The Top Ways for Finding Freelance Writing Jobs Online (Video)

This is day 5 of my Facebook live video sessions over on my Facebook page! If you havent seen them here are the videos in the last four days: 4 Skills Profitable Freelance Writers Possess How to Be More Efficient as a New Freelance Writer 4 Ways to Perfect Your Pitching Game as a Freelance Writer How to Find Your Perfect and Profitable Niche as a Freelance Writer For my last Facebook live video, I go into the top ways for finding freelance writing jobs. As a new freelance writer, you may not know many ways to locate a client. Maybe all you know is Upwork or some other freelance marketplace. Well, there are a ton of different ways to find a freelance writing job. But, for this video, I wanted to dive in and tell you the top ways – the ways that will give you the greatest ROI for your effort. Enjoy and I would LOVE it if you subscribed to my YouTube channel. Recap: Cold pitching Job boards Social Media A dedicated website for your business Tell me your #1 way of finding clients!

Storytelling Improv Games to Improve Actor Skills

Storytelling Improv Games to Improve Actor Skills Most theater games are improv-based. Theyre intended to give actors an opportunity to expand and stretch their skills in a low-risk, no-stress, collegial situation. At the end of a session, however, actors will have improved their ability to imagine themselves in new situations and respond appropriately. Some improvisational exercises focus on a performers ability tell stories off-the-cuff. These activities are often stationary theater games, meaning the actors are not required to move about very much. With this in mind, a   story-telling improv game might not be as entertaining as other more physically dynamic games but is  still an excellent way to sharpen ones imagination. Here are a few easy-to-perform story-telling improv games, each one ideal for a class activity or a warm-up exercise at rehearsal: Story-story Known by many other names, Story-story is a circle game for all ages. Many ​grade school teachers use this as an in-class activity, but it can be just as fun for adult performers. The group of performers sits or stands in a circle. A moderator stands in the middle and provides a setting for the story. She then points to a person in the circle and he begins telling a story. After the first storyteller has described the beginning of the story, the moderator points to another person. The story continues on; the new person picks up from the last word and tries to continue the narrative. Every performer should get several turns to add to the story. Usually the moderator suggests when the story comes to a conclusion; however, more advanced performers will be able to conclude their story on their own. Best/Worst In this improv activity, one person creates an instant monologue, telling a story about an experience (either based upon real-life or based upon pure imagination). The person begins the story in a positive way, focusing on terrific events and circumstances. Then, someone rings a bell. Once the bell sound, the storyteller continues the story, but now only negative things occur in the plot. Each time the bell ring, the storyteller shifts the narrative back and forth, from the best events to the worst events. As the story progresses, the bell should ring more quickly. (Make that storyteller work for it!) Nouns From a Hat There are many improv games which involve slips of papers with random words, phrases or quotes written on them. Usually, these phrases have been invented by audience members. Nouns from a Hat is one of these types of games. Audience members (or the moderators) write nouns on a slip of paper. Proper nouns are acceptable. In fact, the stranger the noun, the more entertaining this improv will be. Once all of the nouns have been collected into a hat (or some other container), a scene begins between two improv performers. About every thirty seconds or so, as they establish their storyline, the performers will reach a point in their dialogue when they are about to say an important noun. Thats when they reach into the hat and grab a noun. The word is then incorporated into the scene, and the results can be wonderfully silly. For example: BILL: I went to the unemployment office today. They offered me a job as a... (reads noun from the hat) penguin.SALLY: Well, that doesnt sound too promising. Does it pay well?BILL: Two buckets of sardines a week.SALLY: Maybe you could work for my uncle. He owns a... (reads nouns from the hat) footprint.BILL: How can you run a business with a footprint?SALLY: Its a Sasquatch footprint. Oh yeah, its been a tourist attraction for years. Nouns from a Hat can involve more actors, as long as there are enough slips of paper. Or, in the same manner as Best/Worst, it can be delivered as an improvisational monologue.

A Guide to German Toasts

A Guide to German Toasts The origin of the English word toast- in the sense of drink a toast to someone- has several explanations. According to most sources, a drinking toast (a word also used in German) is related to roasted bread, aka toast. Websters says the word is derived from the use of toasted spiced bread to flavor the wine [during a toast], and the notion that the person honored also added flavor. Other sources claim that the word is derived from the 18th century English custom of covering a glass of hot spiced wine with a slice of toast as it was passed around the table. Each person lifted the toast, took a sip of wine, said a few words, and passed the glass on. When the glass reached the person being toasted, the honoree got to eat the toast. Prost!Ein Toast! The German equivalents of Cheers! or Bottoms up! are Prost! or Zum Wohl! But longer, more formal toasts (Trinksprà ¼che, (kurze) Tischreden) are common on special occasions such as marriage, retirement, or a birthday. A birthday toast almost always includes Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (or nowadays even an English Happy Birthday!), but a real birthday toast would expand on that with more good wishes, such as this humorous jab: Hoffentlich hast du soviel Spaß an deinem Geburtstag, dass du ihn von nun an jhrlich feierst! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (I hope you have so much fun on your birthday that youll celebrate it annually from now on! Happy birthday!) The Irish seem to be a bountiful and universal source of toasts and good wishes. Germans have borrowed many Irish sayings  like the well-known May the road rise to meet you... Although German-speakers often use it in English, there are German translations. This is one German version (author unknown) that  comes closer than most: Mà ¶ge dir dein Weg leicht werdenMà ¶ge dir der Wind immer von hinten kommenMà ¶ge dir die Sonne warm ins Gesicht scheinenMà ¶ge dir ein sanfter Regen auf die Felder fallenund bis wir uns wiedersehenmà ¶ge Gott dich in seiner Hand halten. Germans also like to send shorter greetings via  text to each other on their Handys (mobile phones). There are many Web sites in German with sample text messages that can also be used for toasts. Heres a typical example: Die allerbesten Geburtstagswà ¼nsche send/wà ¼nsch ich dir,sie kommen vom Herzen, sie kommen von mir. Selected Toasts and Good Wishesin German and English Heres how you say Id like to propose a toast to (name)!:Ich mà ¶chte  einen  Toast  auf  (Namen)  ausbringen! Allgemein(General) Genieße das Leben stndig!Du bist lnger  tot als  lebendig!Constantly enjoy life!Youre longer dead than alive! Hundert Jahre sollst du leben und dich freuen,und dann noch ein extra Jahr- zum Bereuen.Darauf  erhebe  ich  mein  Glas: Prost!May you live to be a hundred years,With one extra year to repent.To  that  I raise my glass: Cheers! (Irish) Mà ¶gest du  alle  Tage  deines  Lebens  leben!- Zum Wohl!May you live all the days of your life!- Cheers! (Irish) Erst  mach dein Sachdann  trink und  lach!First  take care of business,then drink and laugh! Solange man nà ¼chtern ist,gefllt das Schlechte.Wie man  getrunken  hat,weiss  man das Rechte.- J.W. GoetheWhen one is sober,the bad can appeal.When one has taken a drink,One knows whats real.- J.W. Goethe Das Leben ist  bezaubernd, man  muss es  nur  durch  die  richtige  Brille  sehen.Life ist wonderful, you just need to see it through the right glasses. Mà ¶ge dir dein Weg leicht werdenMà ¶ge dir der Wind immer von hinten kommenMà ¶ge dir die Sonne warm ins Gesicht scheinenMà ¶ge dir ein sanfter Regen auf die Felder fallenund bis wir uns wiedersehenmà ¶ge Gott dich in seiner Hand halten.May the road rise to meet you.May the wind be always at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face.And rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. Geburtstag (Birthday) Du merkst, dass du lter wirst, wenn die Kerzen mehr kosten als der Kuchen!You know youre getting older when the candles cost more than the cake! Mit dem Alter ist es wie mit dem Wein, es muss ein guter Jahrgang sein!With age its the same as with wine: it has to be a good year! Man sieht mit Grauen ringsherumdie Leute werden alt und dumm.Nur du und ich- auch noch als Greisebleiben jung und werden weise.One sees with shock all aroundthe people getting old and dumb.Only you and I- even as oldstersstay young and become wise. Die allerbesten Geburtstagswà ¼nsche send ich dir,sie kommen vom Herzen, sie kommen von mir.All the best birthday wishes I send to theeThey come from the heart, they come from me. Hochzeit (Wedding) Jeder hà ¶rt die Musik anders- aber der gemeinsame Tanz ist wunderbar.Everyone hears the music differently- but the dance together is wonderful. Die Ehe ist die wichtigste Entdeckungsreise, die der Mensch unternehmen kann.Marriage is the most important voyage of discovery a person can embark upon. Jeder sieht ein Stà ¼ckchen Welt, gemeinsam sehen wir die ganze.Each of us sees a part of the world; together we see all of it. Ruhestand (Retirement) So wà ¼nsch ich dir von ganzem Herzen,tglich Glà ¼ck und keine Schmerzen,viel Ruhe und Gemà ¼tlichkeit,denn du als Rentner- hast nun Zeit!Thus I wish you from the bottom of my heartdaily happiness and no pain,much peace and cozy comfort,because  you as a retiree- now have the time! Mit der Zeit brauchst du nicht sparen, kannst sogar ins Ausland fahren. Ist das Ziel auch noch so weit, Du bist Rentnegerman- du hast Zeit!You dont have to worry about saving time,You can even travel abroad.If the destination is far away,Youre a retiree- you have the time! Abschied/Trauer(Farewell/Mourning) Dem Leben sind Grenzen gesetzt,die Liebe ist grenzenlos.Life has limits, butlove has no bounds. Der Tod ist ihm zum Schlaf geworden,aus dem er zu neuem Leben erwacht.Death has become his sleepfrom which he awakes to new life.

Managing and understanding organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing and understanding organisations - Essay Example 4). All people related aspects and functions performed in any organization, regardless of the size of the organization and regardless of the fact that who is performing them, come under the umbrella of human resource management. From job analysis to planning for labour needs, from recruitment to selecting, from orienting employees to training the, from conducting performance appraisals to deciding on wages and salaries, from allocating benefits and perks to building employee commitment and motivation, human resource management deals with all of them. Companies may have various assets that â€Å"make things† possible but these are the people in the company that make â€Å"things happen† (Legge, pp. 63-64, 2005). According to its definition, organisational behaviour is the systematic study and knowledge about process of understanding, prediction, and management of human behaviour in organizations and workplace setting. Important here to note is that organizational behavio ur in itself is an interdisciplinary field, which converges topics from management, human resource management, psychology, sociology, and communications. ... R&D development dollars have nothing to with the level of innovation that any company would be able to achieve but innovation depends entirely on the people, their talent, and their leadership (Mathis & Jackson, pp. 354-356, 2010). Discussion A. Resourcing an Organisation Small and Medium sized Enterprises have various distinct advantages over the large businesses and in this digital era, these advantages have further amplified. More control, greater freedom, quick feedback, and others are few advantages. However, as SMEs enter into their growth phase, they encounter various problems that are primarily related to their lack of knowledge about human resource management. Most SMEs have one person managing all human, financial, production, supply chain, distribution, administrative and other aspects of business (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, pp. 98-99, 2008). Not only there is no expert person to deal with human resource issues but also at the same time, the owner finds himself or herself with little or no time to address them or even if he or she does, it becomes difficult to do justice with those issues in relation with time and effort. In fact, almost 65 percent of the small businesses fail during the first three years of operation and one important reason behind the same is poor human resource management. In addition, this is one factor where large companies have inherent advantage. Internet has taken away many of the advantages related to size, geographical reach, scope, economies of scale, communication and others present to large business over SMEs but this is one advantage, even competitive advantage for some firms, that remains with large business despite the revolution of this digital age. Large firms are more likely to have an established separate department to

Comrades 1917-1945 and Reds 1947-1953 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comrades 1917-1945 and Reds 1947-1953 - Essay Example The anticommunist forces started fighting the newly formed government as they were against the ideologies adopted by leaders in the country (Johnson, 2003). Though the anti communist forces failed to overthrow the newly formed government from power, the fight ensued for a long time as the anticommunist forces received support from both west and the other part of the world. Following the death of the communist government leader, Vladimir Lenin in 1924, Joseph Staling quickly rose to power to occupy the vacant position left by Lenin. After immediately taking control of the new government, staling came up with an extensive operation which came to be known as â€Å"Great Purge.† This operation was to strengthen the rule of the new communist government in Russia (Agostino, 2011). It mainly targeted anti communist fighters who were against the rule of the newly formed government. The operation saw many people in Russia getting arrested, and others sent to prison. In late 1920s, the world faced greatest economic downturn as a result of the great depression. This incidence led to increased support for the Soviet Union from the west. It was the same time Stalin had begun implementation of the first of the Soviet Union five year economic development plan. Majority of leaders in United States opted to ignore the reports of the widespread damage that came as a result of the new government of Russia policy of collectivization (Wiener, 2012). This made United State president support a new deal that could lead to a series of sweeping reforms. In his attempt to appease Russia leaders, the United State president went ahead and publicly announced recognition of Soviet Union by American government. As European leaders went on to appease Hitler, Germany was busy preparing for war. This made Stalin sign a non aggression pact with Berlin with an aim of buying more

Role of micro finance in natural disasters

Role of micro finance in natural disasters The impacts of natural disasters are mainly faced by the poor community people in every country. It is very much tough for the poor people to cope with the impacts of natural disasters. Micro-finance has not only generated enormous hope for the poor people in many developing countries but also played a vital role in natural disasters affected areas. In this paper, the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters are illustrated. It has been seen that micro-finance institutions provide support on poor community people prepare for the onslaughts or rehabilitation needs of the disaster victims, show coping mechanism during a disaster hits and how people can wake of a post natural disaster both at the personal level and generally. Key words: Role of Micro-finance, impacts of natural disasters, poor, support, coping, developing countries. Introduction: Over the years, natural disasters seem to have become more frequent across the world, resulting in enormous human and economic losses. Natural disasters take many forms like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, tsunamis, tornados and droughts, which threaten the very existence of the local communities. Further, it has been observed that the effects of natural disasters are more acute in developing countries than in developed ones. Natural disasters have had devastating dev ·as ·tate  Ã‚   tr.v. dev ·as ·tat ·ed, dev ·as ·tat ·ing, dev ·as ·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. .. Click the link for more information.  effects on the poor. For example, in 1998, Bangladesh experienced the flood of the century. Households exposed to flooding had major crop failure, suffered various water-borne diseases, lost shelter, assets and the ability to meet basic needs. Results show that the burden of medical expenditures due to flood-related sicknesses is significantly higher for poorer households, and for households more exposed to flooding. More positively, econometric results indicate that social cohesion built on group-based micro-finance programs provide an informal social insurance that reduces sickness shocks. The strength of group-based micro-credit in coping with natural disasters is yet to be fully explored. Micro-credit may not be effective in the case of a large-scale natural disaster that creates a covariate shock. However, even in the case of a large-scale natural disaster (e.g. 1998 flooding), social capital developed through micro-credit programs is s hown to play a positive role in reducing the burden of sickness shocks. Micro-finance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services. At the end of 2009, 1,084 MFIs that were serving 74 million borrowers ($38 billion in outstanding loans) and 67 million savers ($23 billion in deposits). For example, In Indonesian context, micro-financial savings and lending institutions support families to ensure consumption against illness shocks. Micro-finance actually helps the poor and vulnerable poor people. So, micro finance reduces vulnerability and increases coping against socio-economic shocks, including Natural disasters. At the same time, microfinance can provide relief in direct response to disasters. Thus it is possible to make micro finance tools a part of diverse disaster relief programs or response. Objective of the study: Disaster mitigation practices needs to be tied up throughout the life cycle of micro-finance tools in order to make poor community people sustainable and minimize non-financial losses. As just mentioned, the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters are the purpose of this study. This study is prepared based on the following questions: What are the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, coping mechanism during or after disaster period? What are the main lessons and challenges of micro-finance to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters in poor community? Microfinance and Disaster Mitigation: Some Conceptual Issues The attributes of microfinance, which are applied in reducing household level risks, are relevant for reducing disaster risks too. Microfinance instruments help poor households diversify their income by source and season. They also diversify income by earner as it provides opportunities to women to earn. Multiplicity of income-earning opportunities and asset building through microfinance help poor households in dealing with disasters better. Microfinance also provides explicit and implicit insurance to the households. There is growing interest and constant experimentation in using microfinance in disaster management. The role of microfinance and microfinance institutions in disaster situations, however, is to be clearly analyzed here. Microfinance deals with the poor who are vulnerable to various types of risks. The poor are more likely to be hard-hit hard-hit adj. Badly or adversely affected: Official rescue and recovery efforts were just getting underway in this ravaged port city and more than a dozen other hard-hit towns  R. .. Click the link for more information.  by disasters like drought drought,  abnormally long period of insufficient rainfall. Drought cannot be defined in terms of inches of rainfall or number of days without rain, since it is determined by such variable factors as the distribution in time and area of precipitation during and before .. Click the link for more information., floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. Disasters normally give rise to two kinds of needs, namely relief and rehabilitation. What is required immediately after a disaster is relief to take care of food, shelter, medicine and other immediate needs of the victims. Through its long term impacts of reducing poverty and supporting sustainable development, microfinance reduces the vulnerability of the poor to disasters. Microfinance cannot, however, provide standalone protection against disasters. It must be part of a greater strategy of disaster risk reduction. MFIs must be prepared for disasters by developing disaster management plans that ensure the survival of the MFI and sustainable delivery of its services. Education on microfinance and disaster mitigation is needed for both successful poverty reduction and disaster impact reduction. Microfinance must be linked to disaster mitigation, especially during rehabilitation when the links between recover y and preparedness are clearly evident. MFIs like BRAC, ASA, Grameen Bank, Shakti etc. are working to reducing vulnerability during natural disaster by providingClint-responsive loans, housing improvement loans, adaptation of current lending, emergency reconstruction loans etc. They help to so compulsory savings, voluntary savings, adaptation of forced loans etc. MFIs suggest people for doing Insurance (best established before disaster). MFIs provide money transfer services (remittances likely to increase), Grants and donations (for increasing power and building financial discipline), Livelihood relief (no payment) to the poor community people. Microfinance Institutions also provide non-financial services like training, information dissemination, distribution of supplies etc. In the aftermath of a disaster, microfinance can quickly provide relief, and then support sustainable recovery and rehabilitation. Microfinance institutions can additionally provide post-disaster communication and coordination through their established community networks. Microfinance requires a degree of self-management by clients and is normally community based, thus fostering recovery ownership, dignity and community cohesion during traumatic and unstable times. Microfinance can reduce the cost of post-disaster recovery financing, while reducing aid dependency. At the same time, however, post- disaster aid can distort markets, adversely affecting microfinance performance. Post-disaster activities must be carefully considered to prevent negative long-term impacts on local markets and MFIs. To best reduce disaster impacts on a community, MFIs should offer a suite of flexible products to adapt to specific needs and situations. Links and/or partnerships with the formal financial secto r are needed to enhance liquidity and support institutional and managerial capacity. IV.Cases (Disaster management of Micro-finance programmes): Flood in Bangladesh (1998): Bangladesh is largely a flat deltaic country formed by the confluence of great river systems of the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. These river systems annually drain a vast basin about 12 times its own size. Apart from this, hilly regions experiences flash flood after heavy rainfall and due to frequent depressions in the Bay, Bangladesh experiences regular threats of cyclonic storms, often catastrophic. The role of microfinance services in responding to disaster risks was demonstrated first during the 1998 flood. Bangladesh experienced the worst floods in its history from July to September 1998. The damages to standing crops, livestock and houses were overwhelming. The income generating activities of rural landless people were almost suspended. There had been a huge loss of property and human and animal lives during the SIDR attack in 2007 in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, nearly 4 millions affected, and more than six thousand people died, thous ands of livestock perished, and 0.9 million homes fully or partially damaged. All the MFIs in Bangladesh responded to the unprecedented situation of floods and SIDR. During the floods and cyclones, MFI workers even went on boats to ensure that weekly contacts with all members were maintained. Workers carried money with them and provided immediate interest-free consumption loans so that the members would not go hungry. the MFIs allowed the members to withdraw their savings. Grameen Bank, BRAC, ASA, Proshika, TMSS, CODEC, GUK and many other small MFIs despite a very serious financial consequence for their liquidity, opened access to compulsory savings account in an attempt to reduce the precipitous decline many households experienced in their incomes. In non-disaster times, members of these institutions did not have access to these funds unless they had fully repaid any outstanding loans and decided to leave the MFI. BRAC also operated disaster-related deposits, which allowed members to keep their assets safe from loss or damage due to the floods. A number of MFIs such as ASA and others provided voluntary savings facilities to their members. These facilities provided the members more assistance in disasters than compulsory or disaster-related savings with less negative financial consequences for the MFI. Tsunami -Micro Finance in Sri Lanka(2004): The December 2004 tsunami is one of the worst natural disasters experienced by Sri Lanka in recorded history. With over 35,000 dead and over 800,000 displaced it is a disaster of a magnitude that the country was ill equipped to deal with. Thirteen of the countrys twenty five districts were affected with the North and East provinces accounting for over two thirds of deaths and nearly 60% of the displaced. Sri Lanka (RADA) estimates that about 150,000 people lost livelihoods about 80 per cent of the affected lost their main source of income; 90 per cent lost their productive assets including the abodes. There were several issues facing the micro finance sector even pre-tsunami. The micro finance market has been pluralistic with high penetration by many different types of institutions, employing a wide range of micro finance models and methods. Bulk of micro credit is funded through Government banks and programmes, through subsidized credit, w hich is not sustainable. Agro Micro-Finance, BRAC, Arthacharya Foundation were working in Sri Lanka during tsunami. While these MFIs might be fulfilling their social mission, they were not charging interest rates that would achieve cost recovery. Capacity building of these institutions was a priority. Agro Micro-Finance was operating in eight districts in Sri Lanka, many of which were affected by the tsunami. Arthacharya Foundation is a national not-for-profit NGO functioning in seven districts. This organization is working with a large number of donors in promoting micro enterprises through savings and credit, and also working in health and sanitation. BRAC set up operations in Sri Lanka for undertaking post-tsunami rehabilitation activities. BRAC has quickly expanded the outreach as well as loans since establishing operations in Sri Lanka. Within a year of operation the number of clients reached has touched 26,373 making it one of the larger MFIs in Sri Lanka. Well established man agement practices and systems have enabled the MFI to quickly scale up. Though the initial operations were through grant funds from BRAC and Oxfam NOVIB, BRAC has recently approached commercial banks for loans for expanding its loan portfolio. Pre-tsunami, voluntary savings was offered by four MFIs and compulsory savings by ten MFIs. Overall, there have been several positive developments due to post-tsunami funding by donors. Lessons and challenges of micro-finance: As we look broadly at micro-finance as an industry, and at specific experiences in the natural disaster context, it is possible to draw several broad lessons: Microfinance cannot be a financial safety net to an entire affected community, but can play an increasingly constructive role in disaster preparedness and response as it expands its range of products and services. Establishment of long-term relationships between individuals and MFIs allow poor households access to existing MFI products that can help reduce some of the hardships caused by natural disasters. Preparedness of the MFIs staff and systems is the key to providing timely response to clients. Timing of MFI services matters to clients: emergency loans must be available quickly after disaster strikes, while reconstruction support is useful once the household has fully passed the emergency stage. Along with these broad lessons, there are also clear bottlenecks that limit the role MFIs currently play in natural disaster response and mitigation: Most MFIs do not have the liquidity position (or access to a Disaster Loan Fund) to respond quickly or fully in a disaster context. MFIs-from management, to field staff, to reserves, to information and communication systems-are not currently prepared to either weather or respond to a natural disaster situation. MFIs have not considered client needs from an emergency perspective; rather products and services are primarily geared to day-to-day business or household concerns. Demand for special services may be small, yet may require significant institutional investment. Therefore, individual MFIs are unlikely to invest in developing or maintaining these services. Regulatory restrictions and limits to institutional capacity will keep most MFIs from mobilizing voluntary savings for the foreseeable future. Findings of the study: Although the concept of using microfinance for disaster mitigation is a novel idea, the relevance of microfinance under disaster conditions especially for the poor is yet to be fully established. Microfinance even under normal circumstances faces quite a few limitations in bringing about improvement in livelihood. While microfinance can ensure livelihood protection by reducing various shocks and vulnerability, it cannot lead to livelihood promotion unless it is accompanied by other equally important measures like training, market linkages and technology development. As micro-finance institutions involved in livelihood restoration interventions, they are aimed at establishing funds that could be used in normal situations and during times of disaster. Their main aim during normal times was disaster preparedness. By taking up various activities aimed at disaster preparedness, they secured livelihoods and resources, improved the lives of the communities, made them less vulnerable and bet ter equipped to face disaster. In case of an emergency, the projects assisted the communities in mitigating mit ·i ·gate  Ã‚   v. mit ·i ·gat ·ed, mit ·i ·gat ·ing, mit ·i ·gates v.tr. To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; alleviate. See Synonyms at relieve. v.intr. To become milder. .. Click the link for more information.  the effects through loans reserved for the purpose. Insurance could be a useful instrument of risk mitigation for the poor especially under disaster situation Micro-insurance can take up under MFIs to provide protection to the women against loss of life, accidents, prolonged pro ·long  Ã‚   tr.v. pro ·longed, pro ·long ·ing, pro ·longs 1. To lengthen in duration; protract. 2. To lengthen in extent. .. Click the link for more information.  illness and hospitalization, and damage or destruction of houses and household assets. Thus, both during normal and disaster times, the MFIs funds were used mainly through loans. The core objective of the MFIs is to reach out to the most vulnerable among the target groups. As observed in the study, the members would like to depend upon MFIs for their social, economic and emotional security. For protection and improvement of their livelihood, they need diverse financial services. Many of them would like to take up income generating activities to strengthen their economic base. Moreover, no significant attempt is made by these interventions to adopt an integrated approach required for improving the livelihood of the disaster-affected households. Given the fact that the members of the poor households in the study area are faced with many social and economic constraints like illiteracy, severe caste and gender discrimination, and landlessness, m ere introduction of microfinance may not help them in bringing about any significant improvement in the livelihood. VI. Methodology: The study mainly uses secondary sources. Secondary data on Flood in Bangladesh (1998) was colleted from Bangladesh Country Report by Sirajul Islam (INAFI Asia Bangladesh) and Tsunami Micro Finance in Sri Lanka (2004) was collect from Review of Post-Tsunami Micro Finance in Sri Lanka by Girija Srinivasan. Moreover, I have taken help from different websites and books. VII. Conclusion: Reducing the Poors vulnerabilities to disasters and emergency situations is the role of micro-finance in disaster risk mitigation. It can immediately relieve financial burdens caused by the on set of calamities, especially if savings and micro-insurance is included in the package of services. It can further support consequent initiatives for sustainable disaster recovery and rehabilitation. Since, MFI is private in nature; it has great potential to provide financial and non-financial services in all stages-relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development. However, micro-finance services alone cannot immediately translate into a stand-alone successful disaster recovery enterprise but needs to form part of an over-arching disaster risk mitigation strategy. The success of the microfinance industry in various disasters is indicative of future accomplishments in exploiting microfinance for pre- and post-disaster mechanisms. While micro-finance can be an entry-point for the delivery of sustained services in disaster situation, it still needs the prompt provision of services from the government, like installation of damaged infrastructure and other rehabilitation interventions and active participation of other civil society groups for training, counseling and organizing. A more thorough understanding of microfinance and disaster mitigation is needed for poverty reduction and disaster impact reduction. Finally, it can be said that micro-finance institutions can be an entry point or a point of convergence of poverty alleviation and disaster mi tigation programs.

Dunkin’ Donuts Essay

In the competitive world of the coffee industry — and any industry for that matter — it’s crucial for companies to have a clear understanding of what they do best, and where they can be the best. Dunkin’ Donuts has defined its strategic heartbeat as the everyday, easy coffee stop that inspires rituals that revive. In other words, Dunkin’ Donuts provides food and drink that’s fast, fresh, and affordable — for busy people, leading busy lives. These days there is an incredible interest across the country in premium coffee. The average consumer is now demanding what Dunkin’ roducts — served fresher and faster than ever before. Dunkin’ Donuts is well positioned for the future. Taken together, Dunkin’ Donuts’ entrepreneurial business model, its culture, and the strength of its brands and menu offerings promise a strong future of successful growth. Dunkin’ Donuts is well known by generations and loved by a growing number of customers around the world. Dunkin’ Donuts is dedicated to providing delicious food and beverages to its customers and goes to great lengths to ensure only the finest ingredients are used in its recipes — including its espresso beverages. To that end, all Dunkin’ Donuts espresso beans are Fair Trade Certified. Dunkin’ Donuts was the first national brand to sell espresso beverages made exclusively with Fair Trade Certified coffee. Through Fair Trade, farmers and their families are earning a better income for their hard work, allowing them to hold onto their land, keep their children in school, and invest in the quality of their harvest. Using the most stringent standards in the coffee industry, Dunkin’ Donuts selects only the finest, high-quality beans to make its espresso blend. At the same time, Dunkin’ Donuts is working to aid the farmers who grow those beans. Small farmers in lesser-developed countries grow much of the world’s coffee. Without direct access to international markets or the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace, the Fair Trade model allows farmers to receive a fair price for their coffee bean crop. The history of Dunkin’ Donuts circles back more than 55 years when Bill Rosenberg founded the company in 1950 and opened the first store in Quincy, Massachusetts. Back then, Bill had a simple philosophy: â€Å"Make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores. † That philosophy still holds true today and is the foundation that has enabled Dunkin’ Donuts to grow to be the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. Dunkin’ Donuts offers more than a dozen coffee beverages, donuts, bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and other baked goods. Currently, Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 7,200 shops in 34 countries worldwide. Dunkin’ Donuts has been serving highquality coffee for more than 55 years. Today, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s largest retailer of coffee by the cup, serving nearly Donuts has been providing for over 50 years. Dunkin’ Donuts’ standards for coffee excellence are among the highest in the United States, which is no easy feat. Producing coffee takes more steps than producing wine, and Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee experts travel around the globe to ensure quality at each step. Recently, Dunkin’ Donuts identified a new restaurant category called â€Å"Quick Quality. This represents a promise of fresh food fast and a higher evolution of the standard quick-service experience. Dunkin’ Donuts wanted to make a more meaningful promise to deliver on the value proposition consumers expect, and then some: a promise to offer fresh food, fast, and to offer more choices, served quickly, in a quality way. That means lots of innovative new 30 1 billion cups of brewed coffee each year. Using only 100 percent Arabica coffee beans, Dunkin’ Donuts offers a milder roast coffee that is milled specifically for the company and is recognized by the industry as a superior grade of coffee. In addition to serving â€Å"the best coffee in Americaâ„ ¢,† Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding its menu to include a wider range of snacks and onthe-go, delicious, quality products that will appeal to an increasingly busy consumer market. This platform will feature products that move beyond the breakfast hour in an effort to keep timestrapped people fueled and ready to face the challenges of the day — morning, noon, and night. Most recently, Dunkin’ Donuts introduced Smoothies to its popular beverage and snack menu. Made from yogurt and real fruit, Dunkin’ Donuts Smoothies are available in juicy Wildberry, luscious Mango Passion Fruit, smooth Strawberry Banana, and exotic Tropical Fruit, and are an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium. To secure and sustain Dunkin’ Donuts’ leadership position as America’s largest retailer of coffee-bythe-cup, the company has begun an aggressive national expansion plan that will ultimately triple Dunkin’ Donuts to 15,000 stores throughout the country by 2020. Initial cities targeted for Dunkin’ Donuts’ national expansion include Atlanta, Nashville, Indianapolis, Dallas, Austin, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. In 2005, Dunkin’ Donuts unveiled a new prototype restaurant. The design, reminiscent of company roots that date over 55 years, is coupled with contemporary features to give Dunkin’ Donuts a new, modernized appearance. The new restaurant prototype features advanced equipment to meet the demands of today’s busy customers seeking fast, fresh, affordable, highquality food and beverage choices quicker and better than ever before, resulting in an improved overall in-store and drive-thru experience. A new, innovative menu that moves Dunkin’ Donuts beyond breakfast complements the store design. The new menu is part of Dunkin’ Brands’ efforts to raise the bar on the quality and variety of foods available at Dunkin’ Donuts and to change expectations about what is possible in a quick-service meal, whether in their restaurant or on the go. Perhaps the most famous of Dunkin’ Donuts advertising came in the form of the character â€Å"Fred the Baker. Throughout the 1980s â€Å"Fred the Baker† was synonymous with Dunkin’ Donuts. The advertising campaign — one of the most beloved ad campaigns in recent history — featured Michael Vale as Fred — Dunkin Donuts’ devoted, sleepy-eyed doughnut maker who woke up each morning with the mantra, â€Å"Time to make the donuts. † Fred became a character that struck a chord with most Americans; he was a hard-working man dedicated to his job regardless of the time or th e weather. Fred the Baker was featured for 15 years until he retired in 1997. In 2006, Dunkin’ Donuts unveiled a new advertising campaign that revolutionizes the brand’s position by focusing on how Dunkin’ Donuts keeps busy Americans fueled and on the go. The campaign is a fun and often quirky celebration of life, showing Americans embracing their work, their play, and everything in between — accompanied every step of the way by Dunkin’ Donuts. The launch of â€Å"America Runs on Dunkin’† marked the most significant repositioning effort in the company’s 55-year history. The campaign comes to life through a set of interactive icons that represent the campaign tagline, â€Å"America Runs on Dunkin’. † The icons help to drive the concept that Dunkin’ Donuts’ freshly made coffee and baked goods energize Americans from all walks of life so they can keep the country running on their dedicated hard work and positive outlooks. Dunkin’ Donuts customers are passionate about their Dunkin’ Donuts experience, which for millions of customers is an everyday ritual. The company recently conducted a study where customers were asked to go without Dunkin’ Donuts coffee for one week. The results showed that people felt life was harder, that their day lacked order without Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, and that competitors couldn’t fill the social and emotional need they get from a daily visit to a Dunkin’ Donuts store. People who work for Dunkin’ Donuts have a passion for what they do. And that’s because three years ago Dunkin’ Donuts located the passion of the company — the strategic heartbeat — which is the thing that the company does best. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts defined the strategic heartbeat of the company as the everyday, easy coffee stop that, by serving the best-tasting coffee, inspires rituals that revive. Dunkin’ Donuts is the No. 1 retailer of hot and iced coffee in America, selling 2. 7 million cups a day, and nearly 1 billion cups a year. Dunkin’ Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more donuts, coffee, bagels, and muffins than any other quick-service restaurant in America. On an average day, Dunkin’ Donuts sells more than 30 cups of freshly brewed coffee each second. r As part of the company’s commitment to offering consumers more choices without compromising quality, Dunkin’ Donuts has assembled a new culinary team, a lineup of skilled and honored chefs and are using their talent and experience to create new and innovative menu choices for customers. The Culinary Team’s mission is to provide Dunkin’ Donuts customers with the besttasting, most creative menu items that are fast, fresh, and affordable.