Wednesday 15 May 2013

Task 6 extension

In this task I'm going to compare the main job roles in the main departments in two different organisations. I chose to write about Westminster Kingsway College and John Lewis.

Some examples for main departments in Westminster Kingsway College are Finance, Human Resources, ILT (Information and Learning Technology), Marketing, Professional Development, and Quality. Westminster Kingsway College is not a profit making business. It main purpose is to provide education to students.As well as the other organisations the college main aim is to present good image and provide good services to the students.

Examples for departments in John Lewis are Human Resources, Finance, Sales department, ICT, Research and Development, Marketing, and Customer Service. John Lewis is a profit making business but the role of the departments in achieving aims and objectives is quite similar. The company wants to provide new, innovative products in terms to get more customers and to satisfy their needs.

The departments that both companies have are Finance, HR, Marketing and ICT.

The finance department is to manage company's finance, keep records of all financial events and purchases within the business. The finance department is also responsible for the wages and salaries for the employees. 

Main responsibilities for the Accountants in John lewis are:

  • preparing regular financial statements and accounts, such as profit and loss accounts
  • monitoring spending, costs and budgets
  • analysing the company’s financial performance
  • forecasting and planning future spending and profits
  • recommending ways to reduce costs and increase profits
  • managing a team of accounting technicians and finance clerks
  • overseeing the company's payroll, credit control and bookkeeping systems.


Main responsibilities for Financial manager in WKC are:

  • providing financial information
  • monitoring and interpreting cash flows 
  • analysing change and advising accordingly
  • formulating strategic and long-term plans
  • researching and reporting on factors influencing the organisation performance
  • developing financial management that minimise financial risk
  • conducting evaluations for cost-reduction opportunities
  • managing a company's financial accounting, monitoring and reporting systems
  • producing accurate financial reports to specific deadlines
  • managing budgets
  • supervising staff
  • keeping abreast of changes in financial regulations and legislation.


The human resources function, in terms to achieve the company’s aims and objectives, is to take care for the staff, trainings and hiring the best person for the job. If the staff is well trained and committed to aims and objectives of the business, the organisation is more likely to be successful.

Main responsibilities for HR Advisor in John Lewis are:

  • Conducting job evaluations
  • Advising managers on recruitment and selection strategies
  • Coordinating the appointment process for successful applicants
  • Negotiating terms and conditions of employment with staff
  • Providing advice and playing a major role in work reviews and change processes
  • Updating and maintaining the HR Information System data
  • Advising on staff development
  • Consulting on issues related to workplace relations and performance management
  • Providing advice and assistance on policies, procedures, legislation, and enterprise agreements


Main responsibilities for HR Manager in WCK are:

  • Lead and direct the Human Resource team to deliver a comprehensive HR service to the college
  • Employee Relations managing absence, disciplinaries, grievances, sickness etc. Measure employee satisfaction and identify areas that require improvement
  • Learning & Development providing guidance on development for managers and their teams
  • Training - Carry out the training and development agenda; identify areas that need attention and improvement
  • Reward advise and support employees on organisation benefits
  • In conjunction with the Head of HR, ensure all company policies and procedures are up to date in line with current employment law
  • Working with senior managers, coaching them and advising on all people issues
  • Crafting of business and people solutions
  • Managing HR budgets


Marketing department must act as a guide and lead the company's other departments in developing, producing, fulfilling, and servicing products or services for their customers.It typically has a better understanding of the market and customers' needs and wants. 

Main responsibilities for the Marketing manager in John Lewis are:

  • researching and analysing market trends
  • coming up with marketing strategies
  • planning campaigns and managing budgets
  • organising the production of posters, brochures and websites
  • making sure that campaigns run to deadline and on budget
  • managing a team of marketing executives and assistants.


Main responsibilities for the Head of marketing in WKC are:
  • To research analyze and evaluate the competitive market environment
  • Develops, manages and implements creative, effective and successful annual marketing plans for the organisation along with the annual market plan and budget
  • Marketing plans should include Advertising and Public Relations
  • Keep effective control of budgets
  • Ensure that the college’s image is maintained at high standard.


ICT department helps with the IT maintenance, obtaining and installing hardware, obtaining and installing software, managing LAN and WAN networks and supporting IT users in an organisation. 

Main responsibilities for Network manager in John lewis are:

  • supervising technical staff
  • implementing network security measures
  • planning preventative maintenance schedules
  • monitoring and reporting on network performance and usage
  • managing network growth and development.


Main responsibilities for the ICT technician in WKC are:

  • installing new IT systems
  • upgrading existing hardware and software
  • testing systems to make sure that they are working properly
  • servicing printers, scanners and other office equipment 


A business is doing well and completes its aims and objectives easier if the functional areas work well together and communicate well to each other. The purpose of the functional areas is to ensure that the business activities are carried out efficiently. Specific areas will support different aims and objectives.
Different departments have their responsibility to achieve the aims and objectives of the company. They all work together to achieve the same target, to become better organisation, provide the best service and satisfy the customers’ needs and wants. 

Thursday 2 May 2013

Task 1 extension

In this part of the assignment I am going to explain the benefits of starting your own business. Starting it can be very stressful but entrepreneurs can get great rewards if they are lucky enough to create successful business.
Here are some rewards of going out on your own.:
Make your own money
Make your own decisions
A good experience

Independence and flexibility are ones of the main benefits for the entrepreneurs. People who work for themselves have more freedom and independence. One of the main goals for the people, who set up their own business, is the power. It's your own company, so you can make your employees do it your way. You make your own decisions and you get more experience. Money are also very important reward. You can get rich in a small business, or at least do very well financially. You can keep the money for yourself and do whatever you want with it. You can decide to invest it in your business of use it for personal needs.
If you want to start up your own business you need to think about some important things about your business. To succeed you'll need a business idea that works and have the skills you'll need. You need to think how much money you will spend and how to do your business plan. If you start your own business, the only person you have to answer to is yourself. The good thing about being an entrepreneur is that you choose what kind of firm you start up and where. So, providing that you've done your research properly and there is a gap in the market, you can turn a hobby or interest into a profitable enterprise. Meet your own targets can be a huge motivation to work hard and drive the business forward.

There are many advantages of creating your own business. Many famous people started their own businesses. Some examples are Jamal Edwards, Jack Cohen, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Levi Roots, Bill Gates, Karen Millen and many others. I am going to explain how some of them started from nothing and now they are rich and famous for what they do.

Jamal Edwards is 22. He has 130 million YouTube hits and is one of the biggest names in the music industry. He has £6 million. He is richer than pop icons Jessie J and Taio Cruz and still owns a 100% of his online broadcasting company SBTV. SBTV is a very modern broadcaster based only on YouTube. It publishes interviews, live events, and jam sessions of upcoming artists and music superstars.

Lord Alan Sugar is a British business magnate, media personality and political advisor. He has £770 million and was ranked 89th in the Sunday Times Rick List 2011. He is most famous for his ventures, such as, Amstrad, Tottenham Hotspur, Amsair, Amsprop, Viglen LTD, Amscreen, and many TV appearances.

Karen Millen Fashions Limited is a British multi-national women's designer clothing retailer. The company was founded in 1981 from Karen Millen and Kevin Stanford. They bought one thousand metres of white cotton and began manufacturing and selling white shirts. Now the company has stores throughout many European countries.

These are only few examples of the people who started up their business. With the right planning, effort, and a little bit of luck you can set up your own successful business and make money from whatever you like to do.

In this task of the assignment I am going to write about the consequences for society of an increase in online business.

There are some consequences that affect the society in many different ways. Because of the online business has been accross the globe this affects the society and the way they shop.
Nowadays, many people prefer to stay at home on the computer and buy all they need with just one click on the mouse. Businesses provide deliveries at home, so it is very convinient for people because they don't need to go to the shop and carry heavy bags.

There are many disadvantages of the increase in online business. There is a lack of human contact. People don't go out often and they don't communicate to other people.
Another problem is that the society wants companies and organisations to make available well-paid jobs, but when online business is increasing this is impossible because the company doesn't need many people to operate online. The business needs just few people to take care of the website and the products. Businesses which operate in a phisical premises hire more staff and more people are employed within different departments.
Customers want good quality products at a cheap price , and companies on the other hand want to maximise profits, so this is why they always try to satisfy the customers' needs and requirements.

Sunday 28 April 2013

Task 3d (task 2 extension)

In this task I am going to explain the possible benefits to the business and customers in developing an online business.

The online business can provide many opportunities and benefits. There are many different ways to do business online and satisfy all the customers' needs. You can provide a wide range of services online. Offering many services online provides opportunities for you to reach more customers and succeed in a competitive marketplace.Customers may prefer to visit your website to find out about your products and services and buy goods online, instead of going to the shop.

When you are planning the online business, you should:
  • research your competitors and other online businesses
  • decide what aspects will benefit your online business
  • review your budget to work out what you can afford
  • familiarise yourself with any laws and regulations that will apply to your online business activities
  • consider your requirements, including what software you need and what types of computer equipment you need to run it
  • plan for risks, such as computer viruses, scams, data theft and loss of or damage to hardware
  • think about what training you or your staff might need
  • be realistic about the time and budget you will need to manage your online business
How you manage your business online will depend on the products or services you offer. You may be able to use the internet to:
  • run an online shop
  • manage your suppliers
  • communicate with your customers, and get their feedback on your business
  • offer services online
  • allow customers to make reservations or appointments online
  • manage your finances, such as online banking, tax and employee pay
  • research competitors.
The many benefits of online business include:
  • Global access, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Improved client service through greater flexibility
  • Cost savings
  • Less paper waste
  • Opportunities to manage your business from anywhere in the world
  • Financial benefits
  • Faster delivery of products
  • Time saving
  • Helps these who live away from shops
  • Different methods of payment
 One of the main benefits is the cost saving. There are minimal start-up costs to create and run a website. To create a website you need to spend minimum money and it is ready for only few days.
You can offer online feedback forms for your customers. This can help you recognise problems and improve customer service without losing customers. Also it will help you to target the right audience more effectively.
Running an online business is the most effective way to reduce a company's carbon footprint. Fewer staff are needed and your employees can work from home - save on travelling and utilities costs. You can run your business from your home and even when you are on holiday. It saves you time and a lot of effort. You don't need to have premises or to pay for utilities.
 The online shopping is very helpful for people who don't live near to any shops.
Also a good benefit for the customers is that the courier companies can allow them to track their orders online. This gives customers an idea of how long they need to wait for a delivery, so they can make sure they're home when a delivery is due.
Your online business will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. If you are running an E-commerce website then your business can make money for you while you are sleeping or doing your hobby. Potential customers can browse the products and services, and review them whenever they want from the comfort of their own home.

The internet is, also, a great and very effective tool for marketing. Online advertising is affordable and easily tracked which means you see what communication is working and what isn't. Email marketing is also a powerful tool to help raise brand awareness, build relationships and advertise your business effectively. 

Sunday 14 April 2013

Task 2B Sources of advice

I am going to describe different individuals and organisations that can help you set up a new business. Some of them are formal and some are informal.

Individuals
-Solicitors/lawyers
-accountants
-teacher
-mentor
-parents
-friends

Organisations
-Department of Business innovation and Skills
-Bank
-local authority
-C.A.B
- young entrepreneur mentoring orgs.

Solicitors and lawyers can help you with the problems that the business can face. They can offer the right advice on all the typical problems. Getting legal advice at the start means that you can avoid crises. A solicitor can help you identify possible problems and take steps to prevent them - protecting your business and saving your money. For my business I would choose solicitor's help. They always give the right advice, particularly where legal matters concerned. They can help you with the company structure, business premises, finance, taxes, insurance, cash-flow, licenses and employment.

Accountants are people who help business to manage its finance. The advice of a great accountant is very important to set up a business. Accountant can help you with financial statement, forecast cash-flow, provide business advice for expansion, and help you reduce unnecessary expenses.

Teachers and mentors can give you a lot of information about different businesses and how to set up your own successful business. They can give you advice how to trade it, how to manage your finance, how to create your marketing strategy and etc.

Parents and friends are the people who can help you with the funding for your business. They can invest money and also give you advice on how to trade your business. I would use the help of my parents and friends, because these are the people I can trust the most. I have many friends who already have their own businesses. I can ask them for advice how to make my business successful. They can help me with finance, marketing, accounting and they can give me advice on how to avoid crises.

The department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is the department for economic growth. It helps people to promote, trade, boost innovations and help people to start and grow a business. It protects consumer and reduces the impact of regulation. I would choose BIS to help me with my business, because they are responsible for working with further and higher education providers to give students the skills they need to set up a business. They make sure consumer law is fair for both consumers and businesses.

People who start up a business need to choose an efficient business-friendly, accountant provider. Banks will help people and give them plenty of support, generous loans, useful business tools, and helpful advice.

Local authority is responsible for a range of services that your business may need to use or know about. These include planning applications, health and safety, licenses, and environment and trading standards requirements. I would choose the local authority to help me to set up my business.

C.A.B. can help you with things like what kind of a business you can run, training, how to trade, finance, income tax, VAT, premises, business rates, insurance, names and licenses, and further advice.

Young entrepreneur mentoring orgs. is a new scheme launched by the government offering loans to young entrepreneurs, to help them start up successful business. Applicants will receive advice, guidance and help with developing business plan.

Friday 22 March 2013

Task 2c Job role for an estate agent

Estate agency administrator
 
Location:
East Central London
 
Salary:
£10,000 - £12,000 per annum
 
Company:
Colourful House
 
Job Type:
Permanent
 
Job Description:
As an administrator within our company you should have good organisational and time-keeping skills. You should also be trustworthy.
We are more interested in your skills and experience than your formal qualifications.
 
Colourful House have an excellent opportunity for a property administrator to join a well established estate agent. Suitable property administrators will have experience within property/ estate agent administration and an excellent telephone manner.
The role of a property administrator will include updating the company website, mail merges, offer letters correspondence, and supporting a busy team. The working hours are from 9am to 5pm, 5 days a week.
 
Administrator's Responsibilities:
  • Registering new applicants both over the phone and face to face
  • Arranging viewings
  • dealing with post
  • making sure that there is enough stationery
  • answering the telephone and passing on calls
  • typing and setting up documents such as letters and reports
  • keeping computer records up to date
  • filing
  • using office equipment such as printers, photocopiers and fax machines
  • managing staff appointments
Administrator Requirements:
  • with previous experience of administration skills, although it is not essential
  • Self motivated and enthusiastic, desire to succeed
  • Well presented with excellent communication skills is essential
  • Polite and get on well with people
  • an organised approach and excellent time management skills
  • good communication skills are essential
  • the ability to work well as part of a team
  • computer literacy and good typing skills are desireable
  • accuracy and attention to detail
 
If you are interested in this job, please apply online, forward an up to date copy of your CV to tsvetelina.kochankova@gmail.com .
 

Monday 11 March 2013

Market research survey (Estate agent)


1
What gender are you?
o Male
o Female

2
What age are you?
o 18-24
o 25-36
o 36-45
o 46-56
o 57+

3
Please state your ethnicity.
_____________________
o Prefer not to say

4
Are you:
o Waged or unwaged
o Student
o Other (Please specify)
_____________________

5
What area do you live in?
_________________________

6
What type of accommodation do you live in?
o   Flat
o   House
o   Other (Please specify)
_____________________


7
What kind of a company do you think of when you see this logo?


_____________________

8
Have you ever used an estate agent services?
o Yes
o No

9
If 'yes' how likely are you to recommend your real estate agent to others?
o Extremely likely
o Very likely
o Moderately likely
o Slightly likely
o Not at all likely

10
Which source of information do you use when choosing a real estate agent?
o Open houses
o Family or friend recommendation
o Social networking website
o Real estate advertisement
o Mortgage brokers
o Internet
o Yard signs
o Other (please specify)
______________

11
What type of accommodation are you most interested in?
o Flat
o House
o Commercial
o Land

12
If our new services were available today, how likely would you be to use it instead of competing services currently available from other companies?
o Extremely likely
o Very likely
o Moderately likely
o Slightly likely
o Not at all likely

13
How likely would you be to recommend our services to others?
o Extremely likely
o Very likely
o Moderately likely
o Slightly likely
o Not at all likely

14
If you are not likely to use out services, why not?
o Don't need service like this
o Don't want service like this
o Satisfied with competing services currently available
o Cannot pay for service like this
o Other (please specify)
_______________________

15
What do you like most about competing services currently available from other companies?
_______________________

Financial aspects of a business

In this part of the assignment I'm going to write about the start up costs, fixed and variable costs for my business. 

Start up costs

This is the amount of money used to begin a business. Money need to be spent on capital items.

Rent

East London EC1, EC2, EC3
Around 60 sq. m. premises
£12,000 per annum
Rates (council tax) about £100 per month

Utilities
Gas, electricity, light – about £200 per month
TV, phone, internet £35 per month (£50 installation tax) Virgin Media

Software System
Microsoft Word - Office home and business 2013 - £220

Insurance
Around £50 per month

Equipment
Camera £150
Television £300
3 Computers £700 each - £2100
Printer £80
Phones £55 (triple pack)
Digital Screen £300
Light panels for posters £200
CCTV cameras – 4 cameras for £400

Office furniture (if the office is unfurnished)
3 Computer tables £100 each - £300
3 chairs £50 each - £150
3 shelves £50 each - £150
3 Multi drawer Cabinets £50 each - £150
Wall clock - £10
3 plastic waste bins £5 each - £15

Stationery
A4 back lit papers for light panels (packed in 50 sheets) £35
Paper A4 (3 packs) £5 each - £15
Paper A3 (2 packs) £6 each - £12
Pens (20 in pack) £4 each - £8 (2 packs)
Pencils (6 in pack) £2.20 each - £6.60 (3 packs)
Markers (4 in pack) £5 each pack - £15 (3 packs)
Ink for the printer - £20
10 Notebooks - £12
Storage boxes - £13 (pack of 10)
Sticky notes (3 per pack) £2 - £6 (3 packs)
Coloured folders (50 per pack) - £5
Assorted folders (5 per pack) £3 - £9 (3 packs)

Total: £17,171.60

Fixed Costs

These costs don’t change. They may increase or decrease over time.

Rent 

£12,000 per annum - £1000 per month
Rates (council tax) about £100 per month

Utilities

TV, phone, internet £35 per month

Insurance

about £50 per month

Permanent staff/wages

about £2500 per month for two people 


Total fixed costs: 3,685 per month


Variable costs

These are the corporate expenses that vary with the production output. These costs are depending on a company’s volume.

Utilities

gas, electricity, water - about £200 per month

Stationery

Depending on how many pens, pencils, paper packs and etc. we need every month the costs may vary - roughly £150

Marketing/Advertising

Depending on how we advertise the business - roughly £6000 for 6 months (£1000 per month)

Total variable costs: £1,350 per month 



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