Government And Private Hospital Differences Health And Social Care Essay

Government And Private Hospital Differences Health And Social Care Essay In many countries, controversy surrounds the roles of government and the private hospitals. While bigger states such as The United Kingdom and Germany have many government hospitals that could really overcome the demands for the patients. On the other hands, some poorer countries, the government hospitals are really very poor. In these hospitals the patient must buy his medications from the nearby pharmacies. A private hospital is a hospital owned by company. This practice is very common in the United States and Australia. In the United Kingdom, private hospitals are distinguished from the National Health Service (NHS) institutions that provide health care free at the point of use for the patient. A government hospital also known as public hospital is a hospital which is owned by a government and receives government funding. This type of hospital provides medical care free of charge, the cost of which is covered by the funding the hospital receives from the government. The government hospitals is a good healthcare that is available to all, regardless of their wealth. It is not just meets the needs of everyone but it also free at the point of delivery. However, the services provided by the government hospitals is the first come first served. The Doctors could treat those who were in most need of treatment and were suffering from the most serious illness. The problems for this are that some patients have to wait along time. Not just the government hospitals waiting lists are so long that patients could be faced with an anxious and possibly painful wait of many months, before gaining admission. But when the patient is given a date it will be one that suits the hospital and not the patient. On the other hand, in the private sector patients can get immediate admission for non-life threatening operations. In addition, patients can choose when they want to be seen, opting for surgery when it fits in with their job or holidays. In addition to the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice of when they want to be seen, in the private hospitals they also have other choices such as choosing which consultant that is going to be carrying out there operation. They have no restrictions of visiting hours along with extras such as individual rooms with telephones, satellite television, en-suite bathrooms and a wide variety of meals to choose from. The population is growing larger and living longer, which is putting extra, demands on the government hospitals in terms of both time and costs. Either increasing spending on the government hospitals or encouraging more people to go private can overcome the above limitations. Private hospitals give patients options for coverage and a choice of physicians. Patients can choose their preferred hospital or clinic with private health care. Private hospitals care allows patients to be seen promptly. Private hospitals reduce the governments share of the health care burden. There are many advantages of using private hospitals rather than the government hospitals. Private hospitals have a profit incentive to cut costs and maintain a good service, which is essential to attracting customers. Private hospitals also face competition which is another reason for better quality services. These factors are absent in government public services. On the other hand private hospitals it reduces the money the government pays to the government hospitals. It will also reduce the waiting lists. Other benefits for the private hospitals are that there will be no queues. Although waiting times on the government hospitals have improved in recent years because of the new technology, you will still have to wait for at least a couple of weeks for treatment but you will not have to wait this long for private treatment. In the private hospitals if the worst happens, your treatment will be as quick as it can be. You can also choose your consultant and where you want to be treated when using private hospitals. Using the private hospitals you do not have to worry about being on a mixed-gender ward. Depending on your policy, you may have a private bathroom. The visiting hours are also unrestricted. You will also be likely to be seen by the same consultant throughout your treatment. Despite the above advantages for the private hospitals there are also many disadvantages. These include depending on your policy and any previous medical conditions, but most policies only cover short-term illness or injury. With so many companies offering private hospitals, it is difficult to know which option would best suit your needs. Because of this you get what you pay for: the more cover you want, the higher your premium will be. As you cannot predict illness, you might develop a condition that is not covered when using the private hospitals. Private hospitals might not have the same depth of expertise found in teams within the government hospitals. Even thought the private hospitals offer better facilities they are extremely costly so only wealthy patients gets admitted if compared with the government hospitals. In public hospitals there are qualified while private hospital offers some times better health care treatment. In a private hospital the equipments are of standard quality and generally there is risk for the patient since a large number of people looks after a single patient. In a public hospital, the case may be entirely different. There may be a single or no person at all to be looking after the sick patient. Government hospitals are funded by the government and therefore cannot turn away patients. On the other hand the private hospitals are privately funded and make their own rules. Because of this the private hospitals reject uninsured patients. The government hospitals are funded by the government so that they are there to help the poor and anyone who might have health problems while private hospital is not bound by the government to help the poor but they are better equipped and better medical care. The government hospitals receive government assistance, and therefore are required to treat people regardless of their ability to pay while the private hospitals do not receive such assistance, and therefore are better suited only those who can afford to go. Sometimes the government hospitals can offer a greater choice of equipment than the private hospitals, as the money needed for many treatments and procedures is very expensive. Private hospitals may struggle to purchase or loan all the screening equipment they need to offer a full service so occasionally the private patient may need to be treated in the government hospital in order to receive the care they require. As the private hospitals have smaller equipment than that of the government hospitals, they can often afford to update their smaller items of equipment fairly frequently something that the government hospitals might struggle to do. The private hospitals have little scope to perform immediate life-saving operations but it may be able to carry out semi-urgent procedures depending on the surgeonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s availability and amount of theatre time available. On the other hand the government hospitals are highly equipped to manage any form of emergency surgery. Many patients believe that the government hospitals often have bad reputation in terms of medical attention. Dormitory style rooms rather than private hotel rooms are normal in the government hospitals but you will usually get the medical attention you need. Sometimes, for major medical procedures, a private hospital will ship you off to a government hospital anyway. In poorer countries, the government hospitals are really too bad. Some of them might not have any medicines at all. The patient has to buy them from nearby pharmacies. Even worse than that sometimes there might not be any doctor at all who is on duty. The problem that will result this is that the patient will have to choices. The patient has to go to Private hospital or unfortunately, he has to suffer for his diseases. Conclusion There are several differences between the government and private hospitals, some of which have been outlined above. Although some private hospitals provide extensive cover for eligible cancer treatment including out-patient consultations, diagnostic tests and therapies as well quality treatment with a choice of consultants and specialists and patient privacy in a clean and comfortable environment, usually with an en-suite room and 24 hour help line offering medical information and guidance, many patients might not afford to pay for such private hospitals. But, as the government hospitals are funded by the government and can go there for treatment any patient regardless of their wealth. Therefore, it is highly recommended that all parties i.e. government and private hospitals should work together to quality healthcare system. When you have health problems, you are concerned a lot where to pursue your medical practice. You can choose between a private hospital and government hospital. But before you make a decision, you have to consider your priorities. If you can go to the government hospital and you have the chance to see the doctor, then it is advisable that you go there. This is because the government hospitals are funded and managed by the government and/or local authorities. They know better what is good for there citizens. However, if you do not lucky to see the doctor and you should go into a waiting list, then you should consider going to private hospital otherwise, your health problem might increase and reaches where it is out of help.

Cocaine in the Brain :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Cocaine in the Brain "Cocaine delivers an intensity of pleasure - and despair - beyond the bounds of normal human experience." During the 1980s, Partnership for a Drug Free America began airing commercials that seem to either frighten or educate people about the use of illegal drugs. One of these commercials avowed, "No one ever says, 'I want to be a junkie when I grow up'." The comment is obvious, but very true. Probably very few people aspire to be drug addicts. But it happens, everyday. Why? What is so good about a drug that can potentially destroy a person's body? How does it work? What are its effects on the brain? Why is it so hard to quit? Cocaine (C17H21NO4) comes from the leaf of an Erythroxylon coca bush. It is a drug that effects the central nervous system. It causes feelings of euphoria, pleasure, increased energy and alertness. People under the influence of cocaine often do not feel the need for food or sleep. They also feel energetic and may talk a lot. However, depending on factors such as environment, dosage, and the manner in which the drug is taken, cocaine can have adverse effects such as violent, erratic behavior, dizziness, paranoia, insomnia, convulsions, and heart failure to name a few. Long- term effects of cocaine include, but are not limited to strokes, heart attacks, seizures, loss of memory, and decrease in learning capability (1). People may not always know the exact consequences of the drug they are taking, however, chances are that they do know that the drug is unhealthy for them. Schools across the country educate about the dangers of drug use and abuse through programs like D.A.R.E., television stations show anti-drug advertisements as a public service, and even city buses blazon anti-drug propaganda. People are aware that very rarely does anything good come from drug use, and still, everyday people fall victim to drugs. Why do people succumb to the urge to try drugs? It feels good...why else? When a person takes cocaine, it causes a rush. There is between one or two minutes of intense pleasure. This is followed by five to 8 minutes of euphoria, then as the high comes down, an overwhelming urge for more, which may last for a day. (3) When a user is between cocaine doses or halts usage, the opposite effects occur. The user is depressed and tired (2).

Essay --

The battle for customers has brought personal computer prices temptingly low. Which kind of computer is better for the business user to buy--an Apple or a PC that runs Microsoft Windows software? Used to be simple to pick a personal computer for home use but if people wanted a simple software computer that would be Mac. If you needed lots of cheap computing power for complicated tasks, or didn't care so much about user-friendliness, you bought an IBM-style PC. Since PC have a more compatible system hardware makes it more versatile but vulnerable to malware and viruses but Mac and PC users are safer after installing up-to-date antivirus software. Since PC is a better personal computer to run small businesses because of the power to managed the information and storing it . Mac and PC are really similar to each other, but the price differs because of the named of the brand but PC are not bound by one company. it has alternative companies creating the hardware that’s why PC's are cheap. Research conducted by David Kirkpatrick indicates that Pc has 47% of machines and still growing, but Mac's has only 11% of computer, we could argue which computer has better quality but Mac could reduce the value of their computers to acquire the same quality of a PC. PC Different OEMs and even custom build PCs might not have the suitable drivers released for every components in each OS version, incompatibles, lagging may occur. Maybe cannot reach expected performance.Since Apple manufactures all updates, hardware and software Mac's run smoothly and stable performance. Custom build PC's are the ones that create most of the problems in home computers, but manufactures that sell PC's to customers don’t bring any kind of problems with their compat... ...g the Mac fans. It also leaves Apple remarkably vulnerable when innovations go wrong - the ill-fated Cube placed the company in deep trouble, taking them out of the market and wasting a lot of money on a system that’s doesn’t work so well. this also applies for games since Mac doesn’t support too many games making them drop their market really low when it comes to gaming. Personal Computers are design for home and business use, Pc are simple, affordable and upgradable making them really versatile to any used on a home. Computers are a part of our daily life making Mac are useless for personal computing. PC PRO a specialize website that reviews the Pros and Cons about computers. Many reviews from this website say that Mac is only great for media purposes. Also PC is the most familiar computer in the world making the customers feel comfortable with their purchase.

Wall Street

How far will you go to be successful? How far will you go to win? Nothing can illustrate the lengths that a person is willing to take just to profit than in the cutthroat world of stocks. And no place in the world is more ruthless than Wall Street. Wall Street (Stone, 1987) takes its viewers to a behind-the-scenes look at this place in the world where people live and feed on stocks. The entirety of the film tackles a lot of moral conflicts that are involved in the business dealings done within the movie. This is Oliver Stone’s criticism of the mentality of the people who utilized illegal means just to get the biggest profit in the quickest time. Stone criticism not only targeted the corporate raiders whose practices were being exposed in the insider trading scandal in the 1980s, but it was a critique on the quick-buck culture that was prevalent then and even at this time. THE PLOT The plot is traditional and formulaic. A young hotshot, wanting to be successful, gets the opportunity when his persistence pays off as he is hired by a famous veteran. The rookie takes on the job albeit the discovery of the illegalities of the methods. He gets the perks and the movie shows its audience the grandiose rewards he gets. When a conflict of interest arises, he goes against the veteran. He loses everything yet he gets his payback. This has been a formula for a number of movies, and Wall Street is no exception. The young, idealistic hotshot here is Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen. He is a stockbroker for a lesser-known Wall Street firm. The hotshot is a dreamer. In one scene in the movie where he just lost a lot of money because of a client, he utters that he dreams of being on the other side of the call sometimes. In subsequent scenes too, it can be observed that Bud does not dream of being a stockbroker forever. To achieve that dream, he constantly calls the office of his hero for a chance of getting an audience and ultimately, impressing him to gain employment under his hero’s wing. The veteran, excessively rich and wealthy, and the movie protagonist’s hero is Gordon Gekko. This role led Michael Douglas to garnering an Academy Award of Lead Performance by an Actor. He is indeed truly worthy of the award as he portrayed the cold and vicious yet in some way appealing Gekko to the hilt. Gekko represents the ultimate corporate raider, the Wall Street shark who buys and closes down companies under their noses for his profit. Yet his methods, though disagreeable, are effective and masterfully justified as evidenced by his Greed is good speech in the movie (to be discussed later). On Gekko’s birthday, Bud shows up in Gekko’s office with a box of Davidoff cigars as a present and a bribe to finally get the opportunity he has been waiting for. Desperate to impress Gekko, Bud blurts out insider information that his father Carl (played by Martin Sheen, Charlie’s real-life father) revealed to him about BlueStar airlines. Carl works for BlueStar and also serves as a union leader there. When Gekko profits out of Bud’s tip, he saw something in the kid that he liked. He saw the killer instinct, the will and determination to do whatever it takes to succeed. He saw a bit of himself in Bud, as he revealed later on in the movie. He then employs Bud to work for him but not as an ordinary broker. He asks Bud to spy on his competition and other illegal acts. At first, Bud hesitates but he eventually agrees. He is rewarded with his works, and not without extravagance. Bud enjoys the luxurious life that his work with Gekko provided for him. The main conflict of the film arises when Bud decides to make BlueStar competitive. Bud enthusiastically pushes forward his proposals to Gekko. Gekko, on the other hand, agrees with the proposals armed with contrasting intentions compared to that of Bud’s. When Gekko and Bud present their plan to BlueStar representatives, including Carl, Carl voices out his opposition as he sees behind the guise that Gekko puts on. Yet, Bud remains to be sold by Gekko’s deception. It did not take much time before Bud realizes what Gekko’s plan really is. When Bud learns that Gekko plans to sell the hangars and planes, he confronts Gekko. When asked why he was wrecking BlueStar, Gekko answers, â€Å"Because it’s wreckable.† From there, Bud sets off a plan to save BlueStar. Eventually they do but not without consequences. Bud is arrested for illegal insider trading by the SEC. Still, he manages to get payback as he lures Gekko into a trap and thus managing to record Gekko’s confession of guilt on tape. The film ends with Bud walking on the steps of a courthouse on his way to his sentencing. ISSUES The Quick-Buck mentality vs. Hard Work and Fair Play Wall Street can be likened to a battle of two fathers over the moral consciousness of a son. This is not the only movie where Stone used this concept. His Vietnam War movie Platoon also shares this conflict (where Charlie Sheen also portrays the role of the â€Å"son† torn between two fathers, one good and another evil). In Wall Street, Carl Fox and Gordon Gekko represent the two opposing sides in the contest over the moral beliefs of Bud Fox, the â€Å"son†. Gekko represents the cutthroat businessman who resorts to all means to gain the biggest profit in the easiest way. He does so through illegal means but not without justification. The list of his reasons is not uncommon and yet is still popularly used even up to these times to justify wrongdoings. These include excuses like â€Å"Everybody does it†, â€Å"There’s something in this for everybody†, â€Å"Nobody gets hurt†, â€Å"As long as we don’t get caught†, etc. This promotes dishonesty in business dealings. But as shown by Gekko, it is this type of people who get to be on top of the hill. The ruthless, the cunning, or the relentless are the ones who succeed and eat up those who strive to compete in the merciless world of business. The implication of the justifications Gekko provides for his actions can be summed up in the common adage, saying that â€Å"if you can’t beat them, join them†. Surely, there are other people in the real world that are similar in nature to Gekko, people who become extremely successful using unethical methods. Competing with these people is one Herculean task to surmount. Thus, there are those who give up on competing with such sharks on ethical grounds and are consequently influenced to follow their lead. In today’s world, it is not surprising to find people like Gekko and the quick-buck mentality that they adhere to, where they prioritize profit over anything else including morals and services to their clients. On the other hand, Carl Fox represents the people who advocate hard work and honesty in business dealings. Carl Fox is not the only character in the film that adheres to such philosophy. One superior of Bud in the Wall Street firm stated, in one of the earlier scenes, that â€Å"good things sometimes take time.† He cites IBM and Hilton as examples. This is a direct contrast to Gekko’s impatient and short-term approach towards business. Success, via the ethical way, takes time. But eventually it will come to those who work hard and remain ethical in their ways. This kind of thinking seems to be overshadowed by the prevalent success of the Gekko-like businessmen. Despite that, there are those who remain stern to keeping their methods unstained by illegalities. They preach that hard work will reap its benefits but it takes time. Gekko scoffs at this conception citing his father as an example of a hardworking man who worked all his life and died of mediocrity. In the present day, there are those who steadfastly hold on to this principle despite all the satirical points made against their cause. Bud Fox in the movie represents the â€Å"son† torn between two fathers, namely Gekko and Carl. He is the student confused on which school of thought to pursue, the quick-buck or fair play. This is actually a mirror of today’s world. Stone intended this movie to reflect the rugged financial wheeling and dealing that is actually happening, especially at the time when the movie was made. The playing field is so dominated by players who have regard profit, wealth and winning above any other consideration. What Bud Fox represents is the individual player who is given a choice on which side to choose, the cunning majority or the blue-collar minority. Stone’s message is a dark warning for those who follow Gekko’s way. As one of Bud’s bosses says it, â€Å"Enjoy it while it lasts, because it never does.† The film ends with both Fox and Gekko getting prosecuted. They may enjoy the riches brought about by their illegal actions but time will come when their misdoings will collect their due. Meanwhile, those who do not heed the call of the â€Å"easy money† are bound to have no worries of retribution. Greed is good? The highlight of the film, what significantly won Michael Douglas his Oscar for Acting, is the scene where he delivers the Greed is Good speech. Such conception was the popular mindset (and alibi) for the profit-obsessed culture in the 1980s market that Stone was criticizing. By this scene, Stone shows his viewers the kind of eloquence and guts that people like Gekko have in defending the actions they do. This scene masterfully and powerfully provides that illustration. Gekko’s claims, amazingly delivered by Douglas, provide a chill to the spine of viewers as it shows just how ruthless and yet appealingly logical Gekko is. He delivers the speech with such composure and bravado that merits cheers and jubilation among his audience and silences his detractors despite the obvious disreputability of his catchphrase. The setting here is that Gekko is trying to take over a company, Teldar Paper. In a shareholders meeting of such company, company management oppose such planned take over by Gekko mainly because of Gekko’s reputation as a company raider. Gekko, on the other hand, rebuffs this voiced out opposition with this grand speech, provided here in part: The point is, ladies and gentlemen: Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right; greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge – has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words – will save not only Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. At first look, he may have a point. As evidenced by the acceptance of his audience, it seems as though Gekko has indeed made a very convincing statement. All development can be traced to man’s insatiable hunger for life, money, love, knowledge, etc. as noted by Gekko. It is seemingly logical to think that greed is the driving force behind every single successful venture of man. If that is so, then it is just right to teach people to be greedy. Right? If this was the case, then the movie should have ended with a decisive statement that Gekko never gets caught. But Stone had a different view. Stone included this speech in the movie to showcase up to what absurd lengths people like Gekko go to in order to twist the facts and values long-cherished by society just to justify their cause and actions. Greed is wanting in excess of something that is never meant to be one’s own. It is an excessive desire to possess more than one needs or deserves. Anything in excess is wrong and can never be good, as declared in Nicomachean ethics. This just proves how twisted Gekko and his kind are. They turn something innately bad to something good just to satisfy their inner selves that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. They are blinded by their greed on what is truly wrong and write. Greed overcomes them. The desire for winning the deal is more dominant than observing ethics. Even the rewards of money and luxurious living are never enough if one is overrun by greed. In the movie, Gekko and Bud are enjoying the luxurious life yet the audience never gets to examine the splendor of their riches as these are only shown in passing. Such is the life dedicated to greed. It doesn’t give room to gloat in the rewards because it constantly seeks more. The concept of enough eludes them. When Bud confronts Gekko of how much is enough, Gekko struggles to answer. Greed does that to a person. Greed corrupts. Too much of anything corrupts to a point where the boundaries between right and wrong are breached just to temporarily satisfy and insatiable appetite for winning the deal. Greed twists the morality of a person. It changes the priorities of a person involved, in a deal; greed is self-serving instead of serving what the deal embodies, which is the people that will benefit from it. It is this moral corruption that Stone exposes through this movie, the moral corruption brought about by wealth and greed. The legal corruption is only set as a backdrop amidst the crisis in morality that the protagonist of the film is going through. CONCLUSION Oliver Stone’s main message in this film is that the ways of the wicked will ultimately fail. He concludes the movie by Gekko getting caught on tape with a confession of his illegal acts after he falls for a trap set by Bud and the SEC. Bud is also indicted for the things he did while employed by Gekko. The last scene shows him walking towards his sentencing. This ending can be classified as a traditional one. It gives the viewers the old impression that â€Å"good† ultimately triumphs over â€Å"evil†. If the movie happened in reality though, there would have been a very different ending. There is one observable major flaw in the movie. One can only speculate on the reasons why such flaw can be bypassed by Stone (either corporate pressure to leave a good ending or it’s a pun to the romanticism of movies). If Gekko is such a cold, calculating and cunning man, it is highly doubtful whether he would let himself be trapped by such methods. It is more doubtful if he would allow himself to be seen with Bud after Bud was unceremoniously arrested. It is also unlikely that Gekko would not anticipate a wire on Bud when they met near the end of the movie. In summation, the ending is highly doubtful. The relevance of such obvious flaw is that it leaves its viewers (at least, those who recognized such flaw) with no hope of romanticist ideals that such a conflict can be resolved easily. In today’s world, there are a number of Gekko’s around. The flaw of the movie makes viewers realize that a number of Gekko’s out there do exist and are left unscathed and undetected (maybe even untouchable). It is then left to the viewer what to do with such fact of life. Surrounded by sharks and unethical financial players, the present financial manager is faced with a choice, the Gekko-way or the hard way. The movie ends with an easy resolution promoting an ideal situation where the â€Å"bad† guys fail. In the real world, that may not always be the case. It is up to the person whether to abide by ethics and laws in financial dealings or bend such laws and ethical rules because there are those who get away with it and they are the ones on top. The movie provides two ways towards success, the hard and long way or the easy way where rules are only part of the show. Reference: 1. Stone, O.   (1987). Wall Street. California: 20th Century Fox.   

D’Leon Inc. Case Study Essay

D’Leon Incorporated is a small food producer that specializes in high-quality pecan and other nut products sold in the snack-foods market. In 2004, D’Leon’s president, Al Watkins, decided to undertake a major expansion to become more competitive within their market. The following report describes some of the financial effects that this expansion has had on the company. D’Leon began its expansion by doubling its plant capacity, opening new sales offices, and investing in an expensive advertising campaign. Watkins felt that they had superior products to the competition and that he could charge a premium price for their products to result in increased sales, profits, and stock price. The results, however, were unsatisfactory. Sales were below and costs were above all initial projections. These results have raised questions about the expansion and also caused concern among the Board of Directors and the major shareholders about the future of the company. Part I of this report analyzes D’Leon’s financial statements from 2004 and 2005. It describes some of the effects of the expansion on the financials of the company and some of the problems that have arisen with their current financial position. Net operating profit decreased, but operating working capital and total operating capital have shown increases. Sales had a considerable increase, but net income decreased. D’Leon’s financials also indicated a decrease in cash flow due to the company spending more cash than they were taking in. These changes are subsequently resulting in decreased stock prices and a deteriorating financial position which is concerning both management and shareholders. Part II of this report discusses the ratio analysis of D’Leon’s financial statements. It begins by explaining the five major categories of financial ratios: Liquidity, Asset Management, Debt Management, Profitability, and Market Value. While most of the 2005 ratios have shown significant declines and are below industry averages, the 2006 projections look promising for the company and are showing significant increases. Part II continues with a discussion of some of the limitations of financial ratios as comparison tools and concludes with a brief discussion of D’Leon’s credit issues and a  summary of the company’s 2006 projections. It is recommended that D’Leon Inc. conduct in-depth financial research and perform an extensive ratio analysis of their financial position before deciding to undergo any further expansions. Doing this could greatly help the managers in their decision-making and aide in determining the effects of any future expansions on the financial stability of the company. Sales In addition to expanding the company, D’Leon’s president, Al Watkins, felt that the company’s products were of a higher quality than the competitions and that he could charge a premium price, resulting in greatly increased sales and profits. Following the expansion, D’Leon did see a sales increase of $2,602,000 , a 75.8% increase over the previous year. Even though the company did experience a sales increase, liabilities such as accounts and notes payable increased, resulting in decreased profits. Net Operating Profit after Taxes Net Operating Profit after Taxes (NOPAT) is a company’s after-tax operating profit for all investors, including shareholders and debt holders. NOPAT represents the company’s operating profit that would accrue to shareholders if the company had no debt. Unfortunately, due the increased debt and liabilities associated with the expansion, D’Leon’s NOPAT experienced a significant decrease of 168.8% from $114,257 to -$78,569. Net Operating Working Capita lNet Operating Working Capital (NOWC) is a financial metric representing the amount of day-by-day operating liquidity available to a business. NOWC is calculated by subtracting a company’s non-interest bearing current liabilities from their current assets. An increase in working capital indicates that the business has either increased current assets by receiving cash or other current assets, or has decreased current liabilities, by possibly paying off some short-term creditors. As a result of D’Leon’s increased sales from the expansion, the company has experienced an increase in NOWC from $842,400 to $913,042. This is an increase of about 8.4%. This increase is good because it’s a positive indicator that the firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient cash flow to satisfy both maturing short-term debt and upcoming operational expenses. Total Operating Capital Total Operating Capital is simply the addition of a company’s net fixed assets to the NOWC. D’Leon’s expansion generated a significant increase in the company’s net fixed assets of almost three times the previous years. This figure added to the NOWC generated a 56.1% increase in total operating capital from $1,187,200 to $1,852,832. Net Income Net income, or profit, is the income that a firm has after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue. It can be distributed among holders of common stock as a dividend or held by the firm as retained earnings. Once again, however, due to the significant increase in costs and expenses such as notes and accounts payable, D’Leon had a negative net income in 2005. They experienced a decrease of 282.1% from $87,960 to  -$160,176. Cash Flows Cash flow refers to the amount of cash being received and paid by a business during a defined period of time. The measurement of cash flow can be used to determine and evaluate such things as problems with liquidity and the state or performance of a business. It can also be used to generate project rate-of-returns and to examine income or growth of a business when it is believed that accrual accounting concepts do not represent economic realities. In this report, cash flows will be categorized into three components: net cash flow, operating cash flow, and free cash flow. †¢Net cash flow (NCF), the measure of a company’s financial health, equals the cash receipts minus cash payments over a given period of time. It can be considered money that is available for expansion, research and development, or retained as cash reserves. From 2004 to 2005, D’Leon’s net cash flow decreased dramatically by 140.4%. This decrease in funds needed for the expansion is causing great concern with the major shareholders of the company over the future of D’Leon Inc. †¢Operating cash flow (OCF) is the cash flow from operating activities. It refers to the amount of cash a company generates from the revenues it brings in minus the costs associated with long-term investment on capital items or investment in securities. The company experienced a 71.2% decrease in OCF from the previous year. †¢Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash flow actually available for payment to investors. The value of a company’s operations depends on its expected future free cash flows. This is another cause for concern for D’Leon’s major shareholders because, following the expansion, the FCF decreased dramatically to -$744,201. Market Value AddedMarket Value Added (MVA) is the difference between the current market value of a firm and the capital contributed by investors. If MVA is positive, the firm has added value. If it is negative, the firm has destroyed value. The expansion of D’Leon has decreased their MVA. This can  be seen in that the stock price has decreased over the past year by about 73.5%. In order for MVA to increase, the amount of value added needs to be greater than the firm’s investors could have achieved investing in the market portfolio. SECTION 2: Working CapitalA good indicator of a company’s health is its working capital. The working capital represents the amount of operating liquidity that is available to a business and is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. A company can be endowed with assets and profitability, but short of liquidity, if these assets cannot readily be converted into cash. Section 2 of this report focuses on the three components of current assets: sales, receivables, and purchases. SalesThe objective of any business is to create or increase profits through sales. One way that D’Leon might increase sales would be to offer 60-day credit terms to their customers rather than the 30-day credit terms that they currently offer. If sales were to double as a result of the change in their credit policy, the cash account would initially decrease because they would have to build up their inventory to support the increased sales. This would result in an increase in accounts receivable. Over time, D’Leon’s cash account would eventually begin to rise as collections increased. One downfall to this option, however, would be if the competitors learned of the change and began to offer similar credit terms to their customers. If this were to happen, D’Leon’s sales would remain constant, resulting in its cash account decreasing and its accounts receivable increasing. ReceivablesDay-to-day business at D’Leon, just as in any other business, consists of them spending money. They spend money for labor, materials, and fixed assets needed to make products to sell. The sale of these products result in receivables, which are simply the billing of customers who owe money to the company for the goods that have been provided. The receivables eventually generate cash as the outstanding bills are paid by the customers. Because of this process, D’Leon’s cash account has decreased dramatically due to the company spending more cash than it is taking in. Because of this, it appears that the sales price does not exceed its costs per unit sold.  This has a negative effect on the cash balance because, as stated above, more cash is going out than is coming in. PurchasesD’Leon purchases its materials on 30-day terms, meaning that it is supposed to pay for its purchases within 30 days of receipt. Judging by D’Leon’s 2005 balance sheet , its suppliers probably do not get paid on time. This conclusion can be made from the fact that sales have only increased by about 76% over the past year while accounts payable have increased by about 260%. SECTION 3: Problems AnalysisAdditional questions and problems have raised concern among the board members and the major shareholders of D’Leon Incorporated. Section 3 of this report focuses on these issues as well as options that the company might pursue to ensure a healthy financial future. Cash ProblemsThe expansion at D’Leon weakened their financial strength. Because the company issued long-term debt rather than common stock for the funding, it appears that it has financed its expansion with external capital rather than with internally generated funds. Due to the significant increase in receivables, even if it had broke even in 2005, D’Leon would still experience a cash shortage requiring it to raise external capital to finance its increase in assets. Regarding the company’s physical stock, the question has been raised to depreciate them over 7 years rather than 10 years. Unfortunately, this change would not affect the physical stock. The balance sheet account for fixed assets, however, would decrease due to the increasing accumulated depreciation. The company’s reported net income would decrease and the decrease in tax payments would result in an increased cash position. Stock IssuesEarnings per share (EPS) are the earnings returned on the initial investment amount. It is calculated by dividing net income by shares outstanding. Dividends per share are calculated by dividing dividends by shares outstanding. Book value per share is calculated by common equity divided by shares outstanding. The market price per share of a stock does not equal the book value per share because the market value reflects future  profits, while the book value per share represents historical cost of the stock. Tax IssuesFor businesses, interest paid is tax deductible. This is because it is considered an expense and is paid out of pre-tax income. Dividends paid, however, are paid out of after-tax income. Interested earned is subject to income taxes because it is part of the company’s taxable income. Dividends received are also taxed as part of the ordinary income. For corporations, Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income. D’Leon was able to use Tax Loss Carry-Back and Carry-Forward Provisions to receive a tax refund because of its net loss of -$160,178 in 2005. PART II:Financial StatementAnalysisSECTION 1: Ratio AnalysisThe primary goal of any business is to maximize its value. In order to do this, it must take advantage of its strengths and correct its weaknesses. Businesses do this by first comparing their performance to other businesses in the same industry and secondly by evaluating trends in their financial position over time. This evaluation is done through ratio analysis . Ratio Analysis is simply a tool used by individuals to conduct a quantitative analysis of information in a company’s financial statements. These ratios are calculated from current year numbers and are then compared to previous years, other companies, the industry, or even the economy to judge the performance of the company. These calculations provide assistance in decision-making, reduce reliance on guesswork and intuition, and establish a basis for sound judgment. The following section discusses the five major categories of financial ratios. LiquidityLiquidity refers to an asset’s ability to be easily converted through the act of buying or selling. A liquid asset can be bought or sold rapidly without causing a significant movement in the price and with minimum loss of value. Liquidity ratios are calculations that show the relationship of a company’s cash and other current assets to its current liabilities. These ratios include the current ratio and the quick ratio. By looking at D’Leon Inc.’s quick ratio for 2004 and 2005, it is clear that their liquidity has decreased, but it is projected to increase in 2006. Asset ManagementAsset management ratios are another group of financial calculations that measure how effectively a company is managing its assets. These ratios attempt to answer the question â€Å"Does the amount each type of asset seem reasonable, too high, or too low in view of current and projected sales?† If a business has too many assets, its cost of capital will be too high and its profits will be depressed. If assets are too low, however, profitable sales will be lost. Asset management ratios include inventory turnover, days sales outstanding (DSO), fixed assets turnover, and total assets turnover. D’Leon’s inventory turnover and total assets turnover are below the industry average, but their DSO is above the industry average. Their fixed assts turnover, however, is above the industry average. By the inventory turnover ratio being low, it appears that the firm either has excessive or obsolete inventory. If inventory were reduced, their current asset and turnover ratios would improve and the debt ratio would reduce even further, increasing D’Leon’s profitability. If D’Leon were to improve its collection procedures and lower its DSO to the 32-day average, the effects would ripple through the financial statements and free up over $250,000 in cash that would, in turn, raise their stock price. Debt ManagementDebt management is also referred to as financial leverage. Financial leverage is the using of given resources in such a way that the potential positive or negative outcome is magnified. It most generally refers to using debt, or borrowed funds, in an attempt to increase the returns to equity. Financial leverage can allow greater potential returns to the investor than would have otherwise been available. The potential for loss is also greater, however, because repayment of the loan principle and all accrued interest is still required if the investment becomes worthless. Debt management ratios include times-interest-earned (TIE) and EBITDA coverage. D’Leon’s expected TIE for 2006 is much improve over its 2004 and 2005 levels and is above the industry average. Their EBITDA has also improved, but is still below the industry average. ProfitabilityProfitability ratios reflect the combined effects of liquidity, asset management, and debt. It measures a company’s use of its assets and  control of its expenses to generate an acceptable rate of return. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor’s ratio or the same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. Profitability ratios include profit margin on sales, return on total assets (ROA), basic earning power, (BEP), and return on common equity, (ROE). D’Leon’s profit margin is above 2004 and 2005 levels and is slightly above the industry average. Their BEP, ROA, and ROE ratios have also increased from the previous year, but are all still below the industry average. Market ValueMarket Value Ratios are the calculations that relate a company’s stock price to its earnings, cash flow, and book value per share. These ratios give management an indication of what investors think of the company’s risk and future prospects. If all of the previously discussed ratios look good, and if these conditions have been stable over time, then the market value ratios will be high, the stock price will probably be high, and management has been doing a good job. Market value ratios include price/earnings (P/E), price/cash flow, and market/book (M/B) ratios. All of these ratios at D’Leon Inc. are above the previous years level, but are all below the industry average. SECTION 2: Financial Ratio LimitationsWhen evaluating a company, analysts recognize that they must consider certain qualitative factors . These factors are:†¢Are the company’s revenues tied to one key customer?†¢To what extent are the company’s revenues tied to one key product?†¢To what extent does the company rely on a single supplier?†¢What percentage of the company’s business is generated overseas?†¢Competition†¢Future prospects†¢Legal and regulatory environmentWhile these factors must be considered for all company’s alike, not all company’s can be compared equally when it comes to their financials. There are a number of limitations to using financial ratios as a tool for comparison. One such limitation is that company’s use different operating and accounting practices and procedures. This could cause distortion in comparisons. Another possible cause of distortion between ratio comparisons is seasonal factors. Industry average comparisons can be made difficult if company’s operate many different divisions. Another  major issue is that a company may not always know whether the ratios that they are comparing theirs with are good or bad because some company’s use certain techniques to make their financial statements and ratios appear better than they actual are. SECTION 3: Problems and DiscussionCredit IssuesIn 2005, D’Leon paid its suppliers much later than the due date, and it was not maintaining financial ratios at levels called for in its bank loan agreement. There was concern that this behavior would lead to the suppliers cutting the company off and refusing to renew the loan when it comes due. Even though the company’s projected ratios appear to be improving, the credit manager will most likely not be able to extend credit to it. However, the bank will mostly likely not demand repayment because this could for D’Leon into bankruptcy. Financial ProjectionsUsing the extended Du Pont equation, we find that D’Leon has an ROE of nearly 13%. Looking at the 2006 projections in Appendix F on page 16, we see that the company’s strengths include above industry average fixed assets turnover and profit margin. D’Leon also significantly reduced it debt ratio, resulting in a decreased interest expense and improved TIE ratio. Some of the company’s weaknesses include poor asset management ratios, EBITDA coverage, profitability ratios, and market value ratios. I would have recommended that the company perform an extensive ratio analysis of its current financial position before taking on any expansion plans. This could have immensely helped managers to determine the effects of the expansion on the financial stability of the company. Brigham, Eugene F., and Joel F. Houston. Fundamentals of Financial Management. â€Å"D’Leon Inc., Chapter 4 spreadsheet module†. Made available on July 1, 2008 by Dr. Richard Constand. Brigham, Eugene F., and Joel F. Houston. Fundamentals of Financial Management. Thomson: South-Western Publishers, Eleventh Ed. 2007.

Unit 7 Perds Childcare

P7 Task 2 Write a short report on how you’re setting promotes positive images of children and reflects a diverse society. Include in your report: P7. 5 Explain how the setting promotes positive images of children and reflects a diverse society An image which presents a mixture of cultural backgrounds coming together such as an Asian and black girls playing together, this will show children that they are able to play with different races and therefore a positive image.Promoting a positive image is important especially in settings which work closely with children because once a child enters a setting they take interest in the images and objects around them, and by seeing images that celebrates different cultures and background will teach the child and allow them to see how others live and play together. To prompting positive image my setting takes pictures of the children interacting with each other through play and work. Once the child and other children see this on display the y repeat the same thing because of the positive effect it has had on them.This helps to build children’s self-esteem through play because now they will be able to interact with a range of different children and create a wider friendship group. It is important for settings such as nurseries to reflect on the way they promote positive images because the images that a child sees at an early age can influence behaviour. According to public opinion journalist Walter Lippman â€Å"the little picture we carry around in our heads†. Children will then start to relate life to that image the now have in their heads.Nurseries should incorporate images around the world so that children can have a better understanding of those around them, also that the children don't assume that the one image that they setting has is the right image for them or the characters that they see on Walt Disney such as Cinderella, sleeping beauty and snow white is the appropriate way for a young lady to d ress or behave as a damsel in distress. Walt Disney presents young ladies as sexual beings that cannot help themselves but wait for that handsome prince to come and save them.Girls are passed images like this from a young age with creates that stereotype image in their head which can affect their behaviour the way they think and act as they grow through their adolescents and adult years. Creating a diverse society by welcoming every family, regardless of their sexual orientation, family status, religion, race and ability will allow the every child and family member to feel welcome in that setting. This also allows children from an early age to understand that every child is an individual and has their own ability.This is why we have a welcome poster which has a number of ways in which parents and staff welcome each other, this encourages and shows that the setting is welcoming. P7. 6 Describe a resource which uses positive images The recent Christmas advert by M, included a child wi th Down syndrome, this images allows other children with Down syndrome and their families to see that they too can do what is considered â€Å"normal†, this image was then displayed as part of a mixture of images at my setting.An image which presents a mix of races in a family photo sends the message to children that the colour of a person skin doesn’t determine who or can be in their family. The media is a strong resource which in many ways controls the child's sub-conscious minds. Through media we are now able to see a more positive and realistic image of the world we live in. This summer was the 2012 Paralympics, showed on television live for the first time, this showed people who were deemed disabled to overcome the impossible in their lives.The Paralympics showed people without limbs, running races, swimming laps and the visually impaired playing football. The media holds many connection to what humans see and keep in their minds, what newspapers print out, what s hows advertise and how all add to the positive images we see today. At many of the settings I have worked in have book corners or library's, containing a number of books from based on different cultural background such as the well-known story ‘handa's surprise' this book shows a African girl planning to surprise her friend, this story shows children how to be kind, and nice. P7. Evaluate briefly your learning from finding information for this report For this report I researched the many different ways in which we see images, whether it be a positive or negative image. I learned about the effects on a child from the images they see in their settings, on the streets and in their homes. This report has made me to understand the effects of Barbie dolls and action figures have on a child's sub-conscious mind. Images of young vulnerable beautiful ladies who find themselves in some sort of danger and the only way to get help are through a strong handsome man, these images presented t ime and time again by Disney.But images by presented by Dream works, where the woman are able to defend for themselves, male and female are equals and they fight crime together such as Shrek and princess Fiona. This image shows both girls and boys that they are equal also that not all girls are â€Å"weak† and â€Å"vulnerable†, boys don’t have to be the â€Å"hero†. I had not realised how wide-spread gender stereotyping is. Properly because I am so used to seeing it all the time, I did not really question it or the influences pictures have on us.Images are seen through many resources such as the media which is a massive impact, what we see on bulletin board, adverts, posters in stores and parents. From this short report I was able to understand that an image might be positive or negative just by what a person says or the Picture portrays. A simple image e. g. a family with mixed races from around the world, a simple comment such as â€Å"we are familyâ €  could slowly show a child that diversity is a good thing, but if the comment was â€Å"that aren’t right, they don’t look the same†, will create in the child’s mind that every member of a family has too look the same.I think that in future when I see a new form of attraction whether through the media, books or toys that I will look closely at the aims that other I. e. parents and young children may not see. Task 3 P7. 8 Describe TWO (2) examples of activities or experiences which encourage children’s awareness of their own and other’s safety One day at my setting I witnessed a child running with scissors in his hand, I stopped the child and told the practitioner; once I told the practitioner and she immediately call all the children to the carpet to talk to them.She asked them if they knew why she called them all to the carpet, many thought it were to practice for their school play, and others thought it was a game. The practitioner th en explained to children that they are sitting on the carpet because of what she was told that someone was running with scissors. She then asked the children if scissors are dangerous. The children replied in simultaneous voice, â€Å"yes†, she then asked should we through or run with scissors in our hands? The children replied â€Å"no† and where should the scissors stay when we want to move around the room? On the table†. The practitioner then explained to the children that if these rule where broken that someone could get seriously hurt. At my last lesson I was able to take part in going a school trip to the natural museum with the nursery class. The day before the trip I helped the practitioners in the class to set up a miniature road course, by placing red, yellow and green cones on either side of the playground. The three cones represented the traffic light; I also placed images of the red and green man on the floor on the opposite side of the playground.My job was to control the red/green men, as the practitioners explained to the children, the instruction and the role of each individual sign and their jobs we began the activity. I watched the practitioner get the children in to peers as they will be the next day, once the children were ready and settled the children where walked around the pretend road side, once they came across me at the traffic lights I Held over my head the red man as the practitioner as the children what the symbol meant. She also explained in detail why it is dangerous to cross when this symbol is show.Once the practitioner had finished explaining about the red man, could out the traffic light colours in descending order then swopped the red man for the green man. The practitioner then repeated the same explanation by about the green man, after she has explained she lead the children across safely. P7. 9 Reflect on the effectiveness of the activities or experiences in practice My first experience was not a pla nned activity but was effective in its own way; it was affective in a way whereby the practitioner asked the children questions to identify what they knew about running in the class with sharp objects like scissors.From asking them questions the practitioner and my self was able to see that the children did know the rules but needed to be reminded. I think that if the class had posters of the rules in the class it would remind the children. In the future we can get the children to create their own posters on road safety. I feel that my second activity was very effective because it created a pretend scenario for the children which they will encounter the next day. This activity explained the different symbols, why they are there to keep us safe.This activity also taught the children what to look out for and how to follow the road signs. By the practitioner asking the children questions she was able to notice who has started to understand the signs and who needs more explanations. If I was to repeat this activity, I would allow the children to pick which symbol or sign they think it correct for at point in time this is because it evolves the children and allows myself and other practitioners to see what the child may already know or has picked up.

Retail manaement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail manaement - Essay Example The proposed complex will have one department store and 40 other spaces of which many will be for office buildings. The boutique will encounter low competition which is a very positive factor. The Downtown Arcade also has its downside. The developers are placing an 8% corporate tax levy on all sales after $225,000. These types of taxes are common occurrences at malls, but it is a bit high and the $225,000 application tax point is too low. This area has been a business ghost town for over 50 years. There is a lot of uncertainly if the area can be transformed into a high level business activity area. The second potential location is called Tenderloin village. The place is an urban area in which there is business activity. The location has a lot benefits. The space is available for $1250 a month for a 900 square area lot. The contract is a short two year contract which gives the business owner flexibility. There are not extra charges related to large complex buildings. The landlord is a person Stephanie knows and trusts. The location has its disadvantages as well. There are three other small clothing stores in the area, so there is competition. The store is located in the basement of a home, thus the location has visibility issues and limited parking. The levels of walking traffic for this location are possibly low. The third location is called Appletree Mall which is an established mall with 8 years of existence. This location provides benefits for Stephanie’s boutique. The mall has lots of clientele and plenty of visitors. The sales of the mall went up by 12% last year. The space available is larger than the other lots with an overall space of 1200 square feet. The boutique would receive a large amount of walk-by traffic to the store which generates lots of sales. The mall is located just off an interstate highway which brings additional customers which are not necessarily residents of the region. The Appletree Mall also has its