DRI/DRA Definitions

Colgate Precision Case Analysis - 1318 Words

Case Analysis: Colgate Precision Prepared for Instructor University Prepared by Student University October 19, 2011 INTRODUCTION Colgate-Palmolive has been researching and developing a superior toothbrush, the Colgate Precision, and as the Precision Product Manager I have overseen the development of the Precision from start to finish. We have been developing a technical innovation in the toothbrush industry, and with the product’s launch pending there have been several factors yet to be decided upon. With a tremendous amount of resources pooled into the development of the Precision and the recent competitive market we are launching it in, it is essential the positioning and branding of this toothbrush are executed†¦show more content†¦The brush will still be communicated to consumers as a design by Colgate, it will not be excluded from the packaging; therefore brand equity should not be a concern. The possible threat of a near saturated premium toothbrush market with Johnson amp; Johnson and Proctor amp; Gamble now entering the industry hopefully will be reduced with a brand focused on the spec ific product and not Colgate. Positioning the Precision Taking a multi-step approach to our positioning of the Precision is crucial to ensure that it exceeds initially and continues to thrive when introduced to a larger target market. As one of our competencies, the gum disease prevention and plaque removal effects, needs to be stressed to a target market that is interested in it. While it is also convenient for distribution purposes going to a niche position first can also reach those segments that are interested most in our product. I believe that through our in-depth research of developing a brush for the super-premium segments we should be reaching those interested in paying the premium price as well, which might not do so well initially selling to a mainstream market. Those going to a drug or food store would be more interested in finding a brush that is going to be of distinct value rather than a big retailer where one would find cheaper brushes attached to 2-for-1 deals and coupons. OnceShow MoreRelatedColgate Palmolive Company : T he Precision Toothbrush Case Analysis2312 Words   |  10 PagesColgate-Palmolive Company: The Precision Toothbrush Case Analysis Colgate-Palmolive Company (CP) launched a new toothbrush, Colgate Precision, to the market. But having developed for three years, CP was fiercely competing with other companies in the market. In order to have the power to fight in the highly competitive market with substantial product activity, Colgate-Palmolive Co. was in a problem of considering the how to position its new product--Precision, and to define the market strategy inRead MoreColgate Case Analysis1497 Words   |  6 PagesProblem The focal issue of this case is to determine the best marketing strategy for the launch of the new Colgate Precision. The issue can be divided into the following four major areas: 1. Positioning: Which market should be targeted? 2. Branding: Should Colgate make the most of the company’s brand? 3. Communication Promotion: How does Colgate distribute its advisement expenditures among products? How much should Colgate invest in advertising Colgate Precision? 4. Channel: Which distributionRead MoreColgate Palmolive Toothbrush Case Study1303 Words   |  6 Pagesreport is to analyze the two different launch strategies (as a niche or a mainstream product) for Colgate Palmolive s new toothbrush, Precision, and choose the one that is the most suitable in the face of the market competition and consumer needs. The report also aims to make recommendations for the positioning, branding, communication and promotion of the product under the chosen strategy. Situation Analysis Company: In 1991, CP held 43% of the world toothpaste market and 16% of the world toothbrushRead MoreColgate Palmolive7692 Words   |  31 PagesCOLGATE PALMOLIVE PRECISION TOOTH BRUSH Synopsis :- The analysis of the two different launch strategies 1. Introduction and Company Background. Colgate Palmolive was the global leader in household and personal products, with sales of $6.06 billion and gross profit of $2.76 billion, as in 1991. The company was also the No. 1 in US retail tooth brush market with 23.3% of volume share. The company had 43% of the world’s tooth paste market and 16% of the world tooth brush market. In 1991 there wasRead MoreTodays Segmentation Strategies of Colgate-Palmolive1207 Words   |  5 PagesWS1 Case Study Paper Indiana Wesleyan University WS1 Case Study Paper Colgate-Palmolive Company While many companies provide a similar product there aren’t any that share the same perspective when it comes to the sincere appreciation and willingness to provide like that of Colgate-Palmolive. Their mission statement is unique to them and simply states the following: As a company that strives to be the best truly global consumer product company, we are committed to doing business with integrityRead MoreColgate Palmolive: Marketing Strategies and Programs5256 Words   |  22 PagesCOLGATE PALMOLIVE Marketing Strategies and Programs Introduction Colgate Palmolive Company is a $17.1 billion global company serving people in more than 200 countries and territories with consumer products that make lives healthier and more enjoyable. This American  diversified  multinational corporation focuses on strong global brands in its core businesses – Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate follows a tightly defined strategy to grow market shares for key productsRead MorePoka Yoke Journal7518 Words   |  31 Pagesthe service provider an opportunity to rectify the problem. If they choose not to complain, they may remain with the provider, despite their dissatisfaction, or exit. Alternatively, if they complain they may also choose to stay or they may exit (Colgate and Norris, 2001). In order to balance the need for defect-free service and the inevitability of failure, organizations must be pro-active in anticipating likely areas of failures/complaints as well as anticipating the appropriate needs for recoveryRead MoreGlobal Marketing Summary Chapter 5-106416 Words   |  26 Pages †¢ Challenge is to recognize and respond to national differences that influence the way information is obtained Steps in the Research Process 1. Identify the information requirement 2. Define the problem 3. Choose a unit of analysis 4. Examine data availability 5. Assess value of research 6. Design the research 7. Analyze the data 8. Present the findings Step 1: Identifying the Information Requirement †¢ What information do I need? †¢Read MoreBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 Pagesnumerous and diverse a brand s images are, the more difficult it is to coordinate them in support of a strong brand. 4. Complex Brand Strategies And Relationships There was a time, not too long ago, when a brand was a clear, singular entity. Colgate, for example, was a brand name that simply needed to be defined, established, and nurtured. Today, the situation is far different. There are subbrands, brand extensions, ingredient brands, endorser brands, and corporate brands. The Coke logo can beRead MoreSamsung and Financial Crisis Case Study11108 Words   |  45 Pagesindicators. Brand-self connection is a core component of attachment since it centrally reflects the definition of attachment as the bond connecting the individual with the brand. However, we suggest that the inclusion of brand prominence adds precision in measuring the â€Å"strength† of the bond connecting the brand with the individual. This is so for two reasons. First, when thoughts and feelings about the brand are highly accessible, prominence may exert a disproportionately strong influence

DNA profiling for crime investigation free essay sample

Abstract— DNA profiling also called as DNA typing or Gene fingerprinting has been used as a powerful process for identification of humans. Many countries around the world where forensic databases have created to store DNA patterns(DNA profiles) of crime scenes in order to put the actual criminals behind the bars and free the innocent who have been kept in jails for years without any real evidence of crime. DNA profiling is not just limited in crime investigations but have got many other applications as to detect paternity child case investigation, Huge mass detection in big disasters, to detect severe diseases beforehand like cancer, diabetes etc. In Forensic Science, manual investigation has to be automated in a way to store more and more DNA profiles in database so that crime rate reduces at higher pace. Keywords— DNA, DNA Profiling, Forensic Science, CODIS, DNA Testing I. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequencing is well established process that is used to identify individuals especially in forensic DNA analysis that involves crime investigation. At first glance question arises in mind why just a DNA sequence is considered for crime investigation process though there are other software present that can identify a criminal like Fingerprint Recognition Systems, Iris Recognition Systems, Palm Recognition Systems, Retina recognition systems, Thumb recognition systems and others. Actually what happens is when crime scene happened the criminals are very sharp because they do know the investigations will get started and it’s not so simple to run away from crime scene? So they tried not to leave any kind of fingerprints. At this time DNA profiling plays a vital role to investigate these situations and get precise and accurate results in the form of perfect match of DNA sample. Genetic tests have been widely used for forensic evidences and mass- fatality identification (terrorist attacks, airplane crash, and tsunami disaster. Genetic testing results are integrated with information collected by multidisciplinary teams composed of medical examiners, forensic pathologists, anthropologists, forensic dentists, fingerprint specialists, radiologists and experts in search and recovery of physical evidence. Large scale tissue sampling and long-term DNA preservation under desiccation conditions with potential applications in mass fatalities has been recently described [2-4]. In this paper, we present an overview of current research in Forensic Science. Section II states the problem statement. Section III outlines the brief literature review on DNA, DNA Testing, Profiling and DNA Typing. Section IV describes the methodology of DNA Profiling, CODIS System. In Section V, we conclude with a summary of current problems in DNA Profiling in terms of cost and. time effectiveness. II. PROBLEM DEFINITION Considering DNA Profiling for crime investigation, instead of other biometrics like fingerprints Using cost effective and efficient system so that the real criminals can be traced out. III. Literature Review DNA is a molecule of life and main property of DNA is that is unique and found in all living organisms including virus. DNA is a double helix structure means containing two strands with four bases named as Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine which are held together with the help of bonds. These base pairs are connected to ribose and phosphate molecule. User can have a better view of this DNA double helix from the figure given below. Figure Structure of DNA molecule As DNA is unique for each individual and it contains millions of nucleotide base pairs (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine). An individual DNA is made up of half of the DNA from father and half from mother so DNA testing process is used to know the evidence of paternity of children. DNA is located in most of the human body parts like blood, saliva, hair roots, white blood cells and body tissues which can be DNA profiled. In this way genetic information is taken from the samples during crime scenes and then investigated for the evidence of the criminal. A. What is DNA DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a hereditary material which is found in all living organisms including virus. It is located in the cells within nucleus that contains genetic information in which many hidden secrets are waiting to be explored. DNA contains 3 billion base pairs Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine(C) and Guanine (G) which are held together by strong hydrogen and covalent bonds. It is a ladder like structure vertical bars seems like pillars are made up of ribose and phosphate ions. The rungs of the ladder are composed of nucleotide base pairs which is actually needed to be stored as encrypted code in the database to process and identify people who are involved in crime or escape the innocent who have been in jail for years without committing any crime but after their DNA typing is being done will proved them for 100% accuracy that are not the suspects of crimes. B. Forensic DNA Procedures Personal identification is conducted using special biological features like DNA, saliva, blood, etc. ), physiological features like fingerprints, eye irises and retinas, hand palm and facial features), behavioural characteristics including lip motion, dynamic signature. DNA plays a vital role in identification of individuals in which genetic patterns of inheritance are used as markers for unique identity of individuals. All humans have 99% same DNA sequences and still they have got millions of genetic differences. C. What is DNA Profiling DNA profiling, otherwise known as DNA testing or genetic fingerprinting, is the process of identifying an individual from their unique sequence of loci (part of the chromosome), gained by accessing a sample of the individual’s DNA [5]. Profiling is used by forensic scientists to find the identity of those involved in criminal activity. DNA Profiling which may also called as DNA typing or Genetic fingerprinting has been evolved as a revolutionary, powerful and reliable identification tool which has got lots of applications. As far as other identification tools are also widely used for identification purpose like for example Finger Print Recognition System, Iris Recognition System, Palm Recognition System and Voice Recognition System etc. , all of these application softwares are implemented to solve real world problems especially for security purpose. DNA profiling is widely used in crime investigations, Paternity of child, Medical diagnosis and many others. DNA sequencing needed to increase the processing speed for sequencing the nucleotide base pairs. DNA profiling is done by many techniques and still researchers are trying to invent cost effective and speedy techniques to process the DNA sequence in less time and give accurate result in the form of perfect match. These techniques like STR (Short Tandem Repeat profiling), Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and many others that involved the examination of successive regions of DNA. There is a population database that might be involved in crimes or might not be involved. The distribution of DNA sequence which has been got from DNA profiling techniques are examined and will relate to the given DNA database to get the indication whether that DNA is related to the population sample present already in the database. D. DNA Typing 99. 9% of the DNA from two people will be identical. [6]The 0. 1% of DNA code sequences that vary from person to person is what makes us unique [6]. These sequences are called genetic markers, and are the part of the code that forensic scientists use when doing a DNA test [6]. It is a process of extraction of DNA fragments from reference sample found at the crime scene which is further analyzed and processed by many optimization techniques which will be discussed in later section. Then it will generate a genotype pattern in encrypted form that can be read and stored in computer system as National DNA Database. This unique pattern of DNA that is used for accurate identification of a person is called as DNA Profile which is unique for each individual with the exception of DNA profile that is derived from identical twins. DNA Testing DNA is very powerful and efficient tool for identification and has got many other applications [6]. Some of the uses are given below: 1) Parental Testing: It is used to know if someone is real father of a child or not. 2) Forensic testing: It is used crime investigation. 3) Gene therapy: It is used to establish birth defects and to test parents for genetic conditions. 4) Genetic genealogy: It is used to know more about someone’s ancestry. IV. Methodology A. Process Of DNA Profiling (Crime Investigation) Take a reference sample of tissue found in crime scene, cut the DNA into fragments using biological techniques that might include RFLP(Reduced Fragment Length Polymorphism) after that do PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis of DNA fragments which will create copies of DNA alleles or loci (specific location in chromosome) which represent Genotype data which will going to be converted to encrypted genetic code which computer , in case of crime investigation, analyst will use CODIS (Combined DNA Index System). CODIS has incorporated two databases the one includes the genetic information of DNA sample which is a reference sample and other database included a population sample. CODIS will automatically process the sample DNA for the match if match found with population database then it will generate profile of the suspect accordingly. Figure Process of DNA Profiling V. Conclusion DNA profiling which is used in forensic evidences needed to be proficient in examining the suspect of crime. The problem encountered in DNA profiling is the techniques which take much time to read the genetic code sequence. It takes exponential time to handle the DNA structure during testing and validation phase to ensure that the particular DNA belongs to right person or not. There should be a procedure to knock out this lengthy procedure and use some other technology that could be nanotechnology which is again a vast field to explore the things out to solve our real life problems. What if system read the sequence directly from DNA instead of going through big lengthy complicated and time consuming procedures avoiding Petri Dish Testing of blood samples? Acknowledgment I would like to extend our heartiest gratitude to Dr. Maqbool Sheikh, for his invaluable guidance, inspirations and timely suggestions which facilitated the entire process of bringing out this research on â€Å"DNA Profiling for Crime Investigation†. It would have been really hard to complete this project successfully without the directions of Dr. Maqbool Sheikh.

My Closet Essays - , Term Papers, Research Papers

My Closet My Closet I sat quietly on the couch next to my father. His short muscular arm extended over my head as if to protect his little girl. His fingers got lost in my strands of hair, as I yanked my head forward as if to signal I did not want him to play with my hair. My new baby doll with big blonde ringlets and skin that smelled like a babys skin after it has just been powdered, rested in my lap. My meek hands stroked the tiny doll as if it were alive. My father knelt down and kissed my forehead as he said, Dont worry, Princess, Mommy will.Oh here she is now! I sprang from my warm, sheltered seat and sprinted to the front window as quickly as my tiny legs could move. My fingers grasped the long, wooden windowsill and my little pug nose pressed against the window pain. My breath delivered a frosty appearance on the glass as my eyes strained to see my mother step out of her car. My toes ached with pain as I fought to stay in view with the outside world. Too late. I could already hear my mothers graceful footsteps ascend the stairs. She carefully opened the door that entered my kitchen, and I flung myself into her arms. My mother yelped with shock and a hint of exhaustion, Meggie honey, Mommy is very tired. Please be a little more careful next time. Mommy! Mommy! Daddy bought me a new dolly today, her name is, Madeline. Look! Look! Oh very nice sweetie. I have a surprise for you too. What is it? What is it? I exclaimed as I jumped rapidly around the kitchen. My mind raced. Was it another doll? Maybe the game I had been wanting? Tinkerbell perfume! That is what it must be. I had always wanted Tinkerbell perfume. Everytime I saw it in a store I would shout and point with such excitement. I thought it had magical powers that would make me fly. My imagination always ran with ideas as most children always do. My mother griped my hand tightly and led me into the living room at a slow pace that indicated she was nervous yet excited. She sat me down gently next to my father. Her smile had never been so huge. An extra twinkle was in her eyes. They fluttered from my father to me, and then back to my father. She stood there in front of us, motionless. Her hands were clamped together and her fingertips were the color of my babydoll's dress, white. Well? my father questioned. Guess what? Mommy went to the doctors today and I found out I am going to have another baby! exclaimed my mother. What! Thats fantastic, my father shouted as he scooped her up into his arms and gently kissed her, first on the cheek with a light caress of his lips and then upon her lips which lingered for a few extra seconds. That kiss through my eyes seemed to last for an eternity. I on the other hand sat there expressionless. My new dolly fell to the floor, face down, into the plush, cream carpet. Her hair was now a tattered knot from my little girl fingers weaving in and out of it, just as my father had done to my hair. My eyes felt hot and watery, my cheeks reflected the color of a shiny read apple. I felt those tears piling up by the millisecond. The pressure behind my eyes was overwhelming; my eyes were going to pop out at that very moment. Not an utter of sound escaped from my quivering lips. I thought about the day when I may no longer be first at going down grandpas slide at his pool on those hot summer days. The handmade wooden swing that hung from a giant oak tree in my back yard would no longer be just mine. Every day we went shopping I wouldnt be able to get a surprise because I would have to wait my turn. Picking out my favorite cereal just for the toy inside wouldnt matter anymore. I would soon become a ghost. The name Meagan did not sound

Marketing Philosophy of Business Operating

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus The Stranger by Albert CamusMeursault is a shipping clerk whose mother has just died but he does not seem very upset about it. He takes a few days off work to attend his mother's funeral. He catches the bus to the nursing home where his mother's body is. The doorkeeper of the nursing home starts to open the lid of the coffin but Meursault stops him because he does not want to see his mother's body. Mr. Perez, his mother's friend, is the only person from the nursing home to attend the funeral. Meursault sees Perez crying but all he thinks about is going home to his apartment so he can sleep.The next day he decides to go swimming and he meets Marie Cardona, an old coworker. They swim together and then they go to see a movie that night. She spends the night at his house but when Meursault wakes up she is gone.Franà §ais : Une des rues de Meursault (21)He goes to work the next day and when he is walking into his apartment he meets an old man named Salamano who always beats his dog. He a lso meets Raymond Sintes who is known as a pimp. Sintes invites Meursault over for dinner and Sintes talks about how he is mad at his girlfriend because she is not being faithful to him. Sintes says that he has already beaten her up but he wants to punish her more.Sintes asks Meursault to write his girlfriend a letter so she would come over and he plans to kick her out while they are having sex. Meursault has nothing better to do so he agrees. A week later, he goes to the beach with Marie again and when they go back to his apartment, she asks him if he loves her. He tells...

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 9

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The current project will also explain the sales strategies as well as give an outline of the initial financial projections. With growing impact of globalisation, the role of entrepreneurship has gained higher importance in a country’s economy. Entrepreneurship is no more limited to a particular segment or section of business; in reality, it has spread across all the business areas in an economy. Entrepreneurs are increasingly entering in B2B, B2G (business to government) and B2C (business to consumer) sectors. With growing involvement of entrepreneurs, the competitive level of these sectors has improved substantially, resulting in better services for consumers (Audretsch, Keilbach and Lehmann, 2006). From a buyers’ perspective, a buyer can be of two types: final consumer and those who buy for future sale. In B2B activities, the buyer is not the final consumer. In this sector, commercial transaction takes place between two or more businesses such as, transaction between manufacturer and distributor, distributor and whole seller and distributor and retailers. B2B transactions are comparatively higher in volume than that of B2G and B2C, which is why scope of earning profit in this sector is also greater for entrepreneurs (Bussler, 2003). In present day scenario, hospitality industry is growing at the fastest pace as demand for service sector is outperforming that of manufacturing industry. Service sector not only delivers profitable growth, but also help to develop better-quality strategic positioning of the company (Getz and Petersen, 2005). The paper is about setting up recruitment consultancy for catering to needs of the hospitality industry in London. The term entrepreneur is derived from a French term ‘enteprendere’, which means to undertake. In a broader sense, an entrepreneur is any person who initiates a business or activity, gathers resources related to it, arranges funds for the venture, takes in

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management - Essay Example 2 weeks 5/1/11-5/15/11 (Project Manager and Owner) 4) Acquire bids from chosen suppliers for the unmodified trailers, equipment, food and general staples. 2 weeks 5/15/11-5/29/11( Project Manager and Owner-President) 5) Sign a contract with one supplier for the trailer and equipment and two suppliers for food and operational supplies.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Owner-President) 6) Order trailer, equipment and materials from chosen suppliers for leasehold improvements and final trailer prototype.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Project Manager) 7) Acquire bids and choose one fabrication shop for custom sub assemblies to be used in the trailer.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Project Manager) 8) Choose and lease suitable commercial building for the warehouse and manufacturing area and corporate facilities for D'Angelo Pizzeria corporate headquarters. 2 weeks 5/29/11-6/12/11(Project Manager) 9) Incorporate D'Angelo Pizzeria Co. and franchise division. 2 weeks 5/29/11-6/12/11 10) Interview and hire personnel for Dà ¢â‚¬â„¢Angelo Pizzeria manufacturing and corporate operations. 4 weeks 5/29/11-6/26/11( Project Manager and Owner-President) 11) Assemble final trailer prototype and perform testing and debugging. 2 weeks 6/12/11-6/26/11( 2 x Assembly technicians ,Project Manager, Owner) 12) Choose and document final design parameters for trailer after prototype testing. 1 week 6/26/11-7/3/11 (Project Manager) 13) Research and secure two locations for the first corporate owned D'Angelo Pizzeria. 2 weeks 6/26/11-7/10/11 (Project Manager, Owner-President) 14) Establish and document all operational, training and franchisee procedures and develop the final draft for operational, franchisee, training, and employee manuals for review. 4 weeks 6/26/11-7/24/11 (Project Manager, Owner-President) 15) Develop the Strategic Marketing plan. 2 weeks 7/10/11-7/24/11 (Project Manager) 16) Assemble two ready to run D'Angelo Pizzeria trailer units to be used for the corporate owned pilot stores for the D'Angelo Pizze ria franchise. 3 weeks 7/3/11-7/24/11(2x Assembly technicians, Project Manager) 17) Finish corporate infrastructure for the launch of the D’Angelo private franchises within 6 months. 1 week 7/24/11-7/31/11(Project Manager) 18) Grand Opening of the first two corporate owned D'Angelo Franchises on 8/1/11 Project Cost and Operational Analysis As reviewed in the Time Phased Budget the project is divided in 18 tasks or deliverables which will be completed from 5/1/11 to 8/1/11, an 18 week period or 3.5 months (Kanodia, 2011). The total project cost has been streamlined to minimize project risks and maximize return of investment for the initial phase for the D'Angelo Pizzeria project launch. By limiting project scope to just building the company infrastructure and launching just the first two corporate owned D'Angelo Pizzerias; we are implementing a strategy that serves to maximize project speed, efficiency and ensures the best possibility to achieve timely completion of the projec t goals and within the allocated budget structure (Haughey, 2011). Although we originally underestimated trailer size and equipment requirements we were able to achieve significant cost savings in other project areas. By streamlining project requirements and limiting project scope to a working minimum we were able to minimize project costs and expenses and maximize the chances of a successful project completion (Projectstreamline, 2010). The total cost for the project has been revised to a total cumulative

Measuring Customer Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measuring Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example led to improved sales but has also led to increased customer satisfaction that intern leads to customer retention hence giving such businesses competitive advantage over others. On this basis, this essay will discuss the best practices used to measure customer satisfaction and further evaluate the current practices adopted by Union Pay Organization. To start with, measurement of customer satisfaction has several benefits to businesses. Measurement of customer satisfaction can be defined as a process in which businesses are able to gauge the quality of their processes as well as that of their products and services from customer feedback or other indirect means (Hayes, 2008). As a result of these measurements, businesses can be able to implement and evaluate various processes in their main objectives. For instance, through the customer feedback, businesses are able to gauge themselves against competitors and identify effective strategies that can place give them competitive advantage in the market (Grigoroudis & Siskos, 2010). Further, measurement of customer satisfaction helps to reveal changes in tastes and preferences by customers that can be used in developing products and services in order to retain existing customers and also attract new section of customers by factoring their preferences in business products or services. On the other hand, several customer measurement practices have been identified to work in various business sectors. To start with, transactional surveys have been widely used to gather information about customer satisfaction. This kind of approach is simple because it provides immediate feedback shortly after customer encounter (California Employers Association, n.d). Data collected through transactional survey may be regarded as qualitative because the kinds of responses obtained mainly include impressions of customers to general services and products relating to a particular business. Transactional surveys have advantages that can help

Introduction to Meta Tags

Introduction to Meta Tags Meta tags are small bits of text that will describe the page content; the tags do not appear on the web page itself, but only in the page code. They help search engines to determine what a web page is about, which further helps with search engine optimisation. The tags are only visible to search engines and not to the user/client. There are 4 types of Meta tags: Meta Keywords Attribute These keywords are relevant to the information on the page. The pros to this are that they allow to direct traffic that are searching for specific things, towards particular pages. The cons of this is that one, they dont work anymore, and two, it allowed people to put random tags unrelated to their page into the HTML and essential Pirate traffic for other pages. Title Tag This is the title of the page that will appear on the search engine. It is one of the most important tags as this has the most impact on search rankings, and are visible to the users of the search engine. This will be the first thing users will see for themselves that will tell them what the page is about. Pros of this is it tells users what the page is about immediately, however the cons can be that if the wrong title is used or not specific enough, it can effect search engines results massively but showing the titles of the wrong web pages on search engines when the user is searching for a different unrelated web page. Meta Description Attribute This gives a description of the page. It gives a brief description of the page below the title tag in the search engine results. The advantages are it can entice users to click on the webpage after reading the description and being interested. The disadvantages are that this does not affect the search results ranking of the page. Meta Robots Attribute This is an indication to the search engine bots what should happen to the page when opened. These can give two commands: Index/NoIndex: This tells the search engine whether the page should be shown in the search results or not. Follow/NoFollow This tells the search engine whether the links to the page should be followed or not, depending whether or not it is safe. Newsgroup and forums Advantages of newsgroups and forums are that it allows people to express their own opinions freely with other people. It lets people with similar opinions to conjugate and this means information about an organisation can spread fast, whether it is a good or bad point and regardless of whether its true or not. This is a disadvantage of forums as it allows false information to travel fast and rumours spread quickly however forums and newsgroups are commonly monitored by the company or by the site owners to make sure false information is kept to a minimum. Banners and Popups The advantages of banners and popups are they allow for intrusive advertisement, which means it is hard for people to miss the advertising and can sometimes mean people visit an organisations webpage may enjoy the content of the webpage. The disadvantage of this type of promotion is that it can irritate people because it is intrusive so may annoy more customers and cause more trouble than its worth if it is done on mass. Spam The advantages of spam are similar to banners and popups as it is also intrusive, it means people will find it hard to avoid it and because spam is sent via email, it means promoters can send it to hundreds of thousands of emails every minute, every day to maximise the chances of someone clicking on the link to a webpage. The disadvantages of this is that most email providers will filter out spam into separate inbox folders or just delete it all together so only a small percentage of spam sent reaches the target. Site Name The advantages of a site name are that, if named correctly, they can intrigue people to visit a site even if it is not what the client originally wanted, they will allow for subtle advertising that a customer may not even realise which makes it less intrusive to the customer. The disadvantages of a site name are that, if they are not named correctly, they can damage promotion, as the customer may not think that the site is not what they are looking for or will not intrigue people to visit at all. An example of this can be a website which sells both beds and headboards but if the site name only advertises beds and not headboards, a customer may think this site does not sell headboards and move onto another site. Direct Marketing The advantages of direct marketing are customers can get information about the product being offered easily and can place orders for delivery their house or place of work. It also allows customers to ask questions directly to the organisation/company via telephone. Online direct marketing can allow social media sites to increase the amount of exposure people have to direct marketing. The disadvantages of direct marketing are that organisations/companies can send unwanted junk mail to people with no interest in the products. Unwanted calls to people can mean a company will sometimes be trying to convince people to buy products they do want and annoy the customer. Bibliography http://www.wordstream.com/meta-tags

Jurrasic Park :: Essays Papers

Jurrasic Park The Story takes place on an Island off the Coast of Costa Rica. Where A very wealthy man, John Hammond, Has set up A Genetically engineered Dinosaur preserve. Before he opens this living attraction to the public(only the people who can afford it) He needs people, who he thinks will be good judges of the Park. He brings them in and begins to awe them with the sights of real dinosaurs. One of the visitors, Ian Malcolm, predicts that this is impossible to accomplish. For he says there are flaws in the system, and according to his chaos theory these animals cannot be predicted. While they are in awe one of the computer programmers, Dennis Nedry, Is secretly planning to steal dinosaur embryos from the park and sell them to a company that is trying to stay in business with Hammond. The only way Nedry can obtain these embryos id to shut down the park power so he can sneak into the freezing chamber. He does while the other visitors are touring the park, and everything goes wrong from there. As he is racing to get to the dock, where a boat is waiting to take the embryos, He realizes that he has gone the wrong way. He gets out of the car to try and figure out where he is and he's attacked and killed by one of the dinosaurs. Now the power is out and all the animals can get out of the no longer electrified fences. The others are stopped in front of the T-Rex holding area and he breaks through and attacks them. Everyone flees and is scattered through the park. The animals begin attacking the control building. Since all the power is out there is no way to stop them. One of the Scientists, Wu, finds that the once all female dinosaurs are beginning to breed. They think they got the power back on so they try to put all the animals back in their holding areas. Little did they know that the whole time the park was running on auxiliary power, and once this power ran out they could not restore the main power. When all the power finally ran out the animals began attacking full forced now. The only way to get the park running again was to have someone manually turn on another auxiliary power generator so they could get the main power running again.

Square Root Using Sequential Cordic

Square root using Sequential Cordic Assignment-2 Submitted to: Dr. Sumam David Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering NITK Surathkal Submitted by: Rakshith Sharma 10EC87 Vikas Majjagi 10EC107 Mullapudi Srinivas 10EC99 Algorithm: This is implemented for a range of input values < 0. 75 since Xin should be less than 1 for the bit notation we used. Here we use the vectoring Mode of CORIC and its Hyperbolic subcase to calculate Xout=sqrt(xin2 -yin2 ) And yout= 0 Bit notation: [MSB(sign bit)] . (bit 1 to 15 for +ve fraction)] If we use xin=M+ ? and yin=M -1/4 we can compute xout=sqrt(M). The other equations of the cordic remain the same ie, X(i+1)=x(i)+d(i)*y(i)*2-i Y(i+1)=y(i)+d(i)*x(i)*2-i Z(i+1)= z(i) – d(i)*a(i) where a(i)=tan-1 (2-i) In this case we use 16bit fixed point notation with one sign bit and 15 bits in Q15 notation. A total of 12 iterations are used to reach the result where y(i) is sufficiently close to 0 and x(i) is approximately equal to sqrt(M).In case o f hyperbolic, it is necessary to repeat shift iteration number for 4 th and 7th iterations in order to make the series to converge. The final obtained x(i) is to be multiplied by 1. 207534056 to get the result. The flow chart for the algorithm implement in the VHDL code is as shown in the following page. d(i)=1 if x(i)*y(i)0 Y(i) has gone to 0(apprx) input M=0. 63998413 output X(i)=0. 80035533 Y=0? &sh ift>12 Yes No Yes X(i)=sqrt(M) Yes Check iteration number Shift=4 or 7? Shiftrep= 0? No No Shiftrep+1 Shift+1 d(i)=-1 No x(i)*y(i)

The eNotes Blog Celiac University Tips for Eating Gluten-Free onCampus

Celiac University Tips for Eating Gluten-Free onCampus Living a gluten-free life is tough enough no fluffy, flaky pastries, no thick pizza crusts, and definitely no sandwiches. But being gluten-free (or having any other dietary restrictions) on a university campus can be a whole new level of tough. When all of your friends are hungry from studying at 1:00 am and want to go out for pizza or grab snacks from the market downstairs, you have to either head home early, or politely ask for a  gluten-free option. Remember what I said about no thick pizza crusts? Gluten-free pizza crusts tend be thin and dough-y (ick), and after the first time your friends are subjected to what tastes like an undercooked piece of cardboard you just might not be invited to the next study party. So how do you eat gluten-free on your new university campus and still have a great time? Stock up your dorm Most university campuses dont offer gluten-free options (yet!), and those that do dont have much to boast about, so go to your local market or grocery store and see if it has a gluten-free section. If it does, this is where you stock up. Also, hit the fresh fruits and veggies section! Things that naturally dont contain gluten are always a safe bet, and can also be a healthy choice. Once your dorm is stocked, make sure your backpack is, too. Its not going to be as easy for you to grab food on the go as it is for your classmates, so be prepared. Its always better to have a snack on you than to be hungry and unable to find anything gluten-free to eat. Know your territory Get familiar with the restaurants in your area that offer gluten-free options. Again, when everyone else will have the option of hitting the cafeteria, you wont. Because gluten-free food can be a little more expensive, get familiar with the places that offer gluten-free food, and pick a few favorites. You can search for restaurants with options here. Lay down the law (sort of) If you leave to hit the books with some friends and you know theres the possibility of eating afterward, bring something with you. This can seem like a lot of work, and it is, but avoiding gluten can affect even your social life. When youre first getting to know people, making a bit more effort with with your dietary restriction can help make a good impression. However, after a bit of time, tell your friends that a compromise is definitely in order. You dont get much choice when it comes to eating, and they should be understanding of that. Suggest only eating at restaurants that offer gluten-free options, when ordering pizza, order one thats gluten-free and friends in the group can trade off who splits it with you. Bottom line; make it clear that your dietary restriction isnt going to go away, and it has to be considered. Eating gluten-free on a university campus is completely doable, it just takes a little extra work. Do you have any advice for living gluten-free on campus? Share your gluten-free experiences with us!

Doctors Paid to Hastily Review SSD Cases

Doctors Paid to Hastily Review SSD Cases Lives in the Balance: Doctors Paid for Quantity of SSD Case Reviews, Not Quality An investigation recently uncovered highly disturbing findings that doctors in Tennessee were paid for the quantity of federal disability program applications they reviewed, a system that creates a blatant disregard for proper procedure and attentiveness, and instead rewards efficiency motivated by greed.These doctors would hastily review disability cases, denying a majority of likely viable cases in order to receive a sizeable amount of money- filling their own pockets without a care for the fates of the thousands of vulnerable people they held in the balance.Trusting Corrupt Medical Professionals with the Fates of the Vulnerable Disabled Population Those who apply for disability often have a serious medical condition that is expected to last for at least a year, or unfortunately, is expected to be terminal.It is unconscionable that medical professionals, who were tasked with the important job of reviewing federal disability cases for vulnerable citizens, did not thoroughly review c ases, including pages upon pages of supporting evidence. These doctors would instead skim over the information, and provide speedy verdicts that would unfairly evaluate the needs of those waiting for benefits.The recent investigation supports a common trend of disability applicants dying waiting for a decision or facing further declining health due to the inability to afford medical treatment when benefits are denied. In fact, 9,714 people died waiting for an appeal in 2016, likely all while doctors got richer, with an indifferent swipe of a pen.Man with Stage 4 Cancer Denied Necessary SSD Benefits by Doctor Set on Filling His Own Pockets The article tells the story of a man, Alan Chrisman, who worked for 30 years as a Stonemason, and dutifully paid into the Social Security Disability fund throughout his career. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer which, according to the Social Security Administration’s rules, meets eligibility requirements.Unfortunately, his request for SSD benefits was flat-out denied by Dr. Thomas Thrush.He reviewed one case every 12 minutes in 2018. The federal standard is 1.5 cases an hour. Thrush has earned an astounding $2.2 million reviewing cases since 2012. Meanwhile, Mr. Chrisman and his family suffered, waiting six long months to receive an answer, only to feel the crushing weight of denial while suffering the pain of Stage 4 cancer.Lawyer Helps Apply for Reconsideration, Finds Critical Mistake, Wins SSD Benefits There is not a sufficient amount of checks and balances for doctors such as Thrush who are entrusted to review these critical cases. This is because a negligent 2% of denied cases are reviewed by the Social Security Disability Administration.Fortunately, Chrisman hired a lawyer who found a critical mistake that Dr. Thrush made, resulting in obtaining the benefits he needed to receive medical treatment and surgery.Nearly 50% of Disability Offices in the U.S. Reward Doctors for Reviewing as Many Cases as Possible The investigations findings are alarming, and these practices are not only confined to the offices in Tennessee. In fact, the investigation reported that nearly half of all disability offices hire doctors to act as medical consultants, creating a culture that essentially awards denials and inadequate reviews, all in the name of processing applications faster.But the applications and supporting medical evidence that the doctors spend limited time reviewing are more than just paper, it’s about people. These applicants could be a person’s mother, father, sister, brother, friend.You may even find yourself in need of applying. Wouldn’t you want a fair doctor to carefully review your application?Many people unexpectedly become sick, or are born with a condition that makes it impossible to work. In fact, nearly 50 million Americans are disabled, but only about nine million receive benefits, in part due to the complicated system.What should an applicant do to avoid delays and corruption, and improve the chances of being approved?Contact an Experienced Lawyer to Help Guide You Through the Complicated SSD Process If you are disabled, unfortunately, similar unjust Social Security Disability review practices could be happening in your state. In addition to potential fraud, the Social Security Disability application process is inherently complicated and confusing.It is important to contact a skilled Social Security Disability lawyer from the beginning who knows the ins and outs of the complicated process and can help you obtain the benefits you deserve, walking you through every step of the way. Your health is incredibly important, and during this difficult time, you should be focusing on getting better, while a lawyer fights for your rights.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determ ine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan  works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the  Social Security Disability  benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental or cognitive impairment, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at  800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Attorney, Social Security Disability Lawyer

Freedom of Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Freedom of Speech - Essay Example Given that Hustler defends male dominance in sexual matters one can conclude that Hustler harms and subordinates women. On the other hand, this magazine has also a negative connotation for men promoting their sexual coarseness and inclination towards violence against women. As a result, this leads to the consolidation of the male domination in society that negatively affects the relationship between men and women. In this respect, the legal regulation of pornography may reduce the negative impact of pornography on society. Catharine MacKinnon would point to the fact that pornography is immoral phenomenon, which violates the principles of gender equality and is thus a direct threat to the status of women in society. One can suppose that freedom of speech might strengthen these tendencies in the society, as it will promote the idea that men have a right to sexual dominance over women including the use of

Design Proposal for a Product or Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design Proposal for a Product or Service - Essay Example Simple facts such as this necessitated the establishment of Dines Company to provide high level of standard services only when need calls for organizations and institutions of similar management/ operation styles. Depending on if your catering requirements are for a large gathering or something as simple as an intimate party, we will always handle your event with the delicacy and standards recommended. We have a special state of the art kitchen in Florida CBD, USA; and a completely outfitted catering convoy which is meant to serve as our ‘kitchen on the go’, when any needs call for. In case of no cooking facilities at you party venue, just a simple notification will enable us come along with all the necessary supplies, equipments, and the right personnel. As allowed by our professionalism and vast experience, our team is specialized in ensuring creative fusion cuisine and making best choices from a variety of food traditions. We provide any combination as required by the clients, ranging from the very simple party appetizers to higher five-course meals. At all levels of our service provisions, we will always be pleased to have you work with us in making any suggestions on the menu, or rather go by your choice as is provided on the list of menu that our staff have already designed. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are also available at all times for your events. All the necessary materials and requirements that are necessary in the provision of our services are at their best and healthy states with us. However, we may also work with the clients’ resources in case they require so. For any event, we always draw very close attentions to clients who may be having any special needs, their won samples to be used and ingredients’ specifications. In the event of our call by any the esteemed clients, we do provide very flexible platforms. Our

SWOT Environmental Scanning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SWOT Environmental Scanning - Essay Example This is the most crucial factor within the company that affects the running of employees. Employees work best and freely under good management. Labor shortage; or when the labor market is tight, it generally refers to limited availability of workers with the needed qualifications. Therefore, the selection method begins with the passive candidates who are actively seeking work. The combination of the passive candidates recruiting and accepting application from active job seekers increases the pool of application from which the company can select. Industry competition; In a competitive period, the industry tend to offer the best pay, generous benefit and guaranteed opportunities for professional development to win the best potential employees. Other industry that cannot pay more or cannot match t tangible rewards and benefits than the competitor’s offers focuses on the company’s

The price of gold has increased in the Indian markets Essay Example for Free

The price of gold has increased in the Indian markets Essay The gold prices have been constantly increasing in India due to the spot demand before the marriage season, currency movements and the traditional investment patterns. The constant depreciation in the Indian currency and a change in government policies are supporting a steady rise in the price of gold. Earlier, there was a flat rate of Rs. 300 for 10g on gold. But now, due to the change in the government policy on import duties, 2% is charged on 10g of gold. This change in the government policy will increase the import duties on the metal to nearly a double, increasing its prices. Gold is denominated in US Dollar; change in the value of US Dollar will hence reflect the price of gold. The steady depreciation in the value of US Dollar due to the ongoing recession has led to a weak trend in gold in the global markets. If the price of gold is valued higher in any other currency, it shows us that the demand for gold is high and hence increasing its value. The below graph shows the depreciating value of gold due to the depreciation of US Dollar. http://www.kitco.com/LFgif/au0365nyb.gif Even though there is a weak trend in global markets, the price of gold has increased in the Indian markets due to the high pick up on spot demand ahead of the marriage season. The price of gold has gained Rs. 25 from Rs. 28, 245 per 10 grams. ETF in India saw the highest net outflows in last 52 months. Investors observe recovery in stock markets which helped gold prices increasing. This high trend of gold in the Indian market can be explained as an exception to the law of demand i.e. the increase in the price of gold is increasing the demand for the metal. Indians are the biggest buyers of gold in the world. Gold imports reached 958 tons in 2010, and in 2011 gold imports were still high despite the increase in prices. Gold can hence be considered a Veblen good. A Veblen good is one whose demand continues to rise in spite of an increase in its price level. Therefore the normal law of demand is not applicable here. Such goods are known as goods of conspicuous1 consumption because people regard them as status symbols and there is an inherent passion towards this precious metal. A normal demand curve slopes left to right downwards. But as shown in the diagram above, the demand curve slopes upward, and when the price of increases from P to P1, the quantity demanded increases from QD to QD1. Hence, gold can be considered as a Veblen good. Although, the prices of silver is facing a weakening trend in both the Indian and the global markets due to the same ongoing recession. Silver has fallen by Rs. 800 from Rs. 57,700 per Kg in the Indian market and by USD 6.70 from USD 1704.60 in the global market. The below graph shows a fall in the prices of silver in the global market. In the Indian market, silver doesn’t have high value status as much as gold. This is because people do not have a high inherent passion towards silver. Almost all electronics are configured with silver. The precious metal is used in everything from automobiles to alternative energy needs. But due do the reduced off take by industrial units, silver is facing a fall in both demand and its prices. http://www.kitco.com/LFgif/ag0365nyb.gif Even though the weak trend in silver, the demand for silver coins has been the same as the people in India buy these coins for good luck and prosperity. In conclusion, gold and silver are both facing a weakening trend in the global market due to the world economic uncertainties. But, in the Indian Market, gold is having a high trend whereas silver has a weak trend. As gold is continued to be purchased high in India due to its snob value status. A Tighter Regulation 1. Gold and silver are the two most popular commodities traded on Indian commodity bourses. 2. FMC may ask exchange to tighten monitoring and receive weekly data on trade volume. 3. National commodity exchanges say such measures will help strengthen investor trust in the market. 4. The only downside of stricter regulation is that it may reduce bullion trading volumes.

Napster: The Copyright Battle Essay -- Fair Use

Once upon a time a website provided free music through peer-to-peer file sharing. This was a new technology for the public for a several reasons. The price of home computers had declines dramatically and many people could now afford one. Because of the affordability, many people who had never used a computer suddenly found themselves enmeshed in the new media. Not only could people do their e-mail, do paperwork, play games and use all the different applications they now could also share their files with others. Of course, they wanted to share one of our most valued pleasures, our love of music. The public was not aware that this type of file sharing was illegal because it was not clear on the website disclaimer. Most people did not understand United States copyright laws or the concept of Fair Use. It was the golden age of the internet and everyone was happy with his or her new toy. In this paper, I will discuss legal implications of peer-to-peer file sharing. The most famous cas e was the Napster lawsuits. I was interested because I got a cease and desist letter spring 2000. I stopped but I never quite understood what the difference was between file-sharing and recording music off the radio, which I later learned was illegal also. This paper will explore if the current copyright laws provide the protection necessary for intellectual property. If not, does it need to be revised? Can the Fair Use Doctrine and the new technology co-exist in the same world? According to Wikipedia (2011), â€Å"Napster was an online music peer-to-peer file sharing service created by Shawn Fanning while he was attending Northeastern University in Boston. The service, named after Fanning's hairstyle-based nickname, operated between June 1999 and July ... ... such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair: 1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes 2. The nature of the copyrighted work 3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. (Fair Use, 1976)

Applied Concept Paper: Critical Thinking Structures for Business Ethics Essay

Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate my understanding of the previously mentioned fundamental concepts and capability in order to relate them to the actual business world through applications of my critical thinking skills. Key concepts such as ethics, social responsibility, whistle-blowers, sustainability, stakeholders, and environmental stewardship are mentioned in Chapters 3 and 4 of (Wheelen, 2012). This paper discusses recent articles regarding ethics in the Atlanta Public School Systems, a violation of the code of ethics by the former HealthSouth CFO back in 2010, and Wal-Mart’s latest ethics controversy. In addition, this paper targets important concepts such as social responsibility, sustainability; environmental stewardship and how they affect the stakeholders of Patagonia Clothing Company, Carlportland, U.S Silica and Lucky Stone Company. These companies have proven themselves to be in the forefront of sustainability initiatives through their everyday practice s. From this research, I learned that adhering to the Code of Ethics in the business world is important on many levels. It guides all managerial decisions, creating a common framework upon which all decisions are founded. In order for companies to fully meet their social responsibility, they should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy. Furthermore, the concept of sustainability has come to the vanguard of the global understanding that economics, environmental health and human well-being are interconnected. This ultimately demonstrates that generating high-quality products in a responsible way increases brand reputation, competitive advantage, and most importantly financial success. Abstracts * Investigation into APS Cheating Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every level This article talks about how across the Atlanta Public School system (APS), staff members worked in secret to cheat on testing results. The report accuses top district officials along with school teachers and administrators, of wrongdoing which had been happening for years. In some schools, cheating became a routine, a part of administrative duties during the annual state examinations. It grew into an organized crime of falsifying test results for children who could not score high enough to meet the district’s self-imposed goals. In addition, Beverly Hall, former superintendent, and her top aides, lied to top investigators, destroyed and altered public records, tampered with information, and misled police to avoid taking responsibly for their unethical behaviors. This resulted in a culture of fear, intimidation, and retaliation in the APS. * Former Health South CFO Talks to Business Students About Wo rkplace Ethics This article discusses the ethical challenges that many CFOs face in the workplace. Aaron Beam, former HealthSouth CFO, served prison time for forging the company’s finances and breaking the code of ethics. Beam warned students of the ethical dangers in today’s workforce. He mentioned why accountants and CFOs get trapped into lying, and feel intimidated by their superiors. In this article, Bean touches on many important points, such as, how money changes people, how having more personal possessions does not guarantee happiness, and most importantly, how we need to stand by our principles and ethics all the time. After spending three months in the Montgomery jail, Beam learned his lesson; he wrote a book, opened a lawn service business, and decided to share his experience with business students in universities across the nation. * Wal-Mart’s Ethics Controversy This article debates how an employee ended up jobless after following the Wal-Mart ethics guidelines. Chalace Epley Lowry started working for Wal-Mart in January of 2006, and after a few days at the job, she witnessed unethical behavior from the VP of her department. Lowry suspected that Ms. Williams, the VP of Corporate Communications might have traded inside information about the company’s stock. She questioned it and filed a formal complaint with her immediate supervisor; she thought that it was the honorable thing to do. In return, her identity got disclosed to the offender, making it uncomfortable in her position since Mona Williams was effectively her boss. Also, she got a lower performance review, and when she complained, she was told to find another job. * Patagonia: Blueprint for Green Business The above article is the story of how Patagonia, an outdoor-clothing and equipment firm, and its founder, Yvon Chouinard, took his passion for the outdoors and turned into a successful business. By conducting business in a non-traditional way, Chouinard created a company with a different outdoor style that makes $270 million in yearly revenues. This organization is among one of the first in America to provide onsite daycare, as well as both maternity and paternity leave, and flextime. Patagonia reuses materials, questions growth, ignores fashion, makes goods that last, and discontinues profitable products. With a laidback atmosphere for employees, its production is at full capacity. Mr. Chouinard’s biggest dream is to turn Patagonia into a totally sustainable, ECO friendly company, where people enjoy coming to work, and he can sleep well at night. * Pursuing Sustainability Business Initiatives, a Large Business In this article, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) recognizes their large producers’ member companies, which are pursuing sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. The first one, CalPortland Company, one of the major producers of Portland cement, has been pursuing environmental stewardship for years. The second one, Lucky Stone Company, one of the largest family-owned and operated aggregates companies in the U.S, has an excellent environmental reputation. And the third one, U.S. Silica, is a leading producer of industrial minerals which recently adopted a formal sustainability policy. This article also emphasizes what these companies have in common and highlights the benefits companies will obtain by making sustainable decisions now. Concepts Ethics is defined by the textbook as the consensually accepted standards of behavior for an occupation, a trade, or a profession. There is no worldwide standard of conduct for business people. This is especially true given the global nature of business activities. Cultural norms and values vary between countries, ethnics groups and even among geographic regions (Wheelen, 2012). A Code of ethics specifies how an organization expects its employees to behave while on the job. â€Å"A code of ethics, (1) clarifies company expectations of employees conduct in various situations and (2) makes clear that the company expects its people to recognize the ethical dimensions in decisions and actions.† (Wheelen, 2012). Whistle-blowers are defined by the author of the textbook as those employees who report illegal or unethical behavior on the part of others. Even though the Sarbanes-Oxley Act forbids firms from retaliating against anyone reporting unethical acts, 82% of those who uncovered fraud reported being ostracized, demoted or pressure to quit (Wheelen, 2012). The concept of Social Responsibility as it is explained in the textbook proposes that a private corporation has responsibilities towards the society that extend beyond making a profit. Many business people have agreed upon the main responsibilities of a business, which are Economic, Legal and Ethical. Being socially responsible does provide a firm a more positive overall reputation (Wheelen, 2012). Sustainability may include more than just ecological concerns and the natural environment. It can also include economic and social aspects. In the business environment, in order for a firm to be sustainable, it must be successful over a long period of time; and it must satisfy all of its economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities (Wheelen, 2012). Stakeholders are a large group of people with interest in a business organization’s activities. This group gets affected by the achievements or failures of the firm’s objectives (Wheelen, 2012). Some examples of Key Stakeholders are: creditors, directors, employees, government agencies, shareholders, suppliers, unions, and the community where the business operates. Environmental Stewardship refers to responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. Environmental stewardship defined in simple terms as â€Å"dealing with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it† (Leopold, 2013). Analysis The article about the APS unethical practices touches on one important concept: Ethics. For years the Atlanta School District produced gains on state curriculum test by cheating on student’s exams. Years of misconduct took place at all levels of the organization, from the top of the chain of command to the Superintendent’s office. The cheating prevented many struggling students from getting the extra help they needed (Vogell, 2011). It also created an atmosphere of stress and deception among school employees. Top investigators in the case came up with three possible reasons that cheating flourished in APS. 1. The district set unrealistic goals, and pensions and raises were based on the test results. 2. Because the target test results rose every time the school reached the goal, the pressure rose. Cheating was, therefore, the only way to obtain the results. 3. The top officials refused to accept responsibility. However, I disagree with those three reasons. Just because g oals are unattainable, that does not mean we have to act unethically. Once the cheating started, it could not be stopped. It collapsed on itself, as lying usually does. If top leaders refused to take responsibility, it was their choice. We, as individuals, have to be responsible for our own actions. Teachers are responsible for helping students become better members of society; this includes teaching them good citizenship skills. There are always grey areas in professional codes of ethics because there are many areas that are subjective. Personal integrity and honesty are required by all who agree to follow a code of ethics. If an educator observes someone practicing unethical behavior, it is his/her duty to report such behavior through the proper administrative channels. In the article that talks about the former CFO of HealthSouth, Aaron Beam, he warned students about the ethical challenges that are in the workplace. I especially enjoyed this article because it touches an important subject, the code of ethics. Even the most ethically-aware professionals find their standards challenged on a daily basis . As accountants, part of the code is to represent the public interest, and sometimes that may mean putting it ahead of the company’s interest. As a CFO, that duty is heightened. In addition, the first people employees look to are the CEO and CFO to see if they have a real commitment to ethics. If they behave unethically, employees are likely to do so as well. A respectable CFO must be able to stand up to his/her boss with integrity and to speak unpleasant truths when necessary. Not only can inappropriate behavior lead to compliance failures, fraud, and theft, but the consequences can adversely affect employee morale and the firm’s reputation. An ethical framework is built by making the right choices in the little things. â€Å"Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching† (annonymus). In the third article about Wal-Mart, we see an employee who is following the company’s code of ethics and acts as a Whistle-blower when she suspected an unethical act was committed by her department head. It is important to note that â€Å"Wal-Mart prides itself on having one of the strictest and most st ringent ethics policies in the retail industry† (Gogoi, 2007). However, that was not true in this case. Instead of rewarding Ms. Lowrey for such a heroic act, her identity got exposed, and she was encouraged to find another job within the company in 90 days. She even experienced a lower performance evaluation after the incident. She felt disappointed to see the way an ethics complaint was handled by a corporation like Wal-Mart. Most of Wal-Mart scandals are perpetuated by a culture of silence. Rather than addressing the concerns that are affecting workers across the country, Wal-Mart has attempted to silence those who speak out for changes that would help the company, workers, and the community. As front line Wal-Mart workers are facing hardships, the company is making almost $16 billion a year in profits. Meanwhile, the Walton Family (heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune), are the richest family in the country. All of this has taken a toll on Wal-Mart’s image. Some people will not shop at Wal-Mart because they do not want to support a company t hat they perceive is unfair to its workers. Reading about Patagonia got my attention, since I have purchased their outdoor products without really knowing the company’s history. This unique business is conducted upside down and inside out. Decades before recycling became a common practice, Patagonia was already reusing materials. The company’s founder believed in putting the Earth first, by attaining sustainable practices, while making unbelievable profits ($270 million in revenues yearly). This company would not release toxins into rivers or chase endless growth. All of Patagonia’s products are produced with the highest level of quality and manufactured in the most socially responsible way. Patagonia became the first company in California to use renewable sources, like wind and solar energy, to power all its buildings and one of the first to print catalogs on recycled paper. With a payroll of 350 employees, the boss greets them by name. At the sweatshops facility, workers overlook a playground of the comp any’s day care facility. The people that works there are anything but slackers: â€Å"it was impressive to see how involved in sustainability their employees are,† said Matt Kristle, a senior vice president of Sam’s Club (Casey, 2007). In addition, the owners agree to keep Patagonia privately held and say no to anything that may compromise their values. Also, a good portion of the company’s profits is being donated to grass roots organizations, $26 million since 1985. As a company, all of the stakeholders are really committed to doing the right thing. That is why Patagonia serves as a blueprint for future businesses that want to follow this path. In the last article I chose, there are three companies within the same industry that pursue sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. They all agree that environmental stewardship and social responsibility can interact to increase stakeholder value as well as shareholder value, (Schlett, 2011). U.S Silica, CalPortland and Luck y Stone voluntarily assist their communities in resolving the issues that affect them. For example, CalPortland, does material donations for the City of DuPont’s war memorial. Lucky Stone collaborates with the James River Association to create a spawning reef for the endangered Atlantic sturgeon species. U.S. Silica’s effort to protect an endangered turtle species near Pennsylvania plant is admirable, as well as helping feed local homeless people once a month. By helping their communities to resolve social issues, these companies are helping themselves by increasing brand value and reputation, improving their license to operate, and reducing their risks. Conforming to environmental laws is not enough anymore. Consequently, pursing environmental stewardship elevates an organization into the â€Å"Risk Management† category. And that, when implemented together with social responsibility initiatives for greener products and processes, moves the company into the â€Å"Business and Sustainable Development.† A good example of that is that all three companies have been working through their environmental management systems to go beyond compliance by implementing Best Management Practices. By encouraging a culture of environmental and social stewardship, these three large producers are at the forefront of sustainability, and as a result they are recognizing financial and sustainable success. Conclusion After carefully analyzing all the articles, I came to the conclusion that all those concepts are intrinsically related. It is important to understand that business ethics go beyond legal issues. Ethical conduct builds trust among individuals and in business relationships, which validates and promotes confidence between people. One of the principal causes of unethical behavior in organizations today is overly aggressive financial or business objectives. Abusive or intimidating behavior is another of the most common ethical problems for employees. Making ethical choices is sometimes the most difficult thing, especially when the one losing out is you or your business. Yet, for the greater good and the sake of mankind, one has to look at business as well as personal ethics and evaluate them periodically. All professions have a set of values that are the cornerstone of their belief system and the foundation of their practice. A Code of Ethics is important on many levels. It sets the â€Å"tone from the top† of the company’s culture. An effective Code of Ethics establishes the ethical expectations for employees and management alike and sets forth the mechanisms for enforcement and consequences of noncompliance. There are four dimensions of social responsibility: economic, legal, ethical, and voluntary, including philanthropic. Earning profits is the economic foundation of any company, and complying with the law is the next level. However, a business whose sole objective is to maximize profits is not likely to consider its social responsibility, although its activities will probably be legal. Sustainability is the balance between people and the environment. Air, water, and land are all impacted by the behavior and actions of human beings, but these impacts can be controlled. The challenge for companies in the twenty-first century is developing an environmentally responsible strategy that keeps them ahead of the game, helping them maintain an advantageous position in the marketplace. It is not enough to simply check boxes, publish a sustainability report, or reduce waste in factories. Companies must be truly innovative in terms of how they manage their relationship with the environment. Works Cited Casey, S. (2007, May 29). Patagonia: Blueprint for Green Business. Retrieved from http://cnnmoney.com. Gogoi, P. (2007, July 13). Wal-Mart’s Latest Ethics Controversy. Retrieved from http://www.Bloomberg Businessweek. Leopold, A. (2013, January 31). Aldo Leopold Quotes. Retrieved from aldoleopold.org: http://www.aldoleopold.org/greenfire/quotes.shtml Schlett, W. (2011). Pursuing Sustainable Business Initiatives, a Large Business. Stone, Sand & Gravel Review , 44-48. Vogell, H. (2011, July 26). Investigation Into APS Cheating Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every Level. Retrieved from http://www.ajc.com. Wheelen, T. L. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy: Towards Global Sustainability (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall.

Social Media and Sports

Has social media’s impact on the professional sports world been positive or negative? Social media has made a massive impact on our culture. One of the areas that has not been affected is professional sports. In today’s world, professional sports teams and players from around the world use social media to connect with their global fan bases. Sports teams attempt to build a larger, stronger fan base by engaging fans through social media sites. Additionally, social media sites allow professional athletes to increase their marketability.However, they can also severely damage their career, personal life, and their ‘brand’ if they do not handle their social media interactions with care (Van Schaik). Twitter and Facebook allow teams and players to be interactive and personal with fans. They can use these platforms to not only deliver basic team news updates, but to share information about autograph signings, charity events, or ticket specials too. One of the most important aspects of any sports team is that they have a loyal, growing fan base that feels like they are valued and appreciated. Therefore, these fans will stand by their team through thick and thin.Social media provides the perfect opportunity for that. Sports teams and athletes are becoming more and more efficient at using social media to create a positive impact on their team and their fan’s. One of the positive impacts of social media on professional sports is the ability to share news and information with fans through it. Social media websites are beginning to replace sports radio and cable networks as the dominant places to find the latest breaking sports news. It seems more and more sports fans are turning to the internet for the latest sports news, updates, and information about their favorite teams or players.More specifically, fans are utilizing social sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In fact, fans are 10 times more likely to check Facebook or Twitter for their sports news than sports radio. Also, an overwhelming 81% of fans prefer the Internet for their sports information over any other platform (Blakley). Fans just are checking social media before or after the games either. More than 80% of fans interact via social media while watching games (Altobelli). I can attest to these statistics because I am one of this growing majority. There are a few reasons I choose to use the Internet and social media for my sports news nstead of sports radio or TV. First off, with social media and the Internet I am able to find information about my favorite player or team instantly. With TV or sports radio, you basically have to take the information as it is given. For example, ESPN chooses to focus on teams from major cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Very rarely will I be able to find daily updates on an injured Minnesota Twins player by watching Sportscenter. Instead, I can click on over to the Minnesota Twin’s Facebook page or Twitt er and find daily injury updates. Another upside to social media in this situation is that it is up to the minute information.Most sports radio shows or cable networks discuss what happened yesterday in the sports news world. Social media is constantly updating so there is a plethora of new information always streaming. Lastly, I prefer social media over the other forms of sports news because they are readily available to me. Sports radio and ESPN are not always as mobile as I would like. I am not able to take Sportscenter into the car with me. Also, I do not have a reliable sports radio station to listen to in my area. At times I can get KFAN from the Twin Cities, but not on a consistent basis.Therefore, any sports radio news updates come about once an hour and are quite brief. Additionally, I spend a lot of time at my girlfriend’s cabin during the summer months. At her cabin, they only have a few basic local channels. ESPN is not available. As a result, I turn to social med ia and my cell phone for sports news. Rarely do I miss a beat because of the efficiency and accuracy of the social media websites. Social media has already made a giant impact on how sports information is shared with fans. It is only going to keep growing as technology spreads and more fans get familiar with smart phones and tablets.Another way social media has affected the sports world is by bringing fans closer to the game. As a sports fan, I can agree that fans always want to feel closer to the game. That is why people still pay ridiculous ticket prices to attend ball games instead of watching them on TV in the comfort of their living room. Fans have an urge for that connection and closeness. They want to feel apart of the game. Social media sites provide teams and players the unique ability to directly connect with their fans. It used to be the closest you got to a favorite player was a post-game radio interview.Now, you can follow them on Twitter and have rare insight into thei r everyday world. Players use sites like Facebook and Twitter to give fan’s a behind the scenes look at what happens at home, in the locker room, and on the sidelines. Social media gives pro athletes the chance to interact and share data with fans in a way that was not possible in the past. Fans used to only know about a player from what they read in the paper or saw on TV (Van Schaik) . Now, fans can find out what their favorite player ate for breakfast or what music they are listening to.Fans have yearned for this kind of accessibility for years and now it is becoming a reality. I actually have friend’s that make it a daily ritual to check their favorite player’s Twitter. Actually, being able to follow players and coaches is probably the biggest reason why I created a Twitter in the first place. I love the inside look into their personal lives. It is very cool when you find out how much you do or do not have in common with them. One of the highlights of my Twi tter career was when I tweeted Kevin Love after a Timberwolve’s game and congratulated him on his performance and the team’s win.A few minutes later, I received what is called a â€Å"retweet† from Love basically saying thank you. I was blown away. It meant a lot to me to know that Kevin Love took thirty seconds out of his life to tell me, some nobody fan, thank you. It is almost as if social media has taken the place of autographs. Before, you wanted players’ autographs, now you want players to say something back to you on Twitter (Blakley). Social media is a great way for athletes to communicate and engage with fans. It allows players and teams to share information with them before it has been filtered by the news media.Twitter and Facebook have been instrumental in raising the profile of athletes in every sport. It allows them to give a personal perspective on all aspects of the competition, seemingly unhindered by various PR and marketing machines. Wh ile the majority of social media’s impact on professional sports has been positive, there is definitely a negative side that should be discussed. In the early age of social media, some sports leagues had trouble regulating player usage of it. People who grew up long before the Internet age govern most sports.This creates a problem when they try to tackle the issues surrounding sports and social media (Westhenry). First off, there was the problem with players actually posting on Twitter immediately following and even during their games. League officials found social media to be a distraction to their player’s. Accordingly, the NBA and NFL implemented policies that limited when players and staff could use social media. The NBA’s policy bans the usage of social media from 45 minutes before tipoff until after the players have fulfilled their other media duties following the game.The NFL stretched it to 90 minutes before and after games (Westhenry). The other major i ssue surrounding social media and sports is controlling what athletes post or say. Athletes are and should have the freedom to share their personal opinions and ideas through social media. In fact, it should be encouraged for them to do so. Like I’ve stated before, fans have a desire to feel connected with players and love that â€Å"uncensored† feeling. However, if not handled with care, social media has the potential to seriously damage a player’s private life, athletic performance, and possibly their career.All it takes is a split second of poor judgment and one senseless social media posting for a major incident to occur. Many athletes fail to remember the impact their social media activity can have. Others fall victim to the dangers of being provoked by obnoxious fans. When athletes dispose of their frustrations and anger online without thinking over the consequences, the results are rarely good (Van Schaik). While there are numerous examples of this happen ing, I will only share a couple. To begin with, we can look at the case of Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Rashard Mendenhall.He posted controversial comments on his Twitter following the death of Osama bin Laden that caused him to lose an endorsement contract. Mendenhall had previously stirred up a controversy when he posted his opinion about the 9/11 attacks (Westhenry). More recently, there was the case of San Antonio Spurs forward Stephen Jackson. He was fined $25,000 for threatening another NBA player via Twitter (â€Å"Jackson Fined for Tweet about Ibaka†). Countless athletes fail to learn from the lessons of others. It is frustrating to me as a fan to see player after player get in trouble for something they said on a social media site.Many athletes fail to recognize the importance of their social media channels to their sponsors and their teams. Also, some seem to think that because they are using social media that it permits them to forgo traditional media p rotocol (Van Schaik). An athlete’s words reach far beyond just their fans and followers. They impact colleagues, friends and their family. One foolish tweet can instantly turn into a scandal with the capability to damage the athlete, their team, and their sponsors (Van Schaik). A big component here is sponsors. Many sports superstars are actually brands in themselves.They represent their team, league, city, fans and sponsors. It is important to note that while some of their income comes from their sports contract, a lot of their money comes from being a public figure (Van Schaik). Creating the wrong headlines and wrong type of publicity can cost an athlete not only thousands in fines, but millions of dollars in sponsorship money too. Every single athlete has to be aware of the social media pitfalls and consequences. While many stars have been forgiven for their online troubles, the problem is that the commonness of such mistakes is growing.If the trend continues, it will sure ly damage the positive impact that these communication platforms have had on professional sports (Westhenry). I feel that the best way for the sport’s world to handle these issues is through education and guidelines. Social media is still in its infancy. Therefore, leagues and teams must educate their players on social media and how to use it. As social media becomes a larger part of everyday life for millions of people around the world, people will also become more educated about how social media works. This will help alleviate some of these issues (Westhenry).Lastly, leagues and teams need to develop a social media code of conduct for their athletes. For example, if a player would get suspended for cursing or ranting at a team press conference, they should have the same consequences for a social media outburst. If they would get fined for complaining about officials to a TV camera, do the same if they complain about them on their Twitter (Westhenry). Like I stated before, t he more athletes and sports teams use social media, the more educated they will become. With a little common sense, some education, and a few regulations, these negative social media issues will fade away.Sport’s fans love social media. This can be illustrated by the millions of followers athletes have on networking sites. Moreover, athletes themselves seem to truly love social media. It allows them a platform to step away from the normal interview cliches and really have some freedom in what they say. Sites like Twitter and Facebook allow fans to get to know their favorite athletes on a deeper, more personal level. The increasing use of social media in the professional sports world can have a substantially positive impact on a player and an organization.While there is criticism surrounding its usage, the positives are overwhelming. There is no doubt that sports has and will continue to benefit from social media. Works Cited Altobelli, Diana. â€Å"The Rise of Social Media i n Professional Sports. † 1 SEO. N. p. , 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2012. . Blakley, Julie. â€Å"Sports and Social Media. † Postano. N. p. , 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Jackson Fined for Tweet about Ibaka. † NBA. com. N. p. , 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 012. . Van Schaik, Thomas. â€Å"Professional Athletes on Social Media: Why Some Get Fans and Others Fines. † Sports Networker. N. p. , 19 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2012. . Westhenry, Rowanne. â€Å"Sports Stars on Twitter: Marketing Geniuses or Massive Twits? † Bleacher Report. N. p. , 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2012. .

Interview How I became a self-published millionaire

Interview How I became a self-published millionaire Interview: "How I became a self-published millionaire" Joseph Alexander is a writer, a musician, and a professional marketer here at Reedsy. He’s also the co-author of the new book Self-Published Millionaire. We sat down with Joseph to talk about his book, his independent publishing brand, and his journey from private guitar tutor to self-sustaining author - as well as what you can learn from it. Hi Joseph, the title of your book is Self-Published Millionaire, so I guess the first question is: are you a millionaire?Well, yes! As strange as it still feels to say it, I passed the $1,000,000 net worth mark about a year ago, and  £1m not long after. My company will bring in about $800,000 this year in royalties, and this has been increasing by about 10-20% each year for the last 6 years.How did you make that happen?The short version is that I was sitting at home teaching private guitar lessons and writing down what I was teaching. The same questions kept coming up repeatedly, so I decided to write out the exercises I was giving. I stored these on my computer and, lo and behold, I eventually had enough material for a book. A friend told me about KDP and the rest is history. Self-Published Millionaire is now available for online purchase. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.

How To Make A Content Development Process To Save Time

How To Make A Content Development Process To Save Time Ive been a big fan of trying all sorts of beer ever since I took a trip to Germany for seven months back in 2008. To me, that stuff was going to be the best Id ever taste with the classic pilsners, bocks, and wheat beers. And when I got back to Minnesota, I tried some of the well domestics. Those macrobreweries definitely had their processes down to produce massive quantities of light-bodied stuff. But when I started exploring craft beer- the idea that smaller breweries could produce what I considered to be better quality than most commercial brands- it really got me thinking. Just because big companies are competing with you in your niche, it doesnt mean they are necessarily better at it than you are. Just because big companies compete with you, theyre not better than the quality you produce.And you can apply that idea to your content marketing. Here is how to improve your content development process to take control of your workflow to create content quickly, hit  every deadline, and improve every piece of content you publish to grow your audience. And you can do it all with a scrappy, iterative process that helps startups and small businesses like microbreweries achieve some pretty tasty results. (See what I did there?) How To Rock A Content Development Process That Will Save You Tons Of Time #marketing Get the Templates You Need to Save Time Developing Content Apply the advice in this post with this trio of templates: Content Development Process Guide to build your process, step by step. Blog Post Outline Template to write better blog posts more easily. Content Editing Checklist to self-edit your own work with fewer mistakes. Define The Roles You Need To Develop  Content In Kristi Hines' post on content marketing team structure, she mentions a variety of roles you could include in your content development: Content marketing strategists set the stage with the entire marketing strategy, helping your team understand your audience, the topics you'll cover, and the goals you're shooting for. Content strategists turn the strategy into a game plan complete with understanding what content and channels your team will  use to reach your audience. These people  fill up your editorial calendar with the content your team will develop. Idea contributors are exactly what you'd expect: These are the folks who are listening to your audience and help with unique angles. They have the stories you want to tell, and the ones your audience really cares about. These people could be anyone within your company or even your customers and subscribers. Content creators are the linchpins  responsible for executing your  content strategist's game plan. They are your designers, writers, videographers, and podcasters (among possible others). They are making your content. Content editors make sure your creators fulfill  your content strategist's expectations. They focus on editing for the story of your content, and also on the nitty-gritty grammar stuff. Editors are the ones using your editorial calendar every day, keeping your creators on task, and publishing content as you expect. Content promoters are the magical creatures who amplify what you created to inspire interest in your content. If your content is the party, these folks send the invitations to attend. They use social media, email, forums, and tons of other content promotion tactics to increase your traffic. Community managers monitor the ensuing conversation your content creates. They respond to social media mentions and comments, and help build a strong network of brand advocates. Content analysts check out the stats behind the scenes to know how your content contributes to your goals. They'll check out Google Analytics and Kissmetrics (or whatever analytics tools you use) to help your content strategist plan even better content. This is where that iterative approach- the secret ingredient to your content development process- really comes into play. Now, that may seem like a lot of people. But what you're really looking at here is roles, not titles. These roles make for a very solid content development process, so now you can choose which roles are necessary for your own process and who among your team will fill these roles. A solo marketer could do all of these, or you could divvy them up among your team. Jay Acunzo  recently published a super entertaining post about marketing team structure and how it kind of... well... sucks sometimes. Here's a memorable quote: ...team be huge, team be slow, team is gonna totally blow. As a former Googler, he mentions how Google's sales team is organized into pods to capture the talents of folks  with tons of different skill sets.  And I loved this thought to find the right people for your team  to kick off your content development process in the right direction. Jay says teams should be: Small to be nimble, quick, and focus on developing content  instead wasting time on  office bureaucracy. Complementary to have multiple skills for the different parts of the process. Singular to have one clear goal instead of tons.  Finally get some focus to understand why you're developing content  to collaborate and celebrate when you reach your goal! Shared to work together toward a common mission or purpose. In the end, Jay recommends narrowing the list of roles down to three players, as he calls them: A strategist to provide the vision, lead the team, look at analytics, and plan the content. A producer to be "the artist, because God knows, SOMEONE has to care about quality, craft, creativity, and emotional or intellectual resonance with the audience." I had to include that quote. :) A marketer to promote the content, generate interest, and convert traffic into subscribers and customers. I'm with Jay: We do a lot with a small team  leading our content marketing efforts at right now, and Jay's suggestions  are similar to the roles  we have on our  team.  It helps us move super fast to publish quickly, on time, and consistently. Takeaways: Download the worksheet and choose who among your team will fill each role. Cross off the roles you won't have in your content development process. Meet with your team and their supervisors to help everyone understand their roles and responsibilities, and how you will  improve your processes with this new approach. A Quick Note on Upper Management Getting All Up in Your Business The goal of figuring out â€Å"who does what† specifically curtails upper management from messing with your projects and deadlines. By agreeing as a group of doers and getting your  supervisors all on the same page, y’all agree to give the power to publish  to your strategists. Seth Godin writes about this concept a lot  in his awesome book, Linch Pin  (which you should seriously buy right now if you've never read it): Write down the due date. This is the date you will publish- whether the content's  done or not. Capture every idea about your project, inviting anyone who wants to contribute. Seth says, "This is their big chance." Record every idea in a way everyone can see, ask them to check it out, and let them know this is it- after you get approval, there's no going back. Organize everything into a comprehensive outline of the project now that it's completely approved. This is your project blueprint from start to finish. Take that blueprint to the big guns in your company and final approval from the people with sign-off control. Then ask them, "If I deliver what you approved, on budget and on time, will you ship it?" Don't move forward until they say yes. No maybes, no "I'll know when I see it", nothing other than your yes. Nice job, linchpin. Choose Task-Based Workflows Over Status-Based Workflows Now that you know who on your team will serve in specific roles to help you create your content- and how you'll publish quickly while avoiding office bureaucracy- it's time to develop your workflows. Essentially, you want to meet with your team you just defined to understand how you'll work together to create consistent content that will always hit your deadlines. This is the actual planning of your content development process- understanding exactly how you’ll do this with the resources available to you. Since we’re talking through the experience of an agile startup, keep it simple to error on the side of shipping rather than too many steps that slow down your publishing. Err on the side of publishing  rather than processes that slow you down. #contentmarketingStatus-based workflows make it nearly impossible to understand every task that you and your team need to check off your to-do list before you publish your content. Just think of the typical statuses you see in WordPress: How will you know who is responsible for each status, and what exactly they’re supposed to be working on? Who has the final say before you schedule your content to publish? Nah, there has to be a better way. And there is. Task-based workflows help you dissect all the work that goes into creating a piece of content- whatever it is (blog posts, e-books, webinars, you name it)- to help you choose a specific person accountable for each task, along with deadlines for every task. By dissecting your content into tasks, you can provide a ton of direction to your team to avoid any confusion about who’s doing what and when they need to have their work done. Here’s what a simple task-based workflow looks like any blog post we publish at : When you look at this, it’s helpful in a ton of  different ways: Begin every task with a verb that demands action. Make your tasks super clear by highlighting exactly what the task entails, while also being brief. Assign each task to a specific person who clearly knows they are responsible for helping you create some part of your content. Send  a notification that specifically communicates with each member of your team when you assign them a new task. Set clear deadlines for when you expect each task to be complete. Understand the difference between deadlines and your publish dates. Help your team understand the date on your marketing calendar is the publish date for when your content will be 100% complete, while assigning tasks with deadlines for days or even weeks before the content is set to publish. Remind your team before their tasks are due. Unless you’re that chick from Ex Machina, your team is full of humans. Subtle reminders of task due dates help  those busybodies know when their tasks are due so they don’t forget and accidentally cause your project to miss its deadline. Task-based workflows are especially helpful so you can have multiple team members working on different tasks at the same time, which is slightly lost with status-based workflows. Those steps above are exactly how we do it at , too, and it really works for us. Communicate Efficiently With An Agreed-Upon Tool The five  parts of  your task-based workflow may sound like a lot of manual work. But it really depends on the tools you use as a team to manage your content development process. When Raven Tools wanted to improve their process to eliminate endless emails, they focused on implementing one clear source for communication. Spoiler alert: That source- as a marketing project management tool- is . Task manager: Define as many workflows as you need for the different types of content you use in your marketing strategy. You can then easily assign those tasks out to your entire team with clear deadlines super fast. Comments: Raven Tools was able to send 75% fewer emails  because of . Comments keep your project record right in the tool you’re using for your content development process, which helps you work even more efficiently. Notifications and reminders: When you assign tasks or leave comments, your marketing calendar pushes an email notification to remind your team to check on the project. The day before any task is due, your calendar automatically sends an email to remind your team members to knock out their tasks. Dashboard: It’s rare that you’ll only work on one project at a time. So it’s nice to see a dashboard of all the comments and tasks that are due on specific days to keep a to-do list of your projects right in your marketing calendar. When you use one tool for communication, you avoid endless emails, maintain a calendar of record, and generally quit herding cats. While using as your marketing calendar  is a great way to manage your content development process, you can rock this advice with any project management tool: Agree as a team to communicate with tools that help everyone stay involved and see your progress. Avoid long email forwards to prevent missing copying someone and eliminate confusion overall. Because, seriously, those get crazy. Maintain one version of the truth for your marketing projects. Consolidate your project management tools and content calendars to better understand your deadlines, manage multiple projects at once, and easily see your progress toward completion. Manage Multiple Projects At Once While Nailing Every Deadline You experience  a learning curve every time you take on a new project. For example, if you’re adding blogging to your list of marketing tactics, you have an entirely new process to learn as you get started. So take your time. When you start any new project, quantity isn’t the goal. Consistency isn’t important if what you’re publishing is junk. Here's how we do it at : Do one thing well. Actually,  as we like  to joke, "Don't half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." It's silly, but there's a lot of truth to that. Set your deadlines like Seth Godin suggested earlier, ship on time, then reflect on what worked, what you could do better next time, and what you should stop doing. Once you have your process  ironed out for that one thing, add in another project. And do it slowly, just like you perfected your first project. Plan time to reflect on your growing pains as you add more projects to your to-do list, reviewing again what's going well, what you could improve, and what you should quit doing. So start slow and build your publishing momentum as you learn something new, building toward publishing more content consistently. At first, you’re perfecting your content and workflow process to build the expertise you need to publish even more. Recommended Reading: How to Learn New Marketing Skills in 11 Simple Steps (Backed By Science) Organize Your Content Development And  Naming Conventions While everyone on your team could create content differently, it’s much more efficient to have one version of the truth for the tools you use in your content development process. You might be a bit surprised that a huge majority of the team at doesn’t even have Microsoft Word on our computers, so we opt for Evernote instead. Here are a few reasons why Evernote is awesome for blogging and marketing: You can use Evernote for anything. We use different notebooks for marketing strategy, managing larger projects like new feature releases, and actually creating our content. It’s so dynamic that we use one tool for so many use cases that we decided to integrate Evernote right into to help other marketers like us plan and create content better than ever. You can capture your content ideas and inspiration wherever you are. Use Web Clipper and Evernote Helper to save ideas from the content you’re perusing on the Web, rock Skitch to take screenshots and mark them up with text and arrows, email your thoughts directly into notes and notebooks with the syntax "Note Name @Notebook Name #Tag Name !YYYY/MM/DD", scan handwritten notes right into Evernote notes, send pictures from your phone into Evernote, and even highlight text in Kindle and see the quotes you highlighted right in Evernote. Whew! Evernote is perfect for distraction-free writing to help you write blog posts faster than ever. I’m writing this post in Evernote right now with instant messaging and emails turned off, social media shut down, and really no apps to distract me from getting these ideas out of my head. I love to open up the posts I’ll reference in tons of tabs before I start writing to have inspiration at my fingertips, and then I'll turn off the Internet to avoid  getting sidetracked with anything else other than writing. Evernote is helping me do just that. Oh yeah, and I’m on an airplane- so I can use Evernote  anywhere, online or off. Takeaways: Narrow your content development tools down to a few your entire team has access to. Choose the tools that match well with your team’s working styles (ex. if your team is always on the go, that means you need tools that don’t require immediate Internet access and are mobile-friendly). From here, Meghan Frazer has some great advice to help you in your file and folder naming conventions. The ultimate goal is simplicity and helping you and your team find the information you need when you need it. So Megan suggests avoiding special characters other than hyphens or underscores, using the ISO date standard for dating your file names (YYYY-MM-DD), and using descriptive keywords to be able to find your information quickly. This is an example of what Meghan says a great file name might look like: 2015-10-31-ContentDevelopmentProcessHalloweenDiagram.jpg I’d take this a step further with a couple common conventions SEOs use for naming their files:  Lowercase every word while separating every one with a hyphen and no underscores. If you don’t need the date, eliminate it, and focus purely on the keyword of the file itself. content-development-process-halloween-diagram.jpg Whatever you decide for your naming conventions the point is this: Collaborate on a team and understand where you save content and how you name your files, folders, and notebooks so everyone can easily find the information they need quickly. Tip: Use  tags in Evernote for similes of  the keyword you use in your note name. When you search, tags will help you find the information faster. Ex. "passwords" could also be "logins". Plan  To Develop  Better Content Than Anyone Else In Your Niche Well, that’s kind of a scary headline. But Brian Dean and Austin Kleon have some awesome advice that will help you do just that! Austin is an author who  has an awesome approach when it comes to creating content: Steal like an artist.