Memo for ABC Complete Kitchens Inc Essay Example for Free

Memo for ABC Complete Kitchens Inc Essay â€Å"Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved†- Bill Gates. Introduction Having the right man for the right job is imperative for corporate success. The person that installs the cabinetry for ABC Inc. is probably not the same person you want managing the financial responsibilities and obligations. Employees of ABC Complete Kitchens Inc. encompass a similar work ethic, professionalism and accountability however; their skills vary and need to be accommodated suitably within the company. Maintaining this level of expectation is imperative to achieve organizational success. Maturity, health, financial stability and the ability to compensate accordingly to current and long term fiscal challenges is the responsibility of the financial manager and within this organization or for ABC Inc. the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO assesses, directs, monitors, controls, develops strategies, plans for current and long term financial goals and most importantly determines the organizations investment decisions. The CFO and/or financial manager must â€Å"weigh the costs and benefits of all investments and projects and decide which of them qualify as good uses of the money† (Northcentral University, 2011. 7; 709). This is money invested by others as well as yourselves within this company. There are three main tasks financial managers are responsible for beyond applying management  standards to financial capital or income of this conglomerate. These consist of; making (preferably good) investment decisions, financial decisions and managing the company’s cash flow on a day to day and a long term basis. In order to stand behind these investment decisions, it is imperative to understand the terminology and processes within the financial systems development. Assets Assets are items of ownership that can be converted into cash or have an exchange value. They are investments this company has made. From an accounting point of view, assets can be divided further into two categories, current and long-term assets. Current assets are cash or other liquid items that can be turned into cash within one year. Marketable securities are short term, low risk investments such as, the current stock you hold and what it is worth or can be sold at. Accounts receivable are debts owed to this company by consumers for products and services provided already on credit. Inventories are assets comprised of raw materials such as cabinetry, sinks, and appliances including kitchens being currently installed that ABC Inc. still owns. There are other current assets that we will view on our balance sheet later on and they are mostly prepaid expenses and deferred assets as well as expenditures for future costs such as insurance, rent and interest. Intangible assets have no physical existence. These can include intellectual property or employees who attain knowledge and skill (NCU, 2011. 7:13). If the employee leaves to go to another organization, this is considered an intangible asset. Perception of the company within the community is important. Take for example the communities perception of the company. Wal-Mart and most recently Target with their credit card theft issue experienced intangible assets. Copyrights, patents and goodwill are also intangible assets. â€Å"Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?†-Thomas J. Watson (founder of IBM). Liabilities A liability is an obligation to creditors, an entity arising from past transactions, where the settlement can result in the transfer of assets,  services or other yielding of benefits in the future. They include any type of borrowing from persons or banks for improving on a business or increasing personal income. Liabilities of this company are duties or responsibilities that require settlement by future use of assets at or by a specific date, over a short or long time period or possibly on demand. Liabilities are categorized as current and long-term classification. Classifying liabilities as either current or long term will assist ABC Inc’s CFO assess if the risk of these liabilities will involve disbursement of cash or further company assets in the near or distant future. A current liability will be satisfied within one year. Diving deeper into the definition of current liabilities, a company also identifies them as debts that are expected to be taken care of with current assets or with the use of other current liabilities. Accounts payable are considered the total sum of monies or obligations owed to purveyors for goods and/or services purchased with credit. When accounts payable are paid off, it represents a negative cash flow for the company. Short-term debt otherwise known as notes payable is the reimbursement that will occur within the next year to satisfy a debt. Items that are known monies of the company that have not been paid such as the salary for employees or taxes and deferred or unearned profit that has been received for products that have not been distributed are classified within the current liability category (NCU, 2011. 7:23-24). Long-term liabilities are debts payable over a longer period of time and unlike current liabilities, extend beyond one year. Examples of these are long-term debts, a capitol lease and deferred taxes. Long-term debt involves the obligation of our company to compensate our providers for a period of time that extends beyond one year. Currently, ABC Inc’s long-term debt consists of the construction of buildings overseas as well as most of our products utilized in the assembly of the kitchens. A capitol lease is a contract that requires this organization to make scheduled payments in exchange for the use of a certain asset. An agreement is made between ABC Inc. and another proprietor to compensate for use of things such as equipment, the plant or property. ABC Inc. needs to bear this risk and act as if it is owned as a company asset. Deferred taxes are taxes this company owes but has yet to pay. They appear as a liability because eventually they will be paid for however currently the company has exceeded its financial  income. Owners Equity or Shareholders Equity Owners or shareholders equity is the ownerships interest in a corporation in the form of common or preferred stock. This amount is calculated and identified as shareholders equity, net worth or book value (Averkamp, 2013). The equity a company has is determined by taking the total assets and subtracting the total liabilities. Equity is the quantity of ABC Inc’s assets that you as shareholders own, as opposed to what the company borrowed. Owner’s equity is also classified as net worth or net assets; it’s your interest as owners in this company. Equity can be considered as the calculation of a company’s money that is left over if an asset were converted to cash and all of the current and long-term liabilities against it are paid. Equity is the stock this company and you as individuals possess, it is the value of the assets that you the proprietor actually own. Assets are equal to equity plus liabilities, thus indicating how much of the company’s asset s belong to or are owned and by whom. The Balance Sheet The balance or statement of financial position lists the company’s assets and liabilities, providing a model of the corporation’s financial position at any given time. The balance sheet summarizes the remainder of all the assets, liabilities and overall worth of a company’s accounts as of a specific date, usually the last day of the accounting period or the last day of the quarter or fiscal year (Thomsett, 2011). The fundamental accounting equation is; the sum of all asset account balances is equal to the sum of liabilities plus net worth accounts. It can at times be utilized and analyzed as an estimate of the liquidation worth of the corporation, aiding in foreseeing the value that would be left if the assets were bought and liabilities remunerated. A balance sheet must provide a fair and valid view of an organization’s state of affairs as well as abiding by the provisions of GAAP in its preparation. A balance sheet states: What assets the company owns How assets are paid for What the company owes or what they are liable for Amount left after satisfying their debts Balance Sheet Analysis and Current Ratio Analyzing the balance sheet assesses the company’s value, control and short term cash needs. The balance sheet is a quantitative summary of a company’s financial situation or condition at a specific point in time, including but not limited to assets, liabilities and net worth. The first part of a balance sheet shows all the productive assets a company owns, and the second part shows all the financing procedures, the liabilities and the shareholders equity. This is better seen from the table demonstrated on the next page. The asset accounts are added together, providing the total amount of the corporation’s properties prior to being decreased by debts and obligations. The balance sheet is comprised of assets and liabilities, each with similar sub-groups providing a final explanation of the balance sheet subsection for reference. The total of all liabilities plus net worth accounts is always equal to the total of all assets, WITHOUT EXCEPTION! â€Å"How is the balance accomplished? The sum of liabilities and net worth is always equal to the value of all asset accounts because of double-entry bookkeeping. Every entry has a debit and a credit and these are equal in value. They may also be thought of as a plus and a minus. At any time, the sum of all accounts in the corporate books will add up to zero, because debits and credits offset one another â€Å"(Thomsett, 2013). It is important to remember that creditors often compare a company’s current assets and current liabilities to evaluate whether or not the company has adequate working capital to endure their short-term financial needs. This comparison can be summarized in the company’s current ratio. The current ratio is the percentage of current assets in relation to their current liabilities. A higher current ratio gives the implication of the company experiencing less risk of a cash deficit in the near future (NCU, 2011. 7:727). The Income Statement The income statement shows the company’s net income or profitability during a specific period of time. The income statement can also be referred to as the profit and loss, or â€Å"PL† statement, and the net income is also referred to as the company’s earnings (NCU, 2011). The income statement is based on the accounting equation that; income equals revenue minus expenses which in turn illustrates the value of the owner’s equity as increasing or decreasing. The income statement analysis explains how the profitability of  the company relates to the company’s shares. Different ratios are used providing information on ABC Inc’s operation and worth (NCU, 2011). Conclusion This leaves us now analyzing not only the national but also the international fiscal aspects of ABC Complete Kitchens Incorporated. Generating sales overseas is taking this company to new heights within the business world. The income statement or statement of financial performance catalogs the company’s revenues and expenses. It is putting our name on the map while increasing profit, employment opportunities and as the Board of Directors; you are responsible for maintaining this stature. This position is not only exciting, it is manageable as well. As a project manager I foresee significant advancement within all of the departments. If everyone involved collaborates cohesively, communicates respectfully and complies with ABC Complete Kitchen Incorporated’s mission and vision, the finality will be a company that ultimately produces an exceptional product with complete customer and corporate satisfaction. References Averkamp, H. (2013). What is owners equity? Accounting Coach, LLC. Fort Atkinson, WI Retrieved from: http://www.accountingcoach.com/privacy-policy (2011). SKS 5000- Business strategies for organizational effectiveness within the global perspective. Pearson Learning Solutions ISBN: 9780558870447 (2013). List of key accounting terms and definitions. InvestorGuide Staff. Retrieved from: http://www.investorguide.com/article/13789/list-of-key-accounting- terms-and-definitions/ Thomsett, M., C. (2013). The balance sheet. Getting Started in Stock Investing and Trading Retrieved from: http://www.investorguide.com/article/12689/the-balance-sheet-ws/

Douglas Coupland’s Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture: an alternative voice :: Essays Papers

Douglas Coupland’s Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture: an alternative voice On production of his first novel, Coupland was labelled by critics spokesman for a new lost generation - â€Å"Generation X† - those individuals aged between mid-twenties and mid-thirties who have come of age in an increasingly technological and materialistic bureaucratic society. As a consequence, they are emotionally scarred and alienated, reject conformity and search for some kind of meaning to life. When asked about this label, Coupland stated that he spoke â€Å"...for myself, not for a generation. I never have†, arguing that he addresses issues relevant to himself and his peer group who grew up in Vancouver (Hall, Sharon K. â€Å"Douglas Coupland† Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 39, 29). The subsequent success of Generation X both in America and Europe, indicate that the experiences Coupland records are global, appealing to a wide audience who share his fears and expectations. While the debate about the lack of a distinctive Canadian voice continues, the critical reaction to Generation X illustrates the problems inherent within Canadian literature. Coupland wrote the novel in America, and it was here rather than his native country that it was actually published. In â€Å"Malaise of the Mall-Raised†, Brian Fawcett details the reasons for Coupland’s initial lack of success in Canada, indicating that it was the book buying public rather than the literary establishment who put Coupland on the literary map: ...the book couldn’t find a Canadian publisher, that the Globe and Mail didn’t review Generation X, or that Books in Canada...rejected [it] for having an attitude problem (Fawcett, Brian. â€Å"Malaise of the Mall-Raised† Books in Canada, Vol. 21, 44-6). Typical of this critical reaction, Laurel Boone in a Books in Canada review of Generation X, is scathing towards the novel which she describes as â€Å"shallow†, and for the fact that its Canadian characters do not translate the French phrases they use (Boone, Laurel. â€Å"Review of Generation X.† Books in Canada. Vol. 20, 50-1). Boone also faults Coupland’s use of cartoons, definitions and slogans within the work. One of these pop art cartoons shows a young man reading a real estate magazine and telling his father: â€Å"Hey, Dad, - You can either have a house or a life I’m having a life.† In contrast to Boone’s opinion, it was the actual format of the novel as well as the content which appealed to the reading public. The reason Coupland was overlooked may be due to the fact that his novel was viewed as the antithesis of conventional Canadian writing.

Of Mice and Men: The Failure of the American Dream Essay

Thesis Statement : The novel Of Mice and Men was John Steinbeck a message to the world of how the American Dream is dead and unattainable. The nation had seen one of the biggest spending sprees in the nineteen twenties and the following decade the results were crashing down on the nation. People were losing everything that they owned and starving. The American Dream is defined as â€Å"The American Dream is â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. (What Is the American Dream) Because of that, it seemed like the American Dream was dead and there was never a better novel to illustrate it than Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie, the co protagonist of the novel, aspire to the American Dream, but because few people believe in its attainability, few are surprised when they fall short of its achievement. To understand how the American Dream is shown to be unattainable in the novel Of Mice and Men, it must be understood. There are several definitions of the American Dream. According to Merriam Webster’s â€Å"an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also: the prosperity or life that is the realization of this ideal. † (Merriam Webster). The other part of that materialistic idea is that if one works hard enough, he/she can achieve absolutely anything. George and Lennie have a dream that completely embodies the concept of the American Dream. They are two men who are migrant workers during the Great Depression who have a dream of owning their own farm. The actual ownership of the farm is only a small part of the dream. The fact that they will not be owned by another person is the allure of the dream. All kin’s a vegetable in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We’d jus’ live there. We’d belong there. There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house. (Steinbeck p. 63) Because of their situation of being migrant workers, every aspect of their lives were dictated by their boss. Their need for money to survive, set them up for ownership as if they were slaves. George realized this more than Lennie. Lennie brought innocence to the dream. He wanted nothing more than to tend the rabbits because petting soft things brought him pleasure. He did not care about materialism or having control of his life. Pleasure of the moment was his goal for life and the American Dream took on its purest form through him. They remind themselves daily of this dream. Lennie begs for George to tell him the story even though he knows it as if hearing it will make it so. George tells it as if each time he tells it the dream will become more and more real. Yet they are chasing an illusion. The characters have survived in the world so far because of their belief that the American Dream is alive and well. George and Lennie cannot imagine that their hard work will not pay off in the end. Society had told children for generations that hard work would take an individual to the top of society and many times it did. Then came the Great Depression and everything changed. People worked hard and they did what they thought was right, but at that time it did not take them anywhere but backward. George and Lennie try to save, but it takes every dime to survive. Once they meet Candy, who offers to add money to the cause, they know that with the money they have coming, they will be able to have their dream, but just as it was time to make their purchase, tragedy strikes. Their work has gotten them nowhere. It is apparent throughout the novel that the dream is not attainable. From the incident in weed to the killing of the puppy, everything that George and Lennie do ends up becoming a disaster. It is obvious that the dream of the farm will be as well. As George says: â€Å"-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would† (103). The unattainable American Dream is not limited to George and Lennie and that is symbolic that most people will not attain it. There are other characters who also have their American Dream crushed. Curly’s wife had a dream of fame and fortune. She also wants to be loved. She married a man who was to inherit his father’s farm and he seemed to want her, but after she marries him, she realizes that he only cares about himself. She does everything in her power to get his attention because of her need. He is jealous of other men, but not because of the love for his wife. Love, marriage, and producing a family is part of the American Dream and all Curly and his wife have is the legal part of the institution. The dream that she imagined did not materialize with her marriage and that left her lonely and seeking the attention of other men. If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad. You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you† (85). Crooks wants his part of the American Dream where all men will be equal and he thinks that he gets close to this the night Lennie and Candy end up in his room and share the dream of the farm with him. It does not take long for him to have to face the reality that there is no equality in the world. George and Lennie prove that the American Dream is unattainable. To obtain it one’s life would be perfect and there is no perfection in the world. There are always going to problems and hardships in life and this makes the dream just that; a dream. Of course the American Dream has become less of a reality in this country since the beginning of the Great Depression, but it was really just a fantasy from the start. There were always people who seemed to achieve it, yet underlying problems were always present. George and Lennie prove that problems will always come to the surface.

Battle of Greece (April 1941) World War II

The Battle of Greece was fought from April 6-30, 1941, during World War II (1939-1945). Armies Commanders Axis Field Marshal Wilhelm ListField Marshal Maximilian von Weichs680,000 Germans, 565,000 Italians Allies Marshal Alexander PapagosLieutenant General Henry Maitland Wilson430,000 Greeks, 62,612 British Commonwealth troops Background Having initially wished to remain neutral, Greece was pulled into the war when it came under increasing pressure from Italy. Seeking to show Italian military prowess while also demonstrating his independence from German leader Adolf Hitler,  Benito Mussolini levied an ultimatum on October 28, 1940, calling for the Greeks to permit Italian troops to cross the border from Albania to occupy unspecified strategic locations in Greece. Though the Greeks were given three hours to comply, Italian forces invaded before the deadline had passed. Attempting to push towards Epirus, Mussolinis troops were halted at the  Battle of Elaia–Kalamas.   Conducting an inept campaign, Mussolinis forces were defeated by the Greeks and forced back into Albania. Counterattacking, the Greeks managed to occupy part of Albania and captured the cities of  Korà §Ãƒ « and  Sarandà « before the fighting quieted. Conditions for the Italians continued to worsen as Mussolini had not made basic provisions for his men such as issuing winter clothing. Lacking a substantial arms industry and possessing a small army, Greece elected to support its success in Albania by weakening its defenses in Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace. This was done despite the increasing threat of a German invasion through Bulgaria. In the wake of the British occupation of Lemnos and Crete, Hitler ordered German planners in November to begin devising an operation to invade Greece and the British base at Gibraltar. This latter operation was canceled when Spanish leader Francisco Franco vetoed it as he did not wish to risk in his nations neutrality in the conflict. Dubbed Operation Marita, the invasion plan for Greece called for the German occupation of the northern coast of the Aegean Sea beginning in March 1941. These plans were later altered following a coup dà ©tat in Yugoslavia. Though it required delaying the invasion of the Soviet Union, the plan was altered to include attacks on both Yugoslavia and Greece beginning on April 6, 1941. Recognizing the growing threat, Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas worked to tighten relations with Britain. Debating Strategy Bound by the Declaration of 1939 which called on Britain to provide aid in the event that Greek or Romanian independence was threatened, London commenced making plans to aid Greece in the fall of 1940. While the first Royal Air Force units, led by Air Commodore John dAlbiac, began arriving in Greece late that year, the first ground troops did not land until after the German invasion of Bulgaria in early March 1941. Led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, a total of around 62,000 Commonwealth troops arrived in Greece as part of W Force. Coordinating with Greek Commander-in-Chief General Alexandros Papagos, Wilson and the Yugoslavs debated defensive strategy. While Wilson favored a shorter position known as the Haliacmon Line, this was rejected by Papagos as it ceded too much territory to the invaders. After much debate, Wilson massed his troops along the Haliacmon Line, while the Greeks moved to occupy the heavily fortified Metaxas Line to the northeast. Wilson justified holding the Haliacmon position as it allowed his relatively small force to maintain contact with the Greeks in Albania as well as those in the northeast. As a result, the critical port of Thessaloniki remained largely uncovered. Though Wilsons line was a more efficient use of his strength, the position could be easily flanked by forces advancing south from Yugoslavia through the Monastir Gap. This concern was disregarded as the Allied commanders anticipated the Yugoslav Army to mount a determined defense of their country. The situation in the northeast was further weakened by the Greek governments refusal to withdraw troops from Albania lest it be seen as a concession of victory to the Italians. The Onslaught Begins On April 6, the German Twelfth Army, under the guidance of Field Marshal Wilhelm List, commenced Operation Marita. While the Luftwaffe began an intensive bombing campaign, Lieutenant General Georg Stummes XL Panzer Corps drove across southern Yugoslavia capturing Prilep and effectively severing the country from Greece. Turning south, they began massing forces north of Monastir on April 9 in preparation for attacking Florina, Greece. Such a move threatened Wilsons left flank and had the potential to cut off Greek troops in Albania. Further east, Lieutenant General Rudolf Veiels 2nd Panzer Division entered Yugoslavia on April 6 and advanced down the Strimon Valley (Map). Reaching Strumica, they brushed aside Yugoslav counterattacks before turning south and driving towards Thessaloniki. Defeating Greek forces near Doiran Lake, they captured the city on April 9. Along the Metaxas Line, Greek forces fared little better but succeeded in bleeding the Germans. A strong line of fortifications in mountainous terrain, the forts of the line inflicted heavy losses on the attackers before being overrun by Lieutenant General Franz Bà ¶hmes XVIII Mountain Corps. Effectively cut off in the northeastern part of the country, the Greek Second Army surrendered on April 9 and resistance east of the Axios River collapsed. The Germans Drive South With the success in the east, List reinforced the XL Panzer Corps with the 5th Panzer Division for a push through the Monastir Gap. Completing preparations by April 10, the Germans attacked south and found no Yugoslav resistance in the gap. Exploiting the opportunity, they pressed on hitting elements of W Force near Vevi, Greece. Briefly halted by troops under Major General Iven McKay, they overcame this resistance and captured Kozani on April 14. Pressed on two fronts, Wilson ordered a withdrawal behind the Haliacmon River. A strong position, the terrain only afforded lines of advance through the Servia and Olympus passes as well as the Platamon tunnel near the coast. Attacking through the day on April 15, German forces were unable to dislodge New Zealand troops at Platamon. Reinforcing that night with armor, they resumed the next day and compelled the Kiwis to retreat south to the Pineios River. There they were ordered to hold the Pineios Gorge at all costs to allow the rest of W Force to move south. Meeting with Papagos on the April 16, Wilson informed him that he was retreating to the historic pass at Thermopylae. While W Force was establishing a strong position around the pass and village of Brallos, the Greek First Army in Albania was cut off by German forces. Unwilling to surrender to the Italians, its commander capitulated to the Germans on April 20. The next day, the decision to evacuate W Force to Crete and Egypt was made and preparations moved forward. Leaving a rearguard at the Thermopylae position, Wilsons men began embarking from ports in Attica and southern Greece. Attacked on April 24, Commonwealth troops succeeded in holding their position throughout the day until falling back that night to a position around Thebes. On the morning of April 27, German motorcycle troops succeeded in moving around the flank of this position and entered Athens. With the battle effectively over, Allied troops continued to be evacuated from ports in the Peloponnese. Having captured the bridges over the Corinth canal on April 25 and crossed over at Patras, German troops pushed south in two columns towards the port of Kalamata. Defeating numerous Allied rearguards, they succeeded in capturing between 7,000-8,000 Commonwealth soldiers when the port fell. In the course of the evacuation, Wilson had escaped with around 50,000 men. Aftermath In the fighting for Greece, British Commonwealth forces lost 903 killed, 1,250 wounded, and 13,958 captured, while the Greeks suffered 13,325 killed, 62,663 wounded, and 1,290 missing. In their victorious drive through Greece, List lost 1,099 killed, 3,752 wounded, and 385 missing. Italian casualties numbered 13,755 killed, 63,142 wounded, and 25,067 missing. Having captured Greece, the Axis nations devised a tripartite occupation with the nation divided between German, Italian, and Bulgarian forces. The campaign in the Balkans came to an end the following month after German troops captured Crete. Considered a strategic blunder by some in London, others believed that the campaign was politically necessary. Coupled with late spring rains in the Soviet Union, the campaign in the Balkans delayed the launch of Operation Barbarossa by several weeks. As a result, German troops were forced to race against the approaching winter weather in their battle with the Soviets. Selected Sources Hellinica: Battle of GreeceUS Army Center for Military History: German Invasion of GreeceFeldgrau: German Invasion of Greece