Financing the Short Term Obligations of The Business Coursework

Financing the Short Term Obligations of The Business - Coursework Example Sources of short term finances available to a business 1. Trade credit – this is also referred as suppliers’ credit, ledger credit or open book account. It is needed when commercial purchases are not to be cleared immediately. In this case the company holds an accounts payable for the amount it owes to the suppliers while in turn running business on not paid for bills. Trade credit varies in length, type of customers and terms prevailing in a particular industry. However, the customer has to forego any discounts that would have been offered on prompt payment. The company can resolve to one month single statement bill or even the open book; this is where they have an extra ten days to clear the bill (Guerard, 2007, 108). 2. Bank loans – companies source for commercial loans from banks in order to meet or cover temporary gross working capital needs. The loan can either be secured or nonsecured. Secured loans have a lien against a company’s asset e.g. invento ry, outstanding receivables et cetera, or a pledge of credit, to back the loan. Unsecured loans are issued depending on creditworthiness of the business. The cost of the loan varies with its size and rates charged on the loan. However, a prime rate is used as a benchmark for these types of loans. Other methods used are revolving line where money is lent on a recurring basis; letters of credit where the bank guarantees by writing, the payment of a company’s overdraft for a given period of time and for specified amounts (Gitman, 2003, 24). 3. Open market commercial papers – these are negotiable notes with maturities from a range of one to nine months which are floated on the market by big corporations. Commercial paper dealers sell the issues to pension funds, smaller commercial banks, corporations, insurance companies to raise funds. The rates on commercial papers are however, below the prime rate for loans. The advantage to the company using commercial papers for borro wing funds is that the issue is widely distributed in the national market. This frees the company from relying on commercial banks. 4. Finance companies and factors – large commercial companies are deemed as the departmental stores of the financial world. These companies have subsidiaries or branches where they practice direct sales financing. They are in close contact with dealers of their merchandise therefore can offer goods to be paid for on installments. Their rates are much higher than commercial banks. Factoring arrangements are based on an advance of funds to a company by the factor against an assignment of trade receivables. An agreement is signed between the two companies to govern their relation. This is usually on a continuous basis depending on the terms applied by the two companies. Nonrecourse factoring allows the factor to buy the accounts of the company and takes up the losses thereto. However, in recourse factoring, the factor does not take up the loss on ba d accounts. Either case, factoring charges are based on a firms daily balance, general interest rate, specific factoring agreement and outstanding credit (Guerard, 2007, 115). Question two a) Financing Mark and spencer uses short term borrowings from banks and medium term notes to source for funds. Trade credit has been used for meeting financial obligations. Morrison on the other hand, has applied trade credits, borrowings from banks to source for short term funds. b) Liquidity ratios liquidity ratios for Mark & spencer Current Ratio = Total

Law In Practice - University Level-3-CIVIL PROCEDURE Essay

Law In Practice - University Level-3-CIVIL PROCEDURE - Essay Example ct 2007, states that a solicitor cannot act for two or more clients where there is a conflict of interest between them or a significant risk of such a conflict arising. Conflict of interest would arise in case the firm is responsible for the case of both the parties that is Mr. Bragg or Mr. Johnson in relation to the RAT or any related matter. A check should therefore be carried out and assured that the firm is not representing Mr. Johnson either in this case or any other case as a matter of fact.1 But from the file it looks that there is no conflict of interest and a note to this extent will be made in the file. Section 24 A (2) of the Limitation Act lays down the limitation period for claims for damages for personal injuries arising out of negligence, nuisance or breach of duty. The limitation period is the later of: In this case the accident took place on 12th April 2007 and based on Section 11(4) Chapter 58 of the Limitation Act 1980 (as amended by the Latent damage Act 1986) the time for calculation of the limitation period began to run from the date the accident took place. The limitation period for this accident is 12th April 20102. Thus Mr.Bragg can be given an assurance that he still is within the limitation period to make the claim. After the file is studied properly it is clear that there is very little time on hand for the limitation period 3 within which the procedure has to be started. But there is no evidence in the file with regard to the fact that any application is made to the court4 for extension of the limitation period so that the documents and other evidences supporting the case can be accumulated. Also time is required to carry out the pre-action protocols with regard to the personal injury claim. In the event the claim is barred by the statute and refusal on the part of the court for extension of the limitation period then under such circumstances the client can sue the firm for negligence on its part. The driver Mr. B. Johnson was

Class on Genres in Literature

Class on Genres in Literature CAMBRIDGE LESSON 6 Focus of the lesson: Writing in different genres and registers Write in different voices and viewpoints Improve style and accuracy This session will help you develop essential writing skills for the written section of your paper where you are expected to write creatively GENRE To be clear about the type of writing you are aiming for, you need to identify and understand four key areas genre, audience, purpose and style. Make these part of your planning when you start to write a non-fiction text. Genre, audience, purpose and style or GAPS! With each piece of writing you will be tested on your understanding of genre, audience, purpose and style, so you need to be clear about the kind of writing you are aiming for who exactly are you writing for and what you are trying to tell them? For example, your text might be trying to: change someones opinion encourage someone to do something in particular make sure your audience knows and understands something The examiner wants to see that you can adapt the way you write to meet different genres, audiences and purposes. Identifying GAPS When it comes to the writing tasks in the exam, your first step is to clearly identify: the genre what type of text should you be writing, eg a magazine article the audience who will be reading your text, eg teenagers the purpose of your text, e.g. to convince people to do more sport your chosen writing style, e.g. informal Make notes on these four areas and use them to help plan your writing. Show that you understand how each of these will persuade the examiner to give you marks. EXAMPLES Common genres: fiction Classic fiction that has become part of an accepted literary canon, widely taught in schools Crime/detective fiction about a crime, how the criminal gets caught, and the repercussions of the crime Fable narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale Fairy tale story about fairies or other magical creatures Fan fiction fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV seriesxs, movie, or book Fantasy fiction with strange or otherworldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality Fiction in verse full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor characters, in which the narrative is presented in verse form (usually free verse) Fiction narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact Folklore the songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or folk as handed down by word of mouth Historical fiction story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting Horror fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread and sometimes fear in both the characters and the reader Humour Usually a fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain and sometimes cause intended laughter; but can be contained in all genres Legend story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material Magical realism story where magical or unreal elements play a natural part in an otherwise realistic environment Meta fiction also known as romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, uses self-reference to draw attention to itself as a work of art, while exposing the truth of a story Mystery this is fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unravelling of secrets Mythology legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behaviour and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods Mythopoeia fiction in which characters from religious mythology, traditional myths, folklore and history are recast into a re-imagined realm created by the author Picture book picture storybook is a book with very little words and a lot of pictures, picture stories are usually for little kids Realistic fiction story that is true to life Science fiction story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets Short story fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots Suspense/thriller fiction about harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts made to evade the harm Tall tale humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance Western set in the American Old West frontier and typically set in the late eighteenth to late nineteenth century Common genres: nonfiction Biography/autobiography narrative of a persons life; a true story about a real person Essay a short literary composition that reflects the authors outlook or point. Journalism reporting on news and current events Lab Report a report of an experiment Memoir factual story that focuses on a significant relationship between the writer and a person, place, or object; reads like a short novel Narrative nonfiction/personal narrative factual information about a significant event presented in a format which tells a story Reference book such as a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopaedia, almanac, or atlas Self-help book information with the intention of instructing readers on solving personal problems. Speech public address or discourse Textbook authoritative and detailed factual description of a topic. ACTIVITY 1 Class discussion on identifying genres. By identifying the genre, the reader is able to identify what type of effect the writer is going for and can help when discussing themes. WRITING IN DIFFERENT VOICES AND VIEWPOINTS Narrative writing is the most traditional form of creative writing: its telling a story. The trick to getting high marks is not to tell a story in the traditional way. Think about interesting ways to tackle the different aspects of the narrative. Who is telling the story? Is it first person? Is someone in the story telling the reader directly? In these kinds of narratives the narrator might be the main character or it might be someone who is very minor. Imagine the story of Cinderella told from the point of view of the mouse who gets turned into her footman. Hed have a very different view of the story and what would life be like after hes turned back into a mouse. If the narrator is a specific character, that character needs to be reflected in the way the story gets told the comments or asides which they make to the reader might show who they really are. Perhaps the narrator in the example above would keep making comments about cheese. If its someone unexpected then keeping that quiet for a while can lead to an effective ending. Are you an all-knowing narrator? The story is told in the third person, but the narrator might need to tell the audience what the characters are thinking. Or perhaps there is a secret in the characters past which the reader needs to know to understand whats going on. Or, is the narration limited to what a single observer can see? This works well for stories which are shrouded in mystery, or follow a small event in detail. Twist in the tale stories need these kinds of limits. The person who is supposed to be telling the story will determine the voice you write in. If the narrator is someone serious, the tone will be serious. If the narrator is a bit of a joker, the tone will be more informal. Dont tell the reader about the narrator directly let the way you write do it for you. Plot is what turns a list of events into a story. Its the connection between different events that show cause and effect. Make sure that events in your story happen for a reason, and that they affect the characters. ACTIVITY 2 Exercise: pick a word at random. Give yourself two minutes to think of as many different possible stories related to that word as possible the more creatively you use the word the better. Lost, for example, might be a story about getting lost in a wood, or losing a game, or a story set in a lost property office. Or maybe someone has lost something which is very important to them but the reader doesnt understand why its so important until the very end of the story. The plot is why its important, how it got lost, and why its needed now. ORDER The order in which you tell the story is important. It might seem natural to tell a story from beginning to end but mixing up the chronology or timeline of a story is a good way to make it more interesting. It still needs to make sense, but it doesnt have to be in order. Some different possibilities are telling the story in flashback, starting from the most dramatic point and then explaining how everyone got there. Or you might want to start at the end and work your way back to the beginning. Starting in the middle of the action is a good way to capture the interest of the reader. In the exam, make a quick bullet point plan of the plot and then write numbers next to the bullet points to remind yourself what order youre going to write them in. Because creative writing assessments are quite short, its best not to get too complicated with plot or ordering one twist is enough, or one change to the chronology. Characters In a short story you dont have time to include a lot of characters- one or two main characters is enough. You can include some other minor characters if you need them to make the plot work, but not too many. Only give names to major characters it will help the reader to work out who matters enough to remember. Make each character distinctive. Think of one characteristic physical or personal which summarises them. In your planning, note down each character and their unique identifying point, with two or three different ways of referring to it. Referring to the same thing in different ways reinforces the character and it adds cohesion to the whole story. When you check through your work make sure that each character talks in the way youd expect them to. If youve got a member of the royal family in your story, they wont talk like you and your friends. Whos talking?: Dunno, shurrup. Werent me. Im not entirely sure. Could you perhaps repeat yourself? An unusual setting can be a way to make a narrative really interesting. Changing the setting can make a story out of something every day. There are some events listed below. First think where they normally occur, and then choose somewhere completely different to produce an interesting story idea. ACTIVITY 3 EVENT NORMAL SETTING UNSUSUAL SETTING Football game Wedding Lessons Sleeping Listening to music Teaching a class Barbecue Dont forget to use your usual toolkit of effective writing techniques. Vary your sentences for effect long ones to build suspense, and short ones to provide punch lines. Use a variety of punctuation. You should make sure that you include some literary devices but only where they have effect. A metaphor or a simile is a great way of creating an image for the reader, but it needs to be appropriate. Pick a simile which emphasises an important characteristic, or an important plot point. If a main character is cross, then perhaps his face looked like a raincloud. Try to avoid using clichà ©s. Dont use metaphors which dont support the effect you are aiming for. Choose the words you use carefully, to create an impact on the reader. Adjectives can tell us a lot about a character, but use too many and they lose strength. Even when writing prose you can use techniques like onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meaning) or alliteration (repetition of the same sound) to create an effect. Dont forget to check that youve got the basics right -capitals, full stops and spelling. There is no point in using advanced techniques if you forget the basics you wont get full credit when it comes to being marked. At least a third of the marks for writing go to accurate sentences, varied for effect. Remember: USE GOOD ENGLISH, ALWAYS CHECK FOR ERRORS AND USING CORRECT PUNCTUATION

Abortion :: essays research papers

Years ago when a women would get pregnant she would have a baby. Today accidental pregnancies are solved by a method called abortion. With this method the newly formed fetus is basically removed from the mother’s body and destroyed. Although the whole process of having an abortion seems not especially pleasant, they seem to be popular. Many people argue that abortion is plain and simple murder. They reason that if a woman feels responsible enough to have sex, she needs to be responsible enough to deal with the consequences. No matter what the circumstances may be. The fourteenth amendment states that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without a good reason and a fair trial. Pro-life supporters use the fact that in the United States constitution it clearly states that no one can kill anyone else without due process to fight against abortions. They reason that we must follow all of the other amendments so why do we not fully follow the fourteenth? The unborn baby has a constitutional right to life unless due process of the law is put into effect. But how can due process be in effect when the baby can not even speak for itself? Basically pro-life supporters argue that the baby can not be killed because it has the constitutional right to life. Non-abortions advocates also argue that abortions get used too regularly as a form of birth control. They believe that abortions are put into the same category as the â€Å"pill† and the Depo-Provera shot. They also believe that while abortions are legal and so available, people do not see unprotected sex as serious as they should. Women may consent to un-protected sex because if they become pregnant they figure they can always just go get an abortion. Pro-life supporters believe that abortions are a simple way out of a very complicated problem. However, the illegalization of abortion may bring on many consequences. If someone falls victim of rape and becomes pregnant it is not fair to make them keep the child. The mother would of course love the child, but with that would come a form of hate. It is true that one should take responsibility for their actions, but rape is no action of their own. Rape is an act of violence and no women should have to have a baby out of it. As a women I agree that I, and only I, should make the decision of rather to have an abortion or to not have one.

Aspects of comedy present in pages 1-10 of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ Essay

Numerous aspects of comedy can be found in pages one to ten of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. The aspect of servants and masters is one that presents itself immediately in the play, through the relationship that exists between Algernon, the ‘master’, and Lane, the servant. The first thing that is spoken about between these two characters, is Algernon’s piano playing. Upon being asked â€Å"Did you hear what I was playing, Lane?† Lane replies, â€Å"I didn’t think it polite to listen, sir.† This is comic for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it could be interpreted that Lane is, subtly, scolding Algernon for even thinking that a servant would listen to his master playing the piano, which is funny as it should be Algernon doing the scolding, as master. Secondly, Lane could simply be poking fun at the Victorian social system; ridiculing it at the fact that Lane should not even be allowed to listen to Algernon play, which may seem ridiculous to his character, and perhaps the audience also, especially in the present day. Another aspect of comedy presented in the first ten pages of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is Bathos. Bathos is when a topic falls from something sublime and important, to something mundane and trivial. This occurs when Algernon is talking to Lane about afternoon tea, â€Å"Speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?†. This is comic as ‘cucumber sandwiches’ are , obviously, totally unrelated to ‘the science of Life’, and in normal society would not be considered as neither important nor particularly interesting, something which either Algernon or Lady Bracknell would clearly be inclined to disagree with. This reference to cucumber sandwiches, and there importance, also pokes fun at Victorian high society; the things important in their lives would seem trivial and insignificant to the rest of society, and not at all ‘high’ in importance. Marriage, also, is presented in this scene, once again through Algernon. After Jack informs Algernon that he wishes to propose to Gwendolen, Algernon replies â€Å"I thought you had come up here for pleasure? †¦ I call that business†. Here, Algernon undermines the idea of marriage and proposal,saying that he sees it as business, and later on saying that he finds not at all romantic. Cynicism is applied here, and is used comically by Wilde to, once again, highlight the odd way that things of great importance are treated by Algernon, and perhaps by the rest of the upper-classes too. Town vs. country is another aspect that is presented in this section of the play, this time through Jack, or Ernest. â€Å"When one is in town one amuses oneself, when one is in the country one amuses others. It is excessively boring.†, is what Jack tells Algernon when questioned by him why he was in the country. This line is a poignant one, as it highlights both what people thought about ‘the country’ as opposed to ‘the town’ in Victorian society, and also the double identity of Jack, which is the main recurring theme throughout the rest of the play. It also shows not only the fictitious feelings created by Jack, for his alter ego Ernest, but also perhaps, the true feelings of Jack himself, hinting at why he visits London so often. There are also minor slapstick influences in this part of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, for example when Jack ‘puts out his hand to take a sandwich’ and ‘Algernon at once interferes’, however this relies entirely upon how the director interprets the stage directions, and will most likely vary from production to production. Although, slapstick could be used to make this part of the play more comic, for example if Algernon were to very obviously slap Jack’s hand away, and appear offended. These are just a few examples of some of the aspects of comedy that can be found from the first scene of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Strategic Planning of General Electric

Jill Ridgley General Electric Strategic Planning During the 1980s General Electric’s Chairman, Jack Welch, became highly influential and equally controversial in the world of strategic management. Although Welch focused on gaining competitive advantage for his organization, he also began downsizing and restructuring GE. GE’s strategic planning and operational efforts began a shift toward Total Quality Management and improving productivity. (WriteWork contributors. â€Å"Levels of Planning in Management† WriteWork. om) The 1990s brought about a renewed interest and obsession with strategic planning, as mergers and acquisitions increased in frequency along with a rising rate of complex joint ventures. Such trends focused strategic planning on innovation through decentralized models, leveraging core competencies and emergent strategy. In order to develop a plan, there are several guidelines that need to be remembered. The main goal is to maintain business operations , looking closely at what you need to do to deliver a minimum level of service and functionality is important.Thus far in the 21st century (2000s), GE’s strategic planning continues towards an orientation of gaining competitive advantage, but with the added dimension of developing and nurturing organizational innovation. As General Electric looks to strategy to help them grapple with issues that include reconciling size with flexibility and responsiveness, planning has grown more complex. This can be attributed in part an increasingly interwoven global marketplace and growing number of competitive forces that have accompanied that change.Likewise, planning complexity has been affected by the economic woes of the 2000s, which have driven businesses to form many new alliances, partnerships and mergers. The net effect of these changes has resulted in the need for cooperative strategies, resulting in more planning and execution complexity. Additionally, the 2000s have brought abo ut changes in environmental commitments and corporate social responsibility. Within the past several years, GE has been looking into how their strategic planning will help with the ecomagination for the new â€Å"greener† products that are a ig competition now for the environment. Faced with the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, businesses across the board are adapting their behaviors and strategies. GE’s strategic planning has transitioned from a process of trying to predict the future to one of looking backward at what we â€Å"know†, examining current-state realities in order to build effective transformation strategies for the future and leveraging lessons learned from the past.