J G Garden Center Lawn Care Services Division free essay sample

This combination of land acquisition and building construction resulted in very low overhead for the business, which contributed to their start-up success. An addition to the building completed in 1991 included several new and related product lines such as garden tools, soils and mulch products, gifts, seeds, and related accessories. Gloria had earned a horticulture degree at the local community college prior to the establishment of the business. In 1997 she was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of starting a landscape design and installation service that became the company’s next and newest product line. Gloria set up a small studio and office in the couple’s nearby home and was able to acquire some new clients. Her timing was good, as the Columbus area experienced a housing boom during that period. New houses and new developments sprang up in every direction from the city. Their garden center was able to supply the plant materials that each new job required. We will write a custom essay sample on J G Garden Center: Lawn Care Services Division or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Soon after, the Weeds expanded their product lines to include a new and wider variety of trees, shrubs, landscape terraces, patios, and walkways as a means to generate new sales and to complement Gloria’s new service line. The original start-up business and each expansion project (building addition, new products, design and installation service) have more than covered their costs, but they have generated only fair to moderate profit margins. The Weeds attribute this mostly to the presence of their competition, which always seems to be growing. As a result, they have been reluctant to raise prices even though some product costs have risen. One year later, the Weeds completed the final phase of their original long-range business plan with the addition of another new service—Big John, The Lawn Garden Doctor. This new product line was added because of its very high profit projections. This new division specializes in the treatment and eradication of lawn and garden pests. Many insects and diseases affect plant life, some of which are fatal. In spite of the fact that the Weeds and other local garden centers offer high-quality plants to consumers, nature has a way of wreaking havoc on lawns, gardens, shrubs, and trees over time. The start-up of this division required a tremendous amount of time, effort, and expense as a result of the environmental and safety-related hazards of some of the products such as insecticides and fungicides. The Weeds were required to train and license two of their employees as certified applications technicians. A custom-built, high-security storage facility was required and built to house all hazardous materials. The building was secured with a locked, barbed-wire fence, an alarm system, and a hazardous material runoff-proof partition. A special liability insurance policy was purchased as well. As expected, the new division turned out to be very profitable. Demand was strong and the technician’s work was professional and effective. In fact, at the end of its first full year of existence, Big John, The Lawn Garden Doctor turned a profit that almost matched that of all other divisions combined. At the company’s monthly staff meeting, it therefore came as quite a surprise to everyone when John announced that he was seriously considering dropping the division entirely. John Weed is a local native of the area. He was very strong family and community values and has always felt responsible for the welfare and happiness of his friends, neighbors, and especially his customers. From the start, he was nervous and apprehensive that something bad would happen as a result of the pesticide or fungicide applications. And then it happened. A customer’s dog became ill, possibly as a result of eating some grass from a recently treated lawn. Big John’s technician had taken every precaution. The area was properly treated, marked, and roped off, and the customer was instructed as to the after-care safety precautions, which included a well-written handout and a signed liability waiver form. Although the company was clearly not negligent. John was upset. Two months later, a lawsuit was filed against the company, claiming that the water runoff from the property of one of their customers had tainted a neighbor’s well. The Weeds were forced to hire an attorney. Following a full and costly investigation, they were found not guilty of the charge. Gloria feels that John is overreacting. She points out that the company is in full compliance with every regulation and that John has gone out of his way to ensure the safety of all. Gloria also noted that no business can control the behavior or be responsible for its customers or the population in general; incidents beyond their control will naturally and always occur. In addition, the high profitability of the division will allow the Weed’s to embark on an aggressive advertising campaign aimed at improving the sales and profits of their other divisions. John is losing sleep over all of this and is not sure what to do. He is worried about the image and reputation of his family and their business. He feels that the lawn and garden doctor business provides a useful service, but his conscience is bothering him. QUESTIONS 1. Present an argument in favor of retaining the new division that considers and incorporates the ethical conflicts that Mr. Weed is experiencing. 2. Present an argument in favor of eliminating or changing the new division, and make recommendations to improve overall company profits through means that will be acceptable to Mr. Weed. 3. Aside from compliance with the law, how much additional responsibility does a business owner have to his or her customer base, employees, suppliers, and the community at large? How do you feel about the old saying â€Å"buyer beware†?

Interruption of pregnancy or expulsion of the product Essay Example

Interruption of pregnancy or expulsion of the product Essay Example Interruption of pregnancy or expulsion of the product Paper Interruption of pregnancy or expulsion of the product Paper Interruption of pregnancy or expulsion of the product of conception before the fetus is viable is called abortion. The fetus is generally considered to be viable any time after the fifth to sixth month of gestation. The term â€Å"premature labor† is sued when a woman experiences labor after this point in the pregnancy. Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before the embryo or fetus is able to live outside the uterus. In other words, it is the intentional expulsion of a fetus which cannot survive by itself outside of the womb of the mother. In complete abortion the tissues surrounding the embryo or fetus are also expelled. Abortion can occur in a pregnant woman between the time the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus and the time the fetus is 28 weeks old. (After the fetus is 28 weeks old, it may survive outside the uterus). A naturally occurring abortion is called a spontaneous abortion, or commonly, a miscarriage. It usually occurs because the uterus has rejected an abnormal embryo or fetus. Sometimes spontaneous abortion is the result of an injury or disease in the mother. An induced abortion is one that is deliberately performed to terminate a pregnancy. It is called a therapeutic abortion when the life or health of the mother would be endangered if the pregnancy were to continue. For most of the 20th century, abortion was illegal in the United States. In the 1960’s, some states began to allow abortions to be performed under various circumstances. In 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court held in Roe v. Wade that the right of privacy covered a woman’s right to end an unwanted pregnancy in the early stages. This decision caused a controversy over the rights to the mother versus to those of the unborn child. Groups identifying themselves as â€Å"pro-choice† defended a woman’s right to have an abortion. Anti-abortion, or â€Å"pro-life,† groups stated that human life began at the moment of conception and that abortion was thus the taking of a human life. In 1989 the Supreme Court again considered the abortion issue and, while upholding Roe v. Wade, allowed states to impose restrictions on how, when, and where abortions can be performed (see Head, Jeanne E. Does Abortion Access Protect Womens Health? Volume: 19. Issue: 6. June 2004. Many countries have abortion laws similar to those of the United States, and some consider abortion to be a birth control measure. Other countries allow the therapeutic abortions but limit other induced abortions to pregnancies resulting from rape. In some countries, abortion is completely illegal. Colker, Ruth. Abortion Dialogue: Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, and American Law. Indiana University Press. Bloomington, IN. Publication Year: 2002. Mohr, James C. The Origins and Evolution of National Policy, 1800-1900. Oxford University Press. New York, 1999. Pollitt, Katha. Abortion in American History. Volume: 279. Issue: 5. 2001. Rubin, Eva R. Abortion, Politics, and the Courts: Roe v. Wade and Its Aftermath. Greenwood Press. New York, 2001. Head, Jeanne E. Does Abortion Access Protect Womens Health? Volume: 19. Issue: 6. June 2004. Zapka, J., Lemon, S., Peerson, et al. (2001). The silent consumer: Women’s reports and ratings of abortion services. Medical care, 39 (1), 50-60. Robinson, D. (2000). Care of the woman before and after an elective abortion. American Journal for Nursing Practice, 4 (3), 17-29. Williams, G. (2000). Grief after elective abortion. AWHONN Lifelines, 4 (2), 37-40