Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Solar Feeder Internet Version Essay

Solar Feeder Internet Version Essay Solar Feeder Internet Version Essay Solar Feeder After reading the history and background story behind the development of Squirrel Defense Inc. (SDI), I have become rather intrigued about the bird feeder industry and the opportunities that exist in the market. SDI has come up with a very unique and innovative product that is very marketable and has the potential to produce profits. After reading more about the background information, there is plenty of information to support that there is a potential market to feed the demand of solar feeders. I have come to the conclusion that there are some underlying problems with the way things are currently being handled but there is room for improvement and I feel the business has potential if the problems are addressed and the proper changes are made. There are several problems that came to my attention when reviewing this case. For starters, cash is more or less non-existent. The owners of the company have stressed that they have a huge demand for their product, however they are unable to produce the product at a low enough cost that will allow for cash to generate. Without cash the company cannot purchase the ample supplies to meet demand. No supplies, no product, and no cash. The second problem I have discovered is a big problem. The year-end income statement for 1999 reveals that SDI is loosing money. They are generating a gross profit of $33,356 with expenses totaling $59,963. The company is in the red at $26,607 price tag. Another issue I have discovered is the pricing strategies SDI is currently using. Bo stated, â€Å"Originally I priced the feeders based on how much I wanted to make per unit†. He later says that he set the price based on what the market demands. Finally in another section Bo estimates the cost of his feeders between $100-$110. There is no real clear answer what the cost to produce these feeders is and this is the root problem for all of the financials. The last problem I would like to address is the advertising plan SDI currently uses. The retro-style advertising does not seem to fit the product and could use some help to target the market better. For SDI to turn things around they need to go back to basics and rebuild the foundation of the company. To do this, I suggest they invest in consulting an engineer to reinvent the product so that it can be put in mass production. Mass production will allow the company to produce these solar feeders in mass quantities to keep up with demand while decreasing costs. Lower costs will generate much more revenue and in the end giving the company more cash on hand. If the plant is pushed to max capacity the owners have projected costs to drop to approximately $50 for the town feeder and $85 for the cedar. This is much lower compared to current operating costs. Another suggestion to lower costs is to look into alternative material that is cheaper and easier to access compared to the expensive cedar wood they are currently using. The next problem that needs to be addressed is the pricing methods being used by SDI to price their product. Based on the information given, SDI is practically throwing a dart at a board to come up with a price. SDI needs to break down all materials and expenses that go into producing and shipping a complete product in order to find an accurate price. By utilizing the break even equation the company can come to a number that is bare minimum sales that needs to be generated in order to offset costs and break even. The last problem that I have found with the current operations at SDI is in the advertising. Currently SDI is using a retro style advertising campaign primarily in the 1950’s â€Å"mom-and-pop† styled layouts. Print ads use a psychedelic color scheme that to me can be off putting to customers. The target market SDI has indentified is middle to late aged men and typically women that are purchasing these feeders for their homes. Another portion of the target market are

Sunday, March 1, 2020

What Is the JavaScript TypeOf Function How Does It Work

What Is the JavaScript TypeOf Function How Does It Work SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We’ve all stumbled on a web page that just doesn’t work. You know the type: the links aren’t clickable, the scrolling is all over the place, and sometimes...they automatically play music. (The worst.) When a website misbehaves, bad JavaScript is usually at fault. That’s because JavaScript is the scripting language that controls the interactive elements of a website. In fact, JavaScript is actually a robust, powerful scripting language that automates processes like animating images or providing autofill suggestions. Basically, JavaScript is one of the fundamental coding languages of the web. Like any language, there’s lots you can do with JavaScript. But today, we’re going talk about one specific type of JavaScript command: the TypeOf function. In this article, you’ll learn about the JavaScript TypeOf function, including what it is, how it works, and its most common uses. So let’s dive in! What Is a JavaScript Data Type? Before we start talking about the JavaScript TypeOf function, we first have to talk about JavaScript data types. A data type is a classification given to different kinds of data used in programming. There are seven data types that can be used in JavaScript, and we’ve broken them down in the table below: Data Type Use Number Deals with any number, including decimals. You can also do operations (like multiplication, division, etc.) with this data type. String A string of characters surrounded by single or double quotes. Boolean Sets a true/false (or yes/no) value. Null Indicates the intentional absence of a value. Basically means â€Å"nothing,† â€Å"empty,† or â€Å"value unknown.† Undefined Also indicates the absence of a value. Unlike â€Å"null,† â€Å"undefined† is usually used when a variable is declared but a value is unassigned. Symbols Unique identifiers for objects. Object Collections of related data. Unlike other data types, which can only contain a single thing, objects store collections of data. Why Are Data Types Important? In JavaScript, a data type is basically a category of data that can be stored and/or manipulated within a program. Depending on the type of data you’re using, JavaScript will treat the data differently. So for example, JavaScript deals with an undefined data set much differently than it deals with an object! The other reason data types are important is because they dictate what you can do with the data you provide- and whether that data will work or not. For example, if you try to assign a value to a â€Å"null† data type, it won’t work because null indicates an empty value! Likewise, there are some data types that only do one thing, like the boolean data type, while others can work with collections of data. In other words, data types are one of the fundamental building blocks of JavaScript. What Is the Javascript TypeOf Function? Now that you know what data types are, the typeof function will make more sense: that’s because the JavaScript TypeOf command is used to check the data type of a particular operand, which is a JavaScript array, data type, or object. In order to use the TypeOf command, you would write it like you would any operation that uses a single value (also known as a unary operator). That means the script would look like this: typeof x You can also use the TypeOf operator like you would a JavaScript function. The syntax would look something like this: typeof(x) Using the JavaScript TypeOf function is particularly useful for checking the value of JavaScript expressions! How Do You Use the Javascript TypeOf Function? When you use the JavaScript TypeOf function to check the data type of an operand, it returns a string, or text, that contains the data type! Here’s an example of how you might check to see if an object is undefined: If (typeof object === ‘undefined’) The TypeOf function is an important tool when dealing with complex code. It allows a programmer to quickly check a variable’s data type- or whether it’s â€Å"undefined† or â€Å"null†- without going through the code line by line! Additionally, the TypeOf function can also check whether an operand is an object or not. Depending on the output of the TypeOf function, a programmer can adjust their previous code or quickly pick up where they left off on a project. In other words, the TypeOf function is a quick way to check data to make sure that a script will work. What Are the Possible Outputs of the TypeOf Function? Because the JavaScript TypeOf function is used to check data types, the possible outputs of the TypeOf operator are all data types, too. Here’s a quick summary of the different type of outputs you might see: Value TypeOf undefined â€Å"undefined† null â€Å"object† Boolean (true or false) â€Å"boolean† all numbers â€Å"number† all strings â€Å"string† all symbols â€Å"symbol† all functions â€Å"function† all arrays â€Å"object† native objects â€Å"object† host objects Dependent on implementation other objects â€Å"object† What’s Next? If you’re interested in coding, it might be worth considering a computer science major. But how do you know if computer science is really right for you? Here are five key factors to consider when choosing your major. If you do want to go into computer science, it’s important to get into a good college. One of the best ways to do that is to make sure you’re taking the right courses in high school. Check out this expert guide to the classes you should- and shouldn’t- take before you start your college applications. You might have heard that AP classes look good on your college application. If you’re not sure what AP classes are or how they affect your college admissions chances, take a look at this AP overview.