Justified and Ancient by Simon Lewis

Is he on a vacation backpacking across the globe spending his rich father's money or is the only reason for his tourism the drug deal? Is he going back to Delhi or all the way back to England? Since he has both a girlfriend with potential wife-status and a child to take care of at home my guess is the last possibility – he is simply a rug dealer buying incredibly low-prized cannabis in India for re-selling in his home country. His statement at p. 2 1. 70 is obviously pointing in that direction: â€Å"My Job? Re, I don't really have one as such. † Ironically enough, Lee is filled with self-congratulation as he leaves the village.Overwhelmed with compassion he has given the children the gooey biscuits he himself described as revolting and unpalatable. Maybe he does not consider the fact that he refuses to give the children something that would actually help them: rupees. Money, he earlier referred to as â€Å"Joke money'. Instead he uncompromisingly shoes he child away w ith a â€Å"No! Don't touch me, you shouldn't touch! † Lee seems to be an egoistic, ignorant and unpleasant figure from what we are described – and is possibly supposed to symbolize the typical western tourist.Though we are not given a lot of information about the village people, they seem shy and reserved. Lee makes no two- way communication with any other than the president and one of the kids for a brief moment. It might be that Lee considers the village people naive and ignorant, but as the story surprisingly twists in the end, all is turned upside down, and it is obvious that Lee has underestimated the president. He has not fooled the president – it is he himself who have been deceived. An ancient, proud chieftain is not the obvious one to suspect for depraved actions.As he may seem proud and honorable on the outside, the president is the exact opposite on the inside. At the end of the story we are suddenly having another perspective – that of the wo man leading her donkey to the village. She entrusts us with the president's secret: â€Å"Sometimes the president and his slimy friend Punned got drunk and talked more than they should in the presence of the women. The president was a shrewd man, and under him the village ad prospered, but he was a man without honor. † (p. 4-5 1. 158-163) The president has actually prostituted himself and given up all his pride and honor for money.The president cooperates with Ram, the police commissioner, who gives him money in return for information about tourists like Lee. In this way the president can profit from his unfortunate customers buying cannabis and receive money from the police at the same time – and he does not at all seem to care about the people he may harm in the progress. Suddenly the gesture of trust on page 4 1. 123 seems more as a scorn tan anything else. Lee Is nothing more out a Oarlock In ten pralines game, Ana It quickly becomes uncertain who to sympathize wit h.At first it was the president: The proud chieftain of an ancient village thinking he made a good deal with another tourist, but at last it is the poor Lee that is the victim: And he will suffer his deeds. â€Å"She knew that Ram and the bullies he used as deputies would be getting drunk now, and when the foreigner came down they would greet him, smiling, and Ram would laugh taping his tick wooden cane against his leg† (p. 5 1. 165) It is here that the title becomes paradoxical. Lee may have been greedy and disrespectful but does he deserve to get beat up?Lee is a man with a girlfriend and, to a certain extinct, a child at home both depending on his financial success – is it a Justified laugh that bursts from the president's mouth and follows Lee down to the foot of the mountain? I do not think it is. The chieftain has become Just as grasping and greedy as any western president. And from where has those influences emerged? The boy with the Walkway bobbing his head up and down (in what seems as a prayer but very remarkably is not) â€Å"karaoke's† the phrase: â€Å"We are Justified and ancient.And we drive an ice cream VA-an† from Kills single â€Å"Justified and ancient†. This is a very good clue for interpreting the title. Given that the phrase â€Å"Justified and ancient† does not only refer to the president but to all of the people living in the village, a more general view is set on the story. The village may be Justified due to the western influences that have had negative influence on their society and their culture. To combine the word Justified with the more concrete word ancient does not normally seem irrational.After reading this short story it does though – because the ancient village with the old president represents something honorable, sacred and proud: Values that have been destroyed by western society – it is now all about materialism and money. The president does seem proud to have flour ished the old culture, surviving the civilization below them from the mountain summit – but he wants more than Just doctor visits and he has broken the traditional way of behaving in the village. Whether or not the village people are (the president is) Justified or not is a discussable topic – a topic that provokes us to think the term Justification over.

Kitsch Internet Cafe Business Plan

KITSCH INTERNET CAFE Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary5 1. 1 Objectives6 1. 2 Keys to Success6 1. 3 Mission6 1. 4 Risks7 2. Company Description7 2. 1 Company Ownership7 2. 2 Start-up Summary8 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities10 3. Description of Services11 3. 1 Competitive Comparison11 3. 2 Service Description11 3. 3 Fulfillment12 3. 4 Technology12 3. 5 Future Services12 4. Market Analysis13 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy13 4. 1. 1 Market Trends13 4. 1. 2 Market Needs13 4. 2 Market Segmentation14 4. Service Business Analysis15 4. 3. 1 Competition and Buying Patterns16 4. 3. 2 Business Participants16 4. 3. 3 Distributing a Service17 5. Marketing Strategy18 5. 1 Strategy Pyramid18 5. 1. 1 Attract Power Internet Users18 5. 1. 2 Social Hub18 5. 1. 3 Attract Novice Internet Users19 5. 2 SWOT Analysis19 5. 2. 1 Weaknesses20 5. 2. 2 Opportunities20 5. 2. 3 Threats20 5. 2. 4 Strengths21 5. 3 Competitive Edge21 5. 4 Marketing Strategy21 5. 4. 1 Pricing Strategy22 5. 4. 2 Promoti on Strategy22 5. 5 Sales Strategy23 5. 5. 1 Sales Forecast23 . 6 Milestones26 6. Operating Plan27 6. 1 Personnel Plan27 7. Financial Plan29 7. 1 Start-up Funding29 7. 2 Important Assumptions31 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators32 7. 4 Break-even Analysis32 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss33 7. 6 Projected Cash Flow37 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet40 7. 8 Business Ratios42 8. Appendix46 Kitsch Internet Cafe Executive Summary Kitsch, unlike a typical cafe, will provide a unique forum for communication and entertainment through the medium of the Internet. Kitsch is the answer to an increasing demand. The public wants: (1) access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the Internet, and (2) access at a cost they can afford and in such a way that they aren't socially, economically, or politically isolated. Kitsch’s goal is to provide the community with a social, educational, entertaining, atmosphere for worldwide communication. Highlights [pic] 1. 1 Objectives Kitsch’s objectives for the first three years of operation include: †¢ The creation of a unique, upscale, innovative environment that will differentiate Kitsch from local coffee houses. Educating the community on what the Internet has to offer. †¢ The formation of an environment that will bring people with diverse interests and backgrounds together in a common forum. †¢ Good coffee and bakery items at a reasonable price. †¢ Affordable access to the resources of the Internet and other online services. 1. 2 Keys to Success The keys to the success for Kitsch a re: †¢ The creation of a unique, innovative, upscale atmosphere that will differentiate Kitsch from other local coffee shops and future Internet cafes. †¢ The establishment of Kitsch as a community hub for socialization and entertainment. The creation of an environment that won't intimidate the novice user. Kitsch will position itself as an educational resource for individuals wishing to learn about the benefits the Internet has to offer. †¢ Great coffee and bakery items. 1. 3 Mission As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow at an exponential rate, easy and affordable access  is quickly becoming a necessity of life. Kitsch provides communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoy a cup of coffee, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that Kitsch provides. 1. 4 Risks The risks involved with starting Kitsch were: †¢ Will there be a demand for the services offered by Kitsch in Nicosia? †¢ Will the popularity of the Internet continue to grow, or is the Internet a fad? †¢ Will individuals be willing to pay for the service Kitsch offers? †¢ Will the cost of accessing the Internet from home drop so significantly that there will not be a market for Internet Cafes such as Kitsch? Company Description Kitsch, is located at the area of Agioi Omologites at 15 Chiou Street, offering the community easy and affordable access to the Internet. Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Kitsch will also provide customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. Kitsch is appealing to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The instructional Internet classes, and the helpful staff that Kitsch provides, will appeal to the audience that does not associate themselves with the computer age. This educational aspect attracts younger and elderly members of the community who are rapidly gaining interest in the unique resources that online communications have to offer. The downtown location will provide business people with convenient access to their morning coffee and online needs. 2. 1 Company Ownership Kitsch is owned by M & T Corporation with the manager Loizos Loizou to possess the main share (80%). 2. 2 Start-up Summary Kitsch’s start-up costs covered coffee making equipment, site renovation and modification, capital to cover losses in the first year, and the communications equipment necessary to get its customers online. The communications equipment necessary to provide Kitsch’s customers with a high-speed connection to the Internet and the services it has to offer make up a large portion of the start-up costs. These costs included the computer terminals and all costs associated with their set-up. Costs were also designated for the purchase of two laser printers and a scanner. Additional to those, one espresso machine, an automatic coffee grinder, and minor additional equipment will be purchased from Petersons ltd. The building at 15 Chiou Street required funds for renovation and modification. A single estimated figure was allocated for this purpose. The renovation/modification cost estimated included the costs associated with preparing the building for opening business. Start-up Expense Details: †¢ 11 computers = â‚ ¬22,000 †¢ two printers = â‚ ¬1,000 †¢ one scanner = â‚ ¬500 †¢ software = â‚ ¬810 †¢ one espresso machine = â‚ ¬10,700 †¢ one automatic espresso grinder = â‚ ¬795 †¢ other fixtures and remodeling: o two coffee/food preparation counters = â‚ ¬1,000 o one information display counter = â‚ ¬1,000 o one drinking/eating counter = â‚ ¬500 o sixteen stools = â‚ ¬1,600 o six computer desks w/chairs = â‚ ¬2,400 o stationery goods = â‚ ¬500 o two telephones = â‚ ¬200 o decoration expense = â‚ ¬13,000 Start-up | | | | |Requirements | | | | | |Start-up Expenses | | |Legal |â‚ ¬500 | |Stationery etc. â‚ ¬500 | |Brochures |â‚ ¬500 | |Consultants |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬700 | |Rent |â‚ ¬1,445 | |4-group Automatic Coffee Machine |â‚ ¬10,700 |Bean Grinder |â‚ ¬795 | |Computer Systems (x11), Software, Printer, Scanner |â‚ ¬24,310 | |Communication Lines |â‚ ¬840 | |Fixtures/Remodel |â‚ ¬20,000 | |Total Start-up Expenses |â‚ ¬62,290 | | | | |Start-up Assets | | |Cash Required |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Start-up Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | | | | |Total Requirements |â‚ ¬88,290 | 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities A site has been chosen at 15 Chiou Street in Agioi Omologites. This site was chosen for various reasons, including: †¢ Proximity to the downtown business community. †¢ Proximity to trendy, upscale restaurants such as Bagatelle, Steak & Co, Paragadi fish restaurant, Aperitivo Jet Set and others †¢ Parking availability. †¢ Low cost rent – â‚ ¬. 85 per square foot for 1700 square feet. †¢ High visibility. All of these qualities are consistent with Kitsch's goal of providing a central hub of communication and socialization for the Eugene community. Description of Services Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Printing, scanning, and introductory courses to the Internet are also available to the customer. Kitsch also provides customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. 3. 1 Competitive Comparison Kitsch is the first Internet cafe in Agioi Omologites. Kitsch differentiates itself from the strictly-coffee cafes in Agioi Omologites by providing its customers with Internet and computing services. 3. 2 Service Description Kitsch provides its customers with full access to the Internet and common computer software and hardware. Some of the Internet and computing services available to Kitsch’s customers are listed below: †¢ Access to external POP3 and IMAP email accounts. †¢ Customers can sign up for a Kitsch email account. This account will be managed by Kitsch servers and accessible from computer systems outside the Kitsch network. †¢ FTP, Telnet, Gopher, and other popular Internet utilities will be available. †¢ Access to Netscape, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer browser. †¢ Access to laser and color printing. †¢ Access to popular software applications like Adobe PhotoShop and Microsoft Office. Kitsch also provides its customers with access to introductory Internet and email classes. These classes will be held in the afternoon and late in the evening. By providing these classes, Kitsch builds a client base familiar with its services. The computers, Internet access, and classes wouldn't mean half as much if taken out of the environment Kitsch provides. Good coffee, specialty drinks, bakery goods, and a comfortable environment provide Kitsch customers with a home away from home. Kitsch is a place to enjoy the benefits of computing in a comfortable and well-kept environment. 3. 3 Fulfillment Kitsch obtains computer support and Internet access from Logitech Computers located in Agioi Omologites. CYTA and CYTACOM Solutions provide the Internet connections and network consulting. Petersons ltd will provide Kitsch with coffee equipment, bulk coffee, and paper supplies. A contract for the bakery items has not been yet completed. 3. 4 Technology Kitsch invests in high-speed computers to provide its customers with a fast and efficient connection to the Internet. The computers are reliable and fun to work with. Kitsch will continue to upgrade and modify the systems to stay current with communications technology. One of the main attractions associated with Internet cafes, is the state of the art equipment available for use. Not everyone has a Pentium PC in their home or office. 3. 5 Future Services As Kitsch grows, more communications systems will be added. The possibility of additional units has been accounted for in the current floor plan. As the demand for Internet connectivity increases, along with the increase in competition, Kitsch will continue to add new services to keep its customer base coming back for more. Market Analysis Kitsch is faced with the exciting opportunity of being the first-mover in Nicosia’s cyber-cafe market. The consistent popularity of coffee, combined with the growing interest in the Internet, has been proven to be a winning concept in other markets and will produce the same results in Nicosia. 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy Kitsch intends to cater to people who want a guided tour on their first spin around the Internet and to experienced users eager to indulge their passion for computers in a social setting. Furthermore, Kitsch is a magnet for local and professionals who desire to work or check their email messages in a friendly atmosphere. These professionals will either use Kitsch's PCs, or plug their notebooks into Internet connections. Kitsch's target market covers a wide range of ages: from members of Generation X who grew up surrounded by computers, to Baby Boomers who have come to the realization that people today cannot afford to ignore computers. 4. 1. 1 Market Trends A market survey was conducted in the Fall of 2007. Key questions were asked of fifty potential customers. Some key findings include: †¢ 35 subjects said they would be willing to pay for access to the Internet. †¢ One euro per hour was the most popular hourly Internet fee at that time. †¢ 24 subjects use the Internet to communicate with others on a regular basis. 4. 1. 2 Market Needs Factors such as current trends, addiction, and historical sales data ensure that the high demand for coffee will remain constant over the next five years. The rapid growth of the Internet and online services, that has been witnessed worldwide, is only the tip of the iceberg. The potential growth of the Internet is enormous, to the point where one day, a computer terminal with an online connection will be as common and necessary as a telephone. This may be 10 or 20 years down the road, but for the next five years, the online service provider market is sure to experience tremendous growth. Being one of the first’s cyber-cafe in Nicosia, Kitsch will enjoy the first-mover advantages of name recognition and customer loyalty. Initially, Kitsch will hold a 100 percent share of the cyber-cafe market in Nicosia. In the next five years, competitors will enter the market. Kitsch has set a goal to maintain greater than a 50 percent market share. 4. 2 Market Segmentation Kitsch's customers can be divided into two groups. The first group is familiar with the Internet and desires a progressive and inviting atmosphere where they can get out of their offices or bedrooms and enjoy a great cup of coffee. The second group is not familiar with the Internet, yet, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to enter the online community. Kitsch’s target market falls anywhere between the ages of 15 and 50. This extremely wide range of ages is due to the fact that both coffee and the Internet appeal to a variety of people. In addition to these two broad categories, Kitsch's target market can be divided into more specific market segments. The majority of these individuals are students and business people. See the Market Analysis chart and table below for more specifics. [pic] Market Analysis | | | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Unit Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |12,016 |14,068 |15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |6,654 |7,913 |8,705 | |Email Memberships |8,703 |10,505 |11,556 | |Hourly Internet Fees | 38,269 |46,365 |51,002 | |Baked Goods- average |32,673 |42,150 |46,365 | |Total Unit Sales |98,315 |121,001 |133,103 | | | | | |Unit Prices |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬12,016 |â‚ ¬14,068 |â‚ ¬15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬13,308 |â‚ ¬15,826 |â‚ ¬8,705 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬87,030 |â‚ ¬105,050 |â‚ ¬115,560 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬95,673 |â‚ ¬115,913 |â‚ ¬127,505 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬40,841 |â‚ ¬52,688 |â‚ ¬46,365 | |Total Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Direct Unit Costs |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬0. 5 |â‚ ¬0. 25 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | | | | | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬3,004 |â‚ ¬3,517 |â‚ ¬3,869 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬3,327 |â‚ ¬3,957 |â‚ ¬2,176 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬21,758 |â‚ ¬26,263 |â‚ ¬28,890 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬23,918 |â‚ ¬28,978 |â‚ ¬31,876 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬10,210 |â‚ ¬13,172 |â‚ ¬11,591 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | 5. 6 Milestones The Kitsch management team has established some basic milestones to keep the business plan priorities in place. Responsibility for implementation falls on the shoulders of Loizos Loizou. This Milestones Table below will be updated as the year progresses using the actual tables. New milestones added as the first year of operations commences. [pic] 6. Operating Plan Kitsch is owned and operated by Mr. Loizos Loizou. The company, being small in nature, requires a simple organizational structure. Implementation of this organizational form calls for the owner, Mr. Loizou, to make all of the major management decisions in addition to monitoring all other business activities. 6. 1 Personnel Plan The staff will consist of six part-time employees working thirty hours a week at â‚ ¬5. 50 per hour. In addition, one full-time technician (who is more technologically oriented to handle minor terminal repairs/inquiries) will be employed to work forty hours a week at â‚ ¬10. 00 per hour. The two private investors, Andreas Augoustinos and Panagiotis Metaxas will not be included in management decisions. This simple structure provides a great deal of flexibility and allows communication to disperse quickly and directly. Because of these characteristics, there are few coordination problems seen at Kitsch that are common within larger organizational chains. This strategy will enable Kitsch to react quickly to changes in the market. Personnel Plan | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Owner |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 |â‚ ¬29,040 | |Part Time 1 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 2 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,92 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 3 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |à ¢â€š ¬7,920 | |Part Time 4 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 5 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 6 |â‚ ¬3,960 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Technician |â‚ ¬21,731 |â‚ ¬23,904 |â‚ ¬26,294 | |Manager |â‚ ¬4,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 | |Total People |9 |9 |9 | | | | | | |Total Payroll |â‚ ¬93 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | | |291 | | | 7. Financial Plan The following sections lay out the details of our financial plan for the next three years. 7. 1 Start-up Funding This business plan is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of â‚ ¬24,000. The supplemental financing is required to begin work on site preparation and modifications, equipment purchases, and to cover expenses in the first year of operations. Additional financing has already been secured as follows: †¢ â‚ ¬19,000 of personal savings from owner Loizos Loizou †¢ â‚ ¬36,000 from two investors †¢ and â‚ ¬9,290 in the form of sh ort-term loans Start-up Funding | | | | |Start-up Expenses to Fund |â‚ ¬62,290 | |Start-up Assets to Fund |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding Required |â‚ ¬88,290 | | | | |Assets | | |Non-cash Assets from Start-up |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Cash Requirements from Start-up |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Additional Cash Raised |â‚ ¬0 | |Cash Balance on Starting Date |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Liabilities and Capital | | | | | |Liabilities | | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,290 | | | | |Capital | | |Planned Investment | | |Loizos Loizou |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Private Investor |â‚ ¬12,000 | |Additional Investment Requirement |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Planned Investment |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) |(â‚ ¬62,290) | |Total Capital |(â‚ ¬7,290) | |Total Capital and Liabilities |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding |â‚ ¬88,290 | 7. 2 Important Assumptions Basic assumptions  are presented in the table below. General Assumptions | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Plan Month |1 |2 |3 | |Current Interest Rate |8. 00% |8. 00% |8. 00% | |Long-term Interest Rate |10. 00% |10. 00% |10. 00% | |Tax Rate |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% | |Other |0 |0 |0 | 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators Important benchmark data is presented in the chart below. Benchmarks [pic] 7. 4 Break-even Analysis Break-even data is presented in the chart and table below. [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Units Break-even |7,294 | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |â‚ ¬18,462 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Per-Unit Revenue |â‚ ¬2. 53 | |Average Per-Unit Variable Cost |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |â‚ ¬13,847 | 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss Payroll Expense: The founder of Kitsch, Loizos Loizou, will receive a salary of â‚ ¬24,000 in year one, â‚ ¬26,400 in year two, and â‚ ¬29,040 in year three. Kitsch intends to hired six part-time employees by the end of year one at â‚ ¬5. 75/hour and a full-time technician at â‚ ¬10. 00/hour. Rent Expense: Kitsch is leasing a 1700 square foot facility at â‚ ¬. 85/sq. oot. The lease agreement Kitsch signed specifies that we pay â‚ ¬2,000/month for a total of 36 months. At the end of the third year, the lease is open for negotiations and Kitsch may or may not re-sign the lease depending on the demands of the lessor. Utilities Expense: As stated i n the contract, the lessor is responsible for the payment of utilities including gas, garbage disposal, and real estate taxes. The only utilities expense that Kitsch must pay is the phone bill generated by fifteen phone lines; thirteen will be dedicated to modems and two for business purposes. The basic monthly service charge for each line provided by CYTA is â‚ ¬17. 29. The 13 lines used to connect the modems will make local calls to the network provided by CYTACOM Solutions resulting in a monthly charge of â‚ ¬224. 77. The two additional lines used for business communication will cost â‚ ¬34. 58/month plus long distance fees. Kitsch assumes that it will not make more than â‚ ¬40. 00/month in long distance calls. Therefore, the total cost associated with the two business lines is estimated at â‚ ¬74. 58/month and the total phone expense at â‚ ¬299. 35/month. In addition, there will be an additional utility expense of â‚ ¬800 for estimated EWEB bills. Marketing Expense: Kitsch allocated â‚ ¬33,750 for promotional expenses over the first year. These were used for advertising in local newspapers in order to build consumer awareness. For additional information, please refer to section 5. 0 of the business plan. Insurance Expense: Kitsch has allocated â‚ ¬1,440 for insurance for the first year. As revenue increases in the second and third year of business, Kitsch intends to invest more money for additional insurance coverage. Depreciation: In depreciating our capital equipment, Kitsch used the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery Method. We depreciated our computers over a five-year time period and our fixtures over seven years. Taxes: Kitsch is not taxed. However, there is a 15% payroll burden. Detailed Profit and Loss data is presented in the table below. [pic] [pic] [pic] Pro Forma Profit and Loss | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | |Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | |Other Costs of Sales |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Cost of Sa les |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | | | | | | |Gross Margin |â‚ ¬186,651 |â‚ ¬227,658 |â‚ ¬235,208 | |Gross Margin % |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 0% | | | | | | | | | | | |Expenses | | | | |Payroll |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Marketing/Promotion |â‚ ¬33,750 |â‚ ¬40,000 |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Rent |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Utilities |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 | |Payroll Taxes |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Operating Expenses |â‚ ¬166,161 |â‚ ¬200,944 |â‚ ¬211,374 | | | | | | |Profit Before Interest and Taxes |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |EBITDA |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |Interest Expense |â‚ ¬2,325 |â‚ ¬1,470 |â‚ ¬1,100 | |Taxes Incurred |â‚ ¬5,450 |â‚ ¬7,573 |â‚ ¬6,820 | | | | | | |Net Profit |â⠀š ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Net Profit/Sales |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% | 7. 6 Cash Flow Cash flow data is presented in the chart and table below. Accounts Payable: Kitsch acquired a â‚ ¬24,000 loan from a bank at a 10% interest rate. The loan paid back at â‚ ¬800/month over the next three years. The â‚ ¬9,290 short term loan paid back at a rate of 8%. Cash (000 â‚ ¬) [pic] |Pro Forma Cash Flow | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Cash Received | | | | | | | | | |Cash from Operations | | | | |Cash Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 |Subtotal Cash from Operations |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Received | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Other Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Investment Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Received |â‚ ¬250,868 |â‚ ¬308,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Expenditures |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Expenditures from Operations | | | | |Cash Spendi ng |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Bill Payments |â‚ ¬133,870 |â‚ ¬165,945 |â‚ ¬168,467 | |Subtotal Spent on Operations |â‚ ¬227,161 |â‚ ¬287,769 |â‚ ¬297,721 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Spent | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Paid Out |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬9,600 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬4,800 | |Purchase Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Purchase Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Dividends |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Spent |â‚ ¬246,051 |â‚ ¬294,769 |â‚ ¬302,521 | | | | | | |Net Cash Flow |â‚ ¬4,817 |â‚ ¬13,775 |â‚ ¬11,089 | |Cash Balance |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet Our projected balance sheet is presented in the table below. Pro Forma Balance Sheet | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Assets | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬6,980 |â‚ ¬8,514 |â‚ ¬8,796 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital |Year 1 Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬13,972 |â‚ ¬13,610 |â‚ ¬13,868 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬15,972 |â‚ ¬18,610 |â‚ ¬18,868 | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬14,400 |â‚ ¬9,400 |â‚ ¬4,600 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬30,372 |â‚ ¬28,010 |â‚ ¬23,468 | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Retained Earnings |(â‚ ¬62,290) |(â‚ ¬49,574) |(â‚ ¬31,904) | |Earnings |â‚ ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | 7. 8 Business Ratios The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code for the Internet Service Provider industry is â€Å"Remote data base information retrieval† 7375. 9903. We used the report for â€Å"Information retrieval services† 7375 to generate  the industry profile. As we are also a food cafe we could have used the ratios based on SIC classification 5812, â€Å"Eating places†. The combined nature of Kitsch Cafe makes our ratios a blend of the two i ndustries. Ratio Analysis | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 |Industry Profile| |Sales Growth |0. 00% |21. 97% |3. 32% |0. 90% | | | | | | | |Percent of Total Assets | | | | | |Inventory |19. 50% |16. 66% |14. 08% |2. 17% | |Other Current Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |84. 8% | |Total Current Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |86. 95% | |Long-term Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |13. 05% | |Total Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities |44. 62% |36. 41% |30. 20% |28. 33% | |Long-term Liabilities |40. 23% |18. 39% |7. 36% |16. 21% | |Total Liabilities |84. 84% |54. 1% |37. 56% |44. 54% | |Net Worth |15. 16% |45. 19% |62. 44% |55. 46% | | | | | | | |Percent of Sales | | | | | |Sales |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | |Gross Margin |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 00% |100. 00% | |Selling, General & Administrative |69. 89% |69. 18% |69. 93% |79. 0% | |Expenses | | | | | |Advertising Expenses |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |1. 01% | |Profit Before Interest an d Taxes |8. 23% |8. 80% |7. 60% |1. 62% | | | | | | | |Main Ratios | | | | | |Current |2. 24 |2. 75 |3. 31 |0. 00 | |Quick |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |0. 0 | |Total Debt to Total Assets |84. 84% |54. 81% |37. 56% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Net Worth |334. 80% |109. 30% |58. 28% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Assets |50. 74% |49. 40% |36. 39% |0. 00% | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | |Net Profit Margin |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% |n. a | |Return on Equity |234. 36% |76. 1% |40. 79% |n. a | | | | | | | |Activity Ratios | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |12. 00 |9. 80 |9. 06 |n. a | |Accounts Payable Turnover |10. 58 |12. 17 |12. 17 |n. a | |Payment Days |27 |30 |30 |n. a | |Total Asset Turnover |6. 95 |5. 94 |5. 02 |n. | | | | | | | |Debt Ratios | | | | | |Debt to Net Worth |5. 60 |1. 21 |0. 60 |n. a | |Current Liab. to Liab. |0. 53 |0. 66 |0. 80 |n. a | | | | | | | |Liquidity Ratios | | | | | |Net Working Capital |â‚ ¬19,826 |â‚ ¬32,496 |â‚ ¬43,610 |n. | |Intere st Coverage |8. 81 |18. 17 |21. 67 |n. a | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios | | | | | |Assets to Sales |0. 14 |0. 17 |0. 20 |n. a | |Current Debt/Total Assets |45% |36% |30% |n. a | |Acid Test |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |n. a | |Sales/Net Worth |45. 87 |13. 14 |8. 4 |n. a | |Dividend Payout |0. 00 |0. 00 |0. 00 |n. a | 8. Appendix |Sales | | | | | | | | | | | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | |Assets |Starting Balances | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,026 |â‚ ¬18,600 |â‚ ¬13,589 |â‚ ¬16,879 |â‚ ¬16,066 |â‚ ¬19,557 |â‚ ¬20,657 |â‚ ¬22,308 |â‚ ¬24,307 |â‚ ¬26,675 |â‚ ¬27,415 |â‚ ¬28,817 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬1,900 |â‚ ¬2,683 |â‚ ¬3,106 |â‚ ¬5,203 |â‚ ¬5,403 |â‚ ¬5,614 |â‚ ¬5,819 |â‚ ¬6,034 |â‚ ¬6,256 |â‚ ¬6,490 |â‚ ¬6,730 |â‚ ¬6,980 | |O ther Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,503 |â‚ ¬8,785 |â‚ ¬8,701 |â‚ ¬13,654 |â‚ ¬12,180 |â‚ ¬12,578 |â‚ ¬12,709 |â‚ ¬13,055 â‚ ¬13,410 |â‚ ¬13,786 |â‚ ¬13,581 |â‚ ¬13,972 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬8,540 |â‚ ¬7,790 |â‚ ¬7,040 |â‚ ¬6,290 |â‚ ¬5,540 |â‚ ¬6,790 |â‚ ¬6,040 |â‚ ¬5,290 |â‚ ¬4,540 |â‚ ¬3,790 |â‚ ¬3,040 |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬15,04 3 |â‚ ¬16,575 |â‚ ¬15,741 |â‚ ¬19,944 |â‚ ¬17,720 |â‚ ¬19,368 |â‚ ¬18,749 |â‚ ¬18,345 |â‚ ¬17,950 |â‚ ¬17,576 |â‚ ¬16,621 |â‚ ¬15,972 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,200 |â‚ ¬22,400 |â‚ ¬21,600 |â‚ ¬20,800 |â‚ ¬20,000 |â‚ ¬19,200 |â‚ ¬18,400 |â‚ ¬17,600 |â‚ ¬16,800 |â‚ ¬16,000 |â‚ ¬15,200 |â‚ ¬14,400 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,29 |â‚ ¬38,243 |â‚ ¬38,975 |â‚ ¬37,341 |â‚ ¬40,744 |â‚ ¬37,720 |â‚ ¬38,568 |â‚ ¬37,149 |â‚ ¬35,945 |â‚ ¬34,750 |â‚ ¬33,576 |â‚ ¬31,821 |â‚ ¬30,372 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 | |Retained Earnings |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 | |Earnings |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,027 |â‚ ¬10,403 |â‚ ¬13,356 |â‚ ¬11,372 |â‚ ¬8,961 |â‚ ¬6,108 |â‚ ¬3,382 |â‚ ¬313 |â‚ ¬3,103 |â‚ ¬6,879 |â‚ ¬9,614 |â‚ ¬12,716 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,66 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,662 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | |

What is Automobility?

Automobility is a concept based on two fundamental ideas.   Autonomy is the self-directing or self-governing freedom of an individual.   Mobility is the movement or travel of an individual.Therefore, automobility is the independent, self-governing movement of an individual.   The concept sounds valid and many people would believe it to be so, however, after a more detailed look automobility may not be as mobile or self-regulating as first thought.Automobility has several factions that claim to define this system of automobility (3).   First is the socio-technical facet that defines automobility as the organization of modern concepts.   The political definition is the regulation and practices of movement.Others see it as the legitimization of the differences between man and machine, and man's dominance over the machine (3).   The one concept that is equivalent in all these definitions is the fact that automobility is a patterned system that creates a cohesive understanding of both autonomy and mobility (4).Upon a closer look, it becomes obvious that this system is really a regime based on truth, power, and subjectivity (8). To understand automobility in these terms, we must define the concept of mobility.   Universally it would be considered an automobile, but other modes of travel are available, such as bicycling, public transportation and taxis, and travelling by telephone and internet.These are all modes of travel, and are all self-regulated by the individual, thus giving them all the title of automobility, however, the car is the most often associated with this concept (6).Truth in this regime of automobility is the concept of driving the car (6).   Power is the brute for of the vehicle, such as trucks and sport utility vehicles which over power most other vehicle and modes of transportation (7). Another part of power are the governmental regulations and rules that accompany the driving of a vehicle, which has created a large amount of govern mental bodies to help keep the driver moving within the laws of automobility (7).While automobility is based in an individual’s freedom of movement, it also causes more regulations to be put on the individual and thus is the power of automobility (7). Subjectivity is the last part of the regime.The subjectivity can be a form of hierarchy or of self-monitoring.   Either way, the ideas of one group or class get put on others.   For example, cyclists are not considered when planning for roads and highways, thus those that drive cars, trucks, and such are putting their views and using their power.Social stigmatisms can also be place in this part, because the subjectivity of a person who views people taking public transportation as failures can lead to incorrect assumptions (8). In any case the three facets of the regime create the concept of automobility (8).There are four problems associated with automobility that affect the world at large.   First problem is the congestio n created with the number of cars and vehicles on the road and the planning of those roads being inadequate (9).The second is the ecological and environmental effects of automobility (9).   Third is the geopolitical factor that causes governments to spend money to find, store, and process the oil needed for the vehicles as well as the possibility of war to ensure the oil supply keeps coming.   The last problem is the deaths and accidents that occur, but are considered a normal part of automobility (10).The fact of the matter is that the concept automobility is virtually and completely impossible, since the concept itself requires external forces to allow it to be used.   For example, roads need to be created and maintained, licensure and driver education to ensure the regulations of the roads are followed, and even walking require sidewalks (11-12).Therefore, automobility is neither mobile nor individually self-regulated.   In fact the governmental bodies created by this con cept are now changing the rules and trying to alleviate or eliminate some of the problems associated with automobility (13 – 14).   In any case, changes are coming and the fragility of automobility has become more obvious, and yet the concept continues.

Different Challenges to Different Organization Research Paper

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Literature discussion on Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Essay

Literature discussion on Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example His belief that theory should be tested chiefly by experience - not logic - also reflects the belief of his age that reason should be tested pragmatically. His works reflect the growing awareness of America as a country with values and interests distinct from those of England. In the later eighteenth century, ethnic and religious traditions were shed and in their place a national identity based on shared ideas was embraced. This was seen by many progressive intellectuals as ways to free the individual from the constricting hand of the repressive past. Franklin's writings were influential in this regard. Writing in the first person is a technique that Thomas Paine effectively used as a writer. With it, he was able to spread his views. Paine was considered a radical pamphleteer as he had anticipated and helped stir up the American Revolution through his powerful writings. For example, it was common sense to support the colonies in their fight with England and to this effect he put out a small pamphlet, Common Sense. The purpose was to effect a powerful change in the minds of many men, and won, at a critical time, a number of American colonists over to the cause of independence. Yes, Paine is forthright in his writings. He wrote of human conditions that meant little to anyone in those years.

Simple Network Management Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Simple Network Management Protocol - Essay Example For instance, network operating on SNMP will be associated with three components i.e. managed devices, agents and network management system (NMS). A managed device can be any node configured with SNMP within the network. The primary task of these managed devices is to perform information management in order to publish the information on the NMS (Protocols guide: TCP/IP protocols: Application layer protocols: SNMP: Simple network management protocol. 2007). Example of managed devices includes routers, hubs, switches etc. Moreover, an agent is considered as an application that is installed in a managed device. In addition, an agent also translates information that will be compatible with SNMP. Furthermore, NMS publish information related to performance, power and any conflict that may occur between these managed devices on the network. Currently, there are three versions of SNMP, these versions share some commands and features that are described in the below table (Protocols guide: TCP /IP protocols: Application layer protocols: SNMP: Simple network management protocol. 2007): Management information base (MIB) is a component of SNMP that assist network engineers and managers to monitor the network functionality via interfaces. For instance, if an organization is developing a new application that will be administered remotely, the developer will integrate a MIB within the application. The MIB will illustrate information and variables for generating alerts (SNMP overview, n.d). Moreover, RFC1213-MIB is also referred as MIB 2, it is compatible with all SNMP agents that may operate on TCP/IP supported devices. The MIB-2 management group is essential, as SNMP supported devices must support MIB-2, in order to work adequately (A closer look at MIB-II (essential SNMP, n.d)). The MIB file hosts a sketch that is associated with the object hierarchy on the network device along with ID of the object i.e. OID, permissions and syntax for every single variable.  

Enthnography Paper on The Quarry and the Lot Essay

Enthnography Paper on The Quarry and the Lot - Essay Example It also tries to find answers to how Joseph Klein, once a bright, smart boy, became so unfortunate in life and eventually passed away at a very young age. This essay attempts to critically assess the subcultures in the Mark Wallace’s book and explicate on how it is difficult for someone from a different subculture to easily blend in. the fundamental question in this book is why Joseph was so different from the other four friends he had grown up with in a similar environment. How do we compare him to other dangerous, violent and ruthless boys from other subcultures and environments? How do we define grief when people were not able to cope with the deceased whist he was alive? Discussion How does a kid as bright and smart as Joseph Klein turn and become a violent, angry, destructive and a ruthless teenager who disregards authority? This is the question that troubles all the four friends in their interactions as they grew up and in their adulthood. This question does not only tro uble the friends, but their parents too and the entire neighborhood. This is evident during Joseph funeral at the Quarry. There is a very big irony at this instance. Why are all these people attending Joseph’s funeral and yet they never regarded him as a friend but an enemy? This beats logic. Are they pretending to be in grief due to the sudden and mysterious death of Joseph? Or are they are truly in grief? Everyone present at this funeral literary had no clue as to what they were doing there (Wallace 11). Joseph grew up from a very humble family whose previous generations produced academicians. Amelia, Luke and Nick, are all trying to ponder how Joseph turned out to be such a monster. What subculture was he prescribing too? When he became an adult, he pushed everyone away from his life, ruthlessly bullied all his friends. It is although very confusing when Wallace aims to establish the impact and role of Joseph Klein in the other friends lives. All these people grew up in th e same environment and were all defined by the same subculture. Luke turned out to be a teacher and a poet writer and Luke a furniture store owner. It is always assumed that society and its culture and doctrines shape people’s character and future behavior. It can be argued that past subcultures can influence behavior and character. What is happening is really changed by what we believe in and sometimes, things that look normal are actually frightening. This phenomenon might explain what happened to Klein Joseph. When people have lost touch and connection with the deceased, can they experience grief in its true form? The families and childhood friends of Joseph are sharing in grief of his departure. This seemingly looks quite surprising since most of the people at this funeral were never friends with the deceased and possibly do not know why they are there. This funeral is not a formal ceremony and thus no mourner(s) has attempted to pick the slack. They did not know how to e xpress how they felt. These people supposedly hated and disliked Joseph for what he did to them as a neighbor. Mark Wallace manages to depict the nature of American suburbs. They tend to encourage some sense of belonging to a certain community. The ironical solidarity that his friends and parents who did not like him at all are trying to show is an example of how the suburbs are (Wallace 41). Did Joseph Klein in any way

Case Study 13.2-The Super Conducting Super Collider(Project

13.2-The Super Conducting Super Collider(Project Management) - Case Study Example This paper will look at the Superconducting Supercollider project by addressing three questions that relates to it. Question 1 As a consultant, I would utilize the following steps to reintroduce a positive turn on the Superconducting Supercollider. One, I would attempt to comprehend the relationship between stakeholders and connection with the Superconducting Supercollider project. It is paramount to note that for us to comprehend every stakeholder’s negotiating and interests both collectively and personally and how the Superconducting Supercollider operates, people should comprehend the nature of the relation between a number of stakeholders and their association with the project. This will entail power and culture relations. This will enhance the success of the project. Two, I would promote interactions and communications. Communication and interaction will permit those involved in the Superconducting Supercollider project exchange useful ideas. Communication and interaction is essential for project leaders for associations with both stakeholders and individuals that may be opposing the priorities of project vision and objectives. If project leaders can develop a trustworthy basis of comprehending the influence of all players in the project and their significance, they can avert a disaster in a challenging situation (Pinto 406). Three, I would address the perception and effect of stakeholders and their management in the Superconducting Supercollider project. Every project faces the risk of perception, especially, a negative perception during its implementation. For example, in the Superconducting Supercollider, negative views by various parties caused severe challenges to the project. In addition, an insufficient management of the stakeholder concerns may frequently lead to controversies and conflicts about the implementation of the Superconducting Supercollider project. Therefore, addressing the perception and effect of stakeholders will guarantee the smooth running of the project. Finally, I would, align incentives, motivations, and values. Aligning values needs a willingness to share beliefs and perspectives through dialogue and sufficient communication, and an urge to permit shared values to evolve and develop through dialogue. Incentives will be given to stakeholders for realizing the objectives and aims of the Superconducting Supercollider project (Pinto 406). Incentives or motivations may function as a catalyst or stimulus for a significant performance for long. Question 2 There were a number of warning signals signifying the failure of the project. These indications could have been anticipated and tackled. In my opinion, the Superconducting Supercollider project was impossible to accomplish. One, the troublesome nature of the contest for the situation of the Superconducting Supercollider was assured to guarantee that defeated societies, and their federal delegates, would be angry and not likely to offer the Superconductin g Supercollider project the cooperation and support that it required. Two, the manner in which the Superconducting Supercollider funding was primarily dished out, at a dragging pace because of Federal deficit issues, made it challenging for the project to take off resiliently. As a matter of fact, the project had to start sluggishly

Communcation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communcation - Essay Example Cross-cultural differences among citizens and consumers may cause cognitive, behavioral and emotional constraints that form barriers to effective communication. Therefore, human resource managers should develop business strategies that reduce communication barriers created by cultural differences among people in the business world. When companies are expanding their business territories, they find themselves handling people from various cultures either I the same country or different countries for the case of international businesses. Cross-cultural differences among citizens and people may be problematic for businesses and other organizations. Cultural differences on local, regional, national and international perspectives may influence how organizations communicate with clients. Cultural differences are a central issue in operations of any organization, business or firm. Variations in cultures across organizations and regions worldwide present several barriers to communication. International businesses and companies operate in areas with diverse cultures worldwide. Therefore, managers of such companies should develop marketing strategies that incorporate cross-cultural issues. The marketing and advertising strategies should develop business relationships among people from different cultures. An effective communication strategy starts by considering the fact that both the sender and the receiver of the message are people from different cultures. Therefore, understanding such cultural diversity is important in ensuring successful cross-cultural communication. To ensure successful integration of cross-cultural aspects in co mmunication strategies for companies, there is a need for proper research on the effect of cultural diversity on business communication (Romani and Claes, 2014). In order to develop effective measures to manage cross-cultural variations affecting communication it is imperative to understand different cultures. Each culture has its

Yasukuni Shrine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Yasukuni Shrine - Research Paper Example Since 1970s these visits have sparked controversy and for many to see respect being paid to Class A war criminals of World War 2 is being considered very offensive to the nations that face the aggression of the Imperial Japan. With Japan’s former Prime Minister Koizumi visiting the shrine, this controversy has been given new life and limelight (Okuyama 2009) The Yasukani Shrine is one of the most controversial shrines in the world. It is a Shinto Shrine that is situated in the Chiyoda district in the capital of Japan, Tokyo. The reason for its controversy is that this shrine was built as a dedication to all the Japanese Soldiers who died fighting in World War 2 on the orders of the Emperor of Japan (Yasukuni Shrine 2008). The Symbolic Registry of Divinities has listed about 2460000 men and women who died for the Imperial Japan. The souls that are enshrined here include all of those who have served the interest of the Imperial Japan since the year 1983. This will include the na tional crisis like the Boshin War, Seinan war and also wars with other countries like Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars. The most controversial aspect of this shrine is that it also has the souls of soldiers who were killed during the active duty during the World Wars (Yasukuni Shrine 2008).... This location was chosen by Meiji Emporer. It was first established to help commemorate the men and women who had died in the Boshin War that resulted in the power restoration of the Meiji. The shrine is among the many that were built under the government sanction Shinto program throughout Japan. Since 1879 the shrine has been named as the Yasukuni Jinja (Ponsonby-Fane 1963; Yasukuni Shrine 2008). It has now become the principal shrine to commemorate the dead who have sacrificed their lives for Japan and its interest. When World War 2 ended, the United States and the Occupation Authorities issued what is now called the Shinto Directive. This directive ensured that the state and the religion was separated in Japan. This obviously had an impact on the Yasukuni Shrine. It was pressurized that either the shrine be declared a religious institution that will not be dependent on the Government or it can itself become a secular government institution. It was then decided by the general masse s that the shine will become a private institution that will be privately funded. Since the year 1946 the shrine has been operating privately (Tetsuya 2008). There is no person buried in the Shrine. This is of the essence as only the souls are enshrined here. There are no ashes, graves or bones of any soldiers here. The priests here only perform purification traditions for the souls of the dead. So the issue arose from the fact that there are many souls enshrined here that are considered to be World War 2 criminals. This enshrinement started in 1959 by the enshrining of 1068 souls that were either Class B or Class C criminals and were declared so before their execution by the tribunals of the Allied Forces. Then in 1978 the kami of fourteen soldiers was

Death Represenataion in Sylvia Plaths Selected Poems Essay Example for Free

Death Represenataion in Sylvia Plaths Selected Poems Essay Death Representation in Sylvia Plaths Selected Poems Mohamed Fleih Hassan Instructor English Dept. / Abstract Death is one of the significant and recurrent themes in the poetry of Sylvia Plath. This paper aims at showing the poets attitudes towards death. Certain poems are selected to show the poets different attitudes to death: death as a rebirth or renewal, and death as an end. Most obvious factors shaped her attitudes towards death were the early death of her father that left her unsecured, and the unfaithfulness of her husband, Ted Hughes, who left her dejected and melancholic. Plaths Two views of a Cadaver Room, Sheep in Fog, A Birthday Present, Edge, and I Am Vertical are selected to outline her various perspectives towards death. Death Representation in Sylvia Plaths Selected Poems Generally speaking, death is represented in literature in various ways shifting from being an ominous terrifying force to a means of fulfillment and new beginnings. Death came to be a recurrent theme in Sylvia Plaths poetry due to the sudden death of her father. His death left the daughter with powerful feelings of defeat, resentment, grief and remorse. So the absence of the father had influenced her emotional life negatively to the extent that it is reflected clearly in her poems. Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) passed in periods of depression and there were precursors of suicidal act through fits of breakdown. Among the reasons for her early depression are the early death of her father that left her unsecured and her failure to attend a writing class at Harvard. Though she got a chair as a college guest-editor of the Mademoiselle, but she got monotonous with nothing to fall back on in New York. She broke down with the unfulfillment of her dream of being a successful writer. Therefore, she took an over-dose of sleeping-pills to end her misery, but she was saved. 1 After successful psychiatric sessions of recovery, Plath met Ted Hughes at Cambridge and they got married in 1956. She found in him a motive and substitute for the absence of the father. Hughes believed in her exceptional gift. In that period, the couple got success and fame with their poetic development, especially when they got children. Her poems had been published in Britain and America like, The Colossus 1960, which dealt with Plaths preoccupation with ideas of death and rebirth. Hughes love affair with another woman broke the heart of Plath, who suffered the devastation of the broken marriage. Shifting into a new flat in London, she started writing poems of rage, despair, love and vengeance but her poems were slowly accepted for publication. She suffered the traumatic breakdown and melancholia that she put her head in the oven in 11 April, 1963. 2 Death came to be a recurrent theme in the poetry of Sylvia Plath, and this theme has been represented in different ways in her poems. She did engage the reader either in a personal or an impersonal way to view death either as a liberating force or troubling depressing experience. Her depiction of death is reflected by the use of such techniques as imagery, language, structure, and tone. Her negative attitude towards death is caused by the early death of her father that left her dejected. In her poem Two views of a Cadaver Room (1959), she presents a pessimistic point of view towards death. This poem recounts an experience she had while dating a young Harvard medical student. She followed her boyfriend and some other medical students into an operating room where the students were busily dissecting a preserved corpse. The speaker and her boyfriend are horrified by the experience, the narrator offers two views of the cadaver room as alternate possibilities of depicting death in art; the physical view of death and the romantic view of death. One view is epitomized by the cadaver room contrasting the romantic one of death, which is represented by a detail from a Brueghel painting depicting two lovers, who are spell bounded by one another and careless to the destruction and devastation around them. The poem is written in two parts. The first part creates a futile setting in which things are described in a dissecting room, which suggests a mood of despondency. She did so by the use of wastelandish simile through comparing cadaver with burnt turkey: The day she visited the dissecting room They had four men laid out, black as burnt turkey, Already half unstrung. (II. 1-3) The place dissecting room suggests mercilessness and dehumanization. The dead bodies are anatomized and bones are removed which suggest a horrible image. The poetess compares death with the dissector, in which it takes off the spirit out of the body as did the doctor in dissecting the major constituents of bodies. Death here represents a terrifying force that annihilates mans life. The dissecting room serves as the epitome of scientific space, which is to say death’s space. And this is the space not only of female witnessing and female passivity, ‘she could scarcely make out anything/ In that rubble of skull plates and old leather’, but also of a bestowal from male to female, from male scientist to female poet. The process of dissecting the dead body indicates the savageness and carelessness of the surgeon, who cuts out the heart; the symbol of mans life and feelings. The surgeon is associated with death in the sense that he extracts the heart of the body, He hands her the cut-out heart like a cracked heirloom. The simile presents a very useless pessimistic image for the heart. The heart is not only reduced to a non-functioning machine, but a man hands death to a woman. The heart is the dearest to man and is compared to the heirloom which contains the memory of the dead, but it is uprooted maliciously. Death came to be an unavoidable inheritance. 4 In many of her poems, what Plath perceives is a death-figure which threatens to swallow her up unless she can reassert her living identity by fixing and thus immobilizing her enemy in a structured poetic image. Plath transforms death by assuming the role of a photo-journalist who observes the details in a way as to control the scene with the transforming power of language. She follows the technique of fusing various visual images in a meaningful way. Therefore, she transcends the literal immediacy of what she sees and creates order out of chaos. The second part paradoxes the first in showing a couple who are ignorant of the horrors of death. Their ignorance of the shadow of death around them intensifies their tragic catastrophic end: Two people only are blind to the carrion army: He, afloat in the sea of her blue satin Skirts, sings in the direction Of her bare shoulder, while she bends, Fingering a leaflet of music, over him, Both of th em deaf to the fiddle in the hands Of the death’s-head shadowing their song. (II. 13-19) Plath thinks that the second view was untenable. Confronting the literal physicality of death (as the narrator does in the first stanza), and ignoring that reality (as the lovers do in the Brueghel painting) seem hopelessly romantic and naive. The only way to relinquish the painful awareness of impending death is by relinquishing life itself. Plath committed suicide in her flat moving herself and her work into the domain of myth and psycho-mystical speculation. The second view of death is the bestowal of death that is interrupted by art. Paradoxically, this interruption of death by art is itself a kind of death, a freezing of life. The poem surveys with an eye which is blind and an ear which is deaf. If the lovers’ blindness and deafness to death’s music permits them to ‘flourish’, then this flourishing is ‘not for long’. Paradoxically, the work of art saves from death by paralyzing or fixing the living in an absolute present, which is to say a perfected present, but without future: This stalling of death’s triumph by art, this resistance of art to death, is itself a kind of death, since it reminds us that those lovers captured in art’s absolute present can do nothing at all. Just as there are two kinds of music here – the death’s-head’s and the lovers’ – so art is not placed in any simple opposition to death. 6 There are two kinds of death: on the one hand, death as process, as rebirth or renewal, as imaginary; and, on the other hand, death as end, as factuality. Plath rides into death in Sheep in Fog (1963) but death is no longer conceived as renewal. The objective in ‘Sheep in Fog’ becomes the ‘dark water’: They threaten To let me through to a heaven Starless and fatherless, a dark water. (II. 13-15) The sense of dissolution is overpowering in this poem through thee description of the background of the poem. Each line and each stanza of the poem concerns the disappearance of something. hills step off into whiteness, Morning has been blackening and the starless heaven leave her dejected and wretched. 7 Sheep in Fog suggests that there is a radical sundering of poet and poetry, a death of the poet that is the life of the poetry, if only as that which is in mourning for the poet. The impersonality of Plath’s later poetry is not arrived at through an ethical self-sacrifice of the poet’s empirical, autobiographical self in the interests of a universal validity, a kind of immortality or proof against death. Rather, it is an impersonality in which there is a highly paradoxical and unstable relation between poet and poetry. 8 A Birthday Present (1962) is another dramatic monologue in which terror and death predominate. The persona longs to know the gift presented by his friend. The speaker, her friend, and the object talk to each other in the kitchen. She imagines that the present may be bones, a pearl button, and an ivory tusk. Each of these things has white colour and suggests the nature of the birthday present that she wants. The three white objects—bones, pearl, and ivory tusk—all suggest death because they were once part of living organisms. The persona speaks of the veils around the present. In order to remove the concealing veil, which causes her anxiety and fear, the speaker demands an end to the screening off of death from view. She compares her life at the end of the poem to the arrival by mail of parts of her own corpse. At the end, the speaker demands as her birthday present not the previously mentioned symbols of death or the figure representing death, but death itself: 9 If it were death I would admire the deep gravity of it, its timeless eyes. I would know you were serious. There would be a nobility then, there would be a birthday. And the knife not carve, but enter Pure and clean as the cry of a baby, And the universe slide from my side. (II. 52-58) The poem dramatizes her birthday to be her death. The drama of A Birthday Present is frightening in its transformation of a domestic and happy occasion into a celebration of suicide. It captures the movement of the speakers mind as she throws herself into the sequence of steps that might lead her to kill herself. Plaths second perspective towards death is that it may be chosen by the individual himself as a means of self-destruction, rather than acting as a horrible exterminating force. The poetess aims to show the suffering and agony of the persona in selecting death as a means of liberation of the antagonistic world of the person. This perspective is reflected in Plaths Edge, which was written on 5 February 1963 and is thought to be Plath’s last poem. According to Seamus Heaney, one of the biographers of Plath, the poem was a suicide note, which is to say an entirely personal, autobiographical communication from a distressed melancholic woman. For this reason, the poem is limited by the literal death of the poet, a death that cannot help but be read back into the poem. 10 This death is a negativity that renews, and works within an economy of life. This is not just an imaginary death, but death as a figure for the imagination itself, as a negativity that may be harnessed in the interests of life. This poem carries the reader not only to the very limit of life, but also to the limit of poetry. And yet, if in this poem the woman is ‘perfected’, it is through a death that takes the form of an aesthetic object, but in which the emphasis none the less falls very much on illusion. The speaker in this poem doesn’t endure the anguish of his life and feels that his misery is over: The illusion of a Greek necessity Flows in the scrolls of her toga Her bare Feet seem to be saying: We have come so far, it is over. (II. 4-8) The bare feet symbolize the lack of protection and immunity. The tone looks submissive but it indicates the willingness to accept death as an outlet and escape of the aggressive world. The persona feels alienated in the world around him. No one cares for the personas death even the moon, The moon has nothing to be sad about/ Staring from her hood of bone. Therefore, she starts looking for something beyond death, which is the longing for perfection. Usually roses symbolize purity, so she compares her folding of the dead bodies of children as petals of a rose close. Therefore she thinks that through death, she will have a new beginning. 11 Death as a means of rebirth is reflected in Plaths I Am Vertical. She sets images taken from nature as a background of her poem. This use of nature as a setting for her poem shows death not as a horrible monstrous thing. She presented two fruitful lively images of nature and then she negates her alikeness to them: I am not a tree with my root in the spoil Sucking up minerals and motherly love So that each March I may gleam into leaf, Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted, Unknowing I must soon unpetal. (II. 2-7) The persona feels rejection of the surroundings when the trees and flowers have been strewing their cool odours. I walk among them, but none of them are noticing. This represents the negligence of society and the social restraints that the individual feels. each March I may gleam into leaf suggests the continuity of life and regeneration. She is longing to be united with nature via death; the nature that symbolizes serenity and tranquility, Then the sky and I are in open conversation. The word sky gives death the sense of spirituality and elevation. The speaker is not satisfied in her life and she accepts death as a means for recognition: And I shall be useful when I lie down finally: Then the trees may touch me for once, and the flowers have time for me. (II. 19-20) Plaths life is ended in a world of death and despondency from which there is no rebirth or transformation.

Public transport Essay Example for Free

Public transport Essay The technique the client and I used to attempt to help her manage her agoraphobia was to expose her gradually to her fear of open spaces. We did this by going for walks increasing the distance each time as the clients anxiety levels decreased. We would not extend distancing until the client could reach a certain agreed point without feeling anxious. During the exposure the client and I would discuss how she was feeling and if she became very anxious we would stop and adopt relaxation techniques in the form of breathing. A fuller discussion of these techniques will be discussed later on. The aim was to relax the clients while confronting her with her fear and then build up gradually so she could take a taxi to her fathers flat and take other public transport.  When the client reached the stage where she became comfortable with the walking distances we arranged a public transport ride. During the days prior to the journey we adopted visualisation where the client would imagine what would happen in the bus. We would also discuss how she would deal with the situation if she were to suffer an epileptic fit while in a bus or out walking. This technique is a form of behaviour therapy called graded exposure (Atkinson 1993) it is all very well facilitating the person to understand why she is phobic but this does not mean the person will be cured of her phobia (Manville 1991).  The aim of behaviour therapy is to change the clients behaviour. It works on the principle that the behaviour has been learnt, but this did not cause her to change her behaviour. The basic approach of graded exposure is to relax the phobia and then introduce her gradually to the object or situation she fears. The nurse can either do this with the client through visualisation or actual exposure (Atkinson 1993).  This client was exposed using visualisation but the technique used the most was direct exposure to the situation.  The ideas to take the clients smallest fear and confront this first working up to their largest fear. This is called the graded hierarchy. The clients smallest fear was to go out of her front door and her largest was to be able to travel on public transport at will. Working towards the clients largest goal gradually is most effective. Clients may lose their fears more readily if they actually expose themselves to anxiety provoking situations in a sequence of graduate steps.  (Sherman 1972 cited in Atkinson 1993 page 678).  Another technique we use to help clients manage her agoraphobia was relaxation techniques.  The clients experienced various unpleasant anxiety symptoms usually just before and during the exposure. The client would feel agitated at the prospect of experiencing anxiety while outside. She would suffer from many physical symptoms. She would have increased pulse rate, pounding heart, nausea and a dry mouth. She would also sweat and complain of butterflies in her stomach or churning. As part of my assignment of the clients anxiety I needed to be able to have observe these feelings and symptoms in the client. Then together we could deal with them and ease her uncomfortable state. I asked questions to myself such as Is she sweating? Is her body language suggestive of anxiety? This would mean shaking or agitated moments.  During times when the client was anxious she found it difficult to concentrate and think rationally or logically. She found it difficult to name her feelings. These are normal reactions. (Wilson and Kneisl 1996). Emotionally the client described herself as tense, nervy, anxious and like Im going to die. The clients would also have negative thoughts about herself. She would say she was silly and useless. So anxiety affected her physical state and cognitions.  This anxiety was causing the client to become increasingly isolated in her flat and also affected her self-esteem because she felt the anxiety controlled her. She recognised the need to control her anxiety, and she wanted to control it and therefore needed to be educated about anxiety and then hopefully she feels more competent to deal with her feelings. The client and I engaged in teaching about anxiety. It was explained that anxiety symptoms occur when our brains interpret a given situation as anxiety provoking. (Baker 1995). The subject of our body involved in the responses in these responses is the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two components; the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic systems. The Sympathetic system causes the individual responses to speed up and the Parasympathetic causes the responses to slow down. So when a person encounters an anxiety-provoking situation, for example, a person approaches someone with a knife, does that person run away or stay and fight? This is termed to fight or flight Syndrome and is dependent on the individuals or biological response to the stressor.  These responses to stress are quite normal and we need them to protect us from danger. Anxiety becomes a problem when a person perceives a situation as a stressor even when it is not. The person will find it difficult to relax and calm down. The interpretation of their anxiety and unpleasant feelings will in turn reinforce more anxiety. Severe anxiety and panic will interfere with the persons role of functioning and daily living as it did with this client. She could not do any of her own shopping or engage in any of her hobbies due to lack of concentration and also could not engage in employment. A consistently sensitised body will eventually become mentally and physically exhausted which prevents activity and decreases esteem (Weekes 1995). It was important for the client to be taught the facts because then the client can begin to recognise when she feels anxious and also can realise that it is a normal reaction to stress (Wilson and Kneisl 1996).  The client and myself would sit in comfortable chairs and think of a place we associated with being relaxed and peaceful environment, for example, in the farm or beach, then we would imagine ourselves in the peaceful surroundings again. This technique is based on the rationale that muscle tension is the bodys response to anxiety. Muscular tension increases the feeling of anxiety and reinforces it. Deep muscle relaxation decreases the tension and blocks the anxiety. It aims to decrease the pulse rate and respiratory rate, blood pressure and perspiration, which are both heightened in anxiety. (Wilson and Kneisl 1996). As the client experienced those feelings the technique seemed relevant to attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable feelings. So graded exposure and relaxation techniques are highly effective when combined together to alleviate fears and phobias. The principles of the treatment are to substitute a response that is incompatible with anxiety, that is, relaxation. It is difficult to be anxious and relaxed all the same time. (Atkinson 1993).  Before we begin the exposure and relaxation, the client could not even make it as far as the front step outside her front door. By the time the exposure therapy was undergoing she began to gradually improve until more comfortable with going outside. She was far from cured but she was gradually becoming more confident when been exposed. Current research on behaviour therapy supports it as a treatment for agoraphobia. For example; Behavioural treatment based on exposure and can provide lasting relief to the majority of patients. (Giovanne et al 1995 p 87).  The education I engaged in with a client regarding relaxation techniques and the biology of anxiety could be said but to be health prolonging. We were trying to work together to empower the clients to make her own decisions about her treatment based on the knowledge of her illness. Once she understood her illness she could begin to make health choices. This education may affect her perception of her illness. Perceived health stresses play a role in the frequency of health promotion behaviour (Pencle 1987). Before we began the therapies the client had a very negative opinion of herself and her abilities, this affected her self-esteem and therefore her experiences of well being. Therefore this affected her perceptions of her illness. Through education, knowledge and practice the client began to fill more positive and began making more decisions about her health and treatment. These examples of decision-making could then be reinforced to her to emphasise the value of good health. (Pender 1987).

Electronic business

Electronic business E-business (electronic business) can simply be described as a wider concept that embraces all aspects of the use of information technology in business. It doesnt just deal with buying and selling it also deals with the servicing customers and collaborating with business partners and with organisation. An example of is Amazon, they deal with the selling of books and music cds online. They act as the middlemen in between the publishers and the consumers. E-business is any business process that is empowered by an information system. E-business can be divided into three parts namely business to consumer, business to business and business to employee. Today, this is mostly done with Web-based technologies. Electronic business methods enables companies to link their internal and external processes more efficiently and flexibly, work more closely with suppliers and partners to better satisfy the needs and expectations of their customers. In practice, this involves the introduction of new re venue streams through the use of electronic commerce, the enhancement of relationships between clients and partners and improving efficiency from using knowledge management systems. E-business can be conducted over the public Internet, through internal intranets and over secure private extranets. E-business covers business processes along the whole value chain: electronic purchasing (e-procurement) and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, customer service and cooperation with business partners. This applies to traditional and virtual organisations. Special technical standards for e-business facilitate the exchange of data between companies. E-business software solutions allow the integration of intra and inter firm business processes. Applications can be divided into three categories: A) Internal business systems: Customer relationship management Internal transaction processing Human resources management Process control Employee information portals Workflow management Enterprise resource planning Knowledge management Document management systems B) Enterprise communication and collaboration Content management system E-mail Voice mail Discussion forums Chat systems Data conferencing Collaborative work systems C) Electronic commerce- Business-to-business electronic commerce or business-to-consumer electronic commerce Electronic funds transfer Supply chain management E-marketing Online transaction processing Scope of e-business applications These applications can be available to different kinds of users: All users of the internet Only the employees on the intranet A specified targeted group of users of an extranet (like customers, partners etc.) E-business offers the opportunity to rethink a whole range of assumptions about how businesses operate, how they relate to their customers and supplies, and their roles and position in the wider market place. The drivers for e-business can be divided into the follows: Opportunities and Threats. Opportunities E-business gives the opportunity to choose a business model. Some organisations such as prudential assurance with Egg and Co-operative Bank with smile have launched different internet businesses, and have taken the opportunity to establish a new brand which might be more representative of their business vision for the future of their business, that an old long-standing brands. E-commerce also gives the opportunity to define the relationship with customers. I.e. routine service transactions are under the customers control. The customer is encouraged to learn the script for example the process associated with placing an order. This learning increases the barriers to switching. Customer knowledge: This embeds the collection of data which give the organisation an upper hand over rivals for example my bank. My bank knows my by name and address which can help stop crime. Cost saving on transactions can be considerable because the customer takes responsibility for a large element of the service transaction. Access to global markets: This takes place mostly in niche markets; access to such global markets has provided welcome opportunities for small businesses and entering the global market is challenging. Threats Barrier of entry are minimal. It takes short period of time to implement web presence and thereby to launch a new business. Size doesnt matter and indeed small and medium sized companies may be more flexible and adaptable. Increase customer expectation about choice, especially in relation to wide product range, the opportunity to undertake comparison shopping, and 24-hour availability. Pressure on product margins. Markets that have pressure on product margins, additional pressure will arise from an additional channel of delivery. Virtual organisations (VO) This is a temporary network of independent companies- supplies, customers, even rivals- linked by information technology to share skills, costs, assets, ideas to create, distribute product and services with out being limited by traditional boundaries or locations and gaining access to one anothers markets. Virtual organisation has many locations and need to communicate between those locations, to share information and work collaboratively on that shared information to produce joint products and services, with the use of information systems. From my point of view virtual organisation can be described as A virtual organisation is an opportunity-pulled and opportunity defined integration of core competencies of different partners which is based on information systems. In a virtual organisation a single project can run across different partners on basis of computer support. In a virtual organisation experts can be accessed through the computer network. In a virtual organisation participants interact with each other as team members within computer supported collaborative work. In a virtual organisation, companies must be connected electronically so that people within an organisation can inter-operate and intra-operate across the electronic business environment, using common tools to navigate around the e-business environment and share information. Virtual organisation will have neither central office nor an organisation chart. This type of organisation will have no hierarchy and no vertical integration. The purpose of such an organisation is to or alliance is to command speed and flexible in order to: Break down market barriers to new products by rallying the required skills and expertise from groups, individuals, and even rivals from outside organisational boundaries. Gain access into new markets and technologies. For this type of organisation to exist they must have the following: Adaptability, flexibility and responsiveness to change requirements and conditions. Effectiveness. Empowerment of staff. Low level of bureaucracy. High infusion of IT to support business processes and knowledge workers. Stewardship of expertise, know-how and knowledge. Dispersion of components parts. The success factors for such organisations are: Shared risks. Mutual benefits. Trust. A shared vision. The goals of a virtual organisation are: Excellence: each partner brings its core competence. Utilization: resources of partners are utilized more profitably. Opportunism: market opportunity can be met better together than by each individual company. Any of these factors can change the opportunism that led to the formation of a virtual organisation may lead to its demise. The bad thing about this organisation is that when they is a conflict, misunderstandings or unforeseen event the organisation has few established procedures to deal with the negotiation and conflict resolution. In a virtual organisation a key component to have is a virtual team. A virtual team is an evolutionary form of network organisation enabled by advances in information and communication technology. The opportunistic nature of such alliances suggests that they will generally be short term and exist only until after their objective has been achieved. The five main attributes of a virtual organisation are alliance for a common goal, underlying information and communication technologies, vertical integration, globalization, and collaboration. The member companies may then disband and proceed to create new partnerships. In reality the permanence of alliances an d the way in which virtual organisations mutate will depend on the interdependencies between the member the members, and the extent to which original objectives evolves into new shared objectives. Organisations are driven to become VO due to different situation: Needs for process innovation companies are often motivated by competitive pressures, supply, demands and other factors to achieve increased productivity and quality. Sharing of core competencies- VO (virtual organisation) help address the voids in an organisation for example the starting up, turn over and retirements. Mobile workers- VO (virtual organisation) concepts can help the numerous companies employing mobile staff such as auditors, consultant and technicians. Cost reduction- improving efficiency often means reducing overhead, such as redistributing cost over several partners locations. Changes in employee values and attitudes toward work- quality of life are a major factor in keeping and employing staff. Costs and problems of traveling- VOs (virtual organisation) address transportation issues, such as unpredicted commuting time, traffic hassles, the cost of fuel and environmental impact of commuting. For an organisation to be able to implement VOs (virtual organisation) it will include: Telecommuting the partners employees work at a location away from the usual workplace such as at home or mobile locations. Tele-centres these satellite offices typically are located in communities outside of local area but provide space, equipments for employees commonly not available in telecommuting. Mobile working this refers to the working environment of mobile workers who are required to use technology such as mobile phones, e-mail wireless devices, pagers and laptops. Hot desking is when employees of an organisation temporary physical occupy a work station or surface in the organisation or a partners organisation. Hoteling employees of this organisation dont have traditional office space in a building but instead work from home or the road and reserve conference rooms or offices at a building, usually the companys headquarters, when they need to meet with clients, colleagues, or their departments. Virtual team is a group of employees that work in a Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT), space, and organisational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology i.e. e-mail, groupware or video conferencing. Technologies In E-business technology is any thing that facilitates and constrains the development of e-business. Most of the excitement around e-business is integrally associated with the potential of the internet, and more specifically the web. Whiles these technologies are important let us not forget that in e-business, especially in business-to-consumer applications, is concerned with allowing customers access through whichever channel they choose for example mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) with WAP display or public access kiosks i.e. in airports, railway stations, and shopping centres. So in other words customer will want to be able to access information in the move, as well as through fixed machines at home or at work. The only problems with this is that the products been viewed can not be touched, smelt, or seen like in a traditional shop. An advantage of these e-businesses is that a customer can go to a virtual mall and collect information on a product, compare prices with similar products and also check details of the product. The main technologies that I will be talking about will be: The internet. The World Wide Web. Intranet and Extranets. The term internet and World Wide Web are often used interchangeably. These two are not the same thing. The internet is a collection of interlinked computer networks or a network of networks while the World Wide Web comprises of those servers linked to the internet that use HTTP. The defining characteristic of the web is that websites or documents are linked to one another through hyperlinks which are embedded in the website. Users move from one site to another with the help of hyperlinks. Another concept that is often encountered in the internet world is that of the intranet. An intranet is an organisations internal communication system that uses internet technology. Intranet is a web browser and graphical user interface. While the internet offers access to its contents for almost any member of the public, intranet have strict access controls in form of passwords and firewalls. These security devices protect company web pages, document databases and other information from external access. These are useful for large companies operating from several places. Extranet is an extended intranet that gives access to users beyond the organisation such as customers, suppliers, collaborators and some times competitors. Extranet also have security devices that protect information from other internet users and define the level of access for approved users. The internet connects millions of computers and the rate of increase in use and the new subscriber are the growth day by day all over the world. This is why a lot of companies are very excited and invest a lot of money in the e-business area of there company. For companies the internet is the gateway to a huge market its just a matter of finding your niche. An example of a very success internet company that we all know is Amazon. Most companies find it important to have a presence online in form of a website, since the internet is becoming a cheaper way of promotion and visibility. For customer the internet is a gateway to information, commercial and government websites, software and document archives, and e-mail. The internet offers for both the customer and companies a rich seam of information and commercial transactions and commerce. Relationship between E-business, Virtual Organisation, and Technology. The relationship between e-business, virtual organisation and technology are that virtual organisation needs e-business and technology. In virtual organisation technology is important because virtual organisation needs these technologies such as the internet to form and re-form alliances and to create blurred boundaries of the organisation, break down barriers to entry and gain access to new markets. It also needs technology for security issues, compatibilities and interoperability, payment mechanism and mobile network channel capacity. It needs e-business because e-business embraces all aspects of information technology in business i.e. security issues related with data security and payment mechanisms, reducing costs, improved customer service and increased competitive edge. This includes buying and selling, collaborating with business partners and the integration across business processes and communication within the organisation. Technology has also helped the virtual organisation advance information and communications technologies. It has also have in flexibility, improved security, low costs, and improved resource utilization. Technology has helped communication to allow members separated by time and space and often culture, geography, history and future to engage in collaborative work. E-business technology is important because e-business needs technology to be able to embrace information technology for example without the internet e-business will not be able to care out tasks like buying and selling online, communicating with customers, companies being able to promote and be visible online. So without technology they will be no e-business. Virtual organisation can be related to e-business only if a company is involved in a temporary network of independent companies linked by information technology to share skills, costs and access to one anothers markets or to produce a product or service. Virtual Organisations and e-business are related to technology or work hand to hand because without them the relevant technologies would not have being created for example in e-business the online transaction processing would have being useless because they will be no need for online transaction without the introduction of e-business. In the case of virtual organisation technology has help make it work for example the internet has made it easy for a virtual organisation to form and re-form alliances and to create blurred boundaries of the organisation, break down barriers to entry and gain access to new markets. Technology has also helped virtual organisation advance information and communications technologies. It has also have in flexibility, improved security, low costs, and improved resource utilization. Technology has helped communication to allow members separated by time and space and often culture, geography, history and future to engage in collaborative work. Benefits of E-business are that it gives the opportunity to choose a business model, it redefines the business relationship, it introduces cost saving for the company i.e. advertising or overhead costs, it gives the company access to new global markets, the company gets introduced to E-commerce, it gives companies like banks Customer knowledge for instant knowing the customer by first name. Benefits of technology are better communication i.e. able to reach more people with the help of the internet, saves on over head costs, it introduces cheaper ways of promotion and been visible to the customers and potential customers, technology gives better storage methods i.e. banks storing information on the magnetic strip of a credit/debit card or super markets storing information on a bar code, it introduces better ways of communicating. Benefits of virtual Organisation are the partners share risks, share costs, it breaks down market barriers to new products by rallying the required skills and expertise from groups, individuals, and even rivals from outside organisational boundaries, it give the partners access into new markets, expertise and technologies, it introduces increased flexibility of organisations and finally it improves customer relations for the partners. Conclusion As discussed I believe that technology, virtual organisation and e-business work to complement each other. Technology is important for both e-business and virtual organisation because both need some sort of technology to be able to exist or work for example virtual organisation can not succeed without technology. It needs technology to set up a networks, communications, security and e-business cant exist without the help of technology because technology is needed to embrace information technology foe example support the internet, World Wide Web, electronic mail, groupware such as lotus and video conferencing. In terms of technology without e-business and virtual organisation the technologies will not be designed or created for example in e-business the online transaction processing would have being useless because they will be no need for online transaction without the introduction of e-business. Technology has also helped virtual organisation advance information and communications t echnologies. It has also have in flexibility, improved security, low costs, and improved resource utilization. Technologies has helped communication or have meetings to allow members separated by time and space and often culture, geography, history and future to engage in collaborative work.