Questions
In June 2004, Jen Kluger and Suzie Orol received a phone call from Sarah Gibson, one...

In June 2004, Jen Kluger and Suzie Orol received a phone call from Sarah Gibson, one of their retail customers, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Gibson called with a complaint about how many of her competitors now carried Foxy Originals jewelry. Gibson’s store had been the exclusive carrier of Foxy Originals jewelry in the Winnipeg area for a number of years. With the growing popularity of its designs, many stores in the area now carried the Foxy Originals line. Kluger and Orol, owners and partners of Foxy Originals, were worried. If they continued to saturate the Canadian market, they would be faced with similar concerns from customers across Canada. The partners realized that it was time to grow the outside Canada, and they were excited about the possibility of selling their jewelry in the United States. Their goal was to enter the U.S. market by January 2005, but they would first have to decide on the best method of distribution attending trade shows or hiring sales representatives.

Jen Kluger and Suzie Orol believed that life should be fun and full of excitement, and they founded Foxy Originals based on these beliefs. These two young jewelry designers met while attending The University of Western Ontario, and they set out with a vision to make high style fashion jewelry accessible to young women. Both partners had experience in the jewelry industry. Orol’s parents owned a metal manufacturing company that focused on making jewelry and medals for companies and community groups. Orol was involved in the family business from a young age. Kluger had been designing and selling her own line of necklaces since she was in Grade 11.Kluger and Orol started their business, Foxy Originals (Foxy), in 1998. They sold a modest line of jewelry to friends and acquaintances on campus while attending university. In the summers before graduation, the partners took Foxy on the road to various outdoor festivals and summer concerts. The results were very positive. Upon graduation, with business degrees in their back pockets, Kluger and Orol left corporate job offers behind to work full time at Foxy. The partners spent their time designing new product lines and promoting Foxy in new markets. As the company grew and the jewelry that sold at festivals and summer concerts became more popular, Kluger and Orol began selling their jewelry to retail stores. Each retail account took a significant amount of time to develop, with the partners personally contacting and meeting with each store’s product buyer. The partners were very successful at selling to retailers due to their high energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of the product. As a result, in the first three years of operations, the company’s sales had doubled every year. Sales were continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Kluger and Orol were always very enthusiastic about their designs, and Canadian retailers began placing orders for Foxy jewelry after meeting these dynamic founders and learning about the products. It wasn’t long before Foxy jewelry could be found in 250 boutiques across Canada. Kluger and Orol personally sold (i.e., they had no sales representatives) their product lines to every retailer in Canada and managed all operations. Kluger and Orol described Foxy as a company that managed to stay two steps ahead of the latest trends: In doing so, our collections remain fresh, fun and funky. We realize that in this day and age, being hip and trendy comes at a high cost; not so with Foxy. We are able to provide a selection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings that are truly fashion-forward, at a reasonable price.

Foxy jewelry offered high style and high quality at an affordable price point and targeted women between the ages of 18 to 30 who were style- and price-conscious. The jewelry was designed for three groups of women: The Reversible Enamels Ladies, The Bridge Ladies and The Chain-lovin’ Ladies. Kluger and Orol explained each customer group: The Reversible Enamels Ladies: Reversible necklace enthusiasts are usually the very dedicated Foxy customers who have been following our company since Day 1. They are slightly more conservative with their style and use Foxy jewelry to add a little something special to their outfits. They love the idea that they are getting two necklaces for the price of one. (See Exhibit 1 for sample product preferences for this group.)The Bridge Ladies: These customers consist of young, suit-wearing professionals. They want to add a little accent to their suits, but they need to be careful how much they add. These customers go for the leather necklaces with the bigger pendants. (See Exhibit 2 for sample product preferences for this group.)The Chain-lovin’ Ladies: These customers are more fashion savvy and trendy. They read the fashion magazines and seek out “that look.” These ladies collect our big earrings and long necklaces. They layer the Foxy necklaces and try the newest collections as soon as they are in the stores. (See Exhibit 3 for sample product preferences for this group.)

Foxy jewelry was designed and produced in Toronto, Canada. Kluger and Orol designed all the jewelry, releasing two new collections every year. A collection or product line consisted of a number of different styles of necklaces, earrings and rings, where all styles were associated with a central theme such as “Royal Safari.” The designs were assembled by a small production team of professional crafts people.

All Foxy jewelry was made from pewter and coated in sterling silver, matte gold or bronze with a matte finish. Each item was then stamped with the Foxy signature to authenticate the designs (see Exhibit 4 for the Foxy signature tag). From this common starting point, the pieces were transformed into original works through the integration of enamel, stones, leather and ultrasuede.

Kluger and Orol had established a strong Foxy presence in the Canadian market, and they were now ready to expand into the United States. Financially, Foxy was healthy so any distribution costs related to the U.S. expansion could be financed from internal operations (i.e., no funding was needed). The key fashion hubs in the United States were New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. Kluger and Orol did not want Foxy to be available on every street corner in every city. Instead, they preferred selling to reputable stores that suited the brand. Kluger and Orol decided to charge the same price for their products in the United States as they did in Canada (i.e., a necklace sold for Cdn$34 and, in the United States would sell for US$34). The U.S. jewelry market was more than 10 times larger than the Canadian jewelry market, offering a much greater opportunity for product exposure. Based on the success they had achieved in Canada, Kluger and Orol believed in their product, but they worried about how responsive the U.S. market would be to their jewelry designs. The partners believed that Canadians supported Canadian businesses and were brand loyal to companies that manufactured locally; however, they suspected that Americans preferred the latest trends regardless of the product’s origin. Classic jewelry (currently 50 per cent of Foxy merchandise in Canada) was also not as popular in the United States. Kluger and Orol would need to stay on top of Foxy’s fashion-forward designs to compete effectively.

Trade shows were one-stop marketplaces for retailers to source products from wholesalers and importers. They were positioned for registered personnel only, usually consisting of buyers from fashion boutiques, accessories, jewelry, gift, fashion chain, department and other specialty stores. These exhibitions were not open to the general public. U.S. trade shows were very large, often with over 75,000 buyers in attendance. Kluger and Orol planned to set up a booth at several trade shows in order to showcase Foxy jewelry to prospective buyers. Buyers would select what merchandise they would like to carry in their stores and would then place their orders with the exhibitor. The partners had plans to attend trade shows devoted to women’s fashion accessories, surf apparel and giftware. There were 10 potential trade shows for 2005 where Foxy could showcase its products. Registration for all shows needed to be complete by November 2004, at an average cost of $3,000 a show. The average trade show lasted three days, wherein Kluger and Orol would require five days of preparation and both would work nine hours a day at the trade show. Kluger and Orol were excited about attending the shows to learn about the U.S. jewelry market and to get ideas for new product innovations. Trade shows were a great way for the partners to personally sell their merchandise and to network with key people in the industry. The partners also loved to travel, and they looked forward to visiting the big U.S. fashion hubs. Because of the diverse attendance at these shows, it was difficult for the partners to predict at which retail stores their merchandise would be sold. Ideally, they preferred that all major fashion-forward stores within a geographic area would support Foxy’s merchandise; however, sales would likely be scattered across locations that were diverse in geography and brand image. One of the principal selling factors at trade shows was the exhibitors’ booth layout –– the more exciting and flashy the booth, the greater the number of visitors. The partners researched a number of booths and settled on one that would cost $4,000 and could be used for approximately 30 trade shows (see Exhibit 5 for booth display). The booth would have to be shipped to each trade show at an average cost of $1,500 a show. Plane tickets and related travel costs would average $2,000per show, and product samples and promotional materials would cost $2,800 per show. Kluger and Orol had friends in many U.S. cities, so they planned to stay overnight with them when visiting the shows.

The partners had estimated that an average retailer order would consist of 25 necklaces and 12 pairs of earrings. Retailers would purchase necklaces for $17 and earrings for $12 from Foxy, which they would then sell to their customers for $34 and $24 respectively. Shipping terms were FOB shipping point and cost an average of $15 an order. All necklaces consisted of a chain, a pendant, a label, a clasp, and labor fees for a total cost of $8.05 for each necklace. A pair of earrings cost approximately $5.50 to manufacture. The partners expected anywhere from 20 to 45 orders at each trade show. Historically, 50 per cent of retail buyers at the trade shows would reorder product approximately two times a year.

An alternative method of distribution would be to develop a sales force in the key fashion hubs in the United States. Sales representatives would carry 10 to 15 different brands, usually within the same category of products (i.e., accessories), and would sell to retailers in designated geographic zones. Kluger and Orol wanted to hire people who would be loyal and who could represent the appropriate Foxy brand attributes. Kluger and Orol noted: “The most important characteristics in sales representatives are that they believe in your product, and they are willing to get on the road or travel to show it well.” Kluger and Orol knew having a sales force would be a much faster way for Foxy to enter the market because of the sales representatives’ contacts in the industry, their relationships with existing retailers and the minimum amount of training they would require. They also knew it could be difficult to find the right people with the right characteristics to make this alternative work.

Sales representatives would be compensated with a 15 per cent commission on all sales.

They would also receive $200 a month towards rental space in their jewelry showrooms5(see Exhibit 6 for showroom display), two sets of sample boards6a year for a total cost of $2,900 and catalogues and promotional materials averaging $600 a year. Foxy would have to hire a part-time bookkeeper to pay the sales representatives because calculating sales commissions would be time-consuming and complicated. The bookkeeper’s fee would be $40 an hour, and this person would be required for 48 hours a year. Travel expenses, such as gas and mileage were not covered by Foxy. Production costs and retailer order size were the same for this option as for the trade show option. The average sales representative would sell between 10 to 15 orders each month. The 10 to 15 orders included both new account sales and reorders from existing customers. If this option was chosen, Kluger and Orol planned to hire four sales representatives, one in each of the major cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.

Ideally, Foxy preferred to enter the U.S. market by attending trade shows and hiring a sales force. The problem with this alternative was territory ownership. For example, if Kluger and Orol attended a trade show in New York, and had hired a New York based sales representative, it was an industry norm that the sales representative would expect a 15 per cent commission from sales made at the New York trade show. Kluger and Orol investigated structuring the sales representatives’ commission package based on sales they made personally rather than on all sales made within their geographic location. Sales representatives were unhappy with this alternative because not only would competition be created between sales representatives, but also between the sales representatives and Foxy. For example, sales representatives worked hard to establish contracts, and many times, contracts were signed with one store, and as a result, other stores would see the product and would want to carry it themselves. Sales representatives believed they should be compensated for these spillover sales, and they were concerned that the new retail stores could order directly from Foxy. To combat the issue of internal competition, the partners thought about attending trade shows in the major cities and having their sales force work in the smaller cities; however, smaller cities were not as fashion-forward, and would not help to establish the Foxy brand presence in the United States, the way sales representatives could in major cities. In the short term, Kluger and Orol decided to focus on just one of the distribution channels in order to limit the complexities of the U.S. expansion. If the partners decided to pursue both trade shows and sales representatives, it would be a longer-term strategy.

Kluger and Orol were excited about the U.S. opportunities, and they wanted to ensure they were entering the market with a solid strategy. The partners had built the business on the principles of having fun, gaining exposure for new product lines and staying ahead of fashion trends. To date, they had been highly financially successful in doing just this. Knowing the additional workload that the U.S. expansion would create, they hoped their profit would grow by at least $100,000. Both options appeared promising but not without risks. Kluger and Orol had to make a decision quickly to prepare for a January 2005 launch.

WITHOUT USING EXCEL:

1. Calculate the number of orders at a target profit of $100,000

In: Accounting

10 states comparable in the state size, purchasing power and wealth were selected to investigate the...

10 states comparable in the state size, purchasing power and wealth were selected to investigate the effect of marketing expenditures on sales of televisions. For each state, the marketing expenditure X-thousands of dollars and the sales Y-units sold are shown below:

Marketing expenditure sales
4.9 27
8.8 42
2.1 16
7.6 35
4.4 33
3.5 28
7.0 40
10.1 43
5.6 35
3.0 21

Find the 95 percent confidence interval for predicting the mean sales of all states in which the marketing expenditure is 6.0 (thousand dollars).

Marketing expenditure of 3.7 (thousand dollars) was made in the one of the states. Find an interval which has a 95 percent probability of including that state's sales.

In: Statistics and Probability

Harper, Inc. is incorporated in State 1 but also has offices in States 2, 3, and...


Harper, Inc. is incorporated in State 1 but also has offices in States 2, 3, and 4. All four states use the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act (UDITPA) three-factor formula for determining the state apportionment percentage. Based on the following financial information, what percentages of Harper’s income should be apportioned to States 1 and 2? Round to the nearest whole percentage. Please show your calculations at how you arrived at your answer.

Gross Sales Payroll Expense Property Costs
State 1 $ 2,880,000 $ 332,800 $ 1,000,000
State 2 $ 840,000 $ 183,200 $ 104,000
State 3 $ 420,000 $ 93,600 $ 128,000
State 4 $ 1,660,000 $ 280,800 $ 136,000
Total $ 5,800,000 $ 890,400 $ 1,368,000

In: Accounting

Apply workers’ compensation management regulations and concepts to the following workplace scenario: You are a newly...

Apply workers’ compensation management regulations and concepts to the following workplace scenario: You are a newly hired environmental safety and health professional for a midsized manufacturer of widgets. You currently have three manufacturing facilities in three separate, but geographically close states. Because of unprecedented growth in the widgets market, your company decides to build another factory. One out of the hundreds of indicators the executive staff is looking for is which one of their current states they operate is most employer friendly. In other words, which state treats employers and employees the same when it comes to regulatory requirements? Complete a research paper that compares and contrasts the differences between the Oregon state and two other adjacent states. In your paper, you should

discuss the differences and similarities between workers’ rights in the three different states (e.g., definition of employee, wages paid, weeks of temporary disability, etc.),

· identify and explain the commonalities in the fundamental laws of the workers’ compensation system in the three states, interpret the resources that are available for employers in each state (e.g., monthly courses taught, written guidance, employer rights, etc.),

discuss the types of coverage available to employees in each state, and

argue which state is more employer friendly from an employer’s perspective when it comes to administering a workers’ compensation program.

Be sure to use the tools provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) web page. The webpage is located at https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/regs/compliance/wc.htm. This page provides a link to the workers’ compensation board for each of the 50 states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In addition to this resource, you should use a minimum of two other sources. All information from these sources must be cited in APA style.

In: Operations Management

What are the nursing diagnosis, goal, intervention/rationale for the following questions please George Smith, a 55-year-old...

What are the nursing diagnosis, goal, intervention/rationale for the following questions please

George Smith, a 55-year-old patient is admitted to the intensive care unit after a thoracotomy approach was used for an esophagectomy to remove an early stage adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. The patient has a history of GERD and Barrett’s esophagus. The patient sought medical treatment for dysphagia with solid foods, feeling that there was a lump in his throat and substernal pain with swallowing and subsequent regurgitation of undigested food and the development of hiccups. The patient has no other medical problems.

Evelyn bean, 52 years of age is admitted to same day surgical unit for an elecive laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient present with jundice of the skin and sclera. The patient urine is dark and the patient stated that she as clay- coloured stool. She stated that she has occasional coliky pain the her right upper quadrant of her abdomen radiating to her back. The patient as pre admission testing one week ago and the result are on the patient chart. The record of patient education and an informed written consent are also on the chart.

. The Health Promotion nurse at a state university plans a series of educational programs focusing on female reproductive health issues for incoming ?first-year female students. Because cervical cancer is the third most common female reproductive cancer and affects over 10,000 women annually in the United States, the nurse has planned the first session to focus on cervical cancer screening and prevention

In: Nursing

Countries with a current account deficit will typically have a. A financial and capital account surplus...

Countries with a current account deficit will typically have

a.

A financial and capital account surplus to offset the current account deficit

b.

A balance of payment imbalance

c.

A lower level of net omissions and errors

d.

A higher level of net omissions and errors

e.

A financial and capital account deficit

What was the result of The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1933?

a.

The volume of trade between the US and European countries increased

b.

Had no impact on the trade between the U.S. and European countries

c.

Tariffs on imports entering the United States were lowered

d.

Nontariff trade barriers were removed

e.

European trading partners retaliated with their own tariffs on U.S. goods

Which one of the following statements is FALSE?

a.

Generalized system of preferences program was created by industrialized nations to help developing nations improve their competitiveness

b.

The World Bank was created to help finance infrastructure projects in developing nations

c.

Under the generalized system of preferences program, industrialized nations reduced tariffs for developing nations' goods without expecting the developing nations to do the same

d.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created to help finance infrastructure projects in developing nations

e.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was created for the benefit of oil producing and exporting countries

Apple Inc. plans to establish a subsidiarity in Taiwan to manufacture glass for iPhones. This practice is referred to as

a.

Backward vertical diversification

b.

Customs union diversification      

c.

Forward horizontal diversification

d.

Forward vertical diversification

e.

Backward horizontal diversification

In: Economics

Consider an economy which consists of three firms, A, B, and C, consumers, and a government.


Consider an economy which consists of three firms, A, B, and C, consumers, and a government. Firm A is a smart phone factory, while Firm B is a parts factory. Firm C is a smart phone retailer. In 2020, Firm B produces $250,000 worth of parts, of which $150,000 it sells to Firm A, and $40,000 to Firm C. In addition Firm B sells $30,000 worth of parts to the government, and $30,000 worth of parts it exports. Firm B pays workers $140,000. Firm A produces smart phones worth $400,000, out of which $250,000 it sells to the smart phone retailer (Firm C), $80,000 it sells to the government, and $70,000 worth of smart phones it stores as inventory to be sold the following year. The smart phone factory (Firm A) uses imported materials from China worth $25,000. The smart phone factory pays workers $100,000 and $20,000 in taxes to the government. The smart phone retailer (Firm C) sells $380,000 worth of smart phones: $340,000 worth to domestic consumers, and $40,000 to foreign consumers in the United States. The smart phone retailer pays taxes $40,000 to the government and $50,000 to the workers for marketing and sales. Consumers receive $50,000 as dividends from abroad. The profits of firms A and C are distributed to domestic consumers. However, firm B is foreign owned.
• (a) Calculate GDP using, the product approach, the expenditure approach, the income approach. Show your work clearly (Note: you will not get marks for simply providing the final number). 

• (b) Calculate GNP, the current account surplus, and government savings for this economy. 


In: Economics

Choose two or three of the most relevant historical and/or current events during 1950-1960 time period...

Choose two or three of the most relevant historical and/or current events during 1950-1960 time period that impacted the U.S. economy. Apply specific models developed throughout the course to demonstrate how these events influenced national output during this time. b) Unemployment and Inflation i. Analyze unemployment and inflation data during the time frame in their relation to output and growth, using macroeconomic principles and models to explain their effect. ii. Apply specific models developed throughout the course to demonstrate how the previously selected historical and/or current events influenced both unemployment and inflation during this time. c) Analyze interest rate fluctuations throughout this time period and their effects on other aspects of the economy. How would these fluctuations affect inflation? Would investments and foreign trade rates increase or decrease? How would the GDP of the American economy be affected? d) Foreign Trade i. Analyze data representing levels of U.S. imports and exports during this time. How do they relate to other economic outcomes such as the GDP, foreign exchange rates, and so on? ii. Apply specific models developed throughout the course to demonstrate how domestic and foreign events (e.g., wars, changes in trade barriers, development abroad) have impacted the level of and changes in imports and exports in the United States. CONCLUSION- Summarize the overall trends and outcomes of this 10-year period by integrating the data, economic models, and historical analysis. b) Defend your agreement or disagreement with the actions taken by the U.S. government during this time based upon your analysis and application of the macroeconomic theories.

In: Economics

1-The length of a complete business cycle- A-varies from about 1 to 2 years to as...

1-The length of a complete business cycle-

A-varies from about 1 to 2 years to as long as 5 years.

B-is generally about 3 years.

C-varies greatly in duration and intensity.

2. Even though the United States has an unemployment compensation program that provides income for those out of work, should we still worry about unemployment?

A-Yes, because the unemployment compensation program merely gives the unemployed enough funds for basic needs.

B-Yes, because the unemployment compensation program is not available to workers in the service occupations.

C-No, since the program gives the unemployed only enough funds for basic needs, it will encourage them to find jobs quicker.

D-No, since the unemployment compensation helps keep demand in the economy high, workers will eventually return to their jobs.

3. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates the inflation rate from one year to the next by

A-adding the CPI of the previous year to the CPI of the most recent year, and then dividing by the average of both years.

B-subtracting the CPI of the previous year from the CPI of the most recent year, and then dividing by the CPI of the most recent year.

C-adding the CPI of the previous year to the CPI of the most recent year, and then dividing by 2.

D-subtracting the CPI of the previous year from the CPI of the most recent year, and then dividing by the CPI of the previous year.

4. Who gains from inflation?

A-Borrowers

B-Lenders

C-No one benefits from inflation.

D-Those with the most skill.

In: Economics

Is there a way to determine the relative risk of corporate bonds?

 

Question Bill and Edna had been married two years and had just reached the point where they

had enough savings to start investing. Bill’s uncle Dave told them that he had recently

inherited some very rare railroad bonds from his grandmother’s estate. He wanted

to help Bill and Edna get a start in the world and would sell them 50 of the bonds at

$100 each. The bonds were dated 1873, beautifully engraved, showing a face value of

$1,000 each. Uncle Dave pointed out that “United States of America” was printed

prominently at the top and that the U.S. government had established a sinking fund to

retire the old railroad bonds. A sinking fund is a fund established for the purpose of

repaying the debt. It allows the organization (the U.S. government, in this example)

to set aside money over time to retire the bonds. All Bill and Edna needed to do was

hold on to them until the government contacted them, and they would eventually get

the full $1,000 for each bond. Bill and Edna were overjoyed—until a year later when

they saw the exact same bonds for sale at a coin and stamp shop priced as “collectors’

items” for $9.95 each!

Requirements

1. If a company goes bankrupt, what happens to the bonds it issued and the investors who bought the bonds?

2. When investing in bonds, how can you tell whether the bond issue is a legitimate transaction?

3. Is there a way to determine the relative risk of corporate bonds?

In: Accounting