Personal Development and Careers - Assignment Example

Tasks for portfolio TASK 1 – Personal Objectives Since childhood I have always loved business. My father runs a small business of selling electronics and electrical appliance. He has employed two workers who help him in selling, arranging the products in the shelves and taking stocks. He manages it on a daily basis where he calls the supplies and places the order to receiving it when delivered, track sales and does all book keeping related issues for the business. In my free time I have all along been helping him to run the business. All along I wanted to join a business school and study a course in business management. It will be a big opportunity for me to learn and complete this course. I wanted to learn business management skills that will enable me to expand my father business and make it grow to a big business. I came to find that he was not doing good marketing for the business so I want to learn some marketing skills that will help me to win more customers to be buying from us. In order to be able to expand the business we will need to inject some extra cash to the business so I will need to run presentation skills to convince the bank people to grant us credit. TASK 3 – Factors That Influence Learning Resources based Personal interruption External interruption -Limited reading material that is lack of reading books in the library. -Lack of enough Learning facilities/ resources. -Use of technology in learning. -Lack of lecturers -Lack of experienced lecturers to teach students. -Large class size. -Drug abuse. -Family problems -like Parent -separation or -divorce -Physical disability like partial blindness. -Student Attitude. -Student Cultural background. -Student lack of vision and goals. -Noise. -Peer influence that is some student influencing other student not to read or even organize a strike. -Language barriers. -Age difference. -Lack of teamwork spirit. - motivation -How curriculum is crafted. -Wrangles in college leadership. -Abuse of student rights by the college management. -Lack of school fees. -Race discrimination -Ethnicity among student of different tribes -Gender segregation. -Location of the school. TASK 5 – Reflections On The Presentation Planning Process For any organization or business to function well, the employees have to demonstrate good team work relationship and in addition they must be able to effectively plan and present their reports or findings to the management. As Business and management student, one has to demonstrate the ability of teaming up with other and also to do a good oral presentation. An oral presentation is one requirement to complete this course; the students are required to team up in groups and prepare an oral presentation. In my report am going to reflect on the planning processes our group went through in preparation of a presentation on Latex Manufacturing Company. The first meeting was tedious with heated debate; we came up with a work plan and time schedule. The work plan was broken in four phases, the first phase was to agree among us members and make a choice on which company we are going to feature in our presentation. The second phase was to do a background study on the company, find out the main activity of the company, the departments, products manufactured, target market, history of the company, shareholders and finally study on its human resources. The third phase was to visit the company or to make a call to the company to clarify some of details we had gathered from secondary sources. The four and final phase was to design the power point slides. We met for two hours every day in the evening from 6:00 P.M to 8:00 P.M for five days from Monday of 22 November 2010 up to Friday 27 November 2010 in the hall. The members were punctual and very cooperative. Every member of the group was entitled to his own opinion and every issued raised by any member was taken seriously and addressed appropriately and in good time. The workload was divided in parts each member was given his or her share according to his ability and specialty. Great cooperation and respect among group member played a big role in keeping the group together and we were able to accomplish were mission in time and according to the budgeted time. Although we encountered some few problem here and there like some rude response we got the first time we tried to call the company contact person to book an appointment although we finally got to convince him and the company gave us a go ahead to visit him. Team work is a good platform for one to develop his courage and to learn from the other. I can recommend and encourage more course work to be based on team work, however the members should be able to cooperate and be patient with the fellow members in the group. TASK 6 – Literature Search and Book Review BIbliography Babbie, E 2001, Marketing: An Introduction, 9th edn, Wadsworth Thomson Learning, Belmont, California, USA.. Bouma, G 2000, Blog marketing: the revolutionary new way to increase sales, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Vic. Denzin, NK & Lincoln 1998, Marketing: the core, eds NK Denzin & YS Lincoln, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California. Sarantakos, S 1998, Internet marketing: strategy, implementation and practice, 2nd edn, Macmillan Education Australia, South Melbourne, Vic. Williamson, K, Burstein, F & McKemmish, S 2002, ‘Introduction to Marketing, 2nd edn, ed. K Williamson, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW. Malcolm, M & Morris 2004, Marketing: a complete guide in pictures, eds NK Denzin & YS Lincoln, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California. Company info 2010, Markets, Company website, viewed 4 December 2010, < http://www.lantex.co.uk/enquiries.htm>. Peric, H 2004, ‘Learn the Ultimate Internet Marketing Strategy’, Free marketing zone, viewed 4 December 2004, < http://www.freemarketingzone.com/>. Sanderson, G 2001, ‘Undertaking marketing concepts’,Direct Marketing: An international journal, vol. 2, no. 3, Winter, pp. 197–239. Williamson, G 2002, ‘Marketing Research,International journal of Research in Marketing, vol. 2, no. 4, summer, pp. 197–239. Marketing: a complete guide in pictures In this book the author Malcolm McDonald has teamed up with an expert cartoonist and educational designer Peter Morris and they have used pictures design and graphics to give an in- depth understanding to students and managers to the key principles and concepts of marketing. It is a powerful pictorial guide for managers and student. The book starts with a clear explanation of marketing processes. The ingredients of the marketing plan are the environment, the business, market segments and the market mix. He explain that in the market place the people with money chase those with goods and those with goods chase the people with money he likened it with a jungle in the pictures. Unfortunately it does not always work like that so the people with good have to use magic which is marketing to catch up people with money. Thus why it is necessary for marketer and student to understand the principle and concepts of marketing and to apply them to catch up with the people with money. The book stress that the business should concentrate on understanding what people want and providing it to them in a simple manner. The author has chosen to use the picture and graphics and some summarized and precise texts which are easy to grasp to explain the marketing principle and concepts. The author has chosen to use picture and graphics style to enhance the understanding of the targeted audience the student and managers who in turn expected to come up with good marketing concepts and strategy and implement them in their respective companies. This book will be very useful for the first year undergraduate students because it give clear and precise explanations to marketing principle and concepts which are easy to understand and remember. It serves as a good introduction material to marketing. TASK 7 – Report Writing Latex Manufacturing Company Markets Report Abstract In order for manufacturing companies to remain in business they have to find markets for the product they produce. Loss of markets of good will lead to loss of revenues to the company and which can even force the company to close business if the products they are producing can not find the market. In this case I am going to give a detailed markets report, the products, the marketing strategy and the brands used by Latex Manufacturing textile Company. It is a UK textile company which manufacture and sells textiles product. The Company has developed wide variety of textile product sold on different brand across the world. Its target market area is promotional textiles, kitchen textiles, Catering, food industry, schools, industry and dental. Latex Manufacturing Company is a global textile company with many thousands of satisfied clients throughout United Kingdom, the United State of America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and many other common wealth nations. Introduction Latex Manufacturing Company Limited was founded in 1918 as a traditional textile company as well as merchant converter. It was based in Accrington- Lancashire. It later partnered with C. W. Wright (Textiles) Ltd who were specializing in making muslin, gauze and scrim. Accrington is situated in heart of East Lancashire; in this place cotton was once a major cash crop. This company produces many variety of textiles product for promotional, hotel, catering as well as Laundry trades. They also manufacture specific design requirement for the customers. The main business focus area for the company is promotional market but they are sifting slowly to other new areas like innovative designs as it expand its market and at the same time provide flexible and fast service. Cotton Canvas Bags, Blank Tea Towels and Cotton Drills Aprons, these are the company most popular product used by embroiderers and screen printers for schools, tourism, promotions and special events. The company can source or make any type of clothing, textile products and non clothing which include Aprons, woven fabric, Cotton bags, cotton drill, cotton twill, muslin, cotton drill aprons, cotton canvas bags, Laundry press sheeting, laundry machine sheeting , poly cotton canvas, specialized industrial textile fabrics and kitchen textile supplies. The woven fabric on roll, include muslin fabric, half panama, bump interlining, plain cottons and 100 % polyester press sheeting. As experienced and well established textile Manufacturer Company they work closely with large and small companies in laundry and screen printing business, dental supplies, fine food producers, hotels, restaurants, clubs, art colleges, cleaning supplies and schools. Conference organizer, cruise ships and seafood restaurants buy muslin from the company as well as conference table cloths from all over the world. The major market for the company products is the United Kingdom and it export to other countries of the world like the United States of America, Africa, Asia and Southern America. They can deliver an order the next day to all customers in mainland United Kingdom. Body Latex Manufacturing textile Company is a global textile company with many thousands of satisfied clients throughout United Kingdom, the United State of America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and many other common wealth nations. The company manufactures a wide range of textile products which find market in many different areas like in promotional, Kitchen textiles, Catering, Food industries, Schools and dental. Latex manufacturing textile company success in manufacturing business can be associated by the aggressive marketing campaign it carry out for its product both locally and internationally. Marketing entails making communication about a certain service or product with a purpose of encouraging people to purchase and consume the product and service. A company cannot only manufacture product and let the product sell itself so in the case of latex manufacturing Textile Company it use millions of dollars to market its product. It also carries product awareness to the people and convinces them to consume their products. Internationally they use local distributor to market their products. The Latex Manufacturing Company has come up with good marketing principle and concepts which helps to market their product locally and internationally. They have good strategic marketing plan for their products. They have realized that there are many players in the market producing the same product they are producing or a competing product. Every organization is supposed to use prevailing economic conditions and make informed decision about it future growth. Any organization has to know where it is heading in future to plan well their strategies. Many small organizations concentrate on weekly survival and do not have future strategic marketing plan so that is why they easily lose focus and collapse. Long existence of Latex Manufacturing Company can be associated by good marketing strategic plan which help to predict the future market and identifying new opportunities thus it have been able to extend its market internationally. It does not only concentrate with marketing its product alone but it keep on improving its product now and then to fit with consumer taste. The Latex Manufacturing Company with many years of experience has concentrated on improving on the quality of its product. It has a powerful branding strategy of its product that is why many people get to learn them faster when they are advertised in the media. The products are well labeled bearing their brand name. The company tries to use advertising media which will reach many people. They use big bill- boards, radios and television, posters and promotional display. They also organize fashion shows and a fashion magazine. Conclusion In conclusion Latex Manufacturing Textile Company has survived in the business for to long because they produce quality products and they aggressive marketing for their product. They have a well laid down marketing strategic plan which guide the growth of their business. They have invested heavily on products which are well accepted in the market. They have a wide variety of product thus covering a wide clientele base. I would like to recommend to small and up coming textile manufacturing company to emulate the marketing strategies of Latex Manufacturing Textile Company. TASK 8 – Using Case Studies and Problem Solving There is a proposals aimed to change forced retirement age of 65 to voluntary retirement starting from July 2010. The company will be required to negotiate with old staffs and agree the time they want to retire. This news was welcomed by many people especially, the charity Age UK. Old staff will now have the right to request their contract to be extended beyond the date of turning 65 but it will be up to employer to consider it. This move is a victory battle against ageism. Economic reason behind this is that, growing elderly population, set against dwindling workforce. The advantage of removing compulsory retirement is that old adult with experience in 30 years to come will be more available to fill the rising work force deficit. It is seen that the age ratio between the adult under 65 years and above 65 years will keep narrowing so in future more adult above the age of 65 years will increase significantly such that in 30 years to come it will be 2:1 where in 1901 only 5% of the population was 65 or over that age. Less people under the age of 65 will be available for to work while old people above the age of 65 will be available and given the chance they will continue to work. No training cost the company will incur as opposed to their replacement with green people with no job experience. Company will continue to benefit with their long experience. The disadvantage is that the company will pay big pension money for them since the more years you work the more you are eligible to high pension. Most of them are aged and emaciated so they will be a liability to the company they will be working for. They will be demanding many sick leaves. As one get aged his mind also retard so this people will not be productive but instead they it will be a waste of opportunity which could have been taken away by a young and energetic person. As we all know this people don’t accept technological change thus it will become hard to modernize. In United state for adult to reach the retirement age his or her contract is renewable only if he or she is physically fit to continue with the work and you are not pensionable. There also many benefits you lose like health insurance benefit. Task 10 Part 1 Personal Development Skill: Communications I have good communication skills since I did a module in communication skills and I was given a chance by the school management to be talking to student and find out the issues bothering them both at school and outside school. I was required, to make a summary report and presenting it to the whole student body. Teamwork and leadership. As a course requirement in communication skills the students are required to form a group chose a topic and do an oral presentation. I was chosen to lead the group where I encouraged every member to be patient and cooperative. We managed to hit the deadline by meeting every day and we were always punctual in our meeting. Self – awareness and critical reflection I was once caught up in a mess where one of the students accused me of stealing his money. I realized the situation am in. I have to reflect and came up with strategy that will convince the other student plus the management that that the student was flaming for theft. I used good communication skills and I managed to release myself from the mess. Problem solving I have been in a position where I have managed to solve and address some student problem. I was appointed class rep so any issue that could crop up it required my intervention to solve it. I addressed the dispute between the lecture and a student who was refusing to do the course homework, I convinced the lecturer that the student was having the brain problem he would easily forget by using the medical proof. Motivation and organization In our oral presentation group as a leader I motivated all members to be cooperative and we organized our self in a way we distributed the work to each individual member. Basic and extended skill set I managed to organize some five students to practice and perform a piece of music in front of the lecture and the whole class. TASK 9 - Case Study using Excel StudentNo: FileNAME: SHIRT COLOR DATE Colour Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Total cost Totalcost Red 12 9 7 5 4 15 52 € 15.00 € 780.00 Orange 18 24 11 19 28 12 112 € 19.00 € 2,128.00 Yellow 17 17 25 20 25 7 111 € 12.00 € 1,332.00 Green 12 31 17 22 34 19 135 € 14.00 € 1,890.00 Blue 17 30 28 25 35 13 148 € 16.00 € 2,368.00 Black 8 11 12 10 13 22 76 € 18.00 € 1,368.00 White 34 20 35 24 28 50 191 € 7.00 € 1,337.00 Purple 5 4 9 3 8 5 34 € 18.00 € 612.00   123 146 144 128 175 143 859 € 119.00 € 11,815.00 StudentNo:   FileNAME: SHIRT COLOR   DATE   Colour Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Total cost Totalcost   Black 8 11 12 10 13 22 76 € 18.00 € 1,368.00 £1,094.40 Blue 17 30 28 25 35 13 148 € 16.00 € 2,368.00 £1,894.40 Green 12 31 17 22 34 19 135 € 14.00 € 1,890.00 £1,512.00 Orange 18 24 11 19 28 12 112 € 19.00 € 2,128.00 £1,702.40 Purple 5 4 9 3 8 5 34 € 18.00 € 612.00 £489.60 Red 12 9 7 5 4 15 52 € 15.00 € 780.00 £624.00 White 34 20 35 24 28 50 191 € 7.00 € 1,337.00 £1,069.60 Yellow 17 17 25 20 25 7 111 € 12.00 € 1,332.00 £1,065.60   123 146 144 128 175 143 859 € 119.00 € 11,815.00 £9,452.00 Read More