General Mills Financial Analysis - 1073 Words

General Mills - Generating Balanced Growth From ready-to-eat cereal to convenient meals to wholesome snacks, General Mills is one of the biggest food products manufacturers and competes in growing food categories that are on-trend with consumer tastes around the world. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Haagen Daazs, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Totinos, and Cheerios, among others. Main rivals include Kellogg, Kraft, Conagra Foods, and Sara Lee. General Mills sells its products in three segments: U.S. retail (63% of net sales), International (25% of net sales), and Bakeries and Foodservices (12% of net sales). In addition, General Mills sells cereals and ice cream through its Cereal Partners Worldwide and Haagen Daazs Japan†¦show more content†¦Efficiency improvement was primarily supported by inventory reduction efforts that, coupled with increase in accounts payable derived from shifts in timing of payments, reduced the cash conversion cycle to 43 days. It is worth noting that during fiscal 2012 the bal ance sheet had an important growth as a result of the acquisition of the international Yoplait business, including goodwill and other intangible assets of $2.3 bn USD. Sales growth also benefited from the acquisition and will be discussed in the next section. General Mills runs a leveraged operation where, in average, the total assets are 3 times shareholders equity. Leverage ratio has decreased since 2010 as retained earnings have increased at a faster pace than assets driven by strong business performance. A slight revamp in the leverage ratio during fiscal 2012 was mainly driven by an increase in other comprehensive losses related to pensions and postemployment activity, and foreign currency translation that offset retained earnings for the same period. Sustainable growth while generating strong levels of cash flows General Mills has shown a strong, sustainable growth throughout the last years. Net sales increase has been driven by a moderate average growth in the US Retail segment (3.8%), coupled with the expansion in the International business (13.4%). The big year on year increase ofShow MoreRelatedHistorical and Financial Analysis of General Mills736 Words   |  3 PagesHISTORICAL AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS GENERAL MILLS (GIS) DUPONT ANALYSIS When analyzing the DuPont model, we determined that GIS has a higher profit margin, low asset turnover ratio, and low financial leverage versus the industry average, leading GIS not to perform with the same efficiency as the Industry Composite. GIS’s return on equity (ROE) was 28.25% in 2011, dipped to 24.41% in 2012, and then rose to 27.80% in 2013. GIS three-year average ROE of 26.82% is below the industry three-year median ofRead MoreGeneral Mills Inc. Understanding Financial Statements Essay1733 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The case study General Mills Inc. - Understanding Financial Statements focuses on the most basic idea of finance analysis. This case is a brief look into the language that is used in the finance world and a start to interaction with auditors. In this case, KPMG LLP, the public accounting firm that was auditing their statements, had sent two opinion letters. The first letter was ensuring that both parties were aware that General Mills had internal control over financial reporting. The secondRead MoreLease967 Words   |  4 PagesConvert WRDS OUTPUT Building a Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation Spreadsheet Income Statement-66 This case starts with raw financial statements and then a) develops standardized financial statements, b) constructs a statement of cash flows, c) builds all the key ratios, d) links forecast inputs to future financial statements, and e) builds discounted cash flow and residual income valuation models based on the forecasts. The result is a simplified version of eVal4, the spreadsheet modelRead MoreThe Financial Performance of Kraft and General Mills Essays1303 Words   |  6 Pages INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING amp; FINANCE In this report, we will analyze the financial performance of two companies: Kraft and General Mills. They are global consumer foods companies that develop different packaged food products. The main goals of these companies are to meet consumers’ needs and preferences while generating superior returns by delivering consistent growth in sales and earnings, coupled with an attractive dividend yield. This report shows how each company meets their goalsRead MoreModule 1 ACC501 Case1051 Words   |  5 Pagesanalyze and compare the financial statements of General Mills and the Meiji Holdings Company Limited, which are amongst the largest firms in the food industry. I will also talk about the accounting standards, the differences between both company’s annual statements and the differences between Annual Reports, a 10-K and the Corporate Social Responsibility Report. General Mills and Meiji Holdings Company Limited utilizes different accounting standards. General Mills uses the Financial Accounting StandardsRead MoreGeneral Mills Analysis1563 Words   |  7 PagesFinancial Analysis: General Mills Inc. The following financial analysis is primarily focusing on the performance of General Mills Inc for the year 2010 when compared to 2009, but a historic trend of the past 5 financial years is also being taken into account. Balance Sheet Analysis: The Current Assets for GIS decreased for FY10 by nearly 2% compared to FY09, primarily due to a decline in quick assets, namely cash and cash equivalents. The company experienced a terrific growth period in FY08 whenRead MoreThe Coca Mass Foods And Bisco Misr839 Words   |  4 Pagesat the DuPont Analysis it is clear that General Mills has the slow and steady strategy when it comes to the three main factors profit margin, asset turnover and financial leverage. With that consistency their return on equity has been steady in the 24% -28% ranges, where Kellogg has a more volatile ROE. Kellogg over the years has done really well with asset turnover and keeping their inventory at relatively low levels. However, Kellogg uses more leverage in comparison to General Mills which helps inflateRead MoreGeneral Mills Inc. Executive Summary1129 Words   |  5 Pages| General Mills Inc. | Executive Summary | | Xiao(Cynthia) Chen | 2012/4/24 | | Executive Overview General Mills (NYSE:GIS), our company, is a global consumer foods company. We develop distinctive value-added food products and market with our unique brand names. We work continuously to improve our established products and to create new products that meet our customers’ potential needs and preferences. Our company has $14.88 billion in sales last year. Our sales has grown substantiallyRead MoreStudent1522 Words   |  7 Pagesintended to get you started on your analysis and to focus your attention on a few critical points. They are not necessarily the final goal of your analysis. Oracle Systems: 1. TYPO: The two quarterly figures, $230,187 and $174,673, listed as â€Å"General and admin† in Exhibit 1 should be listed as â€Å"Total operating expenses†. 2. NOTE: Exhibit 6 presents common-sized financials for the industry, not Oracle systems. 3. On a scale of 1 to 100, rate the financial health of Oracle Systems in 1989 andRead MoreKellogg Company : An American Multinational Food Manufacturing Company1268 Words   |  6 Pagesinvestment and credit recommendations.   Ã‚  Ã‚   We have identified General Mills as the closest competitor of Kellogg’s Company as both the companies function in the same segment of the market of convenience and ready to eat consumer products sold through retail chains. Both the companies are more than a century old and product portfolio extends over a large number of well known brands sold worldwide. In terms of revenue Kellogg’s Company and General Mills are comparable with $ 14.8 billion and $ 16.6 billion

Marketing Engineering †Ford Hotel Free Essays

Curso: Analisis Cuantitativo y Toma de decisiones: Fecha: 09 Marzo 2013 Integrantes: – Monica Calderon – Monica Chavez – Monica Escobar – Julio Jaramillo – Sandra Saco Vertiz Case 3: Positioning the Infiniti G20 EXERCISES 1. Using the data in Exhibit 1 and the associated perceptual mapping software, describe the two (or, if applicable, three) dimensions underlying the perceptual maps that you generated. Based on these maps, how do people in this market perceive the Infiniti G20 compared with its competitors? El G20 es visto como un automovil atractivo y exitoso. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Engineering – Ford Hotel or any similar topic only for you Order Now Muy bien posicionado junto a otras marcas de la gama como BMW y Honda 2. Infiniti promoted the G20 as a Japanese car (basic version $17,500) with a German feel, basically a car that was like the BMW 318i ($20,000), but lower priced. Is this a credible claim, given the perceptions and preferences of the respondents? Los 2 principales competidores del G20 son BMW 318i and the Honda Prelude. Es una dificil tarea promocionar el G20 sobre el BMW 318i en alto prestigio y atractivo; este ultimo punto punto es subjetivo y los gustos del publico pueden cambiar facilmente. El prestigio del auto puede ser promocionado, pero con menor precio del G20 vs BMW, el publico podria percibir que el auto mas caro es el que mas prestigio tiene. De acuerdo a la data y en comparacion con el BMW 318i, el G20 tiene menor precio, elevado ahorro en combustible y larga garantia. Promocionar estos puntos del mercado el G20 tiene un gran valor sobre el BMW 318i es la mejor solucion y puede ser muy bien apreciado por los consumidores. 3. Which attributes are most important in influencing preference for these cars in the three segments (S1, S2 and S3) shown on these maps? To which segment(s) would you market the Infiniti G20? How would you reposition the Infiniti G20 to best suit the chosen segment(s)? Briefly describe the marketing program you would use to target the chosen segment(s). Los mas importantes atributos por segmento son: Segment 1 (S1): Hi Prestige, Quiet, Interesting, and Common. Segment 2 (S2): Roomy, Easy Service, and Sporty. Segment 3 (S3): Unreliable, Poor value and Poorly built. El mercado para Infiniti G20 serian los segments 1 and 2, porque ellos aparecen como el modelo ideal de clientes para Infiniti. Ellos comparten las mismas cualidades y estilo de auto que estamos produciendo. Adicionalmente podriamos reposicionar el G20 como lujoso, deportivo, confortable, logrando satisfacer los requerimientos del consumidor de ambos segmentos. 4. What ongoing research program would you recommend to Infiniti to improve its evaluation of its segmentation of the market and positioning of its G20? Podria recomendar a Infiniti invertir mas tiempo concentrando o mejorando los atributos menos valorados por los consumidores, a la vez que podria encontrar la forma de hacerlos mas economicos e interesantes. Ayudando tanto a mejorar su produccion, costos y a la vez mejorar la percepcion del producto de parte de los clientes. 5. Summarize the advantages and limitations of the software provided for this application. Consideramos una limitante que el programe no brinde una explicacion de los resultados, o una interpretacion de los escenarios. Como ventaja podemos considerar que nos permite visualizar el impacto de cada uno de los atributos en el consumidor, y en base a esa informacion ofrecer mejoras en el producto final. Case 4: Forte Hotel Design EXERCISES 1. Design: Using a blank Excel spreadsheet, follow Step 1 in the Conjoint Tutorial and develop a Study Design Template (MEXL==Conjoint==Create Study Design Template) for Forte, using the attributes and levels from Exhibit 1. Next, follow Step 2 in the Tutorial, Create a data collection instrument, selecting â€Å"Ratings† method and â€Å"1† for the number of respondents (you). When you are done, check to be sure that your sheet looks like the â€Å"Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 1 Ratings)† data set in My Marketing Engineering. Then, briefly summarize the advantages and limitations of describing products as bundles of attribute options. En este ejercicio creamos los atributos y los diferentes niveles de cada atributo, familiarizandonos con el uso de la herramienta. 2. Utility assessment: Using the sheet that you created in Question 1, rate each of the bundles, giving your most preferred bundle â€Å"100† and your least preferred bundle â€Å"0,† as described in Step 3 in the Tutorial. When you are done, follow Step 4 in the Tutorial and perform a utility assessment for yourself (MEXL==Conjoint==Create Study Design TemplateEstimate Preference Part Worths). Interpret your own preferences on the resulting Part Worths Sheet. Como resultado del ejercicio Podemos interpretar que Monica prefiere la habitacion con un escritorio y prioriza el telefono al internet. Desea entretenimiento exterior para practicar actividades deportivas. Le encanta la limpieza personal y desea sus zapatos bien lustrados. Tambien prefiera acercarse al restaurant al delivery. 3. Open the â€Å"Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 2 Partworths)† data set in My Marketing Engineering and review the Partworths developed from the respondents in this case. Based on your experiences in completing these tasks, summarize the advantages and limitations of conjoint analysis for obtaining preference data from customers. Respondents’ Preference Partworths Respondents’ preference partworths. The most preferred profiles sum up to 100, the least preferred to 0. Respondents / Small Suite Large Room Room Office Internet access Speaker phone Attributes and Levels 0 9 11 52 13 Amanda 10 37 0 0 9 Ann 26 0 10 21 0 Bruce 8 0 22 13 25 Byron 34 0 30 0 16 Byung 45 0 16 0 2 Colleen 17 7 0 7 24 Courtney 15 0 12 0 14 Daniel 13 0 24 10 23 Dierdre 11 20 0 9 0 Elio 0 27 7 4 0 Eugene 8 0 31 8 0 Frank 20 0 14 0 7 Gabriel 0 19 5 10 22 George 14 31 0 14 0 Gina 6 16 0 0 16 Hans 0 7 47 0 8 Hector 34 0 16 6 27 Jin Hyuk Room fax 0 3 14 0 11 0 0 38 0 19 2 10 21 0 13 9 25 0 Ventajas: Permite identificar la combinacion de atributos preferidos por los consumidores. Explotar los atributos preferidos o mas valorados con un adecuado plan de marketing. Permite caracterizar perfiles de los clientes y asi poder enfocar mejor nuestras ofertas. Limitaciones: No podemos segmentar completamente a nuestra oferta hacia el consumidor (salvo que la base sea estadisticamente robusta). Requiere de un analisis cualitativo previa para identificar las variables a considerar. 4. Analysis: Open the Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 3 Analysis) data set in My Marketing Engineering, which has competed Steps 5 and 6 in the Tutorial for you. Follow Step 7 in the Tutorial, ((MEXL==Conjoint==Run Analysis) and assess the viability of the four specific hotel concepts that Forte is exploring for the State College area. Base this evaluation on the preferences of a sample of 40 business travelers on that sheet (Exhibit 2) and the cost estimates summarized in Exhibit 3. The base cost to build each hotel room (without the attributes and options listed in Exhibit 3) is expected to be about $40,000 for a 150- to 200-room hotel, regardless of the mix of room types. . Identify the optimal product concept from among those Forte is considering. Explain how you arrived at your recommendation. Consideramos que optimal product 1 es el concepto que deberia considerar Forte porque este le permitira una mejor penetracion en el mercado, lo cual ademas de traer la mayor aceptacion redundara en un pronto recupero de la inversion. 6. Would you recommend product concepts other than the four Forte is considering for the State College market? Expla in how you arrived at your recommendation(s). Las 4 opciones engloban el tipo de cliente que normalmente tienen este tipo de cadena de hoteles con lo cual la segmentacion esta muy bien aplicada; sin embargo podrian agregar una opcion enfocada a empresas, BtoB, que esten interesadas en utilizar el hotel como centro de convenciones que duren uno o mas dias y la empresa contratante deba hospedar a sus invitados, si bien es cierto, no es constante todo el ano, podrian tener preparada una opcion con servicios estandar y ciertos entretenimientos. Podria llamarse Business 1. 7. Summarize the major advantages and limitations of a conjoint study for new roduct design. What conditions favor the use of this approach in the hotel industry? (Consider such factors as types of customers and market conditions in responding to this question). Este modelo le permite a la industria hotelera saber la valoracion del mix e atributos valorados por el cliente y de esta forma tener una propuesta enfocada en el publico objetivo al que se dirige, ademas l e permite saber, en la medida que disponga de informacion de los otros hoteles, en que segmento tendria mayores probabilidad de tener una mejor aceptacion. Sin embargo el uso de esta herramienta requeriria de un alto costo de inversion inicial en investigacion de mercados, ya que exigiria la realizacion de una encuesta que permita contar con datos para la evaluacion. Case 5: Durr Environmental, Inc. – Air Pollution Control Systems Durr faced the following questions: 1. Is it economically sensible to enter the US market? 2. If so, what would be the best offering to make? 3. Would it be better to provide two different offerings? If so, what should they be? 4. Which segment(s) of the customers should they target, with what selling proposition for their new offering(s)? Provide a business case to address these issues. Assume the following: The business must generate marginal revenue of $4MM/year to justify entry, and it will cost Durr an additional $3MM/year to support a second offering. 1. Modelo de Negocio: Tamano del Mercado * Participacion del Mercado *Margen de Contribucion Segun la premisa debemos justificar mas de US $4MM para justificar la entrada al mercado. Tamano del Mercado: Market research indicated that there would be about 300 units of that size sold in the US each year over the next decade. Participacion del mercado Margen de Utilidad: Producto Servair= 200K + 200K + 10K + 70K – 300K = US $180K Producto Premier= 200K+200K-170K+0+0= US $230K Producto Base =200K+0+0+0=US $200K Conclusion: Para Servair == 300 * 0. 1877 * 180 = US $10. 1 MM Para Premier = 300 * 0. 1433 * 230= US $9. 8 MM Para Base = 300 * 0. 0889 * 200=US $5. 3 MM Dado que los 3 escenarios son mayores a los US $ 4MM, podemos ingresar al mercado con cualquiera de los productos. Cada uno de ellos nos permitira mayor o menor ganancia segun nuestra apuesta. 2. If so, what would be the best offering to make? Luego analizamos por cada tipo de producto. Segmentamos por Producto 1: Y ahora segmentamos por Producto 2: Sugerimos el producto Premier DX porque tiene mayor probabilidad de aceptacion y por ende nos permite ganar mercado mas rapido. Maximizar beneficios y asegurarnos posicionamiento de marca. . Would it be better to provide two different offerings? If so, what should they be? Recomendamos ingresar solamente con el producto Premier, dado que lograriamos mayor participacion de mercado, un mayor nivel de beneficios e incluso eliminar un competidor. Sin embargo, si quisieramos incorporar un segundo producto sugerimos que sea el primero, pues pese a tener una menor contribucion marginal que el tercero tendriamos mayor probabilidad de aceptacion y por lo tanto tendriamos menor exposicion al riesgo. . Which segment(s) of the customers should they target, with what selling proposition for their new offering(s)? Podrian ser empresas que tienen un alto sentido de responsabilidad con el medio ambiente y desean ejercer control del sistema de emision de gases de manera eficiente. Prefieren invertir en un buen sistema y asegurar un contrato de servicio, para evitar quedarse sin soporte ante algun inconveniente. How to cite Marketing Engineering – Ford Hotel, Essay examples

The Cotton Club Birthing the Careers of Legendary Jazz free essay sample

The Cotton Club No matter what happens, music is going to be popular around the world. Its beats are drilled Into us like a file Is programmed Into a computer. In the sasss, Jazz and blues were In the prime of Its fame, and the growth of the black society In music was increasing rapidly. People like Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Duke Elongating, and many more were starting off legendary careers. On the other hand, the asss and asss were in a period of Prohibition, the national ban of alcohol.The majority of people opposed this law, therefore did what they can to find any beer or wine they could. Many of them went to nightclubs that secretly sold alcohol, called speakeasies, Not only did The Cotton Club sell alcohol, but It held some of the most legendary artist of the sasss. The combination of good live music, alcohol during prohibition, and white- patrons only made The Cotton Club the most notorious club in Harlem. We will write a custom essay sample on The Cotton Club: Birthing the Careers of Legendary Jazz or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mobster Owen The Killer Madden appeared as your average guy, but not to be fooled by his weak facade, Owen was a tough man.In his former gang, he had been shot eleven times at a close range, and by the time he had recovered, he had killed most of the members of the opposing gang (Bland, 5 6). So when he bought the Club Deluxe from former boxing world champion Jack Johnson, he knew how to make the club one of the finest speakeasies in New York. He started a legend, naming it The Cotton Club. By 1923, the club had opened on 42nd Street Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York. Owen or Money Madden used the club to sell his Beer to the Prohibition crowd.The club was closed down many times for short periods in the beginning due to the illegal sale of alcohol, but the fact that Money was a mobster was to his advantage. He had many political connections, and his revenge tactics, long with paying off city hall, always triumphed, therefore the club was saved and running (Winter, 1). The Cotton Club held all the right elements, and it attracted many people. It was a white-patron only club; contradictory to the rule, most of the staff and entertainment were black. The club had dancers who were held to strict standards.They had to be at least 56, light skinned with a slight tan, and under 21 years of age. The theme of the club was directed towards the upper-class and white clientele, creating a stylish plantation environment. Employees were represented as either black savages or white plantation residents. Heavy drum beats and fast trumpet playing brought a jungle-minded atmosphere to the room. This emphasis on plantation and jungle like setting, heavy and oppressive discrimination, and the appearance of many celebrities brought high demand to The Cotton Club, and also emphasized on black stereotypes (Winter, 2 3). Included dancers, singers, comedians, and whole variety of acts, as well as a house band. In 1927, Duke Elongating and his Orchestra, which included the reputable saxophonist Johnny Hodges, was hired for the club. For Duke, this club would be the inception of his career. He was put under a lot of pressure by Money Madden, but the product of that pressure turned out to be legendary (Bland, 10 12). Hit classics by Elongating like Mood Indigo, Black and Tan Fantasy, and many more were debuted at The Cotton Club (Britannica. Com, 3).He played there for six nights a week, and the band soon gained national popularity (Bland, 11). Radio stations played his songs, and subsequently he released an album. Duke and his orchestra played there up until 1931, when decided to take the band on the road to success (Britannica. Com, 3). Cab Galloway took over in 1931 who supposedly got the Job by mafia urging. Galloway was definitely not the same as Elongating in the sense of style of music, but he did have his own unique style at the time. He was known to interact with the crowd by scatting; he would scat, and the crowd would scat back.Galloway had quite the same long run of success as Elongating did in his years of performing at The Cotton Club (Bland, 14, 15, 16) These two bandleaders made an opening for many other talented acts to perform there. Many of the finest black artists of the time were staged at the club, including Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ethel Waters, and many more. Towards the end of the clubs heyday, Ella Fitzgerald performed at the young age of 17, after she had been discovered at a Harlem talent show (Bland, 18).There were also many revues, or theatrical sketches accompanied with music dancing, held at The Cotton Club. Eel Leslie was staged there with his famous Black Bird series. These revues featured dancing girls, tap dancers, vaudeville performers, and many other things along with it (L. Morgan, 1) . Needless to say, The Cotton Club never ceased to entertain its patrons, all up until 1935. The club had prospered for 13 years until the Harlem Race Riot of 1935 broke out. A Puerco Rican boy named Lion Riviera was caught shoplifting a 10 cent knife.Lion Riviera in defense bit the hand of the policeman, and afterwards an ambulance had arrived for him. Unfortunately, a mistaken women misunderstood the situation, and yelled out that the boy was being beaten. Everyone around her heard her yelling and the riot commenced. Not only did the crowd think the ambulance was for the boy, but the boy had also mysteriously disappeared from the crowd, therefore everyone thought he was dead. This had produced a giant uproar which caused 75 blacks to be arrested, and $200 million dollars worth of property damage. Even though this was called a race riot, there was no actual clash between two races. Still it went down in history as the first modern race riot of its time (crinolines. Typed. Com, 1, 2, 3, 7). The beginning of race riots in Harlem caused The Cotton Club to temporarily close down and relocate to 48th street. After 5 years of only little success, very far from the success it previously had, The Cotton Club closed down in 1940 (Britannica. Com, 4). Night clubs in Harlem have since then kept The Cotton Club legacy alive, and in 1978 a reincarnated version of the club opened. Francis Ford Copula, a movieCotton Club. The story itself is fictional, but it is very similar to the real thing (Britannica. Com, 4). The club now sits at 12th street New York, New York (cottontail- Newark. Com, 5). Although the outside appearance is Just a building with no windows, the inside is still a popular place to dance and listen to some of todays finest Jazz, open for all races. The Cotton Club was the most popular speakeasy nightclub of its time, not only birthing the careers of Duke Elongating and Cab Galloway, but also staging some of the most legendary performances and musicians of Jazz history.

Make Your Persuasive Essay Perfect with Our Writing Tips

Make Your Persuasive Essay Perfect with Our Writing Tips Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay Before writing any type of essay, it is crucial to determine its main purpose. Why is it important? Because the structure, the style and even the language you will use should be selected accordingly. Writing a persuasive essay usually requires a lot of efforts and time, which means that you should start working on it in advance. Before you proceed to write a persuasive paper, make sure you have looked through valuable writing tips that would simplify the process and provide you with the necessary background knowledge not to do the same job twice. First of all, divide your writing task into several stages, such as preparation, writing, editing and proof-reading. Preparation Stage Choose a topic which you are interested in enough and which would comprise ambivalent ideas. Decide which position you support. Investigate the issue in all directions. Pick up the strongest evidence for and against that would impress the reader and impact his/her attitude. Writing Stage This phase of your work will be much easier if youve followed the tips of the preparation stage. Youve done a huge progress in coming closer to the writing process and already have the material to give a verbal shape for your thoughts and transform them into the written text. Remember that your persuasive paper has to correspond to the fixed structure, which consists of the introduction, main body and conclusions and in whole includes five or six paragraphs. A relatively short introductory paragraph should contain up to 4 sentences and reveal intentions and position you stand for: The first sentence is known as a hook sentence that would capture the readers attention and make him/her want to read further. Next two sentences should provide the reader with a general overview of the problem. Finally, finish your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement and clearly state your attitude. The main body of a persuasive essay usually comprises three paragraphs, each of which is devoted to one solid evidence. Dont overload your body paragraphs with too many supporting details. Three points for and one against are enough to convince the reader or change his/her viewpoint. The conclusion, by-turn, is nothing else but restating and emphasizing o the key aspects, youve mentioned in the main body paragraphs of the essay. Make sure you dont use the same vocabulary. Editing Stage Its a high time to proceed to edit your treasure! Pay attention to congruency, consistency and grammatical correctness of the essay. Check on evidence and language relevance or, even better, ask a literate person to help you. Proof-Reading Stage Its not the end yet. Your final but not any less important writing stage is a proof-reading. Its better to read your final draft after a while. Otherwise, it wont be very effective. Let your mind rest a bit and only after that have a fresh look at your persuasive essay. We hope our writing tips helped you to improve your writing skills and made you one step closer to perfection.

Coping with Quotations

Coping with Quotations Coping with Quotations Coping with Quotations By Mark Nichol A stock element of effective writing is to employ a quotation by a noted writer or other famous person to illustrate a point. But take care that when you seek to strengthen your work by alluding directly to another’s, you don’t in fact weaken it by committing one of the following errors: Attributing the Quote to the Wrong Source The Bible, William Shakespeare, and Mark Twain are sources of many memorable sentiments, but not every one. Some expressions or observations are paraphrases from Scripture, lines from other playwrights, or witticisms that Twain (or Benjamin Franklin, or Abraham Lincoln, or one of the other usual suspects) might wish he had actually thought up. (Sometimes, they are reworkings or inventions of biographers or other commentators.) Before you attribute a quotation, confirm authorship. If the source is doubtful, signal the lack of certainty by amending your statement of credit, for example, from â€Å"The observation of Benjamin Franklin . . .† to â€Å"The observation attributed to Benjamin Franklin . . .† or from â€Å"As Abraham Lincoln once said . . .† to â€Å"As Abraham Lincoln is believed to have said . . . .† Misquoting the Original Material Many quotations we take for granted are in fact not verbatim versions of the original statement. Sometimes, casual common use results in slightly altered wording becoming the standard interpretation. (See this list of misquoted quotations.) Again, confirm accuracy before repeating what you think someone wrote or said, or what a not-necessarily-reliable source passed on. Sometimes, however, the error may be deliberate: At the close of the film version of The Maltese Falcon, private detective Sam Spade’s last line comments on what all the fuss was about: â€Å"The stuff that dreams are made of.† This insight is based on a line from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest: â€Å"We are such stuff as dreams are made on.† Don’t blame Dashiell Hammett, author of the story the movie was based on; the line, which didn’t appear in the original, was crafted by director/screenwriter John Huston. It’s a potent phrase, revealing that Spade recognizes the futility of a quest to recover the titular treasure. But it also demonstrates that he is likely well educated enough to (slightly) misquote Shakespeare. To have him proclaim or even mutter, â€Å"The stuff that dreams are made on† would sound pretentious; the fact that he made a small error somehow makes his observation more authentic. Alternately, the character’s error might be a conscious decision: The preposition in â€Å"made on† implies that the â€Å"stuff† is a foundation for building dreams, while â€Å"made of† means that the â€Å"stuff† is the ingredient Spade’s more accurate assessment, in this case. Mistakenly Crediting Invention Shakespeare is widely hailed as the inventor of hundreds of words, phrases, and expressions. It is true that he and some of his contemporaries are responsible for enriching the English language by preserving numerous vivid terms, witty turns of phrase, and trenchant observations many of which we may use without realizing their origin for posterity. But it is more accurate to think of Shakespeare and other Elizabethan writers not as inventors of new words but as their distributors. We are forever in their debt for recording what they heard spoken on the street, at the market, and in the tavern or at court or the pithy prose from a speech or a letter, appropriating it for use in a play or a sonnet. It is to the Bard and his colleagues that we owe knowledge and use of words like hobnob, phrases such as â€Å"fair play,† and observations the likes of â€Å"All that glitters [originally, glisters] is not gold.† In addition, Shakespearean scholars are revising their estimates of the dates of completion for some of his plays; therefore, a contemporary playwright or other author thought to have quickly borrowed one of his coinages may have actually coined the word himself, and Shakespeare may in fact be the borrower. Although Shakespeare and others to whom we attribute such gems may have coined some of them, we err in invariably assigning them credit for their invention. It is better to say that someone popularized an existing word, phrase, or expression, which is laudable enough. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story50 Idioms About Fruits and Vegetables

How Technology is Changing the Face of Business Today 2 Assignment

How Technology is Changing the Face of Business Today 2 - Assignment Example Technology has changed the face of business, through its ability to advance communication and reduce barriers to business opportunities. Technology has provided a platform for the transmission of crucial information for consumers and business people (Simon, 2011). The storage of information on computer files and virtual spaces has increased the accessibility of information to parties involved in business transactions. Additionally, the use of technological approaches such as e-mails allows businesses to communicate with remotely located people, offices and customers. Netflix is one of the companies that rely on information systems to conduct its business. The most crucial business process that relies on information systems is internet video streaming. The business provides internet video streaming to internet connected devices. These devices have access to online content provided by the firm (Jin, 2011). In order to offer this service effectively, Netflix recognized the need to use information systems. Customers do not have to purchase video discs from rental services. They only subscribe to Netflix, which gives them the content through an online platform. Technological approaches and innovations have led to changes in how businesses are conducted. Technology provides a platform for increased accessibility of information and increased ease of transacting a business. Companies such as Netflix have harnessed the abilities of technology to offer their customers exemplary services and

How will e-health affect patient participation in the clinic pros and Essay

How will e-health affect patient participation in the clinic pros and cons - Essay Example E-health is defined as â€Å"a new term used to describe the combined use of electronic communication and information technology in the health sector OR is the use, in the health sector, of digital data-transmitted, stored and retrieved electronically-for clinical, educational and administrative purposes, both at the local site and at a distance† (WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2003). When it comes to clinical purposes, e-health makes easy it to manage and update medical records, allows electronic prescribing of medications, and makes patient management less demanding. E-health also fosters learning. Patients can access information about their condition and treatment options. There are also online support groups for people with similar conditions through e-health. Doctors can also use e-health for their continuing medical education. ICT health tools can also be used for organizational purposes. Scheduling of appointments and monitoring of laboratory results are made easier with e-health. The development of e-health has made it possible for healthcare professionals to give and for patients to receive quality, effective, and efficient healthcare services. Through the use of various e-health tools and services, communication and health management are a lot quicker and easier. Information is easily accessible and there is less stress on both healthcare providers and patients. E-health tools allow healthcare providers to care for the patients based on each one’s individual needs, allowing them to give care that is patient-centered. For patients, e-health tools provide them with information regarding their condition and encourage them toward self-care. E-health has evolved a lot and many consider it to be an indispensable tool in the industry of healthcare. Laboratories rely heavily on computers for analysis and many diagnostic