Author: chris

FOR REY WRITER

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Student life does not generally afford a great deal of free time to pursue your personal interests; however, at one point, you may have considered turning a personal interest or hobby into an official enterprise. Today, you have finally decided to turn that hobby into a business but have realized that you need start-up capital from a lender or investor.

To obtain funding, you need to convince a lender / investor that your business is more than a hobby. You need to demonstrate that you have a firm grasp of your business, the accounting practices that impact your business, the controls needed to safeguard assets, and which accounting system will produce accurate and relevant financial information.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page business plan in which you:

Describe the type of business you have created including:
The product or service, and general staffing plan. Provide a rationale for your plan.
The form of your business and the benefits it offers your particular business,
A chart of accounts specific to your business, including a rationale as to the selection of each account. (Note: The chart of accounts is a blueprint of your business for the lender/investor. It should report the expected resources that you will consume in your business (assets), the sources of those resources (liabilities and equity), the sources of revenue, and expenditures that you expect to incur to earn those revenues. You may build a detailed chart that includes business units, divisions, product lines, etc.)
Based on the form of your business, analyze whether or not you will be required to use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) accounting methods and how the IFRS / GAAP convergence will impact your business. Suggest how you will incorporate any changes into your books and records. (Note: You need to demonstrate to the lender/investor that you have recognized possible changes to GAAP that may impact the accounting and reporting of your accounting events.)
Prepare a pro forma balance sheet and income statement providing the assumptions made and support the valuations assigned.
Considering the value of assets (assigned per your balance sheet) used within your business, recommend two (2) specific internal controls that you will implement to protect your company’s assets and resources, justifying how each will provide assurances to management. (NOTE: Safeguarding assets and protecting personal data are paramount to ensuring the viability of a business. Demonstrate to the lender/investor that your assets will be safeguarded and customer information (if applicable) will be protected.)
Based on the internal control recommendations that you made, suggest how you will implement each within your business environment, indicating how challenges or resistances will be overcome.
Evaluate the impact of the regulatory environment, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulatory requirements, on your business venture, giving considering to how you intend to comply with the requirements and the general impact to decision making within your business.
Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Examine accounting principles and concepts used in businesses.
Assess appropriate internal controls, regulatory requirements according to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and fraud prevention and detection.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial accounting.
Write clearly and concisely about financial accounting using proper writing mechanics.

Assignment 2: Comparing Leadership Styles

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Assignment 2: Comparing Leadership Styles

Unlike the earlier assignment where you identified and examined the leadership style of others, this module you will assess your own personal leadership style.

Write a paper assessing the ways in which the following organizational areas are affected by your leadership style:

Being a part of a team
Building organizational human relations
Participating in group work
Participating in individual change
Participating in organizational change

For A-Plus Writer Only

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Effectiveness of Policy Response

Policies have a life cycle. At the end of the life cycle, policies may be continued in full or in part, be reformed, or be terminated. One reason a policy may be terminated is its ineffectiveness. Additional reasons for policy termination include loss of support, replacement by a new policy, or loss of funding. For example, Aid to Families with Dependent Children was replaced with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act due to loss of support and a change in political climate. Policy termination may be attributed to one or more of these factors.

Search the Internet or review case studies for examples of public policies.

Select a public policy to use for this Discussion.

Consider factors that contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the selected public policy.

Think about whether the selected public policy should continue in full or in part, be reformed, or be terminated.

Submit 150 – 500 word response: Due by Thursday 8/20/15 a brief description of the public policy you selected. Then explain two factors that contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the public policy. Finally, based on the factors that you describe, provide your recommendation as to whether the public policy should continue in full or in part, be reformed, or be terminated.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your explanation, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.

For A-Plus Writer Only

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Application: Reflection:

Social change is integral to the mission of Walden University. It is important that you not only think about the new information you have acquired in this course, but also that you think about how you can apply what you have learned. As you reflect on this course, consider how public policy may impact social change. By doing so, you create connections between what you are learning in the classroom and what is going on in the world around you.

Consider how you might affect social change through your study of public policy.

Select a public policy issue that might impact social change.

Think about how the public policy impacts social change.

The assignment (2 pages): Due by Sunday 8/23/15.

Briefly describe the public policy issue you selected.

Explain how the public policy issue impacts social change. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your explanation.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your explanation, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.

HOMEWORK FOR KIM WOODS

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Week 3

Read the assignment instructions for the Final Paper. Next, develop an outline for your Final Paper writing in full sentences (12 point font, Times New Roman font, double spaced). In your outline, create at least one section for each of the five concepts that you will use in your Final Paper and include supporting material for each concept. Be sure to include a bibliography with at least two of the sources that you will use for your Final Paper. Please make sure that the sources that you use are listed in the APA format. Your outline must include an introduction with a thesis statement and end with a conclusion that reaffirms the thesis.

Final Paper

The purpose of the COM425 Final Paper is to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the organizational communication concepts and skills that you have learned throughout this course.

Imagine that you are proposing a new communication structure for an organization. Write a formal proposal in which you discuss at least five concepts that you feel are most important for successful communication within an organizational setting. Explain why these concepts are necessary for successful communication and how best to implement them within an organization.

Examples of concepts that you may choose to use are active listening, organizational culture, conflict resolution, key principles of human communication, leadership strategies, formal and informal communication, etc.

Your information for this paper should not be based on your own opinions; you must back up your information with research. The research may include readings from this course or from outside sources. In total, your paper must include at least five sources with at least two from the Ashford University Library. This is a formal paper and should include proper grammar, complete sentences, appropriate paragraphs, and correct citations/references in proper APA style. Along with explaining the communication concepts and including the research, you can also use your personal experiences to explain the research that you are presenting in your paper.

NOTE: A full sentence outline of this assignment will be submitted during Week Three. You will receive feedback on your outline so that you can make improvements before you submit your final paper in Week Five.

Assignment 2: Non-for-Profit Financial Reporting Review

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Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

Analyze the selected not-for-profit’s financial statements to determine if the statements conform to Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidance in Statement No. 117, Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations (FASB ASC 958-205-45). Explain the selected organization’s use of the three (3) fund categories. Recommend at least two (2) areas of potential interest to the stakeholder concerning the status of revenue and expenses.
Analyze the organization’s statement of cash flows. Explain the format that the organization utilizes, including any unique areas of emphasis that differ from-GAAP accounting format.
Compare the organization’s reporting of pledges and contributions to its reporting of exchange transactions. Discuss the funds that are utilized.
Assess the fiscal condition of the selected organization utilizing and interpreting financial indicators, using financial ratios that are widely accepted as being indicative of fiscal health. This assessment should also be expanded to include fund-raising analysis, program review, contributions, and grant analysis and revenue analysis.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

PP Assess III

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Question 1

Discuss the techniques that companies are using today for estimating time and cost in their projects.

Your essay should be at least 500 words in length and include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. You must also use one outside source. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Question 2

Costs such as salaries and equipment rental are a more cut and dry expense to estimate than the cost of effort. Describe how to estimate effort. Discuss why it is so important to estimate projects correctly, and why overestimating projects can be just as detrimental as underestimating them.

Your essay should be at least 500 words in length and include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. You must also use one outside source. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Course Textbook

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2011). Project management: The managerial process (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Assignment 2: LASA # 1: Literature Review Paper

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The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to select a topic in the particular area in which you have an occupational or research interest, and to complete a literature review of the topic, using a minimum of ten scholarly references. This will allow you to demonstrate mastery of the program outcomes for the B.A. psychology program at Argosy University. A helpful Web site for organizing and writing a literature review is www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html.

You may also want to review the following documents that are available in the Doc Sharing area of the course:

A sample literature review,
a PowerPoint document illustrating how to set up your word processor for APA style
a “Guide for Writing a Literature Review”

Based on your review of the most recent, relevant research findings on your chosen topic, submit a final version of your literature review paper, integrating feedback received from your instructor. Be sure to include a research/focal question, synthesis of the literature you reviewed, well-established conclusions, and points of discussion and/or future research.

Begin the review by defining the objective of the paper. Introduce the reader to your focal question. What is this question intended to address? You may state your “question” in the form of a problem if you like. Describe the topic for your literature review and why you chose this topic. Explain why you think it is important. It is also useful to tell the reader how the review is organized in your introduction section, before you the transition into the body of the review.

Organize your literature review paper by themes/theories/concepts, rather than article by article. If there is one major theme you want to highlight, state the theme. If there are three major themes or streams of thought on the topic, briefly name them—and then organize the balance of your literature review around those three streams. Think of themes, theories, concepts, lines of thought, and ideas as organizing strategies for your literature review. Your creativity in this assignment is not the content or findings but the clarity with which you organize the review and create a context for understanding the focal question.

When you are done introducing the first line of thought, create a new paragraph to discuss studies which present another line of thought or opposing view.

Your literature review should hit the high points of each article. You should not discuss a single article, one by one, like a grocery list. Zero in on the main theme or finding and then move on to the next theme. Remember, this is a synthesis, an integration of all the things you have learned. You are creating a discussion on paper, which in turn gives the reader a context for understanding where the scholarship has been, where it is currently, and where it likely will be heading next. Provide enough details to help the reader understand the significance of the studies you cite without “rebuilding Rome.” Be sure to evaluate the studies and offer critical comments on any shortcomings you’ve observed or that have been reported by the authors.

Discuss the main findings and their implications. Given the results of your literature review, what is/are the prevailing argument(s)? What research question could you ask in order to further develop this area of study and contribute to the existing body of knowledge? Complete your review by drawing conclusions about your body of research and identifying gaps in the research which still remain to be explored, maybe even by you! Make an argument as to why your research question is important and relevant to the current work being done on your topic.

Requirements

Apply current APA standards for editorial style, expression of ideas, and formatting of the text, headings, citations, and references. Remember to use your own words to describe and evaluate the articles. Avoid quoting the material and also cite works when you are discussing someone else’s ideas. Your paper should be double-spaced and in 12 point, Times New Roman font with normal one-inch margins, written in APA style, and free of typographical and grammatical errors. It should include a title page with a running head, an abstract and a reference page. The body of the paper should be no less than 5–6 pages in length.

Submit your review paper to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox by Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN

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STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN

INTRODUCTION

This assignment entails development of a comprehensive strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. A Project Template is provided that allows you to organize your work in increments and see how the sections come together to produce a comprehensive plan.

PRODUCT/SERVICE

This assignment requires application of concepts learned to build a strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. You will not be allowed to mimic plans or ideas from larger or already “in-place” campaigns. You must develop the business concept in its entirety.

Describe the new product or service.
Discuss the qualities that make this product/service new to the marketplace and the rationale for your decision to pursue the concept. Be sure to pick a product or service that is ready to market. If you are developing a new product, assume that the development phase is over and you are ready to launch the product into the marketplace.

OBJECTIVES/MISSION STATEMENT

Create a Mission Statement. State your short-term MARKETING objectives (one year). Assume that the product/service is ready to launch at the beginning of the year (planning and testing have been completed).

Marketing objectives include goals for sales, profits, market share (as examples)
Objectives need to be quantifiable. Use the SMART acronym—simple, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific—in formulating your objectives. An objective with a 100% goal is not acceptable

TARGET MARKET

Identify your target market. Provide a specific demographic profile and rationale for this decision. Another source that may help you: The US Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder. Consider the size of the market and its purchasing power. Research is required to back-up your selection and to provide statistics to show that it is a viable market.

COMPETITION

Analyze your competition. Who are they? Who are the biggest players? How large is the market? What are the trends/forecasts in the industry? How does your product/service fit in? Hoover’s Pro in the Library is a good tool for this section; it may be accessed under Find Web Resources.

PRODUCT/SERVICE FEATURES

Provide a brief overview of the product or service.

State the features of your product/service. Show how it’s innovative and different. It may be unique because of the area in which you plan to market it.
Discuss legal and ethical implications that could affect the marketing process. This will require research.

CORE STRATEGY

Discuss your Core Strategy and make sure to connect it to your Mission & Objectives. Include a discussion on Product/Service Positioning.

MARKETING MIX: COMMUNICATIONS & PROMOTION

The Marketing Mix is the set of decisions about communications and promotion, price, channels of distribution, and customer relationship management. An integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach delivers a clear and consistent message to your consumers and is connected to your Core Strategy.

Discuss the aspects of the IMC. (The elements of the communication mix include: advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, publicity/public relations and personal selling.) Define each and discuss the pros and cons of the individual elements.
Provide a detailed description of your IMC approach. Explain your rationale for choosing or rejecting the specific elements (include applications to the earlier research section). What changes do you expect to make as the product/service matures?
Describe the message you wish to communicate based on your core strategy. Explain your rationale for the message. Formulate how you will communicate with your target market? Be specific. How will the internet be used in your IMC approach?
Select and explain the most suitable method for measuring advertising effectiveness. Your decision must include research to back up the selected method. Be sure to explain why this is the most effective method to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.

MARKETING MIX: PRICE

Discuss what pricing objectives you would consider for your product/service. The Objectives should be based on the various theories presented in marketing literature and take in to account competitor pricing. Including background on value proposition, positioning, and target market is necessary. All of these components provide rationale for the chosen pricing scheme.

MARKETING MIX: CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION

Channels of Distribution: Specify the type of distribution channel you will use and include rationale.

MARKETING MIX; CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Customer Relationship Management -Detail how you will incorporate CRM into your plan. Be sure to include a discussion on the role of technology that will be used to support your CRM.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

Articles are found in periodicals. These are not to be confused with eBooks or Reference Books. The most popular databases in marketing are: ABI Inform Global, Academic Search Premier, and Business Source Premier.

APA format

assignment 8

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Intellectual property law is a major issue facing organizations, and many organizations have been fined significant amounts for violations of intellectual property law. As an information security manager in an IT consulting company, your executive management team is concerned about the potential intellectual property violations in the organization. To address these concerns, they have asked you to develop an intellectual property policy to implement within the organization.

Develop a two to four (2-4) page policy in which you:

Provide an overview of intellectual property law.
Describe who the policy applies to.
Create policy, standards, and guidelines concerning:
Patents
Trademarks
Copyrights
Ownership of company material
Develop intellectual property violation reporting procedures.
Develop intellectual property infringement ramifications.
Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Analyze intellectual property laws.
Use technology and information resources to research legal issues in information security.
Write clearly and concisely about information security legal issues and topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.