Creating a new business venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creating a new business venture - Essay Example This mission is ideal since it seeks to consolidate the company’s commitment to provide quality transport services to different targeted customers in the healthcare sector. Vision To be the market leader in the transport sector where the company seeks to cater for the interests of different customers in need of healthcare related transport services. Brief description of your organization Accarpio Transport’s business model is based on the notion of establishing a company that will specifically offer transportation services for those in need. The company will target different categories of people in its operations as shown below. Transportation of those in wheelchairs, those who use walkers, and those who can walk. Priced reasonable so anyone that needs our services can have them. The strategy of offering reasonable prices is specifically designed to attract as many customers as possible since there are also other actors in this particular sector of business. This strate gy will help the company to gain a competitive advantage in its operations which is the essence of any business venture (Strydom, 84). Brief historical review Accarpio Transport The business model of the company is unique in that it seeks to offer transportation services that are not provided by most ambulance companies. Most ambulance services are primarily concerned with offering services to patients who want to be taken to the hospital from their respective homes. Some of the service providers only provide transportation to doctors who have appointments. However, Accarpio Transport will provide transport to people who want to perform different errands such as going to the grocery stores or shopping malls, visiting friends or any other errands such as going to the park for refreshment. Current Marketing Situation Market overview The company intends to prioritize various trends that will give it a competitive advantage over other actors in the transport industry. For instance, the company seeks to offer consistent transport services to all clients. It intends to fulfill all their interests and needs so as to create loyalty among them. The company also seeks to harness the philosophy that no transportation job is too small in its operations since it is designed to cater for different types of customers. Market segmentation In theory, market segmentation is described as the process of dividing a heterogeneous market into smaller segments of people who have similar interests (Kotler, 87). In this particular case, geo-demographic segmentation will be used by the company. Geo-demographic segmentation is loosely defined as the process of identifying groups of people in a certain area who have similar demographic characteristics such as age, gender as well as lifestyle (Kotler,88). For instance, people living in the same geographical location may share similar interests such as the use of the same transport services as well as their interests towards different marke t offerings. In this case, Accarpio transport will target individuals interested in carrying out their personal errands such as visiting the hospitals. The company will also target patients intending to use transport to different places such as shops for their personal business. Target market The company will mainly target hospitals and it will offer transport to people visiting patients or carrying out any other business. The company wil

Cultural Advertising (how culture influences advertising) Research Paper

Cultural Advertising (how culture influences advertising) - Research Paper Example The culture of most individuals is determined at their place of birth whereby they pick up the behaviors and mannerisms of those around them. This influences their general outlook towards life and the way in which they perform certain actions in their day to day activities. Culture differs in various elements; the most common is due to the location. Individuals in various continents have various distinct differences and these can be easily noticed. A clear example is the popularity of sports in various continents. In the United States, the most popular sports are American Football and Baseball, in India, the most popular sport is cricket while in Europe soccer is the major attraction. This therefore means that children born in these regions will find that their sporting culture is inclined to these particular sports and therefore they are most likely to follow these sports. The environment we are in is a major determinant of the culture that we will adopt. Culture influences the languages that we speak and the religious beliefs that we are subscribed to. There is therefore a direct impact on the products that any given individual will use by the culture in which they belong. Some religious sects restrict the use of modern technology by their members and as such it would be pointless to try and them electronic. This therefore implies that advertisers should take keen note of the various cultures around the world so that they know exactly which type of people use certain products. They can then target these people selectively with advertisements that cater to their exact needs. The end result is that there will be positive response from the market since their needs will be catered for (Mueller 2004). The goal of this essay is to find out how the advertisements differ from each other on basis of cultural values, are there any similarities also between TV

Cookies as Spyware Essay Example for Free

Cookies as Spyware Essay This paper addresses Cookies as Spyware. The option chosen was to analyze the issues associated with cookies being used as spyware. Are cookies pieces of malicious, benign, or innocent software? The next paragraphs of this paper will discuss the various uses of cookies. And, then, the paper will conclude with my opinion about cookies based upon my research findings. Since web browsing uses a stateless connection, cookies are used to maintain the state of a browsing session. Cookies are small data files that are produced by a web server that are stored on your computer. Cookies allow a personalized web browsing experience because of the identifying information that they store within them (such as login information, passwords, web pages visited, and/or items placed in a shopping cart). There are different types of cookies that are created for specific purposes. They include session, persistent, first-party, and third-party cookies. Session cookies are used to store information related to a particular visit during one session. Persistent cookies are used to store information permanently on your hard drive about your interactions and/or preferences with a certain web site. First-party cookies are used by the specific site that created them while their website is being visited, whereas third-party cookies are not created by the website that is being visited. Third-party cookies are created by another website besides the website being visited such as a banner advertisement on the web page that is being visited. (â€Å"Encyclopedia,†) While most cookies appear to be used solely for the purpose of enhancing the user’s web browsing experience, cookies can be used for other purposes including adware or spyware if they contain active code. Adware is used to automatically download or display advertisements on a person’s computer. Spyware is technology used to gather information about a person or organization without their consent or knowledge and relay that information back to advertisers or other interested parties. (â€Å"Information security magazine,† 2008) Technology has evolved to the point where cookies can or have been abused, so they are associated with some security risks. The risks associated with cookies are hijacking (session hijacking), inaccurate identification (due to multiple user accounts or different browsers being used on a single PC), poisoning or stealing (cookie manipulation), and lack of expiration or artificially long expiration periods (allowing cookies to remain when they are no longer needed can allow the cookies to be stolen or attacked). (â€Å"Are all cookies,† 2010) All of these security risks can be used to gain access to or steal personal information from a user or their computer. In conclusion, from the research articles reviewed, it is my opinion that cookies are both beneficial and potentially harmful if used improperly. Cookies can be used safely to enjoy their beneficial purposes for web browsing by following some simple rules. Routinely find and delete unnecessary cookies by navigating to the path on your hard drive where your cookies are stored (C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Cookies). There really isn’t much danger in deleting these files since new cookies are automatically downloaded the next time you visit the site anyway. Also, check to make sure that your browser settings are only allowing first-party cookies (restrict third-party cookies). Another important thing is to install antivirus software (such as Symantec Endpoint Protection, Sophos, McAfee, or any other reputable vendor) and keep your antivirus software updated properly. Perform regular scans on your hard drive and all attached peripherals to prevent infections. Keep operating system patches updated to prevent anyone from hacking your system because of a known vulnerability. Web browsing would be much less personalized if we completely denied ourselves the privileges associated with cookies.

Role of Technology in Travel Management

Role of Technology in Travel Management TRAVEL INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICES INTRODUCTION In this chapter I will take an overview of the travel industry in order to better understand the context about which I am writing. Consideration of the value of the business travel spend, the role of Travel Management Companies and the role of technology in its operation and future vision, are the relevant issues in this regard. An outline of the various managerial approaches used by private industry will help inform my analysis of travel management in the public sector and what lessons can be learnt. VALUE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL In 2013 Hermes Consultancy Management produced a white paper on ‘Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges’. The research was commissioned by Amadeus (a Global Distribution Service provider) in order to better understand how organisations manage their travel activities and to identify saving opportunities for travel managers. The white paper calculated that in 2011, business travel in Western Europe amounted to almost â‚ ¬ 200 billion, concentrated in five countries: Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain. Hermes (2013). Eleven corporations in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands took part in the research study and numerous travel mangers, executives and travellers from these companies were interviewed. The Central Statistics Office tells us that in 2011, the Irish business travel spend was â‚ ¬548 million on 698,000 business trips (CSO 2013) of that public sector travel under the Government air travel contract was : â‚ ¬5.9 million for 18,358 trips and in 2013 it increased to â‚ ¬6,972, 477 for 25,902 trips. The increase in volume can be attributed to Ireland Presidency of EU during 2013. Business travel is a substantial and growing sector with a significant travel spend. As globalisation continues apace, companies and governments will reach out to newer markets for their goods and services, at the same time as continuing to consolidate traditional markets in a challenging economic climate. Figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) indicate that spending on business travel within the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain is forecasted to climb by 6% next year, an increase which may be set to come about as a result of improvements to the global economy. Government travel is predicted to increase by 4.9% according to GBTA, who believe that the slightly lower percentage for government travel might be because governments have already successfully cut travel spend, while corporate business is enjoying an uptick as it starts and continues to hire new employees who travel. Government business in Europe accounts for 4.7% (â‚ ¬940 mil) of all business travel demand compared with 5% globally. The Director of Operations with GBTA McGavock believes that, that share is expected to increase for at least the short term. â€Å"While 2012 was a difficult year, by the end of 2013 we predict an upturn, and in 2014 we believe we will see extensive growth. The next five years should see a bounce back in business travel among all of Western Europe’s major markets.† The European Commission predicts that the 27 countries it represents will emerge from recession in the fourth quarter of 2013, with its overall economy growing by 1.4% in 2014, Eurostat (2012). Accompanying this growth will be an increasing requirement for corporate travel and this expansion will require robust and innovative management in order to control costs and spend. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Travel Management Companies are the medium through which organisations use to implement and manage their business travel requirements. They should not be confused with the work of a traditional Travel Agency which provides travel to the leisure traveller on behalf of suppliers, airline, hotel, car hire companies. Most travel agencies have a separate department that deals with business travel, and some travel agencies specialise in commercial and business travel only. This department would trade as a travel management company and implement the organisations travel policy. They procure travel on behalf of the organisation according to its policy on the class of travel permitted to fly, negotiate corporate fares/rates with airlines and hotels as well allowing the organisation use its corporate credit card to procure flights online via their online booking tool. According to the Buying Business Travel magazine (2013) the top five (5) TMC’s operating in Europe based on their European spend are: CarlsonWagonlit Travel (CWT), ( £1,157m) HRG Travel, ( £1,000m) American Express, ( £958.1m) Capital Travel and Events ( £525m) BCD, ( £480m) FCM Travel Solutions ( £428) All of the above have a presence in Ireland through either partner agreements or wholly owned. The current provider for the Irish Government travel contract is CarlsonWagonlit Travel. The previous government providers were; HRG (Club Travel) and FCM Solutions. Due to the size of the Government spend approximately â‚ ¬6 to â‚ ¬9 mil annually it is not surprising that the top TMC’s have continually competed for the business. In addition as it is a centralised contract, a large sized company would be required to deal with the volume of transactions generated by Irish Government travel. Each of these companies use a global distribution system (GDS) which provides a network whereby TMC’s can access fares from the various airline reservations systems and facilitates online transactions. This in turn provides a portal for clients of TMC’s to procure their air travel through the use of online booking tools OBT). The most popular GDS providers are, Travelport, Galil eo, Sabre and Amadeus, public sector has had access to Travelport through KDS OBT licensed by CWT and Galileo OBT licensed by HRG. ECONOMIC CLIMATE The impact of the global economic downturn has resulted in an increased emphasis on generating savings, as companies strive to operate within an ever decreasing resource envelope. This is relevant to all organisations and Travel Management Companies in particular. Economic stringency has allowed travel managers to take a more prominent role within their companies, and has made travel management, as a profession, an important element of a company’s strategic planning. According to the Global Business Travel Association (2014), travel managers have been asked to lead company-wide efforts to reduce travel costs, track relevant savings, and report them back to senior management. The knock-on effect of this to TMC’s is increased competitiveness within the travel management sector. The natural ambition of business organisations is specifically the transformation of inputs (resources) into outputs (goods or services) (Worthington Britton, 2006: 4). In the context of a TMC, th e company employs the relevant staff to carry out specialised travel advisory duties, and provides the necessary booking systems to their staff in order to maximise their input to output ratio; in the current economic climate this is becoming more and more challenging. So the drive is on in every sector to achieve greater value for money. TECHNOLOGY In Chapter 2, I looked at technology in relation to the procurement of travel; here I will examine it as it impacts on the business environment, in which TMC’s operate. In terms of external environmental factors, Thomas Davenport (2013) indicated that technological change is one of the main issues currently impacting TMC’s, with the potential of completely transforming the way in which the companies operate. Davenport ( 2013) and a number of other authors including Fred Gebhard (2013), highlighted that the travel industry is at a ‘Big Data’ crossroads, and that complex, large volume and unstructured datasets are beginning to reshape and transform the industry. Additionally, Davenport suggested that big data will require the industry to address a number of challenges, in order to unlock its potential: technological complexity; data accuracy and rights of use; business and technological alignment. At the corporate buyer level gaining access to accurate travel reporting data is a major factor in the effective management of air travel and presents opportunity to identify where savings can be achieved. This is very important for both the buyer and supplier of air travel. It is interesting to note that technological developments pose both an opportunity; and a threat to TMC’s. The opportunities for the companies may involve ensuring the company is up to date with technological advancements within the industry in order to remain competitive. Conversely, if TMC’s are slow on the uptake of embracing and implementing new technology in their organisation, they may be at a disadvantage within the business travel market. Overall, the rapid advancements in technology alone present a significant challenge to the travel industry, specifically to TMC’s. Voice BASED AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY A key writer on the travel industry, Scott Gillespie (2012) identified various technological changes which he emphasised are a ‘tipping point’ for the corporate travel industry. Some of those changes mentioned include the technological advancements of voice-based user interfaces from Apple, Google. Gillespie asserted that these new interfaces may be a threat to company policy compliance, due to the convenience of using such interfaces for travellers; which may in turn cause them to purchase travel outside of company policy direction. If the traveller does not book through the proper channels directed within company policy, there is no way for the TMC or corporation to track the traveller’s whereabouts or provide them with services in an emergency (West, 2013) In Chapter 2 we looked at ‘M’ technology and the growth of that market and its increasing importance in the procurement of air travel. CarlsonWagonlit Travel has invested in this area in its rece nt acquisition of Worldmate a leading mobile technology company. This will bear fruit in CWT’s mobile app ‘CWT TO GO’. Airlines are slowly moving towards mobile phone app technology which will replaces the requirement for printing of electronic tickets and boarding passes by using mobile phone QR code (barcode) technology to check in for flights. The ongoing evolution of technology emphasises the importance for TMC’s to keep up to date with it in the provision of procurement systems for clients which are not only economical, efficient and effective but contemporary and convenient to use. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) The concept that organisations should be held accountable for the effects of their actions on people, their communities and the environment is known as CSR. There are many aspects of CSR which impact on the travel industry and consequently their end users. There are increasing concerns for rising carbon emissions; this coupled with rising costs naturally leads organisations to seek alternatives to air travel. These alternatives include video conferencing and webinars, however, it has been emphasised that face-to-face meetings still remain an important aspect of business negotiations (Forbes, 2009). This affects the competitive environment of TMC’s, since a threat of a substitute method to conduct meetings is available. Travel Management companies need to maintain their relevance in a rapidly changing business environment. And Government travel needs to be particularly vigilant as penalties are imposed on increasing carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. MODELS OF TRAVEL MANAGEMENT It is not feasible to produce a definitive list of air travel procurement models, but in general they fall under the following categories; INHOUSE CENTRALISED MODEL TMC; This model is one where all travel is procured from a centralised office within the company in association with a TMC, who provides online and offline bookings. This model allows greater control over travel policy and spends and is used by both private and public sector. Business travelers would feel this model is too restrictive and doesn’t allow flexibility but that is mute point when it comes to controlling spend. INHOUSE DECENTRALISED MODEL TMC This model is one where travel can be procured by the individual employee either directly with the TMC for offline booking or online through the corporate booking tool. This model allows greater control to the individual and is favored by high-tech or internet based companies, E.G. EBay, Google, independence over their booking. This model tends to be accompanied by an incentive programme, whereby travelers can gain perks by purchasing travel within company policy and in this way costs can be controlled. INHOUSE CENTRALISED AND DECENTRALISED TMC This model is a mixture of the two above and is a very inefficient model of travel procurement as it is very difficult to control travel expenditure and policy compliance. It is generally adopted by organisations where there is little senior management buy in to control the travel spend. INHOUSE TMC IMPLANT. This model allows a staff member of the TMC to reside within the organisation to procure all of the travel requirements of the organisation. This can be an expensive option unless travel policy is strictly enforced. INHOUSE GDS IMPLANT( verify with Volker in Amadeus/ Microsoft ) This model allows for the provision of a staff member of the GDS provider to be embedded within the organisation to assist the procurement of all travel requirements of the organisation. This can be a very efficient option as it eliminates the ‘middle man’ charges of the TMC in the procurement of air travel as it procures direct with the GDS provider. Some organisations who favour this method also have a TMC contract for the provision of VIP or specialised travel only. In the public sector in Ireland government travel is purchased through a centralised contract but managed and procured in many different ways by each of the Government Departments, bodies and agencies with varying usage of online and offline methods. Some use the contract to procure only air travel, others use it for air and hotel (Brussels hotels only as per the contract) and car hire. More and more private companies are using a travel expense management system (OBT) where all expenses related to travel; air, hotel, car, and subsistence/entertainment are captured on the same system, in this way making it more transparent and easier to control and analyse travel expenditure. SUMMARY The world of business travel is a valuable, innovative and technologically evolving industry. The opening up of new markets and the drive to expand business into new frontiers is a reality. Coupled with this is the requirement to develop new business relationships which must be nurtured though face to face meetings thus giving continued impetus to this sector. We have reviewed the role and function of TMC’s and technology in the travel industry and the future challenges they face. The various models of travel management gives us an insight into how the travel industry operates and provides a framework that can be compared against the research findings when examined in more detail and assist in establishing what can we learnt by both the private and public sector in the management of air travel

The Two Faces of Kim: An Investigation into Rudyard Kiplings Kim Essay

The Two Faces of Kim: An Investigation into Rudyard Kipling's Kim "I would go without shirts or shoes, Friends, tobacco or bread Sooner than for an instant lose Either side of my head." The Two-Sided Man (Kipling 179) To think of "the two-sided man" is to think of the self-searching protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's Kim. "Burned black" and yet white, Irish and yet 'Little Friend of All the World', British and yet native, ruler and yet servant, Kipling's multi-faceted Kim must find his place in the social order of a society that he resides in but is not truly connected to (51). Moreover, what he must also do is recognize that his two identities do not have to come together to form one; it may be more advantageous to keep the two separate from one another. Thus, his quest to find the "Red Bull on a green field" accomplishes two-fold: it allows Kim to find his identity and Kipling to convey his feelings on imperialist presence in India (49). It may be argued that Kipling chooses England over India, elevating the righteousness and appropriateness of British rule over the lowly and needy Indian nation. To say this, however, would be incorrect, for Kim also celebrates the beauty and exoticness of India, its native languages and culture, showing that as much as British customs are praised so too is the Indian way of life. Thus, the identity that Kim forges for himself does not value British over Indian ideologies or blend the two into one hybrid mixture. What he does do, instead, is hold each as a separate, equally important entity. To use the term 'postcolonial' in Kim would therefore suggest the need to develop British and Indian identities in a way that the distinct characteristics of each group are retained and yet equally r... ...oughout the contexts of the play, Kim has developed each persona independently, be it through schooling or his interactions with other characters, and done so successfully. The term 'postcolonial' then is indeed a suggestion of the need to maintain both identities in the face of a culturally fragmented society, where one identity is no more important than the other. If Kim were to be an actor in a play, he could masterfully take the stage of the British gentleman one night, and in the next performance, an Indian untouchable. It is this very ability to become English and then in another moment Indian that makes him such a successful spy. In the end, whatever the disguise, Kim's adventure along the Grand Trunk Road of Life and his chase of the 'Great Game,' as spying is called, does go on. Hopefully by doing so, Kim can one day answer his question - who really is Kim?

The Scarlet Sharer :: essays research papers

The Secret Sharer written by Joseph Conrad, centers around a character of a sea captain. Its title and opening paragraphs forecast a story of mystery, isolation, duality, darkness and silence. The novel proves true these predictions reveling thematic and image patterns directly proportional to them. The opening of the novel further reveals dialectics in the novel. The clash between the private and the public world or man versus society, in other words is the primary dialectic. The journey theme or the rite of passage theme also reveal themselves. We see a young and inexperienced captain grow and explore himself and the world around him, and in the process becoming a functional member of a society. The novella may be only fifty pages long but its words speak volumes.The first indication of a course that a novel may take is its title. The three little words contained in the title give rise to many interpretations. An image generated by the title could be that of a gossip. Since a gossip is someone who tells people's secrets, or in other words is a secret sharer if the word secret is taken for a noun, it is a possibility that this image might come to mind. Another image is that of a person who shares in secrecy, therefore becoming a secret sharer, if the word secret is taken for an adjective. This could be an image of a miser, who generally does not share his wealth, but does so only in secrecy. A secret sharer could also be an imaginary friend. It would be a person who is secretive, and you share your thoughts with them. A Biblical interpretation of the secret sharer could be that of the snake in the garden of Eden. Since the snake shares the ultimate secret of knowledge with Adam and Eve, it could be considered a secret sharer.The connotations of the two main words in the title show a contradiction. A secret has a mysterious somewhat evil connotation, while a sharer has a benevolent and good connotation. This gives rise to a possibility of a good and evil dialectic. The denotation of secret is something kept private, sharing is, however, a public act. This brings to light the dialectic of the public versus the private world.The opening paragraphs bring to life the world of the work. The place where the characters move and have their being is a sail ship in this novel.

Charismatic style of Leadership

I have chosen the leader of a local foundation in our community who had been in the public eye due to his tireless efforts and initiative in addressing the homeless problem that are common even in suburban America. The person exhibits all three characteristics which include firstly, charm and grace, a primary characteristic of charismatic type of leadership. Secondly, the leader has the ability to command respect because he has immense self-belief that he can accomplish a lot for the homeless people. Thirdly, this person or leader has been influential as well because he can draw people in the upper echelon of society to support in many aspects of their program. People, both within the volunteer and paid staff, the homeless themselves and the supporters respect, abide by and pursue this leader’s vision and plans because they see firsthand his transparency and personally admire or have a high regard for his manner of dealing with the staff. This is what is called intense â€Å"attraction† to a leader because of his/her ability to command respect, conduct with such verve and energy (â€Å"Charismatic Leadership, 2007). When they hold meetings or when this leader speaks to people, he sees everyone in the room, and seems to convey at a level of â€Å"closeness.† The leader picks at the moods and behavior of the moment and then tailors what he is going to do next based on those observations. The leader employs different methods or strategies to get the attention of the followers, is very persuasive and very effective in using gestures and body language (â€Å"Charismatic Leadership, 2007). When this person leads his team, he tries to create a distinction about his group in contrast with that of others. He builds the uniqueness of the group in the eyes of members and makes efforts to solidify the group’s adherence to the leader but the members expect as well of their leader’s loyalty towards them. He exhibits leadership skills coupled with a positive outlook and is other –oriented which results to changes for the good of the team usually (â€Å"Charismatic Leadership, 2007). Reference: _________ â€Å"Charismatic Leadership†. 2007. Changing minds.org. Accessed March 24, 2008