Sunday, January 26, 2020

SWOT Analysis of Tesla

SWOT Analysis of Tesla Tesla, Inc. is an American company that specializes in electric automobiles, energy storage, and solar panel manufacturing. Founded in 2003, Tesla has recently disrupted many industries, most notably the auto industry. Tesla’s focus on electric power vehicles, lithium-ion battery, and energy storage set itself apart from their competitors; â€Å"Tesla has expanded its focus from simply building the best electric car to paving the way for autonomous vehicles, solar power, and so much more† (Houser, 2017). This demonstration of leadership and shared knowledge expresses their overall effort to â€Å"accelerate the advent of sustainable transport† (Musk, 2013). While it isnt common for a company to hope their competitors copy their products, this is exactly what CEO, Elon Musk, hopes for. While Tesla is a business, it is more interested in the fundamental good of getting the auto industry as a whole to move towards sustainable transport faster; the first step in doin g so would be to get their competitors to follow suit. As defined in the text, a SWOT analysis is â€Å"a technique through which managers create a quick overview of a company’s strategic situation† (Pearce, 2015). Tesla, Inc., like any company, has strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that are unique to their company specifically. (S)trengths The strengths of a company are focused on proficiency, skill, and the advantages of an organization. Tesla, Inc. stands out against competitors due to their unique position in the market. Tesla has created a market for cars that are both luxurious and long range electric. By doing so, they have set themselves apart from their competitors who either offer luxury gas vehicles or less expensive electric vehicles, but not both. Tesla, Inc. is also reputable for its high rate of innovation, especially in introducing the world’s first fully electric sports car. Apart from its range of vehicles, Tesla also makes solar energy and energy storage systems. All three of their current product lines are highly innovative and equipped with the best, most advanced technologies. Prior to Tesla, consumers often had to choose a car between a car that would fit their luxurious desires or a car that didn’t need to be fueled by high gas prices and would contribute towards a healthy and stabl e environment. In alignment with their innovation, Tesla doesnt use the traditional method of car selling through dealerships; Instead, they sell their own cars through Tesla-branded stores. Through this approach, Tesla is able to go directly to the customer. However, another valid reason for Tesla to not follow the traditional strategy to selling its cars is because Tesla is not the typical car; Unlike gas-run vehicles, Teslas cars use a different business model that does not require services such as tune-ups and oil changes. In addition, Tesla is better off selling themselves rather than through a dealership because of the conflict of interest in being assorted with gas-powered vehicles; this poorly aligns with their image and does not make the dealership approach a good advocate for their all electric brand image. While it is important to recognize a company’s strengths, it is also important to acknowledge their weaknesses. There is no such thing as a company that only has strengths, the reason for that is because no company has unlimited resources. Companies and businesses have a minimal amount of resources and have to use their limited amount to focus and support their strengths. (W)eaknesses Weaknesses are areas that a company can improve in; they are the factors that prevent an organization from reaching its full potential. While most are highly supportive and encouraging of Tesla and their mission, many of their supporters can’t represent and purchase the car themselves due to the high cost of the car. Teslas current models readily available for sale, Model S and Model X, are quite costly with them both having a starting price tag of roughly $80,000. Such a high cost makes them not affordable to be purchased among the middle class, which significantly decreases the size of their potential audience. Tesla fully develops the vehicles as well as their sub-assemblies themselves, which results in a high cost of production per vehicle. With that said, it would be difficult for Tesla to make their cars more affordable whilst making a profit. The Model 3, Tesla’s more affordable model, begins at a cost of $35,000 before incentives which is an extreme price slash in comparison to their other models. While the Model 3 may be well priced for customers, it doesn’t seem to be priced to a point where Tesla will make much profit, if any at all. It seems that Model 3 is a big risk in terms of financial gain because â€Å"in order for Tesla to break even on the vehicle, UBS believes that customers must purchase nearly $6,000 in additional options† (Stumpf, 2017). However, the production of Model 3 may provide the company to seek opportunities they could not before. (O)pportunities Opportunities are external factors that may contribute to the organization while supporting the strengths. Model 3 is Teslas newest release which is a smaller, more affordable version of Model S with less range, power, and fewer features. The $35,000 model is currently available to be reserved. This is a huge opportunity for Tesla to expand the size of their audience market, primarily because one of the main disadvantages previously was that the cost was too high for the middle class to afford. Upon reserving the model, there is a twelve to eighteen month waiting period to receive the car. â€Å"According to an update from Tesla, about 373,000 people want to buy the Model 3† (Shen, 2017). With hundreds of thousands of people waiting for their Model 3, there is more demand than there is supply, which explains the waiting period. According to the Bloomberg Model 3 tracker â€Å"Tesla has manufactured 7,618 Model 3s so far, and is now building approximately 1,052 a week† ( Randall, 2018). This opportunity of making models for the middle class also creates, and is proven in the current evidence, an increase the ongoing demand. A third opportunity that Tesla is taking the lead in is autonomous driving. Autonomous driving is a big opportunity for Tesla to break through that has the potential to completely change everything about the future of transportation. Although it is more in the test phase at the moment, the possibilities are huge and will disrupt and cause many different industries to be altered once it is under effect. (T)hreats Threats include potential issues and risks that may be caused by external factors. A major threat that Tesla, Inc. faces is competition from both luxurious and environmentally friendly car brands; this will be even more problematic when their competitors, who haven’t already, release their own and possibly more advanced electric vehicles. Because the cost of Tesla’s current makes and models are so pricey, they currently face the threat of brands like Ford and Nissan. Ford and Nissan, two brands that also offer electric, environmentally friendly vehicles, do so at a more affordable price of approximately $30,000. Future competition is also likely by companies like Toyota who plans to offer more than ten purely electric vehicle models in its lineup by early 2020. Another possible threat to Tesla is their experimentation with price skimming. Price skimming is a product pricing strategy by which a firm charges the highest initial price that customers will pay. Then, as the demand of the first customers are satisfied, the firm lowers the price to attract another, more price-sensitive segment. This is exactly what Tesla is doing with their Model 3, which shows to have a high demand, but low profit. It is uncertain how they will be financially affected, but current study shows a loss of profit. Conclusion The main message of Tesla, Inc.’s mission is â€Å"to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible† (Musk, 2013). From vehicles, to solar energy, to energy storage systems, all of Teslas products are related to sustainability; To be sustainable is what the company was built around in order to reach their end goals. The conducted SWOT analysis for Tesla, Inc. provides the opportunity to better understand the environment in which they operate; it ultimately highlights important factors which affect both its internal and external environment. In the future, it is expected that there will be major advancements made in the fields that Tesla, Inc. are involved in. Such progress will change the world for the better, but to do that requires every individual within the world to willingly adapt. References Houser, K. (2017, February 26). 7 Ways Tesla Is Changing Everything. Retrieved February 17, 2018, from https://futurism.com/ready-for-edit-7-ways-tesla-is-changing-everything/ Musk, E. (2013, November 19). The Mission of Tesla. Retrieved February 17, 2018, from https://www.tesla.com/blog/mission-tesla Pearce, J. A., & Robinson, R. B. (2015).  Strategic management: planning for domestic & global competition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Randall, T., & Halford, D. (2018, February 14). Tesla Model 3 production tracker. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-tesla-tracker/ Retrieved February 16, 2018, from https://www.tesla.com/about 7 Reasons Why Tesla Insists on Selling its Own Cars. (2016, January 19). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from http://fortune.com/2016/01/19/why-tesla-sells-directly/ Shen, L. (2017, July 3). Everything You Need to Know About Teslas Cheapest Car Ever. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from http://fortune.com/2017/07/03/tesla-model-3-electric-car/ Stumpf, R. (2017, May 21). Researchers Estimate Break-Even On Tesla Model 3 at $41,000. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/10479/researchers-estimate-break-even-on-tesla-model-3-at-41000

Friday, January 17, 2020

A Terrible Accident

On Christmas day in the year of 2006, I got a gas scooter. I was so happy when I got it, because all the kids in my neighborhood had one. After, I ate dinner on Christmas I got dress and put some warm clothes on so I could go ride my scooter. It was a cold and windy day, but the sun was shinning really bright. So, when I got finished getting dress I went outside and got on my scooter. I was riding down the street, when this boy name Trevor started chasing me. I was going so fast it felt like I was going 90mph. When I finally got to my driveway, I was going so fast that I couldn’t stop. When I turned into my driveway I went over a hump so fast that it made the scooter turn over. When I realized it had turn over, I was on ground with the scooter laying on top of me. I was screaming for help, but nobody couldn’t hear me. About 5 minutes later, Trevor was standing over me laughing, and all I could say can you please help me because I was in so much pain. I was laying on the ground about 30 minutes until I seen a car pull up. I was so happy, because I really needed so help, so when I thought they was out the car I started screaming help again and when I looked it was my cousin Tashia trying to get the scooter off of me. When she finally got the scooter off of me she helped me into the house, because I could barely walk. When I got in the house my family was looking like what happen, and I said I felled off my scooter. My leg was so burnt that some of my skin was peeling off. I had numerous of scars on my leg and my face. My mother said I think you need to go the emergency room for your leg, but I didn’t want to be in the hospital on Christmas day. When we got to the hospital the doctor examine my leg and if he touch it hurt so bad. But the doctor said I was going to be okay, he gave me some ointment to put on it and wrapped my leg some cloth. I’m so thankful until this day that Tashia came the time she did.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Values and Morality in Literary Works Essay - 2296 Words

Values and Morality in Literary Works My theme that I have found in every short story, poem, play and many other works was values or morality. At first I didnt realize that there was anything but love in all the works. Without the help of Mr. Johnson, I would have never thought that there was anything but love in most of the works. As I read the works again I realized that there was more in the works besides love. I found out that there were morals and values but I didnt notice it because of the fact that I didnt think of them as morals but as societys standards. In my case there are a lot of morals I follow that many people dont think of morals. Dont get me wrong, I am not an angel, I am far away from it. I think†¦show more content†¦I just think it all depends on where you come from and your societies. It may also depend on your experiences in life because we all have different experiences that change our opinion on fiction. Short story has a plot, which means the order of actions. Action involves conflict and it falls into same five parts that are in plays. Which are: Exposition, rising action, turning point, falling action and conclusion. The first short story that I read is named Dreams by Timothy Findley. This story has one obvious moral that was broken, which is the biggest one of all in people eyes, murder. At least in my eyes, that is a sin and I honestly think it is in most peoples minds. People just dont kill people because they are angry with a person, I think that is very senseless. I think Dreams is fiction because individuals cant murder people in dreams. Although, strangely I heard of stories which people could leave their bodies during meditating but never about killing. As crazy as it sounds I am not sure if this is fiction or non-fiction but I think it is more fiction. In this case, it didnt offend me at all because it was hard to believe someone can do that. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Up to 75 Percent of US Youth Ineligible for Military

About 75 percent of Americas 17- to 24-year-olds were ineligible for military service due to lack of education, obesity, and other physical problems, or criminal history in 2009, according to a report issued by the Mission: Readiness group. Since Congress ended the military draft in 1973, the U.S. armed services depend on a constant flow of new volunteers every year.  While that figure has since dropped to 71 percent, the problems with military recruiting remain the same. Military Eligibility Key Takeaways At least 71 percent of Americans between 17 and 24 are now ineligible to serve in the military—some 24 million of the 34 million people in that age range. The strength of the U.S. military depends on a constant flow of qualified volunteers.National security is directly compromised by manpower shortages in the armed forces. Just Not Smart Enough In its report, Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve, Mission: Readiness - a group of retired military and civilian military leaders - found that one in four young people between 17 and 24 does not have a high school diploma. About 30 percent of those who do, states the report, still fail the Armed Forces Qualification Test, the entrance test required to join the US military. Another one in ten young people cannot serve because of past convictions for felonies or serious misdemeanors, states the report. Obesity and Other Health Problems Wash Many Out A full 27 percent of young Americans are simply too overweight to join the military, says Mission: Readiness. Many are turned away by recruiters and others never try to join. Of those who attempt to join, however, roughly 15,000 young potential recruits fail their entrance physicals every year because they are too heavy. Nearly 32 percent have other disqualifying health problems, including asthma, eyesight or hearing problems, mental health issues, or recent treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Due to all of the above and other assorted problems, only about two out of 10 American young people are fully eligible to join the military without special waivers, according to the report.Imagine ten young people walking into a recruiters office and seven of them getting turned away, said former Under Secretary of the Army Joe Reeder in a press release. We cannot allow todays dropout crisis to become a national security crisis. Post-Recession Military Recruiting Goals in Jeopardy Clearly, what worries the members of Mission: Readiness - and the Pentagon - is that faced with this ever-shrinking pool of qualified young people, the US military branches will no longer be able to meet their recruiting goals once the economy recovers and non-military jobs return.Once the economy begins to grow again, the challenge of finding enough high-quality recruits will return, states the report. Unless we help more young people get on the right track today, our future military readiness will be put at risk. The armed services are meeting recruitment targets in 2009, but those of us who have served in command roles are worried about the trends we see, said Rear Admiral James Barnett (USN, Ret.), in a press release. Our national security in the year 2030 is absolutely dependent on whats going on in pre-kindergarten today. We urge Congress to take action on this issue this year. Making Them Smarter, Better, Sooner The action Rear Admiral Barnett wants Congress to take is to pass the Early Learning Challenge Fund Act (H.R. 3221), which would pump over $10 billion into the slate of early education reforms proposed by the Obama administration in July of 2009. Reacting to the report, then Sec. of Education Arne Duncan said the support of the Mission: Readiness group demonstrates how important early childhood development is for the country.I am proud to be joining these senior retired admirals and generals who have served our nation with courage and distinction, Sec. Duncan said. We know that investing in high-quality early learning programs helps more young children enter school with the skills they need to be successful. That is why this administration has proposed a new investment in early childhood development through the Early Learning Challenge Fund. In its report, the retired admirals and generals of Mission: Readiness cite research studies showing that children who benefit from early childhood education are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and avoid crime as adults. Commanders in the field have to trust that our soldiers will respect authority, work within the rules and know the difference between right and wrong, said Major General James A. Kelley (USA, Ret.). Early learning opportunities help instill the qualities that make better citizens, better workers and better candidates for uniformed service. Stressing that early education is about more than learning to read and count, the report states, Young children also need to learn to share, wait their turn, follow directions, and build relationships. This is when children begin to develop a conscience -- differentiating right from wrong -- and when they start learning to stick with a task until it is completed. Some Improvement by 2017 In 2017, the Pentagon reported that 71 percent of young Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve in the United States military. While an improvement since 2009, this still means that over 24 million of the 34 million people of the eligible age group cannot serve in the armed forces. The Pentagon continues to stress the situation’s alarming threat to national security. As former commander of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, Major General Mark Brilakis stated, â€Å"There are 30 some million 17- to 24 year-olds out there, but by the time you get all the way down to those that are qualified, you’re down to less than a million young Americans.†