Female Sexuality & Desire in Chopins The Storm Essay -- Chopin Storm

Female Sexuality & Desire in Chopin's The Storm  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   In Kate Chopin's time traditional patriarchal notions about women and sexuality deemed sexual passion a negligible, even improper, aspect of women's lives. Yet Chopin boldly addresses a woman's sexual desire in her short story "The Storm". This story shockingly details a torrid extramarital sexual encounter between Calixta and Alcee` in the midst of a raging storm. While this story line could have been presented in a traditional light, perhaps as a lesson about the evils of uninhibited female sexuality, Chopin maintains a non-judgmental stance by refraining from moralizing about the sanctity of marriage or impropriety of Calixta's actions. In failing to condemn and even condoning Calixta's actions, as well acknowledging the existence and depth of sexual desire in women, Chopin imbues "The Storm" with a strong feminist tone and calls the very institution of marriage into question. The mere presence of Calixta's sexual desire and certainly its marked intensity make this story revolutionary in its feminist statement about female sexuality. Chopin uses the conceit of a thunderstorm to describe the development, peak, and ebbing of passion in the encounter between Calixta and Alcee`. At first, Calixta is unaware of the approaching storm, just as her sexual desire might be on an unconscious level; yet, as the storm approaches, Calixta grows warm and damp with perspiration. Chopin deliberately juxtaposes these two events when she writes that Calixta, "felt very warm...she unfastened her white saque at the throat. It began to grow dark and suddenly realizing the situation she got up and hurriedly went about closing windows and doors" (282). The gathering storm serves as ... ...s Chopin expresses in this story would certainly have seemed outrageous to her contemporary society and would have been grounds for an almost universal condemnation of Chopin and her work. She daringly celebrates female sexuality and uses this celebration as a feminist assertion about women's equal potentialities and rights to express themselves and experience pleasure. That "every one was happy" when the storm passed suggests that revolutionizing traditional concepts of gender and marriage will change everyone's, especially women's, lives for the better. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Storm: A Sequel to 'The 'Cadian Ball'." Kate Chopin: The Awakening and Selected Stories. New York: Penguin, 1984. 281-86. Gilbert, Sandra M. "Introduction: The Second Coming of Aphrodite." Kate Chopin: The Awakening and Selected Stories. New York: Penguin, 1984. 7-33.   

Agency Employment

Agency employment is where a person is employed as a contract or temporary worker to fill a position in a host company. The agency is the worker’s actual employer and is responsible for payroll and taxes, superannuation, recruitment/dismissal/discipline, workers’ compensation. The host company is responsible for direction of tasks or jobs to be undertaken and determining the work available for the temporary worker on site. Normally there is a joint responsibility in so far as occupational health and safety is concerned. The labour hire situation results in a division of responsibility for the agency employee between the agency and the client. How should common law accommodate this? Should the agency employee be regarded as having a single employer or is there scope to consider join employment or a temporary transfer of employment to the client? The rule at common law is that an employee cannot be transferred by his or her employer to the employment of another person without some act of assent, express or implied, on the employee’s part. The essence of a contract of employment is that it is freely entered into bargain between two parties in which there is the obligation of personal service to the employer. The common law principle that an employee cannot be transferred to a new employer without his or her consent is relevant to the question whether an employee could be transferred temporarily to another employer. Where the agency worker is injured at the client’s workplace, both the client and the agency may be liable to pay damages to the injured worker. The agency can still be liable under both occupational health and safety legislation and at common law. This may be the case even if the agency employee is working on a client’s premises where there may be diminished opportunities to ensure a safe system of work. An additional basis upon which the labour hire company employer can be liable is breach of a non-delegable duty of care. The effect of this principle is that a labour hire company employer remains liable for a negligent failure to provide a safe system of work even if it is the client’s (or some third party’s) negligence which causes the employee’s injuries. Where the injury occurs at the client’s worksite, the client may also be liable as an occupier of premises for failure to take reasonable care for the safety of a lawful entrant. The agency employee may cause injury or damage either to the client or to a third party whilst working for a client. Whilst an employer is vicariously liable for the tortious wrongdoing of an employee within the course of employment, there are additional complications for agency employees and host businesses.

The Danger of Giving Your Personal Guarantee - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2335 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? In order to support a borrowing request, the directors of a limited company may offer to provide personal guarantees. What issues should you be aware of when taking these guarantees and how would you address any concerns? The support for guarantees provided by directors has changed a lot since the early days of banking. Whilst it used to be acceptable for a level of trust and a personal relationship to be enough for security for a bank, these days the directors need to provide a host of supporting evidence to show the worth and validity of their personal guarantee. Formal procedures are in place that mean that subjective information about a client is less important than their financial records and evidence to support their personal guarantee (Newton, 2000, pp. 177-181). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Danger of Giving Your Personal Guarantee" essay for you Create order The primary goal for the director to put forward personal guarantees is to reduce credit risk for the bank and therefore gain better credit. Therefore, when taking the guarantee the financier will look for signs that if the debtorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s assets are insufficient to meet all of the creditorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s claims that they can recover some or all of the payment from the item secured through the personal guarantee. There is risk on both sides of the personal guarantee à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the director is putting themselves at risk by putting forward something they personally own, and therefore if the business fails they stand to lose their security. For the banker, they must establish that the guarantee is sufficient to cover the risk being put forward by the bank, and of enough value that they will be able to claim a significant portion of their outlay back should the debtor be unable to make payment (Goode, 2003, pp. 1-3). When taking a personal guarantee, the director of the company needs to be aware of a number of issues. Firstly, they need to understand that whilst the business may have limited liability, if a personal guarantee is offered as security then this can be claimed by the creditor and taken for payment of debt. Therefore, the liability is not as limited anymore for the director who issues a personal guarantee. With personal guarantees usually coming in the form of personal capital assets such as property, it can be extremely damaging to put forward such a guarantee if things are likely to go wrong. Financiers should be aware that it is generally businesses with a higher risk factor that put forward personal guarantees in order to offset the risks. This means that whilst security is being offered, the overall risk of the business failing is still potentially high. Whilst banks need to look out for their interests, it should also be clear that they should not enter into agreements with directors whose personal guarantees are not sufficient to offset the risk of potential business failure (Lloyds TSB, 2008). A financier should first look at the business of the director and the potential risk of financing such a venture. Once this has been looked at, it is also important to make sure the director has in place protection from liability and has taken steps to avoid personal liability. This might include liability insurance and full health and safety precautions. This will reduce the risk of liability for the director and therefore make them less risky as a debtor. Although the business may be free of liability, as a financier it is prudent to have a personal guarantee from the director so that they have more of an incentive to repay the loan and make the business succeed. Most of us, if put in our lenderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s shoes, would want the same thing. Our lender wants to make sure we have every incentive to repay the loan, including (and maybe most importantly) the risk of personal liability. A lenderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hook into the personal assets of the business borrower is an important part of the deal for the lender and, even in good times, it can be difficult to avoid signing a personal guaranty. Once the guaranty is signed, life is never quite the same again. Being personally liable for a business debt brings cold hearted reality to every business dream (Hassett, 2008). The financier should also be concerned with what exactly the debtor is offering as a personal guarantee. There needs to be documentation to ensure the security behind the guarantee is of sufficient value and that it is owned by the debtor. Items of security that are joint-owned may be more difficult to claim against for the creditor, so it is generally preferred that securities are solely owned by the director. It is important that the debtor and creditor agree on the limits of the personal guarantee. Whilst a financier may want no limits to the guarantee, the director should look for a limit equal to their share within the company. This means that if there is more than one director in the company, the debtor offering a personal guarantee will only be liable for debts on their portion of the company. The length of the personal guarantee should also be looked at in terms of how long it will act as security. As debts reduce the debtor and creditor should have an agreement whereby security is removed once the debtor is established as a reliable borrower (Hassett, 2008). What are the key areas of concern for the bank in the control, monitoring and perhaps ultimate realisation of such security? There is a balance to be had in personal guarantees between the security or collateral being offered and the monitoring of the individual offering the guarantee. Whilst the collateral may be sufficient to cover debts, banks should not put their faith in just the security. Careful monitoring of the individual offering the personal guarantee and their company is important to make sure that they are able to repay their creditors and that the likelihood of foreclosure is small. Relying too much on the security offered will result in a loss of money for the bank and potential lending to debtors who are unable to pay. The risk-reduction offered by security from the personal guarantee is not a substitute for monitoring of credit and business of the debtor (Ono and Uesugi, 2005, pp. 1-2). Monitoring is also important because of the need to make sure directors are acting appropriately and legally within the company. If monitoring of their practices does not occur then their conduct could lead to debts that cannot be covered by the personal security offered. Although liability insurance should cover directors against negligence and breach of security, such actions may lead to a loss for the bank when other creditors look to claim against security (Finch, 1994, p. 880). If the monitoring is accurate then the banks can help the debtor to improve the situation and rescue the business before it fails so that the debtor can continue to make repayments. Most banks will only claim against security as a last resort because they are likely to lose money this way. Instead, a rescue package may be put in place to aid the debtor and help the bank recover debts in the long-term (Franks and Sussman, 2000, pp. 1-6). Banks will generally remain risk-averse though, particularly to small businesses and this is why personal guarantees need to be offered in order to secure funding (Keasey and Watson, 1994, p. 349). However, the risk involved usually means that banks are keen to make sure they can secure the claim against the debtor in the future if necessary. This is why it is important for the creditor and debtor to agree on a time limit for the security. As the economy worsens, banks are now trying to claim against directors who gave personal guarantees but have since left companies. This can be the fault of the debtor for not securing a time limit, or the fault of the creditor for not monitoring the debtor. Once they have left a company it could be harder to secure the claim against the personal guarantee. A bank will look to recover the debt in any way possible if the debts are not being repaid. As personal guarantees are separate from their actual mortgage or business agreements, unless a debtor is released from the personal guarantee they can even sell the business and still be liable for future debts as they are still the guarantor (Cranage, 2008). In this case it is the bank that should advise debtors more accurately and monitor the business so that if they need to claim against a personal guarantee there are no problems with regards to a debtor having left the company. A bank should also make sure that they follow procedures when signing the guarantee so that it can be claimed against if needed. Any alterations to the agreement, misrepresentation on the part of the bank, coercion by the bank or non-disclosure of information will void the agreement and the bank will not be able to claim against it. It is important to make sure these steps are followed so that a debtor cannot remove themselves from their obligation because of such procedural failures (Goodman Derrick, 2002). Banks generally have a great deal of control over restructuring or liquidation of a company should the debtor fall behind with repayments. This means that recovery against the personal guarantee is not generally a problem for the bank. However, it can be made easier or not required if monitoring is improved and there is less of a reliance on recovery against the guarantee in the eventuality of business failure (Franks and Sussman, 2005, pp. 85-92). The most important factors for the bank to consider are the monitoring of the director before an agreement is signed, and the way in which the agreement is eventually agreed. If these procedures are followed then the bank will only be taking on clients whose risk of default is lower, and the accurate monitoring will make sure that the debtor remains on course to pay debts and claiming against the guarantee will not be necessary. Most banks have different policies and contracts with regards to how the personal guarantee is set up, so it is important for the bank to accurately and openly describe the process and the meaning of the contract to the director. If this is not done properly then it will be much harder for the bank to claim against the guarantee, because a claim cannot easily be made if the debtor was not accurately informed of the nature of the agreement they were entering (Tuller, 2007, pp. 144-146). Once a document is signed and the debtor and creditor are fully agreed on its terms, then monitoring of the business situation and personal assets of the debtor is still crucial. The bank needs to make sure that the business is performing sufficiently for the debtor to continue payments, and also that the security offered in the personal guarantee is still intact and of sufficient value to be used as security. This monitoring will allow the bank to see any problems before they become too serious and hopefully correct them so that the debtor can continue to make payment (Steingold, 2008, pp. 13-19). However, should this not be possible, as long as the agreement is carried out correctly then claiming against the personal guarantee will not be a problem for the bank. They have control because of this personal guarantee, and therefore even if the business fails the bank should be able to recover a significant portion of the outstanding debt by claiming against the personal guarantee and the assets of the director mentioned in this agreement (Keay, 2005, pp. 431-437). Monitoring is also important because even if the guarantee cannot be claimed against because of procedural issues, if the debtorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business enters insolvent liquidation due to wrongful trading then the creditor can make a claim against the director to contribute to the outstanding debts from their personal assets. Although this is an extreme measure, it shows that monitoring is the most important factor for a bank in making sure they secure a personal guarantee correctly and that foreclosure is avoided. However, if foreclosure is required then accurate monitoring will allow the bank to recover as much of the outstanding debt as possible. Bibliography Cranage, J., 2008. The Danger of Giving Your Personal Guarantee. Birmingham Post, August 7th 2008. Finch, V., 1994. Personal Accountability and Corporate Control: The Role of Directorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and Officersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Liability Insurance. Modern Law Review, 57, p. 880. Franks, J., and Sussman, O., 2000. The Cycle of Corporate Distress, Rescue and Dissolution: A Study of Small and Medium Size UK Companies. World Bank Study. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/wdr/2001/wkshppapers/berlin/frankssuss2.pdf Franks, J., and Sussman, O., 2005. Financial Distress and Bank Restructuring of Small to Medium Size UK Companies. Review of Finance, 9(1), pp. 65-96. Goode, R.M., 2003. Legal Problems of Credit and Security. London: Sweet and Maxwell. Goodman Derrick., 2002. Personal Guarantees. (Online). Available at: https://www.goodmanderrick.co.uk/news/documents/Personal_Guarantees.pdf (Accessed 26th October 2008). Hassett, T., 2008. The Personal Side of Personal Guarantees. (Online). Available at: https://www.felhaber.com/ARTICLES/personal_guarantees.html (Accessed 25th October 2008). Keasey, K., and Watson, R., 1994. The bank financing of small firms in UK: Issues and evidence. Small Business Economics, 6(5), pp. 349-362. Keay, A., 2005. Wrongful Trading and the Liability of Company Directors: A Theoretical Perspective. Legal Studies, 25(3), pp. 431-461. Lloyds TSB., 2008. Becoming a company director and your responsibilities. (Online). Available at: https://www.lloydstsbbusiness.com/support/businessguides/becoming_a_company_director.asp (Accessed 24th October 2008). Newton, L., 2000. Trust and virtue in English banking: the assessment of borrowers by bank managements at the turn of the nineteenth century. Financial History Review, 7, pp. 177-199. Ono, A., and Uesugi, I., 2005. The Role of Collateral and Personal Guarantees in Relationship Lending: Evidence from Japanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Small Business Loan Market. RIETI Discussion Paper Series 05-E-027. Available at: https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wbs/conf/int-sme-finance/programme/6_-_ono.pdf Steingold, F., 2008. Legal Forms for Starting Running a Small Business. Nolo. Tuller, L.W., 2007. Finance for Non-Financial Managers: And Small Business Owners. Adams Media.

How the Olympic Torch Works

Quite a lot of development and technology goes into the flame for the Olympic Torch. Heres a look at how the Olympic Torch works and the fuel used to produce the flame. Origin of the Olympic Torch The Olympic Torch represents Prometheus theft of fire from Zeus. In the original Greek Olympic Games, a fire ---  the Olympic Flame - was kept burning during the duration of the games. The tradition of the Olympic Flame made its way into the international games in the 1928 summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the original games, taking the flame from its source to wherever the games were being held. The Olympic Torch is a relatively new invention, introduced by Carl Diem at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Design of the Olympic Torch While the original Olympic Torch was simply an Olympic Flame that was kept burning throughout the original Greek Olympic Games, the modern torch is a sophisticated device that is used in a relay. The design of the torch changes and is customized for every set of Olympic Games. Recent torches use a double burner, with an outer bright flame and a small inner blue flame. The inner flame is protected such that if the torch is blown out by wind or rain, the small flame acts as a sort of pilot light, re-igniting the torch. A typical torch carries fuel sufficient to burn for about 15 minutes. Recent  games have utilized a  burning mixture of butane and polypropylene or propane. Fun Olympic Torch Facts Some early torches were fueled by olive oil.The runners in the 1956 torch relay carried a flaming block of hexamine and naphthalene, but a more dazzling display was desired for the entry into the Melbourne Olympic Stadium. The runner, Ron Clarke, carried a torch burning a mixture of magnesium and aluminum flakes (think thermite reaction or a giant sparkler). The torch dripped clumps of flaming metal onto the track and burned its carrier.The 2000 Olympic Games featured an underwater flare for a torch so that a diver could bear the flame across the Great Barrier Reef to the Sydney Games in Australia.Multiple torches are made for each set of Olympic Games. There were 22 torches for the 1952 games in Helsinki, 6,200 for the 1980 games in Moscow and 8,000 for the 2012 London Games. What Happens When the Torch Goes Out? Modern Olympic Torches are less likely to go out than their predecessors. The type of torch used for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games has been tested and found to function at temperatures from -5 °C to 40 °C, in rain and snow, at 95% humidity, and with wind gusts of up to 50 mph. The torch will remain lit when dropped from a height of at least three meters (the test height). Even so, the flame can go out! When this happens, the inner flame acts as a pilot light to reignite the fuel of the flame. Unless the torch is very wet, the flame should reignite easily.

The End Of The Second World War - 1705 Words

Explain why you agree or disagree with the view that by the end of the Second World War the US had developed into a superpower. In the USA after World War 1 ended in 1918 there was a new hope and optimism which was an inevitable reaction to war as people look for a better life. The first world war created a surge of energy and ambition in the nation more so than in any other nation in the world. This new found energy was created by the industrial power increased from government encouragement as well as the introduction of mass production which gave cheaper consumer goods and so helped lead into the American dream. The American dream was also helped by the increase of wages which meant that they had more money to spend on creating the dream American home and lifestyle, this extra money meant that they could also have more freedom leading to the era being known as the Era of Jazz, which also challenged the traditional patterns that had been brought through from small towns. In 1921 after the Wall Street Crash the few things that the government did well are that they set up the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932 to loan money to private corporation and then a wider range of community loans were offered in the Glass-Seagall Act while finally there were also cheaper home mortgages offered in the Federal Home Loan Bank Act. The final Act that was created in 1932 was the Emergency relief and Construction Act that gave relief money to states for federal and local publicShow MoreRelatedThe End Of The Second World War Essay1640 Words   |  7 Pages The end of the Second World War marked the descent of old world powers such as Germany and Great Britain, and the upsurge of two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. These two countries became fierce competitors on the international scene, which lead to increasing political and military tensions between a US-led Western Bloc and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). 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Campus Couture Free Essays

string(131) " in as many years due partially to increased commodity, labor, and shipping costs, as well as markups associated with name brands\." Essentially, this will work by Campus COUtUre purchasing pieces from designers and other local and international retailers, and offering it as a rental service to our clientele. Campus Couture allows its members to search dresses by new arrivals, size, color, style, or price. We aim to offer rental services for women to attend date nights, cocktail parties, and formal events idyllically for the Western Community. We will write a custom essay sample on Campus Couture or any similar topic only for you Order Now Campus Couture, Inc. Was incorporated in 201 2 and is based in London, Ontario (Exhibit 1). 1. Goals and Objectives: The initial goal of Campus Couture is to present our aggregate research and analysis to generate confidence in our business model and its feasibility. Establish a Presence Within the Campus Community: Establish a consistent base of users that rely on Campus Couture’s site for their semi-formal and formal wear Establish ourselves are the forerunners in designer wear for the targeted consumers Minimize Start-Up Costs: From an operations standpoint, we strive to minimize start-up costs and maximize our customer-base in the first fiscal year, while generating a constant stream of profit in later periods. Promote Website Traffic: By increasing awareness about Campus Couture, we aim to capture 15% of Westerns female population to become active members of Campus Couture, Inc. By the end of our first year of operations (Exhibit 2) Financial: Usually negative cash from operations is risky, however sometimes is necessary to get the business afloat. Breakable by the end of 2nd fiscal year. Personal Goals: $1 5,000 in drawings by the Second Fiscal Year End (2013-2014) Drawings for Campus COUtUre Board of Directors at 70% Of net income by 3rd fiscal year-end Work part-time; between 5-8 hours per week 1. Key Success Factors: Successful Market Penetration: Initial market penetration is vital for our business to prosper. As a consequence of our generally unfamiliar business concept, our marketing practices must be well-planned and innovative in order to win over our customer base. Due to the influence of word-of-mouth and social media activity amongst our target demographic, we believe that once this initial base is established, we can expect a steady increase in customer base moving forward. Trendiest and Affordability: Trendiest and affordability are key determinants of Campus Couture’s success, as today’s youth wants to maintain a fashionable image without the substantial expenditures associated with purchasing an outfit. Campus Couture aims to keep its product offerings current and updated adhering to the latest fashion trends. Furthermore, each rental will be a fraction of the retail cost of the dress, meaning that Campus Couture will be a practical alternative. Affordability is the keystone to our business model, and it is imperative that it is maintained. Our price model is based off of the number of times we expect each dress to be rented, thus increasing the customer base and the number of rentals. We can expect to increase inventory, while driving down rental rates in the future. 1. 4 Corporate Capabilities: Strengths: Campus Couture adheres to a unique business model and can take definitive strides to provide our members a vast selection of dresses that cater to our students and young professionals. Campus Couture has skilled personnel that are capable of handling the daily operations and logistics involved with running a rental service. They have unrivaled insight into our target market as we are Western students representing other Western students. The use of social media technology has provided Campus Couture direct access to the target market, making us trendsetters for the rising trend in economical pending habits in this post-recession era. Weaknesses: Campus Couture has limited funds, inventory and connections to the fashion industry. This makes our company more vulnerable to our competitors who possess extensive fashion expertise and large capital allowances for advertising. Our business also has the unique task of having to overcome the negative stigma attached to renting apparel. As well, the business’s success is heavily reliant on keeping up with the latest trends and appealing to the young female’s fashion needs/style. A strong marketing campaign and commitment to Campus Couture’s business objectives will hopefully overcome these weaknesses, as well as increase traffic to our website. Seasonality will also impact our feasibility since a large portion of our target market attends Western University but leave for the summer months. . External Analysis: 2. 1 political: As of January 201 2, students across Ontario have begun receiving $1 ,600 annually from the provincial government, as part of an initiative to lower to tuition rates. This helps alleviate the financial stresses for students and also puts more disposable income back into their pockets, thus proving that female students will have increased means to rent dresses and pur chase other novelties. Transmutes’ are popularizing among environmental groups. These are individuals who value non-ownership for environmental and ethical reasons. The rhetoric behind this lies in the fact that â€Å"the more people share, the fewer goods need to be produced -? and fewer resources will be used up. † Therefore, dress rentals definitely cater to those consumers who will only use something when they truly need it. 2. 2 Economic: Due to rising university tuition rates, Western students on average have less disposable income and therefore increased pressure to spend their money wisely. Statistics Canada reported in 2008 that Canadian females between 16 ND 1 9 had an average income of $7,100 whereas females between 20 and 24 earned $15,100. If a student in either age cohort had to cover living and post- secondary expenses, they would have little or no money left for other expenditures. According to Western Statistics, approximately 681 9 bursaries, accounting for roughly $1 5 million were given to students requiring financial assistance. These statistics imply that many Western students are looking to economize and curb their spending habits in order to offset their debt from student loans. The population of females at Western is currently 13,990 females that have gig demand for fashionable dresses due to the ongoing social scene in London. The price of clothing has escalated in as many years due partially to increased commodity, labor, and shipping costs, as well as markups associated with name brands. You read "Campus Couture" in category "Papers" Consequently, consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to appear fashion forward at a reasonable price. On average, Western undergraduate students attend 6 to 8 major events per semester. 1 Provided that we can offer our clientele high quality dresses at a reasonable price, we aspire to take advantage of this opportunity and create successful business model that aligns with the needs of price sensitive Western University female students. . 3 social: Online shopping has also revolutionized over the past decade. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007 about 8. 4 million Canadian individuals aged 16 years and older used the Internet to make almost $12. 8 billion in purchases. By 2010, 113. 8 million orders were made by 1 1 2 million Canadians with a value of $15. 3 billi on. From 2007 to 2010, the percentage of online shoppers that used the Internet to purchase clothing, jewelry, and accessories rose from 29% to 36%. This positive correlation demonstrates an increasing trend of online consumers and an opportunity for Campus Couture to capture this market because a large age of these shoppers were females under the age of 30. Currently, 60% of Western students are female; this rising trend along with plans to for the University to admit larger first-year classes secures Campus Couture?s growing target audience. Overall, these conditions are very favorable for our company as there is clear evidence that our target market is steadily expanding, implying that Campus Couture will likely gain customers and increase profits over time. 2. Technological: Modern technological developments, like the Internet have increased the consumers access to information thus reducing time spent shopping and has made retail prices more competitive by shifting the power from suppliers to consumers. This transformation is forcing current businesses to review their current operations and marketing strategies to better accommodate consumer demands. Campus Couture believes that implementing modern information technology to target the budget-conscientious young female consumer and to fulfill their need for fashionable apparel can offer a competitive edge over our competitors. 3. Consumer Analysis: 3. 1 Market Research: In our survey (Exhibit 3, Exhibit), 63% of respondents were inclined to rent a dress while 32% indicated that the idea was not appealing to them. Many hesitated as they worried about cleanliness and unfamiliarity to the concept of dress rentals. Our results show that approximately 73% of respondents are either impartial, agree, or strongly agree to this concept. This indicates that if Campus Couture can successfully promote dress rentals as fashionable, economical, and sanitary to the masses, we will unleash potential for large sales volumes and high returns from this untapped market. In terms of pricing, 76% of females surveyed indicated that they would spend less than $1 00 and 55% would spend less than $70 on a dress for a special occasion, therefore implying that price is a determining factor for the typical consumer. Therefore, Campus Couture must rent out its dresses at competitive rates to appeal to a vast market In which some would prefer to purchase rather than rent. 3. 2 Target Market: Campus Couture targets young female students and professionals from the Western and London community, ages 1 8 to 25 years old, who are searching for fashionable higher-end formulae at affordable prices. Students are very social individuals, but they are also on a limited budget With pressure to dress well, they want to look great by wearing new dresses. Buying new dresses is extremely costly, which is why this demographic would be more inclined to rent. 4. Competitive Analysis: Although, there are no specific businesses that provide a similar service to either community, there are many direct and indirect competitors impeding on Campus Couture’s growth potential. 4. 1 Direct: Forever XIX: With 480 locations and revenue grossing over $2. Billion, Forever XIX is extremely popular among teen and young adult females and caters to an array of different styles at great value. In terms of marketing and promotion, Forever XIX has truly capitalized with its e-commerce venture. With Forever XIX opening up at Nashville Place in March 2012, Campus Couture could foresee immense competition from this clothing retailer. Forever XIX has far greater financial means to purchase inventory and t o market their product. They have the potential to capture a larger audience due to their variety of inventory and reasonable pricing. These factors could pose as a real threat to the success of Campus Couture. A drawback to their business model is that with lower pricing comes poorer quality. This brings out the traditional quantity versus quality debate, and Campus Couture would have to evaluate which is more important to the desired target market. Forever Xi’s dresses lie in the same price range as renting from Campus COUtUre’s designer ones, however online purchases incur corresponding shipping charges. SASS: SASS is a global fashion e-commerce website, located in the UK, which sells fashionable clothing and accessories internationally. With 7. 0 million registered users and 35,000 new products each season, SASS attracts a wide range of demographics, allowing the business to penetrate the global market. By offering free shipping worldwide, consumers are more likely to purchase, however there are a number of downfalls, Canadian customers are required to pay both HAST and duties, increasing the overall cost to the consumer. This also makes international returns more difficult, as the consumer will have to pay freight for the item(s) to be returned, which could be costly. In addition, this may even hinder the company’s potential for making sales, as skeptic consumers would be hesitant to order without previously seeing the quality of the clothing. The efficiency of the delivery service is essential to ensure that customers receive their products on time in order to maintain customer satisfaction. Campus Couture differs as we offer rentals for similar items, but with a limited inventory. Our inventory will focus on the needs of the London community, instead of the world market. With that said, we provide our Members the opportunity to have a personal fitting. In addition, Campus Couture will not have to bother with online payment security and delivery timings, as both will be handled in-store. And Ezra: Our market research relayed that H and Ezra were highly popular within our target market. Whereas, H has a flagship in London, Ezra, is only coated in Toronto. Many Western students are from the Toronto area and travel home frequently, thereby making Ezra a direct competitor. Both retailers have strong brand recognition and customer loyalty across Canada. H’s business concept is to give the customer unbeatable value by offering style and quality at a reasonable price. Ezra in comparison, concentrates on quality, design, and rapid turnaround. HM’s dresses retail between $20 and $60 whereas Ezra retails its dresses for $80 based on current website pricing. One weakness both of these companies share is their lack of an online store, while Campus Couture provides its consumers with the ability to reserve dresses online and on your phone. Oftentimes, customers find an item online and by the time they get to the store, the size or color of dress may be sold out. Overall, retailers who transition their marketing strategy to reflect technological trends will be better equipped to handle the the needs Of the modern consumer. Boutiques along Richmond Row: Richmond Row is home to various local apparel retailers in downtown London. Regardless of our partnership with Elliot, a local boutique (Exhibit 5), they would still remain indirect competitors as similar items would be arrested to the same audience. Price is a huge factor as Elliot has sizeable profit margins for it sales, however with increased competition and lower prices for the similar goods may result in a price war. Ultimately, Campus Couture will be able to overcome this form of competition due to its offering of a fundamentally different service. 4. 2 Indirect: High-End Departmental Stores High-end department stores including Holt Renew, Anemia Marcus, and Nordstrom provide designer apparel at high costs. These department stores target an older and wealthier demographic than students, who can afford to ay high premiums for higher quality. While many of these high-end stores ship to Canada, the costs associated with shipping makes these pieces virtually impossible for the average student to afford. Online Flash Sales: Online Luxury Flash Sales websites such as Beyond the Rack, Net-a-Porter, and The Peacock Parade are an up-and-coming trend in today’s technology- dependent world. Here, designers and retailers have their merchandise discounted between 50-70% of the original retail value. Sales are typically short (under 72 hours) and start at inconvenient times during the day. This sakes purchasing from these websites difficult and inconvenient for students with busy schedules. Flash sales have limited selection, so specific styles may not be available. Most of these websites have headquarters in the States, adding shipping costs to the original purchase price. 5. Four Up’s 5. 1 Product: We offer a dress rental service in London Ontario, where consumers can browse our inventory online and reserve dresses, then allowing them to come in before their event to try on the dress and pay for the rental. 5. 2 Placement: We chose to place our business in the North London borough because Of its rigidity to Western University and college population, who are looking for the latest trends and outfits to present themselves in. The area is known for student housing, and therefore is more convenient for them to walk to in comparison to either mall or the downtown core. We believe that being located in close proximity to campus is advantageous as there are no other clothing retailers in the area, unlike the competition we would have faced from retailers along Richmond Row or in Nashville. 5. 3 price: While finalizing our inventory, the costs associated were taken into account in order to set the rental fees. The rental price represents 30 to 35% of the original retail price, therefore we will be able to generate a return on our investment after three rentals. This value is reasonable enough that consumers would still be inclined to rent rather than purchase a dress from elsewhere. As a start-up, we did not want to take too big of a risk. Since the business concept is unfamiliar to a large portion of our demographic, high initial promotional costs are necessary to inform and penetrate the market. Afterwards, Campus Couture can rely on the social behavior of the demographic to steadily build our customer base in years to mom. . 4 Promotion: In order to reach out to our clientele, we aim to incorporate a pull strategy, using a variety of social media outlets, promotional events and incentives, and personal selling strategies in an attempt to build up consumer demand for high-end designer dress rentals. Promotional Campaign: Social Media (Exhibit 6) The 18 to 25 cohort represents the highest consumers of social networking and the Internet. Social media outlets including, Faceable has made girls more vigilant to keep up with fashion trends and to have an extensive wardrobe for every occasion. Nowadays, girls are self-conscious about rearing the same outfit repeatedly, fearful that someone might remember. Due to these societal pressures, females have resorted to online retail browsing and shopping for clothing and accessories. With Campus Couture on all major networking sites: Faceable, Twitter, and Pinsetters, we can inform our customers about the latest trends and what is new at Campus Couture, enabling our clientele to interact with us, and even see how other clients are wearing Campus Couture. This will positively influence our company’s image, as one that cares about its clientà ¨le’s needs before their special event. Mobile Application (Exhibit 7) Imagine Campus Couture, at your fingertips. Our mobile application can be downloaded onto your Blackberry, phone, or Android to see the latest in trends and new in-stock items, and book fittings. This will allow girls who wait until the eleventh hour to reserve a dress at any time. With that said, the mobile application is expected to be of greatest utility to customers for those always on-the-go. It will also enhance accessibility to our catalogue and overall business, further inclining potential customers to use our service. Undoubtedly, the greatest asset we can gain by using the mobile application s ensuring Campus Couture’s constant presence in customers’ lives. Viral Youth Campaign With today’s youth constantly viewing, posting, and sharing Youth videos all over the social media circuit, Campus Couture has the opportunity to be recognized quickly, without incurring the cost of airing pricey television commercials. By filming a video that highlights Campus Couture’s brand power and competitive advantage, we can influence students to share the video. In turn, they will be personally selling Campus Couture to their social circles without even realizing that they are doing it. This will elevate inquiries, ND with proper sales training within the Campus Couture team, this will result in increased volumes of rentals, equating to higher gross revenue as well as a higher return on our initial investment. Print Advertising and Word of Mouth (Exhibit 8) Print advertising is a promising technique as it catches the attention of many students while walking around campus. With posters up in areas of high traffic, students will be able to familiarize themselves with Campus Couture. These advertisements will be concentrated in locations with the highest prevalence Of our target market in order to garner their attention. Launch Party: The executive of Campus Couture, Inc. Will be working closely with the George Boatswains, Resident DC of Cobra London to organize a launch party and Fashion Show on Friday September 14th, 2012. With upwards of 500 attendees, we hope to make our mark on the Western and London community by selling advance tickets to the event for $10. Advance ticket sales will be a key marketing strategy to spread word out about Campus Couture to all social circles across the campus community. All revenues generated would be paid to Cobra London. The launch party will promote our business, while the Fashion Show will best exhibit Campus Couture’s collection to the female demographic. This will be coordinated in part with Blackbirds Salon and Spas, who have donated their time and expertise into making this event a great success. Our team will be able to personally sell Campus Couture to our target market, while promoting to the masses. . Internal Analysis 6. 1 Operations: Operations will commence on September 1st, 2012 with promotions, leading up to our launch party on September 14th, inaugurating the business. In order to use the site, a customer must make an account (Exhibit 9). Members can search through different dresses by style, color, size, or price. In addition, the calendar widget displays the availability of each d ress. This calendar will mark off the dates that the dress has been booked for, the size, and the event she will be wearing it to, allowing other customers to skim through dresses efficiently. This also ensures that no two people will be renting out the same dress for the same event. Once the customer has decided on a dress, they will book a fitting appointment, where Campus Couture will hold onto two sizes of any one dress for the customer, ensuring a proper fit. Once they have been fitted, the client will choose whether to proceed with the rental. Our storefront provides them access to browse through other dresses. If they choose another dress, we would ensure that it was not previously on hold for another customer and that it was clean and undamaged. How to cite Campus Couture, Papers

Promoting Democracy in Sudan Essay Example For Students

Promoting Democracy in Sudan Essay To improve the overall conditions of the Sudanese state, and to realize the potential of your country, democracy must be promoted and encouraged. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to promote democracy and human rights for the citizens of Sudan. There are many facets of the current Sudanese government and economy that could be improved by the implementation of good governance. Good governance promotes democratic ideals and with democracy comes civil liberties, which have been long removed, from the people of Sudan. The intention of this policy brief is to provide realistic suggestions to improve economic policies, political processes, judicial processes, national policies, security, and international relations through the means of good governance.The civil war has been going on since Sudans independence from Britain in 1956, with the exception of years 1972-1983, when the southern Darfur region of Sudan was autonomous. Unfortunately, under British rule Sudan had been divided between the north and the south, the borders were literally closed. This physical barrier between the two groups seemed to polarize them even more and the civil war in Sudan was on its way after their independence from Britain. Southern Sudanese are predominately non-Arabic and non-Muslim, creating a clash with the Islamic government of Sudan. British occupation implemented an indirect ruling system in Sudan; allowing local governments to distribute powers, rather than having a strong federal system. Powers were scattered throughout Sudan, between religious leaders and village leaders. This system of governance was introduced to them by the British and was cause for many disagreements. The lack of education and experience possessed by the national leaders of Sudan hurt the development of democratic values and the overall conditions of Sudan. Some historians and political thinkers believe the civil war in Sudan to be explained partly by foreign oil companies explorations and developments throughout much of the southern region. It seems that the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army became the armed opposition group that it is today because they had to defend their territory in the south. One of the reasons Sudan Peoples Liberation Army began their violent campaign was because Chevron was going to make a pipeline from the southern region of Sudan, connecting to the ports along the northern border in 1984. The concerns of the global economy dominate political decision-making in Sudan, at the expense of the poor. There is a link between human rights violations, from the Sudanese armed forces and various government aided militias, and foreign oil companies involvements. The government forcibly moves groups of villagers to allow oil companies the rights to extract oil. Foreign oil companies expect the governments security forces to protect the oil fields and their staff from angry villagers and civilians. Oil companies need to be held responsible for creating hostile environments for innocent civilians, whose human rights are violated frequently by the government and foreign corporations. Amnesty international provides suggestions to oil companies about how to effectively ensure the rights of citizens in regions being explored. Amnesty International encourages corporate accountability; although, there is a problem with both the government of Sudan and the foreign oil companies; neither group seems concerned about the well being of civilians. Militias and private security forces have hired children to protect the oil fields in Sudan, children need to be in school. The Sudanese Liberation movement is a violent struggle in the Darfur region of Sudan. The centralized nature of the current government in Sudan does not protect citizens or provide many benefits to those citizens who live outside the capital, Khartoum. In February of 2003, the Sudan Liberation Army attacked government troops at the airport of Al-Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur state. .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .postImageUrl , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:hover , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:visited , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:active { border:0!important; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:active , .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34 .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u68901348af75ec8db25d74cd1aa63f34:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Confucianism And Chuang-Tzu Essay The Sudan Liberation Army claimed this attack was their response to a number of disagreements they have with the current government of Sudan and the lack of leadership in their country. The Sudan Liberation Army expanded on this by stating three distinct complaints: the government has failed to protect citizens from Nomadic groups that have attacked villages in the Darfur region; the economy in the Darfur region has also been ignored by the government, resulting in poverty and worse conditions than in other regions of the country; marginalization