The Quest for Becoming a Star Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Quest for Becoming a Star - Essay Example We go out and it is a rat race, people briskly walking without saying hi to those they meet and they are not even looking at each other’s faces, somehow, we all have set our eyes on that bright star that we seem to see nothing else. We consider Mark Zuckerberg (Rusli) exceedingly brilliant and we want to be like him. We adore Steve Jobs and so we give our children all the latest gadgets we can afford hoping they will someday find out what made Gates extremely wealthy. We look with enthusiasm to Oprah Winfrey (Colander) like she is our very selves, knowing her well from head to toe and fighting with her critiques like they have hit us on the head. Who would not want to be like them? All that is said about them are complements and if there would be derogatory comments that slip one’s mouth or be published on print or the internet, they do not have the need to talk for themselves because they have unsolicited help that will surely be available for their rescue. That must b e a wonderful life. And so we go on with gusto, working hard for every penny we could save, putting ourselves in the best school hoping that is where we will find our gold. Whatever, it takes, we have to find our fuels that would propel us to the top, that which would bring us to our brightest star where along with it we could shine and gain the praises of men. But was it not one of them who said, â€Å"When you get to the top, there is nothing there†? Boris Becker, was at the very top of his tennis career when he considered all his achievements and fame are worth nothing because somehow he found out that his life as a star is not all exciting when you are living it (bible.org). Similar stories abound, yet we have the hope that we would be different. We argue that we know better, that we would know how to manage a star-like life therefore we still continue our journey and find out for ourselves what could be found there. In the end we will find out we are all the same. Rich o r poor, male or female, educated or uneducated, intelligent or dumb, we all are on a level that make us notice our neighbors again, smile and say hi to those we meet and perhaps try to walk against the mob and wake them in their dreamy quest. Should we get an ugly dog, bathe it, apply perfume on it and dress it up, would it become a better dog? We buy one that is worth much more expensive than the latest ipad and treat it more than we treat people. We consider it our best friend for we argue that they can save our lives, look after our security needs but we know that that is sad because humans need humans for their best friends and dogs need dogs for their company. What if Zuckerberg lived centuries ago, would he still been known as Mark Zuckerberg? What if we stripped off Steve Jobs of his wit and education, would he still be human? What if Oprah Winfrey was not famous and rich? Surely, she would still be Oprah Winfrey, a human being, capable of and in need of love, care, friendshi p, company and all that make us human. Oh sure, I am sounding so idealistic and so this is what is proposed. In a world where you use the computer to get in touch with other people through the internet or simply to search for information and, through the process you find a statement blinking at you that you have to prove you are human and not a computer by following some steps it requires, things are just absurd. But absurdity

The Role of PsychiatricNurse Practitioner Essay

The Role of PsychiatricNurse Practitioner - Essay Example However, after liberalization of advanced nurses, some of the researches have revealed that this carder of nurses are being underutilized especially within the realism of mental health. The area that they cover is wide since they are based in the communities where the mental disease burden is notable. The following are the prescribed area of services that the nurses they offer in the community. The role ranges across from admission to discharge and comprehensive pharmacotherapy that is involved. On admission, the advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse, evaluates the patient’s status. This helps the nurse to know whether the patient is for the admission or discharge on evaluation. The other role is taking overnight calls and coverage when there is shortage of psychiatrist. More importantly, it’s the ability of this nurses to perfume extensive diagnostic skills and come up with psychiatric and mental disorders with precision of psychiatrists that are perfect. Such competencies are developed during their preparation and education which they undertake role plays in order to have a clear understanding of their environment from all angles (Hubbard, 2014). More so, they carry out interventions and implementation of the treatment plans for a caseload patients that are under isolations. Such interventions includes psychopharmacology, individual family or gr oup psychotherapy. They have the ability of covering on emergence psychiatric patient. Muxworthy and Bowllan (2007), the realization of knowledge that nurses with advanced credential are needed is paramount since the medical field is overarched by the physicians who are less than the disease. Nursing profession is slowly being revolutionized and the dominance is slowly being suppressed by the increased disease burden and the capacity of nurses to perform at advanced levels. The disease burden of the mentally patients is rising due to a number of factors such as substance abuse,

United States and New York Times Essay Example for Free

United States and New York Times Essay What is the article or editorial about (100-150 words)? A 14 year old girl, Malala Yousafzai was shot in head and neck by Taliban while she was in her school bus with fellow students. Malala Yousafzai, who raised her voice for the education rights and opposed Taliban for their actions against women education in her home town, was a symbol of pride for the region. Malala came into attention in 2009 when she was covered by many international media groups for her brave initiative fighting for women rights. She was awarded by many organizations including the government of Pakistan. Malala was taken to a hospital in Peshawar and doctors said that there is a chance that the bullet would have damaged her brain. Many people including the Prime minister of Pakistan Condemned the incident. What are your thoughts? For instance, how does it relate to what we have discussed in class (100-150 words)? I cannot imagine how ignorant one can be and what guts it takes for someone to attack a 14 years old girl who raised her opinion for education rights. Taliban who call themselves the protectors of Islam do not even know that attacking children and elderly is strictly prohibited in Islam and that Islam has given equal rights of education to women. These incidents create a negative image of a region all over the world. We discussed about the women rights in class and that it is not like this everywhere in Pakistan, in fact this action was opposed by everyone in the country. This action by the Taliban determines how coward they have portrayed themselves. It takes a lot  of courage for a girl to come out of nowhere and fight for the rights humanity. In my opinion her efforts created a lot of awareness among the people in the country and especially her region where the literacy rate is less than 50 percent.

The power of music

The power of music The Power of Music Music surrounds us in our everyday lives. We hear it when we are in the car, at work, when we are shopping, at restaurants, at doctors offices, and many more places. The music serves a purpose other than entertainment at many of these places.   Music has the power to influence mood and behavior in people and it is no secret that it is used at every available opportunity. We are introduced to music in our mothers womb even before we are born. It is used to sooth, to hype up, to educate, for entertainment, as a medium to remember information, for medical purposes, and so much more. Music is used in many ways to improve and enhance the lives of people. It is meant to be consumed, whether it is by the listener, performer, or composer. It is a way to translate feelings and desires that are sometimes difficult to express using language. The style of music has changed dramatically throughout the ages. For instance, there are six main eras in music history. The Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. The music in these eras reflects the time period. Music has been and always will be a popular form of entertainment for many. The dictionary defines music as an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color(Dictionary). Music has the ability and power to influence human thoughts and behaviors. Employers and retail stores use the power of music to produce a desired behavior from their employees and customers. For example, according to The Journal of Marketing, background music is thought to improve the stores image, make employees happier, reduce employee turnover rate, and to stimulate customer purchasing (Milliman). Does music actually influence mood and behavior? What is it about music that affects mood? According to an article in the Music Educators Journal, volume, tempo, consonance, dissonance, tone color and form all may have an effect on a persons mood (Gaston). It is not just the music itself that has an effect on people; the lyrics of a song can also have an effect. Many people are concerned that music with violent or derogatory lyrics may have a negative effect on youth and provoke violent behavior. Many researchers have examined the effects of how music provokes violent behavior. In a study conducted at Western Connecticut State University researchers examined whether or not watching a violent music video would provoke the participants to answer questions with violent responses. There were thirty-three participants, eleven in each of three groups; one group watched violent music videos, another group watched non-violent music videos, and the last group did not watch any videos. Afterw ard, the participants were given a questionnaire. The study found that the violent music videos did provoke participants to react more violently when answering questions about hypothetical scenarios (Tropeano). People are introduced to music even before they are born. According to an article in Pregnancy Today, by the fifth month of pregnancy the babys hearing is completely developed and they are able to hear noises that are outside the womb. Prenatal stimulation through music may provide some babies with a sense of confidence and relaxation when they are born (Lacey). In 1993 a study was conducted in Irvine, California by Dr. Francis Raucher, Dr. Gordon L. Shaw, and their colleagues on a group of thirty-six undergraduate college students it was found that they improved their spatial-temporal intelligence (the ability to mentally manipulate objects in three-dimensional space) after listening to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata. The results of the study showed that student IQ scores improved by 8-9 points and lasted for 10-15 minutes. This study was coined the Mozart effect (Jones). Music is sometimes used to relax and soothe people. After a stressful event, listening to calming or classical music relaxes the body and mind. Music can also induce a more positive state of mind. It has long been believed that music can also act as an aphrodisiac (an element, either natural or chemical, that stimulates a sexual desire). Human senses are powerful and can trigger emotion. The type of music depends on the person. Music triggers different emotions in different people. What one person enjoys and is stimulated by could disgust and upset someone else. Many people use music as a way to get pumped up. Gyms usually play music with a faster tempo to increase speed and motivation. According to a study on musical tempo an increased tempo increased the speed in which people preformed simple tasks. It also affected the participants in the study by acting as a stressor and increasing their heart rate. When the tempo of the music was reduced the heart rate decreased (Mayfield). Music with a fast tempo and stimulates and demands physical activity. Music therapy is growing in the field of medicine. Its calming effects can help reduce anxiety and ward off the negative effects of stress (Stress and the Environment). This can help by reducing the negative effect t the stress response has on the body and mind. Music is used for medical purposes such as lowering blood pressure and autism. In an Italian study twenty-eight peoples blood pressure was monitored for twenty-four hours. They were then given a CD of classical, Celtic, or Indian music to listen to for thirty minutes per day for one month. After the month the patients blood pressure was monitored once again. The patients blood pressure did in fact drop. Their average systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) had dropped three points, and their average diastolic blood pressure (the second number in a blood pressure reading) had dropped four points. There were twenty other patients who did not listen to music and after monitoring their blood pressu re, there was no change (Hitti). Children who have been diagnosed with autism receive many benefits from music therapy. Depending on where children are placed on the autism spectrum music can assist with communication and provide structural regularity that the children need (downey). We have seen that music is used for healing but what about as a weapon of war? In 1989, music used as a weapon to torture first came into light. U.S. Troops blared loud music in an effort to induce the surrender of Manual Norriega, the Panamanian president. According to an article written by Suzanne G. Cusick this form of torture, called acoustic bombardment went mainstream after the cold war and is a common practice on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom (Cusick). The US also used this acoustic bombardment during interrogations in Guantanamo (Rapp). What is it about music that has such a profound effect on the human mind and body? Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brain waves to sync with the beat. The fast beat encourages sharper thinking and better concentration whereas the slower beat creates a relaxed almost meditative state. Music can also stimulate the brain to change gears easier. It effects remain evident even when you are done listening (Saarman). Using music to advertise is a good way to for a company to get the attention of a potential client or customer and for them to purchase the product or service that they are offering. Jingles are often easier for people to remember than just plain information. Many companies use popular artists or songs as a medium to advertise their products. One such company is Dr. Pepper. Their advertisements feature popular songs in hopes of getting the attention and marketing to the specific demographic associated with the song. By using music in advertising the company wants the listener to associate the song or tune with the product or service so when they hear the song they will think of the product or service. This is a great way for people to remember what they are selling. Religion uses music as a means to express ones faith and devotion. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the worlds most famous and influential composers, wrote most of his music for the Lutheran church. Modern Christian songs are derived from popular music tunes and uses religious lyrics. According to an article written by Lorenzo Candelaria who is an assistant music professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Sacred music and art allow us to touch the face of God, through our perception of the world around us.' He believes that music is a way for people to understand their faith and spirituality and is a direct way for people to try to make sense of life and the afterlife (Moini). Music is sometimes used solely for entertainment purposes and accompanies many group and individual activities. Must is played in places such as dance clubs and skating rinks and produces a feeling of power. Faster music will control the speed at which you skate or dance or put you in the mood to do any of these activities.   Music is almost always used in movies. It can used to produce the feeling of suspense or excitement. It is used in tear-jerkers to solicit an emotional response of empathy. As you can see music has been and will always be woven into the fabric of our society. There are many uses for music and it has many hidden meaning and uses. Who knew that music was such a powerful tool and could have so many effects on the human body and mind? Its power spans from entertainment and fun to the ability to heal, reducing stress, creating a desired atmosphere for shoppers and employees, and so much more. What does the future of music hold for us?

The Fmcg Industry Of Netherland Marketing Essay

The Fmcg Industry Of Netherland Marketing Essay This Global/ Country Study and Report is prepared as the partial fulfillment for Forth Semester of degree Program of Masters of Business Administration curriculum of GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY. The topic of the project is FMCG Industry in Netherland. Here, the project report on Netherland, we have tried our level best to Collect information from it and prepare this report as an error free report; We assured that all information is trusted: every effort has been made to offer the most authenticate position with accuracy. During the whole project period we got a lot of knowledge and came to know about the reality of the mining industry of the country. Acknowledgement The successful completion of a Global Country Project Report requires guidance help from a number of people. We were fortunate to have all the support from our faculty, therefore take this opportunity to express our profound sense of gratitude to the all those who extended their whole hearted help and support to us in completing the project study report work on FMCG Industry in Netherland. We also express our deep sense of gratitude to Prof. Ramzan Samaa (Guide Faculty), who has helped us to do our project. We also thank to other faculty of L J Institute of Management Studies respondents for his valuable help in each stage of the project. Because of his co-operation and continuous guidance successful completion of this project study report was made possible. No Acknowledge would suffice for the support of my family members, classmates friends. Lastly, we extend our thanks to all whose name have not been mentioned in successful way carrying out the project report. Index Sr No. Particulars Page No. 1. The FMCG industry of Netherland Introduction 7 2. Upgrades on major mines in North Korea 15 3. The North Korea Mining Business Projects Between Korean Mining Projects Foreign Company Mining Projects 26 4. The outlook for Inter Korean Mining Corporation 34 5. The Indian Mining Industry- Market Opportunities Entry 36 6. Future Prospects 38 7. Conclusion 39 Introduction of FMCG Industry Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or consumer packaged goods (CPG) are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost . Examples include non-durable goods such as soft drinks, and grocery items. Though the absolute profit made on FMCG products is relatively small, they are generally sold in large quantities, and so the cumulative profit on such products can be substantial. Fast-moving consumer electronics are a type of FMCG and are typically low priced generic or easily substitutable consumer electronics, including lower end mobile phones, MP3 players, game players, and digital cameras, which have a short usage life, typically a year or less, and as such are disposable. Cheap FMCG electronics are often retained even after immediate failure, as the purchaser rationalizes the decision to not return the goods on the basis that the goods were cheap to begin with, and that the cost of return relative to the low cost of purchase is high. Thus low-quality electronic FMCG goods can be highly profitable for the vendors. The term FMCGs refers to those retail goods that are generally replaced or fully used up over a short period of days, weeks, or months, and within one year. This contrasts with durable goods or major appliances such as kitchen appliances, which are generally replaced over a period of several years. FMCG have a short shelf life, either as a result of high consumer demand or because the product deteriorates rapidly. Some FMCGs-such as meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and baked goods-are highly perishable. Other goods such as alcohol, toiletries, pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, and cleaning products have high turnovers rates. An excellent example is a news papers-every days newspaper carries different content, making one useless just one day later, necessitating a new purchase every day. The following are the main characteristics of FMCGs: From the consumers perspective: Frequent purchase Low involvement (little or no effort to choose the item products with strong brand loyalty are exceptions to this rule) Low price From the marketers angle: High volumes Low contribution margins Extensive distribution networks High stock turnover Introduction of FMCG Industry in Netherland The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market in Europe is highly competitive. This market is quite saturated, with thight margins and difficult to predict consumer behavior. The battle to win consumers is forcing companies to give highest priority to cost reduction, risk management and logistics efficiency. Moreover, the recession has changed the behaviour of almost all consumers. Instead of impulsive shopping, price value trade-offs and extensive search for value are nowadays leading. In this respect, you can imagine that e-tailing and e-commerce are becoming more and more trending topics. Online presence of companies has improved enormously in recent years. Every company which delivers their products to end-consumers has its own webshop. MediaMarkt, the electronica retail chain with a franchise-formula, part of the German METRO Group, was one of the last large retail chains which hasnt a webshop untill now. Their invisibility on the web was due to regional price differences of their products. Up to now, because even the MediaMarkt now opened its webshop. Other examples are the British company, The Body Shop, which started last November with their webshop in the Netherlands. Its important to take care of reinforcement between online and offline shop, instead of the other way around. On the other hand, companies with a pure online focus, like bol.com and wehkamp.nl, are reaching the highest turnover levels. A recent research of JP Morgan reveals that the worldwide growth of e-commerce in 2011 will be 19%. In 2012 this growth will be more than 20%. The online sales in the US and Europe will grow at a stable level, but Asia will emerge as a growing e-commerce market. Regarding e-commerce in Europe, the main importance and presence in this segment is coming from West-Europe. In this are, the market is expected to grow with 11% per year in the coming four years. The turnover from online shopping in Western Europe in 2009 was equal to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 68bln. The most popular products to buy online are books, event-tickets and clothing. Recent transactions in the e-commerce market support the above statement. In 2007 Sanoma acquired mrticket.nl, an online ticketing agency. In 2010, the Italian company Arnoldo Mondadori Editore acquired Mondolibri, active in the book segment. Recently, Sanoma Digital acquired (a part of) No Search, an internet marketing company, active in the development of several fashion portals like Fashionchick.nl. As mentioned earlier, online fashion is a high growth segment in the e-commerce market. Based on recent transactions in the e-commerce market, the estimated EBITDA multiple for mid-market companies is on average around 6-8 times EBITDA. Despite the international character of the European e-commerce market, only 7% of all European consumers buy their products in webshops in other EU-countries. Probably, this number will rise in coming years. Looking at the Dutch e-commerce market, youll see that the Netherlands are rather active in this online segment, because 71% of all consumers buy products online. An important reason for the growth of the e-commerce market is the trust that consumers have in the security regarding payments. Just 7% of the Dutch population is worried about this financial security. In the Netherlands, since several years an online secure payment system exists, callled iDeal, which means that customers can easily connect with their bank to make safe online payments. This type of payment is an important succes factor in the e-commerce market. To further realise growth in the e-commerce market in the future, it will be important to develop a cross-channel strategy in the coming years. Consumers will buy offline as well as online and mobile commerce is a new channel, which will develop in the near future. In the Netherlands 69% of the consumers buy products via 2 or more different channels, in the US this percentage is even higher, 78%. In general, for the retail sector, branding and customer loyalty are important factors for success. Nowadays, social media is used to reinforce branding and to promote several in-store loyalty programs as well as customer loyalty programs. In the near future, social media could be used as well for sharing online purchasing activities. Recently, wehkamp.nl has invested in social shopping applications in their webshop, so that customers can shop online together with friends, or could start a private shopping session. Other key factors, which are important to realise the predicted growth in the future are the focus on expansion in other countries as well as a variety of segments in different webshops. Furthermore, the e-commerce segment is of interest to several private equity clubs. It is expected that this will lead to consolidation in the market, which will lead to larger e-commerce companies and a stronger competitiveness in the market. Figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that retail turnover was nearly 1 percent higher in August 2012 than in the same month last year. Prices rose by 1.9 percent, while the volume of sales fell by 1 percent. The favourable shopping-day pattern had a positive effect on turnover in August this year. After correction for this effect, turnover is nearly 2 percent lower, and the volume is around 4 percent lower. Compared with August 2011, turnover in non-food shops was nearly 5 percent lower. The decrease in turnover in the first eight months of 2012 is now just under 4 percent. The largest drop in turnover was reported by shops selling home furnishings; their turnover was 13 percent down on August last year. Textile supermarkets and clothes shops, too, experienced large decreases in turnover. Chemists were the only shops that saw turnover increase. For shops selling food, drink and tobacco turnover rose by 7 percent. After adjustment for the effects of shopping-days, however, this drops to only 2 percent. Prices in these shops rose by 1.5 percent, while the increase in volume was limited. Turnover for mail order companies and internet retailers rose by 9 percent, for petrol stations it grew by nearly 4 percent. FMCG companies/Retail stores in Netherland HEMA (originally an acronym for Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, Dutch Standard Prices Company Amsterdam) is a Dutch discount retail chain that started life as a dimestore. It was part of the Maxeda company until June 2007, when it was bought by Lion Capital LLP. The chain is characterized by relative low pricing of generic housewares, which are mostly made by and for the chain itself, often combined with original design. The first HEMA opened in Amsterdam on 4 November 1926, set up by the Jewish owners of the luxury department store De Bijenkorf. Originally, as a price-point retailer at prime locations in town centers, goods were sold using standard prices (hence its name), with everything having a Standard price of 10, 25 or 50 cents, and later also 75 and 100 cents. The relative economic boom in the Netherlands in the period 1900-1930 benefited HEMA. Branches http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/HEMA_interieur.JPG/220px-HEMA_interieur.JPG http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf12/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png Since the 1990s, HEMA has also expanded into neighboring countries. HEMA branches by country per 2011: Netherlands: 445 Belgium: 88 Germany: 10 (in 2013) Luxembourg: 4 (in 2013) France: 16 (in 2013) De Bijenkorf De Bijenkorf (literally, the beehive) is a chain of high-end department stores in the Netherlands with its flagship store on Dam Square, Amsterdam. It was founded by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845-1889). De Bijenkorf flagship store on Dam Square in Amsterdam De Bijenkorf was founded in 1870 by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845-1889), starting as a small haberdashery shop at 132 Nieuwendijk, one of Amsterdams oldest streets. Initially limited to yarn and ribbons and employing a staff of four, the stock expanded gradually. After the death of Goudsmit in 1889, Goudsmits widow expanded the business with the help of a cousin, Arthur Isaac, and her son Alfred, eventually purchasing adjacent buildings. In 1909, these connecting shops were replaced by a new building. That same year, a temporary building was erected on the site of the demolished Beurs van Zocher, and construction of a new store commenced beside it. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Lahayebijenkorf19.JPG/120px-Lahayebijenkorf19.JPG http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf12/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png De Bijenkorf in The Hague Rotterdam store, 1930-1940 A third store opened in Rotterdam in 1930, designed by Willem Dudok. 700,000 people attended the ceremony. The store was heavily damaged in the Rotterdam Blitz of 1940. The intact part of the store remained open to business until 1957, but was cleared in 1960 to build the Rotterdam Metro. A new store was designed by Hungarian-American architect Marcel Breuer (1902-1981). As of 2012, de Bijenkorf has 12 stores nationwide. The oldest and largest branches, situated in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam have retail space ranging between 15,000 and 21,000 square meters. Smaller stores (7,500-10,000 m ² of retail space) can be found in Amstelveen, Arnhem, Eindhoven, Enschede, Utrecht and Maastricht. The branches in Breda, Den Bosch and Groningen specialize in fashion (3,000 m ² retail space). Metz Co Metz Co is a department store in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, founded in 1740 by Mozes Samuels who sold his company to his three sons in 1794. Metz Co. has the right to display the Dutch royal coat of arms with the legend By Royal Warrant Purveyor to the Royal Household since 1815. To celebrate its 150th anniversary in 1890 the store moved to a new location on the Leidsestraat, where the company is still located. One of the first designers was Paul Bromberg (1893-1949), he became famous as a author and promotor of Decorative Arts and Interior Design. The distinctive cupola on the stores roof was built in the 1930s and designed by Dutch artist Gerrit T. Rietveld. Metz Co celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1990 by launching its own fragrance. The roof of the store doubles as an exclusive location for wedding ceremonies. Introduction of FMCG industry in India India is one of the largest emerging markets, with a population of over one billion. India is one of the largest economies in the world in terms of purchasing power and has a strong middle class base of 300 million. FMCG companies operate in a highly competitive and fast-changing environment. In order to stay ahead, they need to regularly renew their product portfolio to suit the ever changing needs and preferences of their customers. ValueNotes has executed in-depth research in many segments of the FMCG industry and can help you keep your finger on the pulse of your existing consumers; identify new markets for your products; track the activities of your competitors; and monitor industry trends. India a large consumer goods spender An average Indian spends around 40 per cent of his income on grocery and 8 per cent on personal care products. The large share of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in total individual spending along with the large population base is another factor that makes India one of the largest FMCG markets. FMCG Category and products Household Care Fabric wash (laundry soaps and synthetic detergents); household cleaners (dish/utensil cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, insecticides and mosquito repellents, metal polish and furniture polish). Food and Health beverages; soft drinks; staples/cereals; Beverages bakery products (biscuits, bread, cakes); snack food; chocolates; ice cream; tea; coffee; soft drinks; processed fruits, vegetables; dairy products; bottled water; branded flour; branded rice; branded sugar; juices etc. Personal Care Oral care, hair care, skin care, personal wash (soaps); cosmetics and toiletries; deodorants; Perfumes; feminine hygiene; paper products. INDIA COMPETITIVENESS AND COMPARISON WITH THE WORLD MARKETS Materials availability India has a diverse agro-climatic condition due to which there exists a wide-ranging and large raw material base suitable for food processing industries. India is the largest producer of livestock, milk, sugarcane, coconut, spices and cashew and is the second largest producer of rice, wheat and fruits vegetables. India also has an ample supply of caustic soda and soda ash, the raw materials in the production of soaps and detergents India produced 1.6 million tonnes of caustic soda in 2003-04. Tata Chemicals, one of the largest producers of synthetic soda ash in the world is located in India. The availability of these raw materials gives India the locational advantage. Cost competitiveness Labour cost comparison Source: DIPP. Apart from the advantage in terms of ample raw material availability, existence of low-cost labour force also works in favour of India. Labour cost in India is amongst the lowest in Asian countries. Easy raw material availability and low labour costs have resulted in a lower cost of production. Many multi-nationals have set up large low cost production bases in India to outsource for domestic as well as export markets. Leveraging the cost advantage Global major, Unilever, sources a major portion of its product requirements from its Indian subsidiary, HLL. In 2003-04, Unilever outsourced around US$ 218 million of home and personal care along with food products to leverage on the cost arbitrage Opportunities with the West. To take another case, Procter Gamble (PG) outsourced the manufacture of Vicks Vaporub to contract manufacturers in Hyderabad, India. This enables PG to continue exporting Vicks Vaporub to Australia, Japan and other Asian countries, but at more competitive rates, whilst maintaining its high quality and cost efficiency. Presence across value chain Indian firms also have a presence across the entire value chain of the FMCG industry from supply of raw material to final processed and packaged goods, both in the personal care products and in the food processing sector. For instance, Indian firm Amuls product portfolio includes supply of milk as well as the supply of processed dairy products like cheese and butter. This makes the firms located in India more cost competitive. FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS POLICY India has enacted policies aimed at attaining international competitiveness through lifting of the quantitative restrictions, reduced excise duties, automatic foreign investment and food laws resulting in an environment that fosters growth. 100 per cent export oriented units can be set up by government approval and use of foreign brand names is now freely permitted. TRENDS AND PLAYERS The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy and creates employment for three million people in downstream activities. Within the FMCG sector, the Indian food processing industry represented 6.3 per cent of GDP and accounted for 13 per cent of the countrys exports in 2003-04. A distinct feature of the FMCG industry is the presence of most global players through their subsidiaries (HLL, PG, Nestle), which ensures new product launches in the Indian market from the parents portfolio. Critical operating rules in Indian FMCG sector à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Heavy launch costs on new products on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Majority of the product classes require very low investment in fixed assets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Existence of contract manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing assumes a significant place in the brand building process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extensive distribution networks and logistics are key to achieving a high level of penetration in both the urban and rural markets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Factors like low entry barriers in terms of low capital investment, fiscal incentives from government and low brand awareness in rural areas have led to the mushrooming of the unorganised sector à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Providing good price points is the key to success THE TOP 10 COMPANIES IN FMCG SECTOR S. NO. Companies 1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2. ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) 3. Nestlà © India 4. GCMMF (AMUL) 5. Dabur India 6. Asian Paints (India) 7. Cadbury India 8. Britannia Industries 9. Procter Gamble Hygiene and Health Care 10. Marico Industries Market Summary Approximately 80 percent of the Dutch food retail outlets are full service supermarkets, operating on floor space between 500 and 1,500 square meters located downtown and in residential areas. The remaining 20 percent includes superstores located in industrial parks, convenience stores near human traffic and department stores. In Belgium, full service supermarkets, like Colruyt and AD Delhaize, account for an estimated 75 percent of the market. The share of superstores and convenience stores in Belgium is higher than in the Netherlands, an estimated 25%. In Luxembourg, full service supermarkets like Cactus, Alvo and Match dominate the market as well. In all three markets, independent food retail stores are increasingly leaving the scene. On-going consolidation in the retail market, changing consumer demands and shrinking margins seem to drive this trend. The top 3 biggest retailers in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn, C1000, and Jumbo [1] , have a market share of 56 percent. The market for discounters like Aldi and Lidl has stabilized around 15%. Also discounters like Bas van der Heijden, Dirk van den Heijden and Digros were able to maintain their share of the market. In Belgium, the leading 3 retailers have 75 percent of the market. The market share of the discounters in Belgium is about 40% where Colruyt saw its market share growing at the expense of Aldi and Lidl. Recent market share figures for Luxembourg were not available when writing the report. Table 1: Market Shares of Leading Food Retailers in 2010 Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg Company Name Market Share Company Name Market share Company Name No. of Stores Albert Heijn 31.1% Carrefour 29.0% Delhaize 30 C1000 14.9% Delhaize 25.0% Cactus 18 Jumbo 9.9% Colruyt 23.5% Match 14 Aldi 8.5% Aldi 12.5% Alvo 11 Plus 6.1% Lidl 4.0% Smatch 8 Lidl 5.5% Louis Delhaize 3.0% Cora 2 Other 23.8% Other 3.0% Auchan 1 Total 100.0% Total 100.0% Higher Prices For Food Products The turnover of the Benelux food retail industry in 2009 was an estimated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬52.7 billion (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31.1 billion in the Netherlands, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬21.1 billion in Belgium and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.5 billion in Luxembourg). For 2010 turnover is expected to increase by 1.5%. Reasons for this moderate growth: Expected moderate increase of the unemployment rate Limited economic growth Consumers plan to spend more food euros at retail than foodservice Due to the current economic situation the growth of value-added products has decreased at the expense of more basic products. Table 2: Turnover Benelux food retail, past 5 years 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 44.1 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 45.7 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 47.7 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50.5 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 52,7 billion The trend of higher prices for raw materials and therefore consumer products, as discussed in the previous Food Retail report, seems to have stopped. Benelux consumer prices rank among the cheapest within the EU-27. Changing Consumer Needs In addition to the fact that Benelux consumers are shedding retailer-loyalty, they shop at different times and locations. During lunch breaks, people buy their lunch and often the ingredients for that eveningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s meal. Small convenience stores, like AH To Go and Delhaize shop à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾n go are opened at locations near heavy traffic like train stations, schools, and shopping malls to satisfy these consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs. The traditional neighborhood grocery stores are either going out of business, are taken over or are changing their product portfolio. They are expanding the grocery line of fresh and convenient prepared-foods with tailor-made sandwiches, filled tortillas and drinks to satisfy the consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ need for food for now. The ready-to-cook segment is also expanding. Awareness of Health and Well-Being Consumers are becoming more aware of and are more concerned about the effects food has on their health and well-being. There is a trend to a healthier lifestyle in Western countries. The following US industries have all benefitted from this trend: nuts (like pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.), fruits (like cranberries, pomegranates, berries, etc.), seafood (like salmon, halibut, etc.). Consumers are more cautious about foodborne illnesses. Consumers are looking for and finding more information on this topic; the media, including the Internet, TV and magazines, respond to this desire and feed into it. Food processors and retailers play a crucial role as well, as they develop and market food products (like juices from POMwonderfull, Healthy People, etc.) to create, anticipate and meet consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs. Climate Change Carbon Footprint Labeling Last year the European Commission conducted a survey on mandatory Carbon Footprint Labeling (CFL). Popular support for CFLl by country, varied between 47% to 90% of all 27,000 Europeans that were interviewed. Seventy percent of the respondents in Belgium and Luxemburg were supportive of a mandatory label whereas this was only supported by half of the Dutch interviewees. The latter, on the other hand, were after the Finnish the most likely (28%) to prefer a voluntary labeling system. After the December 2009 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the discussion on CFL got a new boost. Belgian federal Minister of Climate and Energy, Mr. Paul Magnette, stated that in addition to the price, the CO2 emission should also be mentioned on each product. This way, consumers become aware and see to what extent the products they buy influence global warming. Carbon Footprint Labeling is not (yet) an issue in the Netherlands. The government hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t come out with a statement or position on CFL. It seems that all the individual stakeholders are waiting for the other to make the first move. Within the EU-27, the U.K. and Sweden are taking a leading role in CFL. For more information on Sweden, see GAIN Report SW9016. The overall labeling requirements for the Benelux can be found in the following GAIN Reports: NL9020 and GAIN BE9004. Advantages and Challenges of the Benelux Food Retail Market Advantages Challenges Sector Strengths Market Opportunities: Sector Weaknesses and Competitive Threats: Expected slight recovery of the economy in the EU import regulation and tariffs. EU Benelux is a promising prospect (expecially enlargement has given and will give compared to some other EU economies) for the preferential access to products from retail industry. new member countries. Affluent, open minded and curious consumers create Discounters are the fastest growing opportunities for new products. segment in the Benelux retail market; margins continue to be under pressure. The region has an excellent infrastructure which Competition is growing from non-food offers great opportunities. retail players like IKEA, HEMA, VD and Bijenkorf as they enter the food market. Greater demand for healthy food products not or not The industry is highly consolidated and suffiently available on the local EU market; e.g. therefore has a strong negotiating seafood, tree nuts, (exotic) fruit, vegetables, juices, position and good contacts. Road Map For Market Entry Entry Strategy Success in introducing your product in the Benelux market depends mainly on knowledge of the market and building personal contact with knowledgeable and established importers. Prior to any export, invest in research that analyzes the Benelux food culture (concepts, flavor, price, requirements). Once the product has been chosen, be aware of fierce competition. There are tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that can complicate exporting to the Benelux. An importer knows the market, the trade barriers and the required documentation. The Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA) offers guidelines on business practices and import regulations. For a complete overview of offered reports, see Section V of this report. Market Structure Supermarkets and Superstores The vast majority of supermarkets and superstores buy foreign (specialty) products via specialized importers. This is especially the case for retail-ready consumer-oriented products like sauces, beverages and snack products. Convenience stores operate, in general, on a much smaller scale and therefore buy smaller quantities through wholesalers. Department stores work either

Herman Melvilles Bartleby the Scrivener :: essays research papers

American Dream?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American dream! What is the American dream? Who lives and considers their life the American dream? Does Bartleby live the American dream? What makes this story have anything to do with the American dream? Well in the next few pages I am going to try to relate my idea of the American dream to this story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American dream to me is quite simple, happiness living in America. To strive for happiness you need some other tools, just face it happiness isn’t everything. Money is a big tool to happiness. â€Å"Anybody that tells you that money is the root of all evil, doesn’t fucking have any. They say money cant buy you happiness look at the fucking smile on my face, ear to ear baby.†-Boiler Room. The American dream is in one mans eyes to have a nice house, nice car, fun toys, a great family, and dignity. That is the ideal American dream. But that nice house, nice car, and fun toys aren’t going to just appear on a piece of land for you with out money. Working hard for you money, who really wants to work hard for a living? Everyone is out doing what ever they can to make good money with less work. Ever receive those emails or phones that guarantee you to make millions of dollars from home, and have all the free time you want? Well that is the dream of the American dream. The American dream to me is being able to maintain a nice home, with a great family, with more free time on my hands that time spent at an office. With a nice chunk of change in my pocket. But hey that’s why they call it the â€Å"American Dream† it’s only a dream and only the lucky ones will live such a dream. But not so much are they lucky, but smart and figured something out before everyone else figured it out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ill do a quick sum up of Bartleby the Scrivener. It’s about a lawyer who helps out wealthy people mortgages, titles deeds, and of the such. He has two scriveners, Nippers, and Turkey, these are just their nicknames. He hires a man named Bartleby, who just replied to add that was put out. Then Bartleby is asked to proofread a document, and replies with â€Å"I’d prefer not to† Its of course irritates him and the rest of the people in the office.

Technologys Impact on Children With Communication Disorders Essay

Technology's Impact on Children With Communication Disorders â€Å"†¦If all of my possessions were taken from me with one exception, I would choose the power of communication, for by it I would regain all the rest. Daniel Webster† (Lloyd, Fuller, and Arvidson 1). Imagine that you were born one hundred years ago and as you grew, you never learned to talk, or at the very most, could only communicate in two or three word sentences. What would you do? How would you make your wishes known to those around you? Remember, this is one hundred years ago and you didn’t have computers or other augmentative devices to â€Å"talk† with. Perhaps you are able to use your hands to write, but often communication disorders are joined with other problems like Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, all of which make it more difficult to control your hands. Be thankful that you live in the twenty-first century, where computers can help communicate as well as teach children with these disorders how to survive within a communicating world. I will discuss the impact, effects, and Christian perspective of technology on communication disorders. Impact of technology on children with communication disorders A communication disorder is described as, â€Å"‘an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems [ASHA, 1993, p. 40]’† (Owens, Metz, and Haas 14). Several years ago, people with communication disorders could get therapy to learn how to talk if they were able, but there wasn’t much that could be done if it was physically impossible to say the speech sounds. This person would have to go through life trying to communicate by hand signals, writing, and maybe a few choice wo... ...Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; Baltimore, 1992. 175-202. Hjelmquist, Erland. â€Å"Form and Meaning in Alternative Language Development.† Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Whurr Publishers; London, 1999. 31-39. Lloyd, Lyle L.; Fuller, Donald R.; and Helen H. Arvidson. Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Allyn and Bacon; Boston, 1997. Nelson, Lauren I. And Julie J. Masterson. â€Å"Computer technology: Creative interfaces in service delivery. Topics in Lavguahe Disorders v19 n3, May 1999, 67-86. Owens, Robert E., jr.; Metz, Dale Evan; and Adelaide Haas. Introduction to Communication Disorders: A Life Span Perspective. Allyn and Bacon; Boston, 2000. Yorkston, Kathryn M.; Beukelman, David R.; Strand, Edythe A.; and Kathleen R. Bell. Management of Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults. Pro-Ed Publishers; Austin, Texas, 1999.