Neighborhood Paper

Neighborhood Paper Neighborhood Paper More to It than Just Ballwin From Ballshow to Ballwin, this city has always prospered in Missouri. Known as one the safest and most family oriented cities, Ballwin is more than just a nice place to live. It is home to many events, parks, and events to provide entertainment for the residents who live there and all those visiting. Even John Ball knew that it would be a great city, changing the name from Ballshow to Ballwin, as he saw it was most likely to â€Å"‘win out† in reputation and growth over its older and more prominent neighbor [Manchester]† (City of Ballwin). Off the radar to many in St. Louis, Ballwin is in fact a remarkable city for entertainment and events for those of all ages. Most people searching for entertainment would not think of Ballwin first, when in actuality Ballwin is a great source of amusement for all. For the younger children, many parents are hoping to keep them busy over the summers when they are at home more often and have less to do. Ballwin hosts many summer camps for kids of all ages. There are many different types for all interests including: Aqua Camp, Harry Potter Camp, Country Club Camp, Science Detective's Camp, Drama Camp, Jam Camp, and many more (City of Ballwin). The kids at these camps are kept busy and safe as they explore their talents and interests in a fun and safe environment with their friends. Many of the parishes in Ballwin also host a Vacation Bible School day camp over the summer for those who would like their child to have a more religious yet fun experience. No matter which summer camp a child goes to, they are bound to have fun. For the teenagers, who deem themselves too old and â€Å"cool† to go to summer camps, there are other things for them to do. West County Lanes, off of Manchester Road, provides a great bowling experience complete with an arcade and Cosmic Bowling (bowling with neon and strobe lights in the evening). Many shops and restaurants are also open on Manchester Road and Big Bend Road (the two main streets in Ballwin) for the younger residents to enjoy. For children and teens of all ages, there are many swimming pools in Ballwin, the two largest being The Pointe and The North Pointe, which are indoor and outdoor recreational facilities with swimming pools and water parks. Also many neighborhoods have residential pools for those that live there. So, as can be seen, there are also many areas of entertainment for the older children and teenagers in Ballwin. Entertainment for adults is also very well sought out. The shops on Manchester and Big Bend are quite popular among adults, along with many restaurants and bars. There are also a few golf courses native to the city, such as Ballwin Golf Course. Each of the golf courses found in the city has a beautiful course with its own clubhouse to rest and relax in after a grueling game. For those that enjoy being outdoors more than others, deer hunting is also a common past time in not only Ballwin but all of St. Louis. St. Louis in 2012 had a population of about 24,500 deer, which was an 18% rise from 2011 (Flinn Sumners Hanson 8). The deer population is steadily growing, despite the many hunters in Missouri. As the deer population grows, so does the number of permitted hunters. In 2012, 517,618 permits were issued for deer hunting alone in Missouri (Flinn Sumners Hanson 19). Although deer hunting is available for all ages, it is mostly adults 40 and over (64% of all permits are issued for this age group). Along with deer hunting, other activities such as regular bingo nights and auctions at many schools and parishes are held for all residents of Ballwin. Everyone is welcome to these events and they are always sure to be fun for all. Being rated as one of the best places to live in 2005, 2011, and 2013 by CNNMoney Magazine, Ballwin continues to be a safe and friendly environment for families to enjoy themselves. Along with all the activities for all different age groups, there are also many

Insurance Analysis in Kenya Essays

Insurance Analysis in Kenya Essays Insurance Analysis in Kenya Essay Insurance Analysis in Kenya Essay Introduction Insurance in Kenya is known to have been in existence for over sixty years now with the first insurance companies believed to have been owned by British insurers during the colonial times. The industry is governed by the Insurance Act and regulated by the Insurance Regulatory Authority. The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) was created by the Insurance (Amendment) Act of 2006 and came into operation on 1st May 2007. The Authority was established with the mandate of regulating, supervising and developing the insurance industry. Before the establishment of IRA, these functions were performed by the Department of Insurance in the Ministry of Finance. (IRA 2010) As per AKI Insurance Industry Report for the year 2009, there were 44 licensed insurance companies, majority offering non-life insurance business only, nine of them life insurance business while fifteen were composite (both life and non life). There were 137 licensed insurance brokers, 21 medical insurance providers (MIP’s) and 3,076 insurance agents. Other licensed players included 106 investigators, 57 motor assessors, 18 loss adjusters, 2 claims settling agents, 5 risk managers and 26 insurance surveyors. The industry’s contribution to the country’s GDP is still low although there has been notable growth for the last seven years. The gross written premium by the industry was Kshs 64. 47 billion compared to Kshs 55. 19 billion in 2008, representing a growth of 16. 8 %. The gross written premium in non-life insurance was Kshs 43. 11 billion (2008: Kshs 36. 89 billion) while that from life insurance business was Kshs 21. 36 billion (2008: Kshs 18. 30). Non-life insurance premium grew by 16. 8 % while life insurance premium and contributions from deposit administration business grew by 16. %. The combined industry profit after taxation increased by 14. 4% to Kshs. 4. 29 billion compared to Kshs 3. 85 billion in 2008. In 2009 the industry paid Kshs. 20 billion for claims for general insurance business and as benefits to life policy holders. (AKI 2009) Penetration of insurance in the year 2009 was 2. 84% compared to 2. 63% in 2008. Life insurance recorded a penetration ratio o f 0. 94% (2008:0. 87%) while that of non-life insurance was 1. 90% (2008:1. 76%). Only half a million Kenyans, about 1% of the total population are said to have take up life insurance. Up to 80% of Kenyans have no insurance cover due to widespread poverty and a false belief that insurance covers are mainly for the rich. However, based on the recent industry statistics, there is an emerging trend that Kenyans are indeed sensitive to the need for protection against an uncertain risky future. According to Swiss Re (World Insurance Report2009), South Africa is the leading African country in the insurance industry, accounting for 90% of the total volume, followed by Morocco then Egypt. Growth in non life insurance business in Africa was sluggish at 0. 4%. The report pointed out that Africa produced only 1. 4% of the global premium volume in 2009. South Africa’s life insurance premium fell by 16%, premium Growth in Morocco remained flat at 0. 1%, while in Egypt premiums shrank by 5%. There are currently five major players in the insurance industry in Kenya. These include The Co-Operative Insurance Company of Kenya Ltd. (CIC), UAP Financial Services Ltd, APA, Jubil ee Insurance and Resolution Health East Africa. Majority of these insurers operate nationally with a few operating regionally. Some international insurers have entered the Kenyan market through mergers with already existing players. Two of the leading companies were formed through a merger between two existing insurance companies, for instance, APA was formed after a merger between Apollo and Pan-Africa General divisions. Others form partnerships with small insurance companies to cover non-traditional policies like political violence. Solutions need to be developed to address new risks. Insurers have finally recognized the growing needs of the Kenyan people. Agricultural insurance is one of the new policies designed for farmers located in the different parts of the country to shield them from financial loss caused by unfavourable weather conditions. The Cover is provided for livestock, specific crops and poultry losses. Payment of premiums is quick and easy for the farmers, premium payments are done through a specially designed mobile application and in the event of a loss, and farmers are paid through the same method. Medical insurance is divided into three segments, one health cover operated by employers, the second individual cover and the third coverage operated by the government targeting low income earners through the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Health insurers have raised concern about clients who view cover value as expensive as opposed to the benefits. That’s why insurers are coming up with affordable schemes. Medical e-cards that users top up, similar to prepaid airtime scratch cards, any member of the family can use the e-card as long it has money. Due to poor health infrastructure in the country, rural hospitals have inadequate facilities and are understaffed, thereby making people to travel to major city for treatment; this has also contributed to the rise in health insurance cost. Many insurers have shied away from HIVAIDs insurance because of the risks involved. Travel cover is currently being offered by only two insurers, one of them has partnered with Kenya’s main airline company to provide a package that covers loss of luggage, flight delays, cancellation, medical emergency and personal liability. The premium cost is based on traveller’s destination and length of stay. Claims are made online or when the client returns from their trip. The cover can be acquired when buying a ticket or through travel agents. Higher learning has become very expensive both for local and overseas universities, forcing parents to borrow heavily from banks to pay university fees. Education policy is definitely necessary for most parents who want their kids to get good education. The industry is definitely on the growth stage and most insurers are strengthening their market share by positioning themselves as affordable insurance providers offering new products for the untapped regions such as younger and older people. Industry analysis PESTE Political Economic Social Technological Political Factors The political violence experienced in 2007 resulted in major losses for businesses and individuals mainly because current insurance companies were not offering cover for such risks. The unrest has made insurers quickly come up policies to cover these risks. Motor insurance is reported to have doubled in the last six months; the government through the Insurance Regulatory Board has increased the premiums in a move to counter fraud and fake claims known to have forced over ten motor insurance companies to shutdown due to losses incurred through claims. Economic Factors High tax imposed on life and health insurance has made policies to be expensive and affordable to a small percentage of the population. The insurance industry is pushing for tax deductible premiums paid on life and health insurance to be tax deductible from chargeable income up to 30 percent of the gross income. Income Tax Act Cap 470, Section 19(5) and (6) Poverty and unemployment are still the biggest challenges facing the industry. With no source of income for many youth and women, the last thing that this demographic prioritize is insurance. This makes it very hard for the growth and development of the insurance companies because of the low number of clients which represents the few employed people who in turn can be able to pay for the insurance policies provided by the insurance companies. This situation is further compounded by the rise of HIV and AIDS which adversely affects the working class that forms a critical target group for insurance services. The rising levels of poverty and high cost of living has reduced disposable income hence relegating insurance matters to the back burner. This is as a result of people first meeting their basic needs first before considering other expenses, which include insurance policies. Perhaps the government can relax some of the strict regulations present for private investors to encourage investment both locally and internationally. This may increase the number of the insurance companies in the country allowing more space for competition thus in the long run lowering the costs of insurance policies to the advantage of the consumers. High inflation rates has increased operation costs , raised the cost of living and therefore, made it difficult for the citizens to be able to afford insurance policies due to the current turbulent economic conditions that has led to an increase in policy prices. Fraud / Corruption largely affect the development of the insurance sector in Kenya. It has undermined the economic development of the country by generating considerable distortions and inefficiency. This makes the companies to constantly perform poorly and thus calls for the introduction of anti money laundering which helps to curb the vice. Social Factors In order to boost penetration of insurance in Kenya, vigorous awareness campaigns should be used to educate people on the importance of insurance. Policy covers should be packaged with the end-user in mind, for example selling agricultural insurance cover to non-farmers is useless. Product development should be flexible to allow the ever changing needs of the dynamic insurance industry. oIncrease in lifestyle diseases – oIlliteracy levels spread Insurance knowledge and risk management to clients looking to reduce losses, advice clients how to manage their finances and how they can help minimize risks oInadequate health facilities Cultural values – harambee culture oDemographic changes oNegative perception on insurance, bad publicity fraud, fake claims Technological Factors Mobile phone use has eased the communication between clients and the insurance companies in the sense that if any of the two parties want to contact the other, it becomes very simple. Increase use of the Internet has enabled customers to access information, submit claims and compare policies from different providers. Environment Climatic changes Emergence of informal settlements. Legal Lengthy legislation process. Corruption and fraud. Lack of structured compensation scheme. Porters 5 Competitive Forces Analysis 1. Rivalry among existing players. The insurance industry is becoming highly competitive. The difference between one insurance company and another is usually not that great. As a result, insurance has become more like a commodity an area in which the insurance company with the low cost structure, greater efficiency and better customer service will beat out competitors. Insurance companies also use higher investment returns and a variety of insurance investment products to try to lure in customers. In the long run, were likely to see more consolidation in the insurance industry. Larger companies prefer to take over or merge with other companies rather than spend the money to market and advertise to people. 2. Threat of New Entrants. Mergers and strategic partnerships are on the rise to introduce products with low premium rates. While the industry leaders have already positioned themselves there are still untapped areas such as the youth and the older generation. Government requires all insurers to maintain a solvency margin of about USD 12,476, or 5 percent of assets in excess of liabilities. This might prevent new players from entering the market because of the high margins required 3. . Availability of Substitutes. Since the existing products in the market are similar, consumers will look for an affordable product to suit their needs. Some policies have many substitutes others have few for instance motor insurance is offered by most of the insurer while health is offered by a selected few. Most large insurance companies offer similar suites of services. Wh ether it is auto, home, commercial, health or life insurance, chances are there are competitors that can offer similar services. In some areas of insurance, however, the availability of substitutes is few and far between. Companies focusing on niche areas usually have a competitive advantage, but this advantage depends entirely on the size of the niche and on whether there are any barriers preventing other firms from entering. 5. Bargaining Power of Buyers. Individuals looking for a good cover obviously have a lower bargaining power compared to corporate customers. 6. Power of Suppliers. Foreign investors are starting to have an interest in this industry. Since insurance is still growing, existing experts in the industry tend to hop from one company to another looking for better pay

In report format, prepare a services marketing mix (people, process, Essay

In report format, prepare a services marketing mix (people, process, physical evidence) for the service offering on which you based assignment one - Essay Example It will provide the firm opportunities and to reduce the impact of threats. In this case, Holiday inn Hotel has to make adjustment of the traditional 4Ps marketing mix that entails product, price, promotion, and place and adopt more Ps, which include process, physical evidence, and people to achieve its marketing objectives. Useful marketing objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART) (Wilson and Gilligan, 2004). The marketing objectives should be based on the situational evaluation of the environment of the company (Lambin, et.al. 2007). In this case, Holiday Inn should use its strengths to eradicate its weaknesses and respond to threats in the industry (Doyle and Stern, 2006). Moreover, marketing objectives should aim at exploiting market opportunities that will enable the company compete efficiently and attain a higher market share in the industry (Kotler, and Keller, 2011). The first marketing objective of Holiday Inn should be to enhance its presence in the upcoming markets such as China and Dubai by 15 percent in the next five years. The Asian market offers abundant growth and profitability opportunities due the high growth in consumer revenues, good infrastructure and growth in tourism numbers; therefore Holiday Inn should expand its presence in those markets. The hotel brand has huge financial resources and human talent thus it is possible to use its learning experience in the hospitality market to attain high market share in Asia (Ariffin and Maghzi, 2012). The second marketing objective for Holiday Inn is to increase the current bed occupancy by 25 percent in the next five years. The goal is specific and attainable since the global tourism travel numbers are increasing while the wealthy global economy will lead to a rise in international business travel. Previous research by Bowie and

Ethical issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical issues - Essay Example onted by Don Marquis in his ‘Future-like-ours argument with regards the morality of abortion, an assertion which was later on opposed by Bonnie Steinbock in his ‘Interest View’ argument. While Marquis argues that abortion is immoral as killing deprives the fetus of its future and Steinbock believes that abortion is not wrong based on the moral status of the unborn and its lack of consciousness, their arguments continue to confound rather than illuminate the morality or immorality of the issue. Marquis contends that abortion is seriously immoral as taking another person’s life, as for instance, an adult’s, as it dispossesses him of his future. This is akin to the killing of a fetus. Marquis asserts that fetuses are in the same category as adults with regards moral value. Thus, the immorality of abortion rests on strong presumptions such as on the dogma that killing is wrong. The concept that killing is brutal and thus, it is wrong does not explain the depravity of the act. For Marquis, what makes killing unacceptable is its consequences on the victim as the loss of one’s life is considered the greatest loss. This loss constitutes loss of activities and gratifications which make up the valuable future of the victim. As death divests a human being of the ‘value of his future,’ the most justifiable reason against killing an adult individual is the consideration of the ‘loss of his future.’ In addition, Marquis argues that other l iving entities and species have similar ‘future’ like our and believes that it is likewise wrong to kill animals. Although he does not support active euthanasia, he admits that killing the ‘very ill or the dying’ cause no wrong. The heart of Marquis’ arguments, however, lies on his contention that killing an infant or fetuses amounts to immorality as they have acquired ‘futures of value.’ As the personhood theory does not put to light the immorality of killing, this notion should be replaced by the idea that

Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change of Substance Abuse Research Paper

Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change of Substance Abuse - Research Paper Example Individuals engaged in this need help since engaging in substance abuse is absolutely based on one’s will. Using the Transtheoretical model a person’s willingness to accept change in behavior can be measured and efforts can be made to move the person through all the stages of change and help adopt a new behavior. The principles of this theory can be applied, to help a person progress through each of the stages and finally discard the habit of substance abuse thereby leading a healthier life. The rate at which substance abuse has grown in the recent years is of major concern. According to the National survey of Drug use and health (2013),23.9 million Americans of age 12 and above used illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, heroin etc while 23% of Americans were binge alcohol drinkers and almost 69.5 million Americas used tobacco (NSDUH,2013). However, the numbers are expected to grow rapidly judging by the current trends. Taking too much of drugs or alcohol has detrimental impacts on the person’s health especially on the brain. Scientific studies have shown that prolonged usage of substances such as drugs stimulates the brain leading to addiction and becomes a relapsing brain disorder (Lashner, 1997, p45). The condition of drug abuse poses a threat not only to the user’s health but also to that of others. Risks such as violence, child abuse, criminal activities, car accidents, teenage pregnancy, STD’s, suicide are associated to the condition (Wagn er, 2001, 115). The problem of substance abuse is associated with certain alterations or modifications in ones behavior. In most people depression in life, lack of decision making ability, lack of judgment, anxiety over certain issues, over dependence on drugs, peer pressure, lack of self confidence, physical dependence, personal problems are the major behaviors that leads to substance abuse. Changes in certain behaviors would promote a

The importance of the quest in Homer's Odyssey and Dante's The Inferno Essay

The importance of the quest in Homer's Odyssey and Dante's The Inferno - Essay Example The damned souls populate the chasm, which Dante classifies under Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, and thus becomes an amalgamation of Grecian hellish myth and a testimony to Aquinas' appropriation of Christian sensibility in Aristotle's Ethics. Virgil guides Dante through the nine concentric circles of Hell., diving into deeper and graver sins, unrepentant, and culminating into absolute evil, as represented by Satan. The journey begins from the Dark wood, and into the Limbo. It is more of a pagan, unbaptised and a coarse yet virtuous crowd like Homer, Horace, Ovid and Lucan (Canto IV), who only repent their seperation from god. In Canto V, one of the seven cardinal sins appear, which is sin under lust. Inhabited by the adultress Francesca, who proclaims to justify her irresistible attraction to Paolo, in a way that evokes the ideology of the immoral Thirteenth century Italian love sonnets, that challenged the power of love beyond anything. The third realm is possessed by Cerbereus, amonster from greek mythology, but attributed with montrous humanity by Dante, who guards the gluttons. The journey also evokes the political tensions of contemporary Florence and the complexity of the whole Guelf-Ghibelline conflict and Florent ine politics that reached its crest in 1300 (ironically the fictional date chosen by Dante for his Inferno). Hatred for papacy, and the belief that Rome is predestined to be the seat of Empire, disillutions the poet about factionalism (symbolically Florence is shown to be divided by the Arno river of the Hell in Inferno) and party politics and makes him search out a way for Salvation through his poem. The political condition of Florence is mouthed by the sinner Ciacco in Canto VI, in the third realm. IN Canto VII, with the beginning of the fourth circle, Dante sees Pluto stationed, a place damned for the avaricious and the prodigal. In a sysiphean way, the group ofmiserly and the wasteful squanderers push weights against each other and start allover again when it smashes on any of the sides. It is a psychological drama represented by the futility that awaits all materials things that we pursue in life. Entering the land of the sloths, thepoet and Virgil cross Styx with the ferryman, Phlegyas, when tey meet the fury of Filippo Argenti, and denied entry by the fallen angels of the city of Dis, and meeting the hellish monsters and the wrath of the furies are granted entrance due to Heaven's intervention. Thesixth circle burns with consuming flames to torture the heretics. Here he meets the famous Ghibelline Farinata delgi Uberti, who was seen as a heretic for potensial opposition against the political lrole of the papacy. Excluded from any form of amnesty and pardon he is damned. This part seeks to voice the poets contest with his own fears about sin against the papacy. The violent, like those commited against people and property,theirown self i.e. suicice and that against God, nature and the art i.e. blasphemers, sodomites and the usurers are punished in the seventh circle, and guarded by

Business Analytics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Analytics - Coursework Example From SPSS’s output on table 1 under Appendix A, the number of respondents that took part in the survey are 332 using varying scales to code their responses. For the word of mouth (WOM), the minimum and maximum values for testing included 1 and 7 respectively while that of trust and attitude was 1 & 7 and 1 & 9 respectively. However, for the age and monthly income, it shows that the minimum age of the participants was 18 years and the maximum was 72 years while the minimum and maximum monthly income was 400 and 10000 respectively. The mean for word of mouth, trust, and attitude is 3.34, 3.35, and 5.12 respectively indicating that the responses were not skewed to the left or the right. This situation shows that respondents showed almost equal distribution around very high and very low account of WOM, trust, and attitudes. The mean age for the respondents was 35.10 year coupled with a standard deviation from the mean of  ±13.898 (14 years). Lastly, the mean and standard deviati on from the mean for monthly income for the respondents is $1893.07 and $1355.696 respectively. With relation to regression analysis, table 3 under Appendix B shows the r-squared value of 0.183 with an adjusted value of 0.170. This means that monthly income, trust, age, attitude, and word of mouth have a low correlation of 18.3% with an adjusted correlation of 17%. Under R-Squared, this values show that the benchmark expectation and the output do not correlate effectively and therefore, the tested variables do not move in the same direction do not respond to the benchmark values (see full SPSS output under Appendix B). The interpretation of the output considered the regressions predictor which shows the differences in response per unit. The total responses and the respondents are 332 which in relation to the output, the constant shows the valid number of responses. This, in addition,