Business Proposal for a Tutoring Agency Essay

Executive Summary The proposal is for a tutoring company based in the East London area in the UK. This is going to be a partnership that will be forged among 3 partners: Shirin Akhter, Meer Hossain and Faisal Ifitkhar. The business will be financed by the partners themselves, with the profits distributed proportionately after costs are considered. The Private tutoring industry in the UK is now experiencing a steady growth, with people paying a considerable amount of money per hour to secure the services of an academically qualified tutor. However, this company is focused more on creating a market for people that cannot afford to pay  £70 to  £100 for a private tutor. All 3 of the partners had some experience in being both students to private tutors and private tutors themselves, and therefore have collaborated to utilise the combined skills to enter the market of Private Tutoring. The first step of this venture is to come up with a business plan. The plan will act a document that will assist in the development of the partnership. As there is very minimal cost consideration involved in this project, the partners are not seeking any financing from any other investors. The Market Based on various news reports, personal research conducted on parents residing in the East London area and considering the experience and capability of the partners (who will be the tutors as well), the company has found out the ideal target market. The target market has 3 separate segments: Students preparing for the Entrance Exam, 13+ and GCSE students. The initial base of students will comprise of children of various parents the tutors have a personal connection with. The cultural similarity (the tutors and potential parents are of Bangladeshi ethnicity) is therefore the pivotal factor in this regard. However, the company wishes to become one of the largest tutoring agencies in East London. Therefore it plans to tutor children from other cultural backgrounds gradually. The Services The services provided to the target will comprise of one to one tutoring, group tutoring, GCSE exam preparation and online services (social media). The company would ideally promote groups sessions as it is cost effective for both tutors and the students. Although private sessions can be deemed as being focused and intensive, group session make room for healthy debate and discussion, thus enhancing the learning procedure. The process of teaching would be based on personal skills coupled with feedback from other partners and feedback from the students. The focus of the services is not of immediate satisfaction of queries, but of better understanding of the concepts related to tutoring. The subjects in which the company offers private tutoring include Business Studies, Accounting, Physics, Chemistry, Science and Mathematics, and verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. Promotion and advertising The initial base of students that have been proposed here are not at par with the rich families, therefore the USP of the proposed company is that it will provide tutoring service to students for a reasonable price. It has been noticed that the average price range for tutors in East London is  £15 to  £20 per hour, therefore the company will provide the sessions 1 and half hour long for the same money. It can therefore establish itself as a company that is affordable. The partnership wishes to use the most effective advertising for the minimal cost as well. Therefore it would use Word of Mouth as its main promotional tool. Satisfied students and their parents are therefore the most important component in their promotional mix. The company will also make use of Social Media for promoting the company, as well as to use the online platform for feedback from the students and to assist the students online when needed. The company would also have some sales promotion in the form of introductory price offer, such as getting 5 sessions for the price of 4. However, the details of such sessions are yet to be discussed. Management The management of the company would comprise of all 3 partners, however, as per the legal requirement of UK, Meer Hossain will act as the nominated / general partner for the company. However the need for the partners to act as managers will only arise after it has grown considerably. The managers are therefore the employees of the company. All 3 partners are Graduate and professionals who also had experience as private tutors. The partners also have experience in working as supervisors / managers in their own professional area. They have become more and more culturally tolerant and astute, as they have been working in a multicultural country for more than a few years. The management will act as trainers when the company is going to start employing other tutors for the company. Future plans The company plans to extend it services to include Undergraduate students as their customers. The company also has plans to set up a website, as well as start the option of video conferencing in the future. 1. Description of the Business 1.1. Mission The company would approach teaching in an innovative and unique way with the idea of helping creating a bridge between students and the subject they need to have a good grasp on. The customised and focused process of teaching would equip the students with the necessary tools needed for improving their understanding and thus achieving success in their studies. The company is valued by the mental satisfaction and the observable outcomes of the students. The success of the company rests on the success of the students. 1.2. The key factors 1. Creating effective and innovative methods of approaching individual subjects and the sections within them for the easiest possible understanding of the challenging subject matters. 2. Increasing market presence via word of mouth promotion achieved through the excellence in service and knowledge distribution. 3. Creating a constant feedback process whereby the needs of the individuals are assessed and the processes tailored as a result. 1.3. Goals 1. To be the market leader in tutoring service in East London, specifically in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets by the end of year 4. 2. To double the revenue of the company by the end of Year 2. 3. To extend the tutoring service to Undergraduate students by the end of Year 2. 4. To establish a strong online presence via interactive web learning process by the end of year 2. 1.4. Scope of the business According to Smith (2012), a micro-business is defined by the involvement of 1 to 4 people, and a small business has 5 to 20 people in the enterprise [Smith, H. (2012): Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days, Wiley, Milton, QLD, AUS, p 2]. The proposed Tuition agency can be therefore defined as a micro-business as the number of people in the core business would be 3, at least at the outset. As far as the goals and objectives are concerned, the business aims to be slightly bigger that a small business as far as the aforementioned definition is concerned. 1.5. The company The proposed company would provide tutoring services in few selected subjects for students ranging from 11+ to the GCSE qualification, focusing mainly in the East End of London, UK. The courses the company aims to provide tutoring support includes Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Business Studies and Accounting. The company would also provide tutoring supports for students interested in other subjects, but would act as a contact point would primarily outsource such tasks, acting as an intermediary in the process. The tutoring sessions would focus on assisting students grasping seemingly difficult concepts in the aforementioned areas of study. The process taught would help them perform better in their respective schools and / or educational institutes. It would also help them create a strategy for any forthcoming exams. The service would also assist them in understanding the effective method of writing various essays relating to the subject(s). The company aspires to prepare student in a manner where they would empowered to solve various problems on their own, rather than approaching individual tasks on a short term basis. 1.6. The owners The proposed company would be owned by 3 people: Shirin Akhter, Meer Hossain and Faisal Iftikhar. The company would therefore be a partnership. The ownership is expected to remain unchanged, but extenuating circumstances might bring change to the ownership structure. 1.7. Legal and regulatory frame of the company Based on the classification as stipulated by UK, the owners will form a limited partnership [Limited Partnership – GPO2, http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gpo2.shtml, accessed 10 August 2013]. Therefore the owners or partners of this company will be liable for all debts and obligations, however, the scope of such debts and obligations will not be more than the individual investments towards the company. As mentioned in the proposal, the company would be registered as a partnership. According to the present definitions set out by the Department of Work and Pensions, the owners (partners) of the company would therefore be classified as self-employed. The company would not itself pay any taxes; rather taxes would only apply on the individual revenues of the partners in the business [Set up a business partnership, https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business-partnership, accessed 10 August 2013]. Some of the terms of the agreement will include the following: 1. The profit of the business will be proportionate to the initial capital invested by the individuals entering into the agreement. 2. Meer Hossain has agreed to be the nominated partner as per the requirement of the the UK government for a partnership at the outset. Therefore the company will treat Meer Hossain as the only limited partner / general partner at the outset. Any amendments would be discussed upon and the changes would be done accordingly. 3. The partners will also act as the employees of the company, and they would receive salary as employees of the company according to the service they provide, based on the rates fixed. 1.7.1. DBS Checks The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has recently replaced the CRB checks in the UK. Although this is not a requirement for private tutors in terms of their business [Fagg, H. (January 19th, 2013): New Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): What it means for private tutors, http://www.thetutorblog.com/tag/crb/, accessed 10 August 2013], because the target market for this business involves working with children, the partners, as employees, would apply for a DBS check on themselves with Disclosure Scotland, a branch of DBS that allows for self employed tutors residing in England, Scotland and Wales to be checked. It is considered to be an essential part of the company [Guide: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks), https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check, accessed 10 August 2013]. 2. Business opportunities An investigation into a possible business always begins by analysis various opportunities. Therefore all the sources relating to an opportunity should be studied and analysed, and the process should also be done on a systematic and regular basis [Murthy, C.S.V. (2010): Small Scale Industries and Entrepreneurial Development, Global Media, (Mumbai, IND), p 43]. The tutoring service is not something novel in idea; however, the aim of the company is to provide the service at a reasonable cost. According to Lesonsky (2001), it is not necessary (for most start-up companies) to come up with a new and unique idea. A new business can venture into an existing industry, planning on how it can improve on the existing practices and how it can differ from its competition [Lesonsky, R. (2001): Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 24]. The partners in this regard have agreed on an opportunity that they feel they can make the most use of by becoming the affordable solution to tutoring needs. 2.1. The driving forces 2.1.1. Experience As Amar Bhide looked into the private ventures in America, he discovered that new ventures in the country were usually problems that the founders of such companies faced themselves and were looking at solving those problems. 71% of these â€Å"domain experts† were actually people who approached an existing problem differently in their area of business, whilst 20% used their serendipitous ideas in their new business ventures [Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 73]. The 3 tutors have all come from Bangladesh, where they already had experience of being taught by a private tutor and being a tutor themselves. They have all felt that for some of the ‘trickier’ subjects, such as higher mathematics (Binominal Equations, Matrices, Calculus, Statics and Dynamics etc.), Physics and Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry and various other subjects required that the students have a special understanding outside the realms of a classroom environment. However it was not really a business plan until recently, when they realised that there is a growing demand for such personal tutoring in the UK as well. As mentioned by Pinson and Jinnett (2006), an entrepreneur can look into his or her interests and volunteer experience for an idea of a business. They also added that capability is important in regards of a new business, and any specialised skills that can complement [Pinson, L. and Jinnett, J. (2006): Steps to Small Business Start-Up: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Idea Into a Successful Business, Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company, Chicago, IL, USA, p 2-3]. The partners realised that their experience in being both students and private tutors can come in handy for the new business setup. Therefore they agreed to come up with this new business venture. 2.1.2. A rising market The market of private tutoring is now experiencing a surprising growth in the UK. According to a recent news report by the BBC [Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013], A pilot study found out that many parents in the UK nowadays rely on the service of private tutors to increase the chance of their children of securing a place in a grammar school. As the poll suggests, around 72% of the 212 first year grammar school students surveyed had undergone private tutoring for entrance exams during their final years in primary schools. Of this 72%, 5% received private tutoring as part of a small group, whilst 67% of the grammar school students subscribed to a one-to-one form of private tutoring. Around 78% of these students believed that private tutoring was helpful for them in the enhancement of their performance in the entrance exam. Prof Judy Ireson mentioned that some of the parents perceive that this process of private tutoring is rational as it can help their children to â€Å"perform well in the entrance exams for schools of their choice† [Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013]. In a news report in 2009, Guardian stated that 45% of students based in London has had a private tutor. The percentage is now increasing, and according to TES, around 25% of all students between 11-18 years of age have all received some form of private tutoring, specifically in mathematics [Dyer, A. (24 July 2013): Private Tuition Is on the Rise, Should the Industry Be Regulated? HUFFPOST STUDENTS United Kingdom, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-dyer/private-tuition-regulation_b_3643876.html, accessed 8th August 2013]. 2.1.3. Better return on investment possibility Private tutoring is pretty common in more affluent households. There are few London based tutoring firms that hire graduates from Oxford and Cambridge, who sometimes charge a hefty amount of  £70 –  £100 for a one hour session, just for the preparation of entrance exams. There are also reports that suggest that parents on average incomes are also subscribing to the service of private tutors, as mentioned by the private tutoring chain Explore Learning [Aug 17th 2013: Private tuition Premium economy, The Economist (British Edition), http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21583707-private-education-becoming-more-egalitarian-premium-economy, accessed 20th of August, 2013]. 2.2. Potential Customer The tutors for the company are all qualified as graduates. However, given the scenario as depicted in the news reports above, the tutors have decided not to teach, as of now, any higher than GCSE level. The target market in this regard can be broadly classified into 3 segments: Pre-Entrance students: Students who want to prepare for entrance for a grammar school of their choice fall into this category. The subjects that would be taught in this regard include Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning. English has been excluded due to the non-native status of the tutors. 13+ students: Students in this target student can receive tutoring in Science, Mathematics and Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. GCSE students: for the GCSE students, the subjects that will be covered will include Business Studies and Accounting, Science, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. 2.3. Competition Tutors are generally people who have specific expertise and little extra time. A significant amount of competitors are mainly one-to-one private tutors that advertise on various online websites, such as Gumtree [http://www.gumtree.com/other-tuition-lesson-services/london/private+tutor, accessed 09 August, 2013]. With the growing number of tutoring agencies with a physical establishment and a strong online presence, the competition in the private tutoring market is varied and intense. According to a directory website of East London, the average rate per hour as charged ranges from  £15 to  £20 per hour [http://www.hometutorsdirectory.co.uk/EastLondonTutors.html, accessed 09 August, 2013]. 3. Marketing plan and Strategy The difference between a rapidly growing company and a slowly growing or declining company operating in the same target market is in the effective marketing of the former. As an example, companies such as Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and Gillette have all succeeded in their respective market because of the fact that they were able to market better than their competitors. Therefore to grow a business, it is essential to become an effective marketer, promoter and advertiser as well [Henricks, M. (2001): Grow Your Business, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 152]. The marketing plan in this regard includes the construction of a successful strategy for the target. Burk and Lehman (2004) define strategy as a plan of action that has been designed purposely towards a goal or a set of goals. The components of a good strategy should include an assessment of the state of the business at the time of formulating the strategy, identification of the goals to be achieved, and the processes adopted to reach the goal and to consider the problems in the process [Burk, J. and Lehman, R. (2004): Financing Your Small Business, Sphinx Publishing, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, IL, USA, p 21]. 3.1. Initial essentials This is a start-up business; therefore an analysis of present performance of the business cannot be done. There are however a few essentials that has been agreed upon before the business can be started. These essentials include: 3.1.1. DBS checks The DBS checks of the 3 person involved will be done via Disclosure Scotland, and will cost  £25 for each person involved [Disclosure Scotland: Apply online for Basic Disclosure: Cost, http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply-online/#cost, accessed 10 August 2013]. 3.1.2. Registration and licensing The Company name would be registered and would aim for a certified certificate by filling up an IN01 form and that would cost  £20 [http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/registerNewComp.shtml, Accessed 19 August, 2013]. The company would also apply for a limited partnership by filling up an LP5 form [LP5 form, LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ACT 1907: Application for Registration of a Limited Partnership (In accordance with section 8 of the Limited Partnerships Act 1907), http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/forms/generalForms/LP5_Application_for_Registration_of_a_Limited_Partnership_and_Statement_of_particulars_and_of_the.pdf], and the cost in this regard is also  £20. 3.1.3. Company Address For the time being, the company will be registered against the residential address of Meer Hossain as the nominated / general partner of the firm. 3.2. Objectives of the Business The goals of the business have already been discussed in the short description of the business. However, in this section, the goals would be further broken down in what is known as SMART objectives. SMART is an acronym that is commonly used for determining objectives of a business. SMART objectives are objectives that are â€Å"Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound,† or SMART [Martin, V. (2006): Managing Projects in Human Resources, Training and Development, Kogan Page Ltd., London, GBR, p 11]. Based on the goals of the organisation, the objectives set for the company therefore are as follows: 1. To have an overall average revenue of  £5,000 per month at the end of 1st year. 2. To increase the revenue to  £10,000 at the end of year 2. 3. To employ at least 2 local (UK academic qualification) graduate students before the end of year 2. 4. To create an interactive website at the end of year 2 for potential and existing customers. The objectives here specified are mostly related to the expected future performance of the business. 3.3. The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) It is important for a company to come up with a USP for its products or services to stand out from the competition. USP has been defined by Rosse Reeves (1961) as a proposition that communicates to the customers about a unique benefit that can be acquired from a product or service and the benefit needs to have enough power to account for considerable revenue [Reeves, R. (1961): Reality in Advertising, Knopf, New York, NY, USA]. USP was considered to be advertising imperative for any brand building exercise. This company will promote tutoring at a reasonable cost. The USP of this company is therefore affordable education for aspiring students. It is evident that although the target customers are students, the USP will be aimed at parents who would pay for the service and therefore would see the benefit in this process 3.4. Pricing After looking at various figures in the market, the pricing that has been set for various students are as follows: For Entrance Exam preparation:  £15 per session of 1 and half hour. For 13+ tutoring:  £15 per session of 1 and half hour. For GCSE preparation:  £20 per session of 1 and half hour. The pricing has been agreed upon based on the market in East London, and the quoted price above offers more for the money as spent in the existing market of Private tutoring. 3.5. Promotion and Advertising The company would be promoted via 2 major media: The internet and word of mouth. The former can also be termed as Social Media Marketing, and will rely mainly on a Facebook page. There would also be Sales promotion, therefore inserting a bit of incentive for the beginners and encouraging bulk purchase for the company. 3.5.1. Word of Mouth As it has been mentioned before, the partners of the company has each conducted (unstructured) data collection in areas in the Tower Hamlets Borough in an attempt to assess the need of a tutoring service. These surveys were conducted among people that they personally knew. This is where the word of mouth process comes in. Word of mouth is considered to be the most effective method in making the process of decision easier and also in accelerating the decision process of potential customers [Silverman, G. (2001): Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Trigger Exponential Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth, AMACOM Books, New York, NY, USA, p 21]. Word of mouth advertising is done by satisfied customers, friends and normally close relatives, but satisfied customers are the most desired in the mix. Each of the partners started private tutoring in the process of helping out a friend or a family member, and that would also be the starting point for this company. The partners would start by tutoring children of the parents they have conducted a survey on, and that would ensure that the process of word of mouth gets started. They would ask these parents to refer them to others, as well as refer any struggling student to them. 3.5.2. Sales Promotion Sales promotion will also be adopted by the company, whereby the target customers would be given an incentive outside the scope of advertising [Hundekar, S.G., Appannaiah, H.R. and Reddy, P.N. (2010): Principles of Marketing, Global Media, Mumbai, IND, p 103]. In this case, the potential customers will be offered to take advantage of bulk purchases, therefore they can buy 5 sessions for the price of 4. The sales promotion would also inspire customers to create a small group of students at their homes for studying, thus reducing the cost per head in the process.. 3.5.3. Social media marketing In this day and age of Facebook, Twitter, Buzzfeed, LinkedIn and various other social media networks, it has become easier to setup a platform that is virtually free and tremendously interactive. The act of posting and creating various contents online creates a ‘circle’ of like minded individuals that interact with each other [Agresta, S., Bough, B. B. and Miletsky, J. I. (2010): Perspectives on Social Media Marketing, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA, p 2, p 36]. Social media have now become an important sector on its own right is considered vital for influencing behaviour of consumers [Assenov, I. (2012): Social Media Marketing and the Hospitality Industry: Evidence from Thailand. 6-7 Sept]. The participants in social media interaction becomes part of the cycle of social feedback, as demonstrated in the figure below. The Cycle also illustrates how social media can influence a market [Evans, D (2010): Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement, Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA]. [pic] Figure 1: Social Feedback Cycle (Source: Evans. D, 2010) Amongst the existing set of Social Media Network, Facebook is considered to have the highest reach. As of 2011, Facebook had more than 500 million users worldwide [Weintraub, M. (2011): Killer Facebook Ads: Master Cutting-Edge Facebook Advertising Techniques (2nd Edition), Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA, p 2]. The number of Facebook users is ever increasing. Facebook also has the capability to be personal and professional. It can be used to promote a venture as well as to connect with close ones and friends [Adler, L. and Sillars, R. (2010): Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA]. The partners have decided to open up a Facebook page under the name of the company. The page would act not only as a promotional tool, but it would also act as a platform for feedback from existing students, as they will be able to post various of their queries on a session they have already undergone. The page would also include useful links, videos and study materials relating to the sessions. 4. Operations and Processes 4.1. Background of the owners / employees 1. Shirin Akhter: She is currently doing her MBA with a reputed institute in the UK. He is from a Bangladeshi descent, and has been an experienced private tutor for some time in Bangladesh. Her areas of expertise include Business Studies, Mathematics and Chemistry. 2. Meer Hossain: An ex-engineer in the marine industry, Mr. Meer Hossain has in depth academic knowledge of Applied Physics and Electronics. Like his partner, He also was a house tutor in Bangladesh for a considerable period of time before he moved out to Russia, eventually coming to the UK. He works as a trainer in a retail setting, and therefore is also adept in communicating in the most culturally relevant manner. His are of expertise include Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry. 3. Faisal Iftikhar: Alumni of one of the top business schools in Asia, Faisal Ifitkhar is currently working in the retail industry as a trainer and a customer service assistant. He is adept in creative writing, and recent interests into Physics have increased his understanding of the subject. He has the experience of teaching in a classroom environment as well as a one to one private tutor. His Area of Expertise include Mathematics, Business Studies and Accounting. All of these individuals have one thing in common: they are all good at assessing the needs of the individual and customise their process of teaching accordingly. The partners have also decided to hold weekly meetings that would discuss the problem areas of their own students and work out the best solutions, so that the individual is catered for in a more effective process. 4.2. Personnel plan The company plan to improve their capability and try to reach the undergraduate market by the end of Year 2. It also plans to employ more tutors at the beginning of Year 2. However, the requirement of extra tutors depends on the capacity and the willingness of the existing teachers. There would be a training plan devised for any prospective teacher who is being hired. The training plan would involve the following few processes: 1. Training on the Job: The trainer that has been recruited will be asked to accompany the existing tutors and learn how tutoring is done. This would give them a practical sense of what is involved in the process of teaching. 2. Personal assessment on the skills: Although a tutor will be hired based on a respectable academic record, they would still need to be assessed by the company, and trained if necessary on areas where there is room for improvement. 3. Feedback and group communication: The new tutor will be included in the weekly meetings that discuss specific problems relating to specific students. The discussion would not only assist in learning various ‘tricks of the trade’, but the employee will be able to put in his or her feedback and thus add value to the company. 4.3. Dealing with the start up Martin and Crisp (1992) have described that the initial few months of a business are usually the most expensive ones, and a successful business must have enough to keep it going for several months [Martin, C. L. And Crisp, M. G. (Editor) (1992): Starting Your New Business: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Menlo Park, CA, USA, p 12]. This has been considered by the partners. They have all decided that would continue to work in their present workplace, but with reduced hours, and therefore any additional cost relating to the company would be reimbursed by the partners of the company. The input in this regard would count as investment, and therefore the profit would be shared accordingly, at the end of they 1st year, in proportionate to individual investment. 4.4. The process of value creation More and more companies are now becoming socially responsible. It is not enough that a company is profitable, but it is important that a company adds value to the society. Social Entrepreneurs are therefore considered to be the new wave of entrepreneurs. In terms of creating value, the distinction can be made between those who are social entrepreneurs and those who are commercial entrepreneurs. According to Volkmann, Tokarski and Ernst (2012), Commercial entrepreneurs are more focused on value appropriation, whilst the social entrepreneurs are focused on value creation [Volkmann, C. K., Tokarski, K. O. and Ernst, K. (2012): Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business: An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies, Springer Gabler, p 106]. The company in this regard can be termed as a mixture of both. The obvious value is that of a commercial nature, the business is going to be involved in a profit oriented service industry. However, due to the nature of the service provided, it can be said that the company will also add value as it becomes part of the educational system in the country. 4.5. Diversity management The company aims at tutoring students who are based in the East London Area. East London has a lot of Bangladeshi people, which is therefore culturally and linguistically easier for the owners to relate to. Keeping that in mind, the company is to consider that fact that to be the top of all tutoring agencies, it would need to be able to deal with a diverse group of students coming from a diverse group of ethnicity. Therefore a certain level of Cultural Intelligence or CQ is expected from the tutors. According to Ang & Dyne (2008), CQ or cultural intelligence is the capability of a person to function in various cultural settings [Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L. (Editor) (2008): Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., Armonk, NY, USA]. The partners, working and living in UK for a considerable period of time, has exhibited CQ towards their co-workers, managers and employees. That learning will be incorporated as the company starts to serve in different cultural settings. The hiring process as explained would also consider in these facts, and preference would be given to someone from a different cultural background than that of the owners. 4.6. Services offered The target market has been identified and classified in preceding sections of this proposal. In this section the services are classified and explained in terms of what kind of tutoring services can be provided among the target consumers. 4.6.1. One to one tuition One to one tuition would obviously be the most common one in this regard. The teacher will travel to the student’s residence and teach him or her on an individual basis. 4.6.2. Group session Not only is group session more cost effective, it is also more effective in terms of learning. A group session enables the students to interact and communicate with each other and thus creates a better understanding of the subject matter. Group sessions would therefore be especially encouraged for the students. 4.6.3. GCSE revision courses As the GCSE exams approach the students, this service would enable the students to get help with the following: †¢ Preparing for the exam †¢ Learning various exam techniques †¢ Guidance for coursework This would also include appraisal services for dissertation and for coursework. 4.6.4. Online services Based mainly on social media feedback, this service would actually use the online platform for feedback and queries from the students and deal with the queries promptly. 4.7. Future operations These services will be part of the start up business, and the company has plans to add more services as the company improves. By the end of year2, the company plans to serve Undergraduate students, and has plans to include distance learning, whereby the internet will be used for group session via video conferencing. 5. Technological consideration There is no denying the impact internet has on the present business scenario. It is considered as one of the â€Å"greatest disruptive technology to hit the world since electricity.† GE chairman Jack F. Welch (1999) said that the internet â€Å"was the single most important event in the U.S. economy since the Industrial Revolution† [Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 45]. The technological consideration in this regard is mainly the maximum usage of the internet, especially via Facebook. A Facebook Page will be created for the students and the parents. The Facebook page will include the following: 1. Discussion (Generated by the App ‘Forums’): It is important that students discuss various problems they face with specific subject areas. 2. Videos: various useful hints and tips would be uploaded from the tutors, discussing very specific methods and processes of overcoming various problems regarding subjects. 3. Photos: Photos will include the success of various students who have subscribed to the service of the company, as well as various other related photos, and, true to the internet generation, various ‘Meme’s will also be uploaded to maintain a lighter side of studying. 4. Docs: this is more appropriate for a group rather than a page. The docs section will include various useful hints and tips, shortcuts, and various other methods and processes that are categorised in a coherent order for existing sets of students. However, a Page on Facebook is more public, whereas the privacy of a group can be controlled. Therefore most of the materials will become part of a Facebook group, enabling fee paying students to get the most out of social media. 5.1 Future online plans 5.1.1. Website Many renowned Tutor services, as well as companies, have their own websites. Although there is a cost consideration in a website, the flexibility that can be offered on a website would outweigh the comparatively minimal cost. The website would mainly have the option to pay / register online, therefore making it easier on future customers. 5.1.2. Distance learning via video conferencing There are numerous softwares, apps and programmes that allow for video conferencing for virtually no cost. The only cost consideration in this regard therefore is the initial setup, which would buying a business internet connection for the company, a physical facility to set the computers, and of course, computers that will be used for video conferencing. Video conferencing would thus increase the reach and decrease the cost of travelling. 5.2 Communication To ensure cost minimisation, the partners will make use of their existing mobile phones for various forms of communication. However, there are plans to subscribe pay-as-you-go phone services to deal with future communication, if frequency of calls increase, and also if the cost becomes more than the number of calls the partners can afford. The company expects to include pay-as-you-go phones in the 2nd half of the year. 6. Financial Consideration There is little start-up cost involved in the business. Investment would come mainly from the partners themselves. However, there are future cost and investment considerations in this business that have been mentioned, however, the estimation is based on the projection of increase in business. 6.1. Estimated initial / fixed costs The total cost for the start-up is  £115 in total. There are also costs of travelling, which comes at  £96.80 per month for each tutor (based on a zone 2-4 rate in a travel card). The travelling cost might increase if the target audience lives in zone 1 (which includes Aldgate and Liverpool Street) or is outside zone 4 in East London. These costs will be accounted and paid for from the revenue of the individual tutors. The tutors in this regard might come up with a travel allowance to adjust for the salary of the employee. Adjusting the total cost of travelling to 3,500 for the year (rounded from  £3484.80 annually for the company based on zone 2-4 travelling only), the total cost comes as follows: [pic] Figure 2: Estimated (fixed) Cost for Year 1 |Total Cost for Year 1 | |Travel cost |3,500 | |Start up cost |115 | |Total Cost |3,615 | 6.2. Other Costs There are other costs that might occur, which can be termed as variable costs, though not in its strictest terms of production cost per unit. As far as the plans are concerned, if the company needs to buy pay-as-you-go connections, internet connection, a facility and a video conference setup, additional costs will occur. As an example, if the company is able to rent a space in East London for the aforementioned purposes, the cost would be as follows: Rent / month:  £1,000 –  £2,000 (depending on the facility and the area) Internet payment / month:  £16 (BT Business Broadband) [Latest Bt Business Deals: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/providers/bt_business/?bb=1&gclid=CJ2ZrMW3m7kCFZPItAodcAIAPQ#content, accessed 19 August 2013] 3 pay-as-you-go phones:  £20 x 3 =  £60 per month (O2 pay and go-go-go service) [O2 Pay and Go Go Go: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/, accessed 19 August 2013] 3 laptops (with webcams and microphones): Average market price  £320*3 =  £960 [http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html, accessed 19 August 2013]. 6.3. Expected Revenue In terms of the projection of the revenue expected in the future, the company has gone for a conservative approach. The demand for tutors only from private contacts is deemed enough to reach a monthly target of  £5,000. Therefore it does not account for any new students that will be make use of the service in the future. However, the 2nd year projection can be termed as optimistic, as the assumption is that the business will actually grow and will be able to generate double the revenue. The revenues, as expected from the operations, are as follows: [pic] Figure: Expected Revenue for Years 1 and 2 | |Average income / month | | |Year 1 |Year 2 | |Entrance students |2500 |3,500 | |13+ |1500 |3,500 | |GCSE |1000 |3,000 | References 1. Smith, H. (2012): Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days, Wiley, Milton, QLD, AUS, p 2 2. Murthy, C.S.V. (2010): Small Scale Industries and Entrepreneurial Development, Global Media, (Mumbai, IND), p 43 3. Lesonsky, R. (2001): Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 24 4. Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 73. 5. Pinson, L. and Jinnett, J. (2006): Steps to Small Business Start-Up: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Idea Into a Successful Business, Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company, Chicago, IL, USA, p 2-3. 6. Henricks, M. (2001): Grow Your Business, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 152. 7. Burk, J. and Lehman, R. (2004): Financing Your Small Business, Sphinx Publishing, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, IL, USA, p 21. 8. Martin, V. (2006): Managing Projects in Human Resources, Training and Development, Kogan Page Ltd., London, GBR, p 11. 9. Reeves, R. (1961): Reality in Advertising, Knopf, New York, NY, USA 10. Silverman, G. (2001): Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Trigger Exponential Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth, AMACOM Books, New York, NY, USA, p 21. 11. Hundekar, S.G., Appannaiah, H.R. and Reddy, P.N. (2010): Principles of Marketing, Global Media, Mumbai, IND, p 103 12. Agresta, S., Bough, B. B. and Miletsky, J. I. (2010): Perspectives on Social Media Marketing, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA, p 2, p 36. 13. Assenov, I. (2012): Social Media Marketing and the Hospitality Industry: Evidence from Thailand. 6-7 Sept 14. Evans, D (2010): Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement, Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA 15. Weintraub, M. (2011): Killer Facebook Ads: Master Cutting-Edge Facebook Advertising Techniques (2nd Edition), Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA, p 2. 16. Adler, L. and Sillars, R. (2010): Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA 17. Martin, C. L. And Crisp, M. G. (Editor) (1992): Starting Your New Business: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Menlo Park, CA, USA, p 12. 18. Volkmann, C. K., Tokarski, K. O. and Ernst, K. (2012): Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business: An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies, Springer Gabler, p 106 19. Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L. (Editor) (2008): Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., Armonk, NY, USA 20. Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 45. 21. Limited Partnership – GPO2, http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gpo2.shtml, accessed 10 August 2013 22. Set up a business partnership, https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business-partnership, accessed 10 August 2013 23. Fagg, H. (January 19th, 2013): New Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): What it means for private tutors, http://www.thetutorblog.com/tag/crb/, accessed 10 August 2013 24. Guide: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks), https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check, accessed 10 August 2013 25. Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013 26. Dyer, A. (24 July 2013): Private Tuition Is on the Rise, Should the Industry Be Regulated? HUFFPOST STUDENTS United Kingdom, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-dyer/private-tuition-regulation_b_3643876.html, accessed 8th August 2013 27. Aug 17th 2013: Private tuition Premium economy, The Economist (British Edition), http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21583707-private-education-becoming-more-egalitarian-premium-economy, accessed 20th of August, 2013 28. http://www.gumtree.com/other-tuition-lesson-services/london/private+tutor, accessed 09 August, 2013 29. http://www.hometutorsdirectory.co.uk/EastLondonTutors.html, accessed 09 August, 2013. 30. Disclosure Scotland: Apply online for Basic Disclosure: Cost, http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply-online/#cost, accessed 10 August 2013 31. http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/registerNewComp.shtml, Accessed 19 August, 2013 32. LP5 form, LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ACT 1907: Application for Registration of a Limited Partnership (In accordance with section 8 of the Limited Partnerships Act 1907), http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/forms/generalForms/LP5_Application_for_Registration_of_a_Limited_Partnership_and_Statement_of_particulars_and_of_the.pdf, accessed 19 August 2013 33. Latest Bt Business Deals: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/providers/bt_business/?bb=1&gclid=CJ2ZrMW3m7kCFZPItAodcAIAPQ#content, accessed 19 August 2013 34. O2 Pay and Go Go Go: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/, accessed 19 August 2013 35. http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html, accessed 19 August 2013 Appendix Table 1: Expected Revenue, Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec | |Entrance Exam | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £6,500 | £4,500 |0 |0 |0 | |13+ | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £1,500 |0 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £1,000 | |GCSE | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £1,500 |0 |0 |0 | £500 | £500 | |Total Revenue | £3,500 | £3,500 | £4,500 | £5,500 | £7,000 | £10,000 | £9,000 | £6,500 | £5,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £1,500 | | Table 2: Teachers’ Payment, Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec | |Shirin | £800 | £800 | £1200 | £1200 | £2000 | £2400 | £2400 | £1600 | £1440 | £400 | £480 | £400 | |Meer | £1200 | £1200 | £1200 | £1600 | £2000 | £2800 | £2400 | £1600 | £1520 | £400 | £560 | £400 | |Faisal | £800 | £800 | £1200 | £1600 | £1600 | £2800 | £2400 | £2000 | £1440 | £400 | £560 | £400 | |Total Payroll | £2,800 | £2,800 | £3,600 | £4,400 | £5,600 | £8,000 | £7,200 | £5,200 | £4,400 | £1,200 | £1,600 | £1,200 | | Table 3: Profit and Loss (Before Taxes), Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec |Total | |Revenue | £3,500 | £3,500 | £4,500 | £5,500 | £7,000 | £10,000 | £9,000 | £6,500 | £5,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £1,500 | £60,000 | |Fixed Cost | £3615 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 | £3,615 | |Variable Costs | £35 | £35 | £45 | £55 | £70 | £100 | £90 | £65 | £55 | £15 | £20 | £15 | £600 | |Teacher’s payment | £2,800 | £2,800 | £3,600 | £4,400 | £5,600 | £8,000 | £7,200 | £5,200 | £4,400 | £1,200 | £1,600 | £1,200 | £48,000 | |Total Cost | £6,450 |2835 | £3,645 |4455 | £5,670 |8100 | £7,290 |5265 | £4,455 |1215 | £1,620 |1215 | £52,215 | |Total Profit |- £2,950 |665 | £855 |1045 | £1,330 |1900 | £1,710 |1235 | £1,045 |285 | £380 |285 | £7,785 | |Note: Variable costs are determined as 1% of the expected revenue; assumption includes additional cost of travelling (Zone 1).

The Dead and the Living

The importance of knowledge and truth is sometimes not fully comprehended until it no longer exists in the lives of many people. Authors often use realistic ideas to prove a point to their readers. These ideas can come from a simple figure of speech, such as a paradox. The paradox of being both dead and alive is seen in the lives of both people and machines throughout the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Mildred, the emotionless wife of main character Montag, displays the qualities of being both dead and alive. From the very beginning of the story, Mildred showed no signs of life within her.When we are first introduced to her, she is laying motionless in a dark room, having overdosed on sleeping tablets. Bradbury describes Mildred’s face as being â€Å"a snow-covered island upon which rain might fall, but it felt no rain; over which clouds might pass their moving shadows, but she felt no shadow† (13). Even with Mildred’s faint breathing, the room was still à ¢â‚¬Å"empty†. Like a corpse, Mildred shares no emotion for those around her. When Montag is sick, Mildred doubts him and refuses to believe he needs her help. Further on in the book, Mrs. Phelps, Mildred’s friend, begins to sob after Montag reads aloud a poem.In response to her friend’s sudden outburst, Mildred cries â€Å"You’re all right, Clara, now, Clara, snap out of it! Clara, what’s wrong? † (100). These instances allow the reader to see the full effect that society has had on Mildred and how technology has numbed her ability to have real human interactions. As Montag himself begins to change, he realizes just how braindead his wife really is. While talking with Faber, he exclaims, â€Å"No†¦ My wife’s dying† (81). Montag already knows that Mildred is mentally dead, but finally he accepts that after years of overdosing and staying home, his wife’s physical body is also shutting down.The effects that society has had on Mildred are evident throughout the book as she is described as being both dead and alive. The life-like machines that have replaced humans in Montag’s society are described by Bradbury as being both dead and alive. Throughout the novel, the machines that dominate Montag’s world represent the majority of the half-dead, half-living people that he comes in contact with. The very first machine that is seen is the â€Å"Snake† that is used to clean the poisons that Mildred has put in her body. The snake â€Å"fed in silence with an occasional sound of inner suffocation and blind searching.It had an Eye† (14). Though it is a machine, this snake is described as having human-like qualities such as an â€Å"eye† and performing human-like tasks such as â€Å"drinking up† the green matter that was inside of Mildred. The hound that lives in the firehouse is another major example of a machine possessing humanoid qualities. This hound â€Å"slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live† (24). The Mechanical Hound possesses the power to paralyze, wound, and even kill its victims with the release of poison from a needle inside his nose.By having an incredible ability unlike any other living animal, the hound represents the human-like attributes of the machines in this society. The tv parlor that takes up so much of Mildred’s life also serves as a symbol of something being both dead and alive in this novel. Mildred refers to the people on the tv programs that she watches as her â€Å"family† and even has a speaking part in the episodes. Like the other machines, these characters are only on a screen, but they are such a large part of so many people’s lives that they almost seem alive.Like the people in Montag’s society that are â€Å"empty†, the machines also possess the qualities of being half-living, half-dead. Clarisse, a minor character in the story, represents the alive and alert qualities that are lacking from the society. Clarisse represents what the people in Montag’s world have lost over the course of many years. Unlike the other teenagers around her, she finds enjoyment in doing things the rest of society would find abnormal such as sitting on the porch and talking with her family and going on hikes. Even Clarisse’s appearance is more alive than most of the â€Å"dead† people around her.When Montag first meets the seventeen year old, he describes her face as being like â€Å"the strangely comfortable and rare and gently flattering light of the candle† (7). Montag was initially intrigued by Clarisse because of her innocence and curiosity which is lacking from everyone else in his life. Though she dies early on in the novel, Clarisse is more alive after her death than most of the people in the society that are â€Å"living†. Clarisse is the catalyst of change in Montag’s life because she possesses the liveliness a nd compassion that the rest of the world is missing.The comparison of being dead and alive is exemplified in the characters and human-life machines that live in the society described in Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury uses the paradox of being both dead and alive to highlight the lack of knowledge and understanding in Montag’s world. Except for a select few, the people that Montag comes in contact with have lost their ability to think and communicate because they have depended upon technology to entertain them. Though we have not reached the extremities that are present in Bradbury’s society, the effects of this technology dependence is already present in the world we live in today.

When and how you encouraged a child to take part in creative activities Essay

In our nursery creative activities are very important. Almost every day i try to encourage children to take part. Acording to my observations use of simpliest resources is the best practise. Recently I use cartboard boxes and the parts from different tipes of packaging as plastic and paper bags, plastic bubble sheets, cardboard strips and sheets, styrofoam and many others. Wery often we use very big carboard boxes to turn them in to a house, castle or space ship, depends what kind of interest children have at the moment. We use paint, pencils, markers, duck, adchesive, scotch and double side tapes, coloured paper and foams to decorate it. While crative activities children can explor different types of material, different ways to use them and also improving their fine and motor skills. Activities schould be fun and give children joy and confidence. To encouraged a child to take a part in creative activities I always base on his or her interests. For example boys in our nursery love cars so I used them to paint wheel tracks on paper. Other day we made a car mat on big cardboard sheet. Children drew roads, parking spaces and also made bridges and garages from smal boxes. It is always their own imagination and ideas on the first place and satisfaction from finished product. How do you provide positive feedback to children and young people taking part in creative activities? prase effor and every work they did, rather the final product find positive aspects of their work ask questions about their work ask did they enjoy the activities open-ended questions How would you support children taking part in creative activities? In nursery I always refer to children current interests. That makes a base to start creative activitie. By a good practise, while I organise activitie,  every day I try: avoid projects that can be completed in only one way: (paint-by-numbers, kits to be assembled). make a wide variety of materials available to children. give examples and possible solutions, suggest options, but let children make the final decisions for art projects. talk through activities, ask children about their art while it is happening, not just at the end. Children can describe their work, but don’t have to name objects or feelings. praise the effort, use of color and uniqueness rather than just the final product — the trip is more important than the destination. display art at a child’s eye level. encourage individual expression., avoid the regimented use of materials and adult-directed projects. encourage to use imagination give as much time as they need do not force to take part in activities How have you or how would you support children to recognise how creativity can be used in all aspects of life? 1. encouraged to find solution in daily life activities. For example: – how to reach sometching is to high or to far – how to go somwhere even if there is obstackle – what to do when you spilt or tiped out something 2. orgnise creative activities acording to situations from real life. Examples: -creative cooking (dough, slime, pasta, gloop, making sandwiches, salads ect) -building and mechanik activities (using real tools to create something) -play-role – finding solutions in different situations, for example: How to play with toy if there is only one and two childrfen wants to play?

Research paper b Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

B - Research Paper Example mpetition helps safeguard consumers from damages instigated by in overall proprietors and businesses injured by discriminating competition, it consists of two color scheme normally found on the many of the agricultural products. In the United States every executive agency is legally required to have an advocate, for example for fraud, mainly to pursue and ensure fair opposition. The intention of the competition laws is to safeguard that the consumers reimburse the lowest likely price, plus the highest quality services and goods that they are using. Competition laws allow everyone to do business in the market in the present world. These laws are effected in such a way that the businesses can make a decision on prices for their services and products as per their standards. As far as the services are concerned, they can advertise products for free. These laws assist the government to keep trail on the opposition in the market while providing infrastructure for better competition, or else citizens will suffer. According to the economic theories (â€Å"Federal Trade Commission Protecting Americas Consumers†, web), a nation can become developed only on the root of the actual competition laws. It is also important to note that competition assist in controlling price increases within a given country thus healthy. By decontrolling the sector and allowing more organizations to be able to do fair and free business in the market a government can raise the competition up. It pits customers against producers, manufacturers contrary to other producers; and in this scuffle organization will try to defeat the heart of their customers with any resources required. This can be done only with actual and quality products at the lowest price possible. An endless conflict does the wonder of accumulative quality with the lowest prices. An example of these is the electronics and Information Technology sector in the US. Some of the advantages of competition are: It encourages efficiency in

Disaster Preparedness & Response Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disaster Preparedness & Response - Term Paper Example These stages are effectively planned by keeping two aspects in mind, the professional and the personal activities that are involved in these four stages. In my opinion, the effect of earthquakes can be effectively minimized by using these steps. The implementation of these stages to help in earthquake destruction is mentioned below. Mitigation is the stage at which the destruction effects are tried to be completely minimized when it comes to the personal aspect. This would involve not buying property in an earthquake-prone area to minimize the disasters caused to homes. Professionally, it is the most cost-effective way to reduce the impact of hazards. Development of earthquake-proof structure in earthquake-prone areas is a kind of structural mitigation. Non-structural professional mitigation would be ensuring the property of earthquake disasters (Jane, 2007). This phase is more about planning what to do when a disaster occurs. For example, the construction of shelters to save from fl oods and hurricanes. This aspect of the emergency management phase can be implemented in the earthquake management as well by building temporary wooden one-floor shelters so that the people who are affected by the earthquake have a temporary place to live. Development of basic necessity kits can also come in a handful as in some areas, the post-earthquake situation is such that there is a huge shortage of food, water etc. The response is the help that is forwarded to the down-trodden people who have experienced the aftermath of a disaster (Damon, 2007). This help may be forwarded by an international organization, or by the people living around or the national government. On a more personal level, this can be evacuation from the earthquake hit the place and move towards a safer area in an automobile. When the immediate steps have been taken, the recovery phase starts. Recovery phase pertains to the long-term development of the area that is hit by the catastrophe (George, 2007). This involves the reconstruction of the material and property that is extensively damaged.

Topical Analysis on Japan's Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Topical Analysis on Japan's Revolution - Essay Example In order to understand the nature of the Meiji restoration, there is the need to look at the relationship between the merchants and the lower samurais. Both parties were anti-Tokugawa forces who were determined to annihilate the Tokugawa regime, with the lower samurais being vested with the leadership that would yield desired societal changes. The lower Samurais had superseded the ranks of the Samurai in order to become the spokesmen in this society. The Meiji restoration was a shift of the Japanese government to the upper samurai to lower samurai. In achieving this political control, the lower samurais supplied the ablest individuals such as Ito Hirobumi, Saigo Takamori, Inoue Kaoru and Omura Masujiro. The lower samurai achieved this through the financial help of the merchants. Merchants such as Konoike, Iwasaki, Shimada and Ono made immense contributions through financial donations. Hence, it is apparent that the Meiji restoration was achieved through a coalition between the lower samurai and merchant class. Moreover, the Feudal-merchant coalition was a cornerstone in the Japanese revolution. Unlike the class struggle that existed in western countries such as a France and England, the scenario in Japan was different. Marxists argue that capitalist bourgeoisie rise against feudal aristocrats in a bid to seize political power from them. The case in Japan was characterized by a collaboration between the aristocracy and the merchant classes. Hence, the Samurai and the merchant class had a symbiotic relation and they needed each other. In the Tokugawa system, the merchants were largely dependent on the daimyo and their treasurers. They saw... Japan’s revolution, dubbed ‘Meiji restoration’, took place following numerous reforms instituted by the Japanese government late in the 19th century. The subsequent events constituted the most dramatic events to ever happen in the modern history of Japan. It was in the Japanese revolution when universal education system was established. Moreover, during this revolution the navy and the army were established as well as the establishment of an effective administrative bureaucracy both locally and nationally. The Japanese revolution was multifaceted and culminated in Japan becoming a modern state. There are numerous shortcomings in the book by Norman (2000) as there lacks a detailed explanation of the nature of the Japanese revolution.The account of the Japanese revolution was scantily presented in the article with some facts being left out. The events that contributed to the revolution emanated from within the country and brought significant changes crucial to the d evelopment of a modern Japan. The multifaceted revolution saw a universal system of education being introduced in Japan as well as the establishment of the army and the navy. It is important to note that social disparities that existed during the Tokugawa regime were primary responsible for fuelling animosity that led to the revolution. The fact that the new regime under Meiji turned to the western countries for progress reveals that the Tokugawa regime was not toppled due to its move to seek assistance from these countries but rather due to domestic squabbles. The revolution revealed that there was animosity within the ranks of Tokugawa regime as there is no justification of having turned to the west for progress.

Relationship between Neoclassicism and Romanticism; Realism and Essay

Relationship between Neoclassicism and Romanticism; Realism and Impressionism - Essay Example From the research it can be comprehended that Neoclassicism was a revival of the classic art that was prevalent during the time of the Ancient Greek and Rome. It developed as a response to the heavily decorative style of Rococo and thus favored simple lines and order. The curvy style of Rococo was replaced by simple clean lines. Neoclassicism, since it was also inspired by the Renaissance art, laid emphasis on rationality and logic. Romanticism, on the other hand, was an intellectual movement that sprang up during the late 18th century. It developed as a response to the Industrial Revolution and thus was against the scientific rationalization and in general contradicted with the Age of Enlightenment. Emotion, rather than logic, was stressed in this particular style with emphasis on emotions such as terror, awe and horror. Artists from the era of Romanticism were against the forms developed by the neoclassic artists. They were not inspired by the beauty of the perfect subjects that th e neoclassic artists painted. Rather they criticized the neoclassicism art for being unreal and without any real emotions. Since Neoclassicism was inspired by the Ancient Greeks and Roman whose main subjects were Gods, it was obvious that the subjects of neoclassic artists were God like human beings with little or no emotion in their eyes or body language. In their use of colors, the Romantic art was quite contrary with that of the neoclassic art. Romantic artists used vibrant colors, inspired from the Middle East artists while their earlier peers depended on muted colors. Romanticism can be defined as a dynamic art form with its vibrant use of colors and emotions. Neoclassicism, on the other hand, is a passive art form that uses muted colors and shows no emotion. Emotion and rationality are two ends of a spectrum and the relationship between Romanticism and Neoclassicism can be understood by the fact that Romanticism represented emotion while Neoclassicism relied on logic. If Neocl assicism was God centric, Romanticism was human centric. Relationship between Realism and Impressionism Realism is a French art movement that began in the 1850s in the aftermath of the 1848 revolution. Realism was an art form that was developed as a reaction towards the Romantic art form. Realism arts denied the use of excessive emotion in their art and aimed to develop objective reality in their art forms. Depicting the painting in its real and true form was the aim of realist artists. This was a time when photography was gaining popularity and photography provided support to realism with its natural and true depiction of the subject. Impressionism, on the other hand, was a 19th century movement that was developed by Paris artists who defied the norms by using free brush strokes to create realism. They explored different perspectives of the scene and inculcated movement in art. These artists were first not taken seriously but with time, they art style spread to other parts of the a rt world. It is believed that it was the great artist, Manet who created the transition between Realism and Impressionism. Manet went away with the use of painting layers in his painting so that he could create his painting in one sitting with the model present. This meant that he could not make any mistake with the use of the colors, thus the art form was a fast art form that did not receive a favorable reception in the beginning. Realism art was an art that tried to tune in to the norms of the art society. Impressionist art form, however, created a revolution in the art society as it redefined the term art. Impressionist artists demanded solo shows while French artists vehemently opposed them. However, with time people realized that Impressionism had brought a fresh perspective in art and they accepted the art form. One

GOODYEAR WILL IT SURVIVE THIS ECONOMY Research Paper

GOODYEAR WILL IT SURVIVE THIS ECONOMY - Research Paper Example Ratio Industry Comparison 1.5x Quick Ratio Industry Comparison 0.9x LONG-TERM SOLVENCY - GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO (GT) Total Debt/Equity Industry Comparison 315.3x Total Liabilities/Total Assets Industry Comparison 90.4x GROWTH OVER PRIOR YEAR - GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO (GT) Total Revenue Industry Comparison 15.53% Tangible Book Value Industry Comparison 48.15% EBITDA Industry Comparison 56.89% Gross Profit Industry Comparison 27.36% Receivables Industry Comparison 8.03% Inventory Industry Comparison 21.86% Diluted EPS Before Extra Industry Comparison -42.58% Capital Expenditures Industry Comparison 26.54% Cash From Ops. ... ble Book Ratio -18.03 Most recent data  Ã‚  Ã‚   5-Year Averages Return on Assets -0.5% Return on Invested Capital -1.4% Gross Profit Margin 20.8% Pre-Tax Profit Margin 0.1% Post-Tax Profit Margin -0.9% Net Profit Margin (Total Operations) -0.4% R&D as a % of Sales 0.0% SG&A as a % of Sales 13.8% Debt/Equity Ratio 5.24 Total Debt/Equity Ratio 5.83 Price Earnings Ratios P/E Ratio 26 Weeks Ago 17.9 12 Month Normalized P/E Ratio 150.1 GT Ratios & Returns Price-to-sales 0.2 Return on Equity 0.0 Operating Margin 7.6 Profit Margin -1.1% More GT Ratios & Returns > GT Financials Sales $18.832 bil Profits $-0.216 bil Assets $15.63 bil Employees 72000.0 ANALYSIS Goodyear is a prestigious company that has dominated the market by producing tire, rubber, and glass products. Recently, the company has recorded profits of $16,302 million at the fiscal year of 2009. This was a disappointing figure considering the fact that the company has a revenue increase of 16% in 2009. The net loss for the comp any was $375 million, compared to last year which was only around $77 million. Hence, the company’s revenue stream was declined 16% from last year. The company’s financial ratios no doubt indicate that the company is facing tough times. For instance, the net loss in their operations is a drastic $375 million. This type of deficit will not enable the company to thrive in these harsh economic times. Furthermore, the company’s earnings per share is extremely low, which raises the questions for the stockholders. The return on investment capital is -1.4%, which means that the company has low funds to buy fixed assets. The price/tangible book ratio is -18.03, which means the stock is undervalued. The company must need to address this issue immediately in order for the company to be marginal. In

Evaluation of Hilton Hotel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Evaluation of Hilton Hotel - Essay Example This work tends to explain some of the services offered by the company as well application of special evaluation techniques to ascertain some of its weaknesses and the provide solutions for such limitations. Human factor, as far as service performance is concerned, forms one of the basic areas to gauge a certain hotel. Hotel service evaluation is more subjective because it depends on opinions of several customers as well staff, and this might vary depending on individuals taste or preference. However, currently there are standard evaluation tools which produce a generalized result. Such evaluation tools are SERVQUAL and walk-through audit among others. In specific, the following discourse focuses on the hotel’s presence in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom offers a strategic market for Hilton. It contributes significantly to the clientele base of the hotel globally. One of the most amazing facts is the way the hotels blend in the local serene environment. For instance, th e London hotel has a bar which directly overlooks the Hyde park. Consequently, when one is in the bar, one gets to sight the Hyde park. This is just an example of how strategic the Hotels in the UK are placed. (D'ANNUNZIO-GREEN, 2004). The cultural as well as the historical position of London, for instance, makes the United Kingdom a leading tourist destination site. Consequently, the Hilton hotels in the region stand better chances in terms of revenue collection. Their profitability relies on how effective is the president of the hotels in the region planning to maintain their status. It is also important to acknowledge competitors like Lowry hotel in Manchester (Porter & Prince, 2010) Every customer will always have different opinion with regard to the satisfactions of the hotel services. This would depend on the staff hospitality, behaviour, experiences, and responsibility among other traits to do with the staff. Furthermore, facility’s communication strategies, safety, av ailability, and accessibility would determine the suitability of a hotel (Spector, 2005). The Hilton hotel is one of the largest tourist hotels in the region. In the current generation, tourists have greater expectations with regard to the quality of hotel services. In London, the hotel is in Westminster as well as West End. Therefore, in a bid to retain its clients, it ought to maintain the levels of quality services provided. The UK market is quite dynamic in terms of service provision in the hotel industry. The hotel management system is a dynamic system since it keeps changing with customers’ preferences. Humans like new fancy things, hence customers will always flock hotels with advanced amenities in transport, communication, entertainments and catering among other areas of service in such hotels. By conforming to the current trends, the Hilton hotels in the UK would likely perform better financially. Hilton hotel departmental managers have the role to listen to the clie nts and do as they wish to attract and maintain more customers. I would say this is not an easy task due to the fact that the majority of tourists or customers come from different countries or cities with different cultures, beliefs and style among other aspects. Furthermore, it would be expensive and time consuming to treat each customer according to his or her

Barnes and Nobles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Barnes and Nobles - Essay Example By this, it remarkable tries to create the best value for its both existing and prospective customers. At the very moment, it addresses this concern by implementing Barnes & Noble Cafes, NOOK bookstore, specialize 1 million unique book titles, and addressing its commitment to carry a vast selection of titles from many large or small publishers. In other words, its very point in doing this is to be the best specialty retail in America regardless of the products it sells. This is the very mission of Barnes & Noble and it is important for this company to address the level of product volume it promises to serve with its customers. As a specialty retail store, it is important for Barnes & Noble to hear the response of its customers in order to evaluate the level of value it has already given to its customers. In line with this, it is necessary that the Barnes & Noble should focus on the area of customer service in order to understand how far it is trying to create a value for its customer s. As of the moment, Barnes & Noble is open for questions and suggestions in order to address customers’ superior or excellent experience with them. This can be done via internet or through phone. In line with this, Barnes & Noble should create strategic measure on how far it addresses the level of customer service it promises to give. In line with this, it is important that the company should implement performance measurement strategy. One that can be applied is the balanced scorecard which helps aligns business’ visions and activities, and evaluates specific strategies. Under the balanced scorecard are priorities and one of them is customers. Thus, it is timely that Barnes & Noble should implement this, not just only on superficially dealing with customers’ concerns. Generic strategy It is therefore not a question what specific generic strategy Barnes & Noble is implementing. It is evident that since it wants to become a cut above the other or simply as the ma rket leader in its industry, differentiation strategy was made possible for its entire retailing activity. In line with this, it is also important that it tries to undergo a combined focus differentiation strategy. Under this, it caters to the specific needs of its customers considering that there are different segments of them that are involved. On the other hand, this can be tedious on its part but the bottom line is to guarantee that it fully understands the needs of its customers. This in return helps the company to provide a product for its customers and create a real need for them. In fact, in the modern marketing techniques, organizations have specific activity on the creation of needs for specific product or service offering (Boone & Kurtz, 2006). Grand strategy In the midst of information technology, it is important that Barnes & Noble should finally attempt to go global in its operation through the internet. In line with this, it is timely to integrate all its marketing ef forts not just in America but in the entire world through an online retailing strategy. Like eBay and other online retailing sites, it is timely for Barnes & Noble to momentarily adapt to new approaches as the market continuously is changing over time. With its retailing store trying to be online, it would open up its opportunity

Richer Districts and Higher Quality of Education Essay - 4

Richer Districts and Higher Quality of Education - Essay Example This is done by giving them education vouchers and this means that they are able to take their children to schools in other districts. To begin with, using this method leads to poor the parents having to deal with more financial issues. When the parents are allowed to use this, their children will have to go further from home which means more transport costs which the parents may not be able to afford. As a result, while this may help the parents to take their young ones to a better school outside the district, it may also mean that they are no able to improve the education of the children. They will not be able to go home early and yet in poor families older siblings are part of helping the parents with younger siblings. Seeding them to school further from home will leads to them being unable to go to a home in the event in good time. In most poor families, the younger children are part and parcel of playing some home chares including helping in the bringing up of the younger siblings. When these kids go to school too far from home, they are not able to go home in time to help their parents with these issues. The other issue is the fact that it leads to school district funding being transferred to other diacritics and this weakens the public schools even further (Hanushek, 258). Giving parents the money to take their children to districts other than where they stay will mean that the funds are being taken outside of the local districts. This leads to the local education in public school getting even worse due to the fact that the funds they would otherwise use to improve their education are being taken to other districts. Apart from that, it also leads to issues of lack of tax accountability of tax to some people which also leads to poorer education.  

Netflix Business Risks Essay Example for Free

Netflix Business Risks Essay For a low monthly price Netflix allows their customers not only to streamline videos on their mobile devices and computers but also choose from a wide variety of DVD’s. This allows for the consumer to watch as much which is beneficial for someone that has a busy schedule and would like to go back and catch up where they left off. As with every business there are risks associated with the everyday operations and I will go into detail as to what the risks are that Netflix has encountered. Business Risk I was a Netflix customer back in 2010 and I was pleased with the low monthly rate associated with a Netflix membership. This option was wonderful with a houseful of children that had different likes in what they watched everyone was pleased. As I carefully monitored my monthly bank statements the low price was at a constant rate up until the middle of July 2011. My monthly fee of $8.50 went up to $16.00 which nearly doubled. More than doubled. I made the honest mistake of not taking into consideration the economic downturn and what risks were associated with such a good deal. As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true it must be. With a household of 7 I had to outweigh the pros and cons of paying an additional $8.00 a month. While comparing the previous membership price along with the new membership price there was no return on the company’s part. I was still able to view movies via streaming online as well as DVD’s in the mail. So why did the the price jump? Pogue (2011) states, â€Å"This, as you can imagine, is not a popular decision. This isn’t a cost-of-living increase. This isn’t inflation. It’s a 60 percent overnight price increase — that gives you nothing new in return.† Not only was I the only irate customer. Netflix felt this chain of reaction across the globe, the consequence of a 60% price increased caused Netflix to lose 800,000 customers in their third quarter. Operational Risks Netflix’s Chief Executive Office Reed Hastings made the decision in splitting Netflix into two separate companies. One of the companies will be specifically for streaming movies on demand and the other company will be called Qwikster specifically for the DVD business. Blodget (2011) states, â€Å"And we can also certainly understand why, from the companys perspective, it makes sense to split the DVD and streaming businesses into two separate companies: Theyre different businesses, with different cost structures and different delivery, marketing, licensing, and management challenges, and they will be easier to run better if theyre managed separately.† Split in Two. It only makes sense to create two companies that would help them focus on their main objective. Since Qwikster will be for the dvd section library they have to take into consideration the costs of shipping out a dvd, the quantity of inventory in the warehouse as well as inventory turnover. Online streaming does not the same costs associated since the consumer is just a click away from watching at their convenience. Consumers are sometimes forced in choosing the DVD’s because as I have experienced myself some of the older and newer versions of movies are not available to stream online. For example, Willow was an all-time favorite of mine during my childhood, while checking the streaming library I came across the movie but once I had clicked on the title it showed it was only available via DVD. I have a very bad habit in returning the Netflix dvd given there are no additional shipping costs associated with the dvd, but the downfall for Netflix is that there is one less dvd out in the world and the inventory won’t be replenished until I return this movie. Financial Risk Netflix domestic online streaming has a committed amount of customers while domestic dvd are hit the worst. Netflix membership plans include $8.00 a month for unlimited streaming, for an additional $8.00 more a month customers can add unlimited DVD’s, and if the consumer is interested in Blu-ray disks then they would add an additional $2.00 on top of dvd price bringing it up to $10.00 for Blu-ray’s. Hurley (2012) states, â€Å"Nevertheless, gross, operating, and net income margins have been sliding steadily and substantially for several years. Moreover, Netflix continues to rely on subscriptions to its DVD’s-by-mail service to prop up net income. Although management officially altered corporate strategy to place emphasis  on streaming services rather than DVD-by-mail services and there are more than twice as many streaming subscriptions as by-mail subscriptions.† Strong Force. In December 2012 it was announced that both Disney (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) announced a deal that would allow Disney shows and movies to be available to only Netflix’s subscribers. The result of this announcement resulted in Netflix stock rise to 15%. This is great news for consumers like me who is a Disney fanatic, now I will have a reason to stay with Netflix so that I can watch Disney movies with an unlimited amount of time. Conclusion When the price increase occurred back in 2011, I did cancel my membership because I was still feeling the economic downturn in my household. I would rather use that $18.00 towards filling up my gas tank rather than watch TV, in my eyes needs are more important than wants in my household. In mid-2012 I had a career change that resulted in a higher income. I now had a little extra play money to apply to a want that I once had and since Netflix allowed my children to be satisfied and allowed for some quiet time on my end, I went ahead and renewed my subscription. Being on Netflix for a few months I can say that I was extremely stoked when the announcement of Disney and Netflix working together. References Blodget, H. (2011). With all respect to Reed Hastings, the Netflix-Qwikster split bad for customers. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/respect-reed-hastings-netflix-qwikster-split-bad-customers-160148340.html Hurley, D. (2012). Could Netflix bounce in 2013? Retrieved from http://www.wealthlift.com/blog/netflix-bounce-2013/ Pogue, D. (2011). Why Netflix raised its prices. Retrieved from http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/why-netflix-raised-its-prices/

Discussion of Management of Patient Traction

Discussion of Management of Patient Traction 1. List nursing interventions and preventative management related to skeletal traction. a. The weights used by the patient should be known and recorded in the nursing documentation; the weights must not be removed from the skeletal traction unless a life-threatening situation happens for removal of these destroys their purpose. b. The traction system must be thoroughly checked at least once every shift or every 6 to 8 hours and always after some interventions such as moving a patient, physiotherapy, and radiographic examination because the system may be inadvertently altered. c. The nurse must guarantee that the cords are attached securely by standard knots that will not shift or come undone, the weights hang freely and should not rest on the floor nor catch or jam, the ropes are in the wheel grooves of the pulleys, and that the ropes are not frayed. d. The ends of the cords must be short or approximately 5cm and bound back to themselves with the use on an adhesive tape which will prevent fraying of the cord end and possible slipping and accidental disruption of the traction. The knot itself should also be uncovered. e. The pulleys must be free running and oiled to prevent squeaking and friction should be minimized, the efficiency is maintained and the patient should not be disturbed by noise. f. Pointed ends of the pins or wires used should always be covered to prevent injury not only to the patient but also to the staff. g. The nurse should also evaluate the patients position; the patient should be on a firm-based bed to give full support and comfort to allow efficient action of the traction system and prevent the patient from slipping down the bed. h. the nurse should maintain alignment of the patients body in traction as ordered by the physician which will promote an effective line of pull. i. The patients foot is positioned properly to prevent foot drop, inward rotation, and outward rotation otherwise the foot can be supported by orthopedic devices such as foot support to maintain a neutral position. j. The elbows and knees should be protected with the use of a semi permeable film dressing or protective wool and inspected for pressure ulcers because these parts of the body are often used by patients in repositioning themselves. Also, to prevent these parts from being injured, an overhead trapeze can be helpful for the patients movement. k. Back care should always be provided and bed should be kept dry and free from crumbles and wrinkles to prevent bed sores or pressure ulcers. l. If available, a pressure relieving air-filled or high density foam mattress overlay can be used to reduce risk for pressure ulcers. m. The bed linens should regularly be changed. The patient is instructed to raise his torso while the nurses on both sides of the bed will roll down and replace the upper mattress sheet and as the patient raises the buttocks off the mattress, the nurses will slide it under the buttocks. To finish the changing, the nurses will replace the lower part of the bed linens while the patient rests on his back. The traction should not be disrupted. n. The neurovascular status should be assessed initially every hour and then every 4 hours. o. The nurse should instruct the patient to report instantly if any change in sensation or movement happens. p. The patient should also be encouraged to do active flexion-extension ankle exercises and calf-pumping exercises ten times hourly to prevent venous stasis or DVT. Anti-embolism stocking and compression devices may be used for preventive measures. q. The nurse should also inspect for looseness of pins or wires and signs of infection at the sites where the traction is inserted every 8 hours. Purulent discharge, redness or inflammation may indicate infection, though these signs subside normally after 72 hours. r. Pins that are mechanically stable require weekly pin site care. The most recommended cleansing solution used is chlorhexidine solution. If early signs of infection are present, frequency of pin site care is increased. s. The nurse ensures that the site is only covered by a sterile absorbent non-stick dressing and rolled gauze for the first 48 hours. After this, loose cover dressing or none is suggested. A bandage will only be used if the patient is exposed to airborne dust. t. The nurse should instruct the patient to take showers within 5 to 10 days of pin insertion and encourage them to leave the pin exposed to water flow and dry them with a clean towel and left to open air. Dressing may be applied if ordered. u. The patient is encouraged to perform active exercises to prevent loss of muscle mass and strength and prolonged rehabilitation. The patient can perform the following: pulling up on the trapeze, flexing and extending the feet, ROM and weight-resistance exercises for the non-involved joints. v. Isometric exercises of the immobilized extremity such as gluteal-setting and quadriceps-setting exercises are important for maintaining strength in major ambulatory muscles. 2. Discuss a component of cast care for the pediatric client or adult client. Identify manifestations of compartment syndrome. After cast application, the nurse must teach the client to report the following: a. When the toes or fingers become blue, swollen or difficult and painful to move b. When the limbs become painful c. When the client feel numbness d. When the client have blister-like or burning pain e. Presence of discharges or wetness or unpleasant smell from the cast f. If the client dropped anything from the cast The nurse must also teach the client or the care taker the following proper care of the cast: a. The cast should be kept dry. Allowing it to dry naturally is a must and it should be left uncovered. b. External heat such as a hairdryer or by sitting in front of a fire should be prevented. c. If an irritation occurs under the cast, anything under the cast should never be poked. d. The skin around the cast should be washed daily and checked for redness or sores. e. The limb must not be hanged down especially on the first few days. f. Exercises for the fingers or toes and other joints of the body should be performed for 5 minutes every hour during the day. There are certain nursing interventions and care after cast application. The following will be discussed below. a. Self-care deficit The goal of care is for the client to maintain everyday activities to a level acceptable for him. The client may need help to achieve this level. The nurse must assess the clients capabilities which will depend to a number of factors such as the site of the cast, the previous level of independence, the support available from family or friends, and some may require referral to a social worker. b. Peripheral neurovascular impairment The goal of care is to reduce the risk of neurovascular impairment and identify any early complications. The nurse must do neurovascular observations and if neurovascular impairment such as compartment syndrome is suspected, the following interventions should be done: Inform the physician immediately Cease elevation of the limb because elevation can increase compartment pressure The cast should be split down to the skin. Threads of padding should not be left uncut for it can impair the circulation If local pressure on the nerve is present, a window is needed to be cut or the cast is bivalve Compartment syndrome requires immediate surgery. (I will duscuss it after these nursing diagnosis and care) c. Impaired skin integrity The goal of care is to indentify signs of localized pressure because cast may cause pressure or localized sores. These are the following signs that should be observed by the nurse: Itching beneath the plaster Burning pain; which should not be ignore because the tissues quickly becomes ischemic which leads to numbness and absence of pain Disturbed sleep, restlessness and fretfulness in children Swelling of the fingers or toes after the immediate swelling has subsided A characteristic offensive smell due to tissue necrosis Presence of discharge The nurse must know that extra padding to a cast can increase the pressure and the padding can fall further down the cast. Cotton wool should not be used for padding because it tends to be compressed into hard small pellets that can cause further problems when it falls into the cast and become lodged. A window should be cut carefully and removed as a whole piece for inspection of potential sore sites but the window should be replaced to prevent local edema. d. Risk for disuse syndrome (stiffness of the joint) The goal of care is to ensure that the adjacent joints retain their normal range of motion because stiffness will occur in joints held in a cast. Such exercises that was discussed before is vital in relation to the importance of using adjacent joints. e. Potential allergic reaction The goal of care is to prevent reactions in client known to have had a reaction in the past and for early detection of any reaction occurring in other clients. The nurse should check if the patient has known allergies. Signs or reaction should be observed such as itching, non-localized burning pain, rashes and blistering of the skin. If these occur, the physician is informed. The cast is removed, the skin is cleaned and a new cast is applied using a different material. Compartment Syndrome If the patient complaints that the cast is too tight, nerve compression and vascular insufficiency can occur due to unrelieved swelling. This can result to compartment syndrome. The cast may be bivalved to relive the pressure while maintaining alignment with the extremity elevated no higher than the level of heart to ensure arterial perfusion. If it is not relieved, fasciotomy is required to relieve pressure built up in the muscle compartment before irreversible damage occurs to the ischemic muscle. 3. Compare the nursing needs of a total hip replacement patient with a total knee replacement patient. Nursing Needs of a Total Hip Replacement Patient A patient with a total hip replacement requires monitoring for specific potential complications especially the dislocation of hip prosthesis. Nursing needs are more focused on the dislocation of the hip prosthesis. If the patient is undergoing a posterior or posterior-lateral approach for total hip arthroplasty, maintenance of the femoral head component in the acetabular cup is important. The leg should be positioned in abduction to prevent dislocation of the prosthesis. An abduction splint can be used to keep the hip in abduction. Hip should never be flexed more than 90 degrees. Limited flexion is maintained during transfers and when sitting. There are methods to avoid displacement of the hip such as keeping the knees apart at all times, putting a pillow between the legs when sleeping, never crossing the legs when seated, avoding positions such as bending forward when seated in a chair and when picking up an object on the floor. A higg seated chair should be used and a raised toilet seat. The hip should also not be flexed to put on clothing such as pants, stocking, socks, shoes, etc. Monitoring the wound drainage, preventing deep vein thrombosis and infection,are also important for the patient. Nursing Needs of a Total Knee Replacement Patient In other hand, a patient with total knee replacement focuses on the importance in encouraging active flexion of the foot every hour postoperatively, when awake. Also, drainage should range from 200 to 400mlduring the first 24 hours after the surgery and reduces to less than 25ml by 48 hours at which time drainage is removed by the surgeon. A continuous passive range of motion or CPM device combined with physical therapy will help improve the patients postoperative knee mobility and decrease use of analgesics. Usually, 10 degrees of extension and 15 degrees of flexion are prescribed initially, then increasing to 90 degrees of flexion with 0 or full extension by discharge. The knee is usually protected with a knee immobilizer and is elevated when the patient sits in a chair. Ambulation, use of assistive devices and within the prescribed weight bearing limits is encouraged on the day after surgery. 4. Discuss methods to avoid dislocation after hip replacement after surgery. There are several methods to avoid dislocation of the hip prosthesis. These are the following: a. The knees should be kept apart at all times. b. A pillow should be placed between the legs when sleeping. c. Legs should not be crossed when seated. d. Bending forward when sitting in a chair should be avoided. e. Bending forward to pick up an object on the floor should also be avoided. f. A high seated chair and a raised toilet seat should be used because the knees should be lower than the level of the hips when seated. g. The hips should not be flexed to put on clothing such as pants, stockings, socks, or shoes. 5. You are caring for a patient who has had skeletal traction placed to treat a fractured femur. Discuss nursing interventions and assessment techniques related to this type of treatment. When caring for a patient with a skeletal traction on a fractured femur, these arethe nursing interventions and assessment techniques the nurse must do: a. The nurse must check the traction system daily, at least every 6 to 8 hours and always after moving the patient. b. The nurse must also inspect for looseness of pins or wires and signs of infection such as discharge, redness and inflammation at the sites of insertion of the traction. c. Pin sites should be cleaned twice or once daily; chlorhexidine solution is the most recommended solution to use for cleaning. d. Skin breakdown should be prevented by covering the bony prominences used by the patient when moving such as the elbows and heel. e. An overhead trapeze is given to the patient for easy movement. f. The neurovascular status of the fractured femur should be assessed every 4 hours. g. The patient should be encouraged to do calf-pumping exercises for at least 10 times per hour to decrease the risk for deep vein thrombosis of the affected part. h. The use of anti-embolism stockings can also help prevent venous stasis. g. Active exercise such as pulling up on the trapeze, flexing and extending the feet and isometric exercises will maintain strength in major ambulatory muscles. i. Assisting the patient will self-care such as bathing, dressing and toileting is also one of the nurses responsibilities. j. The nurse must also monitor the patient for any potential complications such as DVT, constipation, etc. 6. A patient is being discharged with an external fixator for a fractured humerus. Discuss home care instructions for this patient. Home care instructions for a patient with an external fixator include the following: a. The nurse must demonstrate proper pin site care. The solution that must be used is chlorhexidine solution, and cleaning is once or twice a day. b. The nurse should inform the patient to notify the physician if signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, increased or purulent pin drainage occur. c. The nurse should also describe measures to control swelling and pain such as elevating the extremity to the heart level and taking prescribed analgesics. d. The nurse informs the patient to report uncontrolled pain upon elevation and use of analgesics for it could be an indicator of impaired tissue perfusion, compartment syndrome, or pin traction infection. e. The nurse should also let the patient demonstrate the ability to transfer and use mobility aids safely. 7. Identify various types of traction and the principles of effective traction. a. Skin Traction It is used to control muscle spasms and to immobilize an area before surgery. No more than 2 to 3.5kg of traction can be used on an extremity. b. Skeletal Traction It is applied directly to the bone and is used occasionally to treat fractures of the femur, tibia, and the cervical spine. Two types of pins are commonly used; the Steinmann pin, and the threaded pins such as Denham pin. There are also common types of traction used. These are the following: c. Straight-Leg Traction It is also known as Pughs traction which allows the traction cord to be fixed by trying it to for example, the end of the thomas splint or used as sliding traction using a pulley and weights. It is used as a temporary measure for fractured neck of femur injuries, to rest the hip or relieve pain or muscle spasm. d. Hamilton-Russell Traction It is traditionally been used for fractures of the neck and the shaft of the femur. The arrangement of the foot pulleys multiplies the traction force by 100%. To ensure Effective traction, avoidance of wrinkling and slipping of the traction bandage is important. Also, it is a must to maintain countertraction. Proper positioning is maintained to keep the leg in neutral position. Advice the patient not to turn from side to side. This will prevent bony fragments from moving against one another. 8. Discuss the use of Bucks traction, its uses and the involved nursing considerations. Bucks Extension traction is used to the lower leg. It is a type of skin traction that is used to immobilize fractures of the proximal femur before surgical fixation. During application of the Bucks Extension traction, excessive pressure is avoided over the malleolus and proximal fibula to prevent pressure ulcers and nerve damage. The prescribed weight is usually 5 to 8 pounds. 9. Discuss the nursing care for a patient undergoing orthopaedic surgery. a. Relieving pain is the first goal for the patient. Decreasing the discomfort by moving the affected bone or the injured joint can help. b. Elevation of the edematous extremity will promote venous return and reduce the discomfort. c. Giving alangesics as ordered, d. Monitoring and maintaining the neurovascular status of the patient. e. Assisting the patient in performing activities. f. Assessing the nutritional status and hydration by monitoring fluid intake, urinary output and urinalysis findings. g. Encouraging mobility immediately after surgery to promoted independence in ambulation. h. Assisting the patient in accepting body changes, diminished self-esteem and roles and responsibilities. SOURCES: Brunner and Suddarths textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 12th Edition Julia Kneale et. al. (2005) Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing 2nd Edition Web Assignment 1. Find a research article addressing health teaching needs for the patient with a cast. Explain your findings in a one-page paper. http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-cast-and-splint-care According to the article, a cast is used to protect your bone and reduce pain as it heals. Minimizing the risk for potential complications is important. It was enumerated in the article some cast care instructions and they are as follows; the cast should be kept above the level of the heart within 24 to 48 hours which can be accomplished by resting it on pillows. Also, fingers and toes where the cast is located should be moved gently. The ice keeps the swelling down. Applying a bag of ice of a bag of frozen vegetables covered with a thin towel to the cast for 20 minutes while awake reduces swelling. The patient should be reminded that ice is not applied directly into the skin. Pain medications should be taken as ordered such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. The cast should not get wet. To bathe with a cast, cover the cast with a plastic bag and tape the opening shut. Then, the cast is hung outside the tub. Even if the cast is covered with a plastic, it should not be placed with water or allow the water to run over the area. There are waterproof cast available at medical supply stores but are not completely waterproof. A hair dryer on a cool setting can be used to dry the cat in case it got wet, it can also soothe itchiness. Warm or hot setting can burn the skin that is wise it is not advised to be used. A vacuum cleaner can also be used with a hose attachment to pull air through the cast and speed drying. The patient should always remember that the cast should be kept clean. Powder or lotion should not be applied near the cast and the cast should be covered when eating. The padding out from inside the cast must not be pulled. There are also instructions said when to seek care. These are as follows; if there are sore areas or a foul odor from the cast, cracks or breaks in the cast, or the cast feels too tight, if swelling is developed that causes pain and immobility of the fingers or toes, if tingling or numbness is felt on the affected part, if the fingers or toes are blue or cold, if there is severe pain in or near the affected part, and if it becomes soaking wet and does not dry with a hair dryer or vacuum.