Math And Owning A Restaraunt Essay -- essays research papers

Math is an essential asset in the business world. Without mathematics businesses wouldn’t be able to operate effectively. In order to run a restaurant math plays an important role in a lot of different areas. For instance the items on the menu may change due to the way it sells. Bookkeeping and math allow you to both figures out what items are profitable and what items are selling. The business world revolves around math, from profit and loss statements, to graphs, to taxes. Everything in business requires mathematics. Owning a restaurant is no different then any other field of business when it comes to math. The simplest things in a restaurant could not happen without math such as paying for your meal. Math is used to add up the total cost of a person’s bill as well as adding in the sales tax. More advanced math is used in the restaurant business as well. Using equations to determine what your business can afford to buy as well as the difference in the cost of the product and the profit it turns over is all determined by math. Jobs you might not even think require math do, such as portioning products or prepping food. When you are preparing food you need to measure amounts of ingredients and measurements are a form of mathematics. Wheatley-2 Keeping your books up to date requires math as well. When keeping records of your restaurant’s sales you can keep track of your busy periods to know when you are required to order more food or alcohol. Equations are ...

Essays --

Mao Zedong was considered to be the father of communist China. He was born in Shaoshan, China in Hunan province on December 26, 1893 and died in Beijing on September 9, 1976. He was born into a peasant family with 3 siblings, 2 younger brothers and a younger sister. Unlike most peasant families in Nineteenth Century China, his family was more wealthy than most. He went to Shaoshan Primary School. When Mao was 11 he attempted to run away from home to get away from the Confucian upbringing, but his father brought him back and 2 years later he completed his primary education. He worked full time in the fields with his father. To fulfill his restless mind he was always reading. It was at that time that after reading a booklet by Zheng Guanying that he developed a political consciousness. His future political standing was influenced by George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte and their love for their countries. In 1911 when he was about 18 he moved to Changsha for a secondary education. H e served as a private soldier in the rebel army for the Xinhai Revolution, it was successful in defeating the monarchy in the southern province but the Northern Province still supported the monarchy rule. After the victory he returned to studies but soon moved out of Changsha School because it was set to Confucianism. After that he spent most of his time reading at the public library with a goal to be a teacher. He enrolled himself in a teacher training college. He then started writing articles for the radical newspaper, New Youth. He participated in many school activities and he graduated from that same school in June of 1919. He then moved to Beijing in search for a job not being able to find one on his own his mentor helped him get one as an assista... ...ding it was somewhere between 2 and 7. Some of Mao’s most famous quotes were †¦ â€Å"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.† – From Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan â€Å"War is the highest form of struggle for resolving contradictions, when they have developed to a certain stage, between classes, nations, states, or political groups, and it has existed ever since the emergence of private property and of classes.† From Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War â€Å"Every Communist must grasp the truth, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.† From Problems of War and Strategy

General Mills Financial Analysis Essay

From ready-to-eat cereal to convenient meals to wholesome snacks, General Mills is one of the biggest food products manufacturers and competes in growing food categories that are on-trend with consumer tastes around the world. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Haagen Daazs, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Totinos, and Cheerios, among others. Main rivals include Kellogg, Kraft, Conagra Foods, and Sara Lee. General Mills sells its products in three segments: U.S. retail (63% of net sales), International (25% of net sales), and Bakeries and Foodservices (12% of net sales). In addition, General Mills sells cereals and ice cream through its Cereal Partners Worldwide and Haagen Daazs Japan joint ventures. General Mills continues building its presence in developed markets and increasing presence in emerging markets worldwide by investing in established brands while also developing new products. The company’s goal is to generate balanced, long term growth. Profitable perform ance through the past years General Mills has shown a strong profitable performance during the past years. The company has achieved during the last 3 years an average RoE of 28% supported by strong efficiency, financial leverage, and a moderate profitability ratio given the nature of the business. This has resulted in a positive trend of the share price that delivered 3 year returns of 44% from 2009. The upward trend in RoE that peaked in 2011 reaching 30.6% reversed in 2012 that closed with a RoE of 24.5%. The RoE drop of c. 600 bps in 2012 compared to 2011 is explained by a reduction in profitability that was affected by high input-cost inflation primarily in food ingredients and energy that was not fully transferred to customers (370 bps Gross Profit Margin drop). Performance was also affected by restructuring actions (60 bps impact on profitability) taken to improve organizational effectiveness to drive future growth. General Mills managed to continue improving efficiency as the increase in sales (3 Years CAGR of 6.7%) outpaced the average assets growth (3 Years CAGR of 5.8%), reachin g in 2012 the highest efficiency ratio (83.8%) of the past 3 years. Efficiency improvement was primarily supported by inventory reduction efforts that, coupled with increase in accounts payable derived from shifts in timing of payments, reduced the cash conversion cycle to 43 days. It is worth noting that during fiscal 2012 the balance sheet had an important growth as a result of the acquisition of the international Yoplait business, including goodwill and other intangible assets of $2.3 bn USD. Sales growth also benefited from the acquisition and will be discussed in the next section. General Mills runs a leveraged operation where, in average, the total assets are 3 times shareholders equity. Leverage ratio has decreased since 2010 as retained earnings have increased at a faster pace than assets driven by strong business performance. A slight revamp in the leverage ratio during fiscal 2012 was mainly driven by an increase in other comprehensive losses related to pensions and postemployment activity, and foreign currency translation that offset retained earnings for the same period. Sustainable growth while generating strong levels of cash flows General Mills has shown a strong, sustainable growth throughout the last years. Net sales increase has been driven by a moderate average growth in the US Retail segment (3.8%), coupled with the expansion in the International business (13.4%). The big year on year increase of 12% in fiscal 2012 is driven by the acquisition of the international Yoplait yogurt business that contributed 7 points of sales growth, while underlying business grew 5%. It is important to note that sales growth has been mainly driven by volume growth with a slight component of net price increase and a favorable mix. Segment Operating Profit has also maintained a sustainable growth. The slowdown during fiscal 2012 and drop of Gross Profit Margin is driven by high input-cost inflation as previously mentioned. Despite high costs, the company managed to increase segment operating profit to exceed $3bn for the first time in the company’s history. General Mills has managed to generate strong levels of cash flowacross the years. Over the most recent 5 years, the company operations have generated almost $10bn USD in cash. A significant portion of this cash has been returned to stockholders through dividends and shares repurchase. In addition, this cash is used to fund Capital expenditure. In the most recent year, the company operations generated $2.4bn of cash compared to $1.5bn in the prior year. The major increase is driven by a favorable change in working capital supported by inventory reduction efforts, prepaid expenses, and other current assets. Cash used by investing activities had a significant increase in fiscal 2012 that is mainly explained by the acquisition of international Yoplait ($1bn USD). General Mills invested in fiscal 2012 c. $700m USD in land, buildings and equipment, similar to previous years. Cash used by financing activities includes a constant payment of dividends and purchase of treasury stock in the last years. In addition, General Mills has been actively managing their cost of funds by issuing / pre-paying long term debt and commercial paper as convenient. General Mills performance has outpaced main competitors in the recent years General Mills strong performance is accentuated when benchmarked against Kellog Co, another of the key food producers. Both companies present similar profitability with General Mills having a lower gross profit margin compensated by lower marketing investment and general expenses. Nevertheless, General Mills has managed to grow sales and has delivered higher returns at a faster pace than Kellog. In addition, General Mills produces higher levels of free cash flow and has grown dividends per share faster. Finally, Kellog has a heavy debt load while General Mills has lower leverage ratio. Solid position to face a challenging, uncertain future In a nutshell, General Mills has shown a strong performance in the recent years and has outperformed his competitors mainly in compound growth rates and value creation. A challenging future lies ahead with uncertain economic environment and increase in commodity costs. Pricing strategy to maintain margin while not impacting market share will play a key variable in the company’s performance. Strong brands, innovations, expansion in diversified markets, and solid cash position and moderate leverage should support General Mills to face these challenges and continue creating value in the following years.

Free Essays on Euro

En el TRATADO DE MAASTRICHT se definen las condiciones economicas necesarias para tomar parte en la moneda unica .Los Estados miembros de la Union Europea han de hacer converger sus economias .En Maastricht se definen 4 criterios de convergencia para llegar a este proposito: 1. Los paises han de evitar los deficits publicos excesivos .Esto se decidio a partir de dos tipos de referencia :el 3% del PIB para el deficit publico anual y el 60% del PIB para la deuda publica. 2. La inflacion no ha de superar en mas de un 1,5% la de los tres paises comunitarios que hayan obtenido las mejores cifras en durante el aà ±o anterior. 3. La moneda ha de haber respetado en los ultimos aà ±os los margenes normales de fluctuacion del Sistema Monetario Europeo (SME). 4. Los tipos de interes a largo plazo no han de sobrepasar en mas del 2% la media de los paises que tengan los tipos mas bajos de la Union. Definitivamente se generalizara el uso de la moneda unica a partir de Enero del 2002 y durante 6meses como maximo, se introduciran las monedas y billetes en EURO y se retiraran las antiguas monedas nacionales .En este tiempo los comerciantes estaran obligados aceptar el EURO. Lo mas importante de esta moneda es que sea aceptada por todos nosotros , es decir los ciudadanos. COMO VA AFECTAR EL EURO A LAS INVERSIONES.  ¿En que moneda se recuperaran las inversiones? Entre 1999 y 2002 las inversiones seran rembolsadas en monedas nacionales.Si las dos partes estan de acuerdo se podra rembolsar en EUROS .Si la inversion se realiza en EUROS, el reembolso se podra realizar en moneda nacional o en Euros. A partir del 2002, en Euros.  ¿Se vera afectado el valor de mi inversion por la introduccion del Euro? No .La introduccion del Euro no cambia el valor de su inversion.Seguira igual auque habra de tener cuidado con el ajustamiento del EURO.  ¿Entre 1999 y 2002, es mas ventajoso recuperar las inversiones en Euros o en moneda nacional? No ha... Free Essays on Euro Free Essays on Euro En el TRATADO DE MAASTRICHT se definen las condiciones economicas necesarias para tomar parte en la moneda unica .Los Estados miembros de la Union Europea han de hacer converger sus economias .En Maastricht se definen 4 criterios de convergencia para llegar a este proposito: 1. Los paises han de evitar los deficits publicos excesivos .Esto se decidio a partir de dos tipos de referencia :el 3% del PIB para el deficit publico anual y el 60% del PIB para la deuda publica. 2. La inflacion no ha de superar en mas de un 1,5% la de los tres paises comunitarios que hayan obtenido las mejores cifras en durante el aà ±o anterior. 3. La moneda ha de haber respetado en los ultimos aà ±os los margenes normales de fluctuacion del Sistema Monetario Europeo (SME). 4. Los tipos de interes a largo plazo no han de sobrepasar en mas del 2% la media de los paises que tengan los tipos mas bajos de la Union. Definitivamente se generalizara el uso de la moneda unica a partir de Enero del 2002 y durante 6meses como maximo, se introduciran las monedas y billetes en EURO y se retiraran las antiguas monedas nacionales .En este tiempo los comerciantes estaran obligados aceptar el EURO. Lo mas importante de esta moneda es que sea aceptada por todos nosotros , es decir los ciudadanos. COMO VA AFECTAR EL EURO A LAS INVERSIONES.  ¿En que moneda se recuperaran las inversiones? Entre 1999 y 2002 las inversiones seran rembolsadas en monedas nacionales.Si las dos partes estan de acuerdo se podra rembolsar en EUROS .Si la inversion se realiza en EUROS, el reembolso se podra realizar en moneda nacional o en Euros. A partir del 2002, en Euros.  ¿Se vera afectado el valor de mi inversion por la introduccion del Euro? No .La introduccion del Euro no cambia el valor de su inversion.Seguira igual auque habra de tener cuidado con el ajustamiento del EURO.  ¿Entre 1999 y 2002, es mas ventajoso recuperar las inversiones en Euros o en moneda nacional? No ha...

Free Essays on Consumer Information Privacy

Privacy is a term with many meanings. The simple word 'privacy' has taken on so many different meanings in so many different corners of the law that it has largely ceased to convey any single coherent concept. The functions of a general commitment to the value of privacy as a part of the law are varied, and cannot be reduced to the amount of protection actually given to that value in the legal system †¦ the commitment to privacy is no different than the commitment to other values, such as freedom of expression or liberty [3]. In today's real world, there seems to be confusion in regard to what privacy is and what it is not. At one time, privacy implied that individuals could be secluded, but that has radically changed. Logistical barriers created by geography once protected a person. This too, though, has radically changed. The geographical wall of protection has been removed by the development of technology. The loss of these once formidable barriers has not been accounted for in the scholarship available today. Privacy can no longer be assumed, even in the security of one's own home. Instead, privacy is a condition that is much easier to violate, and thus, is much more difficult to establish and protect. In the online and offline worlds, the value of personal information - especially information about commercial purchases and preferences - has long been recognised. Exchanges and uses of personal information have also long sparked concerns about privacy. Public opinion surveys consistently indicate that overwhelming majorities of the public are concerned that they have lost all control over information about themselves and do not trust organisations to protect the privacy of their information. Uses of new technologies raise policy issues that are often defined in terms of invasion of privacy (REGAN, 1995). Supporting this argument, one analyst, Patricia Mell, notes that the use of computers to manage information has considerabl... Free Essays on Consumer Information Privacy Free Essays on Consumer Information Privacy Privacy is a term with many meanings. The simple word 'privacy' has taken on so many different meanings in so many different corners of the law that it has largely ceased to convey any single coherent concept. The functions of a general commitment to the value of privacy as a part of the law are varied, and cannot be reduced to the amount of protection actually given to that value in the legal system †¦ the commitment to privacy is no different than the commitment to other values, such as freedom of expression or liberty [3]. In today's real world, there seems to be confusion in regard to what privacy is and what it is not. At one time, privacy implied that individuals could be secluded, but that has radically changed. Logistical barriers created by geography once protected a person. This too, though, has radically changed. The geographical wall of protection has been removed by the development of technology. The loss of these once formidable barriers has not been accounted for in the scholarship available today. Privacy can no longer be assumed, even in the security of one's own home. Instead, privacy is a condition that is much easier to violate, and thus, is much more difficult to establish and protect. In the online and offline worlds, the value of personal information - especially information about commercial purchases and preferences - has long been recognised. Exchanges and uses of personal information have also long sparked concerns about privacy. Public opinion surveys consistently indicate that overwhelming majorities of the public are concerned that they have lost all control over information about themselves and do not trust organisations to protect the privacy of their information. Uses of new technologies raise policy issues that are often defined in terms of invasion of privacy (REGAN, 1995). Supporting this argument, one analyst, Patricia Mell, notes that the use of computers to manage information has considerabl...

Furloughs In Place of Layoffs

Furloughs In Place of Layoffs Free Online Research Papers Abstract Many organizations are turning to furloughs as an option over layoffs. In the short-term, furlough will optimize the cost of productivity while closing the budget gap. In the long-term, the organization is saving because they are able to keep their top employees and not have to hire and re-train staff. In our current time of economic crisis, furlough is an optimal choice for reducing costs and maintaining the integrity of the organization in the least invasive aspect. Executive Summary Are furloughs an optimal option over layoffs in order to reduce a deficit? I currently work at the University of California, San Diego which is part of the implementation for furloughs in an attempt to reduce the deficit without increasing the unemployment rate in California. Currently the state of California is in a 26 billion dollar deficit and climbing, and has resulted in furloughs for state employees. Furlough’s are defined as the placing of an employee in a temporary non-duty, non-pay status because of lack of work or funds, or other non-disciplinary reasons (Bellafronto Cleveland, 2009). In the current difficult economic times many employers are being forced to make difficult decisions to keep their businesses viable, including laying off employees to reduce payroll costs. More employers, however, are considering alternatives to layoffs. These alternatives allow employers to retain staff, particularly top talent and employees with institutional knowledge (Bellafronto Cleveland, 2009). Employers understand that keeping tenured and often loyal employees employed in anticipation of an inevitable upswing in the economy will also reduce the need to re-hire and re-train personnel which is a very costly and timely endeavor (Heathfield, 2009). Although reducing employee salaries may be an easy solution to an economical crisis, such reductions are often discarded as too demoralizing and often leads to employees looking for new employers. In order to avoid losing valued employees, many employers are attempting to reduce labor costs without layoffs are considering two alternatives: 1) mandatory furloughs and 2) reduced work hours. When done correctly, these can result in cost savings, but there are important legal considerations to keep in mind. This paper will discuss the economical impact of furloughs (Bellafronto Cleveland, 2009). Definition Employee furloughs is a mandatory time off work with no pay. Usually furloughs are implemented as an alternative to a layoff. Employee furloughs can occur in both public and private sector organizations (Heathfield, 2009). Furloughs are often implemented when revenue or projected revenue fails to match expenses. Currently, the state of California, is in a budget crisis and there is a mandatory employee furlough being implemented amongst all state employees. At the UC system all 10 campuses are required to take a mandatory furlough or pay cut. During mandatory employee furloughs, employees are required to take unpaid or partially paid time off of work for periods of time (Heathfield, 2009). The employees generally have either scheduled time off or a set amount of days required to be taken off per month or throughout the fiscal year (Bellafronto Cleveland, 2009).. To schedule employees with a contract, including union-represented employees, for employee furloughs, the contract must be renegotiated. The negotiations about employee furloughs generally include a call-back date (Heathfield, 2009). In the state of California the UC school system gave each university the option between mandatory furlough and reduced salary. All of the UC’s individually held town meetings to hear the voice of the employees to analyze what the employees preferred. The employees voted and pushed for a furlough instead of a cut in salary. Although the furlough does ultimately result in a reduced salary, it is demoralizing to have employees work the same amount of hours for reduced pay. As an employee of the UC system, I also voted for the furlough. I strongly believe that it is easier to accept a non-paid day off than a reduction in salary. Fortunately, during employee furloughs, benefits usually continue, which is one of the employee furloughs differentiating factors from a layoff. In addition, other companies have implemented work sharing programs. Work sharing is an Unemployment Insurance program that allows an employer to reduce the number of hours an employee works during a week while unemployment compensation makes up some of the difference in income. Since the current issue is that the state is in a budget deficit, utilizing unemployment would not be cost efficient for the state (Heathfield, 2009). Factors or Costs According to the UC President Mark G. Yudof, effective July 16th, 2009, the UC Board of Regents approved a systemwide furlough as part of a plan to offset $813 million in state funding reductions for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years. The furlough is viewed as a short-term solution to close the deficit and manage the budgets under the new budget for the upcoming fiscal year. If the furlough is successful, the university will be able to remove the furloughs and ensure long-term success. Although the university is optimistic about the furlough, it is demoralizing and difficult for the employees to endure. In the current economical situation, and with the constant news of businesses laying off employees, UC employees are appreciative to have a furlough in lieu of a mass layoff. Most California business are amidst a human resources hire freeze, and it is difficult to obtain new jobs. The hire freeze amongst other corporations gives the UC an increase market power. Although, we are amidst a furlough, the furlough is only applicable to non-federally paid employees. The UC campus is made up of both federal and state funds. Fortunately, the furlough is only applicable to state funded employees, such being the case that the federal funded research programs are still very much thriving and now have market power with regards to hiring highly qualified applicants. According to our human resources department, for each job opening we have over 300 applicants and most of the applicants are over qualified but in the current economy are willing to take any job. The university is able to obtain a highly qualified candidate for a lower salary. The federal research funds are an important revenue source for the UC system. These funds are released to the UC along with a 54.5% indirect cost rate that is associated with every dollar spent. For example for every $500,000 that is awarded to the university, $272,500 is allocated as indirect costs. Indirect are allocated as funds are spent, therefore, for every dollar spent 54.5% is revenue for the university. It was a wise decision to exclude the federal research funds of the furlough, because in the end the university would lose revenue and if the funds are not spent by the time allotted, the funds are to be returned to the government. In addition, it is calculated that for every 1 million dollars awarded by the federal government, 17 jobs are created. Measurement According to the UC California Budget News (2009), the UC system faces an unprecedented $813 million deficit in state support. The furlough plan is part of a system wide strategy to address the deficit. In an effort to lessen the hardship on employees, the UC has devised a plan is based on a sliding scale. Employees who have higher salaries will have a larger number of furlough days and a correspondingly higher salary reduction. Salary reductions range from 4 -10 percent. The UC President estimates that the furlough implementation will produce a savings that is estimated to cover about one-quarter of the universities budget gap. On a personal note, I will incur 16 furlough days which is equivalent to a 6% salary cut (UCSD, 2009) In addition to the furloughs, the university also plans to increase student fees in order to eliminate another quarter of the budget gap. All of the departments have been given strict guidelines for immediate debt restructuring, drastic cuts in spending on campuses and within the Office of the President will make up the remainder of the budget gap (UCSD, 2009). Analysis Implementing a furlough is a way to reduce expenses in order to close the budget gap. In doing so, employers are able to keep their staff, and will save money in the long-term as well as the short-term. Hiring new staff is very expensive and not cost-efficient, there are costs associated with training, background checks and it often takes a minimum of 6 months for an employee to get caught up to speed with the other employees. The furlough is a more favorable option to layoffs for employees as well as employers. Although the employees are required to take mandatory furlough days, the workload or demand is not decreasing. The university is constantly in high demand with regards to education as well as research. We are now facing the issue of supply, where supply is the laborers needed to run the university. There are a lot more expectations given to employees who have to do the same amount of work in less demand, and this could affect the productivity of the university. Summary In summary, furloughs are an optimal option over layoffs when used to reduce a deficit. Cost analysis have shown that furloughs are both a short-term as well as a long-term solution to budgetary deficits. The UC system proved to be a great example of an organization that is using this options in order to maintain productivity as well as maintaining the integrity of the UC system. References Maurice, S. Thomas, C. (2008). Managerial Economics, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Bellafronto, E. Cleveland B. (March 5, 2009). Furloughs may be smarter than layoffs. Legal times. Heathfield, S. (2009). Employee Furloughs. About.com http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryf/g/furlough.htm UCSD. (July, 2009). University of California Budget News. universityofcalifornia.edu/budget/?page_id=87 Research Papers on Furloughs In Place of LayoffsMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesTwilight of the UAWAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaLifes What IfsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part One

US History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

US History - Essay Example post-war foreign policy, maintaining that the Soviet Union was â€Å"relentlessly expansionary† and that the ebb of â€Å"the flow of Soviet power† required a â€Å"firm and vigilant commitment† (Kennedy 554). And it was from this principle, to be known as the â€Å"containment doctrine,† that much of the post-1945, anti-Soviet foreign policy of the United States arose in a crescendo of increasing intensity. The application of the containment doctrine began with a series of policies designed to avert war and Soviet dominance. First, in March of 1947, President Harry S. Truman appeared before Congress to request military equipment and advisers to strengthen the defenses of Greece and Turkey against the communist threat (Brinkley, 782, Kennedy 554-55, Palmer 844-45). In his request, Truman pledged the support of the United States to those â€Å"free peoples . . . resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures† (Kennedy 555). This rhetoric, historically known as the â€Å"Truman Doctrine,† formed the basis for further acts of Soviet containment and, indeed, committed the United States and its foreign policy to a comprehensive, international battle against communism. To be sure, a fundamental element of the containment policy was the recognized need to aid in the economic recovery of Western Europe, where some countries, particularly France, Italy and Germany, were still afflicted with the social and economic turmoil stemming from World War II and were thus susceptible politically to communist exploitation (Brinkley 782, Kennedy 555, Palmer 845). Consequently, in June of 1947, then-Secretary of State George C. Marshall offered economic aid to all European countries, hoping to reconstruct the economy of Europe and thereby strengthen its resolve against Soviet influence (Kennedy 555, Palmer 845). The Marshall Plan, as it became known, dedicated 12.5 billion