Monday, October 14, 2019

Ebusiness Plan Online Furniture Shops Marketing Essay

Ebusiness Plan Online Furniture Shops Marketing Essay This report outlines an online business plan for our company known as the Online Furniture Shop. We tend to cater needs of several kinds of customers ranging from large organization, small offices, schools, restaurants, hospitals to homes. We offer a vast variety of products online on our website furniture-online.com. Consumers can not only browse through various categories of products, view their details and prices but they can also order furniture online. The rest of the report will determine several other elements required in the e-business plan for Online Furniture Shop. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The E-commerce Infrastructure Electronic commerce can be defined as the type of business or monetary transaction which involves the transfer of goods or services in exchange of some money over the internet. This covers a wide range of several types of businesses. These types include auctions, consumer based retail sites, music sites and business exchanges of goods/services between organizations. This business plan also determines the strategic plan required for establishing an Online Furniture Shop. The infrastructure of the business involves based e-commerce website development which will sell to both businesses and individually through the internet. The infrastructure of this e-business also comprises of DBMS, Web Master, Web-developer, E-marketing, logistics and distribution channels and integration of secure transaction channels.   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Markets in E-Commerce There are three types of markets in the e-business sector Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer and Consumer-to-Consumer. All the three business types have different business strategies and marketing plans since they focus on different groups of consumers. Our Online Furniture Shop will focus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business to Business Even though early e-commerce based businesses focused on retailing on the interest however it is believed that revenue generated through B2B e-commerce will exceed that of business to consumer revenue. A research published in 2000 stated that ratio of monetary volume of B2B to that of B2C is 10 to 1 (Rouse, 2010). Our company tends to cater the needs of large to small business organizations. We sell as wholesalers when dealing with businesses and selling in bulks. Our clients belong to categories such as schools, law firms, large business organizations, restaurants and other business class categories. We offer them furniture like office chairs, table, revolving chairs, folding tables, executive chairs, kindergarten chairs, hospital waiting room furniture etc. Organizations can view our products online and contact us through mail since we do not take order in bulk online rather we contact with the firm personally to fulfill their large requirements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business to Consumer Even though B2C e-commerce has gone through hard times especially after the dot.com bubble burst in 2000. However there has been an increase in the number of online shoppers since then. Even the future looks bright for B2C e-commerce as household shopping in U.S alone has raised from 39 to 48 percent in 2010 (Patton, 2007). Our other main clients are small scale consumers who want to furnish their homes. We provide high quality furniture like sofas, beds, dining tables, sofa-cum-beds, computer table etc. to our valuable consumers. The consumers can come on our website browse through the products and one they have selected what to buy they can register in simple steps, buy online through our highly secure website and get the delivery at their door-step within 5 business working days. Now buying furniture for home is just a few clicks away. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business Models There are several e-commerce business models a company can integrate in their business plan for enhanced profitability. We will focus on merchant business model since we are the retailer and wholesalers of furniture further we also sale directly to our consumers through our website. Another model we might integrate is affiliation model in which the company might place banners on other websites to increase traffic on our website thus adapting pay-per-click traffic generation strategy. II. Marketing Concepts There are several innovative techniques through which our e-commerce business can market the offering and reach targeted markets. We will look individually analyze the strategies which will be used in our e-business.   A. Marketing Techniques Since the target market is individual consumer along with business sector therefore we will look at some of the ways in which Online Furniture Shop can position and market its offerings. Banners Company can place banners on popular websites with heavy traffic having an integrated link back to the site of the organization just like putting up billboards in real world. Crawlers We also intend to integrate SEO in our websites for search engines which use Crawlers technique to search the internet database so that the websites are ranked higher on the result page whenever a potential customer searches for furniture shops. Pop Up Pop-up ads can also be used as a marketing technique even though they are found quite annoying by some internet users. These are ads which will open up in a new window whenever a user opens an associated website like home decoration or office set-up. III. Communicating in e-commerce A. Social networking The use of social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter for promotion of products and services will be quite beneficial for OFS since its a great way to bring customers to your websites and generate sales. These sites are also a great tool for link building by posting URLs which have a link to your website this method tends to increase the traffic (Introcaso , 2011). Through creation of social media our firm can offer discounts, coupons and announce contests to people following us on such social networking websites. Such sites are also a great tool to interact with the consumers directly and get feedback from them along with any suggestions. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Content Marketing OFS also intends to use content marketing as a method of disseminating and creating important content to acquire, engage and attract a potential target market. Content marketing basically is the art of communication with potential prospects and customers. The core essence of this marketing strategy is that if businesses keep giving consistent and valuable information to the buyer the buyer ultimately gives their loyalty as a reward. IV. Problems surrounding E-Commerce Due to a massive out growth in the e-commerce business sector there has also been an emergence of associated security threats. Due to which it is essential for e-commerce based businesses to cater some vital requirements. These fundamental security requirements of e-commerce business are the basis of a secure online business since this sector faces the greatest threat as stated by a report that the attacks in this sector have risen from 2006 to 2007 by 15% (Symantec, 2007). A. Privacy and security Since we also plan on starting an e-commerce based business therefore it is vital for the organization to integrate protection against potential security threats in the business plan.   We plan on carefully monitor and securing the monetary transaction channel before offering credit card purchase option like SSL and Address Verification Systems. Our website will also have a satisfactory site security, encryption, privacy policy and also insurance against identity theft if possible. V. Ethical Challenges in Online Business   Identity theft can be defined as the illegally acquired personal information like names, drivers license, address, Social Security Number, Bank or credit card number and exploiting this personal data for some unlawful activities (Sorbel, 2003). It is ranked as one of the fasted growing crimes in America.   Some laws and regulation which might regulate the rising issue of identity theft and which are also applied to our firm are described below. a. The Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 According to the summary by The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (2000) this act has a clause which requires a disclosure of privacy policy by all financial institutions with regards to the sharing of personal information. This act has another requirement which states that a notice should be given to the consumer to opt out of sharing the personal information with some nonaffiliated third party. b. The Fair Credit Reporting Act This was proposed in order to secure the personal information of consumers which is exchanged during any business transaction. This act tends to promote the fairness, privacy and integrity of the information content of consumer reporting agencies as states by Federal Trade Commission (2011). VI. Conclusion Thanks to easy and cheap access to internet more and more people are buying online. Our e-business model caters almost all the requirements for establishing an online merchant business. The target market we are focusing on is also quite large therefore we expect a successful growth in the market.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Changes In Democracy: From Early Athenian To Present Day Politics Essay

Democracy: From Early Athenian To Present Day Politics. When following current events we can’t help but witness politicians use terms such as â€Å"defending freedom†, â€Å"liberty†, or â€Å"democracy†, but one is simply left wondering if the general public, or even the politicians themselves, know what those terms really mean or where they come from. The reality is that most don’t. The ideals of living in a democracy have been drastically changed from their original meanings and diluted into persuasive political language to become mere rhetoric as opposed to meaningful concepts of ethical and moral value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word democracy is thrown around to make convincing, patriotic speeches that many times are utilized to usurp the rights and property of peoples in the name of this most sacred of political concepts in the history of western civilization. In order to better understand the true meaning of this idea we must go back to its roots and search for the original intentions behind it. We must find the similarities and differences between Greek democracy and modern day democracy. By separating the two we can see how distant they are from each other. Without a clear understanding of the history involved we are easily blinded by the eloquence and charisma that politicians utilize to control the populace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Democracy dates back to the Golden Age of Greece or the Classic Period. Not yet an organized, centralized nation Greece was made up of warring city-states none of which possessed full control over its neighbors. During this period and under these circumstances there was a tremendous advancement in Greek thought encompassing philosophy, politics, medicine, mathematics, and the sciences to name just a few areas of influence that still maintain a strong Greek legacy today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of all the Greek city-states it was Athens that gave birth to many of the political philosophies that still survive today. At around 600 B.C.E Athens was in severe economic, social, and political crisis. It was then that a rich aristocrat named Solon emerged to produce for Athens its first comprehensive set of political rules and regulations, overhauling the constitution, reining in the plutocrats, and giving decent measure of power and responsibility to the moderately well-off non-aristocrats. He also provided some legal... ...of a city (Minogue, p.11).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately we have not kept the best of these ideas. In modern day politics rationality is no longer paramount. It is the reason we see the influence of politicians full of arrogance, believing in the superiority of their own authority trying to amass power through the use of the ancient Greek political concepts. Modern day politicians, mostly American, attempt to use emotion, not reason when addressing the American people. It is with great sadness that as we have witnessed with the last election this notion succeeded and now under the banner of â€Å"values† and fear will exploit the ignorance of the general public. Cartledge, Paul. The Greeks: Crucible of Civilizations. New York: TV Books, 2000 Freeman, Charles. The Greek Achievement: The Foundation of The Western World. New York: Viking Penguin, 1999 Martin, Thomas, R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric To Hellenistic Times. London: Yale University Press, 1996 Minogue, Kenneth. Politics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995 Pomeroy, Sarah, et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Appearance: What You See Is Not Always What You Get Essay -- Literary

Thomas Pain once said â€Å"[a] long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.† Appearances are the first thing to catch one’s attention. Whether it be a supermodel, a famous photograph, or the unmistakable golden arches: we take notice. The essays written by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Eric Schlosser, and Nora Ephron demonstrate the effect appearances have on individuals and our society undividedly. In Judith Ortiz Cofer's essay "The Story of My Body," she shares her struggle with appearance and self-esteem. Ms. Cofer admits her definitions of appearance changed when she relocated to the United States at age eight. She states "I was born a white girl in Puerto Rico, but became a brown girl when I came to live in the United States" (Cofer 323). For instance, Cofer is identified as a palm blanca in Puerto Rico and as a colored girl during her first encounter of color prejudice. In addition to her cultural dispute with appearance, Ms. Cofer displays an internal dispute with her appearance in size. At age twelve standing five-feet tall, Ms. Cofer was viewed by her family as a tall young woman in comparison to her mother who was no taller than four-foot-eleven. Her mother exemplified this by saying â€Å"†[s]ince you are so tall, this dress will look good on you†" (Cofer 326). Her classmates at her New Jersey public school viewed her appearance very differently. Ms. Co fer was perceived as the "4F, skinny, short, bespectacled" (Cofer 326) kid on the playground impervious to competition; whereas her true competition lay in the classroom. Appearance is what creates an initial attraction to one’s significant other; for example, Cofer describes her first crush, Ted, whom she describes as "pretty with yellow ... ... photographic coverage of events must be published regardless of the subject, simply because the events took place. The author states " That's why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism" (Ephron 438), emphasizing that censorship harms the purity of death and that interpretation and judgment must be left to the reader. Ms. Ephron establishes, appearances are memorable and powerful. Society’s views always fluctuate, as they are allowed, and censorship is a major threat the right to form our own opinions. An initial reaction can be everlasting. This is why it is believed that appearance and first impressions are most important. Although, understanding what we see versus what we get is vital. It is imperative to venture past first appearances and impressions; sometimes there lies honesty or deceit. Appearances are not always what they seem.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Psychology Essay

Watson believed that psychology did not accomplish the goal of predicting and controlling the behavior of a person. He believed that psychology had two problems; the pursuit of consciousness as an object of study and the use of introspection as a method. Watson developed a type of psychology that he believed would address these issues, behaviorism. â€Å"Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behavior† this is the definition of behaviorism that John Watson expressed as his Columbia address. Behaviorism is said to limit the psychological study of behavior. Watson believes that humans had three innate emotions when they were born: fear, rage, and love. The goal would be to take one of the emotions and condition it to a stimulus in order to create a response that was not previously elicited. This was demonstrated in the â€Å"Little Albert† experiment. Watson had a baby, Little Albert, who was not fearful of white rats. During the experiment whenever Little Albert was shown a white rat Watson would pair it with a loud noise until the baby showed fear. This experiment showed that fear can be conditioned in a person. Behaviorism tended to dominate American Psychology until approximately 1954 when cognitive psychology started. â€Å"You say you want a revolution. Well, we all want to change the world.† This quote describes the change in psychology that developed cognitive psychology during an era of social change. Experimental psychologist began seeing a change when the number of unexplained human behavior increased. Psychologist started to think that in order to understand human behavior, mental processes can no longer be ignored. Cognitive psychology was created to understand these mental processes by analyzing the way sensory information is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recover, and used in the brain. It can be e xplained using a computer metaphor, which means that the ideas of conceptual models played a role in the processing, storage, and retrieval of information. Which leads to Gestalt’s psychology experience should be studied as it occurs. Experience is processed into storage in our brain and that storage is available for retrieval for later experiences. An example of this would be Gestalt’s Organizing Tendencies, organization such as grouping is learned at a young age and stored in our memory, now every time after that   experience the mind tends to organize the stimuli into groups without the person’s awareness this is happening. In conclusion, behaviorism is the prediction and control in behavior and cognitive psychology has to do with the way the brain senses, percepts, imagines, retains, recalls, problem solves, and thinks. Behaviorism and cognitive psychology both need each other to exist it is not possible for one to exist without the other. Behaviorism is human experience that is argued that experience is not directly knowable. Scientist began to see an increase in unexplained behavior and determined that mental processes must be analyzed in order to have an accurate depiction of the experiences that should be studied as they occur. Cognitive psychology may be superior to behaviorism because it takes behaviorism to the next level. Behaviorism is the human experiences and cognitive psychology added the extra factor of analyzing the mental processes. In closing, cognitive psychology would not exist without the basic theories of behaviorism and behaviorism would have faded away quickly having so many unexplained behaviors. Cognitive psychology and behaviorism need each other to exist. Work Cited Benjamin, L.T. (2007). A brief history of modern psychology. Malden, MA: Wiley- Blackwell.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Pacific Legend-Maui

Introduction The gods played an important part in the daily lives of Polynesian in early pacific islands. Perhaps the most deeply loved of Polynesian god is Maui. Although the legend of demi-god Maui is always be descript as the mischief maker or trickster god, but the Maui story probably has a larger number of unique and ancient myths than that of any other legendary character in the mythology of any nation. â€Å"There are three centers for these Maui legends, New Zealand in the south, Hawaii in the north, and the Tahitian group including the Hervey Islands in the east. (â€Å"LEGENDS OF MAUI† 2007) Following are versions of summary â€Å"THE GIANT EEL† told on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Summary of â€Å"The Giant eel† (from the book of â€Å"Maui Mischievous Hero† 1969) As Maui had grown to manhood, his mother went for a lengthy stay on the island of Hawaii. Maui began making the long trip to see his grandmother in Haleakala. Besides, there are always had good things to eat! Plenty of bananas, breadfruit, coconuts, poi, and fish of all kinds. Grandma said â€Å"what are grandmothers for, if not to look out for grandchildren who come to see them? † One day a cloud hung suspended in the air like a misty pillar.Like an omen that frightened him. Grandmother said â€Å"It’s a cry for help, be quick, Maui! That is the Ao-‘opua, the Warning Cloud. Your mother is in danger! † He grabbed the magic axe ran so fast that he couldn’t stop, he reached the ocean and jumped into his canoe, paddle across the channel to save his mother. At last, he arrived his mother’s cave. He saw his mother’s enemy, the giant eel Kuna Loa. Kuna Loa had once asked Maui’s mother to marry him, and when she refused he was so angry that he swore he would get even with her. Maui throw the hot lava rocks into the river tried to scare the giant eel Kuna Loa away.When he made his way back to the cave, he expressed t he missing affection to his mother, and hope his mother can come back with him. However as grandmother said â€Å"Maui’s mother is a roving soul† As the result Maui’s mother refused to go back with Maui. Back on Maui own island, he heard a faint wailing sound that uttering a chant of fear, Maui’s mother is in trouble again. As swiftly as before, he journeyed to Hawaii Island again. This time Maui wasted no time he used the magical axe struck again and again, the giant eel was cut thousand pieces. It is said that these bits where they became the eels that are found in it today. Come, Mother† Maui held her still and asked again,† when are you coming home, where I can take proper care of you? † â€Å"Some day, â€Å"she said lightly. â€Å"some day I’ll come. † Conclusion â€Å"There are many Maui legends appear with variations throughout of the Pacific islands. The details of the stories also vary with different cultures b ut the underlying morals and role model remains much the same† (Dean Web1). In the legend of â€Å"The Giant Eel† its shows the Maui’s mixture of human and godlike qualities. The affection between his mother and his grandmother, reflected the family relationship in nowadays tribal society.The parents are the â€Å"roving soul† trying to find a good job and leaving the hometown, and the grandparents are the next kin to taking care of their young children without doubt. As well the channel as the barrier that become generation gap in the family. At last, the giant eel symbolized temptations of modern society which are danger but cannot be avoided. However, every time an omen or sound of chant comes, Maui will be a hero to save his mother but every time his mother also refused to come back and offered an unachievable promise that seems to comfort Maui.Therefore, in the end of story as godlike as Maui only can be desperately watching his mother as she went bac k toward her cave and helpless. Legends of Maui have been told and retold for so many centuries, and I believed the legends will reminiscence and encourage in very ways for the later generation. Also help us understand people who lived long ago. References: 1. W. D. Westervelt (2009) â€Å"Legends of Maui†, a Demi-God of Polynesia. Preface. 2. 9-11 2. Lyons, Barbara. (1969) â€Å"Maui :mischievous hero†. The Giant EEL. 25. summary. 3. Dean, n. d. Web. â€Å"Legends of Maui. † Review. Web log post. Legends of Maui. .

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Qualities of a Good Parent

Parenting is defined as one who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother (The free dictionary, 2013). The definition does not mean that one will make a good parent. Becoming a parent can be one of the most exciting times in ones life, or it can be a horrific experience. For most, it is a good experience that brings them happiness, joy and excitement. Others fear the unknown, do not like kids, or have a negative impression of parenting.Truthfully, parenting is all in what you make of it. Good parenting is categorized by many different factors. Some of these factors that categorize a good parent are self-sacrificing, teachable, curious, and diligence (Mallory, 2013). Self-sacrificing means that a parent will do anything they humanly can to protect and take care of their child. Teachable means that you are willing to learn various aspects of parenting. Curious means that you are intrigued at finding things out about how to be or become a better parent.D iligence means that you work hard to be the best parent that you can. According to the article, What Qualities Make a Good Parent, becoming a good parent is a high calling that every parent should strive to achieve (2013). If one is not a good parent, they can always work at being a better parent. If they work at being a better parent, their child will notice those changes and in return not have a negative connotation of parenting. With the good, there always come the bad. There are certain qualities that make an ineffective parent.According to the article, Four Traits Common to Bad Parents, there are so many pitfalls in parenting, and no parent wants to raise a brat, a beast, a shooter, or a Clinton, but some of us do in spite of that (2001). The four traits addressed about bad parents are: poor excuses, no consequences for their actions, expect everything given to them, and defensive/critical (McKinney, 2001). These traits shed some light on the pitfalls of parenting, but one must rise above this and do better.The obvious answer to being a good parent is to be a loving, caring individual, and one who strives for excellence for their child. Good parents should have a plan to teach their self-control, personal integrity and a sense of responsibility to themselves, their families and their fellow citizens, even when it hurts both them (McKinney, 2001). By setting parameters and goals as a parent you are more likely to have a positive experience and feel as if you are a â€Å"good parent. Good parenting takes a lot of commitment, participation and sacrifice, it also takes a lot of mistakes. With these mistakes come learning, and in return the quality of your parenting will increase. References Mallory, D. (December 2012). What Qualities Make a Good Parent? Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://www. wahm. com/articles/what-qualities-make-a-good parent. html McKinney, S. (April 2011). Four Traits Common to Bad Parents Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://www. ente rstageright. com/archive/articles/0401badparents. htm

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Analyzing some of the traditional HRM FUNCTIONS AT nike (EX selection, Essay

Analyzing some of the traditional HRM FUNCTIONS AT nike (EX selection, training; evaluation & compensation) - Essay Example This objective of Nike reflects in its human resource management functions. The company has introduced the educational assistance programs because it is very important to have workers who are willing to learn and who show the interest to develop themselves. Hence, their recruitment policy is to consider only those employees who have an inclination to improve their skills and educational levels. After the recruitment and selection of employees with this kind of specific attitude, the next step of training and development is planned and implemented. The training and development of the workers is done by offering opportunities for general education purposes like, if workers want to learn to read, write and fill any gaps in their early childhood education. In another aspect the company also conducts seminars and workshops for supervisors in factories so that they improve their production and management skills. The main advantage of this policy to give improve the quality of human resourc e is to increase the value of human resources and to create a favorable learning environment in the company which is very essential to grow in the highly competitive globalised economy. The next aspect for discussion is the compensation. At Nike the wages of the twenty thousand employees are based on the qualifications and skills and the policies are designed so that all the hours worked (regular and overtime) are compensated. In addition to this the workers who have shown interest in improving their skills and who have completed any educational program are given promotions and their salaries and perks are increased. The company also has a detailed human resource information system to store all the information about the employees’ profile, education and training, performance. It can be accessed anywhere in the world by a certain group of