101 Topics to Write About in Your Articles, Newsletters and Blogs

You are here: Home / Blogging / 101 Topics to Write About in Your Articles, Newsletters and Blogs 101 Topics to Write About in Your Articles, Newsletters and Blogs BY SUSAN YOUNG AT 10:34 PM 11 COMMENTS Finding a topic to write about for your e-zine, blog post, or bylined article can cause a lot of people and â€Å"non-writers† to stress over topics, ideas and creativity. I thought I’d help by offering you 101 ideas that you can write about. Keep this in mind. These topics are great for video blogs too. You may wonder how you can connect these back to your business, products, services, clients and prospects.Yes, even a trip to the mall or a conversation with your dry cleaner are topics or examples worthy of mentions in your articles and blog posts. Become â€Å"Life’s Little Observer† and use your writing and the topics as they relate to the bigger picture–like your customer service philosophy, your new product, your policies, relationships, attitud es, success, motivation, lessons learned, â€Å"A-HA† moments and more. The key is to show your reader how your example or story is relevant to them and how you can help them. Share a piece of yourself along the way. Here we go: Your business A new product or service An old product/serviceYour ideal client Tips on your expertise How you broke an old habit Life lessons learned A mentor A vacation A challenge you have overcome A challenge you are dealing with A challenge you need/want to overcome A child who has inspired you Your first car Your new car/dream car A current event Your hero A childhood lesson An award you have won Your unfulfilled dream A sibling Your parents Your grandparents Vacation trips in the car Airport/travel stories Your best friend Gardening Customer Service A college experience Your favorite teacher A book you just read Your favorite book A quote A local event/incident A speech you heardA speech you gave A run-in with a neighbor Family reunions Holidays Music you enjoyed when growing up The traits of your favorite Superhero or Fairy Tale Character Your birthday Anniversary of your company An experience you’ve shared with your partner/children An experience you’ve shared with a colleague An experience you’ve had with a complete stranger Moving to another home Moving to a new city A movie you just saw A hobby you have cultivated over the years A collection you have kept for a long time A show you have seen A sporting event The Top 5 Things You Want to Do Before You Die Your parking/speeding ticketSocial media friends Your dry cleaner Your dentist/doctor Your vet/your pet Your military experience Your 1st grade teacher Your favorite college professor Your favorite food Your goals Time management success tips Your first concert/Broadway show Your wedding A break-up Your first love/date Networking Your house Your vacation/dream house Exercise Your favorite non-profit Your favorite kids book Why you have a fence in your backyard (or don’t) Your favorite season Your favorite sports team Your favorite way to relax Your most prized possession Your favorite newspaper Your favorite new gadget Your prom/graduationYour first public speaking experience A sales debacle Your best example of negotiating The strangest or most interesting experience you’ve had in the mall Your favorite magazine Pet-peeves Life in suburbia/Life in the City How you started your own business Leadership Driving habits Your favorite blogs/websites Marketing Your favorite video clips Your own â€Å"Top 10 List† Forgiveness A famous person you met A conference or trade show you attended Your favorite place Bring your readers full circle with a message, theme or lesson that impacts their worlds. Use the 101 ideas as a springboard for your wordsmithing and success.

The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

On April 26 1986, the reactor Unit 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was not working properly. When workers tried to fix this problem in reactor 4 by shutting down the its power regulating system and its emergency safety systems, this caused the most serious and dangerous accident in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl accident released large amounts of radioactive materials into in the atmosphere, which were carried by air currents. Soon after this catastrophe, these radioactive materials were spread by the wind over many countries, which polluted their atmosphere. The release of radioactivity had a deadly effect on people's health and the environment; thus, before building such a plant, safety and emergency procedures must be guaranteed. The radioactive materials, which have been released from the accident, affected people's health for several years. The Russian government admitted the release of radioactivity, when the Swedish monitoring stations reported abnormal high levels of wind transported radioactivity as clarified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The government had to evacuate many areas and declare it as a † Forbidden zone † to protect people from radioactivity. Initially the accident caused the death of 32 people(B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† – http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The radioactive materials released from this accident are 200 times as much radioactivity as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions (Dahl,Birgitta â€Å"The Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster† http//:scf. usc. edu/~melan). Its human death losses and the amount of the radiation released into the environment, raised a large number of problems not only for the treatment of severely exposed persons, but also The decisions that had to be taken considering the population. Thus, the number of people who were suffering from cancer was increasing and the number of thyroid cancers among children also increased in the most affected area: Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). Indeed, for several years, babies were born deformed and thousands were suffering from illnesses and cancer (which takes 8 to 10 years to appear), scientists and doctors were alerted because after only four years thyroid cancer increased much more than their expectations and its growth was more quickly than they expected and its pattern was different from the patterns known till now (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). All these factors have increased diseases among the people living in the exposed area and the workers involved in clearing the site after the accident. In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to imagine the psychological effects of Chernobyl accident on the people who experienced it. In addition, this emotional stress and other psychological factors are the main possible cause of people's illnesses after the accident and in the future. The radiation did not only affect people's health but it polluted the environment and the territories beside the reactor. The area beside Chernobyl was heavily polluted because 70% of the radioactive substances fell on it (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). As stated by Najmedin Meshkati, a nuclear scientist; â€Å"The most dangerous thing was the food pollution (cesium, strontium, plutonium and americium) in milk and meat products are with concentration several hundred times higher than pre accident levels and often above the permitted levels and it will not disappear before 300 years†. Although, people know that these regions are heavily polluted and that meat and milk products have accumulated high quantities of radioactive substances, more than 1. 8 million people are still living there (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). They drink radioactive fluids, eat radioactive substance (cesium131) will stay in the food and liquids and will not disappear completely before 300 years†. The consequences of these substances will not be noticed but after many years and it will not only affect the present generation but also the future generation. To insure maximum safety, emergency systems should be guaranteed before building any nuclear power plant. Thus, authorities must not ignore the possibility of the occurrence of an accident. The failure of workers to identify the problem between the systems to insure safety, and their failure to cooperate with each other is unacceptable. Workers must be trained to deal with real emergency situations in order to respond fast and to control it. However, after Chernobyl, solutions to insure the safety of large-scale technological systems have fallen into the categories of management and cost control (B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† -http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The cost to clean up the mess caused by the nuclear power plants are much more expensive than to install a new emergency system. Thus, the cost to maintain safety is negligible compared to the cost, which they have to pay if an accident happened. Moreover, authorities must be strict concerning the regulations of nuclear power plants. Many improvements in radiation protection and emergency preparations have been made, possible by the Chernobyl experience (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). The lessons drawn from the Chernobyl accident are valuable: human's life is precious. Thus, human must learn from their mistakes and know how to prevent their happening especially if these mistakes may cost innocent people's lives. An accident such as the catastrophe of Chernobyl is a descrase for humanity, that's why we cannot afford such mistakes again. Because some mistakes are unforgiving.

Financial Support Letter Example

The following is provided on behalf of (name) to support his petition to be considered an independent student. In January of 2012 1 became aware of (name) intention to attend school at The College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California. I also became aware of an unfortunate diminishing relationship between him and his parents and the impending affects that that relationship has and will continue to have on his efforts to pursue a college degree.As a former teacher at Meade High School, where (name) graduated, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this very poised young man. I believe he has turned his ife around and is determined to succeed both as a father and as a student. Our relationship grew to where he trusted me. I have received many calls where he talked about the struggles of being abandoned by his parents and left to survive on his own. I have continued to provide counsel and guidance on the importance and value of staying the course.I applaud his courage attend a college, p articularly one that is located across country from his hometown. While I know that he has been quite resourceful in obtaining the necessary financial support to meet his needs, this does not negate the fact that this s truly a young man who is struggling – and one with no assurance that money will be available to support his educational needs. (name) is an excellent athlete and quite capable of achieving excellence in the classroom.Like everyone else, he deserves an opportunity to get a decent education. I believe we live in a society where â€Å"no child should be left behind,† particularly when it comes to education. Accordingly, I strongly believe that this child should no longer be left to fend for himself. Therefore, I strongly recommend that he be supported financially, to the greatest extent possible, in the furtherance of his education.

Outline for research paper on natural disasters in Thailand

Outline for on natural disasters in Thailand - Research Paper Example Various organizations that aided the injured and the displaced during the disasters have also been mentioned in the book. Natural Disaster Reduction was published in 2007, which talks about the aftermath of various places affect, by natural disasters. The book explains the various region that are considered more vulnerable to fatal disasters like the coastal regions. The South East Asian region where Thailand is located tends to be more conspicuous to natural disasters than other parts of the globe. Disasters like the floods and earthquakes have been more prevalent over the recent years with each disaster affecting everyday activities in the universe. The economy is also affected because most of the activities have to be stopped after floods or fires. Natural disaster deaths in Thailand was published in 2010 with the aim of letting the world know how many people died from various disasters occurring in Thailand. The book describes of various organizations that come for their aid after disasters but there people who are unlucky to survive the disasters. The people left behind to deal with the effects do not have normal lives after the floods or earthquakes and some never heal from the trauma they undergo. Various people in Thailand from different generations have stories to tell about floods and earthquakes, which are the major disasters in the country. They describe how such events change their lives and it takes even years to forget what they go through. Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response 3 explain how floods have claimed many lives around the globe every year. The floods do not only take lives but also those affected with diseases, homeless and affect the growth of various plants. Floods in Thailand and parts of the globe are considered destructive as they affect both rural and urban development. The book explains how floods can be minimized or measures that should be taken to ensure that floods do not leave an alarming population homeless or

Argentinas economic status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Argentinas economic status - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that with 23 states and also an autonomous city, Argentina had been the second largest country in Latin America. Covering a total area of 2766890 square kilometers the country stands as the eight largest nations measured 30th in terms of population. The country had a fairly high per capita income in 1920 but suffered from severe political instability during the 80s due to the  economic crisis. The country was under 22 years of military rule and after that changed 25 presidents. Currently, the country is recovering from a severe downturn that it suffered owing to the 2001-02 economic crises. Reportedly the country has defaulted on debt in 2005 and then made a debt repayment of $9.5 million to IMF in January 2006. IMF even questions Argentina’s accounting measures and credibility of data especially the one concerned with inflation. Keeping this at backdrop the paper intends to present a study of Argentina’s economic status by looking upon its past history of economic crisis and also examining the extent of recovery from such a crisis currently. The country of Argentina situated in Latin America had been going through a political turmoil for many years along with disastrous economic conditions. Economic crisis followed by debt crisis has been piling up one after another. Currently, the country is facing the problems of high prices and persistent double-digit inflation.... To test such a hypothesis we first consider a brief history of the past economic problems and then address the current economic problem through various findings and analysis. We also look upon the technical and financial assistance provided by the developmental organizations World Bank and IMF. Literature review Several economists have analyzed and performed research studies on Argentina’s economic condition. A research study has been performed to get an idea of poverty prevailing in Argentina due to such economic conditions. The data has been collected from EPH which is the main household survey of Argentina. Real income has been taken as an indicator of poverty and inequality. Fall in real income (8%) for the years 1992-96 comes along with the increase in GDP (8.9%) for the same years. Such a discrepancy reveals an overestimation of GDP in the data provided by local Argentinean surveys. Some unaccounted income such as rent and capital income might also be a cause for such a dubious result (Gasparini). Growth incidence curves have also been used for studying the changes in income pattern. The curves have been below the horizontal axis and positively sloped. High inequality in income is revealed from such a study of income changing patterns (Gasparini). Poverty status of Argentina has been studied using poverty lines with three poverty indicators namely the headcount ratio, the poverty income gap and FGT. Value of poverty lines have been expressed in local currency units. The data has collected for the period 1992-06. Such a study has shown that although Argentina has somewhat recovered from the 2001-02 crisis it has not been able to eradicate poverty. With the crisis there has been

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Performance Management - Essay Example Moreover, assessment of standards of such places can play a vital role in the identification of status of performance management system. The test identified 13 common rater errors. What are five of them? How would you use knowledge of those five to decide what is being done well and what is being done poorly in an organization’s behavioral assessment process? Some of the rate errors identified by the text are primacy, severity, leniency, attribution, contrast, and negativity errors. It is observed that all such rate errors facilitate in better carrying out of behavioral assessment process that are key to understand the status of performance in an organization. In specific, some of the rate errors help in carrying out effective decision-making processes. For instance, ratings for the entire period can be influenced by the performance in the beginning of such period through identification of primacy rate error. Secondly, actual performance of employees are not considered, and consistent rating of employees can be done by severity rate error that does the rating based on lower justification from the actual recording. On the other hand, leniency rate error is a diverse version of severity rate error that rates employees higher than allocated by their performance. In this regard, information gathered from common rate errors can play a vital r ole in assessing the performance in an organization. It is observed that managers and human resource department keeps on endeavoring to maintain and improve the quality performance in an organization, and a number of steps are taken to ensure the stability in the performance management system. In specific, on-job training and courses, on-job education, conferencing, assignments, and mentoring are some of the significant development activities that are organized for improving the effective performance in the organization. Statistics have indicated that every organization

Software Development Life Cycle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Software Development Life Cycle - Assignment Example Software Development Life Cycle The protocol is able to support a variety of web pages and web applications ranging from basic to complex programming of computer games. To be supported in the web-server and data server hosting system, these web pages can be developed through various tools, as per its abilities, such as Dreamweaver and Front Page applications for developing simple web pages and similarly, Java, ICEFaces or .Net for developing complex applications. As per the referred use case, the information sharing process starts with the collection of raw sources from the internet which is then stored in the database servers prior to its transmission to the web servers. From the web servers, the information passes on to the routers and subsequently, the encrypted information is transferred to the end users through LAN, WAN and other internet servers. Before the information passes on to the web servers, as planned in the use case, it needs to pass through a web barrier, i.e. the firewall that restricts sharing of personal and unauthenticated information. System analysis and design principally refers to the systematic approach towards the designing and analysis of information transition systems or communication software. This particular approach is often regarded as Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method. In the referred use case, it can be observed that the designed SSADM intends to be operated by connecting external end users and internal end users on the basis of a complex web-server and database server system which will further be protected with a firewall application. Notably, a router has been considered to support the interface operations, in the SSADM. Theoretically, there are various stages which need to be followed when developing a SSADM. Fundamentally, six stages can be identified in the SSADM process, as listed below, Stage 1: Investigating the current problems associated with the systems operations to identify the need of SSADM Stage 2: Specifying the requisite features in the SSADM to evaluate and finalize option al methods in developing the system Stage 3: Selecting the most applicable technical options which can be appropriate to support the services required to be hosted by the information system Stage 4: Data designing to determine the range of data or information that can be served through the protocol Stage 5: Elaboration and feasibility check of the data transmission process planned on the basis of the developed SSADM through process design Stage 6: Designing the physical structure of the entire SSADM process (Shere2000, 2001) Database In the referred use case, appropriate procurement of relevant information is very much required in order to encrypt the information and its appropriate transition through the complex designing of the entire information system. Under such circumstances, new database server will be required to support the wide variety of schemas or tables. It is in this context that the different schemas will be required to support the vast range of information hosted by the web servers. However, the client will have another option of sharing databases over internet, using the systems of Microsoft SQL server and/or Oracle. Even though such mechanisms may be considered as useful in expanding the versatility of the server, it might also raise threats to data leakage being shared through cloud. Also, if the server application tends to use and XML methodology, it

Implementing & Executing Strategy in the Global Marketplace Essay

Implementing & Executing Strategy in the Global Marketplace - Essay Example Aside from the key reasons for outsourcing, other benefits are also evident in applying this practice to one's business. Most notable of these is the advantage of getting a higher level of experience. The subcontracted business revolves around giving high quality services provided by experts. They need to constantly upgrade their services to maximize their potentials and lead the competition. Instead of employing experts to do the jobs of minimal importance as compared to the really significant ones, through outsourcing, businesses can now avail quality services on its non-core operations (Ouzts, 2003). This is the very reason why the founders of ODW Logistics, Inc, based in Columbus, Ohio, established a business that capitalizes on the need of their client's outsourcing needs. They have been offering "excellent logistics services to billion dollar companies" since 1972. Their product line includes warehousing and product distribution. They boast of devising "efficient and cost-effective material handling solutions" and supply "facilities, staffing, warehouse management systems, and all the rolling stock operating equipment" (ODW Logistics Website, 2006). Given the nature of outsourcing and the list of their service, ODW Logistics can definitely help in global firms' vision of gaining competitive advantage. If it is committed enough to produce excellent quality warehousing services, their clients will really feel ODW's excellent contribution enhancing their performance. Solving warehouse problems of most companies is probably the most significant contribution they can give. Materials handling is a very tedious and costly task that usually belongs outside the core operations of most companies. Unless a company is in the retailing and other industries where effective warehousing is extremely important, warehousing consumes huge amount of money and effort that should have been spent in improving the performances in other core operations. With 30 years of experience in this industry, ODW Logistics has proven to be one of the most trusted names in providing warehousing solutions to other companies. Another issue concerning warehousing in other companies is the lack of affordable warehousing space. Procuring and maintaining considerable amount of space for product inventory is a problem for most companies. Aside from the cost of maintaining the warehouse site they likewise need manpower and technology that they are not familiar with. With its Ohio campus that spans 82 acres, six buildings, 170 dock doors and a 400-trailer capacity yard. The campus also offers a 150,000 square foot container freight station as well as rail service, food grade facilities. All in all, ODW Logistics has 2 million square feet of distribution facilities all over the United States, it has enough resources to give hands-on and practical solutions to their client's warehousing problems. Another service feature that would give to its clients is the state-of-the-art technology that ODW Logistics uses in its operations. Its Warehouse Distribution Logistics System (WDLS) efficiently monitors inventory movement

Correlations In research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Correlations In research - Essay Example Depending on the type of the research, the data are later analyzed to draw out provable conclusions. For instance, a research can focus on climate and its effect on agriculture. From the relationship between agricultural productivity and climate, variables can be identified to aid in the process of information collection. In the long run, a relevant hypothesis is then formulated which will be rejected or accepted depending on the outcome of the research. The favorability of climate is inversely proportional to the quality of agricultural productivity in an area. In proving such a hypothesis, some of the most common working definitions are thus listed herein. I. Good climate - a good climate is one which fosters the production of agricultural products. Farming heavily relies on the pattern of rainfall. However, excessive rainfall destroys the crops in the field. The most conducive rainfall pattern, therefore, is one in which it rains moderately. A moderate rainfall is between twenty to sixty millimeters per day. According to this research, a good climate is therefore measured in terms of the volume of rainfall an area receives in a week. An unfavorable climate is characterized by below ten millimeters of rainfall a day. II. Research productivity-The number of researches carried out in an area defines its productivity in terms of contributing to human development. In this context, the productivity is compared on the number of researches that are produced in the region within a period of one year. A bad productivity infers zero to twenty cases within a year. On the other hand, good productivity refers to the production of fifty to one hundred researches per year (Sharon and Anthony 66). Operational definitions make it possible for computation of research variables. Furthermore, the definitions of the conflicting factors make it easier for one to carry an effective research on the issues. The goodness of climate is defined in a manner that enables

Crime in Our Society Essay Example for Free

Crime in Our Society Essay This is a painful fact we dont want to face. There is no effective form to change character. All those qualities in life that makes us what we are also help us become criminals. Heredity and environment, interaction of the individual in society, the totality of human nature and experience. Crime reflects more than just the pitiful few that commit it, it reflects the character of society. How did these people capable of stealing a car, or mugging a cripple become that way? All that they are and all that they have experienced is what drove them to commit a crime. Crime is not just sordid happenings, it is human nature. People commit crime. Some think that man is essentially good, and that given the chance, he will develop as a benign being. Others conceive man to be essentially evil and believe that he must be controlled for his own protection and the existence of an ordered society. Crime is a â€Å"Carry On† type industry. It never stops and always keeps growing on. The society has its own rule. Our society says that â€Å"One is innocent until he or she is proven guilty† and it never gives unusual and cruel punishment. Actually the terrific truth is that society itself creates the criminals and laws are there for them to live free. Crime does not require any kind of education or work experience and there is not that much risk, so the person who has nothing to lose can easily choose crime as his or her career. http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/german-machine-gun.jpg http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/science/gun1.jpg Gun ownership as American Gun Culture describes looks at the masculinity side of why men own guns. Also explains that family legacy of gun ownership is often a factor in determining whether one will become a gun owner. Many of young people got their first guns as gifts from parents. In the US guns are very easily and non-complicating purchase. It is legal to buy and to own a gun or any other life threatening machine. When the parent had taken more care to teach and exemplify proper gun-handling skills and other firearms knowledge, there is a much greater chance that the recipient of this legacy will embrace (rather than reject) it. Gun collecting has many aspects, but most focus on the historic, technical or artistic merits of the arms which make them appealing to collectors. Some collectors cherish a rusty bayonet, or musket ball recovered from an old battlefield. Ammunition collectors delve into the minute details and has all kinds rituals and cleaning time is greatly involves. Some collectors seek to fill a collection with arms of a single maker, others of a single historic period, some concentrate on a specific caliber, or country of origin. Many just want to own guns that they like for various reasons. Many arms collectors enjoy shooting their guns, and many people interested in living history become arms collectors as an outgrowth of that hobby. While not purely collectors, they are potential future collectors, and their experiences can provide valuable information to collectors. Hunting as indicated is a fine reason to own a gun, or several guns. According to the FBIs national crime statistics, 1.2 million violent crimes were committed in the United States in 2010. About the same as were committed in the US in 2009. These violent crimes include such crimes as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. All saw declines nationally between 2009 and 2010. The largest decrease was in the number of reported robberies, dropping by 9.7% during this year. US crime statistics also report that property crimes saw a drop between 2009 and 2010, dropping from 9.08 million to 8.9 million in 2010. Property crimes include larceny, burglary and motor vehicle thefts. The rate of larcenies decreased the most, dropping by 6.98% since 2009. http://www.delrayrecoverycenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Amphetamine-300268.jpg http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/images/cocaineSmall.jpg Many people wonder about the social effects of drug abuse. Drug abuse develops the social life of the addict, tearing apart his family, friendships and professional relationships, work which links with his or her occupation and mainly the behavior of the person. Without intervention, the drug addict can wind up alone, with the drug being his only friend. People who are addicted very often turn to crime as a means of paying for their addiction. This can involve stealing or fraud to obtain the funds necessary to bankroll their addiction. This can start with stealing from one’s partner, family or friends but can spread to include their employer or several organizations. Another aspect is that of the cost of maintaining a police force that have to deal with the after- effects of addiction. One such example and one that we hear a great deal about in the media is that of ‘binge drinking. People who have developed an addiction to alcohol very often engage in drunken, anti-social behavior, usually in town and city centers up and down the country. The police have the job of dealing with fights or semi-conscious people lying in the street which is due to the effects of excessive alcohol consumption. The majority of crime committed is http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/9/14/1347635831075/Prescribed-drugs-008.jpg Usually drug-related. Burglary, robberies are all ways of funding an addiction and the more serious the addiction the greater the chance of these being accompanied by violence. There are people who are so desperate to have a ‘fix’ or are completely controlled by their addiction that will do anything to service this. If this means using violence then they will do so. In this case their needs have overtaken any thoughts of rational or civilized behavior. They are not thinking of anyone else but themselves as they are consumed by their addiction. The changes that I think are important to focus on, and the solutions for them to tackle from bottom up are not as simple as it could be imagined. Well, I think that fixing the economy to assure as many people as possible are employed and you have much of the problem of crime resolved. Also finding a way to eliminate drugs from society would help attain the social crime issue. Think about all the crimes that can be associated with addiction: Drug trafficking. Drug dealing. Drug use, Robbery, Assault, Battery,Burglary,Rape. Domestic violence, Illegal weapons possession, Illegal weapons sales. The list goes on and on. This topic is not one of the easiest to tackle but if we eliminated one of the main reasons the crime appears in our society, it would definitely become a much safer place for us citizens to live in. http://calgarycommunities.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a5.jpg

What Opportunities Made Cinemexs Success Possible Finance Essay

What Opportunities Made Cinemexs Success Possible Finance Essay Several factors made it possible for Cinemex to emerge as a highly successful exhibition movie theatre chain. First, the Mexican exhibition market was highly regulated for decades and these regulations established a fixed, low ticket price. This provided a disincentive for exhibition owners to invest in their properties since they were unable to raise ticket prices to compensate for their investments. The end-result was a growing collection of old and dilapidated theatres. When the regulations were lifted, Cinemex co-founders Matt Heyman, Adolfo Fastlich, and Miguel Angel Davila believed that an opportunity to provide a high-end movie watching experience by constructing state-of-the-art theatres existed. The team followed a strategy of differentiation through branding. Cinemex improved moviegoers experiences by installing larger screens, providing better sound, employing courteous staff, and making other improvements over what was considered the typical Mexican exhibition. Based on t he information available, this quality advantage seemed to last at least until Cinemex was acquired by Canadian buyout firm Onex. Next, Cinemex capitalized on the declining value of the peso in late 1994 and early 1995. This decline allowed Cinemex to purchase land at a cheaper price. Furthermore, it fortuitously (for Cinemex) discouraged potential competitors in the high-end field, such as AMC and Lowes, from entering the Mexican market. The value of the Mexican Peso continued to substantially decline. This made it continuously cheaper for Cinemex to use US Dollars to purchase new land to build Mexican movie theatres. Further, the improving Mexican economy, population growth in Mexico City, and continued emergence of middle class in Mexico all provided opportunities for Cinemex. Graph the time series of attendance and prices for each Wednesday in 2001. What factors account for the week-on-week differences in attendance for Cinemex and the city as a whole? What is the interpretation in terms of a demand curve? Several factors account for the week by week differences in attendance for Cinemex and Mexico City theatres. Factors such as the ticket price, time of the year, popularity of current films, local weather conditions, and timing of holidays all made attendance highly variable from week to week. In terms of the demand curve, it may move out or in depending on the combination of the above variables. In Spring 2001, Cinemexs main competitor introduced 2-for-1 pricing. Describe, in conceptual terms (and using a demand diagram), the effect this had on Cinemexs demand curve. In the same diagram show the effect of Cinemexs price response. Conceptually, when Cinemexs competition introduced 2-for-1 pricing, the demand curve for Cinemex moved in (or left). At a given ticket price, a certain percentage of moviegoers who would typically choose to see a film at Cinemex would instead choose to forego the additional quality of Cinemexs theatres and take advantage of Cinemexs competitions lower prices. In the chart below, D0 (blue line) is the demand at a given price for Wednesday showings at Cinemex before the 2-for-1 pricing was introduced by competitors. D1 (red line) represents the reduced demand for Cinemex after 2-for-1 pricing was introduced by competitors. Finally, the bullet point outlined in yellow on line D1 reflects Cinemexs new Wednesday 2-for-1 price. 0: Equilibrium before price changes 2: Cinemex lowers price on Wednesdays 1: Cinemex demand moves left after competitors introduce 2-for-1 pricingC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21298_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21298_.gif Please note, D1 is shown to the left of D0 since we are speaking in conceptual terms. In actuality, other factors beneficially impacting Cinemex may place the true location of D1 to the right of D0. Further, the price change took place over a year after the initial placement of D0. Therefore, there is some time for beneficial factors to have a sum impact that is relatively more positive than the negative impact Cinemex competitors price drop would have. We explore these possibilities in later answers. How would you construct a counter-factual scenario for what would have happened had this 2-for-1 pricing by competitors not occurred? [Suggestion: one useful place to start might be to compare 2001 to 2000. Explain your answer in terms of the diagram you drew in the previous question. The 2-for-1 pricing by Cinemex competitors did not occur until after week 13 in 2001. Therefore, by comparing the weeks 2 through 13 in 2000 and 2001, we can estimate the increase in attendance from comparable periods in the remaining weeks. This growth factor, or ratio, can then be applied to the 2000 attendance figures in order to estimate what the attendance in 2001 would have been if Cinemexs competitors had not put forth the 2-for-1 deal. Applying the growth factor eliminates the effects of Cinemexs competitors 2-for-1 deal and creates counterfactual data that takes into account other socioeconomic factors driving increased attendance over time. These socioeconomic factors include low unemployment, low inflation, population and GDP growth, and the continued emergence of the middle class. Essentially, this methodology allows our team to reconstruct the original demand curve (D0) and account for growth in the overall market. Construct this counterfactual for attendance. Discuss how you isolate the effect of the competitors price change from the effect of all the other things pushing demand around (the stuff you discussed in part (b)). Be clear about the extent to which you are able to do this (remember no analysis of real data is ever perfect in this regard, but it is important to be able to spot the limitations of whatever methodology you do employ). The table below illustrates attendance at Cinemex on Wednesdays. Weeks 2 through 13 can be analyzed between 2000 and 2001 to determine a growth factor for Cinemex. This growth factor is determined by taking the ratio between the average attendance numbers of 2000 and 2001 for Block 1. In this case, the growth factor is equal to 1.09 (it is the same between 2001 and 2002). The predicted Cinemex attendance for 2001 (depicted in the table below) is determined by multiplying the 2000 attendance numbers, for Blocks 2 through 5, by 1.09. The result of this calculation gives the attendance numbers that Cinemex would have seen had its competitors not established the 2-for-1 deal. Wednesday Attendance Figures Cinemex 2000 2001 (without 2-for-1) 2001 (with 2-for-1) Block Weeks Actual (Avg) Predicted (Avg) Actual (Avg) 1 2 to 13 51602 56445 56445 2 14 to 22 60762 66231 57305 3 23 to 27 66626 72622 67124 4 28 to 34 97717 106511 105479 5 35 to 48 46195 50353 *60642 NOTE: The year was broken down into 5 blocks in order to better analyze the effect of seasonal demand. Week 1 and weeks 49 to 52 were omitted due to the volatility of the holiday seasons attendance. Also, predicted and actual numbers match for Block 1 due to this period being utilized for determination of the growth factor. *- Indicates that both Cinemex and its competitors are using 2-for-1 pricing. Using this counterfactual, quantify the impact of competitors 2-for-1 pricing in Cinemexs Wednesday attendance? Our team analyzed the difference in predicted and actual weekly attendance on Wednesdays at Cinemex during the time period when Cinemexs competitors utilized the 2-for-1 deal and Cinemex maintained its pricing (Blocks 2, 3 and 4). The data indicates that the competitors 2-for-1 deal adversely impacted Cinemexs actual attendance. We observe attendance figures that are lower than the predicted attendance figures. The below table quantifies the average weekly impact of the competitors 2-for-1 deal. To arrive at the estimated dollar impact, we multiplied the difference between predicted and actual attendance by the average ticket prices during each Block. For example, the average ticket price during Weeks 14 to 22 was $20.98. Therefore, $20.98 times 8962 equals $187,288.41. Weekly Impact on Cinemexs Wednesday Attendance 2001 2001 2001 Block Weeks Predicted minus Actual (Avg/week) % Dollar Value of lost Attendance (Avg/week) 1 2 to 13 0 0.00% $ 0.00 2 14 to 22 8926 -13.48% $ 187,288.41 3 23 to 27 5498 -7.57% $ 114,216.15 4 28 to 34 1032 -0.97% $ 21,552.93 Please note, Block 5 was not included in this impact analysis because it encompasses the time period during which Cinemex matched its competitors 2-for-1 deal. Cinemex was most adversely impacted during Weeks 14 to 22 and Weeks 23 to 27. Fortunately for Cinemex, the 2-for-1 deal offered by competitors had only a minimal impact on the summer months. This is likely due to the superior quality of socioeconomic conditions and movies offered during this time (i.e, summer blockbusters). It appears that individuals are willing to pay a higher price to watch superior movies in a superior environment. Overall, Cinemexs actual attendance during Weeks 14 to 34 was 1,589,718. Our team predicted that had the competitors not implemented a 2-for-1 pricing strategy, Cinemex would have had attendance numbers of 1,704,766. This represents an impact of 6.7%, or 115,048, on attendance over the 21 week period in which Cinemex did not offer a 2-for-1 deal and its competitors did. Taking the average ticket prices during Blocks 2, 3, and 4 ($20.98, $20.77, and $20.88 respectively) and multiplying it both actual and predicted revenues allows us to evaluate the dollar impact. Total actual revenue was $33,213,977 and predicted revenue was $35,621,524, a difference of $2,407,547 or 6.76%. Building on the strategy you developed, quantify the impact of Cinemexs own 2-for-1 deal on its Wednesday attendance? Discuss your methodology in terms of a demand diagram framework. Cinemex matched its competitors 2-for-1 deal in Block 5. Based on the data, it appears that this time period has reduced demand compared to the summer months. Demand appears to be similar to Block 2 (Weeks 14 to 22). Therefore, had Cinemex not matched the 2-for-1 deal and maintained their prices, we assume that their attendance numbers for Block 5 would have dropped by the same percentage as Block 2, or 13.48%. Wednesday Attendance Figures Cinemex 2001 No 2-for-1 Deals Both Use 2-for-1 Only Competitors Use 2-for-1 Block Weeks Predicted (Avg) Actual (Avg) Predicted (Avg) 5 35 to 48 50353 60642 43565 As illustrated in the table above, Cinemexs actual average weekly attendance during this period was 60,642. Cinemexs predicted average weekly attendance for Block 5, assuming no 2-for-1 deals, is estimated by using the aforementioned 1.09 growth factor. This provides an estimate of an average weekly attendance of 50,353. If Cinemex had not engaged in the 2-for-1 deal, and its competitors did engage in the 2-for-1 deal, then we predicted the average weekly attendance for Cinemex would decline the same as it did in Block 2, by 13.48% of the No 2-for-1 Deals figure, or a total weekly average of 43,565. This decrease is identical, in terms of percentage (13.48%), as the predicted impact of competitor pricing on Block 2. Blocks 2 and 5 represent the worst case scenario for Cinemex in terms of attendance totals and represent the point of highest demand elasticity. Overall, Cinemexs actual attendance during Weeks 35 to 48 was 848,988. Our team predicted that if Cinemex chose to not use the 2-for-1 promotion, attendance would have been 690,910. This is a difference of 239,078. The actual average ticket price for Block 5 was $15.20. Our team assumed that the average ticket price would have remained roughly the same in Block 5 as it had been in Blocks 2, 3, and 4 had Cinemex not chosen to do the 2-for-1 promotion. The average ticket price for Block 5, therefore, would have been the same as the average ticket price for Blocks 2, 3 and 4, or $20.88. This results in actual ticket revenue of $12,908,555 versus predicted revenue of $12,734,921. The 2-for-1 promotion improved ticket revenue by $173,634.h) Extending the analysis from the previous question, provide an estimate of Cinemexs demand elasticity (with respect to its own price) for Wednesdays. Extending the analysis from Part G, two points on the D1 demand curve have been established and the elasticity (within the 2-for-1 market) can now be estimated for Wednesdays. At the $15.20 ticket price, elasticity is -0.75. This represents a relatively inelastic demand and Cinemex should increase price. Demand Elasticity Estimate Cinemex Block 5 Attendance Block 5 Attendance Cinemex Not Using 2-for-1 Cinemex using 2-for-1 Attendance 43565 60642 Price $20.88 $15.20 Elasticity -0.75 The equation for the 2001 Cinemex Demand Curve is: , or, in other words, . Knowing that ; we can determine elasticity at any point of the curve. Taking the derivative of the Demand curve gives us: ; and so the elasticity equation becomes: ; for any point along the demand curve. Bottom line: Was Heyman right to match the 2-for-1 pricing? Discuss Our team believes that Cinemex should not introduce yearly 2-for-1 pricing. As illustrated in the chart below, our team developed a scoring system to determine which pricing strategy would be most effective. Cinemex Employs 2-for-1 Deal 2-for-1 customer Regular customer 20.43% 79.57% Revenue Ticket Price $15.20 $15.20 Concession Per Person $10.00 $13.96 Other Revenue Per Person $0.20 $0.24 Total Revenue $25.40 $29.40 Expenses Concession Expense Per Person $2.70 $3.77 Payroll Per Person $3.82 $3.82 Supplies Per Person $3.18 $3.18 Occupancy Expense Per Person $6.10 $6.10 Total Expenses $15.80 $16.87 Total Income Per Person $9.60 $12.53 Weighted Average $11.93 x20.43% Attendance Growth Final Score $14.37 The following assumptions were made: We took year 2000 actual attendance for Block 5, multiplied by the expected growth rate of 1.09, and arrived at 50,353. From here, we saw the actual attendance in 2001, when Cinemex did match prices, to be 60,642. This is an increase of 20.43%. Therefore, on average, we expect a 20.43% increase in attendance as a result of the 2-for-1 promotion. This increase in customers would be made up of a stingier group of individuals. These individuals, instead of paying $13.96 on average for concessions, would pay $10.00. Also, the other revenue would drop by roughly the same proportion to $0.20. We found the average income per moviegoer and arrived at the weighted average of $11.93. Then, seeing as attendance increased by 20.43%, we arrived at a final score for this solution of 14.37. Finally, we assumed screen advertising would stay the same since Cinemex is now playing to more full theatres rather than half-empty theatres. Argument can also be made that scale could reduce per-ticket costs, but we did not believe the attendance boost was substantial enough for that. In contrast, had Cinemex not implemented 2-for-1 pricing, the final score would be higher, 18.51. Cinemex Does Not Employ 2-for-1 Deal Regular customer Income Ticket Price $21.18 Concession Per Person $13.96 Other Revenue Per Person $0.24 Total Revenue $35.38 Expenses Concession Expense Per Person $3.77 Payroll Per Person $3.82 Supplies Per Person $3.18 Occupancy Expense Per Person $6.10 Total Expenses $16.87 Total Income Per Person / Final Score $18.51 The final score here is 18.51, higher than 14.37. This is because Cinemex cant discriminate against the type of customer. By reducing the ticket price for all customers, it negatively impacts its box office revenues. 80% of the customers would have attended had prices not been reduced. Furthermore, our assumption that the growth will be fueled by stingier customers reduces concession stands sales. These factors combine to make it a money-losing proposal to offer 2-for-1 deals. If Cinemex could somehow strategically target certain Wednesdays or certain customers, the 2-for-1 proposal may be more viable. Overall, as it stands now, Cinemex should not offer a 2-for-1 deal for all Wednesdays.