Working Capital Simulation Essay Example for Free

Working Capital Simulation Essay SELECTION CRITERIA: In selecting what option to select the team came up with the following criteria: 1.) Selected option should lead to a reduction in working capital requirement and reduce short term debt in the process. 2.) Selected option should reduce the Cash Conversion Cycle. 3.) Selected option should free up locked capital in receivables and inventories. 4.) Selected option should lead to a zero working capital policy in the long run. SELECTED OPTIONS: We decided to tighten accounts receivable and drop poorly selling products because they yielded a percentage decrease in working capital requirement larger than their percentage drop in sales. Also these 2 options fit all the selection criteria we stated above. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: The options we chose led to a 44% drop in working capital requirement, drop from 159 days to 128 days in the cash conversion cycle and a 87% drop in debt. Overall we met our expectations of reducing working capital requirement and freeing up additional capital. EBIT has dropped immediately but by 2015 net income was higher by $8,000 despite the drop in $255,000 drop in EBIT in 2013. This surprised the team as we did not expect that in the long run by improving the working capital requirements of the company we reduced costs and increase net income resulting to a total created value of $691,000 for the firm. Despite the immediate decrease in sales in 2013, the overall financial position of the company is better in the long run, and moreover we have a remaining credit limit of approximately $2.8 million which is almost equal to the initial amount of credit borrowed in 2012. PHASE 2: SELECTION CRITERIA: From the learning’s and outcome of phase 1 the following selection criteria was used: 1.) Selected option should yield a percentage increase in sales  with a small percentage increase in working capital requirement. 2.) Selected option should not contribute to a significant degree in debt. SELECTED OPTIONS: Based on our analysis we felt that options 1 and 2 fit the criteria we set for selection best. Combined they show a significant increase in EBIT with a lower increase in WCR. Although we foresee a significant increase in WCR we feel that the credit line we have and the amount of capital we freed from phase would be sufficient to reduce the impact of the additional WCR. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: Our choices led to a constant increase in net income over the three years. Short term debt increase by approximately 100% percent but steadily reduced over the next three years. We were happy with the positive growth of the company and the fact that we were able to pay off most of the initial short term funding required by the increase in working capital requirement. Overall the current situation of the company in 2018 is good, although the total value created is less than 20% of that created in phase 1. From this we learned that the value of the firm can be significantly increased more through a reduction in working capital requirement than through increasing the firm’s sales and net income. PHASE 3: SELECTION CRITERIA: For this phase we decided to continue with the selection criteria from phase 1, and continue to try to increase sales with the minimum working capital requirement. We also decided to minimize risk and not go with options that have, however small, a chance of creating net losses for the company. SELECTION OPTIONS: Based on our analysis we felt that renegotiation of supplier credit terms would have a significant reduction to costs, given that most of the other suppliers would also agree to the new terms. Even though the company would need additional working capital we felt that the benefits outweigh the additional funding needed. And given the current credit line utilization and  increased profitability of the company we thought that this was a sound option to take. We also took the global expansion strategy because from a strategic management point of view it seemed like the next step to take in order to increase the company’s profitability in the long run. We again felt that we have sufficient credit and capital to venture into this expansion. FINANCIAL RESULTS AND LEARNINGS: There was a significant increase in net income but marginal increases in the succeeding 3 years. The most significant impact was in the short term debt wherein projected short term debt in 2021 would be zero, which made us very happy. This means that the company is nearing our goal of having a zero working capital requirement. This zero short term debt would also mean increased profits, and would improve our outstanding relation with the bank. Our final firm value is $4,259,000 which is significantly higher than it was in 2012. Overall we felt that we made the right decisions and our selection criteria were spot on. Value is not only generated in sales, but also in working capital requirement. And through this exercise we also confirmed that firms with efficient working capital requirement would be the most competitive in the market.

Implications of Single Parent Families

Implications of Single Parent Families The issue of single parenthood has been of much discussion if many societies in the recent past mainly to the increment of these families and the perceived inability of the failure of societies to stop this (Booth, Crouter 2002). In many societies, the nature of life with relations to jobs, interaction, life expectations and extended families may give rise to or create an environment that is deemed to be conducive for the existence single parents (Antecol, Bedard 2005, Ray 2010). In the view of this essay, single parent families pose different implications to different societies in the world which can again be defined by income levels, religious affiliations, geographical disposition and even technological development levels (Cheal 2003), this is to say that, there are certain implications that may be prevalently negative due in technologically advanced societies and not necessarily with the same intensity in economically deprived societies or deeply religious societies. The view held by this essay is that, generally, single parent families pose various negative implications to the societies as a whole. This essay will therefore describe what single parent families are, also, the essay will briefly discuss the rise of single parent families and provide an elaborate evaluation about the implications and lastly provide an evaluation about what could be done to deal with these implications. Single parent families Single parent families may be described as those families that have only one member of the parents being represented and not both the parent and conventionally, this may imply that either the father or the mother is absent and the children are brought up by the other parent (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006). According to Deleire, Kalil (2010), a single parent family is a family that appears normal in representation but with the absence of a resident member of the parents being either the mother or the father. It is however important to develop an understanding about what parentage means, as this will facilitate the creation of a more holistic view of the concept. This is because, while (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), viewed parents as both the man and the woman who live together and hence both take an active part in raising the children and keeping the family together, (Hantrais, Flipov, Billari 2006), notes that that is a view that is conventionally confined to straight families that leaves the homosexual parents out of its definition and is hence limited. According to Campbell et al (2008), the rise of homosexuality, especially in developed economies is increasingly ruling out the conventional definition that includes man and woman. Another view that has been taken by (Hayslip, Kaminski 2008), notes that by stating that the man and woman must be living together, the subjective problem is that these must be under one roof for most of their day or week, which is increasingly becoming impossible when the need to provide for the family increasingly leading to parents living apart as they seem to fend for their families. Could this arrangement be termed as single parentage? Probably the definition given by (Paterson 2001), is more acceptable as it brings about the psychological and physical aspect of this family composition, because, this definition views single parents as those who are physically and emotionally detached from each other and hence one or each of the parents look after all or some of the children, as the outcome of separation for the other partner. The causes The view held by Bradshaw (2003), and Deleire, Kalil (2010), is that it is not possible to understand the implications of single parent families without identifying the cause of existence of such families. The following are the causes of the rise in single parent families; First, death of the is the primary cause of these families since death of the parent deprives the family of one of the parents. Therefore in societies where terminal illnesses are prevalent or where death rates are higher, the probability of having many single parents and hence such families is also very high (Edwards 2009). But at this point it is important to note that the existence of single parent families as a result of death may only be temporary if the widow or widower remarries after a period of mourning, which may extend to a few years, therefore, single parentage only arises when there is no re-marriage. In many a society, depending on the ages of the widow (er), re-marriage may be an option, also, and this is to imply that if the marriage takes place when the children are already old and have left the house, the case of single parentage may not arise since in the view of Egeland, Carlson, Sroufe (2009), single parentage exist where children are still in the care of the par ents. Secondly, according to Hayslip, Kaminski (2008), divorce, which may be caused by a multitude of reasons, is another case for single parentage. This is because, divorce leads to estrangement of the partners and this leaves one of the partners with the duty of taking care of the children. The increased rise in divorce cases, which is caused by disagreements or as is in the recent past, mutual agreements, leads to the aforesaid single parentage. Divorce cases are on the increase in all societies both the Western and Orient, the rich and poor across the globe (Hill, Hill 2003). Third, economic reasons (Heckman 2008, Melchior et al. 2009) which come about by the need to stay apart, sometimes for weeks or months or even years hence leading one of the partners to have sole responsibility for upbringing, but this may be disputed since the other partner, mainly the man, still parents the children indirectly by sending money and issuing instructions (Hutchings et al 2007). But as noted earlier, single parentage has much to do with psychological imbalance than just the presence of one of the partners and the continued absence of one of the parents may mean that the each of the parents and even the children experience the psychological imbalance that exists (Ray 2010). Fourth, decayed moral fabric of many societies have lead to early or unwanted pregnancies which in turn leads to single mothers having to take full responsibilities of their children as the supposed fathers are either not known or are simple not ready to take responsibilities for parentage (Rimm, Rimm 2008). In this case, according to (Cheal 2003) societal vices like wartime rape cases are also immoral and when they lead to pregnancies, then single parentage arises. Fifth, religious beliefs, according to (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), some religious beliefs may lead to women having to give birth as the options of abortion is not considered and as such when this happens then they may be left to deal with child raising on their own. According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008), this belief is predominant in the Catholic denomination of the Christian faith where, even family planning methods are not entertained. Sixth, adoption cases are also on the rise and these also causing the non-biological existence of single parentage when the children are adopted by one person (Bradshaw 2003). Since most laws on adoption do not curtail this practice to the existence of both the parents (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006) and (Ray 2010), it is increasingly becoming easy to adopt by individual. Seventh, the sense of independence that is now sought after by many women who may not wish to have their own children but not under the control of anyone else has also contributed to the rise of such families (Egeland, Carlson, Sroufe (2009) and (Furlong, Cartmel 2007). The view held by this essay is that, for this to happen, the mother must be assured of their ability to take care of their children especially to provide for their material needs (Hayslip, Kaminski 2008). This is therefore a major cause for the rise in relatively developed economies where jobs can be created then in developing economies. The factors given above denote that there are many reason causing rise of single parent families and most of which are beyond the control of the parent or even the state, but, the state can, to some extent have effective measures of dealing with this situation although this may take time, for instance change the tax benefit system for single families may not be an easy process as it is political, but (Cheal 2003), notes that this can only go to a certain extent but will not hold families which are in marital problems together. The Implications As seen in the discussion above, there are various cause of single parentage and these hence mean that the implications are also many as given below; First, single parent families deprive the children of the benefits of having the other parent (McBride 2006). This according to Hall and Hall (2007), Osberg (2003), may lead to serious behavioural problems cased by the sense of deficiency, which the child realises through his/her peers. For instance, according to the research by (McLanahan 2000), lack of father figure may often lead to behavioural problems by the children, which may make them to start having problems with the law at a very early age. However, (Peele 2004), made an attempt to state that behavioural problems might be caused by any factor and not necessarily lack of the father figure, but this view has been contested by (Pounds 2007), who noted that the father figure may be found in the mother and hence, the view held here is that the child grows to note a difference between him/her with other children and it is this psychological knowledge of abnormality that makes the child to have tendencies of negative reaction and begin to be on the wrong side of the law. Secondly, as a result of having problems with the law, the government may be forced to spend a lot of money on rehabilitation and this may hence mean that in serious case scenario, the government will have to allocate more money to the social welfare department and activities at the expense of other development allocations (Tanner 2003). According to (McLanahan 2000) and (Cheal 2003), this is a major problem since the allocations to this department are not productive either in the short or the long term. According to Yarber, Sharp (2010), when children are taken into custody for correction, they may not necessarily respond positively to this custodial correction and on the contrary, they may become rebellion and the purpose will have been defeated. However, (Deleire, Kalil 2010), noted that this is a problem with less scientific ways of rehabilitation that leave children to feel like criminals than potentially productive members of the society. Thirdly, single parentage may result in unnecessary allocations of benefits to the single parents in a welfare state (Telegraph 2009, BBC News 2007 and Thisismoney 2009). This is a terrible outcome on many fronts. In the view of this essay, tax benefits on single parents bring about single families that encourage child vices as held in the first and second part above, and at the same time takes away money from the exchequer in an unproductive ways leading to serious deficit problems which the UK is facing currently (BBC News 2007). This is seen as the social problems that extend to political problems in the society and this to many a normal families becomes an unfortunate situation since it appears that single parentage is rewarded and normal parentage is punished ((Booth, Crouter 2002). According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008), the reason the benefits which lead to budgetary imbalances are unfair when given to most of the single parents is that the system will most certainly stand to be abuse d by those who know how to do so. Also it is generally impossible for the governments to know for certainty who of the single parents are in their situations in a genuine way and lastly, there will be no way of having in place a more effective control measures to compromise the parents or even to ensure that the society is trained on the importance of a normal family when there is seemingly more advantages of staying single than in a family (Wang, Benard 2004 ). Fourth, single parent families exposes the parent or the children or both to abuses especially if the parent is the mother and not the father (Deleire, Kalil 2010), this is the view that is also held by (Yarber, Sharp 2010, Rimm, Rimm 2008), who stated that when the children are left with the mother alone, chance are that the society will note the vulnerability of this entire family and those who wish to exploit them will do so in various ways (Furlong, Cartmel 2007) for instance a supposedly caring boyfriend or partner may abuse the children due to lack of real parentage attachment to them. The mothers may also be under severe abuse as a result of this and while this is not to suggest that the abuse is often physical, but they may be taken advantage of either due to their money or property after which they will be left in a sorry state (McLanahan 2000). According to (Deleire, Kalil 2010), the probability of suffering by single mothers is higher than the women in a normal relationshi p, since these single mothers and even their children are viewed to have no where to go to (Wu 2009). However, Deleire, Kalil (2010), noted that such abuses, as much as they exist in many a society, they are more prevalent in the developing than developed societies, because, in developed societies certain infrastructure exist that may discourage such instances for instance, quick police responses and CCTVs which when coupled with increased profiling, may deter violent abuses, this is not the case in the developing economies. Fifth, according to McLanahan (2000) and Swick, Williams (2010) single parent families are bound to have increased stress than a normal family due to the lack of shared responsibilities. This is a crucial problem in that, in single parent families, the lone father or mother bears all the burden of parentage, including fending for the family and looking after the children interest (Wu 2009). According to Swick, Williams (2010), this causes the parent to provide less than sufficient attention to the children and to snap at minor provocation which may affect the childs psychology due to abuses, beatings and even serious sufferings that might be inflicted on to the children who may suffer in silence (Wang, Benard 2004). While this view has also been supported by (Furlong, Cartmel 2007) and (Deleire, Kalil 2010) who noted that such parents cause problems to themselves and to their children, (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006) and (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010), have not supported it and they state that stress can exist more in a normal family than in a single parent family and it all depends on what the parent is doing and not the state of the parent. This is because; most single parents are resilient and can bear stress in a far better way than normal parents. Sixth as their parents are stressed, children may hence be stressed too which may affect their ability to perform well in school. This is because; children may not be able to handle the psychological pressures that come with stress, which may be translated to mean deprivation and withdrawal (Wang, Benard 2004), these children are more likely to experience serious dysfactionalities and absent-mindedness which are also psychological in nature and hence loss concentration in the classroom (Anderson A., et al 2008), however, (Wu 2009), seriously disputes this notion by stating that children in abusive but normal families are the ones who may show such tendencies as they live in the terror of abusive parents. This seem to be a more credible point of view as the children in such families are left with little option if they view, for instance, their mother to be helpless and their fathers to be monsters (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006), this may not exist in single parent families. According to (Ri mm, Rimm 2008), the main implication in this case is that the children who may wish to compare themselves to their mates, may find themselves lacking especially if they also come across teachers who talk about the parent that is not in the childs life (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010). According to the research conducted by (Zastrow, Karen 2009), in Denmark, on an average, the children from single parent backgrounds were found to be performing poorly in the classroom than those in the normal families, however, this research produced an interesting finding by stating that, on average, the performance was worst soon after the parents have split and as the child recovers from the shock, they, mentally accept the reality if it is explained clearly to them and their performance may improve (Wang, Benard 2004). (McLanahan 2000), took a very different point of view by stating that childs performance has nothing to do with their family set-ups but everything to do with the schools that they are studying in, because, good schools which are sought after produced an average of better results with higher grades for every child (Melchior et al. 2009) as opposed to the average schools. Seventh, according to (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), single parents families may cause a spiral effect on the future generations by having children who develop greater tendencies to being single parents themselves as they grow to learn to be the mother and father of their families at the same time. This, according to (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006), is a positive implication in creating a resilient society, but, according to Yarber, Sharp (2010), the resilience is to the extent of the child being able to handle pressure in the future at work but not positive in encouraging a normal family existence (Melchior et al. 2009 ). According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008, Yarber, Sharp 2010), the ability to act as a mother and father at the same time has nothing whatsoever to do with positive societal framework and resilience does not replace the discipline and order that can exist with the existence of both the parents, therefore, this notion of resilience is self defeating. Eighth, according to the research conducted by (Zastrow, Karen 2009) and (McLanahan 2000), single parent families face serious economic deprivation, poverty and even exposure to vices like prostitution, theft and greater likelihood of suicide. The study here was related to material problems that the single parents face and it was found that when there is shared responsibilities, the family may sustain unlike if such is not present (Rimm, Rimm 2008). This is because, in a single parent family, the source of income may be one especially in cases where one partner died or where there was unwanted pregnancy, this may lead to deprivation where children lack what they need and when this prevails, and stress comes in, the tendency to resort to extreme measures (Melchior et al. 2009). Prostitution is one of the common ways of fighting poverty when other measures seem to have failed (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010), also, in worse cases, suicides may be the way out of misery by both the paren t and the child(ren), and these are practices that do not only wreck the single parent family but also the normal families (Jackson, Choi, Bentler 2009). Discussion and Conclusion This essay has managed to highlight various issues that relate to single parenthood as they affect various societies. Single parenthood is a major problem that confronts all societies alike. It is the view of this essay that the implications can only be dealt with if the causes are identified. As seen in this essay, the main causes of this situation range from family disagreements to natural causes to political factors of the welfare state, these are far reaching and hence with much more greater implications and it may not be possible to adopt a single method of tackling these as the approach has to be multi faceted. The best way to tackle the problem of single parenthood is to ensure that the social and moral fabric is addressed (Rimm, Rimm 2008, Yarber, Sharp 2010), and the view of this discussion is that for this to be done, the schools must be encouraged to adopt curricula that educates and instils on the children the importance of family without seeking to find out how their families are composed, this will cause sanity to the moral thinking of the society and as the generation ages, the importance of family will be glorified (Melchior et al. 2009). Also, religious based organisations must be consulted and asked to help by having their teachings geared towards family cohesion and not family breakages, this however requires the society to be more responsive to religious calls which may not be a major issue sin many societies. Also, the rules that make divorce easy and benefiting especially to the other partner who goes to share half the wealth must be re-discussed and changes adopted (Yarber, Sharp 2010), in the UK, the mother is generally given the duty to look after the children while in the USA (Rimm, Rimm 2008), this duty is shared with the father also taking part, this is in the case of divorces, the shared responsibility may reduce the vices that children may show since they still enjoy the company and teachings of the parents. However, in the cases of death, it is obvious that there cannot be any arrangement of custodial rights for the other party as they are not there, but this calls for strengthening the community spirit, so that the whole society can be charged with the duty of taking care of the children (Booth, Crouter 2002, Yarber, Sharp 2010), of course schools can only play a limited role and the extended family needs to take an active role, yet, it must be realised that this cannot be forc ed either, however, the government can to some extent facilitate this by reducing the benefits given to the single parents who choose to do so simply to benefit from the tax benefits, this will lead to more reliance on family and lastly, foster caring should be vetted and allowed for normal families alone as a way of placing the child in a normal family and avoiding future problems (Melchior et al. 2009). Lastly, as seen from this discussion, there are more negative implications of single parent families than are positive ones, which denote that this is a societal problem that needs to be dealt with and it calls for society-wide participation to deal with it. While single parents must be cared for, care must be taken to ensure that this care is not misinterpreted and abused by others who may have other options.

Goal And Objectives Of A Spar Business Tourism Essay

Goal And Objectives Of A Spar Business Tourism Essay Through its vast network of research on the consumer and industry, some researchers were pinpointed the following spa industry trends: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa is a Lifestyle: Research shows that more than 2 million spa-goers took part in lifestyle classes in 2005. Examples of lifestyle offerings include healthy cooking classes, seminars on achieving balance and managing stress and treatments which allow guests to customize their own at-home spa experience. more people are embracing the spa experience as it is linked to lifestyle decisions based on health and wellness. Issues such as stress, obesity, and environmental toxins being serious concerns, many spas are incorporating lifestyle elements, which include fitness, diet and overall health into the traditional treatment-based spa concept. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa Visits are Necessary and an Entitlement: This trend is catching particularly among baby boomers. The most common reasons for visiting spas include soothing sore joints/muscles, relieving/reducing stress to feel better about oneself and for mental/emotional health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Looking for Results: People expect more than just pampering from their spa visits simply. More than one in ten spa-goers treat spa-going as part of their larger health and wellness lifestyle. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Medical Components: The annual growth of 69 percent from 2003 to 2005 shows that medical spas are one of the fastest growing segments of the industry. The most popular medical treatments are microdermabrasion, chemical peels and natural weight loss measures such as body wraps. Increasingly, the medical industry in general, and the plastic surgery sector in particular, are incorporating spa treatments such as acupuncture and naturotherapy into their service structure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Living at the Spa: Spas are adding residential components and real estate developers are building spas in gated communities and condominiums. For example it is particularly visible in cities like New York City and Las Vegas. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Socialization: Todays spas are offering enhanced opportunities for socialization. Many spas are merging the traditional spa concept with entertainment and networking. Eight percent of U.S. spa-goers say they use their time at the spa as an opportunity to socialize. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customization: In todays times Spa-goers desire experiences that are customized to their personal needs and desires. Right from booking time, to selecting the background music, room temperature lighting, and massage oils; being a spa-goer is no longer a spectator sport. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gender-specific experiences: consumers are looking for experiences tailored specifically to their gender. As 45 percent of spa-goers are men, the demand for products and services designed specifically with men in mind is at an all-time high. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa Vacations: About 63% of U.S. spa-goers have visited spa while traveling from home. Apart from budgetary considerations, trips to spas are shaped by desires to visit particular places and have specific types of vacations. Women are more likely than men to be spa-goers, though spa traveling reduces the gender gap considerably as 36 percent of spa travelers are male. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Experiential Journeys: Spa-goers are drawn to indigenous treatments and products, especially when traveling. New textures, aromas and sounds with meaningful story-telling help forge connections to people, places and traditions. Additionally, another trend to watch for is skin care evolving from a product-based service to an experience-based service. Industry Background The spa industry has grown significantly from 2005 to 2007. According to the latest Global Spa Research of ISPA (International SPA Association) there are nearly 100 million active spa-goers globally. The need to relax transcends borders. Regardless of where they live, the primary reasons spa-goers visit spas are to relax and relieve/reduce stress. Most spa businesses market a Web site to advertise products or services. It may not be an attractive or professional looking page on the Internet, but businesses are still using these uninviting Web pages. Owners are staying away from potentially helpful management software, because they are caught up in the paperwork. If all businesses used an Internet strategy, sales and new clients would increase significantly. Its a matter of developing an Internet strategy, sticking to a plan, and remembering the big picture. The purpose of this research is to determine whether having an Internet strategy is beneficial in the spa industry. Internet art icles, e-books, personal interviews, and books were used for research purposes. Overall, research suggests that having an Internet strategy proves beneficial for clients, spa technicians, and management. With a willingness to learn about new software and ways of doing business online, revenue will increase as fast as over night. Goal and Objectives of the Business and Milestone Our mission is to run a profitable business by providing high-end therapeutic massage and aesthetician services in a caring, upscale, professional environment. We offer massage in a variety of styles traditional Swedish Massage, Sports Massage, Deep Tissue work, Sports Massage,  Hot Stone Massage, Reflexology, and others.  Our licensed aestheticians offer the latest in skin treatments, body treatments and anti-aging therapies.   Our goal is to tailor the clients experience based on initial interview information, as well as feedback during the treatments, to ensure the clients comfort and satisfaction, and to increase repeat business.  We are mindful of the overall experience using only the finest oils and lotions, beauty treatments and aromatherapies. Special lighting, music, decor, and textiles  are used throughout the spa to  complete the comfortable, plush environment  and enhance the clients overall spa experience. Objectives of the Business Achieve $33,900in sales the third month after opening by performing 16services per day. Achieve $81,600 in sales the 6 month after opening by performing 27 services per day. Have a local client return rate of 90% by the end of the first 6 months. Become an established community Spa destination by the end of the first 12 months. Perform 23 services per day by the end of the first year. Uniqueness of Product or Service Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Owner is a proven, 15-year sales executive.   Marketing will be the first strength to our success and a huge competitive edge. Professionalism: Which are includes everything from maintaining confidentiality, to hiring the very best LMT and Aestheticians. Individual Attention: Each clients experience will be tailored to his or her preference. Repeat business/Recommendations: giving the kind of service that brings people back for regular treatments, and encourages clients to recommend us to friends, and other health professionals to recommend their clients. Unique Treatments: We have the latest in techniques with the best products from around the world. Fantastic Location:  Orchard road A Few More Notable Itemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Treatments that use two or more therapists are also seen as being on the rise.   Spa-going moms desire products and experiences designed for them. The most reason that customer want go to spa is to reduce and relieve their stress, painfuls and the attractiveness of our spa is stone and fruit massage. Marketing Plan Research and Analysis Knowledge of the target market provides a basis for determining the appropriate marketing action strategy that will effectively meet its needs (Hisrich, Peters Shepherd, 2008, p245). Market Segmentation A basic foundation of relationship marketing is market segmentation (Zeithaml Bitner, 2003, p.164). Through market segmentation, our company can reach target market easily. Market segmentation is variable. For our company, the main segmentations are as follows. Demographic Segmentation Age:The chart above is the result from our survey. That indicates the main customers of our company are aged from 25 to 40. Occupation Our market segment will include officials and housewives. Officials in Singapore are always stressful because of work. Therefore, doing spa will make them be relaxed and comfortable. Housewives always have a lot of leisure time. In that case, spa would be one of their favorite activities. Income group Our market segment would include people with high income. Because of our company not only provides traditional massage, also provides special Day spa, like hot stone treatment and fruit spa, our clients should has high income. Behavior Segmentation This segmentation is based on peoples lifestyle. Our companys market segment would include people who prefer to take massage to relax. In addition, people who like to take massage as a healthcare method also can be seen as our target segment. Geographic Segmentation Our main target segment is tourists who are from other countries. Target Market Firstly, tourists would be our companys major target market. Meanwhile, based on the demographic segmentation, our company would target local people aged from 25 to 40. According to the left graph below, the population of Singapore had a dramatically increase from year 1970 (2,013,600) to year 2009 (3,733,900), which means the number of people we can serve also increased. In addition, the chart on right depicts people at age group from 25 to 40 is a large segment therefore that is a huge market for us. It is also has a growth trends from 1999 to 2009. These are good signals for running Spa Company. Source: Statistics Singapore, 2010 Market Analysis The spa industry in Singapore is prosperous. This country has been positioned as the urban spa hub of Southeast Asia by the tourism board. (Melinda Taschetta-Millane, 2007). Source: Singapore Tourism Board, 2010. The graph above depicts the number of visitor arrivals in Singapore. It is clear that, the number of tourists increased from 2003 to 2007. After that, the number decreased slightly, probably because the economic crisis. However, visitor arrivals to Singapore registered 26.7% growth to reach 950,000 in June 2010, the highest ever recorded visitor arrivals in the month of June (Statistics Singapore, 2010). Thereby the number of tourists is still large. In that case, the market size of spa industry is very big in Singapore. On the other hand, our survey also asks peoples opinion on whether spa is popular. The chart below indicates that the percentage of people who state spa becomes more popular is 94. Figure: Survey result of whether Spa become more popular However, there are many key players in spa industry, such as Spa Esprit, Estheva Spa and Raffles Amrita Spa. Based on many years operation, these spas already have good brand image and many loyalty customers. Therefore, they already got a large number of market share. In that case, our company should use business strategy to gain at least one percent market share at the first year, such as use the latest in techniques with the best products from around the world. Competitor Analysis As the spa business is growing day by day, competition is becoming more challenging than before. The graph above indicates which spa is the most favorite. This is done by survey from our own. It is clear that most people prefer to Spa Esprit. It is one of the key players in spa industry. However, our companys competitors would be a Fond and Esprit Spa which are located in Holland Village. The main competitive advantage for them is their experience from long term operation. In addition, they might have some loyalty customers which would affect us. Our company not only has direct competitors but also has indirect competitors. For instance, OSIM Corporate which has variety kinds of massage tools. People can take massage at home by using their massage chair. That would also impact our company as our potential customers would loss. Marketing Plan Our strategy is to implement the most aggressive marketing and networking in the community, followed by the best services in the business.  Our prices are competitive for the area, and our personnel plan, which includes using a pool of skilled, commissioned therapists and aestheticians, will give us a financial advantage. Competitive Edge Our competitive edge is our ability to market effectively and creatively to bring in the clients and then back that up with the best service and products in the business.   In addition, our  combination of unique services, outstanding location and our interaction with the customers are setting us up for huge success. Market Strategy: Sale Distribution Local Advertising Seasonal Promotions: Local newspaper advertising, local fliers, grand opening party kick-off and promotion for first 30 days.   Continue regular advertising and plan for seasonal events like Christmas, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Chinese New Years. Local Networking: Charities, womens groups, country clubs, wedding planners, and membership with the  Spa Association Singapore (http://www.spaassociation.org.sg/). Health Care Referrals Prior to opening: Work current contacts and create new contacts with health care providers, especially chiropractors.   Also, become a Provider with health insurance companies that offer Alternative Care to their members.   Most people dont know that massage therapy is usually paid by insurance when billed correctly and when prescribed by a physician.   aFond and Esprit Spa already has practice management software to handle medically billable massage.   When the insurance does not cover the entire amount of a service the client will pay the difference.   For that reason, we will not want to participate with any PPOs that require write-off for amounts over the usual and customary fee (which tends to be too low).   A list of acceptable insurance company plans will be maintained and those clients will be able to handle massage therapy through their insurance.   Any opportunity to convince allopathic physicians MDs to see massage as having long-term healing benefits for their patients will also be  taken, since they  hold to key to having  massage paid for as medically necessary.  Ã‚   The client will also help drive that with the physicians if they are properly educated.   Hotel Referrals: Hotels that do not offer their own spa services will send their guests to our spa or use our out-call spa  services.  Prior to opening, I will make contacts with managers and concierges at local hotels to ensure they are aware of the services available.  Promotions will be offered to professionals in these industries to create buzz and build relationships. Online Website: Our spa will show up on  every  major  search engine  and in the phone directory.  The website will have a full menu of services and eventually have the ability to schedule appointments on-line.  The spa software we are using will allow a user to see the schedule and make an appointment without making a phone call. Location traffic: It is imperative that we  be located in a high-traffic strip road, Tanglin road, which is high-end, modern, and clean.  We prefer locating near a complementary business like a nail or hair salon, shopping centre that does not offer any massage or facial treatments.  Ã‚   Pricing Strategy If, as it has been said, the top three items which determine success in business are location, location, location, then a busy location at Culway Pla in a thriving residential community represents our top marketing strategy.  With the owner focusing on the sales, marketing and management and delegating the massage and aesthetician therapies to employeesbusiness profitability potential is exponentially maximized over a one or  two person operation by a  direct care-giver without any marketing, management or sales background. As the owner, Madame Pamperzhou has done extensive market research and visited some of the best spas in the world Beverly Hills, Paris, Amsterdam, Vegas and Arizona and has taken ideas from the best to offer an upscale, ultra-amenity, spa experience.  Once a client experiences the luxurious, high-end level of personalized care that we offer, we are confident that we will have a return client.   Advertisement and Promotions The business is still in its introductory stages. Therefore, it is necessary for the business to advertise heavily through mass media. There are various ways of doing so: Newspapers and magazines: The Company may choose to advertise with color in the standard newspapers. Leaflets, brochures and pamphlets: These will be prepared for the purpose of informing the customers about the prices, the activities and the general background information concerning the nature of the business. Banners and posters: For the sake of large-scale advertising, the most eye-catching form would be the banners and the posters. These will be used to illustrate the name of the business, its nature, location and the products we offer. They will be located in areas concentrated with the target market. 5. Business cards: They will be distributed in the market since our business comprises of offering services, it is a good form of increasing clientele. 6. Travel agencies: They will be used to market our spa packages. A certain fixed amount will be paid to them annually to issue our brochures and leaflets as they will be the first ones to come in contact with potential customers. 7. Face book: Perhaps, the easiest and most effective form of advertising in the modern days. It will deliver our message to our target market directly. 8. Discount vouchers: Since our business is heavily outsourcing with various companies, to promote our business in return, they may issue discount vouchers for certain activities or packages for our business, in order to promote it and attract more clients. 9. Hotel referrals: we can make contacts with managers and concierge at local hotels that do not offer their own spa services; this will help to create more awareness about our services. Operations Plan 3.1. Company Location and Facilities Location 1 Development Name: 41 Holland Drive Property Type: Shop / Shophouse Price: S$ 8,000/ month Negotiable Size: 731 sqft / 68 sqm PSF (built-in): S$ 10.94 psf Developer: Housing Development Board Tenure: 99-year Leasehold Lease Term: 2 years The convenience location in the bustling Holland Village vincity, walking distance to 2 Mrt: Bouna Vista Mrt upcoming Holland Village Mrt. Ample carpark space just behind the shop and another multi-storey car park across the street. Upmarket neighbourhood with sophiscated consumers, highly suitable for specialised clinics/education centres/niche retail concept shop/etc. Operation Hours Our business is day spa so the operating hours will be from 9 am to 7 pm. We will run the business all 7 days and during holidays the business will increase because many people have plans to spent time in holidays. In public holidays also our spa will be opened, the staffs will be paid incentives during public holidays. Transportation The transportation facilities in Singapore are easy and economical. Holland Village is usually reached from other parts of Singapore either by bus or taxi, and is linked to Orchard Road via Holland Road. Holland village is nearby to Queensway. 3.2. Products and Services The products we use in our Day Spa are body treatments like body scrub and body scrub, facials and fruit massage. Services Body Scrub Body scrub will remove your dead skin and unveil a smoother more rejuvenated skin with these divinely aromatic scrubs. Your skin will feel refreshed and reborn. Body wrap Our body wrap recipe is made up of a fresh daily blend of ingredients that includes special herbs and oils. The more times you perform a body wrap the faster and better the results. You will be amazed at how soft and healthy your skin will feel and look after. Facials This is a fresh and radiant treatment nourishing you skin. In twenty steps including whether it is: cleansing, deep cleansing, Peeling, Massaging and improving your skin by using mask and specific serum depending on skin type. Nourishing Treatment for Normal Combination Skin. Moisturizing Treatment for Dry Skin. Purifying Treatment for Oily Skin Fruit Massage This Moisturizer provides that lock in the skins own moisture to prevent dryness and cracking, this new formula nourishes dry skin and helps retain moisture giving your skin a softer and smoother feeling like never before. Suppliers The products for our spa are mainly brought from Amber Products. The Amber products are one of the favourite brands for the customers. Amber has been a dedicated partner with spas and salons around the world for 30 years. Their goal is to build awareness of the importance of maintaining health and well-being through spa services. Packages In our Spa the package is very open and allowed guest to choose any product they like not more than 2 things. 3.3. Licenses and Permits to Start a Business in Singapore Compulsory Licenses A compulsory copyright license is an exception to copyright law that is usually philosophically justified as an attempt by the government to correct a market failure. As an exception to copyright, another party can exercise one or more of the copyrights exclusive rights without having to obtain the copyright holders permission (hence compulsory) but will have to pay a licensing fee. Some compulsory licenses protect those who wish to use a work for educational or non-commercial purposes. In cases when it is judged too burdensome for scattered or small-scale buyers and sellers to find one another and negotiate a price, governments sometimes issue a compulsory license for the use so that the relative difficulty of obtaining permission for it does not extinguish it. Intellectual Property legislation in Singapore is pepped with regimes for compulsory licensing. Business Activity License And Permits A business license is a permit or registration required by the federal, state, county, or local government to conduct business. Besides the basic operating permits, business owners should investigate other possible licensing requirements based on their location and industry. Conducting business without the proper licenses and permits may result in penalties, notices, and the inability to operate. 3.4. Legislation and Regulation Due to spa business, company also needs certificates or licenses for each employee to show the credibility. In the pre-opening of our spa, if employees do not have licenses, we would like to pay for them to training section and get the certificate or license. This method gives benefit to both employees and employers. In order to work smoothly, our spa needs to get prove from union that our work place is safe, employees have the proper social security, holiday, salary, wages, and other benefits are enough for their living standard. Operating as the company is a must to pay TAX to the government; however, we cannot be sure how much tax will increase or decrease in the specific period. Management 4.1. Management Team Key Personnel Benny: Managing Director and one of the investors holding 40 % of the share in the investment for the business. He comes from a business family having an amazing business skill and is a PR in Singapore, also has a good knowledge about SPA and Massage as he owns some of the popular Massage shop in other parts of the city. He will only be present for the monthly meetings with the management team and would not be looking after the day to day operations. Raja: Finance Manager and holds 30 % of the investment share in the business. He has a good knowledge of finance as he has done his masters in finance from University of Wales. He will be looking after the cash inflow and outflow, would be preparing the balance sheet and profit and loss statements and would help the management team in taking the financial decisions of the business. Becky: Operational Manager having a sound academic background and holding 20 % of the investment share in the business. She has a good work experience as he is in this industry from the last 10 years. She has worked in some of the best restaurants lounge in the city. He will be having the sole authority of the operations in the workplace. Varun: Marketing Manager having a good work experience. His responsibility is to update the management from time to time with the Spa and lounge industry, watching out the competitors, negotiating and finding reliable suppliers. He will also serve the business as a Receptionist during the day time. Nathan: Floor manager and will look after the inventory supplies and will provide assistance to the operational manager. 4.2. Legal Structure Employment Agreement Employment agreement is also known as employment contract. It is an agreement between an employee and employer that specifies the terms and conditions of employment (Janus Corporate Solutions Pte , n.d.). A violation of one or more of the terms in an employment contract by either an employee or employer is considered breach of contract. Employment agreement will include several important clauses such as: Code of Conduct This Code is a concise outline of the Companys standards of business ethics and conduct (A. T. CROSS COMPANY, n.d.). It deals with various laws and Employee should act honestly and always in the best interests of the employer. Employee should follow all the rules lawfully and proper direction of the employer (ipccc, 2004). The employee must not use any item belong to the employer for their personal use. The employee must not smoke and take any drugs on the workplace. Salary/Wages The Salary will be paid according to the appointment position. The salary must be paid at least once a month within 7 days after the end of the salary period. Overtime pay, if applicable, must be paid within 14 days of the stipulated salary period. This will be paid to the employee by electronic fund transfer. The employer is required to make contributions to the CPF fund. Both employee and employer make monthly contributions to the fund. Hours of Work Employees are entitled to work not more than 44 hours per week (focus singapore, n.d.). The employee may be required to work for additional hours depending on requirements. Employee ordinary daily hours of full time work are not more than eight hours per day. Employees are entitled to take a break for 30 min after working not more than 6 hrs. Public Holidays Employee is entitled to paid day off on public holidays. These are the following public holidays in Singapore. New Years Day, Chinese New Year, Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, National Day, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Hari Raya Haji, and Christmas Day (8Links, n.d.). Annual Leave Employee must have served at least 3 months with the employer for qualifying the leave for 7 days. An  employee is entitled to 14 days of sick leave per year, and 60 days of hospitalization leave provided the employee has worked for at least 6 months for the company (The Law Society of Singapore, n.d.). Employee Benefits Employer offer medical insurance plans that extend to dependants and typically cover personal accident and hospitalization. Company will provide a per-day allowance, transportation allowance or reimbursement of actual expenses while travelling.  The company will sponsor employee training programs and educational courses (The Law Society of Singapore, n.d.). Stock Agreement This agreement is between the supplier and the customer. This agreement is mandatory for all the business. For the spa there must be an agreement between the spa and the supplier of the materials. Stock agreement will include several important clauses such as: The Engagement The spa has appointed the Supplier to supply the goods and the supplier have agreed to supply the Contract Goods for the Customer. And the supplier will be the sole and exclusive provider of the Contract Goods to the Customer. Prices and Payment The spa has agreed to pay the Supplier the prices for the Contract Goods as negotiated. The Supplier must issue a Tax Invoice for the Contract Goods supplied. If for whatever reason the spa does not pay for any Contract Goods when payment becomes due the Supplier may stop the supply until all the dues will be cleared. Suspend supply of the Contract Goods until all outstanding payments have been made. Retention of Title Until the spa has paid the Supplier for the Contract Goods, title in the Contract Goods will not pass to the spa. The spa must keep the Contract Goods insured noting the Suppliers interest therein. The title remains in the Supplier, the Contract Goods will be at the spas risk until they are paid for. Quality of Contract Goods The Contract Goods must comply with all safety standards, codes and applicable legislation. Ordering, Delivery and Packaging All Contract Goods must be ordered by the spa on the Suppliers standard order form or standard method which order form or method the Supplier may from time to time change. Any damage during the transportation will be the suppliers liability. Financial Plan (Detail Balance Sheet) Critical Risks The risk refers to the probability, and magnitude, of downside loss, which could result in bankruptcy. The risk of downside loss is partly derived from the entrepreneurs uncertainties over market demand, technological development, and the actions of competitors (Hisrich, Peters Shepherd, 2008, p477). There are several potential problems for our company in the tourism industry. Firstly, the natural disasters would be our potential risk. For instance, the erupted of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland lead to many flights canceled, as a result of Singapore lost a large number of tourists. Our companys potential customers also would decrease. Other natural disasters effects are the same. During that period, our company should focus on local customers to reduce the losses. Secondly, the economical factors also would be our potential risk. During the economic crisis period, people would not prefer to spend money on spa. It would affect our company directly. In that case, our company should do many promotions to attract people, such as distribute gift certificate and lower prices. Thirdly, the increasing number of competitors would be our companys risk. Singapores population is not large therefore if there are many competitors, the number of our companys potential customers will decrease. On the other hand, our company provides the special spa-fruit spa, which is the first company use this kind of treatment. It means that it would be our competitive advantage. However, other company also can imitate tha

Civil War Study Guide :: essays research papers

1. Alexander Hamilton - He was one of the earliest and most active nationalists, believing that the continental congress needed to be strengthened or overthrown in favor a new, more imposing federal government that could legislate within the states, which the continental congress could not do. Hamilton was the spokesman for an active government, stressing the principle of government "Responsibility", against the Jeffersonian/Madisonian principle of public vigilance and suspicion of government power. Recent scholars have argued that these two philosophies form the thesis-antithesis of the post-revolutionary era—Alexander Hamilton being the figurehead of responsible government. 2. Thomas Jefferson - Jefferson's idea for the United States was that of an agricultural nation of yeoman farmers, in contrast to the vision of Alexander Hamilton, who envisioned a nation of commerce and manufacturing. Jefferson was a great believer in the uniqueness and the potential of the United States and is often classified a forefather of American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism is the idea that the United States and the American people hold a special place in the world, by offering opportunity and hope for humanity, derived from a unique balance of public and private interests governed by constitutional ideals that are focused on personal and economic freedom. 3. Henry Clay – Henry Clay was known as â€Å"Mr. Whig† because he was one of the founders of the party. He was a 3 time presidential loser. In 1824, he advocated high duties to relieve the prevailing economic distress, which he pictured in a brilliant and effective speech. Although they were caused by the reactionary effect of a disordered currency and the inflated prices of the War of 1812, he ascribed the problems to the country's dependence on foreign suppliers and markets. He said that the United Kingdom was a shining example of the wisdom of a high tariff; and no nation ever flourished without one. He closed his principal speech on the subject in the House of Representatives with a glowing appeal in behalf of what he called the "American System."Henry Clay's American System was a plan to strengthen the nation's economy by tying the North, South, and West together. It called for: Federal funding of infrastructure improvements (such as the Erie Canal and a series of highways) funded by a raised tariff on imported goods. Using protective tariffs to encourage development of domestic industry, and Reliance on domestic financial resources. Henry Clay was only twenty-two, when, as an opponent of slavery, he vainly urged an emancipation clause for the new constitution of Kentucky. Civil War Study Guide :: essays research papers 1. Alexander Hamilton - He was one of the earliest and most active nationalists, believing that the continental congress needed to be strengthened or overthrown in favor a new, more imposing federal government that could legislate within the states, which the continental congress could not do. Hamilton was the spokesman for an active government, stressing the principle of government "Responsibility", against the Jeffersonian/Madisonian principle of public vigilance and suspicion of government power. Recent scholars have argued that these two philosophies form the thesis-antithesis of the post-revolutionary era—Alexander Hamilton being the figurehead of responsible government. 2. Thomas Jefferson - Jefferson's idea for the United States was that of an agricultural nation of yeoman farmers, in contrast to the vision of Alexander Hamilton, who envisioned a nation of commerce and manufacturing. Jefferson was a great believer in the uniqueness and the potential of the United States and is often classified a forefather of American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism is the idea that the United States and the American people hold a special place in the world, by offering opportunity and hope for humanity, derived from a unique balance of public and private interests governed by constitutional ideals that are focused on personal and economic freedom. 3. Henry Clay – Henry Clay was known as â€Å"Mr. Whig† because he was one of the founders of the party. He was a 3 time presidential loser. In 1824, he advocated high duties to relieve the prevailing economic distress, which he pictured in a brilliant and effective speech. Although they were caused by the reactionary effect of a disordered currency and the inflated prices of the War of 1812, he ascribed the problems to the country's dependence on foreign suppliers and markets. He said that the United Kingdom was a shining example of the wisdom of a high tariff; and no nation ever flourished without one. He closed his principal speech on the subject in the House of Representatives with a glowing appeal in behalf of what he called the "American System."Henry Clay's American System was a plan to strengthen the nation's economy by tying the North, South, and West together. It called for: Federal funding of infrastructure improvements (such as the Erie Canal and a series of highways) funded by a raised tariff on imported goods. Using protective tariffs to encourage development of domestic industry, and Reliance on domestic financial resources. Henry Clay was only twenty-two, when, as an opponent of slavery, he vainly urged an emancipation clause for the new constitution of Kentucky.

Essay --

This project aims to demonstrate how multi-disciplinary coordination use in BIM can benefit the AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) industry. It focuses on BIM applications for effective design analysis, productive design and coordination. BIM offers most advantages early during the design stage. Design validation co-ordination and scheduling are some of early tasks in construction. By using the data information from the design stage 3D BIM or by generating a new BIM model based on 2D design intent and specification documents, the team can start early in validating design intent constructability by performing clash detections, 3D coordination and visualization of different discipline, and by 4D modelling or construction sequencing simulation. This early task in construction is both beneficial for early construction planning and also during the construction proper stage itself. This report is to show the qualities of BIM and the influence it will have on the quantity surveying profession, through the opportunities and barriers that it brings forth, and the changes to be made and measures to be taken by quantity surveyors, in order to successfully incorporate BIM into the quantity surveying profession. 2. INTRODUCTION This assignment showcases the typical set of BIM processes from the creation of a conceptual design to tender stage. The key intention of the project assignment was set to illustrate the benefits in the Design & Planning phases of a typical construction development, with the implementation of BIM technologies and processes. The deliverable of this report is to highlight the benefits in the proper implementation of BIM into the early stages of a building lifecycle 2.1. Project Background Project L... ...onstruction. 4D Modelling is a modern approach to design and management of the building construction process. It allows effective utilization of critical resources such as labour, materials and time during the building construction life cycle. Construction projects are scheduled according to the availability of resources and depend on many external factors. As time progresses these parameters also change and hence it is important to keep a check on important activities to finish the project without any significant delays. The popular 3D building information model does not help in establishing the relationship between the schedule and sequence of construction activities to be carried out during the project execution. A 4D model incorporates time as the added 4th dimension and hence improves the quality and accuracy of the entire building life cycle management.

A summary of Literature Review of the Health Effects of Obesity

Heslehurst et al (2008), in a study about complications of obesity, sought to determine the effect of maternal BMI status on outcomes of pregnancy with immediate short-term obstetric resource implications.The study was a meta-analysis study that aimed to investigate the relationships between maternal obesity and its impact on obstetric care. Literature concerning cohort studies of pregnant mothers was searched. The pregnant women under study were required to have their anthropometric measurements taken within sixteen weeks gestation, followed up during pregnancy with at least 1 obese and 1 group for comparison.The meta-analysis showed that maternal obesity was significantly related to increased odds of instrumental and caesarian deliveries, hemorrhages, infections, longer hospital stay and increased requirement for neonatal care. Maternal obesity had a significant contribution to poor prognosis for mother and baby when delivering and immediately during the post-partum period.The Nati onal clinical for managing obese pregnant women and public health should urgently therefore come up with interventions to address health of mothers and their babies.Study 2Sullivan et al (2008) sought to investigate the effect of obesity on diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipedemia. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) for 2000 and 2002 was used to estimate the impact of health on people with hyperlipedemia, diabetes and hypertension.Multivariate regression methods for controlling variables such as age, race, sex, ethnicity, education, insurance, income, smoking status, proxy response and morbidity were used.   Instruments used in the study include SF-12 physical component scale (PCS-12), mental component scale (MCS-12), visual analogue scale (VAS) and EQ-5D index. The least absolute deviation that was censored was used to for the VAS and EQ-5D while the ordinary least squares (OLS) were employed for the PCS-12 and MCS-12.It was concluded that, obesity significantly aggrava tes the association between diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipedemia and health function, health perception in United States.Merten et al (2008) undertook a study to investigate racial and gender differences in adolescent and young adult psychosocial outcomes. Sample size used was 7,881 African American (915 males and 1,073 females) and white (2864 males and 3029 females) adolescents. The study was basically concerned with examinations of psychosocial consequences that are encountered by obese adolescents.Results of the study showed that obesity in females is associated with lower status when one attains young adulthood. The obese females also tend to be depressive than normal weight females. However, obesity status does not affect the psychosocial outcomes in young adult males. There was no evidence to indicate an interaction between obesity and race.ConclusionObesity in individuals leads to both psychological and physiological consequences. Obesity in pregnant women causes various c omplications which include hemorrhages, neonatal trauma, caesarian and instrumental deliveries among others. Obesity in teenagers leads to low self esteem especially in girls. At the same time obesity exacerbates hyperlipedemia, diabetes and hypertension in individuals suffering from these conditions.ReferencesWang, F and Veugelers, P.J (2008). Self-esteem and cognitive development in the era of the childhood obesity epidemic. Obesity Reviews. 9(6): 615-623Qi et al (2008). Gene-environment interaction and obesity. Nutrition Reviews. 66(12):684- 694.Heslehurst et al (2008). The impact of maternal BMI status on pregnancy outcomes with immediate short-term obstetric resource implications: a meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 9(6): 635-683.Sullivan et al (2008). The impact of obesity on diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension in the United States, Quality of Life Research 17(8):1063-1071Merten et al (2008). Adolescent Obesity and Young Adult Psychosocial Outcomes: Gender and Racial Diffe rences, Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 37(9):1111-1122. Other Sources for Literature Review of health effects of obesity

Research paper about the effects of divorce on children Essay

â€Å"Only acts of war and the events of natural disasters are more harmful to a child’s psyche than the divorce process.† The Newsletter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1997 Prior to 1985, divorce was hard to obtain in Canada. However, with the passage of the Divorce Act of 1985, which allowed divorce after one year’s separation, the divorce rate reached an all time high of 3.55 (per 1,000) in 1987 (Campbell, 2000). In 2000, Canada’s population reached 30.7 million. 1.4 million people had divorced as opposed to 14.6 million who remained married (Canadian Stats, 2001). The Canadian divorce rate is 2.46 (per 1000) with an average of 73,000 divorces per year (Campbell, 2000). Research indicates that divorce is a painful transition in the lives of all involved, especially children. Their wounds become more painful and troublesome over time. The impact of divorce steadily increases over the first three decades of children’s lives (Children & Divorce, 2001). And, although the effects of divorce do not necessarily secure the failure of these children as adults, they do make the challenges of growing up even more difficult than they already are. Divorce affects boys and girls in different ways. Adolescent males often become more aggressive and destructive, while females initially cope well (Wendel, 1997) However, in young adulthood, they develop problems. This is known as the â€Å"sleeper effect† (Wendel, 1997). When children of divorce reach their twenties and begin to engage in relationships of their own, some become afraid that they will repeat the failure of their parents (Wendel, 1997). Others develop a distrust of relationships, fearing they will be the ones abandoned or betrayed by their spouse (Wendel, 1997). Moreover, these children tend to get more caught in the cycle of drug and alcohol abuse, become sexually active at a young age, lack academic competence, have difficulty forming romantic relationships later in life, and lastly, feel a deep sense of abandonment and loneliness (Children, 2001). In nearly all cases of divorce, one parent is forced to relocate. This can be a harmful experience for children as they leave behind friends and a  familiar environment. Relocating often leaves the youth lonely and isolated (Children, 2001). Making new friends and adjusting to a new environment is obviously a difficult task, especially when one must cope with a new domestic situation All in all, divorce may have a lasting impact on children as it can cause them several adjustment problems. Research seems to indicate that there is: a higher incidence of adjustment problems among children of divorce compared with those of intact families; a relationship between marital status, predivorce parenting practices, and children’s adjustment to divorce; and, lastly, a variety of different effects of divorce on the adjustment and interpersonal problems of children As children grow older, they will come to terms with the fact that divorce is an adult decision over which they have no control over. Their visions of the traditional nuclear family begin to slowly fade and disappear in early adulthood. In nearly all cases, acceptance is a slow and steady process which requires rational and caring communication between both parents (Wendel, 1997). There is a higher incidence of adjustment problems among children of divorce compared with children in two-parent families (Simons, Lin, Gordon, Conger, Lorenz, 1999). The differences can be explained by loss of family income, parental conflict, psychological adjustment and parenting practices of the custodial parent, and the level of involvement of the noncustodial parent (Simons et al., 1999). Parental divorce increases the chances that a child will have difficulty with school, engage in early sex, suffer depression, commit delinquent acts, and use illicit substances (Simons et al., 1999). Adults who experienced parental divorce as children have poor psychological adjustment, lower socioeconomic attainment, and greater marital instability than adults reared in a nuclear family (Simons et al., 1999). The impact of reduced family income on the adjustment of children of divorce  (COD) may be expressed indirectly through its negative effect on the emotional well-being and quality of parenting of the custodial parent (Simons et al., 1999). The quality of the mother’s parenting mediates much of the association between divorce and child adjustment problems (Simons et al., 1999). This finding holds for both boys and girls. Parental depression and ineffective parenting explain a big portion of the correlation between divorce and internalizing (emotional stress) and externalizing problems (aggressive, delinquent behaviour) (Simons et al., 1999). Marital conflict operates to disrupt quality of parenting, which in turn increases the child’s risk for internal and external problems (Simons et al., 1999). The association between divorce and boy’s externalizing problems can be explained by the quality of the mother’s parenting and of the father’s involvement in parenting (Simons et al., 1999). On the other hand, there are three factors that serve to increase the probability that boys will experience internalizing problems: predivorce parental conflict, mother’s depression, and low quality parenting (Simons et al., 1999). Boys with divorced parents tend to be more depressed than those from two-parent families regardless of the psychological adjustment, level of conflict, or quality of parenting manifested by their parents (Simons et al., 1999). Parental divorce has been shown to be more emotionally disturbing to boys than to girls. Boys continue to show higher rates of depression than boys in nuclear families even when their mothers show positive psychological adjustment and engage in competent parenting (Simons et al., 1999). Compared with fathers in nuclear families, nonresidential fathers are less likely to help their children solve problems, to discuss standards of conduct, or to enforce discipline (Simons et al., 1999). This finding suggests that a divorced father who remains actively involved as a parent may significantly reduce his son’s chances of conduct problems. The quality of the father’s parenting does not mediate the association between parental divorce and girl’s antisocial behaviour (Simons et al.,  1999). Divorce elevates a girl’s risk for depression because it increases the chances that her mother will become depressed, which in turn reduces the quality of her parenting (Simons et al., 1999). Besides quality of mother’s parenting, postdivorce parental conflict serves to mediate the association between divorce and delinquency by girls. Girls appear to respond with less distress than boys and are at no greater risk for depression than girls living in nuclear families if their mothers are able to avoid depression and engage in competent parenting after divorce (Simons et al., 1999). Even after controlling for quality of parenting, predivorce conflict increases the chances of depression in boys whereas postdivorce conflict elevates a girl’s risk for conduct problems. Research findings conclude that the threat of parental loss, rather than parental conflict, may be what is disturbing to a child (Simons et al., 1999). Also, COD are at risk for adjustment problems because their parents are less likely to engage in competent parenting and are more likely to engage in parental conflict than parents who are married to each other (Simons et al., 1999). There is a relationship between marital status, predivorce parenting practices, and children’s adjustment to divorce (Shaw, Emery, Tuer, 1993). Prospective relations of parenting practices indicate that parents of to-be-divorced families with sons show less concern, and higher levels of rejection, economic stress, and parental conflict prior to divorce in comparison to intact families (Shaw et al., 1993). There are no behavioural differences for boys and girls in to-be-divorced versus intact families, but boys tend to have more problems after divorce (Shaw et al., 1993). The difficulties found among boys after divorce may be linked with parenting problems that begin before divorce (Shaw et al., 1993). Both prior to and following divorce, girls from divorced families show fewer consistent differences in terms of psychological adjustment than girls from always-married families (Shaw et al., 1993). Conversely, boys show an increase in problems following the divorce. Their greater vulnerability following divorce is attributed to a host of parental factors following the  parental separation: greater and longer exposure to domestic quarrels; more inconsistency, use of negative sanctions, and opposition from parents; less attendance to son’s needs and less positive parental support (Shaw et al., 1993). For boys, the proportion of variance in behaviour problems explained by divorce falls to a level where differences are no longer significant (Shaw et al., 1993). For girls, predivorce conditions account for variance in their adjustment following divorce (Shaw et al., 1993). Divorce is still significant for them once predivorce behavioural adjustment is taken into account (Shaw et al., 1993). Girls from divorced families may cope with later stressors more successfully, and thereby show a better adjustment in young adulthood, because their divorce experience is of a more controlled nature (Shaw et al., 1993). Boys may respond less favourably because of their increased vulnerability to stress in general, but also because the initial impact of divorce involves a less controlled exposure to stress (Shaw et al., 1993). For most boys, divorce is also associated with the loss of daily contact with the same-sex parent. Though the father’s departure may provide relief from witnessing parental disputes, it comes at the price of losing daily contact with the father (Shaw et al., 1993). Boys who live with mothers following the divorce are at an increased risk for later behaviour difficulties in comparison to boys in father-custody homes (Shaw et al., 1993). Parental conflict, rejection, and a lack of parental concern play a role in differentiating the home environments of boys from to-be-divorced and always-married families (Shaw et al., 1993). Parenting differences in the predivorce home are related to divorced boys’ subsequent greater level of adaption difficulty in young adulthood (Shaw et al., 1993). Lastly, boys from to-be-divorced families come from family environments characterized by greater rejection, economic stress, and less concern than boys from intact families, and, as a result, these same boys have more adjustment problems after the divorce (Shaw et al., 1993). To summarize, relations between predivorce parenting problems and difficulties in children adjustment are  stronger for boys than for girls. There are a variety of different effects of divorce on the adjustment and interpersonal problems of children (Pruett & Pruett, 1999; Bolgar, Zweig, Paris, 1995; Radovanovic, 1993). One effect of divorce is caused by the fact that young children are egocentric. Therefore, they may attribute blame for parental conflict to themselves, resulting in feelings of guilt and low self-esteem (Pruett et al., 1999). For this reason, children from high-conflict families may not learn the social skills (such as negotiation and compromise) necessary to ensure rewarding relationships in childhood and adulthood (Pruett et al., 1999). Another effect of divorce is youth leaving home early to escape from an aversive home environment (Pruett et al., 1999). This pattern may involve curtailing educational plans; it may also involve marriage at an early age to an inappropriate partner, resulting in poor marital quality and an elevated risk of divorce (Pruett et al., 1999). COD suffer problems with control. Since COD have no power to stop their parents from divorcing, a need is created to control relationships which lasts into young adulthood (Bolgar et al., 1995). The need to control extends to non-intimate relationships, such as authority figures. Therefore, COD have difficulties getting along with authority (Bolgar et al., 1995). Adults who experience parental divorce as children, compared with adults raised in intact two-parent homes, have greater psychological problems, lower socio-economic attainment, poorer quality marital relationships, and an increased propensity to divorce (Pruett et al., 1999). High levels of interparental, verbal and physical aggression characterize exchanges between ex-spouses and exert a negative impact on children’s adjustment. Consequently, there is a negative impact of interparental conflict on children’s behaviour and emotional functioning (Radovanovic, 1993). High levels of parental discord are associated with interpersonal problems for young adults (Bolgar et al., 1995). Other antecedents  associated with interpersonal problems are: the mother never remarrying, the mother remarrying more than once, high preseparation parent hostility, and high levels of maternal interference in the relationship of the child with the other parent after the separation (Bolgar et al., 1995). High levels of preseparation parental hostility are associated with young adults’ greater sense of being too controlling in their interpersonal relationships (Bolgar et al., 1995). High or moderate levels of maternal interference in the child’s relationship with the father after separation are associated with greater problems with intimacy (Bolgar et al., 1995). Research findings conclude that in high-conflict families, children have less adjustment problems if their parents divorce (Pruett et al., 1999). Conversely, in low-conflict families, children have less problems if their parents stay together (Pruett et al., 1999). Lastly, children who share a warm, supportive relationship with an emotionally well-adjusted custodial parent practicing fair and firm parenting are likely to do well, despite the presence of interparental conflict (Radovanovic, 1993). Parents need to work together. By doing so, they reduce the anxiety that children experience through their parent’s divorce. No matter how harsh the relationship between ex-spouses, if the two parties work together, the relationship with their child will be a successful one. In conclusion, I think this essay has proven that divorce has a lasting impact on children as it causes them several adjustment problems. Research indicates that there is: a higher incidence of adjustment problems among children of divorce compared with those of intact families; a relationship between marital status, predivorce parenting practices, and children’s adjustment to divorce; and, lastly, a variety of different effects of divorce on the adjustment and interpersonal problems of children. The adjustment problems that COD face compared to those in intact families shows that even after controlling for quality of parenting, predivorce  conflict increases the chances of depression in boys, whereas postdivorce conflict elevates a girl’s risk for conduct problems. Also, COD are at risk for adjustment problems because their parents are less likely to engage in competent parenting and are more likely to engage in parental conflict than parents who are married to each other (Simons et al., 1999). The relationship between marital status, predivorce parenting practices, and children’s adjustment to divorce shows that both prior to and following divorce, girls from divorced families show fewer consistent differences in terms of psychological adjustment than girls from intact families (Shaw et al., 1993). Conversely, boys show an increase in problems following divorce. Their greater vulnerability following divorce is credited to: greater exposure to domestic quarrels; less attendance to son’s needs, and less positive parental support (Shaw et al., 1993). Lastly, a variety of different effects of divorce on the adjustment and interpersonal problems of children shows that high levels of interparental aggression characterize exchanges between ex-spouses and exert a negative impact on children’s adjustment. Consequently, there is a negative impact of interparental conflict on children’s behaviour and emotional functioning (Radovanovic, 1993). Areas of future research: the relationships between the childhood and divorce experiences; the functioning of children of divorce in later adult roles of spouse, parent, and worker; extension of prospective research on children from divorced families to include the investigation of family environment, as well as child adjustment; giving greater attention to what is happening in the family prior to divorce; clarifying the connections between interparental conflict, divorce, and parent-child relationships; defining the processes by which stress, social networks, and coping affect children’s adjustment after parental divorce. The many problems divorce causes children, such as increased adjustment and interpersonal problems, all can be prevented, or at least minimized. We need to find ways that lessen the impact of divorce for children and teach  parents how their divorce causes long-term harm to their children. Preventing destructive forms of parental conflict and promoting a healthy co-parenting relationship are potentially effective means of reducing children’s risk for many of the negative outcomes associated with parental divorce (Shifflett, Cummings, 1999). Things that parents can do to minimize the impact of divorce on children: build their children’s social skills; find a support network; stay, if possible, in the same community as the non-residential parent; disengage if conflict arises; stay optimistic; (Kalter, 1987). Things that children can do to minimize the impact of divorce: keep a resilient temperament; have good social skills – empathy, sense of humour, interpersonal awareness; have a support network of friends and relatives; success at school helps; a supportive relationship with just one parent can minimize the impact of a difficult relationship with the other parent; economic stability is helpful (Kalter, 1987). Children of divorce need to understand that divorce is an issue between two adults, and although the divorce will affect the children, they must understand that they are not the cause of it. The negative impact of divorce is so strong that children of divorced parents struggle as adults to create a positive, healthy family environment for their own children. All too often, adults who experienced divorce as children prove less capable of breaking the cycle and instead pass on a legacy of tragedy to their children and their children’s children (Fagan, 2000).