Swingline Stapler Essay Example for Free

Swingline Stapler Essay The Swingline Heavy Duty Stapler is an office supply, more so than a household item. A casual attempt to purchase a heavy duty stapler online (e.g., Amazon or eBay) makes it clear that there are numerous sellers of this product other than Swingline. Names like Stanley Bostitch, Sparco, Paper Pro, Hunt, Arrow, and Rapid, to name a few; and this list doesn’t include the models offered by the brick-and-mortar retailers like Office Max, Office Depot, and Staples. A more extensive search would only add to the list. Searching by brand within any of these online sites, however, pretty consistently reveals Swingline as the brand with the most choices; and more often than not, Stanley Bostitch falls into second on the list by product count. This anecdotal evidence hints that collectively, Swingline and Stanley Bostitch may very well have a strong share of a crowded market; oligopoly or monopolistic competition – it could go either way. Page 2 In terms of establishing the price for its heavy duty stapler, it is important to Swingline to price it reasonably close to its many substitutes. The competitors for this product provide a â€Å"range† of prices that serve as a boundary for Swingline to use in determining the price for its product – a feature of monopolistic competition. Based on the brand listing information, I would expect that a major competitor, Bostitch, is the one that Swingline pays most attention to – Swingline’s pricing decisions are somewhat dependent on the expected response of Bostitch. This is a characteristic of an oligopoly. In one sense, it can be argued that a heavy duty stapler is a standardized product – it serves one function. Due to this, there is not a significant amount of advertising done to try to differentiate the Swingline Heavy Duty Stapler from its competitors. Sellers in monopolistic competition and oligopoly both advertise to point out product differences, but standardized products exist primarily in oligopoly and perfect competition; so, in this regard, oligopoly seems to be the correct fit. On the other hand, attempts are made to give us the perception that the heavy duty staplers are indeed different. Paper Pro, for example, tells us this about one of their models: â€Å"Patented unique staple-driving technology provides the power to drive a staple through up to 65 sheets of paper with the press of just two fingers.† Yet a different Paper Pro brand tells us: â€Å"80% Easier than other heavy duty staplers†. Not to be outdone, Swingline counters with a pitch for its complementary product: â€Å"70 sheet staple capacity with Swingline Optima High Capacity staples†. Add different sizes, shapes, and colors, and a case can be made for product differentiation. This would seem to bring monopolistic competition back into the mix. Finally, on the surface, it seems that barriers to entry would be minimal. The production of a stapler does not require a high level of technology or a significant amount of financial capital. For a new seller to successfully penetrate the existing market, however, it seems they would need to have a price advantage due to the relatively standardized nature of the product. The ability of Swingline and Stanley Bostitch to match any new competitor’s â€Å"sale† price could effectively limit entry into this market. Based on this criterion, a case can be made for both monopolistic competition and oligopoly. In conclusion, it seems that characteristics of both monopolistic competition and oligopoly are present. This would put the market for heavy duty staplers somewhere in the middle of the competitive continuum: perhaps some oligopoly-type behavior by Swingline and Stanley Bostitch, but more like monopolistic competition overall. Given what I perceive to be as an inability to earn a positive economic profit over time, I’ll hang my hat on monopolistic competition.

Joan Baez :: essays research papers

Joan Baez was born on Staten Island in 1941. Her mother’s name was Joan also, and her father’s name was Vincent. She spent a part of her childhood in Iraq because her father had a job there. While she was fourteen, her family moved back to the U.S. and lived in California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Joan was sixteen, she performed her first act of civil disobedience by refusing to leave her high school during an aid-raid drill. Joan gained strong feelings on nonviolence and civil rights during this time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After high school, Joan attends Boston University. However, she attended classes inconsistently and soon dropped out to have more time for her now-blossoming singing career. She began singing regularly at clubs and bars. Vanguard Recording noticed her while she was singing at Club 47. She went on to produce her first hit album: â€Å"Joan Boaz†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She released many more albums after this, including â€Å"Joan Baez in Concert†, â€Å"Folksingers Round Harvard Square†, and â€Å"Joan Baez in San Francisco†. She also went on many national tours, most of them lasting for months at a time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan was more than just a singer though. She was a very strong anti-war activist. She demonstrated her contempt for Vietnam by withholding her income taxes. This got her into some trouble with the law. She was made to pay the taxes and spent 90 days in jail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan’s most famous song was â€Å"Blowing in the Wind.† It’s about the Vietnam War and how oblivious many people are to the terrible things caused by it. How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in the wind. How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,

Facebook vs Twitter Essay

But one question is who will be on top? Synopsis of the Situation Who is better than who? Or one could say who is going to be the king of the hill? Facebook has tried to purchase Twitter with no success. It is hard to say who will come out on top or who will be the ultimate winner of the social war. Until on or the other purchases their competitor or they just decide to merge and rule the social network, we will have to wait and see who will win. Key Issues Facebook and Twitter are both free sites and are both popular. Facebook and Twitter are both time conversations, but Twitter is a little faster. They both seem to have their good and bad qualities. Twitter has a character restriction and has no popups. Twitter users can also post to their Facebook page. Facebook does not have a character limit. They both can post pictures and videos. Facebook has a better privacy blocking system (if you can find it and get them set right). A lot of users (me included) are not aware of this option. Facebook allows businesses to advertise and reach more people faster. Facebook makes there revenue off the ads on their site, witch keeps it free for their users. Facebook has games for their user to play also. These games also generate some of their revenue. Twitter has no games and the only source of revenue is its investors. Define the Problem The main problem for Facebook and Twitter at time is each other. The other thing is that there are other social sites that are starting to catch on. They are both trying so hard to out due each other they may just get stepped on by someone else. They both need to set some goals and do what will help them in the long run. Alternative Solutions Alternative 1- There is room for both of them on the World Wide Web. Competition is good. They need to keep going like they are; yes sooner or later one will be better than the other. It is like the burger wars (McDonalds and Burger King) one might be on top but the other is right behind. Alternative 2 – They could always merge and rule the social networking site as one. Alternative 3 – They could merge and Facebook can be the everyday personal social network site and Twitter can be more of the business network site. Selected Solution to the Problem Alternative 1 – Let the users decide which site works best for them. Compatiotion is good for both of them and the users. It makes them improve their products and in turn this makes a better product for the consumers/users. Despite the politically right way, there is going to be a winner and a loser. Implementation The best way to implement the solution is to advertise and to start improving their sites right away. The faster they improve them, the faster they get ahead. Recommendations Twitter should find a way to make revenue. They might need to start selling advertising space or charging a nominal fee for users. Facebook needs to become more users friendly and maybe make it easier to use.

Essay on Financial Analysis of Woolworths Ltd - 3168 Words

Financial Analysis of Woolworths Limited 10 October 2011 By: Huatong (Claire) Liu To: Potential investors Executive Summary The primary purpose of this report is to determine whether Woolworths Limited is an appropriate and profitable company to invest in. Specific objectives include analysis of annual reports of Woolworths and its competitors (Wesfarmers) as well as interpretation of relevant government and industry statistics, stock exchange, market information and media comments. Further, Woolworths’s financial strengths and weaknesses are identified. The potential growth prospects for Woolworths, the future of the food and staples retailing industry, and the risks versus the benefits of investing in Woolworths are all†¦show more content†¦Although the aim of this report is to be as detailed and comprehensive as possible, there are still some limitations exist. First of all, any estimates or projections of future economic performance are impacted by numerous factors, such as market behavior, that are inherently uncertain. Therefore future outcome may not unfold as expected. Further, eve nts may have occurred since I prepared this report which may impact on it and its findings. Moreover, Woolworths and Wesfarmers have some differences in accounting policies. For instance, Wesfarmers values inventories at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Woolworths values short life retail stocks in the same way, but for long life retail stocks, the retail inventory method are used to determine cost by reducing the value of the inventory by the appropriate gross margin percentage which takes into account markdown prices. Different method of recording and valuation may influence the final financial results. Conclusion Having examined Woolworths Ltd financial performance through analyses and comparisons we come to conclusion that Woolworths has a number of financial strengths as well as several weaknesses. Strengths †¢ Strong and trusted brand name †¢ High product quality and safety (persistent implementation of â€Å"Fresh Food People† strategy) †¢ Very efficient management (efficient at using assets to generate sales, collecting moneyShow MoreRelatedRisk Analysis Report for Woolworths Supermarket1614 Words   |  7 PagesRISK ASSESSMENT REPORT OF WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKET Executive Summary Woolworths LTD has commissioned EA partners for auditing their supermarkets chains. Therefore it is important to prepare a risk analysis report to be added in the audit plan in order to identify and analyze possible events that could have an impact in achieving the company’s objectives. The element of risk is embedded in every business, the risk of not achieving the company objective. 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TheyRead MoreWoolworths Financial Perfomance Case study1593 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿HSC Business Studies Financial Statement Analysis Task 1: Liquidity – The current Ratio = - Current ratio = Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 2013: Total current assets = 6226.1 Total current liabilities = 6866 Total current assets / Total current liabilities = 6226.1/6866 = 0.9068016312 = 0.9 (1dp) 2012: Total current assets = 5802.1 Total current Liabilities = 6766.2 Total current assets / Total current liabilities = 5802.1 / 6766.2 = 0.8575123408 = 0.86 (2dp) Read MoreSwot Analysis Of Woolworths Ltd. Essay2060 Words   |  9 Pagesretail sector are Woolworths and Coles, which are owned by Woolworths Ltd. and Wesfarmers Group respectively. Woolworths began operations in the year 1924 with a small basement store in Sydney, Australia. Since its inception, Woolworths has grown into a supermarket giant as well as the regional areas of New Zealand and Australia. Woolworths began as a fresh food supplier 60 years ago by 2012 the brand has widened to offer a huge range of grocery and food products. Woolworths is extremely sensitiveRead MoreWoolworths5168 Words   |  21 Pagesreport is to provide a strategic analysis of Woolworths in its Australian retailing and grocery industry. There are some external factors can be affected to Woolworths strategy. To be analyzed how these factors impact to Woolworths strategies we would use Porter forces five models as a framework for analysis. They are threats of new entrants and substitute products, rivalry among competing established competitors, threat of substitutes and bargaining power of Woolworths’ suppliers and customers. This