The Financing and management of risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Financing and management of risk - Essay Example The company has major business activities in countries like Canada, Japan, China, UK, Mexico, Taiwan, Philippines, India, etc. Apart from coffee, Starbucks also sells ice cream, cold and hot beverages, snacks, beer, etc. The products offered by Starbucks are specific to the location of the store and are seasonal and customized to the target market segment. Starbucks employs around 149000 employees in its coffee stores and operations all over the world. Through its massive chain of coffee houses all over the world, Starbucks generated revenue of $13.29 billion in 2012 with a net income of $1.36 billion for the company. The strong performance of Starbucks’ coffee business across the world is highly dependent on its business model which has been well established by the company. The business model of Starbucks lays its success story for attracting customers into its stores for a cup of coffee day after day all over the world. The coffee selling stores of Starbucks present a status symbol for the customers of coffee. Although the coffee sold in the stores of Starbucks are priced highly, it the ambience that the stores of Starbucks offer to the customers that makes a difference. The coffee selling stores are supported by friendly and helpful staffs who address the problems, queries and grievances of customers who walk in to take coffee. The customers taking coffee are largely valued in the stores which in turn help the stores to hold their customers (Starbucks Corporation, 2013, p.1). The over business model of Starbucks which is applicable to its national as well as international presence is described below. Starbucks have a transnational model of business in which it has a universal product that is customized to fit the requirements of the local market. Starbucks follows a business model whereby the coffee and other products like beverages, beer, ice cream, snacks, etc. are sold through the coffee house chains in the international markets. Starbucks products under brand names are also sold in the grocery shops and retail market chains across the world. The coffee business of Starbucks has to be responsive to the markets and fits the taste and culture of the local people who walks in to take coffee. The strong business model of Starbucks has helped them to build international relationships and achieve their targets. Starbucks original business model was based on marketing of coffee by providing enriched customer experience in an upbeat environment inside the coffee stores. In order to cope up with the competitive market, Starbucks have now adopted advertising strategies by media like newspapers, television, offering cheaper prices, etc (Kazmi, 2010, p.21). As depicted above in the diagram for business model of Starbucks, the business model takes into consideration a range of factors that includes product strategy, customer economic, marketing of coffee, cost of capital of the business, economic sale, assessing value of the business, pro duction costs, revenue mechanism, growth of assets and competitive barriers, etc. The product strategy is framed by looking at the emerging demands of the market. Apart from offering a single product of coffee, Starbucks took into consideration

Strategic and Transport Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic and Transport Planning - Essay Example Question one (A). The chief advantages/disadvantages of shifting more freight from road to rail. Modes of transportation are many in the United Kingdom. The movement of these goods include pipelines, truck, rail, water, and air. The progress of goods moved by way of a truck, per recent statistics; show very small increases. However, in contrast this same amount of freight moved by rail is comparable when one considers mathematically that when the amount multiplied the distance of this measurement is in ton-miles. Advantages Any thriving growing economy has to depend upon freight transportation. Freight lines are is a critical component of any economy. In the United Kingdom, it necessitates that the improved punctuality and reliability, tracked in rail services delivery was at least 85% in 2006. By 2010, that number increased substantially. The use of public transport (bus and light rail), has increased by more than 12% in England. When readers compared this with 2000, it maintains steady growth in every region (stalban.gov). Very impressive when readers can look at the reduction of the amount people killed or seriously injured in Great Britain on all road accidents. In a literal context, the numbers decreased by 40% and the number of children's death toll went down by 50%. These government statistics shows the UK has made large improvement to the death percentages and overall death tolls have decreased. This further shows a dramatic difference especially, in several of disadvantaged communities that, statistically by 2010 compared with the average deaths that reported in the past of 1994-98. The UK quietly has dropped many targets fixed in the 10-Year Transport Plan published in 2000: Found in (Future of Transport, 2030). †¢Source: the Future of Transport: a network for 2030 Disadvantageous Going by rail has several disadvantageous. However, when looking at the advantageous is seems almost insignificant. Rail has limited routes at times, is just does not stop everywhere. The routes and the timetable s seem to be a bit inflexible. It can be more expensive if the corporation has a large amount of freight to haul, and it can sometimes be unreliable. Question two (B). Using an example of a major rail freight facility describes the opportunities that may take up by industry. The UK shows this to be a monumental success story in rail freight in the transport sector over the last 15 years. An estimated ?one point five billion of investment is in rolling stock, terminals, and support facilities show growth of over 60% that the industry achieved. The industry’s reliability and punctuality in all business segments meets its customers’ requirements. A very high and improving percentage of inter-modal services in past arrivals were at their destinations on time (stalbans.gov). The company runs more than 5,000 freight trains a day throughout Europe and is the parent business of DB Schenker rail (UK) Ltd (DBSR). DBAG’s purchase of EWS was a strategic move to offer a netw ork of integrated rail services throughout Europe. DBSR announced the establishment of a new service for the temperature-controlled product collected from suppliers called Tesco goes through Spain, then transported by rail across France and through the Channel Tunnel to London. One train per day initially covers this service. This gives Tesco and other major UK retails significant potential for