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.

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.

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

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Assignment Chap 2&3 ideas

Making ethical choices is sometimes the hardest thing, especially when the choices decide either your business toward success or fail.
There are two major topics in the ethic curriculum:relativism and stakeholder analysis.
Relativism proposes that ethics are relative to the personal, social, and cultural circumstances.
1. Naive relativism--Business practices like sourcing of materials. For example, take company's stationary to home and use it.
2. Role relativism--distinguishes between our private selves and our public roles. For instance, tobacco industry knows smoking is harmful, however, they still sale products to make profit.
3. Social relativism--Labor related issues like gender discrimination at workplace, employee harassment,working conditions and child labor,forcing labor to work at below average salary.
4. Cultural relativism--In some countries, bribing powerful officials in order to get bids and tenders accepted and bribing competitor employees to get informational leaks is a serious ethical issue in business. In fact, it is a crime that is legally punishable in most countries today.
Stakeholder analysis ought to determine each of the affected parties' rights and responsibilities, evaluation of all the harms and benefits. The relationships among the many and varied stakeholders that have roles in business situations. These stakeholders include the market and non-market entities that affect a business. Ethical issues must be addressed by individuals, groups, corporations, and even nations in very different ways, and the consequences differ with each person or group involved.

Accounting
The purpose of accounting is to record all the activities will have impact the organization financially. To know a company, we need to understand three major financial statements:
1. Balance Sheet: The balance sheet basically record yearly assets, liabilities,and equity. It gives an idea of the financing structure of the company. It is the statement to look for company's assets.
2. Income statement: to see a company makes profit or not. it shows the flow of activity and transactions over a specific period. it maybe a month, a quarter or a year.
3. Cash Flow: to see a company's cash move to avoid liquidity problems. For instance, if a company has a lot of cash, then its liquidity is strong.
Accounting is to analysis yearly financial status in order to help board of directors to make decisions for investment and tax purpose.

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Assignment 2----What are my competitors doing?

I have chosen two of Chocolate Lounge Competitors. One is "French Broad Chocolates", another is "Anna Shea Chocolates".
*French Broad Chocolates Lounge's marketing material includes:
1. Today's special-At the Chocolate Lounge, we feature daily specials on fine wines, local craft beers, cheesecakes and more.
2. Music and Events-we have events calendar for customers to check for any coming events in every month. For instance, Art+Chocolate event. Also, we have Cupcakes for a Cure. French Broad Chocolates was proud to take party in Cupcakes for a Cure at the Grove Park Inn.
3. Website--http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/chocolate-lounge/
4. Email-- info@frenchbroadchocolates.com
5. Press--"Will Obama visit the lounge?" http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/press/
*Anna Shea Chocolates Lounge's marketing material includes:
1. Upcoming Events--This month special drinks, offer 10% coupon.
2. Service--fall and Halloween confections. For instance, provide chocolate to restaurants,hotels,catering companies and wholesale markets.
3. Website--http://www.annasheachocolates.com/ourlounge.php
4. Contact,Blog and Customer service
5. Press--"Chocolate to Charity"
After knowing my competitors marketing activities, i think my competitors have many good ideas to promote their Lounge and products, so people will have the interests to get to know more about my competitors lounge. Furthermore, i like the idea of helping others which is part of margin goes to charity.

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management ---Chapter 1 ideas

Talking about business, marketing coordinates all the works and activities of a business. For example, come up new ideas of the product or program, find out customers needs, how many competitors, best price to sale, getting appropriate value in return, advertising and promotion of the product, public relations and customer service and satisfaction.
In Chapter one, there are seven marketing strategy process which are very useful and practical for my Chocolate Lounge "Le Cafe de Chocolate"
1. Consumer Analysis--
a. we introduce a new idea "Chocolate Lounge" to the service industry and mainly all the products are made by chocolate.
b. The uniqueness of our chocolate lounge is that we will have a transforming nature between the day and the night.
c. In the day our target market is that we mainly serve students and business people conduct a meeting in calm atmosphere. In the night, Our lounge turn into high profile pub, we have live music and bring adults for social networking.
2. Marketing Analysis--
a. create unique chocolate based products,so the remarkable taste will be in people's mind.
b. to integrate chocolate into customers daily life.
c. establish an addictive product, so customers will always come back for the atmosphere and product.
3. SWOT competition 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.
4. Distribution Channels--
a. Supplier to the company-choose the finest and high quality of supplier, organic products, and homemade chocolate desserts.
b. Company to Customers-provide reservation service, build good relationship with customers, invite customers for upcoming events and promotions.
5. Marketing Mix (4P's)--
a. Products-hot and cold chocolate drinks, desserts, la fondue, world collection drinks.
b. Price-in the day, we offer high quality with reasonable price menu. In the night, our target customers are mainly middle to high class people, so the menu is different and the price is higher.
c. Place-our chocolate lounge is located at the luxury shopping center and busiest street. With comfortable couches, table and divided into sections.
d. Promotions-friends referral, "word of mouth", advertising, lady's night special.
6. Economic of my plan and revise--
a. calculate the costs, break even,and how long is the payback of my investment.
b. ask self questions and revise the plan.
A marketing plan helps to keep my business prepared and be realistic.

BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Week 1 Assignment --My Business Vision

I would like to open a unique cafe lounge and it is called "Le Cafe de Chocolate". This cafe lounge is about 600~800 square feet and decorated with my oil painting art pieces on the wall, roses from my backyard on each table, cozy sofa, pleasant music from different countries, many books on the bookshelf and my collections brought from different countries.
This cafe lounge is located on the 2nd Floor of the building at Santana Row, San Jose. There is a great view of trees,blue sky and streets through windows. Enjoy the sunshine and the most delicious hand made organic Chocolate drinks,desserts and la fondue.
This Cafe lounge is partnership with two of my best friends. I am in charge with the sales and preparation of the supplies and decoration of the lounge. The other two friends are in charge of making the most delicious Chocolate desserts.
This unique cafe lounge is the place for customers to have fun, relax, chat, meet new friends and build network connections.