Funding Sources For Action Research Project On At-Risk Children For Essay

Funding Sources For Action Research Project On At-Risk Children For Literacy In First Grade - Essay Example The children develop effective reading and writing strategies so that they can continue to work independently, and meet grade-level expectations. (Center for Reading Recovery Website). FEDERAL FUNDS: Title 1, Part A: This program provides financial assistance through State Education Agencies (SEAs) to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools with large numbers of poor children, to ensure that all children meet state academic achievement standards . Some federal grants are awarded to the LEAs directly by the United States Department of Education. Title 1, Part B: Reading First: This is a focussed nation-wide effort to enable all children to become successful early readers. Funds are dedicated for establishing high quality comprehensive reading instruction in kindergarten through grade 3. Building on a solid foundation of research, reading programs are developed to help the teachers, and to ensure accountability through ongoing valid and reliable screening, diagnostic and classroom- based assessment. State Education Agency awards sub- grants to Local Education Agencies on a competitive basis . In the Reading First initiative, participation is voluntary, no timeline is indicated and funding level Is FY02- $900 million. States participating in Reading First have to submit Annual Reports and show significant progress in the program.

Effects of sensory interventions Essay Example for Free

Effects of sensory interventions Essay Autism is a failure to develop social abilities, language and other communication skills to the usual level. Students with complication may not be able to communicate effectively and interact with others at full capacity. Social growth is very necessary for any student and if autism happens to be the case such students will be socially misplaced and their performance in class work may be poor. Autism results to use of a language that cannot be well understood by both other students and teachers. Language use is very important in social interaction because is what avoids misunderstandings. Communication skills are required to enable someone to pass message to other and receive message from other too. Davis K. (1990) Sensory has to do with anything that is connected to physical sciences of touch, smell, taste, hearing and seeing. Failure of such senses may lead to autism because students will not be at the same level in class and this calls for special attention in order to manage students effectively and improve their performance in school work. Students with different levels of hearing, seeing, taste, smell and touch will not be able to develop their social abilities because they will be sensing at different levels and common grounds is not reached. Those with difficulties to see may also not be able to answer questions in class because they did not read what was a perquisite or requirement. Autism can be due to a dementia which is a medical condition that affect especially old people causing gradual worsening of their memory and other mental abilities and leading to a confused behaviour. Students may have this complication due their old age and they deserve special attention because they are members of the school community. Notbohme (2006) Sensory Interventions Sensory interventions refer to measures intentionally made to be a solution to complications through the use of senses. This involves dealing with the senses of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and seeing to deal with autism. It is believed that autism is related to these natural senses and if one of them is not functional one may have the condition. Patients of memory loss and other mental disabilities or even confused behaviour have low chances for relating to activities in which they meet and spend time other people during the time that they are not in school. This is clear case of autism. Their mind operations are influenced by this kind of illness (disorder, their senses are tampered with and they may not be able to fit in the community/society well. The extreme results of lack of sense will be related and if concern for these kind of patients. By sampling we determine the results of one-person sensory activity programs on eight autism patients who all needed psychiatric help and attention. Records on their behaviors were taken; when in progress of sessions and after the sessions to view the victim’s responses. Adaptive operation and the state of health were checked too. The effect turned to be short lined except of the active looking, which preserved when the session was in progress. Behaviors to change also positively changed but there was no change in the state of health or happiness. The experiment shows that sensory interventions can make an autism student feel happier and more relaxed or to be more healthy. Lundine V. (2006) In suitable and disapproved actions are the cases in dementia. They affect an autism student in emotions and money involved. Psychosocial theoretical methods can be used to elaborate on unsuitable behaviors in dementia: the needy method, an action/changing method and an environmental exposure/ low stress level method. An analysis review. A survey obtained one hundred and sixty six non pharmacological intervention analysis which used these types of interventions, sensory, social behavior (actual or expected, actions therapy, professional growth and development, organized activities, use of the environment medical attention and comprehensive therapies. Most of the respondents had a plus formal contact is always not always major and effect. Good mergers of these involvements in autism student requirements and abilities lead to helpfulness in autism students and their attendants in this case who will be the teachers. Wagner (1999) This is form of a long-term measure to reduce the effects of autism in older students. This is normally applied in cases where a medical state affects especially old students causing gradual decline of the memory and other mental abilities and leads to a confused behaviour. Autism also affects a student expenditure on medical attention. Money may be wasted for his/her academics or extracurricular but he/she is not fully utilizing this expenditure. Lack of capacity to socialize proper leads to cases of immature grownups because social life is as important as school life and the two go together. Failure to communicate effectively by students can be due to high stress levels may to change of environment. Being isolated by others. It is always necessary to determine the actual cause of autism because this the way to determine how to solve the condition. Cohen M. J (2001) Stroke may be one cause of autism. The arms should be made to function in stroke victims. The effects of cure methods especially those for enhancing hands/arms functioning. This has been studied in continued cases of stroke victims. The objective of this examination was to determine the impact of a particular sensory intervention on hands functioning in the severe cases immediately after stroke. In one of the random sample under controlled trial hundred autism students were subjected to a trial group that was treated by sensorimotor effectors to the control crowd. Milrenda Pl (2005) The sensory intervention was done for twelve weeks. Autism students were examined for extend of damage and disablement; before the, during and immediately after the sensory intervention process and thereafter between twelve and twelve months after stroke. The results showed that the experimental crowd was a little bit better on the extend of impalement test than the crowd for control purpose during the ongoing of the study. Vibrancies were major only afterwards. Results on the disablement showed no change on the extend of disability. This was due to the continuous triggering of the body and nerves activity. The treatment was felt most in the autism students with extreme lack of motor and lack of attention/hemianopie. Sensory interventions did not have any impact on the autism students. Having a focused sensory intervention during the extreme phase after stroke positively changed the motor recovery; which was the case two years afterwards. This shows the gain due to sensory interventions for the hand. Feys HM (1998) Strange/unusual response to sensory stimuli and un normal motor indications been medically reported in autism students. The medical cause of the unusual behavioral conditions needs to be thorough scrutinized. Multiple sensory and sensory interventions have been made to be used on autism students to deal with such complications. Confusion is on the results/findings of the therapies. This page talks about the way human mind works and how it influences behaviour or the influence of a particular persons character on their behavior. Sensory interventions are normally based on the hearing, seeing, tasting and touching sense. These interventions aim at determining the changes in a person’s behaviour. The autism students are supposed to improve on their communication skills in order to enhance their interactions socially. Interactions between students and with teachers are very crucial because this is the only way of determining the student’s weaknesses and strengths. Sensory interventions are made to change the conditions of autism and therefore a student is able to be advised/guided on his weak areas so that he/she can acquire skills and knowledge for this is the only way to improve somebody’s ability to perform after carrier training. Professional growth and development can therefore be achieved if he autism is reversed and someone is ready to interact with others during class activities and on the field. Sensory interventions are therefore necessary to prepare someone for the encounters he/she will go through in the field while trying to gain experience which is necessary for human capital accumulation. They are also meant to reduce the losses that hey may have been incurring due to lack of concentration. Bardnik G. T (2003) Physiatrist’s advice that social interactions and communication skills can be improved through participation n field activities. These include games or group assignments. All these make the body to vibrate and the scenes of touching a hearing is improved. It is also believed that participation in games leads to the sport of teamwork in order to win a game. Players are therefore expected to work together in order to defeat the opponents. This team work is translated into the social areas whereby autism students believe that people need tone another and you should know how to pass your message so that friends can respond as was the case in the field game where you wanted to make a move. Students learn to ask questions for academic work so that they can be fully answered and they therefore understand the units taught so that they can improve their grades. Through exercise, the body vibrates and therefore the mind is reached ad stress levels are reduced. Autism can be out of high stress levels and incase this is not sorted out early in advance, complications may occur later on in life whereby someone has the same problem at the workplace and team work spirit is not acquired. At the present sensory intervention results show that vibration is crucial is gaining body strength and the ability of human beings. Through exercise autism students gain body fitness which translate into confidence and they are bale to approach other students and make conversations. Through exercise, autism students may start to be admired by their colleague and this makes others advance towards those students who are poor in social interactions. Autism students are therefore motivated and may decide to change. Cardinale M and C. Bosco (2003) In medicine, focused sensory interventions for traumatized students can help reduce the activities of the medical staff in dealing with such cases. Sensory interventions fake little time uses relaxation techniques for individual’s grownups and coordination with parents and can be applied on a wide variety of autism cases. Organized exercises aim at enhancing stress recovery and dealing with future cases of trauma. It has ban proved that such cases of trauma leading to trauma can be reduced. These sensory interventions need to be communicated to the teachers/parents so that they can know how to deal with autism students because they are the people dealing with student s directly and they know them better. They are therefore the people to be engaged with the interventions so that maximum impact can be realized. Kids, teenagers and old students traumatized through losses war attacker through catastrophes can be given psychiatric help before the situation turns in to autism. Solutions for all age groups are available because social interaction and communication skills at different ages are different because these age groups have different ways of spending their social time. The space that has been created through trauma is filled up and the autism students are now to interact with others and convey their feelings in time. Autism students who may defect a gas leakage. His only when fire happens that they realize that something was wrong. Autism students may assume that the school community neglects them. So with the involvement of teachers in the sensory interventions, they feel appreciated and will be encouraged to interact with others so that they can also get to know their source of autism. Steele, William Raider (2006) Students with little moderate or extreme cases of disabilities in schools have been on the increase. Some of these disabilities include hearing, sensory or even crippled ness. These are people who have special issues for they cant freely move and mingle with the rest of the students. When he others students are playing, these ones are isolated and may therefore not acquire skills for interactions and may continue to have interaction problems. They may be not able to speak therefore their communication is limited. Schools should determine the right instructional operations for students with disabilities. Observational research is aimed at determining the link in student behaviour and classroom and tutor changes. Student’s performance in education work or extracurricular is determined by their social interactions because work without play makes John a dull boy. Interactions students and the environment is mainly through sense and sensory interventions are meant enhance this. The sense to hear, smell. Touch and taste can be aimed at improving the environment/student relationship and this enhances student’s performance. Autism can be said to be one of the indicators of group work performance and if this is due to disabilities the position may never be better. Effects of sensory intervention include improved hearing may be through an artificial device, seeing through improving eyesight by using glasses and using devices to make somebody’s hand move incase of stroke. All these have proved to have a positive effects on autism students because the artificial devices enable them do what others do and they will be at the same level and interaction is easy. Communication is therefore improved and students engage in discussion groups to better their grades. Kent R (1997) Autism student should not be isolated because the impact of sensory interventions will not be felt. They should be in the same class as others so that the change can be noticed. This helps development with peers due to the support activities offered. Being in their own class won’t help because this lead to a more spread of the sense. Being with others can assist them to work on their own senses and can be able to identify when they are not at the same level with the rest. Keeping people with no sense of touch or seeing together doesn’t help because no one will be able to help the other. Learning from the socially acceptable ones is necessary and one may make people to determine their weaknesses. The better one will help autism students determine where they need to make changes so that they sense can function like the rest. Being with others will also help in that response rte to sensory interventions for the autism students can be determined and explained by the other students to the teachers. Sensory intervention is said to be more effective if autism students are in the same class with ordinary students than if they are isolated. Full inclusion in the school setup is very necessary because it also improves the sense of belonging and autism students will feel appreciated. Autism can at times be due to neglect and dejection at home and if these students are not given attention in school, the disorder may not change even after applying sensory interventions. Full inclusion is also what helps other students determine the causes of such cases because through talking after sensory intervention has been applied, they get a chance to explain their feelings and other non autism students can avoid such. Sensory interventions through exercise conditions on stereotypic behaviors is six grownups of both autism and moderate to extreme mental retardation The victim’s actions and reactions were observed in a regulated environment in the absence and in the present of two-exercise one pact of action status. Out of the six two were picked randomly to go a workout in the absence of a community integrated voice performance. The physical workout lowered the maladapted and stereotypic actions and reactions of grown ups of autism and mental incapability can be proved to have effects. However some help was received from the officials and supervisors of the behaviour development and learning center at Camarillo state hospital and developmental center headed by Israel Rerel, Ellie Kinmbaur, Judy Bapitsta, Kristine Herman and mostly those involved. Elliot B. O (2005) It is also believed that the without the sense of touch may be due to stroke can acquire this through exercise of the body. This improves the coordination of the body parts and the nervous system. Such incapability’s may be hindering autism students from proper social interactions and this reduces their ability to communicate effectively. When the body becomes active, they now have the enthusiasm to be with others because they can relate at the same level and mutual understanding is achieved. Routledge (1999) pg. 230-236 Mental retardation may lead to lack of tasting capabilities and when it comes to fading, autism students may not be able to express their feeling and may continue to be disappointed. When mental retardation is solved through sensory intervention, a change is felt because social interaction on at food joint is enhanced.

Role of Client Servicing in Infrastructure Company

Role of Client Servicing in Infrastructure Company PREFACE Companies with a high customer retention rate know the value of client servicing. Essentially, this is the process of creating and maintaining a strong working rapport with each customer. Often referred to as customer care, it is about understanding the needs and desires of the customer, and moving to meet those needs in a proactive manner. While there are a number of client service programs on the market today, there are a few elements that form the basis for any type that is effective. One of the most important keys is providing the client with people who know the account well and are able to be of assistance whenever needed. This means looking beyond the data that is gathered during the sale cycle. Client servicing dictates that the vendor develop a working knowledge of the goals of the customer, the conditions that the client works within, and what expectations must be met in order to keep the client. Many companies make the mistake of securing a new customer, then never allow the sales contact to introduce other support personnel to the new client. Often referred to as a handoff, this allows the customer to be incrementally migrated from relying on the sales contact and begin to develop a relationship with customer care professionals. The idea is to help the new client understand that he or she has a support team that is in place for the long haul. CONTENTS Introduction Objective of study Role of A client servicing executive Introduction to Infrastructre Company. Research methodology Conclusion Bibliography INTRODUCTION Advertising offers very interesting, lucrative and mentally satisfying career options. Over the last 5-6 years the business of adverting has increased manifolds. Before you plan to enter the field you need to know how a typical advertising agency is structured. Generally, the various departments are: * Client Servicing/Account Management * Media Planning * Creative, which includes: Copy writers Visualisers Client Servicing/Account Executive Client Service Executive: As the name explains, you will act as the bridge between the client and the agency. You will speak to the client to get a brief understanding of what he/she wants. In addition you will also study the market for the product or service for which the advertisement is being made, analyse market dynamics, target customers, their needs and behavioural patterns, the competing product, buying patterns of customers and various other market related factors. After going through the entire process the Client Service Executive then prepares the brief which will be used by the creative, account planning, and media planning department of the agency. Over cups and cups of coffee youll brainstorm about the product features, the target market and customers, strategy what the ad will speak, how it will speak and other relevant details to decide the right concept for the advertisement. It will then be taken over by the creative people, visualisers and the media-planning department who will prepare a presentation for the client. It is only after the clients approval that the ad lands at the production table. Client servicing executives are also called Account Executives. As a trainee in this department you will report to the Vice President – Accounts or an Accounts Director. The top boss plans business expansion (bringing in more clients by approaching various companies), implements the plans with the help of Account Executives; and controls all the activities. His basic duty is to coordinate all the activities relating to development and implementation of advertising campaigns. Just under the Vice President/Director Accounts are senior and junior Account Executives. In big agencies there may be a few Account Supervisors who look after big corporate accounts. Ranking wise Account Supervisors are directly below the Vice President/ Director Accounts. A number of Account Executives report to the Account Supervisors. Youll interact daily with existing as well as new clients. Some big agencies also have a different department called Account Planning department headed by Senior Manager/Manager Account Planning. Senior Account Executives get to work here. What is a client Servicing Executive? Client servicing executive should generate new clients Advertising agency runs by getting new clients or retaining their existing clients and help in branding their services through effective advertising solutions. Hence, client servicing becomes the most vital part of an agency. Client Servicing Department The major focus of a client servicing department lies on: Generating new clients Enhancing existing customer relationship Public relationship Client servicing department is a crucial part of any advertising agency which deals with television, print, radio or Internet. Client Servicing Executive Client servicing executive acts as the bridge between the client and advertising agency. He represents what the agency is all about and what it is capable of. The client servicing executive is responsible for all the communications that happens between the client and the agency. Responsibilities of a Client Servicing Executive The client servicing executive is responsible for handling queries from the clients. Should take down briefnotes from the client and make the desired changes as per the client’s needs by communicating to the creative team. Have an in depth knowledge about the clients products, brand, culture, market position and their overall needs/services. Should have exemplary communication skills, so as to increase the comfort levels of the client. The client servicing executive should ensure that the client stays with the advertising agency for a longer period of time. Responsible for generating business and billing from the client. Attributes of Client Servicing Executive Coordinates with all the departments in the agency and clients, besides staying calm under pressure Should possess good managerial, presentation and exceptional communication skills Should spend ample amount of time with the client, fulfilling their needs and requirements Attend meetings with the clients when there is a need and jot down the brief of the session Client servicing executive should be well groomed and properly attired Client servicing executive is the face of an advertising agency. Hence, recruiting an appropriate client servicing executive will enhance your business needs. How to Define a Good Client Service? Businesses function when they have customers or clients, and businesses survive and expand when they have good client service. Good client, or customer, service is a hallmark of respected businesses, to the extent that several organizations, including the Customer Service Institute of America, give annual awards to companies that provide excellent service to the people who keep their business going. Defining good client service is largely a matter of placing the customer first and making business decisions that allow the company to respond to market changes and provide customers with the best service possible. Step 1 Provide customers with the best service you can in a timely manner. Bear in mind that your clients do not want to be kept waiting. If you promise a product or service within a certain amount of time, be sure to provide it within that time, or offer the customer something to apologize for the time extension. The word will spread about a business that keeps its promise to deliver on time. Step 2 Place the customer needs first by listening to what the customer needs. Companies that listen to their customers are more likely to hear what the customer wants and thus be able to respond effectively. Listen to the client’s needs, and respect anyrequestsor recommendations of the client. Doing so will show the client that his needs are your first priority. Step 3 Include a guarantee with the product or service that you sell. Show your customers that you stand by your product or service, and that you are willing to guarantee its quality. Be willing to provide corrections or replacements if the product or service is not what the customer wants. Doing so can actually bring you further business, when the word spreads that you work hard to please your customers. Step 4 Add new technology where appropriate. The latest and greatest technological advances are not necessary for every business. But some elements of technology can prove to be very useful in providing excellent client service. For instance, specialized software can help you keep track of customer orders better and locate products from your inventory that customers need. Apply technology where it will help you service your customers better. Step 5 Respond immediately to client questions and comments. Provide a stated turnaround time for all client communication; for example, promise that your business will respond within 24 hours. Although some wait time might be necessary, be sure to keep the wait time as short as possible to demonstrate to clients that you take their communication seriously. Step 6 Let your customers know that you appreciate their business. Send thank-you notes, or keep a client address list to send out cards at the holidays or birthdays. Doing so places a human face on your business and creates a family atmosphere for the company. Infrastructure and client servicing Infrastructure Client Services Infrastructure Client Services is the new amalgamation of Infrastructure Services and Client Services. One component designs and manages the campus telephone and data networks and services; operates NetID, email, and other campus accounts; administers co-located servers and virtual storage space; and runs campus administrative production jobs. The other component are the customer-facing units of UITS which provide services to students, faculty, researchers, and staff, including computer labs, online learning, multimedia services, high-performance computing, the 24/7 IT Support Center, workshops and training, departmental workstation support, web development, IT assessments and service agreements, classroom technologies and more. More detailed information: Infrastructure Client Services: Infrastructure Client Services supports the core building blocks for IT projects and services on the University of Arizona campus. Their function plays a critical role by enabling a service-centric IT delivery model. Infrastructure Client Services is the central computing infrastructure for facilities and services which support numerous computing and network system for the institution. Student, faculty and staff rely on systems and resources from Infrastructure Client Services to effectively connect, collaborate and create. This group enables applications, processes, operating models, enterprises and extended enterprises. Some of Infrastructure Client Services Offerings Include: Data Center Services: provides stewardship of both academic and administrative data as well as tools for date presentation, visualization, analysis, and collaboration. Management of all platforms including Mainframe, Open System Servers, System Programmings, High-End Cluster Solutions, Production Scheduling and Control, Enterprise Backup and Storage, System Management, Global Management Center (GMC), SAP Basis Support, Web Hosting Services, Production Integration and Change Management. Network Services: LAN/WAN Configuration/Support, Firewall Configuration/Support, Remote Access Services, Network Management and Operations Management Desktop Services: Electronic Desktop Management, Collaborative Computing (Lotus Noters, Exchange, Backbone Messaging Services, Portal Support and Middleware) and Field Services Other Services: Directory Services, Identity Management, and Productivity Applications like email and calendaring. Determines standards and Best Practices for Infrastructure Development within UITS. Promotes Compatible Standards and Best Practices across Campus IT Infrastructure Groups. Develops reusable components for use in Infrastructure Solutions, Project Management, Architecture and Design Engineering, Global Security Services and Asset Management Functions of Infrastructure Client Services: Responsive: with technology, management systems and operations built and optimized to sense and respond to the unique needs of enterprise applications unlilke traditional approaches that retrofit legacy voices or computing infrastructures Cost Effective: based on scale economies from operations and technology that can deliver secure slices of a massively scalable IT platform Managed: with both visibility and control through web-basedportals COMPANY PROFILE Kairos Infraventure is a newly launched company in Lucknow. So, working towards building it a brand was a task in its own. We had to find out new and innovative ways to promote it and make it reach a level up to the customers satisfaction and reach its goal towards reaching the audience and fulfilling the needs and wants for them and, building an empire for themselves. For the promotion of Kairos we used the local newspapers ,radio and distribution of the pamphlet’s and generate awareness among the public . The main idea for promotion was to provide something to the public that hasn’t been given to them before. To carter the consumers and make their plans according to the needs and wants, so that they can provide them with want they want. Infrastructure is the largest growing industry .with many companies coming up and making this industry rise and shine ,towards a future . With the help of effective client servicing the company can gain many clients and increase their business by huge leaps and bounds. Along with good client servicing the campaign should be advertised to the maximum possible reach. because for every company the maximum amount of audience or public you reach the more chances of increasing clients . Also.as the infrastructure company is growing a great amount ,Kairos has to provide something unique in its own plan to the proposed clients for them to invest in them. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter aims to understand the research methodology establishing a framework of evaluation and revaluation of primary and secondary research. The techniques and concepts used during primary research in order to arrive at findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical deduction towards the analysis and results RESEARCH DESIGN The research design applied here was exploratory research and descriptive research. Exploratory Research is one in we don’t know about the problem, we have to find about the problem and then work on solving the problem. Whereas in case of descriptive research, we know the problem, we just have to find the solution to the problem. Generally descriptive research design is applied after exploratory research design. Here after doing the secondary research, we found the general perception about the retail baking but then in second phase we tried to figure out where the difference lies and on what basis the banks differ from each other RESEARCH TOOL Research tool The purpose is to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which remain unanswered , this shall be further taken up in the next stage of secondary research. This stage shall help to restrict and select only the important question and issue, which inhabit growth and segmentation in the industry. DATA COLLECTION: Both primary and secondary data have been collected very vigorously Secondary data: it is collected by the study of various reports. The reports studied under secondary data. THE RESEARCH REPORT The report is the result of a survey which was undertaken in Lucknow city. The objectives of the project has been fulfilled by getting response from the customer associated to these segments through a personal interview in the form of a questionnaire. The responses available through the questionnaire are used to evaluate the requirements for the upcominf infrastructure Companies and the willingness of the customer to purchase its products on future. The project also covers an analysis of the switch over of customers to competitors products in the market. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM The problem formulation is the first step to a successful Research process. Project undertaken the problem of analyzing the customer satisfaction level of the KAIROS and to find the Consumer wants and needs from the upcoming companies THE RESEARCH DESIGN The research design used in the project is exploratory design. The investigation is carried upon the customers in Lucknow city. The reason for choosing this design is to get responses from the customers so that their perception about the products of the company and their loyalty could be predicted. THE DATA SOURCE The data has been taken from two sources Primary data source The primary data source has been collected through questionnaire by personally interviewing each respondent on a number of queries structured in a questionnaire. Secondary data source Secondary data was collected from following sources Prior research reports Websites Books Newspaper Personal consultation THE AREA OF WORK The field work is conducted in the Lucknow city CONCLUSION With the past experience of working in Kairos for about one and a half month. The experience and exposure which I gained from the institution has not only helped me to broaden my knowledge about advertising, public relations and client servicing but has also given me a hands on experience on how and what to be done and through what ways can the clients be managed, and also the various things which are required to be asuccessful person in this field. The main factor that works in promoting any industry is how well is the company advertised and what is the reach of the company.how many people actually know about the company when the go in the market looking among the other companies.what is it the customer or client wants and what are they looking for. Do we have what our client wants? Are we providing our customers with something new and different or just following along the old guidelines. All these factors are meant to be kept in mind well before starting anything, because at the end of the day your success and failure only depends on your customers. REFERENCE Hiebert, R.E., Ungurait, D.F., and Bohn, T.W. (1988).Mass Media: An Introduction to Modern Communication, NY, Longman. Johnston, J. and Zawawi, C. (eds.) (2000), Public Relations: Theory and Practice, NSW, Allen Unwin. Kwansah-Aidoo, Kwamena (2001), GSC2410 Public Relations Theory and Processes, Victoria, Monash University. Lasswell, H. (1948) cited in Littlejohn, S. (1989), Theories of Human Communication Belmont, Wadsworth. Leedy, P.D. (1997), Practical Research: Planning and Design, (6th edn), NJ Prentice Hall. Mackey, S. (2000), ‘Public Relations Theory’, in J. Johnston and C. Zawawi (eds), Public Relations: Theory and Practice, Sydney, Allen Unwin.

Religion at the time of the Communist Manifesto Essay -- Karl Marx Rel

Religion at the time of the Communist Manifesto Following the Industrial Revolution in 19th century Europe, change was in full swing and religion began to have different meanings for different people. The upper-class citizens used Religion, namely Christianity, and the power that it possessed in an attempt to keep their high status in society, while the lower class turned to faith so that their lives could possibly improve. Instead of religion being the cornerstone of faith and worship amongst all people, it was being used for power and money by the upper class. Even worse, religious leaders were using the upper class people as well, gaining money and authority from their endorsement. A man by the name of Karl Marx saw what was happening and thus spoke out about it, declaring religion as â€Å"the opium of the people.†[1] He had a vision for equality, and wrote it down in the form of the Communist Manifesto; however nowhere in this document were aspirations of religious harmony. Religion was becoming the c atalyst for class separation and social mayhem in 19th century Europe, and according to Karl Marx, equality was only possible with the abolition of it as a whole. In a time where industry was at a peak, and the wealthy citizens, or bourgeois, were getting richer and richer, religion was being used as a way to make money and ensure the power of the upper class, while the lower class proletariats could but watch their lives fade away into the horrific conditions of the working class, with little hope due to the lack of lower class education.[2] As religions spread out freely, the authoritarian peoples frequently used their power to embrace religion as a moneymaker, and prevent liberty from turning ... ...eger, 1961.) 33 [4] Armstrong, 178 [5] Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, trans. Samuel Moore (Chicago: Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company, 1989) [6] Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844 (London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1892) 45, 48-51. [7]) McClellan, 63 [8] Sherman, Dennis , and Joyce Salisbury. The West in the World. (Boston: McGraw Hill, 2001.) 617 [9] Lichtheim, 42. [10] Butterfield, Herbert. Christianity in European History. (London: Collins, 1951) 5. [11] Sherman, Salisbury, 617 Links: Professor Santamarina's webpage http://www.marxist.com/Theory/marxism_and_religion.html http://www.faithnet.freeserve.co.uk/marxism.htm http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bookchin/comman.html http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/index.htm

Bed & Breakfast Pet Hotel

When people go on vacation or on a business trip, sometimes it is impractical to bring the family pet. Not long ago many would just ask a neighbor to keep an eye on the pet while the family was gone. Others would leave the pet with enough food and water to survive during the trip, although this was impractical for long trips.These options each come with advantages and disadvantages, but they fail to ensure that the family pet is not just watched, but pampered. This concept of pampering the family has sprouted a whole new industry of pet facilities.With more people seeing the pet as of a family member, the care of the pet is becoming more important. In 2006 families spent approximately $38 billion on their pets and around 63% of household own at least one pet (Koncius, 2006).This has brought about a rise in pet hotels / pet bed and breakfasts. PetsHotel, a division of PetSmart, is a leader in this rising industry. PetSmart purchased a pet hotel in 2000 in the Tucson, AZ area and has e xpanded it to over 50 stores since then. PetSmart’s goal is to eventually have over 400 PetsHotel facilities nationwide and in Canada.However, PetSmart is not the only company getting into this rapidly expanding industry. This report is evaluating PetsHotel and its place in the industry. Specifically this report will demonstrate its position in the market through a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats analysis, or SWOT analysis.This analysis will provide a clearer picture of what PetsHotel is facing in regards to the competition, trends, and future expansion. It will demonstrate where PetsHotel has a significant advantage over its competitors and where it has shortfalls. StrengthsThe most notable strength PetsHotel is the strong brand name and familiarity of its parent company, PetSmart. According to PetSmart’s website, the company has almost one thousand stores in the United States and Canada (PetSmart, 2007).PetSmart entered the pet hotel industry in 2000 w hen it recognized â€Å"its huge potential and it fits perfectly into [its] strategy of providing the lifetime needs of pets and their parents† (PetSmart, 2008). Customer loyalty and name recognition provides assurance for those customers who may not want to take a risk with a local, known pet facility.With how important pets have become to the owner, many owners will not want to take the risk of a bad facility. Jim Krack, founder of American Boarding Kennels Association, or ABKA, stated that â€Å"Pet owners expect the same type of amenities from their pet care providers as they receive from their child day care providers† (Shim, 2007).It is assumed that most people would not just place their children in any childcare facility without first ensuring a certain level or standards and safety. The name brand of PetSmart gives PetsHotel that instant recognition. In the fiscal year 2007, PetSmart posted $4.2 billion in sales and has $209 million in cash (Yahoo! Finance, 200 8). This cash cow can aid in the design and construction of new facilities. This will allow PetsHotel to quickly expand into competitive areas and into new, untapped market areas. Other competitors will not have the cash available without going into substantial debt to expand as quickly as PetsHotel can.Economies of scale also provide PetsHotel with a significant strength. Since smaller pet facilities will be unable to purchase items in the bulk level that PetsHotel can, the per item cost will be much greater than PetsHotel.Overhead and other expenses can be spread out amongst the over 50 PetsHotels already built. In comparison, Wags Hotel only has three stores to spread its costs around. Weaknesses Although the size PetsHotel is an advantage, it also lends itself to outside threats.The perception by some is larger companies many not provide as intimate and caring service for the pets. Consequently, many will prefer smaller, local services over the big corporate service of PetsHotel . Others will not want to go to the corporate establishment in favor of the local â€Å"ma and pa† pet facilities.The reasons for this could be the perception of intimate pet care with the smaller facility or it could just be hatred toward corporate America. Another weakness is a lack of accreditation. The American Boarding Kennels Associate, or ABKA, is a non-profit organization that seeks to assure high standards in pet care.ABKA provides pet owners with a set standard of quality of different hotels and kennels through a Pet Owner’s Bill or Rights and certifying different pet hotels. Out of 93 accredited pet facilities, none of them are PetsHotel brand pet facilities.To obtain certification the facilities must be â€Å"in compliance with the standards of the ABKA Voluntary Facilities Accreditation Program and have successfully completed an on-site evaluation by ABKA† (ABKA, 2008). A lack of certification from a reputable firm such as ABKA is a strong weakness for PetsHotel.ABKA’s website does list PetsHotel as a facility that can house a pet, but it also lists their lack of accreditation. This could sway a potential pet owner customer away from PetsHotel in favor of a pet facility that is accredited. OpportunitiesThe nearly 1000 PetSmart locations provide ample opportunity for quick expansion of the PetsHotels. By utilizing the PetSmart facilities, PetsHotels can quickly set up operations and provide services already at the PetSmart stores such as grooming, training, and Bansfield pet hospital. Some of these features have already been added to PetsHotel’s Add-On features.These features include nail clipping, bath time, and access to a Banfield clinic in an emergency (PetsHotel, 2008). By utilizing PetSmart’s other services, PetsHotel could offer other services such as pet training and grooming beyond a simple bath.In 2006, PetsHotel announced that it wanted to reach a total of 435 hotels throughout the United States and Canada (PetSmart, 2008). This is an achievable goal in part because of the huge cash flow PetSmart can generate through its other business segments and because of the already established name brand in those areas. Companies such as Wags Hotels only recently added two more hotels.Those two new hotels are still within the general geographic area of central California (WagsHotel, 2008). However, PetsHotel is already in 26 states and plans three more openings in the next few months (PetsHotel, 2008).Threats PetsHotel’s website lists its hours of operations 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday thru Saturday and 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays. PetsHotel has a check-in and check-out time of 12:00 PM (PetsHotel, 2008). The problem that PetsHotel can run into is a 24-hour service such as Wags Hotel. By offering 24-availability, Wags Hotel allows travelers who arrive late at night to pick up their pet once they arrive. PetsHotel’s model would force the traveler to pick up their pet the next day and charge them for that extra night.Smaller pet facility companies are seeing the need for emergency veterinarian services. PetsHotel uses Banfield which is partnered with PetSmart. These smaller companies are starting to team up with the local veterinarians to provide the same quality service.Although the overhead for this service is spread out amongst the larger PetSmart Corporation, PetsHotel will further have to demonstrate that its corporate services are as good, caring and intimate as the local facilities and veterinarians. An example of this is Wagg Inn Pet Hotel with the Animal Hospital of Ashwaubenon, WI.At home pet nannies are another source of threat to PetsHotel’s business. People have been turning to high-class pet hotels because of how much they care about their pets. However, many feel reservations about leaving their pet in a facility at all.The alternative is to leave the pet at home and hire a pet nanny. One concern is whether the other â€Å"gues ts† at the pet hotel are current on their vaccinations. If the pet is left at home, there is no concern at all. Also, the pet will be comfortable in its normal routine and happy places.This alleviates any concerns of trying to settle the pet back into normal routines, especially where to go to the bathroom. Conclusions and Recommendations PetsHotel is in a very good strategic position compared to its competition.Availability of cash in conjunction with the strong brand recognition of PetSmart means it can place a facility anywhere in the United States and Canada and have instant credibility as a company that will provide quality pet care. PetsHotel should continue to innovate in pet quality and care through better designs of its facilities and services.It needs to continue to emphasize its high pet care and quality of service of both PetsHotel and PetSmart. Because PetsHotel is a division of PetSmart, and damage to the brand reputation of PetSmart will instantly translate into damage to the PetsHotel reputation. If the quality of service at the PetSmart stores declines, the perception will be that quality has also decreased in its pet hotels.Where PetsHotel needs to be concerned is in its accreditation and availability. Although AKBA is just one organization, PetsHotel can ill afford to ignore any organization devoted to pet facility quality and care.For people who want to ensure their pets are well taken care of, the lack of accreditation could mean a loss in customers. If the people are happy with both the service of AKBA and the local pet hotel, PetsHotel could lose more potential customers through word of mouth. By gaining accreditation, PetsMart not only retains its corporate brand of quality, but it is substantiated through AKBA.PetsHotel must also find a way to address those who do not want to disrupt their pet’s routine. PetsHotel and other pet hotel websites do list how the pet will re-enter its routine once it goes home.However, more is needed than just a small blurb on the website. PetsHotel needs to reassure anyone who inquires about this and possible provide examples through customer satisfaction surveys and testimonials. References American Boarding Kennel Association. (2008). American Boarding Kennel Association.Retrieved on January 25, 2008 from http://www. abka. com/abka/. Koncius, Jura. (Apr. 2006). Pet Hotels Really Puttin' on the Dog. The Washington Post. Retrieved on January 25, 2008 from http://www. projo. com/pets/content/projo_20060430_petshotel.80bdaa6. html. Petsmart, Inc. (PETM). (2008). Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved on January 26, 2008 from http://finance. yahoo. com/q? s=PETM. Shim, Joan. (Sept. 2007). Pampered pooches, fat cats living large in luxury pet hotels. CNN. Retrieved on January 25, 2008 from http://www. cnn. com/2007/LIVING/worklife/09/12/travel. pets/index. html. Wagg Inn Pet Hotel. (2008). Wagg Inn Pet Hotel, LLC.Retrieved on January 25, 2008 from http://www. wagginn. com/. Wags Hotel. ( 2008). Wags Hotel. Retrieved on January 25, 2008 from http://www. waghotels. com/.

Comparing the Female Pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read

Comparing the Female Pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read During the Golden Age of Piracy (1700–1725), legendary pirates like Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts, and Charles Vane commanded mighty ships, terrorizing any merchant unfortunate enough to cross their path. Yet two of the most famous pirates from this age served on a third-rate pirate ship under a second-rate captain, and they never held an important position on board such as quartermaster or boatswain. They were Anne Bonny and Mary Read: bold women who left behind the stereotypical domestic chores of women at the time in favor of a life of adventure on the high seas. Here, we separate fact from myth in regards to two of historys greatest swashbucklerettes. They Were Both Raised as Boys Mary Read was born into complicated circumstances. Her mother married a sailor and they had a son. The sailor was lost at sea about the time Mary’s mother found herself pregnant with Mary, by another man. The boy, Mary’s half-brother, died when Mary was very little. The sailor’s family did not know about Mary, so her mother dressed her as a boy and passed her off as her dead half-brother in order to get financial support from her mother-in-law. Apparently, the scheme worked, at least for a while. Anne Bonny was born out of wedlock to a lawyer and his maid. He grew fond of the girl and wished to bring her into his home, but everyone in town knew he had an illegitimate daughter. Therefore, he dressed her as a boy and passed her off as the son of some distant relations. Bonny and Read may have been in a somewhat precarious situation- two women on board a pirate ship- but pity the fool who tried to take advantage of them. Before turning pirate, Read, dressed as a man, served as a soldier in an infantry regiment and once she became a pirate she was not afraid of accepting (and winning) duels with other pirates. Bonny was described as â€Å"robust† and, according to one of her shipmates, Captain Charles Johnson, she once badly beat a would-be rapist: â€Å"†¦once, when a young Fellow would have lain with her, against her Will, she beat him so, that he lay ill of it a considerable Time.† Piracy as a Womans Career If Bonny and Read are any indications the pirate captains of the golden age were missing out by sticking to all-male crews. The two were every bit as good at fighting, manning the ship, drinking and cursing as any other member of the crew, and maybe better. One captive said of them that they â€Å"were both very profligate, cursing and swearing much, and very ready and willing to do anything on board.† Like most of the pirates of the era, Bonny and Read made the conscious decision to become pirates. Bonny, who was married and living in the Caribbean, decided to run off with Calico Jack Rackham and join his pirate crew. Read was captured by pirates and served with them for a while before accepting a pardon. She then joined an anti-pirate privateering expedition: the would-be pirate hunters, most of whom were former pirates themselves, soon mutinied and returned to their old ways. Read was one of those who actively convinced the others to take up piracy again. Although they’re arguably the most famous real-life female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read are far from being the only women ever to take up piracy. The most notorious was Ching Shih (1775–1844), a one-time Chinese prostitute who became a pirate. At the height of her power, she commanded 1,800 ships and 80,000 pirates. Her rule of the seas off of China was nearly absolute. Grace O’Malley (1530?–1603) was a semi-legendary Irish chieftain and pirate. Working Together and on Crews According to Captain Johnson, who knew both Read and Bonny, the two met while both were serving on Calico Jack’s pirate ship. Both were disguised as men. Bonny became attracted to Read and revealed that she was really a woman. Read then also revealed herself to be a woman, much to Bonny’s disappointment. Calico Jack Rackham, Bonny’s lover, was allegedly very jealous of Bonny’s attraction to Read until he learned the truth, at which point he helped both of them cover up their real gender. Rackham may have been in on the ruse, but it apparently wasn’t much of a secret. At the trials of Rackham and his pirates, several witnesses came forth to testify against them. One such witness was Dorothy Thomas, who had been captured by Rackham’s crew and held as a prisoner for a time. According to Thomas, Bonny and Read dressed as men, fought with pistols and machetes like any other pirate and were twice as ruthless. She said that the women had wanted to murder Thomas to prevent her from eventually testifying against them. Thomas said she knew them at once to be women â€Å"by the largeness of their breasts.† Other captives said that although they dressed like men for battle, they dressed like women the rest of the time. They Didn’t Go Out Without a Fight Rackham and his crew had been active in piracy on and off since 1718 when in October of 1720, Rackham was discovered by pirate hunters led by Captain Jonathan Barnet. Barnet cornered them off the coast of Jamaica and in an exchange of cannon fire, Rackhams ship was disabled. While Rackham and the other pirates cowered below decks, Read and Bonny remained on the decks, fighting. They verbally berated the men for their spinelessness and Mary Read even fired a shot into the hold, killing one of the cowards. Later, in one of the most famous pirate quotes of all time, Bonny told Rackham in prison: Im sorry to see you here, but if you had fought like a man, you need not have hanged like a dog. They Escaped Hanging Because of Their â€Å"Condition† Rackham and his pirates were swiftly tried and found guilty. Most of them were hanged on Nov. 18, 1720. Bonny and Read were also sentenced to hang, but both of them declared they were pregnant. A judge ordered their claim checked out and it was found to be true, a fact which automatically commuted their death sentence. Read died in prison shortly thereafter, but Bonny survived. No one knows for sure what became of her and her child. Some say she reconciled with her rich father, some say she remarried and lived in Port Royal or Nassau. An Inspirational Tale The story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read has captivated people ever since their arrest. Captain Charles Johnson featured them prominently in his 1724 book,   A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most  notorious  Pyrates, which certainly helped his sales. Later on, the notion of female pirates as romantic figures gained traction. In 1728 (less than ten years after Bonny and Reads arrest), noted playwright John Gay wrote the Opera Polly, a sequel to his acclaimed Beggars Opera. In the opera, young Polly Peachum comes to the New World and takes up piracy as she searches for her husband. Female pirates have been part of romantic pirate lore ever since. Even modern fictional she-pirates like Angelica, played by Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides (2011) owe their existence to Read and Bonny. In fact, its safe to say that Bonny and Read have had a far greater impact on popular culture than they ever had on eighteenth-century shipping and commerce. Sources Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. Edison: Chartwell Books, 2005. Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996 Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999. Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: Lyons Press, 2009 Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.

Grammatical Case in English

Grammatical Case in English Grammatical Case in English Grammatical Case in English By Maeve Maddox Old English had five cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, and instrumental. Modern English has three cases: 1. Nominative (also called subjective) 2. Accusative (also called objective) 3. Genitive (also called possessive) The objective case subsumes the old dative and instrumental cases. Case refers to the relation that one word has to another in a sentence, i.e., where one word â€Å"falls† in relationship to another. The word comes from a Latin word meaning â€Å"falling, fall.† In other modern languages, adjectives have case, but in English, case applies only to nouns and pronouns. Nominative/Subjective Case When a noun is used as a) the subject of a verb or b) the complement of a being verb, it is said to be in the subjective or nominative case. The king laughed heartily. King is a noun in the subjective case because it is the subject of the verb laughed. The king is the son of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Son is a noun in the subjective case because it is the complement of the being verb is. Accusative/Objective Case When a noun is used as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition, it is said to be in the objective or accusative case. The king subdued his enemies. Enemies is a noun in the objective case because it receives the action of the transitive verb subdued; it is the direct object of subdued. The friends went to a movie. Movie is a noun in the objective case because it is the object of the preposition to. Sallie wrote Charlie a letter. Charlie is a noun in the objective case because it is the indirect object of the verb wrote. A transitive verb always has a direct object; sometimes, it will have a second object called the â€Å"indirect object.† In the old terminology, the indirect object was said to be in the â€Å"dative case.† Nowadays, the indirect object, like the direct object, is said to be in the accusative or objective case Note: Some English teachers may still distinguish (as I once did) between the accusative and the dative, but the most recent college English textbook I have, (copyright 2000), does not even list the term â€Å"dative† in its index. As nouns and pronouns in the dative case are spelled the same as those in the objective case, there’s no practical reason to retain the former designation. Genitive/Possessive Case Of the three noun cases, only the possessive case is inflected (changes the way it is spelled). Nouns in the possessive case are inflected by the addition of an apostrophe–with or without adding an â€Å"s.† The boy’s shoe is untied. Boy’s is a singular noun in the possessive case. The boys’ shoes are untied. Boys’ is a plural noun in the possessive case. This one inflected noun case is the source of error for a great many native English speakers. English pronouns are also a frequent source of error because they retain inflected forms to show subjective and objective case: Pronouns in the subjective case: I, he, she, we, they, who Pronouns in the objective case: me, him, her, us, them, whom The pronouns you and it have the same form in both subjective and objective case. Note: Strictly speaking, both my and mine and the other possessive forms are genitive pronoun forms, but students who have been taught that pronouns stand for nouns are spared unnecessary confusion when the teacher reserves the term â€Å"possessive pronoun† for words that actually do stand for nouns, like mine and theirs. Like adjectives, my, its, our, etc. stand in front of nouns, so it makes sense to call them â€Å"possessive adjectives.† The objective form whom is almost gone from modern speech; the subjective form who has taken over in the objective case for many speakers. Related posts: Transitive Verbs The Principles of Possessives Beware of ‘Whom’ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should KnowAcronym vs. InitialismMay Have vs. Might Have

What Is a 529 Plan How Can It Help You

What Is a 529 Plan How Can It Help You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to save in a smart way for college (either for yourself or your child), you’ll want to make the most of your money. One of the best savings plans meant specifically for growing a college fund is called a 529 plan, or a qualified tuition plan. But what is a 529 plan? Like any sort of investment plan, there are several types of 529s, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. In this post, I’ll talk about the basics of 529 plans, why they’re helpful, whether they affect financial aid, and where you can get one. What Is a 529 Plan? According to the IRS, a 529 plan is an investment savings plan with tax incentives (and sometimes other benefits) to make it easier to save for post-secondary education. It’s an account in which you contribute a portion of your income to save for future college expenses. They’re generally run by state governments or education institutions, not banks. A 529 is typically a â€Å"set and forget† sort of savings plan (although you have a few different options that I’ll get to shortly) - you decide to make whatever contributions you’d like and a fund manager makes investment choices for you. Some plans require you to purchase â€Å"packages† to cover future tuition costs, whereas others allow to contribute however much you want, however often you want. One of the things that makes it special is that it can only be used for education expenses in the future, and can be opened by anyone (the saver) for anyone (the beneficiary). The main advantage to having a 529 plan is that earnings (i.e. the money that the plan makes while your money is invested) are not subject to federal tax, and are generally not subject to state tax, when used for educational expenses. Eligible expenses usually include things like tuition, fees, books, room, and board. In sum: You contribute some amount of your post-tax income either on a regular or more flexible schedule. The money you contribute to the plan is invested, and will usually grow (or will be guaranteed to be worth a certain amount in the future). When the plan’s beneficiary wants to use the money for eligible educational expenses, the money can be withdrawn and you don’t have to pay taxes on any money that your plan makes (e.g. capital gains taxes). I’m Still Confused - Why Is a 529 Plan a Good Thing? 529 plans are similar to retirement savings plans in a few different ways. Because people are generally more familiar with the way retirement savings plans work, I’ll use them as an analogy. Just like with 529 plans, there are a few different retirement savings options (e.g. traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401k), but the bottom line is that they’re all options with tax benefits and incentives to help you save. Depending on what plan you decide to go with, you may have more or less flexibility and/or opportunities for capital gains. As with retirement plans, time is your friend when it comes to 529s - more time means you can contribute more money to the plan, and your money has more time to grow on its own as an investment. You could just stash money away in a savings account, but you’ll probably see less growth due to low interest rates, and you’ll have to pay taxes on any earnings. Just like with any other investment, there is some risk involved in putting your money in some types of 529 plans (I’ll talk more about this shortly). You may not gain as much money as you anticipate, for example. Overall, though, 529 plans are pretty conservative and provide respectable earnings. Once again, time is your friend! This holds true for any investment or savings plan, really - if you give your money more time to earn, you’ll generally be happier with the outcome. Types of 529 Plans There are two main types of 529 plans: prepaid tuition plans and college savings plans. I’ll talk about both of these plans here. Prepaid Plans Prepaid plans are primarily sponsored by states. Investments are â€Å"guaranteed,† which means that your money is certain to be worth a certain amount in terms of tuition (and sometimes room and board) dollars when the beneficiary heads off to college. Ultimately, these plans â€Å"lock in† a certain rate of tuition. Savers purchase â€Å"units† or â€Å"credits† at participating schools (usually public, in-state schools) for future education expenses for a beneficiary. You usually have the option to choose from several available packages that lump units together (e.g. one year of tuition, two years of tuition, tuition plus housing, etc). It’s typical to have the option to pay with a lump sum or with monthly installments. The older the beneficiary is when you start purchasing credits, the more expensive these units become. These plans often have residency requirements, which means you have to live in the state that sponsors that particular plan. You should be able to transfer the value to private and out-of-state schools, but you may not get the full value of your plan (this varies widely by state). Ultimately, prepaid plans are fairly â€Å"safe† because of the guaranteed nature of the investment (although some argue that the deal isn’t as great as it’s made out to be). They are fairly inflexible, however - if the beneficiary chooses to attend a private or out-of-state school, you probably won’t be able to transfer the full value of the plan. Here’s an example of a prepaid plan in action: Let’s say you’re interested in the Florida state 529 prepaid plan for your newborn. There are different packages available, but you choose to buy the four-Year Florida University tuition package. This would cost you $28,888.39 in 2016. In 18 years when your newborn heads off to college, the money you spent in 2016 would cover all tuition expenses at an FL state university, no matter how high the costs are in 2038. College Savings Plans College savings plans are a bit easier to understand than prepaid plans. Simply, a college saver opens an account for a beneficiary (the student) to pay for the student’s eligible college expenses (room, board, tuition, fees). Tax-advantaged college savings plans are usually run by states themselves - some banks offer these plans, but they won’t come with the same advantages that you can get through your state plan. There are often many investment options to choose from, so the saver can freely customize his/her investment. Withdrawals from this type of plan can usually be used at any college or university, which offers a lot more flexibility for the beneficiary when it’s time to head off to college. Your rate of return on your investments will depend on your specific choice of plan, but some college savings plans may earn as much as 3 to 3.5%. The downside to college savings plans is that unlike prepaid plans, your investment is not guaranteed - they’re subject to market fluctuations, just like any other investment. The upside to these plans is the degree of flexibility they offer, both in the beneficiary’s choice of college and the amount the saver chooses to contribute. College savings plans are sort of like this gymnast - they’re flexible but also not afraid of a little risk. Here’s an example of a college savings plan in action: Let’s say you’re interested in a college savings plan for your 8-year-old. You’re not sure where he’ll want to go to school, so you prefer a college savings plan to a prepaid plan because it’s the more flexible option. Your son will be ready to head off to school in 10 years, so you start contributing $5,000 annually to the 529 plan of your choice. Your money is invested in a mutual fund, so you know a certain rate of return is not guaranteed. Your investment does well, however, and you see an annual rate of return at 3.5%. After 10 years you will have contributed $50,000 to the plan, but your ending balance will be $60,710 - you won’t have to pay any taxes on these gains. If you’d put away the same amount into a savings account with an interest rate of 3.5% over 10 years, your ending balance would come to $57,818 (assuming an annual tax rate of 25% on capital gains). Overview: The Main Differences Between Prepaid and College Savings Plans Prepaid Tuition Plan College Savings Plan Tuition Price Lock Locks in tuition prices at certain schools No lock on tuition costs Eligible Education-Related Expenses Generally just for tuition and mandatory fees For all college-related expenses, including tuition, room, board, fees, books, computer Investment Guarantee State plans are guaranteed or backed by the state No state guarantee; your investment is subject to risk just like any other investment (money could fail to grow, or you could even lose money) Age Limits Most plans have an age limit for the beneficiary (student) No age limits; open to adults and children Residency Requirements Most state plans require either the owner (saver) or beneficiary (student) to be a resident of that state No residency requirement, but there may be some limitations in how you can purchase the plan Enrollment Periods Most plans have limited enrollment periods (periods when you can start participating in the plans) Open enrollment; you can start participating whenever you’d like Should You Get a Prepaid or a College Savings Plan? Your choice of 529 plan will depend on a few different factors. First, how much flexibility in school choice are you looking for? Prepaid plans are less flexible, and as such are best for in-state public schools. You should be able to transfer credit from a prepaid plan to out-of-state and/or private schools, but you probably won’t get the full value of the plan. The actual amount that you’d be able to transfer depends on the individual plan. Bottom line: If flexibility is a priority, college savings plans may be the better option. If you’re confident that your child will attend an in-state public school, prepaid plans may be the best fit. Second, what’s your preferred level of risk? Prepaid plans are generally sponsored by the state - the investments, credits, units or whatever you purchase tend to be guaranteed by the state with these plans. College savings plans, on the other hand, don’t generally guarantee returns (unless, of course, they’re sponsored by the state). If the market performs very well your money could do better than you expected in a college savings plan, although the opposite is also true. Bottom line: If you’re particularly risk-averse, you may prefer a prepaid plan. If you value flexibility over the relative safety of a conservative investment, you might be happiest with a college savings plan. Will a 529 Plan Decrease Financial Aid Eligibility? You might worry that having an investment account earmarked for college expenses might decrease student aid eligibility. In reality, a 529 savings plan has little effect on how much money a student will receive in financial aid. 529 plans are considered parental assets. As such, they’re factored into federal financial aid formulas at a max rate of 5.6% - that means that 5.6% of your 529 savings are included in the â€Å"expected family contribution,† the figure that’s so important in the calculation of financial aid. Ultimately, family income is considered a much more important factor when it comes to determining aid eligibility. Learn more about calculating your financial aid eligibility. Where Can You Get a 529 Plan? Each state has its own sponsored 529 plans, but enrollment is sometimes limited based on the type of plan and your own (and/or the student’s) state of residency. You may be able to enroll directly in the plan, but in other cases you’ll have to enroll via a financial broker. To get information on state-specific plans, Google â€Å"[state] 529 plans.† Any page that talks about a state-sponsored plan will have more information about plan details and how to enroll. There are a lot of ads that come up with 529 plan searches, but the first non-ad result is your best bet, like in this example. Summary Hopefully you have a better idea of what 529 plans are and how they can be useful. There are a lot of different options depending on your savings goals, state of residency, and flexibility needs. I encourage you to look at your own state 529 options to see if particular plans appeal to you. If it’s an option, I also encourage you to talk to an expert or trusted financial advisor for advice and guidance! What’s Next? If you’re thinking about saving for college (for either yourself or a beneficiary), pat yourself on the back for being so proactive and forward-thinking. Something else you can do to prepare for the future is learn more about college expenses and how to minimize them. First, check out our complete guide to college costs - this outlines all the obvious and hidden expenses associated with going to college. If you’re surprised by how expensive college really is, you may want to read up on why college costs so much. Don’t get discouraged by these sticker prices, though! To figure out how to tackle these costs, check out our complete guide on how to pay for college (it may not be as daunting as you think). Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Consumer Expenditure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Expenditure - Assignment Example The most affected continent is Europe. For instance in Spain and Greece consumers have turned into investing instead of expenditure. The harsh economic conditions have made it unpredictable to spend a lot of money. This has made selling and manufacturing companies go bankrupt. In an argument by Blythe the economic conditions witnessed in Europe may be witnessed in other nations if the consumer population is not advised to spend more (56). However, the consumer population argues that the limited resources they have does not allow them to spend most of it in buying secondary goods. This scenario has forced the selling and manufacturing companies reconsider how to lure more consumers to purchase their products. This paper will focus on how consumers make decisions concerning the expenditure. Additionally, it will give an insight on how the rational consumer budgets their limited resources. It will also focus on how the selling and manufacturing companies strategize to increase the numbe r of sales of their products. The decision making process on expenditure among the consumers depend on several factors. One of the most significant factors is the income levels of the consumer. It is an obvious assumption to say that low income earners are the least spenders. With an increase of employees in this bracket the cutting cost on expenditure will continue to rise. Low income earners shift their focus first on necessary needs like paying rent providing food to their families and investing in education. Considering these priorities, it is evident that the money spend to purchase the other products is very limited. According to an argument by Barro saving also denies the consumers a significant amount of money to spend on other goods (106). It is the same scenario with high income earners. This bracket focuses more on investing and securing their financial future. With the global economy under numerous uncertainties, saving provides the most logical way to secure ones financ ial future. Apart from the income statements of consumers, the price of households goods determining the decision making on expenditure. Noel argues that a perspective on the market 2 years back from now, it is estimated that the price of general commodities has risen by an average of 50% (93). The basic needs like food and clothing have also been affected. This in turn means that, the consumer population will tend to cut cost on other products in order to have enough resources to acquire the basic goods they need. The uncertain financial and economic future has also made it difficult on consumers to spend more resources. Rational consumers on the other hand use all the means possible to maximize their resources and fulfill all their needs. Rational consumers also face the difficulty of planning expenditure on their very minimal wages and resources. To optimize this, this bracket of consumers cut expenditure cot on everything expect for the basic human needs. However, they tend to a lso spend very minimal on the basic needs. According to Blythe rational consumers greatly consider the future of their financial positions. In this way they are categorized as the least spending consumers (132). However, analysts argue that rational consumers’ decision of saving might at the end cost their financial security. According to Noel saving without spending on investing makes no difference from a person who spends money

Case Study involving Trust laws Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Involving Trust laws - Case Study Example Although the law is dealing with the Property Act it also extends to other aspects of equitable interest. Under the Section 5 (1) of the Wills Act, 1988, â€Å" it is seen that every person may dispose by will, executed in accordance with this Act, of all real estate and all personal estate owned by him at the time of his death† (Wills Act 1988. 2005). In this case it is seen that a trust has been created in favour of Ben and he has nominated Richard to hold the 2000 shares in trust on his behalf. Through his written will, he has directed that 950 of the above shares may be bequeathed to his Accountant, Tom, to be held on behalf of his nephew, Andrew, the legal beneficiary of the gifted shares. In the decided case of Goldcorpe RE 1995, 1 AC 74, claims for non allocated bullion could not be enforced. Ordinary members of the public were inveigled into investing in non-existent bullion, on the strength of allotment letters given to them for staking their claim on future bullion. When Company subsequently went into liquidation, they claimed beneficial interest on future bullion on the basis of this allotment letter. The Courts held that the bullions were not earmarked and could not be enforced.In another decided case of Saunders v. Vantier(1841) 4 Beav.115, a trust was created that upon the death of the uncle, certain shares would be bequeathed to the nephew, along with its incomes, till he reached the age of 25. The nephew laid claim to the gift upon reaching the age of majority, i.e., 21 years. The Courts held that the validity of the gift had passed on from the uncle to the nephew upon his passing away, it being intended to be an immediate gift. Therefore, the claim for the property to the nephew from the uncle was passed on immediately upon his gaining majority age: (Theriault 2002). The case of Hunter v Moss (1994), whose decision was delivered before the Gold Corpe Re (1995) case, 1 AC 74.which relates to 50 shares of a total of 950, being verdicted to be a genuine trust, without uncertainty of matter, which was not considered in the case of Gold Corpe Case (1995). The Court of Appeals, in this case, validating the decisions of the High Court (1993) I WLR 934, stated that a statement of trust, of, effectively 50 shares out of a total number of 950 shares in a Company, could not be said to be a void contract, on the grounds of the uncertainly of subject matter; in this case the learned judged observed that allocation of particulars shall be considered superfluous since all the shares carry

Nazi Germany and Soviet Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nazi Germany and Soviet Union - Essay Example However, the two ideologies are very uncongenial towards each other but it is interesting to see the extent they differ and share mutual bases as well. The most important and the most distinct similarity between the two rivals is the concept of Totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is an extremely concentrated and centralized scheme of government that regards the eudemonia and wellbeing of state and the basic ideology of the government the most. The nation and the governing political organization intertwine and turn into unit comprising of a single potent individual fig representing this strong bonding or union. This mighty figure is the focus or the centre point of the state (Stackelberg, 2007). A totalitarian government makes sure that vast regime setup and apparatus is readily available to the state in order to sustain its upper hand, mightiness, and its prestige and stature in the world. This may include aggregated media support and huge police and army force that are set free to function in and out the boundaries of world’s law. According to the above criteria, both the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union enjoyed being strictly totalitarian states. Both of them at the apex of their societal and political might and prowess savored outright power throughout the world and idolization within the boundary of the state. The two states, demolished every possible threat that was most likely to hinder their path to ultimate power and prestige. They had exclusive control over the aggregated media of the world like newspapers, televisions, radios etc. They had all the means to control the way people used to think and they were quite successful at it. Still there exists a major difference about how the two did become totalitarian regimes. Stalin’s Soviet Union appeared as a totalitarian state in no time. The first head of state of USSR, Lenin, insisted on revolutionary societal change as the

A Comparison of Business Systems Between Japan and China Essay

A Comparison of Business Systems Between Japan and China - Essay Example Being a collectivist culture means that managers and employees in Japan tend to work cooperatively, with very minimal power distance tolerated. A recent empirical study of the Japanese business environment indicated that participative leadership is the most accepted form of management whereby decision-making generally occurs from the bottom-up rather than utilising strict hierarchies of executive control.4 It is through consultation between different ranking employees and managers that a negotiation-based management style thrives and prospers. It is a more balanced system within the business dynamic whereby the attitudes and opinions of workers are highly respected and considered when making important corporate decisions. China, on the other hand, maintains very high levels of power distance between different ranking members of the organisation. Geert Hofstede recognises that Chinese culture scores very highly on power distance scales, meaning that there is a culturally-driven tolera nce for power disparities that makes most business systems vertical rather than horizontal when it comes to decision-making. This is a stark contrast between the Japanese business environment. Unequal power means that employees in the organisational hierarchy are not consulted for their opinions and problem-solving ability, whereby employees are routinely sanctioned and the general belief is that employees should not maintain aspirations for improving their rank and status within the organisational dynamic.5 These disparate relationships between managers and employees are highly polarized, meaning significant division, and there are generally no defences... This paper illustrated that there are many differences and similarities between Chinese and Japanese business systems and internal corporate ideologies. It cannot be said, concretely, that one business system is superior to another, only that both countries operate and manage their business structures with varying philosophies and approaches to securing the future and performance of their respective organisations. Much contemporary literature on how to successfully manage businesses, today, shows that adaptability and flexibility are necessary to find competitive success. Under this premise, it would seem that China maintains the most probability for ensuring long-term business performance than that of Japan. Even though Japan has many strengths, such as high determination in a corporate context, Chinese business systems will be most likely to endure long-term if these systems continue to utilise their current, existing business ideology. This report makes a conclusion that Japanese workers tend to view the future as being opportunistic whereby high performance and profitability results from a business perspective can be attained through dedication and hard work. Chinese employees and managers, in opposite accord, seek to find personal fulfilment whenever possible as a primary lifestyle and cultural goal in the pursuit of finding social acceptance with like-status peers. Therefore, there is evidence that some dimensions of long-term-focused thinking will be abandoned in Chinese culture based on hedonistic consumerism that is becoming commonplace in the nation.

Social Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Science - Essay Example And because the economic effects differ for different regions, so do fertility and mortality rates. For developed countries, mortality rates are lower and life expectancy is higher and vice versa for the developing countries. But in any case, the global population is increasing at a high acceleration rate. The United States, under the burden of providing for a rapidly-aging, non productive elderly population, also has to deal with high rates of immigrants. The standard life cycle model yields a straightforward prediction that as a large chunk of the population comprises of aging people, national savings fall. As a result to this, investment suffers negative blows in the long run. With overseas population settling in the United States, withdrawals from the economy are promised. However, with the increase in the number of immigrants settling in the Unites States, there is also likely to be an increase in the investments in the short-run and an increased work force. It also makes the Un ited States a multi-cultural society, its population comprising of people from different races and nations. While the United States stands with certain challenges at hand with the growing, diverse population, it is justified to say that they will be able to cope with the current and projected demographic changes if policymakers accelerate their efforts to address these problems.

China's Air pollution Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

China's Air pollution - Term Paper Example In this situation, China is faced with a major debate. The country is one of the highest contributors of environmental pollution; particularly the air. The air is an important part of human life and it is an established belief that the microscopic particles that people inhale while breathing can potentially cause serious damage to their health. The amount of damage is dependent on the level of concentration of pollutants in the air. These pollutants are emitted in to the environment through various industrial and economic activities, which in turn increases the concentration level of pollutants in the air. There are a number of factors that affect the relationship between emission of pollutants and their concentration in the air. However, it is a commonly agreed notion that the emissions are an outcome of increased level of industrial activities in the economy, or in other words, the level of development activities that take place in the economy (Matus, et al., â€Å"Health Damages from Air Pollution in China†). Among the factors affecting the level of pollution in the air, site is very important. Certain places are the key source of emission; such as the center of the cities, and exclusive industrial belts. These areas are most populous; increased proximity to these regions affects meteorological conditions more than the other areas in the country, which in turn determines the extent of environmental damage. Secondly, the characteristics of the source such as the emission temperature and the velocity of emission affect the rate at which level of air pollution increases. Thirdly, physical dimension of the pollutant particles interferes in the level of impact cast on health condition of human beings. Hence the particle size of matter is an important factor in determining air pollution in the country. Not only are the humans sufferers of this environmental condition, other animals are also adversely affected in this environmental degradation (Ho, â€Å"Ai r pollution in China†). The Economic reform China’s economy has been reflecting massive growth rates since the past two decades. During this period China has undergone economic reforms and is now considered one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The per capita income of the citizens in the country has been growing at the astonishing rate of 9% in 2011 (Mendez, â€Å"Chinese Economic Development and Pollution†). China has been ranked as the third largest country that take part in the international trade. It comes immediately after United States of America and Japan. This economic reform in the country is the main reason that has pushed China to the position in the international sphere. Increasing importance of the economy in world trade has transformed the economy into a global powerhouse. There has been emergence of new factories and overall rate of productive activities in the country has rocketed. These industries obtain their primary supply of en ergy from the reserves of coal possessed by China. Energy is produced by burning this coal, which emits huge amount of carbon particles in the air. This implies that urbanization and development of the Chinese economy has also led it on the path of making significant contribution towards degradation of the environment.

A Comparison of Business Systems Between Japan and China Essay

A Comparison of Business Systems Between Japan and China - Essay Example Being a collectivist culture means that managers and employees in Japan tend to work cooperatively, with very minimal power distance tolerated. A recent empirical study of the Japanese business environment indicated that participative leadership is the most accepted form of management whereby decision-making generally occurs from the bottom-up rather than utilising strict hierarchies of executive control.4 It is through consultation between different ranking employees and managers that a negotiation-based management style thrives and prospers. It is a more balanced system within the business dynamic whereby the attitudes and opinions of workers are highly respected and considered when making important corporate decisions. China, on the other hand, maintains very high levels of power distance between different ranking members of the organisation. Geert Hofstede recognises that Chinese culture scores very highly on power distance scales, meaning that there is a culturally-driven tolera nce for power disparities that makes most business systems vertical rather than horizontal when it comes to decision-making. This is a stark contrast between the Japanese business environment. Unequal power means that employees in the organisational hierarchy are not consulted for their opinions and problem-solving ability, whereby employees are routinely sanctioned and the general belief is that employees should not maintain aspirations for improving their rank and status within the organisational dynamic.5 These disparate relationships between managers and employees are highly polarized, meaning significant division, and there are generally no defences... This paper illustrated that there are many differences and similarities between Chinese and Japanese business systems and internal corporate ideologies. It cannot be said, concretely, that one business system is superior to another, only that both countries operate and manage their business structures with varying philosophies and approaches to securing the future and performance of their respective organisations. Much contemporary literature on how to successfully manage businesses, today, shows that adaptability and flexibility are necessary to find competitive success. Under this premise, it would seem that China maintains the most probability for ensuring long-term business performance than that of Japan. Even though Japan has many strengths, such as high determination in a corporate context, Chinese business systems will be most likely to endure long-term if these systems continue to utilise their current, existing business ideology. This report makes a conclusion that Japanese workers tend to view the future as being opportunistic whereby high performance and profitability results from a business perspective can be attained through dedication and hard work. Chinese employees and managers, in opposite accord, seek to find personal fulfilment whenever possible as a primary lifestyle and cultural goal in the pursuit of finding social acceptance with like-status peers. Therefore, there is evidence that some dimensions of long-term-focused thinking will be abandoned in Chinese culture based on hedonistic consumerism that is becoming commonplace in the nation.

China's Air pollution Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

China's Air pollution - Term Paper Example In this situation, China is faced with a major debate. The country is one of the highest contributors of environmental pollution; particularly the air. The air is an important part of human life and it is an established belief that the microscopic particles that people inhale while breathing can potentially cause serious damage to their health. The amount of damage is dependent on the level of concentration of pollutants in the air. These pollutants are emitted in to the environment through various industrial and economic activities, which in turn increases the concentration level of pollutants in the air. There are a number of factors that affect the relationship between emission of pollutants and their concentration in the air. However, it is a commonly agreed notion that the emissions are an outcome of increased level of industrial activities in the economy, or in other words, the level of development activities that take place in the economy (Matus, et al., â€Å"Health Damages from Air Pollution in China†). Among the factors affecting the level of pollution in the air, site is very important. Certain places are the key source of emission; such as the center of the cities, and exclusive industrial belts. These areas are most populous; increased proximity to these regions affects meteorological conditions more than the other areas in the country, which in turn determines the extent of environmental damage. Secondly, the characteristics of the source such as the emission temperature and the velocity of emission affect the rate at which level of air pollution increases. Thirdly, physical dimension of the pollutant particles interferes in the level of impact cast on health condition of human beings. Hence the particle size of matter is an important factor in determining air pollution in the country. Not only are the humans sufferers of this environmental condition, other animals are also adversely affected in this environmental degradation (Ho, â€Å"Ai r pollution in China†). The Economic reform China’s economy has been reflecting massive growth rates since the past two decades. During this period China has undergone economic reforms and is now considered one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The per capita income of the citizens in the country has been growing at the astonishing rate of 9% in 2011 (Mendez, â€Å"Chinese Economic Development and Pollution†). China has been ranked as the third largest country that take part in the international trade. It comes immediately after United States of America and Japan. This economic reform in the country is the main reason that has pushed China to the position in the international sphere. Increasing importance of the economy in world trade has transformed the economy into a global powerhouse. There has been emergence of new factories and overall rate of productive activities in the country has rocketed. These industries obtain their primary supply of en ergy from the reserves of coal possessed by China. Energy is produced by burning this coal, which emits huge amount of carbon particles in the air. This implies that urbanization and development of the Chinese economy has also led it on the path of making significant contribution towards degradation of the environment.