The Soldiers Of 351st Ordnance Company - 1734 Words

When I went on mobilization to Fort Lewis, Washington and left my son in the care of my parents, I thought my parental duties would be set aside until I returned home. Unfortunately, the soldiers of 351st Ordnance Company would prove me wrong with their excessive alcohol consumption, commonly term â€Å"binge drinking,† and destructive behaviors. I would then spend the next year sharing the responsibility with four other junior noncommission officers in the task of taking care of soldiers. Despite the efforts of myself and the others we were not fully prepared to handle some of the outrageous events and lack of engagement from the leadership that would challenge us during the tour. My abilities as a junior noncommission officer and the understanding of leadership were redefined and I learned exactly what it meant to ensure soldiers have proper guidance, leadership, positive morale, and well-being. The Ordnance Company of over 200 soldiers was mobilized due to an administrative error when the mission at Fort Lewis only required a platoon size element of 50 soldiers. Right from the start there was a lot of confusion and concern on what exactly the unit would be doing at Fort Lewis and how the excess three fourths of the company would be employed. The unit traveled via commercial air from West Virginia to Seattle, Washington and then shuttled by bus to Fort Lewis where we would spend the next year. When the unit arrived to Fort Lewis the Battalion Commander of the 80th

External Factors and the Real Estate Free Essays

Assignment 1. 3 External Factors and the Real Estate Industry By Karen Chapman 11 November 2012 Assignment 1. 3 Index: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on External Factors and the Real Estate or any similar topic only for you Order Now The demographic environment: 1. 1Cultural diversity trends and developmentsPage 3 1. 2Demographics of own area, vs. national demographics and trendsPage 3 2. The economic environment: 2. 1 The current economic environmentPage 3 2. 2 Socio-economic factorsPage 4 3. The political environmentPage 4 4. The technological environmentPage 5 5. The competitive environmentPage 5 6. The legal environment: 6. 1 Regulations pertaining to property ownershipPage 5 . 2 Regulations pertaining to land use controlsPage 6 6. 3 Other rules and regulationsPage 6 ConclusionPage 6 ReferencesPage 6 Assignment 1. 3 Introduction: The real estate industry is hugely affected by external factors, which have the effect of either having a positive or negative impact on us as real estate agents. When the economy is good houses sell and buyers are able to qualify for bonds. When the economy is in a downturn then houses stay on the market for a lot longer. Buyers are more reluctant to take the plunge and buy propert y. Repossessions increase and banks often become more reluctant to grant bonds. 1. The demographic environment 1. 1Prior to the repealing of the Group Areas Act the residential housing market was segmented by race. Each race group was legally only allowed to stay in certain areas and neighbourhoods. After the repealing of the Group Areas Act and the democratisation of South Africa after our first free and fair elections for all races in 1994, different race groups and ethnicities started living together in the same neighbourhoods for the first time. With South Africa being welcomed back into the international community we also now have more clients from around the world. This has also resulted in a major paradigm shift for estate agents – from serving one race group previously we are now dealing with clients from every race and ethnicity from both South Africa and around the world. To be successful and effective, estate agents have had to learn to be sensitive to, and understand, different cultures and their customs. Buyers and sellers have also had to learn to be more tolerant towards the different cultures and norms of their neighbours. 1. 2The demographics of my â€Å"farm area† are representative of the national urban demographics and trends. 2. The economic environment 2. 1 The world economic crisis has also negatively impacted on the South African economy and this had had a direct negative impact on our housing market. Due to cut backs and layoffs many homeowners are finding it difficult to meet their bond commitments and as a result many homes are being repossessed by the banks. Buyers are also experiencing difficulties in obtaining bonds from banks one of the main reasons being that South African banks appear to fear further repercussions from the global credit crisis and continued job losses (up to 400 000 before the year end) House prices have continued to fall. Absa’s senior property analyst Jacques du Toit said house prices dropped further in nominal terms in June, by 4,4% year-on- Assignment 1. 3 year, while in real terms, prices were down by 11,1% year-on-year in May. But the residential market is expected to improve early in 2013 Mortgage stress has increased from 55 000 in the second quarter of 2011 to 155,000 in the second quarter of 2012. Severe mortgage stress, where bondholders are over 4 months in arrears, has almost doubled in a year and increased sharply in June to over 72 000 home owners from 55 000 in the first quarter. Despite the lower interest rates there are more sales in execution than ever before. Currently there are approximately 4 500 houses per month which are being sold forcibly through legal channels which includes sales in execution, insolvency sales and bank’s voluntary distressed sales channels. . 2 With the global economic meltdown, retrenchments and unemployment have become more and more of a reality in South Africa. With the increased unemployment levels, bondholders have become more hard-pressed to make payments and this has led to an increase in defaults and consequently repossessions. Other homeowners have tried to sell their properties as they have become more financially strapped. This has resulted in an over supply of properties on the market (a buyers market) and as a result some buyers are able to negotiate more favourable/lower prices on houses. Many buyers are also reluctant to buy because of economic uncertainty. (job loss/retrenchment). Banks stringent lending criteria have also prevented potential buyers from obtaining loans. The net result being that the property market has been severely negatively impacted. 3. The political environment: The change in the political environment in South Africa has also resulted in a change in the real estate industry. Agents had to previously deal with clients from one race group e. g. but with the repealing of the Groups Areas Act we now deal with clients we previously never dealt with i. e. ifferent race groups, ethnicities and nationalities In 20 years, South Africa has achieved many successes, including greater political stability and greater economic freedom. Research Worldwide. com has just published results of its annual survey, which showed that property investments in South Africa showed an actual total return of 15,1% last year. South African commercial real estate outperformed sixteen other major countries. The real estate boom in South Africa and low interest rates continues to encourage homeowners to feel confident and spend buying those houses for sale, farms for sale and commercial property for sale Assignment 1. 3 4. The technological environment: Technology has become an integral part of Real Estate over the past few years. Property software programs have played – and will play an increasingly important role in the future of Real Estate. To remain competitive real estate agencies need to use the latest technology to benefit their business. The real challenge is to find a software application (programme) that supports all facets of the industry, cutting out the need to duplicate day-to-day work. The world wide web enables estate agents to operate globally as properties can be viewed from anywhere in the world. An agent can create a virtual office in his car with a laptop, 3G connection and a cell phone. 5. The competitive environment: The real estate industry has often been perceived as an unprofessional industry because there have been no entry standards for those wishing to join the industry. However, this is changing as all real estate agents are now required to obtain the FETC: Real Estate Level 4 qualification to enable them to practice as agents. This has benefits for both the industry and clients – the industry will have knowledgeable and qualified/professional agents which will enable both buyers and sellers effectively. Qualified agents will be in high demand in the industry. 6. The legal environment 6. 1 Regulations pertaining to property: There are a number of acts that govern property ownership in South Africa: Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986 Makes it possible for different persons to each own a portion of a building Companies Act 61 of 1973 Share block shares must be transferred in terms of the Companies Act Share Blocks Control Act 59 of 1980 Controls the operation of Share Block schemes Housing Development Schemes for Retired Persons Act 65 of 1988 Regulates the development and alienation (sale or lease) of accommodation in schemes which are â€Å"Housing Development Schemes† as defined by the Act The Estate Agencies Affairs Act 112 of 1976 Safeguards the interests of members of the public in their dealings with Estate Agents The Estate Agencies Affairs Board is a regulatory body established by the above Act. Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981 How to cite External Factors and the Real Estate, Essay examples

Marketing and Retail Book Industry free essay sample

Your company has developed a new educational electronic game. Your target market is 4-6 year old children. What research methods would you use to test this product concept? Choose at least three methods that you believe will provide valuable information, and describe your research strategy. (Points : Three research methods that will give more valuable information about the product concept areas below. Focus groups: Discussion of selected members (a mix of parents, teachers, academicians and psychologist) in a focus group will help the company gain insight about what the customers are think and how they perceive the product (Kotler, 2000). This will also help in identifying any gaps between the product presently available in the market and what the customers want. Unstructured interviews: Unstructured one on one interview with parents, teachers, and psychologists can help the company gain more information by using probing questions. Questionnaires: Questionnaires with a combination of open ended and closed ended questions can be sent to the respondents over the email and they can send their replies over the email. TCO C) Choose a specific brand (i. e. , Coke, Nike, McDonalds, etc. Using this brand as an example, describe what makes this a unique brand that is easily recognizable by consumers. What do you, as a consumer, think of when you see this brand logo? How would you describe a Brand? What roles do Brands play in the market and what signals success? The brand selected for this question id McDonalds. The vibrant logo of the company makes the brand easily recognizable. The golden arches of McDonalds was born of architecture. The arches were a design that formed the shape of the letter M in a unique way. The color combination of yellow and red in this logo plays the trick (The Independent, 2008). The brand gives an impression of a vibrant and happy environment or place. In a cluttered business environment branding plays an important role in adding distinguishing factor to the company’s product or service and increases brand recognition and brand recall among the target customers. This would in turn lead to increased sales and increased profits for the company. 3. (TCO H) Let us look at the retail book industry as an example. There are a lot of people who buy a wide variety of books. Using this industry as an example, divide this market into smaller market segments. Describe at least three of these markets segments. By making some assumptions, describe some characteristics of the target market (end customers) for each of these market segments. Also what are the key criteria for segmentation to be effective? Smaller market segments of the retail book industry are as below: -Children: Childrens’ books, graphic books and fictions are targeted towards the children. The gatekeepers for this segment are the parents and guardians. So for this segment communications are to be targeted to the kids in a was so as to involve the elders and encourage them to buy the products for the children -Fitness enthusiasts: Yoga books, fitness book, diet advising books interest the fitness enthusiasts. So this market is targeted based on their behavioral aspects. -Students: The stuents buy text books, reference books. Again So this market is targeted based on their behavioral aspects. Segmenting the retail book industry can be done based on the key criteria of demographic, and behavioral aspects. An increasing number of companies are basing their prices on the customers perceived value of the product or service. Explain the concept of perceived value pricing. What is the key to pricing in this manner? How might the marketer determine the price that the consumer might pay in exchange for that value that they receive? Perceived value pricing is the method of pricing a product or service based on what the customer is willing to pay for the product, rather than on arriving at the final price based on the costs and expenses (Kotler, 2000). The price is determined based on the competitor’s product. An analysis is done on how the customer perceives the company’s products in comparison to the competitors’ products. Based on this understanding and the competitors’ prices the pricing is done. 5. (TCO F) You are the Sales Manager for your company. Your sales team is one that, once they gain the initial sale, enjoys considerable repeat business. Sales reps are paid a base of $35K and their commission package can add as much as $49K a year (average). Top producers make as much as $65K a year in commissionalong with their base pay, they make $100K. Sales reps have not been aggressive in pursuing new business. They have become comfortable in making repeated sales calls on their existing customers to be visible and to handle any issues. Your VP of Sales wants to see a 12% increase in NEW business next year. How might you structure the compensation plan to drive selling behaviors that would result in more effort being made to gain new business? Being a sales team the primary motivator for the team will be financial incentives. In the given scenario, it is important for the VP of sales to restructure the incentive structure. The restructuring can be done in the following way. Giving 100 percent weightage for the any fresh business that the sales reps get from a new customer. the focus for this is customer acquisition. Giving 40 percent weightage for the new business that comes from the existing clients. Assuming that there is a threshold after crossing which the sales reps become eligible for commission. More conditions can be added to the threshold. For instance, even if the sales reps meet their threshold of sales, they have to meet at least 70 percent of their new customer acquisition target in order to be eligible for the commission/ incentive. 6. (TCO E) Why do intermediaries bother to sponsor their own brand? What is the role of private label brands in the market place? From the consumers viewpoint, why would you or wouldnt you buy these generic brands versus more well-known brand names? Does it depend upon the product being sold? The intermediaries bother to sponsor their own brand in order to be competitive, profitable and cost effective. It is easier to own brands in own store than in other stores as they do not have to pay for shelf space. The intermediaries explore the excess capacity of the manufacturers and introduce them as private label at a low cost. The costs involved are lower and so the intermediary can sell those products at low price and gain higher profit margins. The private labels also provide a differentiating factor among the competitors. Many a times customers prefer generic brands and private labels over branded products because both are of similar quality and price of generic brands are lower (Kotler, 2000). But whether a customer chooses a generic brand or more well-known brand names it often depends on the product the customer is buying. For convenience products customers often prefer generic brand over more well-known brand names. Describe the supply chain strategy using demand chain planning. By looking at the company as the center of a value network, how will this approach enable the company to be more financially efficient? Demand chain planning refers to forecasting the market demands for a product or service and then adjusting the production, supplies and distribution based on that. Using demand chain planning supply chain strategy will be decided based on the historical data and statistical and customer forecast of the expected sales. Once these figures are generated, the supply volume and time is decided to match the demand. In this way excess supply and excess stock/ inventory can be checked and controlled, making the whole supply chain functions more cost effective for the company. 8. (TCO J) With the memory of the many companies showing poor judgment and poor ethics, such as BP, Toyota, Enron, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen, and others fresh in your mind, you have been asked to advise your companys CEO on to how to minimize the risk of a similar event occurring at your company. Specifically, what recommendations would you make to your CEO that would minimize unethical business and marketing practices by your employees, such as those alleged to have occurred at these and other companies? The recommendations are as below. -All organizations claim them to be fair and legitimate. Due to absence of clarity of the exclusivity, the companies fight over years to win. It often comes out to be marketing stances to gain over competitors. Lawyers of the organization prepare a case to defend their parties and not to defend what is right. In the process the company spends time, energy and money to win over patents. Ethically such resources can be diverted for the betterment of the employees, their working condition and even society as a whole. This would increase the value of a firm and reinforce its culture (Jones, 2013). -These ethical dilemmas are to be addressed in line with the ethical commitments of the organization. For this purpose a code of ethics stating corporate policies and practices should be referred to. -For successful implementation of the code of ethics, employees need to understand the practical implications of the code and know its significance. Trainings in ethics raise awareness of the employees about the code. Now that you have completed the Final Draft of your Marketing Plan, were you to begin anew, what would you have done differently insofar as your efforts to segment your TARGET MARKET and your efforts to reach that TARGET MARKET via your promotional mix? What would you have done differently? Please be sure to provide a graduate level response based on the marketing principals learned in class. Be sure to refresh your instructors mind by providing one sentence that communicates what your Marketing Plan brought to market. The marketing plan was for a jewelry shop in Abu Dhabi. The company name is ABC Company. To define the target market I would do two things differently. Firstly, I will define my target customer based on a primary research. Secondly, I would consider the psychological aspects like willingness to purchase, purchase frequency and readiness to purchase to define the target segment. I would promotional mix, I would like to consider options for an interactive customer engagement. This can be done through creating an interactive website with a forum for interaction, and making active social media pages by continuously updating and encouraging customers to interact. 10 (TCO G) Sales Promotions offer consumers an incentive to buy. Name at least four different types of sales promotion tools, tell how you would use them, and provide an example of a type of product or service you would promote using this tool. Failure to provide all of the requested information will result in a loss of points. Sales promotion refers to a host of activities taken up to boost the sales of a product (Kotler, 2000). Four different types of sales promotion tools are as below. -Price promotions: Also referred to as price discounting, these are discounts on normal price of the product or more of the product at the same price in order to increase sales volume at the cost of loss in profit. This can be used for shopping products like electronic goods, apparels, etc -Coupons: Coupons are certificates, usually distributed with magazines news papers etc. , which offers price reduction for some specified items to the holder (Pickton, Broderick, 2003). This promotion strategy can be used for services like salon, spa, gym memberships. The coupons are distributed as part of advertisement in newspapers/ magazines and can be redeemed at select outlets. -Free gifts: The customers are offered gift with purchase and thus marketers attempt to increase sales volumes in the initial stage of the product life cycle. This can be applied to shopping goods, for example, the customers are given key chain as a free gift when he buys a pair of shoes. -Free samples: The customers are offered free samples of new products in an attempt to increase awareness of the product and induce the customer to try using the product. This can be applied for convenience goods like shampoo. When a new variant of shampoo is launched, the manufacturer often gives small satchet (say, 5ml or 10 ml) of the new shampoo free of cost.

Wharton to Offer Free Online MBA Program Essay Example

Wharton to Offer Free Online MBA Program Paper Free online MBA program is something that you can only imagine to find these days given that the programs are really expensive. Wharton Business School decided to offer bigger piece of its studies fully online and for free. If you were waiting for such opportunity now it’s your chance to grab it while you can. This would make Wharton the first business school that offers online program completely for free. The only thing you need here is time and you’ll get part of the same education that MBA students are getting today. The difference here is that you are not required to pay anything. Wharton already has its own Coursera platform that offers 5 electives. From now on, you can search for its brand new Foundation platform that is designed from few courses. These courses are from the field in operations management, corporate marketing, financial accounting, and marketing. This free online MBA program will be presented and taught by Wharton’s senior professors. All courses will be served to you through recorded lectures and will give you couple of exercises during the process. The length of the courses is ranging between 6 and 10 weeks and you will need 8 hours during the week for each one of them. Operation management already started yesterday (September 30th) and the interval between courses is 2 weeks. According to the managing director of Wharton, Don Huesman, all students who will enroll to this free online MBA program will gain great knowledge. They will learn the basics and the courses are only a replication of what the first year students learn in paid MBA courses. The students who are paying to get online MBA program education need to complete 9 courses. Four of these courses are now available online for free and six other electives. We will write a custom essay sample on Wharton to Offer Free Online MBA Program specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wharton to Offer Free Online MBA Program specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wharton to Offer Free Online MBA Program specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Students interested to enroll to this program can follow the course without any additional requirements and work. However, for those who are more committed into getting the proper education, there are many homework, readings, quizzes, etc. If you need a certification that you have completed the course, this free online MBA program offers you verifiable certificate for completing it. You need to pay $49 in order to enroll the â€Å"signature track† and you’ll get the proper verification at the end. According to Huesman, this free online MBA program can be used by many students to see what kinds of lessons are included into the real program. This could represent a test for them in order to see if this program is what they have been searching for and is Wharton the best school for getting wider education. You must be wondering why Wharton is doing this. The answer could be simple, because they tend to show their real face to many professionals why they need to pick Wharton. Through this education given for free, the students can see if Wharton is the right pick or not. Wharton already has a long history of successful students who took their online MBA programs. There are many great and successful degree programs which are more expensive and require more time and commitment. Thousands of professionals have enrolled Wharton’s online MBA program and many more will get these new and free offer. You won’t get all business skills from this free online MBA program, but you’ll get the chance to see what you can expect when you enroll to their full-time online MBA courses.