Critical Appraisal of Business Plan Process Towards the creation of a Essay

Critical Appraisal of Business Plan Process Towards the creation of a successful entrepreneurial venture - Essay Example Because it is contained in a tangible document, it is open to critical examination by important third parties such as possible co-investors, creditors, venture capitalists, or banks which may be considering extending a loan towards the business (BC Ministry of Small Business, 2011, p.2). Elements The business plan is comprised of several elements, which may be described as follows: Idea generation, while not a tangible part of the business plan proper, is a vital phase of the planning process. It is the germination of the business intention, the idea that combines a perceived need in the environment with a recognized capability in the business proponent. Idea generation is the most difficult stage of developing a new product or service, whether it be for a new or existing business (Crane, 2010, p. 104). This is because it involves the creative process and is not defined according to any established procedure, but often occurs as a flash of inspiration or unique insight as to how a pa rticular need may be fulfilled. When an idea is first generated, there is usually no indication as to whether it will be successful or even feasible, thus embarking on a course of action on the bases of new ideas always involves a great deal of conviction and a leap of faith. Strategic objectives are set subsequent to the generation of the idea. Strategic objectives provide the overall mission or purpose of the business (i.e., a â€Å"philosophical† purpose, according to Piotrowski, 2011, p. 174), as against the operational objectives. Strategic objectives relate to the definition of four elements of the business profile, namely products, customer groups, market segments, and geographic markets (Robert, 1998, p. 234). As with all statements of intention, however, the statement of strategic objectives is always couched in general terms that may admit of many varied interpretations. As a guide, therefore, the strategic objectives are at best advisory, but cannot be held as defi nitive as promises or commitments for which the business may be held answerable. Therefore, the effectiveness of strategic objectives will only be as meaningful as the best intentions of the business proponents may hold them to be. Market analysis and research is the process of gathering information about the prospective market of the business and drawing important insights and observations about future prospects. Information about the market’s size, its location, its history, the competitive profile, and likely profitability, as well as its general strength and health, are described and assessed. The information gathered during this stage provides the foundation for forecasting sales volumes and revenues, for determining the capacity of the business, and consequently the amount of financing required (Ehmke & Akridge, 2005, p.3). Market research analysis has its limitations. Ideally, accurate knowledge of markets is very important, but such knowledge does not serve to reduce knowledge of the business into a single solution that solves all possible problems. It is a myth that a business cannot fail if it completely knows its market; this is because the market is just one aspect of the business, the others being the financial, technical operations, accounting control, and human resources aspects (Brown, 2008, p. 464). Furthermore, the market has too many factors that could not be forecast with certainty, that any feeling of possessing complete knowledge of the market is a certain

Shamus Khans Concepts of Gender and Sexuality

Shamus Khans Concepts of Gender and Sexuality In chapter four of Privileged, Shamus Khan writes about the young women at St. Pauls being taught to perform gender (Kahn, 2013). The idea behind performing gender for the young women at St. Paul was the necessity to appear feminine. This concept is not very uncommon outside of St. Pauls learning institution; many individuals dress, speak, and present themselves in a way to show their gender identity as well as their sexual preference. At this specific institution, many of the girls developed a way to use their sexuality as a gift and in some cases, they thought of it as power. Since these girls attended St. Paul they might have felt as though it was necessary to appeal to the young men so that they can more feel comfortable at the school. In a sense, many of the young women at the school attempted to exploit their own sexuality for gain. The main concept behind the young women using their sexuality was the ability to maintain a sense of ease so this was a way of them embracing their femininity. However, the teachings and idea of embracing femininity can be modified in a way so that the young women are not just limited to embrace being feminine to be at ease at St. Paul. It should be taught that the young women should be able to be comfortable expressing their sexuality by being feminine, masculine or both at St. Paul and continue to go to the school with an ease and not feel mistreated in any way based of their display of sexuality. There is no doubt that many of the young women at St. Paul were very intellectual individuals. It was very clear from the chapter that the young women at the school needed to work harder for them to be successful at the school. That did not dismiss the fact that they still needed to act as though the success that they received at the school came with ease. Khan gave an example in the chapter of Mary who was a very hard worker and was successful because of it; however, she was still viewed differently from her peers at the school. This was because she succeeded, but did so without ease (Khan, 2013). This concept of ease was to be upheld from all students at the school, but as we can see from this chapter it was more difficult from the young women at the school to maintain the appearance of ease. So, although they were intellectual they still had the need to endorse their sexuality and show their femininity as well as appeal to the men for them to feel as though they secured a certain amount of ease at St. Paul. In this chapter embracing their sexuality is very important to the young women at St. Paul, it is shown when Kahn described these girls going to seated meals dressed in their formal clothing. Although St. Paul has the no bare shoulders seated meal rule the girls found ways around these rules by making up excuses about the necessity to wear the dressed because they could not have changed fast enough to make it to eat their meals on time among many other excuses (Kahn, 2013). In a way, that one way that they embraced their sexuality, we can often see this is social institutions outside of St. Paul. As a woman if you are going on a date with a man you are expected to look a certain way to appeal to the mans sexually. For a woman, this also occurs when you are going to an interview, if you ever take a workshop on how to have a successful interview they usually recommend women wear a skirt and a blouse with low heels. Woman dressing up to show their sexuality is not very uncommon today an d throughout history, it is one of the ways that women perform gender. At St. Paul, many of the girls had to teach and figure out their sexuality from other girls that had attended the school longer or by themselves. This was apparent when the younger girls where taught by older and more experienced girls how to use their sexuality to appeal to the young men at the school. The young girls were given pointers about how to go about their sexual exploits. Before they spend too much time with any boy, new girls are told, they should talk to the seniors in the dorm to learn his reputation (Kahn, 2013). Essentially, they are setting up the younger girls so that they can also know how to technically exploit their own sexuality. At St. Paul, the young women are essentially expected to give out signals to appeal to the young man to show that you are interested. This can be shown through performing you gender, dressing up in certain clothes, the way you speak and act to displays these sexual preferences. The idea of performing gender for young women at St. Paul was to appear feminine. That is what St. Paul taught if you were a young woman at the school then you needed to make sure that you acted and presented yourself in a feminine manner. Either you were feminine or masculine at St. Paul and if you were a young woman that did not perform your gender in accordance with a feminine way you were teased and talked about in negative ways. Khan mentions this when talking about Lynn, a young woman who was in a relationship with another girl at the school. Lynn dressed in baggy clothes and a St. Pauls sweatshirt. That was considered wrong not because of her sexual preference but because of the way that she performed her gender it was interpreted as not in a feminine way. This concept can be modified to appeal to the sense that if the young women that are attempting to establish their sexuality want to perform their gender to the fullest they should be able to do so without the limitations th at St. Paul attempts to build upon.ÂÂ   If Lynn feels more comfortable wearing baggy clothes and not dressing up or conforming to dress in a feminine manner than she should not be teased or treated differently because of that. St. Paul needs to modify the idea that if you are female you need to present yourself in a feminine way and if you are a man then you need to present yourself in a masculine way. The reality is that the students are attempting to find their own sexuality, and this cannot be fully achieved if they are limited through dress, speech, and actions. St. Paul has attempted to uphold old and outdated ideas on sexuality and performing gender. In the past women were expected to dress and act feminine no matter what their sexuality because society has closed ideals on family and upheld the patriarchal family. Although it took a while women are free to express their sexuality and dress and act in a way that feel. Even in workplace settings, an individual who identifies as female can dress in a masculine way and be working a high paying job. Over time too many women have fought to be themselves in society without being denied or mistreated from others. Many young women outside of St. Paul are str uggling with feeling comfortable in their own sexuality and expressing that the way they would like. If those girls are struggling outside of St. Paul imagine the girls that would love to express themselves in a non-feminine manner but are pressed to present themselves in a feminine way for them to be comfortable in school. In chapter four it is very clear that St. Paul is upholding the barrier that the young women need to appear feminine regardless of their way of expressing their sexuality. That barrier needs to be broken down, because when female students graduate St. Paul, they are left in a state confusion towards their sexuality; because they feel as though they cannot dress, speak, and act in a way that does not reflect feminism. If the young women are encouraged to embrace their sexuality, but are limited to expressing that only through a feminine aspect it is a contradictory concept. Although I completely agree with the idea that the young women need to find a way to embrace their sexuality, because it helps shape your identity. Many of the girls at St. Paul probably felt that they would love to dress like Lynn because it would feel comfortable for them but they were afraid of being in the same uncomfortable position and the lack of ease that came with not presenting yourself in a feminine mann er. I still feel as though if the young women are encouraged to discover and embrace their sexuality, then they should not be limited to that embracement of sexuality expressed in a strictly feminine manner. If St. Paul can adjust to the concept that young women need to be able to discover and embrace their sexuality in a way that allows them to be feminine, masculine or both than many of the women would feel more comfortable and at ease. Bibliography Khan, Shamus R. 2013. Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Pauls School. Princeton University Press.

Desired Hope Essay -- Literary Analysis, Walt Whitman

The American dream is a dream that everyone hopes to one day achieve. It is what keeps the country going and develops hard workers of many. Langston Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† and Walt Whitman’s â€Å"I Hear America Singing† is the epitome of that dream, the poems both demonstrate a certain air of aspiration for the future of America and both of the speakers want change for the better. The poem’s speakers are both men and are of the working class. Even though their jobs may not be desirable and in Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† the speaker may be working against his will, he is still working and they are both adhering with them for that feeling of hope. After all, the working class strata are the people with the strongest appetite for that dream because the reason they are working is to eventually fulfill that American dream. In Walt Whitman’s â€Å"I Hear America Singing† the speaker is the more content of the two poems. His tone does not sound sad nor like he is not pleased with what he encounters. Even if he doesn’t like what his life consists of, Whitman writes, â€Å"The day what belongs to the day––at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,† (Kennedy 1096). At the end of the day whether he had a good or bad day he gets to let loose with the other hard-working men and all his hard work ultimately paid off because of this time he gets to enjoy to himself. So rather than dreading his life he is fine with what he has to do for work and looks forward to what is yet to come. This might be that this man is satisfied with his life because he really is not being held against his will to work. He has the choice to do what he wants. When one is held against his or her will it usually strips away someone of any sureness. In Langston Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† the spe... ...es, But I laugh† (Kennedy 976). The two poems are very ambitious. They both have a sense of if they are working hard, then one day all this hard work will pay off. Although their jobs may seem similar one, being Walt Whitman’s speaker has it easier, than Langston Hughes’s speaker; because this speaker is a slave. Although Whitman’s speaker has it easier to possibly obtain that dream, he has hope, but sounds far less confident in what the future can bring him. Their lives seem as if there is nothing to do, but work, and have hope for the future. Their hope is primarily surrounded because their lives do not consist of much because they are of the working class. When one is a part of the working class there is not much financial freedom to fulfill desired experiences. It displays the impression of the harder a person has it in life the more hope that person has.

Topics in Cultural Studies Unit 3 Group Project

Abstract India, Africa, China, and the Americas all experienced syncretism in different ways and at different levels of intensity. Some benefited economically and culturally from this exchange of cultures and goods. Some would have been much better off if left alone. We will discuss the different effects of syncretism on these countries and how they are still feeling these effects today. Syncretism: the Assimilation of Cultures By definition, syncretism is the attempted union of different principles or cultures.Syncretism is a term that can be applied to English Colonists in North and South America when they attempted to merge with various native tribes. These colonists introduced many new things to the natives including religion, weapons, medicine, and various customs. The new technology was similar to magic to these groups of people who were accustomed to living among the trees and wildlife in the wilderness. Africans were able to gain from the many technological advances of the Eu ropeans. A large portion of African culture derived from European Language, religion and customs (Sayre, 2010).On the contrary, only a small portion of African culture was adapted to European culture. The Europeans could have learned much from the seemingly primitive African Nation. Unfortunately Europeans treated Africans like commodities to be bought and sold. In America, Europeans attempted syncretism with the Native Americans with moderate success. The majority of Native Americans were peaceful and open to change. It wasn’t until the European Settlers made life altering changes like destroying herds of buffalo that syncretism became difficult and resulted in events like the Trail of Tears ( The Trail of Tears , 2012).Overall the Native American and African Cultures were open to change and made little resistance to syncretism. On the other hand the Chinese were like a boulder resisting the great force of a flowing river. Archeological Evidence suggests that China was inhab ited nearly 2. 4 million years ago (Larick, 2000). Needless to say that Chinese History is extraordinarily vast and unendingly resistant to syncretism. Europeans did manage to set up trade with the Chinese and create Silk Road. European Missionaries traveled to China on many occasions. Most Significantly the Jesuit Missionaries had a great impact on China.Missionaries like Matteo Ricci moved to China and completely assimilated with their culture in order to introduce Jesuit beliefs to Buddhists and Taoists (Dunne, 1962). Although he was welcomed by the Chinese, he still found great resistance when trying to find converts. India was very similar in its reaction to syncretism because like China, India possesses a vast history. Archeological evidence suggests that Hominids walk the immense and beautiful lands of India over 500,000 years ago (Bongard-Levin, 1979). Once sea routes were found that allowed direct commerce between India and Europe, trading posts were formed.Like the Chinese the Indians welcomed Europeans and gained economically from this agreement. Although the Europeans were welcomed economically, religiously the Indians would not be moved. Missionaries like Jordanus Catalani traveled to India to save the souls of as many non-believers as possible. As the first Bishop in India he acted as a liaison for the Pope and found many converts in India (Ricci Institute, 2012). Although many were converted to Christianity most of India remained Hindu with no desire to convert. India never changed its culture as a whole.Although influenced by Europeans, India kept its ancient culture and way of life. Both China and India welcomed European visitors but resisted change because of their long standing histories and cultures. All four cultures had their own way of life before settlers attempted to add their way of life into the recipe. Length of time as a group did play into the amount resistance each group demonstrated. Another factor that came into play was the am ount of difficulty syncretism would cause each culture. Native American found little difficulty trading with English Settler until the demands of settlers became more and more unreasonable.Eventually most of the Native Americans were enslaved, killed, or expelled from what had been their home for thousands of years. Africans were similarly taken advantage of when European Colonists enslaved and sometimes discarded many. Africa gained much from European Colonization but also found more and more difficulty with syncretism. India and China took full advantage of economic gains of syncretism but never fully gave up their way of life. Today Africa, America, India, and China all have varying levels of cultural change as a result of syncretism. All have a presence of Christianity as a religion till this day. 2. percent of India are Christian while 4 percent of China and 40 percent of Africa share this faith (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). In Africa, unfortunately one of the most lasti ng effects of syncretism is racism and the system of apartheid. India gained its independence from Britain in 1947 and still is an independent nation. India still has keeps many influences from British Government and relations between the UK and India are friendly. Had syncretism not occurred in the Americas, I believe that Native Americans would still live the way that had been living thousands of years before European Colonists forced syncretism on them.The South America the great cities of the Amazon would still be there today. Although technology would not be as advanced as it is now, life would be much more sustainable. These native cultures survived for many thousands of years because of their ability to live with nature not attempting to control nature. If cultural syncretism had taken root during early encounters in China and India unfortunately both of these countries might have suffered the same fate as Africa and the Americas.There would almost certainly be Indian and Chi nese slaves and these countries would have been forced to assimilate as much as the European Colonists felt was convenient. Many more people in China and India would be speaking English today and would be praying to Jesus Christ. Like a priceless masterpiece being thrown into mud, these cultures would have been tarnished or even destroyed. ? References: The Trail of Tears . (2012, November 25). Retrieved from Resource Bank: http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567. html Bongard-Levin, G. (1979). A History of India. Progress Publishers: Moscow. Central Intelligence Agency. (2012, November 20).Field Listing :: Religions. Retrieved from The World Factbook: https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122. html Dunne, G. (1962). Generation of Giants. Notre Dame : University of Notre Dame Press. . Larick, R. C. (2000, February). Early Homo erectus Tools in China . Retrieved from Archeology: http://www. archaeology. org/0001/newsbriefs/china. html Ricci Institut e. (2012, November 25). Jordanus, Catalani, Bishop of Columbum, fl. 1302-1330. Retrieved from Ricci Roundtable: http://ricci. rt. usfca. edu/biography/view. aspx? biographyID=1415 Sayre, H. (2010). Discovering the Humanities. New Jersey: Pearson.

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18 is part of a group of 126 sonnets Shakespeare wrote that are addressed to a young man of great beauty and promise. In this group of sonnets, the speaker urges the young man to marry and perpetuate his virtues through children, and warns him about the destructive power of time, age, and moral weakness. Sonnet 18 focuses on the beauty of the young man, and how beauty fades, but his beauty will not because it will be remembered by everyone who reads this poem. Shakespeare starts the poem with a metaphoric question in line one asking if e should compare the man to a summers day. This asks if he should compare the beauty of a summers day to the beauty of the young man about whom Shakespeare is writing. Line two of this poem states Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Temperate is used as a synonym for moderate by the author. In line two the speaker is describing the man as more lovely and more moderate than a summers day. This emphasizes the mans beauty and how the man is viewed by the speaker. Line three, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, tells hy the mans beauty is greater than that of a summers day. Shakespeare uses rough winds to symbolize imperfections. The speaker is implying that there are no imperfections in the young man, but there are in the summer, so the man cannot be compared to a summers day. In line four the speaker adds to this thought by saying that the summer also does not last as long as the mans beauty therefore it cannot be compared to it. Line five states another imperfection of the summer. Shakespeare uses the eye of heaven as a metaphor in this line to describe the un. In line six Shakespeare uses the phrase gold complexion dimmed to describe the sun again which means that sometimes the sun is not hot enough, and that, as said in line five, sometimes the sun is too hot. In lines seven and eight the speaker ends the complication by describing how nature is never perfect. Line nine starts the resolution of the poem by using the conjunction but.. Eternal summer in line nine is referring back to the mans eternal beauty, using summer to symbolize beauty, and saying that the mans beauty will never fail like he summers beauty. In lines ten, eleven, and twelve the speaker says that the man, When in eternal lines to time thou growst (line 12) or when he grows old, will not lose possession of what is fair to him, and Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade (line 11) or he will not be poor in health and close to dying. Lines thirteen and fourteen say that as long as this poem is read, the mans beauty will never go away, because every time someone reads the poem they will be reminded of his beauty. This poem that Shakespeare wrote, in the octave, describes how all beauty fades except for the man about whom Shakespeare is writing. The octave also tells of how great the mans beauty is compared to everything else that is beautiful. In the sestet, the poem tells about how the mans beauty stays alive and out lives all other beauty. The poem is written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare makes use of much symbolism and many other figurative devices in this poem that contribute and emphasize to the overall theme of the poem.