nessiesthoughts-blog

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Ethical Obligation

Your company is looking at conducting construction of your manufacturing plant, which will disrupt traffic for nearly a year and generate a significant amount of noise and air pollution. Do you have an ethical obligation to keep the local community informed with up-to-date information? 

I believe that we do have an ethical obligation to keep the local community informed about our construction activities. Even though your company does not sell products in the local area, it is still our duty to keep those who are affected informed, since their daily lives will be affected. This allows for those in the local community to make adjustments on their commutes and other activities around the area. Informing the local community is the right thing to do. A good way to think about it is putting yourself in their shoes. How would you like it if you had received no notice whatsoever regarding construction being done, which would have an effect on your life for the next following year?  I am not sure about you, but I would be pretty upset about not being informed about this. This would definitely create some issues for your company with the local community. The local community could possibly share negative comments on social media, for your local customers to see, which would not be good for business. Therefore, the company should provide accurate information, as well as updating it as the project progresses.  In doing this you are demonstrating to both your customers and the local community that you care and wish to minimize the negative impact on their daily lives by keeping them informed. 

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

Blog #10- Email to Mr. Joss

Dear Mr. Joss, 

You have been a great asset to this company and your ideas have helped improve the companies marketing efforts. I want to thank you for all of your hard work for this company. I have recently overlooked your proposal about replacing our current advertising agency. Personally, I have not had nor have heard of any issues with our current advertising agency. On the contrary, their work has helped the company increase sales every year, which is why I was surprised by your proposal. 

Unfortunately, due to not knowing anything about this new agency and failure to address any of the other criteria that is used when selecting advertising agencies, I have to reject your proposal at this time. If you really believe this is a good idea for the company, I would suggest doing further research on the costs, creative skills, technical abilities, geographic reach, research capabilities and media experience on the new agency you have in mind. You could also elaborate on how our current advertising agency "has become unresponsive." I really do value your input and ideas. However, I need you to elaborate more on why you think our current agency needs to be replaced. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I am available during the week if you would like to discuss this in person. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work. 

Sincerely, 

Vanessa Romero 

Marketing Manager, Advertising Inc

vromero@advertisinginc.com

316-321-1111 

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

The Impact of Starbucks Aggressive Growth on Small, Independent Coffee Shops

My first thought about the impact of Starbucks on small independent coffee shops was “they are taking over.” This was my first thought due to seeing a Starbucks almost everywhere I go. You could be driving around the city and notice 3-4 Starbucks along the way. In my opinion, though I prefer small, independent coffee shops that have been around for a while and are different. 

So what is the actual impact of Starbucks on small independent coffee shops? After doing a bit of research, I found that Starbucks is actually affecting the growth of small independent coffee shops. In an article titled, Starbucks and Small Business a professor named Bryant Simon from Temple University, states that “in fact, Starbucks created the market for small coffee shops.” I never really thought about it that way, but I guess it makes sense. In another article titled, Don't Fear Starbucks by Taylor Clark it talked about the benefits of a Starbucks opening next to another small independent coffee shop. Jim Stewart, the founder of the Seattle's Best Coffee chain states, "They'll do all of your marketing for you, and your sales will soar." When new Starbucks would open they would create a local buzz and when lines were too long people would notice that there was a coffee shop next door and try it out (Clark, 2007). I found another interesting fact about Starbucks in Australia. According to Peter Baskerville, in 2000 Starbucks tried to penetrate the Australian cafe market by opening 84 stores, only to close 61 of them eight years later due to not being able to compete with the small independent coffee shops (Baskerville, 2013). After all the research, I have done and the stories I have read, I believe that the impact of Starbucks on small independent coffee shops is positive. 

References:

Baskerville, Peter. "How Do You Compete With Starbucks In The Coffee Industry". Slate Magazine, 2013, https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/04/how-do-you-compete-with-starbucks-in-the-coffee-industry.html. Accessed 8 Nov 2018.

Clark, Taylor. "Don't Fear Starbucks". Slate Magazine, 2007, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2007/12/why-starbucks-actually-helps-mom-and-pop-coffeehouses.html. Accessed 8 Nov 2018.

Cook, Jon. "Starbucks And Small Business". Reuters, 2009, http://blogs.reuters.com/small-business/2009/06/24/starbucks-and-small-business/. Accessed 8 Nov 2018.

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

Informational Report on Student Parking

                                          Student Parking Concerns

Inadequate student spaces at critical hours

Expand student parking (more green lot spaces)

Poor night lighting near the computer center

Work on fixing this issue by adding better lighting for students

Inadequate attempts to keep resident neighbors from occupying spaces

Making sure parking is being monitored and used by only those who have a permit

Fees for those with no permit

Dim marking lines

Work on making this lines more visible for the safety of students

Motorcycles taking up full spaces

Having more spaces for motorcycles

College official spaces that remain empty

Limit college official spaces

Expand more on parking that will be used by students

Full fees charged to students taking night classes

Most parking lots only require a permit from 8am-5pm

Lower fees 

High parking fees

Having affordable prices for certain parking lots

Payments

Inadequate total space

The total enrollment of students vs. parking space

Expand on more parking lots or parking garage

Harassment of students

Expand on security during late hours

More 24-hour emergency phones on campus

Vandalism

More security camera’s 

Penality’s for those who vandalize 

As we can see above, it is obvious that we have multiple concerns regarding WSU parking from students. I have listed the concerns I have received from students, as well as providing potential solutions to these concerns. I do understand that it will take us some time to address this concerns but it is important that we do address them and not ignore them. Most of the concerns above have to do with not having enough parking spaces. It is true that we are working on this issue at the moment by opening a new parking garage for students. 

If anyone has any other potential solutions to these concerns please share them with the committee, it is essential that we work together to address and fix these issues for students.  

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

Radio Commercial

Radio commercial airing at 10:00 a.m. 

Why you should head on over to Kansas City’s Hangers Cleaners.

Do you ever wonder why your clothes from most dry cleaners have such a chemical smell? The liquid solvent used is called "perc," short for perchloroethylene and is considered a toxic air pollutant by EPA. 

Now that you know this, you might be wondering if all dry cleaners use this harsh chemical. Right? Well, I'm here to tell you about an eco-friendly dry cleaner down in Kansas City! 

Kansas City's Hangers Cleaners is known for using "all natural cleaning processes, leaving your clothes soft, clean and without that awful chemical smell." 

This business has been running since 2004, by Joe Runyan. Who saw an opportunity to be different and create something better for both you and the environment. 

Many people who have gone to Hangers have been truly satisfied with the wonderful service provided. In fact, Hangers has received multiple rewards over the years! If you head on over to their web page you will see that they have won over 15 awards, since they've opened. Another important thing to look into, while you're on their web page is their amazing low-cost affordable prices!

 If I haven't already sold you on heading on over, check out all of the nice and 5-star reviews from "people like you" who have loved their service. 

For more information on Kansas City's Hangers Cleaners call us at 816-531-6240 or send us an email at contactus@hangerskc.com. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Sources: 

http://www.hangerskc.com/aboutUs

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hangers-cleaners-kansas-city

https://slate.com/technology/2010/03/how-toxic-is-dry-cleaning.html

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

Bad/Nasty Yelpers

This week I will be addressing the importance of leaving an effective message /comment rather than an ineffective one. As I was scrolling through Yelp and Amazon I came across so many “nasty” comments! I could not believe how bad these comments were. I especially could not imagine being on the receiving end of those messages. 

The image above will be the Yelp review, I will be using as an example of a bad review. I will start off by explaining the situation, explaining why the rude comment is ineffective, and finally writing a more effective comment. So the comment above is about the horrible customer service he or she received at a restaurant. This comment is just plain RUDE. Yes, I do understand that restaurants have their ups and downs, but to write and post a comment like the one above is totally ineffective and disrespectful. They are just stating "that they are horrible" so horrible, in fact, that they wouldn't even give this place a 1 star. Nowhere in the comment does the person elaborate on "why" their experience was so horrible. Finally, the last part of the comment, "at least they have good food if you have trash employees..." When I read that part of the message, I had an omg moment and not a good omg but a bad one. That last part of the message was so unnecessary and insensitive. 

A more effective comment would go something like this... 

My experience at this restaurant was not what I had expected. The customer service that, I was provided with did not make me feel welcomed. Customer service is essential when working at a restaurant, therefore, I would advise that you work on that a bit more.  So that people will want to come back and spread the word out to their friends about the wonderful experience they had at your restaurant. 

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

AARP Real Possibilities

Last week we talked about “keywords” to include in your resume to get you the job. This week, I will be doing further research on the organization AARP. When applying for a job, doing your research on that organization is essential. The more you know about the organization and qualifications they are looking for, the better your chances are of securing the position. 

When doing my research about AARP, I learned their mission statement, who the director was in Kansas, qualifications they are looking for, and current or future initiatives within the organization. The information I have found on the organization will help strengthen my application letter. The most important piece would be knowing who the director/hiring manager is. When writing a cover letter addressing it to the individual who is in charge of the hiring process is more professional than addressing it to “Hiring Manager” or “To whom it may concern.” This shows that you have done your research by knowing the name of the director/hiring manager. In addition, knowing the qualifications they are looking for will allow you to point out that you have those specific qualifications in your application letter. Lastly, in doing additional research on their current or future projects shows that you are interested in what they do, as well as being a part of those projects. The internet sources I used to obtain this information were mainly on the company’s web page and LinkedIn. I do trust these sources because they are reliable sources. 

I believe that certain aspects in my background might appeal to this company’s recruiters. For instance, my experiences in advocating for change, and working collectively as a team as a Certified Nurses Aide. In addition, my passion for helping others will be noticed in my volunteer experiences. Finally, my level of education, bilingual skills, and other job-related skills would appeal to the company’s recruiters. Lastly, if I chose to apply for this position I would make sure to include certain keywords in my resume/application letter. Some of those keywords would be: collaborate, volunteer, team, communication, multitask, assist, and independently. I would include these keywords because the company itself when describing what they are looking for in a potential hire used these keywords. Therefore, using these keywords would make my resume/ application letter stand out more. 

Links: https://states.aarp.org/region/kansas/, https://careers.aarp.org/ShowJob/Id/1748663/Community-Outreach-Intern-II-(Graduate-Student,-Year-Term), https://www.linkedin.com/company/aarp/ 

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

Including “Keywords” to Get You The Job

This week we will be discussing the importance of including “keywords” in a resume customized for the position you are applying for. Before submitting your resume, do your RESEARCH on what the organization is looking for in a potential new employee. Once you have done the research you can include certain “keywords” the employer is looking for, which can increase your chances of securing an interview for the position. 

Upon graduation, I am interested in working at AARP as a Community Outreach Intern. The list of 10 “keywords” I will make sure to include in my resume are: 

Maintained

Collaborate

Independently

Organizational

Communication

Multitask

Assist

Volunteer

Team 

Social

I am currently studying Health Management and Community Development and the position at AARP as a Community Outreach Intern would be a great way for me to start my career in working for an organization who has the same values and goals as I do, which is to strengthen communities. The 10 keywords I have included in my resume are specific keywords found on the webpage for the position. This position is looking for an individual who is able to work independently, as well as collaborate as a team, which is great because it matches with one of my relevant skills. This job opening matches my strengths and preferences because I am passionate about what they do. For instance, this organization is working to strengthen communities and promote issues that matter to families, such as healthcare security, financial security, and personal fulfillment. I have always had an interest in helping others and making a change within communities who suffer from health disparities. Another quality this organization is looking for is an individual who can assist with state office communications via social media (such as, prepare blogs, posts for Facebook and Twitter). Which is essential when promoting events or advocating for health education. Finally, another important quality would be volunteer experience. I believe that when applying for a position that involves volunteering within the community, it is essential that you actually enjoy it. Ever since I was in high school, I always had an interest in volunteering with different organizations. In fact, I have two health-related events where I will be volunteering at in the next few weeks that I am very excited about. Therefore, I believe that because of my strengths and preferences I would be a potential candidate for this position. 

Job Position Link: https://careers.aarp.org/ShowJob/Id/1748663/Community-Outreach-Intern-II-(Graduate-Student,-Year-Term) 

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Introducing One of the Top Women to Watch in 2018!

Next month, I will have the honor of introducing you to Dara Johnson Treseder at a convention in San Fransico, California. I know how excited you all are about getting the opportunity to hear her speech, therefore, I will be providing you a sneak peek of what to expect on my twitter account the day before her speech! 

*The day before the big speech!

Tweet 1: Hello everyone! As you may have heard tomorrow I will be introducing Dara Johnson Treseder in San Fransico, California. Dara Johnson Treseder is a graduate from Harvard University, as well as has her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She is a business leader with expertise in both building and leading high performing global marketing and commercial organizations. 

Tweet 2: Dara is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Business Innovations and GE Ventures at General Electric in San Fransico, California. She has been the Chief Marketing Officer for about a year and a half now. 

Tweet 3: Fun fact about Dara is that she has received three honors & awards. In 2018, she was recognized by AdAge as one of the “Top Woman to Watch.” In 2017, she was recognized by Inc Magazines as one of the “30 Inspirational Woman to Watch in Tech” and on Forbes as one of the “9 Marketing Experts CMO’s Need To Be Aware Of.” 

Tweet 4: Dara is highly looked up to by her fellow peers and is definitely a woman to WATCH in the year of 2018. She is a frequent contributor to multiple leading publications, such as Marketing Daily, Adweek, CMO.com, and the Marketing Insider. Please come out to hear her speech tomorrow. You will not regret hearing what she has to share. See you there! 

Link to LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daratreseder/ 

[nessiesthoughts-blog]

This Weeks To-Do List

Today, I will be coving three significant communication tasks I will be accomplishing this week. For each communication tasks, I will be addressing both the general and specific purpose and explaining the steps I will take to prepare. The three tasks, I will be discussing today are my meeting with academic coach, a homework assignment, and finally sending out important emails. So let’s dive in! 

My meeting with my academic coach

General Purpose: to inform my coach about how my semester is going so far. 

Specific Purpose: to address any questions/concerns of what is expected of me this semester in order to be successful. 

Before attending our individual meetings, our coach has us fill out a check-in document. This check-in document consist of setting three semester goals for ourselves, along with two steps of how we wish to accomplish the goal. Once I have completed this document, I am now ready for the next step, which is to set a date to meet. In order to be fully prepared for this meeting it is essential that I complete the check-in document beforehand. Ultimately, in completing the document prior to our meeting I am giving my coach an opportunity to get an overview of what we will be discussing. 

A homework assignment

General Purpose: to collaborate information about a specific case study with other members in my group.

Specific Purpose: working together to come up with the best possible solution. 

This homework assignment consists of solving a case study about delegation between to other classmates online. The first step I will take to be prepared for this task, is to read the case study carefully. After, I have read the case study, I will have the chance to analyze it and come up with a possible solution. Lastly, the most important step will be to communicate my findings with my other classmates. Once we have all contributed our findings, it will be critical to work together in order to come up with the best possible solution for the case study. 

Sending out important emails

General Purpose: to inform the Director of my interest in his or her organization. 

Specific Purpose: to secure a spot as an intern at one of the three organizations I contact. 

This communication task is one of my top priorities this week. There are a couple of steps I will be taking in order to be prepared for this task. My first step is to do my research on each of the organizations I am interested in working with. Another key component is making sure my resume is updated and reviewed by the Career Development Center at WSU. Lastly, I will draft out three emails, one for each Director. In each email, I will express my interest in their organization. In addition to expressing my interest, I will be addressing what I can contribute to their organization. 

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4 Ways Efficient Business Communication is Essential

Today I will be discussing the importance of Business Communication Skills, which are essential for efficiency and success. There are multiple articles, blogs, videos and books that express the importance of Business Communication Skills. Upon my search for an article, I used the Bovee and Thills Business Communication Web Search at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com. In using this research tool, I came across an article, by the University of Southern California titled, 4 Ways Efficient Business Communication is Essential. 

This article discussed 4 ways efficient business communication is essential in Public Administration. Although the article addressed those skills essential in Public Administration, they are also essential in all other career fields. The 4 skills they covered were: active listening, team building, increased efficiency and productivity and creating community buy-in. Out of those 4 skills, the one that stood out to me the most was team building. Being able to work in a team and collaborate with one another is very important. As individuals, we all have different things we are good at and things we are not so good at. That is where team building comes to play. For example, in order to come up with the best possible business plan or solution to a problem, when working together you will almost always get better results/outcomes. 

The article also discussed the importance of effective communication, in order for team building to work. For instance, when working in a team it is crucial for each team member to understand their roles and responsibilities. Therefore, there has to be trust among each other, as well as effective communication in order for team building to work. Another important thing to remember when working as a team is that everyone matters and plays an important role. Last week I saw an interesting TED Talk by Dr. Axel Zein titled “The Perfect Boss.” While watching this video Dr. Axel Zein said a few things that stood out to me. He stated that in order to encourage high performance it is important to acknowledge when an individual or the entire team has done a good job and celebrate. I completely agree with Dr. Axel Zein, when knowing that we have done a good job it only encourages and motivates us to keep up the good work. 

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people.” - Steve Jobs 

USC Online MPA Degree. (2015). 4 Ways Efficient Business Communication is Essential in Public Administration | USC Online MPA Degree. [online] Available at: https://publicadmin.usc.edu/blog/4-ways-efficient-business-communication-is-essential-in-public-administration/ 

Dr. Axel Zein. TED Talks (2015). The Perfect Boss. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFG7jqJXbno&t=18s