The Best Novel Writing Software of 2019 (Including 4 Free Programs)

The Best Novel Writing Software of 2019 (Including 4 Free Programs) The Best Novel Writing Software of 2019 So, you’ve just started writing a novel - which means you’re figuring things out as you go. You probably have a flock of Google Docs to wrangle, you’re always scribbling on napkins, and you have no idea where anything is. If this scenario sounds familiar, there’s one thing you need: some good ol’-fashioned (well, more like new-fashioned) novel writing software.Luckily for you, we’ve come up with this list of the best, most affordable pieces of novel writing software in 2019. All of these will not only keep you organized, but also inspire you to keep writing till the very last page. And best of all, some programs cost nothing at all! In the spirit of thriftiness, let's start with your options. Which writing software is best for you? Find out here! âÅ" Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ Ã°Å¸â€™ » Reedsy Book Editor💠° Price tag: Free software!âÅ"…  Features: Format as you write, export files that are ready for instant distribution, track changes, choose between "classic" or "romance" themesTaking into account the fact that we created the Reedsy Book Editor (RBE), we'll admit this novel writing software holds a special place in our hearts. But it's not just ownership pride - we genuinely believe this tool can add a lot of value and assistance to the process of writing a book.Some authors like a software with lots of bells and whistles - tools to help you research, structure, and outline. Other writers prefer completely minimal softwares - free from too many functionalities that mostly just distract.The RBE offers a happy medium between those two poles. While it definitely has more features than a blank piece of paper, its functions are super user-friendly and geared at one goal: allowing you to write and format a beautiful book. The RBE was built to be a book pro duction tool that typesets as you write, turning your manuscript into a fully-formatted book or ebook that meets industry standards - and that can compete with traditionally published books that have been professionally formatted.In the "Writing Mode," you can insert chapter breaks, scene breaks, images, and end notes. You can view previous versions of your manuscript, in case you removed a passage you now want to re-add. When you've reached the milestone of a completed book (congratulations!), you can export a distribution-ready EPUB, Mobi, or PDF file.Head here to learn more about using the Reedsy Book Editor.FastPencil 💠° Price tag: Free software!Finally, you can export your manuscript under â€Å"Publication Setup.† Keep in mind, though, that this file will download as a ZIP, and you’ll still need to convert it to an EPUB or MOBI before uploading to Amazon and/or other ebook retailers.yWriter 💠° Price tag: Free software!yWriter is particularly well-suited for the user who’s determined to keep not just their writing organized, but their work schedule as a whole: it records your daily work and tells you exactly how much you have to write to stay on track. Of course, writers who prefer a more loosey-goosey schedule may find this a bit controlling. But then again, if you’re an erratic writer who struggles to make progress because of your own lack of a routine, yWriter’s schedule function may be just the kick in the pants you need.FocusWriter💠°Ã‚  Price tag: Free software (you can tip, though)!âÅ"…  Features:  A beautiful blank page for you to write your novelFocusWriter isn’t novel-specific software per se, but it will help you rocket-boost your productivity. And of course, it's completely, permanently free - no limited-time trial, no payment with a warranty, no â€Å"premium upgrade† - so you may as well try it out!Th is software is exactly what it sounds like: it helps you laser-focus your efforts onto writing, and nothing else. You can still format your novel and check your word count/daily goals via offscreen tools, but FocusWriter’s default state is simply a blank page. You can also use full-screen mode so the only thing you see is the page in front of you - just like writing IRL.For authors who struggle to concentrate on their work more than anything else, FocusWriter is a dream come true. You might also consider combining it with an app blocker like Freedom, so you won’t be distracted by your phone either. id=attachment_14651 style="width: 685px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">Just like the good old days. From FocusWriterAnd that rounds off our section on free writing software! Now let's get into your options for paid programs.Scrivener💠°Ã‚  Price tag: $44.99 license fee, free 30-day trialâÅ"… Features:  Corkboard planner with virtual index cards, planning templates, integrated outlining system, customizable full-screen interface, split-screen function, import and export capabilitiesScrivener is one of the most storied (no pun intended) programs in use today, having been beta’d by NaNoWriMo writers over a decade ago. It markets itself as a â€Å"typewriter, ring-binder, and scrapbook all in one,† and it certainly comprises plenty of helpful features. But Scrivener’s biggest benefit is the freedom it enables: with so many modes of organization that you can arrange to your heart’s desire, the program lets you write however works best for you.With S crivener, you can do as much or as little planning as you want, so you don’t feel pressured to stay within certain constraints. You can shuffle your notes, outlines, and even chapters around wherever you need. It also has one of the most generous trial periods on offer - you can use it free for 30 days, but they don’t have to be consecutive. So if you only opened the Scrivener app every other day, your trial would technically last for 60 days rather than 30. (And when you do decide to pull the trigger, there are almost always discounts to be found.)The only potential catch with Scrivener is that some authors might find it a little too liberating; it doesn’t provide much novel-specific instruction, as some other programs do. But it’s still an excellent organizational tool with a great interface. Whether or not you choose Scrivener just depends on how much guidance you feel you need. A sample of Scrivener's "novel" template. From  ScrivenerNovel Factory💠° Price tag: $39.99 license fee, free 60-day trialâÅ"…  Features:  Comprehensive  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Roadmap† that walks you through the parts of a novel, straightforward layout with separate tabs for outline, characters, locations, etc., automatic progress trackingThis program is ideal for those who want a bit of hand-holding as they embark on their writing journey. Novel Factory helps writers gradually develop all the necessary components of a novel: first its skeleton, then characters, scenery, conflict, POV, and so on. And their guiding Roadmap does not skimp on details! Each section breaks down a specific element, and includes examples and exercises to demonstrate how they apply within a novel.Again, this piece of novel writing software works best for beginners, or anyone getting back into fiction writing after a very long hiatus. However, it’s also good for writers who know they need rigor ous structure to succeed -   Ã¢â‚¬Å"plotters† rather than â€Å"pantsers." Novel Factory equips you with everything you could ever want, structurally speaking, and filling in its templates should give you a very clear sense of where your novel is headed.The Novel Factory interface is pretty basic, and the templates do serve more as accompaniment to the Roadmap, rather than the other way around. But if you want to create a detailed blueprint for your novel, Novel Factory might be the software for you. It’s currently built for Windows, but Mac users can use extracting software, or the online Novel Factory app (found under "Desktop Version"  here). 📚⚙ Novel Factory and more: the best novel writing software of 2019 NewNovelist💠° Price tag: $29.99 license fee with 30-day warrantyâÅ"…  Features:  Customized templates for your novel’s genre and story, storyboard â€Å"visualizer† and chapter organizer, in-program search engine for research, animated readback, dictation, and textual analyticsNewNovelist software’s greatest strengths are processing and evaluation. You input what your book will be about, and NewNovelist generates a template based on that info. You start writing your novel, and NewNovelist analyzes the content for proportional word count and reading level. Indeed, of all the software on this list, NewNovelist probably has the most technically advanced features. It even lets you dictate your story when you get tired of typing!This program also includes the standard lineup of organizational assets you get with most novel writing software: outlining, storyboarding, character profiles, etc. But it’s the cool techy stuff that makes it stand out. Pe rhaps the most brilliant feature on here is the built-in search engine, which allows you to research as you write without leaving the platform - so that you (hopefully) don’t get too distracted from the task at hand.Though it may not be as sleek as other programs (mostly due to the sheer abundance of features), NewNovelist is an incredible tool for authors whose first priority is sound literary construction. For interested parties, note that NewNovelist is another Windows-only program - but again, there are ways around that if you don’t have a PC. If you want to dictate your novel instead of writing it, NewNovelist could be the software for you ðŸâ€" £ Novel Suite💠° Price tag: $12/month or $99/year subscription options, free 7-day trialâÅ"…  Features:  Novel board for outlining chapters and scenes, various detailed templates, character profile sheets, research and image library sectionsNovel Suite is one of the most streamlined programs out there for writers. Right off the bat, it has a color-coded welcome screen where you can easily navigate among the different modules: your novel board, word processor, writing templates page, character list, image library, and finally an area for your research. It’s perfect for writers who might be overwhelmed by more complex interfaces, but who still need to organize complex ideas.As for Novel Suite’s actual modules, its writing templates are where the program really shines. Novel Suite includes six templates, full of specific questions and thoughtful tips to help you plan your novel. For example, the â€Å"Starting Out† template encourages writers to think abo ut â€Å"the overall story journey† and â€Å"how to capture readers,† while still allowing for flexibility.The subscription-only model will naturally deter some writers from this program. But it's worth giving the free trial a go - you might find that the writing templates alone are worth the price. Especially for those who find themselves frustrated with typical templates and wanting something more nuanced, Novel Suite definitely delivers the goods. id=attachment_14649 style="width: 682px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">AutoCrit💠° Price tag:   $10/month for the â€Å"basic† plan, $30/month for â€Å"professional,† $80/month for â€Å"elite,† or $1 for a two-week trialâÅ"…  Features:  Depends on the plan, but â€Å"professional† is considered full-use - entails genre filtering, an array of editing options for pacing, dialogue, â€Å"strong writing,† word choice, repetition, and direct comparisons to bestselling worksWhile other pieces of software help you organize, develop, and even self-edit your story, they don’t include the in-depth editorial functions and services that AutoCrit does. This is the program to use if you already have a decent-sized draft of your novel, or if you’re a micromanaging kind of writer who likes to edit meticulously as you go.AutoCrit tests your work for all the factors above, and even individual elements within those factors. So for exam ple, after selecting â€Å"word choice† as your focus area, AutoCrit then allows you to narrow it down even more: do you want to check for generic descriptions? Improve your sentence starters? Work on personal phrases? You can achieve all that and more with AutoCrit.The program also boasts an appealing modern interface, and decent prices considering the range of editing possibilities. Some writers might be reluctant to shell out for an editing program - but those writers are probably blissfully unaware of how hard it is to self-edit. When you think of it that way, AutoCrit is an amazing service: it helps you edit your manuscript with the perspective of a professional, from the comfort of your own home. AutoCrit's software is just like another pair of 👀 on your novel WriteItNow💠° Price tag: Free demo (doesn’t save your work), $59.95 license feeâÅ"…  Features:  Front and back matter sections, chapter outlines, element sheets, wide range of editing tools  including readability score and repetition finderWriteItNow’s no-frills design facilitates that all-too-elusive endeavor for aspiring authors: to simply write. Its interface is pretty basic, with a toolbar at the top for quick access to any section of your planning and a sidebar to keep track of the actual writing. But don’t let its minimalism deceive you: WriteItNow also offers a variety of unique resources, especially for editing your novel.After you’ve written a chapter or two with WriteItNow, not only can you check things like spelling and word count, you can also run editorial â€Å"Critiques† via the Editor Tools tab. The program will point out any repetitive phrases, unnecessary â€Å"padding† words, and even clichà ©s you might hav e used - helping you polish your writing in the same way a third-party copy editor might.Another one-of-a-kind feature in WriteItNow is the automatic â€Å"Create Idea† function. You can select a character and a type of idea - in a maneuver reminiscent of choosing personality traits on The Sims - and the program will spit out creative prompts. It might be something you can integrate into your story, or a thought exercise to flesh out your characters.This program may also seem a bit on the pricey side - however, the license fee does cover both Mac and PC versions of the software. In any case, WriteItNow absolutely lives up to its name in terms of helping writers get their work done, and you can’t put a price on that. id=attachment_14650 style="width: 703px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">We told you it was like The Sims!For book formatting software, check out this post on Vellum.Remember...No novel writing software is actually magic - that is, none of it's going to write your novel for you. But with the right tools to lend you some structure, focus, and a dash of inspiration, you might just be able to get ‘er done all by yourself.Ever tried using writing software? Tell us about it in the comments below!

The Present Participle of Verbs Ending in -ie

The Present Participle of Verbs Ending in -ie The Present Participle of Verbs Ending in -ie The Present Participle of Verbs Ending in -ie By Maeve Maddox Its Spring and Im busily cruising the gardening sites. This headline grabbed me: Is your Clematis Wilting? Fading? Dieing? Find out how to rescue it. English has a handful of common verbs that end in -ie: die lie (to recline) lie (to prevaricate) tie The present participles of these verbs are formed by changing the -ie to y and adding -ing: dying lying lying tying And yes, my clematis is fading, but so far, not dying. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With40 Fish IdiomsMood vs. Tense

Religion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion Questions - Essay Example The weapon of Vishnu is a conch which he holds in his hand. Of the many symbols that denote him, one is Lotus. As opposed to Vishnu, Shiva has a terrifying nature and gets angry quickly to start a fight. Otherwise he is loving and kind and has a number of symbols. Around his neck is a snake and Shiva has three eyes; the third eye symbolizing his spiritual knowledge and power. He is considered to be neutral in nature; neither good nor evil, neither male nor female. In Buddhist understanding of the religion, six realms of existence are defined. First is the realm of jealous God. Characterized by suffering from permanence of war and violent struggles; this conflict has to be redirected for destroying unawareness and reaching the light of awareness. Second is the Realm of Hungry ghosts, which have narrow necks and pinhole mouths but large empty stomachs to fill. These beings are continuously in search of new things in the outside world to satisfy their hunger and craving, but are unable to do so, but they continue to demand satisfactions which are impossible to attain. 1. Compare and contrast the lives of Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha. Discuss the following: their birth and early years, central moments in their lives that lead to their spiritual/religious quest, the nature and length of their ministry, and how they died. Answer: In 3 or 4 BCE, Jesus was born a Jew. According to the belief of Muslims and Christians, Jesus was born to Virgin Mary, however there is a difference among the two beliefs about the death of Jesus; Muslims deny his death on the cross. According to Christians, not much is known about the early years of life of Jesus, however it is well known that John Baptized Jesus and later he became a preacher and ultimately was executed on the cross. Muhammad is an Arabic word which literally means ‘highly praised’ and according to Muslims, Muhammad was born a natural birth and he belonged to the powerful tribe named Qurysh. His father

Discuss what is mean by Universal Grammar. How does the process of Essay

Discuss what is mean by Universal Grammar. How does the process of language acquisition provide evidence for Universal Grammar. give concrete examples. What ot - Essay Example As usual, "the company" now has an earlier deadline than they had given me, despite them still not having given me the entire chapter, so I hope you're not late. Best, anon Trask (1995) presented two types of evidence in support of Chomsky's theory that the innate condition of the human brain at birth explained language acquisition, a process that occurs without effort or direct or indirect teaching in children. First, despite the differences in the experiences of children within and across cultures, in deaf and hearing children, and in those who are and are not mentally retarded, the same stages in the same order occur in acquiring language. Second, in support of the role of the human brain at birth, there is evidence that those who have not been exposed to a language past a "critical period" of 12 or 13 years have not been able to learn the rules of a language. Trask (1995) reviewed evidence supporting "universal grammar," a phrase describing Chomsky's revolutionary theory of psycholinguistics, i.e., there are linguistic universals (commonalities among all languages), the human brain is equipped at birth for the acquisition of language, and thus children acquire language without either direct or indirect instruction. ... over the history of human existence, it is disingenuous to describe the demise of the Skinnerian operant-conditioning model (referred to by Trask as the "imitation-and reinforcement model,", p. 140) as occurring "not so many years ago" or, more dramatically, "in recent years" (p. 140). One could provide pages of citations to support recognition of the brief time course of Chomsky's "revolution," but Pinker, himself a giant in psycholinguistic theory (Rondal, 1993), should suffice (interview, Rondal, 1993). Chomsky's theory of language acquisition (beginning in 1959, cited in Pinker's interview, Rondal, 1993) quickly relegated (unusual in the social sciences) to a chapter in the history of psychology the then-accepted Skinnerian operant-conditioning theory that babies learn language by reinforcement of language imitations. Because most humans have observed babies and young children, it is understandable that social scientists, among others, would have recognized the essential correctness of implicating the brain at birth - by comparing, for example, their own struggles in learning a second language, even if in surroundings where the second language was spoken, with the ease with which children not only acquire a first language, but with the ease with which immigrant children, compared to their parents, acquire a second language. Understanding why the theory that language developed as a function only of experience was accepted in the first place requires recognizing the virtual destructi on of experimental psychology caused by the prior "behaviorist revolution" - which virtually outlawed even the thought of innate dispositions (Watson, 1919, as cited in Hunt & Ellis, 2004). In this way, one might think of Chomsky, not to minimize his genius, trained in linguistics,

In What Ways Did Dengs Leadership Bring Change to China in the Late 1970s and 1980s Essay Example for Free

In What Ways Did Dengs Leadership Bring Change to China in the Late 1970s and 1980s Essay After Mao’s death in 1976, Deng abandoned the Maoist economic model and decided to open China up to free market economic reforms and Western style capitalism all carefully controlled by the state still. He also introduced the One Child policy. The domestic social, political, and most notably, economic systems would undergo significant changes during Dengs time as leader. The goals of Dengs reforms were summarized by the Four Modernizations, those of agriculture, industry, science and technology and the military. The strategy for achieving these aims of becoming a modern, industrial nation was the socialist market economy. For agriculture, it changed for the better. Deng first took steps to repair the damage done to farm production during the Great Leap Forward. In place of the communes he established the contract responsibility system. Under this arrangement, the government rented land to individual farm families, who then decided for themselves what to produce. The families contracted with the government simply to provide a certain amount of crops at a set price. Once the contract was fulfilled, the families were free to sell any extra crops at markets for whatever prices they could get. This chance to make more money by growing more crops greatly increased China’s farm production. Since the introduction of the contract responsibility system, Chinese farmers produced about 8 percent more each year than they did in the previous year. And many farmers have benefited greatly from the new plan. Under the contract responsibility system, families still did not own the land. The long-term leases awar ded by the government, however, helped to develop an â€Å"owner† attitude among the farmers. As a result, many families have made improvements to the land. As for the economy, Deng attracted foreign companies to a series of Special Economic Zones, where foreign investment and market liberalization were encouraged. Which meant that China needed Western technology and investment, and that it could open the door to foreign businesses who wanted to set up in China. The reforms centered on improving labor productivity as well. New material incentives and bonus systems were introduced. Rural markets selling peasants homegrown products and the surplus products of communes were revived. Not only did rural markets increase agricultural output, they stimulated industrial development as well. With peasants able to sell surplus agricultural yields on the open market, domestic consumption stimulated industrialization as well and also created political support for more difficult economic reforms. Another change for China was it’s industry, the four modernizations affected the industry positively. It provided electricity in the rural areas, industrial automation, a new economic outlook, and greatly enhanced defense strength. His program for industry had two goals. First, he wanted people to spend more money on consumer goods. Therefore, he changed the focus from heavy industry to light industry, the production of small consumer goods such as clothing, appliances, and bicycles. He also wanted factories to step up production. So he gave more decision-making power to individual factory managers. And he started a system of rewards for managers and workers who found ways to make factories produce more. All in all, these changes brought good results, and changed China for the better and is the China that is here today. Deng’s leadership really helped modernize China.

Rip Van Winkle Essay -- Washington Irving

Rip Van Winkle In the late 1700's and early 1800's, literature began to show it was changing thanks to the newly formed democracy in America. As is the case with any young government, many different interest groups arose to attempt to mold the government according to their vision of democracy. Washington Irving, a native New Yorker born in 1783, grew up in a world engulfed in these democratic ideals. He grew up to be, as many would grow up in this atmosphere, a political satirist. This satirical nature of Irving's shows up well in "Rip Van Winkle", as he uses historical allusions and symbolic characters to mockingly compare colonial life under British rule to the democracy of the young United States. The reader assumes the appearance of Rip from the preceding paragraphs in which the author sets the general timeframe in the colonial era before and after the American Revolutionary war. To describe Rip one would have to look mostly at little hints in the story. The best way to describe Rip would be that he is very muscular because of all of the physical labor done in chores. We also learn Rip had light hair with blue eyes. Rip's clothing was that of the time period: black suits with fluffy white collars, tri-cornered hats, and brass buckles on the black shoes. Good-natured and helpful best describes Rip's attitude, this good faith towards all that eventually lands Rip in trouble. This story is full of historical instances. The first historical satire occurs attached to the name Peter Stuyvesant, who is mentioned twice with exaggerated praise. Stuyvesant, a harsh and strongly disliked governor, was in power when the English seized New York. Irving uses a false respect for Stuyvesant to make fun of the Dutch in New York, who blamed him for the loss of the land to the English. Having set the scene as a Dutch-friendly narrator, Irving introduces Dame Van Winkle, Rip's angry wife, who maintains contempt for Rip's laziness and carefree attitude. Dame Van Winkle' harsh control over her husband represents King George and the English rule of the colonies. Whereas George, yet felt faithful and attached to the Crown, mistreated the colonies Rip stood by his demanding wife. The irony is in Rip's non-caring attitude towards Dame Van Winkle. He was harassed and bossed, but he was content. Nicholas Vedder, the owner of the inn, who controlled the conversations and opi... ...ourse Rip, having been gone for twenty years, doesn't know what he is talking about and it goes on from there. Rip becomes very popular after telling his story to the villagers over and over again which proves that, in most cases, a fairy tale will beat out the truth in the order to please the public - and this story is no exception 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poupard, Dennis "Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism." Sharon K. Hall, Vol. 4 Detroit, Michigan, Gale Research Company. 1981 Pg.1989-1992 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greene, Gayle. "Yearbook 1986" Sharon K, Hall Vol. 44. "Contemporary Literary Criticism." Detroit Michigan. Gale Research Company. 1986. Pg.194-195 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Galens, Judith. "Nineteenth-Century literature Criticism." Joann Cerrito. Vol 41 Detroit. Gale Research inc. 1994 Pg. 31-35 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greene Gayle. "Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism." Laurie Lanzon Harris. Vol 2 Detroit Michigan Gale Research Company. 1982 Pg.62-64 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magill, Frank N. "Cyclopedia of literary Characters." A.J. Sobezak. Vol. 4 New Jersey. Salem press Inc. 1998. Pg. 1641-1645 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rochin, Domingo "Rip Van Winkle an American story" Washington Irving. David Barfoot New York 1998 Pg.14-20

Pestle Analysis

PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment There are many factors in the macro-environment that will effect the decisions of the managers of any organisation. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyse these factors managers can categorise them using the PESTEL model. This classification distinguishes between: . Political factors. These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention (interference) in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing (grants or loans) (buying) firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can affect many important areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. .Economic factors. These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation (price rise) and exchange rates. As you will see economic change can have a major impact on a firm's behaviour. For example: -higher interest rates may stop investment because it costs more to borrow? – a strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency? – inflation may lead to higher wage demands from employees and raise costs -? higher national income growth may increase demand for a firm's products . Social factors. Changes in social trends (fashion/lifestyle) can impact on the demand for a firm's products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staffs are living longer. It also means some firms such as Asda have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. .Technological factors: new technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organisations providing the products. .Environmental factors: environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a important issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Legal factors: these are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected firms' behaviour. The introduction of age discrimination (discrimination definition: where u make fun and not treat someone right because of their background, colour, how they look or age) and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirem ents for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organisation's actions. Legal changes can affect a firm's costs (e. g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e. g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). . Different categories of law include: .1) Consumer laws; these are designed to protect customers against unfair practices such as misleading descriptions of the product. .2) Competition laws; these are aimed at protecting small firms against discrimination by larger firms and checking that customers are not exploited by firms with control and power . ) Employment laws; these cover areas such as redundancy, dismissal, working hours and minimum wages. They aim to protect employees against the abuse of power by managers 4) Health and safety legislation; these laws are aimed at ensuring the workplace is as safe as is reasonably practical. They cover issues such as training, reporting accidents and the appropriate provision of safety equipment. http://www. scribd. com/doc/16171096/PESTEL- Framework-and-Porters-Five-Forces-Model

Goals for Chefs Essay

Goals are what shapes everyone’s lives to what they are. Whether it be an abundance or lack of them. Myself, I have planned many goals so I can become who I really wish to be. Without my little goals to guide me along the way, who knows where I could end up in this world? Many of my goals are simple small ones like, get an A in English, perfect my cupcake recipe, or do well on the SAT’s; that add up to much larger ones such as get accepted to a good college and become a well known pastry chef. Well my goal of being accepted to a lovely college has already become true. In the fall I will be attending Johnson & Wales University for baking and pastry. My main goal at the moment however is to secure as much help as I can from people such as yourselves so it can be possible. Even though honestly I’m not the type to ask for help about anything, I need it. My goals mean so much to be to become someone and reach the education I need and deserve. Without it, how could anything else I wish to attain with my life become possible? Without knowledge and experience, how am I supposed to compete with highly trained chefs for jobs in such a competitive industry? Teaching yourself can only get you so far. I yearn for the knowledge about not only classical but modern techniques I could never figure out all on my own. Before my goal of becoming a great pastry chef can come to be, I must satisfy my wishes and goals to learn all I can. My goals to master the art of sugar sculpture, cake baking, and chocolate work. Granted yes some things I have learned already on my own such as gum paste manipulation and basic baking, but how would I ever learn how to create creatures out of sugar so delicate the tiniest touch could snap them? It would never be a possibility in my tiny kitchen; it takes so much room in there to even bake a cake. Just basically what I’m saying is this; without help to reach my education the goals I plan wouldn†™t even matter. They would be impossible to reach.

Govenment Budgeting essays

Govenment Budgeting essays There are many different budgeting systems used throughout the history of the United States. The development of the different budgeting systems came out of the growing needs for efficiency, managing rapid growing budgets, public assurance of budget spending, and the need to cut programs effectively to reduce spending. In the more current budgeting, a combination of the different types are incorporated and implemented to maximize efficiency and productivity. Line item budgeting is primarily to ensure that money is spent in accordance with its allocations and that it is properly spent and accounted for. Line items in a budget represent a broad type of expenditure. Because all agencies practice similar types of budgeting, they will all use the same object code for their line item or object of expenditure. I work for a school district that uses line item budgeting. For example, if I were to purchase non-instructional supplies, I would use the object 4300 to identify the type of expenditure. This type of budgeting is easy to understand it is still used today in many areas of public finance. It also offers political leaders an easier way of reducing items budgeted rather than cutting programs entirely. Unlike other budgeting systems that focus more on results to promote planning and management, line item budgeting limits what benefits can be offered. The 1930s began a change in the way public money was budgeted. Because the federal budget was rapidly growing, there became a need for a budgeting system change as well. The performance budget developed out of this rapid growth and is generally organized around programs and activities. Performance measures are used to show how work and cost relate. Similarly to line item budgeting, expenditures are broken down into different areas. However, performance budgets break down the areas into many divisions, whereas, the line item budget has only one division. Performance budgeting helps develop ...

Causes and Effects of Government Shutdowns

Causes and Effects of Government Shutdowns Why would much of the U.S. federal government shut down and what happens when it does?   The Cause of Government Shutdowns The U.S. Constitution requires that all expenditures of federal funds be authorized by Congress with the approval of the President of the United States. The U.S. federal government and the federal budget process operate on a fiscal year cycle running from October 1 to midnight September 30. If Congress fails to pass all of the spending bills comprising the annual federal budget or continuing resolutions extending spending beyond the end of the fiscal year; or if the president fails to sign or vetoes any of the individual spending bills, certain non-essential functions of the government may be forced to cease due to a lack of congressionally-authorized funding. The result is a government shutdown. The Current Border Wall Shutdown of 2019 The most recent government shutdown, and the third of the Donald Trump presidency began on December 22, 2018, when Congress and the White House failed to agree on the inclusion in an annual spending bill of $5.7 billion requested by President Trump for the construction of an additional 234 miles of fencing to be added to the existing security barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico. On January 8, with no end to the impasse in sight, President Trump threatened to declare a national emergency empowering him to bypass to fund the border fencing. However, by January 12, what had become the longest lasting government shutdown in U.S. history had shuttered nine of the 15 federal executive branch agencies, and left over 800,000 federal workers- including Border Patrol officers, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers- either working without pay or sitting at home on furlough. Trash began piling up and visitor safety became an issue at national parks as park rangers had been sent home. Although Congress had passed a bill on January 11 providing eventual full back pay for the employees, the strain of missed paychecks became obvious.   In a televised address on January 19, President Trump offered a proposal he hoped would bring Democrats back to the bargaining table to negotiate on an immigration reform for border security deal that would end the then 29-day-long government shutdown. The president offered to back immigration policies Democrats and had long requested, including a three-year revival of the DACA- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals- program in return for approval of a permanent $7 billion border security package, including $5.7 billion for the border wall. DACA is a currently expired immigration policy enacted by President Obama allowing eligible individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S. Less than an hour after the president’s address, Democrats rejected the bargain because it failed to offer permanent protection for the DACA immigrants and because it still included money for the border wall. Democrats again demanded that President Trump end the shutdown before negotiations continued. On January 24, Government Executive magazine reported that based on salary data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the then 34-day-long partial government was costing U.S. taxpayers more than $86 million a day in back pay promised to more than 800,000 furloughed workers. A Temporary Agreement Reached On January 25, President Trump announced that an agreement had been reached between his office and Democratic leaders in Congress that would temporarily reopen the government until February 15 without the inclusion of any funding for construction of additional border fencing. The agreement also provided that all federal employees affected by the shutdown would receive full back pay. According to the President, the delay would allow for further negotiations on funding of the border wall, which he said remained a necessity to national security. Finally, the President stated that if funding for the border wall was not agreed to by February 15, he would either reinstate the government shutdown or declare a national emergency allowing him to reallocate existing fund for the purpose. However, on February 15, the president signed a compromise spending bill averting another shutdown. The same day, he issued a National Emergency Proclamation redirecting $3.5 billion from the Defense Department’s military construction budget to the construction of new border wall. Under the terms of the Antideficiency Act, the shutdown may not have been legal in the first place. Since the government had the $5.7 billion needed to build the border wall, the shutdown had been based on an issue of political ideology rather than an issue of economic necessity, as required by the law. The Ghosts of Shutdowns Past Between 1981 and 2019, there were five government shutdowns. While the first four went largely unnoticed by anybody but the federal employees affected, the American people shared the pain during the last one.   1981: President Reagan vetoed a continuing resolution, and 400,000 federal employees were sent home at lunch and told not to come back. A few hours later, President Reagan signed a new version of the continuing resolution and the workers were back at work the next morning. 1984: With no approved budget, 500,000 federal workers were sent home. An emergency spending bill had them all back at work the next day. 1990: With no budget or continuing resolution, the government shuts down during the entire three-day Columbus Day weekend. Most workers were off anyway and an emergency spending bill signed by President Bush over the weekend had them back at work Tuesday morning. 1995-1996: Two government shutdowns beginning on November 14, 1995, idled different functions of the federal government for various lengths of time until April of 1996. The most serious government shutdowns in the nations history resulted from a budget impasse between Democratic President Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress over funding for Medicare, education, the environment, and public health. 2013: For 17 tedious days, from October 1 through October 16, the perennial disagreement between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over spending forced a partial shutdown that saw more than 800,000 federal employees furloughed, U.S veterans locked out of their own war memorials, and millions of visitors forced to leave national parks. Unable to pass a conventional annual budget, Congress considered a continuing resolution (CR) that would have maintained funding at current levels for six months. In the House, Tea Party Republicans attached amendments to the CR that would have delayed implementation of President Obama’s healthcare reform law–Obamacare–for one year. This amended CR had no chance of passing in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The Senate sent the House a â€Å"clean† CR with no amendments, but Speaker of the House John Boehner refused to allow the clean CR to come to a vote of the House. As a result of the impasse over Obamacare, no funding CR was passed by October 1- the end of the government’s 2013 fiscal year- and the shutdown began. As the shutdown drug on, public opinion of Republicans, Democrats and President Obama began to plummet and, to make matters worse, the U.S. was set to reach its debt limit on October 17. Failing to pass legislation raising the debt limit by the deadline could have forced the government to default on its debt for the first time in history, placing the payment of federal benefits in danger of being delayed. On October 16, faced with the debt limit crisis and increasing public disgust with Congress, Republicans and Democrats finally agreed on and passed a bill temporarily reopening the government and increasing the debt limit. Ironically, the bill- driven by the government’s need to reduce spending- also spent billions of dollars, including a tax-free gift of $174,000 to the widow of a deceased senator. The Costs of Government Shutdowns The first of the two government shutdowns in 1995-1996 lasted only six days, from November 14 to November 20. Following the six-day shutdown, the Clinton administration released an estimate of what the six days of an idled federal government had cost. Lost Dollars: The six-day shutdown cost taxpayers about $800 million, including $400 million to furloughed federal employees who were paid, but did not report to work and another $400 million in lost revenue in the four days that the IRS enforcement divisions were closed.Medicare: Some 400,000 newly eligible Medicare recipients were delayed in applying for the program.Social Security: Claims from 112,000 new Social Security applicants were not processed. 212,000 new or replacement Social Security cards were not issued. 360,000 office visits were denied. 800,000 toll-free calls for information were not answered.Healthcare: New patients were not accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ceased disease surveillance and hotline calls to NIH concerning diseases were not answered.Environment: Toxic waste clean-up work at 609 sites stopped as 2,400 Superfund workers were sent home.Law Enforcemen t and Public Safety: Delays occurred in the processing of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives applications by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; work on more than 3,500 bankruptcy cases reportedly was suspended; cancellation of the recruitment and testing of federal law enforcement officials reportedly occurred, including the hiring of 400 border patrol agents; and delinquent child-support cases were delayed. US Veterans: Multiple veterans services were curtailed, ranging from health and welfare to finance and travel.Travel: 80,000 passport applications were delayed. 80,000 visas were delayed. The resulting postponement or cancellation of travel cost U.S. tourist industries and airlines millions of dollars.National Parks: 2 million visitors were turned away from the nations national parks resulting in the loss of millions in revenue.Government-Backed Loans: FHA mortgage loans worth more than $800 million to more than 10,000 low-and-moderate-income working families were delayed. How a Government Shutdown Might Affect You As directed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the federal agencies now maintain contingency plans for dealing with government shutdowns. The emphasis of those plans is to determine which functions should continue. Most notably, the Department of Homeland Security and its Transportation Security Administration (TSA) did not exist in 1995 when the last long-term government shutdown took place. Due to the critical nature of their function, it is highly likely that the TSA would continue to function normally during a government shutdown.Based on history, here is how a long-term government shutdown might impact some government-provided public services. Social Security: Benefit checks would probably keep coming, but no new applications would be accepted or processed.Income Tax: The IRS will probably stop processing paper tax returns and refunds.Border Patrol: Customs and Border Patrol functions will probably continue.Welfare: Again, the checks would probably continue, but new applications for food stamps might not be processed.Mail: The U.S. Postal Service supports itself, so mail deliveries would continue as usual.National Defense: All active duty members of all branches of all armed services would continue duty as usual, but might not get paid on time. More than half of the Defense Departments 860,000 civilian employees would also work, the others sent home.Justice System: Federal courts should remain open. Criminals will still be chased, caught, prosecuted and thrown in federal prisons, which would still be operating.Farms/USDA: Food safety inspections will probably continue, but rural development, and farm credit and loan progra ms will probably close down. Transportation: Air traffic control, TSA security personnel, and the Coast Guard will remain on the job. Applications for passports and visas may not be processed.National Parks/Tourism: Parks and forests will probably close and visitors told to leave. Visitor and interpretive centers will be closed. Non-volunteer rescue and fire control services might be shut down. National monuments and most historic sites will probably be closed. Parks police will probably continue their patrols.

Harley-Davidson Technology Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Harley-Davidson Technology Strategies - Essay Example Talon is essential in mapping customer demand to enhance supply chain efficiency (Haag, Baltzan and Philips 91). Talon has enhanced Harley-Davidson managers’ decision making capabilities by availing of a 360-degree view into enterprise-wide information, which is critical to strategic goal setting and decision making at all levels of the organization. # 2 An Executive Information System details specialized system supporting senior executives within the organization. A digital dashboard is critical in integrating information from diverse components onto a single display. The application of digital dashboards contributes to enhancement of a company’s return on investment. Some of the principal metrics that Harley-Davidson executives may want to monitor on digital dashboard encompass sales by region, sales by season, best selling product, worst selling product, relationships between product sales, statistics on online orders versus in-store purchases and statistics detailin g best and worst selling dates per month. # 3 Executive Support Systems emanate from integration of Executive Information Systems with Decision Support Systems. ... Other benefits include timely delivery of information and better understanding of the information, filtering data to enable quick tracking and utilization of the information. # 4 Electronic commerce and communications can enhance sales as it avails of an extended platform for accessing dealerships. This can drive up profits as it enables bypassing dealers and ensuring that dealers remain at the centre of the customers’ buying experience. Online selling of accessories is essential to satisfying online buying experience. Some of the metrics that Harley-Davidson applies in monitoring on a digital dashboard include the time taken to process orders, the number of returned orders and the number of incorrect orders. This is critical to the delivery of prompt, consistent and rewarding experiences to all the loyal customers. The decision to adopt online selling will also enable Harley-Davidson to enter fresh markets and create additional revenue streams, besides redefining business rel ationships (Haag, Baltzan and Philips 92). Ethical consideration is critical as it influences the company’s brand image, as well as how sales, marketing and advertising principles are employed to make the company profitable. The anonymity of online transactions and the speed at which information is relayed make ethics an integral consideration. The key considerations revolve around privacy, intellectual property concerns and accessibility of information. # 5 Customer satisfaction is essential in building of a long-term, profitable relationship, which eventually translates to customer loyalty. Harley-Davidson should anticipate customer’s needs, enhance responsiveness and deliver consistent service so as to improve

Community Event Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Event Assignments - Essay Example The speaker also explained the deep meaning embedded behind this sacrificial ritual. The story of prophet Ibrahim was narrated really well. Since the event was spread over a long span of time, the members arranged for a time to read the Dhuhr (noon-prayer), Asr (after-noon prayer) and Maghrib prayers (evening prayer). These prayers are 3 of the 5 prayers that every Muslim is expected to read every single day. There was also a Henna session for the female students. During this session, intricate designs using henna was drawn on the palms of the willing female students. The henna designs are known as mehendi in the Muslim culture. Food was served up along with some dessert. A Muslim trivia was also arranged for during which questionnaires revolving Muslim traditions, history and culture were asked through which we gained a lot of more information and facts about Islam. The day ended with a cleaning up session after which we all returned home feeling much satisfied that we had the chanc e to come so close to such a rich yet misunderstood culture. I am glad that I had the opportunity to attend the community event. ... In fact, I believe that young Muslims Americans, like those who organized the event, can decrease the negativity between their culture and the West. American Islam dates back when slaves were brought from around the world to America but since they were freed the American Islam population was completely forgotten. We all are aware that immigrant Muslim population and American Muslim population are fast increasing in numbers and since Muslim students need to keep their cultural background intact as well as merge into the secular Western culture, this community event was an endeavor to accomplish just that1. The event was a nice platform for Muslim as well as Non-Muslim interaction. While the Muslim students had the chance of understanding the cultural and communal strength and the real meaning of Islam, the non-Muslim visitors gained an unforgettable experience. Since American Islam has to thrive among hostile population there are times when American Muslims are not valued, which leads to a feeling of dejection and abandonment. However this community event brought together so many like-minds to discuss about their feelings. I feel that I learnt a lot about cultural pluralism. An African-American poet had said-â€Å"Diversity makes for a rich tapestry and we should understand that all threads have the same value.† Somehow, in present day America, the American Muslims and the immigrant population are on the verge of losing their identity and I was not sure if they are recognized that well. Some studies even suggest that Muslim children often try to hide their real identity among fellow American students, but when I first came to this community event I immediately realized that the work the ASSOC was up to was incredible because they strived to keep their