Video Games: Assassin Simulations Essay -- Video Games Violence Papers

Computer games: Assassin Simulations Computer game savagery has been a fiercely discussed theme since the beginnings of the business. The point developed from the discussion on media brutality or viciousness in print media. Be that as it may, the computer game discussion brings another point. Computer games, on account of their vivid nature, are said to have more effect on youngsters. The defenders and rivals of computer game control don't generally fall into conventional political limits. The defenders of control will in general be a few guardians and specialists. Those contradicted to oversight will in general be the individuals who play the computer games themselves. There is a middle group, in any case. The inside group comprises of those specialists and analysts who assess media viciousness on a simply clinical level. The advocates of computer game oversight utilize a ton of feeling, ethos, yet little logos. They essentially accept that children are headed to brutal acts through what they see in their condition. Th ey conjure pictures of the acts of mass violence at Columbine. They depend on their own ethos, being for the most part specialists or self-proclaimed â€Å"experts† regarding the matter. The middle is somewhat unique. They depend absolutely on logos and ethos. They give measurements and request that you confide in their examinations. They likewise assault the investigations and rationale by the defenders as flawed. In any case, in spite of this, they do perceive that computer games are getting progressively vicious. The adversaries of computer game control are for the most part video gamers such as myself, whose solitary voice is on USENET and well known online gaming discussions. We don’t have any â€Å"experts† to represent us, with the exception of the individuals who take a general enemy of control position. Computer games, being an outflow of free discourse and not hazardous to our kids, ought not be controlled. Michael... ...nents of control were grown-ups when they carried out the wrongdoing. Likewise, computer games are a work of art and are ensured as free discourse under the primary correction. Works Cited Brody, Michael â€Å"Playing With Death† The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter. v16 i11 (Nov. 2000) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Grossman, Dave â€Å"Teaching Kids How to Kill† National Forum v80 i4 (Fall 2000) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Peck, Peggy â€Å"Brain Cells Victims of Video Violence† United Press International (Dec. 3 2002) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Walling, Anne D. â€Å"Do Video Games Lead to Violent Behavior in Children† American Family Physician v65 i7 p1436 Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. â€Å"Gangs in Cyber Space† Yahoo Internet Life (Aug. 1, 2002) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Computer games: Assassin Simulations Essay - Video Games Violence Papers Computer games: Assassin Simulations Computer game viciousness has been an uncontrollably discussed subject since the beginnings of the business. The theme developed from the discussion on media viciousness or brutality in print media. In any case, the computer game discussion brings another point. Computer games, as a result of their vivid nature, are said to have more effect on kids. The advocates and adversaries of computer game oversight don't generally fall into customary political limits. The advocates of oversight will in general be a few guardians and specialists. Those contradicted to restriction will in general be the individuals who play the computer games themselves. There is a middle group, in any case. The middle group comprises of those specialists and therapists who assess media brutality on a simply clinical level. The defenders of computer game oversight utilize a great deal of sentiment, ethos, yet little logos. They principally accept that children are headed to brutal acts through what they see in t heir condition. They conjure pictures of the acts of mass violence at Columbine. They depend on their own ethos, being for the most part specialists or self-announced â€Å"experts† regarding the matter. The inside is somewhat extraordinary. They depend absolutely on logos and ethos. They give measurements and request that you confide in their examinations. They likewise assault the investigations and rationale by the defenders as defective. Yet, regardless of this, they do perceive that computer games are getting progressively rough. The adversaries of computer game control are for the most part video gamers such as myself, whose lone voice is on USENET and well known online gaming gatherings. We don’t have any â€Å"experts† to represent us, aside from the individuals who take a general enemy of oversight position. Computer games, being an outflow of free discourse and not perilous to our kids, ought not be edited. Michael... ...nents of oversight were grown-ups when they perpetrated the wrongdoing. Likewise, computer games are an artistic expression and are secured as free discourse under the principal change. Works Cited Brody, Michael â€Å"Playing With Death† The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter. v16 i11 (Nov. 2000) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Grossman, Dave â€Å"Teaching Kids How to Kill† National Forum v80 i4 (Fall 2000) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Peck, Peggy â€Å"Brain Cells Victims of Video Violence† United Press International (Dec. 3 2002) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Walling, Anne D. â€Å"Do Video Games Lead to Violent Behavior in Children† American Family Physician v65 i7 p1436 Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. â€Å"Gangs in Cyber Space† Yahoo Internet Life (Aug. 1, 2002) Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP.

Seasons of Life Essay Example

Periods of Life Paper Tamaki Carter The College of New Rockwell Professor V. Pearson April 19, 2008 The Seasons of Life arrangement looks at the improvement procedure from outset to late adulthood, and the numerous difficulties that are looked at each phase of the advancement procedure. The principal video looks at the formative procedure from birth to roughly age five. The video investigates the numerous segments and encounters that add to people early turn of events. The procedure of human improvement is exceptionally mind boggling. There are many contributing elements that work in union, that make p the formative procedure in people. One being the 3 timekeepers, which are the 3 tickers of improvement. The main clock Is the Biological clock. The Biological clock decides our physical development, for example, when we are conceived and when we kick the bucket. Its the bodys method of keeping time. The subsequent clock Is the social clock. The social clock Is society method of monitoring human turn of events. It Informs of what society anticipates from people, and when. The social clock decides when a youngster should start school, when one ought to think about marriage, and at what age an individual should tire. The third clock is the mental clock. The mental clock is people own clock, its human inward timetable. The mental clock comprises of your sentiments, feelings, and everything that is you. The 3 checks analyzed in video# 1 is the establishment that people create on. The 3 timekeepers are continually ticking from birth to death. Video#2 examines the advancement of youngsters and teenagers from the ages of 6-20. It investigates the numerous difficulties that the two youngsters and youths suffer In human turn of events. We will compose a custom paper test on Seasons of Life explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom article test on Seasons of Life explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Seasons of Life explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer The adolescence and young people stages can be the most testing phase of improvement for both the kid, and the guardians. Youngsters should now adjust to life on their own terms, they should discover approaches to fit In with others, and all while attempting to locate their own place in this world. They should figure out how to manage difficulties and misfortunes in positive manners currently to guarantee that later on challenges are managed in a sound and positive way. Youths must figure out how to change in accordance with their 3 checks being out of sync. This stage is both hard for the kid for what it's worth for the fields. Youths, from one viewpoint request more opportunity, while as yet exhibiting virtuous practices. This is when adolescence starts for most teenagers, which just adds to the disarray. Video# 3 examines the improvement of youthful grown-ups. It depicts the difficulties they face with dealing with their youth, while planning for their adulthood. During the youthful grown-up stage, the social clock Is Informing us that we currently need to pay attention to life considerably more. We need to choose our profession ways, picked a partner, and choose If where going to degree our females. These are the long periods of basic dynamic, on the grounds that the choice made currently will influence the future in positive or negative manners. The ladies won are approaching ten Ana AT youthful grown-ups nave to race ten potential TTY Tanat soon, they will be not able to imitate youngsters, as their natural clock reaches a conclusion. People additionally need to manage relationships that have turned sour, yet for men this progress isn't as hard for them all things considered for ladies. Most men have the chance to begin new. Much of the time that ladies are left with the kids ND should now without precedent for their lives search for Jobs, though the men are single without any youngsters, and can date, and find different allies, while the ladies battles to make a decent living. Video #4 clarifies the improvement technique of center grown-ups. The video analyzes the difficulties center grown-ups encounters in this phase of life in the public arena today, and the impacts of the 3 tickers during this period. The social clock advises us regarding what society anticipates from us, and at what age. For example the social clock decides when a kid should start school, when an individual should insider marriage, and when an individual ought to be resigning. Be that as it may, in todays society, the social clock is evolving. In past ages, coming back to class or changing professions in center adulthood would have been an uncommon event, yet today a lot more individuals in center adulthood are making these and a lot more changes in their lives. Because of better prescriptions, and better quality nourishments, individuals are living any longer today, than in past ages. Individuals in center adulthood presently, have the chance to do Just about whatever they did before in their turn of events. The Baby Boomers are telling us the best way to live in center adulthood, they are indicating us the disposition to need to guarantee elegant maturing in todays society. Some probably won't have an agile maturing experience since they have laments about things it is possible that they did, or didn't do and this can lead too emotional meltdown. Video# 5 investigates late adulthood, and the difficulties confronted with managing ones mortality. Late adulthood alludes to anybody beyond 65 years old, being more than 65 doesn't mean Just sitting at home sewing any longer. Individuals of this age bunch are as yet living like they were youthful, and in certainty there is a gathering called the Young/Old. The Young/Old are extremely dynamic, and still search satisfaction out of life. In late adulthood, the subject of sex is Just as significant as it was in before phases of advancement, however now sex is progressively important, increasingly cozy, and all the more supporting. In late adulthood, uprightness and pride around ones life is significant, and for them a lifes audit will permit them to discover harmony with themselves. For ladies this can be a difficult period, since men bite the dust sooner than ladies, any are disregarded to be widows living. After numerous long stretches of friendship, presently they should manage the way that they are separated from everyone else, no youngsters, and no spouse. The formative procedure archived in these recordings permits one to see the numerous phases in human turn of events. From early stages to late adulthood people need to persevere through the numerous periods of advancement that life brings. From connection to young people, and on to the emotional meltdown, and afterward to the lifes audit one should continually change in accordance with the periods of life.

How Does Customer Development Model Work

How Does Customer Development Model Work INTRODUCTION TO CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT MODELCustomer Development is a theoretical framework created by Steve Blank. Blank served in the Vietnam War before arriving in Silicon Valley in 1978, right around the beginning of the first major tech boom. He worked in tech companies for around 21 years before retiring in 1999. Some of the projects he worked on include SuperMac, a supplier for military intelligence systems and Rocket Science Games, a video games company.After he retired, Blank wrote a book called The Four Steps to the Epiphany. The book was designed for use by entrepreneurs. The book is about how to build up a company while it is still in the early stages. What Blank didn’t realize is that his retirement project would start entire movement in business known as the Lean Startup movement.After the book came out, Blank began teaching entrepreneurship at the University of California Berkley, Columbia, Stanford and NYU. One of the major themes that is taught in his classes is call ed the Customer Development model. This model was first outlined in his book Four Steps to the Epiphany, the work that created one of the biggest shifts in entrepreneurship in the late 20th century. It has since become the center piece of both Blank’s teaching and the Lean Startup Movement.WHO IS THE CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DESIGNED FOR?Blank initially wrote the book for startups but realized that his models were also useful for established organizations.He realized that it was not just startups that failed to launch products. Even big organizations with huge amounts of funding and established identities were also liable to use the wrong approach when taking new products to the market.For example, when Motorola launched its satellite-based phone system, it spent $5 billion on engineering and launching satellites. But no one at Motorola thought to stop and think about whether or not the customer would want this product. As a result, Motorola made a very expensive mistake.The b ook’s official audience is any team that is launching a new product.At first, the model may not seem pertinent to established CEOs or executive teams. However, the task of finding customers and defining markets is the same whether the company is a new startup or a large corporation.The teams that can benefit from includes founders, executives, engineers, marketers and anyone who struggles to find the right customers and the right markets.Blank recognizes that most startups, and even some large organizations, do not have a structured process for locating customers and markets. The Customer Development model will help users develop a useful process for discovering customers. It will also bring discipline to the process to make sure that it works for each team. The model is strict but it is not limited to specific industries like tech. Almost any team developing a product can use this model to discover new customers. The model is designed to not only bring teams where they want to go in terms of developing customer markets but it helps improve the chances of success for the venture. This is because it adds room for learning and growth before money is spent on an unsuccessful launch. Without this customer development process, businesses have no way to validate their assumptions about their customers or grow their business. Hence, without this process, businesses will risk failure every time because they don’t know who their customers are.THE FOUR-STEP FRAMEWORKThe Customer Development model is based on a four step framework. However, this framework is not linear. The non-linear nature of the model is actually the key to its success because it does not force a team to move forward with an idea if the customer data is not there to support it. In fact, the model is designed for the user to fail at least twice before moving on.Step 1. Customer DiscoveryCustomer discovery is the first part of the four step framework. Its goal is simple. This step is for teams to fi gure out exactly who their customers are. Figuring out who the real customers are requires a lot of research. However, it is not about determining the features of a product or testing the product on focus group. In fact, there is little need to talk about the product at all during the customer discovery phase.Blank recommends that the team “get out of the building” to find their markets and customers. This means avoiding paid focus groups and doing research in the real world, with real potential customers to see what is happening on the ground.But at the end of the day, the customer discovery phase is all about the vision behind the product. You need to develop a full understanding of the problem that the product solve. This vision is more emotional than practical. This is where people can envision themselves using the product to solve the problem, not where customers can picture themselves enjoying certain features. The problem is the real point of departure for customer discov ery.Step 2. Customer ValidationCustomer validation is the second part of the process. It can only take place once the target customer and market have been identified. This is because this step is designed to help you create the map that you need to reach those customers.The unique aspect of the customer validation process in the Customer Development model is that if it doesn’t work, the team must start over again with customer discovery. Iteration is actually built into the model.Step 3. Customer CreationCustomer creation is the third step and it is integral to the process because it acknowledges that not all businesses enter similar markets. There are four primary types of startup markets:Some businesses enter markets that are pre-existing.Some businesses enter markets that are completely new.Some businesses enter the existing market as a low cost alternative.Some businesses aim to carve a new segment in an existing market as a niche.It is worth noting that these markets are not mutually exclusive. In some cases, businesses will enter a market that is a hybrid of two of the markets listed above.Customer creation occupies the third step of the Customer Development model because it encourages businesses to avoid over-spending on marketing until after the first customers are already acquired. This prevents teams from continuing to spend on markets and customers that do not exist and cannot be created.Step 4. Company BuildingCompany building is the final part of the process because this signals the transition from an informal learning experience into a fully-fledged department that works to formally take advantage of any early success the company has had in its market.This is also the part of the process when the business can begin to spend more money on marketing and driving customer sales. It is important that this scaling happens at the end of the process because pre-mature spending can put the company in a vulnerable financial position. If the development t eam starts spending huge amounts of money on customers they haven’t identified yet, it will struggle to keep up financially and physically if and when business does pick up.HOW TO USE THE CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT MODELThis model does not replace the Product Development model, it works in conjunction with it.Blank says that Customer Development and Product Development must work as parallel processes if they are to be successful. It is essential that both the customer and the product be considered during the early phases of building the business. This is especially true for startups.The reason that there is such a large focus on the Customer Development model is because it is the most neglected of the two processes. For those who are design and engineering minded, it can be difficult to remember to develop the vision as well as the features of the product. This vision, which is a part of Customer Development, is essential for developing a strong, long-term business plan.However, these p rocesses will not work in tandem when the business is fully developed or has reached the status of a large company. Rather than developing the vision and the product simultaneously, the two models work together to add on different features for the established customer base. Essentially, large organizations will use these models to tailor products to an already established customer base.The Customer Development model is different because it is iterative. It is okay to fail several times before getting it right.The model assumes that you will move back and forth between customer discovery and customer validation at least twice before proceeding. Teams who implement this model must accept that failure is an important and natural part of the process. If they do not, they won’t get the most from the model. This is because they will continue to push products into a target customer market that is not the right fit. This only leads to the same crippling failure that they would have experi enced if they haven’t used the Customer Development process at all.This is where the inherent value of the process lies. In business, it is essential to create room for measured failures.The model makes it okay to fail because it prevents businesses from moving forward even if it hasn’t found the right customer.With this model, failure is inevitable. But it is better to fail early, with a small team and little money spent, then to push a product to the market and fail then.Failure that ruins businesses is failure that is not recognized until it’s too late. Continuing to throw money at it rarely saves it. In fact, it often makes the failure worse.The Key PointsThere is a lot of information in this article about the basics of developing a customer base. Some of it is complicated and other parts of it are hard to swallow for some people. It can be hard to think about failure when starting a new business or developing a new product. What is the point of dedicating valuable time to Customer Development if you are just going to fail anyway?This is the wrong way to approach failure. Instead, you should meditate on the key points of the Customer Development model to see why controlled or anticipated failure can actually help the business.Customer Development minimizes the risk of failure.Although there is a lot of time spent talking about failure in the first two steps of the process, Customer Development actually minimizes the risks associated with failure.When you fail in the initial stages of the Product Development and the Customer Development processes, you have invested a lot less time and a lot less money into the business.This leaves you free to re-group and try again. When you fail early, you will have more resources to start over. You will also be able to carry that knowledge with you from the previous failure into the new attempt.It is easier to fail a product and re-develop it before it hits the market. Selling to new customers is hard enough without having to re-sell a product that failed publically.You need to understand the market you are in.Understanding the market that you are in grows in importance with every step of the process.During customer discovery, you are getting to know the market that you are working in.In customer validation, you are figuring out what steps must be taken to successfully reach your market.By the time you reach the customer creation phase, understanding market type is an essential part of the process. If you reach this phase and do not understanding your market, then you must start over. You cannot proceed from here if you don’t understand the market. This is the point where many businesses go wrong because they choose to over-spend to make up for the lack of information acquired regarding their markets.You need to find the minimum feature set that you need to gain early customers.Customer Development is not about throwing together a huge amount of features and asking customers if they would us e them.Actually, creating the minimum amount of features for a product works better when you use Customer Development and Product Development together. This allows you to focus more on the vision of the product rather than special features.For example, if the product is a toothbrush that offers a better user experience and has qualities that clean teeth better, it is these qualities that should be focused on. Don’t worry about adding Bluetooth connectivity between the toothbrush and mobile devices during these initial stages. This will only distract your team and your customers from the problem that the product solves.Avoid spectacular failures in execution by learning before you launch and not after.The biggest theme that Blank tries to get across is that you need to avoid failing after you have already launched. These failures become spectacular because not only did the team burn a huge amount of resources in an unproductive manner but they continue to burn more resources to try to make up for it.Essentially, you need to know there is a market that wants your product. If there isn’t, you have a lot of work to do before you even consider setting a launch date.CONCLUSION In this article, we start with 1) an introduction to the Customer Development model so that you can learn then about 2) who the customer development process designed for is, 3) the four-steps framework, 4) how to use Customer Development model, and 5) a conclusion.INTRODUCTION TO CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT MODELCustomer Development is a theoretical framework created by Steve Blank. Blank served in the Vietnam War before arriving in Silicon Valley in 1978, right around the beginning of the first major tech boom. He worked in tech companies for around 21 years before retiring in 1999. Some of the projects he worked on include SuperMac, a supplier for military intelligence systems and Rocket Science Games, a video games company.After he retired, Blank wrote a book called The Four Steps to the Epiphany. The book was designed for use by entrepreneurs. The book is about how to build up a company while it is still in the early stages. What Blank didn’t realize is that his retirement project wou ld start entire movement in business known as the Lean Startup movement.After the book came out, Blank began teaching entrepreneurship at the University of California Berkley, Columbia, Stanford and NYU. One of the major themes that is taught in his classes is called the Customer Development model. This model was first outlined in his book Four Steps to the Epiphany, the work that created one of the biggest shifts in entrepreneurship in the late 20th century. It has since become the center piece of both Blank’s teaching and the Lean Startup Movement.WHO IS THE CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DESIGNED FOR?Blank initially wrote the book for startups but realized that his models were also useful for established organizations.He realized that it was not just startups that failed to launch products. Even big organizations with huge amounts of funding and established identities were also liable to use the wrong approach when taking new products to the market.For example, when Motorola laun ched its satellite-based phone system, it spent $5 billion on engineering and launching satellites. But no one at Motorola thought to stop and think about whether or not the customer would want this product. As a result, Motorola made a very expensive mistake.The book’s official audience is any team that is launching a new product.At first, the model may not seem pertinent to established CEOs or executive teams. However, the task of finding customers and defining markets is the same whether the company is a new startup or a large corporation.The teams that can benefit from includes founders, executives, engineers, marketers and anyone who struggles to find the right customers and the right markets.Blank recognizes that most startups, and even some large organizations, do not have a structured process for locating customers and markets. The Customer Development model will help users develop a useful process for discovering customers. It will also bring discipline to the process to make sure that it works for each team. The model is strict but it is not limited to specific industries like tech. Almost any team developing a product can use this model to discover new customers. The model is designed to not only bring teams where they want to go in terms of developing customer markets but it helps improve the chances of success for the venture. This is because it adds room for learning and growth before money is spent on an unsuccessful launch. Without this customer development process, businesses have no way to validate their assumptions about their customers or grow their business. Hence, without this process, businesses will risk failure every time because they don’t know who their customers are.THE FOUR-STEP FRAMEWORKThe Customer Development model is based on a four step framework. However, this framework is not linear. The non-linear nature of the model is actually the key to its success because it does not force a team to move forward with an idea if the customer data is not there to support it. In fact, the model is designed for the user to fail at least twice before moving on.Step 1. Customer DiscoveryCustomer discovery is the first part of the four step framework. Its goal is simple. This step is for teams to figure out exactly who their customers are. Figuring out who the real customers are requires a lot of research. However, it is not about determining the features of a product or testing the product on focus group. In fact, there is little need to talk about the product at all during the customer discovery phase.Blank recommends that the team “get out of the building” to find their markets and customers. This means avoiding paid focus groups and doing research in the real world, with real potential customers to see what is happening on the ground.But at the end of the day, the customer discovery phase is all about the vision behind the product. You need to develop a full understanding of the problem that the product solve . This vision is more emotional than practical. This is where people can envision themselves using the product to solve the problem, not where customers can picture themselves enjoying certain features. The problem is the real point of departure for customer discovery.Step 2. Customer ValidationCustomer validation is the second part of the process. It can only take place once the target customer and market have been identified. This is because this step is designed to help you create the map that you need to reach those customers.The unique aspect of the customer validation process in the Customer Development model is that if it doesn’t work, the team must start over again with customer discovery. Iteration is actually built into the model.Step 3. Customer CreationCustomer creation is the third step and it is integral to the process because it acknowledges that not all businesses enter similar markets. There are four primary types of startup markets:Some businesses enter markets t hat are pre-existing.Some businesses enter markets that are completely new.Some businesses enter the existing market as a low cost alternative.Some businesses aim to carve a new segment in an existing market as a niche.It is worth noting that these markets are not mutually exclusive. In some cases, businesses will enter a market that is a hybrid of two of the markets listed above.Customer creation occupies the third step of the Customer Development model because it encourages businesses to avoid over-spending on marketing until after the first customers are already acquired. This prevents teams from continuing to spend on markets and customers that do not exist and cannot be created.Step 4. Company BuildingCompany building is the final part of the process because this signals the transition from an informal learning experience into a fully-fledged department that works to formally take advantage of any early success the company has had in its market.This is also the part of the proc ess when the business can begin to spend more money on marketing and driving customer sales. It is important that this scaling happens at the end of the process because pre-mature spending can put the company in a vulnerable financial position. If the development team starts spending huge amounts of money on customers they haven’t identified yet, it will struggle to keep up financially and physically if and when business does pick up.HOW TO USE THE CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT MODELThis model does not replace the Product Development model, it works in conjunction with it.Blank says that Customer Development and Product Development must work as parallel processes if they are to be successful. It is essential that both the customer and the product be considered during the early phases of building the business. This is especially true for startups.The reason that there is such a large focus on the Customer Development model is because it is the most neglected of the two processes. For those who are design and engineering minded, it can be difficult to remember to develop the vision as well as the features of the product. This vision, which is a part of Customer Development, is essential for developing a strong, long-term business plan.However, these processes will not work in tandem when the business is fully developed or has reached the status of a large company. Rather than developing the vision and the product simultaneously, the two models work together to add on different features for the established customer base. Essentially, large organizations will use these models to tailor products to an already established customer base.The Customer Development model is different because it is iterative. It is okay to fail several times before getting it right.The model assumes that you will move back and forth between customer discovery and customer validation at least twice before proceeding. Teams who implement this model must accept that failure is an important and natu ral part of the process. If they do not, they won’t get the most from the model. This is because they will continue to push products into a target customer market that is not the right fit. This only leads to the same crippling failure that they would have experienced if they haven’t used the Customer Development process at all.This is where the inherent value of the process lies. In business, it is essential to create room for measured failures.The model makes it okay to fail because it prevents businesses from moving forward even if it hasn’t found the right customer.With this model, failure is inevitable. But it is better to fail early, with a small team and little money spent, then to push a product to the market and fail then.Failure that ruins businesses is failure that is not recognized until it’s too late. Continuing to throw money at it rarely saves it. In fact, it often makes the failure worse.The Key PointsThere is a lot of information in this article about the ba sics of developing a customer base. Some of it is complicated and other parts of it are hard to swallow for some people. It can be hard to think about failure when starting a new business or developing a new product. What is the point of dedicating valuable time to Customer Development if you are just going to fail anyway?This is the wrong way to approach failure. Instead, you should meditate on the key points of the Customer Development model to see why controlled or anticipated failure can actually help the business.Customer Development minimizes the risk of failure.Although there is a lot of time spent talking about failure in the first two steps of the process, Customer Development actually minimizes the risks associated with failure.When you fail in the initial stages of the Product Development and the Customer Development processes, you have invested a lot less time and a lot less money into the business.This leaves you free to re-group and try again. When you fail early, you will have more resources to start over. You will also be able to carry that knowledge with you from the previous failure into the new attempt.It is easier to fail a product and re-develop it before it hits the market. Selling to new customers is hard enough without having to re-sell a product that failed publically.You need to understand the market you are in.Understanding the market that you are in grows in importance with every step of the process.During customer discovery, you are getting to know the market that you are working in.In customer validation, you are figuring out what steps must be taken to successfully reach your market.By the time you reach the customer creation phase, understanding market type is an essential part of the process. If you reach this phase and do not understanding your market, then you must start over. You cannot proceed from here if you don’t understand the market. This is the point where many businesses go wrong because they choose to over-spend t o make up for the lack of information acquired regarding their markets.You need to find the minimum feature set that you need to gain early customers.Customer Development is not about throwing together a huge amount of features and asking customers if they would use them.Actually, creating the minimum amount of features for a product works better when you use Customer Development and Product Development together. This allows you to focus more on the vision of the product rather than special features.For example, if the product is a toothbrush that offers a better user experience and has qualities that clean teeth better, it is these qualities that should be focused on. Don’t worry about adding Bluetooth connectivity between the toothbrush and mobile devices during these initial stages. This will only distract your team and your customers from the problem that the product solves.Avoid spectacular failures in execution by learning before you launch and not after.The biggest theme th at Blank tries to get across is that you need to avoid failing after you have already launched. These failures become spectacular because not only did the team burn a huge amount of resources in an unproductive manner but they continue to burn more resources to try to make up for it.Essentially, you need to know there is a market that wants your product. If there isn’t, you have a lot of work to do before you even consider setting a launch date.CONCLUSIONWhen applied correctly, the Customer Development model can help provide your business with a tried and tested model for your customers. Customer Development works by helping you discover, validate and grow your business before you launch your product. It is a model that should be used alongside your Product Development model. When your team implements these models, you will find that you have a sure way to track, test and grow your customers and make sure that your product is going into a market that has room for it.

Corruption of Government Essay - 1313 Words

The unlawful use of a person’s position while in power leads to multiple problems with today’s government. The corrupt methods politicians use are ideas that are strictly in place for personal gain. Present throughout history and still prevalent within today’s world, government corruption has consisted of a number of negative issues including bribery, economic and social impacts, and the misuse of power. Government’s role within daily life has been shown to have negative effects as seen in many aspects of life as well as in literature. Bribery can be defined as when one is offered money or some other incentive with the intention to corrupt a person’s actions. ¬ Bribery is the main component, if not the basis, of government corruption.†¦show more content†¦If anyone in Equality’s society were to disobey the Council, they would be punished. â€Å"We have seen one of such men burned alive in the square of the City. And it was a sight which has stayed with us through the years, and it haunts us, and follows us, and it gives us no rest. We were a child then, ten years old. And we stood in the great square with all the children and all the men of the City, sent to behold the burning. They brought the Transgressor out into the square and they led them to the pyre. They had torn out the tongue of the Transgressor, so that they could speak no longer† (Rand 50). The Council had shown the community the burning of the Transgressor as a threatening bribe so that the community would know not to disobey The Council, because if they did they would be punished. The threat of punishment was an indirect form of bribery placed by that society’s government on its daily life. Bribery is one of the negative side effects that result from the corruption of government actions. There are also economic effects that result from government corruption. These economic effects coincided with bribery. People who work for compani es that are at risk of being shut down for health or other reasons will pay any amount to make their problems go away. In Mexico, food store owners such as Jose Luis Garcia will pay anywhere from $50-$100 to have inspectors turn the other way (Archibold). This happens on a small scale such asShow MoreRelatedCorruption in Government4697 Words   |  19 PagesCorruption in Leadership: Public Service and Government Cynthia Klecha Abstract Corruption throughout the world is extensive. Corruption is defined as the twisting of integrity. A corrupt individual is an opponent of the truth; their virtues and ethics are deficient. In the United States, people in all positions of private district, public assistance, and government bureaus have been entangled in varieties ofRead MoreCorruption Of The Russian Government1606 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Over the past decade (from 2004 to 2014), political corruption in Russia government is gradually uncovered by some global medias and organizations. Such tendency not only repainted the entire landscape of Russia government, but also raised public awareness on the significance of preventing a greater deterioration of this political phenomenon worldwide. This report aims to prove such political phenomenon is unethical through the comparison with code of conduct, and to provide tangible measuresRead MoreEssay on Government Corruption1158 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Over the last few years, the issue of corruption--the abuse of public office for private gain--has attracted renewed interest, both among academics and policymakers. There are a number of reasons why this topic has come under recent inspection. Corruption scandals have toppled governments in both major industrial countries and developing countries. In the transition countries, the shift from command economies to free market economies has created massive opportunitiesRead MoreCorruption In The Ukraine Government1483 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The educational challenges endured by the Ukrainian government and its citizens is a suitable option for the final comparison paper. Ukraine shares a longstanding history with Russia having only attained independence in 1991, and the government aimed to cultivate a relationship with Western Europe, particularly the European Union (EU). Discouragingly, twenty six years after independence Ukraine wrestles with a depleted economy inherited from former and first President LeonidRead MoreCorruption of Foreign Governments Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesCorruption can be defined as the misuse of entrusted power for personal benefit. It can also be described as letting personal or family relationships influence economic decision making, be it by private economic agents or by government officials. Corruption is always kept secret and therefore individual behavior of corrupt agents is almost impossible to observe systematically in real life. The objectives of government are vital to the understanding of the diverse negative effectsRead MoreGovernment Corruption Of Latin America1371 Words   |  6 Pageskidnapping, drug trafficking, child pornography, lack of women’s rights, and little accountability over the region’s law makers and authorities which can lead to government corruption (para. 12). Government corruption can be defined as political power used by government leaders for private gain and to maintain their power as a government official. Most of the times these corrupt politicians in Latin America say they are accomplishing apprehension of criminals to the best of their abilities when, inRead MoreCorruption Of Government Of New Zealand1405 Words   |  6 Pagestopic is about Corruption related to government sectors in New Zealand. I decided to search about this topic because I found the presentation about police in the class was interesting. The topic about corruption is interesting because the money is often from our tax and it is whether the government uses it in an appropriate and responsible way. In general, Corruption occurs when someone make use of governments’ power or money for their own interest. My topic relates to government sectors, taxationRead MoreGovernment Corruption : Exposing The Truth2940 Words   |  12 Pages 2014 Government Corruption Exposing the Truth What is one world problem that can be reduced drastically by citizens of the world? That would be political and governmental corruption. Some countries it may be easier to have a impact than others like in America and that is why as an American citizen taking the most steps that we can to help this problem is not just our right but our duty. In the United States contrary to the average citizens conditioning towards the government corruption isn’t reallyRead MoreEssay on Corruption in US Government1991 Words   |  8 Pagesgiving the colonials a square deal. This story gives American’s pride in their identity and government. It also serves to legitimize the current US Government, for the current officials follow the same Constitution set up by those Patriots who fought the British. However, since the founding of the US Government there have been numerous cases in which the government has betrayed its people and committed corruption. When the media finds out about such a corrupt act, generally a scapegoat bears the entiretyRead MoreThe Government Protecting Citizens from Corruption1330 Words   |  5 Pagesperson is liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, the role within the United States government is to carry out essential responsibilities its citizens cannot perform. The United States citizens are responsible of electing politicians into government positions to solve the problems the country faces. One of those problems is corruption. The power of money is at the center of political corruption and even though fraud has been in existence for a long time, in recent years it has become a

Shortcuts to List of Essay Topics Only a Few People Know

Shortcuts to List of Essay Topics Only a Few People Know What List of Essay Topics Is - and What it Is Not Morality has a collection of unsolved problems, the solution on which usually presents a selection. The main aim of topic choice for a proposal essay is to show the idea can be put into place in practice. The central intention of any introduction is presenting the major idea of your definition essay, in different words, you are to state clearly what it is you are likely to define. There's, clearly, a limit on the variety of pages even our finest writers can produce with a pressing deadline, but usually, we can satisfy all the clients seeking urgent assistance. Some students utilize the very first idea which arrives in their head and work on it, but the outcome isn't profitable. Very often it becomes hard to choose a single topic either due to the many ideas in the student's head, or due to their complete absence. Whether you presently have a topic in mind or want guidance in locating the ideal option possible, our team members will be able to help you create a 100% unique and authentic essay that will satisfy all your academic requirements. Always think deeply about how to make a superior essay structure it's a significant part academic writing. In the procedure for writing research articles, it's essential to adhere to a specific topic. You might believe that interesting essay titles do all of the work, permitting you to add obvious examples and share ordinary ideas. To begin with, your key to winning essay is a crystal clear comprehension of what it is you're likely to take care of. Obviously, you won't always have a true situation to discuss for every single topic sometimes you've got to borrow ideas from different people or simply apply your imagination. Each time that you want to make sure your persuasive speech success, you should go far past the topic and words you have prepared. Opt for a prompt at random from above, or pick a topic which you think will be hard that you detach from (because you're going to want to write about this issue, instead of the argument) set timer to 50 minutes and compose the essay. Selecting a topic is an essential issue that partly estimates final success of the job. The Appeal of List of Essay Topics Specifically, it is all about the rules of citation, for instance, an APA research paper format. Be attentive to the size it must be and get started writing the narrative essay outline. Then, there's the format. To compose an outstanding essay, it's critical to use specific academic language. Among the various types of essay, there's a definition essay that could appear to be among the most simple assignments. Different essay types need various questions. When you have that narrowed down, you can concentrate your research and compose a remarkable paper. You simply must be in a position to be comfortable with a couple examples, and be certain you can effectively relate them to your analysis. Recycling is the sole method to conserve Earth. Deciding on a writing topic can be stressful regardless of what subject you're writing over. You've approached the last portion of your essay. At any time you catch yourself feeling captivated by an individu essay or article, take a good look at it. Try out another topic and do the exact same 5-minute writing test till you locate a topic you know you can readily write on. Opt for an intriguing essay topic, and you are going to begin enjoying it.

Alan Klein Sugarball Free Essays

Alan Klein’s Sugarball is both a historical overview and cultural study of how citizens of the Dominican Republic not only enjoy baseball but use it as a means of cultural self-expression and, more importantly, resistance to American domination of their small country.   Though not openly hostile to the United States, the Dominican public uses baseball as a means of asserting pride and equality in the face of long, formidable neocolonial domination. Baseball is a specifically American entity only partly because it was created and evolved in the United States, where for decades it remained the dominant spectator sport. We will write a custom essay sample on Alan Klein Sugarball or any similar topic only for you Order Now    More importantly, Klein asserts, baseball is uniquely American in how it has spread to other nations and dominates the game elsewhere.   It has the largest and strongest organization, the richest teams, largest fan base, most lucrative broadcasting and advertising contracts, and most extensive networks for scouting and player development. Baseball’s presence in the Dominican Republic (among the western hemisphere’s poorest nations) is also uniquely American because, as with other aspects of American culture, it was brought there as American domination spread throughout the Caribbean American interests assumed control of the Dominican economy. However, unlike other American corporations, Major League Baseball did not provoke widespread, unmitigated resentment, but is for the most part supported by the nation’s people.   In addition, the methods long used to scout and sign Dominican ballplayers is similarly dubious and rifer with duplicity; Klein calls their methods â€Å"so reminiscent of those of the West African slave traders of three centuries earlier† (42). In terms of the game itself, the rules and style in each are generally the same, and while Dominicans play the game with an intensity equal with Americans, their approach to other aspects of baseball are more casual, reflecting that society’s leniency and lax approach to time.   While Dominican players play as hard as their American teammates and opponents, they embrace a much more casual attitude toward time, frequently showing up late for meetings or practice unless specifically required to be punctual.   In addition, they tend to be more exuberant and unrestrained; playing the game seriously is not equated with a somber demeanor. Most of the differences lie off the field, particularly in the atmosphere of a stadium on game day.   The fan culture is radically different; where American fans are more restrained, often get to games on time, and can sometimes be confrontational with other fans, Dominican fans are generally louder, more physically and temperamentally relaxed, more effusive (even with strangers), and, despite the demonstrative body language and shouting shown in arguments, there is far less violence than at an American ballgame. Klein attributes this to the fact that â€Å"[Dominican fans] are far more social than North Americans, more in tune with human frailty.   Because they see so much human vulnerability, because they are closer to the margins of life, they are more likely to resist the urge to bully and harm† (148). Economic power essentially defines the relationship between American and Dominican baseball, because Major League Baseball develops and signs much of the local Dominican talent, leaving the Dominican professional league and amateur ranks underdeveloped and subordinate to the North American teams who establish baseball academies and working agreements with Dominican teams. Since 1955, when the major leagues established working agreements with Dominican professional clubs (and, more significantly, eliminated the â€Å"color line† that prevented most Dominicans, who are predominantly mulatto, from playing), American baseball has shown its hegemony over its Dominican counterpart, turning the latter into a virtual colony by taking its raw resources and giving back very little in return.   Klein comments: â€Å"The lure of cheap, abundant talent in the Dominican Republic led American teams to establish a more substantial presence there . . . [and the] bonds between American and Dominican baseball came increasingly to resemble other economic and political relations between the two countries† (36). Klein writes that most Dominicans accept American dominance of their baseball, adding that â€Å"whereas giants such as Falconbridge and GTE are resented, major league teams are largely supported† (2), mainly because Dominican players have such a notable presence and bring positive attention to their impoverished homeland.   This support is by no means unconditional, though; they steadfastly refuse to approach the game with American businesslike gravitas; instead, they treat the game itself somewhat like Carnival, with joy coexisting alongside energetic, intense play. Resistance appears in the way Dominican players relax at home, interacting more freely with fans, who themselves resist American baseball’s decorum by being themselves and creating a festive, effusive, Carnival-like atmosphere.   According to Klein, â€Å"The game remains American in structure, but its setting is Dominican and it has become infused with Dominican values† (149).   Indeed, the park fosters a microcosm of Dominican society, particularly its impoverished economy, and unlike the more slick American baseball business, it does not exclude its marginal activities. In addition to the paid vendors and park employees within the stadium, an illicit economy flourishes both within and on the outside, with self-appointed â€Å"car watchers,† vendors, and ushers (adults and children alike) plying their trade for small fees, and bookmakers work openly, often in the presence of the police, who turn a blind eye to most illegal activity aside from the rare fight. Dominican baseball’s symbolic significance is not a sense of the pastoral heritage, like some in America interpret it; instead, it reflects Dominicans’ sense of themselves being dominated by the United States, and offers a symbolic outlet for striking back. In his preface, Klein writes: â€Å"The tensions between a batter who has two strikes against him and the opposing pitcher are a metaphor for the political and cultural tensions described in this book† (xi).   Indeed, the Dominican republic’s deeply entrenched poverty and long domination by foreign powers give it a feeling of vulnerability and compel its people to seek some means of besting the dominant power – if not politically or economically, then at least athletically. At the start of the book, Klein states that â€Å"every turn at bat is a candle of hope, every swing is the wave of a banner, the sweeping arc of a sword† (1).   Indeed, when a Dominican reaches the major leagues and excels, it is not merely an athletic success story but a symbolic invasion and conquest of the conqueror’s territory.   (The United States twice occupied the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century, an ever-present fact in Dominicans’ minds.) Also, the atmosphere in the crowd of a Dominican professional game serves as the country’s symbolic assertion of its culture in the face of American dominance.   At Santo Domingo’s Quisqueya Stadium, one witnesses â€Å"a mass spectacle that makes simultaneous use of American and Dominican elements. . . . [Baseball] at Quisqueya embodies many of the things that North Americans find blameworthy in Dominican culture – lateness, overly casual behavior, inefficiency.   But the Dominicans see these characteristics as a source of pride, and they take their game seriously† (150). The Dominican baseball press is a source of more open resistance; says Klein, â€Å"the press has inadvertently created a Latino universe of discourse, one in which North Americans are conspicuously absent† (127).   Its journalists display an obvious bias by devoting so much attention to Dominicans in the major leagues that one hardly knows other nationalities even participate. In addition, Dominican baseball writers openly blame Dominican baseball’s problems on American control, protesting a skewed economic relationship that mirrors the larger political and economic imbalance.   They promote much of the public’s pride, says Klein, but that pride is â€Å"tempered by the view that Dominican baseball is still an adjunct to the American game† (121).   Dominican resistance is thus aimed at countering this uncomfortable fact. In baseball terms, American culture interacts with Dominican culture by treating it with some degree of condescension and insensitivity.   Many American baseball professionals are impatient with Dominicans’ loose sense of time, quickly deeming Latino players uncoachable â€Å"head cases,† without looking at the cultural differences. Among Dominicans, says Klein, â€Å"There is none of the regimentation, guardedness, and nervous tension that characterizes players in the United States.   North American managers must take this looseness into account when they go to the Caribbean, for the players’ conception of the game and of time is as elastic as that of other Dominicans† (148). Despite the United States’ long domination of the Dominican Republic, the small nation’s people feel less anger than a mixture of muted resentment and aspiration to attain American material prosperity and stability, which for most are a distant, unreachable ideal.   Thus, when Dominican ballplayers reach the major leagues, their large salaries represent a sort of victory and source of immense pride for the small island nation.   Says Klein, â€Å"Much as archeological treasures attest to a rich Dominican past, salaries attest to the present† (128). Klein’s study pays keen attention not only to Dominican history but also to the ways in which Dominicans embrace this imported sport but also use their prowess to offer their own subtle response to American political and economic dominance.   The dynamic he describes illustrates not only American hegemony, but also how subordinated peoples’ identity and spirit can thrive even in the face of foreign domination. Klein, Alan M.   Sugarball.   New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991. How to cite Alan Klein Sugarball, Essay examples

Platos Allegory of the Cave Meaning and Interpretation Essay Example

Platos Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation Essay Platos Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation Of all the beliefs, the most important and difficult to prove are the matters we cannot see but just feel and perceive. Platos allegory of the cave is a illustration of truth, which is left out in the war of reasoning. Plato was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who left his mark in history. His classical philosophies on human nature reveal the basic truth as well as the flaws in the psychological evolution of mankind. Platos allegory of the cave is a hypothetical scenario depicted by an enlightening conversation between Socrates and Platos brother, Glaucon. The conversation basically deals with the ignorance of humanity trapped within the precincts of conventional ethics. As indicated by the term Homo sapiens, they refer to the not-so sapient humans, but to the more civilized and cultivated form of animals. For spiritual evolution, an in-depth understanding of mother nature and the truth behind the things which cannot be seen, is also very important. Description of the Cave While describing the story, Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a cave inhabited by people. These men are prisoners, and their hands and legs are shackled by chains(which symbolizes ignorance and little knowledge of the real world) . Moreover, the movement of their face is also restricted, so that they can see nothing but the wall in front of them(so that they only know single type of knowledge). This restricted movement limits their visibility to the wall, thus restricting the scope of any encounter beyond it. There is an enormous fire on the ground, and between the wall and the fire is a walkway meant for objects to pass. We will write a custom essay sample on Platos Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Platos Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Platos Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The shadows of these objects fall directly on the wall providing the sole view for the prisoners. Hence, the only way for the prisoners to get acquainted with their surroundings is to translate the shadows and consider them to be a part of the real world. They start naming each and every object, and amongst all the prisoners, the intellect of an individual is governed by his ability to judge those objects. enable According to Plato, the idea of the world for prisoners is limited within the boundaries of the cave. The shadows are treated as real objects and there are pseudo intellectuals who claim to understand the world based on these shadows. The prisoners are not able to perceive the truth of nature because of their limited view. Escape of a Prisoner from the Cave Moving on with the description, Plato says that if somehow a prisoner manages to break the shackles and escapes from the cave, the world he gets to see outside goes beyond his comprehension. He, like all the prisoners, is accustomed to dim light, and the light of the sun makes him turn his gaze away from it. Slowly he gets accustomed to the existence of the new world, which describes the fallacy of that inside the cave. On his intellectual journey, he discovers the true reality, the beauty of mother nature and an almost divine experience of the newly found mystical world. Interpretation of Platos Allegory of the Cave Now as the prisoner returns back to the cave, he feels his moral duty to make others aware of the truth he has just discovered. He tries to persuade his companions that outside there is a more real world, and what all has been seen by them are mere shadows of the real objects. He tries to point out the deep-rooted ignorance of the fellow prisoners who are trapped within their own confinement of pseudo intellectualism. But the prisoners try to resist enlightenment and condemn him for the moral misconduct and loss of ethical values. These values, which are not governed by the duplications of nature but the fallacy of shadows cast on the wall, are considered to be the truth by the prisoners of the cave. Everything that goes beyond these values, tends to lie in the domain of unconventional thoughts, which are always resisted by human beings. This cave metaphor can be replaced by a movie theater, where the screen serves as wall of the cave and the projector as the fire. In this case also, the objects seen are not real ones, but a reflection on the movie screen. The creativity of Plato, along with his deep understanding of human nature, makes him to create a scenario which shows the mankind a true picture of an imaginary world. We all may acquire and comprehend the world around us as our experience of physical objects, but it would be a mistake to limit ourselves to the conventional thoughts indentured by our stubbornness towards change

Aneurysms essays

Aneurysms essays While in the my seventh grade P.E. class, I was pulled aside and told that my mother, Frances, was in the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I learned that my mother was diagnosed with five cerebral aneurysms. That morning while she was at work, three of the aneurysms burst. At that time in my life I didnt know what they were, but I knew that my mother was in a bad condition. My mother was life-flighted to Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas. There she endured hours of extensive, tedious surgery, and a swift recovery. This recovery time was passed quickly by prayer, and family togetherness. I have reason to believe that among all of the family, I was hurt the most with this misfortune. My mother and I had never before shared a close relationship. This incident brought about the prospect of losing her. It not only worried me, but also it improved our relationship. Seeing the tubes and IVs in my mother was very traumatizing. I thought that this was a one time only occurrence; I w as extremely wrong. In November 2001, my Aunt Mavies died of what is believed to be an aortic aneurysm. In an instant my best friend was taken from me. The only discrepancy between the two cases was the fact that my aunts aneurysm burst in her stomach. Recently, one of my other aunts, Clarissa, was screened, and the doctors have diagnosed an aneurysm. She is extremely afraid that her time on Earth is short because of the severity of the other two cases in our family. Current studies show that aneurysms can be passed throughout a family. Moreover, I could possibly be the recipient of this life threatening occurrence. To help cease my aunts worries and to aid my curiosity, I have been trying to load my mind with the knowledge of aneurysms. But three questions remain unanswered in my quest. What exactly is an aneurysm?; What causes them?; and What can be done to resist or prevent them? First of all, understanding what an aneurysm is will...

Spider Monkey Facts (Ateles)

Spider Monkey Facts (Ateles) Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus Ateles. They have long limbs and prehensile tails, giving them the appearance of large arboreal spiders. The name Ateles comes from the Greek word atà ©leia, which means incomplete and refers to the spider monkeys lack of thumbs. Fast Facts: Spider Monkey Scientific Name: Ateles sp.Common Name: Spider monkeyBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 14-26 inch body; up to 35 inch tailWeight:13-24 poundsLifespan: 20-27 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Central and South American rain forestsPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Vulnerable to Critically Endangered Species There are seven species and seven subspecies of spider monkey. The species are the red-faced spider monkey, white-fronted spider monkey, Peruvian spider monkey, brown (variegated) spider monkey, white-cheeked spider monkey, brown-headed spider monkey, and Geoffroys spider monkey. Spider monkeys are closely related to woolly monkeys and howler monkeys. Description Spider monkeys have extremely long limbs and prehensile tails. The tails have hairless tips and grooves resembling fingerprints. The monkeys have small heads with hairless faces and wide-set nostrils. Their hands are narrow with long, curved fingers and reduced or non-existent thumbs. Depending on the species, hair color may be white, gold, brown, or black. The hands and feet are usually black. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Spider monkeys range from 14 to 26 inches in body length with a tail up to 35 inches in length. On average, they weigh anywhere from 13 to 24 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Spider monkeys spend their lives in trees of tropical rain forests in Central and South America. Their habitat ranges from southern Mexico to Brazil. Spider monkeys live in Central and South America. Jackhynes / Wikimedia Commons Diet Most of the spider monkeys diet consists of fruit. However, when fruit is scarce, they eat flowers, leaves, and insects. The lead female within a group organizes foraging. If food is abundant, the group feeds together, but it will split if resources are scarce. Most feeding occurs in the early morning hours, but spider monkeys feed throughout the day and sleep in trees at night. Behavior The average spider monkey group ranges from 15 to 25 individuals. The closest bonds are between females and their offspring. Males also group together. Unlike most primate species, it is the females rather than the males that disperse at puberty and join new groups. Spider monkeys are highly intelligent. They communicate using vocalizations, scent marking with urine and feces, and body postures. Reproduction and Offspring The female spider monkey selects her mate from within her social group. Gestation lasts between 226 to 232 days, usually resulting in a single offspring, but sometimes twins. The female has sole care of her young, which she carries with her as she forages. Her offspring tightly wraps its tail around its mothers midsection or tail. Spider monkeys reach sexual maturity between 4 and 5 years of age. Females only bear offspring once every three or four years. Young males sometimes commit infanticide within their group to increase their chance of mating. In the wild, spider monkeys may live 20 to 27 years.They may live over 40 years in captivity. Geoffroys spider monkey with young. Mark Newman / Getty Images Conservation Status All spider monkey populations are decreasing. The IUCN classifies the conservation status of the Guiana spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) as vulnerable. Four species are endangered. The variegated spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) and brown-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps) are critically endangered. Spider Monkeys and Humans Humans are the main threat to spider monkey survival. The monkeys are widely hunted as food and suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation. Some populations live in protected areas. Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used as research animals in studies of the disease. Sources Cuarà ³n, A.D., Morales, A., Shedden, A., Rodriguez-Luna, E., de Grammont, P.C.; Cortà ©s-Ortiz, L. Ateles geoffroyi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T2279A9387270. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2279A9387270.enGroves, C.P. in Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.Kinzey, W. G. New world primates: ecology, evolution, and behavior. Aldine Transaction, 1997. ISBN 978-0-202-01186-8.Mittermeier, R.A. Locomotion and Posture in Ateles geoffroyi and Ateles paniscus. Folia Primatologica. 30 (3): 161–193, 1978. doi:10.1159/000155862Mittermeier, R.A., Rylands, A.B.; Boubli, J. Ateles paniscus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T2283A17929494.

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Critical Thinking - Essay Example verall there are various arguments placed suggesting the use of various important methods of rhetoric and language however the use of language is not appropriate at some place as Williams sometimes provide unilateral treatment to the issues. The first paragraph of the easy is very confusing in nature as Williams has tried to make a connection between the inefficiencies in governance with the money of the Tax payers. Further there is also a contrast in the argument when he mentions the secrecy provision which do not seem to be in continuation with the earlier sentences in the paragraph. The use of the word Political neglect in the subsequent paragraph points towards a general climate in the country where political rights of the individuals are completely neglected. This is unfair in the sense that it provides a very extremist view against the performance of the past Australian governments and almost unilaterally declares past Australian Governments as failure. The next stage of the paper is contrasting with the arguments made in the later part of the article. Williams do not seem to support its claims made in earlier part of the essay with that of being made in the later part. Williams use the word â€Å"rare opportunity to tackle them head on† suggests Author’s complete ignorance of the historical evolution of Australia. This also suggests that Williams is trying to stamp his conclusion in the article in earlier part of the paper. Being a scholar of high repute therefore does not necessarily means that the Williams is an authority in making conclusions based on pure use of guess work. In the next stage of his article Williams use the word â€Å"Stark Choice† which in itself an indication of the totality of his argument and suggest the use of language in the most of the part of the article as concluding in nature. Similarly in the following paragraph Williams make a contrasting argument that local government should remain in Australia. This is again a deviation

Domain II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Domain II - Essay Example This does not exclude special services for children and care for elderly or the geriatric group whose demands are considered nutrition status indicators† (Hess, 2011, p.204). Populations with Special Needs: â€Å"Existing community support systems like community service agencies offering social service, religious, education, shelters, feeding and food stamp programs, among other things, must be tapped through proper collaboration.† (Hess,2011, p. 205). Nutrition Related Health Risks and Problems At Various Stages of Life: Nutritional factors such as bad nutrition and bad habits cause common health problems and group risks to pregnant women, infants and children, adolescents, adults and elderly groups, ending up with illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, malformation of teeth and bones, cancer, anemia, among others† (Hess, 2011, p. 206-207). National surveillance systems: â€Å"Surveillance is an approach for collecting data on health and nutritional status on a regular or repeated basis. National surveillance systems established include Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PEDNSS); Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS), among others† (Hess, 2011, p. 210). National Surveys: â€Å"Surveys are varying techniques of collecting accurate data to draw valid analysis on the targeted problem. Mostly, food consumption surveys were conducted to evaluate the nutritional status of selected areas and populations in a given period of time† (Hess, 2011, p211-212). â€Å"National, state and local reference data derived from the conducted national and local surveys, such as: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES) I (1971-1975), NHNES II (1976-1980) and NHNES III (1988-1994), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Youth Risk Surveillance System (YRSS), among others, were purposely used as reference data to do research base, community

Analysis Starbucks Operational Financial Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing Essay

Analysis Starbucks Operational Financial Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing Essay The organisation chosen for the task is Starbucks Corp. and the report would compare it with two similar companies, one being Costa Coffee and the other being Caffà © Nero. The report would highlight the frameworks underpinning the competitive position of Starbucks and also would identify and asses the economic and the competitive position of the firm. A financial model using appropriate ratio analysis would also be presented in a spreadsheet format identifying the industry trends and their impact on the performance of Starbucks vis-à  -vis Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero. Both quantitative and qualitative data would be made available so as to provide an insight into Starbucks sustainable performance and prospects. Analysis of Starbucks operational, financial, organisational and marketing capabilities would be made available through application of PESTEL analysis and Porters 5 forces model. The report would also discuss the issues, the problems, the opportunities and the options available to Starbucks for future business growth, followed by conclusions to draw together all the variables identified. Recommendations would be provided for the company highlighting the direction it needs to take to ensure business profitability with comments on the suitability, acceptability and the feasibility of the options made available. INTRODUCTION The Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate American consumers about the fine coffee drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took over the Starbucks Group, he wanted to create the Italian espresso bar experience in the States by creating a personal relationship between the customers and their coffee. In 1995, the company really took off with the opening of its 676th store, and the expansion strategy to Hawaii, Singapore and Japan being very successful. By 2000, 3,300 stores were already in operation and Starbucks had ventured into markets ranging from England to Australia. As standing, Starbucks is number one in the industry, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries. Just within a couple of years they grew from a small coffee business house to a multi-million dollar player in the speciality coffee industry by buying only the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience. The Starbucks mission statement is To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. Freshly brewed coffee is the main product offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a many varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour. INDUSTRY TRENDS AND MARKET ANALYSIS The market right now for gourmet coffee business is hot. All the multi-national fast food chains and street-corner shops want in on the boom. Many big companies are focusing on the supply of specialty branded coffees and the scenario is heating up. Specialty coffee is one of the fastest growing food services markets globally. Growth in the coffee industry is continuously peaking, with many new overseas companies entering the market using policies like special discounts and perks despite the questionable quality of the coffee being used to increase the market share. A notable trend seen is that often a significant increase in sales occurs every time a cafà © starts to use branded consumables. The consensus is that these coffee drinks would be a long-term trend, with focus on elevating the customers taste for a product that they are already familiar with and then leading them to coffee houses to get it. Many companies are also tinkering with expanding the food menus as well including an in-store display of fresh baked goods, sandwiches and various confectionary items. The newest trend is the drive-thru coffee stores. Starbucks has many such stores, all of which are seeing continual growth and long lines. Another trend includes customer requests for organic coffees, which has encouraged retailers to move towards the beans growing environment. The array of products offered has never been as wide, as retailers are adding more flavours to whole beans and creating variations to the basics of espresso and steamed milk. The clever retailers have added iced tea concoctions and coffee shakes to their menus to outdo competitors. Most specialty retailers now also retail whole beans and many such stores have added coffee grinders, espresso machines and other brewing supplies for add on sales. STARBUCKS ANALYSIS This part of the report would analyse the working of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces and the BCG Matrix. PESTEL Analysis POLITICAL Taxation policy High taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to purchase the end item at a higher price. International trade regulations and tariffs Trade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading country imposes a tariff it would not only result in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but such large income transfers can also become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers. Government stability A change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be approached with great caution when considering new ventures. Employment law A reduction in licensing and permit costs in the bean producing countries would lower production costs for farmers. This saving would in turn be passed on to Starbucks when purchasing beans and finally to the consumers. ECONOMIC Interest rates High interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. Economic Growth Consumer incomes would fall in periods of negative growth leaving less disposable income impacting the sales for Starbucks. Inflation rates Business costs will rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer. Competitors pricing Competitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share. Exchange rates If the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the same price, when importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. SOCIAL Population demographics Identification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The marketing campaign undertaken would focus accordingly. Coffee is more of a luxury product, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted. Working Population A large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can cash this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet and eat, boosting the sales. Location A good location which is easily accessible is vital to ensure that the customers visit the shop. TECHNOLOGICAL IT development Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. New materials and processes Developments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently. This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day.. Rate of technological change The pace at which technology is advancing is astounding. Starbucks would need to invest heavily just to stand still in the ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollution problems Starbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully considered to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Planning permissions Planning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected. Work disposal There are strict laws in most countries pertaining to waste disposal and non-adherence to these could lead to Starbucks being sanctioned, which would affects them financially and also tarnish the reputation of the brand name. Environmental pressure groups Starbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups. LEGAL Trade and product restrictions Starbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the countries where they have established businesses. They need to ensure they are not in violation of any such laws. Certain countries impose a tariff that has to be paid when goods are imported/exported so this must be taken into account as well. Employment laws Each country has different employment laws, like a limit on the number of hours an employee can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion. Health and Safety regulations By not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores. Land use Starbucks have to abide by the laws of the building authorities when constructing shops or altering purchased sites and if found in violation of land rules, it can be panalised by the local authorities. PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS 1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caffà © Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales. Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the differentiation between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment. 2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS Starbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have exhibited this control over distribution channels by setting guidelines for their suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants. However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where capital is not a problem could be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going threats of new entrants include fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future. 3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS A big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caffà © Nero for a cup of coffee. Another threat to Starbucks is that their customers have the ability to brew their own coffee. Starbucks has tried to counter this threat by offering Preferred Office Coffee Providers as well as directions on how to make the perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, called the Four Fundamentals of Coffee. The perfect cup of Starbucks Coffee includes, of course, Starbucks ingredients! Also with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, it is clear that Starbucks customers have some bargaining power in the industry. 4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Coffee is the worlds second largest traded commodity. South and Central America produce the majority of coffee traded in the world. Starbucks depends upon both outside brokers and direct contact with exporters for the supply of premium coffee beans. The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers who can meet Starbucks coffee standards will be able to supply the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers. However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus reducing the bargaining power of suppliers. THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION Substitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, substitute products can be soft drinks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks. Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items. The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat. STARBUCKS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS This part of the report would highlight the financial position of Starbucks using the annual reports and comprehensive ratio analysis for the financial years 2008, 2009 and 2010 which are enclosed in the appendix. 2008 In fiscal 2008, Starbucks experienced declining store sales in its stores, primarily due to lower customer traffic. The weaker traffic was caused due to number of on-going factors in the global economy such as the higher costs of gas and food, rising levels of unemployment and personal debt along with reduced access to consumer credit. In fiscal year 2008, store sales declined a margin of 8%. Consolidated operating income was $503.9 million in fiscal 2008, and operating margin for the year was 4.9% compared with 11.2% in the prior year. Approximately 260 basis points of the decrease in operating margin was a result of restructuring charges, primarily related to the significant US store closures. EPS for fiscal 2008 was $0.43, compared to EPS of $0.87 per share earned in the prior year. Restructuring charges and costs associated with the execution of the transformation agenda impacted EPS by approximately $0.28 per share in fiscal 2008. 2009 Fiscal 2009 was a challenging year for Starbucks. The difficult economic environment had strained consumer discretionary spending in the US and internationally, which negatively impacted company revenues, store sales, operating income and operating margins. Starbucks responded by creating a business model that was less reliant on high revenue growth to drive profitability. The primary initiatives of the strategy included rationalizing the global company operated store portfolio and reducing the cost structure, while renewing the focus on service excellence. Starbucks closed down approximately 1000 stores. Initiatives targeting reductions in the cost structure in fiscal 2009 proceeded as planned, with full year costs of $580 million removed from the cost structure. The company maintained a solid financial foundation, with no short term debt outstanding at the end of fiscal 2009 and with cash and liquid investments totalling more than $650 million. The solid financial position and continued strong cash flow generation provided Starbucks with the financial flexibility to implement its restructuring efforts. 2010 In fiscal 2010, revenues increased to a record $10.7 billion. Operating income increased by $857 million from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009 to $1.4 billion. The full-year operating margin of 13.3 % represented the highest full-year consolidated operating margin in Starbucks history. Fiscal 2010 ended with the highest full-year comparable store sales growth that Starbucks have seen in the recent past, while the earnings per share also grew more than double from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009. BENCHMARKING WITH COSTA COFFEE AND CAFFÉ NERO Starbucks is a US chain whereas both Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero were established in the UK. Costa Coffee was setup in London in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa and acquired by Whitbread PLC in 1995. Caffà © Nero was established by Gerry Ford in 1997 in the UK. The comparison would be carried out using the financial information of the three firms which is available in the appendix. The comparison would majorly be based on the UK market. There are 1,175 Costa Coffee shops in Britain as compared to 731 of Starbucks and 440 of Caffà © Nero. A comprehensive business analysis of Starbucks has already been supplied in the above report; this part would focus on the business analysis of Caffà © Nero and Costa Coffee individually followed by a coherent conclusion of the findings. Costa Coffee According to the financial data available operating profit grew by 59.5% to  £36.2  million; 312 net new stores were acquired or opened and like for like sales increased by 5.5. Costa operates in 25 countries and is now the number two international coffee shop operator with 1,600 stores: 1,069in the UK; and 531 overseas. Sales performance improved strongly across the year, confirming the brands resilience, even in a recessionary environment. Caffà © Nero The groups 60% equity is held by the Ford family, the rest 30% by a private equity firm Paladin and 10% with the management. Caffà ¨ Nero has recently completed a successful  £140m refinancing in a bid to fund the businesss future growth ambitions. The business, which has 500 outlets in the UK and internationally and has registered 54 consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like growth, is forecast to generate  £31m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 12 months to May 2011. Revenue for the same period is forecast to reach  £171m, an increase of 11% on the previous year. The new financial structure would provide the Group with a financial platform to support its growth ambitions and expansion plans both in the UK and internationally. Nero has a lot of ups including strong brand positioning, intensive marketing campaigns and a clear differentiation point. However, there are some weaknesses, one of them being lack of experience in going international, thus some problems could arise while penetrating foreign markets. Though both the companies Costa and Nero are well established in the UK market, Starbucks is the industry leader in the world and is a major competition to them in the UK. Financial turnover of the Starbucks Group is so massive that it provides them with all the capital requirements to innovate and differentiate their product from the 2 competitors; it already has established a sizeable market share in the UK, but still needs to take over Costa Coffee which it should be able to do in the near future, looking at the financial figures provided and the international global strategy adopted by the group which seems very promising. ISSUES FACING STARBUCKS The major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crisis in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world. Another challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is competitors. There are numerous coffee shops all over the world and being able to stand out to generate customers is important. Their main competitors are Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caffà ¨ Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is important that for Starbucks to know their competitors and what they are currently doing. Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competitors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink. As Starbucks have many competitors, this can be a potential advantage to for such competitors. Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers. Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee; if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags. Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As corporations grow there can be a tendency to focus too heavily on increasing output and locations, and less focus on quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful. Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Advantages of Starbucks franchising would be to open hundreds of new stores with less risk to the company, and make profits in doing so. In addition Starbucks would have less research and development costs because the franchisee would have greater knowledge of the local market in terms of demographics, psychographics, geographic, and local/state/country regulations. RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION Starbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to specialize in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength. Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves. Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access unexplored distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores. Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. It is important to understand this in the product development phase as they would need to focus solely on making their existing products better. The company can demonstrate product and market diversification through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation has proven an excellent defence against threats such as bargaining power of buyers. Developing new products will offset such potential risks. A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into agreements, long-term contracts, with the food service companies that they are competing against. This way their coffee would be sold at these outlets and they would gain access to new markets and increase sales while decreasing competition. Starbucks should continue to be a first mover into markets with new products and ideas. Being a first mover of new products into new international markets will be an excellent way for Starbucks to build customer loyalty and uphold its image as an innovative company. Starbucks should continue to locate their operations in high traffic areas, high visibility areas. The company should continue to take excellent care in picking locations. It is extremely important that Starbucks international stores reflect uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of locations will ensure large market exposure.