Repetitive Stress Injury RSI

Repetitive Stress Injury RSI Free Online Research Papers Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) is a very serious injury. To fully understand it, you must know what it is. You must also know the symptoms are, and how you can get it. What occupations does RSI usually occur in? Are there any ways to prevent it? Are there exercises that you can do to prevent it? How can employers prevent this in their employees? In the following paper, you will understand all of these questions and hopefully learn a lot about RSI. Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) is a disorder in which the muscles and tendons get overused. â€Å"Any activity with repetitive action brings with it the risk of RSI.† (Brown University 2008) This can happen even when you don’t recognize it. If you do the same thing over and over again, you tire the muscle and tendon. RSI injuries can be very painful and you can lose all function of the affected area if you do not get treatment. RSI can affect various parts of the body, not just the hands and wrists. It can involve the neck, shoulders, and even the legs and feet. (faqs.org 2009) When RSI affects the neck, you are probably using your neck a lot. RSI injuries that are neck related do not happen as much as other areas, but if it happens, it happens usually when a person plays sports. For example football players use their necks a lot so they are more likely to get a RSI injury to the neck. RSI that occurs in the arms, wrists, and hands happens when people use their arms, wr ists, and hands a lot. An example of this would be someone who uses the computer a lot, a sewer who uses his or her hands repeatedly over and over again, or a pottery worker who molds clay and uses their hands repeatedly. An example of a shoulder related RSI injury would be a baseball player using his shoulder muscle or tendon to pitch the ball. Each person who comes up to bat gets a pitch. That’s a lot of repetitive motion on the shoulders. The legs and feet RSI would be someone who has to move their legs and feet a lot. For example, someone who used the sewing machine that you need to push down repeatedly with their legs and feet would get a RSI injury to the legs and feet. RSI is not something you can catch. Some people who do repetitive things do not develop RSI, but others do. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), RSI has gotten worse over the years. â€Å"In 1972 23,800 people had RSI and in 1994 332,000 had it†. (bls.gov, 2009) With that figure, it suggests that RSI will increase every year. There are a lot of signs and symptoms of RSI. It is very important to not to ignore the first symptoms of RSI because it is very hard to treat once it is advanced. RSI injuries affecting the hands, wrists, and arms are the feeling of the body part going to sleep, numbness, and tingling. (beadwork.about.com 2009) A very prominent sign that you have RSI is if you wake up at night because of the pain in your arm, hand or wrists. The pain can either be dull or sharp. Your limb could feel rubbery as if it were not a part of your body. If it wakes you up at night, then it’s not something to be ignored because it could get worse. Another symptom you could experience is coldness in the affected body part. The limb can actually look a couple shades lighter than the other parts of the body. One more symptom is not being able to do the normal things you normally do. The loss of strength in the affected area makes the person unable to do the things they used to do.The last symptom that is a good sign that you have RSI is pain in the neck, or shoulder areas when you sit at the computer. You will find yourself trying to bend and twist to try to get the pain away but it doesn’t work because the strain has already occurred. People who use the computer a lot are a lot more susceptible to RSI. Bad posture, incorrect hand placement on the keyboard, and time spent on the computer are ways to get RSI too. Bad posture at the computer makes RSI inevitable. Bad posture puts a strain on the body. Another way to get RSI is being at the computer for long hours with not enough breaks in between. You are not only in the same position and doing the same thing, you can also get headaches from staring at the computer screen for a long period of time. The most common occupations to get RSI, are those on the computer a lot, and athletes. Occupations that use the computer a lot are computer programmers, network and security, medical secretaries, medical technologists including pharmacists, and business. The sport athletes that get RSI a lot are baseball players, golfers, and football players. Computer Programmers, network and security, medical secretaries and technologists, require you to be on the computer for most of the time that you are at work! If you think about this, this is a lot of time! If the average employee works forty hours, and usually works about twenty hours over time that’s sixty hours out of one hundred sixty eight spent doing a lot of repetitive motions. These occupations are vital to the United States of America. Without these occupations our country would plummet. If these occupations are vital, how can we reduce the number of injuries with RSI? A good way to reduce the number of injuries associated with RSI is to take breaks from the repetitive thing that you are doing. If you work in an office with computers, take short breaks. If this is not available for you or you can’t take short breaks you can still take miniature breaks. You can look away from the computer for a couple of minutes and close your eyes. Don’t close your eyes too long though, or your boss may think that you are cat napping! You can also do little exercises. You can take your hands and wrists and stretch them so that they can be relaxed. Stretch your back, your neck and if you can stretch your legs too! Also, make sure the temperature where you work is comfortable and not too cold and not too hot. If you cannot control this, as a lot of us can’t, accommodate the situation. If it is too cold where you work because of air conditioning then put a sweater on. If its too hot, buy a little fan to keep yourself cool. The reason this is imp ortant is because if your body gets too cold or hot you tend not to take yourself away from working. You also tend to slouch and your posture is bad. Another thing you can do to reduce your chance of having RSI is to get a comfortable chair to sit on. Make sure the chair is adjustable so that it can support your back. It is good to have a chair that has arms so you can rest your arms periodically on them. Also, you can position the keyboard in your lap so that your arms can have a rest. Try not to use the mouse. A track ball is better because it glides easier. When you are reading something at the computer, do not keep your hand on the mouse. This makes your arms tense. Whenever you can, try to relax your body. Another good way to get your body out of the bad posturing is to bring little snacks to boost yourself up. Nothing messy of course, but if you suck on a candy it will help you because you are not just working. The main way to prevent RSI is to practice ergonomics. This is the art of designing the job to fit the worker, not the other way around. Ergonomics is looking at your work environment and seeing what triggers your stresses and pains and what doesn’t. This includes the physical and environmental parts of your job. It is not possible to control everything about where you work, but if you can eliminate the stuff you can, you will be less likely to get an injury from RSI. If you already have RSI, you can treat it. Sometimes you may have to have surgery if you ignored the symptoms and let it progress to that stage. When you notice the symptoms of RSI, The first way you can treat it would be resting! If you rest the affected body part it will be easier for you to heal. Another way is to change your environment. As I stated above ergonomics will help you do this. It is very important to do those things because it will help. A lot of the times when someone has been diagnosed with RSI the doctors will prescribe an anti-inflammatory pill. This works because it helps the inflamed area to heal by taking away the inflamed part. One other way to treat RSI is a mixture of hot and cold compresses. The mixture of heat and cold compresses help soothe the inflamed area. If employers took the time to have a class before the employee started work with their job in computers, a lot of the injuries associated with RSI would go down. Both the employer and the employee would be informed on how to do the correct job and still be in good health down the line. Employees would stay at the job longer because they would feel cared about and would look forward to going to work. Most employers do not do this because of the time involved in doing so, and they are not mandated to do so. More and more people become victims of RSI because of the lack of knowledge about RSI. If there were more information about it and the serious complications that come with it, it would be looked at more closely. RSI is an increasing problem. People need to be aware of RSI, so that it has less of an effect on our world. Knowledge is power and together we can inform everyone about RSI. ? Drudi, D. (1997). Have Disorders Associated with Repeated Trauma Stopped Increasing. In Safety and Health. Retrieved on 4/28/2009, from bls.gov/opub/cwc/archive/summer1997brief4.pdf ?Take Great Care of Your Hands (2009). Retrieved on 4/28/2009, from http://beadwork.about.com/od/tipstricksandtems/ss/Hand_Care_2.htm ?What is RSI? (2009). Retrieved on April 28, 2009, from www.faqs.org/faqs/uk/health/rsi/section-2.html Research Papers on Repetitive Stress Injury RSIThe Hockey GamePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductLifes What IfsResearch Process Part OneThree Concepts of PsychodynamicRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microeconomics - Essay Example This is especially true in the high-end home market where inventory is rising sharply and is beginning to experience falling prices. The resiliency of the real estate market and its reluctance to react to intuitive supply and demand pressures is a result of the seller's option to hold their property. The inelastic nature of the market is largely due to two factors. Typically long lead times for real estate inventory to affect prices and the ability of the seller to exercise discretion both contribute to the seemingly strange market condition. In the article, Bob Walters, chief economist for Quicken Loans, says, "People will hold their house on the market longer, rather than accept a lower price". This seller discretion indicates we may see further slowing of sales before prices begin to slip. However, warning signs of increased weakening are on the horizon. A Deerfield, IL. agent said that homes in the $1 million dollar range are beginning to feel the stagnation. He states that houses in this range have as much as a four year inventory and in some cases have seen a 50% drop in prices in the last few months. The increase in supply in this range has finally caught up with the number of sellers who need to find a buyer.

Great Depression & Wall Street Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Great Depression & Wall Street Crisis - Essay Example Prior to October 1929, market investment was highly expedient. From 1923, American economy experienced bullish trend in the Wall Street. Lending by banks and brokers was higher than the general face value of the stocks being purchased. Household investors and novice sponsors further aggravated the progress in stock market. Increasing development and prices of iron and steel industry further amplified prices due to speculation. Further introduction of installment in the banking system allowed many families to own what they could not afford otherwise (Suddath, n.p). At this scenario, the demand and supply forces came into play. Due to higher demand and excess of borrowed money, general rate of trade was at its highest. Presence of many small banks despite having no ability to lend without having substantial savings to back up these loans, further strengthen speedy stock exchange. This trend of trading was further increased by the presence of marginal buyers. Marginal buyers only paid 1 0-20 percent of the actual value of shares whereas the remaining amount was credited by brokers or banks. Due to little requirement of investment capital, number of novice investors who were susceptible to negative speculation, increased. On October 29, 1929, best known as Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed completely.However, with increase in the stock prices and overall economic development, small traders and famers extended their production scale which lead to excessive supply of wheat and other eatables.

Strategic Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Strategic Marketing Plan Essay This growth will be the direct result of a new toothpaste product launch. The following plan draws on related Industry, Competitive, and Consumer analyses to justify the production of a â€Å"mouth pod† and the market for such a future-oriented design. The plan also provides an implementation plan for the launch of this product, as well as a recovery plan. Overall, this â€Å"outside-the-box† thinking will set Crest apart from its competitors. Unfortunately, given the current state of the economy, there are insufficient resources to support a national or even a regional launch of the new product. Thus, the product will initially launch in only one New York County. Rochester, in Monroe County was chosen on the basis that it holds the highest potential for the product’s success. Syracuse in Onondaga County and Binghamton in Broome County were not chosen. This choice is supported with data from a comparative analysis that demonstrates how and why it is believed to be the best potential geographical market. The recommended geographic area is premised on a detailed and careful assessment of the geographic market(s) and how the chosen county best suits this proposed strategy. This will serve as a trial; if the product performs well in Monroe County, it will later be rolled-out to more areas. This subsequent roll-out will determine whether the product is given a national launch. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: SWOT STRENGTHS * Inventive design, unlike any other toothpaste product on the market. * TWBA Chiat Day will significantly assist Crest in leveraging the So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢. * Consumers are seeking coupons due to the current state of the economy. WEAKNESSES * Most of Crest’s products are either mature or declining within the product life cycle. As a result, new products are continuously introduced. * Competitors are able to quickly release comparable products, intensifying competition. * Toothpaste promotions often use sales to drive new purchases based on price. OPPORTUNITIES * Product differentiation- with the amount of rivalry, there is plenty of reason to invent and innovate. * Essential to western hygiene- there is no one who would argue that brushing one’s teeth with toothpaste is not a hygienic staple in western culture. * Emerging markets- as is true with a large variety of industries, the developing world poses a huge opportunity for growth. THREATS * Everyone is essentially selling the same thing- The Company is no longer selling toothpaste, but more the brand or the features of the toothpaste. * Low switching costs- At one point, toothpaste purchases were mainly driven by individual habits, inclination towards particular flavor and familiarity with the product However, consumers are much more price-sensitive after the recession, even in the recovery stage. They do not always stick to brands they desire, they are now shopping for the best value. * Competitors, namely Colgate, infringing on prized shelf space. ISSUES ANALYSIS amp;OBJECTIVES Issue #1: Product differentiation The toothpaste product market is heavily saturated with products (and product lines) that are very similar to each other. They all cover the range of benefits that toothpaste consumers seek, from whitening to tartar control. Consumers are fatigued by the vast array and similarity of toothpaste products available on store and virtual shelves. Fatigue in relation to innovation exists as well, because toothpaste brands have pushed innovation to its limit. Even the newest toothpaste products like Colgate â€Å"New? Optic White Toothpaste and Crest â€Å"New? 3D White Toothpaste do not have much of an edge. Six months after launch, the perception of innovation and relevance fades away. Whitening was once an innovative feature, but is now expected. For a new toothpaste product to be successful, it will need to break free of this mold. Objective: To achieve sales of 50,000 packs of day and night â€Å"mouth pods† by the second quarter. Strategy: Crest will follow a strategy based on innovation and disruption. The launch of this new product will break through the clutter comprised of existing toothpaste products. It will feature the Crest logo, thereby boosting brand awareness and sales of other Crest products. Ultimately, a new product category may arise out of a successful campaign for this launch. The new product will be available in two versions: one made specifically for brushing in the morning, and a companion product made specifically for brushing at night. The daytime use product would have light-colored packaging, and the nighttime use product would have dark-colored packaging. If the product is very successful, it could set other brands into their own category of being â€Å"anytime† toothpaste products. Crest’s new brand will gain market share from being in its own niche. A companion product for nighttime use will push more people to brush their teeth before going to sleep. This will not only improve the top line growth of Crest’s new brand, but it will also cause consumers to develop the good habit of brushing two or more times a day; this may also increase the frequency in which a consumer must purchase toothpaste. Tactics: The new product will have a slightly higher price point than that of Crest’s current â€Å"New? products and those of competitors. Since toothpaste is a low involvement purchase, tactics will focus on drawing consumers? attention. Display stands and posters will accomplish this by brining consumers? attention to the product’s placement on retail shelves. The package design will stand out amongst other toothpaste products on the shelves. Online promotions will include banner ads on retail websites and social media profiles, including Facebook and Twitter. Special offers for the product will be made both online and in stores. Issue #2: Growth Stagnant growth in the U. S. market has plagued the toothpaste industry. As mentioned in the Industry Analysis, 98% of Americans are users of toothpaste, which does not allow for much growth. The population it is not increasing at a rate high enough to sustain our goals of driving up sales in this country. Objective: To move Crest to the position of market leader by at least 5% points by the end of the fourth quarter. In current terms, Crest would need to gain another 6% of the market to ultimately have 41% and a five point advantage over Colgate. Strategy: Jump start the competition against Colgate by targeting a niche segment of the U. S. population who already enjoy luxury grooming products and are willing to try wild and new products. The primary target would be adults, ages 18-45 who consider themselves to be upper-middle class. The secondary target includes 18-30 year-olds who are still experimenting with new products and have not settled into a rut of brand loyalty. Our new product delivers the burst of innovation that has been so severely lacking in the toothpaste industry. We are offering a brand new delivery system and a feature that has yet to be mass-produced. Tactics: Strategic product releases that start in higher end supermarkets and drugstores. Releases will then move down the scale towards large discounters and superstores such as Wal-Mart. Although the new product will be priced only slightly higher than the average toothpaste, the goal is to position it as a more luxurious and fun way to brush one’s teeth. The roll-out for the test market will begin in January of 2013 and continue being released, hitting discount stores in July. The time sensitivity of this product release is almost irrelevant because there is no season of increased sales. Starting early in the year is just a ploy to have a fresh and energizing start to 2013. Placement on shelf will be further taken into consideration once packaging is completely finalized. Issue#3: Existing Brand Loyalty Consumers are more likely to continue purchasing toothpaste brands that they have used since an early age. Therefore, in order to gain a leading market share within the toothpaste segment of the oral care industry, it will be essential to break current purchasing behaviors of our targeted consumers. Objective: Our objective is to increase our brand equity by 25% within the first year of our pilot phase, specifically from repeat purchases by conquest buyers, who initially try Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ after being exposed to our integrated advertising campaign. Strategy: To spend $3M on advertising and promotion through an integrated advertising campaign that will highlight the benefits exclusively offered by our brand. Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ will reinvent the functionality of toothpaste and will bring a refreshing change to consumer perceptions of the category. Pamp;G and its competitors provide toothpaste products that meet current consumer expectations: whitening, plaque and tartar control, fluoride treatment, sensitivity, cavity and gingivitis prevention, and fresh breath. However, Pamp;G understands that consumers more strongly demand value, quality, and convenience. Overall, Pamp;G acknowledges the current, stagnant, state of the oral care industry and projects that the â€Å"pod† design will be a profitable opportunity to capitalize upon. Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ will fuse the benefits of current products with such a futuristic product design, that in effect it will weaken the bonds of loyalty non-Crest users have. The awareness of this fusion will be accomplished through targeted advertisements. Tactics: Advertising amp; Promotion Ad Agency Service Pamp;G will assign TBWA Chiat Day responsibilities for the launch campaign of Crest â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢, aligning our vision of Crest â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ with the culture of this agency that values the concept of disruption as the underlying basis of its campaigns. Trial offer Pamp;G will send out to a sample of consumers $1. 50 off any purchase of our Crest â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢. This will be for a limited time of one month, before coupon discounts decline in value. Social Media Facebook â€Å"Likes† amp; Free Samples: Pamp;G will offer a 2-flavor sample pack to the first 1000 consumers, who â€Å"like† the Crest â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ Facebook Page on the day of our launch. MARKETING MIX Product: Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ A pack will contain 60 pods; consumers could use one to brush in the morning and one at night. One product would be expected to last for one month before replacement. Crest aims to provide a whole-mouth cleaning experience that is convenient and intuitive. The product is sleek and modern in both look and feel. Our New Product’s Features The new product will have a mix of innovative and expected features. Innovative features include the products formulation; it is a fusion of toothpaste, gel and mouthwash in a round capsule. Within each capsule there will be invisible pockets of pressurized air. Like foaming toothpastes, this product will begin to foam soon after popping in a user? s mouth. The foam will get in-between teeth to fight cavities and kill germs that cause bad breath. The volume of one capsule is smaller than the amount of toothpaste generally applied by consumers to a toothbrush. The mouth pods are safer than toothpaste in cases of accidental ingestion. Active Ingredients Sodium Fluoride (0. 243%). Energy blend: panax ginseng root extract, acai fruit extract, yerba mate leaf extract, guarana seed extract. Inactive Ingredients: Glycerin Hydrated Silica, Water, Sorbitol, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Propylene Glycol, Flavor, Peg-12, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Carbomer 956, Sodium Saccharin, Poloxamer 407, Polyethylene Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Cellulose Gum, Titanium Dioxide. A blend of panax ginseng root extract, acai fruit extract, yerba mate leaf extract and guarana seed extract will serve as a very slight stimulant. While these substances won’t provide the kind of instant jolt expected from caffeine, they will deliver a healthier feeling of energy and alertness. The product for use in mornings would promote this feature as a burst of energy, a perfect way to start the day. Silica is similar to what dentists use to create a professional clean feeling. Expected Features Initially in relation to the research found about our target market, there will be a variety of basic flavors like Mint and Bubblegum. One of the product’s ingredients are a patented flavor booster to keep breathe ultra fresh. The product uses a fluoride mineral formulation to strengthen weakened tooth enamel. It reinforces enamel layers by rebuilding the weak spots on teeth. A sensitive element in the formulation protects against painful oral sensation. The product provides twelve hour protection from gingivitis, plaque, tender gums, bad breath, cavities and tartar. It promotes healthy gums and safely lifts off yellowing surface stains to restore natural whiteness to teeth. Packaging Design: The packaging will divide its capacity amongst a place for the day pods and the night pods. It will be clearly labeled. An advantage of this is that two different flavors can be included in one package, which gives the consumer the ability to have choice. This is innovative because usually a consumer is confined to one flavor, until they purchase a new tube of paste. Price With an analysis of current products and our assumptions of the cost of goods sold, we believe Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ must initially be priced at $5. 25 unit cost (without sales tax or shipping cost). Promotion An integrated marketing communications campaign will leverage the strengths of outdoor, print and television advertisements to create positive brand impressions. Online promotions will also be used: the design of Crest? website is modern and easily navigable, with links to social media extensions. A Facebook page will be created to focus solely on the new product, while Crest? s main Twitter account will promote the new product. Word of mouth buzz will be generated as the product becomes more popular. It will stem from creative in-store displays and social media communications. Place amp; Distribution Channels Crest â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Pods will be available in the oral health care aisle of many stores in Monroe County, including CVS Pharmacy, Wegmans, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sam? Club, and Costco. It will further be available for purchase online at the following websites: CVS. com, Target. com, Costco. com, Drugstore. com, Walgreens. com, Amazon. com, and Soap. com. Target Market Overall, the current target consumers for Crest „New? Toothpaste Podsâ„ ¢ are adults, ages 18-45 who consider themselves to be upper-middle class. The secondary target includes 18-30 year-olds who are still experimenting with new products and have not settled into a rut of brand loyalty. The basis for this decision is supported by the overall situational analysis, and pecifically the Consumer Analysis, which demonstrates that young adults are the largest demographic segment that adopts new product innovations. In effect, introducing a higher priced innovative product will be perceived as attractive to yo unger men and women, who are financially able and willing to try a new product. Given the research completed within the Consumer Analysis the county that best fulfills our target market is Monroe County. This county contains the highest population size of all three counties with a population of 735,343 people (Census, 2010). As shown in figure 1, Rochester (the largest metropolis area in Monroe County) has one the largest percentage of individuals between the ages of 15-49. Figure 1 also indicates that Rochester contains the highest percentage of the population with households containing individuals less than 18 years of age. By capturing this segment of the market, Crest can capitalize on repeat purchasing of these individuals, who will eventually be purchasing their own products. The Rochester area contains the highest population of African Americans of the three major cities with 41. 7% (Census 2010). This is a concern when marketing a new toothpaste product because as mentioned in the Consumer Analysis, African Americans are the most prone out of any demographic to purchase store brands over national brand toothpastes. However, when looking at the snap shot of the three counties provided in the Consumer Analysis African American’s only represent 15. 2% out of 735,343. This makes the finding insignificant and should not hinder the success of our new product when looking at the total population of the county. Figure 1: Overview of the three most populous areas in each of the counties | Monroe | Broome | Onondaga | Households with individuals under 18 years | 30. 40% | 23. 40% | 29% | 15-49 | 54% | 44. 60% | 54. 70% | 0-49,999 | 70. 30% | 67. 60% | 70. 00% | $50,000 to $200,000+ | 29. 70% | 32. 40% | 30% | Per capita money income in past 12 months (2010 dollars) 2006-2010 | $17,865 | $21,455 | $17,866 | Median household income 2006-2010 | $30,138 | $30,702 | $30,891 | Persons below poverty level, percent, 2006-2010 | 30. 40% | 27. 80% | 31. 10% | Since we are marketing a new innovative toothpaste product, promotion is another primary aspect in reaching our target market. The advertisements that accompany the launch of the â€Å"New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ should focus on the point of differentiation that this product will provide, such as convenience and multi-functionality. This will propel the product into a more diverse demographic segment as well. The income of the consumer is another factor driving the sales of this product. The Claritas? profiles that were identified in the Rochester Area were as follows: Suburban Sprawl, Young Influential, Domestic Duos, Home Sweet Home, New Empty Nests, and Country Casuals. These profiles were seen to be the most apt to be innovators or at the very least have the capital to try a new product. As outlined in the Consumer Analysis, these profiles have the income as well as the innovator psyche. When analyzing the areas surrounding Rochester, Esri data shows that the population contains affluent Prosperous Empty Nesters, College Towns, Sophisticated Squires, Connoisseurs, and Aspiring Young Families. The profiles of the surrounding areas of Rochester are ideal consumers for our new product because they indicate savvy consumers, who have the appropriate discretionary income to spend on new innovations and are motivated to do so. The Rochester area contains a number of colleges and universities, which will further fuel the sales of this new product, with convenience as the primary selling point. The benefits analysis section within the Consumer Analysis outlines what the consumer needs are. Consumers desire a product that makes clear points of difference, making the selection process less cumbersome. Since So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ are so unique from the other typical toothpaste products available, it will be easy for the consumer to perceive the added benefits of this product. So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ provide the consumer with all the mainstream benefits, while reinventing the toothpaste industry. RESEARCH amp; EVALUATION 1. Objective: To achieve sales of 50,000 packs of day and night mouth pods by the second quarter. Evaluation Mechanisms: Sales will be monitored by retail databases as they occur, and reported back to Crest immediately. 2. Objective: To move Crest to the position of market leader by at least five (5) percentage points by the end of the fourth quarter. In current terms, Crest would need to gain another 6% of the market to ultimately have 41% and a five point Advantage over Colgate. Evaluation Mechanisms: Market-share charts the issue of stagnant growth, will need a constant eye on the whole industry. Specifically, the amount of sales each company is acquiring. A market-share chart will become the most important tool in keeping the goal of becoming the industry leader on track. Sales will be monitored by retail databases as they occur, and reported back to Crest immediately. Other research will come from reevaluating the most desirable shelf space in stores. To negotiate the best spot in the aisle, the most looked-at spot needs to be known. Its common knowledge that eye level is preferable, but reaffirming research wouldn’t hurt. The research on market share will begin immediately and continue throughout 2013. The ideal shelf space research will finish 3 months prior to the launch to allow time for negotiation with retailers. Evaluation of the tactics will come via tracking sales figures, units sold, and the market share throughout 2013. 3. Objective: Our objective is to increase our brand equity by 25% within the first year of our pilot phase, specifically from repeat purchases by conquest buyers, who initially try Crest „New? So Mod Mouth Podsâ„ ¢ after being exposed to our integrated advertising campaign. Evaluation Mechanisms: Management Dashboard Through the use of our Active Data Warehouse we will be able to track all of our marketing campaigns and how closely they are aligning with our strategies stated above. We will initially be offering $1. 50 coupons, and will be actively measuring the impact of this on our weekly sales and revenue. Furthermore, TWBA Chiat Day will gather extensive consumer data based upon the advertising and promotion campaigns that the agency puts forth to implement within the next year.

Hamlets Tragic Flaw is Death and Tragedy Essay -- essays research pap

Does Hamlet have a tragic flaw? If so, what is it and how does it effect his surroundings and how does it effect Hamlet himself? What is the outcome of his flaw? Hamlet has a tragic flaw in his personality and behavior. His flaw is that he is overly concerned with death and tragedy. This flaw or weakness in Hamlet leads him into a world of chaotic surroundings and madness. Hamlet's flaw and his mad personality led to the death of several people, including his mother and the King of Denmark! If Hamlet did not have this fascination with death and tragedy, the deaths of the several people would not have occurred--including his own. Hamlet did not always have this flaw in his personality. The flaw was presented to him by a ghost. The ghost of Hamlet's father told Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and asked Hamlet to avenge his murder. This is where the flaw is adopted by Hamlet and begins to effect his life. Hamlet begins to dig deeper and deeper to find the truth. He puts on an act of madness to disguise his revenge. Hamlet becomes so over-whelmed with death that death is all...

Form of education Essay

â€Å"Education is the key to success†. Everyone knows about it. Education come in many forms, that’s why many people are speaking and writing about it, some with authority and some are ordinary. But does everyone knows the real meaning of Education? How can we say that we are already educated person if we don’t know exactly the real definition of the word Education? And how can we apply it in our daily lives? Education is a stage of such a process which develops your knowledge to learn different things or simply it is the field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools. There are three forms of Education. It can be Education of Heart, Education of Norm and at last Education of Dominion. The Education of Heart tackles about the education for the perception of the Individual. While, Education of Norm is all about for the perception of the Family and lastly the Education of Dominion (Intellectual, Technical, and Physical Education) it is the education for the perfection of the Nature of Dominion. Education is the most important thing in our life. It is a gift from above which cannot be taken away from us and can bring us to the top of our dreams. Education is not only by going to school, it can happen by a lot of ways. And it is important specially for those people who can’t afford to go to school, because of their status in life. And they believed that through education, one person’s knowledge can be enhanced and improve. The greatest treasure that everyone must have is Education. It’s like planting a rice; at first you need to execute more efforts, time and skills. Then, wait for the right time to harvest. Education is an important tool that is applied in the modern world to succeed, as it lessen the challenges or obstacles which are faced in life. For some people they compared Education as a special ingredient for a cooking recipe. They’ve said that any kind of dishes will never become delicious if it doesn’t have a complete and satisfying ingredient. The foundation of the society is based on Education, since it brings social and economic prosperity. Education offers a setting in which language, tradition, culture and values of the society are developed. Education has played a major role in the modern life to all individuals in the society and also in the industrial world. Employment is based on education, as employees must have the required skills that correspond with the technology to do their different tasks. As the technology keeps improving , more and more people using it in their lives. Therefore, education grown bigger because people nowadays are learning different things from this technology. Education can mold a personality of an individual. It can help one person to further to his or her own future. A good quality education is not only choosing a good school, it’s choosing a school that can handle different attitudes of students and still can teach them the right path to be a good citizen. There’s no young and adult in education as long as you want to reach your goals and your prepared enough to fight for it. Learning is an education and experience is an education too. But sometimes learning something new can be a scary experience. Specially for those times that you have been facing your fears. But it doesn’t mean that we should be afraid to overcome our own fears and mistakes because we can learn a lot from this things and sometimes it can be our guide to become a better and more stronger one. Although we already know that education is an important thing that everyone must have, but for others it still have disadvantages. Knowledge is power; though it is widely accepted that it is essential for growth and development of an individual, but sometimes it is the reason for some discrimination. Some forms of education blindly impose ideas upon young minds instead of teaching them to think for themselves. A lot of people gathered their knowledge based in their experience for which there is no substitute. An education system is very helpful in developing and improving the quality of human life. Living in this contemporary world is very hard to succeed. That’s why it is better to have a good quality education. Education will be our open doors to attain the training and learning experiences for career opportunities that we need to fulfill in our dreams. Through education we can learn how to enhance life skills such as critical thinking skills, a healthy living lifestyle and self-confidence. It also helps to build our personality to learn how to use good manners, and having respect for others. We learn healthy and productive ways to grow into socially active adults.

Environmental and Social Responsibility in NovaGold Resources Inc - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1609 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? NovaGold is a company doing exploration activities in the field of precious metals and necessary development of mineral properties in Alaska, British Columbia, Canada, and the United States. The Company spearheads its operations through wholly owned subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures. On January 8, 2009, the Company sold its holdings in Alexco Resource Corp. On January 7, 2010, NovaGold and its wholly owned subsidiary, Alaska Gold Company, took over the Ambler property in northern Alaska. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Environmental and Social Responsibility in NovaGold Resources Inc" essay for you Create order Legal and Ethical Actions The Company was facing a class action lawsuit in the district court of New York for violation of security laws. Similar class action lawsuits were also filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia and in the Ontario Superior Court of justice in Canada. The $28.0 million settlement was covered by insurance companies and the company did not have to payout from own resources under the terms and conditions. (Marketwire 2011) NovaGold commenced environmental studies in 1996, which consisted of Meteorology, wetlands delineation related to mineral resource estimates, aquatic studies in the main drainages, water quality studies, and some waste rock characterization. This was further expanded to terrestrial wildlife and avian surveys, detailed aquatic studies, ambient air monitoring and cultural site surveys. NovaGold is equipped fully to overcome any challenges, even though it may require more time and with the progress of work, it will start showing in the share price. NovaGold clearly understand its community responsibilities and following all environmental norms would work to get all necessary permits to make the project most successful and only one of its kind in the world. (Safehaven 2010) Stocks of NovaGold are traded on NASDAQ, AMEX, and New York Stock Exchange. Revenue and Income From the latest results available for the year ended Nov 30, 2010 of NovaGold Resources Inc., it is seen that revenue has fallen to C$0.6M. Surprisingly, cost of goods sold has not gone down proportionately and it has remained at C$46.3M. Losses have gone up to the tune of C$-203.5M. (NovaGold Financials 2010) Basic Financial Ratios Industrial Comparison Return on Assets: Net Income/ Total Assets stands negative at -5.17%, on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. Return on Capital: Given as after-tax operating income by the book value of invested capital and that comes to -5.55%, on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. Return on Equity: Net Income/Shareholders Equity stands at -34.48%, on industrial comparison it stands as 40-60th percentile. Credit Ratios: Current Ratio: given by Current Assets/Current Liabilities stands at 5.3 times; on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. Quick Ratio: given as Current Assets-Inventory/Current Liabilities stands at 5.1 times; on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. Margin Ratios: Gross Margin: given as Revenue-Cost of goods sold/Revenue that stands at -7631.22%, on industrial comparison it stands as 0-20th percentile. EBITDA Margin: -9295.16%, on industrial comparison it stands as 0-20th percentile. Debt-Equity Ratio: Total Debt/ Total Equity stands at 20.5, on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. Total Liabilities/Total Assets: 23.8, on industrial comparison it stands as 60-80th percentile. (NovaGold Resources) Sales Forecast: NovaGold is a company doing exploration activities in the field of precious metals and necessary development of mineral properties in Alaska, British Columbia, Canada, and the United States. The Company spearheads its operations through wholly owned subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures. The company has prominent projects in Donlin Creek, and Galore Creek. It has also Ambler copper-gold-silver deposit. NovaGolds mines are situated in Alaska, and British Columbia, a region known for government support to harness its mining potentials. The Donlin Creek The Donlin Creek mine, which is going to be a flagship mine and is likely to be only of its kind worldwide that, is capable of producing more than a million ounces of gold per year. Donlin Creek mine is jointly owned by NovaGold and Barrick Gold on a 50/50 basis. NovaGold carried out the feasibility study in April 2009 to assess the production and economic estimates from the Donlin Creek asset. Reserve base is estimated at 33.6 million ounce. The mine life is estimated approximately 25 years. Gold production is expected to average around 1.5 million ounces. This is likely to make Donlin Creek as most promising gold producing mines in the world. This is likely to come into production once permits are received. The feasibility study was done when ruling international price of gold was $825/ounce. The aim of the company management is to use natural gas to reduce operating costs. The feasibility work will get completed by the second half of 2011. Based on this, board will submit a permit application incorporating natural gas that will eliminate diesel as a fuel. The board of the company will then allocate fresh budget for the construction. (Gold Stocks Daily) Galore Creek This is one of the worlds most promising and largest copper-gold-silver deposits. It has highest grade gold silver deposits. NovaGold and Teck Resources each have an equal interest in the project. Ever since NovaGold initiated the project of Galore Creek, it received a support from local communities, British Columbia, and Alaska Government. NovaGold received the Environmental Assessment Certificate in February 2007, and after they received the federal and local authorizations, the construction work went ahead smoothly; however, owing to increased capital expenditures construction activities was suspended and Board initiated optimization studies to find out some alternative strategies for the project. With buoyancy in gold and copper markets, NovaGold and its partner Teck are reviewing more aggressive strategies after having optimization studies which ask for modified approaches to the project allowing a shorter construction and relocation of the facilities along the access road to have easier construction and thus lowering the risks associated with construction and operations. Some of the actions aim at following. There is a planned 40% increase in throughput from the original design. Tunnel and access road are being realigned. The processing facility is being realigned to allow for the future expansion Prefeasibility study will finish by the second quarter of 2011. Outlook NovaGold is currently focused on Donlin Creek and Galore Creek properties. The company is organizing and completing the feasibility study to install natural gas pipe line, and preparing for the permit requests for the project. Primary power source of the project will be natural gas rather than diesel and will be updating capital requirements and cash flow estimates. The feasibility study will get completed in the second half of 2011 and accordingly, Donlin Creek LLC will be proceeding to submit permit applications for the project. (Safehaven 2010) Expected Return Donlin Creek Project The project is likely to provide Gold production of about 1.5 million ounces per year at an average cost of $444/oz. Total gold recovery is likely to be 89.5% through the various processes of crushing, and milling. These processes are further followed by flotation, and pressure oxidation. Average annual cash flow: Base $1000/oz First 5 years: 944 M First 10 years: 805M Average annual Cash Flow Cash flow in $M First Full 5 years 944 Cumulative Net Cash Flow After-Tax undiscounted 5,876 IRR Pre-tax in % 12.3 IRR After-tax in 10.2 Payback 5 years Source: Donlin Creek Feasibility Study Donlin Creek has yet not commenced construction. NovaGold and Barrick are exploring the ways to cut down on cost. Capital Structure: NovaGolds authorized share capital is 1,000,000,000 common shares and 10,000,000 preferred shares. The companys long term debt is within normalcy and stands at $120M. Current Valuation The estimated yearly production of gold to the tune of 2.5 million ounces could get a market cap of 35 billion US dollar based on the present valuation of $1400/ounce. The market cap of NovaGold currently is only $3.3 billion US dollar. NovaGold doesnt have any operations; however, there are some important statistics: Presently, the company has 233 million shares outstanding; The companys debt stands at $120 million; and the company has $152 million in cash (Gold Stocks daily) Dividend: In absence of any surplus and no operations, the company has refrained from declaring any dividend. It is unlikely that the company will declare any dividend until companys operations are in full swing. Shareholders of the company will have to wait for a couple of years for a maiden dividend. Valuation of the NovaGold Stock: The company has not yet commenced any operations and therefore no model of stock valuation can be applied. The only model that can be applied is based on expected future cash flows based on current price of gold, which is ruling at $1400/ounce and available reserves in companys dominant site namely Donlin Creek and Galore Creek. Conclusion: Uncertainty on environmental clearance is definitely a big issue and likely to take considerable time. The silver lining or for that matter gold lining to the company is rising prices of gold, silver and copper. If the company can reduce the construction cost of the mines, get all environmental clearance by the end of this year then project offers huge promise to the shareholders; however, currently, the company is passing through a lot of uncertainties for many analysts are of the view that company is unlikely to get required environmental clearance. NovaGold has always been banking on Donlin Creek project and construction cost is huge to the tune of $4-$5 billion. It will be an uphill task to finance such a big project. As an option, they can also be sold off to Barrick Gold and as for another option the company board may think of further expansion of equity with debt to finance the construction of Donlin Creek. In that event, stock of NovaGold will have down ward pressure and so stock does not offer any immediate promise for investment and it will be better to wait for further deve lopment with regard to environmental clearance and feasibility study that is likely to be available by second quarter of 2011.