Mystic Monk Coffee Essay Example for Free

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay Introduction Mystic Monk coffee company is a cloistered monastic environment where monks from the Carmelite monastery of Clark, Wyoming spend their daily manual labour hours roasting coffee (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420). The monks are a religious sect of the Catholic church and are fully dedicated to their religious and spiritual side, which requires most of their daily hours, be spent praying or contemplating in silence; this leaves little time to spend on coffee roasting productions, especially due to the small population of monks that are able to live at the Carmelite monastery. There were many restrictions that the Carmelite monks faced with their coffee productions such as having restricted roasting capacity, inadequate land and partial workers. Father Daniel Mary, the prior of the Carmelite order, had a vision of expanding the small monastery of 13 monks, by creating a new Mount Carmel in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. There is a nearby location called the Irma Lake Ranch that would include a large house, caretaker house, guesthouse, a gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, a hunting cabin and a dairy and horse barn; this would allow the monks to expand their opportunities, as well as expand their Carmelite monk residents (Thompson, 2012, pg. 421). This vision is everything that Father Daniel Mary ever dreamed, the only thing prohibiting the change, is that the Irma Lake Ranch will cost the monks $8.9 Million. The Mystic Monk coffee company only earns money based on their coffee sales (11% of revenues) and donations from private donators; the Carmelite monastery received a $250,000 donation which they can use at their discretion (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420,423). The following report will take a look at the options that are available to the Carmelite monks and what would be the most strategic plan that should be enforced in order for the monastery to be successful. External and Internal Analysis S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths * Fair trade/ Organic Arabica beans * Variety of coffee flavors * Accessories (t-shirts, cups, CD’s) * Online shopping is available * Tea has been added to selection * Free labour/ No wages paid * Affordable/ reasonable retail price * Membership â€Å"coffee club† * Favors catholic market (large)| Weaknesses * Limited roasting capability (540 lbs/day) * Limited production due to worship * Cant expand due to limited land * Coffee is not a necessity (trend?) * Caffeine is highly addictive (health) * Purchase beans instead of growing * No business expertise/ experience * No absolute competitive advantage * Poor earnings (11% of revenues)| Opportunities * Expand availability into grocery stores * Collaborations (Keureg, Tassimo) * Other purposes (weight loss, bio fuel) * Increase advertisements * Expand into international market * Start a franchise * Open coffee shops (Starbucks, Tim’s)| Threats * Poor coffee growing season * Natural disaster/ weather * Eco nomic Conditions (recession) * Established competition (Folgers, nabob) * Others’ personal religious beliefs * Dependant on donations/ revenues| (Mystic Monk, n.d., pg. 1) Alternatives The Mystic Monk coffee company has to look at their options before they are able to make a decision regarding the continuation of their business. The two options that are available to the Carmelite monks at this point in time are: 1) stay at the current location of Clark, Wyoming, and continue operations as they are and use some donation money to purchase another roaster to help increase production or 2) see if the owners of Irma Lake Ranch would â€Å"gift† them a portion of the ranch without monetary repayment, as a donation, and they would pay the owners as a lease to own the remaining balance of the land, until a breakeven point has been reached. Discussion of Alternatives The first option is to stay at their current location to continue operations as they are. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) retaining their donations and revenues to improve their current monastery, 2) there is little to no risk involved. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is little opportunity to expand the Mystic Monk Company, 2) they cannot easily increase their Carmelite population. The second option is to move to a nearby area, which would involve purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) the Mystic Monk Coffee can increase production easily, 2) there is a large opportunity to expand, 3) the new Carmelite monastery would allow its population to double. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is a tremendously high level of risk involved, 2) the owners may not gift the monks any land. Recommendation After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, a decision has been concluded that the most practical and strategic option would be to receive a portion of the Irma Lake Ranch, as a â€Å"gift† without monetary repayment, then pay the land owners on a lease to own schedule with the increased earnings projected from the new Mount Carmel location. This is the most logical selection if they want to expand and improve their Mystic monk coffee brand, as well as their community; the Carmelites will have no opportunity to grow or expand if they choose to stay where they are and continue on as they have been, as well as soon they will not be able to keep the supply at an adequate level to cover the demand for their products. The Carmelite monastery would have more financial opportunities available with this purchase, such as milk production from the dairy cows, horse rides on the trails through the forest, increased population to help roast and package the coffee. Also, the monks would have sufficient land to be capable of growing and producing their coffee beans without the need of suppliers, which in turn will decrease the cost of goods sold and drastically increase the Mystic Monk’s net profit margin from the current 11% of the sales revenue. The risk on this investment is exceptionally high, but if it is successful, the reward and pay off could be far greater than projected. Action Plan A realistic action plan must now be devised, to ensure that the previous decision is executed correctly, otherwise the Carmelite monks and the Mystic Monk coffee company will not be successful. The monastery is incapable of affording the Irma Lake Ranch with the funds that they currently have, including the $250,000 donation. The Mystic Monk coffee company should confront the current owners of the Irma Lake Ranch and see if they would be willing to â€Å"gift† them a portion of the property without monetary repayment, which could be considered a donation; the remaining balance owing on the land could be contracted as a lease or rent to own situation, where a breakeven point would be reached in a reasonable time frame. Also, because the property has been â€Å"gifted† to the Carmelite monks, they would be eligible to receive a tax break, which would significantly affect their financial status. The new property would be able to offer the monastery an opportunity to expand their brand by introducing tourism, sustainability and other financial opportunities. If the Mystic Monk coffee company decided that they would be capable or growing their own beans on the new land, they would be able to drastically cut costs on the cost of goods sold and eliminate suppliers, which in turn will increase their marginal earnings from the sales revenue. All of these new opportunities are realistic and show that the increased earnings would rapidly and effortlessly be able to pay off the remaining balance owing to the original Irma Lake Ranch owners. Conclusion In conclusion, the Mystic Monk coffee company has been successful with its entrance into the coffee market, however demands are increasing and new opportunities are being presented to the Carmelite monastery. If they wish to grow and expand their business and community, they are going to need to take the risk which is to relocate to a more practical location, ideally the Irma Lake Ranch. Irma Lake Ranch offers many new prospects to the Carmelite monks, which they would not be exposed to if they stay at their current location. This property can allow them to be independent from suppliers and venture into new venture projects such as introducing horse trail rides and milk from the dairy cows. Although the monks are a non-for-profit group, the sales revenue will mostly be paid to the original property owners until the principal amount is depleted, the rest of the money from earnings and donations will be put towards building, growing and maintaining the new Mount Carmel Monastery. References Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. (n.d.). Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/storefront.php Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., III, A. S. (2012). Case 1. Crafting and Executing Strategy (18th Edition ed., pp. 420-424). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

The Way of The Warrior in The Tale of The Heike Essay examples -- Japa

The Way of The Warrior in The Tale of The Heike Heike Monogatari, with its multitude of battles and skirmishes, provides a wonderful chance to analyze the way of the warrior in ancient Japan. There aren't a great number of surviving works from this period that show in such great detail both the brute and the compassion of the Japanese warriors. They followed carefully a distinct set of principles which made up the well-rounded warrior. Loyalty to one's master, bravery and glory in any situation, strength, martial skills, compassion, and interest in the arts were all held with the highest esteem. Few warriors could become well known without possessing each of these skills. Religious beliefs shaped a warrior's behavior tremendously. Most warriors were heartfelt believers of both Shinto and Buddhism, and followed the ideas of karmic retribution, the four noble truths, the six realms, and the sacred rituals of battle and death. Examples of these, and many other religious ideas abound in Heike. Even before entering battle, warriors prepared mentally. "In the past, three commitments ha been required of a Commander who went forth from the capital to destroy an aenemy of the court. On the day when he received the Sword of Commision, he forgot his lineage; when he prepared to leave his home, he forgot his wife and children; when he engaged the foe on the battlefield, he forgot his life. Most lovingly, those same resolves must have been in the minds of the Heike leaders, Koremori and Tadanori.(p.186)" Formal battles often followed a standard procedure. First off, battles were typically planned with both sides knowing when the time of battle would be. This differs greatly from more strategic methods of battle such as surprise attack... ...g to their religious beliefs. When the Genji warrior Yorimasa suffered a grievous would to his knee, he asked his retainer Watanabe no Chojitsu Tono to cut off his head. Tono, Yorimasa's retainer, refused to do so until Yorimasa had killed himself. Whereafter "Yorimasa turned toward the west, chanted ten Buddha-invocations in a loud voice, and spoke his last sad words: 'No flower of fortune has blessed a life resembling a long-buried tree--yet how bitter is the thought that all should end like this.' Without another word, he thrust the tip of his sword into his belly and fell forward, his vitals pierced.(p.157)" Tono took his head, fastened it to a rock and sank it in the Uji River. Like Yorimasa does, it is imperitive at the moment of death if one wants to reach the Pure Land, that he completely forget his current life and pray towards the Amida Buddha in the west.

Punctuality in the Military Essay

Punctuality in a military environment is crucial as it enables tasks to be completed, and allows leaders to conduct accountability, PCCs and PCIs for particular operations. Also, depending on the severity or how often a soldier conducts the offense, being late can lead to UCMJ action. This essay will provide in some detail the benefits of being punctual as well as note possible consequences. On a small scale, being punctual for formations and general points of duty allows leaders to ensure accountability for their soldiers, address notes and tasks for the day, and promotes organization within the unit. In a larger picture, everyone’s responsibilities for the day are dependent on the entire unit to be where they need to be at the appropriate time. For example, in the event of a company going to the range the armor has to be available to open the arms room to issue the weapons as leaders need ample time to take accountability of their soldiers and to thoroughly conduct pre-comba t checks and pre-combat inspections. Support units are obligated to arrive on time due to their responsibility to provide ammunition and transportation. Something as simple as the armor being late can cause a domino effect for the entire mission. Repeated tardiness can cause a lot of issues for the unit but it more than likely can severely impact the soldier making the offense. Leaders may choose to annotate events of tardiness in the service members counseling packet. If the soldier has received enough counseling’s, or if a single event is severe, then the leader can push for administrative action such as filing for an Article 15. A soldier who is late can be charged with violation to multiple punitive articles prescribed in the UCMJ: Article. 86. Absence without leave Any member of the armed forces who, without authority— (1) fails to go to his appointed place of duty at the time prescribed; (2) goes from that place; or (3) absents himself or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty at which he is required to be at the time prescribed; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Article 87. Missing movement Any person subject to this chapter who through neglect or design misses the movement of a ship, aircraft, or unit with which he is required in the  course of duty to move shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Article 92. Failure to obey order or regulation Any person subject to this chapter who— (1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation; (2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or (3) is derelict in the performance of his duties; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Granted, some situations aren’t as severe as other but being late is something that can become a reoccurring issue should it be left to become a habit. A habit like that can lead a soldier to being late for something that is truly serious, like missing movement for deployment or real-world mission. In a situation like that, lateness is a serious offense and can the leave the soldier with heavy consequences. Being late, should it become a chronic problem, can also severely impact a soldier’s professional development. Not only by having adverse effects within his development in the unit but when it comes to being looked at for schools or professional progression. A good leader is not going to recommend a soldier for Warrior Leaders Course or any tab school if he can’t trust the soldier to be on time. At WLC here on Fort Carson, if you are inexcusably late once then you are not eligible for Commandant’s List even if you have the highest GPA in the academy. If you are late a second time then you can be removed from the academy, if not removed then you can be written a marginal 1059 and with that any soldier looking to the Army as a career will have a difficult, if not impossible, time getting promoted. In a situation like that, it becomes a wasted effort for the academy, or any other NCOES school, a waste and embarrassment for the unit and the leader that recommended the soldier in the first place. That is time and money being spent on a soldier that may have been seen as having potential to being a great leader but because something as simple as being on time put him in the position to be kicked out then he is stuck either having to redo the course, granted if he gets another opportunity depending on his leaders or the unit. From what I have learned from talking to a senior soldier, there was a point where if a soldier got kicked out of a NCOES school for being late then he is put onto the bottom of the waiting list and most don’t get a second chance at the course. I personally may not  be staying in the Army but I still have months before I am out the door. I still need to abide by the Army standard so that I do not either develop bad habits that can hinder my professional development in the civilian sector nor cause myself to be in trouble as I work towards beginning my transition out of the service. There are ways I can help myself to always be on time, for instance, I can make sure that my alarm is set and is loud enough so I don’t sleep through it. I can set myself enough time in the morning so I don’t have to rush out the door and I have enough of a buffer in the event traffic at the gate decides it’s going to be extra bad one particular morning. If, by all means, I have done everything to prevent myself from being late and the situation still puts me in the position, I am to notify my leadership well before my appointed time.

The Biblical Passage Of Joseph - 868 Words

In this paper, I will analyze and compare the differences between the Biblical passage that tells the story of Joseph and a movie that portrays the story of Joseph. The Biblical passage of Joseph is in Genesis. Its starts in Genesis chapter 37 and ends in chapter 46. This is the story of Joseph and his brothers, the sons of Jacob. The movie that I have chosen is called Joseph: King of Dreams. This movie was directed by Rob LaDuca and Robert Ramirez and, it was released in the year 2000. I chose this animated movie because it closely retails the story of Joseph, and it is adapted to be suitable for all ages. Even though the movie has some differences from the Biblical story. I will later analyze why those differences change the context of†¦show more content†¦Later on, Joseph had another dream and said to his brothers: â€Å"behold, I have dreamed another dream; and, behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down me† (Genesis 37:9, Revised Standard Versio n, Second Catholic Edition). And Joseph’s father asks, â€Å"Shall I and your mother and your brother indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?† (Genesis 37: 10). This makes Joseph’s brothers hate him even more. One day, Joseph’s father asked him to go where his older brothers were pasturing the flocks. When he arrived where his brothers were, Joseph found them conspiring against him. They planned to kill him, throw him into a pit and pretend that a wild beast killed him. However, one of his brothers, Reubin, said â€Å"let us not take his life† (Genesis 37: 21). â€Å"Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him-that he may rescue him out of their hands and restore him to his father† (Genesis 37: 22). When Joseph was with his brothers, they threw him into a pit and later, sold him to an Ish’maelites caravan. Later, Joseph’s brothers told Israel that a wild animal killed him. Meanwhile, Joseph was taken to Egypt, where he was sold to the captain of the guard of Egypt. In a short time, Joseph became the right hand man of his master. Joseph refused to betray his master with his master’s wife, but she implied that Joseph tried to take advantage of her and he was put in