the hustle and bustle of the front of the house. Stock Restaurant Bar with the Right Equipment Bars need their own reach in coolers, ice bins, hygiene supplies, paper towel dispenser, liquor wells, glass racks, wine racks and dry storage. Coolers should be big enough to hold bottled beer, white and blush wines as well as backups of juice, milk and other beverages used to mix drinks.A restaurant bar also needs a beer tower and a place to keep kegs cold. You may have to run beer lines from the walk in cooler if your bar doesn’t have enough space for kegs. Bar floors should be covered with rubber floor mats for employee comfort and safety. Bar should be handled by bartender. it should be compulsory bar person available all the time during restaurant hours. Bar Set Mood with Lighting Lighting in the bar should be subtle. Not so dark customers can’t read the menu but definite ly not too bright. Recessed lighting and track lighting with dimmer switches allow controlling the light, adjusting it for the time f day. Signage The signage need to be replace with a new sign board in addition with contact number, name of the establishment and also in bar we need put bar signage’s required as per law. We need put signs for rest rooms and also put signs for wet floors. Cleaning in restaurant There is only one rubbish bin so we need to buy new bins and cleaning equipment’s for cleaning purposes. If the restaurant always looks beautiful than people attract from place and come again and again. (Restaurant management and operations) 1. 2.Evaluate the difference influences affecting patterns of demand within hospitality operations Patterns of demand in restaurant Happy hours for restaurant Different peoples comes on different hours like some people come for breakfast time and they will need quick service and their demands like fruit juices, cereals and col d foods. And also some people come for dinner and they will demand hot foods, more formal servie. so it is varies person to person according to their demands restaurant provide service. It is good if restaurant opens for whole week 7 days because it generates more money and popularity.Opening hours as earlier they open at 7 and close early so this thing has to be changed because there was no customer at that time but if we changed timing than it safe other expenses like electricity, staff wage etc. opening hours should be at 8 to 9 am and closing late to depend on business. Seasonality Special promotional ideas for restaurants take advantage of on holidays and other special events that happen throughout the year. Special menus provide and take reservations for busy times, like New Year’s Eve and Mother’s Day.The influence of weather temperature on eating and drinking habits changing by seasons. Seasonality of food also will appeal to budget conscious as in season food is usually more abundant so will be lower in cost. Restaurant provides low cost food and with discounts. In summers the sale is more as people would like to spend time on beach on other hand in winters as its cold people would like stay away from beach so we have make a different menu for winters to customers and as it’s not good business in winters to cut cost we could just make our menus limited.For winters we could also arrange outside heating and inside heating for customer comfort. To achieve our target we could also provide special offers to attract customers during off season. (Seasonal Factors Affecting the Restaurant Industry) Social eating patterns The family meal was the focus point at the end of the day where family members have been away from home during the day they came together for meal times to discuss the day’s activities and to make plans for the next day. While time and convenience have had an effect on the social aspect of food it’s true to say that food still brings people together.Peoples meet up on particular occasions, wedding parties, ceremony and on festivals. People enjoy parties as well as food. (Food habits and social change, 2008) Food and fashion trends The hospitality industry is changing rapidly because customers are changing and technology is changing and markets are changing. Like fashion, restaurant operations have trends and fashions that retreat and flow with time recall the roller-skating waitresses at drive in diners during the 1950s. Listed below are some popular restaurant trends that aren’t likely to disappear for a while yet.There numbers of trends in restaurant for customers and to promote their restaurant. To attract customers some of the main trends are following: 1) Offering discounts and coupons Offering discounts and coupons to regular customers or during occasions like festivals, new year etc. Now day’s people love to bargain and it is good if restaurant give discounts and c oupons to customers. Restaurants provide different types of foods according to customer needs and also provide options in menus like food plus drink free it will make more money and popularity in particular regions. ) Public health concerns Now days people are very concern about their health’s and restaurants are being pressured to create healthier meals with smaller portions. Restaurant need to care about customers and provide nutritious food with cleanliness. Different people have different health problems so according their demands or needs restaurant provide food. Restaurants also provide children’s menu with healthier food. In kids menu they provide salads and fruits with unique presentation so kids easily attract from food.For example: Americans are overweight and plagued by chronic disease such as diabetes. In response to public demand restaurants provide smaller portions sizes and healthier food options on their regular menu. 3) Social media for restaurant Ther e are numbers of social sites for example face book and twitter for restaurant market and food introduction with their benefits. It is for marketing and advertising to grow up restaurant business. Many people interested in internet so they always check where to eat? Which is best place to eat?In internet people can find restaurant names and contact details also menu available on restaurant website. Customers orders online or on phone call and will get home deliveries from restaurant. Facebook and twitter is a medium to promote specials and events and it will really work. Regional and ethnic influence In this world there are so different countries and peoples and they have their traditions regarding food. Different people have different needs for example people from India always prefer Indian food, Chinese people prefer Chinese food.Pricing and economic factors pricing will be set according to time of year Market conditions, climate and changes in government legislation all have an e ffect on food costs. The choices made in sourcing food, preparing or buying readymade food will always influenced by price. Food needs to be within a personal budget. And it changes by the season will be changed. Elasticity of demand Elasticity of demand is the sensitivity of the sales volume to changes in price. Demand fluctuates in response to factors such as a change in pricing, food quality or the environment for example refurbishment. (http://www. ehow. com) . 3 Compare customer profiles and their differing expectations and requirements in respect of hospitality provision. Achieving high levels of satisfaction at a restaurant through good customer service, quality food and making diners feel valued is important because satisfied customers are more likely to return. On average a satisfied customer will tell two to three people about good food and service whereas an unhappy one will tell five to ten peoples how dissatisfied he was. Customer satisfaction or expectation surveys are an important tool that will aid you in reaching your high customer satisfaction goals.There are numbers of restaurants according to different customers like family restaurant, couples restaurants like valentines. (Customer expectation and delight) Family restaurants Family Restaurant is that designed to accommodate all ages, large groups, loud parties and whose menu reflects family style dining, child portions and perhaps even reasonable prices. According to the needs of family the family restaurant designed. For example: elder people in family demand less spicy food, lower noise level and formal service Valentine restaurantsValentine restaurant is designed for young peoples who demand romantic places and silence and the whole restaurant decorated with dim lights and light music. Customer profiles in restaurant Customer profiles also help you develop targeted marketing plans and help you ensure your products and services meet the needs of your intended audience. There are two basic types of customer profiles Demographic profiles Demographics profiles are based on characteristics like age, gender, income levels, marital status, place of residence, etc.In marketing terms demographic profiles tend to break down customers into age, social class, and gender. For example: younger buyers may make buying decisions based on how they feel the purchase will cause them to be perceived and older buyers may focus on quality or safety. Wealthy customers may be willing to pay a best for service or for a perceived value while lower income customers may be more likely to focus on price. Its all depend on person status if there is a rich person buy something than surely he will pay more without thinking anything but other lower class person first see the price and then decide.Behavior profiles Behavior profiles focus on actions and focus on types of items were purchased how frequently items are purchased and the average transaction value or which items were purchased in conjunc tion with other items. (Customer profiles) Types of customers 1) Loyal Customers Naturally we need to be communicating with those customers who on a regular basis by telephone, mail, email etc. These people are the ones who can and should influence our buying and merchandising decisions. Nothing will make a Loyal Customer feel better than soliciting their input and showing them how much you value it.In my mind you can never do enough for them. Customer recommends to others and as a result business growth inclined. 2) Discount Customers This category helps ensure inventory is turning over and as a result it is a key contributor to cash flow. This same group however can often wind up costing restaurant money because they are more inclined to return product. 3) Impulse Customers Clearly this is the segment of our clientele that we all like to serve. There is nothing more exciting than assisting an Impulse shopper and having them respond favorably to our recommendations.We want to targe t our displays towards this group because they will provide us with a significant amount of customer insight and knowledge. 4) Need-Based Customers People in this category are driven by a specific need. When they enter the store and they will look to see if they can have that need filled quickly. If not they will leave right away. They buy for a variety of reasons such as a specific occasion and a specific need or an absolute price point. As difficult as it can be to satisfy these kind of peoples and they can also become Loyal Customers if they are well taken care of.Salespeople may not find them to be a lot of fun to serve but in the end they can often represent your greatest source of long-term growth. 5) Wandering Customers For many stores and restaurants this is the largest segment in terms of traffic while at the same time they make up the smallest percentage of sales. mostly kind of people attract from the location of the restaurant. Keep in mind however that although they may not represent a large percentage of immediate sales and they are a real voice for restaurant business in the community.Many Wanderers shop merely for the interaction and experience it provides them. Shopping is no different to them than it is for another person to go to the gym on a regular basis. Since they are merely looking for interaction and they are also very likely to communicate to others the experience they had in the store. Therefore although Wandering Customers cannot be ignored, the time spent with them needs to be minimized. Pricing consideration expectations Prices play main role in business because in restaurant different types of customers come some are from rich families and some from medium class.For example: rich customer spends lots of money on food but the middle class customer thinks what to eat and they look on price? And Always find reasonable prices so the thing is this if restaurant design their menu according to the customer spending power than it will go od for both business and customer. Prices should implement according to the target market than business grow up. Customer need the food prices are reasonable according to their spending power different options provided to customers in food so customer will be happy and satisfied. 1. factors affecting average spending power in hospitality business. Types of hospitality outlets, menu range, pricing consideration Firstly the type of menu offered by an establishment and the variety of menu choice should also enhance the total meal experience. For a lower level market first price of food. If the customer is paying $50 for three course meal the range of menu items that can be made available within the cost limits of such an operation is obviously more limited than in operations where the customer’s average spending power is higher.Secondly, the amount of time taken to consume meals at this level of the market may vary between half an hour to one hour but will rarely exceed this. Th e menu choice offered by a restaurant is therefore dependent on a number of interrelated factors like * Price the customer is willing to pay * The amount of time available for the meal experience * The level of the market in which restaurant situated * The production and service facilities * Skills and staff Expectations and requirementsA single customer or group of customers arriving at a restaurant for a meal bring with them a series of expectations regarding that restaurant and the type of service they will receive and the price they will pay, the expected good atmosphere and mood of the restaurant etc. The customer expectation may be varied and numerous, ranging from the restaurant which the customer frequents because they want to be seen there and participate in its social atmosphere, to the small quiet restaurant where the customer may go because of its intimate and personal nature.If customers sense disharmony, however between their expectation of the restaurant and the actua l product they find for example, it is too intimate for the occasion and they may not enter the restaurant but choose another. If disharmony is not realized until customers are seated at the table and it is unlikely that they will leave but will have a hurried and uncomfortable meal. Level of service The higher the cost of the meal to the customer and the more service the customer expects to receive. The cost of the meal to customers increases so will the amount of service they receive.It is necessary for a restaurant to identify the level of service. if a restaurant has a very formal type of food and beverage service usually associated with high class operations, the other aspects of the restaurant service should be equally formal the speed, efficiency and dress of staff, the degree of personalization and courtesy the customers receives, and so on. It is important for a restaurant operation to consider not only the service of the food and beverage for which the staffs are usually a dequately trained, but also to remember the indirect service aspect of the operation which are all part of the customer’s meal experience.The meal experience Eat and drink experience The meal experience may be defined as a series of events both tangible and intangible that a customer experiences when eating out. Tangible- which can be feeling by touching, seeing like restaurant tables, chairs etc. Intangible- which can be only sensed/felt like restaurant atmosphere etc. It is difficult to define exactly where a meal and drink experience actually starts and ends although it is usually assumed that the main part of the experience begins when a customer enters a restaurant and ends when he leaves the restaurant.The series of events and experiences customers undergo when eating out may be divided into those tangible aspects of the product that is the food and drink and those intangible aspects such as service, atmosphere, mood, etc. So it is necessary for the tangible and intangi ble components of the restaurant to combine together and to be seen by the customer as one total product The menu is the center piece of any restaurant establishment. it is not a food list items for sale but the reason behind the establishment exist Management issues Staffing 1) Floor management in staffingIt includes floor managing staff and they provides service to guests or customers in restaurant. Staff allocates on different jobs from opening hours to closing hours. Manager is responsible for their staff and all safety and health regulations. Manger motivates all other staff in front office and take care all areas. Manager also provides training for their staff to make more profit from their serving skills. 2) Kitchen Management In kitchen management, kitchen staff working in the kitchen only. There are different roles in kitchen management like chef, head chef, dishwasher and kitchen hand.Kitchen is the place food prepared and served food to customers. Managing the kitchen sta ff helps to control food quality. Kitchen is place where staff gets tired because it never stops in trading hours. Kitchen management is responsible for food cost, budgeting and profits Organization (administration) in restaurant All stock controlling, budgeting, labor cost, balancing cost, scheduling rotations, profits according to seasonality, surveys and hiring staff with maintaince of the kitchen equipment’s. Marketing Management will decide about market strategies.Marketing is a source to attract customers and satisfied current customers. With the target market expanding new products and services. There are numbers of way to promote restaurant like media, comment cards, emails and social sites. Marketing plans will be designed for to increase customer visit, increase average checks and send profits sky high from insides to outsides the restaurant, the marketing plan is the road map to achieves specific sales objectives. it includes tv, radio billboards or localized neigh borhood program.In chevaliers we will implement setup frequency dinning programs and data base programs that instantly tell who is customer in restaurant, their birthdays, and anniversaries and where they live Finance Money plays very important role in any business. And it is also important to know how to manage finance. Management always ready to manage all situations like when season off the restaurant sales automatically down and management knows how to handle that particular situation. Managing day by day expenses in restaurant business and POS system helps to manage all sales and inventory. Control systemsA big emphasis is being placed on extensive research into the quality and integrity of restaurant products. Restaurant management will constantly tested for high standards of freshness and purity. Food costs and inventory control will be handled by computer system and checked daily by management. Service standards There are different types of services provided in restaurants l ike buffet service, silver service, table service and tray service. As the service level increases the labour costs increases because of the increased skill level and the quantity and quality of equipment increases.A higher standard of customer service requires a higher standard of decor, food quality, equipment and staff. More facilities cost more. The delivery of a consistently high standard of service requires a higher proportion of product, staff and equipment. Quality systems The quality of service is another factor that contributes to restaurant customer satisfaction. This is a particularly important factor to full-service restaurants because they are typically more expensive and slower than quick-service restaurants.Many factors go into the overall quality of service at a restaurant such as how positively customers feel about each member of the restaurant staff they interact with. Some customers may be more concerned with the social interactions with the wait staff, while oth er customers are more focused on how quickly dishes are removed and glasses are refilled. The relative importance of these different factors often depends on the style of restaurant and the outlook of a particular customer. Team working All members of a team must feel empowered to work towards quality.This means if a waitress does not feel that a meal is up to standard that she has the right to refuse to take the dish to the customer. Staff should be encouraged to share their ideas about how to improve the quality of the organization often as they are the ones dealing directly with the customers they have more useful ideas than management. Training Management will train employees in food service sanitation. Each employee shall be trained in food service sanitation quarterly. Lo2 understand product development within a hospitality environment 2. evaluate the key stages in product and service development applied within hospitality operations Special pricing Market segmentation( identi fy demand of the market) Market segmentation is one of the steps that go into defining and targeting particular markets. It is the process of dividing a market into a distinct group of buyers that require different products or marketing mixes it targets specialty markets that will promote products and services more effectively than a business aiming average customer. It is easiest way of marketing in groups and it helps to get knowledge about customers needs and wants.Market is segmented in different groups of consumers. For example: * Behavior bases like product knowledge, usage, responses and attitudes of customers * Demographic basis like age, occupation, age and family size * Psychographic bases like lifestyles, values and personality * Geographic bases like states, regions and countries Market segmentation is important for business and for development. We do because we want to know about customer thinking about food and beverages. According to customers’ needs and wants restaurant establishment developed. Design the productMenu plays very important in restaurant business and establishment designs their menu can increase sales, turnover and ensure the menu remains balanced in terms of sales mix and popularity. The menu can designed in such ways to seduce and convince the diners to choose a specific menu item by the wording and how the dish described. Fine dinning restaurant provide menu with less wording, naming exotic ingredients. Restaurant should clear explanation about customer perceptions and according to family restaurant environment should be attractive for kids and keep in mind the value of money.Theme of the restaurant Theme for restaurant is very popular and it effect on restaurant sales and development. There are numbers of themes for restaurant like flower decorations, sports, heritage and colorful themes. It increases the sale of restaurant. Theme describes the restaurant and customers attract from theme. A restaurant theme is a blend o f food, atmosphere and service. Restaurant theme decides according to location and local competition. Theme will decide according to customers. Need to survey of that place where your restaurant situated and then decide restaurant theme.For example: if your customers are families with younger children you don’t need to be open until midnight or have a full service sports bar. Advertising Restaurant advertising comes in many forms. Radio spots newspaper ads, TV commercials even coupons are all ways to advertise a restaurant. We can hire a PR agency to help you get your message out or you can do it yourself. Advertising is not a one-size-fits-all deal. Advertising plans vary from year to year, season to season. Like we have a busy summer season and less business in the winter and we will need two decisively different advertising plans.While advertising we can show discounts/coupons and special offers for customers so it can develop brand image in the eyes of customers. Customer s will definitely think about restaurant and definitely plan to go that particular restaurant. Websites is another option where we put new offers and menus for customers. Customers will directly order from internet. It helps to generate income from customers. Food and beverage planning * The wide variety and choices in f and b * The process has to comply with the HACCP policy The fast turnover of some food like items delivered fresh in the morning may be prepared and served to the customer at lunchtime and the revenue saved by afternoon. * The product cannot be stored for any length of time * Different types of customers handled in same establishment Food control points There are some common features are found in food production processes in all food and beverage operations. Product goes through the production process. It first enters in the establishment with raw material or preserved product and then stored in store area.Processing of this product must then take place preparation of food and cooking food. After the product ready it will presented in plates and serve to customers. Food control process Types of food | Storage | Preparation | cooking| Holding | regeneration| Presenting and serve food| | Refrigerate | cutting| boiling| Chill | Steamer | Plates | Fresh | | chopping| grill| Freeze | Microwave | Trolly | Canned | Freeze | Weight | Baking | Hot | Traditional | Buffet | Frozen | | peeling| Microwave | Cold | Oven | trays| Preserved | Dry store | Slicing | Frying | Sous vide | | wrapping| | | Measure | Boil roast | | | | | Filet/blend and mix| | | | | Employer’s satisfaction Employees of organization play very important role in hospitality industry. Restaurant development depends on employee’s satisfaction. There are numbers of things take part in employee’s satisfaction that is job security, providing pay at time, opportunities to use skills and abilities, feeling safe in the working environments and also with good communication. Moreover the employee’s relationship with their co- workers or supervisor and management recognition of employee job performance.If the employee not satisfied with their job then how can he/ she work properly so it is very important that an employee satisfied from their job. Risk management While working in restaurant there are numbers of risk involved but restaurant owner and manager face that risks. In restaurant should be provide a safe working environment as well as prepare for the unforeseeable accidents, damages or any disaster that might impact restaurant building. Restaurant need trained their staff to handle this kind of situation. Safety procedures implement into daily procedures.Restaurant aware and insuring about lawsuits or any kind of damage to business. Protecting restaurant from fire Protecting restaurant from crime Protecting staff and customers from accidents Understanding legislation that effects on business like food hygiene, employers, liability, health and safety in restaurants are all relevant when anyone running business There are some acts that implement when something happen like this The fire act Every building have fire service act, fire evacuation procedure should be in place. Fire equipment’s must be in place and serviced regularly.The food hygiene act 1974 It is for health of each customer and it implies on restaurant. Every restaurant should be neat and clean. Storage area should be clean. Food hygiene regulation 1974 act says that regulations are safe storage and also there should be safe preparation. 2. 2 analyses the features which contribute towards the customers perception of products and services Whenever a guest enters a restaurant or hotel or a food and beverage section of any place, he/she expects something more than just what is served.The expected things include quality, timeliness as well as cost effectiveness however what if you can give the guest more than what he/she has expected Food hygiene in res taurant Good food hygiene in restaurant is of vital importance for the pleasure of customers and the continued success of restaurant business. Customer also expects where they eat the place should be neat and clean and kitchen should be clean while preparing food so there is no harm to health. Why food hygiene is important? Every day people get ill from the food they eat.Micro-organisms including bacteria, viruses and moulds found in food can cause food poisoning, leading to a whole host of unpleasant symptoms, such as stomach pains, diarrhoea and vomiting. It is for customer’s good health if there is no food hygiene customer unhappy and they will blame on restaurant so hygiene is very important. Restaurant cleanliness attracts customers and it helps to increase more customers. Type of greeting and welcoming Greeting and welcoming is the first impression so when customer enters in the restaurant host responsibility to handle customers with smile, eye contact and welcoming.Pol itely speak with customer and offer something water first than provide menu or tell them today’s special menu or menu of the day with special offers etc. Physical appearance matters Guests expect to be served by a good looking and well-dressed staff. Staff cannot be untidy will their face, hair or clothes. The guests should not feel that the restaurant management is too harsh on the staff in terms of salaries or duty such that they cannot afford a proper uniform. This creates a wrong impression. Serve the food in warm, well washed dishes/containers nd all plates, bowls used should be well washed and cleaned. Increase knowledge about the product: The guests could have a query about the food and beverage they are consuming or are about to order. The service staff should be well equipped with the knowledge of the product so as to help the guests make a decision. Speed of service and their types Speed of service according customers like young people want very formal service and o ld people like quick service and on time. Service is very important part of any restaurant. Restaurant depends on the best service.If the service does not meet the customers’ expectations and customer felt the service very good then they defiantly come back to restaurant. Customer service covers many different parts of restaurants day to day operations and going far beyond the front of the staff. In chevaliers there is no proper service provide to customers so they will not come again because of poor service. Ambience (good environment) * Good Environment * Clean * Organized * Safe * Low pressure * Energy level appropriate to clientele * Decoration Brand loyaltyBrand loyalty known as reputation of the restaurant and it is very important that restaurant have good reputation in market. Brand loyalty is depending on their service and good quality of food. Customers want to feel important They know that restaurant have lots of other customers and clients but they just love it whe n staff makes them feel special. Flexibility Customers hate to hear the word No or it cannot be done. Its not always possible to say yes to a customer or do exactly what they want however it is important to be as flexible as you can. Staff needs to motivate and convince customer to take another meal or service.If someone to know their name (names of customers) A customer name is one of the sweetest sounds they will ever hear. If you use a customer’s name when you talk to them it indicates that you recognize them as an individual. Don't use it too often as it can become irritating, but definitely at the start and the end of a conversation. 2. 3 assess the opportunities and constraints affecting product and service development within a hospitality environment Food and nutrition Dietary requirements Proteins are required throughout life to create, maintain and renew human body.The amount of proteins required changes with age, during growth periods and depending on health of huma n body. Now days people are very health conscious so according to their needs restaurant provide food of their choices For example: restaurants provides special kids menu age 2 to 12 and these are foods that kids tend to like and which meet kids dietary requirements like fruits. For Strict vegetarian Restaurants do not mix any animal products like beef, chicken, fish, eggs and they provide pure vegetarian food to customers. They provide different kinds of salads, other vege dishes.Regulations acts in implement on restaurant and employer liability towards the customers are as follows (class work) Health and safety act There are laws and systems that have been established to help ensure that the food served in restaurants is safe. Bacteria grow very easily if given the chance. The local Health Department will send out inspectors to make sure that the chefs and servers are following the proper guidelines. Inspectors will issue fines for minor violations and can shut you down for major violations. This act states that the relation of guest and staff protected from health issues.During work the environment should be neat and clean. People should work in clean environment and make food in clean place. In restaurant they can use clean and right equipment’s and cutlery. Employment act 1992 The health and safety in employment act 1992 states that to prevent harm to the all the employee who all are working in the premises and for other person who is in the neighborhood of work should also be protected moreover the customer who all come to dine in the premises should also be taken care off. Restaurant staff never provided food which can harmful for guest and they should prevent them from food.They need to check expiry dates and food storage in right temperature and there should be system which followed by business from food deliveries in the restaurant on time. It also include proper receiving, storage, preparation, cooking and serving food. Staff training should be compulsory because of their knowledge. Restaurant should prevent customers from hazards. The privacy act According to the Privacy act states that individual privacy therefore is personal details of the guest should not to be disclosed to any one at any point of time.Customer privacy act implies in restaurant operations. No one can disclose any information about customers. Human rights act According to the Human rights act 1993 says that nobody can discriminate any one on the basis of Race, color, ethnic origin, disability, gender, marital status, age, religion, political opinion, employment status, sexual orientation. Trading act Shop trading repeal act 1990 defines about the hours of opening the business which also help the customer to be aware about their purchasing time. 2. evaluate different merchandising opportunities for hospitality products and services A combination of local media and local store marketing programs will be utilized at each location. Local store marketing is most effective, followed by radio, then print. As soon as a concentration of stores is established in a market then broader media will be explored. Advertising is best form to promote restaurant. By providing an entertaining environment with unbeatable quality at an unbelievable price in a clean and friendly restaurant than it automatically increases sales.There are some methods of advertising such as TV, radio commercials and newspaper ads can be very expensive. If any person ready to open a new restaurant or promote existing restaurant and they don’t have a very big advertising budget than there are still several ways to promote restaurant even on a low budget. Restaurant Website One of the most powerful tools a restaurant their own websites. More and more people are turning to the World Wide Web for information rather than the yellow pages. Maintaining a website is crucial for any business today.It is simplest way to attract customer and get sales profit. People sell pr oducts directly to consumers and it should give the basic information of restaurant and about hours, telephone number, directions and a copy of menu. Restaurant also advertises on website customer promotions on weekly promotions such as an early bird menu or happy hour details.. One of the best ways to get business through restaurant website is linking with other businesses such as local hotels, the chamber of commerce and local tourist information sites.Menu Flyers Creating a menu flyer or a take-out menu is another way to get the word out about restaurant without breaking the bank. Place these flyers at local hotels, chambers of commerce and to local businesses. Menu flyers placed on popular tourist destinations as well such ski mountains, parks or whatever place in the area that draws a crowd. On flyers menu we are not able to put whole menu so it is ok if we post some popular dishes and including hours and any special promotions like happy hours, direction and contact number.New spapers Newspaper advertisement is very cheapest way to promote restaurant because if we don’t have enough money to promote on high level, like bigger advertisements than we advertise restaurant on newspaper within less amount. Menu Inserts Menu inserts are a great way to advertise new promotions or services to existing customer base. For example if there is a introducing a new promotion such as a wine tasting dinner on the first Friday of each month, we can place an insert advertise that is in regular menu. Theme nightsTheme nights like particular theme on the day which are not preparing in restaurant before but now restaurant decide to create French menu with flowering theme and beautiful decoration with candles. According to customer interest if someone like French food or flowering theme than they will definitely come to restaurant. Customer like fun loving nights. It increases there interest to come again and again. When to Spend More on Advertising? Restaurants should p lan to increase their advertising budgets during the holiday season.In October or early November, run a newspaper ad reminding the public to book their holiday parties and order their party platters. If the place where restaurant located tourist destination then it is a good idea to place an ad in the local paper and or tourist paper prior to the busy season May for the summer months, November for the winter months. Many chambers of commerce or local tourism associations will publish a newspaper geared specifically toward tourists. It highlights all the sights and activities of an area. Advertising is key to gaining new business for your restaurant.However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to attract new business, when you think outside of the traditional advertising box. Lo3 understand pricing and profitability concepts within hospitality operations 3. 1 evaluate different methods of pricing taking into account additional pricing considerations It is all about product and h ow much to charge for product or service. There numbers of strategies to overcome problem in manage product price or menu price. There are some Pricing strategies to set the price of product and service like cost, positioning and maximizing quantity.Correct pricing is very important in restaurant business or any other business. There are four methods to calculate the pricing. Some of the pricing methods are following: Methods of pricing 1)Cost-plus pricing Cost-plus pricing is the simplest pricing method. The firm calculates the cost of producing the product and adds on a percentage (profit) to that price to give the selling price. This method although simple has two flaws; it takes no account of demand and there is no way of determining if potential customers will purchase the product at the calculated price.Set the price at your production cost, including both cost of goods and fixed costs at your current volume, plus a certain profit margin. For example, widgets cost $20 in raw m aterials and production costs and at current sales volume or anticipated initial sales volume and fixed costs come to $30 per unit. Total cost is $50 per unit. Then decide that want to operate at a 20% markup, so add $10 (20% x $50) to the cost and come up with a price of $60 per unit. So long as you have costs calculated correctly and have accurately predicted your sales volume and it will always be operating at a profit. )Psychological pricing Hitting price points that are significant for example pricing items at $14. 99 instead of $15 customer perceive them as being better value. It is easy way to attract customers and make more money from this strategy. And also covers pricing items too low on a menu in comparison to other dishes 3)Breakeven pricing It may define as that volume of business at which total costs are equal to sales and where neither profit nor loss is made. Total sales and total expenses are equal and there is neither loss nor profit. 4)Popular price pointsThere ar e certain prices points (specific prices) at which people become much more willing to buy a certain type of product. For example under $100 is a popular price point. Enough under $20 to be under $20 with sales tax is another popular price point, because it's one bill that people commonly carry. Meals under $5 are still a popular price point, as are entree or snack items under $1 notice how many fast-food places have a $0. 99 value menu. Dropping price to a popular price point might mean a lower margin but more than enough increase in sales to offset it. 5)Fair pricingSometimes it simply doesn't matter what the value of the product is even if we don't have any direct competition. There is simply a limit to what consumers perceive as fair. If it's obvious that our product only cost $20 to manufacture even if it delivered $1000 in value, it is a hard time charging two or three thousand dollars for it and people would just feel like they were being squeezed. A little market testing will help to determine the maximum price consumers will perceive as fair. 6)Positioning Poisoning means pricing about product and it is a key part of pricing.For example if anybody running discount store than he always set their prices lower than their competitors. The pricing has to be constant with the poisoning. Customers always want reasonable price and good quality of food. 7)Cost based pricing In hospitality this involves accurately calculating the food or beverage cost of per unit usually done by using a standard recipe than a percentage is added for gross profit to arrive at the selling price. It is important to ensure that the gross profit percentage added is enough to cover all fixed and variable cost as well as the desired profit margin. )Market oriented pricing (Qualitative) This method looks at the relationship between price and value for money like how much people are prepared to spend and will take into account the whole meal experience from decor of restaurant, menu item s, staff service and cleaning. Factors effects on pricing Price must always be consistent with the customer’s perception of value. The higher price the greater the customer’s expectation and it is to disappoint. If the product is perceived to be too expensive the customer will find substitutes.If the product is priced too low the customer may feel it reflects inferior quality. Budget perspective a price needs to include the cost to the business as well as the profit expectations. GST cost It is a value with added tax and it is compulsory for everyone who buys product and service from seller. For example when chef costing the menu he will include tax cost with dish cost. (pricing methods) 3. 2 assess the factors in hospitality operations which effect revenue generation and profitability Pricing is one of the four elements of the marketing mix, along with product, place and promotion.Pricing strategy is important for companies who wish to achieve success by finding the p rice point where they can maximize sales and profits. Companies may use a variety of pricing strategies, depending on their own unique marketing goals and objectives. Portion Control One reason that chain restaurants are so successful is that they have a firm handle on portion control. The cooks in those restaurants know exactly how much of each ingredient to put in every dish. For example, shrimp scampi may have a portion control of six shrimp per dish.Therefore, every shrimp scampi that goes out of that kitchen will have six shrimp in it no more, no less. This is portion control. In order to practice portion control in your own kitchen everything should be measured out. Chicken, beef and fish should all be weighed, while shredded cheese can be stored in portion control cups and a measuring cup can dish out mashed potatoes. Once you feel comfortable cooking about menu, then serving amounts (sort of like Rachael Ray) but in the early stages of your restaurant, err on the side of cau tion and measure everything out.Another way to practice portion control is to purchase proportioned items, such as steaks, burger patties, chicken breasts, and pizza dough. They may be more expensive but can save you money in labor and food waste. Sales mix Sales mix is a combination of different sales products like beverages, food, desert and side coffees. Total of brunch sales, dinner sales is equal to total revenue. Customer service Good customer service is the life blood of any business. In a fine dining restaurant customers pay for service to enjoy food and atmosphere.A waiter or waitress serves customer food and beverages and it is up to staff that the customer back again to take service. It means if the staff provides fine and attractive service. Good customer is all about bringing customers back and about sending them away happy and happy enough to pass positive feedback about business. Staff knowledge Staff should know about menu items on tips with their descriptions and if staffs have knowledge about menu and beverages it will be a positive point and if customer asks about product than staff should answer with confidence.It will be good impressions on customers and they would like to some more food or come back again. Customer feel good as they get what they want and customer will be enjoy service. Selling skills Servers also known as waiters and waitresses are a key part of your restaurant staff. Without good service, few customers would return to any restaurant. A good server does more than just wait on customers. He or she is a salesperson. (Perhaps they should be called sellers, instead. ) They should not just be taking orders and delivering food. They should be selling a product- your restaurant menu. A good server knows how to up-sell.Up-selling is simply getting a customer to spend more than he was originally intending. Factors affecting profitability in restaurant business that is: LO2 AND LO3 CLASS NOTES Class work/notes Misleading informati on to customers because 1. Guest complaint increase 2. Spoil image of the restaurant 3. Loss of money 4. Restaurant get fined if they don’t obey rules 5. Effect the brand image 6. No loyalty towards organization 7. Lack of staff training like if staff not provide service to customers properly than customer get dissatisfy they will never come back to restaurant 8. Effect on brand image if there is any problem in operations 9.Hygiene if there is no proper cleaning in kitchen than it direct effect on food so as a result customer will get sick from that food and it effects on restaurant image Employee’s duties for the protection of the consumer 1. Provide and maintain a safe workplace which uses safe equipment and areas where customer think I am safe and they come again and again if they like place. 2. Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to physical agents and noise 3. Prevent any improper conduct or behavior likely to put the safety, healt h and welfare of employees at risk 4.Provide instructions and training to employees on health and safety 5. Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees 6. Appointing a capable person as the organization’s Safety Officer which helps when someone in danger 7. To take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and of other people in the workplace 8. Not to engage in improper behavior that will endanger themselves or others 9. Not to be under the influence of drink or drugs in the workplace 10. To complaint any defects in the place of work or equipment which are not good or danger to health and safetyLo4 Areas that are commonly appraised Deliveries on time If deliveries come on time we will not run out anything. Moreover we could store at right temperature on right place. If delivers come on time then chef has time to organize stuff. Wrong deliveries if wrong delivers come than there are many problems that may arise like chef cannot do preparation w ithout his products. If customer asks for particular item in the menu which we donot have due to wrong deliveries. May be instead of waiting customer would prefer go and try somewhere else. Short term deliveriesShort term deliveries are known as like takeaways. Quality of items Quality should be good if the quality not good than customer always dissatisfied from service and success or failure of a restaurant is tied to the quality of the product, service and atmosphere. Customers expect fresh food that is tastefully prepared. They want impeccable service from knowledgeable staff and they want an environment that is clean and comfortable. By reviewing a checklist of vital points daily, restaurant consistently provide a quality product that will keep customers coming back for more. Back of House Commercial kitchens must be clean and sanitary. Customers or guest never see the kitchen area and cleanliness but restaurant should provide quality food with hygiene. Food is rotated in each d elivery to maintain freshness. * Storage temperature should be checked every day * Prevent cross contamination by identifying cutting surfaces and utensils for specific items such as vegetables * Storage area must be neat and clean * Clean uniforms should be worn by kitchen staff along with hair restraints and proper footwear. All cooking and cleaning equipment should be serviced on a regular basis.Front of House * Check plates, glassware and silver for cleanliness before serving food. * The dining should be clean and decorated * Clean all areas in dinning room dailybasis * Table should be wiped after customer leave the premises * Linen changed day by day * Hand-polishing glasses and silverware after each washing will keep them spot-free. * All plates and utensils should be spot-checked for cleanliness before serving. * Menus should be clean and wrinkle free. * Regularly check tables and chairs for cleanliness and to ensure they are not wobbly or cracked.Also be sure that restrooms are clean and stocked before each shift. Sometime packaging broken Sometimes while deliveries things get broken than staff has right give back that deliveries. Expiry date expired Staff should check expiry dates on products if th