Expert Answers

1. Introduction:  You arrive at your prospect’s door for your (previously scheduled) appointment.  What’s the first thing you would say when your prospect opens the door and you shake his or her hand? (OR, what would you first say when meeting via video conference?)

SCRIPT your introduction.

2. Now you are invited to sit down (OR, virtually the prospect will lead conversation).  After some “small talk” (weather, present Covid situation, etc), you will begin with a strategic approach or approaches.  

Name 3 types of APPROACHES, and then SCRIPT how you would say them.

3. Then SCRIPT your “bridging statement”.   In other words, what will you say to “bridge” the conversation to the next “phase”?  Assume that the Needs Analysis questions phase/step is where you want the conversation to go next.

Assignment

1: Drawing on your own personal experiences or observations, identify a workplace challenge (e.g.: company merger, restructure, technology) and critically evaluate (using academic theory where appropriate), the leadership approach/es and intervention/s that the leader/line manager has taken to ensure employees remain motivated, engaged and committed to the organisation.

2: Reflecting on your answer in task 1, design and justify a personal learning plan which will further build on and develop the personal learning in relation to your development as a manager and/or leader and the effective management of others. 

Question:

1.Demonstrate knowledge of and understanding in a defined range of skills needed to function in both academic and business practice along with self-awareness of your own abilities.

2.Provide a creative and soundly based solution to a predictable business context that requires the use of a specified range of techniques and information sources. Communicate in a manner appropriate to the business context.

What am I required to do in this assignment?

You are required to write a individual report containing your costed plans for an event. You will initially be put into groups to conduct the research for the event. You will then be expected to write and submit an individual report for this assessment.  The event type is to be decided upon by you and your group and it must be hosted at the Metro Bar, Luton Campus, University of Bedfordshire. The Metro Bar has a capacity for a maximum of 200 people.

In the report, you are expected to include:

i.Your marketing strategy - this must include details of the Marketing Mix, as related to your chosen event

ii.Your human resource requirements - this must include details of the various staff required for the event and their roles/responsibilities, including staff required for the pre-event activities (such as promotion) to post-event activities (such as cleaning)

iii.Your financial details – this must include details of all the costs involved in the whole organisation and running of the event. You must also provide details of your break-even point

You will be expected to justify all the decisions that you make regarding the above criteria in your report.

For more information about the Metro Bar and the types of events it currently hosts:

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

In order to pass Assignment 2 you will need to:

·Collect and analyse appropriate information and data from reliable and authoritative sources to inform your choice of solution

·Provide a sensible solution to the problem given, with reliable costings

·Communicate effectively in an appropriate format

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on Click or tap to enter a date. make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you.

How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

The scheduled lessons aim to provide a sound basis to the topic that is being assessed in the assignment. Thus, there is a direct link between the assignment and the content covered in scheduled sessions.

How will my assignment be marked?

Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.

You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.

1. Select a problem or an issue that you have encountered in your own experience. Create an action plan that would be effective in building a policy to address the issue. Responses to discussion topics/questions should demonstrate insight and analysis. A high-quality response: • Identifies the problems or issues and addresses them directly. • Supports your position, hypothesis, or conclusion with cited sources. • Applies relevant course concepts. • Makes connections to relevant professional, personal, or other real-world experiences, when appropriate. • Content that is well researched, insightful, or beneficial to the group and posted on time. • Concise observations that present new ideas and move discussion forward. • Narrative that encourages reflection. • Student’s original postings/answers for discussion questions must , be evidence informed, and use at least two references to support discussion (at least 1 reference NOT from assigned reading

Part 1 – Goals - Chapter 1

After carefully reviewing your current financial situation, create two short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.

Your short-term goals should be goals that you can realistically accomplish within one year. They may include, but are not limited to, paying off credit card balances, beginning a TFSA or other retirement-type savings program, or getting your income and expenses in balance. Your medium-term goals are goals that you should realistically be able to accomplish in one to five years. They may include, but are not limited to, purchasing a new vehicle or paying off school loans. Long-term goals will take longer than five years to accomplish. They may include purchasing a home, taking a major trip (such as a summer in Europe), or saving sufficient funds to retire at a predetermined age. The goals that you develop are a first draft and may be added to or modified as you proceed through this course. This course is designed to provide you with information and insight that will help you make informed decisions about your financial future.

Be sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T. The majority of marks on this segment of the assignment will come from the detail you include regarding goal planning using the SMART process.

Part 2 – Financials – Chapter 3

Prepare a personal cash flow statement and a balance sheet.

You should prepare your cash flow statement based upon your current financial position. Pick a specific date (e.g., March 31st) to complete your balance sheet. To obtain a value on your assets, if you are unsure, go to the internet to see what people are selling similar assets for on classified websites (e.g., Kijiji). When listing your liabilities, be sure to include any student loans even if they are not payable until after graduation.

When preparing your personal cash flow statement, break down all expenses into monthly amounts. For example, if your car insurance is $700 per year, divide the $700 by 12 for a monthly amount. Personal cash flow statements should be set up based upon a monthly frequency. If, after preparing your personal cash flow statement, you have an excess of expenses over income, you should review in detail each expense to determine its necessity and whether it can realistically be reduced in order to balance your income and expenses. Keep in mind that you need to include a debt repayment line in your cash flow statement, if applicable.

Part 3 – Credit – Chapter 6

List your current debt related to credit, and determine how long it will take you to pay it off.

Make a list of your current debt related to credit (credit cards, student loans, lines of credit, etc.), determine your required monthly payments and calculate how long it will take to pay off your current debt. If you have borrowed money from friends or family and are expected to pay it back, you need to include it here.

If you have no debt, you may skip this part!

Part 4 – Home – Chapter 7

Identify the first (or next) home you want to purchase and calculate the total monthly cost of owning it.

Research into home prices will be required for this segment of the assignment. Based on the price of the first (or next) home you plan to purchase, and the down payment you will have available, calculate the total monthly cost of home ownership. Use an online mortgage calculator, and make realistic assumptions for the interest rate, term & amortization period. Include pictures and the address of the home.

As a minimum, include these monthly costs:   

A. Mortgage payment - from on-line mortgage calculator

B. Property taxes - assume 1% of home value annually

C. Hydro - estimate based on discussions with current homeowners

D. Natural gas - estimate based on discussions with current homeowners

E. Water - estimate based on discussions with current homeowners

Part 5 – Insurance – Chapters 8 & 9

Make a list of the types of insurance coverage that you currently have, or will need, in your first year of working after graduation.

If you already have appropriate insurance coverage, you may use that, as long as it will be sufficient for you for the upcoming year. Refer to the textbook and make reference to specific types of insurance that you will personally need, based on your health and physical condition. You should be considering auto, homeowner’s, health and life insurance.

Part 6 – Investments – Chapter 10

Share the results of your risk tolerance test and determine which investments will help you achieve your short, medium, and long-term goals from Part 1.

In determining whether investing is suitable for each goal you created, take into consideration the timeline for accomplishing the goal, the critical nature of the goal, and, of course, the results of your risk tolerance test found on eConestoga. List each goal from Part 1 and discuss the suitability of investing money for each goal.  

Part 7 – Retirement – Chapter 14

Determine the amount of savings you will need to retire and how much you will need to save each year to meet your goal for retirement savings.

Difficult as it may be to visualize, retirement really is “right around the corner.” The reality is that the earlier you begin dealing with the issues of retirement, the more successful and enjoyable retirement will be. Start by finding an on-line “Retirement Calculator” from a reputable source (eg: major bank). Use the calculator to determine the amount of savings you will need to retire. Once you know this amount, determine how much money you must save per year, the return you must earn, and the savings period to meet your goal for retirement savings. Consider different types of retirement plans (pensions, RRSP’s, etc.) and indicate which ones are most suitable, and probable, for you.

1.    What do you think about this pairing-up idea? Would you be comfortable with such an arrangement? Why or why not?
2.    What personality traits would be most needed for this type of work arrangement? Why?
4.    What types of issues might a Gen Y employee and an older, more-experienced employee face? How could two people in such a close-knit work arrangement deal with those issues? That is, how could both make the adjustment easier?
 

By selecting a minimum of 10 article/journals or books about green building design, you are required to review literature with the following objectives:
a)Explain the principles of green building design.
b)Discuss the strategies used in green building design to achieve each of the following:
i.Energy efficiency.
ii.Water efficiency.
iii.Occupant health and productivity.
iv.Reduction in waste, pollution and environmental degradation.

PURPOSE
Modern buildings are equipped with intelligent automation systems for many reasons. This is achieved through bringing together every building subsystems to work together as an integrated unit. The purpose of this assignment is to access students knowledge trough literature review on Building Automation Systems.
REQUIREMENT / ASSIGNMENT QUESTION       
By selecting a minimum of 10 article/journals or books about Building Automation Systems, you are required to review literature with the following objectives:
a)To explain the working principle of building automation system.
b)To discuss FOUR typical functions of building automation system.
c)To examine the applications of building automation system to benefit green buildings in terms of:
i.Higher energy efficiency.
ii.Lower operating and maintenance costs.
iii.Better indoor air quality.
iv.Greater occupant comfort and productivity.

This assessment addresses the following Subject Learning Outcomes:
a) Apply research, academic and communication skills appropriate to the level of study and observe academic referencing requirements
b) Critically analyse texts and/or multimedia material in both a business and academic context
c) Identify and apply effective communication methods within a business and academic environment
In this assessment, you will form an argument to express a point of view and support it with  evidence. The issue and supporting evidence for your argument should be based on the materials used in Assessment 1A – Annotated Bibliography.
When choosing a claim for the argument, consider the following:
• Use the annotated bibliography material from Assessment 1A for sourcing evidence and  ideas for your argument.
• Review the resources critically and select at least 5 to be used as references in this assessment.
• Write an argument (up to a page) considering the following:
o a good argument is convincing whereby the premises are acceptable, the supporting  evidence is relevant to the claim and provides sufficient grounds for acceptance of the claim

QUESTION 1

Miss Mira asks your opinion whether the company should buy a business analytic tool in the market, which is quite costly, to perform the analysis. You insist that you will use Microsoft Excel as business analytical tools are costly, and she is surprised.  Explain to her why you decide to use Microsoft Excel to analyze the sales data.

Question 

MA Plc provides online educational services to their clients in the higher education sector. The company offers its products in a package which includes online courses and supporting materials for follow up reading and self-paced practices

In the recent years, the company has experienced rapid growth rate and is operating beyond its initial expansion plans. While the management is excited about the growth, it is also concerned about the rising operating costs, particularly the overhead costs. The company operates a standard costing system and all departments are required to participate in the system. The current company policy is to allocate production overheads using the direct labour hours. As the management accountant in the company, you have gathered the following information about the planned overhead costs and the actual amount incurred, as follows:

Planned information for the period under review:

a.To complete 8,500 packages

b.Standard direct labour hours is 8 hours per package

c.Variable overhead costs was expected to be £54,400

d.Fixed overhead costs was expected at £136,000.

Actual information for the same period:

a.Completed 8,700 packages

b.A total of 82,650 direct labour hours were used

c.Variable overhead costs incurred recorded at £59,508

d.Fixed overhead costs incurred amounted to £133,893.

You are getting ready to analyse the information gathered, and have informed the management that you will be presenting the variance analysis in the forthcoming management meeting. However, some members in the management seem skeptical about the value of such analysis. They feel that maintaining a standard costing is in itself problematic and hindering the company from adopting modern management approaches, such as pursuing continuous improvement and being creative with products and processes. In fact, the management is in the midst of considering implementing some quality management initiatives to ensure that, albeit the rapid expansion, it will continue to provide quality services to its customers.

Meanwhile, the company realises that, in addition to analysing cost variances, management also needs to determine and evaluate the overall financial performance that has been achieved. 

Required

(a) Following the company’s concern about its rising operating costs, determine the following overhead cost variances:

(i) Variable overhead expenditure variance

(ii) Variable overhead efficiency variance 

(iii) Fixed overhead expenditure variance 

(iv) Fixed overhead volume variance 

(v) Fixed overhead volume capacity variance 

(vi) Fixed overhead volume efficiency variance

(b) Based on the above analysis, discuss whether the company’s concern on the rising costs is valid. 

(c) Drawing upon the literature, discuss the fitness of the current budgetary control practice in MA Plc, i.e. using standard costing system and variance analysis, in supporting the quality management initiatives that the company is planning to put in place

(d) The following information has been gathered for the year ended 31 December 2020. 

The company has invested £80,000 in developing a new market segment. According to the market survey, this investment can generate economic benefit over a four-year period beginning year 2020. 

The company uses a weighted average cost of capital of 12%. It has set the performance targets for the year ended 31 December 2020 as follows: 

Return on Investment (ROI) 20%

Residual Income (RI) £66,000

Economic Value Added (EVATM) £110,000 

(i) Calculate the ROI, RI and EVATM for the year under review and interpret the results.

(ii) Provide a brief discussion on the usefulness of above performance measures to the management.