4 Top WordPress CRM Plugins (+ How to Turn WordPress Into a CRM)

Why do you need WordPress CRM plugins? First, lets agree that keeping track of business contacts can seriously eat into your daily schedule, robbing you of the time you need to grow your brand – and without growth, your business could quickly go from forward-thinking to moving backwards.Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are designed to help you regain that time. Many CRMs also assist with  correspondence, serving as a potential  difference between a missed business opportunity and the clinching of a major deal. Its of no surprise that, once again, WordPress is flexible enough to accommodate the need for such software, with a number of WordPress CRM plugins out there to choose from.In this post, well discuss the benefits of using a CRM, as well as why you should consider turning WordPress into a tool  that can help handle your contacts. Finally, well compare and contrast our top four WordPress CRM plugins – by the end of this post youll have a clear id ea on which solution is right for you. It acts as a hub for your customers contact details to keep them easily accessible, searchable, and manageable. In addition, a high-end CRM typically boasts features such as  calendars, task management, email marketing, and website form creation, to help organizations  generate and follow up on leads.Agile CRM  is a popular standalone choice for handling customer interactions.For instance, ClicDatas use of Agile CRM is a typical example of the benefits of CRMs. Despite having a global reach, they were  having trouble managing leads manually, and required a CRM to help  unify their contacts. They also required the  marketing and sales features a quality CRM provides to help their sales teams  chase up new and existing  leads.By adopting Agile CRM, ClicData were able to fulfill all those needs. They increased their lead follow up rate by 90%, and enhanced their sales conversions by 30% compared to the previous year.Why should you use WordPress as a CRM?Perhaps the biggest benefit of choosing one of the WordPress CRM plugins is the fact that so many are available for free. In contrast, standalone CRM platforms – such as  Agile CRM – tend to  cost a pretty penny.Furthermore, contacts that are already integrated with  your WordPress website will be far easier to access and manage on a day-to-day basis. Having everything  under the same digital roof helps streamline the workflows of both you and your staff.Finally, you and your team should already be familiar with the WordPress environment, so you wont have to  get used to  a new interface  in order to start managing your customers details efficiently.Now that weve explored why WordPress is a good home  for your CRM system, lets take a look at our top four WordPress CRM plugins to get the job done. Heres a short table comparison if youre in a hurry:PluginCore Plugin PriceAdd-ons?Feature SetvCita CRMFreeYes (Premium)MidrangeWP ERPFre eYes (Premium)RobustUpiCRMFreeNoneBasicUkuuPeopleFreeYes (Premium)MidrangeThe four best WordPress CRM plugins compared1. vCita CRM Lead Management for WordPress CRM and Lead Management by vCita Author(s): vCita.comCurrent Version: 2.6.2Last Updated: June 20, 2019crm-customer-relationship-management-by-vcita.2.6.2.zip 72%Ratings 30,992Downloads WP 2.8+Requires OverviewvCita CRM Lead Management for WordPress is  a  powerful CRM solution that enables you to generate new sales opportunities, track all interactions, gain insights, and collect payment from customers.  It even  automates your client reminders, notifications, and overall communications.The plugin works together with vCitas Small Business Management App  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  a free customer relationship platform that  encourages site interaction. Those actions include sending messages, scheduling appointments, uploading documents, and paying for services – even from mobile devices.Finally, vCita also has iOS and Android apps to help you  view, manage, and reply to customers wherever you are.ProsAn excellent extension of the vCita platformActively engages with visitors to make sales, appointments, and moreNative iOS and Android appsOffers integrated email and SMS marketing toolsConsThe advanced nature of the plugin may overwhelm those looking for a simpler CRM solutionThe iPhone app has been known to have interface problemsIf you upgrade your vCita software you may feel like the monthly pricing is too expensiveWho is CRM Lead Management for WordPress best suited for?If you already make use of vCitas all-in-one small business management app, using this plugin is a no-brainer. However, it may not be suitable  if youre looking for a simpler solution. We also like it for those companies that want to incorporate payment and marketing tools into their CRM.2. WP ERP – HRM, CRM Accounting Solution For WordPress WP ERP Complete WordPress Business Manager with HR, CRM Accounti ng Systems for Small Businesses Author(s): weDevsCurrent Version: 1.5.5Last Updated: October 4, 2019erp.1.5.5.zip 86%Ratings 205,383Downloads WP 4.4+Requires OverviewWP ERP is an enterprise resource planning plugin made for medium to large companies working with WordPress. Its actually a full suite of tools including features for recruitment, accounting, human resources, and customer relationship management.Therefore, youre able to expand upon your CRM and bring most of your resource planning into one WordPress dashboard. For instance, the human resources module helps with communicating with employees and adding them to departments.That said, this article is about WordPress CRM plugins, so thats what well focus on.The CRM provides options for personalizing the customer life cycles for each client. It includes notes for marking down important interactions, along with a full log of every communication. Leads are collected through the plugin, where you can then assign tasks to di fferent people in your organization. Categorize your contacts, and even schedule meetings with clients from within the plugin.ProsYou dont just receive a CRM, but four other modules for things like recruitment, documents, human resources, and accountingThe CRM has customization tools for personalizing your business approach for each clientThe ERP core plugin is freeIntegrates with popular apps and software like WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and SalesforceIts easy to assign tasks to team membersInteraction logs are stored automatically, but you still have manual tools for notes and grouping customersConsYou may have to upgrade to more advanced features or add some extensions for an additional costSome companies may not want a full suite of products like thisSome of the premium add-ons can be found for free in other plugins on this list like payroll and payment processingWho is WP ERP best suited for?WP ERP makes the most sense for medium to large businesses that also want to take advantag e of the other tools for recruitment, accounting, and human resources.3. UpiCRM UpiCRM – Leads Management and Contact Form DB for WordPress Author(s): upiCurrent Version: 2.2.6.0Last Updated: September 19, 2019upi-crm-universal-crm-solution.zip 92%Ratings 55,213Downloads Requires OverviewUpiCRM is a free WordPress CRM plugin  that  works with your chosen contact form plugin to capture and manage leads. It boasts powerful user management, enabling you to configure roles, assign leads, group contacts, and send emails – ideal for  teams working collaboratively.UpiCRM also offers an advanced analytics system, providing  detailed insights into user activity from your dashboard. This helps with gathering traffic sources and actually linking your leads to those sources. Along with an elegant and behind-the-scenes interface, UpiCRM ranks as one of the best WordPress CRM plugins.ProsComplete customer life cycle managementTeamwork and collaboration features built -inRole hierarchy optionsDashboard KPIs  give quick and easily digestible insightsBuilt-in analytics for improved tracking and marketingThe plugin is completely free with no upsellsConsLimited marketing campaign monitoring featuresAlthough it works with a handful of popular contact form plugins, you may find that your current solution is not supportedWho is UpiCRM best suited for?Thanks to its user management features, UpiCRM is best suited to teams looking to manage the entire life cycle of a customer. Its particularly nice for linking to current databases and creating hierarchies for users. In short, I like it best for that initial transfer process from a contact form to a database.4. UkuuPeople CRM: Contact Management Simplified UkuuPeople Author(s): UkuuPeopleCurrent Version: 1.6.3Last Updated: July 10, 2018ukuupeople-the-simple-crm.zip 100%Ratings 19,866Downloads WP 4.6+Requires OverviewUkuuPeople is perhaps the most detailed  standalone  WordPress CRM plugin on this list, helping you manage your contacts from  a master list. You can then segment your contacts into groups (or tribes), and monitor  interactions with them via TouchPoints. Furthermore, you can build an email list, schedule meetings, manage tasks, add team members, and more – all from your WordPress dashboard.Finally, UkuuPeople is a free plugin, although premium add-ons are available to integrate UkuuPeople CRM with relevant third-party business apps such as  MailChimp and Google Apps. These add-ons are sold as bundles (typically a few hundred dollars) or as individual extensions (usually around $50 to $100 per add-on).The primary features offer options throughout the client life cycle. For instance, you can sell products, generate business directories, build mailing lists, and collect leads from a contact or donation form.ProsManage and monitor interactions with multiple TouchPointsEasily build email listsManage and assign tasksCan be integrated with other popula r business apps like Gravity Forms and Give DonationsThe core plugin is entirely freeIt has tools for selling products or accepting donationsConsIntegrations with other business apps come with  a costThere arent any plugin translations outside of EnglishWho is UkuuPeople best suited for?UkuuPeople is a WordPress CRM plugin with many advanced options, as well as integrations with other vital business apps. This makes it ideal for small to medium-sized companies looking to turn WordPress into a CRM. The contact forms connect nicely with your databases, and its also an excellent plugin for collecting money from clients.ConclusionIf your brand depends on working with a large number of contacts, the time needed to simply manage and organize those details can be a mind-numbing chore – not to mention a poor use of your time.WordPress CRM plugins are ideal solutions, both for your productivity and budget.  Lets recap the plugins weve compared:vCita: Ideal for vCita members lookin g to expand operations to their WordPress website.WP ERP:  An excellent choice if you want a full enterprise management suite with a CRM, accounting tools, HR options, and more.UpiCRM:  For teams working together to manage customer life cycles and collect leads from contact forms.UkuuPeople:  Ideal for slightly larger teams looking for more advanced features like payment acceptance and touchpoint monitoring.Are you a fan of any of the above WordPress CRM plugins,  or do you make use of another solution  to handle your business contacts? Let us know in the comments section below! How to turn #WordPress into a #CRM

summary of Linda Hogans Power essays

summary of Linda Hogans Power essays In Linda Hogans 1998 novel Power, much is learned about Native American culture. The main characters, Omishto and Ama help reveal this culture. The novel is divided into nine chapters. In Chapter 1, Omishto, a girl is in a boat that is floating on a pond. She notices that there is a storm coming in. She describes the pond and the area around it. A snake tries to enter the girls boat, but she pushes it out with a pole, and then she moves the boat to land. As she does this, she feels something watching her, but does not want to look in the direction. A woman named Ama has told the girl that she is in the territory of the cat (3). The girl says that she has never seen the cat, but Ama saved one when some boys had it treed. Ama took away the boys rifle. The girls father named her Omishto, which means one who watches. Omishtos grandmother says that Omishto has a wind inside her called Oni. Omishto is careful on her way home because she can still feel something watching her. Chapter 2, Stormlight, opens with a story about a man named Abraham Swallow. People believe that he died from fear or magic in some trees near a canal. As Omishto walks toward Ama Eatons house, she recalls this story. Near Amas house there is a tree called Methuselah that is 500 years old and was planted by the Spanish. Methuselah is the only tree of its kind in the area. The tree and Amas house sit on the edge of the Taiga land. Taiga is the name of the Indian tribe to which Ama and Omishto belong. Amas house is old and looks like it is decaying. As Omishto reaches Amas house, Ama tells Omishto to come into the house. Omishto tries to sneak up on Ama, but Ama always hears her. Ama and Omishto then sit on the porch together and discuss Abraham Swallows death. Omishto tells Ama that she does not think magic killed Abraham. Abrah...

Fire Fighting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fire Fighting - Essay Example Thirdly, Madrzykowski explores fire dynamics and discusses different case studies on fire dynamics. He brings forth different fire scenarios and how development and progression of fire are influenced by different factors. For instance, ventilation influences the progression of the fire. In a closed compartment, heated gases mix with oxygen resulting in a flaming combustion. However, as the oxygen gets depleted, the fire decays. The heat emitted from the fire decreases and consequently the temperature decreases. When oxygen is introduced into the compartment, either through the opening of a window or a door, the heated gases mix with the oxygen and as a result, the energy levels begin to rise. Such a change in ventilation can lead to a flashover. Lastly, Alkonis and Madrzykowski discuss training on fire behavior and organizational change in the management of fires. To enhance safety and survivability, they recommend the application of water as soon as possible, limiting the opening of doors and windows, closing all doors and windows, identification of fire location, extent and characteristics of the smoke as well as identifying and interrupting the flow path. Importantly, the process of firefighting needs to be a well-coordinated effort with proper communication among team members (Kerber, Madrzykowski, & Alkonis, 2015). In summary, NIST and UL’s research has revolutionized firefighting and introduced change in modern day fire service. Undoubtedly, the changes are likely to stay for generations to come.

Introduction to Finance - coursework Research Paper

Introduction to Finance - coursework - Research Paper Example ary if the interest rate in the market goes down to 5 % the investor will try more n more to get a hold on organization's bond since your bond is paying higher interest rates than that prevailing in the market. Therefore the bond prices will go up. Bondprices = (60000 / 2 ) x {1 - (1+ .05 / 2 )-2x15 } / ( .05 / 2) + 1,000,000 / ( 1 + .05 / 2 )2 x 15 = 1104651.463 > 1000,000 (par value) if the bond's prices for a company are going higher It will add value to the name of the company and the stock prices will also go up for such a company f) The Expected rate of reurn = dividend yield + capital gain (Bearly & Myers, 2001) Dividend yield = next dividend payment / current price of the stock = Do x (1 + g) / price of the stock Here, Do = last dividend payment = 3.21 g = 7% price of stock = 75.529 Dividend yield = Do x (1 + g) / price of the stock = 3.21 x (1+ .07) / 75.529 = .04547 Capital gain yield = (P1 - Po) / Po = (73 - 75.529 ) / 75.529 = -0.0334 rate of reurn = 0.04547 - 0.0334 = 0.1199 = 11.99% f) the current valuue of stock: Po = Do (1+g)/(Ks-g) Po = 3.21(1+.07)/(0.1199-.07) Po = 68.83. Recommendations Currently the bonds of the company are being traded at $874,420. this price is very much below the par value of the stock . the bond has a coupon rate of 6% attached to it while the current interest rate prevailing in the market is 7.4152%. the company is offering an interest that is below the prevailing interest rate and hence the investors find a low interest in company's bond which is resulting in the decline of price. "If overall interest rates in the market later fall, prices of existing, higher interest-rate bonds generally will rise. That's because the existing bonds are more attractive to buyers than new, lower interest-rate...Therefore the bond prices will go up. Currently the bonds of the company are being traded at $874,420. this price is very much below the par value of the stock . the bond has a coupon rate of 6% attached to it while the current interest rate prevailing in the market is 7.4152%. the company is offering an interest that is below the prevailing interest rate and hence the investors find a low interest in company's bond which is resulting in the decline of price. "If overall interest rates in the market later fall, prices of existing, higher interest-rate bonds generally will rise. That's because the existing bonds are more attractive to buyers than new, lower interest-rate bonds and, as a result, are typically offered at higher prices (seligman, 2007)". This debt through bonds make the firm risky since it is covering 50% of the total rrquirement by APEX. APEX requires a total financing of $2,000,000 and the bond are issued for $1,000,000. Covering half of your financing requirement through debt exposes the organization to greater risk and reduces the credibility of investors towards organization. Mr. Thinkard should wait for time when the interest rates in the market falls below the coupon rate on bonds. this will cause increase in bond price and Mr.

Outline and critically evaluate theories of globalisation in Essay

Outline and critically evaluate theories of globalisation in communications - Essay Example Globalization is associated with new expertise such as use of internet, communication and cultural exchange across diverse continents and areas and has led to increase in international trade, international capital flow, flow of information, cultural exchange and international movement of labor (Fischer 2003, P3). Though globalization has been given varying definitions as well as its impacts across various disciplines such sociology, economics, political and cultural, there is a common acknowledgement of development of information and communication technology as a major contributor to globalization. Therefore communication is a major element of globalization (McAnany 2002, P 3). Globalization has led to emergency of global markets that has both negative and positive effects on people in regards to their occupation, spiritual values, and personality. The theory of globalization is wide and therefore it interpretation has several effects on understanding of globalization and can be subd ivided into several theories with universal focus to social analysis and changes (El-Ojeili and Hayden 2006, P.2). This paper will outline and critically evaluate theories of globalization in communications. Theories of Globalization There are different theories in regard to globalization but most of them are based on a common viewpoint, worldwide associations and pattern (Ardalan 2012, P. 94). Previously definitions on globalization suggested that it is a continues process that have existed from long time ago as people travelled to different areas to trade to the current state of globalization where trade barrier has been minimized with free movement of labor and capital across nations. In recent times globalization has been expanded to include economic, cultural and political theories. Globalization has been associated with development of information and communication technology and there communication is an important factor of globalization. Each theory can be explaining under di fferent consideration depending on the current situation and discipline of study but all theories depend and interact with the other theories and therefore the theories of globalization will be discussed as follows for easy understanding: World economical theory World political theory World cultural theory World communication theory World economical theory People around the world have interacted over a long period for trade and globalization has been associated with the spread of capitalism and trade in the globe (Robinson 2007, P 125). Growth and development of contemporary world economy has been associated with traditional European trade that have evolved and expanded over time to the whole world due to global market, multinational companies, international borrowing and lending, international trade organization, environmental regulatory bodies and communication technologies that connect people across the continents. European economy developed in sixteenth and seventh centuries and later started venturing into other parts due to development of technology and this later grew to world trade (Lechner 2001). With improved technology there was improved production, established military group and developed modes of transport that helped to reinforce economic ties with different areas thus

Situation Analysis for Revive! UK

Situation Analysis for Revive! UK SITUATION ANALYSIS Situation analysis is the first step on a marketing communication plan. It is necessary step for a company to recognize the key markets issues and understand communication drivers (Fill, 2009). The goal of current assessment is Revive! Company to follow the above glidepath and in the end of the situation analysis there should be key issues that will drive the campaign objectives and communication plan of the company. 1.1 Organisational Analysis Revive! UK operates in the automotive repair sector since 2004 but its history goes back to 1994 as a franchise of Colourworks. The central offices of the company are located is in Rugby with 58 UK franchisees and 135 technicians in total. Their main services include Small and Medium Area Repair Technique such as: Bumper scuffs or scrapes Alloy wheels damage Paint or bodywork scratches Blending repairs to wheel arches Vandal scratches Cosmetic repairs Minor paint repair to trim Body panels Besides providing the above services, Revive! UK is strongly focused on franchising sales as a key mean of growth and market expansion. This fact is also supported from their decision to poach one of the top industry experts on franchising as a franchise director. In the franchise sales sector Revive! UK offers to the clients: Training Branding Minimum personal investment  £10,000 Accreditation systems The company had a 20% increase in sales on year with over 45% of all franchisees running multi van businesses (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017). Their cash in hand was increased from 2014 and according to companys latest financial data for 2015 their Net Work was increased 39,35% from 2014. Revive! UK performs in business to business environment and at the same time directly with the general public. They work closely with dealership groups, fleet and insurance companies and one example of their partners is National Tyres and Autocare (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017, Endole.co.uk, 2017). Key issues: Main focus of the company in franchising sales Very good latest financial data (Their cash in hand was increased from 2014 and according to companys latest financial data for 2015 their Net Work was increased 39,35% from 2014). Possible action: from marketing aspect the company should make more visible their actions in order to be easier approachable for the costumers. During this assignment it was very hard and à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± to find details for the company. It is vital for their franchising sales to give as more details as possible to the costumer to make their first step, to make a call into the company. Communication strategy The main communication strategy of the company is based on three basics elements: the convenience, the quality and the low cost of their services. There is no specific campaign for franchise sales besides the information on the website or the public relations stories on websites for the franchising industry. The first impression of a potential costumer with the company comes through the companys website. In order to convince a customer to go through the whole website, get informed about the services and make contact with the company, the website should be visually appealing, should give a general customer relationship management, personalisation and privacy (Mà ¶ller, Brezing, and Unz, 2012; Solutions, 2012). In case of Revive! UK it is found that the website is appealing, well designed, professional and easy to use. It has relevant service information and a standalone section dedicated to public relation stories, while communication contacts are easy to spot on main page. Franchisi ng is also easy to spot with most relevant information. Revive! UK has also a Facebook page with 2,442 followers and they have posts 2-3 times a week. The reviews from clients on the Facebook page are positive. There is no interaction among the company and the Facebook page visitors-followers. It is important to mention that besides Facebook page, the company does not have any other social media tool. Also, according to the companys website, Revive! UK does social responsibility actions for charity organization and community support which are not communicated through other channels beside their website and Facebook page. Another factor that was detected through this assignment is the poor optimization that the company has done for search engines. During the search for the company on Google with different words like: care repair UK, SMART repair services, minor car damage reaper UK, the position of Revive! UK website was not among the first results of the research (appentises a,..). In order to be noticed, the company should improve SEO as a digital marketing practice which will focuses on optimizing the website to increase the number of visitors the site receives from search engines. Key issue: Low Search Engine optimization Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated No interactive social media Possible Action: The company need to examine again the keywords and contents that they are using for the SEO. They should find the correct keywords to connect with words that clients use. But this is not the only solution. Because in some cases according to Ledford (2008) having optimized the correct keywords it is not enough. Factors such as advertising campaigns and update frequencies also affect SEO (Ledford, 2008, pg 14). So, a better strategy on the search engine optimization, without forgetting the optimization for mobile users The company should promote through different channels their social activities. For example, the latest action that they organized Andrew Jordan Goes Calendar Girls for Charity was only promoted from their website. Searching for articles or stories on Google there were no result for this action. In this case, a better PR strategy on this sector of the company would increase their communication strategy. The only social media that the company is using is Facebook. The use of Facebook, although, is limited on posting only news for the company. There is no feedback on the clients comments, even the fact that the comments are good. First of all, as many social media channels the company uses there is a good possibility to increase the SEO. The use of social media should give the opportunity to the company to communicate with its clients. A contest for a free service which would be only through social media, asking followers their opinion for something new that company did, engaging the franchisors in the social media game, these could be some steps to be more involved with their clients/followers/visitors etc. 1.2 Market Analysis 1.2.1 PEST Analysis for Revive! Company PEST analysis is a managerial tool used to analyze and measure market potentials and stands for political, Economic, Social and Technological issues. Political Potential changes on the franchise regulations because of Brexit. EU competition rules will continue to apply to franchising post-Brexit although the Commission will have reduced powers, and block exemption measures at UK level will be needed. (International Franchise Association, 2016) Potential increase in taxes. According to the Bank of England taxes are expected to increase in the following years (Inman, 2017). First of all this means that will affect Revive! UK services and products. With potential increase in taxes Revive! UK will have to increase their prices. That probably will make them to lose one of the current advantages that they have; which is cheap prices. As for the customers a potential increase in taxes will reduce their buying power. Potential risks on franchising outside UK. Due to a potential Brexit. It is unclear which will be the legislature of EU and company should re-examine it is franchise strategy (International Franchise Association, 2016). Import/Export tax duties applied for leaving common market. Changes on agreements would mean potential increase custom duties that will lead to more expensive row material, paint tooling, machines etc import. Export goods might lose pricing competitive advantage and become more expensive to EU market (Whos Who Legal, 2017). Economic Decrease of car sales on 2016. According to articles there are possibilities of a decrease on car sailings. This means that costumers will try to keep their old cars and fixing them if it is necessary (Sharpe, 2016). Worries for new trade deals with EU because of Brexit. According to articles because of Brexit Uk will give up full access to the single market along EU. In a soft Brexit trading would be on a tarrif-free basis (Sharpe, 2016; Bennett, 2016). These factors may make the company more cautious on investments or franchising outside UK. Potential interest rate increase (Moneywise, 2013). Increase of GDP and average salary for 2016(Statistics, 2017) Current improve export rate due to currency exchange Euro VS GP These facts show that costumers will have a good average of salary and this means that they will be more elastic on spending. According to the above information, because of the ongoing Brexit situation, franchising in another European country at this moment would be a risk for the company. The only countries that Revive! UK can approach are Ireland and Scotland. Since they already have tried to franchise in these countries years before without succeeding, probably now with the knowledge and the expertise they have would be easier. Social Current low unemployment rate with uncertain future projection (Statistics, 2017). There is a decrease of the number of the unemployment in the last 2 years (Appendixes). Need for vehicles and repairs expected to have a growth trend. Customer perception trend swift from car being a status symbol to fuel efficiency and low emissions. Customer buying pattern expected to change to short term investing into repairing existing cars for as long as possible before switching to new eco friendly vehicles. New legislation for low fuel cell cars, eco- friendly cars, paint and waste disposal. This factor should make the company examine the products that use in order to be eco- friendly. Technological Catch up changing technology on new cars that will be battery cars etc. This factor means that the company should gain knowledge and skills in new products for these new cars. Improvements in technology for client services. New technology in order to improve client services. Since the companys advantage is the direct answer to the client there should be some improvements from technological aspect. There should be more use of social media and more interactive relation with the costumers. 1.3 Competitor analysis General information Services History Franchise Investment location Clients Minimum investment Support for the franchisees Perfect Detail Smart Repair Mobile minor damage Paint Vinyl Windscreen Bodywork alloy wheels Online shop 150 years Yes UK General public Main dealers Brands (McLaren, Jaguar and Rover) Retailers groups  £10,000 Training Equipment selection Van installation Branding Website and social media support Chips away Brand Leader Automotive paint repair system Car body repairs Bumper scuffs Paintwork scratches Minor dents kerbed alloy wheels 23 years Yes Over 220 units UK General public Main dealers Retailers groups  £15,000 Branding Training Ongoing support Exclusive territory National advertising Expansion opportunities Dentwizart/ Flying colors services Smart repairs Cosmetic damage Scratches Scrapes Bumper scuffs Vandal damage and chips away Yes UK, Europe, North America General public Main dealers Retailers groups  £22,950 Personalised website Training Credit control management services Exclusive geographic territories Low frontend fees SprintFinish Scratches Bumper Scuffs Damaged Interior Trim Damaged Alloy Wheels Repairs to: tears holes cigarette burn in seats and carpets 20 years Yes UK General public Main dealers Retailers groups Charges on different services (more details on appendix 12) Ongoing training defined territory branding UK Final touch Car paint work Smart repairs 24 years New Zealand 4 years in UK Yes UK, Ireland, Europe  £29,995 Exclusive geographic territories Training Machinery, paint, supplies and stock items Marketing material Business and accounting reviews Car Medic SMART repairs Alloy wheel refurbishment Car interior repairs Car seat repairs Car upholstery and car interior plastics 20 years / New in franchising No data Comprehensive Skills, HS and Commercial Training Quality Branded Tools Consumables. Competitive Package including all you need to run your own business Low franchise management fees Key points: Relatively with the most of their competitors Revive! UK has less main services (no inside repairs, no online shop etc.). As most of their competitors the company is operating in England ΆºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ÃŽÂ ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ ÃŽÂ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ franchise According to google search some of the competitors have better SEO strategy (appendix.) Relatively young company with low market and reputation in comparison to their main competitors. 1.4 Consumer Analysis Revive! UK company started their economic activity as a company that provides smart car repair services. Their customers are general public, dealership groups, fleet and insurance companies (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017). Clients in the general public group, according to the data and information that have been collected for this coursework, could be people from 17 years old to 25 years old that are more possible to have small damages in their cars and costumers from 45 to 60 that are also prone to small damages. These consumers in the ACORN classification may be from the category- Financially Stretched 38: Semi-skilled workers in traditional neighborhoods and from the category Comfortable Communities 25: larger family homes, multi-ethnic areas but also from the category 15 younger professional in smaller flats (ACORN/CACI, 2013). Another category that possibly buy Revive! UK services belong to the category 49: Young families in low cost private flats. (Appentixà ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦) The gender that is more interested in the products and the services are male. Also, according to a Mintel research from 2015 shows that 31% of adults drive a car under 3 years old and a 50% of the drivers have cars over 3 years up to 10 years old (Mintel, 2015). This research may reinforce the fact that costumers use smart repair car services. For the franchise sales the costumers are from different categories. According to statistics on business start-ups the characteristics of majority of entrepreneurs are white males in their forties. Specifically: 25% of employer owners are between 35 to 44 years old, 31% are 45 to 54 years old 26% are 55 to 64 years old 29.4% of owner managers tend to be A Level or equivalent 21.8% followed by a degree or equivalent 11% has no educational qualifications. Two-thirds of entrepreneurs had no prior experience of owning or managing a business, Half of active entrepreneurs have previously worked in the sector they start a business in. (Startup Team, 2004) In agreement with the above information the costumers on the franchising sales of the company may be in the type 28: Owner occupied terraces, average income (ACORN/CACI, 2013). In this category there are people with income around or above national average, moreover their educational status are in national average and finally in a combination of characteristics such as average age and savings it is shown that this category are in the middle of the average age (ACORN/CACI, 2013), (Appendix ..) 1.5 SWOT Analysis/ Key issues Strengths Revive! Operating nationwide with 58 franchisees with 135 vans Increase of cash in hand and bank in 2014 to 2015 Increase on current Liabilities 2014 to 2015 Increase of total assets Recognized and specialist employees 20% increase in sales on year with over 45% of all franchisees running multi van business Achieved Internationally recognized Investors in people status Investment in systems and technology to reduce franchise admin time and improve Updated website B2B and B2C services Mainly focused in franchise Weaknesses Decrease on Net Worth Potential loss of sales in customers that require other features (tyre ..) Mainly focused in franchise The company operate only in England Relatively young company with low market and reputation No interactive social media Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated Low Search Engine optimization Not enough promotion Revive! UK has less main services (no inside repairs, no online shop etc.). Opportunities Decrease of car sales on 2016 (Sharpe, 2016) Increase of GDP and average salary for 2016 Current improve export rate due to currency exchange Euro VS GP Unknown agreements among UK and EU for franchising sector exporting of goods due to currency Euro vs GP Change on customer buying pattern into being more in repairing their cars than buying new ones Threats Potential changes on the franchise regulations because of Brexit (Mark, 2013) Potential interest rate increase (Moneywise, 2013) Unknown agreements among UK and EU for franchising sector importing of goods: Changes on agreements would mean potential increase custom duties that will lead to more expensive row material, paint tooling, machines etc. Potential increase in taxes (Inman, 2017) Low unemployment rate with uncertain future projection (Statistics, 2017b ). 1.6 Key Issues From the above SWOT analysis the key issues that should the company consider in a new communication campaign are: Recognized and specialist employees Achieved internationally recognized Investors in people status Investment in systems and technology to reduce franchise admin time and improve Mainly focused in franchise Only in England No interactive social media Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated Low Search Engine optimization Not enough promotion 2. MARKETING COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES Make your Smart move with Revive Reflecting on the above key issues, the companys next communication campaign should be focused on: Raising awareness to specific target group in order to increase their publicity through online marketing tools such as website and social media. Making franchise sales in another market beside England. Since the company in the past have tried to distribute their franchise product in the N. Ireland and Scotland market and there were no results (based on the information that we gathered for this assignment) it is time to make efforts again but only in one of the two countries. It is suggested here Scotland. The campaigns name would be the same but other distribution channels. To get involved in a new market, the communication and marketing steps should be more focused. The main marketing communication objectives of the campaign are: 1. Increase awareness with 20% among adults 25-35 years old, of category 2 Rising Prosperty: 2.15 younger professional in smaller flats (ACORN/ CACI, 2013) in the area of West Midlands for Make your smart move with Revive! campaign starting from March 2017 September 2017. 2. Increase awareness with 10% among adults 30 to 45 years old, of category 2 Rising Prosperty: 2.18 career driven young families (ACORN/CACI, 2013) in the area of Edinburgh for Make your Smart move with Revive! campaign starting from March 2017 September 2017. APPENDICES REFERENCES Fill, Chris. Marketing communications: Interactivity, Communities and Content Chris Fill, 5th edn. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Westwood, John. How to Write a Marketing Plan, edited by John Westwood, Kogan Page, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/coventry/detail.action?docID=1135738. Jobber, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012) Principles and practice of Marketin+. 7th edn. London: McGraw Hill Higher Education. Halik, J. (2012). The application of PEST analysis based on EBRD and IBRD methodology. Central European Business Review, 1(3), 14-21. Thomas, H. (2007). An analysis of the environment and competitive dynamics of management education. Journal of Management Development, 26(1), 9-21. Whos Who Legal, 2017 What does Brexit mean for Franchisors around the world? the latest legal features, research and legal profiles whos who legal. Available at: http://whoswholegal.com/news/features/article/33494/what-does-brexit-mean-franchisors-around-world/ (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Inman, P. (2017) UK tax burden will soar to highest level for 30 years, warns IFS. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/07/ifs-warns-steep-cuts-tax-rises-40bn-black-hole-uk (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Copyright (2016) International How does Brexit impact international Franchisors with franchisees in the EU? Available at: http://www.franchise.org/how-does-brexit-impact-international-franchisors-with-franchisees-in-the-eu (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Shoosmiths (2017) What does Brexit mean for UK franchising? part one. Available at: http://www.shoosmiths.co.uk/client-resources/legal-updates/what-does-brexit-mean-for-uk-franchising-part-one-12369.aspx (Accessed: 14 February 2017) Goodchild, R. (2017) Does your vehicle have minor damage? Dont worry we can repair it! Available at: https://revive-uk.com/ (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa (2017) Available at: https://www.thebfa.org/members/revive-auto-innovations-uk-ltd (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Endole.co.uk, 2017 Revive! Auto innovations (UK) limited company information. Available at: https://www.endole.co.uk/company/05115063/revive-auto-innovations-uk-limited (Accessed: 14 February 2017) Sharpe, T. (2016) Misfiring UK car market could see 9% decline in 2017. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/07/misfiring-uk-automotive-retail-market-could-see-9-decline-in-2017 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Bennett, J. (2016) Hard Brexit will leave UK car industry hanging by a thread. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/11/hard-brexit-will-leave-uk-car-industry-hanging-by-a-thread (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Moneywise (2013) When will UK interest rates rise? Available at: http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2017-01-23/when-will-uk-interest-rates-rise (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Statistics, O.F.N. (2017) Gross domestic product, preliminary estimate: Oct to Dec 2016. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/grossdomesticproductpreliminaryestimate/octtodec2016 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Statistics, O.F.N. (2017) Unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted). Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/timeseries/mgsx/lms (Accessed: 15 February 2017). ACORN/ CACI 2013 Available at: http://acorn.caci.co.uk/data/#t38_p1 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Sharpe, T. (2016) Misfiring UK car market could see 9% decline in 2017. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/07/misfiring-uk-automotive-retail-market-could-see-9-decline-in-2017 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Mà ¶ller, B., Brezing, C. and Unz, D. (2012) What should a corporate website look like? The influence of Gestalt principles and visualisation in website design on the degree of acceptance and recommendation, Behaviour Information Technology, 31(7), pp. 739-751. doi: 10.1080/0144929x.2011.642893. Solutions, S.W. (2012) Articles. Available at: https://www.spritzweb.com/resources/good-website-characteristics.html (Accessed: 18 February 2017). Ledford, Jerri L.. SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible, edited by Jerri L. Ledford, Wiley, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/coventry/detail.action?docID=331516. StartUp Team, (2004) The average entrepreneur | page 2 of 2 | startups.Co.Uk: Starting a business advice and business ideas. Available at: http://startups.co.uk/the-average-entrepreneur/2/ (Accessed: 18 February 2017).

Recordkeeping System

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM This chapter of the study presents the problems ascertained from the researchers’ gathered data, the objectives, the scope, delimitations and limitations, and the significance of the study. Introduction Record keeping system is a systematic procedure by which the records of an office/organization are created, captured, maintained and disposed of. This system also ensures the record’s preservation for evidential purposes, accurate and efficient updating, timely availability, and control of access to them only by authorized personnel. A record keeping system has four components namely the records, people, processes and tools. Records are the information resources which can be presented in any format and are the ones needed to document office or organizational activities. On the other hand, people represent the authorized personnel and record contacts who oversee the records management program. Processes are the procedures on how to manage records throughout their life cycle. And tools comprise the computer or software programs, shelving and file cabinets, folders, etc. , all of which keep the records organized. There are basically two procedures on how to manage records. One is manually and the other is through the use of computers and/or software programs. In manual record keeping a pen and paper could work adequately. Inexpensive and pre-formatted record books which are available at most office supply can also do the manual record keeping. While others may imply that manual record keeping are accurate for as long as manual records can be understood or explained if questioned, many others don’t seem to be convinced for several reasons. One, processing of data is slow in manual record keeping because one has to browse over the shelves and filing cabinets all day to search for a single file. Two, retrieving of records sometimes seem impossible because there are no back-up files. So once a record is lost it ends there. These are but few of the problems encountered using the manual record keeping system, both of which contributed to the rise of computerized record keeping. Computerized record keeping works on the same principles as a manual system. The only difference is that the computer automates the process so it is faster and more accurate, thus providing the user with records that are trustworthy. According to researches, trustworthy records are reliable, authentic, complete and unaltered, and usable. But to ensure that the records are trustworthy, the system must preserve the information within the records (content), the circumstances under which the records were created or received (context), and the relationship between the parts of the record (structure). All of which can be acquired preferably when using a computerized record keeping system. Having gathered all those concepts aforementioned above about record keeping, the researchers came up with the idea of proposing a computerized record keeping system for the benefit of the NSTP office since they are currently managing students’ records manually. National Service Training Program or NSTP is a program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training in any of its three program components namely Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), Literacy Training Service and Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS). NSTP office is among the twenty offices in Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Lipa. It is currently headed by Dr. Armando Mendoza who is also the head of the PE Department. Yet the said office offers the two program components, the ROTC and CWTS respectively. And since all the freshmen in the college are required to take up NSTP as one of their subjects, it can be assumed that the said office handles a lot of student records, hundreds or even thousands depending upon the number of enrollees every academic year. Considering the number of records that the office handles or manages, a need to abide to the different changes such as having a computerized system is highly advisable. More so, having a computerized record keeping system will help the office or its head Dr. Mendoza itself to make trustworthy records and keep track of them and to avoid lost of students records. Statement of the Problem This states the problems ascertained from the researchers’ gathered data. 1. NSTP Office which offers two program components namely ROTC and CWTS manage students’ records using a manual record keeping system. 2. As a result of utilizing a manual record keeping in the NSTP Office, timely availability of files is often unattainable. 3. Employing a manual record keeping system in the NSTP Office cuts down the life cycle of the files because there are no back up copies, so there is basically no solution once a file is accidentally lost. Objectives of the Study This asserts the objectives that correspond to the ascertained problems. 1. The researchers aspire to develop a computerized record keeping system which will automate the process so it is faster and more accurate, providing the NSTP Office records that are trustworthy. 2. Moreover, the researchers also intend to assist the NSTP Office to attain the timely availability of files via the database incorporated in their proposed automated record keeping system. 3. Furthermore, the researchers aim to lengthen the life span of the files managed by the NSTP Office via a system which enables the user to create back up copies for his files. Scope, Delimitations and Limitations of the Study This part presents the coverage, exclusions, restrictions, limits and boundaries of the study. The system proposed by the researchers will focus mainly on the record keeping system of the NSTP office. The researchers intend to mitigate the possible solutions to the problems presented herein by means of developing a system that will assist the NSTP Head in matters that involves students’ records and its maintenance, user-convenience and retrieval. They will rely only on the gathered data and from there will start on reaching their objectives. The proposed system or program comprises a database system which will facilitate in an organized and efficient compilation of students’ records. In addition, the study will also cover the merging of the record keeping system of the ROTC and CWTS Office. However, the proposed system will provide separate modules for ROTC and for CWTS. Different security pin will be assigned for the two modules so that only the ROTC head can access their office’s records and only the CWTS Head can access their office’s records and vice versa. In spite of this, the NSTP Head will have access on both modules. Accordingly, time consumed in compiling, searching and transferring of records will be trimmed down. On the contrary, the study pays no attention to the grading system utilized by the ROTC and the CWTS Office. Thus, the researchers’ proposed system are not liable for the means of evaluation of the students’ grades done inside the office other than the inputting of final grades and the maintenance of students’ records. Furthermore, the study concentrates merely on automating the record keeping system of the NSTP Office which comprises the management of students’ records of all the freshmen who are taking up NSTP as one of their subjects as well as maintaining, and securing them via the proposed system. Significance of the Study This part affirms the importance of the study. The findings of this study are hoped to be beneficial to the following: The NSTP Office. The findings of this study are a concrete appraisal of the implementation of computer programs in their record keeping system. Likewise, the findings of this study could provide them useful and possible solutions to the problems presented herein; The institution. This study can be used as a guide in measuring how well students learned from their classes more specifically on research and application of other theories learned from various related subjects; and The researchers. This study will serve as a guide and reference material that can be used for future research work. The presentation of information provided in this study can be a basis for research students who will be doing research for the first time.

A product that is free of controversy

The portable oxygen cylinders are filled with liquefied oxygen. Mostly used for medical purposes or in areas with scarce or no oxygen like under water or at high levels above the ground i.e. aerospace.Medically, oxygen gas is used in the treatment of gas poisoning, pneumonia, used as an anesthetic when mixed with nitrous oxide or administered in deficiency of oxygen (Rees, Dudley, 2006).Liquefied oxygen is pale blue in color, and has a density of 1.141g/cm3. The liquid has a boiling point of -182.96oC and a freezing point of -222.65oC. Its raw material is oxygen which is obtained from natural air by a process know as fractional distillation.   At 20oC the liquid gas has an expansion rate of 860:1 (O'Leary, 2000).Fractional distillation is done in a factory with boilers this makes the laborers to work at very cold environments which are highly flammable. Natural air is made up of different gases which has different evaporation or freezing points. The natural air is first liquefied t o be liquid air which has a mixture of liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen with boiling points of (-196oC) and (-183oC) respectively.Liquid air is heated to -183oC which oxygen evaporate, it’s tapped and liquefied again now as Oxygen liquid which is then packed in high pressure cylinders for distribution. Most of the cylinders meet minimum requirements of weighing 5 pounds and under and usually last up to 5 hours or more (Portableoxygen, 2009). The cylinders administer oxygen in pulses through a device know as a conserver which delivers a pulse of oxygen when the user inhales.Ethical considerations of the product are; the liquefied gas is highly explosive and flammable hence it use for industrial purposes. Due to its properties of being highly flammable and explosive some people mix it with powdered charcoal to make explosives which are lethal.The product should be produced the way its being done but its distributions should be controlled and sold only to authorized dealers and users to minimize its use to prepare explosives.ReferencesO'Leary, D. (2000). Oxygen O2: Retrieved on Mar 22, 2009 from http://www.ucc.ie/academic/chem/dolchem/html/elem/elem008.htmlPortableoxygen, (2009). Portable Oxygen: Weights & Durations: Retrieved on Mar 22, 2009 from http://www.portableoxygen.org/weightsand%20durations.htmlRees, P & Dudley, F. (2006). Provision of oxygen at home. British Medical Journal. 317(7163): 935–938.

netflix vs blockbuster case analysis

netflix vs blockbuster case analysis Free Online Research Papers Reed Hastings has already been a success for beginning new companies. He first made a name for himself by going public with Pure Software in 1995. After the development of this company he began to obtain several other companies and made Pure Software one of the 50 largest public software companies in the world by 1997 until they sold to Rational Software in 1997. From there Hastings moved on to others projects. He noticed that there was a demand for the ability to rent movies. With a large customer base he figured there was no question that his company could fail. Since the internet was booming, Hastings sensed the opportunity for online movie rentals. This began the only movie rental industry to a large audience. With one company becoming successful, it wouldn’t be but a matter of time before others began to catch on and begin to reap the benefits of someone else’s idea. Back in 1985, David cook wanted to fill a niche market just like Hastings. He wanted to load a market for customers who wanted to rent an assortment of VHS movies. By selling off his existing oil and gas software business, Cook subsidized the first store. By 1986, an initial public offering was started in order for the need to raise capital to fund further expansion. However, a harmful news article delayed this offering. Running into liquidity problems, Blockbuster had an ending result in a $3.2 million loss. In 1987 cook sold a one-third stake in the company to a group of investors. In conclusion, Cook was forced to turn over future control of the company, and eventually left the company. 2003 was the most interesting year for Blockbuster. The company placed a net loss of $845.2 million, which shifted Blockbuster to make some important decision for the company’s future. The five forces model is a tool used to diagnose the competitive pressure of the industry. From these five different areas of the market, this model evaluates the power and significance of each pressure. The strongest of the five forces comes from rivalry among competing sellers. Firms will use any resource or weapon available to gain a better position in the market. Many marketing experts say that rivalry refers to the jockeying of market share by firms. There are two main types of players in the video rental industry: Traditional renters, such as Blockbuster, who operate physical store locations, and mail-order renters such as Netflix. Competition for market share is brutal for the traditional renter. As this type of renter, Blockbuster has positioned itself with a profound fixed cost communications venture in retail store locations. Due to this high fixed cost, by spreading the cost over many rentals will be the only way Blockbuster can lower its average cost per item. As in a ny industry, if competition takes market share away from a company it is possible for the cost to increase. Blockbuster will eventually find itself competitively disadvantaged if this were to happen. Therefore, Blockbuster fiercely competes to maintain its market share. This can be seen via several recent Blockbuster promotions, most of which were aimed at the competition from Netflix. Tactics such as the Blockbuster game or movie pass, which is limitless game or movie rentals for a flat per month fee, were designed to come from the loss of market share. In order for Blockbuster to remain cost competitive overall, Blockbuster will regain some market share through these passes, even though they do not generate as much revenue as per rental fee. Mail order firms such as Netflix have a different cost structure in contrast to the traditional renter. Netflix’s distribution centers, inventory, and website maintenance are primarily Netflix’s fixed costs. These fixed costs in total are far lower than the fixed costs a chain such as Blockbuster acquires. In isolation, the fixed cost per rental element for Netflix is lower, and Netflix can reach a competitive average cost at much lower rental amount. This allows them to offer flat fee rentals, while maintaining a lucrative margin. In order to steer clear of rising cost average costs, Netflix may not need market share as desperately as Blockbuster. However, Blockbuster will be placed at a price disadvantage if Netflix recognizes that it can steal enough market share away from them. Thus, this leads to intense competition and firm rivalry as well. Because the industry is stagnant, there are many other factors influencing firm rivalry in the video rental industry. The only real alternative for growth is to increase market share, since the size of the market is not expanding. This obviously intensifies competition. Furthermore, movie/game rentals are an extremely undifferentiated product. A rental from Blockbuster is exactly the same as a rental from Hollywood video or Netflix. There are little or no switching costs for consumers to move between firms. This strengthens price competition for consumers to gain market share. Finally, there are strong exit barriers for companies such as Blockbuster. As a result, Blockbuster will continue to match prices with Netflix or others as it struggles to survive, increasing the competition even more. Prior to the explosive growth of the internet in the late 90’s, a strong dispute could be made that there were high entry obstacles in the video rental industry which restricted competiti on. This would include the relatively large economies of scale required to operate retail locations which did not operate at a cost disadvantage relative to Blockbuster. Another entry barrier was the high brand loyalty enjoyed by Blockbuster, which was the place to go for movie rentals. Lastly, new firms would also face entry barriers in the form of needing to generate sufficient volume in order to gain access to revenue sharing agreements with the studios similar to those which blockbuster had in place. With the evolution of the internet, all of these factors changed. However, the retail location entry barrier disappeared as technology allowed companies such as Netflix to reach a nationwide audience without a physical appearance. Blockbuster had alienated many of its customers by not keeping enough copies of popular movies in stock, among other reasons mentioned prior. Therefore, the brand loyalty barrier was overcome mostly by chance. The barrier of needed to have enough volume to negotiate profit sharing agreements with studios simply became debatable. DVDs has replaced VHS, and DVDs were priced for retail sale less than $25.00, unlike VHS which was rental priced in the 70-90 range. This meant that Netflix did not have to negotiate revenue sharing like Blockbuster did in the days. As a result, competition has amplified further because there are now few entry barriers in this industry. Video rentals are bountiful with substitute products. This includes items such as pay-per-view , VOD, and streaming on-line videos. As these are all feasible alternatives, the threat of substitutes plays the role of yet another intensifier in delivering a nearly identical product. Suppliers in the video rental industry yield minimal power when addressing this force in Porter’s model. An input such as games and DVDS is nearly identical for all suppliers. As mentioned above, there is a wide availability presence of substitutes and also virtually no ability to price discriminate. These factors erode the supplier power while at the same time intensifying the position of buyers. Therefore, the dominant trend in the future will result in intense competition with falling prices because when all five forces are combined it will be apparent that firms will have a strong desire to compete on price within the video rental industry. It is important to analyze potential profitability with a firm using a SWOT analysis. First, Blockbuster will be analyzed internally and externally followed by strategic recommendations. Strengths of a company internally are very important when analyzing growth and potential profitability of a company in a given industry. Blockbuster has roughly 8,000 stores worldwide. Therefore, Blockbuster products have a huge distribution channel relative to all these locations. This in turn puts Blockbuster is a good position for distribution and access to the world. Over 2, 600 store locations are outside stores. This distribution available through Blockbuster also increases their bargaining power with studios. With the presence of movie stores, there is an added convenience for their mail-order and internet customers. Customers are able to return videos and rent new ones by mail and any store location. This requirement results in a valuable database that may be used for tracking who is rent ing and what they want to see or play. In turn, this allows Blockbuster to custom fit store inventories to the members each store serves. This enables Blockbuster to implement more effective marketing to its customers with such a strong database. All these locations have helped make the Blockbuster brand identical with movie and game rentals. Therefore, Blockbuster has various strengths including a strong brand loyalty with existing customers and still being the face of movie and game rentals. While analyzing the case it is believed that Blockbuster has many weaknesses in the industry. Because Blockbuster was the leader in this particular industry, it shifted heavily with them loosing money strengthening the intensity of rivalry. They tried to go online but couldn’t keep up with competition. Therefore, one strong weakness overall is upholding a store versus a warehouse. With all these weaknesses being profound it appears that Blockbuster has 3 vital weaknesses such as memberships, inventory, and availability. Because only members may rent from Blockbuster this weakness is perhaps true throughout most of the industry. It puts consumers into a position that they are forces to choose, which can result is many outcomes. Inventory is also a profound weakness. Because Blockbuster’s inventory is limited and stores have limited space it provides weak spot for new movie releases that are being released throughout the year. Stores must make the choice to bring in more new releases or eliminate older movies that are less frequently rented. As a result, this may put a strain on members who are looking for older movies or games that are hard to find forcing them to go to a competitor. Lastly, availability of movies is another obstacle Blockbuster needs to overcome. Consumers are in search of instant gratification today more than ever before. For example, if a movie comes to the mind of a consumer that they want to see they want it instantly. Therefore, if he/she cannot have it that day, then they may not rent. Blockbuster’s opportunities can be tackled to exploit their weaknesses within which in turn can be very beneficial to their company. Moving on with the SWOT analysis, opportunities are very vital to a firm. Blockbuster has many opportunities that can be foreseen for the future. One of the most important opportunities that Blockbuster has encountered is transforming the movie rental business through its mail order system. There are many competitors in the industry such as Red Box and DVD play kiosks that people may rent with a credit card for one dollar a night with no membership required. As a result, these kiosks have provided a strong opportunity for Blockbuster. Blockbuster can still penetrate this market with its own DVD kiosks by capitalizing on its own name. Blockbuster can also use its bargaining control as an industry giant to bargain rights to provide PPV streaming of video, music and games. Also, the use of digital media allows Blockbuster to offer a larger selection of films, music and games while potentially reducing its physical inventory. Therefore, as a result, it will allow Blockbuster to offer l egal instant gratification to consumers, which is very important for an industry to realize and capitalize on. There are many threats that could be imposed on Blockbuster is this vigorous competitive industry. As well as any other industry change in technology and shifting consumer preferences is an ongoing threat. Due to new technology and marketing practices, new policy and procedure awareness will be the main driving force of a company’s success, and in turn, how well one adapts and adopts is vital. With other companies offering different service, Blockbuster has encountered immense competition within this industry. For example, Movie Gallery which provides the same features and attributes as Blockbuster and the powerful Netflix. Netflix proposes flat rate rentals by mail and online streaming. Consequently, movie stores and distribution is slowly moving towards a direct model where consumers can access movies on demand. Some other important threats are that consumers can still buy movies or choose to go out and do other things. Blockbuster is also more expensive due to their busin ess model. Therefore, if Blockbuster wants to stay afloat in this highly competitive industry they will have to alter some aspects within their model. There are many strategic recommendations that Blockbuster can benefit from. The first recommendation for Blockbuster would be to close some of their locations within close proximity of each other. This level of overlapping coverage may be unnecessary. This would provide an alternative to reducing operations expense and ultimately fixed store costs would go down. Furthermore, Blockbuster should not focus most of their attention on their stores. They will not keep up in the ever changing industry trends in technology and peoples preferences. Blockbuster also got rid of late fees with is good for consumers but bad for revenues. With that said, they reversed it, which reversed their strategy. In addition, Blockbuster should put rentals online that are no longer available in stores. This would answer one of the problems of them not having a deep stock of movies for people that want to view older movies. Blockbuster could also partner with other retailers such as giant eagle. This woul d reduce their fixed costs and enable them to benefit by gaining access to the grocer’s customers, opening up cross-promoting opportunities which could drive additional revenues. Another important recommendation Blockbuster could consider is having a better marketing strategy. If a costumer isn’t aware that a specific channel exists, then there is virtually no change they will use it. Blockbuster could open the door to many ideas and implement to improve brand awareness while maintaining their market share. For standing locations, a loyalty program can be designed. All of these marketing ideas will provide Blockbuster to achieve the utmost effectiveness. To sum up all these recommendations, as more people become accustomed to the alternative methods of video purchase, Blockbuster will need to meet the consumer’s needs where they want to do business. By designing a strong database of viewing customer preferences, they could have a potential marketing tool. Therefore, an effective marketing tool would help to ensure and maintain a aggressive edge in this ever changing industry. Moving away from the traditional renter, the mail-order industry will now be evaluated. Netflix is the world’s largest movie rental service with over 6.3 million members and a deep collection of many movies. There are known for both their excellent customer service and their convenient and user-friendly interface on their award winning website. New technology has enabled Netflix to provide high quality streaming videos directly to their subscriber’s computers. Netflix has entered the VOD market, providing them to maintain their superior position. By entering this powerful market, Netflix will be able to differentiate itself from its competitors, and reduce the likelihood of price competition. In the long run, after movie streaming has increased to become popular, Netflix can separate the DVD rental and streaming movie services, offering different plans. Therefore, the SWOT analysis will be analyzed to foresee how profitable Netflix is and will become. Netflix has a lot of strengths making them the leader in this industry. The number one strength for Netflix is having a strong competitive advantage. The advantage is the first mover advantage in online rental. Netflix also by chance had great entry timing. They entered the market for DVD rentals at a time when there were few other competitors, allowing them to establish their brand name and image for providing a unique service. Netflix was the first to offer DVD rental by mail and this allowed them to offer a greater variety of DVDs to consumers. Therefore, the early entry of Netflix has allowed it to maintain a high market share in the DVD industry and have strong brand recognition by being a first mover. Netflix also has high customer satisfaction, which is the stem of a successful company. Without customers, a company does not exist. Netflix is smart because they understood the weakness of competitors. They understood what irritated many video rental store customers: late fees. W hile costumers rush to return the movie on a certain day this may impose late fees comparable to the price of the rental. In turn, Netflix provides no due dates, late or cancellation fees. Because Netflix enables the customer to keep the DVD as long as they want, this provides freedom to return the movie at ones convenience. Another strength Netflix incurs is its Award winning website. Their website allows predicting what movies one would want based on their previous rental history. It also enables Netflix to plan future rentals and allow customers to rate movies that they have previously rented. This proves to show that Netflix has a large selection at affordable pricing that may not be offered in stores such as Blockbuster. Blockbusters total access is probably the best thing that ever happened to Netflix, providing plentiful opportunities. Even though a few years ago Blockbuster jumped into a brutal price war with Netflix trying to swipe their customers away, it did Netflix a favor. It provided them with several opportunities. The total access pitch of returning DVDs to a physical store got immediate flow, but backfired. Dozens of Blockbuster movies were being pirated, enabling customers to make copies before returning them. Even though Netflix is highly successful, they also incur weaknesses. Netflix often has trouble providing enough copies of new popular movies. As a result, a main cause of customer dissatisfaction is Netflix’s inability to completely satisfy the initial rush for a new movie. However, the company knows that it would be unprofitable in the long run to buy more copies just to serve the rush when a movie first becomes available because the copies will not be rented with nearly a s much frequency soon after the rush. Netflix also doesn’t have a direct connection to any movie studios so it must purchase its entire media through the consumer market. As Netflix integrated the streaming industry it has comparatively small movie availability to stream. One big disadvantage Netflix has encountered is that customers have to wait for the next movie to arrive in their mailbox. By the time the subscriber receives the movie, he or she may no longer be in the mood to see it. This may enable the costumer to leave their home and go and rent a movie. Another disadvantage with mail-order rentals is the lack of control of DVD return time since customers have control of the movie for as long as they want. The DVDs can also arrive scratched or broken during the mailing process. One opportunity that Netflix could foresee is product line expansion such as video games. They could also expand downloadable movie offerings and print third party advertisements on their mail-order envelopes. Lastly, the can expand on partnerships and technology providers. The clearest threat to Netflix is Blockbuster and other established rental businesses. Beyond this, costumer’s satisfaction is the only aspect of this business that can make or break a company. Netflix also many not be able to retain enough of the market to survive if they were to lose its wholesome, reliable image. Also, bigger companies such as Apple could impose a potential harm to Netflix. There are bigger competitors in the streaming and video market and Netflix is less suite d to compete with hardware innovations because it has little or no experience in this area. Just like Blockbuster, Netflix has threats of people going out and buying DVDs and also going out and doing other things. Also, Netflix has DVD competition from Red Box and Blockbuster and the everlasting staying power of DVDs. Some strategic recommendations for Netflix are they should continue to market their services effectively. Their subscriber base will grow steadily and will be able to collect more personalized data. Netflix should also suggest t make its streaming services available under a separate subscription plan of its own. Also Netflix should increase their streaming video library since they are in strong competition. Netflix should also continue to reach to the less technological savvy consumers. This will provide an advantage over other firms in the future of this rising market. Research Papers on netflix vs blockbuster case analysisAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

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