Friday, October 18, 2019
PREPARING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
PREPARING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY 2 - Essay Example This aids in determining whether or not the project is valuable to the organization. Furthermore, CBA is useful to the organization as it gives them a clear picture of the CBR (cost, benefit and risks) which can also be used in comparing alternate investments that can be rolled out by the organization (FreeTutes 1). CBA determines the benefits as well as the savings anticipated from the system and compares it with estimated project cost. There are several examples of cost lifecycle including; personnel, supplies, equipment, overheads and consultantsââ¬â¢ fees (Plowman 1). Costs can also be broadly divided into two broad categories which are development and operating costs. Development costs includes wages and equipment, while operating cost includes supplies and overhead costs. Maintenance also is cost intensive, and should be checked on in the future to avoid any losses from the project. It should be noted that maintenance fees are required to ensure that the machines are up and running at all times (FreeTutes 1). CBA has a three parts associated with it. First, the potential costs to be incurred, secondly, anticipated benefits associated with the proposed actions and finally, the difference to determine if the project is feasible (+results) or non-feasible (-results) (Plowman 1). The procedure to be followed when doing a CBA includes evaluation of the projectsââ¬â¢ benefits and cost. To effectively achieve a perfect CBA, the team leader of the project must take into consideration the steps one has to follow. Includes brainstorming the costs and benefits of doing the project. The list of all the costs and benefits should be made available while undertaking the study. They should also think of unexpected cost during the process. The next step involves assigning the monetary value to the cost and these includes the resources required, that of human effort used. This is relatively easy to come up with the estimates. Step three is assigning
Thursday, October 17, 2019
News Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
News Article - Assignment Example very essential in determining the STD that one may be infected with as both viral and bacterial STDs have different treatment methods and some have may have no symptoms, but attack when it is too late. The issue on STD transmission, treatment, and prevention is covered in the biology concepts and connections chapter 27.7. As the article notes, a part from the viral and bacterial STDs, fungi and other organisms can csues some STDs. The article suggests that knowing the cause of the STD would make it much easier to treat, with the most common STD cause being bacteria that affects over 90 million people globally. The article reports that one advantage of bacterial STDs is that they are curable, comparing the viral STDs such as AIDs that has defied any treatment methods. Gonorrhea and syphilis are examples of bacteria transmitted STDs. Therefore, knowing the actual cause of the STD makes it much easier to and prevents cases of misdiagnoses. Lack of enough knowledge about these diseases may be fatal and lead to complications in late stage of some such as syphilis that may attack that nervous system. The article has some scientific facts. The article assesses the main pathogens of many STDs and tries to differentiate them through elaborating on the nature of STDs. Similarly, the article calls for care when dealing with STDs; some are contagious and finally stresses on the need to go for necessary test to determine the actual STD in question. Understanding STDs and the Importance of Regular Testing, Mod to Modern, 24March, 2013 http://www.modtomodern.com/understanding-stds-and-the-importance-of-regular-testing/ (accessed, 12th April,
What are the methods, justifications and impacts of transgression on Essay
What are the methods, justifications and impacts of transgression on the rhetorics of the media South Park - Essay Example The use of rhetoric in various mediums is able to define and express specific approaches to those that are developing specific ideologies. In some instances, the traditional rhetoric is altered because of the expression which is used. This develops a sense of persuasion and understanding in a way that is able to create alternatives. The transgression is used to express opposition to the current political, social and economic environment, while developing personalized theories from the authors that are expressed in each episode. Transgression of Rhetoric of South Park ââ¬Å"South Parkâ⬠is now recognized as one of the most controversial shows on television. The show aired in 1992 with the ââ¬Å"Spirit of Christmas,â⬠which starred Jesus Christ battling his rival Satan. From this point, the show developed into productions based on Hollywood flicks, political controversies and statements which rebelled against the popular culture in society. The approach is one which continu es to develop with the issues which are currently associated with conflict in society while approaching these with a sense of cultural and political humor. The approach which has been taken by ââ¬Å"South Parkâ⬠in the last 20 years has developed it as a show noted as an oppositional culture. Instead of defining acceptable in terms of the political and social order, the show transgresses all of the order and opposes every angle with dichotomies and by negotiating the ideologies which are currently accepted in society (Gournelos, 2009: 15). ... The communication which is used is developed by taking apart the popular communication and showing that this exposure is one which does not provide relevant content to the current approaches. By opposing the statements which are made, ââ¬Å"South Parkâ⬠uses the transgression to make an even stronger statement. This is based on how the exposure in popular culture and in politics is irrelevant and is usually a substitute or metaphor toward an issue which is not being confronted or which does not exist at all. The tactic of oppositional culture then creates a transgression that shows another theory the authors effectively express (Pype, 2011: 114). An example of the oppositional culture that is created and the transgression that shows the irrelevance of the points is from the episode ââ¬Å"Imaginationlandâ⬠in season 11. This particular show was defined with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that began to take over the popular media. The oppositional culture is one which define d the terrorist attacks as non ââ¬â existent. The opposition was based on the continuous statement by the main characters of the ââ¬Å"terrorists taking over the imaginationâ⬠of those that were a part of the area. This moved into a red alert with the fear that was shown by the government of the terrorists taking over all of imagination land with no recovery. The show leads into not only oppositional statements about the terrorist attacks, but shows the clips as controversial because of the absurd which is used, such as seen in figure 1. Figure 1: Imaginationland The opposition which is created is based on rejection of the theories and media of terrorism. This is combined with the discourse and rhetoric which rejects the political and cultural theories about terrorism
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
News Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
News Article - Assignment Example very essential in determining the STD that one may be infected with as both viral and bacterial STDs have different treatment methods and some have may have no symptoms, but attack when it is too late. The issue on STD transmission, treatment, and prevention is covered in the biology concepts and connections chapter 27.7. As the article notes, a part from the viral and bacterial STDs, fungi and other organisms can csues some STDs. The article suggests that knowing the cause of the STD would make it much easier to treat, with the most common STD cause being bacteria that affects over 90 million people globally. The article reports that one advantage of bacterial STDs is that they are curable, comparing the viral STDs such as AIDs that has defied any treatment methods. Gonorrhea and syphilis are examples of bacteria transmitted STDs. Therefore, knowing the actual cause of the STD makes it much easier to and prevents cases of misdiagnoses. Lack of enough knowledge about these diseases may be fatal and lead to complications in late stage of some such as syphilis that may attack that nervous system. The article has some scientific facts. The article assesses the main pathogens of many STDs and tries to differentiate them through elaborating on the nature of STDs. Similarly, the article calls for care when dealing with STDs; some are contagious and finally stresses on the need to go for necessary test to determine the actual STD in question. Understanding STDs and the Importance of Regular Testing, Mod to Modern, 24March, 2013 http://www.modtomodern.com/understanding-stds-and-the-importance-of-regular-testing/ (accessed, 12th April,
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Luigi Pirandello 1867-1936 War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Luigi Pirandello 1867-1936 War - Essay Example However, the real skill of Pirandello in War lies in his ability to show to the readers the actual human side of these characters, which does not understand the claims of the country and the King and which mourns and bereaves the loss of the loved ones. The message of the story is that the emotional side of the human existence is simply unaware of the artificial concepts like national pride, courage and bravery, and tends to miss and bereave the loved oneââ¬â¢s lost to such noble sounding and lofty causes. The fat man in the story asserts that, ââ¬Å"it is natural at their age (boys) should consider the love of their country (I am speaking of decent boys, of course) even greater than the love of us (Pirandello 109)?â⬠While saying so, the fat man as a father sounds to be very matter of fact and committed to the larger claims of nationalism and the duty towards oneââ¬â¢s country. While saying so, the fat man appears to be very successful in suppressing the emotional side o f his personality to support his so called loyalty towards his country. However, once ââ¬Å"the woman in deep mourning (Pirandello 107)â⬠poses a simple question ââ¬Å"Thenâ⬠¦ is your son really dead (Pirandello 109)?â⬠the entire idea of national pride simply gives way. What emerges is a father who is deeply sad and disturbed at the death of his son. ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ At the silly, incongruous question- he suddenly realized that his son was really dead- gone forever- forever (Pirandello 109).â⬠A simple question by a grieved mother simply unravels the hollowness inherent in the notions of country, national pride, and selfless sacrifices, to show to the readers the sad, bloody and ruthless side of war. Certainly, the claims of the country look smaller compared to the more pressing claims of the human heart. In War, Pirandello uses the third person point of view. This approach allows the writer to bring out the typical waste and tragedy of war, by extending to the r eaders an insight into the emotional confusion and anxiety of the characters. To begin with, the omniscient point of view makes the readers think that they are witnessing a simple conversation taking place in a group, during a war. Almost all the travelers in that second class carriage are shown to be talking about the young men from their families, who have been sent to the war. Yet, the very same omniscient narrator brings down these displays of patriotism and national cause, by bringing out the emotional confusion gripping the characters. All the men in the carriage try to score over each other by declaring the magnitude of sacrifices made be their family to the national cause, to be greater than others. To one gentlemanââ¬â¢s claim that ââ¬Å"You should thank God that your son is only leaving now for the front. Mine has been sent there the first day of the war (Pirandello 108)â⬠the second passenger responds that ââ¬Å"I have two sons and three nephews at the front (Pi randello 108).â⬠In this competition for sacrifice and selflessness, these men simply seem to be unaware of the pain of losing their family members. This very emotional confusion shows how much emotionally disturbed they are. The characterization by Pirandello in the story is very appropriate and masterfully brings out the superiority of human feelings over artificial concepts of patriotism an
Monday, October 14, 2019
Intro to The Romantic Period Essay Example for Free
Intro to The Romantic Period Essay At the turn of the century, fired by ideas of personal and political liberty and of the energy and sublimity of the natural world, artists and intellectuals sought to break the bonds of 18th-century convention. Although the works of Jean Jacques Rousseau and William Godwin had great influence, the French Revolution and its aftermath had the strongest impact of all. In England initial support for the Revolution was primarily utopian and idealist, and when the French failed to live up to expectations, most English intellectuals renounced the Revolution. However, the romantic vision had taken forms other than political, and these developed apace. In Lyrical Ballads (1798 and 1800), a watershed in literary history, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge presented and illustrated a beneficial visual: poetry should express, in genuine language, experience as filtered through personal emotion and imagination; the truest experience was to be found in nature. The concept of the Sublime strengthened this turn to nature, because in wild countrysides the power of the sublime could be felt most immediately. Wordsworths romanticism is probably most fully realized in his great autobiographical poem, The Prelude (1805ââ¬â50). In search of sublime moments, romantic poets wrote about the marvelous and supernatural, the exotic, and the medieval. But they also found beauty in the lives of simple rural people and aspects of the everyday world. The second generation of romantic poets included John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. In Keatss great odes, intellectual and emotional sensibility merge in language of great power and beauty. Shelley, who combined soaring lyricism with an apocalyptic political vision, sought more extreme effects and occasionally achieved them, as in his great drama Prometheus Unbound (1820). Lord Byron was the prototypical romantic hero, the envy and scandal of the age. He has been continually identified with his own characters, particularly the rebellious, irreverent, erotically inclined Don Juan. Byron invested the romantic lyric with a rationalist irony. The romantic era was also rich in literary criticism and other nonfictional prose. Coleridge proposed an influential theory of literature in his Biographia Literaria (1817). William Godwin and his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, wrote groundââ¬âbreaking books on human, and womens, rights. William Hazlitt, who never forsook political radicalism, wrote brilliant and astute literaryà criticism. The master of the personal essay was Charles Lamb, whereas Thomas De Quincey was master of the personal confession. The periodicals Edinburgh Review and Blackwoods Magazine, in which leading writers were published throughout the century, were major forums of controversy, political as well as literary. - Although the great novelist Jane Austen wrote during the romantic era, her work defies classification. With insight, grace, and irony she delineated human relationships within the context of English country life. Sir Walter Scott, Scottish nationalist and romantic, made the genre of the historical novel widely popular. Other novelists of the period were Maria Edgeworth, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and Thomas Love Peacock, the latter noted for his eccentric novels satirizing the romantics. The Romantic period The nature of Romanticism As a term to cover the most distinctive writers who flourished in the last years of the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th, ââ¬Å"Romanticâ⬠is indispensable but also a little misleading: there was no self-styled ââ¬Å"Romantic movementâ⬠at the time, and the great writers of the period did not call themselves Romantics. Not until August Wilhelm von Schlegelââ¬â¢s Vienna lectures of 1808ââ¬â09 was a clear distinction established between theà ââ¬Å"organic,â⬠ââ¬Å"plasticâ⬠qualities of Romantic art and the ââ¬Å"mechanicalâ⬠character of Classicism. Many of the ageââ¬â¢s foremost writers thought that something new was happening in the worldââ¬â¢s affairs, nevertheless. William Blakeââ¬â¢s affirmation in 1793 that ââ¬Å"a new heaven is begunâ⬠was matched a generation later by Percy Bysshe Shelleyââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The worldââ¬â¢s great age begins anew.â⬠ââ¬Å"These, these will give the world another heart, / A nd other pulses,â⬠wrote John Keats, referring to Leigh Hunt andWilliam Wordsworth. Fresh ideals came to the fore; in particular, the ideal of freedom, long cherished in England, was being extended to every range of human endeavour. As that ideal swept through Europe, it became natural to believe that the age of tyrants might soon end. The most notable feature of the poetry of the time is the new role of individual thought and personal feeling. Where the main trend of 18th-century poetics had been to praise the general, to see the poet as a spokesman of society addressing a cultivated and homogeneous audience and having as his end the conveyance of ââ¬Å"truth,â⬠the Romantics found the source of poetry in the particular, unique experience. Blakeââ¬â¢s marginal comment on Sir Joshua Reynoldsââ¬â¢s Discourses expresses the position with characteristic vehemence: ââ¬Å"To Generalize is to be an Idiot. To Particularize is the alone Distinction of Merit.â⬠The poet was seen as an individual distinguished from his fellows by the intensity of his perceptions, taking as his basic subject matter the workings of his own mind. Poetry was regarded as conveying its own truth; sincerity was the criterion by which it was to be judged. The emphasis on feelingââ¬âseen perhaps at its finest in the poems of Robert Burnsââ¬âwas in some ways a continuation of the earlier ââ¬Å"cult of sensibilityâ⬠; and it is worth remembering that Alexander Pope praised his father as having known no language but the language of the heart. But feeling had begun to receive particular emphasis and is found in most of the Romantic definitions of poetry. Wordsworth called poetry ââ¬Å"the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling,â⬠and in 1833 John Stuart Mill defined poetry as ââ¬Å"feeling itself, employing thought only as the medium of its utterance.â⬠It followed that the best poetry was that in which the greatest intensity of feeling was expressed, and hence a new importance was attached to the lyric. Another key quality of Romantic writing was its shift from the mimetic, or imitative, assumptions of the Neoclassical era to a new stress onimagination. Samuel Taylor Coleridge sawà the imagination as the supre me poetic quality, a quasi-divine creative force that made the poet a godlike being. Samuel Johnson had seen the components of poetry as ââ¬Å"invention, imagination and judgement,â⬠but Blake wrote: ââ¬Å"One Power alone makes a Poet: Imagination, the Divine Vision.â⬠The poets of this period accordingly placed great emphasis on the workings of the unconscious mind, on dreams and reveries, on the supernatural, and on the childlike or primitive view of the world, this last being regarded as valuable because its clarity and intensity had not been overlaid by the restrictions of civilized ââ¬Å"reason.â⬠Rousseauââ¬â¢s sentimental conception of the ââ¬Å"noble savageâ⬠was often invoked, and often by those who were ignorant that the phrase is Drydenââ¬â¢s or that the type was adumbrated in the ââ¬Å"poor Indianâ⬠of Popeââ¬â¢s An Essay on Man. A further sign of the diminished stress placed on judgment is the Romantic attitude to form: if poetry must be spontaneous, sincere, intense, it should be fashioned primarily according to th e dictates of the creative imagination. Wordsworth advised a young poet, ââ¬Å"You feel strongly; trust to those feelings, and your poem will take its shape and proportions as a tree does from the vital principle that actuates it.â⬠This organic view of poetry is opposed to the classical theory of ââ¬Å"genres,â⬠each with its own linguistic decorum; and it led to the feeling that poetic sublimity was unattainable except in short passages. Hand in hand with the new conception of poetry and the insistence on a new subject matter went a demand for new ways of writing. Wordsworth and his followers, particularly Keats, found the prevailing poetic diction of the late 18th century stale and stilted, or ââ¬Å"gaudy and inane,â⬠and totally unsuited to the expression of their perceptions. It could not be, for them, the language of feeling, and Wordsworth accordingly sought to bring the language of poetry back to that of common speech. Wordsworthââ¬â¢s own diction, however, often differs from his theory. Nevertheless, when he published his preface to Lyrical Ballads in 1800, the time was ripe for a change: the flexible diction of earlier 18th-century poetry had hardened into a merely conventional language. Poetry BLAKE, WORDSWORTH, AND COLERIDGE Useful as it is to trace the common elements in Romantic poetry, there was little conformity among the poets themselves. It is misleading to read the poetry of the first Romantics as if it had been written primarily to expressà their feelings. Their concern was rather to change the intellectual climate of the age. William Blake had been dissatisfied since boyhood with the current state of poetry and what he considered the irreligious drabness of contemporary thought. His early development of a protective shield of mocking humour with which to face a world in which science had become trifling and art inconsequential is visible in the satirical An Island in the Moon (written c. 1784ââ¬â85); he then took the bolder step of setting aside sophistication in the visionary Songs of Innocence (1789). His desire for renewal encouraged him to view the outbreak of the French Revolution as a momentous event. In works such as The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790ââ¬â93) and Songs of Expe rience (1794), he attacked the hypocrisies of the age and the impersonal cruelties resulting from the dominance of analytic reason in contemporary thought. As it became clear that the ideals of the Revolution were not likely to be realized in his time, he renewed his efforts to revise his contemporariesââ¬â¢ view of the universe and to construct a new mythology centred not in the God of the Bible but in Urizen, a repressive figure of reason and law whom he believed to be the deity actually worshipped by his contemporaries. The story of Urizenââ¬â¢s rise was set out in The First Book of Urizen (1794) and then, more ambitiously, in the unfinished manuscript Vala (later redrafted as The Four Zoas), written from about 1796 to about 1807. Blake developed these ideas in the visionary narratives of Milton (1804ââ¬â08) and Jerusalem (1804ââ¬â20). Here, still using his own mythological characters, he portrayed the imaginative artist as the hero of society and suggested the possibility of redemption from the fallen (or Urizenic) condition. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, meanwhile, were also exploring the implication s of the French Revolution. Wordsworth, who lived in France in 1791ââ¬â92 and fathered an illegitimate child there, was distressed when, soon after his return, Britain declared war on the republic, dividing his allegiance. For the rest of his career, he was to brood on those events, trying to develop a view of humanity that would be faithful to his twin sense of the pathos of individual human fates and the unrealized potentialities in humanity as a whole. The first factor emerges in his early manuscript poems ââ¬Å"The Ruined Cottageâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Pedlarâ⬠(both to form part of the later Excursion); the second was developed from 1797, when he and his sister, Dorothy, with whom he was living in the westà of England, were in close contact with Coleridge. Stirred simultaneously by Dorothyââ¬â¢s immediacy of feeling, manifested everywhere in her Journals (written 1798ââ¬â1803, published 1897), and by Coleridgeââ¬â¢s imaginative and speculative genius, he produced the poems collected in Lyrical Ballads(1798). The volume began with Coleridgeââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,â⬠continued with poems displaying delight in the powers of nature and the humane instincts of ordinary people, and concluded with the meditative ââ¬Å"Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,â⬠Wordsworthââ¬â¢s attempt to set out his mature faith in nature and humanity. His investigation of the relationship between nature and the human mind continued in the long autobiographical poem addressed to Coleridge and later titled The Prelude (1798ââ¬â99 in two books; 1804 in five books; 1805 in 13 books; revised continuously and published posthumously, 1850). Here he traced the value for a poet of having been a child ââ¬Å"fostered alike by beauty and by fearâ⬠by an upbringing in sublime surroundings. The Prelude constitutes the most significant English expression of the Romantic discovery of the self as a topic for art and literature. The poem also makes much of the work of memory, a theme explored as well in the ââ¬Å"Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.â⬠In poems such as ââ¬Å"Michaelâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Brothers,â⬠by contrast, written for the second volume of Lyrical Ballads (1800), Wordsworth dwelt on the pathos and potentialities of ordinary lives. Coleridgeââ¬â¢s poetic development during these years paralleled Wordsworthââ¬â¢s. Having briefly brought together images of nature and the mind in ââ¬Å"The Eolian Harpâ⬠(1796), he devoted himself to more-public concerns in poems of political and social prophecy, such as ââ¬Å"Religious Musingsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Destiny of Nations.â⬠Becoming disillusioned in 1798 with his earlier politics, however, and encouraged by Wordsworth, he turned back to the relatio nship between nature and the human mind. Poems such as ââ¬Å"This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison,â⬠ââ¬Å"The Nightingale,â⬠and ââ¬Å"Frost at Midnightâ⬠(now sometimes called the ââ¬Å"conversation poemsâ⬠but collected by Coleridge himself as ââ¬Å"Meditative Poems in Blank Verseâ⬠) combine sensitive descriptions of nature with subtlety of psychological comment. ââ¬Å"Kubla Khanâ⬠(1797 or 1798, published 1816), a poem that Coleridge said came to him in ââ¬Å"a kind of Reverie,â⬠represented a new kind of exotic writing, which he also exploited in the supernaturalism of ââ¬Å"The Ancient Marinerâ⬠and the unfinishedà ââ¬Å"Christabel.â⬠After his visit to Germany in 1798ââ¬â99, he renewed attention to the links between the subtler forces in nature and the human psyche; this attention bore fruit in letters, notebooks, literary criticism, theology, and philosophy. Simultaneously, his poetic output became sporadic. ââ¬Å"Dejection: An Odeâ⬠(1802), another meditat ive poem, which first took shape as a verse letter to Sara Hutchinson, Wordsworthââ¬â¢s sister-in-law, memorably describes the suspension of his ââ¬Å"shaping spirit of Imagination.â⬠The work of both poets was directed back to national affairs during these years by the rise ofNapoleon. In 1802 Wordsworth dedicated a number of sonnets to the patriotic cause. The death in 1805 of his brother John, who was a captain in the merchant navy, was a grim reminder that, while he had been living in retirement as a poet, others had been willing to sacrifice themselves. From this time the theme of duty was to be prominent in his poetry. His political essay Concerning the Relations of Great Britain, Spain and Portugalâ⬠¦as Affected by the Convention of Cintra (1809) agreed with Coleridgeââ¬â¢s periodical The Friend (1809ââ¬â10) in deploring the decline of principle among statesmen. When The Excursion appeared in 1814 (the time of Napoleonââ¬â¢s first exile), Wordsworth announced the poem as the central section of a longer projected work, The Recluse, ââ¬Å"a philosophical Poem, containing views of Man, Nature, and Society.â⬠The plan was not fulfilled, however, and The Excursion was left to stand in its own right as a poem of moral and religious consolation for those who had been disappointed by the failure of French revolutionary ideals. Both Wordsworth and Coleridge benefited from the advent in 1811 of the Regency, which brought a renewed interest in the arts. Coleridgeââ¬â¢s lectures on Shakespeare became fashionable, his playRemorse was briefly produced, and his volume of poems Christabel; Kubla Khan: A Vision; The Pains of Sleep was published in 1816. Biographia Literaria (1817), an account of his own development, combined philosophy and literary criticism in a new way and made an enduring and important contribution to literary theory. Coleridge settled at Highgate in 1816, and he was sought there as ââ¬Å"the most impressive talker of his ageâ⬠(in the words of the essayist William Hazlitt). His later religious writings made a considerable impact on Victorian readers. No other period in English literature displays more variety in style, theme, and content than the Romantic Movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Furthermore, no period has been the topic of so much disagreement and confusion over its defining principles and aesthetics. Romanticism, then, can best be described as a large network of sometimes competing philosophies, agendas, and points of interest. In England, Romanticism had its greatest influence from the end of the eighteenth century up through about 1870. Its primary vehicle of expression was in poetry, although novelists adopted many of the same themes. In America, the Romantic Movement was slightly delayed and modulated, holding sway over arts and letters from roughly 1830 up to the Civil War. Contrary to the English example, American literature championed the novel as the most fitting genre for Romanticismââ¬â¢s exposition. In a broader sense, Romanticism can be conceived as an adjective which is applicable to the literature of virtually any time period. With that in mind, anything from the Homeric epics to modern dime novels can be said to bear the stamp of Romanticism. In spite of such general disagreements over usage, there are some definitive and universal statements one can make regarding the nature of the Romantic Movement in both England and America. First and foremost, Romanticism is concerned with the individual more than with society. The individual consciousness and especially the individual imagination are especially fascinating for the Romantics. ââ¬Å"Melancholyâ⬠was quite the buzzword for the Romantic poets, and altered states of consciousness were often sought after in order to enhance oneââ¬â¢s creative potential. There was a coincident downgrading of the importance and power of reason, clearly a reaction against the Enlightenment mode of thinking. Nevertheless, writers became gradually more invested in social causes as the period moved forward. Thanks largely to the Industrial Revolution, English society was undergoing the most severe paradigm shifts it had seen in living memory. The response of many early Romantics was to yearn for an idealized, simpler past. In particular, English Romantic poets had a strong connection with medievalism and mythology. The tales of King Arthur were especially resonant to their imaginations. On top of this, there was a clearly mystical quality to Romantic writing that sets it apart from other literary periods. Of course, not every Romantic poet or novelist displayed all, or even most of these traits all the time. On the formalà level, Romanticism witnessed a steady loosening of the rules of artistic expression that were pervasive during earlier times. The Neoclassical Period of the eighteenth century included very strict expectations regarding the structure and content of poetry. By the dawn of the nineteenth century, experimentation with new styles and subjects became much more acceptable. The high-flown language of the previous generationââ¬â¢s poets was replaced with more natural cadences and verbiage. In terms of poetic form, rhymed stanzas were slowly giving way to blank verse, an unrhymed but still rhythmic style of poetry. The purpose of blank verse was to heighten conversational speech to the level of austere beauty. Some criticized the new style as mundane, yet the innovation soon became the preferred style. One of the most popular themes of Romantic poetry was country life, otherwise known as pastoral poetry. Mythological and fantastic settings were also employed to great effect by many of the Romantic poets. Though struggling and unknown for the bulk of his life, poet and artist William Blake was certainly one of the most creative minds of his generation. He was well ahead of his time, predating the high point of English Romanticism by several decades. His greatest work was composed during the 1790s, in the shadow of the French Revolution, and that confrontation informed much of his creative process. Throughout his artistic career, Blake gradually built up a sort of personal mythology of creation and imagination. The Old and New Testaments were his source material, but his own sensibilities transfigured the Biblical stories and led to something entirely original and completely misunderstood by contemporaries. He attempted to woo patrons to his side, yet his unstable temper made him rather difficult to work with professionally. Some considered him mad. In addition to writing poetry of the first order, Blake was also a master engraver. His greatest contributions to Romantic literature were his self-published, quasi-mythological illustrated poetry collections. Gloriously colored and painstaking in their design, few of these were produced and fewer still survive to the present day. However, the craft and genius behind a work like The Marriage of Heaven and Hell cannot be ignored. If one could identify a single voice as the standard-bearer of Romantic sensibilities, that voice would belong to William Wordsworth. His publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798 is identified by many as the opening act of the Romantic Period in English literature. It was a hugely successfulà work, requiring several reprinting over the years. The dominant theme of Lyrical Ballads was Nature, specifically the power of Nature to create strong impressions in the mind and imagination. The voice in Wordsworthââ¬â¢s poetry is observant, meditative and aware of the connection between living things and objects. There is the sense that past, present, and future all mix together in the human consciousness. One feels as though the poet and the landscape are in communion, each a partner in an act of creative production. Wordsworth quite deliberately turned his back on the Enlightenment traditions of poetry, specifically the work of Alexander Pope. He instead looked more to the Renaissance and the Classics of Greek and Latin epic poetry for inspiration. His work was noted for its accessibility. The undeniable commercial success of LyricalBallads does not diminish the profound effect it had on an entire generation of aspiring writers. In the United State, Romanticism found its voice in the poets and novelists of the American Renaissance. The beginnings of American Romanticism went back to the New England Transcendental Movement. The concentration on the individual mind gradually shifted from an optimistic brand of spiritualism into a more modern, cynical study of the underside of humanity. The political unrest in mid-nineteenth century America undoubtedly played a role in the development of a darker aesthetic. At the same time, strongly individualist religious traditions played a large part in the development of artistic creations. The Protestant work ethic, along with the popularity and fervor of American religious leaders, fed a literary output that was undergird with fire and brimstone. The middle of the nineteenth century has only in retrospect earned the label of the American Renaissance in literature. No one alive in the 1850s quite realized the flowering of creativity that was underway. In fact, the novelists who today are regarded as classic were virtually unknown during their lifetimes. The novelists working during this period, particularly Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, were crafting dens ely symbolic and original pieces of literature that nonetheless relied heavily upon the example of English Romanticism. However, there work was in other respects a clean break with any permutation of Romanticism that had come before. There was a darkness to American Romanticism that was clearly distinct from the English examples of earlier in the century. Herman Melville died penniless and unknown, a failed writer who recognized his ownà brilliance even when others did not. It would take the Modernists and their reappraisal of American arts and letters to resuscitate Melvilleââ¬â¢s literary corpus. In novels like Benito Cereno and Moby Dick, Melville employed a dense fabric of hinted meanings and symbols that required close reading and patience. Being well-read himself, Melvilleââ¬â¢s writing betrays a deep understanding of history, mythology, and religion. With Moby Dick, Melville displays his research acumen, as in the course of the novel the reader learns more than they thought possible about whales and whaling. The novel itself is dark, mysterious, and hints at the supernatural. Superficia lly, the novel is a revenge tale, but over and above the narrative are meditations of madness, power, and the nature of being human. Interestingly, the narrator in the first few chapters of the novel more or less disappears for most of the book. He is in a sense swallowed up by the mania of Captain Ahab and the crew. Although the novel most certainly held sway, poetry was not utterly silent during the flowering of American Romanticism. Arguably the greatest poet in American literary history was Walt Whitman, and he took his inspiration from many of the same sources as his fellows working in the novel. His publication of Leaves of Grass in 1855 marked a critical moment in the history of poetry. Whitmanââ¬â¢s voice in his poetry was infused with the spirit of democracy. He attempted to include all people in all corners of the Earth within the sweep of his poetic vision. Like Blake, Whitmanââ¬â¢s brand of poetics was cosmological and entirely unlike anything else being produced at the time. Like the rest of the poets in the Romantic tradition, Whitman coined new words, and brought a diction and rhythmic style t o verse that ran counter to the aesthetics of the last century. Walt Whitman got his start as a writer in journalism, and that documentary style of seeing the world permeated all his creative endeavors. In somewhat of a counterpoint to Whitmanââ¬â¢s democratic optimism stands Edgar Allen Poe, today recognized as the most purely Romantic poet and short story writer of his generation. Poe crafted fiction and poetry that explored the strange side of human nature. The English Romantics had a fascination with the grotesque and of ââ¬Å"strangeâ⬠beauty, and Poe adopted this aesthetic perspective willingly. His sing-song rhythms and dreary settings earned him criticism on multiple fronts, but his creativity earned him a place in the first rank of American artists. He is credited as the inventor of detective fiction, and was likewise one of theà original masters of horror. A sometimes overlooked contribution, Poeââ¬â¢s theories on literature are often required reading for students of the art form. The master of symbolism in American litera ture was Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each of his novels represents worlds imbued with the power of suggestion and imagination. The Scarlet Letter is often placed alongside Moby Dick as one of the greatest novels in the English language. Not a single word is out of place, and the dense symbolism opens the work up to multiple interpretations. There are discussions of guilt, family, honor, politics, and society. There is also Hawthorneââ¬â¢s deep sense of history. Modern readers often believe that The Scarlet Letter was written during the age of the Puritans, but in fact Hawthorne wrote a story that was in the distant past even in his own time. Another trademark of the novel is its dabbling in the supernatural, even the grotesque. One gets the sense, for example, that maybe something is not quite right with Hesterââ¬â¢s daughter Pearl. Nothing is what it appears to be in The Scarlet Letter, and that is the essence of Hawthorneââ¬â¢s particular Romanticism. Separate from his literary production, Hawthorne wrote expansively on literary theory and criticism. His theories exemplify the Romantic spirit in American letters at mid-century. He espoused the conviction that objects can hold significance deeper than their apparent meaning, and that the symbolic nature of reality was the most fertile ground for literature. In his short stories especially, Hawthorne explored the complex system of meanings and sensations that shift in and out of a personââ¬â¢s consciousness. Throughout his writings, one gets a sense of darkness, if not outright pessimism. There is the sense of not fully understanding the world, of not getting the entire picture no matter how hard one tries. In a story like ââ¬Å"Young Goodman Brown,â⬠neither the reader nor the protagonist can distinguish reality from fantasy with any sureness. As has been argued, Romanticism as a literary sensibility never completely disappeared. It was overtaken by other aesthetic paradigms like Realism and Modernism, but Romanticism was always lurking under the surface. Many great poets and novelists of the twentieth century cite the Romantics as their greatest inspirational voices. The primary reason that Romanticism fell out of the limelight is because many writers felt the need to express themselves in a more immediate way. The Romantic poets were regarded as innovators, but a bit lost in their own imaginations. The real problems ofà life in the world seemed to be pushed aside. As modernization continued unchecked, a more earthy kind of literature was demanded, and the Romantics simply did not fit that bill.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Operating A Car Wash Services Center Marketing Essay
Operating A Car Wash Services Center Marketing Essay Financing to the amount of à £25000 is required to fund the purchasing of the required equipment, machinery and consumables for the business daily activities. Maxim has already identified suitable premises for this venture, as well as having negotiated a renting agreement with the owner Maxim car wash aims to be a premier car wash business serving the West Midlands. Maxim car wash is an expansion of Maxim Repairs, owned by Bob Ryan. Maxim Repairs had been in market for the past several years and has a good market reputation due to the quality of standards maintained at Maxim. Maxim Cars intends to provide its customers exterior car washing, interior cleaning, and car detailing. Maxim Cars has few competitors in a growing market that are trying to offer a quality service but at a very higher rate. Maxim Cars has planned to target individual car owners and leasers, car dealerships and local business community. Being in the center of a business hub, Maxim aims to fascinate the local businesses in the vicinity that have company cars and would need them washed regularly. However, Maxim will target at the most advantageous option i.e. the six different car dealerships that operate in the area. The marketplace of Maxim is characterized by broad ethnic and economic diversity. In order to make the most of these demographic factors and focus on the inimitable demands each group asks of the market, the facility will incorporate both a full-service tunnel operation (for those who wish to allow the service team to clean their car) and a self-service facility (for those who wish to take a more lively role in their cars maintenance). Additionally, Maxim plans to provide an automatic dryer system (Eclipse) designed by the business itself for each self-service bay, which will increase customer liking by eliminating the need to hand dry an automobile after washing. Automatic dryers are a new and effective market modernization which currently exists in only one other car wash operation in the region. Maxims ability to offer a worthwhile service, both in terms of the actual washing as well as customer service is all based on the ability to find the finest employees. Hiring the best employees is cost efficient because it decreases HR costs related with turnover and other employee costs. Hiring the top employees and making sure that they are well taken care of ensures that they in turn take care of the customers. Studies prove that a happy employee is far more likely to provide the utmost level of customer service in contrast to an employee who is not happy and feels that they are being taken advantage of. The strength of Bobs experience is Maxims competitive edge as well as a major asset. Bob has been involved in the car repair business for the last seventeen years. Bob has worked his way through the industry and has been the proprietor of the business. Before this venture, Bob received his MBA from London School of Business and Finance. With a significant time span invested in the community, Bob has generated significant value as a fair, active member of the community. Lastly, Maxim will be able to leverage several of the Bobs for his business expertise. Business Description: Maxim Car wash will be operated by Bob Ryan, who had been serving the West Midlands area with a car repair and a sale/purchase business named as Maxim Cars for over 17 years. Bob will be leveraging the incredible goodwill of its relationship with the dealers in West Midlands and nearest purlieu and the brand appreciation of the Maxim Cars name to quickly gain market penetration. 2.1 Objective The objective of Maxim Car Wash is to offer high-quality services in an efficient, effective and economical manner. This is the key to Maxims success which also differentiates the business from its existing competitors in the market. 2.2à Missionà Maxims mission is to be aà premierà quality car wash service for the residents and business owner in West Midlands.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¯ Bobà will strive to keep employeesà devotedà and in highà moraleà to ensure customer satisfaction.à 2.3 Business Strategy Maxim will be the only exclusive hand car wash in the West Midlands and estimates their market share on 25%.à It is assumed that Maxim will achieve a 90% gross margin and 12% net margin after the first year, and a 21% net margin after year three.à The business will reach a yearly net profit of à £4000 by year three. 2.4 Sales Forecast Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Sales Individuals à £76,086 à £123,033 à £165,662 Businesses à £6,431 à £8,776 à £9,988 Total Sales à £82,517 à £131,809 à £175,650 Direct Cost of Sales Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Individuals à £3,804 à £6,152 à £8,283 Businesses à £322 à £439 à £499 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales à £4,126 à £6,590 à £8,783 2.5 Development Impactà The business, at this phase; has no employment equity planà and skills development planà but such a plan will be drafted in future.à à An employment equity plan will be drafted following the Department ofà Laborsà Requirements.à à The Department ofà Laborà necessitatesà that an employment equity plan should cover the followingà à Issues:à Goals for every year;à à Affirmative action measures that will be employed;à à numerical goals to reach this;à à timetables and strategiesà à theà duration of the plan (not shorter thanà 6 monthsà or longer than 5 years);à à Methodologiesà that will be used to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the plan;à à Proceduresà to solve disputes about the plan; andà à People liable for implementing the plan A skills development plan, adhering to the following steps, must be drafted:à Step 1: Determining what skills are required in the business.à Step 2: Ascertain if the employees have the necessary skills required.à Step 3: Trainingà employees for skills lacked by themà 2.6 Legal Considerations Agreements Bob has rent the location nearest to Maxim repairs; the rent has been negotiated and will be à £899 per month. Maxim will be entailing the services of a contracting company to convert the use of the facility and to improve the customer waiting room facilities as it was previously used as a quick stop automobile service shop which has been agreed at à £3000 including all equipment. Legal arrangements have been negotiated with six different car dealerships operating within a five-mile radius which will require car washing services for the various fleets. Maxim will offer them all services at a pre-agreed fixed price. Business Opportunities: 3.1 Potential Customers and Geographical Area Maxim Cars has planned to target individual car owners and leasers, car dealerships and local business community. The surrounding area is quite prosperous and consists of rich families. Majority of the residents earn an average income of over à £85,000 a year. Consequently, they have nice cars and want them to look amusing. 3.2 Business Competitors Currently, Maxim has few competitors in a rising market. The application of the Porters Five Forces Model would make the picture clearer. 3.2.1 Porters FIVE FORCES MODEL Rivalry: Considering the current market, Maxim has few competitors which ultimately mean that Maxim is facing very little competition from its rivals. Since Maxim had been operating in the industry from the past 17 years and has a good corporate image, this would facilitate the launch of Maxim Car Wash and would place the business into a better position to compete against its rivals. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is very petite in this situation. This is because the majority of target consumers are rich, less price sensitive, hence would not be willing to switch due to trivial cost differences. Moreover, Maxim would be providing free pick and drop service of the cars to their clients to make the business more viable. Bargaining Power of Customers: The fact that Maxim has planned to target a rich portfolio of consumers, it is highly unlikely that they would exercise their bargaining power. Furthermore, Maxim has made a legal arrangement with five different car dealers which would require car washing services for a various fleet of cars at a pre-agreed fixed price. This would secure a large chunk of revenue for Maxim Cars. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In order to prevent the suppliers from exercising their powers over the business, Bob has made a three year renewable contract with all of his suppliers. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is particularly low for Maxim Cars. This is because Bob has been operating in the industry from the past 17 years and has built good brand equity and a large number of loyal customers. 3.3à SWOTà Analysisà Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats relevant toà Maxim Carsà are listed in the table below:à STRENGTHS Theà chosenà premises are well suited for the business activities.à Nativeà clients can provide aà hugeà amount of repeat-business.à Theà regionà in which the business will ideally be located has volumes of traffic.à The laborà componentà of the business is not high.à The entrepreneurs practicalà know-howà in business management.à WEAKNESSES Financeà is required for starting and operating the business.à Bad weatherà canà cause a slump in demand. OPPORTUNITIES Additionalà services can be included in the service range or arrangements made with other services providers. The entrepreneur anticipatesà obtainingà a contract from the government garage.à A huge number and variety of clients can be served.à Support shown by car dealers in theà purlieuà The enlargement of the business.à THREATS Competitors in the vicinity.à 3.4 Critical Success Factorsà Critical success factors pertinent to the key areas of the business are as follows:à KEY AREAS CRITICAL FACTORS Marketing High sales volume will be critical to making profits.à Maxim must seek to obtain a critical mass of clients to ensure profitability.à Gross marginsà shouldà beà soundà and impact favorably on the bottom-line.à Production Capacity utilization willà progressà with the expansion of the services offered. Qualityà standards are high and attractà repeat-business.à Service Delivery Capacity utilization must beà optimum.à The level of service exceeds customerà anticipation.à Delivery times in terms of finishing a car wash areà quicker.à Finances Credità willà notà be provided to customers. The financials of the business will beà managedà well.à All the transactions will beà tracedà and an accounting firm will beà hiredà to help with the financial and tax management of the business.à 3.5 RISK AND ISSUES Specific risks that Maxim faces include the risks of loss of customer, fast growth and liquidity, and tax management. These risks may all have the effect of loss of reputation, loss of business, debt, and bankruptcy in an extreme case. Maxim will have the following strategies in place to mitigate these risks: Providing first-rate service to ensure continued customer support as well as providing customer interaction mechanisms to measure satisfaction and suggestions, e.g. a suggestion box. Fast growth gives rise to the risk of running into cash flow problems. The business will obtain the services of a financial advisor to help them manage growth and liquidity. The business will seek help from a certified tax accountant to avoid running a tax risk. Marketing Strategy: 4.1 Market segmentation We are extremely privileged that our service is not limited to a specific segment or group of the market. In our market area alone, there are nearly 400,000 automobiles, or an average 0.8 automobiles per person. Luxury car owner: Maxim will focus on this segment for their premium hand wash service.à Luxury car owner takes vanity in their cars and would probably become systematic customers over time. Cost conscious car owner: Although Maxim will not focus on this segment; there are low-priced options available for those who just want an exterior quick wash.à The core service for this segment will be the Quick Wash serve, which is the low-cost service. Dealerships: The dealerships in the area will establish a large portion of the segmentation cake.à Dealerships would want to keep their fleet of cars shimmering and spotless and Maxim hopes to fulfill that need. Local businesses: Several local businesses have company cars that need to be washed frequently.à Maxim will target these businesses and give them the choice to get discounts for regular washes. Figure 1: Market Segmentation 4.2 Benefits of Service to the Market Segment Maxim will provide the only full service facility within the market area. Moreover, the water reclamation system will provide an environmentally safe means for the customers to clean their cars. This is entirely different from residential car washing, where untreated wash water fills storm drains and ultimately empties into the waterways. 4.3 Advertising and Pricing Policies The car wash will costà à £10.00. It will involve a full exterior vehicle wash, as well as an interior service to include vacuuming, window cleaning, and dashboard cleaning. We have investigated all available advertising mediums. After detailed consultations with a myriad of car wash operators in the area, we have decided to utilize the advantages of a variety of mediums. Primarily, Maxim will utilize cable television and radio spots, combining with newspaper advertisements, to announce the Grand Opening. Direct mail coupons will also be used to increase consumer awareness of Maxims existence. Furthermore, we will work cross promotions with businesses in the area as a means to tap the client base they have established. Flyers and business cards: Flyers promotingà the services, as well as specials, will beà circulatedà along with businessà cardsà to clients.à à These items will invite clients to request services fromà Maxim Cars as well as giving them aà hintà of what the business has to offer at which prices.à à Flyers will beà droppedà in mailboxes as well as in parked vehicles windshield wipers.à à Personal/direct Selling: The entrepreneur has already started visiting potential clients to collect letters ofà intent. These potential clients are nowà aware of the business and may provide word-of-mouthà promotionà concerningà the business when it opens.à à Newspaper advertisements: The owner intends to place advertisements inà severalà local newspapers.à 4.4à Sales Strategy Maxim will offer discounts and special offers on Mondays to Wednesdays in order to enhance sales on those days. Bob will try to convince the business owner in the purlieu to sign contracts with rewarding benefits, and thus try to sell directly to businesses. 4.5 Sales Projections Maxim has projected to wash 5550 cars during the first year of business. 4.6 Target Market Segment Strategy After doing a thorough market research, Bob has found that Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the sluggish days for a car wash.à This could be due to the fact that various people wash their cars before they leave for a weekend away, afterward they return for a weekend away or merely has more time for things like washing the car during the weekend. à To pawn this effect, Maxim will target cost conscious customers during these days, by offering specials and discounts on Mondays to Wednesdays. 4.7 Customer Analysisà Maximsà customer base will be made up of local residents, people who pass through the area, car dealerships, taxi operators and others.à à The following is the business customer analysis as provided byà Bob: Carà hiresà agencies need cars cleanedà regularly.à Garages and workshops often want to clean customers car after they haveà repairedà and may not have the facilities themselves.à à Second-hand car dealers will want a car to lookà impeccableà before they try and sell it.à Elderly or disabledà peopleà would usually prefer to have someone else wash their car.à Owners of classic or vintage cars could be very loyal customers ifà Maximà provesà thatà ità canà doà a caring, quality job on their vehicles.à Taxi drivers Government vehicles forà instanceà police and hospital (ambulance) vehicles.à 4.8 Customers Buying Habits In discussion with hundreds of people in our target area over the past one year, Maxim has determined there is a massive need for a car wash facility in this region. Currently, there is not a car wash facility within a 6.5 mile radius of the proposed site, and the proposal has received enormous support from both civic and government groups in the target market. Business Operations : 5.1 Operations Maxim Car Wash is environmental friendly business, and has concerns over minimizing the impact on the environment in terms of energy consumed; water used, and waste output. All the chemicals are biodegradable, so that they break down naturally and hence the environment remains safe. The production process of Maxim as a whole consists of obtaining input materials, receiving customer cars for service, usage of the raw materials to wash, clean and vacuum cars, polishing the cars, and handing the car back to the client. Raw materials are used in the form of water, car shampoo, polish, and chamois products. Cars will be washed with soaps and materials specially designed for them to avoid scratches on the surface. A diagrammatic exposition of the process followed by Maxim is as follows: Figure 2: Critical levels in the service delivery process involves using best quality input products designed for automobiles, tailored with the customers service requirement, and fast service times. 5.2 Services Offered Car Washing Interior Cleaning Car Detailing 5.3 Personnel Maxim is considering making two teams headed by one full time car wash/detail expert and one part-time car wash specialist. Rotation of team members would be done on weekends and other peak times to manage the customer load. Extensive training would be given to all washers and detailers as to reduce all cushions of inefficiencies and providing the best quality and service at all times. Bob will hire an experienced manager for Maxim Car wash who would be responsible for all matters in the absence of Bob. The proposed organogram of the business operations for the first year is as follows: Figure 3: All employees will be encouraged to work with the business in the long term perspective and to deliver the best performance by the provision of being in a pleasant working environment, job satisfaction and market-related salaries. 5.4 Staffing/Training The size of staff is dependent upon time of day, day of the week, and weather conditions. During traditional peak wash periods, four full time wash experts employees and three part time wash experts will be scheduled to work. During traditional off-peak times four full time wash experts and one part time wash expert will be scheduled to work. Maxim will remain elastic in the staffing policy in order to meet customer demands and most efficiently make use of the employees. The employee handbook will make certain that each employee understands the significance and applicability of a varied and flexible scheduling process. The plan is to ensure that each employee receives the training essential to be skillful in their assigned tasks. The training program will center on improving the employees operational understanding of the business as well as their interpersonal skills. The program is designed to ensure that the employee-customer relations are as optimistic as possible. Initially, the company will be run solely by Bob. However, after six months a supervisor/manager may be hired to assist with the day to day operations and maintenance. The aim is to develop management from within the company, thereby assuring that optimistic management policies and practices are sustained. Additionally, the policy of hiring from within provides Maxim a means to recognize outstanding work performance and to develop a solid management team critical to The Maxims success. Technology: Through continuous research and development Maxim has led to new technologies and services including Unityà ¢Ã¢â¬Å¾Ã ¢ chemical system and innovative products like Hot Shineà ® Carnauba Shield that gives a long lasting shine to the car in no extra time. Its growth has been amplified by investing in the best technology available, resulting in cleaner cars with an even deeper and richer shine. Maxim aims to use energy efficient advanced water reclamation system to conserve water usage and to reduce discharge concerns or meet actual standards or regulations. Thus, the amount of water needed to clean each car would be minimized. 6.1 Automatic Dryer System The Eclipse, an automatic dryer system which produces maximum output capacity of drying 40 cars per hour, more than any other equipment available in the market today.à à The Eclipse computer precisely determines the length and width of each vehicle as it enters, from the smallest cars to the long pickups to be safely dried. It has a simple design which allows for only five moving components, adding to its longevity and minimal down time a feature that is unmatched in the industry. The Eclipse is also more visually attractive than ground-mounted machines, and the wall-mounted frame provides an open, spacious bay, creating more attraction for customers. The Eclipse onboard dryer is a system which is fully programmable and offers three efficient turbines running at 3600 rpm for high volume, velocity and maximum air flow.à It also uses less energy to operate, since no conveyor system is necessary for the Eclipse. 6.2 Wheel Scrubber This feature will allow the customers to choose which type of wheel cleaning they prefer. This will increase the cleaning revenue in less time with this online system available in friction and touch free options. The wheel brush cleans the tires and all wheel outer faces when the friction option is chosen. For those customers who prefer touch free, Maxim can also offer that choice, improving tire and wheel quality, again adding to the revenue and satisfying another customer. 6.3 Tire Shine Applicator Tire shine is an upgrade that our customers can opt to give that freshly-washed, shiny, finished look to their tires. Its the last touch for particular customers who want their vehicle sparkling from top to bottom. 7. Finances: 7.1 Financial Plan Following are the projections of Maxims Financial Plan. Bob will finance the start-up expenses of Maxim, with a à £25000 investment from his personal funds, and growth will be financed by cash flow.à This will implicate a slow initial growth for the company, but Bob is reluctant to involve investors from outside and is concerned to exercise his control only over the direction of the company. Fixed monthly costs for Maxim are estimated to be approximately à £1,500, and break even monthly units are 304 units per month. 7.2 Statement of Comprehensive Income Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Totals Potential Unit Sales 4800 5430 6100 16330 Average price per unit à £ 10.00 à £ 11.00 à £ 12.00 Potential Sales (turnover) à £ 48,000.00 à £ 59,730.00 à £ 73,200.00 à £ 212,435.60 Unit costs à £ 5.80 à £ 6.10 à £ 6.80 Cost of Sales à £ 27,840.00 à £ 33,123.00 à £ 41,480.00 à £ 114,257.60 Gross Profit à £ 20,160.00 à £ 26,607.00 à £ 31,720.00 à £ 98,178.00 Operating Costs à £ 1,000.00 à £ 1,090.00 à £ 1,200.00 Net Profit before tax à £ 19,160.00 à £ 25,517.00 à £ 30,520.00 à £ 85,888.00 7.3 Cash Flow Statement Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Opening Balance 15000 17914 21414 Cash received: Cash sales 14500 18000 21200 Interest 1900 1800 1500 Sundries 864 720 1150 Total cash received 17264 20520 23850 Cash Purchases: Stock purchases 6000 11880 10380 Other creditors 2300 3900 6000 Operating costs 1000 1090 1200 Capital 5000 150 150 Other 50 0 100 Total cash payment 14350 17020 17830 Cash Increase/Decrease 2914 3500 6020 Closing Balance 17914 21414 27434 7.4 Statement of Financial Position Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Assets Current Assets à £ 8,850.00 à £ 10,287.00 à £ 11,440.00 Cash à £ 3,650.00 à £ 4,234.00 à £ 4,700.00 Inventory à £ 1,000.00 à £ 1,160.00 à £ 1,287.00 Accounts receivable à £ 3,400.00 à £ 3,961.00 à £ 4,400.00 Provision for income tax à £ 800.00 à £ 932.00 à £ 1,053.00 Fixed Assets à £ 21,300.00 à £ 24,860.00 à £ 27,605.00 Machine à £ 5,000.00 à £ 5,890.00 à £ 6,500.00 Equipment à £ 6,700.00 à £ 7,800.00 à £ 8,658.00 Vehicle à £ 6,300.00 à £ 7,340.00 à £ 8,147.00 Trademark à £ 1,400.00 à £ 1,630.00 à £ 1,800.00 Goodwill à £ 1,900.00 à £ 2,200.00 à £ 2,500.00 Total Assets à £ 30,150.00 à £ 35,147.00 à £ 39,045.00 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities à £ 2,990.00 à £ 4,375.00 à £ 4,777.00 Accounts payable (income tax) à £ 1,715.00 à £ 2,990.00 à £ 3,139.00 Creditors à £ 1,275.00 à £ 1,385.00 à £ 1,638.00 Long-term liabilities à £ 27,160.00 à £ 30,772.00 à £ 34,268.00 Bank Loan à £ 18,824.00 à £ 23,430.00 à £ 27,625.00 Vehicle à £ 8,336.00 à £ 7,342.00 à £ 6,643.00 Total Liabilities and Owners Equity à £ 30,150.00 à £ 35,147.00 à £ 39,045.00 Future Expansion Plan: The following is Mr. Bobs plans for future growth: Im planning to buy a bigger and much better place than the one Ill be using currently. Ill be making maximum profit because I wont be paying rent there since I would own the property. Im going to make a Bigger and better car wash than my first one in terms of development. This area will be able to handle more cars on the washing bay and on the drying bay. It will be much more feasible for a carwash business than my initial one. Ill be able to introduce new businesses into the market that would be ideal for my carwash. Businesses that would give people a reason to come to my carwash even when its raining; businesses like a Fast Food Franchise. Now introducing a business like this to my expansion area would contribute greatly to the Success of my carwash in West Midlands. From then, Im planning to expand to other developing and well developed towns or cities and to other areas in the United Kingdom. I want to be one of the people who contribute a lot to the growth and development of En gland. Please note that this is not just a dream; I believe that it is my determination and my gift from God, because its my passion. I am very blessed and richly gifted business wise. I have the ability to predict change and Development before it comes to reality. Not in terms of spiritual prophesying but in terms of being a possibility thinker. I have the Ability to convert a disadvantage to an advantage. Where people see jeopardy, I see an opportunity and prosperity. I welcome problems; I reach out for them, I charge into them and then in my mind instantly change them to challenges. I act local but I think global. This is the kind of attitude Im going with to my carwash business.à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à Appendices and References: http://www.carwash.org/Documents/14-%20Business%20Plan%20Template.pdf http://www.mplans.com/car_wash_marketing_plan/financials,_budgets,_and_forecasts_fc.php http://www.entrepreneurmag.co.za/advice/sample-business-plans/automotive-travel-and-transportation/car-wash-business-plan/ http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/business-plans/Business-Plans-Volume-01/Car-Wash.html#b Catlin, Katherine and Jana Matthews, Building the Awesome Organization: Six Essential Components that Drive Entrepreneurial Growth, 2002 New York: Hungry Minds Inc. Sahlman, William A., Howard H. Stevenson, Michael J. Roberts, Amar Bhide, eds. The Entrepreneurial Venture, 2nd Edition. 1999, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
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