Ghana Cocoa Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ghana Cocoa Industry - Essay Example However, it is of great significance to note that output varies on an annual basis. Factors such as price fluctuations, politics, and management play a crucial role in influencing output. Discussed in this paper is the role of politics in influencing cocoa production in Ghana, and interventional strategies set up to boost production of cocoa in the country. In addition, the paper also analyzes the cocoa industry in Ghana from different theoretical perspectives. Political theory centers on the analysis of economics influence on political ideologies. Tenants of the theory uncover the interplay of relationships between law, politics, and economics. In addition, it analyzes the development of various institutions in different economics and social systems for example, capitalist, socialist, and communist systems. Competing interests of specific individuals, groups or institutions affect a countrys economic development. This theory enables individuals visualize and understand the formation of public policies. Small-scale farmers in Ghana lack the resources to export their produce directly. They rely on intermediaries (businesspersons) and the government to broker deals with customers interested in their produce. Herein, lays the root cause of the countrys economic problem. These farmers receive meager compensation compared to the parties charged with the task of brokering the deal. As a result, poverty in Ghana is at an all-time high despite its flourishing cocoa industry. As mentioned, Ghana ranks second after Ivory Coast in the cocoa export industry (Ecobank, 2013). The country lost the title amidst waves of political upheaval in the country. In a bid to advance their personal interests, influential individuals mismanaged the cocoa industry. Through the Cocoa Marketing Board, farmers received fixed compensation for their produce.

Human Trafficking Ans Smuggling In The United Nations Criminology Essay

Human Trafficking Ans Smuggling In The United Nations Criminology Essay Human trafficking and smuggling has been amongst the fastest increasing international crimes according to United Nations. The crimes entail different types of crimes running over different nations and involving an ever-increasing figure of victims (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, 1999). Human trafficking involves targeting the victims of human trafficking as objects of sexual abuse. The aim of human trafficking is for the trafficker to gain profitably by exploiting the victim. Fraud, coercion and use of force play an important role in human trafficking. It is sometimes not easy to establish the difference between smuggling and trafficking in the beginning stage. Trafficking in most cases engrosses an aspect of smuggling, particularly the passage through the border of a country. Human smuggling on the other hand involves the smoothening the progress of transportation, effort to transport or the illegitimate entry of a person or persons across an international border through contravention of one or more countries laws through deception like using of fraudulent travel documents. In most cases, smuggling is performed for the purpose of obtaining financial or material gains by the smuggler although the material gains are not essentially part of the crime. Smuggling of human beings is in most cases done with approval of the person who is smuggled often by paying a lot of money. Smuggled persons after being smuggled in their destination countries are left free by their smugglers. Human trafficking is a criminal activity and a relentless infringement of human rights that is of great worry worldwide. The overwhelming majority of the people trafficked include women and children. The United Nations describes trafficking in persons as the recruitment, transfer, transportation, harboring or receiving of people through use of threat or force or other methods of compulsion, kidnap, and trickery, or of the abuse of power or of a position of defenselessness or receiving payments or gains to acquire approval of a person to have control over another person for the purposes of exploitation. Human trafficking crime engrosses several different crimes spanning many nations and entailing a growing number of victims. According to, Stoeker, Shelley,(2005), human trafficking can be matched up to present day form of slavery. Theories supporting human trafficking According to (Nicola, 2009) the biological theory proposes that the male impulse of sex which is uncontrollable as theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for food or drink. Women and the other hand haveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ sexual impulse.According to this theory, exchange for sex for payments provides an answer to the requirement for majority of men sexual outlet However, some writers claim that the theory is outdated since current studies has stressed the need for self control of sexual impulse and an vital role social and cultural issues in characterizing the male need for sexual impulse. The psychological-personality cluster of theories tries to give psychological explanation for the requirement of commercial sex thus favoring children and women trafficking to provide the services. The social theories also try to support the commercial sex trade by clarifying that, the attention of the sex industry is not independently driven by only the personalities involved but it is a product of the surrounding social and cultural context. The author of the theory clarifies that the demand for prostitution is a means of male bonding. Victims of human traffic are in most cases abused bodily and emotionally. Although, human trafficking is regularly believed as an international crime involving crossing of borders, the crime can also occur within the country where victims are trafficked within their own countries. Where human trafficking takes place within the country, traffickers in most cases transport victims between locations within the same country and sell them to other human trafficking organizations. While differences exist between human trafficking and human smuggling, the fundamental issues that contribute to the increased level of these crimes are in most cases the same. In general, lack of employment, extreme poverty, political uncertainty and civil unrest are the major factors that give rise to a condition that promote human trafficking and human smuggling. Human trafficking which is also the current form of slavery is a criminal act and an abuse of basic human rights such as right to dignity, right to freedom and right to equal protection of the law which affects every nation globally (Fisher Lab, 2010). Trafficking in humans is among the small number of crimes that is pursued from the victims side, with the aim of stopping of the crime, protection of the victims and trial of the traffickers. Humans are trafficked are for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation while children are trafficked for purposes of misuse in begging and illegal activities and for taking away of organs. According to (Friman, Reich, 2007), human trafficking is closely associated with organized crime. Reports from Europol, suggest that the number of human traffic victims to Europe can reach a hundred thousand annually. Europol suggests that human trafficking is regarded as the second source of illegitimate money for organized crime. In 2005, the International Labor Organisation, predicted that the yearly profits gotten form human traffic and forced labor and sexual exploitation globally could reach 31000million dollars (Fisher Lab, 2010). Human trafficking is a profitable business and in areas such as Russia, Hong Kong and Eastern Europe trafficking in humans is controlled by large criminal groups. Nevertheless, the greater part of human trafficking is conducted by networks of smaller organizations that individually specialize in specific areas such as recruitment, transfer advertising and selling. This criminal business is very profitable since it requires small capital to start-up and chances of prosecution are rare (Mendelson, 2005). Victims of human trafficking are in most cases the most powerless and vulnerable persons in a given region. Majority of the victims originate from poorer families in which there are no economic activities and they are frequently ethnic marginalized persons and many are displaced people, runaways or refugees or can originate from any social background race and class. Human traffickers mostly target women in terrible conditions particularly for the sex industry. Traffickers in persons exploit the lack of prospects for economic activities, offer for jobs and employment opportunities or study then force their victims into prostitution. Women traffickers use agents and brokers to organize the travel and job placements for the women victims who are then accompanied and transported to the employers (Stoeker, Shelley, 2005). Ahead, arriving at their ends, the women come to understand that they had been deceived regarding the kind of work they had been promised to do as well as the monetary arrangements and find themselves in pressurized or abusive conditions from which fleeing is both risky and complicated. This forces such women to end up in prostitution as a source of survival (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, 1999). Children trafficking in most cases involve taking advantage of the childs parent due to intense poverty. The parents normally sell the children to traffickers so that they can manage to pay debts or gain income or they may be deceived regarding prospect of educating their children to get a better life. In West Africa, majority of the children who are trafficked have lost either both or one parent through AIDS. In addition, many male children and female ones are trafficked and trained to be soldiers. A study by United States Department of Justice of 2007-2008, indicated that over 30% of all human trafficked for that year were children who were forced into the sex industry (Fisher Lab, 2010). Size, Extent and Pattern of human trafficking The extent and size of human trafficking crimes remains unknown globally. Compared to other kinds of human abuses, trafficking in humans remains still underreported due to fear and shame of the victims. Majority of human trafficking occurs in regions associated with extreme poverty as a result of war or destruction of economy. According to,( Fisher Lab, 2010), in the outcome of economic destruction and fall of Soviet Union, many of the Balkan countries became countries of origin, who supplied desirable women for sex trafficking in the Mediterranean and European states. As a result of the illegitimate nature of human trafficking and the different methods used the extent remains unclear. According to, USA, State Department, report approximately half a million women and children are smuggled across international borders every year. The report also depicts that many of the transnational victims are trafficked for use in commercial sex business. According to (Mendelson, 2005), there was a rapid increase in prostitution in Bosnia, Cambodia and Kosovo, after the moving in of NATO and United Nations peace keeping force in these nations. Mendelson, (2005), further argues that peace keeping forces had been associated with forced prostitution and human trafficking. Supporters of peacekeeping missions have maintained that the actions of a few individuals should not be use to lay the blame on many people who participate in the mission, although United Nations and NATO have been condemned for not taking the issue of forced prostitution associated to missions of peacekeeping with seriousness. Why the human trafficking crime is growing at high rate Human trafficking appears a less risky undertaking for criminals compared with trafficking of drugs or vehicles. According to (Stoecker Shelley, 2005), in Central European Countries and Russia, laws on drug trafficking have become stricter and the methods of reduced theft of automobiles have become more complicated. In addition, punishments for criminals of human trafficking are much softer than the laws regarding trafficking of drugs which are not in place in Russia. Even in countries where laws regarding human trafficking exist, such crimes are complicated to establish and accuse since of few victims consent to give evidence in court. According to, (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, 1999), in many countries the smuggling of persons is not effectively under control and stopped. This has because many Government border practices and policies, immigration, justice agencies and police mostly focus on the illegal aspects of migration while ignoring the side involved with organized criminal groups in the trafficking of human beings. As a result the most important target of control intercessions would be unlawful migrants but not the criminal groups occupied in human trafficking and exploitation. Moreover, majority of the countries also do not have effective policies planned to combat trafficking on persons. Many countries admit that their legislation do not offer up-to-date regulations to counter with human trafficking, especially activities carried out by international crime groups. Moreover, national policies do not offer effective tools with which to disintegrate organized crime structures and their international groupings and to cut their gain margins and frustrate their efforts to expand their supply. Inquiry of higher level of administration of organized criminal groups involved in human trafficking in most cases lacks the necessary associations to strategies against bribery and corruption. In addition many countries, lack the capacity to respond to human trafficking. The main reasons include; inadequate laws regarding human trafficking, lack of judicial proficiency in that sector and lack of adequate cooperation between government enforcement agencies criminal justice and other relevant institutions like immigration and border control agencies. At international platform, the structure for collaboration among law enforcement and official of justice of various countries may not be existing or may not be satisfactory resulting to ineffective inquiry, assessment and settlement of cases associated with human trafficking. Persons who have become victims of human trafficking might in many cases lose more than they gain when collaborating with the justice system. In many countries victims of human trafficking regarded the ones responsible for illegal acts instead being victims of human trafficking and are in most cases prosecuted for infringing the immigration laws prostitution or statutory offences that are lawfully regarded as indecent behavior. Lack of sufficient victim and witness protection programmes might lessen the success of inquiry and hearing and court hearings of such cases. Destination, transit and countries of origin of human traffic victims A common misunderstanding has been that human trafficking occurs in deprived countries. Almost every country in the world is occupied in secretive profitable human trafficking business. The source is the country from which person are trafficked and is usually depicted as destitute and might have been weakened by war, natural disasters or corruption. According to (Fisher Lab, 2010) some of the source nations include Guatemala, Nepal, Nigeria and the former countries of Soviet Union and many more. A transit nation describes the temporally stop where trafficked victims are temporary stopped on their journey to the country of enslavement and the destination nation refers to the country where trafficked humans end up. The destination countries for human traffic victims are normally wealthy nations since they need to have enough income to purchase the trafficked victims. Among the renowned destination countries include, Japan, India United States and Western Europe. The smuggling of immigrants and human trafficking has increased worldwide in the recent years, as a result of the process of globalization and other factors. Trafficking in humans has been growing tremendously due top the participation of groups involved in organized crimes. The smuggling of immigrants by organized crime groups interrupts with the procedures of immigration of destination nations and in most cases entails abuses of human rights. The exploitative manner of treatment of human trafficking victims in most cases accounts a new form of slavery. Sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons According to (Kroft Greene, 2009), there has been no specific agreed definition of trafficking of persons for sexual exploitation. The term is used to refer to movement of persons particularly women usually between countries and within countries for sexual work using physical force or oppression through forced debt. Nevertheless, the issue become controversial when the victims are willing involved in prostitution. Sexual trafficking encompasses forcing an immigrant into sexual act condition or agreement for the immigration. Trafficking people for sexual purposes entails use of physical force, dishonesty, and oppression incurred through forced debt. Women and children who are victims of human trafficking are in most cases promised domestic jobs or jobs in service sector but instead find themselves taken to brothels while their travel document have been seized. Women and children victims of human trafficking might be beaten or locked up and guaranteed they would get their freedom back through prostitution as the purchase price together with their visa and air ticket. According to, (Friman Reich, 2007), the reasons why women and sometimes underage, children agree to offers from human traffickers is to get better financial opportunities for themselves and their families. In many circumstances the human trafficker in the beginning offers a genuine job or the assurance of a chance to further the studies. The majority of the jobs offered are in hotel industry or in bars and clubs. In other cases human traffickers use marriage, bullying, threats or taking hostage as means of obtaining their women victims. In most cases many women victims of human trafficking end up in prostitution while some of the migrating prostitutes get involved in trafficking of humans. Human trafficking for sexual uses involves a business deal of contributions services and items (Friman Reich, 2007). The terms of exchange and elements involved in the transaction displays the form of connection that exists and the economic system in which the deal takes place. In traditional societys financial system, women were sold as gifts to create alliances and to make peace and ensure hereditary was continuous. In market financial systems women are viewed to offer monetary benefits to the human traffickers who maximize their profits by being in charge of the exchange process. According to (Friman Reich, 2007), sale of sexual services contributed to high increase of women trafficking particularly in Central Europe in the era of economic recession which has had high unemployment level. All over the poorest nations of Central and Eastern Europe and, majority of the women have admitted taking the risk of being trafficked instead of remaining in their own counties where there are high levels of poverty and unemployment. In unstable economies, with limited job availabilities, many unskilled women have found an incentive by selling their sexual services and for human traffickers to organize the sector. According to (Friman Reich, 2007), women in poor nations of Central and Eastern Europe involve themselves, in prostitution since for some it is the only way for them to access international and regional job offers.

Importance of the Meteor in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Importance of the Meteor in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, is considered by many to be a masterpiece. It was a culmination of everything Hawthorne experienced in his life. He grew up in a household that held fast to Puritan ideals. This affected him in ways he himself may not have even realized.   â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne placed many undercurrents of meaning in this novel†(Tucker 16). At the climax of the story, a meteor flashes through the night sky. The appearance of this meteor at this particular moment in time contributes to the plot in many ways.    First, Reverend Dimsdale thinks the meteor is a message from God specifically for him. "Nothing was more common in those days than to interpret all meteoric appearances, and other natural phenomena that occurred with less regularity than the rise and set of the sun and moon, as so many revelations from a supernatural source"(149). Any person of that day would have assumed that something of that nature applied to some portion of his or her life. "Then, and there, before the judgment seat, thy mother, and thou, and I, must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting"(149)! Just after those words leave Reverend Dimsdale's mouth, the meteor lights up the sky as bright as day. It's as if God is proving Reverend Dimsdale's words to be false. The light of the meteor resembles the letter "A" to Reverend Dimsdale because his conscience is pricking at him. Subconsciencely he wants to punish himself for his sin since the townspeople can't punish him for a sin of whi ch they were unaware. Therefore, his guilty feelings twist a natural part of creation into a punishment of sorts. He believed the meteor resembled the letter "A" to convict him further of his sinfulness. "...a great red letter in the sky-the letter 'A' which we interpret to stand for 'Angel.' For, as our good Governor Winthrop was made an angel this past night, it was doubtless held fit that there should be some notice thereof"(153). The fact that a member of his congregation also believes that the meteor resembles the letter "A" is ironic because of his belief that it stands for "Angel" in honor of the departed governor rather than something with a negative connotation. The mind can make one event appear as something to one person while another person observing the same event will consider it the complete opposite of the first.

Inline Skating

Inline Skating Marketing Plan Pegasus Sports This sample marketing plan was created with Marketing Plan Pro software. Plan Outline †¢ Executive Summary †¢ Situation Analysis o Market Summary ? Market Needs ? Market Trends ? Market Growth o SWOT Analysis ? Strengths ? Weaknesses ? Opportunities ? Threats o Competition o Product Offering o Keys to Success o Critical Issues †¢ Marketing Strategy †¢ Financials †¢ Controls Executive Summary Pegasus Sports International is a start-up aftermarket inline skating accessory manufacturer. In addition to the aftermarket products, Pegasus is developing SkateTours, a service that takes clients out, in conjunction with a local skate shop, and provides them with an afternoon of skating using inline skates and some of Pegasus' other accessories such as SkateSails. The aftermarket skate accessory market has been largely ignored. While there are several major manufacturers of the skates themselves, the accessory market has not been addressed. This provides Pegasus with an extraordinary opportunity for market growth. Skating is a booming sport. Currently most of the skating is recreational. There are however a growing number of competitions, both team orientated such as skate hockey as well as individual competitions such as speed skate racing. Pegasus will work to grow these markets as well as develop the skate transportation market, a more utilitarian use of skating. Several of Pegasus' currently developed products have patents pending and local market research indicates that there is great demand for these products. Pegasus will achieve fast, significant market penetration that will be achieved through a solid business model, long range planning, and a strong management team that will able to execute on this exciting opportunity. The three principals on the management team have over 30 years of combined personal and industry experience. This extensive experience provides Pegasus with the empirical information as well as the passion to provide the skating market with much needed aftermarket products. Pegasus will sell their products initially through their website. This â€Å"Dell† direct to the consumer approach will allow Pegasus to achieve higher margins and maintain a close relationship with the customers which is essential for producing products that have a true market demand. By the end of the year, Pegasus will have developed relationships with different skate shops and will begin to sell some of their products through the use of retailers. [pic] Sales Forecast | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Sales | | | | |Recreational |$455,740 |$598,877 |$687,765 | |Competitive |$72,918 |$95,820 |$110,042 | |Total Sales |$528,658 |$694,697 |$797,807 | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Recreational |$82,033 |$107,798 |$123,798 | |Competitive |$13,125 |$17,248 |$19,808 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |$95,159 |$125,046 |$143,605 | Situation Analysis Pegasus is entering their first year of operation. The products have been well received and marketing will be key to deve lop brand and product awareness as well as grow the customer base. Pegasus International offers several different aftermarket skating accessories, serving the growing inline skating industry. Market Summary Pegasus posesses good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of the most prized customer. This information will be leveraged to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how Pegasus can better communicate with them. [pic] [pic] [pic] Market Analysis | | | |2003 |2004 |2005 |2006 |2007 | | |Potential Customers |Growth | | | | | |CAGR | |Recreational |10% |19,142,500|21,056,750|23,162,425|25,478,668|28,026,535|10. 00% | |Fitness |15% |6,820,000 |7,843,000 |9,019,450 |10,372,368|11,928,223|15. 00% | |Speed |10% |387,500 |426,250 |468,875 |515,763 |567,339 |10. 00% | |Total |11. 36% |26,350,000|29,326,000|32,650,750|36,366,799|40,522,097|11. 36% | Market Needs Pegasus is providing the skating community with a wide range of acc essories for all variations of skating. Pegasus seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to their customers: †¢ Quality craftsmanship: The customers work hard for the money and do not enjoy spending it on disposable products that only work for a year or two. †¢ Well thought out designs: The skating market has not been addressed by well thought out products that serve skaters needs. Pegasus' industry experience and personal dedication to the sport will provide Pegasus with the needed information to produce insightfully designed products. †¢ Customer Service: Exemplary service is required to build a sustainable business that has a loyal customer base. Market Trends Pegasus will distinguish themselves by marketing products not previously available to skaters. The emphasis in the past has been to sell skates and very few replacement parts. The number of skaters is not restricted to any one single country, continent, or age group, so there is a world market. Pegasus has products for virtually every group of skaters. The fastest growing segment of this sport is the fitness skater. Therefore, the marketing is being directed to service this group. BladeBoots will enable them to enter establishments without having to remove their skates. BladeBoots will be aimed at the recreational skater, the largest segment; however SkateAids are great for everyone. There is one more way the sport of skating will grow, and that is through SkateSailing. This sport is primarily for the medium to advanced skater. The growth potential for this sport is tremendous. The sails Pegasus' has manufactured so far have ended up in Europe. The same thing happened with windsurfing. It started out here in Santa Monica but did not take off until it had already grown big in Europe. More and more groups are getting together on skate excursions in cities all over the world. For example, San Francisco has night group skating that numbers in the hundreds of people. The market trends are showing continued growth in all directions of skating. [pic] [pic] Market Growth With the price of skates going down due to competition by so many skate companies, the market has had steady growth throughout the world, with 22. 5 million in 1999 to over 31 million in 2002. The growth statistics for 2003 are estimated to be over 35 million. More and more people are discovering, and in many cases rediscovering, the health benefits and fun of skating. [pic] [pic] SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing Pegasus. Strengths †¢ In-depth industry experience and insight. †¢ Creative, functional product designers. †¢ The use of a highly efficient, flexible business model utilizing direct customer sales and distribution. Weaknesses The reliance of outside capital necessary to grow the business. †¢ A lack of retailers who can work directly face to face with the customer to generate brand and product awareness. †¢ The difficulty to develo ping brand awareness as a start-up company. Opportunities †¢ Participation within a growing industry. †¢ Decreased product costs through scales of economy. †¢ The ability to leverage other industry participants marketing efforts to help grow the general market. Threats †¢ Future/ potential competition from an already established market participants. †¢ A slump in the economy that could have a negative effect on people's spending discretionary income on fitness/ recreational products. The release of a study that calls into question the safety of skating or the inability to prevent major skating induced traumas. Competition Pegasus Sports International is forming its own market. While there are a few companies that do make sails and foils that a few skaters are using, Pegasus is the only one that is truly designed for and by skaters. The few competitors' sails are not designed for skating, but for windsurfing or for skateboards. In the case of foils, storage a nd carrying are not practical. There are different indirect competitors who are manufactures of the actual skates. After many years in the market, these companies have yet to become direct competitors by manufacturing accessories for the skates that they manufacture. Product Offering Pegasus Sports International now offers several products: †¢ The first product that has been developed is BladeBoots, a cover for the wheels and frame of in-line skates, which allow skaters to enter places that normally would not allow them in. BladeBoots come with a small pouch and belt which converts to a well-designed skate carrier. †¢ The second product is SkateSails. These sails are specifically designed for use while skating. Feedback that Pegasus has received from skaters indicates this could become a very popular sport. Trade marking this product is currently in progress. †¢ The third product will be referred to as SkateAid and be in production by December. Other ideas for products are under development, but Pegasus must hold back until they can protect themselves through pending patent applications. Keys to Success The keys to success are simply designing and producing products that meet market demand. Additionally, Pegasus must ensure total customer satisfaction. If these keys to success are achieved, Pegasus will become a profitable, sustainable company. Critical Issues Pegasus is still in the speculative stages as a start-up business. The critical issues are: †¢ Establish themselves as the premier skating accessory company. †¢ Pursue controlled growth that dictates that payroll expenses will never exceed the revenue base. This will help protect against recessions. Constantly monitor customer satisfaction, ensuring that the growth strategy will never compromise service and satisfaction levels. Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is focusing on the speed, health and fitness, and recreational skaters. Pegasus can cover about 80% of the skating market since they produce products geared towards each segment. Pegasus is able to address all of the different segments within the market because although each segment is distinct in terms of its users and equipment, Pegasus' products are useful to all of the different segments. Mission Pegasus Sports International's mission is to provide the customer with the finest skating accessories available. We exist to attract and maintain customers. With a strict adherence to this maxim, success will be ensured. Our services and products will exceed the expectations of the customers. Marketing Objectives †¢ Maintain positive, strong growth each quarter (not withstanding seasonal sales patterns). †¢ Achieve a steady increase in market penetration. †¢ Decrease customer acquisition costs by 1. 5% a quarter. Financial Objectives †¢ Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter through efficiency and scale of economy gains. †¢ Maintain a significant research and development budget (as a percentage relative to sales) to spur future product developments. †¢ A double to triple digit growth rate for the first three years. Target Markets With a world skating market of over 31 million and steadily growing (statistics released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association), the niche has been created. Pegasus' aim is to expand this market by promoting SkateSailing, a new sport which is popular at both Santa Monica and Venice Beach in California. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association survey indicates that skating now has more participation than football, softball, skiing, and snowboarding combined. The breakdown of participation of skating is as follows: 1+% speed (growing), 8% hockey (declining), 7% extreme/aggressive (declining), 22% fitness (nearly seven million–the fastest growing), and 61% recreational (first-timers). Our products are targeting the fitness and recreational groups, as they are the fastest growing. These groups are gearing themselves towards health and fitness, and combined, they can easily grow to 85% (or 26 million) of the market in the next five years. Positioning Pegasus will position themselves as the premier aftermarket skating accessory company. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging their competitive edge: industry experience and passion. Pegasus is a skating company formed by skaters for skaters. They are able to use their vast experience and personal passion for the sport to develop innovative, useful accessories for a broad range of skaters. Strategies The single objective is to position Pegasus as the premier skating accessory manufacturer, serving both the domestic market as well as international market. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness concerning the offered products and services and develop the customer base. The message that Pegasus will seek to communicate is that they offer the best-designed, most useful skating accessories. This message will be communicated through a variety of methods. The first will the use of their robust website. As well as a rich source of product information, the site will also be used for purchasing. A lot of time and money will be invested into the site to provide the customer with the perception of total professionalism and utility for Pegasus' products and services. The second method will be advertisements placed in numerous industry magazines. The skating industry is supported by several different glossy magazines designed to promote the industry as a whole. Additionally, there are a couple of smaller periodicals that serve the smaller market segments within the skating industry. The last method of communication is the use of printed sales literature. The two previously mentioned marketing methods will create demand for the sales literature that will be sent out to customers. The cost of the sales literature will be fairly minimal as it will use the already compiled sales information from the website. Marketing Mix Pegasus' marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. †¢ Pricing: This will be based on a per product retail price. †¢ Distribution: Initially Pegasus will use a direct to the consume distribution model. Over time Pegasus will use retailers as well. †¢ Advertising and Promotion: Several different methods will be used for the advertising effort. †¢ Customer Service: Pegasus will strive to achieve benchmarked levels of customer care. Marketing Research Pegasus is blessed with good fortune of being located in the center of the skating world, Venice, CA. Pegasus will be able to leverage this opportune location by working with many of the different skaters that live in the area. Pegasus was able to test out all of their products, not only with the principals who are accomplished skaters, but also the many other dedicated and â€Å"newbie† users located in Venice. The extensive product testing by a wide variety of users provided Pegasus with valuable product feedback and has led to several design improvements. Financials This section will offer the financial overview of Pegasus as it related to the marketing activities. Pegasus will address Break-even Analysis, sales forecasts, expense forecast, and indicate how these activities link to the marketing strategy. Break-even Analysis The break-even analysis indicates that $7,760 will be required in monthly sales revenue to reach the break-even point. [pic] [pic] [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |$6,372 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Percent Variable Cost |18% | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |$6,363 | Sales Forecast Pegasus feels that the sales forecasting is conservative. Pegasus will steadily increase sales as the advertising budget allows. Please refer to the Sales Forecast Chart. Please note that while in the market segmentation section all of the potential customers have been broken down into separate groups, for the sales forecasts, the grouping has been changed Recreational and Competitive. By reducing the number of categories it allows the reader to quickly discern information, making the chart more functional. [pic] [pic] Expense Forecast The expense forecast will be used as a tool to keep the department in target and provide indicators when corrections / modifications are needed for the proper implementation of the marketing plan. [pic] [pic] [pic] Marketing Expense Budget | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Website |$25,000 |$8,000 |$10,000 | |Advertisements |$8,050 |$15,000 |$20,000 | |Other |$1,725 |$2,000 |$3,000 | | |———— |———— |———— | |Total Sales and Marketing Exp enses |$34,775 |$25,000 |$33,000 | |Percent of Sales |6. 58% |3. 60% |4. 14% | Controls The purpose of Pegasus' marketing plan is to serve as a guide for the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: †¢ Revenue: monthly and annual. †¢ Expenses: monthly and annual. †¢ Customer satisfaction. †¢ New product development. Implementation The following milestones identify the key marketing programs. It is important to accomplish each one on time and on budget. [pic] Milestones | | | | | | | | |Advertising |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Marketing plan completion |1/1/2003 |2/1/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Webiste completion |1/1/2003 |3/15/2003 |$20,400 |outside firm |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #1 |1/1/2003 |6/30/2003 |$3,500 |Stan |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #2 |3/1/1999 |12/30/2003 |$4,550 |Stan |Marketing | |Development of the retail channel|1/1/2003 |11/30/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Name me |1/1/2 003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Advertising Budget | | |$28,450 | | | |PR |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total PR Budget | | |$0 | | | |Direct Marketing |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | Total Direct Marketing Budget | | |$0 | | | |Web Development |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1 /1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Web Development Budget | | |$0 | | | |Other |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Other Budget | | |$0 | | | |Totals | | |$28,450 | | | Contingency Planning Difficulties and Risks †¢ Problems generating visibility, a function of being a internet-based start-up organization. †¢ An entry into the market by an already established market competitor. Worst Case Risks Include †¢ Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis. †¢ Having to liquidate equipment or intellectual capital to cover liabilities.

Difference between growing up in rich and a poor family Essay

My character, physical, emotional, and psychological development would drastically be different had I been born and raised in a poor family as opposed to a rich family. Growing up in a rich family, I would be more or less secure in a lot of aspects. For example, I wouldn’t worry about my basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and education, among others. My emotional and psychological development would also be nourished as I would be provided with things that would facilitate my growth such as toys and books, among others. It can also be said that I would also be physically fit as I will always have ample food. In short, in a rich family, I would have a well-provided and highly secure life in which most aspects of my growth and development would flourish. On the other hand, growing in an impoverished family would have significantly different circumstances. I wouldn’t have a guaranteed education nor would I be assured of my basic needs. My emotional and psychological development would be very difficult as I may become envious of rich people and even development a feeling of resentment and shame towards my family’s status. Since I wouldn’t always have enough food, most of the time I would be physically unhealthy or malnourished. According to article, â€Å"The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap of What We Know and What We Do,† which was done by Harvard University’s National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, the early stages of childhood is a critical stage in the over-all development of a person. In the article, it is said that the early development of â€Å"cognitive skills, emotional well-being, social competence, and sound physical and mental health† (4) lays a strong foundation for success into adulthood. Moreover, the article also noted that high levels of stress in childhood can significantly affect a person’s behavior and physical and mental health. Meaning to say, the circumstances and the environment during childhood can significantly affect my emotional, physical, and psychological status which is why growing in a rich family and poor family can be significantly different from each other. *Word Count : 354 Works Cited â€Å"The Science of Early Childhood Development. † January 2007. National Scientific Council On The Developing Child, Harvard University. 29 January 2009 .