Sunday, October 31, 2010

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Assignment----Quantitative Analysis Tools

Quantitative analysis theories to solve business problems and use numerical values in decision making to predict real world events. For instance, more data to get great returns in increased revenues, improved profits, and better understanding of the decision at hand.
Decision tree analysis is the most systematic tools of decision making theory and practice. Decision tree diagrams include activity forks and event forks. For example, "Le Cafe de Chocolate Lounge", the decision whether to hire consulting survey service to find out the possibility of chocolate lounge business or not hire survey service is the activity fork. The different alternatives such as are percentage s subject to uncertainty, that is an event fork.
Cash flow analysis is a technique to evaluate individual projects over the life of the project. For example, fast inventory turnover days will generate higher cash flow. NPV analysis takes cash flows and discounts them to their present-day value.
Statistical analysis solution
http://www.statisticssolutions.com/methods-chapter/statistical-data-analysis/statistical-analysis/

Data analysis software

http://www.fileguru.com/downloads/qualitative_data_analysis_software

Thursday, October 21, 2010

BUS 516 Entrepeurship Assignment Chap 7----Business Plan "Le Cafe de Chocolate Lounge"

Le Cafe de Chocolate Lounge Business Plan

1. Opportunity and Market Analysis:
Coffee shop is everywhere,and it is very convenience. However, coffee shop is lack of cozy, intimate, and luxurious atmosphere. Savvy customers are looking for new, healthy, more unique treats to enjoy,an environment with superior service where customers can enjoy themselves and socialize. Fashion is always on the move. Chocolate themed and lounge atmosphere is a new concept. Customers will have the opportunities to enjoy healthy and quality chocolate in different ways 365 days a year. Our target customers mainly are women. During the daytime our market is focus on students, business professionals and local residents. At night, our chocolate lounge transform into night pub to attract upper-middle class customers. Chocolate lounge is new concept to the area. Right now there is only chocolate boutiques around.

2. Product Development and Operations:
"Le Cafe de Chocolate Lounge" is designed with comfy sofas,oil painting on the wall, pleasant music, books and magazines, and wireless internet. We offer brunch,afternoon tea,fondue,french sipping chocolate,pastries,and cocktails at night. We run a green, local, and mostly organic operation. we cooperate with our local farmers and producers to make our products fresh and healthy. Our chocolate lounge has good differentiation from others. Our unique chocolate lounge atmosphere brings customers here for social,network,relax, enjoy the finest ingredients day and night.

3. Solution and Concept:
Establish a remarkable product that would make our customers always come back for more of our exclusive product and atmosphere to study in or looking for fun. We offer our products with best quality with reasonable price.

4. Marketing and Sales:
For students--we offer cozy environment for customers to study,surf internet,and social. We provide healthy products and special discounts.

5. Risks:
The chain coffee shop may start to offer some chocolate products and upgrade their shop to lounge atmosphere style.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management assignment --Analyze Apple Inc. Financial Statement




In accounting there are three reports--balance sheet, income statement and cash flows. Those three reports tell us how the company is doing, making profit or loss and how the company is doing for its cash activities. Moreover, financial ratios tell us how healthy the company is.
According to Apple's balance sheet, for instance, Apple's current assets which is expected to convert to cash within one year including cash, short-term investments, accounts receivable--Apple provides the service to customers, but not receive the payments. Apple's inventories has $545 millions on June 28,2008 and is expected to sell the inventories for cash within one year. Deferred tax assets is an account prepaid tax which suppose to pay later day. Noncurrent assets include fixed assets used to operate the business but that are not for sale, such as property, plant and equipment. Goodwill typically reflects the value of intangible assets such as a strong brand name, good customer relations and good employee relations. Intangible assets include trademarks, copyrights and patents. Liabilities include current liabilities such as Apple's account payable has $3,683 millions on June 28, 2008 that has to pay to suppliers. Accrued expenses refers to an expense that has been incurred but not yet paid. Examples of accrued expense items might be interest,wages, and taxes. Shareholders' equity include Preferred stock, common stock, additional paid-in-capital, retained earnings, and treasury stock. For instance, Apple has retained earnings $12.7 billion on June 28,2008. It has over 1.5 times that amount in shareholders' equity ($19.6 billion). Therefore, the company is using shareholder's money effectively.
Apple's statements of operations which is income statement shows that net sales/Revenues earned by the company when it sells its products. Cost of sales/COGS is the costs that go into creating the products that a company sells. Revenues minus COGS can calculate a company's gross margin. Then, deducted expenses such as R&D, selling, and administrative plus other income and minus income taxes to get net income.
Apple's statements of cash flows include operating activities which changes made in cash, account receivable,depreciation,inventory and account payable are reflected in cash from operations. Changes in equipment, assets or investments relate to cash from investing. Usually cash changes from investing are a "cash out" item, because cash is used to buy new equipment, property, plant or short-term investments. Financing activities reports the issuance and repurchase of the company's own bonds and stock and the payment of dividends.

Apple Inc. margins of sales in 2007 gross margin was 33.97% and in 2008 was 34.31%. Profitability in 2007 net margin was 14.56% and in 2008 was 14.88%, return on assets in 2007 was 16.43% and in 2008 was 14.89%, return on equity in 2007 was 28.52% and in 2008 was 27.19%, inventory turnover in 2007 was 51.47% and in 2008 was 49.90%. Therefore, in 2008, Apple might require a large investments and in a product transition. Inventory turnover rate was lower than previous year which was good and healthy. Quick ratio and current ratio gave a sense of how readily the company could cover current obligations if the sales were to stop. Higher ratios indicate greater liquidity. For instance, Apple had 2.43 quick ratio and 2.46 current ratio in 2008. The financial statements and ratios show Apple Inc. is a very healthy and stable company. It is a good company for invest.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Assignment Chap 4 Ideas




Organizational behavior is about to deal with human challenges in the company. For instance, how manager handle problems between people, groups and organization. In my workplace, it is all about team works. In each classroom, there are two teachers and they share jobs. Therefore, in order to achieve high performance team, teachers must communicate,cooperate,coordinate and be responsible to the jobs.
My director she has a vision of making a good team works between teachers. she is the person who always standing in subordinate-centered position. Her management skill is that she assigns tasks to the experienced teacher to lead inexperienced teachers. Therefore, even she is off, the school still can run unsupervised and normalized.
After eight years experience in teaching, i started inexperienced and i learned so many techniques and teaching skills from experienced teacher. Now, i am the senior teacher in this school. During these years, i have worked with many inexperienced teachers and trained them to be capable to conduct the classroom. For instance, with teachers who were aggressive to learn, i would set the goals high for them to achieve. I remembered one of the teachers, she was very competitive and fast-paced approach to work. And these type A behaviors lead her to a successful career in her future business.
How other people will characterize me as a leader?
From my coworkers perspectives,my characterized as a leader include:
a. Always think before take action on a project and complete the project on time.
b. help coworkers on tasks.
c. most of the time standing on subordinate-centered position
d. give a lot of freedom and space for coworkers.
e. active listening
f. balance reprimands with praise
g. successfully assigned and coordinated tasks to coworkers.
h. always focus on coworkers strength, but not weakness.
i. be a follower and give coworkers opportunities to lead on a project.
Employees are the most important resources to a company. Therefore, the company and managers must pay more attention to the attitudes and satisfaction levels of their employees.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

BUS 516 Entrepeurship Assignment 1 Business idea and Reflection on Chap 3&4




I would like to open a chocolate lounge "Le Cafe de Chocolate".
What is my mantra? --It is a unique chocolate lounge provides an intimate environment for customers to relax, build social network,and enjoy the first time healthy and nutritious characteristics of chocolate through savory recipes.
Our Vision--We believe that using organic methods of production is the right thing to do and we use organically produced foods to reflect the true taste of great chocolate.
Our Mission--Establish "Chocolate Lounge" is the lounge where our customers can enjoy their quality time with friends and families while tasting our quality and beauty chocolate products.
We will continue enhance by using organic method of production by creating local relationship with our food producers to ensure "food security".
The Business Model--
a.Customer--Four Segments:students, professionals, women, middle to high class adults.
b. Value proposition:unique benefits--Organic chocolate products to give our served customers the greatest value for an appropriate price
c. Differentiation and control:On-line or phone reservations, organic products, special events, best service and customer relationships
d. Scope of product and activities--Narrow:Only in San Jose and strong local market suppliers
e. Organizational design:Control costs
f. Value capture for profit:Requires high occupancy
g. Value for talent:High returns, good career, Franchise
The competitive advantage--we are required to supply unique environment by transforming the nature between day and night , provide best quality of organic and homemade products, and great relationship with our value customers.
SWOT Analysis--
a. Strengths-new idea to the market, successful experience in other countries,high quality products with reasonable price, diversity customers.
b. Weakness-too many competitors, limitation of target customers,possibility of failure in chocolate lounge business,extra cost on employees.
c. Opportunities-expansion the unique chocolate lounge worldwide, growing entertainment market.
d. Threats--bad economic situation,bad first impression,competitors copying the idea.
The Strategy--
a. Creativity and invention: have customers create new items, extend our customer service such as fondue to go.
b. Advertising