Motivation techniques

Entrepreneurs who start and build new businesses are more celebrated than studied. They embody, in the popular imagination and in the eyes of some scholars, the virtues of â€Å"boldness, ingenuity, leadership, persistence and determination but policy makers see them as crucial source of employment and productivity growth; our systematic knowledge of how entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses is limited, since the activity does not occupy a prominent place in the study of business and economics because laments about the ineffable nature of entrepreneurship dominate the discourse about new and fledging businesses.Most new business lack any ideas or assets that differentiate them from their competitors, they don’t really earn profit; they merely provide a wage to their proprietors that is set by a competitive market for the proprietor’s labor, and for many individuals this wage turns out to be lower than what they could make working for someone else, and therefore , they have a powerful incentive to shut down. Most entrepreneurs agree that their businesses generates a positive cash flow within months of launch and the profitability of their businesses is difficult to estimate; small firms often keep inaccurate financial records and commingle company and personal expenditures.The capacities of the incorporated companies finance their high rates of growth through internal generated funds suggesting that their profit margins are significantly positive. The belief that many entrepreneurs are special has widespread appeal, but we cannot easily specify their exact distinctive traits and skills but folklore attributes some of the many qualities of the entrepreneur as; great energy, vision, leadership skills, and lastly a never-say-die spirit, to name just a few. In addition formal research on entrepreneurs, also assumes as individuals with distinctive traits and skills, but contrastingly empirical studies provide weak support, in â€Å"profiling th e entrepreneur’s personality† (Adler, 1999).Although, the studies have suffered from basic methodological problems, for instance, many researchers have tried to identify a universal entrepreneurial personality where they have implicitly assumed that owners of the car dealerships, self-employed accountants and the founders of software companies share common traits that distinguish them from the population at large, but this seems unlikely, given the wide variety of problems and tasks that these individuals face; a related problem also is derived from the arbitrary selection of traits, and   consequently researchers have studied whether entrepreneurs have ‘Type A’ personalities or a high speed for achievement, without specifying why these qualities matter.In business theories and models studies, most businesses mature gradually and only exceptional business start with talent, capital and strategies that will rapidly propel them into the ranks of large well established companies. Fledging businesses turn into long-lived companies through a protracted, multistage process rather than through a one-short transformation. It requires decades of sustained investment to develop the necessary systems of coordinated assets, since, developing the assets that will sustain a long-lived firm requires much more investment than does when starting a promising business. This therefore implies that entrepreneurs have to undertake initiatives that require considerable out of-pocket outlays or opportunity costs to develop brand names, technologies, broad product lines, and distribution channels.Fore knowledgeEntrepreneurs cannot easily envision the design of an effective system of complementary assets in advance. For example the distinctive features of the Wal-mart discount chain is its focus on underserved rural areas, low prices,   purchasing skills, investments in information technology, employee culture and the greater store entrances; all these hav e an impressive logic and coherence. The Wal-Mart system evolved over more than a decade, after much trial and error and some failed initiatives, rather than through the execution of a master plan (Ballard, & Langrehr, 1993).Learning by doingSome critical assets like the know-how technique and reputations can only be developed through repeated action. Firms build relationship with customers by consistently providing high-quality service and products. They develop valuable brand names and distribution capabilities after decades of effort and investment. Therefore, the evolution of coordination mechanism follows the gradual development of assets.The   mainstream economic theories has little to tell us about how and why some firms survive and grow and others do not; since in the standard microeconomic theory where it focuses on perfect competition among many identical competitors, the question of survival does not arise. Although variations in the size and longevity of firms have no influence on outcomes, and the evolution of a specific firm is irrelevant; it makes little difference in this theory whether changes in characteristics are treated as altering the existing firm or were able to implement early were rewarded with growth in output and value; the others joined a mass exodus (Bielski, 2007).In the life-cycle models; or ‘stages of growth’ or life cycle models often predictions on how firms develop as well as advice to entrepreneurs on nurturing their new ventures. The models recognize that businesses evolve in a gradual way; The Ford Motor Company and General Motors, which came to dominate the US automobile industry, evolved in markedly different ways. Ford’s evolution reflects founder Henry Ford’s engineering and manufacturing interests.It was produced on a moving assembly line, with machines specialized for minute tasks and extreme division of labor. The system of mass production of a single standardized productivity yielded c ost savings, which allowed for low prices, which in turn helped expand consumer demand. Ford Motor Company grew by replicating this system in even larger and more vertically integrated facilities.The survival of such businesses depends more on effective adaptation to unexpected problems and opportunities than on the entrepreneur’s ability to formulate and implement a strategy. This therefore means long-term strategies do play an important role in the management of large corporations. Entrepreneurs who build long-lived firms establish audacious goals for their companies. For the founders of promising businesses may have a far-reaching vision, but it is not necessary for starting their ventures.These goals help entrepreneurs build large and long-lived firms contrary to the case where fledgling businesses do not automatically undertake the initiatives and investments needed to build a system of coordinated assets according to the satisfaction principle, audacious goals must stim ulate the search for these initiatives and investments.Employees’ motivationThe diversity of activities in these corporations requires the boards and top executives to delegate their control and management responsibilities to employees with the appropriate specific knowledge. The top executives do not initiate or implement many concrete proposals, but rather influence the initiatives undertaken by subordinates by formulating an overall corporate strategy and the processes for evaluating new initiative, not specific investment decisions. Instead of monitoring the implementation of every project, the board evaluated aggregate performance and the control system. For example, the board may evaluate whether the auditing function has sufficient independence from the operating managers.There is separation of ‘management’ and ‘control by the broad policy which leads to a corresponding separation of roles for specific decisions, and this is done by instituting monit oring devices and policies boards whereby top executives can give decision making rights to subordinates whom they cannot directly supervise while protecting shareholders from abuse of these rights. For instance, a sales person or executive or brand manager who has direct knowledge of customer needs and competitive offerings may initiate proposals for a new product (BhidÉ, 2003).It cannot be denied that, chance events often provide the spark for starting a promising business, entrepreneurs often encounter their opportunities by accident. In connection two factors also predispose some individuals to look for and take advantage of chance events; human capital and family backgrounds, and tolerance for ambiguity. In general, the transition of a fledging business into a large, well-established corporation requires a fundamental transformation rather than a simple scaling up, because of some basic differences in their attributes, since the profits of fledging businesses are derived fr om a few factors. Given the appropriate predisposition, what traits and skills determine an individual’s capacity to adapt to new circumstances and to secure resources on the converse the qualities do not have a material bearing on an individual’s willingness and capacity to start a promising business.ConclusionThe transformation from fledging to mature firm requires protracted, purposive investment. The firms acquire a system of coordinated assets gradually, because capital constraints limit the size of individual investments and since it takes time to build customer relationship, know-how, and other such intangible assets. This process is not predestined, such as the normal development of an infant into an adult; entrepreneurs must consciously abandon the pursuit of short-term cash flow in favor of long-term investment. And although the sequent and pattern of investments are not predetermined, they are not random or opportunistic either, thus building long-lived firm s involves the coordination of investments and efforts across functions and time. In specific, entrepreneurs have to adopt and articulate audacious goals and formulate a set of general rule (Bielski, 2007).ReferencesAdler, P. S. (1999). â€Å"Hybridization of Human Resource Management at Two Toyota   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transplants,† In J. Liker, M. Fruin, and P. S. Adler, eds., Remade in America:   Ã‚   Transplanting and Transforming Japanese Management Systems. New York:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oxford University Press.Ballard, M., & Langrehr, F. W. (1993). What CPAs Can Learn from Wal-Mart. Journal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accountancy, 176(5), retrieved November 21, 2007, from Questia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   database:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.questia.comBhidÉ, A. V. (2003). The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses. New York: Oxford University Press. Ret rieved November 21, 2007, from Questia database:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.questia.comBielski, L. (2007). Texas Growth plus Wal-Mart Locations: Wood forest National Bank   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ABA Banking Journal, 99(6), 42. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from Questia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   database: www.questia.com

5 Tips for Keeping Warm at Work

5 Tips for Keeping Warm at Work It’s freezing. You can’t feel your fingers, and the warmth of summer is but a distant memory. Except you’re not even outside in the elements- you’re at your desk. Your complaints go unheeded by the Facilities team. You’d change the thermostat yourself, except Joe from Accounting sits closer- and he seems to have the blood of a Viking, judging by how often he turns the temperature down. And many offices prohibit space heaters these days due to fire hazards. So what do you do? There are ways to get around the office deep freeze.Put on some fingerless gloves.Keep your delicate mitts warm and flexible while you type those temperature complaint emails or post pictures of your arctic agony on Instagram.Wrap up in a heated scarf.This is totally a thing now! What a time to be alive†¦Bundle up.Just keep adding layers until you’re comfortable. This has the added bonus of coming in handy when the heat gets stuck in tropical mode, and you can peel t hem back off.Find your inner barista.Keep drinking hot tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Not only will it warm you up, but staying hydrated is pretty key when temperatures are off.Take â€Å"business casual† to a new level.Okay, so wearing a Snuggie in the office is a bit drastic. But if things get to that point, double check your new interpretation of the dress code with HR.Stay warm, office dwellers! Spring will come again†¦uh, someday.

Stunning College Basketball Players

Stunning College Basketball Players Best college basketball players ever: Top 10 Sport is our healthy life. Fortunately, it is becoming more and more popular nowadays. Now is exactly that period of time when stars of college basketball starts shining. Yes, college basketball is very popular now. So, if you feel exhilarated about it, let us present you a list of 10 top stunning college basketball players. SF Jaylen Brown Ranked by 10th position, Jaylen Brown always does his best to contribute greatly for Cal`s success. And, he always manages to do so. Brown main specialty is that he attacks the basket in a very proper way and thanks to his size makes it impossible for opponents to do something against the hit. He helps a lot to prospect Cal and lead it to unprecedented success. PG Tyler Ulis Position number 9 is for Tyler Ulis here in this list of the best college basketball players. He is from Kentucky College and is well-known for being signature floater. Ulis has many chances to lead Kentucky to a real success in various competitions. He is also well-known for being a great distributor. Besides it, Ulis can perfectly attack the basket any time needed. G Brandon Ingram Number 8 is for Brandon Ingram from Duke. He is considered to be a top player. Ingram is able to professionally attack the basket. He also shoots greatly: over 40% from behind the three-point line. Despite the fact he is a good player now and has all physical characteristics required, Ingram still needs to get stronger to achieve a real success and all his goals. PG Melo Trimble Melo Trimble is a basketball player from the Maryland College. He is always ready to attack the basket. In addition, Trimble is good in jumpers` hitting. He is also considered to be a solid scorer. PG Kris Dunn Kris is a player from the school of Providence. He is one of the top NBA personalities in the tournament. Dunn is thought to be an excellent passer and defender. He always proves it while playing. C Jakob Poeltl The next player in this list is Jacob Poeltl, Utah. He is famous for his professional skill set. Poeltl can score on the block properly and knock down a mid-range jumper. In general, he is solid on the boards. Besides it, Jacob performs block tricks very often. G Grayson Allen One more player from the Duke College, Grayson Allen is ranked now number 4. He is claimed to be one of the most controversial college basketball player. Allen always helps his team to win a game or tournaments, using his perfect skills. He has 41% three-point shooting this season of games. PF Brice Johnson Brice Johnson from the North Carolina is said to be the most stunning basketball player around the country with the very best skills of scoring and rebounding. He always shows his the strongest sides and keeps the opposite team in a great tension. He is expected to make a great deep run and become the best player of tournament. G Buddy Hield A basketball player from the Oklahoma school, Buddy Hield, is ranked number 2 here. He is also considered to be one of the most successful scorers throughout the country. It won`t be a great surprise if Hield will lead the Sooners to the great Final Four. Denzel Valentine And finally, the position number one in the list of the best college basketball players is for Denzel Valentine, Michigan State. Both Denzel Valentine and Buddy Hield have battled for this top position and the title of the most stunning player. Speaking about Valentine, he is one of the best scorers. He is also good in observing the floor and distributing the ball to other teammates.   His physical features also contribute greatly to the success as a college basketball player. So, this was the list of the most amazing college basketball players. Maybe a new tournament will bring us new champions and titles.

Gippaland E-Market Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gippaland E-Market Strategic Plan - Essay Example A survey done showed that its customers are mainly tourists and people in aged care and in hospitals. The target market is therefore the hospitality and the healthcare industry for both online and offline customers. There are few competitors that exist in the market and this is because GPS acquired the main competitor in the market. A market analysis revealed that the products are of basic importance and therefore there are no cultural beliefs attached to them. The political environment is also supportive and therefore it will be easy to run the online platform. GPS is strong as it is able to provide most of the goods required by the market. They also have a variety of products to suit different markets. The have also taken a customer based approach where they deal face to face with customers in order to win their trust. The threats identified were the developed companies around that posed the biggest challenge. The goal for online marketing is to grow its numbers, to provide support to customers and provide a platform where it will be easy to interact with customers and products. ... the website on a daily basis, monitoring revenues generated by each product or service and documenting customer ratings of products and services to find out which is the most liked. This online platform is seen to work if all the parameters discussed will be put in place and the governing boards ready to implement the plan. Apart from a few technical areas, the rest should be able to work and meet the company’s target objectives. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 1.0SITUATION ANALYSIS 6 1.1Our customers 6 1.2Our market 7 1.3Our competitors 7 1.4Intermediary and potential customers 8 1.5Wider macro environment 9 1.6Our own capabilities 10 2.0Internet specific SWOT summary 10 3.0GOALS SETTING 11 4.0STRATEGY 11 4.1Targeting 11 4.2Positioning 12 4.3Proposition and the marketing mix 12 4.4Brand strategy 12 4.5Online presentation and presence 13 4.6Content and engagement strategy 13 4.7Acquisition and communication strategy 13 4.8Conversion strategy 13 4.9Ret ention and communication strategy 14 4.10Data strategy 14 4.11Multichannel integration strategy 14 5.0TACTICS, ACTION AND CONTROL 14 5.1Tactics and action 14 5.2Control 15 5.3Governance 16 REFERENCES 17 1.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS 1.1 Our customers Gippaland packaging supplies has a variety of customers due to its broad range of products as explained in the introductory part. They supply products to small and midsized companies that include cafes, restaurants and take away shops located in the Gippaland region. Gippaland region is a tourist hub and therefore these services are of paramount importance. Other customers include hospitals that require products such as napkins, tissues and toilet papers, aged care and guest houses. All of them are customers who are held with high esteem by providing

Comprehensive care plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comprehensive care plan - Term Paper Example The medical examination conducted on the patient revealed significant degenerative changes in both hip joints, which were observed on the X-ray films. The surgeon recommended a total replacement of the right hip coupled with a total replacement of the left hip to follow in a period of 6 to 12 months. This article contains a comprehensive nursing care for a resident who has osteoarthritis and undergoes joint replacement surgery. The RN completed a nursing history and examination of Mr Powell on admission. The medical records indicate that the patient suffers from mild Parkinson’s disease. Mr Powell is currently taking carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet 25-100) four times a day to control his symptoms. There have been no other reports of chronic medical conditions. The RN reported that the patient been essentially healthy his entire life. Moreover, Mr Powell has no known allergies to medications, has no history of smoking, and consumes small amounts of alcohol. The medical examination conducted by the RN notes that the patient is alert and oriented. Mr Powell’s medical examination reported vital signs at BP 116/64, P 68 regular, R 18, T 97.4Â °F (36.3Â °C) PO. Marginal pulses are strong and equal in the upper extremities and slightly weaker but equivalent in the lower extremities. The patient’s feet are cool to the touch but have an immediate capillary refill. Mr Powell’s shoulders, wr ists and elbows indicated full ROM. On the other hand, the ROM of both hips is significantly restricted. The pain on both sides in prompted by hip flexion beyond 90 degrees. Also, both flexion and extension of the knees are slightly limited. Mr Powell has a shuffling gait and walks with a limp, favouring his right hip. Preoperative laboratory studies and CBC were conducted on the patient. The coagulation studies and urinalysis show a serum creatinine of 1.7 mg/dL and BUN of 30 mg/dL, with no other noted abnormal values. His ECG and chest X-ray indicate

Explaining the importance of mentoring and counselling techniques in Essay

Explaining the importance of mentoring and counselling techniques in the appraisal process and their relevance in HR - Essay Example In this paper, the process of mentoring and counselling in relation to HRM (Human Resource Management) has been discussed. It seeks to explain about the differences and similarities linking the two factors and its significance in appraisal method. The mentor and counsellor apply certain techniques to conduct the appraisal of employees; these techniques have been included in this paper. The paper also covers the negative impact of implementing poor mentoring and counselling techniques towards appraisal method and its improvement methods have also been suggested. In this paper, an experience of a staff appraisal method is discussed. Mentoring and counselling has a significant role in human resource management of an organisation. The program of mentoring facilitates in ‘career development’, ‘personal support’, ‘career advancement’, ‘learning and development’, ‘increased confidence’ and ‘assistance and feedbackâ€℠¢. Career development of mentee is observed to achieve crucial advantage through mentoring related programs. The mentees attain new expertise and develop to be competent in their performance. Due to mentoring related program both mentee and mentor is benefitted. ... The organisational communication along with culture is also improved owing to mentoring program (Ehrich, 1999). The human resource manager or counsellor counsels the employees if he or she is stressed for certain reasons and their performance lowered as they are related to the productivity of organisation. In an organisation, counsellor may be either supervisor or manager. They can counsel human resource manager and training manager and in the meantime these office bearers can counsel staff member because of the position they hold. The different human resource roles that are related to counselling of employees involve career improvement, performance, redundancies, promotion, transfers, and retirement among others. The human resource of an organisation is extensively in connection with counselling activities because through this technique the employees can dispose of problems arising in their life. The counselling is organised for several issues that may have a negative impact on empl oyees’ growth (Mwosa, n.d.). Mentoring facilitates experienced employees to advance further in their area of knowledge by regular reassessing and enhancing the skill. In mentoring, two individuals are involved: mentor and mentee. Mentor meets the requirement of mentee and thus enhances the special skills of mentee (Triple Creek, n.d.). Mentoring is considered as an efficient way to transfer knowledge as well as skill rapidly among employees and to motivate them in order to cooperate in an organisation. This process is a long term procedure and possesses broad perspective. It also focuses on the entire career of employees in an organisation. Counselling is essentially related to the emotional state of employees and it treats the emotional problem associated with employees. This

Business Plan To Achieve Funding And Growth Goals Marketing Essay

Business Plan To Achieve Funding And Growth Goals Marketing Essay Business plans can help perform a number of tasks for those who write and read them. Theyre used by investment-seeking entrepreneurs to convey their vision to potential investors. They may also be used by firms that are trying to attract key employees, prospect for new business, deal with suppliers or simply to understand how to manage their companies better. Putting you goals and ideas down on paper helps you organize your thinking. Your employees and other stakeholders understand what you plan for the business and it helps keep the organization focused on the big picture. Simply stated, a business plan conveys your business goals, the strategies youll use to meet them, potential problems that may confront your business and ways to solve them, the organizational structure of your business (including titles and responsibilities), and finally, the amount of capital required to finance your venture. Preparing a business plan can be a time-consuming and daunting task. However, the impor tance of a business plan to achieve funding and growth goals cannot be ignored. So one should get down to it and start composing a business plan. Planning is important to managers within an organization due to following reasons: 1) It will provide the future direction and path to the managers 2) It will help in optimal utilization of the resources 3) It will help in controlling the action  Ã‚  and thereby helps to take the corrective action. 4) It helps in coordination between different departments 5) It acts as a training to the managers 6) It compels managers to think ahead There can be some limitations of planning: 1)  Ã‚  It may lead to rigidity in the organization 2) It may be too costly and time consuming Hence planning provides a blueprint to the organization telling about the actions to be taken in future. Business Plan and strategy Strategy provides long term direction to the organization. It helps the organization in achieving the competitive advantage to the organization. It also tells about the organization about its market, values and the way to handle the resources in order to meet the objectives of the organization. As per tutor2u.net Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations. In other words, strategy is about: * Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) * Which markets should a business compete in and what kind of activities are involved in such markets? (markets; scope) * How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (advantage)? * What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, facilities) are required in order to be able to compete? (resources)? * What external, environmental factors affect the businesses ability to compete? (environment)? * What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (stakeholders) Process of strategic management is as follows: 1) Screening of Ideas 2) Development of Mission and Setting of Objectives 3) SWOT analysis 4) Selection of Best alternative 5) Strategy Formulation 6) Implementation 7) Control Example of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is one of the top most companies in this globe dealing in consumer electronics and computer software products. It has got popular products such as Macintosh computers, the iPod and the iPhone, Mac OS X operating system, the iTunes media browser, the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, the iWork suite of productivity software, and Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products. Apple has about 35,000 employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of US$32.48 billion in its fiscal year ending September 29, 2008. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008 and in the world in 2009. (Wikipedia, 2009) Successful Business strategy- Good Business model iTunes Music Store is a good source of revenue, especially with the iPod, iPhone and its availability on Windows platform. Apples success is built on its product offerings such as: iTunes Music Store, iTunes, I Phone and the iPod. (Sampublishing) Apples strategy has been two fold skimming and discriminatory with respect to Ipod and Itunes. The skimming pricing strategy is presented at two levels. First, the price of the same model is diminishing with time, especially when Apple is issuing the newest version of theiPod. Second, the price of every next generation model launched on the market is less expensive than its predecessor. (christophe.benavent) Apple seems to reduce its prices in order to make it affordable and popular among other competitive products.  Ã‚  Apples iPhone and iPod prices change according to its customers as well as geographical locations.  Ã‚  Also Apple has been reducing price of iTunes, As its  decision to offer a new pricing strategy is welcome news by the record labels, who are trying everything to boost revenues.  Ã‚  CD sales were down dramatically again in 2007, and the sale of online music was much slower in 2008 than in 2007.  Ã‚  Three new price levels were announced, ranging from .69 to .99 to $1.29 in 2009 . (GlgGroup) Moreover Apple has continuously launched superior products to remain ahead in the market. Recently it introduced Apple iPad and yesterday it has launched Apple iPhone 4. Response to i-Pad has been excellent and has led to increase its sales and profits.  Ã‚  Its Pricing has been reasonable as the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad costs $499. (Review,cnet.com) This is done to capture higher market share and to beat high priced competitors like Plastic Logic Que proReader, which starts at $649 and to take on the big competitors like Amazon and Sony. . Components of Planning Strategic plan is the blueprint for an organizations work: Mission: A mission statement answers the questions: Why does our organization exist? What business are we in? What values will guide us? A Mission statement tells you the fundamental purpose of the organization. It defines the customer and the critical processes. It informs you of the desired level of performance. (Answers Corporation, 2010).Hence Factors influencing Mission statement are: Stakeholders Internal resources and Power Values of top management Past development of firm Mission statement should clearly define the organizations products, markets and function (Technology and Processes. ) A Vision statement outlines what the organization wants to be, or how it wants the world in which it operates to be. It concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration. It provides clear decision-making criteria. (Answers Corporation, 2010). A vision is more encompassing. It answers the question, What will success look like? It is the pursuit of this image of success that really motivates people to work together. Values are hypothetical thought of what we think is good or important. They direct the way we feel and act about certain ideas, things, situations, and people. They are principles which lead us decisions and actions. Organizational values define the acceptable standards which govern the behavior of individuals within the organization. (Teal, 2010) Vision answers this question: What aspirations does the organization have for the world in which it operates and has some influence over. Mision answers this question What can (and /or does) the organization do or contribute to fulfill those aspirations?. Values help in aligning the behavior of individuals with organization. Without values, individuals will pursue behaviours that are in line with their own individual value systems, which may lead to behaviours that the organization doesnt wish to encourage. Example of Star Bucks: Starbucks Mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. Starbucks Values: Here are the principles of how we live that every day: Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Were passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done. Our Partners Were called partners, because its not just a job, its our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers- even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. Its really about human connection. Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. Its about enjoyment at the speed of life-sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action- bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility-and our potential for good-is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. Starbucks Vision According to the companys profile, (2006) its vision is to make Starbucks coffee the most recognized and respected brand in the world by using high quality roast beans to make coffee beverages along with other products. The company wants to develop enthusiastically satisfied customers at all times. They want to make positive contributions to their communities and their environment. Vision, Mission and Values has helped the Starbucks to formulate its Strategy and also give it a clear road map. Objectives: These refine the mission and address key issues like market standing, innovation, productivity, physical and financial resources, profitability, management and work force performance and efficiency. Goals: are defined as statements that are formulated and lack of specificity while objectives are likely to appear in exact form (Strategic Planning). Goals statements compose of five elements: task, what, who, timeframe and deadline (Lukaszewski, 1990)These are rational estimates of anticipated results. The goals are usually Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Timed (SMART). Planning as a Process As per tutor2u.net, Planning is the process of * Setting objectives * Determining what should be done to accomplish them * Implementing the plan * Evaluating A plan is a statement of intended means to accomplish a goal. Hence planning provides a blueprint to the organization telling about the actions to be taken in future. Organizing helps in allocating the resources, power and responsibilities in the organization. It creates organization structure, span of control and organization culture. Leading is about motivating the employees to work for the organizational objectives. Leadership is the process by which one person provides direction, implements the plans or strategies and motivates people. Strategic control is concerned with the monitoring progress in accomplishing the strategic goals of the organization. It is very critical to any organization, because without it the results could be chaotic. Organization have to improve their operational performance by proper evaluation and control mechanisms. http://www.2gc.co.uk/pdf/2GC-FAQP02.pdf Organizing Organizing focuses on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization Organizational structure is the formal decision-making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated. Organizational structure determines the role and responsibilities within the organization. Organizational structure depends on the product to be developed. Wheelwright and Clark define a continuum of organizational structures between two extremes, functional organizations and project organizations. Functional organizations are organized according to technological disciplines. Directing Leadership is defined as the ability to lead and inspire people towards a common goal.  This quality is very important because it can determine the success or failure of an organization.  If the objectives and goals of the people are not aligned with the companys mission and vision, this will have detrimental impact on the financial bottom-line and eventual survivability of the company.  Ã‚   There are various leadership styles, each stemming out from the leaders personality and the culture of the organization.  It is also dependent on the circumstances relating to the people and the organizations goals.  Here is a description of each leadership style: Authoritarian (autocratic) here, the leader uses his authority and power position to direct people in doing the right things, regardless of their opinions.  This style is useful when there is urgency and the people are not really motivated to participate.   Participative (democratic) when the leader asks for input from his subordinates, he recognizes the fact that each one has something special to contribute for the task on hand.  The traditional view of a leader is someone who can think and do better than others.  However, the specialization of skills allow for the possibility that some people may actually be better than him.  Thus, its important to allow each staff to participate in the decision-making process. Delegative (free reign) when the leaders subordinates have very specialized skills, he may allow them to assume full control and responsibility of certain tasks.  This doesnt mean that the leader is shunning his own responsibilities, but rather delegating specialized tasks to experts within his group.  This leadership style is used when the leader has a high level of trust of his staff, or if delegation is really needed in order for him to do other important things. This perhaps is the most important function of all management functions. It has been said that the nature of a man is to avoid work. A manager influences the behavior of an employee through motivation, communication, education, group dynamics, leadership and discipline. Thus we will have participative leadership and we will guide the employees accordingly. Good communication between leaders and workers to ensure that everyone interprets their intent the same and every one works together in harmony can be the basis for a very successful endeavor. The purpose of direction is to channel the behavior of all personnel to accomplish the mission while helping them accomplish personal goal as well prepare them to take your position. Controlling It is a process of comparing the standards with the actual results to find out variation and then to take corrective action. control programs are critical to any organization, because without it the results could be chaotic. It helps: In maximizing efficiency and minimize waste. To facilitate management and control. In Effectiveness and efficiency of operations include the use of the entitys resources. Help in strategy implementation Control activities occur at all levels and functions of the entity. We will include a wide range of diverse activities . Top level reviews of actual performance, Reviews by management at the functional or activity level, Management of human capital, Controls over information processing, Physical control over vulnerable assets, Establishment and review of performance measures and indicators, Segregation of duties, Proper execution of transactions and events, Accurate and timely recording of transactions and events, Access restrictions to and accountability for resources and records, and CONTENT OF BUSINESS PLAN 1. Executive summary 2. Business description 3. Environmental analysis 4. Marketing Plan 5. Design and Operational plan 6. Management plan 7. Financial factors Common Pitfalls of a Business Plan Only a summary of a project and its potential Wait for all analysis to be completed Become a prisoner of the plans and the contents therein Difficulty in deviating from the plan Push with the plan, hiding weaknesses under the carpet Make unrealistic assumptions Quality of a strategy is as good as its implementation Typical mental attitude of promoters I have a good product / service; others will buy Everybody is waiting to help me Their priorities are same as mine Others (all stakeholders) will stick to their promises Customer will pay and give me feedback for me to improve the product / service Environment / government policies will remain the same (blinkers of an entrepreneur) Lack of contingency plans for time and cost overrun Blind faith in consultants Not clearly understanding regulatory requirements Optimistic assessment of project cost and funding Lack of budgeting of trial production trial production expenses, incidental and invisible expenses Not taking fully into account the cost implications of the business activities and operating plans Not including cost implications of regulatory compliance Improper assessment of components of working capital The gap between sanction and disbursement Lack of efforts in confidence building with investors Lack of contingency plans for time and cost overruns Business Plan- Risk Evaluation Prepare best-case and worst-case scenarios with key parameters of the business to help assess Market risks Competition risks Technology risks Regulatory risks Financial risks Management risks What measures are proposed to counter these risks Sensitivity analysis of key factors to simulate the impact of changes Exercise 1 Business Planning Review the following business plan: Anywhere Remodeling Corporation http://www.bplans.com/residential_remodeling_business_plan/executive_s ummary_fc.cfm After carefully reviewing this business plan discuss following issues: 1. The industry that this venture is in 2. The riskiness of this venture 3. The potential for growths 4. Your long-term plan for this company Exercise 2 Shahnaz Husain Contributed by: Rajeev Roy, Professor of Entrepreneurship XIM B, India (Adapted from NEN) Shahnaz Husain is acknowledged as one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India. Her company, Shahnaz Husain Herbals, is one of the leading manufacturers of herbal products in the world. The company sells over 350 herbal products and operates over 200 salons in more than 130 countries. The brand, Shahnaz Husain, was valued at over $100 million in 1996 and now it is likely to be worth much more. Shehnaz is from an aristocratic Muslim family and her father was a Chief Justice. Her upbringing was both traditional and modern. At the age of 15, she was married and she became a mother at the age of 16. When her husband was posted in Tehran, she became interested in beauty treatments and she decided to formally study cosmetology. After an introduction to the subject in Tehran, she wanted to know more and over the next ten years, she studied the subject extensively in London, Paris and other parts of Europe. On returning to India in 1977, she started her first salon in Delhi with a capital investment of Rs.35,000. She had also studied Ayurveda and her interest in that field has kept growing. She started formulating her own products and these were very successful. The company was able to grow systematically and currently operates three major complementary businesses Herbal products: Shehnaz Husain has an extensive range of over 350 herbal cosmetic products. These are divided into 15 distinct categories for skin, hair and body care. The distribution of these products is carried out in a fashion similar to that of other consumer goods. The products are available in all leading stores around the world like Harrods (London), Bloomingdale (New Yory) and Galleries Lafayette (Paris). Recently, the company has decided to launch four skin care products in partnership with Elder Pharma. Beauty Salons: Mostly operated on a franchise basis, there are over 200 Shehnaz Husain spas and salons worldwide. The company provides support in setting up and training and provides ongoing support too. The franchisee pays an initial fee but there are no ongoing royalty payments. The company is able to get a revenue stream from sale of their products through the salon. Training: Shahnaz Husain also operates training institutes where students can obtain professional qualifications in beauty therapy. The institutes also operate a number of short term vocational courses. The institutes provide a steady flow of people trained in the use of Shehnaz Husain products, in addition to contributing to profits of the group. Shehnaz Husain Herbals is still a privately held company even after 30 years of its formation but that has not hampered its growth. Shehnaz Husain continues to look ahead and her story is an inspiration for many others. For her contribution to business and in promoting Ayurveda, Shahnaz Husain was conferred the Padmashree. She has also won numerous other awards from all over the world. Q- What are the critical success factors of Shahnaz Husain. Give reasons. References: All year 2011 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-importance-of-strategic-planning-in-business.html. http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htm. http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/ http://www.answers.com/topic/strategic-planning James E. Lukaszewski, APR. Focus on Success: Choosing Corporate Goals You Can Actually Achieve. http://www.e911.com/exacts/EA021.htmls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. http://www.glgroup.com/News/New-Pricing-Strategy-by-Apple-a-Hope-to-Boost-Sales-31248.html http://www.samspublishing.com/articles/article.asp?p=602978seqNum=1rl=1 christophe.benavent.free.fr//AINI_2008_Apple_s_Pricing_Strategy.pdf http://www.answers.com/topic/strategic-planning   http://www.teal.org.uk/mat/page6.htm. http://www.starbucks.com/mission/default.asp . Business Plan Template Important: Select file then Save As to first save this document to your desktop. If you make edits to this document without doing this you may not be able to save your changes. Business Plan Enter your business name Enter your name May 6, 2013 Section 1: The Business Profile Description of My Business (Session 1): Describe your product or service. Targeted Market and Customers (Session 1): Describe your customer profile and why customers want or need your product or service. Growth Trends In This Business (Session 1): Is the market for your product or service growing or shrinking? Pricing Power (Session 1): Explain the unique qualities or circumstances concerning your product or service that will enable you to maintain profitable pricing. Section 2: The Vision and the People (Session 2): Describe convincingly that you are passionately committed to your new business and have the realism to make inevitable hard choices. The People Work Experience Related to My Intended Business (Session 2): Describe your work experience in the business you plan to start including a list of your skills and knowledge, which will be required in your business. Personal Background and Education Credentials (Session 2): Describe yourself, including your education. Section 3: Communications Computer and Communications Tools (Session 3): Furnish a tabulation of each piece of equipment you intend to use including a description and the budget for each. You can use the following as a guide. Resource Requirements: Communications Enter a description and budget of all communications equipment. Telephones Enter a description and budget for all telephone equipment. Pagers Enter a description and budget for pagers. Facsimile Enter a description and budget for all fax equipment. Computers Enter a description and budget for all computer equipment. Internet Enter a description and budget for necessary Internet access and providers. Section 4: Organization Business Organization (Session 4): Explain the form of business organization you intend to use and why it is best for your business. Professional Consultants (Session 4): List the names of your lawyer, accountant, insurance agent and any other professionals. Licenses (Session 4): List what licenses you will require to go into business. Section 5: Licenses, Permits and Business Names Due Diligence Procedures for Licenses, Permits and Business Names (Session 14): List the following: DBA: List the name you intend to do business as. Zoning: Indicate if the zoning if appropriate for your intended office location. Licenses: List the appropriate licenses you will need at the local, state, and federal level. Local: State: Central: Trademark: Indicate your trademark intentions if any exist. Sellers Permit: List any sellers permits that you may need. EIN: Indicate if you will obtain an employers identification number. Section 6: Insurance Insurance (Session 6): List the forms of insurance coverage including costs are anticipated. Section 7: Premises Location Criteria (Session 7): Outline your location criteria. space requirements. future requirements. site analysis study if needed (attach). demographic study if needed (attach). lease check-off list (attach). estimated occupancy cost as a % of sales. zoning and use approvals. Section 8: Accounting and Cash Flow Accounting (Session 8): Furnish, as a separate exhibit of your starting balance sheet and projected income statements for the first six months to one year. Cash Flow Planning (Session 8): Provide a separate exhibit of your one year cash flow analysis including estimated sales, all costs and capital investments. Provide a checklist of all expense items for input into your cash flow projection. Analysis of Costs (Session 8): What are all of my costs: fixed, variable, product, delivery, etc. Internal Controls (Session 8): Explain your: Intended internal controls and cash controls, check signing policy, strategy for controlling shrinkage and dishonesty and control of incoming merchandise. Section 9: Financing Financing Strategy (Session 9): Provide a chart or spreadsheet showing all of the sources of your start-up capital. Explain any government assistance or loan guarantee programs you intend to apply for. If your business is for use with potential lenders, include a cash flow projection and projected income statements to show sources of repayment of loans. Be conservative in your forecasts. List your sources of referrals to lending institutions. (Your accountant, etc.) Section 10: E-Commerce E-Commerce Plans (Session 10): Describe in detail how you plan to use the Internet in marketing your product or service. E-Commerce Budgeting (Session 10): Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in creating, operating and maintaining your e-commerce activities. E-Commerce Competition (Session 10): Describe how your best competitors utilize e-commerce and your strategy to improve on their practices. Section 11: Acquisitions Due Diligence Procedures for Acquisitions (Session 11): List the following: Your consulting team: Attorney, accountant, banker, broker, etc. Verification of sellers revenues: how you plan to authenticate. Sellers records to be inspected: Financial statements, income tax returns, sales backlog, cash deposit records, utility bills, accounts payable and receivable, backlog, financial comparisons of similar businesses, etc. Inspections and approval of leases and contracts. Appraisals, as appropriate. If a franchise, interview with randomly selected franchisees. Finance plan for acquisitions: include sources including seller financing. Market conditions. Value of goodwill. Method of purchase: stock, assets, etc. Section 12: Marketing Marketing Plan (Session 12): Describe your overall marketing and sales strategy including how you plan to get and retain customers. Advertising and Promotion Plans (Session 12): Describe your plans and budgets for advertising and promotions. Purchasing and Inventory Control (Session 12): See how to buy checklist. Training Policies (Session 12): Describe your plans for hiring and training your sales associates. The Competition (Session 12): Describe your strongest competitors and how you intend to compete. How I Plan to Take Advantage of Competitors Weak Points (Session 12): List your competitors shortcomings and how you can capitalize on them. Section 13: Growth Program Expansion (Session 13): Describe your growth: You might include