Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Research Paper

Entrepreneurship and New Ventures - Research Paper Example Because of these trends, there has been explosive growth in profitability in health clubs devoted to women’s needs that are both exclusive and have programs that are designed with female camaraderie in mind. In fact, in 2005, the entire global health club industry reported over 105 million members, with well over 50 percent concentrated in the United States (ihrsa.org, 2006). This indicates a sizeable potential market even when futher deconstructing the existing market to include only women and their active participation and desire in health club membership. Since the market for health clubs is divided nearly 50/50 for men and women who currently hold membership, it should be assumed that the potential market opportunities for health club development and ownership consists of 52 million women. What can explain this growing interest in the female market (consisting of 18-60 year old market characteristics) for health club use and membership? There are many factors that are both motivational at the intrinsic level and also relating to personal desire for a better body to satisfy vanity and tangible health care needs. Offers one expert organization pertaining to the health club industry, â€Å"women want to work out without having to worry about looking fat, sweaty or makeup free in front of a bunch of men they don’t know† (Dean, 2011, p.1). Women who are interested in women-only health clubs are finding personal camaraderie with others in an environment where they can comfortably exercise among women with similar body characteristics or other fitness goals. These environments provide for a sense of privacy and exclusivity and also maintain the potential to develop many long-term friendships developed through the sharing of individual health goal needs. There are also motivational elements that continue to provide intense profit for existing women’s only health clubs. According to Marandi, Little & Sekhon (2006), the values that drive w omen to these health clubs is a personal sense of accomplishment, self-respect, a more active lifestyle, and establishment of a sense of personal belonging with others. These motivational elements are psychologically-driven and are essentially uniform between all age groups, marital status, occupation, and lifestyle security (Marandi, et al.). Much to the advantage of this proposed health club development, there are no specific markets requiring segmentation that would supersede another, thus, again, providing virtually unlimited market potential with an active 52 million female market group. The industry outlook is significant, as existing companies that specialize in women’s health needs continue to diversify their product offerings and programs to sustain the benefits of women looking to establish better self-image and personal health. It is common in this industry to gain extended marketing presence and profitability through supplementary vitamin products, health and well ness books, and also the existence of new personal training activities such as massage therapists and other club professionals. Since 2009, 37.4 percent of all adults (both male and female) have used some variety of health

Customs and traditions in the USA Essay Example for Free

Customs and traditions in the USA Essay Customs and traditions are important part of our culture, of our lives. Customs and traditions unite, build community. They provide identity. They tie us to our ancestors and heritage. They remind us of where we came from. Every country and every nation has its own traditions and customs. Its very important to know traditions and customs of different people. It will help you to know more about the history and life of different nations and countries. Custom is a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time; a thing that one does habitually. Tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way; long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another All countries have their social customs and peculiarities, and the US is no exception. The first group of custom which is worth speaking about is connected with meeting someone. When meeting someone for the first time, it is customary to shake hands, both for men and for women. Hugs are only exchanged between close friends. Kissing is not common. Among friends, it’s common for men to kiss ladies on one or both cheeks. Men don’t usually kiss or embrace each other. Americans usually introduce themselves by their first name and last name (such as â€Å"Hello, I’m John Smith†), or, if the setting is very casual, by their first name only (â€Å"Hi, I’m John†). The common response when someone is introduced to you is â€Å"Pleased to meet you.† Americans generally dislike formality or any sort of social deference due to age or position, and most quickly say ‘Please call me Rick (or Rita)’. To Americans, informality shows no lack of respect. Because of the rise of women’s liberation in America, women may be introduced with the title ‘Ms’ (pronounced ‘mizz’) and some women object to being addressed as ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’. In some social circles, women are introduced after their husbands, e.g. Mrs Chuck Whizzkid, in which case you shouldn’t address her as Chuck! Americans often reply ‘You’re Welcome’ or something similar when somebody thanks them, and they may think you’re impolite if you don’t do likewise. If someone asks ‘How are you?’, it’s usual to reply ‘Fine thanks’ and don’t complain even if you feel dreadful. Americans don’t have status or inherited titles (e.g. Sir or Lord) but it is necessary to defer to people with a professional title which has been earned. These include foreign diplomats (e.g. Sir), members of the Senate (Senator) or Congress (Congressman/Congresswoman), judges, medical doctors and others with a doctorate, military officers (e.g. General, Colonel), professors, priests and other religious ministers (e.g. Father, Rabbi, Reverend). If you’re invited to dinner, it’s customary to take along a small present, e.g. flowers, a plant, chocolates or a bottle of wine (but nothing extravagant or ostentatious). But choosing flowers you should remember that American people pay attention to the meaning of flowers. For example carnations are associated with bad luck, chrysanthemums are for cemeteries and roses signify love. Guests are normally expected to be punctual with the exception of certain society parties, when late arrival is de rigueur (provided you don’t arrive after the celebrity guest). It’s usual to arrive half an hour to an hour after the official start of a dance. Invitations to cocktail parties or receptions may state 5pm to 7pm, in which case you may arrive at any time between these hours. Dinner invitations are often phrased as 8pm for 8.30pm. This means you should arrive at 8pm for drinks and dinner will be served at 8.30pm. Anyone who arrives late for dinner or doesn’t turn up at all, should expect to be excluded from future guest lists. On the other hand, you must never arrive early. The custom of not taking off the shoes is peculiar to Americans. That is why don’t think of whether you should take off your shoes or not. If it is necessary the host will warn you about it himself. When watching American films I always wondered why Americans did not take off their footwear. The matter turns out to be that there is no much dirty and dust in American streets. Some people who were in America say that it is possible to sit on some pavements and not to make oneself dirty. One more reason explaining this custom is that majority of Americans prefer driving but not going of foot. That is why they are not afraid of dirtying their houses. Some families say grace before meals, so follow your host’s example before tucking in. Table manners are more relaxed in the U.S. than in many other countries. The fork is held in the right hand and is used for eating. The knife is used to cut something. To use the knife, the fork is switched to the left hand. To continue eating, the fork is switched back to the right hand. Don’t overstay your welcome. This becomes obvious when your host starts looking at his watch, talking about his early start the next day. The custom which is also typical for the USA is tipping. Most Americans are shocked by anyone who doesn’t tip or who tips too little. The one you will encounter most often is at restaurants. American restaurants do not add a service charge to the bill. Therefore it is expected that the customer will leave a tip for the server. Common practice is to leave a tip that is equal to 15% of the total bill for acceptable service, and about 20% for superior service. If the service was unusually poor, then you could leave a smaller tip, about 10%. Other professions where tipping is expected include hairdressers, taxi drivers, hotel porters, parking valets, and bartenders. The general rule is to tip approximately 15% of the bill. In situations where there is no bill the tip may range from $1 to $5, depending on the type of establishment and on how good the service was. The custom of tipping came to America from Great Britain. In the 18th century in Great Britain the boxes with the inscription T.I.P.S. which was meant To Insure Prompt Service were on the tables during having tea. Then this term came to America. Baby showers have been a tradition in the US for a long time now, and are growing in popularity here, too. What better excuse is there for getting a group of friends together than to celebrate a new life? Plus, the mum-to-be get lots of great presents for her and her baby, result! The only person who shouldnt arrange a baby shower is the mum-to-be. The whole event should be great fun and completely stress-free for her. Friends, family or work colleagues are the usual organizers. You could either keep it as a surprise for the mum-to-be, or tell her what you are planning. Baby showers usually have some sort of baby theme to get everyone in the mood. Popular themes include: Teddy bears tea party. Get hold of as many teddies as you can and make sure each guest brings one, too! As presents, they could bring teddy bear-related books. The cake could be in the shape of a teddy bear. You get the general idea! Nursery rhymes. Arrange toys linked to nursery rhymes around the room , such as shoes (There was an old lady), a spider (Little Miss Muffet), a bucket (Jack Jills pail), and toy boats (Row row row your boat). Ask guests if they can count how many rhymes are represented. Books. Ask each guest to bring a book that meant something to them as a child. Its a great way for mum to start up her childs library. For decoration, everyone could also bring books to arrange around the room. The cake could be in the shape of a fairytale book. One more tradition connected with babies is to give a baby a birthstone. The Tradition of Birthstones goes back further than written history. People wear jewelry containing stones designated for their Birth Month. In the USA there are a lot of traditions connecting with wedding. It is known that before marriage engagement takes place. As a rule a man invite a woman to the restaurant to make her a proposal. Engagement ring obligatory should have a brilliant. The diamond engagement ring originated with King Maximillian who presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring in 1477 as a token of his love. And the ring is presented unexpectedly. It may found in the glass of champagne by the woman or in the bud of the rose. To my mind this tradition is very romantic. The tradition of a Bachelor Party which is held for the Groom and usually sponsored by The Best Man the night before the Wedding and a Bridal Shower which is usually sponsored by The Brides Maid is very popular in the USA. By the way the number of bridesmaids in America amount from two to twenty. The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as each other and in similar style to the bride comes from ancient days when it was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her. The tradition of a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner also takes place in America. It is usually celebrated between the immediate families of spouses in the late afternoon the day before the wedding. The Grooms Family traditionally provides for this celebration. The Wedding Ceremony is most often performed as part of a religious ceremony each with its own specific customs and traditions. On the day of the wedding the Groom does not see the Bride until the actual ceremony. As Custom would have it from Victorian Times: the Bride wears Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in her shoe. The bride and groom exchange their rings to mark the permanent commitment of the new spouses to each other. The rings should be gold. According to history gold rings signified a financial sacrifice on the part of the prospective husband. Ring finger is the fourth ringer which is considered to be connected directly to the heart by a route that was called â€Å"the vein of love.† In the USA tradition of engraving of wedding rings is popular. The kiss on weddings dates back to the earliest days of civilization in the Middle East. A kiss was used as the formal seal to agreements, contracts, etc. In Ancient Rome a kiss was still being used as the legal bold to seal contracts. Hence the obvious use of the custom at the end of the wedding ceremony to â€Å"seal† the marriage vows. After the wedding ceremony newlyweds are covered with rice which is used as a symbol of fertility and as a wish for a â€Å"full pantry†. A Wedding Reception is usually held after the ceremony for all family and friends to celebrate. The Brides Family usually provides for this celebration. Traditionally the groom’s flower, worn on his lapel, usually matches one of the flowers in his bride’s bouquet. This tradition goes back to medieval times when knights wore the colors of their lady in tournaments. All of us know the tradition of throwing bridal bouquet and garter. The history of this tradition is very interesting I believe. In parts of Europe during the 14th contrary, having a piece of the bride’s clothing was thought to bring good luck. Guests would literally destroy the brides dress by ripping off pieces of fabric. In order to prevent this, brides began throwing their bouquets to the unwed girls. And grooms began to throw garter to unmarried men. One more wedding tradition is connected with CARRYING THE BRIDE OVER THE THRESHOLD Traditionally, the bride had to enter her new home the first time through the front door. If she tripped or stumbled while entering it was considered to be very bad luck. And the groom carried her over the threshold les she should stumble. Hence the tradition of the groom carrying the bride over the threshold. They bring us all together, no matter where we are. We can all relate to them and understand each other because we all use them. It is also a great connection for family and friends. There are traditions that are upheld for hundreds of years that are so important in our hearts. It links and connects us to past members of our family and our world whom we may never have gotten the chance to meet. They teach us about ourselves, our families, and the world around us. We can learn our history, why this tradition was started and what it signifies when we follow it today. They can work as the glue that holds us together. They are our culture, our heritage; they are us.

Coming Back to Life in the story The River Styx Runs Upstream Essay

It’s a universally know truth that death is certain and people cannot live forever. In the story The River Styx Runs Upstream, the author Dan Simmons predicts and interprets the way our lives would be different if that fact was altered. Simmons’s story describes the way the society and people would function if people were brought back from the dead. The title of the story is ironic since rivers run downstream and not upstream and it’s also not coincidental that the river Styx is a river which according to Greek mythology separates our world from the underworld. The story is narrated by a young boy whose mother dies and is brought back to life. Looking at the events in his life and examining his attitude and others towards resurrected people the understanding of the dead is acknowledged. There are many beneficial and detrimental effects of bringing people back to life, but the people who bring back the dead ones fail to recognize the unpleasant effects their actio ns will have on their family. The narrator of the story, one of the younger brothers is satisfied with the fact that his mother is living again and is brought back to life. However what he fails to realize because he is so young that his mother and his family will never be the same again. His mother will never be the same mother the boy remembers before she was dead. When they first bring her in, she is not what they boy remembers, â€Å"...her face was flushed and healthy, almost sunburned. Her skin wasn't cold. It was just different." The resurrected can never fully recover and must be under constant supervision. The father was told that would happen, he was told to think of it as a â€Å"stroke†, but he failed to realize that the stoke isn’t temporary and it won’t be nurse back ... ...ir peers, no one will speak to them in school and the kids make fun of them. The two boys are then forced to transfer to private schools where no one makes fun of them, but kids still don’t make the effort to befriend them. The boys are shunned from their social circle and are forced to just play together all the time. Both the boys have trouble falling asleep, and the older boy, Simon, always has the same reoccurring nightmare about his mother â€Å"grinning at him, not smiling, but grinning real wide... her teeth... filed down to points." It get so emotionally frustrating for the boys to be around her that Simon convinces the younger brother to run away with him so they no longer have to be in her presence. After the father learns that the boys tried to run away her tries to take a family vacation where Simon, who is so distraught by the resurrection commits suicide.

Determinants of Earnings

Determinants of Earnings Improving someone’s success in the labour market is a main objective of both family and policy makers, especially those with low earning in recent years. In the classic view of labour earning, we assume that the skills of individuals are the dominant factor to determine the earnings’ level. However, the recent year study manifests multiple factors have been weighed more than before.To illustrate this new situation, it believes that individuals’ successes in labour market are quite differentiated from one’s family background support, capacities to contribute to production or service, genetics, the education level, and the working experience in the labour market. Specifically, the low earning individuals’ situation can be well-persuasive proof for it. An individual might hold various earnings at the same time such as the interest of saving, stock, fund of dividend income and property of real estate of individual.The developed labour market economy directs that an individual’s earning is equal to the number of production factors sold by the individual times the price of various elements. Personal income is equal to market income and transfer payment. A majority of market income comes from wages and salaries. Few of market income come from property rights. The transfer payment of the government is mainly for those old men’s social security. In standard of earning equation for individuals of the same race and sex in Canada, between two thirds and four fifth of the variance of the natural logarithm of wages or of annual earning is unexplained by the above variables. † This statement is said by Bowles (2001). A few of the variance is contributed by the unstable factor of earnings and response error. For example, from the more detailed Employers’ Manpower and Skills Practices Survey of 1693 British employers reported in Green, Machin and Wilkenson (1998).Of the somewhat more than a t hird of the establishments reporting the â€Å"skill shortage†, personnel managers identified the recruitment problem as â€Å"lack of technical skills† in 43 percent of the cases. However, â€Å"poor attitude, motivation, or personality† in a remarkable 62 percent of the cases. Poor attitude was by far the most important reason for the recruitment difficulty given. The importance of motivation relative to technical skill was even greater among the full sample. Such a model, however, is readily provided, even within a fully competitive framework.If disequilibrium rents arising from technological or other shocks are persistent and if labor services are not subject to enforceable contracts, individual behavioral traits unrelated to productive capacities may bear a positive price. For example, aspects of an individual’s personality such as fatalism or impatience may reduce the likelihood of capturing disequilibrium rents and dampen the employee’s resp onse to common employer strategies aimed at eliciting high levels of labor effort.Furthermore, the behavioral traits that contributed to high income in some works might have the negative effects. For instance, an individual who prefer not to subordinate himself to others will be highly successful in some works, but abject failures in others. â€Å"Understanding why individual characteristics that are not skills may be rewarded in a competitive labor market may enhance the explanatory power and policy relevance of the human capital model by shedding some light on how schooling and other human investments raise individual earnings. † Bowles mentioned in 2001.

Case Discussion: Learning Curve “B” †Assignment Essay

What do you estimate the buyer should pay per unit for the next 700 pieces assuming the supplier demonstrates a 75% learning curve? What if the learning rate is actually 85%? What do you estimate is the per unit cost of the next 700 pieces? 1.A:$178/unit at a 75% Learning Curve 212/unit at an 85% Learning Curve 2. Under what conditions can we use learning curves to estimate prices? In other words, when does the learning curve apply? 2. A:The Learning Curve is applicable when used for new products or processes that have a high potential for improvement, such as producing a technically complex item for the first time, or when an item has high direct-labor content. 3.Why can we use rough estimates when applying learning curves? 3. A:Assuming a reduction in time will follow a predictable pattern, and because it is predictable, we can develop estimates. 4.Why do manual processes experience greater learning curves than automated processes? 4. A:The worker has the ability to learn and improve through repetitive effort and increased efficiency. 5.Are there factors besides learning that can help reduce costs as volume increases? 5. A:Modifications to the production process; such as introducing new production methods, substituting increased automation for labor, or updating process technology.