When someone brings up the concept of deserving, what do...

When someone brings up the concept of deserving, what do you think of? Do you think of when you were little and your parents punished you and said you deserved that? Or do you think of when you had won a prize and someone told you that you had deserved it? Well, all around the expression to deserve ones fate means to do something or have or show qualities worthy of fate, in this case. For example in the story â€Å"Interlopers† the two men have a fate that concludes the story, whether or not they deserve it is a negotiable subject. As a reader, one could decide that they did deserve their fate of which they both die the same way, wolves. In â€Å"The Interlopers† the two men, Ulrich and Georg deserve their fate at the end of the story because; they†¦show more content†¦The two approached each other, essentially wanting to kill and all of a sudden a tree had fallen on them both, trapping them. Then after a long moment, the one called over to the other seeing if they were alive or awake. They were and all of the arguing began from there. Then Ulrich called out, â€Å"Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you?† asked Ulrich suddenly; â€Å"there is good wine in it, and one may as well be as comfortable as one can. Let us drink, even if tonight on of us dies.† The response that Georg had was very rude and posed to show the hatred between them. The two were very unkind to one another, if anything Ulrich was the nicer of the two. Clearly, being rude when they are both trapped and bleeding was very unkind. Lastly, in the story of â€Å"The Interlopers† the men are worthy of their fate because they had made an effort to turn around the negative to possibly save their lives. The men had been there under the tree for a while and were beginning to doubt their own men coming first so Ulrich had offered becoming friend again and putting aside their hatred. It took Georg a while but finally he said, â€Å"†¦Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.† One can assume the men did this incase the others arm came first, in an effort to save their life. Another thing is that they had just expressed that the hated each other and came to hunt each other, but now they are agreeing to be friends. If one of theShow MoreRelatedHomosexuality Deserves Respect1294 Words   |  5 PagesIt is necessary to acknowledge that the society keeps changing while time goes by. Many staffs are artificial nowadays just like using computer or smart phone. Thus, the judgment of being homosexual is no t ‘natural’ is invalid. Homosexuality deserves respect The second point is that different sexual orientations should be respect. To develop a relationship with the opposite sex or the same sex is a personal choice. People using sexual orientation to discriminate others is unfair especiallyRead MoreCelebrities Deserve Privacy 546 Words   |  2 Pagesof Chris Brown. The paparazzi and media chase these people to please their own audience and make a living. Thereby, celebrities are not able to enjoy being in their own home that ordinary people normally do after a long and hard day at home. They deserve to be left to their own devices in their daily regime without the fear of paparazzi interfering and attempting to take candid photos of them. To conclude, I do not really agree about the whole public should know every obvious detail of celebrities’Read MoreEverybody Deserves Equality758 Words   |  4 PagesIt may seem impossible to change the world, however, a small group of thoughtful students in Little Rock, Arkansas, called the Little Rock Nine, along with others namely SNCC, and Underground Weatherman , demonstrates that changing the world is possible by standing their ground by fighting with segregation that was against not only them but all people. One of the most famous cases of integration was the story of the Little Rock Nine, which took place in Little Rock, Arkansas. At one point inRead MoreAthletes Deserve Their Money552 Words   |  2 Pagesathletes. Therefore, since college athletes create a large sum of money for the NCAA, it will only make sense that the college athletes receive money as well. College athletes make plenty of money for the NCAA and they don’t receive as much as they deserve. Without the athletes, the NCAA would not be able to make TV deals nor generate any money at all. The NCAA made $770 million in TV right deals alone off of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, â€Å"March Madness†. How much of that money went to the athletesRead MoreWhy Refugees Deserve A Home1217 Words   |  5 PagesMaddie Stein, Weston Press Scott Correll Core 8 Why Refugees Deserve a Home Imagine that you are in your home, and you hear a bomb go off. You then hear countless horrific sounds of guns going off and explosives detonating. 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Philosophers, clergyman, andRead More Animals Deserve Rights Essay802 Words   |  4 PagesAnimals Deserve Rights It is the notion of our time that non-human animals exist for the advancement of the human species. In whatever field -- cookery, fashion, blood-sports -- it is held that we can only be concerned with animals as far as human interests exist. There may be some sympathy for those animals, as to limit practices which cause excruciating suffering, but those may only be limited if they are brought to public light, and if legislators receive enough pressure from the public toRead MoreFelons Deserve Their Rights Back1298 Words   |  6 PagesFelons Deserve Their Rights Back Every individual deserves the right to vote despite color or gender even if they are a convicted felon. This country was founded off of freedom from declaring itself independent. Even though individuals have committed certain crimes they should at least have a way to earn their freedom back in some type of way. The first step in this process would be making it automatic in every state ,after the process of rehabilitation felons should have their rights reinstatedRead MoreFight For What You Deserve1651 Words   |  7 PagesFight For What You Deserve â€Å"We are anonymous, we represent freedom, we oppose repression, and we are simply an evolution of the technological system. Where liberty is at risk, expect us.† This statement from one of the hacktivists groups called Anonymous gives everyone a message that there are still some people in this world that can give justice to all of the inequality that are happening politically and socially. According to Oxford Dictionary, a Hacktivist is, â€Å"A person who gains unauthorizedRead MoreAre Men Deserve More Funding?1190 Words   |  5 Pages men deserve more funding when it comes to athletics? Yes, why? Because they are men! Oddly enough, some people deem this to be true. Over the years, the discussion of funding for sports according to sexuality has been confronted. Should men receive more because they are dominate in sports? Should funding be equal? These are both logical questions to be asked. In the past years, equality and fairness was a major issue; therefore, President Nixon signed into law â€Å"Title IX Act† in 1972. Now

Essay about Working Throughout High School - 568 Words

Students spend four years of their lives attending high school. Going through high school is mandatory as it prepares them for college and strength to face â€Å"the real world.† Having part-time jobs has become the phenomenon among high school students and many students follow this trend as well. Moreover, there are some pros and cons attached with it. Though it may seem like working throughout high school is a bad idea, it could better prepare students for â€Å"the real world.† Although some people believe that the primary duty of a student is studying, I am of the opposite position. I strongly support the idea that high school students should work throughout high school. This is because they can earn money, become responsible and get†¦show more content†¦They don’t use their money in a productive way. Some students waste their money in drugs and cigarettes. Another advantage is that students can become responsible. Jobs make young people more respon sible, and teach them the value of money and work. It makes them learn how to manage their time wisely and make them more organized. It prepares them for the future life, but also some less than desirable ones, like having too many responsibilities, spending most of their free time at work and not with friends or family. Some people think that it spoils the student academic career. They spend more time at work and they don’t get time to do their homework and assignments. Sometimes they have to skip classes to get enough sleep. They can’t concentrate on study because of the job. Those kinds of students will soon realize that the paycheck they receive at that point in time may feel nice, but it is not something they can live off of. Finally, students can gain experience by working throughout high school. This brings them opportunity to learn how to budget their money, which is a vital part of being independent. Students can gain more experiences and polish their skills while working. These skills can help them in future in finding perfect job for them. For example, if you enjoy teaching, working part-time as a tutor may help you improve your teaching skills and gain experiences.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Preparing for the Future by Working During High School567 Words   |  3 PagesStudents spend four years of their lives attending high school. Going through high school is supposed to prepare them for college and â€Å"the real world.† Taking part-time jobs has become the phenomenon among high school students, and many students follow this trend as well. Indeed, there are some advantages; however, there are also some disadvantages. Though it may seem like working throughout high school is a bad i dea, it could better prepare students for â€Å"the real world.† Although some people believeRead MoreWhy Students Should Not Work934 Words   |  4 Pagespotential. As a result working students find that their job can lead to them having lower grades and flunking courses. Students should not work throughout college because alternate forms of financial aid are available, the opportunity for academic success is limited, and personal free time is diminished. Failing school because you are having difficulty paying for school is outlandish. Measures have been emplaced to alleviate the financial worries of a college student, so working shouldn’t be much ofRead MoreFast Food Foundations And Its Impact On Society1137 Words   |  5 Pagesthem in their efforts to balance work, school, and leisure. Amitai Etzioni argues in his article Working at McDonald s[Put article title in quotes.] that high school students holding fast food type jobs gain invaluable[You mean the opposite.] skills, develop immoral behavior, and sometimes lose focus on schoolwork. I personally disagree, as I was one such student who found great value and learned excellent skills in my work at such establishments. Students working part-time jobs will develop an abilityRead MoreReflection Essay1017 Words   |  5 Pagescompletely relate to, especially Becky Cooper’s situation described in the first sentence of the article. All throughout high school, even when I felt sick and didn’t want to go to school, I would tell myself, â€Å"I can’t miss school. I’ll have too much to catch up on the next day.† I couldn’t get myself to miss a school day in fear of falling behind and missing out on a productive day at school. The idea of always being productive and having something to do is something that always fills my mind, whichRead MoreOvercoming the Challenges that May Come at the University of Wisconsin-Madison668 Words   |  3 PagesI have been challenged with many things throughout my lifetime. These challenges have taught me life lessons that have helped me to overcome difficulties. Two of the biggest lessons I have learned from life is that I have to work hard and deal with stress if I want to succeed. I have put these two lessons to work in all aspects of my life, especially while I am in school. I feel like my hard work and my stress management goes unnoticed by others. Many people I have talked to think I have itRead MoreWorking at the Fast Food Industry859 Words   |  3 Pagespopular chain that provides food for consumers but is working at the fast food industry the best working experience a person could have? Fast food restaurants have a reputation, and in the present, they’re labeled as â€Å"the worst jobs,† but there are some positive things about working in the fast food industry such as learning and developing skills at an early age. In â€Å"Working at McDonalds,† Amitai Etzioni argues that high school students working in the fast food industry are put at risk because theyRead MoreLet Me First State By Saying That I Am So Excited I Have781 Words   |   4 PagesHealthcare Management from Saint Leo University. After earning my degrees I have been working in the healthcare field, Marketing /Sales, but Banking Technical Healthcare I desired the most. I took an ITE introduction 610 course for the University of Maryland in 2015 to get glimpse of information technology. Although this one course was challenging, I solely enjoyed the experience and did not become bored. I am now working within Radiology and as general clerk surrounded by a hint of Health InformationRead MoreShatoria Gwynn . Candidate, Colorado State University Global795 Words   |  4 PagesHealthcare Management from Saint Leo University. 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Vpn Reactor Guide Free Essays

What service does VPN Reactor provides? – provides a secure way of connecting through a public network (such as the Internet) to a remote network/location. This remote network is typically a private network, such as a workplace or home network, or one provided by a commercial VPN service. No complicated software to install and works on all platforms. We will write a custom essay sample on Vpn Reactor Guide or any similar topic only for you Order Now VPN’s features †¢ Free easy-to-use App for Windows and Mac †¢ Works on all platforms, Windows, Mac OSX, iPhone, etc. †¢ 256-Bit Encrypted connection between you and the internet Total Privacy, no records of your internet activities are kept †¢ US, UK, Europe based VPN Servers †¢ Unlimited Bandwidth – No speed caps! †¢ Instant Access †¢ FREE!! What are VPN Reactor’s uses? †¢ Network Security Privacy †¢ Access Your Workplace Remotely †¢ Access Location Restricted Content †¢ Bypass Restrictive Networks †¢ Escape Censorship Why many protocols? Some governments, ISP networks block access to certain VPN protocols. The flexibility of multiple protocols allows you to bypass those blocks. In instances where all VPN protocols are blocked or throttled. Our StealthVPN has the ability to bypass these blocks by concealing itself within basic web and email traffic. ** What is the difference between the following VPN protocols? OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP, L2TP/IPsec Types of Accounts †¢ VPN Max †¢ VPN Pro †¢ VPN Basic †¢ VPN Economy All VPN plans include: †¢ Turbo Downloads – low user/server ratio †¢ 24/7 Unlimited connections bandwidth †¢ Premium Support †¢ 7 Day FREE Trial with paypal †¢ 1 Gig VPNreactor. om email address – your_login@vpnreactor. com †¢ U. S. A. Based VPN Servers Types of Protocols †¢ PPTP – VPN protocol used for the free VPN accounts †¢ OpenVPN – †¢ L2TP/IPsec – †¢ StealthVPN – has the ability to bypass these blocks by concealing itself within basic web and email traffic. VPNReactor only offer this level of security. Note: Some ISP’s in the following countries block PPTP – China, Oman, Dubai, UAE, and Belize. If your ISP blocks PPTP, choose a plan with OpenVPN and/or StealthVPN How to cite Vpn Reactor Guide, Essay examples

HR Capabilities for Information Security Systems

Question: Discuss about the Report of HR Capabilities for Information Security Systems. Answer: The purpose of this literature review is to identify and evaluate the key issues on Human Resource (HR) capabilities for Information Security Systems Development (IISD) within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The report, therefore, discusses the types of research that predominate the field along with the research philosophy and methodology. The report further undertakes a review of relevant literature to understand the viewpoint of the previous researchers and scholars about the issues in this field i.e. issues on HR capabilities for IISD. The literature review also undertakes a critique of the arguments and their supporting evidence presented by various authors in order to compare and contrast their approach and identified issues. In addition, the report also presents how the literature review has helped in broadening the understanding of the subject area and its impact on the development of the research topic. Part A: Research types In order to identify or explore the issues on human resource capabilities for information security systems development within the United Arab Emirates, previous researchers have adopted qualitative as well as quantitative researches, albeit, qualitative research types primarily dominate this field of study. Additionally, case study methods are employed to identify the issues on the selected topic of study (Panneerselvam 2014). Research methodology Research methodology can be understood as a blueprint of the research and provides guidance and direction to the research work. It includes research approach, research design as well as data collection methodology used to undertake the research. Therefore, research methodology can be understood as means that helps in reaching a firm conclusion and achieving research objectives. As the objective of this research objective is to explore the issues on human resource capabilities for information security systems development within the United Arab Emirates, positivism theory, deductive methodology and descriptive design of research has been employed. Moreover, for the collection of data, both primary and secondary methods of data collection have been used; and for the collection of primary data, non-probabilistic sampling methods have been used (Mackey and Gass 2015). Research philosophy The purpose of this study is to explore the issues on human resource capabilities for information security systems development that can be better understood by adopting positivism research philosophy (Knobe and Nichols 2013). The positivism philosophy helps in establishing the relation between the factual knowledge gained through observation and empirical studies with the research objectives. Therefore, positivism philosophy would help in recognizing the issues related to HR capabilities for IISD within UAE. Part B: In the late 20th century, United Arab Emirates first experienced the effectiveness of the Information Technology in their local market. UAE has been able to adopt the technology to such an extent that bank reports, audit works, government working and business activities became highly dependent on the use of IT. However, at the same time UAE experienced a growing need for data security in order to prevent the human-made as well as natural hazards with respect to maintenance of business continuity as well as the security of international and national investments. It has been identified by various studies that human resource plays a great role with regard to maintaining the information security system within the organization. As stated by Yahya et al. (2016), there are several areas of human resource management, which actively contribute to strengthening the information security system of the organization. The importance of these areas is described below: Building capability: In the current competitive marketplace, the organizations in UAE have perceived that more strategic approach to information security is highly necessary against the ever-increasing threat in the cyber world. Hall et al. (2011) has successfully identified that in order to mitigate the risks, it is necessary to develop a strategically enhanced and organization-wide defensive approach. On the other hand, Ahmed et al. (2015) argued that there is no scope to focusing solely on information security system as the 70 percent of all fraudulent incident regarding IT sector is internal. In support of this fact, the IT manager of Abu Dhabi Security Market has expressed the vulnerability against constant cyber attack irrespective of the system advancement. The information security system team is bound to prepare an effective data recovery plan (DRP) in order for the business organizations to maintain the security and identify the opportunity for data recovery. According to (Bada et al. (2014), the understanding of the information security laws as well as regulations are highly imperative for the information security professionals to be aware of every nuance of cyber threat to the organizations. On the other note, Atoum et al. (2014) revealed that the professionals of information security need to grasp the idea of contemporary circumstances of information assets and risks. It enhances the flexibility of the professionals to respond to the immediate threat. In the same context, the perception of the program sources, as well as programming ability also, plays a crucial role with respect to developing the essential capability of the information security experts (Ahmed et al. 2015). The human resource in UAE mostly emphasized on recruiting most efficient and expert professionals in order to develop the information security team. Atoum et al. (2014) expressed that it is a highly proficient strategy for developing the organizational capabilities for fighting against the contemporary cyber attack. However, Clemente (2015) contradicted that as the technical means of attack are changing in a rapid fashion the personal and professional development program for the information security professionals would be crucial for maintaining their technical competencies. Matching individual and organizational expectations: It has been identified by Al-Awadi and Saidani (2010) that information security professionals are highly expected to maintain several core principles in order for the organizations to enhance the level of security. These principles are defined as confidentiality, integrity as well as availability. However, Al-Khouri et al. (2014) revealed that organizational expectations from the professionals are based on compliance with several security policies. These policies are ranged from organizational to issue-specific to system-specific. On the other note, Elbeltagi et al. (2013) disclosed that the majority of the information security professionals are highly inclined towards their career progression. Considering this particular fact, the human resource sector of UAE has concentrated on the initiating personal and professional development program for the information security professionals. This facility allows the experts to enhance their skill and abilities in the advanced technology application Vogel and Broer (2013). In various extensive studies, it has been observed that the continuous professional learning help the experts to anticipate as well respond well to the technical vulnerabilities. This particular strategy also benefits the employees, as they are able to enhance their abilities. On the contrary, Vacca (2013) stated that the already employed professionals lack necessary enthusiasm to continue with the personal as well as professional development program arranged by human resource department. In order to match the individual and organizational expectations, the human resource departments in UAE are immensely driven by several goals of information security governance. According to Lowry et al. (2015), the information security governance generally focuses on several crucial areas which are highly competent to maintain the amalgamation of individual and organizational expectations. These areas are strategic alignment, risk management, resource management, performance management as well as value delivery. Strategic Alignment: As per the study of Al-Khouri et al. (2014), it has been revealed that human resource departments need to ensure the understanding of benefits, policies, strategy, service levels as well as security costs in a transparent manner. On the same note, development of information security policies has been proved as a major factor. In addition to that, the information security policy, strategy as well as control framework has to be also communicated efficiently. On the other hand, Singh and Sharma (2015) disclosed that the security incidents must be defined in terms of business impact. The clear perception of the relation of IT resources as well as business impact risk will be essential for matching the individual and organizational expectations. Risk Management: Various IT firm in UAE must follow several goals in order to manage as well as mitigate the risks as well as potential impacts. The foremost goal is protecting all information assets along with reducing chances of security risk on the information asset. Ahmed et al. (2015) revealed that it could be conducted only by assessing the level of risk potentiality in a regular manner. However, contradicting the above statement Bada et al. (2014) argued that the organizations must restrict the access of sensitive data to authorized personnel. The IT continuity plan plays a major factor to mitigate the risk on information asset as well. Resource Management: Atoum et al. (2014) that the knowledge as well as the infrastructure of information security can be confirmed as most effective for matching the individual as well as organizational expectations have identified it. As every information security professional is inclined to receive appropriate acknowledgment for their capabilities, they would likely to appreciate their designation where they can explore their abilities. In the same context, the organizations will be benefitted they would not waste any resources, which will help them against the rising cyber threat. However, Clemente (2015) reveals that the organization must follow several core principles in order to maintain proper resource management, which are Maintaining integrity Avoiding and Recovering from error or deliberate threat Protecting all information assets Performance Management: In order to evaluate the performance of the information security professionals properly, the organizations need to work on several principles Lowry et al. (2015). The organizations must identify the individual incidents that have damaged the organizational reputation. Moreover, the systems those are not capable enough to meet the security requirement must be pointed out. The organizations also have to perceive the necessity of changing, removing as well as granting access. In addition to that, the organizations must focus on every dispute or mistake occurred in an overall security system in a crucial manner. Although, these responsibilities depend on the information security professionals, must be monitored by the organization as well. Value Delivery: As stated by Vogel and Broer (2013), the information security professionals must focus on initiating the security system that supports the objectives of the organizations. In order to deliver the value with optimal investment levels, the organization must ensure trustful information exchange as well as automated business transactions. The organization also need to availability as well as minimum interference of IT service. However, at the same time, the organizations also have to focus on minimizing the security vulnerabilities of the business impact Vacca (2013). Increasing security strength: In the absence of central national cyber security body, UAE organizations are highly vulnerable to the constant cyber threat (Forstenlechner et al. 2012). In order to reduce the cyber threat along with increasing the strength of information security, the organizations must focus on alternative options to develop a preventive approach. In this context, Marchon and Toledo (2014) identified that majority of the organizational firms have focused on developing a highly impressive education as well as a training system for the information security professionals. This approach is highly critical for enhancing the technical skills and abilities of the security experts so that they are able to response to any cyber threat. In the same context, it has also been observed that numerous business organizations have been focused on highly strict management practices within their organizations. The major focus of their business approach has been critical monitoring of every dispute and mistakes in t heir security system so that they can always be ready for any critical situation. However, Vassilopoulou et al. (2015) revealed that it is not sufficient for the organizations to focus only on the training program and management practice. There are several organizations who has taken the initiative to make a collaboration with the educational as well as research institutions to produce most efficient human resource workforce as well as greater technology. This way they organizations can effectively make a contingency plan for their future information security approach. Managing compensation expectation: As the information security is one of the most important elements of successful future for the organizations, the information security professionals are likely to expect an impressive remuneration for their service. According to Singh and Sharma (2015), the human resource department of various firms in UAE greatly recognize this fact and take proper action. The human resource department believes that proper compensation for their service will be a major tool to encourage them towards their task. It will motivate them to acquire highest job satisfaction so that they will be motivated to secure the information assets of the organization. However, Clemente (2015) contradicts that the rewarding on the basis of their performance appraisal are considered as the most popular mean of compensating the information security professionals. It will ensure a better effort from them to perform well in their task. Talent Management: The human resource departments in UAE are highly responsible for acquiring most talented workforce with respect to information security. According to Hall et al. (2011), they evaluate each and every candidate based on their skills, knowledge as well as experiences. As stated by Singh and Sharma (2015), the most talented workforce generally equates better performance of information security. In the same context, Singh. and Sharma (2015) commented that the human resource department needs to place every professional according to their own skills so that they will get a better scope for performing. Part C: With the advancement of technology, the importance of Information Security Development cannot be understated. Information Security Systems Development is highly important in order to ensure the quality and the efficiency of the service. Every form of official work and business activity has started getting dependent on IT. However, this also poses a serious threat to the question of data security. For this reason, recruitment of the very talented and highly skilled IT professionals has become necessary in UAE. I have come across critics claiming that in most of the situations, there is an internal threat to an IT database of an organization. However, it cannot be denied that external threats are equally malicious, and if an organization does not take steps, I believe it can lead to data theft, vandalism and even disruption of service. Since this may lead to a serious damage and subsequent loss of the financial position of an organization, the HR of the organization must play an important role in mitigating the risk of data theft, by recruiting the most deserving candidates. I think the HR primarily need to identify the source of threats to the IT database, and should accordingly frame security policy guidelines. Besides, recruiting the most qualified as well as experienced experts for the position of IT security professionals. I also think that if the professionals lack sufficient knowledge and understanding, the Cyber training programs for polishing their IT skills, is to be arranged by the HR department. Further, before an employee resigns from the organization, the HR must ensure that he has not stolen any sensitive data from the particular organization. Above all, the HR must ensure that the IT professionals receive sufficient employment benefits, including the salary, incentive, and other allowances, so that they do not leave the organization. Nearly 60% of employees steal data before they leave their jobs, and hence employee satisfaction plays an integral role in the information Security Systems Development in UAE. Reference List: Ahmed, A.M.M.B., Ramadan, M.Z. and Al Saghbini, H., 2015. Sustainable Improvement for United Arab Emirates' SMEs: A Proposed Approach.International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and Management (IJCRMM),6(3), pp.25-32. Al-Awadi, K. and Saidani, M., 2010,"Justifying the need for a data security management plan for the UAE", Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 18 Iss 3 pp. 173 184 Al-Khouri, A.M., Farmer, M. and Qadri, J., 2014. A government framework to address identity, trust and security in egovernment: The Case of UAE Identity Management Infrastructure.European Scientific Journal,10(10). Atoum, I., Otoom, A. and Abu Ali, A., 2014. A holistic cyber security implementation framework.Information Management Computer Security,22(3), pp.251-264. Bada, M., Creese, S., Goldsmith, M., Mitchell, C. and Phillips, E., 2014. Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs): An Overview. Clemente, C.J., 2015. Development of an Information Technology Management Model for Madinat Zayed and Ruwais Colleges in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research,4(1), p.184. Elbeltagi, I., Al Sharji, Y., Hardaker, G. and Elsetouhi, A., 2013. The role of the owner-manager in SMEs adoption of information and communication technology in the United Arab Emirates.Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM),21(2), pp.23-50. Forstenlechner, I., Madi, M.T., Selim, H.M. and Rutledge, E.J., 2012. Emiratisation: determining the factors that influence the recruitment decisions of employers in the UAE.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,23(2), pp.406-421. Hall, J. H., Shahram, S. Thomas, A., Mazzuchi., 2011,"Impacts of organizational capabilities in information security", Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 19 Iss 3 pp. 155 176 Knobe, J. and Nichols, S. eds., 2013.Experimental philosophy(Vol. 2). Oxford University Press. Lowry, P.B., Posey, C., Bennett, R.B.J. and Roberts, T.L., 2015. Leveraging fairness and reactance theories to deter reactive computer abuse following enhanced organisational information security policies: An empirical study of the influence of counterfactual reasoning and organisational trust.Information Systems Journal,25(3), pp.193-273. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Marchon, C. and Toledo, H., 2014. Re-thinking employment quotas in the UAE.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(16), pp.2253-2274. Panneerselvam, R., 2014.Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Singh, A. and Sharma, J., 2015. Strategies for talent management: a study of select organizations in the UAE.International Journal of Organizational Analysis,23(3), pp.337-347. Vacca, J.R. ed., 2013.Managing information security. Elsevier. Vassilopoulou, J., Tatli, A., Ozbilgin, M., Pinnington, A.H. and Alshamsi, A.M., 2015. Identifying Effective Talent Management Policies and Practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Comparative Political and Economic Perspectives on the MENA Region, p.292. Vogel, M. and Broer, V., 2013. Security Compliance MonitoringThe next Evolution of Information Security Management?!. InISSE 2013 Securing Electronic Business Processes(pp. 183-194). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Yahya, F., Walters, R.J. and Wills, G.B., 2016, June. Goal-based security components for cloud storage security framework: a preliminary study. In2016 International Conference On Cyber Security And Protection Of Digital Services (Cyber Security)(pp. 1-5). IEEE.

Practical Essay Example

Practical Essay Practical Name: Institution: Course: We will write a custom essay sample on Practical specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Practical specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Practical specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Date: Practical Introduction The aim of embryo culture is to obtain a plant after isolating and growing an embryo in vitro. It involves the cultivation of embryos from seeds and ovules in aseptic conditions. The culture medium depends on the type of plants, and the age of the embryo. A person can use mature or immature embryos. People practice embryo culture for different reasons. Some do it because they want to know more about the plant. Growing the embryos outside the ovules gives a person the chance to learn the nutrient composition of the plant at every stage of development, identify the requirements of the plant and identify the different stages of growth. Embryo culture provides a way of getting hybrid seedlings and overcoming seed dormancy. This enables the production of crops with superior qualities. The practice of embryo culture is important because it used to recover distant hybrids and haploid plants. This practice is important because it shortens the breeding cycle of the plants (Bhojwani Razdan, 1 996). Materials and Methods We used snow peas pods and five plates of pea culture medium. We adjusted the culture medium to a pH of 5.7. Embryos grow well in a medium with a pH of 5 to 7 (Razdan, 2003). It contained 110g/L of vitamins, 11% sucrose, 50ml/L of coconut water containing agar, and casein hydrolysale. One needs to select the right culture medium that will support orderly and progressive development of the embryo. One should ensure that the medium is able to nourish the embryo. Sucrose is a source of energy and it supplements the vitamins. Using high quantity of vitamins can inhibit the growth. Therefore, one should use vitamins minimally. Other materials included scalpels, plates, grid paper, and aluminum foil. We rinsed the pods with water, and then sterilized them in 70% ethanol for two minutes. We then washed the pods again with distilled water and treated them with 2% hypochlorite solution. After the treatment, we washed the seeds again using distilled water. We opened the cotyledons, and removed the embryo hearts from the snow peas pods while exercising caution not to damage the embryos. We used a scalpel tip to cut the embryos horizontally into two parts. We measured the embryos using a grid paper. It is important and mandatory to measure the embryos before putting them in culture, so that one can determine the level of growth after the appointed time. We then photographed the embryos using the digital camera. We then put the two embryos in different culture media. We sealed the plates with the aluminum foil and incubated them at 22o for three weeks. After this time, we re-measured the embryos to check their growth. Results Embryo culture results- Initial Size (mm2)Final size (mm2)Difference (mm2) 2 25 23 2 25 23 3 35 32 1 10 9 4 20 16 9 30 21 9 25 16 10 30 20 8 36 28 12 150 138 4 60 56 Discussion There was only one healthy cotyledon. The other cotyledons were contaminated in different ways or damaged by heat. The contamination of the embryos may have happened during the cutting process. Although we sterilized and treated the embryos, we did not take the same effort in ensuring that the materials we were using were not contaminated. This affects the results of the culture. We did not get the results we had anticipated. The embryos did not grow as well as we had expected them to do. Some of the embryos were damaged by heat. We had sealed them with aluminum foil and put them under 22o. It seems that we exaggerated the level of heat required, or we used the wrong materials to seal the embryos. Contamination affects the growth of the embryos because it introduces bacteria. The bacteria breed on the embryos, and destroy the cells of the embryos. This hinders growth. We were not careful when extracting the embryos from the pods, and we saw this after seeing some of the damaged cotyl edons. This destroyed the embryonic tissues and prohibited the embryos development. We had used embryos of different sizes, ranging from 1 mm2 to 12 mm2. At the end of the experiment, the sizes of the final cotyledons did not correspond to the sizes of the embryos. However, we experienced the highest growth rate of 150 mm2 from the largest embryo, and the lowest growth rate of 10 mm2 from the smallest embryo. It seems that the contamination and the heat affected the growth of the embryos. Growth of the embryos occurs when there is cell division in the embryos. The development of the embryos occurs when cells specialize. This explains why there was growth in the cells, although they were contaminated, and why the largest embryos showed the highest growth rates. The size of the embryos determines the growth rate of the embryos. Large embryos have many cells, while the smaller embryos have fewer cells. Therefore, the larger embryos have a higher chance of developing (Kohl, 2007). References: Bhojwani, S. S., Razdan, K. M. (1996). Plant tissue culture: Theory and practice. Boston, MA: Elsevier Kohl, B. (2007). Embryo culture: Making babies in the twenty-first century. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Razdan, K. M. (2003). Introduction to plant tissue culture. Enfield, NH: Science Publishers, Inc.

How to Care for Horses

How to Care for Horses Free Online Research Papers Emir Abd-el-Kader once said â€Å"By reason of his elegance, he resembles an image painted in a palace, though he is as majestic as the palace itself.† Horses are an important part of the world today. Their elegance, style beauty and grace make them one of the most favorable animals in the world and caring for them can be for pleasure or career. There are many factors in caring for the horses such as housing, nutrition, medical attention, exercise and blacksmith visits. To own a horse you must have the proper housing. Nowadays horses are mainly kept in a stable for most of their lives. This could be for convenience or so they are kept neat and tidy for shows. The horse must be provided ample room so they do not get cast (horse lies down too close to a wall and cannot get up). The standard measurement for a stall would be 12 feet by 12 feet. (Val Equine net 2006). Although it is not a necessity many horses do better when they are allowed pasture to graze upon. If there are multiple horses outside together it is essential to have 2 acres of land per horse. Horses also need proper nutrition. They should be provided water free choice(unlimited supply) and they should drink about 12 to 20 gallons per day. If you plan on keeping your horse in a stall you will need to refill the water bucket multiple times throughout the day, unless you have an automated water system or as needed. There are many different types of feed that are available but personally I would choose Nutrena Safe Choice Horse Feed because of it has high levels of protein and carbohydrates. You will also need hay. Orchard grass is usually the cheapest but you might want to use an alfalfa depending on the age and condition of the horse. Horses that are outside and being maintained as a show animal will need their pasture regulated (how much grass they consume) so they do not gain too much weight. Horses must have their vaccinations just as people would. There are many different types of vaccinations such as botulism, encephalomyelitis, influenza, Potomac horse fever; rabies and strangles just to name a few (Prinz 2005). Your horse will receive its first shots a few days after it is born and then will continue to need the vaccinations throughout his/her life. They also need to be dewormed every three to six weeks. You should always plan your whole year’s worming routine and mark each tube and the date to be given. This will help you to not miss any critical dates that might change the cycle.(Hayes 1999) Exercise is a vital part of the horse’s daily routine. There are lots of reasons for exercising horses kept in stalls besides keeping them mentally and physically healthy. Researchers from the University of Flordia have found improved leg bone and joint development in foals that were stalled but given regular exercise. Foals that were stalled without exercise rebounded in bone development when they were turned out to pasture. Weanlings stalled without exercise had less bone mass than those left on pasture. In older horses you must exercise to prevent illnesses such as colic. Ways of exercise include riding, lunging walking, and turnout(putting a horse outside for self exercise). Another thing that horses need is hoof care. A horses hooves should be routinely cared for every four to six weeks (Johnson 2003). There are many factors that should take into account while deciding when the time is right such as health of hooves, potential anticipated use, defects in gait and/or conformation and the injuries of the horse. If your horse is conformationally correct then the hooves should just be trimmed. However if there is a conformation fault or the horse is being used a lot(showing every weekend, etc.) you will need corrective shoeing which either fixes the conformation faults or lets the horse experience less shock onto the hooves. Although costly owning a horse can provide joy into your life. Everyday caring for the horse will give you satisfaction. It may seem like a lot of work in the beginning but eventually you will get into a routine. Yet you can never stop learning. Your horse should live in a clean, healthy environment cared for as if he/she were a king. Research Papers on How to Care for HorsesWhere Wild and West MeetResearch Process Part OneGenetic EngineeringThe Spring and AutumnThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey GameBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Review emerging standards of culturally competent care Research Paper

Review emerging standards of culturally competent care - Research Paper Example This is possible only if health professionals are sensitive enough to demonstrate respect toward the different values, beliefs, and practices of one’s counterparts (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p.246). The writers also insist on the need of taking responsibility ‘to inquire, learn about, and integrate beliefs and values of others in professional encounters’ so that it would change one’s negative prejudicial behavior. This paper will evaluate the significance of developing cultural competence in nursing care especially in critical care settings like Intensive care units (ICU) where proficient care is highly crucial. What is Culturally Competent Care? Health care is a very sensitive area of service where people often confront with long standing disparities on the basis of culture, tradition, nationality, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status. ‘Culturally Competent Care’ is the modern perception that has been developed to address health and huma n service issues in a multicultural social environment. In other words, the modern world requires collective responses of doctors, nurses, and other care givers to patient’s varying attitudes, values, verbal indications, and many more; which is possible only by initiating cultural sensitivity as a new dimension of clinical specialization like age and gender. In order to be culturally competent, nurse needs to obtain cultural information with intent to apply that knowledge into practice while they encounter various sorts of ethnic and cultural differences. The major objective of this knowledge acquisition is to avoid stereotyping patients on the basis of their race, culture, or any external appearance. The logic behind this approach is that high-quality outcome can be derived from culturally competent care. When doctors and nurses familiarize themselves with the cultural perceptions and practices of patient, normally it would make a positive impact on treatment results and pat ient satisfaction. Why cultural competence in nursing? As mentioned in the introduction, cultural diversity has become the major facet of almost every developed nation. Therefore, in order to meet the specific needs of people with different cultural background, the nursing care given should be culturally competent. Health care industry reform has been a hot button issue for several decades in the United Sates. Although several attempts have been made to equalize care delivery across the nation, as critics comment, all were defeated by unethical medical-political coalition. Culture influences people’s perception of illness and their causes, the way they seek health care, their approaches to medical treatments, and how they respond to health care providers. Therefore, health providers especially nurses need to obtain skills to act according to the health behaviors of the clients. Infant death and pregnancy loss is an ongoing problem in the United States of America. Studies show the noticeable racial and community based disparities in infant death rates. This situation points to the need of equal delivery of health care services to everyone regardless the race, culture, or community. According to the AAN Expert Panel Report (1992) culturally competent nursing care should follow mainly four principles; 1) care is designed for the specific client 2) based on the uniqueness of the

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed Essay

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed - Essay Example did not have any belief in material image of God- no creature can represent the creator. Whereas in Eastern religions like Hinduism, the material images of God is worshiped. They believed in the personality of human of being in God like he could be angry, even jealous, but his primary attributes were righteousness, justice mercy, truth and faithfulness. He is represented as king, Judge and shepherd. Whereas in Hinduism various deities are worshiped at shrines; the divine trinities, representing the cyclical nature of the universe, are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The first books of Hebrew law contain legal writings of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The fifth book of the Bible was called Deuteronomy [Second Law] primarily a report of the last words and deeds of Moses. It contains numerous laws, often in the context of interpretation and preaching whereas Hindu law preaches the birth, death and rebirth of living things, and its precepts cover many more activities than does any secular legal system. The Hebrew people gave Torah special reverence than the portion of the Hebrew Bible because the written Torah which consists of the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy .The scrolls are considered mostly holy. Whereas the Hebrew Bible which is also called as the Jewish Bible even though it consists of Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic, the script of Hebrew Bible was not given importance while compared to Torah which valued the tradition without any modification. In the case of the covenant between God and the Hebrew people, God’s obligation is conceived as the defense or vindication of the people .His righteousness is shown by his saving arts [see, for instance ,psalms 98:2;Isaiah 51:5] Hebrew’s obligation on the other hand ,is to obey the will of God as disclosed in the Torah, the law. Yes, each party honored the

(Social) Health service needs of young people (aged 1830) attending Essay

(Social) Health service needs of young people (aged 1830) attending social care services (at ACCESS) in the Cottonera area ( in Malta) - Essay Example Literature in the realm of research performed on the advances in social healthcare and their use would be quite numerous and diverse in their content and methodology. In the different separate studies located, only few would have spanned a time beyond a decade. The majority of research pieces, which focus on the inclusion of theoretical and technological advances in the sales and marking process, would actually focus on the overall social segments through fundamental health and caring levels. The fact that there is not very many-advanced research items specifically directed toward the social strategy and healthcare in the context of Social Health service needs of young people (aged 18-30) attending social care services (at ACCESS) in the Cottonera area in Malta would be the focus of this proposal. Malta's average population density is almost 1282 person per square km, which is very high. It also has a huge number of unemployed people and school dropouts surviving only on social benefits. They have the lowest educational achievement rates and ambitions in the region. There are also high levels of absence and truancy among the students. This results in most of the people living in mediocre and insufficient housing conditions. The Cottonera locality is among the utmost population density regions having a gradually aging population as most couples leave the locality for a better life elsewhere. Their total fertility rate is low at 1.37 and there has been a downward inclination in the total number of childbirths in the past 10 years. The proportion of children under 15 is rapidly declining while the proportion of people above 65 is increasing. Their unemployment rate, which is 53.9%, is also very high. Also the rate of participation of women in the workforce is lower than that of men. In order to eliminate these challenges, the Maltese government needs to prevent poverty and harbor the potential of it young people and children. ACCESS attempts to address these intricate social and cultural issues in a holistic, multidisciplinary, community based and client-centered method. Among the responsibilities of ACCESS is to create equal opportunities for people with less privileged backgrounds so as to reduce poverty and social barring between generations. It also promotes public engagement between the residents, which helps to tackle the downbeat self-image held by the different community members who take themselves to be failures. It intervenes at different steps in the life of the people through services and projects in order to break the sequence resulting in reproduction by successive generations of parents' position having limited opportunities and social elimination. The ACCESS staff

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Diagnosis And Management Nursing Essay

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Diagnosis And Management Nursing Essay Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection which causes wide variety of infection from upper to lower genital tract.(1) It ascends from cervix or vagina to peritoneal cavity include endometritis, salpingitis, parametritis, oophoritis, tuboovarian abscess and pelvic peritonitis. (2,3) PID is a major problem in public health consequences because it is related to fallopian tube inflammation which can lead to infertility as a final complication.(1) PID is polymicrobial disease, so some sexually transmitted microorganisms are associated with PID. These are Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Neisseria gonorrhoea, and bacterial vaginosis, predominantly anaerobes. (4, 7) PID can be prevent by regular screening for Chlamydia infection and appropriate treatment of it. (4) There is no single diagnosis or finding that can do specific diagnosis of PID. The diagnosis is based on the result of pelvic organ tenderness. Mild-to-moderate PID patients are treat as out patient which include tolerated antibiotic regimens against common microorganism in PID Clinically severe PID treatment done as hospitalization of the patient. (11) Sexually active women especially at the reproductive age and under the age of 25, are at the highest risk for acquiring this disease through sexually transmitted bacteria. The intrauterine devices (IUDs) are also increased risk in women who have this device in their uterus for contraception.(6) Pic: The female anatomy (6) Differential diagnosis: In case of PID the clinician should concern about differential diagnosis before confirm the diagnosis. The differential diagnosis PID of can be as follows (3): Ectopic pregnancy Endometritis Salpingitis(8) Cervicitis (8) Ovarian cyst torsion, rapture or malignancy UTI Appendicitis Clinical Diagnosis of PID: Clinical diagnosis of PID is based on the combination of patients clinical history, physical examination and some laboratory studies.(2,5) The following findings are important for diagnosis of PID: Physical or general finding: Low grade temperature, lower abdominal pain, abnormal intermenstrual bleeding or metrorrhagia, abnormal cervical discharge, postcoital pain and bleeding, urinary frequency, low back pain, nausea and vomiting.(5,8) Bimanual pelvic examination: Cervical and uterine motion tenderness or adnexal tenderness should present for confirming the diagnosis of PID.(10). Laboratory finding: Leucocytosis more than 10 x 109 WBC/L , elevated C-reactive protein, elevated ESR, Gram negative intracellular diplococcic on gram stain, and positive Chlamydia test.(5) Some definitive diagnosis: Endometrial biopsy for endometritis, transvaginal sonography or ultrasonography for pelvic or tubo-ovarian complex and the laparoscopic abnormalities associated with PID.(5) Management The PID management include short term and long term treatment. Short term treatment help to reduce or eliminate the sign symptom of patients. On the other hand long term treatment help to decrease the further complications. Outpatient therapy: As aforementioned that mild-to-moderate PID patients are given treatment as out patient therapy (5) Recommended Regimen: ceftriaxone 250 mg im as one dose + doxycycline 100 mg orally 12 hourly for 14 days or Azithromycin 500 mg orally followed by 250 mg orally daily for a total of 7 days + metronidazole 400 mg orally 12 hourly for 14 days Inpatient therapy: Clinically severe PID treatment done as hospitalization of the patient. (11) Recommended Regimen(5): Clindamycin 900 mg intravenously every 8 hours for 14 days PLUS Ceftriaxone 1g intravenously every 12 hours for 14 days Alternative Regimens(12) Cefoxitin 2 g intravenously every 6 hours for 14 days OR Cefotetan 2 g intravenously every 12 hours for 14 days PLUS Doxycycline 100 mg orally or intravenously every 12 for 14 days hours OR Ampicillin/sulbactam 3 g intravenously every 6 hours for 14 days PLUS Doxycycline 100 mg orally or intravenously every 12 hours for 14 days Indications for hospitalisation If the patients are required intravenous therapy for serious clinical condition, then patient should be hospitalised. The following patients should be hospitalised, clinically severe patients, pregnant woman with PID, surgical emergency such as appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, failure of out patient therapy and immunodeficiency patient. (5) Removal of IUCD The intrauterine devices (IUDs) increased the risk of PID. So IUCD should remove if there is any clinical evidence of PID.(6) Complication of PID: Delay in diagnosis and treatment, or inadequate treatment increase the rate of complications.(13) The complications are (13): Chronic lower abdominal pain Ectopic pregnancy Increased risk of PID in future Tubo-ovarian abscess. Infertility The points should known to patients (5): It can be acquired other than sexually transmitted and the partners also should be tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections. The nature of infection and complication should be known to patients and they should know the importance of follow up. Contact tracing Contact tracing is finding and notifying the person with the infection so they can have counselling, testing and treatment and it is important for prevention the long term health problem.(9) Follow-up Close follow up is necessary for prevention of complications.(5) Prevention: Prevention of STD is necessary to prevent PID. So early detection of any lower genital infections is necessary to prevent PID. (14) Cervical Chlamydial infection identification and treating can make smaller the incidence number of PID. (4) Finally, sex partners of women with PID should be examined and treated for gonococcal and Chlamydial infection for prevention the spread of STDs in the community.(14)

The Function of Blogs :: Internet

The Function of Blogs There are so many things one could do with the relatively new medium of blogs. They can be almost anything a person wants: a journal, a compilement of links, a scrapbook of information, or even a discussion board. The only definition I've seen that can encompass it is that they are postings in reverse chronological order. Blogs are the newest Internet craze, but do they serve a purpose? Early on, experienced web users, who knew web-programming language, kept blogs to keep track of their mind’s wanderings. They were like a "Captains log on the quest of discovery" (Brown). For the average Internet surfer, they weeded out sites worth viewing from the rest. Now, sites like blogger.com have taken the work with web languages out of blogging, opening it up to the general public. New age blogs are seen as "vain self publishing" by experienced bloggers (Fitcher). I can see their point, as many inexperienced bloggers seem to ramble on about themselves as if they are to be praised. They only seem to want attention. This has made me wonder, what is the point of personal blogs? All blogs must have some entertainment value; otherwise no one would keep or read them. Entertainment isn’t a very commendable purpose, but it has more value than watching television. It is better to be learning about news events and stating your opinion on it than just hearing it. At least then you’re developing your ideas, and the reading and writing will help develop communication skills. Bloggers learn to put more thought into what they say, or just the act of writing daily can help thoughts flow into words. A blogger’s thoughts may stem from a news article they recently read. In this case they usually link you to the article and state their opinions, or point out different aspects of it. Their comments are kind of a one-way discussion leading you down their train of thoughts. You can usually reply to what the author says, but the time delay in responses may result in the author’s lack of interest to questions posed. Walt Crawford threw an interesting concept my way in his article, Announcing Cubed: Media about Media about Media. Blogs are just another form of media coverage. Our media affects how we think to a great extent. It is always rating other forms of media, and many blogs are no exception (Crawford).

Custom Snowboards Essay

Custom Snowboards, Inc. is interested in securing funding to expand into the European market. Financial statistics have been provided within this report to discuss the feasibility of this expansion. To fund the project, Custom Snowboards wishes to secure capital debt of $1,000,000. Custom Snowboards has seen considerable growth in the percentage of sales and substantial increase in revenue. They expect future sales to continue to rise, which would be beneficial to the lender and Custom Snowboards. A horizontal analysis will be reviewed and will reveal the Custom Snowboards financial position over a three-year period. This will help in the actual approval process. The review will look at key points and will help to confirm Custom Snowboards ability to successfully expand into Europe. Profitability The financial health of a company reviews sales, total assets and net worth in relation to how profit was earned (Hunt, 2013). Thus, income statements from a threeyear period will be reviewed and this will help develop a picture of Custom Snowboard’s financial health. Net Sales Net sales increased 32,200 or 0.49% from year 12 to year 13. This indicates strength within Custom Snowboards, even though the increase was minimal. Year 13 to year 14 net sales dropped by 3.4% or $225,400. This does not bode well for Custom Snowboards and could cause a concern regarding the ability to repay the debt. The CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Company’s corrective action plan should be reviewed to see if the changes implemented worked. Cost of Goods Sold The cost of goods sold in year 12 and 13 increased by 0.49% or $22,400. This  is considered strength. It makes since that net sales increased that the demand for goods sold increased as well. However, when net sales decreased in year 13 and 14 so did the demand for goods sold. This decrease is equal to a decrease in sales of 3.4%. There was no over spending during this time frame and is determined by the cost of goods sold and net sales percentages were exactly the same. Gross Profit Year 12 and 13 saw gross profit increase by $9,800. Again, sales were increased, so gross profit was increased by 0.049%. The gross profit was above $2,000,000 during year 12 and 13. Gross profit by year 14 had dropped 3.4% or $1,950,200. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards, since it represents a reduction in revenue and viability. Operating Income Operating income for year 12 and 13 dropped by $63,000 or 23.56%. The operating income continued to drop during year 13 and 14. By year 14, the operating income had fallen $109,000 or 53%. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards and they may have trouble paying all their liabilities. Custom Snowboards finance team plans to implement protocols to correct deficiencies in operating income. Earnings before income taxes Earnings before income taxes dropped by $57,800 or 30% in year 12 and year 13. This continues to drop 82.74% during year 13 and year 14. However, Custom CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Snowboards lost $106,000 on earnings before income taxes. Earnings before income taxes help establish a measurement of profitability, but do not really represent cash earnings (Investopedia, 2013). To decide on credibility, other factors have to be considered along with this item. However, Custom Snowboards wants to ensure transparency and accuracy in trying to secure this debt. Net Income Net Income was down $43,350 or 30% during year 12 and year 13. This drop continued into year 13 and year 14 by continuing to drop 82.74% or $80,175. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards. This indicates potential problems exist, such as workflow, production, and pay. Furthermore, the financial picture of the company is not a healthy one. Liquidity Trading activity within Custom Snowboards liquidity is characterized as high. The horizontal analysis will determine how quickly cash can be converted into use. Also, the horizontal analysis will help determine the company’s liquidity and the ability to meet obligations. Cash and Cash Equivalents Shares and bonds that can be easily converted into cash are considered cash and cash equivalents. This converted cash is then immediately available for use. Custom Snowboards had a cash and cash equivalent of 83.8% during year 12 and year 13, but that dropped to 7.2% in year 13 and year 14 since sales dropped during that period of time. This would be a concern for Custom Snowboards and indicates they may not have the CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 5 assets available to keep immediate cash flow available, especially if sales are not as expected in Europe. Total Current Assets $142,260 or 19.3% represents the total current assets of Custom Snowboards during year 12 and year 13. However, in year 13 and year 14 total current assets fell 16%. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards since the company must have enough assets to fund operations and pay expenses. Continued low sales and limited assets is a concern for lenders and poses the question if Custom Snowboards would be able to meet its financial short-term obligations. Solvency Custom Snowboards appears to be financially solvent from the review of the income statement and balance sheet. Custom Snowboards has reduced liabilities and maintained consistent repayments to reduce long-term financial obligations. This is strength for Custom Snowboards since they saw sales drop. Long-term Liabilities Year 12 and Year 13 saw long-term liabilities drop 6.4% and then drop another 6.8% in year 13 and year 14. This is strength for Custom Snowboards and shows a determination in reducing these liabilities. Custom Snowboards is attempting to demonstrate they are committed to expansion and growth. They anticipate the European expansion will help generate sales and earnings that will help them meet their long-term liabilities. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 6 Total Liabilities Custom Snowboards posted total liabilities of $54,640 in year 12 and year 13, which is down 5.5%. Total liabilities continued to show a decrease during year 13 and year 14 of 6.2% or $57,520. This is strength for Custom Snowboards and shows a determination to reduce debt. Custom Snowboard has provided transparency of its financial records to provide an understanding of the mission of the company and to help with the approval process in securing the $1,000,000 debt. A2. Risks Profitability is important in any business. To ensure profitability, cost-saving measures must be considered and initiated to reduce financial risks (Hunt, 2013). This will help Custom Snowboards continue to grow and see sales grow. Net Sales Net sales dropped $225,400 or 3.4% in year 13 and year 14. Merkgraf (2013) believes the way to increase net sales is to hold staff accountable after the implementation of specific sales strategies and the setting the bar high. To accomplish this, the focus will need to be on repeat sales. This can be accomplished through marketing and thus the marketing budget will need to be addressed and have additional funds. Marketing and public relations can help increase the drop in sales and to inform consumers Custom Snowboards is planning expansion into the European market. A realistic goal to strive for is a 20% increase in sales each year for the next five years to help recover from the loss in sales and revenue. This will make the company more profitable and increase the net operating income. Marketing must focus on repeat customers and initiating creative promotional  incentives that will bring in customer interest. Sales staff must also find CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS These incentives beneficial so they are able to be resourceful when utilizing sales tactics and to turn potential customers into actual customers. The actual plan must implement methods that are cost effective and do not increase cost during production. The goal is to reduce spending and costs and increases sales. Gross Profit Gross profit was recorded at $1,950,200 or a decrease of 3.4% at the end of year 14. This is a concern since the goal of all business is to increase gross profit to make the company more valuable. The company must increase sales to keep gross profit up. Operating Income Year 12 and year 13 saw operating income drop $63,000 or 23.56%. Operating income continued to decline in year 13 and year 14 to $109,000 or 53%. Again, sales must increase for an increase in operating income to be seen. A possible strategy to increase sales is to offer personalized snowboards. These snowboards can be priced less than other snowboards, thus making them more attractive to the customer. Also, it gives the customer a chance to obtain a product different from others and cheaper than others, which can increase the interest to purchase the product. Earnings Before Income Taxes Year 12 and year 13 earnings before income taxes dropped $57,800 or 30%. This decline continued into year 13 and year 14 with a drop of $106,000 or 82.74%. This is not a good sign for Custom Snowboards. Costs need to be cut and management will need to determine where the areas that can be trimmed exist. The goal of any business is profitability and growth. The company will need to demonstrate they are capable of CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 8 meeting financial obligations when expansion into the European market is well underway. Net Income Net income dropped 30% or $43,350 in year 12 and year 13. This drop continued into year 13 and year 14 with a total drop seen of $80,175 or 82.74%. This indicates a poor financial picture and position for Custom Snowboards. There may be production or workflow problems that may become apparent and be concerning to lenders. This drop in net income affects everyone within the company. To increase net income, sales must be increased. Thus, the minimal advertising budget must have additional funds allocated to increase sales and public relations. This is especially important during expansion to let customers know Custom Snowboards will be involved within the European market. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents were recorded at 7.2% in year 13 and year 14. This is a substantial drop from previous recordings. To avoid liquidity concerns, Custom Snowboards must increase the balance in cash and cash equivalents. Root causes for the decline must be determined and corrective plans must be implemented. An increase in marketing and public relations to increase product awareness is one example that could be implemented that would help generate sales. Total Current Assets Assets are important in the business arena and profitability needs to rise for a company to be successful. Total current assets dropped 16% in year 13 and year 14 for Custom Snowboards. This is a concern and companies that see assets drop are not profitable and over time lose money (Hammel, 2013). Total current assets need to be CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 9 raised and to do so debt needs to be paid off or even down. However, Custom Snowboards needs to redirect some monies to be utilized during the expansion process. A3. Ratio Analysis The solvency of Custom Snowboards will be reviewed and confirmed by the ratio analysis. Custom Snowboards is seeking a loan for $1,000,000 and has great potential for growth in the snowboard market. The snowboard market has seen a demand for the product and an increase in sales. Income statements and balance sheet from two years of financial information will be reviewed and presented. Profitability Gross Profit Margin Custom Snowboards financial health is determined by the gross profit margin. Year 13 Custom Snowboards gross profit margin was 30.4. This means Custom Snowboards retained $0.30 out of every $1.00 earned. Year 14 saw no change in the gross profit margin. A gross profit margin of only 30.4 is not a strong margin ratio and indicates a weakness for Custom Snowboards, especially when the industry average was 32.1%. Custom Snowboards experienced a reduction in sales and was able to maintain the $0.30 per dollar in revenue, which indicates strength within the company. It goes without saying that profitability will be low when gross profit ratio is low (Horngren, 2009). Custom Snowboards plan to help the expansion project by eliminating expensive liabilities. Net Profit Margin Custom Snowboards net profit ratio was 1.5% in year 13 and with a downturn in sales in year 14 the ratio had dropped to 0.3%. This was well below the industry average CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS of 5.1% recorded by Winter Sports. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards since the business sustainability is in question if profit drops or is absent. Custom Snowboards needs to increase sales and show an increase in profits to ease any concerns lenders may have regarding the company’s efficiency to reverse the unforeseen decrease. Return on Total Assets Custom Snowboards return on total assets was recorded at 5.4% in returns in year 13, which is considered a strong performance. The profitability and sales were strong as well. However, Custom Snowboards return on total assets had dropped to 1.0% by the end of year 14 due to poor sales and profitability. A major competitor, Winter Sports, recorded a more profitable year at 4.8% return on total assets. This demonstrates the competitor was able to control overhead better than Custom Snowboards. Return on Common Equity Return on common equity demonstrates how equity is effectively used to create  more profits and is a significant ratio for the company. The return on common equity for year 13 was 11.4% and is seen as strength for Custom Snowboards. It figures to $11 return on every $100 earned by the company. However, by year 14 the return on common equity had dropped to $2 on every $100 earned. This was subpar and below the industry average. A major competitor, Winter Sports, recorded 8.1% return on common equity ratio. Liquidity Current Ratio Problems with liquidity can be found within a common financial ratio. This will give an idea of what the working capital position is like for that company. Furthermore, CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS it will be a good indicator to determine if a company will be able to repay a debt within a 12-month time frame. A company with a high current ratio often has cash or inventory necessary to pay for short-term debts. The current ratio for Custom Snowboards during year 13 was 6.82. This is an acceptable number, as 2 often is the indicator that determines whether a company is able to pay for short-term liabilities. Again, year 14 saw a decrease in numbers and lost almost one full point in the current ratio dropping to 5.84. This is not a cause for concern, but demonstrates strength for Custom Snowboards and their position to meet short-term liabilities. This ratio is better than a major competitor, Winter Sports, who recorded a current ratio of 4.20. Acid-Test Ratio Investopedia (2013) defines an acid-test ratio as one that determines whether inventory needs to be sold to cover immediate liabilities or if a company has enough short-term assets to do so. Along with a current ratio, the acid-test ratio should have a higher number to be in a better financial position. Year 13 recorded the acid-test ratio at 6.82 and year 14 at 3.64. Year 13 and year 14 are seen as strengths, since an acid test ratio should have a 1 or higher to be considered able to meet current liabilities. Year 14 saw Custom Snowboards lose sales in a struggling economy yet maintain a higher acidtest ratio than the industry average of 3.40. Again, this is seen as strength for Custom Snowboards and the ability to meet short-term obligations. Solvency Debt Ratio A debt ratio is reviewed to see the financial ability of a company to repay its debts and the ability to have a â€Å"cushion† to fall back upon should the need arise. Custom CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Snowboards has stringently worked to accumulate large cash and cash equivalent balances to help in case of an economic downturn and prevent a cash crisis. The debt ratio was 52.5% in year 13 and 50.4% in year 14. This reduction demonstrates company strength, since Custom Snowboards was able to continue to reduce debt while facing a decline in profits and sales. However, Winter Sports were able to record a lower debt ratio of 38%. Custom Snowboards must develop a strategic plan to increase sales, reduce costs, and reduce current debts so they are able to reduce the risks for insolvency. Time Interest Earned A higher time interest earned ratio is indicative on how well a company can make payments on interest owed for debts. To find this ratio, you must know the total earnings before interest and taxes of a company then divide by the total amount of interest due on the debt. Custom Snowboards recorded a 2.58 time interest earned in year 13 and 1.29 time interested earned in year 14. A time interest earned ratio of 1.5 is indicative of the company’s ability to make payments on the debt. Thus year 13 is strength for Custom Snowboards and was generating enough money to meet the interest payments owed. However, year 14 saw a decrease and a weakened financial position. This was due to a decline in sales and difficulty generating revenue. Winter Sports had a much stronger financial position and recorded a time interest earned ratio of 5.10. B1. Historical Analysis The past and present performance information of Custom Snowboards liability and equity will be reviewed utilizing a horizontal analysis for year 12, year 13, and year 14. The balance sheet and income statement will be reviewed and compared to measure CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 13 growth and reduction. The review will also look for insolvency so corrective actions may be implemented. Net Profit Net sales and growth in profit is important for company existence. Net sales for Custom Snowboards were recorded at $6,601,00 in year 12 and increased by $32,200 or 0.49% in year 13. Year 14 saw a decrease in net sales and recorded a drop of 3.40% and net sales of $6,407,800. Net sales, when up, indicate strength for a company and are indicative of a thriving business, but when down there is an effect on profit that everyone notices. Cost of Goods Sold The cost of goods sold in year 12 and year 13 increased 0.49% and recorded expenditures of $32,000 more in year 13 on cost of goods sold. This actually amounted to the same as net sales during the same time period. Year 13 and year 14 saw costs of goods sold drop and net sales drop to 3.40%. These can be seen as strengths for Custom Snowboards since they are meeting the demand for their product and demonstrating a relationship between profit and cost of goods sold (Kennon, 2013). Gross Profit Custom Snowboards recorded an increase in gross profits of 0.49% in year 12 to year 13. This is not surprising since net sales and cost of goods sold were recording an increase at this time. This is considered strength for Custom Snowboards because gross profits increased when sales increased. Year 13 to year 14 gross profits saw a dramatic drop of 3.40% or $600,000 due to the decline in sales from the economic downturn and the possibility of competitors selling similar products at reduced costs. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 14 Operating Expenses Operating expenses for Custom Snowboards increased 4.21% or $733,000 in year 12 and year 13. This trend continued into year 14 and increased another 2.23% or 40,400 to a total of $1,853,200. Custom Snowboards must find a way to determine how operating expenses can be reduced without raising product prices yet increasing sales. General and Admin Expenses Custom Snowboards increased administrative salaries 4.76% in year 12 and year 13 when sales were increased as well. Salaries also increased during this  time period 13.63%. This makes sense because sales were increased, so production would need to be increased as well. Administrative compensation is a concern upon review and rose from $210,000 in year 12 to $250,000 in year 14. Year 14 saw sales drop and gross profits drop. The demand for products has been reduced and this is not feasible that compensation should continue to increase more than 13%. Executive Salaries Custom Snowboards increased executive salaries 2.63% in year 12 and year 13. The company proceeded to increase executive salaries again in year 13 and year 14 10.26%. This is not feasible and a concern for Custom Snowboards. The company needs to be cutting operating costs and compensation of executive salaries since a loss of sales and demand for products has happened. Custom Snowboards needs to standardize production practices for maximum efficiency, reduce staff hours to compensate for the decrease in production demand, and reduce costs while the demand remains low. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 15 Utilities Custom Snowboards recorded increased utility costs of 7.14% or $17,000 in year 12 and year 13 and then a continued increase of 1.96% or $5,000 increase for year 13 and year 14. The increase in year 12 and year 13 is not surprising because the demand for products was higher and sales were increased. The cost for utilities and energy consumption should then have decreased when production demand waned. The utility budget for Custom Snowboards was not realistic, since sales increased 0.49% or $32,200 and that is less than half of what monies are provided within the utility budget. Current Assets Changes in percentages on multiple accounts can affect profitability. Custom Snowboards recorded current assets that changed period to period by increasing and then decreasing. Cash and Cash Equivalents Custom Snowboards recorded an 83.8% increase in cash and cash equivalents in year 12 and year 13. This gave the company a large cash balance and the  ability to meet short-term obligations without problems. A 7.2% reduction in cash and cash equivalents in year 14 was recorded when sales declined. The higher the cash and cash equivalents the more availability the company has to liquidate assets to cover short-term obligations. Accounts Receivables Custom Snowboards recorded a minimal increase of 0.5% in accounts receivable during year 12 and year 13. To have an increase in accounts receivable is a concern for the company since it’s indicative that customers are often having trouble making payments for products purchased. Accounts receivable was improved in year 13 and year CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 16 14 when a decrease of 3.4% was recorded. This would be strength for the company and indicate the customer has paid for products purchased and revenue is moving in the right direction. Raw Materials Inventory Raw materials inventory increased 0.5% in year 12 and year 13, but decreased 3.4% in year 13 and year 14. To have limited raw materials inventory for production is strength for Custom Snowboards. This limited inventory is easy to store when sales decline and easily accessible when sales rebound and production increases. Liabilities Liabilities are obligations owed on short-term and long-term debts. Custom Snowboards decreased liabilities 5.5% in year 12 and year 13. The company was further able to reduce liabilities 6.2% in year 13 and year 14. This is strength for Custom Snowboards and is indicative of positive financial repayments. Accounts and Notes Payable Custom Snowboards accounts and notes payable increased 0.5% in year 12 and year 13, but decreased 3.4% in year 13 and year 14. This is considered strength for Custom Snowboards and is indicative of positive financial repayments. Total Current Liabilities Custom Snowboards total current liabilities increased for year 12 and year 13 0.3%, but year 13 and year 14 recorded a decrease of 3.4%. This is strength for the company and again shows a positive repayment history that exhibits creditworthiness. This should tell lenders that Custom Snowboards is committed to repaying liabilities even when a decline in sales happens. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 17 B1a. Future Performance A trend analysis will be conducted to view financial changes that have transpired over the multiple years within Custom Snowboards. These changes will then be calculated, evaluated and used for comparison to the base year to help develop a plan of action and provide direction for which Custom Snowboards will head financially. The base year is year 12 with $6,601,000 in net sales at 100%. Net sales recorded minimal growth in year 13 at 0.5% over base or 100.5%. Monetarily net sales recorded a $33,200 growth in year 13, which is not seen as a strong growth, especially since the demand for the product was decreasing. Year 14 recorded a drop in net sales to 97.1% from baseline in year 12 and 96.6% in comparison to year 13. This is a concern for Custom Snowboards since sales could not be maintained. Procedures may need to be reviewed to check for inconsistency and inefficiency in production and sales so this may be corrected and sales can be boosted. Pricing adjustments can be made and the product may become more appealing to potential and existing customers. Custom Snowboards forecasts a recovery of 3% in year 15 on the trend analysis, which will help strengthen their financial picture. Management envisions growth and net sales will occur and increase consistently as the economy improves. The forecast for year 16 is not as favorable as year 15 and net sales drop 1% or $100,000. The prices on products will be adjusted to remain competitive within the industry. Management believes the economy will recover then net sales and revenue will improve. Year 17 is forecasted to improve 3.7% over base line or total earnings of $6,647,452. This trend analysis shows the management of Custom Snowboards believes the company can recover and become prosperous and grow. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 18 B2. Improvement Revision Line items in use will be reviewed in the overhead analysis to see what is profitable, cost effective and best practice for personalizing snowboards. The goal for Custom Snowboards is to increase net sales and revenue and limit liabilities, while making everyone happy. The company must maintain prices that can be competitive within the industry and European market yet maintain profit margins that are reasonable to succeed. A traditional costing method is currently implemented at Custom Snowboards. The company currently has two product lines, regular snowboards and customized snowboards. The individual type of snowboard and the inventory ordered for each determines the cost of each snowboard. The assumption is the manufacturing cost drives the price of the product. The concern with this type of cost driver is it does not take into consideration all the underlying costs that affect the overall product price (Johnson, 2013). Custom Snowboards must be more accurate in production costs to have increased profits without rising product pricing and remain competitive in the industry. Activity based costing could be something Custom Snowboards wants to implement to help obtain a more accurate picture of production costs. This method allows a company to see the overhead in manufacturing and what each activity actually costs in the production process. It is more accurate and adjustments can be made with specific activities to reduce the amount of money spent. Custom Snowboards produces regular and personalized snowboards. Activity based costing can compare these manufacturing processes and see where the overhead costs are in each step of the production process for each product. The material and labor CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Costs for both traditional and activity based costing is $3,375,143 for the regular snowboard. The personalized snowboard material and labor costs is $1,177,344 utilizing both the traditional and activity base costing methods. Custom Snowboards has a lump sum overhead charge for manufacturing using the traditional costing method. Regular snowboards sum is $1,068,982, while the personalized snowboards sum is $334,048. Utilizing the traditional costing method the total production cost is $4,444,125 for the regular snowboard and $1,511,392 for the personalized snowboard. Activity based costing distributes costs among the activities it takes for manufacturing to help determine accurate product pricing. Some activities included in activity based costing consideration are product development, quality control, package assembly and shipping, and miscellaneous items. Regular snowboards have a manufacturing cost of $546,863 utilizing the activity based costing method. Personalized snowboards activity based cost for manufacturing is $856,167. Thus, total cost for production for regular snowboards is $3,922,006 and personalized snowboards is $2,033,511. The activity based costing method reveals Custom Snowboards has overspent during the manufacturing and production process while utilizing the traditional costing method. The new personalized snowboards have a greater factory setup cost, but should decrease over time as the product is sold. One improvement identified is packaging and shipping of both products. There is a significant difference between the cost with regular snowboard packaging and shipping costing $266,072 and personalized snowboards packaging and shipping cost of $66,516. This is quite a dramatic difference, especially CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Since regular snowboards comprise on 20% of sales while the personalized snowboard sells 80% of the sales output. The activity based costing method can help trim costs and overspending while being able to forecast more accurate pricing and sales to ensure a better return on investment. Custom Snowboards could utilize the just in time costing method that follows the principle materials do not sit in the warehouse, but are â€Å"pulled† when the demand is there for the product. This is not an ideal costing method for some businesses, since it leaves no wiggle room when forecasting the future. The just in time method does minimize costs and production time, since these things take place when there is a demand for the product and no excess inventory is left sitting around. This leaves more cash for the company to re-invest and improve costs. For just in time costing to work requires the company to forecast sales and evaluate excess inventory and materials. Custom Snowboards had $143,136 in excess inventory in year 14. This will continue to increase by 0.1% annually if no adjustments are made to production. Custom Snowboards has previously had excess inventory and materials left over annually. Utilizing the just in time costing method can help increase income for the company and help save time, costs, and resources during the production demands. B3. Internal and External Risks Risks that can be controlled by the company are internal risks. Risks that happen outside of the company and the company cannot control are external risks. External risks often happen without warning and this is why companies must have the forethought to be prepared for many things. Some external risks include environmental issues, currency CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Exchange rates, economic factors, and legal issues both domestic and internal. Internal risks may include production staffing, language barriers, and management structure. Management Structure and Staffing Staffing and management structure would be considered an internal risk since Custom Snowboards will have to make changes in the management structure with expansion into Europe. The company will have business operations in two countries and the goal will generally need to remain the same at both locations. The leaders will need to be both effective and efficient to guide the company to a successful transition. Staffing will play a major role, since multiple positions will have multiple people working in that role in both facilities. The leadership of the company will have to evaluate these positions to maximize efficiency to work towards increased revenue and profits. Loss of Focus Expansion may often cause a shift of business focus to change and move away from important issue like quality assurance, production efficiency, and production deadlines. Leadership must ensure the company has a strong core to stay focused on the business goals for current and future project successes. Language and Cultural Barriers Expansion into Europe is bound to cause language and cultural barriers. A new country and market can cause interactions to be strained if language and cultural barriers cannot be breached. Language is important in business to ensure communication is effective the company must have leaders that know the language in the new country and are sensitive to the cultural differences for a successful expansion. It would be CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Deferential to offend potential customers, thus ruining company relations. The business goal is to prosper. Currency Exchange Rates The expansion into the European market will require Custom Snowboards to deal with foreign currency. The foreign currency rates change frequently and Custom Snowboards will have to convert this into US Dollars. The company will have to ensure they are not losing money on their products and they are not overspending on production costs. The company cannot control this external risk factor, but they do need to try and prepare for any eventually that may affect the company. The US economy may be strong, but a variety of things can cause this to crash and the same goes for the European economy. Foreign economy can lead to large fluctuations and for great revenue gains, but it also means it can cause big losses as well. International Legal Risks International and US legal risks are similar in nature and can cause several problems. Custom Snowboards must understand the tax laws and operations as it expands into the European market. The company must understand the legal standards of the business operations in the market. The company must ensure they have met all the obligations of the law within the countries they will be providing services to and to defray any problems that may arise. Also, by understanding these laws Custom Snowboards can eliminate costly legal fees and fines. Environmental Risk An external risk beyond Custom Snowboards control is an environmental risk. Snowboards require snow and winter. Environmental factors can severely affect sales of CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Snowboards. Dry, warm climates are less likely to need a snowboard. Marketing is important in this aspect and should focus on areas that have winter seasons and snow. European areas vary in climate and marketing should focus on areas that are prime for skiing. Weather patterns may also play a role in environmental risk. El Nino and La Nina can affect the winter season and how much snow and how cold the area actually gets. Complete Customer Service Customer service is important with any business. The goal is to help resolve any issues a customer may have to reduce the dissatisfaction. Custom Snowboards will have a large area to cover within the European market and must be cogzignant of a wide variety of languages and customs to be aware of. Customer support should be convenient for all consumers. A positive customer service experience will lead to good reviews and word-of-mouth sales, which boost revenues. Poor customer service travels fast and would hurt Custom Snowboards and reduce sales and revenue. Reputable Suppliers Custom Snowboards must be able to get products to the European plant to produce the snowboards. Communication skills are key to dealing with business partners to reduce any potential obstacles. Business practices must be clarified to avoid any complications. Product quality must be written contractually to avoid any possible confusion. Individuals with good communication skills must be placed in the positions to help secure these suppliers to keep product quality the best and available for production. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS B3a. Recommendation Management Structure and Staffing A management and staff model must be developed and utilized to mitigate risks. The plan must outline the company’s organizational chart and who reports to whom. The organizational chart will outline each department of the company and the staff that are identified within each department. The company will then develop specific job descriptions for each position to  clarify the role and expectations. Custom Snowboards management team will then be able to identify what positions are exactly needed and where cuts can be made. This will help ensure the strongest staff is in place for the expansion to deal with issues as they arise. A plan in place will ensure the company can ensure smooth transitions for future expansions. Loss of Focus Loss of focus in current business practices requires a business plan to keep the company trained on the goal. The business plan will actually outline the goals Custom Snowboards has and where they want them to lead to. The company will implement the staffing plan into the business plan to mitigate risk. A taskforce will be formed that will focus solely on the management of the US plant, but will receive updates on the planned European expansion. Language and Cultural Barriers Language and cultural issues require training and education to reduce risk. Employees who are educated on languages and cultures are more likely to be comfortable and less likely to offend the customer. Custom Snowboards can hire interrupters’ to help staff until all are comfortable within new positions and skills have been attained. The CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 25 company should also consider hiring staff from all different cultures to strengthen the moral and company. Custom Snowboards should hold training seminars frequently to reinforce cultural identities served, especially when employees will be traveling to a new area. Currency Exchange Rates Currency exchange rates are external risks, but Custom Snowboards are preparing to reduce any damage that affects the company. The exchange rates change frequently. The company will want to compare products with competitors to understanding pricing concerns prior to the expansion. The cost for production should carefully considered reducing all necessary overhead to increase revenue. The European financial market trends must be evaluated and then trend projections can be created. The financial market is not totally predictable so it not able to mitigate risk completely. International Legal Risks A legal team that is well versed with international law is key to reduce risk. Also, a management team that is aware of potential pitfalls and risks associated with international is key to have in charge during expansion. The company must comply with all laws and ensure they understand all the laws of the countries that they will be doing business with. The company should educate staff on what laws are pertinent to their respective departments and keep them abreast of changes. Custom Snowboards should ensure they have enough cash available to survive, should issues arise. Environmental Risks Custom Snowboards has absolutely no control over the environment. They can ensure plants and warehouses are up-to-date and in stable condition to be able to weather CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS Any type of weather they may encounter. Production needs to take place in multiple areas, so should something happen to one area they can continue production without further losses. Custom Snowboards can review and analyze annual weather reports to help forecast trends and be prepared for the unexpected. An environmental risk can take many forms and is hard to predict and control. The company must have multiple contingency plans in place for this reason. Customer Service Customers are essential to a business. The profitability of a business relies greatly on how satisfied a customer is, repeat business and potential new customers because of word of mouth advertising. A toll free call center will allow customers to call in with any questions or concerns regarding the products purchased. Custom Snowboards staff will be able to address these concerns and questions, but only after undergoing an educational training session and establishing a process standard of communication. The company will develop a communication and relationship curriculum to help focus on long-term relationships (Joseph, 2013). Reputable Suppliers Custom Snowboards must research suppliers available within the area of the  European expansion to ensure a reputable supplier is found that is both reliable and has quality products. The business terms and contractual details must be attended to minimize the chance of fraud. The contract must be written in terms that both parties understand to ensure no misunderstandings take place. It would be helpful for Custom Snowboards to employee area natives to help interpret when needed. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS B4. Potential Returns Custom Snowboards is planning to expand into the European market. They will expand their customer base, increase revenue and experience a growth rate. Projected annual sales are expected to increase for year15 to year 19. Year 15 annual sales of $1,271,720 are projected and expected to increase to $2,390,085 at year-end of 19. Also projected to increase is net cash flow especially as this has a direct relationship with the cost of goods sold. The forecast net income peaks at $256,703 in year 19 up from $98,550 in year 15. The European expansion is projected to build a strong financial future for Custom Snowboards. The Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return are reviewed when looking at the capital budget of a business. The future value and present value of a company is indicated based on cash flows under the net present value. Custom Snowboards is ready to invest $1,000,000 into an expansion project in Europe. This is based on cash flows over five years and the present total value of the company with a market change factored in or $1,028,437. This means the company will be profitable in the European market and see a return on their initial investment. The internal rate of return looks at the rate the project grows at. Custom Snowboards looks at to return 10.8% over 5 years based on the initial $1,000,000 investment. The minimum rate of return or hurdle rate is set at 10%. This means the company will make a profit in the future on the initial investment. The net present value and internal rate of return are beneficial to companies when predicting future growth on investment. Companies tha t have a strong net present value and internal rate of return are able to secure loans and expand. This is important for the future CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 28 successes of companies. Custom Snowboards is predicting returns on their initial investment with the European expansion and increases in revenue. Custom Snowboards must evaluate their fiscal responsibility to determine if leasing or buying is in the best interest of the company. The company will need to put a $50,000 down payment from working capital and $800,000 to either buy or lease a facility. Analysis determines purchasing a facility would be in the best interest of the company. The present value outflow to lease is $653,355 and $597,723 to purchase a building. The tax deductions available would provide a benefit to the company as well. Custom Snowboards should consider obtaining borrowing money for a long-term debt from an outside source. The optimal capital structure that would provide the best return is to fund the project in Europe over five years. This would allow for 1.547 earning per share to accrue even though the debt will require a 6% interest rate on return. This will also help preserve cash flow since a constant repayment is easier to budget and earnings can continue to grow. Custom Snowboards is reliable and creditworthy. This will be easier for them to obtain the long-term debt. Debt financing can provide a benefit to Custom Snowboards since they would be able to deduct interest on the business taxes at the end of the year (Daniels, 2013). Having an outstanding debt can be a downfall for a company as well. The company is under the obligation to make payments to the lender in a timely manner and if the projected revenue is not as expected this will be detrimental to the company and capital structure. The budgeting process will help Custom Snowboards decide to expand into the European market. The management team must look at all the capital budgeting CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 29 techniques to understand the total viability of the project. The decision will not be an easy one, but will require careful review of the entire financial picture. B5. Summary Custom Snowboards has demonstrated that European expansion is an idea that is viable for the company. The company must now decide if they wish to build, merge, or acquire within the European market. This will not be an easy decision, but meticulously made after analyzing the capital structure and  corporate strategies. Custom Snowboards has the option to build a new plant within the European market. They would need to determine where the plant would be located and acquiring the necessary land and permits. The company would be required to start from scratch to get started. The plant would be built to the company’s specifications and could be economical, but would require a large amount of money for start-up initially. Buying a building is another option available to Custom Snowboards, but ties the company to the area. This would be the smartest move based on the financial data available. It would be cost effective and allow the company to move in after the building is adapted to the needs of the company. However, leasing a facility would give Custom Snowboards the opportunity to leave the area if the forecasted expectations are not attained and things are not as viable as hoped. Custom Snowboards has the option to merge with SnowFun, Inc. This would provide the expansion into the European market that Custom Snowboards desires. The merger would provide the opportunity to increase profits, earnings per share from $0.98 to $1.18, have less competition, and expect a strong return on investment. SnowFun stockholders will benefit more from the merger than Custom Snowboards in regards to CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 30 earnings per share, since SnowFun will see earnings per share will go from $0.26 to $1.18. Custom Snowboards would have 200,000 market shares pre-merger and 500,000 after the merger has taken place. Custom Snowboards can buy shares back to reduce the amount available to the public and the stockholders will increase the earnings per share. This would be beneficial to the stockholders, but is not always available immediately after a merger has taken place. Custom Snowboards would also see increased company worth if a merger took place. They would gain invaluable contacts from SnowFun and gain insight on the European snowboard market that they would not otherwise have. However, a merger would leave the company with excess employees. This can lead to disgruntled employees and low staff moral. Customers may be aware of this and shy away from purchasing products from this newly merged company. Custom  Snowboards will need to ensure everyone feels valued and is happy. It would be beneficial to find displaced employees another position, but that is not always possible. This would go along ways to reassure customers as well, as it shows the company is willing to make concessions to keep the customer happy and taken care of. Finally, Custom Snowboards could acquire SnowFun, Inc. Custom Snowboards would then have to buy out SnowFun and acquire full ownership of the products, materials, and debts they have. SnowFun is requesting $720,000 from Custom Snowboards to acquire full rights to the company. The net present value of SnowFun is $732,522. An increase of $12,522 would be seen for Custom Snowboards over a fiveyear period. This option would increase the earnings per share to $2.40. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS As mentioned with the merger option, Custom Snowboards would gain invaluable contacts from SnowFun and gain insight on the European snowboard market that they would not otherwise have. The company would increase earnings per share for stockholders. They would have factory and production equipment readily available to start production right away without delay. They would gain product development knowledge from what SnowFun had previously completed and this could lead to refined processes of current products. However, a merger would leave the company with excess employees. This can lead to disgruntled employees and low staff moral. Customers may be aware of this and shy away from purchasing products from this newly merged company. Custom Snowboards will need to ensure everyone feels valued and is happy. It would be beneficial to find displaced employees another position, but that is not always possible. This would go along ways to reassure customers as well, as it shows the company is willing to make concessions to keep the customer happy and taken care of. Also, it is hard to integrate two companies and acquire the debt from SnowFun. This could harm the company if they do not budget for this newly acquired debt. Custom Snowboards best option is to decline the offer to acquire SnowFun, but to merge the companies. The costs to start a new company would be limited and there would be a readily accessible building, contacts, product knowledge, market  knowledge, and increased earnings per s hare. Not all employees will be able to retain their job, however the employees that remain will be the most knowledgeable regarding the product to boost sales and revenue. This will help the company attain the success it hopes to achieve. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 32 B6. Presentation The recommendation was made to initiate a merger between Custom Snowboards and SnowFun, Inc. The financial information reviewed shows the companies will produce an increase in capital from net sales and reduce production costs. This will provide the stockholders with a higher return on investment due to growth after the merger has taken place. Merging will not require Custom Snowboards to acquire a large amount of funding or long-term debt since a stock exchange will take place. The earnings per share for Custom Snowboards will increase $0.92 and SnowFun $0.20. A total of 500,000 shares will be available after the merger. SnowFun will receive 3 shares to every 1 share that Custom Snowboards receives. There are four structures to review: Long term debt, 30% long term debt and 70% common stock, 80% long-term debt and 20% common stock, and no long-term debt (common stock only). Custom Snowboards hopes to obtain $1,000,000 through one of these types of structure. The earnings per share for each year based on earnings before interest and taxes from the European forecasts for year 15 through year 19. Earnings Per Share Year 15 Year 16 Year 17 Year 18 Year 18 Year 19 Long-Term Debt 0.034 0.203 0.407 0.589 0.720 1.953 30% Long- Term/70% Stock 0.068 0.130 0.204 0.270 0.318 0.99 80% Log- Term/20% Stock 0.052 0.165 0.300 0.422 0.509 1.448 No Long- Term Debt (Stock Only) 0.072 0.121 0.179 0.231 0.268 0.87 CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 33 The long-term debt option would be the second choice for expansion for Custom Snowboards should they not want to merge. The total earnings per share in year 19 would be $1.953 and higher than any other option. The long-term debt would also have consistent payments monthly that would be easier to budget and to forecast sales against. Custom Snowboards is a viable company that is growing and making advances. Areas of improvement do need to be made to continue this progressive growth, but they are in a position to expand into Europe. Thanks to financial responsibility they are in the position to take on debt if necessary to make this expansion happen. A merger with SnowFun, Inc. would provide virility to the company and provide a positive base for continued growth. CUSTOM SNOWBOARDS 34 References Hunt, J. 2013. What determines a Company’s Profitability? Retrieved on May 11, 2014 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com. Investopedia. 2013. Activity-Based Costing – ABC. Retrieved on May 2, 2014 from www.investopedia.org. Investopedia. 2013. Operating Income. Retrieved on April 30, 2014 from www.investopedia.com. Johnson, R. 2013. Traditional Costing Vs. Activity-Based Costing. Retrieved on May 3, 2014 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com. Joseph, C. 2013. Advantages & Disadvantages of Customer Service Jobs. Retrieved on May 11, 2014 from http://work.chron.com. Kennon, Joshua. 2013. Cost of Goods Sold – COGS. Retrieved on May 11, 2014 from http://beginnersinvest.about.com. Markgraf, B. 2013. How to Increase the Net Operating Income Without Increasing Sales Retrieved on May 7, 2014 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com. Stone, R. 2013. 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