Life Is a Tale of Magic free essay sample

Life is like a tale, it does not matter how long it is, it matters how good it is! Good morning respected Dignitaries amp; my dear friends. These words were famously said by the author of one of the world’s most famous book series, JK Rowling. Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born on the 31st of July at Yate England. Born to Peter and Anne Rowling, she had a fixed ambition from a very young age, to write. JK Rowling was on a train trip when an idea of a young boy attending a wizarding school came to her mind. Harry Potter  is now a global brand worth an estimated $15  billion,  and the last four  Harry Potter  books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history. The series  have been translated, in whole or in part, into 65 languages. The  Harry Potter  books have also gained recognition for sparking an interest in reading among the young at a time when children were thought to be abandoning books for computers and television. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Is a Tale of Magic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every human has a spark in them but it needs to be lit by someone. My seed of fire was definitely lit By JK Rowling. In her Harvard speech of 2008 she quoted â€Å"Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy to finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. † J. K Rowling opened the eyes of many young readers, including myself. She showed the world how momentous well-chosen words can be, and has inspired me, a hopeful writer, to keep on being hopeful. I believe J. K Rowling is the embodiment of hope; a lit candle in the darkness. She proved what the power of determination can do, and at the same time, led me to understand the magic of literature. In fact, Joanne was a turning point for many; her books opened up that universe of print, where one can immerse themselves in worlds so unlike their own and discover the many mysteries unique to it as one explores the delightful details around them. Time seems to stop in its place and allow readers to delve into all there is to know about their surroundings.

Drug Abuse and Religious Spirituality Concept

Drug Abuse and Religious Spirituality Concept Thesis Statement: Adding the concept of religious spirituality to drug abuse treatment programs can help to decrease the amount of relapses by patients.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Drug Abuse and Religious Spirituality Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction In his examination of the effectiveness of current drug abuse treatment programs, Olmstead et al. (2012) noted that the rate of relapses among patients was quite high, often reaching 50% or more in some instances. Particularly, this high rate of relapses was determined by Olmstead et al. (2012) as a direct result of a degree of failure on the part of drug abuse treatment programs to sufficiently address the primary reason why people turn to drugs and the lack of a sufficient method of relapse prevention once patients leave the program. Reason for Failure This failure to add some form of effective preventive method for relapse has been n oted by various researchers to occur due to the fact that even the classification of external preventive programs has very little influence to ensure a sufficiently effective preventive capacity when the origin of the problem is the internal decision making process of patients. Pearson et al. (2012) note that it is often the case that patients need to develop their own internal realization backed by psychological reasoning when it comes to abstaining from drug use. What is necessary is the development of sufficiently strong internal reasoning mechanism and support system to ensure that the factors causing a particular individual to use drugs in the first place do not manifest. Religious Spirituality as a Possible Solution One possible method that has gained a considerable degree of progress in a variety of drug abuse treatment programs is the use of religious spirituality.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It was determined in the article â€Å"Patients consider spirituality and self-help approaches vital in TC† that religious spirituality can not only aid in the process of drug abuse rehabilitation but even act as a preventive measure to ensure that relapses do not occur (Dermatis, Guschwan, Galanter, Blun 2004). The reason behind its effectiveness is quite simple, religious spirituality acts as a means of altering individuals perception in such a way that people view their life as not just their own but rather as the one connected to an almighty external creator (i.e. God). Moreover, spirituality, in certain cases involving religious groups and organizations, helps instill a sense of belonging on patients within a religious community they are involved in, often acting as a support to prevent drug related relapses (Dermatis, Guschwan, Galanter, Blun, 2004). What you have to understand is that a great number of current drug abuse cases are often related to such feelings experienced by individuals as depression, worthlessness, and. Such behavioral symptoms are often correlated with a lack of sufficient support and social interaction which makes the use of drugs to seem ideal to act as a form of escape from such situations. By adding religious spirituality to drug abuse treatment programs, this creates the initial foundation due to which addicts could find an alternative to drugs abusing by immersing themselves in the feeling of being a part of community and belonging to a greater unit. Such a solution would prevent the potential for patients to relapse since it addresses the internal psychological state in order to ensure that patients develop their own realization regarding the ill effects of drug use (Pearson et al. 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Drug Abuse and Religious Spirituality Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As s uch, this paper has the assumption that adding the concept of religious spirituality to drug abuse treatment programs can help decrease the amount of relapses by patients. References Dermatis, H. Guschwan, M.T. Galanter, M. Blun, G. (2004). Patients consider spirituality and self-help approaches vital in TCs. DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory Application, 23(7), 1-7. Web. Olmstead, T. A., Abraham, A. J., Martino, S., Roman, P. M. (2012). Counselor training in several evidence-based psychosocial addiction treatments in private US substance abuse treatment centers. Drug Alcohol Dependence, 120(1-3), 149-154. Pearson, F. S., Prendergast, M. L., Podus, D., Vazan, P., Greenwell, L., Hamilton, Z. (2012). Meta-analyses of seven of the National Institute on Drug Abuses principles of drug addiction treatment. Journal Of Substance Abuse Treatment, 43(1), 1-11.

How to Become a Teacher Expert Career Guide

How to Become a Teacher Expert Career Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What's more exciting than educating a new generation of students? If you're interested in becoming a teacher and want some information about how to succeed in this profession, you're in the right place. Here, I'll walk you through how to become a teacher, explaining the steps you need to take in high school, college, and beyond. First, though, I'll touch briefly on the occupational outlook for teachers in the US- this way, you'll be informed about projected job availability and income levels before jumping in. For the sake of this article, I'm going to focus on K-12 teachers (you can, of course, teach at the college/university level, but that involves a pretty different career path). The steps you'd take to succeed in teaching vary slightly based on which academic grades you're interested in working with. From here on out, I'll be differentiating between elementary, middle, and high school teachers where there might be different steps necessary for success. Occupational Outlook for Teachers Before you jump into any career path, it's important to think ahead about more practical things, like expected income and job availability. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists important info on pay, necessary education, and job outlook for almost any profession you can think of. High pay and an increase in available positions generally bodes well for people hoping to enter a certain field. Here are these all-important stats for K-12 teachers in the US: Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers 2014 Median Pay: $53,760 Typical Entry-Level Education (the bare minimum you'd need to enter the field): Bachelor's degree Job Outlook, 2014-2024 (the estimated job growth rate- bigger is better): 6%, which is about average Middle School Teachers 2014 Median Pay: $54,940 Typical Entry-Level Education: Bachelor's degree Job Outlook, 2014-2024: 6%, which is about average High School Teachers 2014 Median Pay: $56,310 Typical Entry-Level Education: Bachelor's degree Job Outlook, 2014-2024: 6%, which is about average How to Become a Teacher: Career Steps Overview To become a teacher, there are a few important things you'll need (I'll go into more detail on these steps and more in the following sections): A high school diploma A bachelor's degree A graduate degree (depending on your preferred career track and the teaching requirements in your area- it's often not required) Your teaching certification/license (requirements will vary based on the state) If you plan ahead, it's possible to start your teaching career very soon after graduating from college. Now that you have a sense of what you'll need to become a teacher, I'll go into the details of what you should do at each stage of the game- starting with high school. Setting Yourself Up for Success: 4 Steps to Take in High School You don't have to make a final decision about a teaching career in high school, but there are some important things you can do to put yourself on the right path. Decide If Teaching Is the Right Fit High school is a good time to start thinking about whether you'd be comfortable with the day-to-day realities and responsibilities of teaching. At all grade levels, teaching involves these important core responsibilities: Preparing lessons Grading assignments and tests Getting kids to behave and participate in class Filling out report cards and assessments Meeting with parents On a personal level, good teachers tend to be: Good at communicating- The crux of your job as an instructor is getting the class to understand new, sometimes challenging, material. Patient- You'll have to deal with students who have trouble learning, behaving, or both. Compassionate- Students (of all ages) aren't always easy to deal with. It will be important for you to be sensitive to challenges they may be dealing with. Creative- You may have to come up with some unorthodox ways of keeping students engaged and learning. Hard-working- Your work as a teacher won't end with the bell. You'll have to come up with lesson plans and tasks, meet with students, parents, and administrators, and grade a ton of assignments. So how do you figure out whether you'd be okay with the responsibilities of working as a teacher? And how do you know whether you have the core characteristics that make a successful instructor? Here are some steps you can take to determine whether teaching may be a good fit: Interviews- Talk with your own instructors about their experiences. Why did they become a teacher? What do they like about their job? What don't they like so much? Shadowing and Observation- Start actively paying attention not only to what your instructors teach, but how they teach it. Are there any teaching methods that you really like? What about methods that aren't as effective? You might also look into opportunities to shadow instructors, especially those teaching in younger classrooms. Tutoring- This is a bit different than teaching a classroom full of students, but teachers still work with students one-on-one. There might be peer-tutoring services offered through your school, or you might look for a job through some other tutoring service. You can start getting teaching experience even in high school. Focus on Your High School Education A strong education in high school will serve as the foundation for your education as a teacher. Elementary school teachers in particular need to be well-rounded as they are responsible for covering all subjects with their students. A high GPA and strong ACT/SAT scores will also make you a more attractive candidate to strong teaching degree programs, which brings me to the next step ... Start Researching Degree Programs If you've decided to pursue a degree in teaching, by the time you start submitting college applications you'll want to apply to appropriate teaching programs. First, you only want to look into accredited programs. Access this complete list of all accredited teaching programs for reference. Second, consider whether you're ready to commit to a particular specialty (e.g. elementary, middle school, or high school education). These specialties will often have different degree requirements- if you already know what you're interested in, you can focus specifically on those degree requirements when you look at schools. Submit Strong College Applications If you end up at a school with a strong teaching program, the next steps you'll have to take to become a teacher will be that much easier. Start by checking out the top-ranked elementary and secondary teaching programs in the US (make sure you're only looking at undergraduate rankings- you don't need a graduate program just yet). You won't necessarily need a degree in teaching- I'll talk more about this in the next section- but if you're sure at this point that teaching is for you, a targeted program might prepare you more effectively for your career. Early decision applications are usually due October-November of your senior year, whereas regular decision apps are due late December-early January. Learn more about how to apply for college and when to apply here. Exploring Education: 4 Steps to Take in College College is where you have to start making big decisions about your teaching career. The good news is that you'll have support along the way, especially if you've decided to attend a program that's targeted towards aspiring teachers. Here's what you should do in college to succeed as a teacher: Know Your State's Teaching Requirements Every state has different rules in place regarding exactly what qualifications you need in order to teach. If you're licensed as a teacher in one state, it's usually possible to become licensed in another, but it's not always easy. As you enter your degree program, you should figure out the licensing requirements for the state you're currently living in AND any states you anticipate moving to in the near future. This way, you'll avoid any unpleasant surprises- you'll also be able to make sure you take any and all required courses or practicums. Take advantage of your program's resources to make sure you meet all necessary requirements. First, the program itself should have requirements built in that will prepare you to meet state requirements. Second, career centers and academic advisors can put you on the right track if you're worried about being prepared for a teaching career after graduation. Knowing these teaching requirements at the beginning of your program will help you make sure you don't miss any important steps. Commit to a Specialty Once you've committed to a college, one of your next big decisions will be committing to a specialty. You'll have to fulfill different degree requirements depending on your specific educational path- the type of teaching you hope to pursue will dictate what sort of specialty you'll choose. Here are the major teaching programs types to choose from: Early Childhood Education Pre-K through 3rd grade Focus mostly on teaching techniques, curriculum, and lesson planning College major is usually in education Elementary Education Primary grades (pre-K through 6th or 8th grade) Focus mostly on teaching techniques, curriculum, and lesson planning College major is usually in education Secondary Education 6th or 8th grade through 12th grade Usually requires you to choose a more specific specialty/content area (e.g. English, Math, History) Teaching techniques, curriculum, and lesson planning are included in the course of study in addition to the chosen content area specialty Specialty Degrees Focus on one specific, specialty area (e.g. fine arts, performing arts, physical education) Other degree options that can be combined with an education degree include special ed and gifted ed Requirements will vary based on the chosen specialty You might major in the subject you hope to teach (e.g. English, Math) and supplement your curriculum with courses in education Administration Education for leadership within the education system Usually requires undergraduate (BA) AND graduate (MA, PhD) education Programs tend to focus on school structure, curriculum, organization, and leadership Gain Real-World Experience This is especially important for students who may not be in a dedicated teaching program (e.g. students who want to teach secondary education and are majoring in something other than education). Real-world teaching experience will help you get more comfortable with leading a classroom so that you can hit the ground running when you start your teaching career. Here are some ways to gain experience, whether you're in a dedicated teaching program or not: School visits- Observing how teachers work at local schools is a great way to experience a day in the life as a teacher. You may want to check out different grade levels to see if you have any preferences. Working as a teacher's assistant- There are many teachers out there who would love some extra help! This is definitely more hands-on than just observing a classroom. Tutoring- Teachers don't just lead entire classrooms- they also work one-on-one with students who want extra help. Tutoring kids of different ages (and even in different subjects) may help you figure out what you like and what you don't. Volunteer mentorship- This is pretty different from traditional teaching experiences, but volunteering to serve as a mentor for a child or teen may help you develop important leadership skills. Running an after-school program- Wrangling a group of kids to get them to participate in an organized activity? Not so different from running a classroom. Bonus: after-school activities can be pretty fun- you could help put on a play, coach intramural sports, or lead a club. Complete Your Education With Student Teaching Student teaching is where you start to implement everything you've learned thus far in a real classroom. It's an important part of any college teaching program. Student teaching will work differently based on your college, your teaching specialty, your student-teaching school, and the classroom you work in. Some student teachers may be expected to take over all classroom responsibilities at multiple grade levels fairly quickly, whereas others may only take a few core responsibilities at one grade level. If you have questions about what student teaching usually entails, you should speak with administrators at your specific program. In general, though, here's what to expect: Student teaching usually lasts for about a semester. You'll be matched with a particular classroom and teacher, usually at a school that has some sort of partnership with your bachelor's program. Most student teachers start off by observing the classroom (this lasts between a few days or a few weeks) before gradually taking over all teaching responsibilities. You should expect to be in the student-teaching classroom all day, every day. Although you may just be observing at first, you'll be learning to build and teach lessons, meet with students, and administer and grade assignments- by the end of the semester, you should ideally feel comfortable leading a classroom on your own. Requirements may be different for those pursuing early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. Each teaching program will have their own protocols- again, it's best to explore any specific questions you have about your own program (or potential programs, if you're still looking at different schools). Final Steps: Teaching Certification Getting certified in the state where you hope to teach is necessary if you want to work at a public school. If you're considering private schools, you may not have to get certified, but it's still recommended (you have a lot more flexibility when it comes to jobs that you qualify for). Here's how you get certified to teach at any school: Pick a State Each state has its own requirements for licensing and certifying teachers. If you want to teach in the same state where you went to college, you'll probably already be familiar with these reqs. If you hope to teach in a different state, you'll have more research to do (it's helpful to do this while you're still in school, like I mentioned earlier, so that you can meet all course requirements ahead of time). Just Google "[state name] teaching certification." Any link that leads to the state's Department of Education is helpful. One thing to keep in mind: some states pay teachers better than others on average. If you're not rooted to one place, and money is a concern, you may want to learn more. Register for Exams (If Necessary) Some states require educators to take licensing exams to prove that they would be competent teachers. Whether these exams are required, how often they're given, and what's actually tested will vary widely by state. It's best to give yourself plenty of time (6 months or more) to register and prepare for these tests. Your teaching program will help prepare you for any necessary certification exams. Apply for Certification Once you've met all state requirements, you can go ahead and apply for certification in the state you hope to work. You'll want to do this several months before you hope to start your job search (you don't want to be delayed in case there are any issues with your application, so starting while you're still in college is a good idea). This process might be easier if you're already certified in another state. Graduate School and Beyond Some states require teachers (at public schools, at least) to earn a Master's degree in order to qualify for certification. Other states encourage, but do not require, a graduate degree. If you're unsure about the requirements for the state you hope to work in, learn more about individual state certification requirements. Whether you end up getting a graduate degree will also depend on your chosen career path- for example, teachers who hope to work in administration will likely need a Master's or PhD. Having a graduate degree- even if it's not required- may lead to more job opportunities and a higher salary. If you're interested in graduate programs, check out the top-ranked education programs in the US. Even if you're certified in a state, you may have to keep up with certification renewals or continuing education requirements- staying on top of this stuff is important when it comes to keeping your license! How to Become a Teacher: 8-Step Summary There are quite a few steps involved in becoming a teacher, but here are the main ones you should remember: Decide if teaching is the right fit Focus on doing well in high school Research teaching degree programs Submit strong college applications Become familiar with your state's teaching requirements Choose a specialty Get real world experience Get certified, and keep your certification by staying on top of requirements What's Next? As you've read above, one of the best ways to prepare for a career in teaching is making sure you get into a great undergraduate program. To get into your top choice colleges, make sure you keep your GPA high. Focusing on extracurricular activities, especially community service work, is also important for applications to teaching programs. Finally, work on getting great SAT or ACT scores. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Strategic Management analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management analysis - Essay Example However, since the use of petroleum products began, the adoption of other forms of fuel process has been slow. With the coming of companies like Better Place, the use of electricity to replace oil has been taking root. This company is motivated by the fact that the rise use of Electric Vehicle is slow, despite the fact that these vehicles are environmental friendly. The company has its own mission and vision that refine its focus in the automotive industry. The company’s mission is to first reduce and later eventually eliminate the use and dependence of oil in automobile industry. This mission defines the company’s focus and what it does differently to create value. This is a global company captivated to creating the world a better place. It works with stakeholders in automobile industry to enhance the spread of EVs. 1.2. Vision The company’s vision is to integrate car companies with the other companies like the battery and utilities companies, and consumers in a way that will enhance an increase in the use of EVs. This vision shows the belief of the company that the only way consumers can adopt EVs in a massive way is by overcoming the main challenge behind the use of EVs, which is its mobility. This belief differentiates the company from other value creators who believed that the massive adoption of EVs will be possible only when the battery capacity is increased. This increase will help cars travel over a hundred miles that are currently possible. Therefore, the company believes that it can achieve the generating of EVs by re-engineering cars and not batteries. This is possible by working on the available technologies and involving the relevant profiles in the automobile industries (Rothaermel 2013). 1.3. Stakeholders The table below maps the stakeholders in Better Place Company Stakeholder Claims and Interests Class Investors Transport project that would have higher returns, receive positive image, and innovative. Key player Government Developing a sustainable transport system Key player Auto Manufacturers developing a sustainable transport system Key player Regulatory Bodies Receive information and regulate organization behavior Keep Satisfied Technical specialists Specify the required technologies to meet the company’s requirements Key player Customers Make successful transitions Key player Program manager Budgeting Keep Informed The government and auto manufacturers are in support of a sustainable transport system. Their failure to acknowledge EVs in some instances is a threat. Customers desire to be relieved from the high cost of oil opt for EVs. The company is interested in reducing pollution and consumption of oil. The project is vital in reducing the increasing economic costs that come with high dependency of oil in different industries including transport. To effectively address the concerns of stakeholders, the company needs to integrate the working of different stakeholders to share ideas (Abernat hy, J and Utterback 1975). In addition, customers need to be educated on the significance of EVs. Finally, the company will work to show admirable results in short period to attract more investors. 2. Industry Analysis and Scenarios 2.1. Industry Analysis Better place has can establish its strategy beyond the suppliers bargaining power. The company has numerous suppliers located in different countries who can give vehicle products and other services. In addition, the customers are located in different countries like Australia and United States of America. The main substitute for EVs is the oil. This product has received numerous criticisms regarding its emission on the environment. In a nutshell, suppliers are forced to embrace new initiatives that are environmental friendly (Thompson et al.

Declining Lease Lengths in Commercial Properties Literature review

Declining Lease Lengths in Commercial Properties - Literature review Example Researchers have not dwelt on the length of the lease except the reducing average lease lengths in the UK. A term structure of rental rates has been responsible for various lengths of the leases but it has been lacking in market reviews. A market review provides valuable knowledge into the relationship between rent and lease length, creating a balanced rent, depending on rent projections (Rowland, 2002). A lease length may depend on specific landlord needs such as redevelopment in the near future or for creating more space for another business tenant. Normally, landlords’ interests are served through long leases while tenants desire short leases with alternatives of renewal (Rowland, 2000). The possibility of such factors as cost of shifting and the cost of reletting could be crucial in deciding rents and lease lengths. Reletting costs may be borne by either the landlord, if the short lease expires or the tenant shifting premises before the expiry of the lease. These costs may not be transferable but can be reduced with mutual consent between the landlord and the tenant (Rowland, 2000). In a term lease there is no boost to reduce depreciation of the property, thus not securing the salvage value of the property (Miller and Upton 1976, p.766; and Flath 1980, p.253)). Smith and Wakeman (1985, p.903)) discuss how lease provisions may change the incentives for both parties, quoting the use of service leases (in which the lesser provides the maintenance) as a solution of avoiding the lessee’s inclination to ignore the property (Rowland, 2002). The deficiency of interest among tenants to take care of the property has been used randomly in the housing economics literature to state tenure choice (Henderson and Ioannides 1983, p.98)) and the observed reduced rents on lease renewal than new lettings (Hubert 1995, p.631)). Kanemoto (1990, p.7)) thinks that the problem comes in substantiating to a third party (typically a court) that the tenant has misused the property. Various types of contracts for maintenance of property change the possibility of not-suitable standards of maintenance (Rowland, 2002). Benjamin, de la Torre, and Musumeci (1995, p.179)) present a model of under-maintenance by tenants, which compares the current values of owning and leasing property. The difference between the maintenance of property by owner-occupiers and by tenants shows the overexploitation by tenants during the lease, with bad outcomes for the residual value. The authors state different methods to improve upon the leases to reduce or eradicate the effects of the tenant’s provocation to misuse the property, like entering into contracts for maintenance by the owner, providing the tenant an alternative to purchase, deposit security or adjusting the rent as per usage needs (Benjamin, de la Torre and Musumeci 1995, p.184)) (Rowland, 2002). Interestingly, in Northern Ireland, the private investors prefer long lease terms on properties situated in pop ulous locations and depending on the area let properties on strong terms in the agreement (Crosby et al., 2002)). The property market was on the boom during 2002 in Northern Ireland, resulting in easy finance due to reduced interest rates realizing greater syndicate transactions related to the property. These inward investment initiatives like call centers for leading companies, including Halifax, Abbey National and Prudential and software development companies like Northbrook Technology and Fujitsu (Hamilton et al., 2005).

I Am Making a Difference in My Community Essay -- Community Service, S

â€Å"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul motivated by love.† ― Martin Luther King Jr. Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people. Volunteerism, civic engagement and advocacy are the driving forces for creating change and making a positive impact in your community and society at large. While gaining internship and job experience can lead to community impact and social change, it’s important for us to remember that before we start advocating for change and informing others about issues we care about, we need to fully understand the complexity and depth of the social, environmental, or economic issue we are passionate about. Not only do we need to understand the ‘issue’ or ‘societal problem’ that many people face and are impacted by every day, but we need to meet and work alongside those whose daily realities are shaped by injustices, while not creating any divides or barriers in the process. Everyday people are affected by the issues that organizations fight for or against, and once we realize how people-centered things like advocacy, outreach and service are, I believe young people will realize their call to action and their potent... ...ocal nonprofit organizations have the potential to amplify their outreach to colleges, and young people in general, through matching passions with skills. You as organizations need to purposefully identify for us why promoting service and civic engagement is not only important, but necessary if we want to improve our lives, the lives of others, and the dilemmas and misfortunes our world faces every day. The relationship between young people and nonprofits can be the start of a significant change in our community, and should be a reciprocal and powerful educational experience. An open-minded and encouraging flow of communication between organizations and community members can be the launchpad for the social and environmental change organizations talk about and try for every day. Together, we can make change – not just a semblance of idealism, but reality, as well.

Netflix Case Study Essay

Company Overview The idea behind Netflix, the most popular provider of online and by-mail rental services, came from an unsatisfied, embarrassed customer. Reed Hastings, founder and current CEO of Netflix, was charged 40$ as a late fee because he returned the movie Appolo13 six weeks late (Zarafshar, 2013). This made him think creatively about an idea to transform the movie rental model into a more innovative business. In 1997, Hastings and Randolph started Netflix which was a DVD rental-by-mail business with no subscriptions. Later in 1999, and as a step further towards developing the business, Hastings launched the subscription-based business model which was based only on renting DVDs by mail with multiple plans dependent on the number of titles at a time. Netflix offered its subscribers to choose from its extensive DVD library with more than 120,000 titles for unlimited monthly DVD rental with free shipping as well as zero late and per title rental fees. It was very attractive for customers to mak e subscriptions on the spot as they were tempted with the incredible Netflix service. For example, Blockbuster subscribers found Netflix’s offers more appealing and it was easy for them to make the switch. (Wikipedia, 2014) Netflix has been always open to new opportunities that Hastings believes it will sustain the company’s competitive advantage. A new opportunity was captured when the streaming service was introduced in January 2007 where it enabled Netflix’s subscribers to instantly watch movies, TV-episodes, documentaries, series and much more on internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, PCs, DVRs, Blu-Ray players and special Netflix players. During that time, Netflix was leading the industry as it was the first company to offer paid streaming  services to its subscribers in US, Canada and Latin America. Today, Netflix is known as the largest provider of online streaming service with almost 44 million subscribers in more than 40 countries offered access to an ever-growing library of thousands of titles. (Netflix PR, 2014) Netflix executives were keen to devise flexible strategies accompanied by a profitable business model that gave them sustainable competitive advantages over their rivals. They constantly monitor their external environment and do the required amendments quickly and swiftly to leverage the emer ging opportunities and tackle the upcoming threats. Strategies ranging from growing its library content, service differentiation, very competitive DVD-by-Mail service, unique marketing plan and ambitious international expansion all made Netflix a leader in its industry. However, Netflix isn’t the only player in the DVD-rental and streaming services market. Blockbuster and Redbox are one of the many competitors in the DVD-rental market that use different competitive models to outcompete Netflix’s. Hulu Plus, Amazon and HBO GO have fueled the competition in the streaming service market. They all compete on acquiring more titles to expand their libraries and try to offer the best subscription plans in order to get more market share. Having this in mind, what should Netflix do next in order to outperform its competitors and sustain its competitive advantage. External Environment Analysis Macro Environment We will start our assessment of the external environment by examining the PESTEL factors in the Macro (General) Environment of the movie renting industry. Political Factors Network Neutrality is the principle that preserves the internet to remain free and open for all users. It defends against discrimination of the internet use based on the content or website services (Ala, 2014). Major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would like to charge a company like Netflix more money because it’s website of online movie streaming is eating a lot of their internet bandwidth. According to the broadband internet service tracking firm Sandvine, Netflix alone is consuming 32.3% of the downstream traffic in North America, much more than any other site or service. (Protalinski, 2013) Major ISPs may well contemplate the idea of blocking Netflix from their service to release all that traffic or they  might demand increased internet subscription fees from Netflix to continue hosting their website; this would be a disaster for Netflix who is facing increasing content obligation costs and if ISPs opted for that step, they will have no other choice other than increas ing the monthly fees of their streaming service which will definitely not come to the delight of their customers. All of this is against the Net Neutrality rule, which states that all internet users will be under the same conditions to get space on the net whatever their website or content, is. â€Å"The possibility of regulations designed to mandate the neutrality of the Internet has been subject to fierce debate, especially in the United States† (Internet Cleaner, 2013) In an interview (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014), Reed Hastings says he is not concerned with the threat that ISPs might block Netflix since â€Å"it will fuel the fire for more regulation and no one is interested in this†. Environmental Factors Historically, the video rental industry was built on the idea of reusing the same stuff by different people over and over again and this concept is environment-friendly. Moreover, switching to the soft copies of media and streaming it through the internet reduces energy consumption and pollution levels due to a decrease in delivering DVDs by mail and also less manufacturing of DVDs. Socio-Cultural Factors People are expected to watch movies or play video games when they have more leisure time. However nowadays, many people are having 2 jobs to support their families which basically means less leisure time and less watching movies. In addition to that, people are now becoming more convenient watching movies at their homes instead of going out to the theaters since it is cheaper, less time consuming and is ideal after having a long tiring day; this emerging trend will boost the volume of the streaming media subscriptions. Moreover, the rapid acceptance of the society for technological advancements greatly benefits the online movie rental industry, this is particularly correct due to the new educational and pedagogical systems that stress more on computer learning making people more convenient when dealing with technology. Technological Factors The rapid technological advancements and production of electronic products such as Blu-ray DVD players, Video game consoles, smart phones, smart TVs and many other devices that can connect to the internet, made the concept of online rental and video streaming easier and more adaptable. As the internet services are becoming more popular and an important ingredient in people’s daily life, companies like Netflix will be able to increase its operations especially in the video streaming service. Therefore, the advancement in technology is an opportunity and enabler for the industry as a whole. 4K streaming is a new high-quality video technology that reduces compression rate and produces output in 4K/Ultra HD format. (Burns, 2014) Netflix started offering some of its content in this format, which signals their aim to go side by side with technological advancement. Of course, to be able to stream at this high resolution, you need to have a super speed internet (40-50 Mbps) so people now have a reason to upgrade and it means more profits to the ISPs. (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014) Economic Factors The industry depends on the consumers’ spending power and real income, which is affected by employment rate, interest rate, tax rate and inflation rate. When consumers have more money, spending on entertainment facilities rises and this is an opportunity for the industry. On the other hand, the spending power of households usually decrease in recession periods, so they will probably tend to sacrifice the theater ticket and may well reward themselves with some older movies available on streaming services such as Netflix’s. Legal Factors There is a considerable potential for legal actions to be taken against companies operating in this industry, actions related to the use of licensed material and customers’ privacy issues. Moreover, any company that operates in the international market should study well the rules and regulations specific to that market or else it will shortly fall in trouble or lose valuable opportunities. Some legal actions might have a positive impact on companies in this industry such as the amendment of the VPPA law discussed earlier. On the other hand, Netflix had some hard times in 2010 with lawsuits pertaining to privacy issues when an academic research suggested it exposed the movie preferences of its customers for the programmers who  participated in the Netflix prize to produce a better recommendation algorithm. (Buley, 2010) The issue was later resolved and Netflix cancelled the sequel â€Å"Netflix Prize II† competition. Competitive Environment In order to determine nature and strength of the competitor pressures in the movie rental industry Netflix is operating in, we use Porter’s five forces model of competition. Bargaining Power of Customers In the streaming market, customers have a high bargaining power; the reason behind this is that people are very well informed about other companies which are in the same line of business as Netflix. Customers are always in search for a better deal because buyers are very price sensitive when it comes to the video rental industry and they are always looking for the best quality, so they will leave Netflix as soon as a better offer is available since there is no switching cost. Customers always expect product differentiation, and if Netflix does not give it customers this variety, they will simply leave. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is very high; Netflix relies on getting exclusive rights to certain television shows and movies so suppliers play a very big role in bargaining over what content is exclusively reserved for Netflix users. Also, there are only a number of studios who supply the movies and shows. Another reason bargaining power of suppliers is high is that Netflix can only get its content from those studios and there is no substitute for that content, also contracts with those studios are usually for a short period of time (1-3 years) and expensive; a good example of this is when Netflix was unable to renew its contract with Starz because they were demanding a much larger amount of money – $300 million instead of the $30 million paid in 2008. (Kafka, 2011) Threat of New Entrants Although entering the online movie rental industry needs a huge initial investment to get content and secure exclusive copyrights, we can say that the threat of new entrants is moderately high since it remains a growing market with a growing demand, and huge rich companies like Apple and Google may be tempted by its growth potential and might well enter the play stage  with generous budgets; and also the low exit costs in this market make this threat high. But in order to be profitable in this industry, companies need to achieve economies of scale and try it best to have a large volume of subscribers, which in Netflix’s case is how they achieve profitability, and also to have a large number of viewers if it is a VOD company. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is relatively high since substitutes are available, such as Blockbuster On demand, Amazon Prime Instant Video and many other VOD streaming media. Rather than having a subscription of unlimited views, customers can switch to a pay per view option. Another reason is that there is no switching cost. In addition to that, the prices of substitutes are convenient and low which makes it relatively easy to switch. Customers might also choose to switch because companies working on a VOD bases have better features such as making certain television shows and movies available within a few hours of airing them on T.V, unlike Netflix where customers need to wait a few months. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Competition is very high in the video rental industry; Netflix has many current competitors which include Blockbuster on demand, Amazon, Apple, Hulu Plus and many others. Also Netflix has to keep scanning the environment for new competitors since it is easy for new rivals to enter the market for there are low barriers to market entry and exit. Netflix must fear its competitors because they can easily lose customers to them since switching cost is very low and they have no loyalty programs to make it harder for customers to leave. VRIO Analysis Netflix’s top resources can be listed as follows: 1. The variety and big selection of titles (comprehensive library of movies and TV-episodes) 2. The unique software for streaming and recommendation 3. Nationwide distribution network 4. CEO Reed Hastings Resources must have enough competitive potential for the organization to outcompete its rivals. By applying the VRIO framework (see table 1), one of  the best strategic tools to evaluate the firm’s resources, Netflix is shown to be at a moderate sustainable position. Providing its subscribers a wide selection of titles has been always Netflix’s primary strategy. During the year 2012, its library has reached over 120,000 DVD-titles and more than 30,000 titles ready for streaming (Wikipedia, 2014). This extensive library is definitely valuable for Netflix to attract more subscribers to watch from a wide variety of titles. Moreover, this resource is rare as not all competitors are able to offer its customers a huge number of titles for both DVD-rental and streaming services. However, such a comprehensive library is not very difficult to imitate. Apple and Amazon, for example, are constantly working hard to gain license agreements to acquire new content and grow their lib rary of titles. An obvious example on this is when Amazon won over Netflix and secured the streaming rights of the whole 8 seasons of Fox’s award winning series ‘24’ (Cantisano, 2014). Netflix has shown to be organized to capture the value of its library by making it available for its subscribers when using both services. Thus, having a big selection of titles places Netflix at a sustainable competitive advantage as long as no competitor grows a more extensive library. Otherwise, it will become easy for Netflix subscribers to switch to another company that offers wider selection. Netflix had well developed and easy-to-use software that provides titles recommendations for each subscriber based on personalized ratings. This resource is an added value to Netflix’s business because it became convenient for subscribers to quickly view movies they like or place them on â€Å"instant queue† for watching them later. (Netflix, 2014) Netflix announced a 1 million-dollar compe tition to challenge programmers to create an algorithm that can beat its Cinematch system by at least 10% of enhanced accuracy (Netflixprize, 2009). In 2009, three teams of talented programmers combined forces and developed that algorithm and Netflix’s system was given a major boost. Since the software is customized only for Netflix and consists of complicated algorithms, such a resource is considered rare. Although Netflix had set the bars high for its rivals, another company can call for a competition or hire top programmers to develop their own software that may beat that of Netflix’s. There is always room for improvement, and for that reason, this software can be imitated. Nevertheless, Netflix is continuously prepared to capture the value out of its smart software and make the best  use of it. As a result, the recommendation software positions Netflix on a sustainable competitive advantage as long as no competitor develops similar or improved software. For its DVD-by mail service, Netflix had largely invested in developing its nationwide distribution network by establishing as much distribution centers as possible. Their strategy is to provide customers with the fastest shipping service by delivering ordered DVDs within one business day. This is of a big value for customers who used to wait several days to obtain a DVD. To make it more effective and efficient, Netflix util izes a distribution network system (logistics system) that saves a lot of time looking for the closest center that has the ordered DVD in stock. The combination of wide-spread distribution centers and effective logistics software makes it a rare resource. It’s still almost impossible for competitors, such as Blockbusters, to deliver any of its DVDs within 1 business day. Furthermore, it’s difficult to have a large number of shipping points close to every home. Therefore, this resource is considerably inimitable. Obviously, Netflix is doing a great job in regards to quick delivery. It has promised its customer to ship DVDs anywhere within 1 business day. Today, by effectively employing the distribution network system, the company leveraged its capability to reach 98% of its subscribers. Hence, Netflix is organized properly to capture the value of their distribution centers. It is worth noting that although this resource gives them an sustainable competitive advantage, the demand on this type of service (DVDs sent by mail) is on a continuous decline, and the service might completely vanish in the next few years. L ast but not least, Netflix’s CEO, President and co-founder Reed Hastings is considered one of the firm’s most valuable resources. In the most difficult times, this innovative and visionary man knew what he was doing and didn’t lose the focus. His vision was very clear since the very beginning back in 1997 when he named the company Net-flix and not DVD-by-Mail (Fortune, 2009); he saw what the industry will be like in the future and believed in the powers of the internet. an intangible asset, as we are interested in his vision, education, expertise, know-how’s, innovation and skills, is considered a valuable one. If you take a quick glance on what has happened in the past few years, you’ll find it clear how such influential people affect their organizations in every aspect. For example, when Steve Jobs died, Apple’s  stock price went down by 5% immediately (Kollewe,2011) which shows you how people believed that the tremendous success Apple had in the past few years was directly linked to the innovative out-of-the-box thinking of their ex-CEO, and future manifestations showed that that was extremely true. So these brilliant executives are so valuable to their firms and they are also rare. Blockbuster’s ex-CEO Jim Keyes had the chance to buy Netflix in year 2000 for as little as 50 million dollars (now it’s worth more than 20 billion dollars!), but he was so arrogant and refused to give any recognition for Netflix’s success claiming his firm can easily do anything Netflix does. (Zarafshar, 2013) Failing to see the opportunities, combined with many wrong asse ssments of the external environment led to the bankruptcy of Blockbuster in 2011. Many analysts were actually quite sure that Netflix will be sold after the 2011 missteps that caused the stock price to fall by about 80% ; however, at that same exact time Reed Hastings was confident and quite sure that Netflix â€Å"will not only survive but flourish† (Morrissey, 2013). Those same analysts didn’t see, at that time, anything of a value in Netflix other than its CEO, who previously one the â€Å"CEO of the year 2010† award (Hartung, 2013) and whom they had great respect for (Morrissey, 2013); and indeed he was able to turn on his company and return it back to the list of the most successful companies in the world and the stock prices went up by more than 700% between 2011 and 2014! (Google Finance, 2014) In an interview, Hastings clarified that he doesn’t see his firm just competing with the other companies in the media-entertainment industry, but he believes to be competing with all companies that offer any kind of product or service that a person can enjoy during his leisure time, whether it is a soccer match, a newspaper, a video game or even hiking with friends or family (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014). This gives you an idea of the high mindset of this man which explains the success his company is now enjoying. Such a reso urce is hard to imitate as they usually come through the hierarchy of the same company; that’s what explains their full understanding of the industry they’re working in and the core competences of their firms. Just moving one brilliant CEO from one company to your company doesn’t guarantee you any success at all since many complex factors take action in the whole mix-up. Proceeding from here, it is obvious that this resource is organized to capture value for the firm. By setting the  strategies and adjusting them whenever and wherever needed depending on the ever-changing environment, Mr. Hastings is the captain who controls the helm to take Netflix to the island of success. Therefore, this resource gives Netflix a sustainable competitive advantage as long as he’s on the helm. In the future, will Netflix face the same difficulties Apple faced after their CEO was deceased? RESOURCE Valuable Rare Inimitable Is the company organized to capture the value of the resource? Competitive Potential Big Selection of Titles YES YES NO YES Sustainable/Temporary CA Title Recommendation Software YES YES NO YES Sustainable/Temporary CA Nationwide Distribution Network YES YES YES YES Sustainable Competitive Advantage CEO Reed Hastings YES YES YES YES Sustainable Competitive Advantage Table : Conducting VRIO analysis on Netflix top resources Netflix’s Competitive Strength The Netflix Strategy Netflix’s strategy so far hasn’t been to just focus on one or two aspects of their customer base, but to focus themselves in a number of directions in order to build upon and capitalize on a growing subscriber base. Their main strategy has been to build and maintain the most comprehensive selection of DVD titles in the industry, and they have done so by creating mutually beneficial relationships with a number of entertainment video providers. Their second main strategy has been focused on service differentiation- not only how customers receive content and consume it, but also how customers choose what to watch. Netflix’s number one competitive advantage over Amazon and Blockbuster is their unique software that takes what a customer has seen or rated, and based upon that information builds a list of suggested titles similar to ones they have just watched. While other companies had begun to leak into the rent-by-mail niche category that Netflix had started, no othe r company had customer profiling software quite like Netflix. Between 2006 and 2009, the film rental market underwent a major shift. The in-store rental market declined, while vending machine rentals increased and by-mail rentals nearly doubled. However, VOD (Video on Demand) services through cable, digital, and subscription also saw major increases. All of these changes meant companies like Blockbuster had to either restructure and make a complete business model shift – or face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the increases in by-mail rentals and online subscriptions, two services that Netflix offered, meant that the number of Netflix subscribers more than doubled in that same time frame. Purchase decisions from customers were focused on convenient access, price, variety of DVD offerings, and ease of return/return fees. Customers like variety; a video rental store that only stocks the newest releases will not appeal to all markets. Increasingly, customers are becoming more nostalgic in their movie preferences, searching for titles long past premiere. Customers have also become increasingly busy, often not having the time to go to a store to pick out a movie or remembering to return their rentals on time. We live in a world of instant gratification, where being able to click a few buttons and watch the latest  movie or an old clas sic is extremely important. Customers also do not like fees. More and more companies today are offering free shipping/return shipping, and the same is true in the DVD rental industry. Netflix’s third main strategy was to attract more subscribers using multiple marketing channels including online advertising, radio stations, regional and national television, direct mail, and print ads. One of these marketing strategies included participating in a variety of cooperative advertising programs with studios through which Netflix received cash for featuring a studio’s movies in its advertising. Moreover, Netflix worked closely with the makers of Netflix-ready electronics devices to expand the number of devices on which Netflix subscribers could view Netflix-streamed content (Thompson, 2012). This is considered Netflix’s second competitive advantage because it got ahead competitors by being the first to market with next-generation products. By 2012, with the aid of new technology, Netflix added another core strategy which was to grow its streaming subscription business domestically and globally. By doing so, executives expected that the number of members with DVD-by mail subscription would decline, as subscribers migrated from renting DVDs to streaming online and as subscribers with both DVD-by mail and streaming subscriptions opted to only streaming online. The company continuously improved its streaming experience by expanding the size of its content library, increasing the number of Internet-connected devices, and improving the ease of navigating Netflix’s w ebsite of locating and selecting content to watch. The result was a rapid growing customer acceptance and interest in the delivery of TV shows and movies directly over the Internet. Finally, a central element of Netflix’s long-term strategy was making Netflix’s streaming service available outside the US, in countries like Canada, Latin America, the UK and Ireland. (Thompson, 2012) Although this international expansion was expected to temporarily depress the company’s overall profitability and incur huge expenses of obtaining licenses from movie studios and owners of TV shows, Netflix’s entry into such markets would launch a preemptive strike to secure an advantageous position of being market leaders with high-quality suppliers via exclusive partnerships or long-term contracts (Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland, 2014). â€Å"We have to win the bidding for a big set of content, and then market ourselves effectively to start the membership growth† (Seave, 2013). How  long it takes for such a bold move to yield good results was not a major issue because Reed Hastings indicated that Netflix would take longer than eight quarter s after initial entry to reach sustained profitability. How Does Its Competitive Strength Compare Against That of Blockbuster and Amazon Compared with Blockbuster and Amazon, Netflix operates within the highly competitive media streaming market that has been forecasted to increase to $12.5 billion in 2017 (Bauman, Deal, Ishak, & Johnson, 2013). Netflix by far has the most comprehensive number of products and distribution channels, given that consumers can either rent DVDs by mail or stream them on their PC or TV. Its identity is valued greatly among consumers as a quick, easy, and available destination for streaming media. Additionally, the value of their brand has risen recently after the strong media attention for the success of its first original series, House of Cards. When it comes to competitors, Netflix’s main competitors were Amazon and Blockbuster. Operating as Amazon Prime Instant Video, it has three main advantages over Netflix; it offers subscription as a prime member for $79 a year which is $6.59/month, less than Netfl ix’s streaming price of $7.99/month, subscribers get free 2-day shipping on millions of items and its users can buy or rent a movie/show just after a few hours of it being broadcasted on TV, while Netflix subscribers needed to wait a few months in order to view the same movie or show (McGrath,2014). However, Netflix’s competitive advantage over Amazon is its library which has more variety and includes original content, thus making their library comprehensive in the streaming market. They also offer all their content to their subscribers for streaming through a very user friendly personalized interface and effective recommendation system that boosts the watching experience; in comparison, Amazon’s Prime Instant Video library have less categories and less straightforward search results, plus a significant portion of their online content cannot be streamed for free, you have to pay additional money to watch certain shows or movies. (Honorof, 2014) Blockbuster’s strategy was to keep expanding geographically by opening new stores in different locations, rather than switching to online streaming, thinking it would increase their market share. But due to the rise in competition from Netflix and Amazon, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and in January of 2014 they permanently closed all their stores and only operated through â€Å"Blockbuster On Demand† on a pay per rental  bases and operated only in the US (Netflix Alternative, 2013). The competitive advantage Netflix had over Blockbuster is the number of titles they offered. Because Netflix did not operate from a physical store, it made it possible to store thousands of titles, both old movies and movies which were on high demand, and thus satisfying the preferences of much more customers than Blockbuster. Blockbuster was restricted in the amount and titles they had to offer in their stores because of its limited storage space. Another advantage was convenience. Netflix made it very convenient for customers to get their DVDs without having to leave the house and having unlimited videos on a subscription basis without late fees, all of which are things Blockbuster lacked. With all this said, it is obvious that Netflix used offensive strategies that helped it build its reputation as a market leader and created a strong brand loyalty by binding customers to its service. As a first mover, Netflix was able to move down the learning curve ahead of rivals, so it now knows exactly what customers are expecting and learned a hard lesson not to do sudden strategic changes as it did in 2011 missteps of price changes and split of service. As a first mover also, Netflix was able to set the technical standard for the industry by adopting the advanced streaming player and recommendation program that customers now can’t imagine accessing huge movie libraries without it, and Netflix is ahead of its rivals in this and it’s building it over time. Back in its early stage of existence, Netflix had no chance to compete traditionally with the giant Blockbuster, so it chose a special kind of offensive strategy called â€Å"The Blue-Ocean Strategy† which dictates that a firm can â€Å"gain a dramatic and durable competitive advantage by abandoning efforts to beat out competitors in existing markets and instead inventing a new industry or distinctive market segment that renders existing competitors largely irrelevant and allows a company to create and capture altogether new demand† (Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland, 2014) This is exactly what Netflix did as it didn’t go into the block and mortar business but focused from the very beginning on growing its online library and achieving its most important strategy back then which is to deliver DVDs by mail within one business day. This created a new segment of customers for its service and factors in the external environment started changing to its advantage wh ich shows that Hastings and his team where correct in reading their external  environment. Then in 2007 they started their streaming service which is also an offensive strategy that positioned Netflix far ahead of its competitors. Recommendations The past few years have shown how volatile the stock price of Netflix was as it fluctuated between as low as 53 dollars in 2012 to as high as 448 dollars in March 2014 (Google Finance, 2014). This is an indication that Netflix is operating in a very fast moving industry where innovation and continuous improvement are the keys for survival. Consequently, as professional consultants, we advise Netflix executives to learn from what has happened in the past and put new strategies or amend existing ones to tackle the future probable recurrence of the problems they have faced in the past few years. One of the major competitive advantages of Netflix over its rivals in the industry is having this huge and varied collection of title selections in its offering. First we advise them to convert all their DVD-version content, which is not available for streaming, to soft stream-able versions as statistics showed more customers are leaving the DVD-by-mail plan and registering for the more convenie nt trendy streaming service (Roettgers, 2013). Maintaining an increasing selection of title offering is vital in this respect, as in such an entertainment industry, we don’t see loyalty in customers as decreed by Marketing gurus; what we mean by this is, if another rival had a similar service with a richer content, many customers will switch with the blink of an eye. That’s why we are stressing on this point as it is a key for survival. Accordingly, Netflix should opt to create strategic alliances and cooperative partnerships with many movie studios to maintain its database of titles – retaining existing ones and adding new collections, and negotiating to reduce the wait time for streaming movies after they are out in the theaters. This will definitely create value to the customers, but Netflix’s harder job is how to create value for those suppliers, that is, how to convince them to add their productions in the Netflix service. This can be done by creating a win-win model that will persuade those studios to choose Netflix over other rivals, and hence can be achieved by highlighting a set of advantages they’ll get from the deal. An example of such an advantage, is to have the studio’s work available not only in US, but in all the 41 countries Netflix currently operates in, and  maybe make it available in local languages; this will increase the popularity of the studio’s work inter nationally and will basically mean more profits for future project releases. Catching up from this last point, it is vital for Netflix to find new smart ways to continuously increase their subscription base. By the end of Q1 2014, the number of subscribers went up to 33 million US subscribers and 11 million international subscribers (Welch, 2014). More subscribers simply mean more annual income which will lead to the ability to get richer content to their offering, which will in return link more customers in. This recursive cycle is so prominent and can be triggered by some smart tactics, to initially get more customers. Lowering the subscription price might lure many potential customers to register, but is not advisable to do that since the profit margin of the streaming service is already narrow (Roettgers, 2013). On the other hand, increasing the price of subscriptions is also risky and the crazy chaos that happened in 2011 will remain unforgettable. Hence, Netflix executives should devise new innovative ways to increase the value proposition of their service that will increase their customer base and enhance their reputation as a market leader. This can be achieved, for example, by doing the exact opposite of what they did in their 2011 missteps. What happened back then was to increase the price of their service for the sa me quality they offered; so let’s now try to increase the service quality holding the price fixed. One way of doing that, is to diversify their content; for example to start providing Live programs such as Sports events and News. This addition will get-in new customer segments – not only those who love to watch movies and TV series. So, if Netflix was able to secure the online broadcasting rights for a major soccer league matches, for example, and broadcasting Live CNN news, their customer base will be more fragmented and they will be moving in the direction of being an Internet TV provider with a variety of shows that suites all the different categories of viewers. Another technique to increase the quality of their service is to enhance their GUI (graphical user interface) by creating a new advanced online player for streaming media that can detect voice commands sent from the embedded microphone of the client’s personal gadget (laptop, Smartphone, tablet, etc†¦), analyze those commands and perform actions accordingly. For instance, â€Å"Volume Up† to increase player’s sound volume instead of using  your laptop’s mouse or going to â€Å"Settings† on your Smartphone/iPad; or the voice command â€Å"Action Category† to go to the list of movies in the Action category. Adding such a high-tech innovative feature in their player will amaze their happy customers and will leave their competitors contemplating in the shadows. Netflix can also enhance its online service by continuously challenging and rewarding bright programmers to come up with new algorithms that increase the effectiveness of their rati ng application. What they did with their one-million-dollar contest, which was won in 2009 by a team called BellKor’s Pragmatic Chao who were able to come up with an algorithm that overcame Netflix’s recommendation system by more than 10% (Netflix Prize, 2009), was very tidy and it really paid off; so they need to continue upgrading their systems – as it goes side-by-side with the ever increasing size of their database. Speaking about the content, it was very clear that the bargaining power of the suppliers, which are the TV shows producers and movie studios, are becoming increasingly high; and what happened with the Starz Entertainment deal is one example to mention here, when it announced it would remove it movies from Netflix streaming starting February 2012 (Young,2011). This leads us to what we believe is the most important recommendation for Netflix to consider, that is, invest more in original content. Going backward to the recursive cycle we previously explained, it is clear that getting new content goes in parallel with increasing the number of subscribers. For example, when Netflix secured the deal with Disney for exclusive rights to stream its movies starting 2016, many analysts assumed that the firm needs to get 4 million new subscribers to just breakeven with the cost of that deal (Morrissey,2013). One here might contemplate, that sooner or later, Netflix will reach a stage where it wil l cease to be able to increase its customer base, so its revenues will reach a kind of a slow moving ceiling, but their content obligations will continue to rise: to maintain the licenses for the current collection and to get new content in. Many movie studios are closely monitoring Netflix’s performance and stock prices, and they are demanding higher money for renewing their contracts, and this is a major threat for Netflix to consider. Unable to reach a renewal agreement with a major movie studio, will result in the disappearance of hundreds or  thousands of titles from their online library in a fortnight. This will really embarrass the customers. That’s why we recommend that Netflix needs to heavily invest in original programming before they reach the saturation stage, or a deadlock situation whereby they cannot enhance their content because it’s too costly and they need more money by growing membership, and they cannot grow membership because they aren’t able to enhance their content because it’s too costly! Reaching this stage means the firm is approaching its last days. The solution for this misery, and to avoid this tragic end, is to invest in original content right away. Netflix started distributing premier programs in 2011 and now has more than 10 exclusive TV shows in its offering (Wikipedia, 2014), one of which is â€Å"House of Cards† – an America political dram a television series – which â€Å"became the first TV series to win a primetime Emmy Award without ever broadcasting on a network or cable channel† (Neal, 2014). The success of the series encouraged Netflix to produce a second season of it in Feb 2014, and a third season is scheduled in early 2015 (Wikipedia, 2014). According to a study (Popper, 2014), one episode of such original content costs Netflix four million dollars; but although this is very expensive, allocating an important portion of the budget every year to produce such exclusive series will have its mark in the future. People can enjoy watching such series any time, as it is a permanent title in the online library, and Netflix doesn’t have to pay licensing or any other kind of expenses on originals once it is broadcasted. They can also make it available for their international customers by adding local language features (subbing or dubbing) to it. Growing internationally is still one of the main strategies that Netflix is counting on and although international expansion proved to be very costly, as Canada for example broke even after 2 years (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014); they are recommended to continue with it. It will give them more international recognition that will enhance their reputation and will pay off in their competition with rivals, and this is exactly what CEO Reed Hastings said in Netflix Q4 2013 Earnings Interview â€Å" we are treating international as a segment – for competitive reasons† (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014). As first movers in the streaming movie industry, it is advisable for Netflix to leverage their position as pioneers of the market by offering several loyalty programs that will increase the switching cost  of the customers to their existing and future rivals. One thing they can do is to create a points-based reward system which works as follows: every month you renew your subscription you’ll add 10 points to your balance, and if you’re a new customer you get 50 â€Å"free welcome points†. Then through time your balance will keep adding up points and you’ll have the choice to buy several valuable things with it. For example, one-month free subscription for 100 points, an original DVD movie (from a predefined list of titles) sent directly to your mail and that will cost you 200 points, and the chance to meet with the actors of your favorite TV-series (Netflix Original) for 300 points. Such a loyalty program will keep delight the customers and keep them hooked to the service. While many consumers have cut the cord and made the switch to Internet-only TV offerings, undoubtedly they’ve experienced frustrations as well. Netflix’s mobile app, while good, can be upgraded to present a much better and more seamless experience for those on tablets. We suggest added-value features like friendship connections, including the ability to see what friends on both Facebook and Twitter have watched, their recommendations, and share content with others. Another impre ssive change could be a ‘tagging feature’ when watching shows which we believe to be instrumental in expanding the social aspects of Netflix’s content. Viewers can tap the button at any time during a show to tag moments on the timeline relevant with quotes from the scene or make a comment regarding what they saw. Subsequent friends watching the content can see these tags, opening up dialogue between the partners and encouraging more social conversation through Netflix’s app. (The lab Blog, 2013). Compared to the current app’s design, this new proposal feels fresh and clean. Of course, those added features are optional and can be switched off whenever privacy is needed. By adding this feature, Netflix will be leveraging the benefits of the latest VPPA (Video Privacy Protection Act) law amendments President Obama signed which â€Å"facilitate social media sharing of video viewing preferences when users consent to disclosure of information via the Internet†.(McClellan, 2013) Moreover, integrating social media with customers’ viewing experience will give Netflix an important marketing tool that will help them detect which content is more appealing to their customers and will also give their customers a window to speak out what they like to see in the future. Finally we can say that the next step for Netflix  is to produce a Hollywood 100-million dollar movie that can be streamed same day it goes into the theater. This massive step of producing one movie eve ry year, of such a caliber, will be a major boost for Netflix in the coming years especially if they were lucky enough and those movies turn out to be a major hit. But here one has to say, is it wise for a company like Netflix, that reported 112 million dollars in net income by the end of 2013 (Google Finance,2014), to handle a project of this size? Isn’t it a crazy adventure? Or should Netflix go through a joint venture with other Pay-TV firms to reduce the risks of such a gigantic project? References Bauman, L., Deal, N., Ishak, P., & Johnson, S. (2013, February 3). Netflix Environmental Scan / SWOT Analysis. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from Memoirs of a Student: http://lisabauman.blogspot.com/2013/02/netflix–?environmental–?scan–?swot–?analysis.html Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., & Strickland III, A. J. (2014). Crafting and Executing Strategy – The Quest for Competitive Advantage – Concepts and Cases (19th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin – Ch:6, pgs. 151-152 Thompson (2012) – Netflix in 2012: Can It Recover from Its strategy Missteps? Thompson, A. A. (2012). Netflix Alternative (July,2013) Blockbuster on Demand – Retrieved from: http://www.netflixalternative.com/blockbuster-on-demand/ McGrath (Jan, 2014) Amazon and Hulu Could Slow Netflix Growth in 2014 – Retrieved From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2014/01/07/amazon-and-hulu-could-slow-netflix-growth-in-2014-morgan-stanley-sa ys/ (Seave, 2013) Netflix to Competitors: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid – Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/06/06/netflix-to-competitors-be-afraid-be-very-afraid/ NetflixPR – Netflix Media Center – Company overview – Retrieved April 19,2014 from https://pr.netflix.com/WebClient/loginPageSalesNetWorksAction.do?contentGroupId=10476&contentGroup=Company+Facts Kollewe (October,2011) Apple Stock Price Falls on News of Steve Job’s Death – Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/oct/06/apple-stock-steve-jobs Zarafshar (Nov,2013) Remembering Blockbuster Retrieved from http://deweydigest.com/tech/2547 Cantisano (April,2014) Netflix loses Fox