Research a country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research a country - Essay Example The highest point in the country above sea level in the country is 600 ft (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 15). The highest mountains in the country are 3327 ft high situated in Carpathians. It had been part of the Habsurg and Ottoman empires from the 16th century but after World War 1, it became an independent country. Following the results of the last census, the country has close to 10 million people with 92.3% Hungarians inhibiting the country. People from other regions occupy the other percentage with Romans occupying 1.9% of the population. This makes the Hungarian language the mostly spoken in the country. The language is a member of the Finno-Ugric family one of the few languages spoken in European Union. The main religion in the country is Roman Catholic with close to 37.2% of the population been Catholics. The Calvinist religion comes close to Roman Catholic with an estimated 11.6% (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 23). In 10 million people in the country, people below 14 years constitute like 15% of the total population. People between 15 to 24 years constitute 11.9%. 24-54 age brackets, makes up the most people in the country, as it constitutes close to 41.6% (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 23). The country’s medium age is 41 years with that of male being 39 years and that of female 43 years. The ur ban population makes up 69.5% of the country’s total population. The education sector has undergone various changes in the country but the quality of education in the country is unparalleled and is best known for excelling in mathematics education. One of the famous mathematical scientists to hail from the country is Farkas Bolyai. The Hungarian folk music is the popular music listened at the country. The National Assembly members after every 5 years elect the country’s president whose role is mainly ceremonial as he or she is nominally the armed forces’ commander in chief. Some of the powers vetted to the president is to

Operations Management and Loreal Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations Management and Loreal - Case Study Example The analysis of the report shows the absolute advantage of L'Oreal in terms of its sale and market share in the industry. To emphasise the competitiveness, the report presents a comparative study of L'Oreal with some of its rival companies. To a major extent the profit of a company depends how aptly the aforementioned tasks are carried out. If the effectiveness of the company in managing these operations is more then it will cost less and consequently it will reap a larger profit. And this entire mechanism once done helps a company to achieve a distinct competitive advantage with lower costs and better quality. This study is confined within the cosmetic industry since it is one of the burgeoning industries in today's world. The cosmetic industry today is a $29 billion business whose aggressive marketing and advertising efforts have forged a powerful trajectory of continued growth. According to the manufacturing census data on toilet items, "sales of cosmetics in 1900 stood at about $100,000." Thereafter, the cosmetic industry emerged and rapidly expanded, as "women's growing interest in beauty products coincided with their new sense of identity as consumers." Around mid-1920s, retail cosmetics sales were estimated at about $125,000,000 per year and about $150,000,000 in 1940. (Daum C.M.L., May 2006) The target company taken for analysis is the world's largest cosmetic company L'Oreal. With top cosmetic brands like Garnier, Maybelline, Lancme, Ralph Lauren, Cacharel and Matrix in its portfolio, L'Oreal stands as a notable brand. Its only hurdle was to penetrate in the Indian market where Lakme enjoyed a monopoly, but has managed to cross that hurdle with ease. Literature Review Operations management plays a key role in making an organisation's potential to grow evident in any industry. It is the area that is concerned with the efficiency and effectiveness of the core operations of an organisation to support strategic goals of its business. Operations management also forms an important area in the academic field of business management. This field of study has been gaining tremendous attention and development for the last couple of decades. Supply chain management decisions constitute a crucial part of a company's. long run planning. Understanding of the domain and carrying out an analysis of a company, demands a brief literature review on supply chain management. Theories of Halldorsson, Ketchen and Lavassani on SCM provide a base for further research

Power Reforms Essay Example for Free

Power Reforms Essay Electricity is central to achieving economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable human development. In fact it has become essential ingredient for improving the quality of life and its absence is usually associated with poverty and poor quality of life. India has the fifth largest generation capacity in the world with an installed capacity of 173,626 MW as in March 2011. The power sector added record conventional capacities of 12,160 MW during 2010-11. However, despite the Indian power sector having shown substantial growth during the post-independence era, the sector has been ailing from serious functional problems during the past few decades. In 2010-11, India faced power deficit of 10 per cent and peak demand shortage of 13.3 per cent. In this backdrop, Power sector reforms were first initiated in India in 1992 by the Ministry of Power (MoP) to invite private investments in power generation to bridge the demand-supply gap. However, private investments failed to yield much benefit due to serious deficiencies and losses in electricity distribution in most of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs). Post 2001, Reforms were oriented around: 1. Unbundling of the state electricity boards.  2. Corporatization of generation, transmission and distribution sector 3. Setting up of independent central and state electricity regulatory commissions. 4. Passing of the Electricity Act, 2003 which mandates licensee-free thermal generation, non-discriminatory open access of the transmission system and gradual implementation of open access in the distribution system which will pave way for creation of power market in India. In the power sector reform process, Distribution segment was identified as the key area for reform for putting the sector on the right track. Distribution Reforms involve System up-gradation, Loss reduction, Theft control, Consumer orientation, Commercialization and adoption of IT. In this direction, the Government launched the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) during the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07) for the strengthening of Sub – Transmission and Distribution network and reduction in ATC losses. Continuing its support for power distribution reforms, the Government launched the Restructured APDRP (R-APDRP) in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) with revised terms and conditions. Thus, Two key issues emerge as far as performance and reforms of any distribution company are concerned:- 1. Revenue realization which means reduction of ATC Losses 2. Consumer satisfaction The above factors are mutually reinforcing whereby improvement in one leads to the same for other as well. Technology has emerged as a major enabler of any reform process and this holds true for power sector reforms as well. New technological initiatives have been taken by many states especially in the distribution sector which have aided performance of the distribution companies therein. This paper seeks to throw light on how the above two key issues are being addressed through the use of e-governance mechanisms in KESCO i.e. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd., formerly KESA, was restructured as a company on 14 January 2000 under U.P. Electricity reform act 1999. This company is registered for distribution of electricity in the area under Kanpur City (Urban). KESCo is serving around 700 bulk consumers and 4,35,000 other consumers of domestic, commercial and power categories connected to grid through 66 no. 33 KV substations and 340 no. 11 KV feeders after receiving electricity from 7 transmission substation of 220 KV and 132 KV of U.P. Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. It has a peak demand of around 500 MW and annual turnover of around 1000 crores. Coming back to the above two objectives, the situation before the initiatives were launched in KESCO and measures taken therein are as follows: 1. Revenue Realization The biggest challenge of the power sector as far as revenue realization is concerned is the high Aggregate Technical Commercial (ATC) losses. The ATC losses are presently in the range of 18% to 62% in various states in India. The major portion of losses are due to theft and pilferage, which is estimated at about Rs.20,000 crore annually. Apart from rampant theft, the distribution sector is beset with poor billing (only 55%) and collection (only 41%) efficiency in almost in all States. It is estimated that 1% reduction in TD losses would generate savings of over Rs.700 to Rs.800 crores. The line diagram demonstrated below is well explanatory of facts mentioned above:- For KESCO, As far as indicators of Revenue realization are concerned it has high ATC losses to the tune of 29%(March 2011) .Apart from this, other statistics are also not very encouraging with an average turnout of 65% . There was no end to end tracking of theft checking and raids, revenue assessment and realization therein. Not only that, even for billed but non-paying consumers, there was no accurate record of disconnections done and subsequent action thereon for such consumers. Apart from that many consumers were still having defective /mechanical meters installed at their premises, and thus being billed on average basis. There was no mechanism to have a daily tracking of meter replacement work and advices of meters were taking upto3-4 months. Three key fields of revenue realization in above flowchart i.e. Theft and improper metering, collection deficiency, increasing customer base have been targeted through unique initiatives in KESCO. First In this backdrop is a unique , only of its kind in the country, mobile phone based tracking system by the name of M-Drishti introduced in KESCO to ensure end to end tracking of in- field revenue oriented activities: 1. Raids 2. Meter Replacement 3. Disconnections 4. Section 138 Under M-Drishti, 2G internet services have been activated on the official mobile numbers of all distribution officials right from JEs and Assistant Engineers to Chief Engineer. Separate User Id and Passwords have been created for them and they will log in the Mobile M-Drishti interface and fill in details of whatever activities they undertake in field. Screenshot of the mobile phones for activity options is as shown:- So whenever there is a meter checking or katiya raid, a brief report is filled on the spot and sent via phone to the central server. Similarly for any disconnection done against electricity dues or FIR lodged under section 138 of Electricity Supply Act, the information of action taken on spot has to be submitted then and there for addition in the central database. On the server end once the information is collected, the updation is done by the concerned division. So for raid tracking, once revenue assessment and compounding amount at the field level has been entered, it can be edited and information of final assessment done at division, realization therein, Action taken in terms of issuance of notices under section3 and 5, final amount realized etc, can be done by the concerned division. Similar holds true for disconnections done, amount realized therein, action taken in case of non realization etc. For meter replacement a daily report of meters replaced whether defective/mechanical/otherwise is available and is available for linking with online advice. The software generates various MIS reports whereby day/month /JE/Division wise performance with respect to above four activities can be monitored.

Corporate Social Responsibilities in Kuwait

Corporate Social Responsibilities in Kuwait Corporate social responsibilities (CSR) are a form of corporate self regulation inducted into business models. The term Corporate Social Responsibilities was coined in the early 1970s that is after many multinational companies were born. CSR policies of corporate organizations are aimed at providing a positive impact of their actions on customers, employees and shareholders. In other words, its goal is to improve the social environment of communities, it is an organizations means of giving back to the community. This improvement is channeled through nurturing growth and development of communities, including elimination of detrimental practices that affect the public sphere. When a company is said to take part in corporate social responsibility, it means that they have ethical, social and moral responsibilities towards the community and society in which they are operating. Another important responsibility include in the CSR is the return given to investors and abiding by the national rules in the business dealings and functions. According to the traditional view of corporate social responsibility, it was related to the key stakeholders of the company only, which are its stockholders or owners. However today the corporate social responsibility of the business is required in every aspect of the business whether they are the suppliers, customers, investors, employees, government, social groups or owners etc (RFB, 2010). 2. Concepts related to Corporate Social Responsibility: There are several concepts and issues that have emerged today related to the corporate social responsibility. The CSR should now be addressed by the companies in various contexts and some of them are illustrated as follows: 2.1 SOCIAL ISSUES Due to the operation of the businesses having different internal environment and different cultural values, several social issues can emerge. Some of the social issues that emerge are mainly because of the operations of the business. The social issues would include all type of problems that can arise in a society because of the business. These can be environmental e.g pollution because of business operations, the cultural issues, ethical issues or technological issues etc. 2.2 CSR related to Stakeholders: Any individuals, organization, societies or elements of the environment that have a stake in the company and is affected by as well as affects the business is known as its stakeholder. Businesses have a number of stakeholders and it must ensure that the rights of all the stakeholders are delivered to them. For example the workforce of the company has some legal rights as well ethically and morally the company should give the workforce some rights related to the operations of the business. For example In a firm, the health and safety of the employee is the legal responsibility as well as the ethical responsibility of the organizations. The companies have various stakeholders as mentioned before. The stakeholders can be further categorized as the primary stakeholders and the secondary stakeholders. The primary stakeholders of the company are the ones that can impact the organizations business operations. While the secondary stakeholders are the one that can have both direct and indirect impact on the operations of a business. The primary ones are said to have a direct stake and these include the employees, the suppliers, communities, the customers, regulatory bodies, future generations, shareholders, government and business partners etc. even the nature and the environment that a company can have an effect on are a part of its primary stakeholders. The secondary stakeholders even if do not have a direct stake but can be positively or negatively affect by the decisions or operations of the company. These include the interest groups, social groups, political groups etc. The rights of the primary stakeholders of a company are often protected by the laws because they often have a legal link and have a direct connection with each other. on the other hand, the secondary stakeholders might not have legal rights and privileges but the Equity holders are the main stakeholders of any concern. Every organization has to fulfill some is a moral and legal duties and rights of their respective owners. Some of these include, seeking to make sure that the prime stakeholders receive an adequate return on what they have invested in the firm. This is not the only right but the basic right. Besides, the owner, employees are also major players in the business, they also have both moral and legal requirements that the firm must meet. The businesses also have a special obligation to its customers in connection with the marketing, advertising, production and quality of products. The products are also expect to offer functionality, safety and value of local communities. All these duties listed for the firm to follow can significantly affect the activities of national organizations and therefore a direct participation in their activities and other enterprises to do business with. Many social commentators also suggest that companies are directly responsible for future generations and wildlife. 2.3 Environmental Issues. Companies have long been criticized for their negative impact on the natural environment in which they operate. The negative impact of the firm on the environment can be related to terms natural resources and pollution and global warming. In many of the organizations there are no proper systems for waste management. Many firms use fossil fuels that release high quantity of carbon dioxide that is said to be one of the bigger contributors of global warming, and there are social pressure on government and businesses to meet strict standards for environmental and be volunteers in the change process of production which would be less damaging to the environment. Other issues related to the natural environment include acid rain, waste disposal, deforestation, and soil degradation. (Environmental leader, 2010).If an organization does not comply with the standards of environmental responsibility then they not just lose their respect in the eyes of the customers but also face opposition from g overnment, NGOs and various pressure groups. 2.4 Global Issues. More and more organizations today operate in a global environment. The globalization of trade seems to be an irreversible trend, but there are many opponents to it. Critics point out that globalization leads to exploitation in developing countries and workers, environmental degradation and increasing human rights violations. They also argue that globalization benefits mainly the wealthy, widening the gap between rich and poor. Proponents of globalization argue that open markets lead to an increased standard of living for all, higher wages for workers worldwide, and economic development in poor countries. Many large multinational companies are in scope and will continue to face legal, social and ethical issues posed by the increasing globalization of trade. 2.5 Technology Issues Another contemporary social problems relating to technology and its impact on society. For example, the Internet has opened up many new opportunities for marketing goods and services, but also opened up new opportunities for abuse of the companies. Issues of privacy and security of confidential information is handled. Biotechnology companies face issues regarding the use of embryonic stem cells, genetic engineering and cloning. All these things are ethical and social implications. As technological capabilities continue to advance, it is likely that the liability of companies in this sector will increase significantly. Research shows that companies are developing a reputation for being socially responsive and ethical enjoy better performance. But the final motivation for companies to engage in corporate social responsibility should not be an economic motive, but the moral and ethical. (RFB, 2010). 3. Corporate Social Responsibility in Kuwait: CSR is a tool that aids the organization on its mission and serves as dynamic guide as to the organizations principles. There is no formal act of legislation pertaining to CSR; however ISO 26000 is considered as an International Standard for CSR. Public sector organizations adopt the triple bottom line policy; People, Planet, Profit. Along with the mushrooming of multinational companies the scrutiny of their business activities have also increased. This means that organizations who adopt CSR policies have a greater chance of survival. Adoption of corporate responsibility supports business objectives; it results in increase in compliance, reputation and relationships which in turn increase shareholder value and profitability of the company. The International Business Report (IBR) 2008 states the three major reasons for incorporation of CSR in businesses are; Recruitment/Retention of Staff at 65%, Cost Management at 63% and Public attitudes/building brand at 56%. Other reasons perceived to promote CSR are tax reliefs that are provided by the government and investor relations. Tax reliefs are a tool that governments possess by which it may force a change in the attitudes of companies. This tool can be used to force companies to incorporate a CSR policy in their business models. Investors of the company have an impor tant say within company matters. Multinational companies are on the look for local and foreign investors. This provides Investor an edge to influence companies to adopt CSR plans. The Kuwait CSR conference, which is held annually, promotes incorporation of CSR within businesses and also discusses the performance enhancement that CSR offers. A CSR award ceremony held annually in Kuwait to appreciate the contributions made by organizations to Kuwaiti communities. This awards event honors companies for their achievements on the CSR front. Both the conference and award ceremony encourage organizations to adopt a CSR policy. A report by International Business Machines (IBM) Institute for Business Value voiced that companies are viewing CSR as a growth opportunity rather than a policy concerning regulatory-compliance or philanthropic issue. The report further states that 68% of the companies that were surveyed had interest in generating revenue through CSR based activities. Customer concern is considered to be the chief driver of CSR actions however 76% of companies state that they dont completely understand the customers CSR concerns while 16% of organizations claimed that they are able to engage with customers regarding CSR activities. The three major domains which have received contributions from organizations are health care, education and financing aid and charitable trusts. Within the health care domain, organizations sponsor construction of hospitals, medical centers as well as purchasing of equipment. Corporations also design programs that increase awareness of diseases and disorders among the population. In 1999, a telecommunications company; Zain, sponsored and supervised the construction of Sabah Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital. The Kuwaiti Projects Company (KIPCO) initiated a dyslexia campaign. The goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of dyslexia among students and professional alike. For this deed, KIPCO was honored with CSR award. The Annual report of Kuwait Finance House (KFH) 2007 highlighted that the organization provided KD 1.250 million to Bait Al-Zakat (Kuwait Zakat House), increases the provisions allocated for the construction of 15 ambulance centers on the motorways worth KD 1.450 million. The second major domain covered by organizations is education. Organizations aim to educate the local communities not only in traditional educational settings but also in educating in awareness of pollution of the environment, development of discipline and personal skills in young individuals, providing training to young professionals through internships. A Kuwait based multinational petrochemical company; EQUATE, sponsors educational programs, research programs and provides scholarships and awards for higher education. The company not only reaches out to students and educational institutes but also believes in knowledge transfer to regional companies. EQUATE also initiated the pollution free Kuwait campaign whose aims were to decrease the level of pollution in Kuwait and to create awareness of the effects of pollution within the masses (KMPG, 2010). The third area is that of financing relief efforts and charitable trust. Organizations donate allocated funds to trusts from their own accounts. Companies also allot a fixed portion of a sale towards charity. For Example, on the sale of a cell phone a company may forward 5% of its profit to chosen charity .Kuwait airways coupled with Kuwait Red Crescent to provide relief for the less privileged. This association resulted in the launch of a relief project Balsam, whose goals were to provide remedial measures for the needy. The collection of donations for this project is unique in its manner. Kuwait airways collected foreign currency donations from its passengers. These currencies were then forwarded to Kuwait Red Crescent where they were utilized as needed. Even though the report published by IBM Institute of for Business Value highlights that CSR is not focusing on compliance but on generation of revenue streams. The incorporation of CSR in local and multinational companies in Kuwait has provided a positive outlook to social activities. This not only has increased faith of the consumers within the companies but also has proven a source of proper ethical behavior for the companies themselves. 4. Example of Corporate social Responsibility in Kuwait: The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) long been a leader in addressing environmental sustainability issues. In early 1990, Kuwait in front of the worst environmental disaster in recent history, in the wake of the late Iraqi government on the country. Oil wells and gathering centers were in flames, and the uncontrolled flow of oil was filled with hundreds of huge oil lakes and miles and miles of shoreline contamination. It was imperative that the countrys oil infrastructure can be restored and its environment. Today, Kuwait has the worlds seventh largest oil exporter and holds approximately 10% of global oil reserves. KOC is the effective management of oil and gas upstream, acting in Kuwait and the storage of crude oil and deliver it to the tank for export. Significantly, KOC has also helped to clean and protect the environment, embracing corporate social responsibility and the launch of a series of bold initiatives on sustainability, using the latest technologies and industry best practices. Emissions monitoring for regulatory compliance and CSR Kuwait KOC EPA Data from multiple sources while minimizing the Rolling risk of errors or omissions Provide an accurate analysis in real time which translates into better decisions faster Overall 90% reduction in time spent on emissions data collection, processing and reporting from various systems Saved weeks of work and improved accuracy by automating the deployment analysis of corporate sustainability reporting in Gift HSE staff to focus on higher value tasks and increase productivity Koc Health, Safety and Environment Group uses essential result in multiple production facilities, with an unlimited number of users accessing the system via a software-as-a-Service or SaaS implementation is supported by BP Consultancy (PCB ). KOC and the PCB has started using the essential Air module to collect and manage air emissions data Standardization of data, coding data, models, process flows, data models and other functions to generate a wide range of reports and update system dashboards KOC. In the process, KOC not only fulfill its commitments to corporate responsibility, he also streamline the critical operations of the company.

Mariam: A Legitimate End to a Life of Illegitimate Belongings Essay

â€Å"Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. You remember that, Mariam† (Hosseini 11). Mariam, a child born out of wedlock, grew up lacking the genuine love she yearned for. Despite everything, her mother told her, she believed that her father, Jalil, meant the best for her. That was until she made the shocking discovery on her own; he actually wanted to get rid of her. Pressured by his many wives, Jalil forces Mariam to marry an abusive shoemaker. As the last tear rolls down her cheek, she starts to understand the hardships that her mother went through. Emotionally neglected, they left her alone to live in a two-story house in Kabul; this becomes a life changing experience. On her journey through life, a quiet girl transforms into a potent female persona that eventually gives her life for a justifiable cause. Mariam overcomes the obstacles and hardships of her inferiority to the male gender through her courageousness an d endurance. To start off, Mariam plays a powerful role by enduring the countless strikes and lashes of her husband, Ras...

Free Nature vs. Nurture Essay :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Nature vs. Nurture There has always been a large controversy over whether inherited genes or the environment influences and effects our personality, development, behavior, intelligence and ability. This controversy is most often recognized as the nature verses nurture conflict. Some people believe that it is strictly genes that effect our ways of life, others believe that it is the environment that effects us, and some believe that both of these influence our behavior. Either way, social scientists have been struggling for centuries deciding whether our personalities are born or made. Tests are done often on identical twins that were separated to see how they are each influenced by their separate environments. In the past twenty years, it has been discovered that there is a genetic component to every human trait and behavior. However, genetic influence on traits and behavior is partial because genetics account on average for half of the variation of most traits. Urie Bronfrenbrenner, who studies genetics, said, "It is not nature vs. nurture, but the interaction of nature and nurture that drives development." Researchers are finding that the balance between genetic and environmental influences for certain traits change as people get older. Also, people may react to us in a certain way because of a genetically influenced personality and, we may choose certain experiences because they fit best with our instinctive preferences. This means that our experiences may be influenced by our genetic tendencies. One way researchers study the development of traits and behaviors is by measuring the influence of genetics through out ones life span, and it is found to be that the genetic influence on certain trait increase as people age. A research was done to see whether a trait would show up in a child if it was environmentally influenced or genetically influenced. A child was given more negative attention than another was, and it increased the chances of the child having depressive symptoms and anti-social behavior. But these symptoms disappeared when accounted for genetic influences and how parents treat their children. There are three types of gene/environment relations. The first one is called a passive correlation. It is to be explained as, for example, if a musical ability was genetic, and a child was passed a musical ability trait, than the child would most likely have musically inclined parents. Their parents then would provide them with the genes

How Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Are Related? Essay

RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center plans to leverage its business model to satisfy three primary consumer needs – information, cost effectiveness and quality in a single place. As far as information generation is concerned, RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center plans to use opinion leaders to generate extensive reviews on popular products. Furthermore RABBIRRA mobile accessory center plans to offer attractive incentives for customers to sign up on our web site and review products. We also plan to import high quality of china model mobile accessories and other countries model. 2. Cost effectiveness: With its expertise in wholesaling and all its suppliers based in China, RABBIRRA mobile accessory center anticipates margins of 30-60% on its products and can react to new entrants by offering similar products at negligible margins. 1. 3 Location Locating the business will be in East showa at Gedo City kebele 01 near Chaliya Hotel. The reason for chosen this location has been the following criteria. In this location we get all facilities easily such as transport, water supply, electric power supply and others, the house rent is very less cost, we get a lot of customers because around the location there is no more other business to operate this activities. It is comfortable to target markets . the location also enables the business to cover a large and rapidly developing customer populace. E-Commerce: The business will make an effort to enhance its sales through a serious and advantageous website in order to attract customers that are reluctant to do business with large companies. 1. 4 Market area The market area of our business plan to selling our mobile accessories is in the center of Gedo City kebele 01. It has a lot of population around here and it is near to Chaliya Hotel. In this area there are a lot of schools, building constrictions, and social and religion institutes, other market centers, hotels and restaurants this give a better advantage of selling our products. 1. 5 Market Segmentation RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center will focus on  five customer groups, bearing in mind that it is quite customary today to have more than one mobile phone per family: * Children in the age group of 14-17 years old Students * General public * Professionals * Service organizations and companies that need to be in constant communication with their employees. Customer potential| Growth| Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Children(14-17 years)| 3%| 90,000| 92,700| 95,481| Student| 2 %| 50,000| 51,000| 52,020| Professions| 2 %| 40,000| 40,800| 41,616| General public| 2%| 250,000| 255,000| 260,100| Operating service company| 4%| 40,000| 41,600| 43,264| Other| 1%| 30,000| 30,300| 30,603| Total| 2. 29%| 500,000| 511,400| 523,084| Table 1. 1 Main customers of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center . 6 Total demand The following table is show demands of the product per month and pre year:- Products| Demand per month(quantity)| Demand per year(quantity)| Battery| 100| 1200| Charger| 90| 1080| Memory| 110| 1320| Screen protector| 50| 600| Case| 55| 660| Cover| 95| 1140| Adapter| 75| 900| Earphone| 98| 1176| Headset| 80| 960| Cable| 60| 720| Modem| 45| 240| Audio accessory| 48| 576| Table 1. 2 Main product demands of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center In general total demand of our business is increased based on as we see that he number of customers are increases and they will satisfy by our product and the place of the business is comfortable for the market. 1. 7 Market Share RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center has set modest goals for gains in market share as can be seen from the chart below. Starting with a market share of 15%, RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center plans to capture 24% of the market by 2016. % 30 25 20 15 10 0 Year 1 year 2 year 3 Fig 1. 1 Market sharing of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center 1. 8 Selling price Many product sellers are struggle with selling price, and we are regularly asked how we work it out. As much as we want to and the selling price formula is based on â€Å"Rate-Plus Method†. The selling price of each product is the following:- Products| Purchasing price (birr)| Profit ( percent)| Profit (birr)| Selling price(birr)| Battery| 73. 45| 10. 27| 7. 55| 80. 00| Charger| 24. 50| 22. 45| 5. 5| 30. 00| Memory| 65. 70| 14. 15| 9. 30| 75. 00| Screen protector| 43. 80| 14. 15| 6. 20| 50. 00| Case| 17. 00| 17. 65| 3. 00| 20. 00| Cover| 21. 50| 16. 28| 3. 50| 25. 00| Adapter| 18. 60| 18. 28| 3. 40| 22. 00| Earphone| 23. 00| 21. 74| 5. 00| 28. 00| Headset| 85. 40| 17. 38| 14. 60| 100. 00| Cable| 35. 0| 12. 04| 4. 30| 40. 00| Modem| 53. 65| 11. 84| 6. 35| 60. 00| Audio accessory| 92. 00| 19. 58| 18. 00| 110. 00| Table 1. 3 Product selling price of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center 1. 9 Sales Forecast Sales forecast displayed here is very although we aim very high, we decided to show a very slow growth and revise the plan on a yearly basis. As a rule we expect to expand the volu me much more rapidly Year 1 Products| Amount (quantity)| Price (birr)| Battery| 1,200| 96,800| Charger| 1,080| 32,400| Memory| 1,320| 99,000| Screen protector| 600| 30,000| Case| 660| 13,200| Cover| 1,140| 28,500| Adapter| 900| 19,800| Earphone| 1,176| 32,928| Headset| 960| 96,000| Cable| 720| 28,800| Modem| 540| 32,400| Audio accessory| 576| 63,360| Total| 10,872| 573,188| Table 1. 4 Product Sales Forecast of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center (year one) Year 2 Products| Amount (quantity)| Price (birr)| Battery| 1344| 107,520| Charger| 1209| 36,270| Memory| 1478| 110,850| Screen protector| 672| 33,600| Case| 739| 14,780| Cover| 1276| 31,900| Adapter| 1008| 22,176| Earphone| 1317| 36,876| Headset| 1075| 107,500| Cable| 806| 32,240| Modem| 605| 36,300| Audio accessory| 642| 70,620| Total| 12,171| 640,632| Table 1. Product Sales Forecast of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center (year two) Year 3 Products| Amount (quantity)| Price (birr)| Battery| 1505| 120,400| Charger| 1354| 40,620| Memory| 1655| 124,125| Screen protector| 753| 37,650| Case| 828| 16,560| Cover| 1429| 37,725| Adapter| 1128| 24,816| Earphone| 1475| 41,300| Headset| 1204| 120,400| Cable| 903| 36,120| Modem| 678| 40,680| Audio accessory| 719| 79,090| Total | 13,631| 719,486| Table 1. 6 Product Sales Forecast of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center (year three) Fig 1. 2 Product Sales Forecast of RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center 1. 10 Promotion measures Primarily when we begin agreement selling the product we sell that product price without including our labor and other expenses sell the product only the cost of the purchasing product. In addition to this we advertisement by satisfied customers, use of posters, Brochures, billboards and regular prompt supply by the manufacturer. 1. 11 Marketing Strategy Short-term marketing strategies are those that bring  will bring us  a temporary boost in traffic. Although these techniques are very important to  our over-all plan, they are only a temporary traffic source and must not be solely relied upon. Short-term marketing strategies include: * Purchasing Advertising * Bulletin Boards * Search Engines Long-term marketing strategies are those that will bring  us a steady stream of targeted traffic over time. These strategies will continue to produce results even years down the road. Long-term marketing strategies include: * Decide-in Lists * Free gift * Content By creating and implementing a balanced marketing strategy, using both short-term and long-term strategies,  RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center  will drive a steady stream of targeted traffic to our website. Using this simple formula when creating  our Internet marketing strategy and excelling at all three, we hope to  guarantee our success. Our short-term marketing strategy will focus heavily on sales promotion, niche positioning in the market and customer service with loyalty and retention in sales. Our promotions will always stay in tune with our company objectives and mission statement. Sales Strategy Constructing our Sales Strategy we shall follow the following steps: Sales Success Requires Planning  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we shall formulate our sales strategy and tactics to achieve our sales success. Analyze Our Potential  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we shall step through a structured process that will prepare  us for the development of our sales strategy. Strategize Around Strengths  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the description of our sales activity  will be analyzed producing a report that reveals factors impacting our sales potential. Develop Our Tactics  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we shall receive guidance to develop a comprehensive tactical plan to achieve our success. Measures Our Success  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we shall constantly develop key measurements that mark the progress of financial estimates that guide our growth. Employ an Action Plan for Success  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we shall provide our sales force a clear tactical plan that is also aligned with management’s strategic objectives. The sales strategy of RABBIRRA mobile accessory center is simple. The key to customer satisfaction is having the product and  services  that meet the customer’s needs. A crucial part of that is to also have knowledgeable  employees to help customers quickly find what they want. 1. 12 Marketing budget RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory has a high quality products compare to our competitors. We have a skillful promotion is social networks other advertising business card to peoples, by allocating brochures, Billboards and other tools. Since those costs that are used in our promotion are not too much costly because we develop by ourselves. In addition to this promotion in social networks in not costly it is free to post our products to advertise. Totally we for month marketing budget of birr 40 or annual budget of birr 480. Chapter two 2. Production 2. 1 Production Process The production process is a component appearing under the operating plan of the overall of our business plan. The production process is the process a product or service takes in order for it to become ready for customers to buy. In our business we have no production process since we are not going to produce production materials instead we are going to share the product as a centralized organ. To progresses our business the following things should be fulfilled. 1. Selecting the appropriate place to sale our products 2. Having enough money to do the business 3. Decide what customers available for our production 2. 2 Fixed Capital Fixed capital Building 11,400(annually in birr) Equipment: Computers 8,000 ? 1 =8,000 3 Shelves 2,000 x 3 =6,000 3 tables 500 x 3=1,500 4 chairs 450Ãâ€"4=1,800 1 speaker 650Ãâ€"1=650 2 adapters 60Ãâ€"2=120 2 calculators 90Ãâ€"2=180 Total fixed asset 29,650 2. 3 Life of fixed capitals The life of the fixed building is undetermined because it is not owned by us. The life of computers, shelves, tables, speakers, chairs and adapters are more than 10 years because we can maintain computers, speakers and adapters when it fails and we repair chairs and tables when it breaks. The life of a shelf is more than 10 years because it is regularly used when we are putting materials. The annual depreciation cost, assuming no scrap value, will therefore be: 5 % of 11,400 (Building)Birr 570 10% of 18,250 (equipment) Birr 1,825 Annual depreciation cost: Birr 2,395 . 4 Maintenance and repairs Because of simplicity of equipment the worker of the shop can maintain and repair the things that needed to repair. When we say mobile accessory sales we can conclude that maintain and repair the mobile accessories, such as mobile cover, changing mobiles ice, screen protector and etc. 2. 5 Source of Equipment Source of our equipment are the super market, Production suppliers, and etc. 2. 6 Plan ed capacity The capacity to sale equipment should be greater than the existing one. Also attraction of customer should be better than the others. 0% of equipment should be sale per a day. 50% per a week and 90% per a month. 2. 7 Future capacity In the future we are going to increase customer by increasing the quality of our service more and more. After two year we will open the branch of our Business in appropriate place and we will open job opportunity for jobless persons. 2. 8 Terms and conditions of purchase of Equipment There is no raw material we need since we are not producing by our self simply we get or purchase the equipment from the organization of the product. 2. 9 Factory location and layout Our Mobile accessory Center will be located in one room which is used for selling room. The total size of the rooms will be on 15sq. ft. We does not use any other materials therefore there is no estimation of cost of raw materials and their availability. 2. 10 Labor The manager by himself can participate in working and manages other workers and equipment. And also supervise the entire of the work. 2. 11 Cost of labor The owner will pay will pay himself a wage of birr 1000 and his assistant will be paid birr 600 per month. The other labor get 200 birr and Indirect labor Birr per Month 5 Owner / manager 700 x5=3,500 Sweeper 200 x1=200 Total 3,700 Direct labor Birr per Month Worker 350Ãâ€"1 = 350 Total labor cost 4,050 2. 12 Labor availability Workers available all the time since there are more educated persons in Ethiopia. So we can get labor whenever we need. 2. 13 Labor productivity The wage for workers will paid on holly day depending on condition of market 2. 14 Factory overhead Expenses Factory overhead in our business consists of the following things Per Month Birr Indirect labor 3,700 Electricity and telephone 100 Transport of Materials 200 Total factory overhead 4,000 2. 15 Production cost 1. Direct labor Birr per month Worker 350 x1= 350 2. Factory overhead Expenses Birr per month Indirect labor 3,700 Electricity and telephone 100 Transport of Materials 200 Total factory overhead 4,000 Total production cost 4,350 Chapter Three 3. Organizations and Management 3. 1 Form of Business The business will be registered under the name â€Å"RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center† as a sole proprietorship and owned by Mr. PeterosTona, RebumaYadasa, Shiferaw Tegen, SadikAwol and Siraj Ahmed . It will have its business address located at West showa in Gedo City. 3. 2 Organizational Structure The proprietors have their individual accountability and burdens in successively the business consecutively the business. General Manager Mr. PetrosTona, Finance manager Mr. ShiferawTegen, Marketing and Purchasing Manager RebumaYadasa, Seller Mr. SadikAwol and Mr. Sirage Ahmed as main division of work and when work loaded all members is work as Seller. Two part time will be hired for customers contact and reservation the needs of the regulars. When work load is happens all owners can cover each other tasks to minimize overload of the work. Fig 3. 1 Organizational Structure General Manager Mr. Petros Tona Marketing and purchasing Manager Mr. Rebuma Yadasa Finance manager Mr. Shifera Tegen Seller Mr. SadikAwol and Siraj Ahmed Worker (To be hired) 3. Business experience and qualifications of the entrepreneur Most of the proprietors do not have a proper way business experience but our satisfaction we learn several thing about business in two subjects. The primary of this satisfaction is we learn entrepreneurship and small business management course. In this course we have a good knowledge and confidence to work this business. The other course we take Economi cs, it related to business. All entrepreneurs will get BSC degree in computer science from Jimma University. They took varies major and common course during the 4 years program. Some of the major courses are Calculus , discrete math, economics advanced programming, object oriented programming, fundamental of database system, Internet programming, advanced database system, computer graphics, data communication and computer network, wireless communication and mobile computing, artificial intelligence, distributed system, multimedia system, computer security, formal language theory, compiler design, complex theory, statistics and others. 3. 4 Pre-Operation Activities We listed down the following activates to be started before we can activate our business: 1. Process the steps needed for business 1 day 2. Preparing expressing the business plan 5 weeks 3. Applying for a loan and approval 3 weeks 4. Contact product suppliers 1 week 5. Employment labor 2 days 6. Purchasing product 4 days 7. Setting up the product 1 day We intended to start the operation approximately five months after our credit application, eight weeks after release our loan. Table 3. 1 Giant chart Pre-Operation Activities| Time Table (in weeks)| | 1| 2| 3| 4 | 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| Registering the business| | | | | | | | | | | Preparing the business plan| | | | | | | | | | | Applying for a loan and approval| | | | | | | | | | | Contact equipment suppliers| | | | | | | | | | | Construction the factory| | | | | | | | | | | Hiring labor| | | | | | | | | | | Equipment purchasing| | | | | | | | | | | RABBIRRA Mobile Accessory Center pre-operation activities 3. 5 Pre- Operation Expenses Our Pre-operation is that we have to decide the place properly to progresses our business. Pre-operating Expense birr Registration cost 200 Electricity 150 Transportation cost 100 Total Pre-operating expense450 3. 6 Office equipment We will just buy three inexpensive tables which are suitable for computers and four chairs, calculators and stabilizer. All this costs birr 18,250. The monthly and annually depreciation for this equipment will be birr 22and 1,825 respectively. 3. 7 Administrative Expense The entrepreneur wants to keep our cost low in order to be competitive. Our monthly administrative expense consists of: Birr Treasure allowance (wife) 290 Depreciation of office equipment 22 Supplies and communication 30 Electricity 200 Total 542 Chapter Four 4 Financial Plan 4. 1 Project cost 4. 1. 1 Fixed assets Building 11,400(Annually in birr) Equipment18,250 Total fixed assets29,650 29,650 4. . 2 Pre-Operation Expense 450 4. 1. 3 Working Capital Monthly purchasing price of each product= monthly amount of each product x purchasing price of each product Annually purchasing price of each product= monthly amount of each product x purchasing price of each product x 12 Products| Monthly amount| Purchasing price(birr) per month| Annually amount | Purchasing price(birr) per year| Battery| 100| 7,345| 1200| 88,140| Charger| 90| 2,205| 1080| 26,460| Memory| 110| 7,22 7| 1320| 86,724| Screen protector| 50| 2,190| 600| 26,280| Case| 55| 935| 660| 11,220| Cover| 95| 2,042. 50| 1140| 24,510| Adapter| 75| 1,395| 900| 16,740| Earphone| 98| 2,254| 1176| 27,048| Headset| 80| 6,832| 960| 81,984| Cable| 60| 2,142| 720| 25,704| Modem| 45| 2,414. 25| 240| 28,971| Audio accessory| 48| 4,416| 576| 52,992| Total| 906| 41,397. 75| 10,872| 496,773| The cost of one month of Purchasing product 41,397. 75 Values of each needed for operation. This will be The cost of one month of labor and overhead 8,050 Total working capital49,447. 75 49,447. 75 Total capital requirement 79,547. 75 4. 2 Financing plan and loan Requirement Initially individually we collect 8,500 birr for each of us which results 42,500 birr covering the cost of building, equipment, labor, factory overhead and pre-operating expense. A loan will be required for the purchasing of product. Particulars| Owner’s equity | Loan | Total | Fixed Capitals| (in birr )| Building | 11,400| -| 11,400| Equipment| 18,250| -| 18,250| Pre-operation expense| 450| -| 450| Working capital| 12,400| 37,047. 75| 49,447. 75| Total | 42,500| 37,047. 75| 79,547. 75| Percent | 53. 43 %| 46. 57%| 100%| 4. 3 security for loan All of owners have a land which is valued at birr 50,000. This land is pledge as security against the loan. 4. 4 Profit and loss statement Birr Sales of 10,872 products with form table of year one sale 573,188 Less: The cost of one month of Purchasing product x 12 496,773 Labor: birr 350 ? 12 4,200 Overhead: birr 4000 ? 12 48,000 548,973 GROSS PROFIT 24,215 Less: Marketing and administration cost birr 40 ? 12 +542Ãâ€"12=480+6504 6,984 OPERATING PROFIT17,231 Less: interest expense 3,705 NET PROFIT BEFORE TAX13,526 For the next three years, the projected income statement appear below Projected income statement (birr) Year| 1| 2| 3| Sales target| 10872| 12171| 13631| Capacity | 76%| 88%| 100%| Sales | 573188| 640632| 719486| Less:| | | | Labor| 4200| 4200| 4200| Overhead| 48000| 48000| 48000| Manufacturing | 52,200| 52200| 52,200| Gross Profit| 24,215| 91,659| 170,513| Less: Mktg&Adm cost| 6,984| 6,984| 6,984| Net Profit Before interest and tax| 17,231| 84,675| 163,529| Less: Interest| 3,705| 2,470| 1,235| Net profit before tax| 13,526| 82,205| 162,294| Accumulative Profit | 13,526| 95,731| 258,025| 4. 5 Cash flow statement Projected cash flow statements (Birr) Particulars| Pre-operation period | Year| | | 1| 2| 3| Cash Inflow| | | | | Equity| 42,500| -| -| -| Borrowing | 37,047| -| -| -| Cash sales *| | 573,188| 640,632| 719,486| Total Cash Inflow| 79,547| 573,188| 640,632| 719,486| Cash Outflow| | | | | Pre-operation expense | 450| -| -| -| Purchase of fixed asset| 29,650| -| -| -| Purchasing product| | 496,773| 556,385| 623,151| Direct Labor | -| 4,200| 4,200| 4,200| Factory/operation Overheads **| -| 48,000| 48,000| 48,000| Market expenses | -| 480| 480| 480| Administrative expense **| -| 6,504| 6,504| 6,504| Interest expense| -| 3,705| 2,470| 1,235| Loan amortization| -| 12,349| 12,349| 12,349| Total cash outflow| 30,100| 572,011| 630,388| 695,919| Net cash Inflow(outflow)| 49,447| 1,177| 10,244| 23,567| Cash Balance Beginning | -| 49,447| 48,270| 58,514| Cash Balancing Ending | 49,447| 48,270| 58,514| 82,081| 4. 6 Balance sheet Projected balanced sheet particular| Pre-operating period| Year | | 1| 2| 3| Assets| | | | | Current asset | | | | | Cash| 49,447| 48,270| 58,514| 82,081| Total current assets | 49,447| 48,270| 58,514| 82,081| Fixed assets | | | | | Building| 11,400| 11,400| 11,400| 11,400| Equipment | 18,250| 18,250| 18,250| 18,250| Net fixed assets | 29,650| 29,650| 29,650| 29,650| Total fixed assets| | | | | Other assets | | | | | Pre-operation expenses | 450| | | | Total assets | 79,547| 79,547| 79,547| 79,547| Liabilities | | | | | Current liabilities | | | | | Loans payable| -| 12,349| 12,349| 12,349| Total current liabilities| | 12,349| 12,349| 12,349| Long term liabilities| | | | | Loan payable| 37,047 | 24,698| 12,349| -| Total long term liabilities| 37,047 | 24,698| 12,349| -| Owners’ equity| | | | | Capital beginning | 42,500| 42,500| 42,500| 42,500| Accumulated capital| -| 42,500| 42,500| 42,500| Add: net profit after tax| | 13,526| 82,205| 162,294| Total owners’ equity| | 56,026| | | Total liabilities and equity| 79,547| 79,547| 79,547| 79,547| 4. 7 Loan Repayment schedule The loan of birr will be paid over a 3 year period. The repayment schedule is as follows: Year | Amount principal outstanding | of installment due at 10%| Interest amount | Total | 1| 37,047| 12,349| 3,705| 16,054| 2| 24,698| 12,349| 2,470| 14,819| | 12,349| 12,349| 1,235| 13,584| 4. 8 Break –even Point (BEP) The brake even point can be calculated as follows Birr Annual sales 573,188 -Annual Fixed cost: Owners’ salary birr 5 ? 700= 3500 /month 42,000 Annual interest 3705 Annual factory depreciation ,395 Other overheads 300/month 3,600 Marketing and administrative cost 6,984 58,684 Annual Variable Cost s: Direct labor 350/month 4,200 Purchasing product 496,773 500,973 Annual Sales ? Annual Fixed Cost = BEP (Annual Sales) Annual sales – annual variable Costs 573,188 x 58, 684 ________________________________________________________ 573,188 -500,973 =465,789 BEP (Annual production) 465,789 BEP percentage Annual fixed cost x 100 _______________________________________ Annual sale – annual variable cost =BEP (percentage) 58,684 x 100 _________________ 573,188- 500,973 = 81. 26% BEP in annual sales = BEP% x annual sales 81. 26 x 573,188 =465,789 4. 9 Return on Investment (ROI) The ROI for this project is as follows: Annual Net Profit 13,526 ____________________________ = ________________ x100 Total Capital Requirement 79,547 = 17% ROI is therefore, 17% The return on owner’s investment (RIO) is: Annual Net Profit 13,526 ____________________________ = __________ x 100 Owners’ investment 42,500 =31. 83% RIO is, therefore, 31. 83%.