Mcdonald’s Corporation in the New Millennium Essay

Hamburger or non-hamburger segment put high value on healthy food such as chicken burger or salads. The fast-food industry becoming healthier than before and the potential customers whom care what they eat will go to McDonald’s get they want. The competitive strategy is toward to hear what customer want and create new life style such as healthy food or vegetarian food, and changing fast for keeping original client and gaining more as well. Answer to Q3: Strengths for McDonald’s: No. 1 Fast-food chains- have bigger market share than others. Weakness for McDonald’s Image of McDonald’s fast-food is unhealthy-got to change unhealthy image to healthy one. McDonald’s have large market share than others fast-food restaurants. It strengths are more people could know the news of McDonald’s and easy find it out when have new product or promotion McDonald’s should change the image to that fast-food is healthy food, and plus large share market, McDonald’s future will attract more healthy food lover and doing well for its customers. Answer to Q4: In my opinion, McDonald’s should develop a separate strategy for heavy user segment. According text book† Some of these customers visit fast-food restaurant 20 times per month and spend up to $40 per day in them. † McDonald’s could develop new strategy for them such as home delivery for free order more than $49 or other promotions. Product Strategy Product strategy begins with a strategic vision that states where a company wants to go, how it will get there, and why it will be successful. † †Product strategy is like a roadmap, and like a roadmap it’s useful only when you now where you are and where you want to go

Energy Efficiency

There are various sources of energy available for use. However, energy is a limited and sparse resource that is not in abundance at all places. There is an ever rising need for more energy, but the energy supply and resources are limited. As a result, people have to develop means that can enable them to survive with the small amount of energy that is available. The proper and sustainable use of energy is known as energy efficiency.Efficiency is attained through the adoption of diverse technological methods of energy preservation. Efficiency in energy use contributes to economic growth while at the same time contributing to environmental preservation. It also enhances competition and profitability. Efficient use of energy is aimed at reducing the amount of energy necessary in the production of good s and services. Research in all industries is driven towards improving production from industrial processes.These improvements occur in various ways and with different benefits. These impro vements may lower capital costs, increase yields, reduce operational costs and reduce energy and resource use. This also brings a number of enhancements including increased yield, safe working conditions and lower maintenance costs-just to mention a few. Today’s world is very competitive, and a single effort that can put a competitor a head of another is very essential.Energy conservation and efficient use may make a big difference in production costs as well as in the pricing of produce and services. The difference in prices is what determines whether a business will be successful or not. Reducing energy consumption also increases production. There is a clear relationship between energy consumption and productivity. Energy conservation improves many sectors of any business organization. Firstly, energy conservation improves the capacity of any business organization to compete against fellow competitors.The ability to cheaply produce those results from energy conservation off ers a company a competitive advantage over other fellow producers that may be operating on high production costs. Secondly, energy conservation helps in the saving of the environment; for example the use of fossil fuel and its extraction are both environmental degrading activities Therefore, any action taken towards their reduction is indeed a step towards environmental protection and conservation.Additionally, energy efficiency leads to the conservation of energy, because energy is saved for later use. Efficient use of energy also contributes to the reduction of waste within the environment. The use of most forms of energy produces some kind of waste into the environment. Examples of energy conservation may include insulation of heating systems in order to prevent heat loss and lead to the use of less cooling and heating energy.Reducing energy use results in financial saving and off sets additional costs incurred in the implementation of energy efficient technology. The reduction o f energy use is important in solving the problem of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. In some nations energy efficiency reduces dependency on international sources, and as a result; it offers security to home industries. This offers a sense of national security as well as economic security, through the reduction of imports of energy as well as the reduction of dependency.

An Examination Of The Caviar Market Economics Essay

An Examination Of The Caviar Market Economics Essay The new business is aiming to produce a substitute caviar product in Russia and Kazakhstan, with a view to exporting it to the UK. It is anticipated that the main targets for this product will be those in the low to middle income bracket who would not generally be able to afford real caviar. Consumption of caviar in the UK is not as widespread as in some other regions and this is thought to be primarily due to the high price that is commanded by caviar in the country. The aim of the business is to provide an affordable alternative that will be provided over the internet and by phone, allowing for rapid delivery of products that are well priced. Loyalty offers will be available and the business aims to target the general consumption market rather than the exclusive, luxury segment of the market. Initially, the target will be the UK alone, although there is no particular reason that this could not be extended in time as production increases. Substitute caviar made up of a variety of d ifferent ingredients will be available in order to satisfy the widest range of tastes possible. Overview of Research Process A multifaceted research approach has been taken, due to the fact that whilst completing the initial research it became clear that the UK market may not be the best initial overseas market to target, and this resulted in a wider analysis than originally anticipated. Consideration was given to the global market for both the export and import of caviar and caviar substitutes, with a view to gaining an understanding of the general movement of caviar and also in an attempt to understand where the value lies and where there is opportunity for growth. Another research approach was to look at commentary specific to the UK market and the way in which UK consumers view the caviar products, in order to get an idea as to whether or not there is likely to be a demand for a caviar substitute of the nature proposed. This type of research will naturally require greater depth and primary research in the form of consumer questionnaires; interviews would also be desirable to supplement the general media reports. Information was also obtained in relation to the production industry in Kazakhstan and Russia, which was also seen as important as this gave an indication as to whether or not these countries had the ability to increase their production and had the necessary facilities to do so at a reasonable price. Critique of Research Process The research process was somewhat scattergun in nature, aiming to cover a wide range of issues and this resulted in lack of depth at times. By attempting to determine the potential market in the UK, the general market for caviar and caviar substitutes, the general production processes and the way in which caviar substitutes are developed, this research was naturally less detailed than may be necessary in the next stages of business development. A more focussed approach, for example, looking specifically at the UK and the va rious caviar substitutes available, may have been a more productive approach at this stage.

Discuss the importance of business ethics in international business Essay

Discuss the importance of business ethics in international business - Essay Example In an exasperation of the predicament of the consumers a college student wrote: "In the end we realize that in everything we do we are either spending money or being persuaded to spend our money. This is just one way we the consumers are being exploited (Breaking the Chains, 2006)". The business industries cannot go on with this kind of exploitation. This paper then intends to discuss the relevance of strict adherence to ethical standards. This paper shall be presented with the thesis that the international business has become unethical in its desire to gain more profit. This paper then must be able to present to the public the role of ethics in the international business to enlighten them to what ethical standards can do to protect the people as consumers and workers of the gigantic system in the international business. Specifically, this paper shall define what business ethics means and to present realistic situations that can illustrate how the business industries can become the worst enemies of the consumers without the ethical standards. Business ethics is defined as "written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within a company (Business, 2008)". Accordingly, the culture of the organization sets standards for determining the difference between good and bad decision making and behavior. Where business organizations are usually put up with visions and missions of providing quality goods and services, it must be that they should observe business ethics that are rooted to the concept of doing right and deciding best for the greater majority of the masses and not for their own selfish interest. And yet, it may seem that business establishments in the international order have forgotten that their prime concern should be the interest of the people. Instead these business industries exploit and squeeze out more money and labor from the consumers and from their work force. Instead of serving the people as part of their mission, they deprive or shortchange these people of what must be due to them. And yet not many try would even to struggle out or to do something to improve their working condition or to question the morality and ethics of the spiraling cost of goods and services. This is also what WiseGeek pointed out when it wrote: Business ethics should eliminate exploitation, from the sweat shop children who are making sneakers to the coffee serving staff who are being ripped off in wages. Business ethics can be applied to everything from the trees cut down to make the paper that a business sells to the ramifications of importing coffee from certain countries (WiseGeek, 2008). Ethics indeed must be the conscience of the international business world. It should not be left forgotten in the hearts of any organization. Business ethics is relevant in the fulfilment of industrial peace and justice in the society. Wiley (1995) also indicated this in her discussion on what managers must maintain to keep their companies: "In today's domestic and global economies, the

How can we describe this art peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How can we describe this art peace - Essay Example Notwithstanding challenges to be able to put it in art form for instance this powerful representation. This piece clearly shows the expertise of an artist and the way that it is painted. During industrial revolution, between 18th century and 19th century, growth in art had gone a notch higher by 19th century. Technology has made it easier to the creativity part of Modern art. Various artists, sculptors, writers and various performers as a group and others that have also pursued it individually through ideas have used different approach to come up with the latest in the field of art making. In as much as art began back in 1850 when art styles had been defined and redefined, artists who through audacity tirelessly worked to realize each new style through tried to come up with a visual language which was original and did represent the time. This piece of art portrays the stylistic diversity of art that has been embraced by this particular artist. The picture clearly shows a female human head which partly gives a view of the interior that’s under the skin, with an arts mind in play. This piece is creative on the size of the eye vividly portrays the wider view by which individual can portray their imagination into a reality. The size of the eye reflects the scope through which a good aim is maintained. This also stresses the feeling the artist had in mind well portrayed in art piece. The tilt of the head, gestures a thinking look by the piece. Various artists have carried abstraction to greater heights through radical and cheap ways of composition with addition of the color, this clearly exposes fundamental principles that are that gauge the appearances. Such were portrayed by painters such as Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) Abstract ideas and visual representation of an art has proved beyond doubt that art has revolved over time. The imagination put in art piece clearly shows the intention of the artist for best results to be realized.

Qestions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qestions - Assignment Example Likewise, the major ethical issue involved was once it was determined that Hawley and Hazel had a highly racially offensive product how Colgate would seek to deal with such a problem in its very large domestic US market. As is usually said – hindsight is 20/20; however, it is the opinion of this student that seeking to demand that Hawley and Hazel discontinue and/or rebrand the product immediately or risk termination of the partnership should have been engaged upon as a means of ameliorating the damage that would be done to the domestic market based upon the negative reaction of many civil rights groups etc. 3. Is it possible for Colgate and Hawley and Hazel to change the toothpaste’s advertising without sacrificing consumer brand loyalty? IS that a possible reason for Colgate’s not responding quickly to domestic complaints? Ultimately, the answer to the first question is yes. Regardless of how ingenious a marketing rebranding strategy that could have been engaged with, a certain level of loss would doubtless have been realized and other competitors would have greatly benefitted from such a rebranding. Moreover a rebranding requires a large amount of up front funding in addition to the necessary losses that would be exhibited upon brand loyalty. As a function of weighing this level of necessary loss, Colgate opted for merely hoping to ride out the storm; however, as this did not happen, Colgate made a very cost miscalculation. In the end, a â€Å"no management rights† clause was most certainly not the right decision for Colgate. Due to the fact that once the Hawley Hazel toothpaste debacle came to light Colgate had little if any leverage to seek to force a change in branding from the firm it had allied itself with. A far better approach, if the firm had still been set upon a â€Å"no management rights† clause would have been for Colgate to perform a very thorough analysis of

Trust Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trust Law Assignment - Essay Example As a result there is no uniform set of rules capable of general application. As often happens, the applicable standards in one case may be obsolete in another case. Therefore, ascertaining the validity and enforceability of a declaration of trust can be an onerous task. Ivor’s attempt to create trusts is no exception as will be borne out in the preceding passages. When Ivor Fortune conveyed his seaside property to his brother Max with specific instructions that he hold the same in trust for Ivor’s mistress Gloria, absolutely, the instructions constituted a declaration of trust. Whether or not it amounted to a valid and enforceable declaration of trust is another matter entirely. Certainly Ivor’s instructions to Max were sufficient to create a trust since a declaration of trust can be created by word of mouth ‘or even inferred from conduct.’1 In fact, failure to use specific words, do not render the creation of a trust invalid as ‘no particular form of words are necessary.’2 Indeed Ivor’s instructions to Max are consistent with the three requisite certainties necessary for the creation of a trust. These certainties are certainty of subject matter, intention as well as objects. The subject matter is the trust property, intention is words and conduct capable of defining the intent by the donor to create a trust and the objects are the intended beneficiaries.3 That said, the subject matter is the seaside property, the intention to create a trust are contained in the instructions given to Max and the object is Gloria. The validity of the trust is compromised by the fact that it is not an ordinary declaration of trust. The trust created by Ivor is a secret trust which requires closer examination. A secret trust is created when a donor makes a transfer of putative trust property to another by virtue of a deed of trust or a will or by some other instrument while separate and apart from the bequest requests that the property be

Analyzing a Corporate Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Analyzing a Corporate Information System - Essay Example The processed information is called as Output. The output is then reviewed and processed by the appropriate members of the organisation to evaluate and refine the input. This is called feedback. In todays environment, information and technology have become a critical component of successful businesses and organisations (Avison, 2003). Most of the organisations are now relying upon the information systems in their day-to-day operations, management decisions and other business activities. Information technology can improve the quality of health care by providing the new ways for the patient to access the heath related information at any time and at any place. By this chapter, we are taking the first step in increasing our understanding about IT, and how IT affects the health care industry (Glickman, 2007). IT or Information technology is basically the use of computers and software to manage information in an organization (Schneider). In some companies it is referred to as Management Information system (MIS). The basic job of any IT department in an organization is to set up systems to process information, ensure data security, create information storage and retrieval mechanism and ensure error free flow of information to the relevant stakeholders. Early use of IT was as simple as computing the totals of the sales done by a merchant in a day. However, with growth of technology companies have been using IT more rigorously for better accuracy and speed of an activity. The growth of IT in organizations started first with the use of computers and later went on to the use of communication systems. With the growth of networking, organizations strived to implement these so as to achieve maximum efficiencies. IT today is a vehicle for making substantial changes in organizations, markets and the economy (Lucas, 2001). The basic purpose of any organization is to either manufacture a product or to provide a service to its

Writer's Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writer's Choice - Essay Example o’s small-lived reign as the archbishop and the journey of transforming from a moderate theologian into a forefront hero of human rights is brilliantly chronicled in the film, Romero. In this movie, Church is portrayed as a weapon of the wealthy to maintain status quo against the rebellious peasants and laborers. Back in those days, Salvador was characterized by assassinations, kidnappings, barbaric militarism, and executions. In order to curb the growing discontent amongst the populace, the Vatican promotes conservation Romero to the position of the Archbishop. In the beginning, Romero conforms to their vision of Church as he preaches ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Duigan). However, after seeing militants thwart voters, open fire on crowds, torment insurgents, murder a dedicated priest, Romero awakens from the slumber. He expresses his condemnation on radio, rebukes quisling bishops, and heads a peasant march into a Church occupied by the soldiers. His gallantry reached apex when he rebels and insults against the president, in fact a militant general, Harold Cannan. One of the most noteworthy developments of Romero’s tenure as pastor of the archdiocese is the way in which the institutional Church integrated with the prophetic aspect of the Church. Romero endeavored Church to serve as an institution of service to its real mission, instead of the mission in which Romero and his pastoral workers found themselves trapped in. This mission was based on Church playing an integral institutional role in the political turmoil and military persecution though abject poverty, height of injustice, and socio-economic disparities. Oscar Romero’s abhorrence for the institutional Church is shown when he tried to stack back in the jeep while other priests persuade Salvadorans to go to the polls. Thus, ay the very beginning, the Church is depicted as apolitical institution, refraining from politics (Duigan). Similarly, the Church serves as an institute to accentuate the

The monetary financial system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The monetary financial system - Essay Example However, these investments have a downside risk of underperformance and lack of control etc. There are two types of collective investments: open ended investments and closed ended investments. In the open ended investments the number of shares or units is not fixed and the fund can issue unlimited amount of shares/units. However, as the name suggests, in closed ended investments the number of shares or units issued is fixed. The unit trust and investment trust are examples of collective investment institutions with certain notable differences which are explained as follows.      ‘An investment in unit trusts is a method whereby a small investor can form part of the share market without being directly involved.’ (Swart, 2007, p.153) ‘In contrast to unit trust, investment trusts are public limited companies whose business is the investment of funds in financial assets.’ (Buckle and Thompson, 1992, p.125)   Both the unit trust and the investment trusts ar e pooled investments that aim towards diversification of risk for the investor. The individual investor benefits from the knowledge and expertise of the trust managers for which the trust charges fees to its unit holders in the form of annual charges. Financial institutions and intermediaries play an important role in the management of the unit and investment trusts. ...    The unit trusts have been more popular in the past with investors preferring open ended units as opposed to closed ended in the case of investment trusts. Investment trusts are allowed to borrow for investment, however, this facility is not present with the unit trusts. Unit trust is managed by a trustee where the investment trust is a company listed on the exchange. In terms of pricing, unit trusts are always valued on their net asset value (NAV) whereas investment trust can trade both at a premium or discount to their NAV.   Thus demand and supply forces have no consequences on the unit trust but affect the prices of the investment. The unit trust issues unit which are not tradable to the third party whereas due to the listing on the stock exchange, investment trusts’ units are tradable. In terms of the fee structure, the investment trust charges as lower as compared to the unit trust.    Thus, with the above mentioned similarities and differences, it is up to the i nvestors’ analysis and nature to choose between unit trust and investment trust.    2. Firms could raise long term finance issuing shares and bonds. Evaluate the pros and cons of each? Companies need to generate funds on long term basis in order to operate in the market. The two basic options for raising equity from the market are: bonds and shares. The bond is a long term debt instrument with fixed interest payments issued by the issuer or the borrower of the funds which can be the government or any company. The bondholders are entitled to the fixed interest payments along with the return of their principle. They do not hold the right to own the company and are the first ones to be paid off at the time of bankruptcy. When the company issues shares for

Divorced, Beheaded, Survived Essay Example for Free

Divorced, Beheaded, Survived Essay Death is a peculiar thing. Everyone reacts to it in different ways. And no one seems to fully understand what to do, what to say and how to react when death occurs in the family or in the family in one’s circle of friends. It seems that man can’t really understand why it happens. At least not when it is someone one cares about. But it happens, and there is nothing else to do about it, than survive and move on with one’s life. This is the subject treated in Robin Blacks shortstory â€Å"†¦ Divorced, Beheaded, Survived† (2010). The shortstory is the story of a woman who loses her big brother, Terry, to sickness at a very young age. It is also a story about how her brother and she used to play with the other children who lived close by, and how they stopped playing after Terry died. The main character also describes how she tries to protect her children from this awful phenomenon that death is, but how she is unable to do so as her son’s friend dies in the end. The main character who acts as a past tense narrator, does not tell much about herself. To be clear she does not describe many of the characters at all. The fact that there are very few adjectives and adverbs shows the reader that one must use ones imagination, the characters are not important for they could be anyone in such a neighborhood. The reader relates to the story in a different way than they normally would, because they have to use their own experiences to fill out the missing pieces of the personalities of the characters. The person the narrator tells about the most, is Terry or Terrance as he is actually called. The narrator describes how he plays Anne Boleyn with much character and liveliness. Page 2, line 6-9 â€Å"(†¦) was undoubtedly the most convincing. Once, he stole a dress from our mother’s closet – a red-and-white Diane von Furstenberg wraparound so he could use the beltlike part to hold the couch-pillow baby, the future Queen Elizabeth, in place. ‘Oh, Hal,’ he cooed. † He is a happy boy and has no worries, until he gets sick. This turns his life upside down and it changes him, which one could imagine is only natural for a child when it gets sick. Page 4, line 103-104 â€Å"He stopped being the boy who would throw himself into anything that seemed like fun. † The narrator loves seeing her brother play Anne Boleyn, she thinks he is very convincing in the role. Page 2, line 12 â€Å"It was worth giving up the role yourself just to watch Terry give it his all. † The fact that it is Terry that is often chosen to play Anne Boleyn, even though they all want to play her, could be a symbol of fate choosing him to get sick and die. It might as well have been one of the other kids, as well as it could have been one of the other kids who could have played the role. This is shown in the part of the story where Anne Boleyn dies, and Terry has to play the dying woman. Page 4, line 99-101 â€Å"And Terry would hold his face in both hands, his shoulders heaving in enormous, racking, make-believe sobs. But in real life, it was all silent hours. Vacant stares. † The game of playing Anne Boleyn could also be a symbol of the children losing something. Anne Boleyn loses her head and life, Terry loses his life and the narrator loses her brother, her friends and a part of her childhood. At this point it is only the first part of the rhyme that is used. Page 3, line 43 â€Å"Divorced, beheaded, died. † But as the children move on with their lives, learn to live with the loss of a friend and a brother, and some of them meet again even though they do not talk, the rest of the rhyme appears in their life. And this time it holds a whole new meaning. Page 6, line 174 â€Å"Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. † The structure of the text is a bit messy but it still manages to give the reader a good and continuous view of the narrator’s life. The fact that the first 1,5 pages focuses on her childhood with the games and her brother, gives the reader a strong sense that it is a chapter of her life that ended when her brother died. But as she continuously mentions her brother, one also understands that her brother is still with her, even though he belongs to an ended chapter. And as she moves on with her life, and survives, she keeps him with her in a more secure way and without getting scared of forgetting about him. Page 5, line 153-156 â€Å"the truth is sometimes even more than a day goes by before I remember to think of my brother (†¦) Maybe it’s a gift to be able to let go of remembering. Some times. Some things. † The narrator tells us about her family and how her son loses his friend in the end of the text, this is a way to tell the reader that it can happen to anyone, and that it is possible to move on. It is possible to survive the death of someone dear. But never to forget it, a person lost will always be remembered one way or another, intentionally or not.

Macbeth Motifs Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Motifs Essay When it comes down to it, humans are mammals, and there are some animalistic traits that every mammal shares. The story of Macbeth by Shakespeare includes a theme that is the epitome of a trait that all mammals share, weak versus strong. Through the use of metaphors including birds, the symbolism of Macbeth as an owl throughout the story, and the juxtaposition between birds, weak versus strong is represented by the motif of birds in Macbeth. Birds are incorporated into other literary elements that Shakespeare utilizes, showing the true depth of his writing. Metaphors allow the reader to paint a picture of written words referencing images that they are familiar with. Like any other animal, there is a hierarchy of strength and therefore power for birds. The metaphors that Shakespeare incorporates into Macbeth including birds allow the reader to reference their experience with strong birds fighting to create an image of what the humans in the story might have been fighting like. A captain describes how valiantly Macbeth fought in the battles in the beginning of the story, saying that he was â€Å"as sparrows eagles†, which paints a picture of a valiant and strong eagle fighting a small, meek sparrow (1.2.35-42). However, later in the story, when Macbeth’s position shifts and he is no longer perceived as a noble soldier but rather as a tyrannical ruler preying on those he controls, birds are used in a metaphor again to illustrate a changed image of Macbeth. â€Å"A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,† representing honor and innocence, â€Å"was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,† illustrating an evil bird using its strength to overpower and kill an innocent bird (2.4.11-14).Sometimes, a reader does not glean the true meaning of an object in a story until after it has been illustrated throughout the entirety of the work of literature. Throughout the uses of birds in Macbeth, including the imagery and metaphors, a pattern occurs where a powerful owl is preying on weaker birds, and by the end of the story the reader comes to realize that the owl is a representation of Macbeth and the acts he is committing. The owl referenced during the murder of Duncan, is described as an â€Å"obscure bird† that â€Å"clamored the livelong night† as he â€Å"heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death† (2.3.49-56). The owl in this scene is a symbol for Macbeth discovering what he is capable of, and what new powers he receives when he utilizes his newfound strength against others. One example of how he uses his recent strength was when he decided to have everyone in Macduff’s castle unnecessarily murdered. In this scene Lady Macduff is expressing her anger toward her husband, but also reveals characteristics of Macbeth when she states that her husband is not equal to â€Å"the most diminutive of birds,† which â€Å"will fight, her young ones in her nest, against the owl† (4.2.6-14). Macbeth being represented by the owl in this context depicts him as a villain that is so hungry for control that he will go to such extremes as to attack a weak, defenseless bird and it’s young. Sometimes it is equally as important to illustrate the weak side of a relationship as the strong side because then the contrast between the weak and the strong is magnified for the reader. In Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes this juxtaposition to make the theme of strong versus weak even more apparent by inserting some descriptions of birds that appear weak to make the acts done by the stronger birds even more horrific. The day before Duncan’s murder where a powerful, evil owl was present, Banquo and Duncan comment on the sweet, innocent birds at Macbeth’s castle, â€Å"this guest of summer, the temple-haunting martlet, does approve†¦that the heaven’s breath smells wooingly here† this illustrates their vulnerability and unawareness to the upcoming strike by Macbeth, making his actions seem even worse. When Lady Macduff tells her son that â€Å"thou’dst never fear the net nor lime, the pitfall nor the gin,† he responds with a question of why he should because â€Å"poor birds they are not set for†, meaning that because he would be such a weak bird, hunters would have no want for him (4.2.36-37). Just after making this point, the defenseless son of Macduff is murdered by the king Macbeth, making the reader question what kind of tyrant Macbeth has come to be. The use of birds in Macbeth by Shakespeare is used to develop the theme of weak versus strong when they are used in metaphors, when Macbeth is represented by a bird throughout the story, and by the juxtaposition of the weak and strong birds. The acts committed by the characters aroused emotions in the audience because they were not so unrealistic that the audience could not relate to them, they represented the mammal in humans, the animal inside of all of us that we attempt to constrain. Birds are essential to create this unsettling feeling because their rustic, animal-like nature is no unlike the animalistic traits we try to hide, which allows the reader or audience to relate with the motif.

The History Of Aussie Pet Mobile Marketing Essay

The History Of Aussie Pet Mobile Marketing Essay Aussie Pet Mobile offers driving come to home grooming services for pets, providing the expert loving pet care that the same as the owners would provide. Our target customers are toward the pets owners especially for those who are singles with one or more pets or both working full time parents with poor time availability. Aussie Pet Mobile supplies different kinds of pet grooming services for releasing people from dull housework in washing pets. The pet care industry has seen growing tendency over the last ten years throughout Australia. Although the pets owners are below in the average of national, the density of pets is still visible in Canberra. Based on the target market segmentations, the analysis indicates that the pets owners are willing to spent money in the pets care services as they treated their pets as family members. The environment in mobile pet grooming industry is being regulated strictly by environmental and legal factors. While there are currently 11 companies providing mobile pet grooming services in ACT, only three of them are oligopoly to provide expert services. Compared with other major competitors, providing expert services in affordable price is the promise of Aussie Pet Mobile. To better compete in the fierce environment, the situation about SWOT and competitors analysis will be given by identifying the position of APM business. The recommendation based on 4P analysis suggests plan to assist APM in obtaining brand equity and market share. Then the recommended survival chain plan will be provided to assist the APM business in customer profitability, employee productivity, and internal and leadership audit. 1. Introduction In nowadays, the trend in raising pets has significant increased due to the rapid changes in peoples lifestyle. The subdivision in pet care industry has become more and more important according to the tendency. This is a decartelisation industry that derived value to pet owners to obtain market share, not only for the direct consumption such as foods, treats and accessories, but also related with pet care services like grooming, training and dog hotel and so on. To distinguish with traditional pets grooming salon, a new style which through appointment and coming direct to the home services has been launched. It is undeniable that with the changing in the technology, globalisation has provided various opportunities for this emerging industry. However, the potential problems will be exposed in the practice. The marketing report will evaluate on the environmental and situational impacts, and target market will be pointed out. Based on those analyses, the recommendation for the Aussie Pe t Mobile will be illustrated in terms of product, price, promotion and place. 2. Objectives The objectives are settling out based on the corporate, and marketing factors. For corporate perspectives, Aussie Pet Mobile has commenced on the successful marketing strategy and participates in the leadership in the industry. It aims in provide great value to all customers, and developing uniqueness and differentiate services to the public. On the other hand, for the perspective of marketing strategy, APM has positioned four goals in different aspects to gain competitive advantages. To recover into financial recession, it aims to achieve mutual practice on cost-efficient and differentiation strategy and becoming the best choice of Canberra within 2 years. To break even to cover all costs requires more profits that including vehicle costs, wages, direct materials and overhead costs. To encourage employee productivity and control costs in the manner of workers in obtaining business production efficiency in the social aspects. On the personal perspective, the managing on the customers relationships and brand image can support the process in generating revenue. Lastly, in maximising the using eco-friendly and nature materials and water saving will lead to implement sustainable development for the business. 3. Company Description Aussie Pet Mobile was formed in 1996 in Australia, and further expanded into global headquarters in the America in 1999 (Aussie Pet Mobile 2013). It regarded as the top brand in driving to home pet grooming services in the worldwide. The later on in introducing the franchise operations have become the most important strategy in developing their business scale. And the franchise chain is growing rapidly and currently faces totally over 400 territories serviced everyday through eight countries. They are continuously reinvented themselves to the evolution of pet grooming services to achieve customers satisfaction. They are commitment to the quality, flexible and loving care services to pets, and also to provide convenient to pets owners. 4. Environment Analysis 4.1 Economic environment According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), the unemployment rate of ACT was 3.4%, and down from 4% in the previous year whereas lower than 5.2% of the national rate in 2012. Moreover, the average weekly earnings of Canberra are steadily increased up to 1,554.5 while the average rate in this state was 1,333.5 in the last year (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). Those data would indicate that the people in ACT have surplus on it budget to afford pet services. In the Australia, people are most enjoyed in spending substantial amount of money on pet care as they treated pets like their family members. Since there is a stronger signal in Canberra economy, the survival possibility for new business like pet service will be feasible. Referred to the evaluation of Headey (cited in Australian Companion Animal Council n.d.), the annual contribution of pet industry is around $4.74 Billion which becomes one of the largest industries in Australia. Overall, the mobile pet grooming indu stry is a fast growing industry that has great opportunity to expand in its best interest. Social Environment In many ways, pets have been treated more like love substitutes where children are undertaken in modern industrial society. Particularly, pets could be trained in a kindly way which is easier to love and helping owners to become sociality and more adequate tailored new lifestyle (Nast 2006). From physical activity perspective, pets become a kind of social support when they are owners exercising. A recent study reported that 31% of women who has no pets or job were less likely walk for exercising their bodies (Bell et.al. cited in Cutt 2006). The regular exercise is now playing a key role in a health life and prevention from illness. In targeting of Middle age adults, a national campaign in Australia is aimed to achieve small walking exercise everyday in order to make people involving in social marketing and social cognitive (Booth et.al. 2011). Indeed, walking with dogs could bring more attention, and can encourage communications between people. As advocates of making pets included i n the factors of social capital and community, pet owners will engage in green living by taking care their pets. Environmental analysis For the mobile pet grooming business, the most potential problem could be polluting. According to the Environment Protection Act 1997 and the Environment Protection Regulation 2005, this kind of business must strict complying with the regulation to avoid potential liability or fines (Environment and Sustainable Development 2012). The operator should consider how it might impact on the environment, such as water, land or air. Also, the noise pollution when you are working should be taken into account. For the water using to wash pets, there is limited amount to use, and avoid wastewater to flow into stormwater system. Ensure no spilling of chemicals or detergents to pollute stormwater, and the maintenance of machines should be regularly checked. The rubbish such as fur, nails and other wastes should be collected into general garbage and disposed it to participate in the environmentally friendly action everywhere you working. 4.4 Technological environment The technological environment is the most important part to support mobile pets grooming service. In relation with the working, the portable pets washing area as opposed to the fixed location should have enough space and well equipped to assist grooming service. Furthermore, to better competitive in this industry area, an improvement on water saving or recycling technology should be designed to help this business to survival, such as speciality shower heads or changing washing times. Also, the development of internet in head office must be appropriate built for the purpose of database design and customers feedback receiving. The benefits are easy to track employees work, build customers profile, and response to claims, which might further assist in creating brand image. As for a mobile pet grooming business, the calling system of direct interaction between customers should be well built as the core technology of company. 4.5 Legal environment The responsibility of pets grooming services is set up by Australian Welfare Code of Practice, and such standards in aim of providing protections during pets mobile services. Animal Welfare Act 1992, Animal Welfare Regulation 2001, Domestic Animals Act 2000, Domestic Animals Regulation 2001, and Animal Disease Act 2005 are aim to enforce these legislation in Canberra (Urban Policy Analysts and Town Planners 2006). These regulations have been put in place to monitor from the time of transferring custody rights of pets, and until it return to the pets owner. Also, there is the need of registration of vehicle and trailer for the vehicle that using in mobile pets grooming. From protection environment view, as I concluded in above, there is an offence to pollute stormwater system, and the Environment Protection Authority will manage the noise pollution while they received complaints (Environment and Sustainable Development 2012). Political environment The Australia Government do have policies to protect small business development. It aims in providing fair competitive environment for new growing business, and the regulations will guide small business in respect of their businesses operating, such as workplace health and safety, workplace relations, financial and other professional services and so on (COSBOA 2013). 5. Situation Analysis 5. 1 SWOT Analysis 5.1.1 S-Strengths Mobile pet grooming services can offer great value to pet owners. Firstly, customers can obtain exclusive time value from Aussie Pet Mobile. Since it is directly come to the home services which conveniently benefit for customers saving time. Secondly, as the services can come to the home of customers, it offers place value to them. Compared with the other retail stores, the advantage of flexible place can provides customers to release from shuttling between two places. Thirdly, customers can gain form value through services including grooming, bathing, nail-clipping, ear and dental care and so on. Moreover, because of it is an Australian wide franchise store, the quality of product or services has a warranty to customers and the company has capacity to provide superior services. Lastly, they have follow-up customer services which enable enquiry and feedback to reduce cognitive dissonance ( ). 5.1.2 W-Weaknesses There are many factors which might exposes problems in practice. Many people, against pet mobile services, are willing to wash their own pets to save money. To some extent, there is a majority of customers doing by themselves unless the need of trimming. The weakness relates with facilities and profession skills also harmful to business success. As pet mobile services need to rely heavily on vehicle use, this will lead on extra cost like petro, vehicle and registration and insurance. The possibility will be created in enhancing the price of services as those values adding cost happened. Besides, the requirement of qualifications and training on staff is essential to survival in the pet grooming industry. As the process directly contacts with pets, the knowledge of breed, behaviour, and health issues are required by the groomer. 5.1.3 O-Opportunities For Aussie Pet Mobile, there are some factors that can be improved to strengthen its services. As there is a large amount of pet owners in Canberra, the trend for pet grooming services will quickly grow. Especially for dog, it is the most adequate pets to washing and grooming, AMG can provide benefits to the busy dog owners and the communities they are part of. The improving on the washing facilities can assist in the effectiveness on pets grooming and saving water. Using media resources to promote in public influences can help in obtaining market shares and awareness. Although it is a franchise company with scale, the influence in the Canberra area still need more efforts. Also, to build its brand image and good reputation, excellent and professional services can create great opportunity for AMGs business. 5.1.4 T-Threats The negative impact will be carried out in internal and external environment. First of all, there are lots of different sizes pet services existed in the market, not only for mobile pet grooming services, but also various local dog washing venues. Indeed, as it is simply to set up, new competitors may easily enter in the market. Mobility can provides the lowest cost on build new mobile pet grooming business due to there is no requirement on the permanent shop. Furthermore, the external environment, which is economic recession, might encourage customers to wash pets by themselves to save money other than waste it in unnecessary ways. 5.2 Competitive analysis 5.2.1 Competitive advantage The Aussie Pet Mobile can gain competitive advantages in its marketing strategy. Firstly, the positioning strategy requires it providing outstanding services in affordable prices. 5.2.2 Competitors analysis The market of mobile pet grooming in Canberra is highly concentration competitive environment. The oligopoly occupied by three businesses in ACT area which are HydroDog (Blue wheelers), Aussie Pooch Mobile, Jims Dog Wash and Jams Dog Wash. In addition, there are listing 11 competing mobile suppliers in Yellow Pages (2013). The market in Canberra is volatility as there are new players continuously entered in. The potential threat could be some small family-based businesses, such as Sparkling Paws Mobile, occupied the market share quickly in specific region. For Sparkling Paws, it provides cost-efficient services in lowest prices. As it is family based, it normally uses home to operate business, and it can easily built relationship with neighbours. However, on the other hand, with respect of business size where small businesses may hardly survival in expanding their business strategy in short term. According to below positioning map of major competitors, it can be seem that HydroDog and James Dog Wash provide high standard services which also results in high price charging. Especilly for HydroDog, where renamed as Blue Wheelers, it aims in developing expert in modern technologies, products and new areas of customer service. The unique blue dog mobile salon is equipped with top of the range grooming and washing facilities such as air conditioning, specialist washing treatment and so on (Blue Wheelers 2013). While Aussie Pooch Mobile is rated second satisfaction in the Top Franchise Awards of level of initial investment less than $50,000 (Franchise Survey 2009), it is the number one dog wash and grooming professionals in the Australia and in the world (Aussie Pooch Mobile 2013). The operators in Aussie Pooch Mobile are specialist in pets stylish and massaging, and the services are in affordable price. 6. Target Market Segmentation 6.1 Geographic The population of dogs in Australia has increased significantly to 3.41 million whereas the cat population was 2.35 million in 2009. With the growing tendency in population of Canberra, the number of people has increased to 367,800 in 2011, which represents 15% growth rate compared with ten years ago(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). A survey conducted in 1993 (Revill 1994) that the estimation of the dog population in ACT has reached 36,000, and the number of amount will become extremely considerable at nowadays. Examine on behaviour of raising pets is considered their pet as part of the family and further indication in willing to cost money in their pet (RSPCA, 2005). The largest suburb population in Canberra is distributed in Belconnen area, and followed by Tuggeranong with 90,700, 89,300 respectively (ACT Chief Ministers Department 2010). This information makes it clear that there is more possibility to promote mobile pet grooming service in those areas. Since Belconnen is th e town centre of Canberra, of those people who leaves in there might pursue more convenient services for available releasing themselves from fast lifestyle, as well as taking care of pets. As Aussie Pet Mobile is a drive in service which could be directly in front of customers door, the distribution requirement has very less limitation on this company. However, there might be more demand in the large population of suburbs. Demographic There are several aspects to support people in raising pets. The more important aspect is financial capacity to sustain the expenditure on pets, as the cost varies from food, care, to veterinary services. According to the analysis above, the average earnings of Canberrans are beyond the national rate which indicates they owned substantial money to afford pets services. For the different group of people, household with young kid, in which is aged bellowing 5, were less possible to keep pets compared with those families who have children in school age. The trend grows consistently with the age of child, and with three-quarters of families raised pets where the aged of their child among 10-14 years old (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). The married couples with dependents have the largest proportion to own pets in all household types whilst lone parents were the second percentage with 49% and 41.1% respectively, and typically women are the major carers of the pet (RSPCA 2005). For those people who have pet, they could be identified as the potential customers for Aussie mobile pet grooming service especially for married women and lone parents who also need work and taking care about family and pets. Psychographics The influence of social class could be affected by three aspects: income, occupation, and education level (Perner 2012). As pet grooming services from Aussie Pet Mobile grooming are not cheap, with starting $55 per dog to $90 and the price varying depends on the size of pets. As for occupation of pets owners, the impact might depends on the how many available times are pets owners having, as well as income. For a busy worker, he or she might focus plenty of time on work to gain more personal values and salaries, but less time to look after pets. In other words, of those who have to constant to work, they are more likely to seek for mobile pets grooming services. Since there is a positive relationship between occupation and income, the regular worker will have less time but enough money to consume in Aussie Pet Mobile. Also, the impacts of income are obviously important in relation with purchasing pet grooming services. In a nutshell, the middle and upper class have more chance to uti lize the services. For the people who are attracted packaging more important than quality, such as aspirer, and have social awareness and respect value of time and curious about new thing like reformer, will be the majority group in consuming mobile grooming services. Behavioural For the time poor pets owners, also recognised as regular user, they are more likely to take repetitive purchases and heavily relied on the mobile grooming services. These group of people involve full time singles who own one or two more pets, both working parents with pets, and active no child couples who both have full time works, and enjoy in the social activities other than trifling chores. For example, they are tired with washing pets by themselves. After these groups are aware of coming front pets grooming services, and have experience in it, they might continuously use this services as it free them from consuming and limitation of time. Secondly, there might be some occasional users that potentially purchased mobile grooming services. For example, on special events, some local vets might wish to keep up with demand, and utilised their service referred to Aussie Pet Mobile services via discount deals. Also, some customers might curious about coming-to-home pets grooming service s and want to have a try, or they are busy at some specific time. In a word, there are two types customers to use Aussie Pet Mobile services, one is constant users who are lack of time to wash pets, and the other one is occasional users that are potentially demanded on services. 7. The Marketing Mix 7.1 Product Recommendation The Aussie Pet Mobile provides variety of services to customers including washing, clipping, teeth brushing, and puppy cuts and so on. It developed 15 Steps of grooming for all breeds of dogs and cats. The process includes cleaning the ears and the eyes and clipping the nails. The full brush is doing before and after the bath. In the shower, they use completely eco-friendly and nature shampoo and conditioner and double rinse after that. They will do trimming of the paws and feathers if you required. They will treat pets tasty food after a little fragrance. However, the services that APM provided are similar compared with other mobile pet grooming business. To better differentiate itself, the expansion on the services is vital for the long-term development. The designed services towards different group of pets that is important to differentiate it from all kinds of pet grooming business not only for the mobile grooming services. The designed services can be carried out in terms of different types of pets, but also develop it into all area. For example, the 15 Steps grooming services are mainly toward to dogs in terms of its physical characteristics. However, the services in treating cats should be carefully evaluated as it is not friendly pets to strangers. The designed services should be aimed in making cats more comfortable and ease in line with its physical and behaviour features. Also, providing different classes of services can gain more loyalty customers. The alternatives of choices in services will lead in the changing on the expectations from customers (Wells Foxall 2013). For instance, rich customers might look for the expert services whereas normal customers expected affordable price in suitable performance. The other area se rvices could be developing on consulting working, guarding and training to pets. The consulting and training services can contribute on the promoting their expertise in branding. 7.2 Price Recommendation The price decisions are always the most important component in the companys marketing strategy. Also, it cannot be ignore that reasonable price, continue with product quality, are the two ingredients in balancing marketing mix (Magrath 1986). The price of Aussie Pet Mobile is determined by service driven factors. There is a difference between small and large pets with the range from $55 to $90 depend on the weight (Aussie Pet Mobile 2013). Considering with services that APM provided, it is included driving come to home, 15 steps processing on the pets. The costs might invisibly absorb profits as there are some non-value adding activities. Price variables, including retail price, bargaining purchase, allowances, creditability, influence the testing of acquisition value by customers (Atamin et al. 2010). To maximise it pricing power, the cost leadership and differentiation strategy should be mutually used to compete with the other businesses. For the cost leadership strategy, the measurement of cost drivers is essential. There are many factors which might result in cost adding. For example, the driving come to home services will lead to cost on petrol. However, the suggestion would be to better arrange the operators in bustling region. As for an operator, the charge of business in only Belconnen area is more efficient than rushing on the road between Tuggeranong and Belconnen. Also, once the business targeted on 15 steps services, the evaluation on the repetitive activities should be carried out. Since there are two brush and two rinse activities included (Aussie Pet Mobile 2013), the usage of water and shampoo and cond itioner will be increased. The control on the consumptions of first time will lead more cost-efficiently not only for water saving, but also for retrench on direct materials. The differentiation strategy is based on the assumption of setting different classes of services. Then the value-based pricing could be implemented in high class services as it is the perception value (Kotler et.al. 2013) that high level pets owners expected. 7.3 Promotion Recommendation According to Atamin et.al. (2010), it stated that promotion is increasing the satisfaction of the objectives and influence the perceptions of target consumers to facilitate exchange within customers and company; also it contributes in effectively and efficiently communicating the decisions of business strategy. The general approach is through the using of television, radio, and printed advertisements in the geographic areas to hold the likelihood of repeat purchase. Especially in the downtown centre of Belconnen and Tuggeranong, the degree of publicity in public area for Aussie Pet Mobile, should be extremely enhanced in busy hours at the weekends. For example, increasing repetitive advertising on TV in shopping centre or famous restaurant in lunch time could strengths the memories of APM in relative with lower advertisement costs in whole day. The highly repetitive advertisement in specific times will increase the informing indication to customers (Quester et.al. 2011). Also, the customer promotion tools can be used to help APM gaining more market share (Kolter et.al. 2013). In some large occasions, such as public holiday, APM can send operators to bustling area in volunteer washing pets, and also hand out redeemable coupons and discount offers. The designed vehicle of APM could be the best spotlight to attract customers attentions because of it is the vital services operating tool, and it is the first thing showed up in customers mind rather than groomers. Besides, the trade promotion tool can also be implemented. Since the group buying activities are in growing tendency, APM can offer some allowanced discount in great value through internet marketing. Also, for the business to business purpose, Aussie Pet Mobile grooming can integrate their services to local vets or dog hotels during the busy periods. These services can keep up with demand and on the basis of promotion deals. 7.4 Place Recommendation Atamin et.al. (2010) said that the place are related with channels of distributions that delivering the product to the target consumers. However, because of pets groomer are directly toward customers to supply services, there is no distribution channel or through middle man sales. As it is free from place limitation, Aussie Pet Mobile may obtain place flexibility due to its particular types of business form. The shifting places will provide a mobile billboard advertisement for this business. To make sure of telephone number and website are on the appearance of van to promote business in everywhere. On the other hand, to build long term relationships with customers, the necessity of setting head office in local area is important. The function of this office is to manage consulting and job arrangement. And further in expanding their business provides a series of exclusive pet care work such as looking after pets when owners are away, and training pets to achieve sustainable development . 8. Overall Recommendation Aussie Pet Mobile is the largest franchise mobile pet grooming in the world (Franchise Help 2004). However, it is a stranger in the market of ACT. To increase brand equity, APM needs to focus on generating awareness quickly and differentiation. In order to obtain market share and brand loyalty, the survival chain should be audited based on the development. There are three factors that need to be attention. Firstly, the profitability and growth drivers are derived from customer loyalty. The action is on increasing brand-building media weight by participating more advertisement campaign. Television is recommended for the ability to draw massive attention. To use free social media might be a slow way to promote its brand, such as Facebook and Twitter, but still an appropriate way to run. Online marketing is an effective way to reach all kinds of customers, such as involving in the group buying sellers to offer discount package of services. Moreover, making some actions are toward target users through segmentation targeting. For the time poor regular workers, they might have less time on surf online to access discount information, so the information posters could be deliver to the mail box. For married women who have pets, the using of word of mouth can be developed in asking them to invite friends in consuming services and receive discount on their purchase. As women are the major carer of pets, they always consider about the value in using services. Secondly, the value derives from employee productivity can directly assist in achieving cost-efficient purpose. The efficiency and effectiveness is about how much resources being used in achieving organisation goals (Hupper Ishikawa 2005). A high performance employee will contribute to reduce costs as he or she has more productivity with respect of time range and direct materials costs. Lastly, a leadership and internal quality control underlies the survival chain success. The study on the market research and feasibility to seek suggestion from publics will help Aussie Pet Mobile easily entering into the market. With the brand audit, approachable suggestions and complaints from customers will help the business to track the problems. It demands to design on the website to provide a space to share experiences, such frequent asked questions, and blog builders incorporation. The voices from employees, including complaints and feedback, can directly influence the quality in services as it is the power of internal audit. 9. Budget To implement survival chain plan, associate costs should be taken into consideration. The typical costs are covered in advertisement on TV, negotiating deals with group buying, the printing cost of posters, labour cost, research and development such as questionnaires and information system design like website. According to Franchise Survey (2009), it stated that the initial investment of Aussie Pooch Mobile in capital is AU$25,000 $50,000, the estimated weekly turnover is $1154 whereas the estimated weekly marketing costs are $40. We can assume that the business scale is similar with Aussie Pooch Mobile, so the cost model is still same as their structure. However, although there is an economic inflation in nowadays, there will be slight increase in the weekly revenues as Aussie Pet Mobile is not charge in premium prices on the services whereas there will be great increasing on the costs. The result will be minimizing on the APMs profits. Obviously, the cost leadership strategy shoul d continuously implement throughout the businesss operation. 10. Conclusion In conclusion, the report mainly demonstrates the environmental factors influencing on Auss

The Effectiveness Of Urban Renewal Strategies In The Sydenham Road Are :: essays research papers

Identification of a Question Sparkbrook is a typical inner city area of Birmingham; predominantly Victorian and Edwardian in character and its multi-cultural society live in a deprived district suffering from high unemployment and a generally poor quality environment. For such reasons it is part of a ‘regeneration’ scheme and this investigation will assess the success of this scheme. Development of Strategy The aim of the urban renewal programme is; to create sustainable structures of economic regeneration, to encourage business development and diversification, and to find solutions to serious social problems caused by the crisis situations that are common in many depressed urban areas. In order to assess the effectiveness of such plans both secondary – 1981 census detail, ward information and web sites, and primary data were collected. Unemployment levels, annual earning figures and the number of people that are employed in professional or managerial jobs are all great measures of the economical aspects. A marked positive alteration in these figures would indicate a success in the regeneration programme. Social aspects can be measured by reviewing crime rates, car ownership, private amenities and the property ownership - private or rented. The amount of pollution in the area, the aesthetic appreciation and housing density are all good measures of environmental aspects. Together the analysis of these three aspects and how they have altered since the programme has been introduced, should highlight the areas of success and failure thus showing the effectiveness of the scheme. Collection of Data The area of regeneration has undergone several changes in the past few years. For example a modern fitness centre had to be closed, as it was no longer financially viable, this is evidence that the local area is non-affluent as the people are unable to sustain a gym. In 1993 the aesthetic value of the area was heightened when the canal walk was opened. The linear areas along the canal are now going to be protected and enhanced. This is of great importance because the heavily built up character of Sparkbrook results in little space for recreational areas. A high percentage of the shops in Sparkbrook are closed and as the money available for housing improvements is strictly residential the shops that are present appear worn and in need of repair. The area also suffers from serious traffic congestion and so parking bays have been created along Fallows road, however the traffic still accumulates and when the stretch of road is clear it could encourage speeding as it is a stereotypical â €˜rat run’.

Times May Not Be A’Changin’ :: essays research papers

Times May Not Be â€Å"A’Changin’†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although portrayed in a particularly gruesome scenario, author Shirley Jackson conveys the importance of upholding tradition in her short story, â€Å"The Lottery.† While the climactic execution-by-stoning isn’t quite a modern example, it still serves to show us that some traditions are worth upholding. In our society today, it seems as if there is a growing movement to look forward and embrace the new instead of remembering our past. But to effectively make changes and plan for the future, it is essential that we turn to our history. One of the greatest issues in the world today is that of patriotism. In the immediate wake of September 11th, nearly all residents of this country proudly proclaimed themselves â€Å"Americans,† putting aside personal bias, differences in religion, and family roots to support the rebuilding of a nation. Lately, however (since our involvement in the Iraq War), this notion of unity and brotherhood has once again ta ken a backseat to personal agendas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the same way that the town is proud to continue its June 27th tradition, most people also take pride in feeling allegiance towards their country (specifically the United States). Perhaps it is deep family roots or a strong connection with constitutional ideals; whatever the reason, patriotism seems to stick with Americans. Even though our interest in our country has been at an ebb and flow since the beginnings of the Revolution, we tend to strongly identify with this nation. The small town has a grizzly ritual that leaves at least one person each year particularly unhappy, yet we do not hear talk of moving away. We only read of other towns that have done away with the lottery: â€Å"They do say†¦ that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery (McMahan 87),† and there is â€Å"nothing but trouble in that (McMahan 87).† Even Tessie Hutchinson, the unlucky ‘winner,’ claims that the practice is unfair, but nonetheless goes along with it. Analogously, a soldier who dies for his country does so for the greater good. The soldier is so passionate about the ideals of his nation that he is willing to die defending them. He does not want to die, but knows he is doing so for a good cause – that of liberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The townspeople are not fighting for their freedom from oppressors or antiquated ideals; on the contrary, they are struggling to maintain their heritage.

Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

The Lord of the Flies is about a mini-society of boys formed by chance. Their isolation from adults forced reality upon them and so they had to think for themselves and work together. As a commentary of today's society it does well to explain some of today's issues like violence, laws, pride, greed, fear, religious power and the conflict between living in a civilised society or savagery. It is all about the choice the boys made when life became real. In the beginning their lives were controlled and protected by their parents, teachers and police officers. Jack cannot kill the pig even though he can eat meat because of the "enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh." (p 41). Roger cannot hit the boys with the stones even though he could if he wanted to because he has been conditioned by the society he used to live in. This is the type of society the children live in. Everything is a game until the beast. The beast signals the end of the games and start of reality. Lives are at stake in perspective of the boys and survival must occur in any form. Our society is much like this as today's society is also about survival and what choices we make to survive. The mini-society started off peaceful. The purpose was to set a signal fire and live off fruit until help came. The conflict came when the fire and hunting could not be committed to at the same time. As the fire was a 24 hour task and hunting needed the whole party, the party started to take sides. Ralph's fire would be the sensible thing to do to get rescued however hunting would lift the standard of living for all the boys and would also be a luxury, recreational event. The fire was hard work and immediate results were none even though long-term results would be better. The hunting side wins eventually. In Australia today we are spending beyond our ability to afford this spending. This means we have a great influx of goods and services but as a community we are cheating ourselves as this leads to a current account deficit and the cost of living in this deficit must be paid plus the deficit. In this book's case, the deficit was their morals and the interest was paid in life.

Thinking Critically Ch

The challenge you face is to create a coherent view of the world that expresses who you are as well as the person you want to become. It should be a vision that not only guides your actions but also enables you to understand the value of your experiences, the significance of your relationships, and the meaning of your life. The quality of your life philosophy is a direct result of your abilities to think critically and think creatively, abilities that you have been developing while working on activities presented throughout this book.But a life philosophy is incomplete until it is acted upon through the decisions you make, decisions dad possible by your ability to choose freely. These are the three life principles of human transformation upon which this book is based: thinking critically, living creatively, choosing freely. These three principles are interlocking pieces of the puzzle of your life. Working together as a unified force, these principles can illuminate your existence: an swering questions, clarifying confusion, creating meaning, and providing fulfillment.Think critically: When used properly, your thinking process acts like a powerful beacon of light, illuminating the depths of your personality and the reader of your experience. Clear thinking is a tool that helps you disentangle the often confused jumble of thoughts and feelings that compose much of your waking consciousness. By becoming a more powerful critical thinker, you are acquiring the abilities you need to achieve your goals, solve problems, and make intelligent decisions. Critical thinkers are people who have developed thoughtful and well-founded beliefs to guide their choices in every area of their lives.In order to develop the strongest and most accurate beliefs possible, you need to become aware of your own biases, explore situations room many different perspectives, and develop sound reasons to support your points of view. Live creatively: Creativity is a powerful life force that can in fuse your existence with meaning. Working in partnership with critical thinking, creative thinking helps you transform your life into a rich tapestry of productivity and success. When you approach your life with a mindful sense of discovery and invention, you can continually create yourself in ways limited only by your imagination.A creative lens changes everything for the better: Problems become opportunities for growth, mundane routines become halogens for inventive approaches, relationships become intriguing adventures. When you give free rein to your creative impulses, every aspect of your life takes on a special glow. You are able to break out of unthinking habitual responses and live fully in every minute, responding naturally and spontaneously. It sounds magical, and it is. Choose freely: People can transform themselves only if they choose to take different paths in their lives-?and only if their choices are truly free.To exercise genuine freedom, you must have the insight to understand all of your options and the wisdom o make informed choices. When you fully accept your freedom, you redefine your daily life and view your future in a new light. By working to neutralize the constraints on your autonomy and guide your life in positive directions, you see alternatives that were not previously visible, having been concealed by the limitations of your previous vision. Your future becomes open, a field of rich possibilities that you can explore and choose among.A life that is free is one that is vital and exciting, suffused with unexpected opportunities and the personal fulfillment that comes from a life well lived. Your â€Å"self' is, in its essence, a dynamic life force that is capable of thinking critically, creating, and choosing freely. These three essential dimensions of your self exist optimally when they work together in harmonious unity. When working together, these three basic elements create a person who is intelligent, creative, and determined- ?the ingredients for success in any endeavor.Consider the unfortunate consequences of subtracting any of these elements from the dynamic equation. If you lack the ability to think critically, you won't be able to function very well in most challenging careers because you will eave difficulty thinking clearly, solving complex problems, and making intelligent decisions. What's more, whatever creative ideas you come up with will be rootless, lacking an intelligible framework or practical strategies for implementing them. You will be an impractical dreamer, condemned to a life of frustrated underachieving.Without insight into yourself, your freedom will be imprisoned because you won't be able to see your choices clearly or to liberate yourself from the influences that are constraining you. F you lack the ability to think creatively, then your thinking abilities may enable you to perform in a solid, workmanlike fashion, but your work will lack imagination, you will be afraid to try origi nal approaches because of the risk of failure, and your personality will be lacking the spontaneous sparkle that people admire and are drawn to.You will in time become a competent but unimaginative â€Å"worker bee,† performing your duties with predictable adequacy but never rising to the lofty heights that you are capable of attaining. Your choices will be as limited as your imagination, and your habitual choices of safe and secure paths will eventually create a very small canvas for your personal portrait. You lack the ability to choose freely, then your abilities to think critically or creatively cannot save you from a life of disappointment.Though you may be able to clearly analyze and understand, you will lack the will to make the difficult choices and stay the course when you encounter obstacles and adversities. And though you may develop unique and valuable ideas, your inability to focus your energies and make things happen will doom these ideas to anonymity. Because y ou lack the will to create yourself as a strong individual of character and integrity, the people you encounter will come to IEEE you as a shallow-rooted reed that bends with the wind of superficial trends, not as someone deserving of authority and responsibility.Think of what you aspire to have: a life of purpose and meaning the respect and devotion of those around you, success and fulfillment in your chosen endeavors, and a secure sense of who you are, a person with the courage and vision to accomplish great things. These aspirations are within your grasp, but only if you develop all of these fundamental dimensions of your self to their fullest potential: the abilities to think critically, think creatively, and choose freely. Choose Freely You have the power to create yourself through the choices that you make, but only if your choices are truly free.To exercise genuine freedom you must possess the insight to understand all of your options and the wisdom to make informed choices. In many instances passive, illogical, and superficial thinking inhibits people's abilities to make intelligent choices and erodes their motivation to persevere when obstacles are encountered. This section is designed to provide you with a general framework for understanding the nature of free choice and the practical thinking strategies needed to translate his understanding into transformed behaviors and attitudes.You can redefine your daily life in a new light and enhance its value through free choices derived from thinking critically and creatively. Condemned to Be Free Man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into this world, he is responsible for everything he does. Jean-Paul Sartre This book is based on the conviction, articulated here by the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, that we create ourselves through the choices that we make, ND that we are capable of choosing different c ourses of action.But often we get so caught up in routine, so mired in the day-to-day demands of reality and the pressures of conformity that we don't even see alternatives to our condition, much less act on them. Our complaints often far outnumber our shining moments, as we tend to focus on the forces and people that have thwarted our intentions. â€Å"If only got the breaks now and then . â€Å"If only could get rid of my habitual tendency to I would . These complaints, and millions of others like them, bitterly betray W. E. Hanley notion that â€Å"l am the master of my fate, am the captain of my soul.It is much more common for people to believe that fate mastered them and that they never had sufficient opportunity to live life ‘their way. † Instead of feeling free, we often feel beleaguered, trying desperately to prevent our small dinghy from getting swamped in life's giant swells, rather than serenely charting a straight course in our sleek sailboat. The end resu lt is that when people think of â€Å"being free,† they often conjure up a romantic notion of â€Å"getting away/' from their concerns and responsibilities, imagining a world where anything is possible and there is plenty of money to pay for it.However appealing this fantasy may be, it is a misconceived and unrealistic notion of freedom. Genuine freedom consists of making thoughtful choices from among the available options, choices that reflect your genuine desires and deepest values, resisting the pressures to surrender your autonomy to external pressures or internal forces. The most important and disturbing element of personal freedom is that it necessarily involves personal responsibility. And personal responsibility is the main reason why people are reluctant to embrace their freedom and in fact actively seek to â€Å"escape† from it.If you acknowledge author choices are ere, then you must accept that you are responsible for the outcome of your choices. When you a re successful, it is easy to take full responsibility for your success. But when failure occurs, people tend to dive for cover, blaming others or forces outside of their control. This is exactly what's going on in all the preceding â€Å"If only' statements and many others like them: they each express the belief that if only some outside force had not intervened, people would have achieved the goals they set for themselves.However, in many instances, these explanations are bogus, and these efforts to escape from redeem are illegitimate. They represent weak and inauthentic attempts to deny freedom and responsibility. Free Choice: The Mainspring of Human Action Every day we are confronted with the mystery of human action. One person commits an armed robbery, killing a guard in the process. Another person is found to have embezzled large sums of money from the charitable organization he directed. A firefighter risks his life to save the life of an infant trapped in a burning building. A peaceful protest gets out of control and turns into a violent and destructive altercation. A respected member of the immunity is accused of abusing the children on the teams that he coached. Two teenagers are accused of murdering their newborn infant and dumping the body in a garbage container. An 84-year-old woman who spent her life cleaning the homes of others donates her life a local college with which she had no previous relationship. In each of these instances, and countless others, we struggle to understand â€Å"why/' people acted the way they did.Our answers typically depend on our deepest beliefs about the nature of the human self. For example: Human nature: â€Å"I believe in human nature; people are born with certain basic instincts that influence and determine how they behave. † Based on this view, the actions described previously, whether â€Å"good† or â€Å"evil,† are no more than the natural expression of a universal nature that is genetically hardwired into every person. From this perspective, we should no more hold people responsible for their destructive actions than we would an animal in the wild that kills in order to survive.There is no possibility of free choice because our actions necessarily follow from our inborn nature, and we cannot be other than who we are. Whether you act virtuously or destructively in your life is ally beyond your control, and you cannot alter your fundamental character. The environment: â€Å"l believe that people are shaped by their environment, conditioned by their experiences to be the kind Of people they are. † From this vantage point, the actions described previously are the direct products of the life experiences that the individuals had.If the environment in which a person developed was deprived or abusive, then these forces shaped a violent individual with little regard for the rights or lives of others. On the other hand, if you were fortunate enough to grow up in a loving and nurturing environment in which kindness and empathy were considered paramount values, then this upbringing shaped who you are. But once again, you cannot be held responsible for how you turned out because you didn't choose your environment; you were a passive agent molded by forces beyond your control. And, of course, you are incapable of making free choices.We should no more condemn the embezzler than we should reward the firefighter who risks his life, since they are each merely products of environments that are ultimately responsible for their behavior. Psychological forces: â€Å"l believe that people are governed by psychological ores, many of them unconscious, that cause them to think, feel, and act in certain ways. † Based on this point of view, the actions described previously are the direct result of deep psychological impulses that have been formed by people's earliest relationships and experiences.Although these people may think they are choosing to do the thi ngs, in reality, they are puppets manipulated by unseen psychological strings. The same is true for you. So when the coach sexually abused the children on his teams, he was not actually choosing this reprehensible course of action, he was impelled by psychological forces over which he had no control. Similarly, your behavior results from psychological motivations, often repressed, that form the basic structure of your personality. Your feelings of freedom are illusory.Social dynamics: â€Å"l believe that we are social creatures that are greatly influenced by the people around us. † From this perspective, people's behavior results in large measure from the forces exerted by those around them. The need to conform to the prevailing norms, to be accepted by the groups to which you belong, to please those who are close to you, to obey those in sections of authority-?these and other social needs determine your behavior and define who you are as an individual. For example, the viol ent actions of the initially peaceful demonstrators can be understood only by examining the dynamics of social interaction.Since the group as a whole is to blame, responsibility is removed from the individuals. In the same way, individuals who act illegally (or immorally) within an organization often seek to be exonerated on the grounds that they were merely acting as cogs in the machine, not independent agents. An extreme version of this occurred after World War II at the Murderer trials when many people accused of wartime atrocities explained that they were â€Å"only following orders. † Thinking Activity 12. 1: Your Theory of Human Behavior Think about some of the actions described at the beginning of this section.How would you explain why those people acted in the ways that they did? Which of the above theories make the most sense to you? Do you have your own theory to explain why people behave the way they do? Creating Yourself Through Free Choices If we examine all of t hese beliefs regarding the nature of human beings, we can see that they have several significant things in common: These beliefs represent attempts to explain human behavior in terms of factors that precede the action: a universal human nature, past experiences, psychological forces, and social dynamics.In other words, all of these beliefs assume that the â€Å"essence† of a person, as defined by the factors identified previously, comes before the human actions and in fact causes these actions to take place. As a result, all of these beliefs about the human self have the effect of removing responsibility from the individual for his actions. If what you did was the direct result of human nature, past experiences, psychological forces, or social dynamics, then you cannot be held accountable. You didn't have a choice, your behavior was outside of your control.As a final consequence, these beliefs about the self limit future possibilities. If your thoughts, feelings, and actions are caused by forces beyond your control, then you do not have it in your power to change, to alter direction, to improve-?any more than a puppet can decide to act independently and contrary to the wishes of the puppeteer. From a framework rooted in human freedom, these traditional perspectives regarding the nature of people can be dangerous and destructive. One of the most passionate and articulate modern exponents of individual freedom was Jean-Paul Sartre.His position is extreme-?you are completely free. You create yourself entirely through the free choices that you make every day of your life. Though you may try to pretend otherwise, the reality is that you are the originator of your actions, the master of your fate and the captain of your soul, for better or for worse. You may choose to surrender control of your life to other individuals or organizations, but this is ultimately a free choice that you make and for which you are completely responsible. Let's revisit the examples identified previously and analyze them from this perspective.Free choice: â€Å"l believe that people are free to choose their courses of action, and that they should be held responsible for the choices they make. † The person who committed the armed robbery and murdered the guard freely chose to steal money and he is completely responsible. He was not compelled to act in this fashion; he could have chosen not to. The person who embezzled money from the charitable organization which he headed freely chose to betray his trusted position out of greed and should be held fully accountable.The heroic firefighter freely chose to overcome his natural fear of death and risk his life to save someone else's, and he should be awarded full credit for his heroism. The child abuser freely chose to surrender to his destructive sexual impulses, and he deserves to be condemned and fully punished. The infant-murdering teenagers freely chose to deal with their fear of having an unwanted child b y killing it and trying to hide the body (despite having many other alternatives available), and they should be held fully responsible for their choice.The philanthropic senior citizen freely chose to neonate her money to improve educational opportunities for underprivileged young people rather than spending the money on herself, and she deserves to be praised for her altruism. Each of these people had other alternatives available to them, and they could have made different choices-?but they didn't. Therefore, they must be held responsible for the choices that they did make. But surely, you might be thinking, I can't be held completely responsible for my life. After all, there are many factors outside of my control, people and forces that do create obstacles and undermine my efforts.And we are subject o pressures and influences from within ourselves: feelings of greed, fear of death, altruistic impulses, sexual compulsions, need for social acceptance, and so on. Still, it is up to u s to freely choose which impulses, motivations, fears, and desires we want to act in accordance with. In other words, it is up to you, your â€Å"self. † You make the ultimate choice regarding who you want to become and the direction of your life. When you look in the mirror, the person that you see reflected is the person you have created.If you are pleased with who you are and the state of your life, then you have every right to feel proud. On the other hand, if you are dissatisfied with the person you have become and disappointed with the course of your life, then you have to look no further than yourself to determine who is responsible. You must have the courage to accept full responsibility for your situation, but it is within your power to change, to improve yourself and your life through the free choices that you are able to make. Sartre characterizes humans as the one living creature whose â€Å"existence† precedes its â€Å"essence. In other words, you create your â€Å"essence† (your self, soul, personality) through the free choices that you make in your daily â€Å"existence. He explains: Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world-?and defines himself afterwards. Man simply is-?he is what he wills to be after that leap towards existence. Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. This is exactly what distinguishes human consciousness from the rest of the animal kingdom: when confronted with a decision situation, we are able to think about the options available to us and then make a free choice based on our evaluation.And that makes us responsible for our actions, as Sartre explains: If existence is prior to essence, then man is responsible for what he is, it puts very person in possession of himself as he is, and places the entire responsibility for his existence squarely on his shoulders. In today's culture, personal freedom and responsibility are in danger of extinction, threatened by an array of psychological, sociological, and genetic explanations that have the cumulative effect of robbing people of their autonomy and dignity.It is refreshing and enlightening to view people through the lens of personal freedom, awarding them the power to make free choices for which they are responsible, rather than viewing them as victims Of resistance with little control over their destinies. George Bernard Shaw dismissed this â€Å"victimized† view of life when he stated, â€Å"l don't believe in circumstances. Rather than blaming their circumstances, the people who get on in this world create their own. † Because You Are Free .This discussion of freedom may seem abstract and theoretical to you, and you might be asking yourself: What difference do my beliefs about personal freedom make in my life? The truth is that along with your beliefs about morality and religion, there is perhaps no other belief that has a greater impact on your life. Here are a few examples. Self-improvement: If you are a person who is constantly striving to improve yourself and the quality of your life, then it is essential that you possess the freedom to make different choices from those you have previously made. Personal freedom is the lifeblood of human change.By using your critical- thinking abilities, you can identify appropriate goals and intelligent alternatives; by exercising your freedom, you can choose the goals and alternatives that best meet your needs and fulfill your ideals. On the other hand, an exclusive belief in one of the â€Å"non-freedom† theories (human nature, environmental determinism, etc. Undermines and even eliminates the possibility of changing yourself. The die has been cast, and whatever the future has in store for you, you cannot influence it in any meaningful way. Morality: Morality deals with the way we relate to people around us.Societies have developed moral ideals and prohibitions to help their citizens live together in a harm onious and productive fashion. As a result, most societies consider things like murder, robbery, cheating, stealing, and raping to be â€Å"wrong,† and they have enacted laws and punishments to discourage antisocial behavior. On the other hand, most societies consider things like impassion, altruism, sharing in communal responsibilities, and working for the good of everyone as well as yourself to be â€Å"right,† and this sort of behavior is encouraged through teaching, exhortation, and example.

Working and Going to School

Working, parenting, and going to school are tough Is it possible to accomplish my goals and still meet everyday responsibilities? Working a full-time job, being a single parent, and going to college are emotionally draining. It’s stressful, frustrating, and hard to be positive at times when there are so many demands on time. Goals can be accomplished and still meet everyday responsibilities. Working, parenting, and going to school are tough. Working a full time job is demanding. Getting up early and working late is physically draining. Day to day responsibilities need to be met which adds stress. My job is physically demanding on a daily basis. I work in the service field where I work outside everyday in any kind of weather. Heavy lifting, climbing, completing the job at hand, all the while praying I go home safe and in one piece at the end of the day. â€Å"I was waiting tables, going nowhere,† said Lynch, 32, and a single mother of one. â€Å"I was in a rut for a long, long time. †(Brindley, 2006) Those statements made me think about what I’m doing to change my life for the better. A one income household requires that I drag my behind out of bed on a daily basis and do my job to the best of my ability in order to pay the bills. I’m a single parent of a 15 year old daughter whom I love very much. Being a single parent isn’t easy. The sole responsibility of a raising a child to be responsible and disciplined is entirely up to the single parent. I talk with my daughter on a regular basis about my assignments and what my grades are in my courses. She cheers for me when I get excellent scores on tests. I need all the motivation I can possibly get. Recently, my daughter sprained her foot at school and has been on crutches for the past two weeks. I’ve made changes to my daily schedule to accommodate her needs. She is in a walking cast now but still stubborn and demanding. She is a typical teenager that plans activities with her friends and needs Mom to get her where she needs to go. School and grades are a constant struggle with her. I can’t get through to her know it all head that doing her homework and studying for tests are a must to get decent grades. I see that if I am going to be a positive role model, going back to school and succeeding in my courses. (Seastrand, 2007) When her grades are down she has no privileges. That’s when Mom gets a break! She’s not much fun to be around during these times either. Attending online college courses is mentally and physically demanding. Staying organized isn’t an easy task. Organization is the key to your success. If you have no idea what assignments are due, what appointments at work or school are up ahead you will get more stressed which will make your GPA plummet. Keep your home organized with your textbooks in one spot, your bills and mail in another spot, etc. Patience and priorities are a necessity. Take the time to stay organized and don’t procrastinate. (Comments on: How to Manage School While Working, 2005) I’m constantly kicking my daughter off of the computer in order to get assignments done. Deadlines for assignments don’t change but need to be broken down into tasks on a daily basis to meet the deadlines. Attending college courses is stressful. The decision to start taking college courses and working towards my B. A. in Accounting was easy. â€Å"How was I going to pay for my education? † I applied for grants and loans for this year. I had to wait several months before I did get my approval after starting my courses. I can breathe a little easier now but I still have several more years in order to finish my degree. I am in the midst of checking into scholarships which will greatly help the financial needs of school. Re-organizing my schedule in order to complete assignments and study is an on-going struggle. â€Å"Will I be successful in my college courses and get good grades? † I’m constantly working on this and praying for the best. Being a single college mother is a hard win/win situation and the long term effects are most important. (Seastrand, 2007) Being a good example to my daughter and getting good grades on work is my motivation to keep going. Organization, communication, patience, and priorities are necessities and the keys to success. (Comments on: How to Manage School While Working, 2005). Here is one statement that really struck me and I hope it helps other students also. Most importantly, always believe YOU CAN DO IT! Becoming more educated will change your life. In the famous words of someone whose name I have forgotten: â€Å"It is never too late to be who you were meant to become. † Good luck, I’m pulling for you! (Comments on: How to Manage School While Working, 2005) Another insight was not listening to people who say what your doing will be â€Å"too hard. † Keep pushing through and before you know it your degree requirements will be satisfied and your child will be clapping for you on graduation day. Go easy on yourself and keep things as simple as possible. Rely on friends and family if need be. (Seastrand, 2007). Working a full time job, being a single parent, and going to college are all very stressful but goals can be accomplished with organization and patience. References Brindley, M. (2006, November). Going back to college made easier for single parents hoping to improve their lives. Comments on: How to Manage School While Working (2005, 22 November). Seastrand, A. , (2007, April). What’s a Mom to Do? College Mom Magazine