It's up to writer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Lifes too Short for the Wrong Job Advertising Campaign - Assignment Example In one of the posters, a child rides a toy truck while a man hiding in a box underneath pedals on the toy truck. The textual technique for the advert that read, â€Å"Life’s too short for the wrong job† (Amusing Planet, 2007) was attention seeking that workers started reviewing their jobs and employment conditions on their way to work proving the adverts’ effectiveness. Scholz & friends, Berlin is a German-based advertising agency founded in Hamburg Germany in the late early 1980 by three friends. The agency runs advertisement websites where it promotes different moves and slogans. The Paralympic symbol colored red, green and blue approved in April 2003 are among the famous products that the advertisement company has sold. The jobsintown.de website impacted both negatively and positively on the target group its target group. The† life’s too short for the wrong job† slogan awakened many people in the German economy who were not in their appropriate careers. The wrong placement in the career field was as a result of lack of job opportunities. The mention of â€Å"life† in the slogan was too appealing that most people in the German cities were heard evaluating the conditions under which they worked. One month after the release of the advert a number of people opted out of their jobs due to unhealthy working conditions as demon strated in the advertisement prints. Job seekers were able to take time and evaluate the type of jobs they wanted to take up. The slogan the textual technique through which the advert was displayed was too demanding that employers resorted to improving the working conditions and the wages lest they lost manpower. The health concern is among the issues that the advertisement addressed. One of the advertisement pictures portrayed a man standing inside a fuel dispenser pumping fuel into a car. The picture portrays the man covered with fuel and sweating all over.  

Vaccinations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Vaccinations - Research Paper Example Also, disease-causing bacteria and viruses usually occur in different forms referred to as different strains (Miller, 2008). In most cases, vaccines are designed to handle certain strains. For instance most flu shots available presently are designed to work against the common strains of flu virus which has been in existence for quite a while. Thus, such vaccine cannot prevent against new strains of flu. This explains why vaccines do not give a lifetime protection against diseases. As explained above, vaccines are usually designed to work against certain strains. Yet, every now and then, new strains emerge which are often stronger than the previous ones. This therefore renders the incumbent vaccination ineffective. Usually, vaccines do not guarantee full protection from a disease. Their strength fizzles out with time. Thus, one has to have another shot of vaccine so as to continue strengthening their immune system. Health care workers should be subjected to regular and extensive training so as to acquaint them with the new occurrences with regards to diseases. This enables them to keep abreast with the new strains that emerge. Such information is important as it enables the m to update their vaccines so as to stay effective. Equipped with knowledge about the new merging diseases, health workers get to know what to use and when to use so as to guarantee effectiveness in the fight against outbreaks. As stated, new strains of disease-causing bacteria and viruses develop from time to time. Regular training and updating of information regarding such strains is essential l as it enables the health workers to discard old vaccines that have been rendered obsolete, and develop new effective ones. This enhances effectiveness of vaccines and accelerates the fight against various

Market fragmentation Essay Example for Free

Market fragmentation Essay Because the PLC (product life cycle) focuses on what is happening to particular product or brand rather than on what is happening to the overall market, it yields a product-oriented picture rather than a market-oriented picture. Firms need to visualize a market’s evolutionary path as it is affected by new needs, competitors, technology, channels, and other developments. In the course of a product’s or brand’s existence, its positioning must change to keep pace with market developments. Consider the case of Lego. LEGO Group. Lego Group, the Danish toy company, enjoyed a 72 percent global market share of the construction toy market; but children were spending more of their spare time with video games, computers, and television and less time with traditional toys. So Lego recognized the need to change or expand its market space. It redefined its market space as â€Å"family edutainment†, which included toys, education, interactive technology, software, computers, and consumer electronics. All involved exercising the mind and having fun. Part of LEGO Group’s plan is to capture an increasing share of customer spending as children become young adults and then parents. Stages in Market Evolution Like products, markets evolve through four stages: emergence, growth, maturity, and decline. EMERGENCE. Before a market materializes, it exists as a latent market. For example, for centuries people have wanted faster means of calculation. This need was successively satisfied through abacuses, slide rules, and large adding machines. Suppose an entrepreneur recognizes this need and imagines a technological solution in the form of a small, handheld electronic calculator. He now has to determine the product attributes, including physical size and number of mathematical functions. Because he is market-oriented, he interviews potential buyers. He finds that target customers vary greatly in their preferences. Some want a four-function calculator (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) and others want more functions (calculating percentages, square roots, and logs). Some want a small hand calculator and others want a large one. This type of market, in which buyer preferences scatter evenly, is called a diffused-preference market. The entrepreneur’s problem is to design an optimal product for this market. He or she has three options: 1. The new product can be design to meet the preferences of one of the corners of the market (a single-niche strategy). 2. Two or more products can be simultaneously launched to capture two or more parts of the market (a multiple-niche strategy). 3. The new product can be design for the middle of the market (a mass-market strategy). For small firms, a single-niche strategy makes the most sense. A small firm does not have the resources for capturing and holding the mass-market. A large firm might go after the mass-market by designing a product that is medium in size and number of functions. A product in the center minimizes the sum of the distances of existing preferences from the actual product, thereby minimizing total dissatisfaction. Assume that the pioneer firm is large and designs its product for the mass market. On launching the product, the emergence stage begins. GROWTH. If the new product sells well, new firms will enter the market, ushering in a market-growth stage. Where will a second firm enter the market, assuming that the first firm established itself in the center? The second firm has three options: 1. It can position its brand in one of the corners (single-niche strategy). 2. It can position its brand next to the first competitor (mass-market strategy). 3. It can launch two or more products in different, unoccupied corners (multiple-niche strategy). If the second firm is small, it is likely to avoid head-on competition with the pioneer and to launch its brand in one of the market corners. If the second firm is large, it might launch its brand in the center against the pioneer. The two firms can easily end up sharing the mass market; or a large second firm can implement a multiniche strategy and surround and box in the pioneer. MATURITY. Eventually, the competitors cover and serve all the major market segments and the market enters the maturity stage. In fact, they go further and invade each other’s segments, reducing everyone’s profit in the process. As market growth slows down, the market splits into finer segments and high market fragmentation occurs. This situation is illustrated in figure 11.8(a) where the letters represent different companies supplying various segments. Note that two segments are unserved because they are too small to yield a profit. Market fragmentation is often followed by a market consolidation caused by the emergence of a new attribute that has strong appeal. Market consolidation took place in the toothpaste market when PG introduced Crest, which effectively retarded dental decay. Suddenly, toothpaste brands that claimed whitening power, cleaning power, and sex appeal, taste, or mouthwash effectiveness were pushed into the corners because consumers primarily wanted dental protection. Crest won a lion’s share of the market, as shown by the X territory in Figure 11.8(b). Figure 11.8 (a and b) Market Fragmentation and Market Consolidation Strategies However, even a consolidated market condition will not last. Other companies will copy a successful brand, and the market will eventually splinter again. Mature markets swing between fragmentation and consolidation. The fragmentation is brought about by competition, and the consolidation is brought about by innovation. DECLINE. Eventually, demand for the present products will begin to decrease, and the market will enter the decline stage. Either society’s total need level declines or a new technology replaces the old. Thus an entrepreneur might invent a mouth-rinse liquid that is superior to toothpaste. In this case, the old technology will eventually disappear and a new life cycle will emerge. AN EXAMPLE: THE PAPER-TOWEL MARKET. Consider the evolution of the paper-towel market. Originally, homemakers used cotton and linen dishcloths and towels in their kitchens. A paper company, looking for new markets, developed paper towels. This development crystallized a latent market. Other manufacturers entered the market. The number of brands proliferated and created market fragmentation. Industry overcapacity led manufacturers to search for new features. One manufacturer, hearing consumers complain that paper towels were not absorbent, introduced â€Å"absorbent† towels and increased its market share. This market consolidation did not last long because competitors came out with their own versions of absorbent paper towels. The market fragmented again. Then another manufacturer introduced a â€Å"superstrength† towel. It was soon copied. Another manufacturer introduced a â€Å"lint-free† paper towel, which was subsequently copied. Thus paper towels evolved from a single product to one with various absorbencies, strengths, and applications. Market evolution was driven by the forces of innovation and competition. Dynamics of Attribute Competition Competition produces a continuous round of new product attributes. If a new attribute succeeds, several competitors soon offer it. To the extent that many airlines serve inflight meals, meals are no longer a basis for air-carrier choice. Customer expectations are progressive. This fact underlines the strategic importance of a maintaining the lead in introducing new attributes. Each new attribute, if successful, creates a competitive advantage for the firm, leading to temporarily higher-than-average market share and profits. The market leader must learn to routinize the innovation process. Can a firm look ahead and anticipate the succession of attributes that are likely to win favour and be technologically feasible? How can the firm discover new attributes? There are four approaches. 1. A customer-survey process: the company asks consumers what benefits they would like added to the product and their desire level for each. The firm also examines the cost of developing each new attribute and likely competitive responses. 2. An intuitive process: entrepreneurs get hunches and undertake product development without much marketing research. Natural selection determines winners and losers. If a manufacturer has intuited an attribute that the market wants, that manufacturer is considered smart or lucky. 3. A dialectical process: innovators should not march with the crowd. Thus blue jeans, starting out as an expensive clothing article, over time became fashionable and more expensive. This unidirectional movement, however, contains the seeds of its own destruction. Eventually, the price falls again or some manufacturer introduces another cheap material for pants. 4. A needs-hierarchy process: (Maslow’s theory). We would predict that the first automobiles would provide basic transportation and be designed for safety. Later, automobiles would start appealing to social acceptance and status needs. Still later, automobiles would be design to help people â€Å"fulfil† themselves. The innovator’s task is to assess when the market is ready to satisfy a higher-order need. The actual unfolding of new attributes in a market is more complex than simple theories suggest. We should not underestimate the role of technology and societal processes. For example, the strong consumer wish for portable computers remained unmet until miniaturization technology was sufficiently developed. Developments such as inflation, shortages, environmentalism, consumerism, and new lifestyles lead consumers to re-evaluate product attributes. Inflation increases the desire for a smaller car, and a desire for car safety increases the desire for a heavier car. The innovator must use marketing research to gauge the demand potency of different attributes in order to determine the company’s best move. Summary: * Each stage of the PLC calls for different marketing strategies. The introduction stage is marked by slow growth and minimal profits. If successful, the product enters a growth stage marked by rapid sales growth and increasing profits. There follows a maturity stage in which sales growth slows and profit stabilize. Finally, the product enters a decline stage. The company’s task is to identify the truly weak products; develop a strategy for each one; and finally, phase out weak products in a way minimizes the hardship to company profits, employees, and customers. * Like products, market evolves through four stages: emergence, growth, maturity, and decline.

How Effective Is The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay

How Effective Is The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay This essay is going to critically analyse and explore how female offenders are dealt with across the Criminal Justice System (CJS) focussing on different agencies including how they are dealt with in custody, in prison, and also the mental health of female offenders and how theyre needs are or arent met. I will also be looking into the history of the female offender and draw upon different theorists ideas as to why they offend and also if they are inherently different to their male counterparts. The way in which female offenders are treated has evolved quite considerably over time. Many centuries ago the female criminal was seen as being mad and bad because they were subjected to double deviancy in that not only were they going against their perceived biological role, but also because they were committing an offence, therefore making them a criminal. When faced with this, women are not only punished by the CJS but also by friends, family and society in general. Female criminals have been consistently portrayed down the ages as peculiarly evil and depraved, and as unstable and irrational. Often their irrationality is linked to their biological and their psychological nature. Paradoxically, they have been depicted as unfeminine and hence unnatural (Lombroso and Ferroro 1895) or all too feminine (Pollak 1950 in Carlen and Worrall :18). Women, like men, are dealt with by many different agencies in the Criminal Justice System, but is there any difference in treatment between the genders? This is an important aspect to consider when analysing the effectiveness of how female offenders are dealt with. Much research has been done into the difference of treatment between genders when being dealt with by different agencies within the Criminal Justice System (CJS). It has been said that women are treated more leniently by the CJS compared to men. One of the reasons suggested for this is because women are said to captivate men thus ensuring them more lenient treatment. Police also see women as less of a threat than men which is said to be another reason why they get treated more leniently and also are less likely to be sentenced for their crimes. Police have been accused of having a sexist attitude towards dealing with female offenders and are reluctant and unhelpful when it comes to cases of women in refuges. One question that has always attracted a lot of interest is the reasons as to why women offend. There are numerous and complex reasons as to why women commit crime. Rumgay (1996) argues that the backgrounds and circumstances of womens lives are inseparable from their involvement in crime (Gelsthorpe 2002b:290). The factors included for female offending are, poverty, addiction, prostitution, abuse and unemployment to name a few. (A) high proportion (of women in the CJS) are lone mothers. Many have lived on state benefits, few have been in paid employment, many have large debts, one in ten will have experienced homelessness and two in five will have experienced foster or other state care prior to imprisonment (Fawcett Society 2004: McIvor 2004; Carlen 2002 in Gelsthorpe et al 2007:13). More female offenders than male offenders have been a victim of sexual or emotional abuse prior to their imprisonment. This can have a profound effect on a womans time spent in prison as they will have t o deal with authority from male prison officers which could have an impact on their mental health although not a lot has been written about male prison officers working in female prisons. Strip searching in female prisons is also something to consider when discussing the emotional impacts prison life has on female offenders as Corsten (2007:8) states the regular, repetitive, unnecessary overuse of strip searching in womens prisons (to be) humiliating, degrading and undignified and a dreadful invasion of privacy. For women who have suffered a past of sexual abuse it is an appalling introduction to prison life and an unwelcome reminder of previous victimisation (Corston 2007:8). It is important to note that experience of abuse does not excuse women of their criminality but it does mean they have different needs from men in the CJS and a different approach to their criminality is required, (Corston 2007:20). The prison system has come under a lot of criticism in recent years for appare ntly failing to effectively deal with the needs of these women. Far more female offenders suffer from mental health problems than their male counterparts and this is something that is not being dealt with effectively enough in female prisons, two thirds of women in prison are suffering from some sort of mental disorder (Wilson 2005:49). It has also been said that staff in female prisons are lacking essential skills and also that the prisons are under resourced. Research has suggested that mental health problems increase whilst a woman is imprisoned. Liebling (1994) states that women tend not to riot or exert violence in prison when distressed, but they are far more likely to self-harm or attempt suicide as an outlet. This is said to be the reason why rates of attempted suicide and self inflicted death are significantly high in female prisons. A study which was conducted by the Safer Custody Group (SCG) discovered that females in prison are forty times more likely to kill themselves and eighteen more times likely to self harm than women in the com munity (Rickford 2003). He also goes on to say despite the best efforts of individual staff and despite the initiatives of the SCG, overcrowding undermines the ability of the Prison Service to provide a decent, safe environment in which women are less at risk of self harming (Rickford 2003:15). In order to understand the extremity of mental health problems in female prisons the SCMH explains: Prisons are overcrowded and lack staff skilled in dealing with mental health problems. There is also a high degree of co-morbidity among prisoners; some have a combination of mental health problems, substance misuse, personality disorder or learning difficulties (2006:1). There is much speculation surrounding the legal framework surrounding mental health in prison and is slightly hazy. Prisons, even their health care wings are not recognised as hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1983 (SCMH 2006:7). This is another indication that the mental health needs of female prisoners are not being met. The Human Rights Act of 1998 came into force in October 2000 stating that the Prison Service has an obligation to protect people in its care. Article 2 states Everyones right to life shall be protected (Rickford 2003:32). Other factors affecting women in prison is the fact that they are far more less likely to have a partner on the outside looking after their children, elderly family members or children, and almost 40% lose their home whilst imprisoned (Women in Prison 2006 in Hayes 2007:188). This is very significant when discussing this because over half of women in prison are mothers with dependent children. Carlen Worrall (2004:37) discuss that while 90% of fathers in prison expect their children to be cared for by the childrens mother, only about 25% of mothers in prison expect their children to be cared for by the childrens father (Home Office 2002a). As a result of this, over 18000 children a year are taken into care (Corston 2007). Because there are far less female prisons compared to male prisons, women are more likely to be far away from home. This could mean that they dont see their family as much as they would like or need to. Travelling to and from prison is costly especially to those who are from low income families. Not only are mothers not seeing their children regularly but it also could have a negative effect on the relationship between a mother and her children thus breaking down the bond they once shared. All these factors could only add to a woman already struggling with mental health problems. Research by HMP Holloway, London, showed that only 35% of a sample of prisoners on reception were from London. The majority were from Sussex and Hampshire with some from Devon, Dorset and Cornwall; 5% were from the Midlands. A third of the Holloway population surveyed by the Chief Inspector had not received a visit from family or friends throughout their sentence (HMP Holloway 2000 in Rickford 2003). If the children of these female offenders re taken into local authority care, the local authority has to fund the childrens transport to prison thus resulting in a greater social cost.

The evolutionary theory of a firm :: Business, Innovation

Focusing on a ï ¬ rm level analysis, RBV suggests that differences in ï ¬ rms’ capability are primarily the result of resource heterogeneity across ï ¬ rms (Peteraf, 2006). Firms that can accumulate resources and capabilities that are rare, valuable, no substitutable, and imperfectly imitable will achieve an advantage over competitors (Barney, 1996). A distinction is normally made between resources and capabilities, in that "resources are stocks of available factors that are owned or controlled by the organization and capabilities are an organization’s capacity to deploy resources" (Freiling, 2008). Resources tend to be tradable in markets and can be divided into tangible assets, such as ï ¬ nancial and physical capital, and intangible assets, such as human and organizational capital (Barney, 1986). By contrast, capabilities reside in routines that are intrinsically intangible and embedded in the ï ¬ rm, and thus cannot be traded on factor markets (Kogut & Zan der, 1992). Drawing on the evolutionary theory of a ï ¬ rm, the innovation capabilities approach to a ï ¬ rm emerged as an extension of RBV. Speciï ¬ cally the processes to integrate, reconï ¬ gure, gain and release resources, use resources to match and even create market change (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). Moreover, they are vital to gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in industries where both technology and the market change (Verona & Ravasi, 2003). As such, they are considered as antecedent organizational and strategic routines that enable managers to acquire resources, which they then modify, integrate, and recombine to generate new value creating strategies. Eisenhardt and Martin (2000), and Zahra and George (2002) maintain that a ï ¬ rm’s routines or processes and organization culture and information technology advance can form unique innovation capabilities which allow the organization to make strategic changes that give it the ï ¬â€šexibility to operate in in novation markets. Lawson and Samson (2001) applied an innovation capabilities approach to the investigation of innovation. Many authors highlighted the differences between an organization’s well established or mainstream activities and its innovative or new stream activities (Badawy, 1993). Lawson and Samson (2001) proposed a model that operationalizes this global innovation capability as seven elements: vision and strategy; harnessing the competence base; organizational intelligence; creativity and ideas management; organizational structure and systems; culture and climate; and management of technology. The concept of innovation capabilities proved useful in some other marketing areas. Previous studies considered their use in the analysis of a ï ¬ rm’s international expansion (Grifï ¬ th & Michael, 2001; Grant, 1996), while Hart and Sharma (2004) analyzed the capabilities required to address the challenges of globalized and rapidly changing markets.

It’s the End of the Worldand I Feel Fine Essay -- essays papers

It’s the End of the Worldand I Feel Fine It’s the End of the World†¦and I Feel Fine! (The role of intellectuals in the creation and justification of nuclear weapons.) In Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Sidney Lumet and Stanley Kubrick question the relationship between technology and humanity by emphasizing mankind’s tendency to create machines that cannot be adequately controlled. By blatantly revealing the absurdity of game theory (Mutual Assured Destruction as a reasonable deterrence for nuclear war), both directors call into question the dominant pro-Cold War American ideology. One of the most quintessential aspects of this ideology includes the drive for constant technological advance and strategic superiority. Without the brainpower of the scientists and intellectuals who dedicated their lives to the extension of technological power and the study of international conflict, the Arms Race would certainly not have been possible. These academics not only became the architects of atomic weapons but they were also faced with justifying the use of these nuclear bombs, and creating a th eoretical framework within which nuclear warfare might be appropriately (and rationally) conducted. Within this context, one noteworthy parallel between Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove is the existence (in both films) of a single intellectual genius that actively perpetuates the â€Å"science† of nuclear advancement and strategy. Indeed, through the characterizations of Professor Groeteschele and Dr. Strangelove, both Lumet and Kubrick examine the prominent role of intellectuals (both scientists and theorists) in the creation and justification of nuclear warfare. Ultimately, both Lumet and Kubrick reveal the problems with relying solely on science and mathematics to resolve international conflict, thus suggesting that modern warfare requires a more humanistic, ethical definition of right and wrong. Both Fail Safe and Dr Strangelove serve as moralizing responses to the dominant American Cold War culture, rhetoric, and political policy. In his article titled â€Å"Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the ideology of Liberal Consensus,† Charles Maland identi fies the dominant American cultural paradigm (during the Cold War) as â€Å"the Ideology of the Liberal Consensus.† Maland maintains that the Ideology of the ... ...ocosm of possible nuclear disasters, both directors choose to include a character that embodies the contemporary ‘nuclear intellectual.’ Indeed, scientists and theoreticians (like Groeteschele and Strangelove) played a prominent role in defining and perpetuating the new Cold War culture. These academics not only became the architects of nuclear bombs but they were also faced with creating a viable theoretical framework within which the use of these weapons would be both recommended and justified. However, both Kubrick and Lumet suggest that in order to apply their brilliance towards mass destruction and death, intellectuals must give up a portion of their humanity, becoming increasingly more like the devices they create and defend. The mutual catastrophes that occur in Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove show the inevitability of human weakness and scientific fallibility. Through the development of Professor Groeteschele and Dr. Strangelove, both Lumet and Kubrick illustra te the catastrophic possibilities of relying solely on science and mathematics to resolve international conflicts. Ultimately, modern, high stake warfare requires a more humanistic, ethical code of right and wrong.

How to Buy an Used Car Essay

First of all, when you find a car that you are interested in, you can ask a dealer or an owner about the VIN to learn more about it. The VIN, vehicle identification number, is a unique serial number for every modern car. Basically, it includes a car’s brand, model, years of car, engine type, and many other things. The first digit of the VIN shows the country number and the tenth digit is the year of the car. For example, if the tenth digit is 9, that car is made in 2009. You can also check the vehicle history report with the VIN. This shows how many people have owned a certain vehicle, accident records, and how many times that car has been maintained. This could be the most important for your decision making process, giving you complete peace of mind about the vehicle you are buying or saving you thousands of dollars in unexpected repair costs down the road. It is a good idea to look for another car if those cars have been transferred to others too many times or have been involved in major accidents. KBB (Kelley Blue Book) or CarFax are online companies that offer the most reliable information in the U. S. for checking the VIN. Another thing that you might look at before you buy a used car is the car’s body. It is wise to check out both the interior and exterior in detail. For instance, you can examine the windshield wipers, if the body panel colors match, if there are any scratches or dents, and many other things you can see. Sometimes you can’t find any records of accidents with the VIN if the owner fixed his or her car by himself or herself. When you have a chance to look at a used car, it’s a lot easier to do if the car is clean and dry. If it is dirty, you have to ask the owner to clean it, or you will probably miss something. If the vehicle is clean, you can look at the vehicle from different angles to check if everything looks smooth, straight, and if the paint texture of different panels match. You want to pay a lot of attention to the paint job. Repainting is usually done to remove minor scratches and small areas of cracked paint. It may be found a repair job after a bad accident involving damage. If you are unsure whether or not the car has been repainted, you can simply ask the seller about this problem. If the previous owner or dealer doesn’t give you the answer clearly, you can look for signs such as paint overspray inside door jambs, inside the gas filler cap, on exterior moldings, inside the wheel, on the bumpers, and any other place near the painting spot. However, repainting is not always a sign of previous damage. Some people have their cars repainted for cosmetic reasons, especially if it is an older model. You should not miss that the interior is just as important as the exterior. Take a look at the overall condition of the car. Usually, people will wash the car and vacuum inside of it before they sell it. Even if it is clean, you need to focus on every part that you can see. You might check if there is any water or if there are any oil stains inside. That means there must have been water leaking from the windows, sunroof, or anywhere on the car that is cracked due to rain. It doesn’t look like a big deal, but over time, it will harm a driver’s breathing due to exposure to mold. You also have to be sure all gauges are in the right place and are in working condition. If you notice any part missing, ask what was there and why it was removed. Then, you can turn the ignition to â€Å"ON† to inspect if all gauges and warning lights are operating properly. After inspecting the dashboard, you can check the accessories; the radio, speakers, tape deck or CD player, air conditioner, defroster, horn, mirror adjustment buttons, washer and wiper, all door and window locks, and any other functions you can see. Pay more attention when examining the windows. It is important to check if the windows slide all the way up and down easily because they do not work properly if there is damage inside the door. Finally, mechanical problems are the most important to check up on before you purchase a used vehicle. There are hundreds of things you have to look at, but it is not possible to check every detail within a short period of time and when you are lacking tools. Not every person has the technical capacity of a mechanic. So it is highly recommended to have a used car inspected by a mechanic before purchasing, but it would be costly to do this for every car you are interested in. If you don’t want to bother your mechanic or don’t want to spend money for vehicle inspection, you can do it yourself. The most important thing you have to know about inspecting mechanical issues is finding leaks. Leaking fluid or oil is the most common and worst problem for older models of cars. You can use a flash light to see under the hood and try to find any leak spots. Engine oil, coolant, refrigerant, brake fluid, and power steering fluid are some examples of fluids that may leak. You would also want to look at any other parts connected either rubber or metal hoses. Buying a used car is stressful. It’s like walking through a mine field. Some people are lucky to buy used cars for a good price without any problems and others have serious problems with their cars as soon as they get them. There are so many things to observe when you’re looking for used vehicles. It is hard to know where to begin.