Ratio Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ratio Analysis - Coursework Example In addition, the company performance was higher in reference to industrial average figures. Whereby, the key performance indicators such as; number of visitors, basket value and gross profit margin were put forth. On the contrary, a valuation of the uses of KPIs in assessing organization performance was discussed. The advantages and limitation of using financial ratios as a technique of assessing company performance were also discussed. 1. Comparison of Latest year results with previous year results; Below are the financial statements of ASOS Company for the last year two fiscal years that ended on 31st August 2012 and 31st August 2012. Therefore, based on the consolidated income statement it can be scrutinized that the revenues for 2013 were substantially higher as compared to those of 2012.In addition, the profits before and after tax was higher in 2013 than in 2012. On the other hands, the comprehensive income statement indicates that the total assets and total equity for the fina ncial year 2013 was higher than in 2012. For example, the total equity in 2013 was $159,799,000 while in 2013 it stood at $105,987,000 a difference of $53,812,000. In above connection, the consolidated statement of cash flow indicates that, the net income generated from operating activities was higher in 2013 as compared to 2012.In addition, the net income obtained from financing activities was also higher in 2013 than in 2012. This indicates that the financial performance of ASOS was higher in 2012 than in 2013(ASOS Plc, 2013). ASOS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2013 Year to 5 months to 31 August 2013 31 August 2012 Note ?’000 ?’000 Revenue 2 769,396 238,023 Cost of sales (370,816) (117,892) Gross profit 398,580 120,131 Distribution expenses (115,172) (35,906) Administrative expenses (228,953) (70,883) Operating profit 3 54,455 13,342 Finance income 5 283 – Finance expense 6 (68) (97) Profit before tax 54,670 13,245 Income tax expense 7 (13,744) (3,341) Profit for the period 40,926 9,904 Net exchange adjustments offset in reserves (45) – Fair value gains on derivative financial assets 225 Other comprehensive income for the period 180 – Total comprehensive income for the period 41,106 9,904 Profit for the period attributable to: Owners of the Parent 40,928 9,904 Non-controlling interest 19 (2) – 40,926 9,904 Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to: Owners of the Parent 41,108 9,904 Non-controlling interest 19 (2) – 41,106 9,904 Earnings per share Basic 8 50.1p 12.5p Diluted 8 49.2p 11.9p Source :(ASOS Plc, 2013). ASOS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 AUGUST 2013 31 August 2013 31 August 2012 Note ?’000 ?’000 Non-current assets Goodwill 9 1,060 1,060 Other intangible assets 10 38,626 22,176 Property, plant and equipment 11 30,031 27,293 Deferred tax asset 14 8,902 8,111 78,619 58,640 Current assets Inventories 143,348 100,263 Trade and other receivables 15 18,420 19,066 Derivative financial assets 21 225 – Current tax asset – 425Cash and cash equivalents 20 71,139 27,884 233,132 147,638 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 16 (149,511) (100,291) Current tax liability (2,441) – (151,952) (100,291) Net current assets 81,180 47,347 Net assets 159,799 105,987 Equity attributable to owners of the Parent Called up share capital 18 2,890 2,854 Share premium 6,368 6,105 Employee Benefit Trust reserve

The spanish company ZARA, is an example of globalization;how and why Essay

The spanish company ZARA, is an example of globalization;how and why - Essay Example Zara is one of such names as it has long been impacting the life of customers and the economies of many countries that it has maintained its business-base. This piece of research paper examines microeconomic concepts regarding economies of scale, profit strategies, effective use of resources and market forms in relation to Zara’s business and marketing landscapes. This paper aims to illustrate the global business aspects of Zara and explain how Zara has maintained sustainable business as well as competitive advantages. Zara International Inc. is the flagship brand for Europe’s fastest-growing apparel retailer, the Inditex (Industria de Diseno), one of the largest fashion and design retail groups in the world. It runs through more than 4,000 clothing stores in more than 70 countries and 400 cities worldwide (Plunkett, p. 237). Not only the retailing strategies, but also the marketing concepts and ideologies that Zara has been implementing for its business have become better business-model and academically significant strategies. Zara runs more than 200 kids shops in some 75 countries, and sells women’s, men’s and children’s apparel to its customers worldwide. (Yahoo Finance, 2011). As Tamer (p. 484) noted, Zara has emerged to be the leader in rapid-response retailing. Its in-house teams for designing and manufacturing its products produce fresh designs twice a week. The total turn-around time at Zara is just two weeks whereas its competitors have typically an 11-month lead time to move a garment from design to manufacturing. One of the main success factors that helped Zara achieve greater reputation and long term sustainable competitive advantage is that it has always been very fast and flexible in meeting market needs by integrating design, production, distribution and sales through out its own stores. The supply chain system of Zara International Inc is also lightning

This Business is Ministry Essay Example for Free

This Business is Ministry Essay Abstract Man of God, Ministry, Counselor, Pastor these are the typical titles associated with people who are working inside of a religious ministry, however one title not spoken of and yet is essential and plays a critical part in the success of the other titles is entrepreneur. Like myself, you may have never place entrepreneur amongst the list of titles, I understand, because until recent studies I never would have considered the life of a Pastor to also be the life of an entrepreneur and without question a very skilled one. This paper reflects upon the challenges and rewards of being an entrepreneur inside of what is typically a profession that most would never consider a business. The challenges that pastor’s face is the same as any other entrepreneur such as Financing your business, how to get customers and when to quit your day job! Without great challenges there would be no reward ministry has rewards such as helping others, however as a business that reward does not pay the bills and the challenge is to keep your passion and find ways to ensure that this passion sustains your everyday life. This Business is Ministry The first definition on entrepreneur was merely someone who developed something. In due course, it became someone who owned a business typically a a business that delivered goods or services, However the best definition, the one used most often today, is someone who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks for a business or enterprise. I believe that the evolving of the definition was due to the realization that untraditional service utilizes the basic model for business to survive thus saying that a business can be anything that needs organization, a system that needs to be managed and that assumes certain risk. How to Get Customers Finding customers can be a challenge if you do not have a good product or service. The challenge intensifies when your business is not a business that typically sells goods or provide services. If you have a good product or service then customers will come and a great marketing strategy will boost sales. Unfortunately, for Pastors such as David Grant of Covenant Keepers Christian Center people are not typically buying a good or service when they enter into a place of worship, many do not come to give rather they come to receive. These souls come for encouragement, motivation, and inspiration and often they are poor, unemployed, or unwilling to give money past a certain amount. Many never realize that the church needs consistent followers or customers in order to provide those needs of the people who enter into the place of worship. How can a church find customers? That answer is tricky because you cannot instead you must find a soul in need meet them where they need to be met, help play a pivotal role in their spiritual development or transformation and then if they continue to attend allow them to spread the good news about where they was and where they find themselves now. â€Å"This is known as testimony,† says Pastor David Grant but in business, we call it marketing. Financing your Business â€Å"People may not know or even see the church as a business, however a church must operate like a for-profit business,† (Grant, 2014) Overall, as stated by Stephen A. Kent, church can be seen as a multi-faceted transnational corporation that has religion as only one of its many components. (Grant, 2014) In January of 2008, Pastor Grant revamped his approach to ministry  after two failed attempts and began to understand the business side of his passion he opened up Covenant Keepers Christian Center Inc. only this time in Brooklyn New York. Armed with a new mindset, business courses, and a new plan of action Pastor Grant was ready to be an entrepreneur whose business was operating a church or place of worship. â€Å"Let’s face it, it takes money to successfully do anything, and church is no exception, have you ever tried paying your light bill by praying with the representative?† (Grant, 2014) Some of the churches finances come from donations from members and people in the community this system of voluntary giving is the Tithing and Offering system. The Tithing and Offering system is bible-based instructions on giving to God’s house, the amount you are expected to give which 10% of your gross income and by not doing so it explains that you are robbing God, however many spiritual blessings are rewarded to those who follow these principles. The bible based instructions first asks a question Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.† But you ask, How are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings.† (Malachi 3:10). The bible gives instructions on how much each person is to give, â€Å"Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way, says the LORD of Armies. See if I wont open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings. (Malachi 3 verses 8) Typically, these finances maintain the needs of the church and the Pastor of the flock, however in today’s economy many are unemployed or have low wages, those who give a tenth is usually not enough, and as a result many churches are forced to close the doors because of a lack of finances to finance the business and the dream. Today Pastor Grant is a successful business owner who has successfully turned his compassion for people into a successful small business that has many branches such as family counseling, marriage/pre-marriage counseling, drug addiction, motivational seminars, and of course pastoring his parish. When to quit your day job? The right time to quit your day job is when you have a surefire business opportunity or you have adequate money in the depository that will allow you to work on your business and allow you to have enough resources to maintain your daily living. As with any business, money is needed to survive and nothing less is expected when you have a  church. Pastor Grant is a hard working individual who maintained his mainstream job and major source of income and allowed that job to help support his vision some call this a sideline job. Pastor Grant is successful, however has not found enough comfort to quit his day job. â€Å"I will leave my job when I know the church is 100% financially independent on a consistent basis and will be able to maintain a yearly salary for those who it employees. Reflections Entrepreneurship is the art work painted by a visionary, The interesting moment for me was when the realization that a business is not only the traditional selling of goods and services, however an entrepreneur can bring to life a vision that he/she has and with the right tools in place open a business that is lucrative. The idea that you can be a business owner simply by bringing to the table virtually any passion and make that passion a source of income without the selling of goods and services only is a fresh idea and is one that should be explored further. Pastor David Grant understood that his business was in his passion and took his passion to help others and accomplished his task as well as established a full time business. Pastor Grant admits he has not accomplished all, however he dedicated to reaching his goal, and I look forward to updating the readers about the great businessperson. References Grant, D. (2014, September 5). Pastor. (M. Grant, Interviewer) The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments Newly translated out of the original tongues: And with the former translations diligently compared and revised. By His Majestys special command. Appointed to be read in churches. (1733). Oxford: Printed by John Baskett, printer to the University.

Heineken Company Case Study

Heineken Company Case Study Heineken is the world 3th largest beer company based on Netherlands. It has raised significant sales throughout European countries, also their products are sold in nearly almost all countries. It has breweries in 65 countries. It bought foreign breweries or acquired licensing to cut manufacturing cost, expand product line, and facilitate local distribution. For the special case, Heineken didn`t establish it`s breweries in the united states because it considered to keep images for import beer. On the other hand, it invested in new- internet based technique to manage international distribution system efficiently. Heineken has been growing up continuously by using a joint venture with big competitors to expand into a new market. To raise global market share, it also plan special strategies for each countries. Many government leaders strongly recommend domestic firms to go international in order to create jobs and economic growth. However, some companies have trouble advancing into overseas market because of a lack of knowledge about the foreign market. 1) Economic issues directly connected to the profit (sales) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚   Population: The potential customer population of the target market quite depends on type of the product or service (that a company is marketing). To a B2B firm, for example, the number of people in the country is not a good indicator of how large the market is. Also, B2C firms usually consider the targeted population instead of the number of the whole population. Age and gender are generally considered as main variables for assessing foreign markets. Consideration about households such as average family size in that country could be also a good indicator. However, it is hard to foresee the future and compare with other markets only with simple factors such as age and sex. It could be a good way of understanding foreign markets to pay attention to population distribution using tools like population pyramids. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¡ Income: A critical economic factor to look into the target market is income level of the nation. Companies trying to go into foreign markets can measure the market potential through GNI or GDP. Also, they can decide which indicator to use according to the market or product type; for example GNI per capita can be a clear index to grasp the populations standard of living. Nevertheless, average values about income such as GNI, GDP are insufficient to figure out income level of the whole population. In most nations, income isnt fairly distributed among the entire population of each country; also there is no certain correlation between income level per capita and degree of income inequality. In short, using income indictors without information of income distribution can distort the result of market research. 2) Non-economic issues à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚   Cultural issues: Cultural factors such as language, race, religion, historical background, which reflect attitudes, values, and beliefs, vary among countries. Going into global market without understanding of the target markets culture brings about the failure. It is quite important for firm leaders to figure out how managers manage the firm, how employees behave and how consumers response according to each countrys cultural background. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¡ Government regulations: Each nation has its regulation and taxation on foreign trade. For alcoholic beverage firms, government regulations might be stricter in some countries that are especially sensitive about alcohol consumption of their people. Additionally, taxation on alcoholic beverages varies among different countries. For example, Islamic countries such as Egypt may give a harsh control to their alcoholic beverage import. Q2. Discuss the advantages or disadvantages for Heineken of exporting its beer from one country to another. Advantages à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚   Expand Sales: expanding into international market gives various chances to get profit for Heineken. The long term relationship with international market lasts, export development cost can be covered and they increase their additional sales through the market. Also, company can further create economies of scale to decrease producing cost. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¡ Acquire Resources and Compete with Rivals: Heineken can acquire resources by sharing and learning knowledge and experience with new marketing technique and foreign competitors. Consequently, Heineken will improve quality of products, and it can gain more market share in international market. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¢ Minimize Risk: Beer is sold certain seasons: especially summer. Thus, Heineken can utilize and avoid seasonal factors during different season in foreign countries. Also, selling product to multiple markets allows Heineken to diversify their business and spread risk. Disadvantages à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚  Complexity in Operations: Heineken need to plan various marketing strategies to meet different needs for each country. Thus, it causes increase in product cost. Also, there are a lot of unpredictable situations for Heineken such as establishment regulation to limit alcohol, natural disaster etc. Heineken has no choice but to be dependent on fluctuation other countries` situations. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¡ Cultural Collision: multinational companies have to consider various cultural differences among different countries. For instance, religion, customs, purchasing behaviors are things to consider. Consumption of alcohol is a sensitive matter in this sense to many countries and can cause numerous social problems. Q3. What are the key issues facing Heineken insofar as international licensing is concerned? License, is a grant by the holder of a copyright or patent to another of any of the rights embodied in the copyright or patent short of an assignment of all rights. In the case of a beer company as Heineken, this would mean to license a brewery in a country they wish to enter. The licensed local brewery then would produce Heineken branded beer with Heinekens unique recipe. This way, Heineken does not need to personally build a new brewery in that area which saves time and money. Heineken has used licensing as a way to expand its business internationally. Although this business of licensing may sound like a complete win-win situation, at times there are side effects that come along with it. For instance, despite the advantages of licensing, Heineken has otherwise restrained itself from licensing a local brewery in markets such like the US. This was for reasons that had to do with the fact that Heineken was a beer company. Reasons that people consume a certain brand of beer can be various but simply to name the two main reasons would be because first, a consumer is simply loyal to that brand because they grew up with it or, for a second reason, to drink a particular brand of beer gives the consumer a sense of exoticness. The first reason usually goes for local brands, and the second reason goes for foreign brands. Thus, to produce a beer that people drink mainly because it is a foreign brand in a local brewery would definitely drive consumers away. Moreover because consumers believe that the real Heineken beer comes from Dutch brewerie s, Heineken is able to charge double for Dutch made beers. The case of Hoegaarden illustrates the difference of perception on locally-made beer and imported beer. After Korean consumers found out that Hoegaarden, a Belgian beer was being locally produced, many complained that the taste was different. Some even started calling the beer O-garden, referring to that fact that it was licensed to Korean beer company OB. Q4. Compare the FDI between Heineken and Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch has FDIs in usually large emerging markets such as China and Mexico. It invests heavily in these markets through large local companies. In China for instance, Anheuser-Busch paid $700 million for the Harbin Brewery and in the case of Mexico, Anheuser-Busch owns 50 percent of Modelo, the maker of Corona. Heineken who was the pioneer of entering international markets for beer companies, has slightly smaller scaled FDIs. Apart from the size of the FDIs, Heineken usually entered countries that were neighboring or African countries that had historical relations with European countries. Conclusion 1. Alternatives 1) The current situation: Heineken has refused to establish a brewery in the United States, instead, they keep shipping its beer to the U.S. Thats because customers in the U.S. dont accept the fact that the beer, which is made in a brewery in there, is the same with what Heineken export from its home country. 2) Alternatives We recommend not to ship Heineken beers into the U.S. but to set up a brewery in the U.S. In the case of Asahi beer, which is the top Japanese beer, they increased in sales, using FDI when they go into the foreign market. Penetrating into the U.S. market with FDI, which is distinguished from licensing, would help American customers notice there is no difference between beer from Netherlands and from its own country. For using this strategy in the U.S. market, we suggest a couple of effective ways to cope with the potential risk. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚   Positive marketing: The failure that Heineken experienced previously results from customers recognition. In order to make this tactic successful, therefore, Heineken has to give customers perception that beer from the U.S. brewery has no difference from the original one. Heineken could actively use various marketing strategies such as blind tasting. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¡ Pricing: It has high risk for Heineken to suddenly switch its distribution channel. There is possibility to bring about the same failure with before, so they can use a gradual way to relieve risks. Pricing is a good way. At the beginning, Heineken maintain the original exported beer at the same time produce beer in the U.S. brewery. Then they differentiate the price between two kinds of beer, even if there is no change in the recipe. The original exported beer would have higher price than the other. Thus, we can expect for customers in the U.S. to make a choice between Heineken beers, not another brand. 2. Recommendation Actually, Heineken is doing a quite good job in the global market, but they tend to pursue only safe way in their marketing. Therefore, we could recommend some ways to improve their state in the international market which is getting tough. First of all, we give a recommendation of growing in the U.S. market. Even though other markets of developing countries, such as BRICs, are arising, the U.S. market is still one of the largest markets worldwide. So, it would be better for Heineken to penetrate the U.S. market more positively Secondly, it would be important for Heineken to sustain and extend its global market share. Do not stop raising the number of its worldwide breweries and the reputation in each nation. Last but not least, more aggressive and innovative advertising about its product might help to improve its sales and status in the industry. It seems that the main target of Heineken cannot include young people, so it can have a chance to capture the young who would be its large target. Additionally, Heineken needs to grasp trends such as well-being. It should lead as well as follow the trend; they can introduce low-calorie and healthy beer to follow well-being trend.

Not Just for Kicks: Expressing Difficult Content Using Comics Essay

A common description of comic books comes from their appearance in cartoons and comic strips, where a teacher catches a child reading a comic book tucked between the pages of their schoolwork. Prevailing attitudes formed off of this kind of perception render the idea of the comic form as a diversion, lacking serious content, and perhaps immature. However, the comic form uses many techniques to explore subject matter that is difficult to deal with in traditional educational ways. This paper will look to examine how immersion and symbolism within the comic form can be an effective tool to reproduce otherwise difficult situations, concepts, and ideas by using examples of texts from our class that make excellent use of these techniques, in particular Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, The Photographer, and Bound by Law. The graphic novel is grounded in stereotypes that belie their true expressive power, and the deconstruction of those stereotypes is the first step in accessing concepts that are misconstrued and difficult. As Scott McCloud states in Understanding Comics, "Sure, I realized that comic books were usually crude, poorly drawn...but they don't have to be" (McCloud 3), something we have witnessed through the sophistication of our texts this semester. By investigating how the comic form interacts with the reader, we can find many benefits that often position comics as an optimal vehicle for delivering informative and educational content where other mediums only barely suffice. However, separating the medium of comics from the content widely associated with them is a difficult task, and one that can only be changed by effective content delivered with effective comic technique. The main benefits of the graphic novel and comi... ...t is possible to express difficult material through methods other than comics, the examples presented in this essay prove that with proper use of techniques and an awareness of the content itself, graphic narrative can provide a much deeper and enriching experience than text or visual representation alone. Works Cited McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins, 1994. Print. Miyazaki, Hayao. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. Volume 1. San Francisco, CA: Viz Communications, Inc., 1995.2nd Ed. 2004. First published by Nibariki/Tokuma Shoten, Japan, 1994. Print. Guibert, Emmanuel, et al. The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders. New York and London: First Second, 2009. Print. Aoki, Keith, James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins. Bound by Law. Duke Law School. 2006. Print.

James Watt :: essays research papers

James Watt was born February 19, 1736 and died on August 19, 1889. As a child he was often sick. This kept James out of school. His mother had to teach him how to read and write. James suffered from severe headaches, so many people thought he was retarded. Little did they know that this child that most people didn’t consider normal would lead America to one of the most important stages The Industrial Revolution. It all started when he traveled to England to become a mechanic. Then he decided to come back to Scotland. This is where he met Joseph Black. Black though him some thing that he found interesting about steam. This got Watt started in thinking about how to make Newcomms steam engine better. So in 1764 he got his first real challenge. He got one of Newcomms machines that could not be repaired. He repaired that machine without any problem. Watt had one problem, he had no idea why someone would be satisfied with a machine like this. James decided to make a practical steam engine, this resulted in cheaper transportation. This was possible because in 1869 Watt came up with the condenser (a chamber for condensing the steam) witch he got patented. During all this commotion Watt decided to get married to his cousin Margaret Miller, who died nine years after there marriage. Although they still had six children together. Watt then decide to marry his second wife Ann MacGreagor, which they went on to have two children. James was able to keep wealthy by teaming up with huge manufactures. They wanted James’s engine to do thing like pump water out of coal mines and putting them in locomotives to transport goods. The final part of the steam engine was a invented in 1790. It was a gauge that make the steam much safer. It read the amount of steam pressure produced in side the tank.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Amelie Landry Professor Evans English 102-2WA 20 March 2012 Diagnostic Imaging: A Sound Career in Sonography One of the main reasons for choosing a healthcare career in todays society, aside from the basic need for a self sustaining income, is the opportunity to make differences in peoples lives. With the demand for healthcare professionals and alternative medicines on the rise, so is the need for adequately educated trained personnel. Diagnostic Medical Sonography is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures such as x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Accounting for approximately 50,300 jobs in the United States in 2008, compared to the 214,000 jobs held by radiologic technicians, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sonography is a small yet rapidly growing field. In diagnostic imaging, there are several procedures that aid doctors in the diagnoses of ailments in patients. Radiology, commonly known as x ray, uses radiation to prod uce a picture on a film. Another common imaging method is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses giant magnets and radio waves to create an image.However, sonography uses sound waves to generate an image. Through the use of special equipment and computers, diagnostic medical sonographers direct high frequency sound waves into parts of a patient’s body through a wand called a transducer. The transducer sends and receives reflected echoes of sound, much like a dolphin uses â€Å"echo-location† (Merton). The initial responsibility of a sonographer is to explain the procedure to the patient and obtain any additional medical history relevant to the exam.During the exam a sonographer determines which sonogram images are of the best quality and documents any abnormal findings. Elizabeth Jackson, a graduate of diagnostic medical sonography, states â€Å"There is a diverse spectrum of anatomy a sonographer looks at every day which makes it essential that they know what t hey are looking at, what to look for, and what pathology looks like in order to convey what they see to the Radiologist to make an accurate diagnosis. † Interpersonal skills and communications are vital to the success of the diagnostic process.Detailed oriented individuals with biological science and mathematic backgrounds contribute to the field of sonography. The increasing demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology promises an exceptional outlook for sonographers. The majority of diagnostic medical sonographers are employed by hospitals, but accessibility to low-cost portable ultrasound equipment has led to a growing number of career opportunities at clinics and diagnostic centers (Rising Demand for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers).They now have access to portable units as small as laptop computers making commuting from hospital bedsides to clinical practices easier. Since some sonographers make their own schedules through contracts with clinics, these portabl e units make traveling much more convenient. Less means more in terms of health risks. Unlike some imaging methods, sonography doesn't involve radiation, harmful side effects, nor complications from repeated exposure for both patient and sonographer.Although, due to repetitive movements they are unfortunately prone to musculoskeletal pains. In a report, Murphy and Russo show â€Å"In Figure 1 an illustration of the anatomical sites of discomfort reported by sonographers, showing that higher numbers of respondents experienced discomfort in the shoulder, neck, low back, wrist and hand/fingers. † A sonographer must apply moderate pressure on areas of a patient’s body in order to get an accurate reading with the transducer. These ergonomic issues arise when sonographers are unaware of their body mechanics.Fortunately, there are strategies that influence a better working environment. After evaluating the risks associated with becoming a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonogra pher some might find the monetary compensation, and the cost associated with obtaining the education comforting. The U. S Bureau of Labor Statistics also suggests, â€Å" the middle fifty percent of sonographers earned between $52,570 and $73,680 in 2008. The earning potential of a sonographer is highly dependent upon their level of education.Post secondary education is a must, therefore program or college tuition can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $30,000 depending upon the level of program chosen (What It Costs). The cost of obtaining a bachelors degree in diagnostic medical sonography equates to about half of an annual salary. Before entering the world of sonography, an individual must first decide which learning path is right for them. The educational journey for a sonographer may vary from one to four years depending upon the certificate or degree completed.The typical educational path takes approximately two years (United States). The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical So nography(ARDMS) recommends that a student attend programs governed by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHP), considering the accreditation is a requirement for taking national registry exams. Prior to admission into a sonography program, the applicant must at least have a high school diploma or GED.Individual schools have different criteria for entry into their program. For example, Delgado Community College requires one of three things: an associates degree, a bachelors degree or successful completion of their Radiologic Technology program. Hospitals may also offer a vocational program. It’s an acronym jungle for the potential sonographer. Upon successfully completing an accredited sonography program, a student has up to five years to apply and take their national registry exam.Once the applicant has been accepted as a candidate by the American of Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), he or she has only ninety days to actua lly take their exam. A candidate who successfully completes their exam earns the credentials of a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS), or a Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT). These credentials are dependent upon a graduates specific choice of modality in the field (Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography).With technological advances leading to improved diagnostic capabilities, learning for a sonographer is perpetual. According to the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, continuing education units are required to maintain their registered title. The ARDMS also mandates a minimum of thirty continuing education credits (CE’s) within a three year period from an accredited teaching facility. Failure of the sonographer in completing the CE requirements usually results in a temporary loss of their credentials and a fine assessed in addition to the regular fee of renewal.So when doing research for a specific healthcare career, careful consideration of all variables is a must. With the growing demand for more outpatient diagnostic imaging sites and a alternative innovations, a sonographer can expect a variety of employment opportunities. It may be a toilsome path for some to walk, but the reward in assisting physicians to make a difference in peoples lives may be all it takes to obtain a sound career in diagnostic medical sonography.