Greek Periods of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek Periods of Art - Essay Example The Archaic Greek Period The era assigned to the archaic Greek period of art is 800 to 500 BC. Greek art was very naturalistic in the archaic period. The sculptures created by the artists of that time represented males and females in a somewhat inflexible pose. Artists used to create statues of men and in different poses. Some artists used to create heads of warriors whereas some used to represent their gods in different forms of statues. If we take a closer look at the human sculptures of the archaic period, we come to know that the characteristic archaic smile and the human body’s anatomy are prominent in almost all sculptures. The Archaic phase is best known for the realistic representation of humans and stone sculptures. In the archaic period, the development of the Kouros and Kore statues were the focus of most of the artists. The statues of men represented warriors and gods whether statues of women representing women in the forms of goddesses, nymphs, and the other pries tesses. Standing and seated girls and nude bodies of men and women are some of the most prominent artworks of the archaic period. Artists of the archaic period used to achieve realistic likeliness in picturing the human figure and representing them in the form of abstract figures of the geometric style (Hill). The stiffness, solidity, and gracefulness represent the influence of Egyptian art on the artists of that time. Neutralism was not the expertise of the artists of the archaic period. The artists used to cover their inability to achieve neutralism by giving archaic smile, clenched fists, and outstretched palm style to the sculptures. In all of the three periods of Greek art, which the h include archaic, classical, and Hellenistic periods, there were early, high, and later phases which show the emergence, peak, and ending signs of those periods. The Classical Greek Period The era assigned to the classical Greek period of art is 480 to 323 BC. This era is known as the golden age t hat starts from the time the Athens rose to the prominence and ends with the death of Alexander the Great. Human statues were very heroically proportioned in that age reflecting the Greek humanistic belief in man’s nobility and the desire to look like gods (Esaak). In the classical Greek period, artists were greatly involved in creating human statues of different styles. One thing, which is similar in the archaic period and the classical period, is that the artists from both periods focused on the development of the human statues.

Blinds to Go Company Essay Example for Free

Blinds to Go Company Essay Executive Summary: The case, based on the company Blinds to Go, emphasizes the importance of staffing in stores as they expand to meet their growth objectives. Being a manufacturer and retailer, with a unique sales model 100% commission based and focus on customer service gave the company an advantage over its competitors. According to the senior management Quality of staff was paramount and hence their original compensation system motivated best performance and fostered a high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. To attract more recruits for its expansion phase, the management changed the compensation system from full commission to salary on the recommendation of a newly hired vice president. Sales declined and the overall staff turnover increased. Seeing this the company brought back the old culture and experienced a sales turnaround. This shift also caused another huge turnover in stores. A large percentage of voluntary turnover occurred in the first four months. The higher turnover after eight months was partly due to termination because of sales performance. The biggest challenge the company now faced was understaffing. The need for additional staff was further aggravated due to its continued push for growth and the tight US and Canadian labour markets. Another concern to be addressed was that the company had planned for 80 per cent of its expansion in US where the employees preferred the fixed pay than the company’s commission based pay structure. During this period BTG had tried several recruiting methods with varying degrees of success. With an IPO in the pipeline and plans to add on average 50 stores per year for the next five years, it was critical for the company to come up with a staffing strategy with focus on Quality of the staff and low employee turnover. The Company: Blinds To Go (BTG) was a retail fabricator of window dressings. It was started by David Shiller in 1954 in the Cote-des-Neiges district in Montreal, Canada. From the mid 1970s, BTG focussed on the sale of blinds. It was able to create a production system that reduced the delivery time frame of custom blinds from six to eight weeks to 48 hours. The reduced delivery time led to overwhelming customer response and the business flourished. The firm, realising their unique advantage of being a manufacturer and retailer simultaneously, began expansion by opening stores throughout Canada and US. By June 2000, BTG operated 120 corporate owned stores in North America. BTG expected to add 50 stores per year for the next 5 years, 80 percent of which targeted to US expansion stores. BTG’s business philosophy was that quality of staff was cardinal than the store location, customer demographics or advertising. The firm established this by experimenting with a store that was locationally disadvantaged and had declining sales. BTG was able to triple the sales of the said store in one month by deploying their ‘A’ management team and trained staff there. The four staff roles in BTG stores were 1. Sales associate 2. Selling Supervisor 3. Assistant Store manager 4. Store Manager. Sales associates were the junior most employees and their job was to follow a set plan to help walk in customers to make a purchase. Consistent sales performers among them were promoted to selling supervisors, who were assistant store managers in training, or assistant store managers. Assistant store Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 managers were in charge of the stores in the absence of store managers. The store manager was responsible for overall store operations. The BTG selling process involved a high level of customer interaction, which set a very high level of service expectation. Their emphasis on customer satisfaction and sale closure led to higher volume of orders relative to their retail competition Original Compensation of Retail Staff: The compensation structure at Blinds To Go incentives performance based on number of sales deal closed. The commission based structure fosters the high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. This structure was believed to be a motivating factor to boost performance. High performers at BTG actually made more money than comparable retail outlet salesman. For Sales Associate the salary structure was a mix of fixed pay and variable pay with $3 $5 comprising of fixed and 3% of sales as variable component. For Managers/Assistants the salary structure was $10,000 $15,000/yr as fixed pay with 1.5% to 3% of overall sales as variable pay. Changes in Compensation Structure – 1996: As per the recommendations from a newly hired Vice President of store operations the compensation structure for the store staff was changed from being fully commission based to salaried. Under the new structure, the sales associated were paid Cdn $8 per hour as a fixed component. For the store managers a higher base salary component as compared to the commissions was set. The main focus of the move was to make the compensation more attractive to the prospective hires. Another change being brought was to limit the involvement of store managers in the sale process. All these changes had an adverse effect on the sales figures which showed a decrease of 10 to 30% from 1996 to 1997. The staff turnover increased to 40% from the earlier 15%. Even thought the new pay structure helped in recruiting more hires, it led to the hiring of lower calibre people. The existing good performers did not appreciate the changes, thus affecting their morale and hence their commitment to sales. To counter this adverse effect, the management introduced a variation of the commission based compensation plan in May 1998. The effect of the change could be seen in the 10 to 30% increase in store sales from the previous year. Still the BTG stores experienced a high employee turnover that year. It was probably because of the employees accustomed to fixed pay were leaving the organisation, being dissatisfied from the commission based structure. Analysis of the employee turnover reflected that the highest no of employees left the firm in the first 4 months from their hiring. Most of the new expansion plans were in US. But the people of US were uncomfortable with the 100% commission based pay structure. Thus there was a requirement in the change to the structure to adapt to the US market. Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 Channels of Recruitment To be able to attract and recruit people who had certain sales driven qualities, several channels of recruitment were harnessed to fill in the job positions. Since BTG was already understaffed and with massive growth plans (50 stores per year ) lined up, we need to analyse the various pros and cons of the channels of recruitment. Employee Referral: Current staffs refer friends and family to BTG which helped company attract candidates already briefed on the company’s ideology. This channel was very effective which is evident by its highest ratio of leads to hire. The success of the ER scheme was partially due to the fact that referrals generally continued employment excited by the opportunity that the friend or family member who is a BTG employee recounted. Though maximum hiring was effected through this channel yet this alone did not currently satisfy BTG’s hiring needs. Internet Sourcing: This is one of the non-store recruitment channels which BTG used in two ways. First, BTG solicited resumes at its blindstogo.com site. Second, DSM’s and recruiters actively searched online jobs sites like Monster.com to contact potential candidates. Currently 12 out of 143 recruits were through this channel. DSM Compensation Readjustment: DSM’s were mainly responsible for store source of recruitment mainly walk-ins and employee referrals. They had to hire 10 new sales associate every month. Their importance in recruitment process is highlighted by the fact that their salary was based on number of new staff selected rather than on sales targets. Currently 16 out of 143 sales associate were recruited through this channel in past two months. BTG Retail Recruiters: They were professional recruiters who were paid @20000/year with a bonus of $150 -$500 for each successful hire. They generate leads through cold calls, networking referrals, colleges, job fairs, Internet and employment centres. Though they had performed sub- optimally in terms of number of number of new recruits, their training had increased to enable to get in at least 4 new recruits per week. Newspaper Advertising: Newspaper channel generated the maximum number of leads but the senior management believed that this medium did not generate the quality of candidates that BTG needed. This channel attracted more of the people who did not meet the desired skills standard and core values expected by BTG in potential candidates. To be able to meet our desired staff requirements, we believe this channel needs to be harnessed to its full potential and complemented by necessary training to new recruits to enable them to meet company’s performance standards. Store Generated Leads: BTG believed in direct store walk-in mode of recruitment as well. It had put â€Å"help wanted† signs on its windows to attract potential candidates to meet its recruitment needs. But this policy was successful only in densely populated areas with high footfall. HR Strategy: Udofia, Vice Chairman BTG, is looking for a strategy that solves all the major issues currently faced by the company, which would include unstaffed stores, staffing for future expansion and high employee turnover. Following are the steps that could be taken by him to achieve its growth objectives: ï‚ · A Robust Training Module: As mentioned, the quality of staff is extremely important in the retailing business. The crunch in the labor market doesn’t give the company a flexibility to choose Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion employees on a strict criterion. A training module would help BTG to relax the criterion and increase the number of selected employees by recruiting people who are trainable. In order to keep a check on the quality of the employees, the company can recruit the employees at a trainee level with a fixed pay. The training would be mostly on the Job led by experienced Store Managers. A review system would help these selected candidates to get promoted as Sales Associate. The initial pay as a trainee would be low. But the incentive to get promoted as Sales Associate would drive them to work and learn quickly. Currently we can see that there are large numbers of people who are attracted by the Newspaper Channel and Internet. But the problem is with this medium is that it didn’t generate quality employee. By a robust training module the company would be able to hire trainable people and give them opportunities on the basis of their performance. The Promotion Structure: A scheduled review and internal promotion structure could be followed which attracts the current employees and increases the retention rate. The review can be conducted on at 2 levels, Sales Performance and Soft skills. A feedback mechanism would help the employees to work on the areas they lag. The review can be scheduled every 8 months and every employee can be given an opportunity to get promoted. The internal promotion structure could be leveraged as a tool to advertise. This would attract people who currently don’t want to join at Sales Associate Level. The promotion structure would also help in filling up the vacancies of Supervisors and Managers. Pay Structure: The pay structure for Sales Associate could be revised in a manner as explained below: According to the current pay structure, a Sales Associate is paid $6-$8 per hour or 6% of sales, whichever higher. Clearly it can be seen that the Marginal and the Poor performers are the once who are enjoying the fixed compensation system. In order to motivate them, fixed + variable compensation could be followed for these below par performers. This structure would demotivate the top performers as there will be a reduction in their salaries. So it would not be the best idea to implement this structure for top performers. A benchmark of $10000/sale/week could be set. This would not only motivate them to perform but the company also would overcome the problem of social loafing. The structure is explained below: Marginal-Poor Performers ($10000-/sales/ week) $3 per hour + 3 % of sales Leadership Program: The highly experiences set of Store Managers could be given an option to join the leadership program. Under this program the Senior Employees would take up the responsibility of the training module and help the company attain the level of quality it requires in its workforce. Their compensation could be based on the rate of conversion of trainees to Sales Associate instead of Sales. Increased Stock Options to senior and experienced Store Managers would give them a feel of ownership in the firm which is what an employee needs after serving an organisation for years.

Impact of Social Media on Business Marketing

Impact of Social Media on Business Marketing The subject of this report is the impact of social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing technologies on business marketing. The purpose of this report is to provide research for these three technologies and recommend how each one of them can be applied to our firms marketing efforts. Nine out of ten companies indicate that their social media activity has led to increased exposure, and according to research, half of them recognize improved sales (Holmes, 2015). Further, 92% of marketers conclude that the use of social media is critical to their business (Demer, 2015). Per Kevin Akeroyd of Oracle Marketing Cloud, cloud technologies require minimal capital outlay since servers and other hardware do not need to be purchased, updated, or maintained, cloud vendors update their software often, which improves adaptability, and integration with other cloud-based applications is usually streamlined (Springer, 2016). Findings from a 2015 Aberdeen survey confirm the advantages of video conferencing, as technology users were deemed to have 74% more success in engaging current sales prospects and were able to collect more new leads than non-users. The survey also found that those companies who employ video conferencing technologies as part of their overall marketing strategy e njoy 30% greater efficiency (as cited in Chang, 2016). I recommend that our firm establish a presence on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. In todays day and age, with the incredible number of consumers using social media, and the time that they dedicate to interacting on the platform, I believe it makes perfect sense for our firm to utilize the marketing capabilities of this medium. Research has shown that most companies already employ social media in their overall business strategies, and those that do, have made gains in exposure, improved sales, and enhanced customer loyalty and conversion rates. These facts dictate that our business use social media as well to remain competitive. I recommend our company use an e-mail marketing application provider. It is my belief that we should approach this technology conservatively, beginning one application, so we do not commit too much of our marketing efforts or capital to marketing cloud applications. The e-mail service will prove beneficial, as it offers us an avenue to directly market to our current customers and leads, drive traffic to our website, and will save the firm in terms of print and mailing costs. The ability to automate this function will save our staff time, and the capacity to directly track the success from our e-mail advertisement will provide our marketers relevant information and help in determining if further marketing cloud application expenditures could be necessary and beneficial. I recommend that our company provide all marketing and sales personnel with video conferencing capabilities, including any necessary hardware and software. With this technology, marketers will be able to facilitate a face-to-face meeting with clients, prospects, each other, and sales staff from any location, and from nearly any internet capable device. This will save the company in the form of travel expenditures, as well reduce the amount of unproductive time spent traveling to meeting locations. More people will be able to be involved in key meetings and productivity of these meetings will improve, as an important aspect of communication, non-verbal cues, will be displayed. It is my belief that this technology is an important offering to our current and prospective clientele in terms of convenience. For instance, a client or prospect will be able to clearly view a product demonstration and ask any necessary follow-up questions from his or her home computer, as opposed to traveling to our office or some other meeting site. This may lead to improved customer relations. Further, as studies indicate, the employment of video conferencing technology in our marketing strategy can increase success in current and new lead engagement. The subject of this report is the impact of social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing technologies on business marketing. The purpose of this report is to provide research for these three technologies and recommend how each one of them can be applied to our firms marketing efforts. Social media utilization has provided increased exposure to firms, which has positively affected marketing efforts and correlated with improved sales. Also, social media marketing has also shown to improve customer conversion rates. Cloud marketing technologies are vast and companies are employing them for cost-effective, customizable advertising. Many providers are offering cloud-based applications to manage each facet of a companys digit marketing efforts. Finally, video conferencing technology is valuable when used as part of the marketing strategy. Research is showing that face-to-face interaction increases marketing productivity, decreases associated travel costs, and helps to more effectively engage customer leads. Social Media Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are being used by businesses as modern-day tools to network with and target consumers. Per a Pew Internet Project, seventy-five percent of adults in the United States, with access to the internet, are on some form of social media. Additionally, according to the Global Web Index, social media users log in an average of about 12 hours per week (as cited in Holmes, 2015). As detailed by Ryan Holmes (2015), these statistics are driving nine out of ten businesses in the U.S. to engage in social media marketing. Holmes (2015) notes, 90 % of businesses see increased exposure and more than half report improved sales from social media. In 2014, more than nine out of ten marketers said that using social media for marketing was critical in their business and eight out of ten believed their efforts on social media enhanced traffic to their websites. According to DeMer (2015), social media marketing has exhibited the ability to incre ase brand recognition and loyalty, facilitate additional opportunities to attract new customers, and improve customer conversion rates. In fact, according to some studies, social medias conversion rate, is 100% greater than that of traditional marketing (DeMers, 2015). Further, the barrier to entry in social media marketing is insignificant, as it is normally free to create an account, and social media affords marketers the chance to monitor consumer behavior, such as user comments, which may yield very precious feedback about their business. In a controlled, systematic study performed by Kumar, Bezawada, Rishika, Janakiraman, and Kannan (2016), the effect of firm-generated content, that is firm-initiated marketing communication of a select company, was tested in relation to consumer buying behaviors and profitability. In it, two test groups were established. The treatment group, which consisted of individuals who chose to receive the selected firms social media marketing content, and the control group, which consisted of those who chose not to. According to Kumar, et al., prior to the firms social media marketing engagement, both groups participants and their spending and cross-buying habits were statistically similar. Weekly overall spending for both groups was within $0.17 and the number of different products purchased (cross-buying) was within .13. The study concluded that, after the firm had embarked on its social media marketing campaign, overall spending for the treatment group rose to $15.96 per week. This figure was now $1.43 more than the control groups weekly spending. Additionally, the treatment group purchased an average of .59 more products per week than the control group. Last, the study also presented that those customers who partook in the firms social media contributed $1.02 more overall to the companys net profit (Kumar, Bezawada, Rishika, Janakiraman, and Kannan, 2016). There are a few negatives to marketing with social media. One is that users are able to post whatever they want about your business, so marketers can lose control of their messaging very quickly. This can be disastrous if a group of angry, dissatisfied customers begin posting negative reviews about the company. Also, while the cost of entry to social media platforms is insignificant, time does need to be invested to properly nurture the marketing campaign. Depending on resources, this may prove problematic for some firms (The Advantages and Disadvantages,n.d.). Analysis: It is apparent that social media is a powerful, contemporary, multi-faceted tool for our marketing department to employ. Based on the sheer number of individuals utilizing the platform and the time they spend being logged in, social media activity can expand our firms market through improved exposure. Also, as evidenced by the academic studies, social media marketing efforts can increase overall sales, profitability, customer loyalty, and the barriers to entry are insignificant. While there are a few potential pitfalls, it is clear that the advantages of social media marketing outweigh the disadvantages. Cloud Computing Cloud computing is the process of storing and accessing data and programs via the internet. The term cloud, in essence, is another word for internet. Cloud computing takes programs that are run on either a local PC or network server and migrates them to the internet (Griffith, 2016). The term marketing cloud refers to the combination of internet-based, digital marketing tool used to advertise to consumers and collect and manage their data. These tools range from a firms official website and social media pages to powerful, online software suites that, in real-time, track consumer data, such as website traffic, and integrate these analytics with the companys website, social media, and e-mail management. Providers, such as Salesforce and Adobe, offer individual cloud-based applications and program bundles (suites), which can manage each piece of a companys digital media. When employed in unison, these suites provide marketers a place to access integrated customer profiles and present co ordinated messaging across all digital marketing platforms (Kantrowitz, 2014). There are thought to be several key advantages to cloud marketing. First, cloud marketing can be more cost-effective than traditional marketing, as the company message is delivered digitally, rather than by a printed medium, such as a brochure or newspaper ad. This saves money on ad placement, as well as mailing costs. Further, according Kevin Akeroyd of Oracle Marketing Cloud, cloud technologies require minimal capital outlay since servers and other hardware do not need to be purchased, updated, or maintained, cloud vendors update their software often, which improves adaptability, and integration with other cloud-based applications is usually efficient (Springer, 2016). Cloud marketing software is also scalable and customizable, so small businesses, who may not want or be able to afford a full suite of programs like those provided by Salesforce or Oracle, can choose an application that directly fits their needs, such as an e-mail marketing provider, which can automate e-mails to cus tomers and leads and directly track conversion rates (Springer, 2016). Further, cloud marketing applications are convenient for employees who do a lot of traveling, as they can be accessed from nearly any device with internet capability (Kantrowitz, 2014). Still, as some cloud marketing analysts note, there are issues with moving marketing efforts to the cloud. Depending on the amount of existing data that may need to be migrated, the time and monetary costs can be substantial. For instance, some companies have millions of customer records that may need to be moved (Kantrowitz, 2014). Also, the safety of data that is stored in the cloud is a concern, as customer data breaches have become a major issue in the digital age. This could subject sensitive customer data, such as credit card numbers and e-mail addresses, to theft. By some, on-site data storage is thought to be more secure. Also, companies need to have quality customer data and enough content to maximize the usefulness of these platforms. As analysts note, without specific content for the target demographic, the effectiveness of this powerful software diminishes (Springer, 2016). Analysis: Marketing cloud technology offers an innovative set of tools for our marketers to use in expanding and solidifying the customer base. The scalability of cloud-based marketing applications is attractive us as a new business, as use can grow and expand as our company develops. Further, the reduction in physical marketing materials and associated costs and reduced need for large capital expenditures, such as servers, makes the marketing cloud a cost-effective option for our marketing efforts. There are a few legitimate risks that require examination before fully diving into cloud marketing, as data security is of extreme importance. Research of the different application providers and any history of past breaches should be performed. Video Conferencing Video conferencing is a technology that allows two or more individuals the ability to communicate, both visually and audibly, in real-time and from separate locations. The technology ranges from the broadcasting of static images and text between just two locations, to the transmitting of high-quality audio and video between a series of locations. With the greater availability of PCs and mobile devices with built-in cameras, and services which facilitate live video chat, the use of video conferencing has become pervasive in personal and business interactions (Rouse, n.d.). According to May Chang (2016), marketers are leveraging the advantages of video conferencing technologies in many ways. Video conferencing is being used by marketers to reach clientele and team members who are on the other side of the country and possibly world. Some of the premier modes of marketing utilization include live product demonstrations for prospects, web-based educational seminars, and on-demand marketin g presentations. This enhanced form of communication results in boosted productivity and can translate into more success by the sales team. Findings from a 2015 Aberdeen survey confirm some the advantages of video conferencing, as technology users were deemed to have 74% more success in engaging current sales prospects and were able to collect more new leads than non-users. The survey also found that those companies who employ video conferencing technologies as part of their overall marketing strategy enjoy 30% greater efficiency (as cited in Chang, 2016). Further, the face-to-face nature of video conferencing, with introduction of non-verbal cues, provides for richer communication between teams that cannot be in the same physical location. This is key, per Chang, as meetings where marketing strategy is discussed can be very intricate and passionate. This type of productive communication allows marketers to more quickly advance, comprehensibly define, and carry out their strategy (C hang, 2016). Finally, video conferencing technology can save marketers in terms of travel and other associated expenses, as meetings are able to be held from any internet-enabled location. While there are plenty of advantages to video conferencing technology, according to Loveleena Rajeev (2016), there are a few negatives for marketers to consider. One of the main drawbacks is technical difficulties that conference participants may experience. This can be the result of low-internet bandwidth, power outages, or software or hardware failure by any of the parties involved in the communication. Further, while communication is technically face-to-face, the lack of physical, personal interaction may hamper the effectiveness with which marketers can connect with their prospects or team members. As Rajeev notes, A handshake and an eye contact are essential aspects of many business meetings. Finally, depending on the extent of features required or desired by a firm, cost may be prohibitive, especially for small businesses and start-ups. Analysis: Video conferencing technology is a resource that our marketers can utilize on multiple levels. As research indicated, live, face-to-face communication can help our marketers more successfully pursue contacts and leads, as well as develop new prospects without having to travel. This saves our firm in terms of a host of marketing travel expenses. Furthermore, because video conferencing can provide deeper, clearer levels of communication, I believe that the technology can help our firms marketing department to more proficiently and successfully interact with each other, current customers, and leads. This, in turn, can positively affect our productivity and sales. While there are a few noted negatives to the technology, I believe, overall, it can prove as an advantage in our marketing efforts. Recommendation for Social Media: I recommend that our firm establish a presence on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To implement this recommendation, a committee will be formed to better define our overall social media strategy and goals. Once clear goals are in place, the partners will interview current staff to determine if any individual has the knowledge and desire to undertake creating and managing each account or if a consultant may need to be contracted. Finally, an assessment of the firms current technology will be performed to confirm that we have all technical capabilities in place to move forward with the social media plan. Justification: As the number of consumers using social media has soared, and the amount of time that they spend on the platform increased, it has become necessary for businesses to develop a social media presence. As researched, many of the companies that market to consumers through social media recognize an upsurge in exposure, improved sales, and enhanced customer loyalty and conversion rates. Furthermore, the initial cost of social media marketing is minimal, as it is free to create accounts on most platforms. Finally, because we know that much of our competition will be using social media to develop and maintain their market, it is imperative that we do so as well. Recommendation for Cloud Computing: I recommend our company use an e-mail marketing provider. To implement, the partners will contract with an IT specialist to review the various application providers and their costs. The firms marketing department will consolidate all client and lead e-mail addresses on an Excel spreadsheet and present the partners with advertising content conceptualizations. Once a platform has been selected, webinars will be scheduled to train our marketing staff on how to properly set-up and utilize the application. Justification: While there are a myriad of cloud marketing options available to our company, and certainly research to indicate their advantages, at this point we are in the growing stage, and it is my belief that we should operate conservatively, begin with one application, and not commit too much of our marketing efforts or money to the marketing cloud applications. The e-mail service will provide us an avenue to directly market to our current customers and leads, drive traffic to our website, and will save the firm in terms of print and mailing costs. The application can be accessed from any internet-enabled location, which makes for convenient access to our staff. Further, the purchase can serve as a stepping stone to other marketing cloud applications. As our business continues to grow and stabilize, we can analyze the success of the e-mail service provider and determine if more cloud marketing applications might be beneficial to operations. Recommendation for Video Conferencing: I recommend that our company provide all key marketing and sales personnel with video conferencing capabilities, including any necessary hardware and software. To facilitate this process, the partners will determine who, in the marketing and sales departments, it will be critical to supply with access to video conferencing capacities. An IT specialist will be consulted to determine the most cost effective pairing of available hardware and software. Once this has been determined, we will contract to have all components properly installed and tested. Justification: I believe the use of video conferencing technologies will be beneficial to our firm in many ways. First, our marketers will be able to facilitate a face-to-face meeting with clients, prospects, each other, and sales staff from any location, and from nearly any internet capable device. This will save the company in the form of travel expenditures, as well reduce the amount of unproductive time spent traveling to meeting locations. More people will be able to be involved in key meetings and productivity of these meetings will improve, as an important aspect of communication, non-verbal cues, will be displayed. Finally, it is my belief that this technology is an important offering to our current and prospective clientele in terms of convenience. For instance, a client or prospect will be able to clearly view a product demonstration and ask any necessary follow-up questions from his or her home or office computer, as opposed to traveling to our office or some other meeting site. Further, as studies indicate, the employment of video conferencing technology in our marketing strategy can increase success in current and new lead engagement. As evidenced by my research, social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing are all technological tools that can be employed in some form to aid our marketing staff. Social media has proven to be a powerful outlet for company marketing efforts, with many business recognizing an uptick in overall exposure and customer conversion rates. Further, studies suggest those customers engaged in company generated social media content provide increased sales. Cloud computing has also become a popular technology for businesses looking to modernize their marketing function. The use of marketing cloud platforms is pervasive because internet-based promotional efforts are thought to be cost-effective, as physical marketing materials and expensive hardware are not required. The scalability of cloud-based application offerings is also attractive to small businesses, as programs and services can be purchased on an a la carte basis. Last, video conferencing applications have shown to be useful in firm marketing. Marketers have found, and studies have shown, that the face-to-face nature of meetings conducted via video conferencing allow for more productive communication and correlate to an increase in ability to court sales prospects as well as develop new ones. I believe each of my recommendations will benefit the firm and our marketing efforts in meaningful ways. At the very least, the creation of a social media presence will provide exposure to consumers that we may not reach otherwise. Research has shown the ability to leverage that exposure into elevated brand loyalty, new customers and improved sales. No doubt, many of our competitors are already using the platform, and to maintain competition, we should as well. Our firm can benefit from the e-mail service provider, as the costs of physically distributed materials will decrease substantially. More, the ability to automate this function and track its success will provide our marketers relevant information, save our staff time, and help in determining if further marketing cloud applications expenditures may be necessary and beneficial. Finally, video conferencing technology will provide our marketing team with the ability to hold face-to-face meetings with each other, or clientele, from any internet capable PC or mobile device. This will save the firm in travel costs and curb unproductive time spent traveling to and from meetings. The use of video conferencing technology will also provide for more meaningful, constructive communication, which research has shown to translate into greater success in engaging current sales prospects, an increase in the capacity to generate new prospects, and a boost in our internal productivity. References    Chang, M. (2016, May 13). Why Best-in Class Marketing Requires Web/Video Conferencing. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://theworkspacetoday.com/2016/05/13/best-in-class-marketing-requires-webvideo-conferencing-to-drive-more-meaningful-results/ DeMers, J. (2015, September 20). The Top 10 Benefits of Social Media Marketing. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/#2da0fda91f80 Griffith, E. (2016, May 03). What Is Cloud Computing? Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372163,00.asp Holmes, R. (2015). Why Businesses Cant Survive Without Social Media. Fortune.Com, N.PAG Kantrowitz, A. (2014). Pros and Cons of the Marketing Cloud. Advertising Age, 85(12), 30. Kumar, A., Bezawada, R., Rishika, R., Janakiraman, R., Kannan, P. (2016). From Social to Sale: The Effects of Firm-Generated Content in Social Media on Customer Behavior. Journal of Marketing,80(1), 7-25. doi:10.1509/jm.14.0249 Rajeev, L. (2016, August 13). The Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Conferencing. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-video-conferencing.html Rouse, M. (n.d.). What is video conference (video conferencing)? Definition from WhatIs.com. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/definition/video-conference Springer, R. R. (2016). Is the Marketing Cloud Right for You?. Econtent, 39(5), 20-24. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2017, from https://www.webpagefx.com/internet-marketing/social-media-marketing-advantages-and-disadvantages.html

Against drugs :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drugs should not be legalized because there would be an increase in drug abuse due to its availability. Legalized drugs would become cheaper and more appealing to people who previously had not tried drugs. Addicts who tend to stop, not by choice, would not stop because drugs would be more accessible if legalized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The result of drug abuse is thousands of addicts in denial. The good news is that the United States had 286 million dollars and 81,762 drug seizures due to drugs alone, but the bad news is that the number of prisoners has reached 70 percent which will cost the taxpayers 30 million dollars a year to put them in jail annually. (U.S. Department of Justice 1996). Also will the drugs have an effect on the worlds future children if made legal. There is a higher possibility of drug abuser parents if drugs are made legal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For several decades drugs have been one of the major problems of society. There have been escalating views on the war against drugs and countless dollars spent on rehabilitation, but the problem still exists. Not only has the problem increased but drug related problems are on the rise. Drug abuse is a killer in the country. Some are addicts, while others become users.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Has drug abuse played a part in criminal activity? If so how? What will happen to our society, if drugs are legalized? Legalization of drugs is not in the future of the country. Why does the idea of legalization appear and reappear when there is so little support for it? Some proponents of legalization are seeking to normalize the behavior of drug- taking, and many of them are people who use, or have used drugs with little significant impact. Many proponents are wealthy members of the elite who live in

Eng 101 Expository Essay Final Paper

Laws for the Improvement in Educational Standards â€Å"No Child Left Behind is an excellent sword that we can use to open doors for the children we represent† (Wright, Attorney at Law). Peter Wright is an attorney who specializes in cases surrounding children with Special Educational needs. When he made this statement, he was referring to a law that President George W. Bush’s administration passed in 2001. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a law that requires states to assess the basic skills for children in certain grades. This was not the first law to be created by the government. Before NCLB was created, first there was Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the second was the Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA) also known as Public Law 94-142. Every since the first law was created in the early 1970s schools all over have complained. So schools would not have to abide by these laws states would refuse the funding that was given to them by the government for education. When these laws were created, it was to protect all children with any kind of special needs. Before Section 504 was created schools could legally expel any child they thought may have had a learning disability. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act In 1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was created to be an anti-discrimination statute meant to stop discrimination against students with special needs from governmental actors and to protect these students’ equal rights. For a student to qualify for protection under Section 504 he or she must be determined to (1) have a physical or mental impairment that can limit one or more major life activities; (2) it must be on record that the child does have an impairment; or (3) the child must be looked at as possessing said impairment. All students who qualify under Section 504 are entitled to a â€Å"free and appropriate public education† also known as FAPE. If a school violated the Section 504 laws the student must show (1) that he or she does have a disability stated in Section 504; (2) that the student does qualify for said benefit that he or she were denied; (3) that the student was denied because of his or her disability, and (4) that the benefit that student was denied is obtaining money from the government to help with the program (Hoffman-Peak, 2009). The US Department of Education (ED) is responsible for enforcing Section 504 for all schools receiving funds. Recipients of these funds include all public schools, colleges, and other education agencies within the state. Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act In 1975 Congress created the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142). This Act stated that any school receiving federal funds is required to provide equal access to education for children with any kind of disability. With the input of the child’s parents public schools had to evaluate the student and create an educational plan that would be as close as possible to that of a non-disabled student. The Act also stated that school districts must provide administrative procedures for parents so they may dispute decisions surrounding their child’s education. Once these administrative efforts had become exhausted, the parents would be allowed to seek a judicial review under Section 504. The system of dispute resolution created by PL 94-142 was to help with the financial burden created by litigation. In 1997 President Clinton and Congress amended the law to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This would be the first time since Public Law 94-142 was created in 1975 that a significant change was made while retaining the basic protections. The goal was to clarify, strengthen, and provide guidance on the law. The second time would be in 2004 when Congress would once again make amendments calling it Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA). For 20 years the research showed that education can be more effective if; (1) it is ensured that the child receives general education to the maximum extent possible; (2) the parent’s role in the child’s education is stronger; (3) coordinating efforts from the school and agencies are made to guarantee that children are benefiting from these efforts. Also that special education is a service for children not a place for them to be sent off to, and (4) all personal who work with children with special needs will receive the proper education to teach these students. Because Public Law 94-142 was created a great deal of progress has been made toward meeting our nation’s goals for creating programs for individuals with special needs. Such accomplishments had included, one that a majority of children with special needs were included in regular classrooms with non-disabled children. No Child Left Behind Act Immediately after taking office in 2001 President George W. Bush proposed the idea for the No Child Left Behind Act. The bill passed through the United Stated House of Representatives on May 23, 2001, and again on June 14, 2001 by the United States Senate. After first proposing the Act close to a year before President Bush signed the Act into law on January 8, 2002. The goal behind this law was to hold schools and states accountable for improving the education of both disabled and non-disabled students. The purpose was to identify than transform schools that have not provided an excellent education to students. These schools would be turned into successful schools. Furthermore, NCLB intentions are to close the learning gap between high and low achievers, minority and non-minority students as well as advantaged and disadvantaged students. To accomplish this goal the reform planned to use a state assessment system designed to ensure all students are meeting the state academic and grade level content. The implementation of these goals, call for a high level standard that can be measured for all students. There is no doubt that this Act has brought a closer look on students who normally have performed on a lower level of education, causing it to be praised, while at the same time this law has been criticized by many because inconsistencies found within the law. Title One of the No Child Left Behind Act states a measure called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in which schools, districts, and states must be held accountable for the education performance of students. However, there are faults with the Adequate Yearly Progress; one of these faults is whether or not AYP can provide an accurate measurement of the goals because states are allowed to make their own standards. Statistics show that there are 50 different educational measurement standards across the country. Because these states can create their own standards, they can manipulate their AYP, thus resulting in schools giving the impression that they are successful in teaching when they may not be. The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act In 2010 President Obama and Congress assembled a blueprint of reform called The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This blueprint builds and re-envisions a federal role around these five priorities. It states that (1) all students despite their race, income, ethnic or language background, or disability will be college and career ready when they graduate from high school. The government will support all states to implement a better education through an improvement of a professional development. (2) The government will elevate the teaching profession so as to recognize excellence in teaching. All school districts must develop a system that supports teachers. (3) Schools that have the most improvement from their students will be rewarded. This includes students graduating and those on their way to graduating by 2020. To make sure that the responsibility for improving does not fall all on the schools, states and districts will be held accountable for not providing their schools the support they need to succeed. (4) Incentives will be provided to encourage state and districts to work with schools to improve education of students. The government will support college going strategies to help students succeed. (5) A new competitive funding will help with flexibility, reward results, and ensure that these funds provided are used wisely. While districts will not be restricted on how they spend the funding. The government will help create new ideas that support family and the community with their child’s education (The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Conclusion Since 1973 when Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was introduced into Congress there has been one clear goal amongst government. This goal is for all students no matter their background or disability are to receive an education. In the past 38 years Congress has reformed and amended all the education laws for improvement in the education system. It would no longer be acceptable for schools to fail in giving students the education they deserve. Throughout the years statics have shown that despite laws created our education system is failing and needs vast improvement in order for the next generation to succeed in the future. As stated by President Barack Obama in a letter, he wrote to be placed in the introduction of The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. â€Å"America was once the best educated nation in the world. A generation ago we led all nations in college completion, but today 10 countries have passed us. It is not that their students are smarter than ours. It is that these countries are being smarter about how they educate their students† References Author unknown (September 2010) Adequate Yearly Progress, Education Week Retrieved on May 23, 2011, from http://www. edweek. org/ew/issues/adequate-yearly-progress/ Berlatsky, N. (2011) No Child Left Behind Is a Good Law. Opposing Viewpoints: School Reform. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, from Powersearch. Hoffman-Peak, H. (Summer 2009) A Matrimonial Practitioner’s Guide to Special Education Law. American Journal of Family Law. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from, Powersearch Maleyko, G. Gawlik, M. A. (Spring 2011) No child left behind: what we know and what we need to know. Education. Retrieved on May 19, 2011, from Powersearch Us Department of Education (August 2010) Free Appropriate Public Education for Student With Disabilities. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://www2. ed. gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504. html US Gover nment, (March 2010). A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. ED. gov. Retrieved on May 20, 2011, from http://www2. ed. gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publicationtoc. html

black footed ferret essays

black footed ferret essays In the past three decades very few endangered species have been restored to viable populations. The black footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was believed to be the most endangered mammal in the united states. It is a small mink sized carnivore of the Great plains and intermountain basins The ferrets appear to be obligatory predators on the prairie dogs and once occupied a range essentially identical to that of the prairie dogs. They prey on them and also use their burrows for shelter and nesting. The prairie dogs are considered agricultural pests and competitors with livestock since white settlement first began in the American west. Large scale rodent control programs were implemented by the state and federal governments. They drastically reduced the population of prairie dogs (and other species related to the prairie dog ecosystem) through trapping, gassing and poisoning. These poisoning programs were considered a major cause of the ferrets demise. But, the main cause was the loss of the ferrets prey base and appropriate habitat. Their remaining habitat was fragmented thus leaving the ferret population vulnerable to extinction from various causes including inability to find mates, inbreeding depression, environmental events, and disease of ferrets and their prey. The ferrets were believed to be extinct in 1974, but in 1981 a ferret was discovered in Meeteetsee, Wyoming when a ranch dog killed an unusual animal eating from its food dish and the rancher took the carcass to a knowledgeable taxidermist. This was viewed as a rare chance to recover the species. In 1985, a catastrophic disease struck the small ferret population, and most remaining animals were taken into captivity. Captive breeding was initiated, and reintroduction into the wild from the captive population began in 1991. The ferret is just one of more than 900 species listed under the Endangered Species act as either threatened or endangered. ...