Free Essays on Visual Perception

Visual Perception - The function of Neural fatigue in interpreting an ambiguous figure. Neuro Psychologists around the world have taken much interest in the field of visual perception. These psychologists have conducted many experiments and formed their own theories as to what they perceive are the processes and brain mechanisms involved in visual perception and further, how these processes and brain mechanisms work and interact together. According to Sutherland (1983), visual perception can be identified as the ability to judge distance and depth, to see movement, to recognize objects when seeing them at different distances or from different points of view, and to construct a model in our heads of the world around us. Research has found that when we create visual imagery in our minds, both top-down and bottom-up processing is equally important to the process. According to Posner and Marcus (1997), bottom-up processing can be defined as those processes driven automatically by a person, over which we may have no control; Barinaga (1997) states that an example of this is the brain's involuntary mechanisms for resolving competition between conflicting interpretations of information it receives. Posner and Marcus define top-down processing as being those processes generated internally by the person, Barinaga (1997) states that an example of this is someone making the choice to focus their attention on searching for a yellow book on a shelf. To understand more fully how the combined contributions of both top-down processing and bottom-up processing interact, Grabowecky, Robertson and Treisman (1993) conducted an experiment into how people can effectively search for a specific chosen visual target! amongst an array of other visual stimuluses (the distracters). This exercise resembled the task of one looking for a familiar face in a photograph of a crowd. In this particular experiment the crowd was resembled using a combination of blu... Free Essays on Visual Perception Free Essays on Visual Perception Visual Perception - The function of Neural fatigue in interpreting an ambiguous figure. Neuro Psychologists around the world have taken much interest in the field of visual perception. These psychologists have conducted many experiments and formed their own theories as to what they perceive are the processes and brain mechanisms involved in visual perception and further, how these processes and brain mechanisms work and interact together. According to Sutherland (1983), visual perception can be identified as the ability to judge distance and depth, to see movement, to recognize objects when seeing them at different distances or from different points of view, and to construct a model in our heads of the world around us. Research has found that when we create visual imagery in our minds, both top-down and bottom-up processing is equally important to the process. According to Posner and Marcus (1997), bottom-up processing can be defined as those processes driven automatically by a person, over which we may have no control; Barinaga (1997) states that an example of this is the brain's involuntary mechanisms for resolving competition between conflicting interpretations of information it receives. Posner and Marcus define top-down processing as being those processes generated internally by the person, Barinaga (1997) states that an example of this is someone making the choice to focus their attention on searching for a yellow book on a shelf. To understand more fully how the combined contributions of both top-down processing and bottom-up processing interact, Grabowecky, Robertson and Treisman (1993) conducted an experiment into how people can effectively search for a specific chosen visual target! amongst an array of other visual stimuluses (the distracters). This exercise resembled the task of one looking for a familiar face in a photograph of a crowd. In this particular experiment the crowd was resembled using a combination of blu...

PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer

PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer By Colin If you’ve never experienced the horror of a computer screen turning stark blue and displaying garbled characters while you are working on it, then lucky you. My advice is to never take things for granted. Computers have a nasty habit of hiding their internal illnesses until it’s too late, by telling you one thing when they mean another, or by playing tricks on your mind. If, however, you have experienced this scenario, you won’t need me to remind you of the blood curdling scream that came from your throat, or the moment of rapid pleading with a metal box, or the red mist of anger that followed very soon after. You’ll already know what it’s like to have your PC, something you came to think of as a friend, get up and desert you just like that. It’s every writer’s worst nightmare. But it is avoidable. Here are a few tips to help keep your PC in tip-top shape, and to spot those all important warning signs that not everything is as it should be. Only Install What You Need Don’t install software you will probably never use. It only takes up room, and makes unnecessary entries into the computer’s registry, which over time, slows it down considerably. When you do install software, always keep a copy of the installation executable, and always keep this updated at regular intervals. If you ever find you have to start again and rebuild your PC, or even get a new one, you will be able to get back to where you were relatively easily. Make a regular point of going through the installed programs list in the Control Panel and removing what you rarely use. Hard Drive Maintenance Your PC comes with a disk defragmenter and surface scanner – use them regularly. The disk defragmenter will reorganize the data on your hard drive, to ensure faulty sectors are either repaired or removed. This process also optimizes your system to run software faster. The surface scanner checks for physical errors that can then be repaired, or give you warning that something more serious might be on the cards, and that action should be taken. Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Updated There’s a multitude of subscription and free anti-virus software products on the market, so the modern freelance writer can have no reason for not having some form or protection on his PC. Scan For Malware And Adware Regularly Along with anti virus software, these utilities keep your system free from the full spectrum of ware’isms, to the risk of data theft. There are several free products available in the Internet that do this job wonderfully, which no serious freelance writer should be without. Remove All Crap CCleaner is a highly recommended tool to remove the crap that builds up in a PC over time. It quickly and easily rids your machine of unwanted cookies, temporary files, logs, and installation garbage, clearing up space, and ensuring integrity. CCleaner is also excellent at keeping your system registry in tip-top shape, by scanning for obsolete entries, missing links and files, and removing them after taking a backup. Keep Regular Backups Perhaps the most important thing a writer can, and should, do regularly. If you take nothing else from this article, you should at least take heed of this section, the importance of which cannot be stressed enough. Should you lose your PC to internal failure, you can always buy another one. But if that failure means the loss of the directory called â€Å"All My Writing,† and you have taken no backups, your life is over. There’s no excuse for not backing up regularly. Once per month is not enough – it should be done at least once per week minimum, and daily if you have works in progress. Whether you back the whole lot up onto a DVD in one go, or do it file by file because your system still uses 4.5† floppy disks DO IT! You will never forgive yourself if the worst happens. Watch for Warning Signs PCs often give off subtle warnings that a failure is impending, so it would be useful to be able to recognize them. Should you spot any of the following, take immediate backups of everything, and start running checks. At Boot Up Watch for any difference in the start-up messages as your PC boots up, such as hardware not being located, registry information missing, control, or system file errors, etc. Listen for strange noises coming from the hard drive as it gets going. Squeaks, groans, or moans can indicate something is wrong. Keep an eye on the boot-up time. Is it getting slower or does it appear to be struggling? If so, do a back up and run your checks. While In Use Have you noticed applications taking a while to load up, or when in use, are they running slower, hanging for no reason, or closing down unexpectedly? Don’t leave it until it dies before doing something about it. Does your hard drive go through periods of seemingly intense use when nothing is happening? Watch the CPU and make sure it’s not being over-used – a larger issue could be unfolding. At Shutdown Does the machine take a while to shut down? Does it hang while closing down, leaving you to pull the plug to shut it down for the night? Are there any spurious messages on the screen? Any of these things could indicate there is a problem. The rule of thumb if you spot a potential problem is to take a backup, then get it checked out. When To Do All Of This Daily – Incremental backups on all WIPs, checks on PC running stability. Weekly – AV quick scan, ad/malware quick scan, crap clean, full backup of all data. Monthly – AV deep scan, ad/malware deep scan, full backup of the entire system (data and applications). Staying on top of your PC’s integrity can save a freelance writer much embarrassment, time, and money – even his career. Don’t be a fool and fall into the â€Å"it will never happen to me† trap, because when you start thinking like that, the chances are you’re next. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money40 Fish Idioms7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Politics and Policy Reform In The US Research Paper

Politics and Policy Reform In The US - Research Paper Example During the Golden age, America was faced with the difficulties caused by increased industrialization and urbanization. The challenges prompted the government and political leader to advocate policies to control the emerging big businesses and the welfare of the general public. The federal income tax policy was passed during this time. Moreover, the outcry of the populist reform agenda ensured that senators were directly elected by the people to represent the government of the state in legislation and other national policies. These policies were driven by a progressive movement who late formed a political party in 1912 (Rutgers, 2014). However, the policies have the support from both the Republicans and the Democrats. President Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, as well as William Howard, argued that they were Progressives. Policy issues have been emanating from the public and unto the politics. The group of writer’s journalist referred to as the muckrakers were responsible for noticing the failure of the American society in early 1900. They build public awareness of the need for change to avert the emergence of a crisis. For example, The Shame of the Cities written by Steffens’ attached the corruption in the municipal councils. Moreover, History of the Standard Oil Company exposed the malpractices of John Rockefeller’s (Rutgers, 2014). These issues raised by public entities formed the basis of a major political appointee to the office of the President (Rutgers, 2014). The history of health care reform date back to late 1800 until the passage of the recent health Acts by the Senate. It has been over a century for the establishment of a government universal health care (Palmer, 1999). An earlier political leader had argued that they were on the roadmap to success, but they ended up failing during a vote in Congress.  

Steve Wozniak (Co-Fonder of Apple) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Steve Wozniak (Co-Fonder of Apple) - Essay Example Wozniak’s father played an important role in his early life to help him gain an interest in electronics. He used to get his son electronic equipments so that he could learn on his own. He gifted Wozniak a radio kit at the age of seven and a heavy electronics kit the next year. Wozniak used to experiment on the equipments and learnt from those experiences. He used to buy pieces from the market and tried making his own electronic accessories. Every time he succeeded in making one, he would try again to make it but with the use of fewer accessories. The books never really appealed to him but still he was well ahead of his classmates and was able to build a computer in his 6th grade that could play tic-tac toe. When he turned fourteen, he made a fully fledged computing device which could do binary additions and subtractions, for which he also received an award. In his own words, "It was all self-done; I didn't ever take a course, didn't ever buy a book on how to do it. Just pieced it together in my own head."(Wozniak & Smith, 2006) By the time he was enrolled in college he was expert enough to design and build functional computers. One of his early inventions was the ‘blue box’ which he created to make long distance phone calls for free. Although this was illegal, it showed Wozniak’s talent in the use of electronic circuitry. He applied to Caltech University for higher education but his application was rejected. He joined the University of Colorado in the year 1968 to pursue engineering major but transferred to the University of Berkeley for his sophomore year. The theoretical study in his university courses never really appealed to him. He was more interested in the practical work and that is why he decided to drop out of university after his junior year (Cantlay). In 1975 the only concept of personal computers was that they were available in kit form and had to be properly assembled in a big box which contained a lot of switches and wir es. The first ever personal computer kit commercially available was known as the Altair 8800 which could only do limited tasks even after being properly assembled. The amount of work required was tedious and did not always end in the correct way. Wozniak decided to build a personal computer for himself because he was unable to afford an Altair 8800. His idea behind a personal computer was that it should be user-friendly and could do more tasks like calculation and load video games. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were intent on taking the personal computers to general public. They founded the apple Company and decided to promote their first product under its name. Wozniak pioneered the company’s first personal computer device and named it Apple I. The Apple Company brought about a major breakthrough in the computer industry by making the personal computers available to millions of people worldwide. The computers that were previously available in the market were not user friendly and mostly had to be bought in different parts and assembled at home. Wozniak was thinking ahead of the time and he planned on building computers that could also have a video display. The big companies like Hewlett Packard and IBM was skeptic on the idea of using microprocessors for computers and the prospect of success did not seem very bright for Job and Wozniak’s newfound Company. (Kendall, 2000).  Wozniak and Jobs sold off some of their personal belongings in order to pool in money for the equipments needed to build the computer. The first Apple I was built in a garage

Risk Assessment: Putting a Price on Human Life Essay -- Essays Papers

Risk Assessment: Putting a Price on Human Life Thesis: In the area of risk assessment society struggles, sometimes irrationally, with the value of human life, hoping someday to reach a reasonable balance between cost and effect of saving lives. From the day that each person is born, there is only one fate that everybody can be sure of: some day s/he is going to die. No one can know exactly how or when that is going to happen. Unlike the certainty of death, no one can predict if that newly born individual seeing the outside world for the first time is going to be rich, pretty or happy. Nobody can say if that person is going to get married some day and raise children. The only conclusion that all can reach with absolute assurance is that this child is predestined, like all living creatures in this world, to die some day. In spite of the inevitability of death, it is amazing to see how hard society and individuals try to avoid this unavoidable destiny. Life is customarily considered of utmost value for every one. But at the same time people put their lives in danger each day, actually, several times a day. From the time one gets up in the morning and turns on the light, s/he is exposed to the risk of electrocution that claims 500 lives each year in the U.S. alone (Wilson, 1979). Taking a shower in the morning brings the risk of a fall and cranial trauma that is responsible for five of each 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year (Viscusi, Vernon and Harrington 1992). The breakfast in the U.S. commonly sets unhealthful food on the table, rich in fat or sodium both elements responsible for a large amount of heart disease, the number one cause of death in the world. Driving to work, taking a bus or riding a bicycle all contain ri... ...ce:your Money Or Your Life?" Reply. {Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes} Sep. 1997: 355-73. Pearce, Fred. "Global Row over Value of Human Life." {New Scientist} 19 Aug. 1995: 7. Radford, Tim. "Juggling Life's Comical Odds." {The Guardian} 12 Aug. 1995: 14-15. Singer, Marcos. {Decisiones Estrategicas Y Teoria De Juegos}. Santiago: Universidad Catolica, 1998. Viscusi, W., J. Vernon, and J. Harrington. {Economics of Regulation and Antitrust}. 2nd ed. Cambridge, Massachussetts: The MIT Press, 1995. Wang, X. T. "Framing Effects:dynamics and Task Domains." {Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Process} Nov. 1996: 145-57. Wilson, Richard. "Analyzing the Daily Risk of Life." {Technology Review} Feb. 1979: 41-46. Wilson, Richard, and E. A. C. Crouch. "Risk Assessment and Comparison: An Introduction." {Science} 17 Apr. 1987: 267-70.

Terminal Illness Impact on Family Functioning and Bowenian Therapy

Terminal Illness Impact on Family Functioning and Bowenian Therapy Abstract This paper will discuss the adjustments that accompany terminal illness within a family setting. The methods that are applied in the theory of choice will be explored as to whether the treatment is appropriate for this type of tragedy. The compatibility of this theory and this issue will be explored when dealing with the family unit. Terminal Illness Impact and Bowenian Therapy A family is two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. (Barker, 1999. p. 55). Families create patterns that are passed on from grandparents to parents and from parents to children. These become the traditions and part of the value systems that are instilled in the lives of all that are involved. Murray Bowen developed his views of theory pertaining to family systems theory. His view is a theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. (www. thebowencenter. org/pages/theory. html). His perspective of the family as a whole having an impact on each individual family member was also shared by many of his colleagues.The objective was to work with the family to understand that unresolved conflict with our original families is the most important unfinished business of our lives. He started out working with mother and child, and then he added fathers to the equation. (Nicholas & Schwartz. 2009, p. 138). The interactions between family members generate how a crisis is handled. If a family is close knit, it may be a considered a sign of weakness to let outsiders know how they are feeling or if there is a problem within the family.Generation to generation brings an aspect to the next generation about how a matter such as terminal illness is handled. The emotional interdependence presumably evolved to promote the cohesive ness and cooperation families require to protect, shelter, and feed their members. (www. thebowencenter. org/pages/theory. html). Older family members such as great grandparents may come from an era that believed in privacy or the cultures may consider this type of problem a bad omen. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but maybe not a good one either. Stress causes may reactions in many different ways.According to Bowen, the family is viewed as an emotional unit and uses system thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. (www. thebowencenter. org/pages/theory. html). A family has a specific purpose for everyone included. It gives a sense of familiar, a sense of completeness, and a sense of belonging. Attachment to the family member that is sick is ultimate for the entire family. The bond sometimes becomes more of an issue than the actual stress of the patient having a terminal illness. Terminal illness and death, however, would appear to be the ultimate way to resol ve the attachment bond. Clair, 2000, p. 512). Terminal illness is an infection or disease which is considered ultimately fatal or incurable. It can go undetected, patients cannot afford proper care, or the illness is virulent enough that it will resist medical intervention. (www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-terminal-illness. htm). Terminal illness impacts the entire family. The family consists of more than just parents and children. Grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles make up family as well. There are people who become part of a family through interactions throughout people’s lives.Friends can be just as much a part of the family as the biological members. Some people have better relationships with outside people than those who are born to them. Some parts of the family may not fit as well as others because even though a family is considered a functioning unit, all parts do not always work. When there is anxiety or stress within the family, the individual members show h ow they can function on their own. Differentiation of self from the family of origin is defined as the ability to function autonomously as an individual without being emotionally dependent upon or attached to the family process. Murdock & Gore, 2004, p. 319). Behind closed doors families have an order of rank. There is an order that an individual serves in the community, but the family is the most important role someone can have. The individual that has the strongest backbone so to speak is usually the person higher up the rank chain. This person is usually the tradition carrier. This is usually the one who has the ability to keep the family functioning in time of stress. The responsibility that accompanies being a family member may be more than some people can handle.When a serious illness is an issue that families deals with every day, somehow there will be problems. If there is an imbalance between togetherness and separation forces in the family system, anxiety is experienced wi thin the individual. (Ecke, Chope, & Emmelkamp. (2006), p. 84). Stress is any influence that interferes with the normal functioning of an organism and produces some internal strain or tension. (Barker, 2003. p. 420). Discovering that a tragedy of this type is a problem within any family is not a good thing, yet sometimes it takes a crisis to fix what is wrong.Stress contributes to the way an individual’s life will function. When a family is going through a traumatic event, the functioning of the individual is not what is thought about. The fact that someone that is loved is going through a hard time is a major factor. It is not a time to think about other members of the family, it is centered on the person who is sick. Most families put the differences aside so that the issue at hand can be dealt with. Bowen viewed that the two forces: togetherness and individuality centered on the two counterbalancing each other. (Nichols & Schwartz. 009. P. 140). If a family member has an u nresolved issue of some sort with other family members, then how can it be expected for the family to function in a time of distress? Resolving an emotional attachment to the family is what this theory says must take place in order for the functioning to work. As adults we are expected to fulfill certain roles and positions. As productive aspects of the community as well as within the family as a participating member, this must be accomplished. It reflects back to the upbringing and the culture that a person comes from.When a family is not able to function as a whole unit, stress can be a good thing because it gives the family a common goal in which to work towards fixing together. Terminal illness can be a surprise as well as an expected occurrence. It can cause strain on a family emotionally, financially, and physically. Dealing with grief and loss, may make the family feel as if they are on a roller coaster ride. The ability of a family’s survival is a part of the foundati on on which the family is built. Illness can last for short periods of time as well as for extended periods.Every member of a family handles situations differently. According to Kubler-Ross, grief has stages that a person goes through. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance is the order in which a person is suppose to grieve, but it may not necessarily work out that way. (Zastraw & Kirst-Ashman, 2007. p. 566). Some stages may be skipped or some may not be gone through at all. The ability to pass from one stage to the next is how the family system functions is an aspect of Bowen’s theory. In Bowen’s theory, the stress response expands beyond the individual to include the family.He theorized that if a family functions under the strain of stress then the individual could function. The family as a unit revolves around the fact that each member of the family plays an important role. If one of the members can not pull their weight, then the entire family could suffer. If one person is not able to accept and handle what is thrown out when dealing with an issue such as terminal illness then the entire family system could suffer. The way a family works is dependent on how its members can work together as a single functioning unit. Families create alliances in many ways.Sometimes in families parents are each others’ support while the children usually stick together. Usually alliances are formed as well as the normal array. Children gravitate to the grandparents or to a favorite aunt or uncle as well as other relatives. The family figures out how to make the family work by the way the alliances are formed. The way problems are handled can easily be passed from generation to generation. Culture plays a part in how families deal with issues within the family. Children are affected more often during this type of situation in the family.The adults feel that the children should be protected at all cost. Grieving is a normal process of life as well as being a part of the family circle. Grief is the multifaceted response to death and losses of all kinds, including psychological, emotional, social, and physical reactions according to Waldrop. (Waldrop, 2007, p. 198). Telling a child that a parent or grandparent has a sickness that may take them away is somewhat difficult to do. If a child is not an appropriate age to understand the concept of what a terminal illness is, then they cannot grieve properly.This is a part of the family system that has a breakdown. The children not understanding and being able to cope and function as individuals in the system gives the theory some weight. Even adults who do not come to terms with the severity of the stress of dealing with a terminal illness will cause extra stress for the family. People who are not biological member of a family can still be family members. Doctors, nurses, and other caregivers become a part of the family because of the relationship that is build when they come into ontact with the family. As an individual tries to demonstrate the capability of growing and becoming a productive part of society, the way a family creates bonds is essential to that goal. As people interact relationships from all walks will make paths become intertwined. Some of these relationships become as strong as relationships that come from within the family and just as important. Bowen believed that a family functions as a unit if the individuals in the family system can function on their own.His theory is to help the individual and the entire family is helped. When a serious crisis comes along and the family members must deal with the emotional, psychological, and even the physical aspects, the ability to put small things aside to look at the overall picture comes into play. It is shown that families work only as well as the members in the family work. Different theorists have used the initial framework of family systems as the basis for their ideas and it has been sh own many times that as a system the family works whether functional or dysfunctional.This theory of Bowen has shown that in order for the family to function in a crisis the individual family members must be able to work together to form the unit. It takes every member doing his or her part. Taking care of individual needs in order to build and maintain healthy relationships is a must. The family does operate as a unit running on the mind, body, and soul of each and every member. It is critical that each member be able to interact and function with the other members. Murray Bowen had the conception that the unit that makes a family can function as a whole if the members can work together.It is a must that a family needs all of the members in order to create the bound of togetherness that is required to perform completely. There are other theories that would also fit this issue of terminal illness, but Bowen’s Theory also fits that illness and it shows that family members have an impact on a family while dealing with a serious problem. Family means many things to many people. It requires work regardless of the situation that a family is in. The acceptance of loving your family is part of the bond that will not allow a family to stray away from one another even though there will be struggles.The perception that a family is only functioning if all are participating is not always true. The fact that members can allow themselves to see, give, and say that love is in their hearts and minds, makes a family a wonderful place to be. The theory of Bowen’s and his colleagues helped to create ways for families and their members to have an available resource of treatment. It is good to know that there are options out there that are beneficial to families and their members. References Barker, R. L. (ED). (2003). The Social work dictionary (5th ed. ) Baltimore, MD: NASW Press.Clair, M. St. , (2000). An unfortunate family: terminal illness and the altering of the attachment Bond. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 54 (4), 512 -518. Davis, B. D. , Cowley, S. , & Ryland, R. (1996). The effects of terminal illness on patients and careers. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23, 512 – 520. Ecke van, Y. , Chope, R. C. , & Emmelkamp, P. M. (2006), Bowlby and Bowen: attachment theory and family therapy. Counseling and Clinical Psychology Journal, 3(2), 81-108. Fraser, B. , McKay, L. , & Pease, L. , (2010). Interview with Michael Kerr.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 31(1), 100 – 109. Klever, P. (2005). Multigenerational stress and nuclear family functioning. Contemporary Family Therapy, 27 (2), 233 – 250. Murdock, N. , & Gore, P. (2004). Stress, coping, and differentiation of self: a test of Bowen Theory. Contemporary Family Therapy, 26 (3), 319 – 335. Nichols, M. , & Schartz, R. , (2009). The essentials of family therapy, 4/e. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Waldrop, D. , (2007). Caregiver grief in terminal illnes s and bereavement: a mixed-methods Study.Health and Social Work, 12 (4), 197 -206. Wright, J. , (2009). Self-soothing – a recursive intrapsychic and relational process: the Contribution of the Bowen Theory to the process of self-soothing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 30 (1), 49 – 41. www. thebowencenter. org/pages/theory. html retrieved on October 16, 2011 at 4:30p. m. www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-terminal-illness. htm retrieved on November 1, 2011 at 1:15 a. m. Zastrow, C. , & Kirst-Ashman, K. (Ed). (2007). Understanding human behavior and the social Environment (7th ed. ) Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole.

Draft Business Plan Essay Example Pdf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1446 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Case study Did you like this example? Executive summary Spice Man aims to establish itself as a B2B focused company specialising in the distribution of premium organic specialty Asian cooking sauces in the UK. It aims to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for quality healthy food and the UKs love of Asian food in particular. The company has secured funds and warehouse/office facilities and its founder has already negotiated the sale of 5,000 cases each, for the four leading specialty Asian supermarkets across the UK. Contents Executive summary p.1 Mission statement p.2 The product mix p.2 Productp.2 Pricing p.2 Place p.2 Promotionp.3 SWOT market overview p.3 Strengthsp.3 Weaknessesp.4 Opportunitiesp.4 Threats p.5 Competitorsp.5 Operational channels p.6 Finance strategy p.6 Spice Man assets p.6 Budgeting sales p.7 Expenses/Overheads p.7 Human resources strategy p.7 Summaryp.8 Referencesp.8 Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Draft Business Plan Essay Example Pdf" essay for you Create order Mission statement Spice Man is a B2B distributor of premium quality organic Asian cooking sauces to the specialty supermarket sector, in four key areas across the UK. Spice Man aims to fill a clear gap in the market and cater for growing customer demand for high quality, healthy premium Asian sauces. The product Mix Product The product concept: †¢ Premium quality specialty imported South East Asian cooking sauces †¢ The USPs of the product: organic luxury ingredients and completely authentic recipes developed by top specialist chefs The types of sauce include: †¢ Rendang sauce and fried rice sauce from Indonesia †¢ Curry noodle sauce from Thailand †¢ Curry sauce for fish and one for lamb from Malaysia Pricing †¢ The average cost to Spice Man of a case of 12 jars of any of these sauces, including cost of shipping insurance and freight (CIF) for arrival at Southampton is estimated at  £6.80 †¢ The RRP of  £2.49 would produce  £1.92 profit per jar and the hoped for 100% mark-up on products would mean that Spice Man would sell its products to an intermediary for  £1.25, producing 67.8p profit †¢ Of the initial stock of 35,000 cases, Spice Man needs to sell the vast majority 84%, at the full retail price in order to break even Place/distribution †¢ The distribution of Spice Mans products will be to up-market speciality supermarkets in London, Bradford, Manchester and Birmingham (key Asian food hubs). This could be challenging as ‘dealing with new suppliers has unpredictable aspects †¢ Spice Man will use its new warehouse in Southampton, to stock products. Delivery will be handled initially by a logistics firm. If things develop well, Spice Man hopes to invest in its own delivery vehicles, plus drivers. Promotion †¢ The sauces will be branded with ‘Spice Man labels stressing the organic, authentic nature of the products †¢ Although the focus is B2B, Spice Man also aims to promote the launch of his new sauces in ethnic minority based newspapers. Research has shown that in relation to grocery shopping, the majority of ethnic consumers found this to be an important source of food information SWOT Market Overview Strengths †¢ The UKs diverse population and the growth of worldwide travel have developed the UKs taste for Asian cooking sauces and this trend is set to continue †¢ Asian food has an image of being healthy and quick and easy to prepare, as a result the oriental grocery food market is worth  £146m with a growth of 4% year on year. Indonesian food has grown 82% in value since 2007. †¢ 8 out of 10 UK households buy a cooking sauce at least once every year, with the average shopper buying once every three weeks †¢ There are few equivalent products available Weaknesses †¢ The retail price of Spice Mans sauces is relatively high at  £2.49 per jar and in todays difficult economic climate customers may prefer cheaper, trusted products †¢ There is strong competition from other ethnic food markets such as the Italian food sector in the UK, which has the largest market share and is worth  £324m and grows by 8.7% each year 3 †¢ Consumer interest in health has encouraged some customers to stop using ready-made sauces 4 Opportunities †¢ The cooking sauce market will grow by 7% by 2011 4 †¢ Key competitor markets are under pressure e.g. sales are static in the Indian food sector 3 †¢ More shoppers with children are buying, as are up-market shoppers and customers under 28 years old. There is also growing consumer demand for higher quality, greater nutritional value and more convenient formats. This could offer communications opportunities for Spice Man to differentiate itself from its mass of competition. Threats †¢ The competition is fierce in the Asian cooking sauce market and new, competitively priced products are being introduced all the time Competitors The competition is strong in this market and new, competitively priced products are continually being introduced. Key brands in competition with Spice Man: †¢ Sharwoods quality brand, Red Thai sauce  £1.57 †¢ Lloyd Grossman premium brand at  £2.09 per jar †¢ Supermarket own brands high quality yet reasonably priced products such as Tesco Finest Thai curry sauce (Red or Green Thai) at only  £1.65. New variants include Finest Yellow Thai and Finest Laksa at  £1.49 †¢ Pataks Karai – quality mainstream sauce at  £1.57 †¢ Goldfish Curry sauce (specialty product)  £1.49 per container †¢ The Real Organics Food Company organic Thai cooking sauce at  £2.69 per jar (only currently available in the south of England) †¢ ‘Xotiq produces ambient South Eastern Asian meal kits which are distributed through independent grocer shops, butchers, delicatessens, farm shops and garden centers Operational channels Specialty supermarkets have been identified as the best retail outlets because: †¢ Such operations can be flexible in their terms and conditions, whereas mainstream supermarkets will want to impose conditions such as low promotional prices †¢ Specialty supermarkets already target the kind of customers that Spice Man sauces will appeal to Suitable outlets include: †¢ London Hoo Hing leading independent supermarket network and delivery service †¢ Birmingham Sing Fat Chinese supermarket and wholesalers †¢ Manchester Win Yip and Woo Sang supermarkets †¢ Bradford the Pride Asia supermarket chain Sales agreements have been established with these stores with each taking an initial stock of 5,000 cases. Finance strategy Spice Man assets: †¢  £100,000 in seed capital to invest in the initial stock †¢ Further  £350,000 loan secured from a high street bank Budgeted sales: †¢ Spice Man hopes to make 67.8p profit per jar. If it sells all its initial stock, it will make an overall profit of  £284,760 (on 420,000 jars) Initial Expenses/Overheads The following cost must be deducted from any profit made: †¢ Initial stock of 35,000 cases, then future stock †¢ Premises rental of small warehouse in Southampton with tiny onsite office †¢ Power (light, heat, electricity, gas) †¢ Telephone †¢ Insurance †¢ Transport cost of goods plus insurance (inbound and outbound) †¢ Postage †¢ B2B Marketing and advertising †¢ Interest and bank charges payable †¢ Office stationery †¢ Founders salary †¢ Equipment hire for example, a small fork lift truck to receive and send on, cases of sauce †¢ Training budget specialist training in for example fork lift truck driving, health and safety etc. †¢ Petrol expenses – for sales visits to potential clients †¢ Expert fees including accountancy, lawyers etc. †¢ Depreciation office and warehouse materials and eventually delivery fleet †¢ Tax Human Resources Strategy †¢ The founder of the company is Indonesian and fluent in relevant Asian languages and English. He also has a track record in the food sales business as he was a successful Asian sauces salesman for Europe. He has the relevant skills to launch such a business and he will be the sole staff member in the short-term. †¢ As a distributer Spice Man will need to develop strong working relationships with three sets of key customers including suppliers of the sauces (based in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia), logistics partners and the eventual retailers of his product †¢ In the longer-term Spice Man hopes to employ staff including a sales force, warehouse packers, delivery drivers and a finance expert Summary Spice Man has already secured promising distribution deals in its key marketplaces across the UK. It has the human, financial and operational capacity to launch the business but will need to ensure that the quality of its products and service is top class, in order to cement the strong business relationships it needs to succeed as a B2B operator. References: Bainbridge, J., 2007. Sector insight: Cooking sauces sauces gain from premium push. Marketing, 24th January, pp.102 Cripps, P. 2009. Morrisons debut for northeast curry maker Maysan. The Grocer. [Online]. Available at: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articlesID=198842. [Accessed 29th April 2009] Ford, R., 2009. Kitted out for an Xotic evening. The Grocer. [Online]. Available at: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articlesID=198732. [Accessed: 30th April 2009] Hutt, M., Speh, T., 2009. Business Marketing Management. 9th edition. Thomson South Western. Mclleland, F., 2009. Ethnic foods offer convenience retailers variety. The Grocer. [Online]. Available at: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articlesID=198830. [Accessed 29th April 2009] Omar, O. 2004. Food shopping behaviour among ethnic and non-ethnic communities in Britain. Journal of food products marketing, 10 (4), 39-57