Opinion argument for or against Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Opinion argument for or against - Essay Example provide quality education to as many citizens as possible disregarding their individual peculiarities and enable them to realize their potential. If the gifted students have more potential, they should be able to realise it, and creating special classes seems to be the best way out. Still, there are some problems to be considered. The problem of striking a proper balance between standardization and individualization when deciding if the children should study separately or remain in the "ordinary" class is one of the most topical: [s]tandardizing the assessment procedures, content, and scoring criteria enables those not directly involved in the administration of the assessment to understand the conditions under which the performance occurred and the criteria against which it was scored. Thus, standardization is critical if test scores are to be understood by anyone not intimately knowledgeable about the details of the assessment procedures used to test each student. (Hager & Slocum 2005, 55) However, as the students are all quite diverse, with their own needs and peculiarities, individual approach should also not be neglected. The No Child Left Behind Act states that testing is obligatory for all the American students, including the students with disabilities. (Hager & Slocum 2005, 54) Of course, the problems of choosing an appropriate alternate assessment and the alignment of the "specialized" programs with a general curriculum arise, along with the issue of the ethical character - how reasonable it is to implement high-stakes testing to the students who are less able compared to the rest. As I have mentioned at the beginning of the paper, though I support the idea of giving the talented and motivated kids as much as possible, there are some very important and burning issues that can make this decision unfair and wrong. For me, the reasons for not placing the gifted students into the specialized classes lay in different spheres. First of all, some students who can be evaluated as non-gifted and who have problems learning, could be the victims of a subjective evaluation - their intellect and abilities might be as high as those of the students with higher scores, but there is something that prevents them from showing that (emotional problems, low self-esteem, difficult situations in the family and other personal issues, etc.) There are, however, some problems that are of a more complicated nature. Though steps are being taken to achieve equality between the Americans of different genders, races, and social and economic backgrounds, still the problem of inequality is very burning one. It has been proved by researchers that the students coming from the families of higher social and economic background receive better education in schools, and therefore they tend to have significant advantage as compared to poorer children. Black children, among whom the number of those coming from poor families is much higher than among the white kids, have a limited access to education, and therefore even a

Middle Ages Literature Essay Example for Free

Middle Ages Literature Essay The Middle Ages had many interesting characteristics concerning the literature of that time period. The important literary works â€Å"incorporated elements and values drawn from different and conflicting traditions (Patterson 1143). For every opinion, there was another opinion to counter it. Many of the pieces of literature at this time had contradictory ideas in them or had competing interests (Patterson 1144). The literature of this time shows us that â€Å"many people took the central doctrine of Christianity so much for granted that their daily lives seem largely untroubled by the moral and spiritual demands of religion† (Patterson 1144). Another characteristic of the literature was that it alerts us to the â€Å"complexities and dilemmas that any faith poses† (Patterson 1144). The Middle Ages is also called the â€Å"age of chivalry† (Patterson 1144). The literature mainly â€Å"expresses the values of the most powerful members of society, the aristocracy† (Patterson 1144). The aristocracy achieved their power through â€Å"military might† (Patterson 1144). There was also an â€Å"explicit code of chivalry† (Patterson 1145). The values were â€Å"never entirely consistent with each other† (Patterson 1145). Characters of literature had to choose whether to be a lover or a warrior (Patterson 1145). The main concerns of the literature were â€Å"the demands of religious faith and appropriate use of physical force, and the individual human being working out his or her individual destiny† (Patterson 1145). The literature during this time contributed to a list of vivid characters to the world of literature (Patterson 1145). Writers created unforgettable, complex literary characters to deal with the themes (Patterson 1145). The Middle Ages contrasted to the Renaissance because the Renaissance’s characters had â€Å"greater autonomy and fully realized personalities† (James 1883). The Renaissance’s literature did not judge â€Å"human action by right and wrong but by beauty, memorability, and effectiveness† (James 1886). During the Renaissance, the presence of God was much less dominating (James 1887). Medieval men and women were more concerned with the afterlife, while in the Renaissance they had a preoccupation with this life (James 1886). The Canterbury Tales fits into the Middle Ages well with some characteristics and not quite as well concerning others. For example, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales preaches the word of God on a daily basis, yet he is morally corrupt in his everyday life (Chaucer 1759). He preaches of greed, yet is greedy himself (Chaucer 1759). The Pardoner steals from the church, as well as innocent people (Chaucer 1758). Chaucer showed us that people took the doctrine of the church for granted. Other characters in The Canterbury Tales spoke of God and were Christians, yet didn’t bother with feeling morally obligated to act right. The dilemmas of being a Christian in real-life are seen. Some of the characters are Christian but it is more complex and takes an effort to be a Christian. The Canterbury Tales didn’t seem to have contradictory themes necessarily. Chaucer makes his views of various social ranks known through a use of satire. The characters themselves are contradictory, as we see with the Pardoner once again (Chaucer 1758). Since Chaucer has every type of social rank represented, we see his view of these ranks, which does contradict some of the jobs or moral obligations of various people. The characters in the story itself did compete for various interests. They all held different values or beliefs about the world. Chaucer lived during this time period, so it is in a way a more realistic view rather than contradictory. The explicit code of chivalry isn’t necessarily a large component of The Canterbury Tales except for perhaps the Knight and his tale. Chaucer shows that some people were focused on the chivalry act during this time. The Canterbury Tales doesn’t focus on pleasing the aristocracy either. Chaucer wrote from the perspective of every social rank so his book was meant for the poor and rich. Its subject matter was meant to be appealing to all Medieval people. The final characteristic that The Canterbury Tales does follow is the well developed characters. Chaucer had a whole list of realistic, complex characters. These characters could rival the Renaissance’s characters to me. I enjoyed reading about the characters and reading even more of The Canterbury Tales online. The Canterbury Tales fits well with the characteristics of the Middle Ages for the most part. The individual characters do have an individual goal in mind. Chaucer seemed as if he cared about his characters and wanted readers to his get to know them on an individual level, which seems more ahead of his time.

San Francisco and Influenza :: Journalism Spanish Flu Health Essays

San Francisco and the Spanish Flu SAN FRANCISCO--No one can deny the amount of patriotism San Franciscans have for their country especially during the Great War. Rallying, Parading, and marching down the streets of San Francisco are where these civilians choose to be, whether they like wearing gauze masks or not. Such undertakings, however, are exactly the kinds of activities a community seeking to protect itself from Spanish Influenza should definitely avoid. With the commotion of World War I many San Franciscans fail to notice the rapid rate at which people are falling victim to the epidemic influenza. Origins at this time are not specifically known although it was dubbed the name, Spanish Flu, for its early affliction and large mortality rates in Spain. The influenza, also known as the Spanish Flu, is affecting roughly all of northern California economically and socially whether San Franciscans notice it or not. Several schools, churches, and buildings are closed due to preventive orders by authorities. Insurance companies and the Government are spiraling downwards financially as they become responsible for the victims of this deadly influenza. Moreover, ordinances mandated the wearing of gauze masks in public places. Such laws are outraging civilians as well as important politicians. Individuals against the mandatory wearing of gauze masks appealed the law while others chose to be arrested rather than wear the masks. Governor Stephens attempted to set an example for all Californians by wearing a gauze mask to a meeting at the Capitol. Even state senators are ordered to wear masks when attending meetings in the senate. On January 12, the public health committee of the Alameda County Medical Society suggested and presented codes of conduct to combat the influenza epidemic. The Medical Society advise civilians to wear gauze masks when congregating with two or more people. Military reservations and forts are being quarantined to halt the spread of the influenza epidemic. Agreements cannot be made between local authorities and civilians nor can they accept the safety precautions local authorities are trying to apply. While newspapers such as The San Francisco Chronicle have explosive front page headlines of the war, the deadly influenza epidemic seems miniscule in comparison. There are far too many articles on insignificant stories of divorces, crimes, and debutantes of San Francisco. Of what was actually mentioned in between the pages of war talk were the repeals over the laws requiring civilians to wear gauze masks.

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- Educating Educational Teaching Ess

My Philosophy of Education Generally when you compare twins you find that they are different in many ways. Even if they are identical and they look exactly alike they usually have different personalities. Normally they are extreme opposites; one takes up the more dominant outgoing personality while the other is shy and more of a follower. Ever since my sister and I were little I have taken on the more dominant role. From the time of playing school when I was little I have always loved being in control. Of course, I was always the teacher and got to boss everyone around. Even into my high school years I took pride in being captain of my basketball team and my teammates looking to me as the leader. I have never shied away from people; I love interacting and talking to people. From playing school and being the teacher until the present I have had many chances to interact with people of all ethnic groups and backgrounds. I love helping people and knowing that I have touched someone’s l ife, touches my heart. That is how I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since my childhood years playing with my friends. I took great pride in being the teacher and now I take even greater pride knowing my dream will soon come true. I will no longer have to pretend because my students will be real and they will be looking for me to lead them to success. When I was little I was the All-American tomboy. I have always adored sports of all kinds. I was one of the kids my mom would shout for me to come in for dinner and call me back in for bedtime. I was one of the neighborhood guys playing everything from football to basketball. At age five when my dad told me that he played sports everyday at work I decid... ...y class and some not so athletic kids in my class. If I want all my students to reach their potential I will have to use positive reinforcement to make all my students feel equally talented. By using behaviorism they will all have fun, feel good about themselves, and be learning at the same time. My dominance has helped me shape my future and hopefully I can shape the future of my students. By incorporating the different teaching methods and philosophies I can hopefully keep my students interested and they will develop into their own with a unique personality. I will feel that I have successfully done my job as a teacher if my kids walk out of my classroom knowing more than when they walked in. If I can teach them one new thing daily that is one more thing they can put into their suitcase of knowledge for their travels into the future.

Female Education Essay

Education is one of the basic human rights. Every human being has the right to be enlightened by the light of knowledge. But like other issues of our society, a gender inequality exists in receiving education which is enacted to the females. This unwanted practice is continuing still in our society and hinders the progress of our nation. In our country, because of some old superstitions and customs, girls are deprived from many facilities which are cashed in on by males. Education is one of those. The parents think not to invest money to their female children rather than to the males. And that’s why; women of our country still can’t lead a solvent, secured, independent life. A woman without any education can’t use her skills and brain in a proper way. Because of educational ignorance, she can’t differentiate the right and wrong and take any decision correctly. She can’t use the chances to uplift her condition. She can’t nurse her family and children properly. In total, an uneducated woman leads a disorganized life. These awful facts affect the society decisively. Almost half of the population remains inoperative, unskilled, and slapdash. It lags behind the whole nation economically, academically, commercially which will suffer the future generation. If the women-folk is educated, they can utilize their skill, knowledge and work hand in hand with men in all programs of development. They can be self-employed and be a source of man power by which they can support their family financially. They can analysis any situation and take the right decision and influence her family and society in the key areas through their useful thoughts. They will be conscious about early marriage, family planning, maternal mortality rate, child mortality etc. Besides, if a woman is educated, she can take care of her children perfectly. A mother exercises an undeniable influence in the formation of children’s character and shaping their future destination. Once Napoleon said, â€Å"Give me an educated mother, I will give you an educated nation.† So, the importance of female education is beyond of words. So, if we want to live in a self-sufficient country, the females must be educated. The society must break its ancient prejudices and be open minded. The government has already taken a few steps: giving scholarships, education without fees and others to create awareness among people over this matter. If this exertion flourishes, then we may hope for an advanced, sophisticated, developed country.

Top 10 Low Stress Jobs that Pay Well

Top 10 Low Stress Jobs that Pay Well every job comes with a certain amount of stress. even some of the ones on this list. stress is unavoidable- and often seasonal. certain times of year, or certain crises, can catapult a low-key job into an uncharacteristically high stress bracket. but, in most jobs, that peak will fade and the rest of the year and your career can be spent in relative calm. low stress jobs that pay well do not come by easily. the following 10  jobs have been deemed - based on travel, potential for growth, intensity of deadlines, public scrutiny, competition, physical demands, environmental factors and hazardous conditions, risk- yours and others’- and public presence/speaking- to be the least stressful options on the market. some of these jobs will have a high stress time of year, or require some high stress interactions, but overall they strike a gentler balance than, say, wall street trader or neurosurgeon.if high-stress and high-stakes aren’t for you, consider trying for one of the f ollowing careers.information security analystthe growth rate here is about 18% and the median income is almost $89k per year.diagnostic medical sonographerthis position has a high growth rate (24%) and decent median income (~$62,5k).(tenured) university professorgranted, you’ll have to go through tons of stress to actually get to this position, but once there, the tension eases up considerably. good money (~$70k/year) as well.hair stylistthe money isn’t that high (around $23k/year median), but it’s flexible and relatively low stakes.medical records techthis position comes with good growth (15%) and good median income (~$36k). you get all the perks of being in the healthcare field, none of the life or death situations.medical laboratory techthis certainly comes with higher stress than working in records, but the money is better (almost $50k/year median) and there is still good potential for growth.jewelerthis isn’t a fast-growing field (-11%), but it comes with decent money ($36,870 median) and relatively low stress.audiologistthis field comes with  great growth (29%) and almost $75k per year. we hear that!dieticianhere’s another field with good growth and good pay ($56,950k/year median).librarianyou wouldn’t expect a librarian to have more stress than most of the previous positions, but believe it or not there are cycles of higher stress that makes this career rate a bit higher than even laboratory techs and professors. there’s low growth (2%), but the pay is around $56k per year.

Catering Industry in India Essays

Catering Industry in India Essays Catering Industry in India Paper Catering Industry in India Paper INTRODUCTION Catering definition This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing single events of events catered by establishments in this industry are graduation parties, wedding receptions, business or retirement luncheons, and trade shows. Restaurant or Foodservice definition Organizations in the Food Services and Drinking Places prepare meals, snacks, and beverages to customer order for immediate on-premises and off-premises consumption. Some provide food and drink only; while others provide various combinations of seating space, waiter/waitress services and incidental amenities, such as limited entertainment. The organizations are grouped based on the type and level of services provided. The industry groups are full-service restaurants; limited-service eating places; special food services, such as food service contractors, caterers, and mobile food services; and drinking places. Catering is not only about appealing to the taste buds of the individual but also to all the other five senses of a human being. With the right atmosphere, it is possible to appeal to all of these senses making the occasion unforgettable. Of course, beautifully prepared food can alone do this, but now days, caterers want to reach out to the customers in all possible ways and bowl them over. The venue The menu The decor These are certain areas, which the caterers aim to cover for an all round, win. . Whatever may be the occasion; a bachelor’s party or the annual meeting of a orporate; deeply satisfying the guests are the sole aim. Catering seems pretty straightforward and simple: You cook some food and serve it, right? That is the basic idea, but theres more to it. A whole lot more. Food maybe the most important thing in the catering world, but its only one part of the service. Many catering companies today include full event planning. There has been a change in approach of the companies and while extending their services; other activities are also concentrated upon. Its not that food is no longer a focal point, but rather that it is part of a broader mission. PEST ANALYSIS Political factors ?Price hike in L. P. G: This is going to have a direct effect on catering industry. This increase comes after Govt. realized the shortfall in demand and supply of Butane and Isobutene, constituents of LPG. Hence, prices were increased by Rs. 20. although this quite a substantial increase but caterers are not in the mood to pass it on to consumers. ?Food and Drug administration: Govt. has recommended the formation of FO of India, which has plans to make registration of all caterers mandatory to ascertain a fix standard below which quality of food served will be prohibited. Ban on Plastic bags: a ban on plastic bags means difficulty in carrying/storing/transporting food or food items. As today services like `FREE HOME DELIVERY` have become a part of expected service. Hence any inability to provide these type of services may affect the Caterer’s image. Also it will increase the cost of replacement or finding a better substitute than plastic. ?Servi ce Tax: imposition of indirect taxes is definitely going to affect the industry. As these taxes are not borne by Service Provider but by the consumer who will have to shell out 10. 5% of the bill amount. Also other taxes like Entertainment tax etc. ill increase consumer’s outlay. ?Rise in Fuel prices: increase in Fuel rates will affect caterers who provide mobile services, as it involves transportation of services. And this will directly be proportional to distance traveled. Hence, an increase of Rs. 2-3 per litre seems unfavorable for this industry. But this just seems to be the small picture as prices of Oil tends to rise in international markets, Govt. will not be able to provide a cushion for any further increase. ?Policies of FCI: better known as Food Corporation of India, it is a regulatory authority, which decides a price range for agricultural consumables. But it fixes only on estimates of Demand and supply. Hence any unreasonable increase in produces is restricted and is working in favor of catering industry. Hence Gone are days when onions made people cry by selling at exorbitant prices. ?Govt. should take up initiative of setting up more number of APMC markets. (Agriculture Produce Marketing Centers). The reason for this is that villagers/farmers can directly sell goods in these markets without intermediaries coming in to picture, which obviously decreases the prices of raw materials required in catering industry. According to a study `Vegetables, fruits` etc offered in local market are extrapolated to an extent of 100% of their cost prices. ?Permits, Licenses: as in case of caterers who offer additional services like Liquor etc, certain types of permits are required which are for limited time-periods. Although this is a socially good move but it still hampers the industry as it is said, â€Å"it is not what goes in is bad, but it is what comes out is bad†. In addition, there are other restrictions like time limits (after 11 pm drinks will not be served etc. and with a ban on certain category of bars, it is anticipated some pressure will shift on Catering industry (Hotels etc. ). ?There are also legal/constitutional factors, which have impact on this industry. like The Bombay Hotels and Establishment Act, which states that if any hospitality or catering industry which employing more than 14 persons (inclusive of 2 part timers) will be classified as an establishment and thus will have to offer benefits like Minimum wages etc. ?According to recent UN survey, India ranks 116th in doing business, whereas it Pakistan at 90th and China at 60th positions respectively. Hence forget Shanghai, even Karachi seems to be a distant dream. ?As Catering, outlets require quite a large amount of space, but Govt. focus on Housing sector may affect the caterers in negative way. A recent UN study sad that we need to build 4000 houses per hour or 96,000 houses per day, only then will we be able to provide sound accommodation to our populace. Although this may sound a windfall for caterers but looking at space constraints, it seems impossible. Economical factors: â‚ ¬Consumer Spending has increase tremendously given the explosion of choices available to him. Another factor contributing to the increase in spending is that Cost of living has skyrocketed. Hence, it is not an option but compulsion to spend more even on necessities like food. A recent study indicated that consumers’ spending for food is approximately 20% of their total income in Delhi and 18% in Mumbai. â‚ ¬Tourism also plays an important role. As tourism and Catering go hand in hand. This is because as number of tourists increases it gives rise to variety of menus, which can be restaurants etc. thus giving them an opportunity to encashed upon. Hence, tourism as a sector should given top priority for development of catering industry. Although India ranks amongst top 3 tourists destinations, there is still a great scope of improvement. â‚ ¬With Business cycles running at peak, Sensex violating 8000 mark and inflation rates down to 3. 63%, it is spendthrift’s heaven. What this means is economic stability has a spillover effect on people. It is just like a self-fulfilling prophecy. People think economy seems healthy and they spend money but as it goes the other way, economy prospers as they spend money increasingly. â‚ ¬ The Earning capacity has also taken a quantum leap. For the year 2003-04 the per capita income was around Rs. 5000 ($545) p. a. in urban areas whereas in rural areas it around Rs. 11500 ($255) p. a. whereas per capita income of Pakistan stood at $690 p. a. hence with an increase in income levels people tend to spend more. Note: the earning capacity should not be confused with spending capacity, as they both are different terms. They differ as earning include saving which are not include d in expenditure. â‚ ¬Spurred by the liberalization process, there has been a gradual move away from a supply-constrained economy to a demand-driven one. Moreover, the typical Indian consumers mindset has changed as well. Austerity is no longer considered a virtue, debt is not a taboo any more in a typical middle-class Indian family and with easy availability of cheap Consumer Finance, and there are positive signs of growth for catering industry. â‚ ¬With economy opening up, and catering sector should be encouraged and FDI limit should be increased, as analysts say the limit should be raised to 100% or at least 60% with FEMA restrictions be abolished, so as to encourage investments in catering sector. Social factors: $Westernization: The West has tremendous impact on Indians. The mindset of people today is `to live for the day` attitude. They believe to live in present and not to risk their present for their future. Hence, they believe in spending whatever is earned. $Bandwagon effect: this refers to people aping others either due to their status, power etc. hence, it effectively means that people try to imitate each other so as to prove their superiority. This also affects the spending behavior of consumers. $The Average age of India is around 28 years. Hence, it is said that India is very young at heart whereas average age of China is 33 years. In addition, amount spent by youths (age group 20-35) is more than amount spent by any other age group. Hence, catering/restaurants in fast foods that cater to taste of youths have n% scope of expansion with such a wide consumer base. $Catering is one those few sectors where there is no formal or necessary training required. Like there are no prerequisites except to the fact, the need of capital and to earn fast buck is the need of the day for everybody. $Giffen effect: according to Sir Robert Giffen, when prices of any superior goods fall, people instead of buying low priced substitute tend to offset the decrease by purchasing superior quality goods given the same outlay. And so even though cost of living has increased, earnings capacity has superceded it by many times. And with fierce competition and choices prices have come down. Hence, this psychology makes people go for plush restaurants occasionally offsetting with low quality consumables. $Paradox of Value: it means that items that are of prime importance, without which no one can do are sold at quite low and affordable prices. As water, food etc. are things without which nobody can do. They are of utmost importance and which makes them invaluable but in fact they are the one that are priced the lowest (the necessities). Thus encouraging their consumption and to make it available within everybody’s reach. $There has been a change in peoples attitude toward almost all types of catering For example, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. This little bit of advice is being taken very seriously by airlines, Menus are being designed, selected and prepared with both eyes firmly fixed on the customer’s tastes. The traveler of today, it has been realized, no longer accepts what is dished out. He knows what he wants and nothing less than the best will do. Technological factors: The catering industry has various facets where there is direct dependence on the technological advancements: TTemperature controlled environments- the transportation is one of the main aspects of catering services. Often the kitchen and the service delivery site are far and wide away form each other. hence to reach the required food and drinks to the site without deteriorating the quality of the food it is important to maintain a controlled environment. Transporting the food in specially modified carriers or vans, which have a conditioned environment, nowadays does this. TBurners- traditionally the caterers have been using the gas burners and LPG cylinders to fuel them. but now slowly but steadily especially in the five star catering the companies have started using the latest electric burners popularly called Hot Plates. These do not emit any smoke heat or fire. They heat only when come in contact with metal. Hence, they automatically shut down when not in use. TComputer software- the hospital catering is generally an avid user of this technology. There are various software’s in use. hen one feeds in the data or name of a particular food dish in to it, it straight away lists the required ingredients in precise quantity as per the patients calorie intake allowance. Such software’s have made the life of hospital caterers quite easy and accurate. TBesides the above-mentioned specific factors, there are many other small n undetected points, which go often unnoticed. These can be-the dish washers- pressure boilers- electronic weighing machi nes- laser blade knives, etc. These factors together have made the catering industry an up to date 21st century service industry. In addition, the increasing competition has made se of these almost an essential art of business. With this the ease in payment, one can now pay from their cell phones etc have removed all the hassles. PRODUCT MIX LevelType of serviceCatering 1. Basic core productFood and beverages. 2. Expected service Hygiene, taste, banquet services, etc. 3. Augmented service Working as per the customer needs by providing specialties. 4. Potential serviceThe best of the specialties. For e. g. the desserts at Sea princess Product lines: 1. Width: it refers to the number of different services offered by the caterers. For e. g. airlines, railways, hospitals, corporate meetings, etc. 2. Depth: it refers to the variety of services offered. It may differ from sector to sector. For e. g. airlines need the food, which is dry and portable and can be preserved for little linger. Hospitals require nutritious food, which does not affect the health of its patients. Schools provide their students with the balanced diet, etc. thus, the needs change according to different fields. 3. Consistency: it is the relationship maintained between the different services. The ultimate motive of catering is to supply food that is to be consumed by its customers. For e. g. food provided in hospitals, parties, schools are all finally consumed. Classification of catering industry: The catering industry can be divided into three categories 1. Commercial Catering 2. Transport Catering 3. Welfare Catering Commercial Catering: As the name suggests, it is catering for commercial purpose. Another thing that becomes implied is, commercial activities are performed with the aim of making profits. But in present settings, where the customer is the king, it is not possible to make profit at his cost. Customer satisfaction ranks equally with profit making. Two different kinds of Commercial Catering are: Residential Catering Non residential Catering Residential Catering This involves providing food beverage along with accommodation facilities 1. Hotels: they provide for food, beverages and accommodation facilities. And depending upon the type of service offer they can be classified on the basis of stars or on the basis of clientele can be classified as business, transit, etc. 2. Motels- these are situated on the highways and cater mainly to the travelers. The stay of the customers here is generally very short and is mainly during a halt in an overnight road journey. They provide facilities like parking, refueling, garage, along with basic provision for food and beverages and accommodation. . Resorts Spas: they are hotels located at places away from the city mainly at sea side or on hill stations. These resorts are very distinct in off seasons as the places are used more during the holidays. The stay of guests is much longer than those in motels. Eg. Club Mahindra 4. Floatels: Located on floating boats, which provide food, beverages and accommodatio n facilities. According to the size of the floatels the facilities vary. Eg. House boats 5. Guest Houses: the standard of accommodation here is not as good as a hotel or a resort. The services offered are not very professional and the menu is lso not very elaborate. Expenses are much less than other establishments and people who cannot afford to avail the luxuries of hotels or resorts prefer these guesthouses. 6. Lodges: provide only Accommodation facilities. They are generally located near railway stations or near bus stops. 7. Circuit Houses: similar to guest houses but the standard is better. They are generally owned by the State government and are used by the government officials. 8. Youth Hotels: these are necessarily cheaper than hotels. And provide for accommodation though may or may not serve food. Eg. YMCA, YWCA. Non-Residential Catering As the name suggests these provide for food and beverages but not accommodation. 1. Restaurants: Depending on the type of food served they are classified as specialty restaurants . Eg. Chinese, Thai Fast food Mexican or multi cuisine restaurants. Restaurants can be associated with hotels or may be independently present. 2. Bar: these places serve only alcoholic drinks along with light snacks. They may or may not be attached to restaurants or hotels. In India the rules and regulations governing the bar are very strict which limit the scope and working of this place. . Fast Food Outlets: generally independent outlets and deal in food and beverages which can be prepared and consumed quickly. They don’t serve alcoholic drinks. Emphasis is mainly on quick preparation and service. 4. Discotheques: these are business premises, which provide facility for large gathering of people to dance along with music played by the DJ. They may have a small bar in the corn er. However the emphasis here is more on the dance and the music rather than the food items served. 5. Vendors: they are generally present on railway station and provide food and non-alcoholic beverages. They cater mainly to the weaker sections of society. Transport Catering: 1. Railway Catering: In this case pantry cars are attached to the trains where the food is cooked or in most cases catering is done by outside contractors. The Indian Railway mainly did earlier catering only. However private players have been coming in the picture leaving less market for the Indian railway catering. E. g. Recently. Mc Donald’s along with Radha Krishna Hospitality Services Ltd. has bagged the first private railway contract. 2. Marine Catering: This is the catering mainly done for the crew and the passengers. In the modern day the cruise liners have become very known and have a very high standard of catering. They are equipped with facilities like restaurants, bars, discotheques, golf course, swimming pool, laundry, ball rooms, casinos, etc. On theses liners the service reaches its maximum. Apart from different kinds of meals served social activities like parties, dance, etc are also organized to earn good will and provide customer satisfaction. 3. Airline Catering: Today airline catering has reached a high level of sophistication. Unlike earlier where only limited items were listed on the menu, today the menu is much more elaborate. Specialized training is provided to the airhostess and the crew for rendering professional services. Eg. Recently, Ambassador Sky Chief bagged contract in Air India. They are to serve 28,000 meals per week. This is the only caterer that serves meal on the Air India. Welfare Catering: This catering involves catering without profit. Although loss is not the objective either. It is generally out of compulsion or obligation or a legal requirement or charity. 1. Industrial Catering: Carried out in big industrial or manufacturing units. Different levels and types of employees are served in different canteens. The employees contribute very small amount of food cost and are served buffet meals. The company itself may either carry out this catering or the contract may be given to any private body. 2. Institutional Catering: This type of catering is carried out in schools and college canteens or in institutional hostels. Here the price charger to the students is very nominal. This is generally run by the institution itself or sometimes by the students. Very rarely it is given to outside contractors. 3. Service Catering: This is done in jails and in military services where no money is charged at all from the consumers. The food is either cooked in-house or is outsourced. 4 I’S Intangibility oProduct life cycles can be short Unlike manufactured items which tend to a have relatively long product life cycle, service delivery systems often change for example, microwaves cannot be used while catering the customers in the flights, which makes warming up the food a hectic job. On the other hand items of food being perishable commodities tend to have a short life cycle. So, if the food is not preserved properly, it might lead to loss of essential nutrients and thereby making it unable to consume. It is difficult to build brand loyalty This is because in service businesses, copying is very easy. If one caterer decides to come up with a new dish or make a different kind of presentation or some new arrangements, the other caterer copies it within no time. That is why it is necessary to be innovative again and again and come out with new service features. Thus, they have to keep themselves distinguish ing from competitors. At the same time, FOOD is such a commodity that can lead to a lot of service failures if adequate care is not taken to preserve thereby leading to a bad rapo on the part of the customer towards a customer. Example: suppose if, there are 10 functions arranged and of those even if 2 of them are not catered properly, it affects the prospects of other future customers leading to hesitation in giving orders. They might feel there is a lack of authencity in the catering company, though the actual reasons may nary in nature. oCompany reputation is crucial Company reputation is crucial in service businesses because consumers are unable to measure with any accuracy the quality of service they are getting. In the catering industry, what affects the most is the word of mouth. Even if a single fault is spread to other people, the customers perceive that they might probably go through the same. Thus, the number of customers diminishes. Inventory oThere is no buffer from fluctuations in demand Due to the characteristics of services; there are no inventories to buffer fluctuations in demand. Caterers do not prefer to stock up the inventory. Even if they do, it’s for a very short duration because they mainly have to deal with fruits, vegetables, and other food items which are highly perishable. But the caterer should have a good amount of back up so as to meet the demands of their customers. Services do not have inventories that can be used to buffer the imbalances between the supply of products and the demand for products. oBecause there is no decoupling of the various stages of production, planning and control can be complex – they have to be good at forecasting and planning with the help of their past experiences. For example, if more guests turn up in the party than expected, they cannot ask the guests to leave or to stay hungry. All this requires a good back up. The caterer for the purpose of customer satisfaction should meet even the urgent demands. That is a perfect example of how planning and control are so complex when you dont have an inventory to buffer the demand. You cannot tell the customer that there are no seats and that you will put them in an inventory box until tomorrow when the flight arrives. Inconsistency Difficult to establish standards especially with respect to psychological aspects of service It is much easier to define a commercial product than a service offered because all people have different tastes and preferences. Few may stress more on presentation, whereas others might go for much better tastes. Even establishing the specifications is more difficult than it is with a physical product. Hard to ensure standards are being met For the same reason, it is much more difficult to measure whether or not set standards are being met. On each airline flight that you take, you can be treated very differently. Within the same flight you might be treated well at one moment and terribly at another moment. As management, how do you know, other than customers letters, that your customers got the level of service you want to deliver? Quality control in recruiting and training is crucial Quality control, in this context, comes in large part from recruiting and training. If you have a certain part of your service or aspect of your service concept that you are trying to deliver, you have to recruit the right kind of people. If personality is important, you have to get people who have good personalities. If the service is being catered to some wedding, more often the workers are localized. If it ’s some big party, the people are hired from the hotel management institute so the can present well according to the kind of guests. Whereas, if it’s some important corporate meeting the staff who has to serve is owned and not temporary as the need to present and behave well. Have a good knowledge and experience about the quality of service to be provided. Inseparability oSince customers must come to the place where the service is provided, each service facility has a limited geographic area it can serve This is a reality of the service business, unlike a manufacturing business where you can produce a product and ship it around the world. In a service business, it is very difficult to deliver over a distance. For example, if a person is asking Sea princess Mahal for catering a function that is to be held at Bandra, they would recommend Sea princess lands end rather go all the way from Churchgate to Bandra carrying all the necessary equipments. CORE/SUPPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS IN SERVICES Many service products consist of a bundle as it were, that includes a variety of elements and even some physical goods. It is important to distinguish between the core product that the customer buys and the set of supplementary services that often accompany that product. In the Catering Industry the core product is the food offered for a particular event and the supplementary service may include decoration, arrangement of chairs tables etc, the theme, hospitality, etc. Now the decision faced by the firms in planning and configuring the service delivery process a combination of both core and supplementary products are summarized as follows: 1. INFORMATION: Usually first step in service delivery providing information regarding the service, information regarding processes, cost, benefits etc. So in the Catering industry, SEA Princess’s outdoor catering service has been taken as an example. It starts with a phone call, here the customer is informed about the different schemes provided by SEA PRINCESS may be for a lunch, dinner or just a get together etc, information regarding the menu, extra facility if wanted etc. In short he is given an overview of the service, which is going to be provided. 2. CONSULTATION: This is one step further after the customer is informed, the customer requirement is found out and solution development takes place. Continuing with the example of SEA PRINCESS the customer may choose a scheme suitable to him and make the necessary changes regarding menus, themes, decoration, cost etc. 3. ORDER TAKING: This is a specific detailed document includes what the customer has asked for in the form of order, reservation, application. At SEA PRINCESS it is done very systematically. Every customer’s requirement is documented in a MOF (menu order form) that systematically includes items like number of people, venue, menu, beverages, timings, prices (pre-determined), themes, crockery, etc. 4. HOSPITALITY: Indicates – to ensure that their employees treat customers as guests. When SEA PRINCESS goes for outdoor catering, depending upon the number of people attending there are people roaming around asking about the taste of the food, escorting the guests, etc. 5. CARE TAKING – SAFE CUSTODY: Indicates taking good care of customers’ belongings. In catering – it would be, to take care of the health of the guests, so proper hygiene to be maintained while preparing, heating, serving, the food and also the venue which belongs to the customer should be taken proper care of. . EXCEPTIONS: Indicates doing things for the consumers that are not normally undertaken in the normal course of service may be special requests, problem solving, complaints handling etc. Giving an example the order for outdoor catering in SEA PRINCESS is to be done before 48 hours of the events but for regular customers or at emergency situation, the order a day before is also undertak en with the same kind of quality at times at the same cost. 7. BILLING: Providing a detailed billing to educate customers regarding description of the payments that have to be made. SEA PRINCESS provides a detailed bill showing cost of each item provided i. e. a self-explanatory bill. 8. PAYMENT: Payment refers to the mode or the method of payment. This has to be pre-decided, keeping in mind – ease to the customer. At SEA PRINCESS they operate in 50:50 ways where 50% of the money in advance and 50% post-service. This ratio may be changed based on the customer is receiving the service. PRICE Kinds of consumers: Knowing the type of customer is as essential as knowing the difference between salt and pepper. Budget consumers: These are the type of consumers who are very cautious of the money they spend on food and prefer economical food. They eat outside more out of necessity than choice. Due to the everyday nature, they prefer light homelike food rather than heavy restaurant food. E. g. : students and employees residing in hostels would fall under this category. The people having long working hours beginning early morning also can be considered as budget customers. Variety seeking consumers: They are those kinds of consumers who frequently visit food joints. As they eat by choice, variety of food is the essence. They may visit a food joint once every week E. g. : a family going out every week would not wish to have the same food on every outing. Wouldn’t it be as monotonous as eating at home? Their basic intention is recreation. College students are another good example. Occasional consumers: They are consumers who hardly eat out or visit restaurants and prefer home made food, due to health or other economical reasons. E. g. : Middle and Old age would fall under this category of consumers as they usually prefer home made food to outside food and occasionally would go visit a restaurant. Also a Lower middle class family could be an occasional consumer for the simple reason that he cannot afford to visit frequent restaurants or eat out. Bulk regular consumers: These are the consumers who generally purchase the raw materials or prepare food in large quantities on a regular basis. There is also the likelihood that these consumers may have entered into a contract with the catering or other enterprise to provide the requirement on a regular basis. E. g. : A vada pav wala may purchase the commodities that he requires in bulk, everyday. This is also typically observed in case of canteens. Even the food in college canteens are prepared in large quantities; making them bulk customers. Bulk occasional consumers: These are the consumers who purchase food in bulk, i. e. in large quantities but in certain special situations or on certain special occasions, like in case of wedding or party orders. Cost-Based Pricing This approach involves setting prices relative to financial costs. The firm should set a price sufficient to recover the full costs- variable, semi variable, and fixed- of producing and marketing a service and then add a sufficient margin to yield the desired level of profit at the predicted sales volume. Service businesses with high fixed costs include those with an expensive physical facility, or a fleet of vehicles, or a network. On the other hand, the variable costs for such businesses of serving one extra customer may be minimal. Under these conditions, managers may feel that they have tremendous pricing flexibility and be tempted to price very low to make an extra sale. Some caterers promote loss leaders, which are services provided at less than full cost to attract customers who will then be tempted to buy profitable service offerings from the same organization. Managers need to keep track of the actual costs associated with loss leaders so that the amount of promotional subsidy is fully understood. However, there can be no profit at the end of the year unless all relevant costs have been recovered. Many service businesses have gone bankrupt by ignoring this fact. Hence, firms that compete on the basis of low prices need to have a very good understanding of their cost structure and of the sales volume needed to break even at particular prices. For example: Sea princess has its profit margin of about 60%. Whereas, a small caterer has about 35% to 40%. The profit margin is decided keeping in mind the reputation as well as the goodwill of the firm. Perceived value pricing: customers are the value maxi misers, within the bounds of search costs and limited knowledge, mobility and income. Customer perceived value is the difference between the prospective customers’ evaluation of all the benefits and all the costs of an offering and the perceived alternatives. Total customers value is the perceived monetary value of the bundle of economic, functional and psychological benefits of costs customer expects from a given market offering. Total customer cost is the bundle of costs customer expect to incurs in evaluating, obtaining, using and disposing of the given market offering. He adds up all the values from the four sources i. e. product, services, personnel, and image. Thus, while pricing its services the firm has to keep in mind the image of its services in the market. Even other aspects such as attributes, benefits, values, culture, personality and the user have to be considered while targeting the customers to whom the services are to be offered as well as while setting the prices. Some basic strategies are: Premium strategy: this is what Sea princess offers i. e. high quality and even charges high for the services offered. Overcharging strategy: in social parties and weddings the caterer offers medium quality of food but charges high price looking at the environment and the kind of people approaching. Medium-value strategy: in railways the services offered are of medium quality and even the price charged is m oderate keeping in mind the status of the travelers which is not so high. Good-value strategy: in this case, the quality of service is moderate whereas, the price charged is quiet low. This kind of strategy is mostly seen in college and school canteens so that it becomes affordable for the students. Economy strategy: here the quality as well as price both is low. It is mainly seen in shops, which are on streets such as jhunka bhakar, etc. Product TypeCustomer TypePricing Strategy Hotels Occasional Premium MotelsBudgetEconomy Resorts and SpasOccasional Premium Lodges/Guest HousesBudgetEconomy HostelsBudgetGood-value Restaurants, Bars, Discotheques Occasional/ Variety seeking Premium Fast food jointsOccasional/ Variety seeking Overcharging VendorsBudgetEconomy RailwaysBudgetGood-value AirlinesOccasional Industrial BudgetEconomy InstitutionalBudgetGood-value ServiceBudgetEconomy ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AT SEA PRINCESS Organizational chart Catering office Banquet sales officeOperations office HeadPurchasePublic relationsF B MangerManagerManager Assistants Head waitersChefs StewardsAssistants, Helpers Unskilled employees PROMOTION Through promotion, marketers inform existing or prospective customers about service features and benefits, price and other costs, the channels through which the service is delivered, and when and where it is available. In catering business, generally, the caterers or entrepreneurs do not follow aggressive marketing strategy. A general rule of the thumb in catering is that, the more customized your catering services, the lesser is the aggressiveness of the marketing strategy. for instance, it is the least aggressive in off-premise catering. The target market from various sources can receive this information. Diagram on promotion Messages Transmitted Through Production Channels: In this category, communications are developed within the organization and transmitted through the production channels used to deliver the service itself. Front-line staff: In catering services, employees in front-line position, i. e. wait staff serve the customers directly. They promote services of the organization through excellence in service delivery, technical knowledge. Service outlets: Both planned and unintended messages reach the customers through the medium of service outlet and environment created. In catering business, factors like hygiene, etc promote the organization. Messages Transmitted Through Marketing Channels: In catering business, very few well established catering firms like fast foods chain, etc, undertake these tools of promotion. Advertising: In catering business, advertising is done through Print media and Websites. a. Print: Publicizing the achievements of your service organization, like the chef winning some award. Restaurants can offer to provide recipe columns to newspaper publications. If the offer is accepted, you have a medium, which is effectively saying that yours must be a good product otherwise it wouldn’t be allowed to be a part of the publication. b. Direct Mail: Local Restaurants use direct mail to provide â€Å"flyers† and â€Å"take-away menus† for home delivery services in the neighborhood area market. This provides local market coverage at low cost. c. Website: Nowadays, the catering firms have their own websites to promote their services. Sales Promotion: The objective of sales promotion is to accelerate the purchasing decision or motivate customers to use the service sooner. a. Sampling: This is generally used in function catering, whether held in banquet halls or off-premise. b. Coupons: local restaurants use this. For example, restaurant gave special discount coupons to the winners of COLOSSEUM. c. Sponsorship: d. Special offer: offerings that encourage customers to persuade others to join them in using the service. For example, â€Å"Bring two friends and the third person eats free†. e. Gifts: McDonalds give gifts on the purchase of â€Å"Happy Meal† pack. Messages Originating Outside The Organization: Some of the powerful messages about a company and its product come from outside the organization and is uncontrollable by the organization. Word-of-mouth: Robert Lewis, professor at Geulph University, has observed that someone who purchases a service may go away empty-handed but not empty-headed. They have memories, which can be shared with others. It is the job of service provider to make these memories as pleasant as possible. In off-premise catering, word-of-mouth is the most important means of marketing. As it is viewed to be more credible than those initiated by the firm are. Media Editorial: Media coverage initiated by broadcasters and publishers. Many magazines and newspapers employ restaurants critics to evaluate restaurants for their reader. Food guide books give details of different eating places in different places and rate them on the quality of food, service menu, surroundings and price PLACE Decisions on where to deliver service have a great impact on the nature of customer’s service experience because they determine the type of encounter, if any, with service personnel, price and other cost incurred to obtain the service. Thus, product can have an effect upon the location of any kind of restaurant and vice-versa. Elements to be considered before deciding the location of distribution outlet: a)Socio-economic status and spending power of the local residents. b)Customer’s age group c)Eating out habits. (frequent / occasional ) )Ethnic origins of the local population. e)Customer’s self-perception (adventurous/ conservative attitude toward food) f)Proximity to competitor’s outlets. g)Accessibility h)Real estate costs. Thus, we can say that choosing the right location has a lot to do with the success of a restaurant. Decision regarding location in off-premise catering is not a matter of concern for the caterer. In catering business, the fast food or quick service outlets should be built in a central location where there are crowds of people 24hours of day. This is a major reason why this joint are found near the railway stations, sub-ways, etc. The best location for a high-class restaurant is in a selected area of town, in a mansion or stately home where it is a part of the attraction. For example, Mumbai branches of hotels like Taj, Oberoi, JW Marriot are all located along the seashore, giving it a beautiful view of the sea, Mumbai being the city of seven islands. Coffee-shops, snack-bars etc are usually do well at transport interchanges, movie theatres, department stores and hypermarkets. PEOPLE In high – contact services like catering, personnel is central to service delivery. Their presence makes the service more tangible and in sometimes more personalized. Thus, from the firm’s perspective, service staff are crucially important, as the service levels and the way service ids delivered, can be an important source of differentiation as well as competitive advantage. From the customer’s perspective, the encounter with the service staff is an important aspect of service, and based on this encounter, the customer judge the performance of the service. Hire the right people: In catering services, it is an important stage due to its high contact nature. But, selecting the right kind of staff who are good at customer service can be difficult. Talking about catering business, the first job that comes to our mind is cooking / chef. But that is not the case. The kitchen staff covers a)Head Chef (chef de cuisine) b)Assistant Head Chef (sous chef) c)Pastry Cook (chef patissier) d)Fish Cook (chef poissonier) e)Roast Cook (chef rotisseur) f)Vegetable Cook (chef entremettier) g)Soup Chef (chef potager) The dinning room staff covers: )Restaurant Manager b)Head Waiter c)Reception Head Waiter d)Station Waiter e)Commis Waiter f)Wine-waiting Staff. The number of staff is determined by the operation and can be scaled down to suit all types and sizes of kitchen. The personnel officer or manager of a catering business must know the qualities to look for when recruiting new staff. Staff must be selected on their capabilities or potential for the particular post. Those who have to deal directly with customers must possess the necessary social skills as well as the practical skills of the job. Employees working at the front of the house, which includes waiting and reception, should be selected for their personality, appearance on duty, stance and body language, use of eye-contact, facial expression, composure and manner of speech. The intuition of the personnel manager can be backed up by a psychometric test and the candidate’s reference from school, college or previous employer as well as the keenness of the applicant to get the job. Catering enterprises recruit staff for the entry level positions from the Hotel Management Institute and other institutes providing courses in catering business. These recruits have knowledge about the practices and routines involved in catering. Function caterers rely mainly on on-call staff rather than permanent part-time or full-time people due to the unpredictability of business and constantly changing workload. Enable the people: In catering, it mostly on-the-job training for their particular operation by utilizing the skills and knowledge of their own supervisory members of the staff who are capable of giving instructions on the company’s methods and policies. Some have a philosophy of encouraging the staff to become more accomplished by positive encouragement and the prospect of incentives to staff that show a willingness to increase their capabilities. Some establishments will give support to staff that wishes participate in national and local competition. Senior staff may be sent on a visit or tour of other establishments in other countries where they can gather ideas for new techniques and new dishes. There are several commercial firms of trainers who offer their own tailor-made courses to various grades of staff employed in a catering business. Such courses aim to increase the capabilities of all members of staff from waiter to middle-rank manager. They are on the client’s premises or at the training firm’s own school. The courses are conducted by experienced trainers who are capable of drawing out better results from staff, whether new recruits or long-serving hands taking a refresher course. The aims are to widen the horizons of each member of staff, to give pride in their job, to boost morale, and make them more effective at their job. For example, New York city’s Yippee offers training programs at two skill levels. The first is a basic program that conveys elementary information and traditions about table service; this basic course is suitable for new recruits. The other programs are more advanced in nature, designed to enhance the skills of experienced professionals who could benefit from coaching on the finer points of table service. Motivate People: Staff performance is a function of ability and motivation. Hiring, training, are nothing but keys to motivation. As a catering manager, one has to motivate and encourage his staff, specially the front line wait staff. As they may be facing a high level of emotional labor. Emotional labor arises from the discrepancy between the way frontline staff feel inside and the emotions they are expected to be cheerful, compassionate, sincere, or even self-effacing: (emotions that can be conveyed through facial expressions and gestures and words). In the event they don’t feel such emotions, they are required to suppress their true feelings in order to conform to customer expectations. Performance incentive can also be provided to stimulate their competitive nature. For example, employee of the month, appraising the chef for coming up with innovative dishes. ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED FOR RUNNING A CATERING SERVICE. a)Competency in cooking and food preparation: A high degree of skill in cooking as well as ease, efficiency and speed in food preparation are the most important pre-requisites for a successful small caterer. b)Planning and organization: A high degree of skill is required in planning and organizing of off-premise catering. Some areas of catering demand only a modest amount of these skills: industrial catering with a mobile kitchen, large-event catering are relatively simple to conduct. But off-premise catering compels to plan and organize for each event. )Efficiency: In catering, it is essential that the food that the guests are waiting for arrives at their table as quickly as possible. Preparation time must be kept to a minimum and only a high degree of efficiency can achieve this. d)Ability to work under pressure: To be a caterer, one must be able to live with and work under pressure and not show it. Nothing is predictable du ring an event. The guests at each one are completely different, they prefer different food, eat different portions and interact with the wait staff completely differently. )Skill in problem solving and crisis management: Off-premise catering is bound to have unexpected problems. When so much equipment, food, drink, staff and peripherals must be transported and set up for a complex event , problems will crop up at times. f)Ability to deal with clients confidently and successfully: One has to deal with the clients personally most of the time. The personal interaction with the client decides whether there will be any future business from him. DESIRABLE SKILLS: a)Well-developed marketing and selling techniques. )Good record and bookkeeping skills for administrative chores. c)Ability to deal with staff. d)Solid financial and budgeting skills. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Ambience: Those characteristics of the environment pertain to our five senses. The ambience atmosphere is composed of several des ign elements and details that have to work together to create the desired service environment. The resulting atmosphere creates a mood that is perceived and interpreted by the customer. a). Flavour: In catering services flavour of food is very important. This is one of most crucial criteria against which the service is judged. Playing pleasant music cannot compensate a customer’s disappointment with food quality of the catering establishment. Success of the caterer depends on this factor. The basic flavor (sour/ bitter/ salty/ sweet/ pungent) of a dish comes from the main ingredient, which can be enhanced or diminished by adding seasonings and flavors but should not be entirely baked. b). Visual Environment: Color plays a big part in creation of atmosphere and contributes to the â€Å"feel good† factor, which helps put the customers at ease in a restaurant. There must be a perfect blend of colors including the surrounding walls and windows, carpet and curtains, lampshades, pot plants and floral arrangements, the table and chairs, etc,. Cool blue and green colours give a feeling of relaxation, while warm yellow gives a more stimulating feeling. This is why fast-food outlets are decorated in warm, light colours, which help speed up the rate of turnover. In case of a up market restaurant, deep colours give a sense of warmth and security. Lighting is also important in creating atmosphere and includes natural light from windows and doorways. There are recommended lighting levels for the various sections of a dining room and kitchen, depending on their size and use. Many different kinds of lamp bulbs are available, each giving a particular effect, which can help, create the desired atmosphere of a room. Candles are used-to create a cozy environment, especially for evening meals and special occasions. The overall requirement is to make the room look inviting, to help customers look their best, and to enable them to read the menu easily. Emergency lighting is obligatory in case an inci-dent occurs that demands a hasty exit or in the event of a power failure. ). Auditory Environment: Sound is an essential element in the creation of atmosphere in a dining-room, because it can give customers a feeling of belonging and of participation in the activities. Silence makes the room feel eerie and loud noises such as a dish or piece of cutlery accidentally dropped by waiting staff will cause consternation. The pleasant hum of convers ation, however, can add to the mood of the dining room. Staff should be taught to work quietly and not to engage in idle chatter between one another or to start up a conversation with the guests. Background music such as piano or tape might be suitable for the venue. d). Thermal Environment: Customers will enjoy their meal more if the temperature of the restaurant is just right. All public areas should be kept at a constant room temperature using unobtrusive air-conditioning. This will provide comfortable conditions. e). Scent: An ambient smell is the one that pervades in the environment. The presence of scent can have a strong impact on our mood and thus influence our buying decision. In catering business, aroma of food is a very crucial factor. After a customer has looked at the colour of the food placed on the table, it is the aroma that takes over and excites the appetite. For example, many restaurants like to serve garlic bread as an appetizer. It works very well for cafes, pizzerias. Menu: On entering a catering establishment of any kind, a customer looks at the menu to see what dishes are available and at what prices, and from this information decides what to choose. A caterer views the menu as an outward expression of the business. It demonstrates how professional the people who run the business are. A menu is the â€Å"modus operandi† of catering business which it has to work from. A menu is the means of communication between the caterer and customer and therefore must be written in the language they speak and understand. French, being the international language of cookery, top hotels use French names and terms in their menu, usually with a description written underneath each entry. In catering business, whether restaurants or off-premise, a menu should be compiled, bearing in mind the following points: a)The sequence of courses (starters, main course, dessert) b)Suitability of dishes. )Selection of dishes and balance of meu. d)Capability of staff e)Availability of equipment. f)Season of the year. g)Availability of resources. Layout: In catering, the planning of layout is often advisable to work backwards, starting not at the goods delivery bay but at the customer’s entrance and dining room. This is the first place the customer sees and is the main revenue producin g area. It is essential to know the total area available and approximate amount of space to be allocated to each component part, like kitchen, stores, and other ancillary areas, in addition to the dining room. Ideally, the kitchen, dining-room, bars and ancillary areas should be located on the same floor so that communication and movement of food, beverages and personnel between them is easy. The physical layout should reflect: a. Needs and demands of customers. b. Policy of the firm. c. The menu and its range of products. (products and techniques of service and presentation. ) d. The nature of establishment. In off-premise catering, the caterer has to customize the layout for every event in accordance to the space available. His floor plan should include the smallest of details like where to place the floral displays. Equipments: In catering business, a large part of the investment is in the form of equipments, which include both fixed and mobile items. Equipments need will vary depending on the type of operation. Large-scale cost sector catering operations work to a fairly restricted menu. Thus, needing equipments suitable for bulk cooking. Commercial firms offer a fairly wide range of dishes and therefore work with small-scale equipment. These include: a. Kitchen equipments: heavy-duty or fixed equipment like the cooking range, etc. general kitchen machinery used for chopping, cutting, mixing like mixer, food processor, etc. Small kitchen equipment like pans and moulds, cutting instruments, other utensils, etc. b. Dining-Room Equipment: furniture like tables, chairs, etc. crockery, glassware, cutlery, serving dishes, linen, floor coverings. Staff Dress Code: Now a day, in catering business, staff dress code is becoming a necessity. The more formal the catering business is, the more dressed up the staff should be. For example, in a cafe or pizzeria the staff would probably have particular colour combination to be used as uniform. While in a high-class restaurant, the wait staff will probably be dressed in a tuxedo. To foster a neat appearance of frontline staff, mirrors can be placed where staff can be automatically check their appearance before going â€Å"on stage† to meet customers. In off-premise catering, the client appreciates having uniformed staff serve, as it looks more professional and businesslike. Before taking off for an event, it is important to make sure that everyone’s uniform and appearance is acceptable. A sample dress code in a catering business, would include: ?Black trouser or skirt. ?White tux shirt. ?Black shoes (clean and shiny) ?Hair pulled back (neat and clean) ?No large or dangly earrings. ?No earrings for men. Black socks for men. ?Conservative make-up. ?Well-kept hands (nails short and clean) Customer Amenities: A good restaurant should offer facilities other than the room where meals are taken: reception area, cloakroom for men and women and foyer for waiting. Cloakroom and toilet facilities must be kept clean and secure at all times; many customers j udge an establishment by the quality of these facilities. PROCESS FLOW OF SERVICE MAPPING SERVICE MAPPING DIAGRAM.. The Services Process MAPPING displays the activities you may need to execute to achieve successful implementation and in-service management of your services program. These activities are intended as guides for consideration as you plan your services program. They are structured for a services program in which the prime services contractor will provide all human resources, ancillary equipment, and all space and facility modifications. The moments of truth for an outdoor event are three times greater than for an event held in, say, a ballroom, Among the forces that can literally rain on your parade: bad weather, high winds, local laws, bugs and power shortages, to name a few. The key to a successful outdoor event, is to map out every detail and potential problem prior to the event. Its easy to figure out whats right about the spot, but our job is to find out whats wrong or could go wrong. And while it might seem cheaper to head for a park instead of a hotel ballroom, thats hardly the case. Outdoor functions almost always ending up being more expensive than traditional ones, CUSTOMER AND BANQUET MANAGER INTERACTION PRESENT MENU AND OTHER FACILITIE S DICUSSION WITH CATERING CHEF AND PLACING ORDER HEAD CHEF INDENTS REQUISTION HOUSEKEEPING AND FEEDBACK SERVED TO GUESTS SERVE IN CHAUFFIN PLATES AND DELIVERED TO BANQUET GETTING REQUISTION TO KITCHEN AND PREPARE FOOD. Blue printing for banquet services The First Date (service encounter) STAGE 1 A popular mantra in the catering business is How can I make it happen for you? For most, this isnt an empty statement. A caterer worth his or her salt (and all the other spices in the spice rack) stands firmly behind this phrase. After you make contact with a catering firm, the caterers first job is to figure out what you want and decide how their company can create it for you. This process usually begins with a client-caterer meeting sort of like a first date. Whether it happens during the initial phone call or a scheduled appointment, the client services representative wants to get as much information as they can to help them prepare a proposal for you. The way client is treated would effect the perception of the person towards the company. Should essentially connect you to the right person immediately -The receptionist would be pleasant and helpful -The official will give an immediate date for meeting. As a client, you should be ready to answer these questions: What is the proposed date and time of the event? Is this a social or professional function? Do you have a general budget in mind? How many guests will attend? Have you selected a venue or setting? Of course, depending on the type of function, other questions can (and should) come into conversation. Keep in mind that this initial discussion is critical because it will be the backbone of the cater ers proposal. So, if you have certain ideas in mind, you need to be as explicit as possible. This whats in the clients minds-eye is the most important thing to discover. What is their favorite kind of food? Do they like formal or informal functions? When they entertain, what are their gatherings like? Do they prefer small or large groups? What do your parents like to do in their spare time? Whats their favorite vacation destination? Moments of truth: What is a moment of truth? It is any episode or event in which the customer gets an impression of the builders products, service or people. Nothing is neutral about a moment of truth. It leaves a positive or negative impression on the customers mind. Moments of truth can build or destroy trust and confidence in the minds of prospects and homeowners. Moments of truth can and often do dictate buying decisions. Moments of truth become word-of-mouth advertising. The key is to ensure that every moment of truth is a positive one for the customer. Each encounter you or an employee has with a customer is a moment of truth. The customers perception (reality) of your company is formed by every encounter. To deliver superior customer service, every encounter must result in a positive experience for your customer. For example, every time the phone rings at your business, it is a moment of truth. Are your customers/prospects greeted with a cheerful, professional and efficient handling of their call? How each call is handled provides one of the most opportune moments of truth for you to make a positive impact and help customers feel good about doing business with you and your company. The Proposal (STAGE 2) The foundation of a proposal is the information gathered during an initial inquiry or meeting with the prospective client: type of event date time guest count venue favorite foods or menu ideas Armed with these guidelines, the caterer can build a detailed proposal that includes the actual menu, beverages, an itemized listing for equipment rental, the staff requirements and any necessary food or beverage taxes. How much it will cost him for extra facilities and main course. Cost per person is being given to him. Then host and banquet manager, executive chef sit together and decide upon a menu. After menu had being compiled, details are filled in banquet catering checklist. When planning a proposal, caterers generally consider several other factors in addition to the basic information. For example, the CATERING staff usually knows that their social clients usually eat less food (18-22 bites think bite-sized candy bar or an orange wedge, an average sized bite of food) than their corporate clients (22-28 bites). The time of day and length of an event can also dictate how much food you need. A party held right after work, during cocktail hour, say from 5:00 to 7:00 p. m. could center around hors doeuvres and other light fare because the guests will probably have plans for dinner after the reception. Other menu planning considerations include: Balanced menu a standard menu should include a balance of two proteins (meat, poultry or seafood), one vegetable and one starch (pasta, rice or potatoes). Courses for seated dinners with multiple courses, each course should complement the next and there should be some variety. Buffets the number of buffet stations corresponds to the number of guests. A good rule of thumb is one buffet per 75 guests. If the guest list is large , say 750 or more, you can increase the number of guests per buffet ratio to one buffet per 100 guests. When the proposal is ready, the caterer gives it to the client for his or her perusal. After the client accepts the proposal, the caterer schedules another meeting to discuss the decor and layout and to plan a detailed timeline of the event. Making Plans (STAGE 3) Caterers and other event planners today have many useful tools to assist them in planning the perfect event. One product, called Room Viewer, automates the process of drawing up floor plans for events and parties. Whether indoors or out, no matter the shape or specs of the room, blue printing helps the caterers utilize the space to its best potential. Meeting Planners Facilities Managers Caterers Special Event Planners Rental Companies Production and Audio Visual Companies Blue print lay out an entire function, from the buffet tables to seating arrangements to floral displays. Not only does it help in the planning phase, but its useful during the execution of the project, too. Caterers can make printouts showing exactly where everything should go (even down to the placement of utensils) so the catering staff will have a precise map of the event. These blue prints are especially helpful when caterers work with outside vendors, such as equipment rental companies that supply everything from tables and chairs to linen and china. Each vendor is given a printed diagram of the event plan to use for planning and setup. The staff required for this purpose is: 1 Coordinator per event 1 Supervisor per event 1 Buffet Attendant per buffet / station 1 Runner per buffet / station 1 Kitchen Manager per buffet station Stewards n wa

87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work]

87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work] I'm excited to share these top87 business writing tips with you. They were honed while I studied English Literature and Rhetoric, taught writing at the university level, and workedwith thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies to help people write better at work. Many of these tips come directly from our award winning online business writing courses. My hope is these tips help you enjoy writing, better communicate at work, get ahead in your career, and grow your business! Jump to a section This is a huge list with 87 of the best business writing tips. Use these links to jump to a section: PLANNING AND PROCESS TIPSFORMATTING TIPSLANGUAGE TIPSEDITING TIPSGRAMMAR TIPSBUSINESS WRITING TOOLSINFOGRAPHIC 1. Know Your AudienceBusiness writing is all about your reader. Your reader is your focus point, not what you know. 2.Prime Questions Before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions:1) Who is my reader?2) What do I want this reader to know or do?If you can’t answer these two questions, stop. Don’t write the document because it has no purpose. PLANNING AND PROCESS 3.Think FirstBusiness writing is just as much about thinking as it is about writing. 4.Most Time is PlanningYou should spend approximately 50% of your time planning a business document or email. 5. Drafting is EasyDrafting a document is the easiest part and should require approximately 20% of your time. 6. Editing TimeAllocate 30% of your time to editing. 7. Plan First, Then DraftAccept that you want to draft more than you want to plan a document or email. Everyone does. Drafting gives us a (sometimes false) sense of accomplishment. And, drafting is easier than planning. 8. Woody Allen is Right about WritingWoody Allen calls the planning portion of writing the â€Å"pace the floor† part. If you are an analytical thinker, which many business writers are, this is natural for you, but accept that sometimes it makes your brain hurt as your mind has to figure out all the interconnections. 9. Concept Maps are Essential for Business WritersMapping the structure of a complex document will make both planning and drafting much easier. 10. Develop HeadingsWhen you plan your documents, write a heading for each main section of your document. Don’t worry about the wording of the heading as you are planning to document, but verify that you can encapsulate the content of that section into a heading. If you can’t, your content is murky so fix it now before you waste time trying to edit the language when the real problem is disorganization. 11. Start Where It's EasiestYou don’t have to begin writing a document or email at the first sentence. The first sentence is often the hardest sentence to write. Instead, look at your document headings and write the section that is easiest or most interesting for you. Once you begin writing, the interconnectivity of thoughts will ignite, and the rest of the document will be easier to write. 12. How to Jump in and OutIn real life, business writers don’t have the luxury of a half-day of uninterrupted writing time. To maximize your efficiency, refer to the map or outline you created, decide which section you can tackle in the time you have and start drafting. Having a map and headings will prevent you from having to re-engage your thinking all over again each time you exit and enter the document. 13. Back Up When You Get StuckThe best recommendation given to meduring my years of rhetorical studies was: â€Å"The secret of writing is knowing when to back up. Don’t try to edit and polish before something is fully drafted. Don’t try to draft before your thoughts are clear. When you get stuck, back up!† As a business writer, this has saved me lots of frustration. 14. Hire a CoachHire a business writing coach and receive personalized feedback. One-on-one sessions will help you gain confidence in your writing. FORMAT TIPS 15. Paragraphs Seven Lines or Less Online In email or other documents that will be read online, be certain your paragraphs aren’t longer than seven lines. (Lines, not sentences.) Any longer than that and readability studies show that your readers just see a big block of text and jump over it. 16. Dangling Expressions are Funny but Avoid Them Dangling expressions commonly creep in documents in bullets and when copying and pasting. Example:David Corcoran wrote the project plan while traveling to Atlanta on the back of an envelope.(Who knew one could travel on an envelope?) hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, 'bf4ee473-8e6b-46bf-b9e3-368d74d60b44', {}); 17. Use Regular Words to Avoid Non-Sexist WritingAvoid awkward non-sexist constructions like his/her and s/he. Instead, write out the actual words - his or her. 18. Headings Will Allow Your Readers to Scan EasilyUsing headings in email to highlight the organization will allow readers to scan the email more efficiently. 19. Make it Easy for Your Reader to ScanAdd white space to your documents by usingnumbered and bulleted lists. 20. Use Format to Indicate HierarchyIndent paragraphs to visually indicate it is a subset of the information above. LANGUAGEBEST PRACTICE TIPS 21. Write to Express, Not to ImpressIn business writing, your goal is to easily transmit ideas and information, not to flaunt a big vocabulary. 22. ConciseWriting is Skilled WritingConcisewritingis harder to craft thanwriting that has no length limit. Blaise Pasqual stated, "I apologize for the length of my letter. I did not have time to make it shorter." 23. Use Short WordsI’ve long admired Richard Lederer’s writing on language. In his 1991 book, The Miracle of Language, Lederer sings the praises of the short word: When you speak and write, there is no law that says you have to use big words. Short words are as good as long ones, and short, old words- like sun and grass and home- are best of all. A lot of small words, more than you might think, can meet your needs with a strength, grace, and charm that large words do not have. Two tips on clarity I always highlight in ourbusiness writing courses: Never use a big word when a small word will do. Any time a word is not truly needed, cut it. 24. Use Staccato Short Words to Grab AttentionTo grab your reader’s attention at pivotal moments in a document, such as the recommendation or conclusion, deliberately shift one or two sentences to all single-syllable words. A break in varied syllable length has the same effect on reading a document that staccato notes have when listening to music. The short, staccato words subconsciously alert your reader that something has shifted, causing them to pay more attention. 25. Winston Churchill WisdomWinston Churchill wisely stated, â€Å"Big men use little words, and little men use big words.† 26.Verbs = Energy Verbs are the pivot point of a sentence. Strong verbs have real punch. Compare: The famous strong verb example by Julius Caesar: â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici.† I came, I saw, I conquered. Business-speak: I was in attendance, and I conducted a review of the situation and culture, and I made recommendations for acquisition. 27. Use PreciseVerbsTo bring clarity to your writing, use preciseand evocative verbs. Business writers tend to muddle verbs because imprecise verb use is so common in business writing that it sounds normal to our ears. 28. Don't Smother VerbsA common clarity problem in business writing is â€Å"smothered verbs,† which are verbs that were changed to nouns (called â€Å"nominalization†). For example, the verb decide is nominalized into the noun decision. These nominalized verbs require helping words around them that smother their impact, muddle the clarity of a sentence, and increase sentence length. 29. Verbs Used Right Bring ClarityEnhance clarityby using a specific verb, instead of a smothered nominalized word.Example:The core verb in this sentence is â€Å"decide:"We need to make a decision about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - smothered verbWe need to decide about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - unsmothered verb 30. How to Cut 20% - 25% of BloatCutting smothered verbs reduces document length by 20-25% in most business documents. None of the smothering words have any value. Unsmothering verbs is a very powerful clarity technique. 31. "Take" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word take near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If take is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We need to take the data findings into consideration if we expand the product line.We need to consider the data findings if we expand the product line. 32. "Give" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the wordgive near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If give is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:Let me give consideration to your muddled writing. Let me consider your muddled writing. 33. "Have" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word have near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If have is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:I have a suspicion some of your verbs are smothered.I suspect some of your verbs are smothered. 34. "Make" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word make near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If make is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We promise to make an adjustment to your account by tomorrow.We promise to adjust your account by tomorrow. 35. "Conduct" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word conduct near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If conduct is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We’ll need to conduct a review of the data before the decision can be made.We’ll need to review the data before deciding. (Two smothered verbs corrected.) 36. "Come" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word come near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If come is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We came to the conclusion that prices had to increase.We concluded that prices had to increase. 37. ":Are we in agreement that clarity matters?Do we agree that clarity matters?Extend an invitation to Karen and Sunita.Invite Karen and Sunita. 38. Avoid Wimpy VerbsAvoid wimpy verbs that need a helping word to enable the verb to do its job in the sentence. Example:Dolores walked into the room slowly and quietly with her head averted, hoping no one would notice she was late.Dolores slinked into the room, hoping no one would notice she was late. Evan planned and worked on the technical aspect of the project plan.Evan engineered the project plan. 39. Avoid RedundancyAvoid redundant verb modifiers.Example:Damian shouted loudly at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. Damian shouted at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. (Shouting, by definition, is loud, so no modifier is needed.) 40. Don't Start Sentences with "There is" or "There are."Weak sentences frequently start with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† Instead, cut to the chase. Find the real subject and start there.Example: There was a strong disagreement between the divisions about the reorganization structure.The two sides strongly disagreed about the reorganization structure. 41. Active Voice is Better than Passive VoiceActive voice is more dynamic and lively than passive voice, typically. 42. Use Reader:We have decided to upgrade the features of our training course.You will automatically receive updated features in your training course. 43. Avoid JargonJason Fried, the CEO of 37 Signals, stated: â€Å"Jargon is insecurity.† I agree. So often, I hear people within an organization parrot each other with phrases that have been used so much they have become meaningless. Examples: Lots of moving parts Give 110% Synergy Think outside the box Tiger team View more jargon examples to avoid Bonus Tip: You can also use our free Jargon Grader to check your writing for over 700 jargon words and phrases. 44. Be Polite. It Echoes.Everything we write at work has a larger echo. This echo is both a worry and an opportunity to advance your career. For example, you may have to deny a funding request to present research at a conference, but the larger echo requirement is maintaining the drive to innovate and research at your company. Don't win a battle and lose the war. 45. Own Your WorkAvoid â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I suggest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I wonder if we should†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Instead, confidently write â€Å"I recommend...† or omit the â€Å"I† lead statement and simply write â€Å"Merge the divisions.† 46. Use Standard Grammar, Even When ChallengingSubjects and verbs need to agree in number. In an attempt be non-sexist, some business writers recommend writing, â€Å"Each person did their work quietly.† Each is singular. Their is plural. It’s grammatically incorrect. 47. How to Dodge Awkward His or Her DilemmaTo dodge the awkward his or her dilemma, shift the subject to plural when possible:A manager is trained to support his or her employees.Managers are trained to support their employees. 48. The Right Amount of InformationHelps the Reader and WriterA little extra information provided can resolve repeated questions:As noted on page four of the instruction booklet, photocopying on both sides requires two steps. 49. Equal Respect MattersUse consistency naming people. Mr. Jones and Arlene Kelly should be referred to consistently as David Jones and Arlene Kelly or as Mr. Jones and Ms. Kelly. 50. Avoid ExclusionaryWordsUse neutral job titles that do not imply gender - chairperson, not chairman or chairwoman. 51. Confident Tone TipTo instill a confident tone to your writing, shorten your sentences and avoid the common overuse ofâ€Å", and† in sentences. Which statement sounds more confident to you?Training with us is easy, and you can hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing, and you can get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion, and you can simply calculate the savings.ORTraining with us is easy. Hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing. Get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion. Simply calculate the savings. Do you hear the difference in confident tone? The second statement sounds much less out-of-breath or desperate to please and more confident and competent. It is calmer and assuring. 52. Take A CourseContinue to hone your skills by taking an effectivebusiness writing course. A structured course can help you develop effective business writing techniques [Learn More]. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS FOR EDITING YOURWORK 53. An Exclamation Point is Already SuperlativeNever use more than one exclamation point at the end ofa sentence. When I studied rhetoric in graduate school, my favorite professor shared this funny statement about using too many exclamation points in general.â€Å"Too many exclamation points make a document feel as if it has been written by an unfocused over-caffeinated cheerleader.† 54. Use Clear Words Rather thanEmphasis PunctuationExclamation points are often used in business writing to generate enthusiasm when the real problem is imprecise information. More accurate, clear information will generate reader engagement far better than trying to spice a murky document with exclamation points. 55. Editing First StepThe first step in editing is verifying that content matches reader needs - not too much, and not too little. 56. Editing SecondStepThe second step in editing is making sure the document is as easy to scan as possible. Add headings, bullet lists, appropriate bold text, and lots of white space. 57. Editing ThirdStepThe third step in editing is correcting grammar, sentence structure, and eliminating bloat. 58. Break Paragraphs FrequentlyEverynew thought needs a new paragraph. When in doubt, break the paragraph. 59. Paragraph Length is VariedA one-sentence paragraph is both correct and emphatic. Don't be afraid to write a one-sentence paragraph. 60. Designate an Editor for Group DocumentsWhen a group writes a document, designate one writer as the final editor to ensure a coherent voice. 61. Planning Eases EditingIf you are spending too much time editing, you probably rushed theplanning of yourdocument. 62. Editing Can'tCompensate for Poor PlanningEditing should need a dusting, not an editorial massacre. 63. How to Proofread a Colleague's DocumentIf a colleague asks you to edit their document, you must ask them about both the purpose of the document and about the audience. Without this information, you can only clean grammar. 64. PunctuationMattersA woman without her man is nothing.A woman: without her, man is nothing. GRAMMAR TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS WRITING 65. #1 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe most common grammar error we see in client writing during business writing training is fused or run-on sentences. 66. #2 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe second most common grammar error we see in client writing is sentence fragments. 67. #3 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe third most common grammar error we see in client writing is hyphen errors. 68. #4 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fourth most common grammar error we see in client writing is me, myself, and I errors. 69. #5 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fifth most common grammar error we see in client writing is introductory clause comma errors. 70. Grammar Errors are IndividualEveryone makes different grammar errors. Therefore, to improve grammar, the first step has to be an accurate diagnosis of an individual’s entrenched grammar errors. 71. Wide-Ranging Grammar Training Won't HelpA review of many grammar rules is ineffective in actually improving business writing sentence structure. More effective is focusing on what is incorrect. 72. Best Grammar ResourceBy far, the best grammar resource on the Internet is Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab. It includes explanation and exercises. 73. Best Grammar AnalysisGrammar Girl is an excellent resource for current grammar use and rationale. 74. Best Business Grammar ResourceInstructional Solutions’ Business Grammar category in their Business Writing Info blog is an excellent resource for business-specific grammar use. 75. Oxford Comma Yes or NoGrammarians will never agree about whether or not to use the Oxford Comma (also called a Serial Comma.) I recommend that business writers use it because of consistency and clarification advantages. 76. Grammar Rules are InflexibleGrammarianswho believe a grammar rule should never be broken are called prescriptivists. 77. Grammar Rules are FlexibleGrammarians who believe language is more flexible, and grammar rules may be broken, are called descriptivists. 78. My Recommendation on the Prescriptivist vs. DescriptivistDivideIn business writing, it’s best to stick with established grammar rules because a client or potential customer could see what they perceive as an error and believe your work is simply sloppy. USE ABUSINESS WRITING TOOL For all the best business writing tools check out our full article here. 79. Best Grammar and Editing ToolGrammarly is our top business writing tool recommendation. Use it as the last check before you send anything. It will also detect plagiarism. Don't forgetplagiarism applies to text as well as images. 80. Cut the Bloat ToolHemingway is a free app that detects bloat in your writing. 81. Best Tool You Already HaveMicrosoft Readability Measurement Tool, already embedded in Word and Outlook, provides helpfulbusiness writing clarity measurements. Grammarly is better. 82. Tone AnalyzerTone Analyzer assesses the tone of your business writing. 83. Jargon DetectorUnsuck It is a rude, but useful, tool that assesses business writing jargon. 84. Free Concept Mapping ToolFreemind is free mind mapping software that is very easy to use. 85. How to Easily Learn Concept MappingThis tutorial will teach you to use Freemind in ten minutes. 86. Hire the Better Writer In his insightfulbook, Rework, Jason Fried stated: All things being equal, hire the better writer. Good writers know what to include and what to omit. They understand people and motivation. They can express complex information in a way it can be shared. Whether the position is sales, engineering, software development, or HR, always hire the better writer. I agree with Jason Fried. However, business writing is a skill that can be honed. Since 1998, my company, Instructional Solutions, and I have helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies write better at work. 87. Subscribe to Our Blog We wanted to add one last tip! If you liked this article you can subscribe to our blog here. We often write articles focused on helping you become a better professional writer. That's the list! If you have a tip that I missed please comment below! I would love to hear what tips you have! Bonus: 19 Actionable Writing Tips Infographic: