Entrepreneurship Unit 5 - Global Entrepreneurship Research Paper

Entrepreneurship Unit 5 - Global Entrepreneurship - Research Paper Example In the case under consideration, for a business looking for a capital investment from third parties to expand the business into a full time entity it is necessary to develop a coherent and practical business plan. This section provides details of the product or service that a business provides and market that it intends to target. It must point out exactly the reason why the business will have a competitive advantage over the competitors (Finch, 2006). This part includes successful endeavors that the business has gone through so far. This might include contracts (if any) placed for development of products and services, marketing campaigns, office and production plant location (Betkoski & Lynne, 2000). The decision taken in the course of business implementation is what leads to the success of the business. A business plan entails all the resources applied in the business and further gauges the consequences of this resource utilization. This helps the entrepreneur make practical and real decisions and goals. If planning lacks, it will certainly leave no room for success (Betkoski & Lynne, 2000). It will rather leave a business in a state where proper decision making and actions plan will not be possible and thus, may cause the business to become unsuccessful. The business plan when prepared with the elements listed above, will give the entire organization the required workforce, goals and direction. It will serve as a roadmap to follow in helping the business strive through the thick and thin (Griffin, Ronald, & Frederick, 2005). A business plan is a compulsory and a well laid, multi faceted picture of the business, with multiple purposes as follows: A business plan as discussed above is a well maintained document which helps entrepreneurs develop practical and achievable goals in order for the company to operate effectively. A well prepared business plan can also give insight to the future performance of

Programming Solution Proposal Essay Example for Free

Programming Solution Proposal Essay Computer programs can help us solve everyday issues that might seem impossible. Household budgeting is an issue that burdens many Americans. Every individual is ultimately responsible for managing his or her finances. Developing a computer program that can help individuals manage their budget will greatly improve their life quality. The program would have to follow the program development cycle model and use the modular approach. Identifying Budget Issues The biggest challenge that many American families are facing after the 2008 recession is managing a monthly budget adequately. The fact is that many families increased their debt by borrowing more than their allocated budget. Americans need to learn to live base on how much they earn. Our first reaction, when in debt, would be to make up excuses as to why we are in that situation. Some of us will even try to blame relatives or credit card companies when faced with excessive debt. It is families, who do not budget properly, that end up losing their homes and vehicles to banks or lenders (msn, 2009). Who is Responsible? The task of managing your budget according to your earnings is a decision and responsibility that is ultimately yours. The first step to take when budgeting is to acknowledge your debt problem and stop finding justifications for it. The problem can be excessively stressful and it is recommended to seek assistance through friends, family, or even better from an organization that guides people through debt reduction. A non-profit organization, such as the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, will probably be the best option. To start getting a handle of the problem, one must establish a number of how much is owed (msn, 2009). Developing a Program Technology, at present day, is an important tool that can be used to our advantage to solve almost any issue. Many families that might be facing budgeting and even foreclosure issues might not be aware that such tools exist. The process of creating a computer program that will help us budget our monthly income can greatly improve our quality of life. Such program must follow the program development cycle and contain the three main components of a computer program; input, process, and output (Venit Drake, 2009). Program Development Cycle The first step of the program development cycle is to analyze the problem. We need to fully understand the problem that needs to be solved. We also need to analyze which information is available to us. The initial information available to us is our monthly net pay, and our monthly economic obligations. We also need to establish our desired output, establishing a budget, and determine how our known information will help us achieve those results. At this point we might also become aware of information that is not included but is necessary in order to identify the problem properly. Such information may include unexpected expenses, depositing money into a savings account, etc. (Venit Drake, 2009). The next step of the cycle is designing a program to solve the problem. The designing step of the program development cycle will yield a flowchart that will outline how the actual program is executed based on the known variables. The flowchart will include a starting point, inputs, assignments, If conditions, loops, outputs, and an ending point. The evaluation of each step of the program development cycle might yield additional subtasks that might need to be added to the original flowchart. This step also involves writing an algorithm in pseudocodes which will instruct the program on what to do. The last two steps of the cycle involve writing the pseudocode statements in program code. The program code will depend on which computer language is chosen. Finally the program needs to be executed to determine if it runs properly. A re-evaluation of the program might be needed if the program does not execute properly (Venit Drake, 2009). The goal of the program is to aid the average household to adequately manage a budget. Modular Approach The modular approach that will be taken to create this budgeting program will ensure the creation of the proper program to solve the issue. The approach will first consider the major tasks that need to be accomplished. A module will be created for each task in the program. The tasks can later be broken down into sub-tasks as deemed necessary by the programmer. These sub-tasks will then be assigned sub-modules. The amount of sub-tasks is determined by the complexity of the problem and how many are needed to solve the problem. The purpose of breaking down tasks is to make the program much easier and simpler. The model that is used to break down tasks is called the top-down design (Venit Drake, 2009). Conclusion Developing a computer program that can help individuals manage their budget will greatly improve their life quality.

Changes in Eliza in Pygmalion :: George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion Essays

Changes in Eliza in Pygmalion Before Eliza first encountered Mr. Higgins, she was simply a dirty, yet caring girl in the gutter of London. During her time with both Mr. Higgins and Colonel Pickering, Eliza did change, for the fist few weeks of her stay in Wimpole Street, she questioned everything that Higgins asked her to do, and generally couldn't see how they would help her. Later, Eliza begins to understand that Higgins, as harsh as he is, is trying to do his best to teach her, and therefore should be respected. After the ambassador's ball, we see more of the old Eliza resurfacing. She starts to worry again, and since she has grown attached to Higgins and Pickering, is devastated to see their finding her so trivial. Eliza's basic character remains relatively unchanged. We can still observe the old Eliza, under the upper-class persona. The play, "Pygmalion" brings out the message that looks can be extremely deceiving, while touching on the issue that self presentation really does change the way peop le look at you. Act I of the play first introduces the reader to the rich of London. The author, Bernard Shaw, uses these well moneyed citizens to display the contrast between them and Eliza. In this act, Eliza has yet to be introduced to the world of the rich, and is portrayed by Shaw as in innocent dreamer. Eliza is concerned for her own safety, in making sure that it was know that she only wanted to sell a flower to the gentleman. She is persistent in a kind way; the reader sees this when she tries eagerly to sell to the gentleman without change. It becomes apparent that she is very poor, and needs success from her flower selling to live a life at all. Eliza shows great pride in her line of work, and that she stays above the law, not resorting to illegal prostitution or stealing. The introduction of Higgins taking down Eliza's speech gives the author a further chance to display Eliza's will to stay innocent and good. Another way that Shaw shows us the real Eliza is in the way that she starts crawling over the dirty ground to locate the money thrown down at her by Higgins.

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay

What microenvironmental factors affected both the first generation and second generation models of the Toyota Prius? How well has Toyota dealt with these factors? When the Prius was introduced in the US, it was quite shocking that it became such a big hit. The US auto market had been dominated by SUV’s for quite some time, and it seemed that a car that was small, slow and lacked power wouldn’t be attractive to American consumers. The advanced technology was very attractive to the â€Å"early adopters† and the consumers were willing to pay over the asking price to get a Prius. When gas prices soared so did the demand for the Prius. Toyota has dealt with these factors well. Successfully introducing a small hybrid into a market dominated by SUV’s is no small feat. Toyota’s success with the Prius is mainly due to their targeting strategy. By targeting the perfect group of consumers, sales and demand grew exponentially, and pricing has and continues to be at a premium. 2.Outline the major macroenvironmental factors – demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural – that have affected Prius sales. How well has Toyota dealt with each of these factors? Prius sales benefited from a number of macroenvironmental factors. When the Prius was first introduced, Toyota targeted the â€Å"early adopters,† a group of consumers that were interested in the advanced technology of the vehicle. Many of these owners found creative ways to modify and hack the computer system and chatted about it online. Another group of consumers that Toyota targeted were the environmentally conscious and/or consumers that desired more fuel efficiency. Both groups showed high demand for the Prius and were willing to pay premium pricing for the vehicle. Prius sales also benefited from factors such as monetary incentives offered by the federal and/or state governments in the form of tax breaks. Some states started issuing permits to hybrid owners to drive in the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (even if there was only one person in the car), or even free parking. Furthermore, some environmentally friendly companies offered employees money towards the purchase of hybrid vehicles. In 2007-2008 gas prices skyrocketed to 3 dollars per gallon and in some states above 4 dollars per gallon which only made the demand for the Prius greater. Studies about the various hybrid vehicles on the market were published and the Prius was at the top of the list for value. Studies indicated the Prius along with the Civic were the only hybrid vehicles that allowed consumers to recover the initial investment and actually save money after five years and 75,000 miles. Overall, Toyota has dealt with these macroenvironmetal factors very well. It is evident that targeting the right demographics has really paid off. All of these macroenvironmental factors were to Toyota’s benefit. All increased the sales and demand for the Prius. The only problem Toyota was facing was keeping up with the demand. 3.Evaluate Toyota’s marketing strategy so far. What has Toyota done well? How might it improve its strategy? Toyota’s marketing strategy has been focused on forward thinking and targeting the right consumer groups. The first consumer group targeted was â€Å"early adopters† or techies that found interest in the advanced technology of the car. This was a good strategy for the introduction of the vehicle. This group showed high demand for the Prius and spread the word through online sources. The second consumer group was the environmentally conscious, and those who wanted better fuel efficiency. Toyota predicted that gas prices would increase, and when they went through the roof, sales and demand increased. I believe that Toyota has done very well with this strategy. The truth is in their sales and demand for the Prius. An improvement that Toyota could make is better production planning. It seems that so far, this has been the biggest challenge. Though Prius sales are very strong, sales would only increase with more production as long as the demand stays consistently high. 4.GM’s marketing director for new ventures, Ken Stewart, says â€Å"If you want to get a lot of hybrids on the road, you put them in vehicles that people are buying now.† This seems to summarize the U.S. automaker’s approach to hybrids. Would you agree with Mr. Stewart? Why or why not? I agree somewhat with Mr. Stewart. I think that putting hybrids into popular cars and small SUV’s would work, but it would not work with sports cars and trucks. Sports cars and trucks are generally purchased for their power, speed, and towing ability, not their fuel efficiency. The current hybrid technology would diminish the performance of sports cars and trucks, and would eliminate most of the benefits of owning either type of vehicle. On the other hand, introducing the hybrid technology in popular cars and small SUV’s would work well if the option was available at an attractive price. Improved fuel efficiency is desirable when purchasing a car as the average price per gallon of gasoline is only rising. In my opinion, they hybrid technology would be an attractive offer. Not only would it be practical, but it would save the consumer a lot of money in the long run, assuming that they keep the car for five or more years

Stereotypes Exist Because They Are Grounded in Truth

Stereotypes Exist Because They Are Grounded In Truth Has anyone ever said that ‘unicorns exist in real life and that they have seen them’? Or that they ‘felt hot while it was snowing’? Or that ‘cats can bark like dogs’? Clearly there is no truth to these statements. This is simply because unicorns do not exist in real life, you cannot feel hot if it is snowing, and that cats simply cannot bark like dogs. Life cannot exist without water, what goes up must come down, and similarly any statement which is accepted by thousands of other people must have some hint of truth to it.As Kanazawa says â€Å"Many stereotypes are empirical generalizations with a statistical basis and thus on average tends to be true. If they are not true, they would not be stereotypes† (â€Å"The Scientific Fundamentalist†). Although some people argue that stereotypes are just over generalizations, and that people use them to perceive the stereotyped groups†™ characteristics, most stereotypes are true as what is generally accepted in society must be somehow grounded in reality. Moreover, many stereotypes have been proven by science, and conducted psychological studies such as stereotype threat.People who believe that stereotypes are false, argue that stereotypes are just over generalizations. They argue that stereotypes represent just a small minority of the group being stereotyped against. They give the example of the stereotype that â€Å"all blondes are dumb. † And state that while some blondes may be dumb, not all of them are, in fact many are quite smart. They say that one's hair color has no effect on ones intellectual capability. While this may be true for some of the stereotypes, many of the stereotypes actually represent the majority of the group being stereotyped.For example the stereotype that ‘college educated people have bigger incomes than those who have only completed high school’ is a valid assessm ent. Yes, this might be true in some cases. But as proven by the â€Å"The College Payoff† a report published by the Georgetown University, while there might be a small handful of people who are only high school educated and who earn more than many of the college educated people, still most of the college educated people have a higher salary then high school educated people (Carnevale, Rose, and cheah â€Å"the college payoff†).So although there may be some stereotypes that are false or depict over generalization, most of the stereotypes in fact are based on assessments and actions of the majority of the group being stereotyped. Furthermore, people who argue that stereotypes are false state that people continue to cling on to stereotypes because it is quick and comfortable. It allows people to think they are gathering information about other people, without having to stop and actually spend time understanding the person or groups true personality. They claim that becau se of this many of the people or groups are misunderstood.However, what these people do not realize is that many of these stereotypes quite rightly show some of the traits of the group or individual being stereotyped. An example is the stereotype, ‘Jews are adept money handlers'. The fact is that this stereotype is true to quite a great extent. According to ‘The Weakonomics’, â€Å"you see an overwhelming representation of Jewish people within industries that revolve around the exchange of money†¦ Not only have they dominated finance†¦ † (â€Å"Why Do We Associate Jews with Money? †). While some of the Jews are either lawyers or doctors, most of them are in a field related to finance such as banking.In fact most of the people in top positions related to finance are Jews like the treasurer of the United States, and the Secretary of the Treasury. In fact most of the people running the American Treasury happen to be Jewish. Another example is the stereotype that Asians are smart and studious. Some people say Asians are smart because they are taught differently in their home country, others claim that Asians are smart because they are very studious, and still others say that Asians are studious because they feel academically at a loss when they come to foreign places to study and to compensate study harder.Whatever may be the reason, the truth remains that Asians are smarter and more studious than most of people. Thus, while some stereotypes might contain some discrepancies, most of the stereotypes show the truth about the group being stereotyped. Stereotypes do not just come out of thin air; they were based on actual observations of people or their actions. An event must have occurred to have that formed these stereotypes.For example according to Meltzoff, Cvencek and Greenwald, the stereotype that boys are better in math then girls forms almost as early as second grade when boys start to associate with math and start do ing better than girls in the subject (766-799). In fact all of the stereotypes have evolved from an origin. The stereotype that ‘blacks are good at sports’ came about because in almost every sport there is a black athlete who dominates the others. As sports sociologist Ben Carrington points out, at the beginning of the 20th century, whites were considered to be superior to blacks intellectually, aesthetically and even physically.However by the 1930s, this logic began to change as blacks started to be viewed as physically superior to whites in matters related to sports (Interview of Carrington, University of Texas). Another example is the stereotype that ‘Italian men are very romantic’. This stereotype exists because of the Italians' constant flirting with girls and their traditions which involve kissing a girl on her hand as a greeting. As Megalio says, Italian men â€Å"tell you that you're beautiful and really mean it, feed you to show their affection, c ry rarely but genuinely and work hard in honor of the woman they love† (â€Å"Why Women Can't Get Enough of Them†).Another example is the stereotype that ‘Italian men have an unhealthy obsession with their mothers. ‘ According to Pike and Allen; married or not, one in three Italian men sees his mother every day (The Guardian). Thus, stereotypes are formed based on history and statistics, but in order to survive they must be regularly reinforced. While there might be some stereotypes that do not apply to the majority of the group being stereotyped against, or are exaggerated truths, many of the stereotypes have in fact been proven by science.For example, according to Susan, quite a lot of gender stereotypes have been proven to be true by science (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†). These stereotypes include ‘Women Love to Talk’ and ‘men are comparatively color blind’. As per the stereotype women love to talk , Susan talks about how the areas of the brain responsible for language are larger in women than men, and how the female brain processes language in both hemispheres of the brain (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†).Moreover, regarding the stereotype ‘men are comparatively color blind', Susan talks about how the gene for seeing red is carried by the X-chromosome, and men have one X-chromosome while women have two, which puts men at a disadvantage at seeing the color spectrum (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†). Another example is the stereotype that black people can't swim. In the first of its kind survey by USA swimming, it found that nearly 60% of black children have not been given aquatic training. (Quoted. in msnbc).Therefore, as we can see from the examples given, many stereotypes have actually been proven by science to be true and are hence more than just exaggerated truths. Lastly, another way in which stereotypes are t rue is the fact that they actually reinforce stereotypical behavior. This phenomenon is known as stereotype threat, whereby an individual is constantly exposed to negative images of his/her racial or ethnic group, this person starts to accept the same social and personal characteristics of these images as self characteristic.In fact psychologists, Steve and Aronson, conducted several experiments in which they proved that the phenomenon of stereotype threat does exist. When female participants were primed before a test of not being as smart as their male counterparts, their scores were significantly lower as compared to when the women were led to believe the tests did not reflect these stereotypes(â€Å"A threat in the air† 613-629). The same experiment was run again using African-Americans and Americans with the same results (â€Å"Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance† 797-811). Thus proving that the person acts like the way he/she was stereotyped to be.Stereotypes might be flattering or insulting. They might have positive effects or negative ones. But at the end of the day the fact remains that most of the stereotypes are true because they are grounded in actual observations of people, they have been proven by science, and because of the concept of stereotype threat. As David Cronenberg says â€Å"All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they're stereotypes because they're true. † Therefore, just as smoke cannot exist without fire, stereotypes cannot exist without truth.Works Cited Kanazawa, Satoshi. â€Å"The Scientific Fundamentalist. † Psychology Today. 24 April 2008. Web. 12th March 2012 ;http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200804/all-stereotypes-are-true-except-i-what-are-stereotypes;. Carnevale, Anthony P.. Rose, Stephen J.. Cheah, Ban. â€Å"The College Payoff†. Geo rgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce. 5th August 2011. Print. ; http://cew. georgetown. edu/collegepayoff/; â€Å"Why Do We Associate Jews With Money? † The Weakonomics. 27th July 2009. Web. 12th march 2012 ; http://weakonomics. om/2009/07/27/why-do-we-associate-jews-with-money/ ; Cvencek, D. , Meltzoff, A. N. and Greenwald, A. G. (2011), â€Å"Math–Gender Stereotypes in Elementary School Children Child Development†, 82: 766–779. ;http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1467-8624. 2010. 01529. x/abstract; Blacks, Sports and Lingering Racial Stereotypes: A Q;A with Sports Sociologist Ben Carrington. Interview by University of Texas. 25th August 2010. Web. 12th march 2012. ;http://www. utexas. edu/opa/blogs/shelflife/2010/08/25/blacks-sports-and-lingering-racial-stereotypes-a-qa-with-sports-sociologist-ben-carrington/;Meglio, Francesca Di, â€Å"Italian Men: Why Women Can't Get Enough of Them†?. Our Paesani. Web. 12th ma rch 2012. Pike, Rebecca; Allen, Carmel. â€Å"Mamma mia†. The Guardian. 14th May 2002. Web. 12th March 2012. < http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2002/may/14/gender. uk> H. Susan. â€Å"6 Absurd Gender Stereotypes (That Science Says Are True)†. 10th May 2010. Web. 12th March 2012. â€Å"Nearly 60 percent of black children can't swim†.Associated Press. Msnbc. 5th January 2008. Web. March 12th 2012. ;http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24411271/ns/health-childrens_health/t/nearly-percent-black-children-cant-swim/#. T2CsyBHxrNl; Steele, C. M. â€Å"A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance†. American Psychologist. 1997. Print. 52, 613-629. Steele, C. M. , and Aronson, J. â€Å"Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African-Americans†. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1995. Print. 69, 797-811. Cronenberg, David. Brainy Quote. Web.

Reading and Writing Newspaper Articles ESL Lesson Plan

Reading and Writing Newspaper Articles ESL Lesson Plan Students often read newspapers for a wide variety of reasons, not least of which is to keep informed in English. As you know, newspaper writing style tends to have three levels: Headlines, leading phrases, and article content. Each of these has its own style. This lesson focuses on calling students attention to this type of writing style on a deeper, grammatical level. It ends with students writing up their own short articles with a follow-up listening comprehension opportunity. The Lesson Aim: Improved writing skills and understanding newspaper writing style Activity: Writing short newspaper articles Level: Intermediate to upper intermediate Outline: Use the provided example newspaper article, or take a newspaper into the class.Ask students to read the newspaper article and summarize the contents.Have students analyze the difference between the headline, leading sentence and article content in terms of tense usage and vocabulary in small groups (3 to 4 students).As a class, check that the differences between headline, leading sentence and article content are clear. Here is a short guideline to the main differences:Headline: Simple tenses, idiomatic, flashy vocabulary, no use of function wordsLeading sentence: Present perfect tense often used to give general overview.Article content: Proper tense usage, including a change from present perfect to past tenses to give detailed, specific information about what, where and when something happened.Once the differences have been understood, have students split up into pairs or small groups (3 to 4 students)Using the worksheet, small groups should write their own newspaper articles using t he headlines provided or come up with their own stories. Have students read their newspaper articles aloud allowing you to incorporate some listening comprehension into the lesson. FAKE VAN GOGH SELLS FOR $35 MILLION A fake painting supposedly by Vincent Van Gogh has been sold for $35 million in Paris. Paris June 9, 2004 Imagine this: Its the chance of a lifetime. You have the necessary cash and you have the opportunity to buy a Van Gogh. After purchasing the painting and placing it on your living room wall to show to all your friends, you discover that the painting is a forgery! Thats what happened to an anonymous telephone bidder who purchased Sunflowers in the Wind at the Peinture Company in Paris, France. The first (supposed) Van Gogh painting to have been auctioned since last years record sale of $40 million, the forgery was sold for $35 million. The painting had also been reported to be the last ever offered for sale, Britains Daily Times reported Thursday. Unfortunately, shortly after the masterpiece had been transferred to the buyers home, the Academy of Fine Arts released a statement saying that Sunflowers in the Wind was a fake. Upon further investigation, the report proved to be true. The unlucky buyer was forced to recognize that he or she had indeed purchased a forgery. Choose a Headline and Write Your Own Newspaper Article Newspaper Article 1 TRUCK CRASHES INTO LIVING ROOM Leading sentence: Provide your leading sentence. Article content: ​Write at least three short paragraphs about the incident. Newspaper Article 2 LOCAL COUNCIL: ACTION NOT PROMISES Leading sentence: Provide your leading sentence. Article content: Write at least three short paragraphs about the incident. Newspaper Article 3 LOCAL FOOTBALL PLAYER WINS BIG Leading sentence: Provide your leading sentence. Article content: Write at least three short paragraphs about the incident.

Free Essays on Centaur Solutions, Inc. Invades New Orleans

Over the past few years New Orleans’ politics have lured software and technology business to the Crescent City. Although the job market has opened up for those seeking employment, most new employers are seeking employees with computer skills more demanding than checking email. Centaur Solutions, Inc. (CSI) is a software training and consulting corporation located in New Orleans, Louisiana. CSI is attempting to tap into the city’s lack of technology professionals. The owner/founder of CSI has been an instructor for the University of New Orleans’ Metropolitan College for several years. During which time he has taught numerous New Orleans professionals with little or no computer skills, including seminars for local businesses. Beginning my research with locating the current market demand for CSI in New Orleans, I decided to gather information on the action this city plans to take. According to former mayor Marc Morial, â€Å"New Orleans may not be synonymous with the information technology driven new economy, but it will be by 2020.† Technology companies have the freedom to set their roots wherever they choose, but research shows they’re looking for communities with plenty of amenities (NOWIB 2003). New Orleans is offering these industries a new home filled with affordable housing, unparalleled culture and history, and an energetic work force well equipped for the global economy (Hathaway 2001). Although the colleges and universities within New Orleans produce a high volume of graduates, New Orleans has been exporting talents for the last 20 years, and thereby producing a brain drain because there are no real jobs to keep people in New Orleans. However the sudden interest in promoting new technology jobs has increased the demand for qualified employees. Now the balance has shifted with more jobs available and less qualified applicants. Searching the web for jobs in New Orleans, over 60% of all jobs required some type of computer l... Free Essays on Centaur Solutions, Inc. Invades New Orleans Free Essays on Centaur Solutions, Inc. Invades New Orleans Over the past few years New Orleans’ politics have lured software and technology business to the Crescent City. Although the job market has opened up for those seeking employment, most new employers are seeking employees with computer skills more demanding than checking email. Centaur Solutions, Inc. (CSI) is a software training and consulting corporation located in New Orleans, Louisiana. CSI is attempting to tap into the city’s lack of technology professionals. The owner/founder of CSI has been an instructor for the University of New Orleans’ Metropolitan College for several years. During which time he has taught numerous New Orleans professionals with little or no computer skills, including seminars for local businesses. Beginning my research with locating the current market demand for CSI in New Orleans, I decided to gather information on the action this city plans to take. According to former mayor Marc Morial, â€Å"New Orleans may not be synonymous with the information technology driven new economy, but it will be by 2020.† Technology companies have the freedom to set their roots wherever they choose, but research shows they’re looking for communities with plenty of amenities (NOWIB 2003). New Orleans is offering these industries a new home filled with affordable housing, unparalleled culture and history, and an energetic work force well equipped for the global economy (Hathaway 2001). Although the colleges and universities within New Orleans produce a high volume of graduates, New Orleans has been exporting talents for the last 20 years, and thereby producing a brain drain because there are no real jobs to keep people in New Orleans. However the sudden interest in promoting new technology jobs has increased the demand for qualified employees. Now the balance has shifted with more jobs available and less qualified applicants. Searching the web for jobs in New Orleans, over 60% of all jobs required some type of computer l...