Creation Of The Work Breakdown Structure Management Essay

Creation Of The Work Breakdown Structure Management Essay Project scope management refers the processes involved in defining and controlling what is included and what is not included in the project. The project team and stakeholders must have the same understanding of what products will be produces as a result of a project and what processes will be used in producing them. In addition, the scope management must be stated clearly, ensure all of the process that the project includes all the work required and only the work required to complete the project successfully. These would express and discuss about the scope of management of this project which is a web-based travel agency system for Samson travels. Basically, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide suggestion and guidelines that are most important in the Scope management plan which are stated categorically below; Creation of The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The project players will make effort together to develop a Work break down structure (WBS) after it has been put in place Samson travels which are the sponsors would make review of the work break down structure which is also going to be in the presence of the project manager in order to make sure that the all the endeavor necessary to complete the project would be put in place inside the work break down structure. On the other hand, the project team from their own side would also carry an analysis based on the WBS in order to make sure it has comply with the guidelines for creating WBS example; function oriented WBS. In addition, the project team would the project team members would establish the task required to complete each deliverable which will be appraised and agreed by the entire group members and Samson travel agency. The tasks would include the processes, the invention and all associated task. However, all-purpose guideline to follow for determining the level of details that is the lowest level of the WBS ought to on the whole to take no longer time as its supposed to complete the project, moreover, revision of the WBS would also take place at this moment after an approval by the sponsors as considered necessary. Functional Requirements The functional requirements have been defined in the project as to describe or provide a brief explanation to the users as well as the stakeholders on what functionality or services that the online travel system for Samson travels system is expected or capable of providing. The functional requirements consist of important criterias such as the descriptions of the processing that the system is expected to carry out and the details of data that must be held in the system. After having a brief discussion with our team members as well as referring to educational resources such as the Internet, the functional requirements specification for the online travels agency system for Samson travels are as follows: The system should provide schedule searching where the user will be able to search the desired schedule and then book the tickets The system must record all the booking done online by the user The system should store the information entered by the user during new account creation. The system should store the entire users personal information and must provide the capability to the user to update as well as delete account. The system should provide effective security features such as login authentication to validate whether the user is a valid user or not and provide a firewall to avoid possible hacking activities. Non-Functional Requirements The non-functional requirement has been defined as the requirements which are not directly relevant or concerned with the specific functions or features delivered by the system such as response time, reliability, and storage capacity. Similar analysis which is conducted for the functional requirements are also done here which is by referring to educational resources such as the Internet and some books from the library. The non-functional requirements for the ticket-reservation system are as follows: Low FAR In terms of reliability, the FAR or fully known as the Failure Accuracy Rate of the system should be less than 10%. Also, the Samson travels agency system would provide assurance to the user that any potential of system crashing is minimal. Quick response time The Samson Travel agency system would have a quick response time for all the features involved and must make sure that the user doesnt wait for a long time for a particular process to happen. For example, all the process such as login authentication should be done less than 20 seconds. Quick data connectivity There should be quick data connectivity between the system and the database when process such as data retrieval for login authentication is conducted to ensure higher rate of response time and efficiency as well. Security Features The system should have the capacity of protecting or securing data from any invalid access of data from hackers as well as virus protection from viruses such as Trojan horse as well as worms. Usability Requirements Usability requirements is where the developer Samson travels system must ensure that there is good match between the system that is developed and both the users of that system as well as the tasks they will perform when using the system. The usability requirements for the ticket reservation system are as follows: User-friendly One of the major factors in the usability requirements is the user-friendliness of the system. The system must be user-friendly and the user must not have any difficulty in performing certain functions such as Online booking of packages and ticket reservation. Also, if the user-friendliness rate of the system is high then the customer can perform any tasks such in a short period of time. User freedom When the user uses the Samson travels Online traveling agency system, the user must have a sense of control towards the system with the ability to navigate buttons as well as updating their personal profile (for members) without much difficulty and also, the user should be to correct their mistakes, for example, if the user mistakenly enters a different web page which he/she didnt desired, then he/she can go back to their destination page by just clicking the button that links them to that page without the necessity to go the home page again. Project Requirement The requirement of this project is an aim that has got to be met before the entire project process can be carried out effectively and efficiently. However, Project Analyst is one of the basic and primary requirements in terms of the project. They analyze and specify the entire project requirement and make sure the entire process has meet requirement. In addition, in order to complete this exercise the project team needs certain hardware and software which would be listed below: Firstly, the project team needs some sets of computer systems with high specification. Microsoft windows XP professional version 2003 with service pack 2, Intel(R) D CPU 300GHZ, 300 GHZ 512GB RAM Microsoft Windows server This server is a special operating system for a server computer in which the operating system can make best use of the performance of the computer. Microsoft Access Database software This software would be used by the authors in other to provide good data storage and optimum security features. Managing Demand For Changes To Project The demand for to the project scope that may have an important effect on meeting and project requirement be obliged to pursue the formal procedures specified. In addition, demand details must be filled in a form which would be reviewed in order to prevent scope embezzlement. Conclusion Decisively, Samson Traveling agency is a high end modern travel agency, with a unique edge to serving the general public the world as a whole. And from the company study, it is without doubt that the company holds abreast the vision to satisfy their clients exclusively. Based on the research done, and the scope analysis, the author has decided to raise certain issues that could increase the companys image and profit (after all, profit is the initial purpose of every business). The web application proposed is or would be to no detriment, but instead an edge for the company, the web application would solve a couple of impending problems that both the company and its customers are facing today. Consequently, the system will be designed in such a way that users skill will be put into consideration as there are the once using the system at most of the time. But before the design, an analysis will be taken in other to know the level of their performance, so that the system will be a user friendly system with no training will be required. STAFFING PLAN Human Resource Management is based on ideas and techniques developed to enhance worker motivation, productivity and performance. Human resources include all project stakeholders such as the student, project team members and suppliers. The major processes involved in human resources management include: Organization plan, which involves identifying, assigning and document project roles, responsibility and reporting relationships. Staff acquisition, which involves getting the needed personnel assigned to work on the project. Team development, which involves building individual skills or group skills to enhance project performance. Project Human Resource Management includes the processes necessary for organizing and managing the project team (www.skillsoft.com, 2010). In addition, a good human resource management will increase the success rate of a particular project as the people in a project determine the success and failure of organizations and projects. Project Skilled Required For the current project Samson travel agency system, the development team members need certain skills to make this project a success. Below are some of the skills the development team member must acquire:- I. Programming skill The programming skill is needed to build the software. Programming skill is important during the development of the software as most of the job required coding to do the job. II. Designing skill The design of the interface is also important as it must be easy to use, easy to understand and the most important of all is that the interface satisfied the requirement of the client. III. Analyzing skill The analyzing skill is important during the early phase of the project as analyzing the user requirement and the client requirement will make the job easier when designing and easier for the programmer to build the software. IV. Testing skills The tester must understand the quality criteria and standards that the software objectives should meet and will be measured against. The tester must test the software for functionality, software output, reliability, user acceptance testing, and etc. The tester must also test the software to see that the software meet the requirement of the client and the end user. V. Communication skill The team member must have this communication skill as when team members communicate with each other, the tension between them will be reduced significantly and the chance of success will increase. This is a skill that the project manager must acquire. VI. Co-operating skill The team member must help each other for the success of this project. It is inevitable for each member to face certain problems during the project. VII. Leadership skill The project manager must have high leadership skill as he is the person who oversees the whole project and the one responsible for the entire project. He must be able to manage the entire team member and giving them work. VIII. Documentation and presenting skill The presentation of the software to the client and end user is very important as a good presentation will give them a good first impression of the software and that will increase the satisfaction of the client toward the software. A proper documentation with proper format is also important as they will introduce the product and also included the user manual that clearly indicate how to use the software. Project Team Structure and Organization Team Members Role and Responsibility Project Manager The project manager of the Samson travels agency system is responsible to deliver the project fully functional and satisfies the requirements of the system. He is expected to have the necessary management skills, problem solving etiquettes, team leadership ability and is responsible for assuring that project goals and objectives are met, quality work is completed on time and within budget, and for making appropriate decisions. The project manager chooses the best team to develop the system and assign each member of the team to his best ability. The task dependency requires the project manager to be able to enforce the time efficient team, in order to avoid any sort of delay. In addition, this document helps identify and clarify roles, responsibilities, and authorities, and should be included in the Project Execution Plan. The project manager is expected to possess following criteria: Understand the basic of analysis, design, coding and testing Financial fundamentals. Expertise in scheduling, productivity, communications and network diagram System Analyst The system analyst of Samson travels system is person who in charge to assist current or potential application users in identifying and describe problems or opportunities that might addressed either by implement a new or change a exist system. The analyst uses business requirements in detail and, where appropriate, prepares functional specification for the system. The system analyst is quite attached to a sumptuous part of the development of the system , and the system analyst here is basically the IT inclined system analysis professionals, who will be handling and at the lowest level, be in charge of reporting progress to the project manager and project team. Systems analyst read and studies the process in and the system requirement. So if there is any problem in the previous system then basically the system analyst has to suggest new ideas in improving the system. His job is to make the designer know what to design. The system analyst will study the organization and the environments to come up with some requirements. Personal Requirements and skills required of the system analyst include: Think creatively Good communication skills Being patient Analytical thinking System Designer In the development of the online system for Samson travels the designers basically is composing of web developers and network administrators will be developing a simple interface and will be managing the network. This interface which is composed of buttons, labels, text fields and images, will be very user friendly to use. Also the designer would draw out some sketches or story-board to simplify the system work flow. Their main action includes: An understanding of the intended audience, client culture, and learning preferences as well as the understanding of human computer factors and interface design. Personal Requirements of the system designer includes: Think creatively Good communication skills Creative thinking Understand the basic of analysis, design, coding and testing System Programmer The programmer for the Samson travel agency system basically the one responsible to develop the coding for the system. He develops the system based on the requirements gathered and based on the system designers perspective. Also to build the software with his specialty and that is programming. He is the person who does the most programming in this development phase. Other than building the software, he have to ensure that other programmer are doing their job and passing up every portion of programming work on time. If there is some functionality problem, bugs or errors, he will be in charge to solve these problems. Tester is the person who will test the system once the system developed in order to get the feedback about the system. It is important for the project group to perform the testing part to make sure the system run without any errors. Personal Requirements of the system programmer includes: Experience Coding expert Being patient The ability to understand the functional side of the system MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES WHICH IS APPLIED TO ALL TEAM MEMBERS Motivation Theory that Applies in Project Team of Samson Travels Agency: Frederick Herzberg The proposed motivation technique for the project team is Herzberg Motivational and Hygiene Factors. Frederick Herzberg wrote several famous books and articles that about motivation. Frederick Herzberg contributed to human relations and motivation two theories of motivation which is Hygiene Theory and Motivation. The first part of the motivation theory involves the hygiene theory and includes the job environment. The hygiene factors include: the company, its policies and its administration, the kind of supervision which people receive while on the job, working conditions interpersonal relations, salary, status, and Security These factors do not lead to higher levels of motivation but without them there is dissatisfaction. The second part of Herzbergs motivation theory involves what people actually do on the job (www.businessballs.com, 2010). The motivators are: achievement, recognition, growth / advancement and Interest in the job. These factors result from internal generators in employees, yielding motivation rather than movement. Both these approaches (hygiene and motivation) must be done simultaneously. Treat people as best you can so they have a minimum of dissatisfaction. Use people so they get achievement, recognition for achievement, interest, and responsibility and they can grow and advance in their work. (www.businessballs.com, 2010) Therefore, the hygiene and motivation factors can be listed as follows: Hygiene Company policies and administration Supervision Working conditions and interpersonal relations Salary, status and security Achievement Recognition for achievement Interest in the task Responsibility for enlarged task Growth and advancement to higher level tasks The entire project team proposed this motivation theory and by following it, the team members will be well motivated and do well in their job. Regarding the motivation theory, some of factors are not for motivate team member such as the kind of supervision which people receive while on the job, working conditions and interpersonal relations. But if without those factors, the team member wills dissatisfaction. The project manager and entire project team follow the motivation factors that define by Herzberg to motivate team member, such as recognition when a team member success in certain task, he or she will recognize by the team member. (www.businessballs.com, 2010) Besides, motivate the team member by show interest in their job will have great improvement for them to archive their task. Since they have interest on their job, they will put in more effort and do their work better. MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO FAMO TEAM MEMBERS For the project team of Samson Travels agency, just apply motivation theory is not enough. There must have some of techniques to increasing motivation because motivation is better than offering gifts and compensation. Get Team Member Onboard: One of the biggest mistakes that the Project manager make is that they come up with their objective without including the team in the process. The more you involve your employees in decision making the more apt theyll be to give it their all. If youve already identified the objective on your own, then ask employees how to achieve it. However, in this project team employees are carried along in order to prevent the mistakes that might lead to the failure of the project. Work challenge: In situations whereby the project manager gives a job to a particular team member, the manager would challenge him to submit it during a period of time. If he manages to complete the task within that period of time, the project manager will offer some benefits to that team member. Find out What Drives Them: Treat each member as an individual and determine what motivates them, and its not always money. There have been all sorts of studies that show if you throw more money at the situation, and then all theyll do is come to expect it. A good way to determine an employees motivation is to simply sit down with them one-on-one and ask them directly what gets them going. As stated above, this techniques been applied in the Samson travels agency project team in order to motivate the entire project. Offer Positive Feedback All the team members get a charge from stepping into the spotlight. Its important when youre working in a team to acknowledge people in a public way, hold recognition sessions frequently to keep everyone enthusiastic and on track. Listen Up: Nothing will deflate the team member bubble than not being heard. Sometimes leaders do all the talking and no one likes one-sided meetings. Through meeting, Project manager can get some opinion or suggestion from the team members.

Overview of Ebola

Overview of Ebola Ebola virus is a deadly virus which cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates for instance monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Infection caused by the Ebola virus strains is known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola. Virus which cause Ebola infection belong to familyFiloviridae, genusEbolavirus. Five species of Ebola virus are identified. Among these five species,four cause disease in humans which are: Ebola virus Sudan virus Taà ¯ Forest virus Bundibugyo virus Reston virus is the fifth specie and is known to cause disease in nonhuman primates and not in humans. History: Ebola virus disease first emerged in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, first one in Nzara, Sudan, and second one in Yambuku few months later. Later a case was reported in a village located near a river named as Ebola River. The disease is named after that river.The first attack of Ebola in Sudan affected about 284 people with mortality rate of approx. 53%.The second Ebola virus appeared from Yambuku(EBOZ) has mortality rate of 88% and affected 318 people. Use of contaminated syringes and needles in clinics and hospitals and close personal contact with infected ones are considered as main cause of outbreak of disease. In 1989,the third strain of Ebola named as Ebola Reston (EBOR) was discovered in USA(Virginia and Pennsylvania) through imported infected monkeys into Virginia from Philippines.In 1990,once again EBOR was emerged in Virginia and Texas by imported monkeys but four people developed antibodies and remained safe. Later in 1994,the last strain of Ebola named as Ebola Cote dIvoire (EBO-CI) was discovered while conductance of a necropsy on a dead chimpanzee sighted in the Tai Forest by a female ethologist. One more case occurred in gold-mining camps located in the rain forest in the same year with mortality rate of 60%. Initially the disease was thought to be yellow fever and was identified as Ebola virus disease much later. In 1995, virus apperared in Kikwit with mortality rate of 81%.Later in 1996, ebola virus appeared in South Africa with mortality rate of 50% when medical professional travelled to South Africa from Gabon after treating Ebola-infected patients. He was admitted in hospita l and a nurse whose duty was to take care of doctor, also became infected and died. Another case occurred in Mayibout area with mortality rate of 57% when an infected chimpanzee was eaten by people hunting for food. In 2000,virus appeared in Masindi, Gulu, and districts of Uganda with mortality rate of 53%. In 2001 and 2002,disease emerged in the Republic of the Congo and over the border of Gabon and with mortality rate of 82% and was the first time that Ebola virus disease spread in the Republic of the Congo. In 2003, outbreak of infection appeared in Mbomo and Mbandza villages with mortality rate of 83%.In 2004,cases of disease were reported in Yambio county of southern Sudan accompanied with measles at the same time with mortality rate of 41%.Later in 2007, virus affected people in Kasai Occidental Province and Bundibugyo District in western Uganda with mortality rate of 71% and 25% respectively.In 2008,strains of Ebola-Reston were discovered in pigs.In 2011, a patient died in th e Luwero district, Uganda due to Ebola Hemorrhagic fever as diagnosed by The Uganda Ministry of Health.In 2012,a viral attack was reported in the Kibaale District of Uganda. In 2013, disease emerged in the Luwero District.Samples were tested by CDCs Viral Special Pathogens.Recently in 2014,infection was reported in several villages located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in months of august to November with mortality rate of 74%.In March, virus attacked multiple countries in West Africa. Worldwide occurance: Ebola is a rare disease and has spread in Guinea,Sierra Leone and Liberia. Severely affected countries by Eboal a-included Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia due to weak health systems,shortfall of infrastructural and human resources. Ebola outbreak also began in Boende, Equateur which is a part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ebola virus disease occurs in the Republic of the Congo, Africa, Ivory Coast, Sudan , Gabon, and Uganda, but there are chances of its occurance in other African countries. Transmission: Fruit bats that are included in Pteropodidae family are considered as natural Ebola virus hosts. Introduction of Ebola virus into the human population occurs through close contact with the organs, blood and secretions. Virus can also be transmitted by bodily fluids of infected animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelope ,monkeys, porcupines. and fruit bats. Virus spreads via direct close contact through broken skin,fluids of infected people, mucous membranes and materials or surfaces contaminated with these fluids e.g. clothing and bedding. EVD spreads through close contact with infected patients when control precautions are not firmly practiced. It is transmitted by needles and syringes used to treat Ebola-infected patients. Transmission of Ebola occurs via those burial ceremonies in which people have direct close contact with the body of the dead infected by EVD. As long as blood and body fluids e.g semen and breast milk contain the ebola virus,people are considered infectious. Interestingly men can transmit the virus via their semen after recovering from illness for up to seven weeks. Symptoms Symptoms of Ebola virus disease are nonspecific. After the incubation period of 2 to 21 days, signs of Ebola virus are: abruptfever and fever fatigue headache joint pain muscle aches and pain sore throat weakness These symptoms are followed by : . This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function both external and internal bleeding e.g. blood in the stools and oozing from the gums in some cases. Hiccups Stomach pain It is important to mention that humans are not infectious until they develop specific symptoms for disease. Diagnosis Distinguishing EVD from other infectious diseases for instance malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis is a difficult task. For identification of Ebola virus disease following strategies are used in order to confirm that symptoms are caused by Ebola virus. antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigen-capture detection tests serum neutralization test reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay electron microscopy virus isolation by cell culture. ELISA and PCR are considered as efficient diagnostic tests for Ebola virus disease. Treatment Still there is no standard treatment for Ebola virus disease and only supportive therapy is available. Supportive therapy includes treatment of specific symptoms and supportive care-rehydration with intravenous fluids or orally. A wide range of treatments including immune therapies, drug therapies and blood products, are recently being evaluated for treatment of Ebola virus disease. Two vaccines are undergoing human safety testing but still there is no licensed vaccine available for treatment. Prevention and control Prevention and control of Ebola virus disease is much difficult. One can prevent from disease by early testing and isolation of the infected patient. Moreover ,barrier protection for caregivers for instance mask, gown, goggles, and gloves is necessary to prevent others from getting infected. Outbreak of disease can be controlled by applying a package of interventions, e.g., safe burials ,surveillance, , case management , social mobilisation., contact tracing and a good laboratory service. Outbreak control of disease relies on raising awareness of risk factors and protective measures that individuals can take in order to reduce human transmission. Risk reduction must consider following factors: Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission: In order to control its outbreak,it is very necessary to avoid contact with infected monkeys or fruit bats and the consumption of their infected meat. Infected and uninfected animals must carefully be handled with gloves and significant protective clothing. Thorough cooking of animal’s meat is required to reduce risk of infection. Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission: One must avoid from direct or close contact with people suspected to be Ebola victims.Gloves and specific personal protective equipment must be used while looking after patients at hospitals or at home. Outbreak containment measures: It refers to safe burial of the dead,identification of people who may have been remained in contact with infected people, the significance of separating the healthy ones from the sick to prevent further spread and finally the importance of maintaining a neat and clean environment and good hygiene.

The Dungeon :: essays research papers

When the game starts, you will be caged and tortured by â€Å"The Master†. After the short intro sequence, Imoen will enter the room. She broke out of her cage and has come to free you. At this point, you need to try to escape this dungeon. Alone the way, the story unfolds... (1) In the room with the Cages, Speak with Minsc. You will want to insult him and his Hamster friend a few times. He will become so mad that he will break himself out of his cage. After he has done this, you need to sooth him by being friendly (no more insults). If you are mean to him after he frees himself, he may not join your group. You can try to free Jaheira from her cage, but the door is locked solid. Do not try to anger her. She will not find any hidden strength to break herself out. Instead she will â€Å"snob† you and not join the group. In fact, do not even make hints about leaving her behind. (2) You will need to find a key to get Jaheira out of her cage. Locate the Jailkeep Golem in the room near the cell that you were in . In the chest in this room you will find armor for your guys (or girls) to wear. Behind the picture in the room, you will find a dagger+1 and some health potions. You will need to have Imoen disarm the trap and pick the lock on the picture. On the table in the center of this room you will find some weapons for your guys and the key to Jaheira’s cage. (3) Once you have your group free, enter the hallway to the south of your old cage. You will find a room with a lightning machine that is producing lightning Mephits. On the side of the room you will find a shutoff switch. Shutdown the lightning machine and then continue ahead. (4) You will come to a room with large scattered around. In the center of this room, Aataquh the Djinni will be waiting to meet you. He will want to ask you a question. You can refuse to answer it, but there is no fun in that. If you answer â€Å"I would push the button†, then Aataquh will summon an ogre mage to fight you, and you will gain a positive (good) appearance to your group. If you select â€Å"I would not push it†, you will fight a goblin and gain a negative (evil) appearance to your group.

A lesson from a truck driver :: essays research papers

A Lesson from a Truck Driver   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story is about a lesson that my friends and I learned from a truck driver. It was a fine day when two of my best friends and I were walking home from school. We were in second grade and just immature as everybody else in our age. As we were walking on the sidewalk I found a big sucker on the ground. I wanted to have some fun and told one of my friends, Junghee, that if he is brave enough, he could throw that sucker and hit a car driving by. He hesitated for a while and I started to make fun of him for being such a chicken. I could see that he was about to do what I asked him to, but he was still hesitating, afraid of getting in a trouble. I said,  ¡Ã‚ °Come on, I throw small rocks at cars all the time. You will be just fine. And what else the driver is going to do, huh? They are not going to stop and run after us. And even if they do, we can still run away from them. We are pretty fast. ¡Ã‚ ± He agreed with me and he threw the sucker high in the air. I di dn ¡Ã‚ ¯t see any car coming at that very moment, but within a second, a loud noise startled my ears when the sucker hit this blue truck ¡Ã‚ ¯s windshield. The truck driver kept going for a second so I thought nothing was going to happen. However, he suddenly hit the brake and stopped in front of the police station. The first thing I had in my mind was that he was going to go into the police station and tell the police officer what we did, and that ¡Ã‚ ¯s what scared me for a second. Fortunately he did not go into the police station. In spite of going into the police station, he looked at us and started running toward us. That ¡Ã‚ ¯s when I said,  ¡Ã‚ °Run! ¡Ã‚ ±   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We started running towards our apartment area, which was about 1000 meters away from the police station. I turned back when we were running, and saw that man ¡Ã‚ ¯s mad face. His face was so red that I thought he was totally drunk. As soon as I reached the main entrance of our apartment, my friend and I hid behind the trees and bushes. However, Junghee was a little bit behind us.

Personal Selling Essay

Step 1: Prospecting Prospecting, involves the Money, Authority, Desire (M.A.D) approach. Firstly I analysed my prospective clients to ensure that they had the money, authority and desire to purchase the products I was selling. Upon analysis I realised that since my target customers were friends and colleagues who themselves had authority on their purchases I decided to focus on Money and Desire. The prospecting methods I used were direct mail, networking and telephone. I sorted through my contacts on social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster and MSN and also a list of past and present colleagues to sift for viable prospects. Step 2: Pre-approach At this stage, I did a few things to make my personal selling successful. Firstly I drafted email messages and messages to be sent on social networking sites to my viable contacts to inform them about the promotions and items I was selling. I also ensured to highlight the discounts that they would be receiving by purchasing the items from me. I believed that this would create an image of professionalism as it would portray that as a salesperson, I am well informed about my products. Step 3: Approach I moved on to approach, sending out emails and messages through the social networking sites informing them about my products. I also made use of the Chinese New Year season to target those celebrating to purchase the New Year goodies that I was selling. I also promoted the many vouchers, as thoughtful gifts for Valentines’ day for their loved ones, placing emphasis on the Swensen’s Valentines’ day cake voucher as it was one of the few items on sale that was Halal certified allowing me to widen my target consumers to include my Muslim friends, in the process using the customer benefit approach highlighting the discounts they would be receiving if they purchased the items from me. For potential prospects for products from MSC Studio and Mini Challenger outlets, I provided them with the product information and on-going promotional information which I obtained from posters and Colleagues working in MSC Studio as well as from my personal experience working in Challeng er Mini. Which in this case is the product approach. Step 4: Presentation At the presentation stage, I use 2 methods of presentation, AIDA approach and Need Satisfactory Method. AIDA approach includes, getting Attention, making prospect Interested, convert his Desire to conviction, as well as to take purchase Action. Which in this case, I have done it through sending out PowerPoint slide attachment and also created an album on facebook containing the products I’m selling. I also included the pricing and the discounts that they would be receiving. This grabs the prospects Attention, Interest and Desire to take Action. The need-satisfaction method would be to confirm clients’ needs and to show the product that can offer solution. In this case, I would approach potential prospects and ask them questions on what they are looking for maybe in-terms of Chinese New Year goodies or Valentines’ day gifts and be sure not to make them feel uneasy while doing so. After confirming their needs, recommendations would be made to them based on individu al customer needs. Step 5: Trial close After the presentation stage, I would ask if there are any discomforts in my recommendations. Example, â€Å"Are these what you’re looking for?† and â€Å"how does this sound to u?† For prospects who seemed interested but needed time to think about it, I made follow up calls about a couple of days later to ensure that it would not become a dead sales lead. This eventually made way for a few successful sales. Step 6: Objections There is definitely bound to be objections in the course of personal selling. Some of the objections that I faced from my prospects were: 1. Not interested in the item 2. Not Halal. 3. Too expensive. 4. Already bought. 5. Uncertainty in purchasing Step 7: Meeting Objections When I face objections, I would try to come up with solutions. These are some solutions for the above objections: 1. Try to offer another product that suits their need or interest 2. Offer to hold the sales period open for them till the very last day. 3. Offer cheaper range products which meets their budget. 4. Introduce them to other products which they may not have bought. 5. Persuade them by highlighting the benefits of buying the product. Step 8: The close For products from the Cupid ‘N’ You pre-order, during the closing I would have to take down their order, reconfirm it, and collect the money as well as to inform them about the collection date (27 January 2011). I would also thank them for buying from me. As for personal selling done at MSC Studio, I would just thank my customers for buying as the collecting of money and taking of order are suppose to be done by the MSC staff. Step 9: Follow up and Service I intend to contact my customers a few days in advance before the 27th of January, to remind them that the items will be ready for delivery on the 27th of January. I will also be personally delivering the items to my customers. I intend to attach a personalised thank you note with each of my customers to show my appreciation for their support. I would also be offering free gift wrapping for items which have been intended as Valentines’ day gift, upon request from my customer. A satisfied customer is a loyal customer and satisfied customers are known to spread positive word-of-mouth and this would defiantly prove to be essential should I need their continued support in future sales tasks. Question 2 Personal Selling Event For this round of Personal selling project, we were given Cupid ‘N’ You, a Chinese New Year and Valentines’ Day pre-order event to work with by the EMRS, TEP– MSC festive team. The items on sale for this event were from various companies that included Mrs Fields, Awfully Chocolate, Astons, Ritz Apple Strudel and Swensen’s, Fragrance, Horse Brand Bird’s Nest, Taiwan snacks, CNY Pastries Season and Cornery Popcorn. Mrs Fields and Astons offered discounted cash vouchers while Awfully Chocolate Ritz Apple Strudel and Swensen’s were offering discounted product vouchers. Fragrance offered three different varieties of ‘Bak Kwa’ in either 500g or 1kg packages at a discounted price. Horse Brand Bird’s Nest offered different varieties of Bird’s Nest, chicken essence as well as abalone. Taiwan snacks, CNY Pastries and Season offered snacks, cookies, cakes and pastries, well suited as Chinese New Year goodies. Cornery Popcorn, offered two, regular sized popcorn as a set allowing customers to choose from a range of three flavours. Moreover being attached to Challenger Mini for this stopover, I could also only include items from MSC Studio which housed brands such as Faceshop, Sasa, Giordano, Six accessories, Ameba as well as many others and Challenger Mini two year memberships into my overall Personal selling. Question 3 Refer to annex 1 Question 4 Lessons Learnt Lessons that I have learnt in the course of this personal selling process is that One must have sufficient product knowledge before they can do recommendations that suit individual consumer needs and persuade their customers to successfully buy their products. There will always be rejections but I should not let that put me down, instead I should develop a more positive mindset in failures and use that as a stepping stone and improve on my sales techniques in order to achieve my target. I have also learnt to always be aware of a sales opportunity as it may arise at any time. I should also be aware of my competitors offering so that I will be able to highlight the benefits of purchasing from me. Challenges The challenges I encountered for this project was the tight deadlines that had to be met. In addition, with the busy pace of life, sometimes people tend to overlook emails and messages so I had to follow up with every single prospect to verify their interest in the products and try to close the deal which was time consuming. There was also the issue of my customers preferring competitors offering in the case of ‘Bak Kwa’. I â€Å"lost† quite a few customers as they preferred Bee Cheng Hiang ‘Bak Kwa’ comparative to that from Fragrance that I was selling. I had to place great emphasis on the discount being offered, to tempt my prospects. One specific challenge that I encountered was a prospective customer who was aware of this promotion and had expressed interest in it, had to go to Malaysia urgently for a week. I was unable to reach her to close the deal in time. My friend only came back to Singapore on the 21st of January 2011 and contacted me immeiately to order six kilograms of Fragrance ‘Bak Kwa’ from me. I was unable to process this order as the last date to place the order for the festive sales was 20th January 2011. Even though I was unable to close such a huge individual deal, I am glad that this Personal Selling Process has given me a greater exposure to the real working world. Lastly, through this process, I have learnt to be flexible and provide good customer service in order to meet customer’s needs.

Music in renaissance society Essay

The Renaissance was all about rediscovery. The term itself â€Å"renaissance† actually means rebirth. The period represented a time that was rich in personal expression and innovation. As society transcended with the times, so did many aspects of daily life, including music and arts. In fact many of the popular hymns of today came from the Renaissance period. One such masterpiece is â€Å"Ave Maria†, composed by Josquin Desprez (Fuller). â€Å"Ave Maria† reflected many social traits of the time it was composed. It also reflected the type of music that was developed during the Renaissance. It is no wonder why Josquin Desprez is recognized as the most successful composer of his time. Through the music he created, he was able to showcase the real essence of his time. During the Renaissance period a number of different types of music emerged. Aside from the popular Mass music played in churches, the period introduced Motets, and also saw the beginnings of secular music. Since the Renaissance was all about personal expression, it was natural that many different forms of music were created. At the same time because it was about this time that printing was first invented, the spread of music became much easier. Copies of different compositions were easily produced allowing for more people to hear them in different parts and stages. One of the most popular music innovations of the Renaissance period is the Motet. It is a type of music that uses pervasive imitation that simply means the blending of different vocal ranges into one harmonious combination. The Motet highlights vocals more than instruments, a distinct trait of Renaissance music. The Renaissance was essentially a time when composers began putting focus on the emotions that were derived from the lyrics of the songs. Vocals were emphasized more than the instruments. People began relating more to music because of the meaning and message different compositions relayed. The Motet can also be considered a musical revolution at that time because most of the Motets presented new complexities unknown to music prior to the Renaissance. They also attract a personal connection between the composer, the performers, and the listener. â€Å"Ave Maria† by Josquin Desprez is one of the most popular Motets that were composed during the Renaissance period. This Desprez masterpiece remains one of the most played hymns in churches today. This Motet is comprised of four distinct voices, a very rare choral work even today. In fact â€Å"Ave Maria† is considered one of the most outstanding Motets of all time because of this characteristic. Interesting enough this musical trait essentially depicts the culture of that time. It showed how people were starting to truly celebrate their individuality without completely losing their connection with the rest of society. While the Renaissance period ushered in many new ideas, people during that time remained traditional when it came to things concerning religion. â€Å"Ave Maria† is essentially a prayer set to music. In fact many of the popular music that rose during this period were church music. This spoke of how people gave high regard to religious practices and the church. Josquin Desprez wrote the quintessential Renaissance music in â€Å"Ave Maria†. From its deliberate and serene sound to its harmonious weaving of voices, and a theme that celebrated the times, it is one of the most important pieces of music of the period. It reflected the culture change that was going on with its groundbreaking style of music. It was also very loyal to the things people held in high regard during those times. And while it was a product of musical mastery, â€Å"Ave Maria† became one of the most influential music of the Renaissance period because of its enduring message and meaning that connected well with the people. Work Cited Fuller, Richard. Renaissance Music (1450-1600). 2010 January 14. Retrieved June 7, 2010 from http://www. rpfuller. com/gcse/music/renaissance. html

What is “Small” Business?

In addition to how a business is organized legally, size is also a way to classifying businesses. A small business is generally defined as any independently owned business with fewer than 500 employees that is not dominant in its industry. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is responsible for issuing the specific criteria that render a business a small business. These criteria vary widely by industry. As recently as 2010, in an effort to make more businesses eligible for SBA loan assistance programs and to encourage economic growth and job creation, the SBA issued sweeping changes to the rules governing small businesses.For example, a car dealership is defined as a small business if it has 200 or fewer employees, whereas many manufacturing operations and other businesses can have up to 500 employees and still be considered small. Most experts use 500 or fewer employees as a general rule for defining small businesses. The definition of a small business is not limited to the numbe r of employees, however. The designation as a small business may be imposed based on overall annual sales. For example, hotels, which operate within the service industry, can earn $30 million annually and still be considered small businesses.Other services, such as industrial launderers, can earn $35. 5 million and still be considered small businesses. For example, a car dealership is defined as a small business if it has 200 or fewer employees, whereas many manufacturing operations and other businesses can have up to 500 employees and still be considered small. Most experts use 500 or fewer employees as a general rule for defining small businesses. The definition of a small business is not limited to the number of employees, however. The designation as a small business may be imposed based on overall annual sales.For example, hotels, which operate within the service industry, can earn $30 million annually and still be considered small businesses. Other services, such as industrial launderers, can earn $35. 5 million and still be considered small businesses. Why Is Small Business Important in the U. S. Economy? According to the SBA, small businesses are of critical importance to the U. S. economy in a number of ways, including the following:†¢Small businesses make up nearly 99. 7 percent of all employers in the United States.†¢Outside of farming, small businesses create more than 50 percent of the U. S. gross domestic product and employ more than 50 percent of U. S. private sector workers. †¢Small businesses tend to be highly innovative, thus accounting for nearly 14 times more patents than large corporations that produce patents. In other words, some of the greatest innovations have been started by small businesses. Consider that modern advances, such as the automatic transmission, FM radios, insulin, and penicillin all began with small businesses.†¢Small businesses tend to be spread out throughout the United States, bringing employment, p roducts, and services to nearly every community in the country. In other words, small businesses are not confined to large cities but also serve small towns and rural communities. †¢Small businesses account for nearly 97 percent of U. S. exports and provide 31 percent of the value of those exports. †¢Small businesses are often owned and operated by women and minorities, which has opened the door for many minority groups to participate and invest in the U. S. economy.Minorities and women own more than 4 million and nearly 6. 5 million small businesses, respectively. †¢Small businesses create more than 65 percent of all new jobs in the United States. Despite these tremendous advantages, there are also disadvantages to small business. These businesses, especially new ones, face the risk of failure due to capital limitations. In many cases, small businesses have limited scope and do not necessarily grow into large corporations. Similarly, their owners may achieve limited personal success and wealth and often do not have access to an endless source of capital.Like larger businesses, small businesses can be organized in a variety of ways. In choosing a business form, it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the available forms. Limited Partnerships The limited partnership alters the structure of the general partnership by introducing a new class of partner, the limited partner. General partners manage and operate the limited partnership and are subject to unlimited personal liability for partnership obligations.Limited partners enjoy limited liability for partnership obligations but have no right to exert meaningful control over day-to-day operations of the business. Formation of a limited partnership requires the filing of a Certificate of Limited Partnership. While a limited partnership may be formed without a written limited partnership agreement,absence of a written agreement may support the inference that the partnership is, i n fact, a general partnership. Thus, imposing unlimited liability upon all partners. Limited Liability PartnershipsIn a general partnership, each partner incurs unlimited liability for partnership obligations. In multi-state partnerships with thousands of partners, there is a significant chance that partners might face financial ruin due to the conduct of a single partner with whom they have never worked and never met. The Limited Liability Partnership, or LLP, sometimes known as a Registered Limited Liability Partnership, or RLLP, was designed to rectify this problem. Although Limited Liability Partnerships are managed like general partnerships, there are different rules governing the liability of partners.Generally, limited liability partners incur unlimited liability for partnership contracts and debts and limited liability for torts committed by another partner. Most states recognizing the LLP require the partnership to maintain a specified amount of liability insurance to compe nsate victims of torts committed by a partner. Formation of an LLP requires the filing of an application or registration. While a written limited liability partnership agreement is not required by law, it is strongly suggested. Limited Liability CompaniesThe Limited Liability Company, or LLC, is perhaps the most advantageous form for most small businesses and for many larger businesses as well. The LLC combines the limited liability of a corporation with the flexible and informal management of a partnership. Federal law allows LLCs the option of taxation as a partnership or as a corporation. Depending upon state law, an LLC may exist in perpetuity, as do most corporations. A document, typically referred to as Articles of Organization, is filed to create a Limited Liability Company.A written operating agreement may be required depending on state law; where a written operating agreement is not required, statutes will generally establish the rights of members and the method by which th e LLC is to be operated and managed. The SBA offers various incentives and programs to help these small businesses thrive, including the following: †¢Financial assistance in the form of grants and low-interest loans help small ventures stay in business and expand—in fact, the SBA helps coordinate lenders and borrowers in an effort to facilitate the financing needs of small businesses.†¢The SBA disseminates information about national and international contract opportunities within and outside of the government and encourages small businesses to apply for these contracts. †¢Assistance is offered to those starting, planning, and growing small businesses, as are general legal information and compliance reports to owners, including specific counsel to small businesses owned by women and accounting and taxation training to help various types of small businesses succeed.†¢Small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures are vital to every industry sector in the U.S. and global economy. Small businesses tend to be more responsive to changing conditions than larger, less-flexible, organizations. They also create the most new jobs and products in today’s economy. More than 65 percent of all new jobs in the U. S. are created by small businesses. Developing and exploiting a sustainable competitive advantage is an important task for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, just like larger organizations. †¢Nearly 40 percent of all small businesses exist within the service industry, accounting for more than 2 million firms.Medical practices, accounting firms, engineering and legal offices, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, and other practices are most largely representative of small businesses in the United States. The second largest small business representation is retail which includes grocery stores, pharmacies, bookstores, jewelers, clothing stores, and more. of ways by facilitating lending, offering training, and so on. Th e SBA is responsible for classifying businesses by their size and their income. Small BusinessA business that is independently owned and operated for profit and is not dominant in its industry.Small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures are vital to every industry sector in the U. S. and global economy. Small businesses tend to be more responsive to changing conditions than larger, less-flexible, organizations. They also create the most new jobs and products in today’s economy. More than 65 percent of all new jobs in the U. S. are created by small businesses. Developing and exploiting a sustainable competitive advantage is an important task for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, just like larger organizations.Nearly 40 percent of all small businesses exist within the service industry,  accounting for more than 2 million firms. Medical practices, accounting firms, engineering and legal offices, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, and other practices are most largely representative of small businesses in the United States. The second largest small business representation is retail which includes grocery stores, pharmacies, bookstores, jewelers, clothing stores, and more. Small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures are vital to every industry sector in the U. S. and global economy. Small businesses tend to be more responsive to changing conditions than larger, less-flexible, organizations.They also create the most new jobs and products in today’s economy. More than 65 percent of all new jobs in the U. S. are created by small businesses. Developing and exploiting a sustainable competitive advantage is an important task for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, just like larger organizations. Nearly 40 percent of all small businesses exist within the service industry, accounting for more than 2 million firms. Medical practices, accounting firms, engineering and legal offices, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, and oth er practices are most largely representative of small businesses in the United States.The second largest small business representation is retail which includes grocery stores, pharmacies, bookstores, jewelers, clothing stores, and more. Small Business Administration (SBA)Helps small businesses in the United States in a variety of ways by facilitating lending, offering training, and so on. The SBA is responsible for classifying businesses by their size and their income. Small BusinessA business that is independently owned and operated for profit and is not dominant in its industry.