compare and contrast comic heros with mythology :: essays research papers

Compare and contrast comic book hero’s with mythology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comic book heroes and mythological creatures have a lot of differences, and a lot of similarities. They can be huge differences, or small ones. Either way, they’re both different in some ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some differences between comic book heroes and mythology ones are that there was a possibility that the mythological creatures actually lived. Unlike comic book ones, they’re all made up stories that seem to attract kids into reading them. One way that they do it is by making it exciting so it seems like they really lived. Another difference is that all the comic book hero’s have abnormal powers like laser eyes. However, the mythological creatures don’t have abnormal powers, but they do in some way look abnormal. For example, Argos the hundred-eyed monster, and the Minotaur. Both of these can be considered heroes in some way, but to other people, they weren’t really anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other than the differences between both of them, they do have similarities too. One similarity that first pops up in my mind is that they must be good people. Cause who would consider a bad guy a hero? Other than that, another similarity between both of them are that they’re abnormal in some way. An example from a comic book is Super-Man; He has super strength that allows him to move heavy objects. Now an example from mythology, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, had such swift moving feet that he could deliver messages in minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To conclude, I think that there’s a huge difference between these 2 kinds of hero’s. The comic book heroes are fictional of course because they’re hand drawn images.

Oxford Brookes Bsc(Hons) in Applied Accounting (Acca)

PART IPROJECT OBJECTIVES AND OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH 1. 0. 0 INTRODUCTION Business and financial performance in the tourism industry Tourism is now one of the largest industries in the world. According to the WTO, the export income generated by international tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals, and automotive products. Furthermore, the WTO points out that, for many developing countries, tourism is one of the main income sources of foreign exchange, and creates much-needed employment and opportunities for economic development. The industry has also enjoyed staggering growth over the past six decades. ttp://www. qfinance. com The tourism industry is also a major contributor to Zimbabwe’s economy thus I chose to assess the performance of a company in this sector to obtain a clear picture of how the performance of a major player in such a sector would contribute to the economy. In the tourism industry business and financial performance is highly dependent on the politica l factors of the host country. Political stability and good international relations are important for the growth of firms in the tourism industry as tourists only go to places where they feel safe and protected. Spending on tourism and hotels is also closely related to the economic cycle. Certainly, spending on leisure activities such as holidays tends to be one of the first things that consumers cut back in times of economic hardship. REASONS FOR CHOOSING RTG 1. 2. 1 Rainbow Tourism Group Background Rainbow Tourism Group was established in 1992, and is the second largest tourism group in Zimbabwe and a major player in Zimbabwe’s Tourism Industry. Listed on the Zimbabwe Stock exchange, the company has spread its wings into the regional markets through management contracts  and Strategic Alliances. In Zimbabwe, RTG operates  four brands namely, The Rainbow Towers, Rainbow Hotels  (three star city and resort hotels), Touch the wild (top of the range eco-tourism lodges offering unique safari experiences)  Ã‚   and Zimbabwe Tourism Services (a destination management services company that caters for travel arrangements). (www. rtg. co. zw) RTG has a good corporate governance struct ure and is the second largest tourism group in Zimbabwe the largest being Africansun RTG’s operating environment For the period 2007 to 2009 Zimbabwe’s business environment was extremely hostile, most businesses were closing down and the few lucky survivors were scaling down their operations massively. The economy was ranked the worst in the world and inflation at its peak was around 6. 5 quindecillionnovemdecillion percent (65 followed by 107 zeros) . Long term planning was impossible in the industry due to the political instability and bad publicity that the country received following violence surrounding the March 2008 presidential elections as well as cholera outbreaks affected tourist arrivals in 2008, thereby limiting any growth in the economy. The highest decrease in the number of tourist arrivals was reported from traditional source markets, such as the UK and the US. Http. //www. euromonitor. com/Zimbabwe The managed exchange rate and high inflation rate made budgeting difficult. The introduction of price controls by the government in the sector meant that RTG could not increase their prices in line with inflation as they were supposed to request for price increases first whereas their expenses were increasing therefore cutting down their profits unreasonably. The rampant shortage of basic commodities such as food and drinks increased costs as supply could not match demand it also meant that hotels and restaurants could not offer services to its customers and therefore a drop in revenues and standards of services. A high unemployment rate of about 94% and a shrinking economy also meant that the local customers had no disposable income as 98% of the population was living under the poverty datum line and had to cut back on leisure activities. The tourism sector also faced a crumbling air transport sector, with ramifications for the entire economy and the withdrawal of a number of reputable airlines, citing viability problems. Approximately 18 international airlines are reported to have left the country since the start of the economic crisis in the year 2000. Some of the airlines that pulled out of the Zimbabwe route were Zambian Airways, British Airways, Swissair, Lufthansa, KLM and Air France. High fuel prices, combined with political and economic turbulence, were the reasons cited for the withdrawals. Zimbabwe’s isolation was a major blow to the already ailing travel and tourism industry, which relies heavily on high-spending incoming tourists. (www. newzimbabwe. com) Purpose and objectives of the research The objective of this research is to find out how RTG’s business and financial performance over the three year period 2007 to 2009 contributed to Zimbabwe’s economy when it was in a massive economic recession and when foreign currency and jobs were needed most. RTG is a major player in the tourism sector which contributes a significant portion to the GDP of Zimbabwe therefore RTG’s business and financial performance was not only important to its shareholders but also to the whole economy. To achieve this objective the researcher will also establish the following: * To establish how RTG measures and assesses its performance. * To find out what strategies RTG adopted to meet its business and financial performance objectives. * To assess whether RTG’s business and financial performance was adequate to survive the economic crisis it was facing. The research aims to answer the following questions: What measures were used by RTG to assess the business and financial performance and were they adequate? * What were the strategies RTG used to achieve its business and financial objectives and were they adequate? * How did RTG perform compared to its main competitors? * How did RTG’s business and financial performance contribute to the economy of Zimbabwe? * Did RTG meet the expectations of all its stakeholders? * How can RTG improve its performance? Research approach The researcher used a case study approach employing both qualitative and quantitative techniques to evaluate the performance of RTG. This approach enabled the researcher to make a balanced assessment and to consider other stakeholder’s interests that might be difficult to measure quantitatively. To answer the above questions the researcher will use traditional techniques such asratio analysis and trend analysis to establish the patterns of performance while comparisons with other organizations in the same industry will also be done. Modern techniques such as Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard will also be used in order to develop a comprehensive framework of assessing the business and financial performance of RTG. Gaps will be identified, conclusions drawn and recommendations will be made as to how RTG can improve its business and financial performance in future. PART IIINFORMATION GATHERING AND ACCOUNTING / BUSINESS TECHNIQUES Introduction Description of methods This section identifies the research methodologies which will be used for data gathering by the researcher. â€Å"research methodology refers to a whole range of questions about the assumed, appropriate ways of going about social research and is therefore a theory or an analysis of how research should operate† (hitchcock and hughes 1995:20). Data collection procedures Data collection is about using the selected methods of investigation which Robson (1997:304) believes there is no generally best methods as all methods have their weaknesses. Various methods of data collection were used in this research and the following are the primary and secondary data collection methods that were used. Primary methods * Interviews * Observation Secondary methods * books * journals and publications * internet * Published financial statements Secondary data Secondary data are statistics not gathered for the immediate study at hand but some other purpose. Churchill 2002). Secondary data was used in this research to get an in-depth understanding of the business and financial performance of RTG. Saunders (2007) gave the following advantages and disadvantages of secondary data Advantages * Saves time and money * High quality of information compared to data gathered by an individual at the point of research * Provides a general framework for c omparing data collected by the individual. Disadvantages * Accessibility of data maybe costly or difficult * The purpose why the secondary data was collected may not be relevant to the research being undertaken. There is no control over the quality of secondary data therefore accuracy maybe difficult to verify * Information gathered maybe outdated Primary data Advantage * The most important benefit of primary data is that data is original. Disadvantages * Results may not be representative of what is found in the population * The flexible nature of methods used can result in ambiguous results Research instruments Interviews An interview is a social survey conducted in a face-to-face or personal conduct situation. Heyward and Sparks (1984) define an interview as an occasion when one or two people ask questions that seek to find out opinions and ideas. Advantages of interviews Face to face * Immediate feedback * Quick feedback * Easy to tell whether respondent understood the questions, * physical gestures and personal contact adds emphasis * allows for a wide exchange of ideas * Good relations are established E-mails and Telephones * Immediate feedback * Appropriate for â€Å"always busy† interviewees * E-mails can be easily stored for other uses Disadvantages of interviews Face to face * Data is difficult to record, code and analyze * time consuming interviewee accessibility may be difficult * The interviewee maybe uncooperative E-mails and Telephones * late feedback caused by disruptions due to network congestion and technical breakdowns * High telephone charges Literature review 1. 1. 11. 1. 1 Financial performance Financial performance is a subjective measure of how well a firm can u se assets from its primary mode of business and generate revenues. It measures a firm’s overall financial health over a given period of time and/or compare with similar firms across the same industry www. investopedia. com/terms/f/financialperformance. asp 1. 1. 2 Business Performance Business performance can be defined as â€Å"the integration of financial and non-financial systems and processes to achieve organization goals and objectives† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/business_performance_management Business performance is about creating value for the stakeholders of a business. Measuring business performance is therefore very subjective and finding suitable measures is very difficult. An organization’s business and financial performance cannot be measured in isolation it has to be compared with prior periods or other organizations in the same economic sector taking into consideration the company’s business environment. Business performance is guided by an organization’s vision and mission these outline the aims to be achieved and the desired end results. Research Approach The researcher will use a variety of business and financial performance measures. Firstly the researcher will consider traditional financial performance measures such as return on capital employed, liquidity gearing indicators, earning per share and trend analysis which shows the value added to the shareholder’s investments. The traditional argument is that shareholders are the legal owners of a company and so their interests should thus be to maximize shareholder wealth. Shareholders are generally concerned with the following: * Current earnings * Future earnings * Dividend policy * Relative The objective of wealth maximization is usually expanded into three primary objectives which are survival growth and to make profit Kaplan 2007:184) Traditional financial performance measures will be used to measure how RTG has been able to satisfy its shareholders. Weaknesses of ratio analysis As illustrated by Owen G (1994:386) the following are the main weaknesses of using ratio analysis * It uses historical information which maybe out of date * Can mislead when making comparisons if accounting policies are different * Can be distorted by one-off transactions * Takes no account of cyclical changes throughout a period * One dimensional To fully assess the business and financial performance of RTG the researcher will also use non-financial performance measures through the use of the balanced scorecard and other performance measures. The Balanced scorecard The balanced scorecard was developed by Kaplan and Norton as cited in Kaplan ACCA P5 (2009) defines it as a tool to translate an organization’s vision and strategy into objectives and measures. It looks at four perspectives namely financial perspective, customer perspective internal business perspective and learning and growth perspective. The aim of the balanced scorecard is to enable the business to develop a comprehensive framework for translating a company’s strategic objectives into a coherent set of goals and performance measures. Kaplan ACCA P5 (2009) Limitations of the balanced scorecard Neely (2002) argues that the most difficult problem of Balanced Score Card (BSC) is that it lacks several important interest groups in its structure: such as suppliers, co-operation partners and close neighbors. The International Institute of Management (2002) states the following implementation pitfalls and limitations of the Balanced Score Card: * Cut the jacket to fit the person do not cut the person to fit. * The balanced scorecard should not be balanced, success factors are not equal and their relationships are not linear. Trying to balance the scorecard will lead to confusion, conflict and lack of focus. * Insufficient cause and effect relationships and performance drivers. * Conflict of interest (different stakeholders want different things) * Measuring intangible assets (information and human capital) is difficult. Other measures of performance The researcher will also use other Critical success factors and Key performance indicators such as revenue per and room occupancy rates, among others to fully analyze the performance of RTG Ethical issues The researcher took into consideration ethical issues such as confidentiality and objectivity in carrying out the research and analysis. The researcher assured RTG that he was going to use the information he collected strictly for academic purposes. The researcher also assured all the individuals he interacted with that he was going to be objective in analyzing the information they provided. All the information the researcher obtained was kept secure at all times to preserve anonymity and confidentiality. . PART 3  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Results, analysis, conclusions and recommendations This section is dedicated to the presentation of the data collected, its interpretation, drawing of conclusions and making recommendations. The researcher will start by presenting and analyzing his findings on the financial performance of RTG for the period 2007 to 2009 using ratio and trend analysis. In latter sections the researcher will present his findings and analyze RTG’s performance using non-financial performance indicators to assess its business performance. 3. 1 Traditional Financial Ratios of RTG 3. 1. 1 Profitability ratios of RTG Analysis of profitability was made very difficult by the hyperinflationary environment that was in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2008. On 14 February 2008, the Central Statistical Office announced that the inflation rate for December 2007 was 66,212. 3%. On 20 February 2008, the Central Statistical Office said that officially, inflation had in January 2008 gone past the 100,000% mark to 100,580. 2%. On 4 April 2008, the Financial Gazette (FinGaz) reported that officially, inflation in February 2008 jumped to 164,900. 3%. On 15 May 2008, the Zimbabwe Independent reported that officially, inflation in March 2008 jumped to 355,000%. On 21 May 2008, SW Radio Africa reported that, according to an independent financial assessment inflation in May 2008 jumped to 1,063,572. 6%. The state statistical service in April 2008 said there were not enough goods in the shortage-stricken shops to calculate any new (official) figures. On 26 June 2008, the Zimbabwe Independent reported that, latest figures from the Central Statistical Offices (CSO) showed that annual inflation rose by 7,336,000 percentage points to 9,030,000% by June 20 and was set to end the month at well above 10,500,000%. According to Central Statistical Office statistics, annual inflation rate rose to 231 million percent in July 2008. The month-on-month rate rose to 2,600. 2%. By December 2008, inflation was estimated at 6. 5 quindecillionnovemdecillion percent (65 followed by 107 zeros) The Zimbabwe Central statistical office stopped publishing inflation figures and therefore the Zimbabwe Consumer Price Index was not available to adjust the 2008 financial statement figures. The historical figures used were out of date and comparison of costs and revenues gave a false picture and thus care should be taken in interpreting them. The researcher therefore could not analyze trends in revenue and cost as they had been heavily distorted by inflation and no adjustments could be made as the Central Statistical Office stopped publishing the inflation figures and the Consumer Price Index. Gross Profit Margin The gross profit margins of RTG in 2007, 2008 and 2009 were 74%, 99% and 84% respectively. The gross profit margin shows the gross profit generated per every dollar of sales. In 2009 Africansun limited’s gross profit margin was 65% therefore showing that although RTG’s gross profit margin had decreased from the prior year it was still better than its competitor. In the researcher’s interview with Mr L Chasakara RTG’s operations director, he said thatâ€Å"RTG managed to increase its gross profit margin from 74% in 2007 to 99% in 2008 by specifically targeting the domestic market†. Sales from the domestic market were increased from 78% in 2007 to 83% in 2008 as the foreign market was deteriorating due to the political instability in Zimbabwe in this period. The researcher however also noted that the increase in gross profit margin from 74% in 2007 to 99% in 2008 could have been due to the fact that the use of historical cost in 2008 overstated revenues due to high inflation figures and understated costs as most costs had been incurred earlier in the year. Revenue will generally be overstated in hyperinflationary environments if historical costs are used as costs are normally incurred before revenues are realized. Net Profit Margin The net profit margins of RTG in 2007 was (0. 62%), it rose dramatically in 2008 to 879% then decreased again sharply to 0. 13% respectively. In 2008 the net profit margin was heavily distorted by the RTG’S investment income which it gained from trading on the Zimbabwean Stork exchange which was booming at this time. In 2009 the use of the United States dollar as the official currency in Zimbabwe (Dollarization) saw inflation dropping to below zero percent. This resulted in more realistic profitability ratios with the gross profit margin dropping to 84% from 99% in 2008 and the operating net profit margin dropping to 0. 913% in 2009 from 879% in 2008. Removing investment income from the net profit before interest and tax in the 2008 statement of financial position gives us a net profit margin of 17% which is more indicative of RTG’s performance in 2008. The researcher asked Mr L. Chasakara, RTG’s operations director if the large profits that RTG had reported in 2008 were a true indication of its performance. Mr L. Chasakara responded saying â€Å"these were unusual results in unusual circumstances we did what we had to do in order to survive and excel in one of the most hostile economic situations in history† The trend in the gross profit margin and the operating and the net profit margins of RTG from 2007 to 2009 is presented in the table below: Source; Kembo H (2011) The table below shows the trend in net profit margin after subtracting investment income from RTG’s 2008 net profit before interest and tax: Source: Kembo H (2011) Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE is an indicator of the management’s efficiency in generating profit from resources. In 2007 RTG’s ROCE was 2%, it then rose sharply to93. 5% in line with the high profits that were earned in 2008 and then came down to 29. % in 2009. In 2009 Africansun Limited which is RTG’s main competitor had a negative ROCE of 18. 75%. Therefore even though RTG’s ROCE dropped from 93. 5% in 2008 to 29. 1% in 2009 it still was better compared to its rival in the Zimbabwean tourism industry. RTG’s ROCE was also higher than the average borrowing rate in 2009 of 15% which means that RTG added value to its investor’s funds as it managed ROCE above the minimum borrowing rate to compensate for the extra risk they took upon investing in RTG. Asset turnover The asset turnover ratio shows the revenue generated per dollar of assets that is the efficiency of assets in generating revenue. RTG’s asset turnover ratio for 2007 was 0. 20 times per annum then decreased to, 0. 094 times then rose to 0. 92 times per annum The Asset turnover trend between 2007 and 2009 is shown in the table below: Source Kembo H (2011) In 2007 and 2008 investment income contributed to the bulk of the net profit therefore RTG’s asset turnover ratios were very poor at 0. 20 times per annum and 0. 94 times per annumrespectively. This suggests that the group was using its funds for other investments rather than its operating activities as the operating environment was extremely hostile. In the researcher’s interview with the Operations Director of RTG, heexpressed that this move was necessary for survival as the mismatch of revenues and costs due to hyperinflation meant normal operations of the RTG would result in heavy losses. Asset turnover of RG T improved dramatically in 2009 rising to 0. 2 times per annum meaning that the group was using its assets effectively to produce revenue. Although RTG’s asset turnover ratio improved in 2009 it fades in comparison with its main competitor Africansun Limited which had an asset turnover ratio of 1. 32 times a year. This means that RTG was less efficient in generating revenue from its capital than its competitor. Working Capital Ratios Current ratio The current ratio measures the adequacy of current assets to meet liabilities as they fall due. (Financial Reporting F7 Kaplan 2009) In 2007 RTG’s current ratio was 0. 7:1 which meant that RTG’s could not service its liabilities in the event that they fall due. In an interview with the researcher the Accountant of RTG Mr G Nzunga said hyperinflation made it difficult to keep too much cash it would quickly be eroded, thus they had to channel their resources into the acquisition of tangible assets and keep current assets at a minimum. In2008there was further decrease of the current ratio to 0. 32:1 as inflation continued to rise and most people discouraged to keep cash or cash equivalents. In 2009 the current ratio of RTG was 0. 76:1, an improvement from the 2008 current ratio but still not satisfactory. In 2009 the use of the United States dollar as the official currency in Zimbabwe (Dollarization) saw inflation dropping to below zero percent thus the improvement as the economic environmentbecame began to normalize. Mr G Nzunga, RTG’s Accountant said that RTG was still in a difficult position as far as working capital management was concerned as a liquidity crisis began across industry soon after dollarization in Zimbabwe in 2009. The company was not generating enough money from its day to day activities to pay mostly suppliers and other current liabilities as they fell due. In 2009 Africansun Limited which is the biggest tourism group in Zimbabwe’s current ratio was 0. 49:1. The liquidity crisis in Zimbabwe made it very hard for companies in Zimbabwe to maintain decent current ratios and most of them had to employ aggressive working capital management. With a current ratio of 0. 76:1 RTG is considered to have performed quite well given the surrounding circumstances. Inventory Turnover Period Due to lack of information the researcher was unable to calculate RTG’s inventory turnover ratios, receivables periods and payables periods for the years 2007-2008 and could only calculate the inventory turnover ratio, receivables and payables periods for the year 2009. RTG’s inventory turnover ratio for the year 2009 was 143 days which was very bad considering the fact the larger percentage of RTG’s inventory is food that they sell to guests. Normally in the food industry inventory turnover should be fairly quick so as to preserve the reputation of the company and quality of the meals served. Africansun’s inventory turnover in the same period was 70 days which was better than that of RTG in this period. The accountant of RTG commented in this high ratio saying that they purchased large amounts storks to avoid the effects of stork outs in the event of food shortages which were common in Zimbabwe in 2008. In 2008 the retail and Food industries were almost facing ruin as shelves in shops went empty due to the economic and political challenges Zimbabwe was facing, therefore it was generally reasonable for RTG to keep relatively large amounts of stork. Payables Period RTG’s payables period was 726 days in 2009 which represents the credit period it was taking from its suppliers. RTG had such a bad payables period mainly due to liquidity problems that the majority of companies was having in industry and partly as an aggressive working capital management strategy. This however resulted in RTG gaining a very bad credit reputation from its suppliers. One of their major security suppliers Chubb Locks’ Manager was once quoted saying â€Å"RTG is the worst paying customer in the country†. Some suppliers have stopped supplying RTG as a result of RTG’s bad credit record but because they are a large firm RTG still gets new suppliers. Some suppliers now demand cash for all purchases made by RTG. RTG has also been forced to purchase their supplies from more expensive suppliers or poor quality supplies. RTG is also losing out on discounts they could gain by paying promptly. In an interview with the researcher Mr G Nzunga the accountant for RTG said that the company did not have enough liquid funds to pay all their suppliers. He also stated that it was also part of an aggressive working capital management strategy as they were receiving free financing from creditors. He however admitted that the strategy was getting over-aggressive and it was ethically questionable to pursue this strategy any further. In the same period African sun’s payables period was 12 days which was better than RTG’s period and hence its good reputation with suppliers across the industry. Receivables Period The receivables period for RTG in 2009 was 94 days. This was in line with their credit policy which states that the credit period allowable to customers should be three months. The receivables period for African sun was 59 days in 2009 which was better than RTG’s period this obviously shows that African sun Limited faces less risk from irrecoverable debts. Gearing The gearing ratio indicates the degree of financial risk the company is facing and the sensitivity of earnings and dividends to changes in profitability and activity levels. Kaplan ACCA F7(2009)) In the years 2007 and 2008 RTG did not have any long term borrowing thus the gearing ratio was zero. This meant that risk for financial risk for RTG was very low. Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe made long term loans difficult to get as any lender would find it very difficult to set interest rates as inflation was highly unpredictable in this period. The value of any money borrowed could be eroded within days if not hours therefore no companies had meaningful long term liabilities. In 2009 after the introduction of the US Dollar as the official currency in Zimbabwe companies started gearing up although the liquidity crisis that followed made it difficult to get funding from local financial institutions. In 2009 the gearing ratio for RTG was 2%. RTG’s gearing ratio was very low and induced very little credit risk to the shareholders. A low gearing ratio means that RTG has the scope to borrow more if there are any profitable ventures in the future and for their current refurbishment and expansion project at their A’Zambezi River Lodge unit and increasing the group’s room capacity. Financing will also be cheap for RTG as lenders will face very low levels of risk in extending loans to them. In 2009 Africansun Limited’s gearing ratio was also very low at 3. 5% which means it also had low levels of financial risk. The low gearing across industry also reflected the liquidity crisis which was eminent in Zimbabwe in 2009 where lenders did not have the funds to extend loans to firms and they were also still skeptical about the economic and political situation in Zimbabwe. Interest Cover Interest cover is the ability of a firm to pay interest out of its profits. In 2009 RTG Interest coverwas1. 52 timesand indicated that the shareholder’s dividends were at risk. However the ability of RTG to pay its interests having emerged from difficult economic times should satisfy its shareholders as Africansun Limited its major competitor failed to make profits to pay for their finance costs. Earnings Per Share The earnings per share of RTG for 2008was384 billion Zimbabwean dollars per share and the earnings per share for 2007 was 253. 7 Zimbabwean dollars per share. Converting these figures to United States dollars at the unofficial exchange rates that were ruling at the 2007 and 2008 year ends would make the respective earnings per share figures less than 0. 000001 US cents. Due to the hyperinflation in these periods the researcher found analyzing these figures very difficultand almost impossible. The earnings per share for RTG in 2009 was USD0. 01 which was quiet impressive compared to its rivals in the tourism industry as most of them. In 2009 the earnings per share for African sun Limited was negative USD0. 8. Customer Perspective Occupancy rates One of the main indicators of performance in the tourism industry is the occupancy rate of hotels. RTG managed an occupancy rate of 44% in 2007 which was below the Zimbabwean tourism industry average occupancy rate of 45%. In the tourism industry the more customers are satisfied by your service the higher your occupancy rate will be. In 2008 the occupancy rate of RTG decreased by 9% to 37%. The decr ease in occupancy rate was due to the economic and political instability during the 2008 Zimbabwean Elections were here was widespread violence in the country, therefore the number of tourists decreased. Most airlines also pulled out of the country ma The industry average room occupancy rate in Zimbabwe’s tourism industry was 41% which was higher than that of RTG which was 37%. This shows that RTG performed badly compared to peers in the tourism industry. The fall in RTG’s occupancy rate can therefore be attributed to failure to satisfy customers better than its rivals. In 2009 RTG’s occupancy rate increased to 40% which was an increase of 3% from the 2008 occupancy rate. The increase could be attributed to the improvement in the political and economic environment in Zimbabwe after the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU) and the dollarization of the economy. The industry average occupancy rate for 2009 was 31% which was 9% below that of RTG. In an interview with the researcher Mr L Chasakara the operations director for RTG attributed the higher occupancy rate to better brand management, better marketing strategies and service excellence. RTG’s higher occupancy rate means that it was more able to satisfy its customers better than its competitors. RTG’s main competitor and the largest hotel group in Zimbabwe African sun Limited’s occupancy rate in 2009 was 32% showing that RTG performed exceptionally well in 2009 in managing to attract customers The table below shows RTG’s occupancy rate compared to the tourism industry average: Source Kembo, H(2011) . In an interview Mr G Nzunga RTG’s accountant said that the occupancy rates also improved because 65% of their sales come from repeat business from satisfied guests and large groups of organizations who hold seminars at RTG’s hotels. Service lead time In 2009 RTG managed to reduce its service lead time in its hotels to an average of 20 minutes between the time food in restaurants and rooms is ordered to the time it is served. In 2007 and 2008 the average service lead time was 30 minutes. Better training and process improvement helped in achieving the reduction in service lead time as said by the Mr L Chasakara the operations director for RTG, he also added that benchmarking against the best restaurants also helped in achieving the improvement. In 2007 RTG was not recording complaints in late service delivery to customers but in 2008 RTG recorded 2700 complaints and the figure improved to 1100 in 2009 which was a 59% improvement. This improvement shows that RTG improved in satisfying its customers in 2009. Service Quality RTG keeps books at all its hotels were customers are asked to write a comment on the services they would have received before they leave. A review of these books at two of RTG’s units Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel and A’Zambezi showed the results presented in the table below: Comment| 2007| 2008| 2009| Favorable| 98%| 96%| 99%| Unfavorable| 2%| 4%| 0. 9%| Will Return| 68%| 80%| 70%| Will not Return| 0%| 0%| 0%| The results from the review of the comment books showed that the majority of guests were satisfied by the service they received on staying at RTG units which means that RTG performed very well in this regard. Internal perspective Room service complaints were 3500 in 2007 and increased to 4550 in 2008. This was mainly due to the shortage of basic commodities in Zimbabwe in 2008. Shortage of commodities meant that the hotel could not provide its customers with some luxury items they were used to having every time they visited and hence the increase in complaints. The Accountant at RTG Mr G Nzunga explained that they made sure that their staff would explain the situation very carefully to the customers and extensive training of staff ensured that they were able to utilize the few commodities that were available. In 2009 complaints decreased to 2900. This could partly explained by the end of the commodity crisis in Zimbabwe. This also shows that RTG managed to improve its internal processes to reduce the number of complaints they were receiving from customers yearly. Learning and innovation RTG has invested heavily in the training of its staff in order to give better service to its customers. RTG has opened a Hotel School for the training of its workers and other external students. The commitment of RTG to continuously improve its operating processes and learn new ways of doing things has seen them being able to keep costs low and increase room capacity to make when its competitors are making losses and their occupancies are dropping. In an interview with the researcher Mr G Nzunga RTG’s Accountant said that every worker at RTG attends at least 1 seminar every month in order to keep them abreast of changes and new ways of doing things. Interview review Question1 In the first question the researcher asked the operations director and the accountant of RTG what their financial and business objectives were. The responses can be summarized as follows: * To be profitable and to create value for our shareholders. * To survive and grow in the long run thus protecting the interests of all our stakeholders. In 2008 the main objective was to survive in the harsh economic climate in order to save the tourism industry and the Zimbabwean economy itself * To achieve service excellence in tourism and hospitality. Question 2 In question 2 the researcher asked the accountant of RTG how they measure their business and financial performance. In response he said RTG assesses its performance through traditional financial perform ance measures such as ratio analysis and trend analysis and other modern measures especially the balanced scorecard as they are equally concerned about the qualitative aspects of performance. Question 3 In the third question the researcher asked the accountant and the operations director of RTG if they could explain the trend in the ratios that had been calculated from 2007 to 2009 financial statements. They gave various explanations for all the fluctuations in these ratios some of them have been quoted in the analysis of these ratios in the section above. The most common response to the financial ratios was that they were unusual results in an unusual environment referring to the hyper inflationary environment that was in Zimbabwe during this period. Question 4 Question 4 was to establish which strategies RTG used to ensure that they met their business and financial objectives. In response the accountant and operations director outlined the following as some of the strategies they implemented: * Employing an aggressive working capital strategy to mitigate the liquidity and operational challenges they were facing * Investing in money markets rather than core operating activities to improve the cash and revenue inflow. Focusing on the local markets rather than the traditional international markets that had been negatively impacted by bad publicity and political instability. * Process and service improvement through employee training. * Intensive marketing both nationally and internationally * Strict stock management to curb the shortages of basic commodities that were prevailing as a result of price controls by the government. Questions 5, 6 and 7 These questions were to establish how RTG business and financial performance contribu ted to the economy and how it can improve its performance in future. In response the interviewees stated that in making profits and surviving through the historic hyperinflationary environment in the period under review RTG saved the tourism industry in Zimbabwe as its downfall would have surely resulted in the collapse of the tourism and hospitality industry. They also stated that they managed to save thousands of jobs and provided business for hundreds of their suppliers. They also stated that to improve performance RTG would spend more on capital through hotel refurbishments and also taking advantage of their low gearing by taking loans thus improving working capital. They also stressed the need to advertise and restore the image of Zimbabwe as a tourist destination. Conclusion The researcher found out that RTG uses both financial and non-financial performance measures through the balanced score card which gives a comprehensive framework for performance measurement. This ensures that both quantitative and qualitative performance objectives are assessed. RTG used various strategies to ensure that it met its financial and business objectives which were mainly to survive the harsh economic environment and to protect its investors employees and all its stakeholders. RTG used strategies such as aggressive working capital management, investing in the money markets instead of its core operational activities and shifting their attention on the local market rather than the traditional international market. RTG also innovated through constantly innovating and improving its processes to achieve its business and financial objectives. Limitations of results The major limitation of these results is the unavailability of inflation adjusted figures for the proper analysis of financial ratios and trend analysis which might have given a false picture. The researcher held interviews with only 2 members of the executive management team which might have given a narrow picture of RTG’s performance. Interviewing all members of the management and the board would have given the researcher a broader understanding of the business and financial performance of RTG, but time and the availability of most of these people was a challenge. The researcher could not visit all RTG companies due to limitation of resources as they are geographically dispersed. This might have limited the researcher especially when he looked at the qualitative aspects of RTG’s performance. Recommendations The researcher recommends that RTG should employ less aggressive working strategies. RTG’s current working capital strategy may see suppliers refusing to supply them with critical supplies. RTG might also face legal action from its suppliers which may increase its legal costs and even loose customers who may not want to be associated with firms who have bad credit reputation. RTG should thus reduce its payables period to a more reasonable period of perhaps 90 days. The researcher also recommends that RTG should increase its gearing levels as they are currently very low in order to take advantage of loans which provide cheaper financing than equity. Zimbabwe’s reputation as a safe tourism destination was severely damaged due to the political and economic instability in 2007 and 2008. The researcher thus recommends that RTG should form partnerships with other players in the tourism industry to market the Zimbabwean brand in the international tourism market.

American History Eoc Study Guide - 5327 Words

American History EOC Study Guide 1) Reconstruction: A plan to reconstruct the society after the Civil War. This divided the south (except Tennessee) into 5 military districts under the control of the U.S. Army. It was the attempt to reconstruct the south, readmit the southern states back into the Union, and change the life of African Americans. (pg. 414) 2) Freedman’s Bureau: Congress created this in March of 1865 in order to provide help for thousands of poor black and white southerners uprooted by the fighting. They were educated in Freedman Schools, housed, and fed. â€Å"Plenty to eat, nothing to do† (pg. 404) 3) Transcontinental Railroad: One of the first railroads built that would cross the whole country. It also helped†¦show more content†¦24) Alexander G. Bell: This man invented the telephone. He beat another person with the same idea to the patent office by only a few hours. 25) Thomas Edison: He invented the electric light bulb. He created a lighting system near Wall Street powered by his own generator. 26) Cattle Drive Barb Wire: The demand for beef after the Civil War sparked the cattle boom. Ranchers would hire cowboys to drive longhorns in trails to cities where they could by shipped to meat packaging plants. Open range drives were ended with the invention of barbwire by Joseph Glidden which enclosed cattle in a field. Most of the cattle died in severe blizzards which brought an end to it. 27) Indian Wars: The Indian Wars were the battles and conflicts between Great Plains Indians and settlers. The Battle of Little Bighorn was the only battle the Indians won. They eventually stopped resisting and were moved to reservations. 28) Dawes Act: This law gave each Indian head of house property to farm eliminating most of the reservations. Indian children were taken east and Americanized. 29) Fredrick J Turner: He developed the â€Å"Frontier Thesis† was the settlement of the west. This was the most distinctive and important development in U.S. History. 30) Populist Political Party: A group of farmers, labor leaders, and reformers who supported Alliance and Grange demands like income tax andShow MoreRelatedEquity Audit : Notes On Equity4768 Words   |  20 Pagesthat may inform questions of equity. There is currently a high degree of variability in the content of equity audits (Fortner, Faust-Berryman, Keehn, 2014). The term equity audit (also known as a representivity audit) has a deep and significant history in civil rights enforcement in the United States and other nations in a variety of arenas, including, but not limited to, education. In the U.S. educational arena, equity audits of school districts have been conducted as a way of determining the degreeRead MoreGeographic Information Systems (Gis)2537 Words   |  11 PagesTHE WORLD TRADE CENTER Submitted To Mark Stallo School of Graduate Studies Of Tiffin University In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the graduate course Geographic Information Systems ENF 622 In the School of Criminal Justice Summer Quarter 2006 by Oscar Young Geographic Information Systems (GIS) And Terrorist Attacks Of Oklahoma City Bombing And The World Trade Center History of GIS GIS is a way of organizing large amounts of geographic informationRead MoreTeaching English As A Second Language And Culture3962 Words   |  16 PagesTeaching Philosophy; Language Development, Diversity, Education and Culture 9 Teaching English as a Second Language and Culture A Bilingualism Study Ana Miranda Texas AM of Commerce Abstract This paper is primarily intended to present detailed examination about bilingualism and bilingual education from a teaching and student perspective. 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Websites Helping Small Business 2019

Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and those wishing to start a business should be aware of the information available to you on-line. Recently, the U.S. Department of Social Security reported that 85 percent of Americans 65 and over do not have more than $250. Only two percent in this age range do not need help from churches, relatives, or the Government. To avoid this, there are many tools on-line that you can use to build a successful small business and create a brighter future for yourself and your family. One magazine of interest to many small business owners is SmallBiz, published by Business Week Magazine. SmallBiz offers information and statistics for business owners on taxes, tax deadlines, and ways in which to grow your business. SmallBiz continuously publishes tips that you may have never thought of. To help and assist home based businesses, Business Weeks on-line site contains tons of useful information and tips. There you will find anything from increasing profits of your business using ads and slogans to finding better ways of using your corporate website to link and share information with other companies and websites. Networking is the key for most businesses who have a hard time getting their business operating the way they want. .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af:active, .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u17f46760fa2f2ef78af59b4feeea10af:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Learn What it Takes to Be a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)Your business could be one of the numerous on-line success stories. There are places on-line that inform you about developing business plans and how to properly go about buying or selling a business. In just a few minutes you can learn everything from determining your advertising market to incorporating your business. Even more, there is a ton of information on buying franchises, how to raise money for your business, and the financing and accounting that needs to be done to run a successful business. The SmallBiz Magazine website dedicates most of its topics to research statistics, keeping accounting documents organized, hiring employees, 401k and health plans, and ways to increase business. They often suggest ways to increase your presence on the web and the technology used to run a business. Another website, Inc.com details the process of the concept of your business idea to the creating of your company website. In short it states that all successful small businesses have a website and ideas on how to make sales from the web. .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182:active, .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u85afcceac01875ed86781fe1fd5e8182:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Working in Human ResourcesThe SBA (Small Business Administration) runs a website containing helpful ideas for a new start-up, the latest business opportunities and news, and ways to apply for loans or funding from the SBA. There are many website dedicated to this kind of information and small business owners. They are there waiting for you to find them so that they can assist you in ever detail possible. Why not use information that is so easily accessible? * Resources mentioned in this article are located at: Business Week Magazine http://www.businessweek.com SmallBiz Magazine http://mediakit.businessweek.com/Products/Magazines/SmallBiz Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov Inc.com http://www.inc.com U.S. Department of Social Security http://www.ssa.gov Related ArticlesWhy Startups Should Seek Help From The Small Business AdministrationEarning an Education in Business AccountingThe IT Security IndustryFrom IT School to an IT CareerMaking Sure Your Internet is Safe From HackersUnderstanding Computer Science .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c:active, .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: ba ckground-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .ubf79d8afc95395e810840f109badbc9c:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ The History of the C Programming Language

Love Why I Live At The Po And A Rose For Emily - 1177 Words

What is love? Love is can be consider as emotion or feeling to pleasure or affection. Sometimes people choose our own partner or chosen by our family. Love can be also conducted by destiny, when both peers don’t know why they attracted to one another. When a person loves someone just for a day, or not feeling that they will be together forever, we can consider it as a lust. Love stories are dominant in our generation as people might have experienced different kinds of love in their lives. In Love in time of Cholera, â€Å"Why I Live at the PO† and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† are the example of love stories, which the flow of the story is about the protagonist’s problems. Lust can be considers as the main reason of conflict in most relationship. Love is complicated and comes in differente forms, can be chosen, destine or lust. Sometimes, loves can create conflict with everyone. In the novel, Love in time of Cholera, loves can be seen as lust. Florentino Ariza, a man who still waiting for his love. After a long time, they reunite for the first time, yet Fermina Daza already has a husband. This creates a great heartache when he faces the truth that they had married. Sooner or later, Florentino becomes fed up to wait for her. He becomes addicted with affairs as he had slept with many women. Although he has done a lot of affairs with other women, as he still wanted to wait for Fermina’s response. In some way, Florentino can be defined as someone who is lust with every woman. In a suddenShow MoreRelatedLove : Why I Live At The Po And A Rose For Emily902 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is love? How can it be defined? Love can be choices, destiny or lust. Sometimes people choose our own partner or chosen by our family. Love can be also conducted by destiny, when both peers don’t know why they attracted to one another. When a person loves someone just for a day, or not feeling that they will be together forever, we can consider it as a lust. Love stories are dominant in our generation as people might have experienced different kinds of love in their lives. In â€Å"Love in time of

Kitsch Internet Cafe Business Plan Free Essays

KITSCH INTERNET CAFE Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary5 1. 1 Objectives6 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Kitsch Internet Cafe Business Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 Keys to Success6 1. 3 Mission6 1. 4 Risks7 2. Company Description7 2. 1 Company Ownership7 2. 2 Start-up Summary8 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities10 3. Description of Services11 3. 1 Competitive Comparison11 3. 2 Service Description11 3. 3 Fulfillment12 3. 4 Technology12 3. 5 Future Services12 4. Market Analysis13 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy13 4. 1. 1 Market Trends13 4. 1. 2 Market Needs13 4. 2 Market Segmentation14 4. Service Business Analysis15 4. 3. 1 Competition and Buying Patterns16 4. 3. 2 Business Participants16 4. 3. 3 Distributing a Service17 5. Marketing Strategy18 5. 1 Strategy Pyramid18 5. 1. 1 Attract Power Internet Users18 5. 1. 2 Social Hub18 5. 1. 3 Attract Novice Internet Users19 5. 2 SWOT Analysis19 5. 2. 1 Weaknesses20 5. 2. 2 Opportunities20 5. 2. 3 Threats20 5. 2. 4 Strengths21 5. 3 Competitive Edge21 5. 4 Marketing Strategy21 5. 4. 1 Pricing Strategy22 5. 4. 2 Promotion Strategy22 5. 5 Sales Strategy23 5. 5. 1 Sales Forecast23 . 6 Milestones26 6. Operating Plan27 6. 1 Personnel Plan27 7. Financial Plan29 7. 1 Start-up Funding29 7. 2 Important Assumptions31 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators32 7. 4 Break-even Analysis32 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss33 7. 6 Projected Cash Flow37 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet40 7. 8 Business Ratios42 8. Appendix46 Kitsch Internet Cafe Executive Summary Kitsch, unlike a typical cafe, will provide a unique forum for communication and entertainment through the medium of the Internet. Kitsch is the answer to an increasing demand. The public wants: (1) access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the Internet, and (2) access at a cost they can afford and in such a way that they aren’t socially, economically, or politically isolated. Kitsch’s goal is to provide the community with a social, educational, entertaining, atmosphere for worldwide communication. Highlights [pic] 1. 1 Objectives Kitsch’s objectives for the first three years of operation include: †¢ The creation of a unique, upscale, innovative environment that will differentiate Kitsch from local coffee houses. Educating the community on what the Internet has to offer. †¢ The formation of an environment that will bring people with diverse interests and backgrounds together in a common forum. †¢ Good coffee and bakery items at a reasonable price. †¢ Affordable access to the resources of the Internet and other online services. 1. 2 Keys to Success The keys to the success for K itsch are: †¢ The creation of a unique, innovative, upscale atmosphere that will differentiate Kitsch from other local coffee shops and future Internet cafes. †¢ The establishment of Kitsch as a community hub for socialization and entertainment. The creation of an environment that won’t intimidate the novice user. Kitsch will position itself as an educational resource for individuals wishing to learn about the benefits the Internet has to offer. †¢ Great coffee and bakery items. 1. 3 Mission As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow at an exponential rate, easy and affordable access  is quickly becoming a necessity of life. Kitsch provides communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoy a cup of coffee, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that Kitsch provides. 1. 4 Risks The risks involved with starting Kitsch were: †¢ Will there be a demand for the services offered by Kitsch in Nicosia? †¢ Will the popularity of the Internet continue to grow, or is the Internet a fad? †¢ Will individuals be willing to pay for the service Kitsch offers? †¢ Will the cost of accessing the Internet from home drop so significantly that there will not be a market for Internet Cafes such as Kitsch? Company Description Kitsch, is located at the area of Agioi Omologites at 15 Chiou Street, offering the community easy and affordable access to the Internet. Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Kitsch will also provide customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. Kitsch is appealing to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The instructional Internet classes, and the helpful staff that Kitsch provides, will appeal to the audience that does not associate themselves with the computer age. This educational aspect attracts younger and elderly members of the community who are rapidly gaining interest in the unique resources that online communications have to offer. The downtown location will provide business people with convenient access to their morning coffee and online needs. 2. 1 Company Ownership Kitsch is owned by M T Corporation with the manager Loizos Loizou to possess the main share (80%). 2. 2 Start-up Summary Kitsch’s start-up costs covered coffee making equipment, site renovation and modification, capital to cover losses in the first year, and the communications equipment necessary to get its customers online. The communications equipment necessary to provide Kitsch’s customers with a high-speed connection to the Internet and the services it has to offer make up a large portion of the start-up costs. These costs included the computer terminals and all costs associated with their set-up. Costs were also designated for the purchase of two laser printers and a scanner. Additional to those, one espresso machine, an automatic coffee grinder, and minor additional equipment will be purchased from Petersons ltd. The building at 15 Chiou Street required funds for renovation and modification. A single estimated figure was allocated for this purpose. The renovation/modification cost estimated included the costs associated with preparing the building for opening business. Start-up Expense Details: †¢ 11 computers = â‚ ¬22,000 †¢ two printers = â‚ ¬1,000 †¢ one scanner = â‚ ¬500 †¢ software = â‚ ¬810 †¢ one espresso machine = â‚ ¬10,700 †¢ one automatic espresso grinder = â‚ ¬795 †¢ other fixtures and remodeling: o two coffee/food preparation counters = â‚ ¬1,000 o one information display counter = â‚ ¬1,000 o one drinking/eating counter = â‚ ¬500 o sixteen stools = â‚ ¬1,600 o six computer desks w/chairs = â‚ ¬2,400 o stationery goods = â‚ ¬500 o two telephones = â‚ ¬200 o decoration expense = â‚ ¬13,000 Start-up | | | | |Requirements | | | | | |Start-up Expenses | | |Legal |â‚ ¬500 | |Stationery etc. â‚ ¬500 | |Brochures |â‚ ¬500 | |Consultants |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬700 | |Rent |â‚ ¬1,445 | |4-group Automatic Coffee Machine |â‚ ¬10,700 |Bean Grinder |â‚ ¬795 | |Computer Systems (x11), Software, Printer, Scanner |â‚ ¬24,310 | |Communication Lines |â‚ ¬840 | |Fixtures/Remodel |â‚ ¬20,000 | |Total Start-up Expenses |â‚ ¬62,290 | | | | |Start-up Assets | | |Cash Required |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Start-up Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | | | | |Total Requirements |â‚ ¬88,290 | 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities A site has been chosen at 15 Chiou Street in Agioi Omologites. This site was chosen for various reasons, including: †¢ Proximity to the downtown business community. †¢ Proximity to trendy, upscale restaurants such as Bagatelle, Steak Co, Paragadi fish restaurant, Aperitivo Jet Set and others †¢ Parking availability. †¢ Low cost rent – â‚ ¬. 85 per square foot for 1700 square feet. †¢ High visibility. All of these qualities are consistent with Kitsch’s goal of providing a central hub of communication and socialization for the Eugene community. Description of Services Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Printing, scanning, and introductory courses to the Internet are also available to the customer. Kitsch also provides customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. 3. 1 Competitive Comparison Kitsch is the first Internet cafe in Agioi Omologites. Kitsch differentiates itself from the strictly-coffee cafes in Agioi Omologites by providing its customers with Internet and computing services. 3. 2 Service Description Kitsch provides its customers with full access to the Internet and common computer software and hardware. Some of the Internet and computing services available to Kitsch’s customers are listed below: †¢ Access to external POP3 and IMAP email accounts. †¢ Customers can sign up for a Kitsch email account. This account will be managed by Kitsch servers and accessible from computer systems outside the Kitsch network. †¢ FTP, Telnet, Gopher, and other popular Internet utilities will be available. †¢ Access to Netscape, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer browser. †¢ Access to laser and color printing. †¢ Access to popular software applications like Adobe PhotoShop and Microsoft Office. Kitsch also provides its customers with access to introductory Internet and email classes. These classes will be held in the afternoon and late in the evening. By providing these classes, Kitsch builds a client base familiar with its services. The computers, Internet access, and classes wouldn’t mean half as much if taken out of the environment Kitsch provides. Good coffee, specialty drinks, bakery goods, and a comfortable environment provide Kitsch customers with a home away from home. Kitsch is a place to enjoy the benefits of computing in a comfortable and well-kept environment. 3. 3 Fulfillment Kitsch obtains computer support and Internet access from Logitech Computers located in Agioi Omologites. CYTA and CYTACOM Solutions provide the Internet connections and network consulting. Petersons ltd will provide Kitsch with coffee equipment, bulk coffee, and paper supplies. A contract for the bakery items has not been yet completed. 3. 4 Technology Kitsch invests in high-speed computers to provide its customers with a fast and efficient connection to the Internet. The computers are reliable and fun to work with. Kitsch will continue to upgrade and modify the systems to stay current with communications technology. One of the main attractions associated with Internet cafes, is the state of the art equipment available for use. Not everyone has a Pentium PC in their home or office. 3. 5 Future Services As Kitsch grows, more communications systems will be added. The possibility of additional units has been accounted for in the current floor plan. As the demand for Internet connectivity increases, along with the increase in competition, Kitsch will continue to add new services to keep its customer base coming back for more. Market Analysis Kitsch is faced with the exciting opportunity of being the first-mover in Nicosia’s cyber-cafe market. The consistent popularity of coffee, combined with the growing interest in the Internet, has been proven to be a winning concept in other markets and will produce the same results in Nicosia. 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy Kitsch intends to cater to people who want a guided tour on their first spin around the Internet and to experienced users eager to indulge their passion for computers in a social setting. Furthermore, Kitsch is a magnet for local and professionals who desire to work or check their email messages in a friendly atmosphere. These professionals will either use Kitsch’s PCs, or plug their notebooks into Internet connections. Kitsch’s target market covers a wide range of ages: from members of Generation X who grew up surrounded by computers, to Baby Boomers who have come to the realization that people today cannot afford to ignore computers. 4. 1. 1 Market Trends A market survey was conducted in the Fall of 2007. Key questions were asked of fifty potential customers. Some key findings include: †¢ 35 subjects said they would be willing to pay for access to the Internet. †¢ One euro per hour was the most popular hourly Internet fee at that time. †¢ 24 subjects use the Internet to communicate with others on a regular basis. 4. 1. 2 Market Needs Factors such as current trends, addiction, and historical sales data ensure that the high demand for coffee will remain constant over the next five years. The rapid growth of the Internet and online services, that has been witnessed worldwide, is only the tip of the iceberg. The potential growth of the Internet is enormous, to the point where one day, a computer terminal with an online connection will be as common and necessary as a telephone. This may be 10 or 20 years down the road, but for the next five years, the online service provider market is sure to experience tremendous growth. Being one of the first’s cyber-cafe in Nicosia, Kitsch will enjoy the first-mover advantages of name recognition and customer loyalty. Initially, Kitsch will hold a 100 percent share of the cyber-cafe market in Nicosia. In the next five years, competitors will enter the market. Kitsch has set a goal to maintain greater than a 50 percent market share. 4. 2 Market Segmentation Kitsch’s customers can be divided into two groups. The first group is familiar with the Internet and desires a progressive and inviting atmosphere where they can get out of their offices or bedrooms and enjoy a great cup of coffee. The second group is not familiar with the Internet, yet, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to enter the online community. Kitsch’s target market falls anywhere between the ages of 15 and 50. This extremely wide range of ages is due to the fact that both coffee and the Internet appeal to a variety of people. In addition to these two broad categories, Kitsch’s target market can be divided into more specific market segments. The majority of these individuals are students and business people. See the Market Analysis chart and table below for more specifics. [pic] Market Analysis | | | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Unit Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |12,016 |14,068 |15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |6,654 |7,913 |8,705 | |Email Memberships |8,703 |10,505 |11,556 | |Hourly Internet Fees |38,269 |46,365 |51,002 | |Baked Goods- average |32,673 |42,150 |46,365 | |Total Unit Sales |98,315 |121,001 |133,103 | | | | | |Unit Prices |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬12,016 |â‚ ¬14,068 |â‚ ¬15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬13,308 |â‚ ¬15,826 |â‚ ¬8,705 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬87,030 |â‚ ¬105,050 |â‚ ¬115,560 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬95,673 |â‚ ¬115,913 |â‚ ¬127,505 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬40,841 |â‚ ¬52,688 |â‚ ¬46,365 | |Total Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Direct Unit Costs |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬0. 5 |â‚ ¬0. 25 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | | | | | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬3,004 |â‚ ¬3,517 |â‚ ¬3,869 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬3,327 |â‚ ¬3,957 |â‚ ¬2,176 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬21,758 |â‚ ¬26,263 |â‚ ¬28,890 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬23,918 |â‚ ¬28,978 |â‚ ¬31,876 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬10,210 |â‚ ¬13,172 |â‚ ¬11,591 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | 5. 6 Milestones The Kitsch management team has established some basic milestones to keep the business plan priorities in place. Responsibility for implementation falls on the shoulders of Loizos Loizou. This Milestones Table below will be updated as the year progresses using the actual tables. New milestones added as the first year of operations commences. [pic] 6. Operating Plan Kitsch is owned and operated by Mr. Loizos Loizou. The company, being small in nature, requires a simple organizational structure. Implementation of this organizational form calls for the owner, Mr. Loizou, to make all of the major management decisions in addition to monitoring all other business activities. 6. 1 Personnel Plan The staff will consist of six part-time employees working thirty hours a week at â‚ ¬5. 50 per hour. In addition, one full-time technician (who is more technologically oriented to handle minor terminal repairs/inquiries) will be employed to work forty hours a week at â‚ ¬10. 00 per hour. The two private investors, Andreas Augoustinos and Panagiotis Metaxas will not be included in management decisions. This simple structure provides a great deal of flexibility and allows communication to disperse quickly and directly. Because of these characteristics, there are few coordination problems seen at Kitsch that are common within larger organizational chains. This strategy will enable Kitsch to react quickly to changes in the market. Personnel Plan | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Owner |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 |â‚ ¬29,040 | |Part Time 1 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 2 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,92 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 3 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |à ¢â€š ¬7,920 | |Part Time 4 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 5 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 6 |â‚ ¬3,960 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Technician |â‚ ¬21,731 |â‚ ¬23,904 |â‚ ¬26,294 | |Manager |â‚ ¬4,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 | |Total People |9 |9 |9 | | | | | | |Total Payroll |â‚ ¬93 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | | |291 | | | 7. Financial Plan The following sections lay out the details of our financial plan for the next three years. 7. 1 Start-up Funding This business plan is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of â‚ ¬24,000. The supplemental financing is required to begin work on site preparation and modifications, equipment purchases, and to cover expenses in the first year of operations. Additional financing has already been secured as follows: †¢ â‚ ¬19,000 of personal savings from owner Loizos Loizou †¢ â‚ ¬36,000 from two investors †¢ and â‚ ¬9,290 in the form of sh ort-term loans Start-up Funding | | | | |Start-up Expenses to Fund |â‚ ¬62,290 | |Start-up Assets to Fund |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding Required |â‚ ¬88,290 | | | | |Assets | | |Non-cash Assets from Start-up |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Cash Requirements from Start-up |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Additional Cash Raised |â‚ ¬0 | |Cash Balance on Starting Date |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Liabilities and Capital | | | | | |Liabilities | | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,290 | | | | |Capital | | |Planned Investment | | |Loizos Loizou |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Private Investor |â‚ ¬12,000 | |Additional Investment Requirement |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Planned Investment |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) |(â‚ ¬62,290) | |Total Capital |(â‚ ¬7,290) | |Total Capital and Liabilities |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding |â‚ ¬88,290 | 7. 2 Important Assumptions Basic assumptions  are presented in the table below. General Assumptions | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Plan Month |1 |2 |3 | |Current Interest Rate |8. 00% |8. 00% |8. 00% | |Long-term Interest Rate |10. 00% |10. 00% |10. 00% | |Tax Rate |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% | |Other |0 |0 |0 | 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators Important benchmark data is presented in the chart below. Benchmarks [pic] 7. 4 Break-even Analysis Break-even data is presented in the chart and table below. [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Units Break-even |7,294 | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |â‚ ¬18,462 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Per-Unit Revenue |â‚ ¬2. 53 | |Average Per-Unit Variable Cost |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |â‚ ¬13,847 | 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss Payroll Expense: The founder of Kitsch, Loizos Loizou, will receive a salary of â‚ ¬24,000 in year one, â‚ ¬26,400 in year two, and â‚ ¬29,040 in year three. Kitsch intends to hired six part-time employees by the end of year one at â‚ ¬5. 75/hour and a full-time technician at â‚ ¬10. 00/hour. Rent Expense: Kitsch is leasing a 1700 square foot facility at â‚ ¬. 85/sq. oot. The lease agreement Kitsch signed specifies that we pay â‚ ¬2,000/month for a total of 36 months. At the end of the third year, the lease is open for negotiations and Kitsch may or may not re-sign the lease depending on the demands of the lessor. Utilities Expense: As stated i n the contract, the lessor is responsible for the payment of utilities including gas, garbage disposal, and real estate taxes. The only utilities expense that Kitsch must pay is the phone bill generated by fifteen phone lines; thirteen will be dedicated to modems and two for business purposes. The basic monthly service charge for each line provided by CYTA is â‚ ¬17. 29. The 13 lines used to connect the modems will make local calls to the network provided by CYTACOM Solutions resulting in a monthly charge of â‚ ¬224. 77. The two additional lines used for business communication will cost â‚ ¬34. 58/month plus long distance fees. Kitsch assumes that it will not make more than â‚ ¬40. 00/month in long distance calls. Therefore, the total cost associated with the two business lines is estimated at â‚ ¬74. 58/month and the total phone expense at â‚ ¬299. 35/month. In addition, there will be an additional utility expense of â‚ ¬800 for estimated EWEB bills. Marketing Expense: Kitsch allocated â‚ ¬33,750 for promotional expenses over the first year. These were used for advertising in local newspapers in order to build consumer awareness. For additional information, please refer to section 5. 0 of the business plan. Insurance Expense: Kitsch has allocated â‚ ¬1,440 for insurance for the first year. As revenue increases in the second and third year of business, Kitsch intends to invest more money for additional insurance coverage. Depreciation: In depreciating our capital equipment, Kitsch used the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery Method. We depreciated our computers over a five-year time period and our fixtures over seven years. Taxes: Kitsch is not taxed. However, there is a 15% payroll burden. Detailed Profit and Loss data is presented in the table below. [pic] [pic] [pic] Pro Forma Profit and Loss | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | |Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | |Other Costs of Sales |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Cost of Sa les |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | | | | | | |Gross Margin |â‚ ¬186,651 |â‚ ¬227,658 |â‚ ¬235,208 | |Gross Margin % |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 0% | | | | | | | | | | | |Expenses | | | | |Payroll |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Marketing/Promotion |â‚ ¬33,750 |â‚ ¬40,000 |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Rent |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Utilities |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 | |Payroll Taxes |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Operating Expenses |â‚ ¬166,161 |â‚ ¬200,944 |â‚ ¬211,374 | | | | | | |Profit Before Interest and Taxes |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |EBITDA |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |Interest Expense |â‚ ¬2,325 |â‚ ¬1,470 |â‚ ¬1,100 | |Taxes Incurred |â‚ ¬5,450 |â‚ ¬7,573 |â‚ ¬6,820 | | | | | | |Net Profit |â⠀š ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Net Profit/Sales |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% | 7. 6 Cash Flow Cash flow data is presented in the chart and table below. Accounts Payable: Kitsch acquired a â‚ ¬24,000 loan from a bank at a 10% interest rate. The loan paid back at â‚ ¬800/month over the next three years. The â‚ ¬9,290 short term loan paid back at a rate of 8%. Cash (000 â‚ ¬) [pic] |Pro Forma Cash Flow | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Cash Received | | | | | | | | | |Cash from Operations | | | | |Cash Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 |Subtotal Cash from Operations |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Received | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Other Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Investment Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Received |â‚ ¬250,868 |â‚ ¬308,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Expenditures |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Expenditures from Operations | | | | |Cash Spendi ng |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Bill Payments |â‚ ¬133,870 |â‚ ¬165,945 |â‚ ¬168,467 | |Subtotal Spent on Operations |â‚ ¬227,161 |â‚ ¬287,769 |â‚ ¬297,721 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Spent | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Paid Out |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬9,600 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬4,800 | |Purchase Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Purchase Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Dividends |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Spent |â‚ ¬246,051 |â‚ ¬294,769 |â‚ ¬302,521 | | | | | | |Net Cash Flow |â‚ ¬4,817 |â‚ ¬13,775 |â‚ ¬11,089 | |Cash Balance |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet Our projected balance sheet is presented in the table below. Pro Forma Balance Sheet | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Assets | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬6,980 |â‚ ¬8,514 |â‚ ¬8,796 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital |Year 1 Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬13,972 |â‚ ¬13,610 |â‚ ¬13,868 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬15,972 |â‚ ¬18,610 |â‚ ¬18,868 | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬14,400 |â‚ ¬9,400 |â‚ ¬4,600 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬30,372 |â‚ ¬28,010 |â‚ ¬23,468 | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Retained Earnings |(â‚ ¬62,290) |(â‚ ¬49,574) |(â‚ ¬31,904) | |Earnings |â‚ ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | 7. 8 Business Ratios The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code for the Internet Service Provider industry is â€Å"Remote data base information retrieval† 7375. 9903. We used the report for â€Å"Information retrieval services† 7375 to generate  the industry profile. As we are also a food cafe we could have used the ratios based on SIC classification 5812, â€Å"Eating places†. The combined nature of Kitsch Cafe makes our ratios a blend of the two i ndustries. Ratio Analysis | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 |Industry Profile| |Sales Growth |0. 00% |21. 97% |3. 32% |0. 90% | | | | | | | |Percent of Total Assets | | | | | |Inventory |19. 50% |16. 66% |14. 08% |2. 17% | |Other Current Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |84. 8% | |Total Current Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |86. 95% | |Long-term Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |13. 05% | |Total Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities |44. 62% |36. 41% |30. 20% |28. 33% | |Long-term Liabilities |40. 23% |18. 39% |7. 36% |16. 21% | |Total Liabilities |84. 84% |54. 1% |37. 56% |44. 54% | |Net Worth |15. 16% |45. 19% |62. 44% |55. 46% | | | | | | | |Percent of Sales | | | | | |Sales |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | |Gross Margin |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 00% |100. 00% | |Selling, General Administrative |69. 89% |69. 18% |69. 93% |79. 0% | |Expenses | | | | | |Advertising Expenses |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |1. 01% | |Profit Before Interest and Taxes |8. 23% |8. 80% |7. 60% |1. 62% | | | | | | | |Main Ratios | | | | | |Current |2. 24 |2. 75 |3. 31 |0. 00 | |Quick |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |0. 0 | |Total Debt to Total Assets |84. 84% |54. 81% |37. 56% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Net Worth |334. 80% |109. 30% |58. 28% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Assets |50. 74% |49. 40% |36. 39% |0. 00% | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | |Net Profit Margin |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% |n. a | |Return on Equity |234. 36% |76. 1% |40. 79% |n. a | | | | | | | |Activity Ratios | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |12. 00 |9. 80 |9. 06 |n. a | |Accounts Payable Turnover |10. 58 |12. 17 |12. 17 |n. a | |Payment Days |27 |30 |30 |n. a | |Total Asset Turnover |6. 95 |5. 94 |5. 02 |n. | | | | | | | |Debt Ratios | | | | | |Debt to Net Worth |5. 60 |1. 21 |0. 60 |n. a | |Current Liab. to Liab. |0. 53 |0. 66 |0. 80 |n. a | | | | | | | |Liquidity Ratios | | | | | |Net Working Capital |â‚ ¬19,826 |â‚ ¬32,496 |â‚ ¬43,610 |n. | |Interes t Coverage |8. 81 |18. 17 |21. 67 |n. a | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios | | | | | |Assets to Sales |0. 14 |0. 17 |0. 20 |n. a | |Current Debt/Total Assets |45% |36% |30% |n. a | |Acid Test |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |n. a | |Sales/Net Worth |45. 87 |13. 14 |8. 4 |n. a | |Dividend Payout |0. 00 |0. 00 |0. 00 |n. a | 8. Appendix |Sales | | | | | | | | | | | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | |Assets |Starting Balances | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,026 |â‚ ¬18,600 |â‚ ¬13,589 |â‚ ¬16,879 |â‚ ¬16,066 |â‚ ¬19,557 |â‚ ¬20,657 |â‚ ¬22,308 |â‚ ¬24,307 |â‚ ¬26,675 |â‚ ¬27,415 |â‚ ¬28,817 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬1,900 |â‚ ¬2,683 |â‚ ¬3,106 |â‚ ¬5,203 |â‚ ¬5,403 |â‚ ¬5,614 |â‚ ¬5,819 |â‚ ¬6,034 |â‚ ¬6,256 |â‚ ¬6,490 |â‚ ¬6,730 |â‚ ¬6,980 | |Ot her Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,503 |â‚ ¬8,785 |â‚ ¬8,701 |â‚ ¬13,654 |â‚ ¬12,180 |â‚ ¬12,578 |â‚ ¬12,709 |â‚ ¬13,055 â‚ ¬13,410 |â‚ ¬13,786 |â‚ ¬13,581 |â‚ ¬13,972 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬8,540 |â‚ ¬7,790 |â‚ ¬7,040 |â‚ ¬6,290 |â‚ ¬5,540 |â‚ ¬6,790 |â‚ ¬6,040 |â‚ ¬5,290 |â‚ ¬4,540 |â‚ ¬3,790 |â‚ ¬3,040 |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬15,043 |â‚ ¬16,575 |â‚ ¬15,741 |â‚ ¬19,944 |â‚ ¬17,720 |â‚ ¬19,368 |â‚ ¬18,749 |â‚ ¬18,345 |â‚ ¬17,950 |â‚ ¬17,576 |â‚ ¬16,621 |â‚ ¬15,972 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,200 |â‚ ¬22,400 |â‚ ¬21,600 |â‚ ¬20,800 |â‚ ¬20,000 |â‚ ¬19,200 |â‚ ¬18,400 |â‚ ¬17,600 |â‚ ¬16,800 |â‚ ¬16,000 |â‚ ¬15,200 |â‚ ¬14,400 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,29 |â‚ ¬38,243 |â‚ ¬38,975 |â‚ ¬37,341 |â‚ ¬40,744 |â‚ ¬37,720 |â‚ ¬38,568 |â‚ ¬37,149 |â‚ ¬35,945 |â‚ ¬34,750 |â‚ ¬33,576 |â‚ ¬31,821 |â‚ ¬30,372 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 | |Retained Earnings |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 | |Earnings |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,027 |â‚ ¬10,403 |â‚ ¬13,356 |â‚ ¬11,372 |â‚ ¬8,961 |â‚ ¬6,108 |â‚ ¬3,382 |â‚ ¬313 |â‚ ¬3,103 |â‚ ¬6,879 |â‚ ¬9,614 |â‚ ¬12,716 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,66 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,662 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | | How to cite Kitsch Internet Cafe Business Plan, Papers

External Threats That Face Coca Cola Commerce Essay Example For Students

External Threats That Face Coca Cola Commerce Essay The study provides a elaborate analysis of the external environmental menaces of coca Cola every bit good as how it monitors its environment to discourage all the possible menaces that may be /arise at that place from, to enable it keep a competitory place over its cardinal rivals in the relentless shrinkage concern universe with its attendant intense and unchecked competition. This study, in a command to reexamine of the current monitoring system of coca-cola, will take a problem/solution attack. This attack will assist happen out endangering environmental factors that affect determination devising, and scheme preparation and the realization of the strategic purpose of the coca-cola, such as economic ordinances, revenue enhancement alterations, new Torahs, trade barriers, demographic alteration, and authorities policy alterations among others. Books, articles, diaries and periodicals were reviewed, internet beginnings were besides visited, to arouse information. The major menace identified were more of environmental, originating majorly from its sludge which was alleged to incorporate a high degree of toxic chemicals, including Cd and lead, both of which can be harmful to human and workss. The instance of coca-cola works in Perumatti in the southern province of Kerala in India was used as a instance survey. Amidst these menaces, cardinal countries of chances for coca-cola were besides identified. An prototype of this is its partnership with International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) since 1928 and its recent reclamation boulder clay 2020, covering a 12 -year treaty from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Sochi 2014 Olympic. ( http: //www2.coca-cola.com/ ) Sing the degree of uncertainness and altering fortunes in the international concern sphere, particularly in the face of the looming economic down-turn, the study, proffered the undermentioned recommendations: The usage of environmental impact appraisal, both before constructing a works and afterwards. development of daily/weekly/monthly studies which will maintain it abreast of what s new and important in the market particularly at the street degree. the usage of scenario planning which will invariably maintain the company informed about what is go oning in its market place every bit good as the spread between where they are, and where they intend to be. The usage of bench marker, to be able to happen out the spread between what they are making and those of their rivals. development of indispensable rival information which includes statements on scheme, new merchandise development, selling enterprises and cardinal assignments and enlargement programs and capacity fluctuations. development of topographic point pattern/ trends that will be able to place weak signal and therefore maintain in front of its rivals. Introduction Not merely is coca Cola the universe s largest drink company, but in 200 states ( with consumers basking an norm of 1.6 billion helpings a twenty-four hours ) , sells about 500 scintillating trade names, including 4 of the top Sellerss ( coca- Cola, diet coke, fairy and fanta ) , scintillating drinks, juices, and ready to imbibe teas among others. ( http: //www2.coca-cola.com/ ) Established: 1886 with its official central office in Atlanta, Georgia Company Associates: 92,400 worldwide ( as of December 31, 2008 ) New York Stock Exchange Ticker Symbol: KO Supporting Communities In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation made charitable Contributions of $ 99 million to community enterprises worldwide. . ( http: //www2.coca-cola.com/ ) 2008 Financial Highlights: Our portfolio includes 13 billion dollar trade names. Unit instance volume grew 5 % to 23.7 billion unit instances worldwide. Net operating grosss grew 11 % to $ 31.9 billion. More than 70 % of our cyberspace operating grosss and more than 75 % of our unit instance volume were generated outside of North America. ( http: //www2.coca-cola.com/ ) With mention to SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and Porter s five competitory scheme, I am analyzing the unstable ordinances, revenue enhancement Torahs, trade limitations, duty, demographic alterations, in the concern environment of coca-cola and a reappraisal of the current monitoring system of the external environment every bit good as proffering a recommendation, with respects to what coke could make better, to keep and its competitory rim over its rivals. THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF COCA-COLA USING SWOT ANALYSIS IT S STRENGHTS At the bosom of strategic planning, is environmental scanning ; a procedure of analyzing the environment of the organisation to nail chances and menaces ( Mathis, R.L, and Jackson, J.H:47 ) . To analyze coca-cola s environment, I am traveling to utilize SWOT and PESTLE analysis tools every bit good as the Michael porter s five of competitory scheme. This is so because, it is the developments in the macro concern environment, associating to political, societal, technological, etc that automatically make chances or menaces and in bend, impact on the strategic development of coca-cola which may either convey success or impair its strategic purpose. For coca-cola, matchless chances abounds, which can non be delinked from its strengths in invention and merchandise line enlargement aggressive advertizement and publicities. Harmonizing to Morrison, J. ( 2006:130-1 ) coca- Cola s strength has been in the carbonated soft drinks market, served by its flagship trade name, coke, and promoted by planetary advertisement runs . The Great Gatsby Analysis EssayGross saless addition: 4 % on coca-cola, 10 % coke s zero trade name 55 % net income and 5 % planetary gross revenues. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8506495.stm ) and Net runing revenue-:5 % , $ 7.51 billion exceeding analyst prognosis of 7.22 billion. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/business/10coke.html ) PORTER S FIVE COMPETITIVE Force Another scheme used by coca-cola to supervise its environment is the usage of Michael Porte s five theories. Michael Porter ( 1980 ) considers the external factors, that can impact upon an organisations competitory placement, and therefore identifies five competitory forces that govern the regulation of competition and how the regulations prevail in any administration, both at place and at the planetary market.A comprehensive understanding the nature of each of these forces gives administrations the necessary penetrations to ease them to make the suited schemes to be successful in their market. Porter farther suggested that the comparative strengths of these forces besides determines the strength of competition.These five forces are: Menace of new entrants ; menace of substitutes/ replacing merchandises ; dickering power of purchasers ; dickering power of providers, and competitions between houses of the same sector. Menace OF NEW ENTRANTS Sing the trade name trueness, economic systems of graduated table, entree to channels of distribution, etc, which coca-cola has acquired over the old ages, there is small or no menace for its merchandises from new entrants into the non-alcoholic drink sector. In the visible radiation of this, Coca-cola is topographic point in a good competitory place. Menace OF SUBSTITUTES/ REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS: Dickering Power of Suppliers This is really low for coca-cola sing the fact that there are assortment of beginnings from which it can beginning inputs from. In other words, the provider concatenation for its natural stuffs is dependable, fast, and monetary values are negotiable. Menace FROM Competition Coca-cola is a full-blown and dominant participant in the worldwide soft drink industry, with a strong trade name trueness. Albeit, there exist the cola wars , between coke and Pepsi, both of them fundamentally portion the full soft drink market, doing usage of rough selling, advertisement and publicity tactics and this frequently lead to haltering net incomes between the two soft drink war-lords. HOW DOES COCA-COLA MONITOR ITS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT? An apprehension that coca-cola does non run in a vacuity has made it to continually scan its environment in order to happen out or anticipate likely environmental menaces and therefore develop appropriate responses to them. This has helped it to take advantage of its chances, and minimise menaces and once more, determines how it will accomplish a sustainable competitory advantage. Certain theoretical accounts and models that can be used for this purpose includes: Scenario planning, client surveys/ sentiment polls, bench marker, among others. Customer Surveys /Opinion polls: This is a scheme coke uses to happen out the sentiment consumer have about is merchandises or other alterations particularly as it concerns its activities and those of its rivals. Over the old ages, coca-cola and Pepsi have been locked in ferocious conflicts, sometimes described as the Cola wars Shimp, T.A ( 2007:43 ) . One sensational conflict began in 1975 when the traditional coke was tested against Pepsi. ( ibid ) The consequence gotten informed a alteration in the coke s expression for more sugariness, the consequence was that the folks who liked old Coke went brainsick so brainsick that the Coca Cola Company decided to convey it back as Coke Classic. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-3961611.html ) Scenario Planning: Scenarios are realistic descriptions of the administrations possible hereafters that allow the scenario squad to put aside its single and organizational premises about how the external environment will run and research new 1s ( Ralston, B.2006:141 ) Coca-cola is invariably cognizant of the nexus between its scheme and the changing hereafter, therefore, itself for the ifaˆÂ ¦then likely hereafter. This is exemplified it its mission statement, therefore: the universe is altering all around us. To go on to boom as a concern over the following 10 old ages and beyond, we must look in front, understand the tendencies and forces that will determine our concern in the hereafter and travel fleetly to fix for what s to come. We must acquire ready for tomorrow today. That s what our 2020 Vision is all about. It creates a long-run finish for our concern and provides us with a Roadmap for winning together with our bottler spouses ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values.html ) Benchmarking is the comparing of public presentation in one administration or portion of an organisation against that in another, with a position to happening ways of bettering public presentation. ( Needle, D.2004:433 ) This avails the company the chance to take disciplinary steps actions. Recommendation It is recommended that coca- Cola should take immediate action to launch and promote environmental impact appraisal of locations before mentioning their workss for operations.coca-cola should besides The International Association for Impact Assessment ( IAIA ) defines an environmental impact appraisal as the procedure of identifying, foretelling, measuring and extenuating the biophysical, societal, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major determinations being taken and committednesss made.