Consumer Studies - Questions and Answers

What is a profitable business?

A profitable business is a business that will make enough profit to provide an income to the entrepreneur and put money back into the business so that the business can grow.

What are the characteristics of a successful home-based business?

Successful home-based businesses offer flexible time

What is essential to have in order to not lose interest in your business and quit?

It is essential to have passion for what you do

What factors do you need to consider to identify a suitable work-from-home business opportunity?

To identify a suitable work-from-home business opportunity you need to consider your personality and interests

How do you formulate a business idea?

Formulate your idea by writing down a description of the product

What should you do to ensure the same end result when making a product?

Standardise and test the recipe or pattern and write down detailed specifications to ensure the same end result.

What should you do before starting your business to determine your own skills?

Before starting your business

What should you do if you have a lack of skill in a specific area?

If you have lack of skill in an area

What should you do to analyze your financial position?

Analyse your financial position and calculate your start-up costs.

What is an important business principle regarding resources?

Make the best use of available resources.

What kind of business opportunity is it always better to identify?

It is always better to identify a business opportunity with low start-up costs.

What must you plan if you set up your kitchen as a production facility for a food product?

If you set up your kitchen as a production facility for a food product or as a catering-from-home facility

What should you do to ensure a convenient workflow if you set up a room in your home for craft production?

If you set up a room in your home as a facility for sewing

What is a crucial factor to consider regarding raw materials?

Make sure that the raw materials you need are easily available in your area.

What characteristic must your product have to ensure success?

Your product should be appealing to customers

What do you need for efficient production?

For efficient production

What is an important rule to follow during production?

Adhere to product specifications and use only your standardised recipe or pattern.

What should you put in place to ensure product quality?

Put quality control measures in place at various stages of the production process

What should you do to work fast and accurately?

Keep your workplace tidy

Why is hygiene important in a food preparation area?

Hygiene is a food preparation area is important to prevent food getting contaminated by micro-organisms that can cause food-borne diseases.

How do you ensure food doesn't get contaminated by micro-organisms via the people who prepare it?

Because food gets contaminated with micro-organisms via the people who prepare the food

What is vital for the day-to-day running of your business?

Accurate record-keeping is vital for the day-to-day running of your business.

What is necessary to minimise costs and ensure enough materials for production?

Stock control of consumables is necessary to minimise the cost of storing your final products and also to make sure that there are enough ingredients or materials for production.

What system should you use to ensure ingredients are used before the expiry date?

Use ingredients before the expiry date

What should you do to keep track of equipment?

Record all equipment in a stock control book and check it regularly to detect broken and missing equipment immediately.

What two things must your product be in relation to your customers?

Your product must be appropriate for your target group and should follow current trends.

What quality should your raw materials always be?

Raw materials should always be of excellent quality.

What must you do to your product after it is finished?

Pack and label your product attractively.

What characteristics should your product's packaging have?

Packaging should be made of a material suitable for the product

What information must be shown on a food label?

For food products

What should you do to prevent spoilage of raw materials and finished products?

Follow efficient storage procedures to prevent spoilage of raw materials and finished products.

How can you manage your time efficiently?

Manage your time efficiently by prioritising tasks for the day

What is a crucial part of your business that should always be provided?

Always deliver good customer service.

How should your products be delivered to the point of sale?

Ensure that your products are delivered in a perfect state to the point of sale.

What is sustainable production?

Sustainable production is the production of goods to satisfy basic needs of consumers and improve their quality of life

What does sustainable consumption mean?

Sustainable consumption means that communities and households should use resources such as food

Who has responsibilities to protect the environment?

Both producers and consumers of products have responsibilities to protect the environment.

What is the purpose of a marketing plan?

The purpose of a marketing plan is to develop your business to be understandable and sustainable

What is the 5P marketing strategy?

To develop the marketing plan

What must a product be identified by?

The product must be identified by a trade name or trademark

What is the purpose of promotion and advertising?

Promotion and advertising inform the public about your product

What must the price of a product be in relation to its value?

The price must be fair in relation to the value of the product.

Where should your products be available?

Have your products at the right place at the right time

What is important to consider when selling a product?

Always consider the needs of the people buying your product (your target market).

What is a financial feasibility study?

A financial feasibility study is a study to find out if a business will be successful after taking into consideration its total costs and probable revenues.

What are projections of forecasts made for?

Projections of forecasts are made for the start-up costs

What is the production cost of a product?

The production cost of a product is the sum of the costs of all the resources that went into making it.

When working from home

what is a 100 per cent markup?

What does sustainable profitability mean?

Sustainable profitability means that you would be able to continue producing your products for a long time to come. You should not run out of cash

What is a sales scenario?

A sales scenario is a method of predicting or forecasting future sales situations to be able to prepare for any possible response by your market.

How many sales scenarios do you normally need?

You normally need two sales scenarios

What should your accountant do to ensure proper management of cash?

To ensure proper management of cash

What is fashion?

Fashion is the style accepted by a specific group of people at a given time and place.

What is style?

Style is the specific characteristics that make one product or item different from another.

What are classic styles?

Classics styles are timeless and are always considered tasteful.

What are fads?

Fads come and go quickly.

What are fashion trends?

Fashion trends are the directions in which fashion moves.

What influences fashion?

The economy

What does the fashion cycle refer to?

The fashion cycle refers to the path that fashion trends take

What is fashion revival?

Fashion revival means that designers design garments that resemble the clothing of an earlier period.

Why does fashion change?

Fashion changes because consumers are always looking for something new and because new fashions stimulate the economy.

What should your goal be in the world of work regarding your clothing?

Your clothes communicate information about you to others

What should you do before planning your work wardrobe?

Always dress the dress code of your workplace before planning your work wardrobe to ensure that the way you dress complies with the expectations of the company.

What factors should you consider when choosing clothing?

Choose clothing that suits your colouring

What design elements and principles should you take into account when selecting outfits?

Take the design elements (line

What kind of garments should you buy?

Buy versatile garments that can be used in more than one season and for more than one occasion.

Why is it important to choose shoes with great care?

Choose shoes with great care because the wrong shoes can ruin your appearance and ill-fitting shoes will harm your feet.

What is included in an ideal working wardrobe?

The ideal working wardrobe includes appropriate garments as well as suitable accessories such as shoes

What should you consider when planning your wardrobe?

Consider the season

What should you do before making a shopping list?

Take stock of what you have before making a shopping list.

What is the purpose of combining garments into outfits?

Combine garments into outfits to maximise the use of each item.

What colours are used in a versatile wardrobe?

A versatile wardrobe has most of the basic garments in neutral colours. Fashion colours are used to add interest to the wardrobe.

Why is sustainability important to all of us?

Sustainability is important to all of us because a sustainable lifestyle will help to create and maintain a world that is environmentally protected

What does eco-fashion take into account?

Eco-fashion takes the environment

Why are eco-friendly fabrics sustainable?

Eco-friendly fabrics are sustainable because they have a low carbon footprint. They are produced from organic or renewable sources such as bamboo or wood.

Why do we buy organic clothing?

We buy organic clothing to lessen the negative effects of unsustainable practices on the environment.

What is a trademark?

A trademark is a word

What is brand piracy?

Brand piracy is the unauthorised use of protected trademarks

Who is affected by trademark infringement

counterfeiting and brand piracy?

What does blood glucose level refer to?

Blood glucose level refers to the amount of glucose in the blood.

When does diabetes develop?

Diabetes develops when the body cannot produce insulin

What is Type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease that can be prevented.

What does the glycaemic index (GI) indicate?

The glycaemic index (GI) indicates the speed at which carbohydrates release glucose into the bloodstream.

How does high-density lipoprotein cholesterol differ from low-density lipoprotein cholesterol?

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol helps to lower the risk of heart disease

What is atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is the clogging of arteries due to the build-up of cholesterol that leads to heart disease.

What causes osteoporosis?

A lack of calcium in the diet causes osteoporosis.

When does anaemia occur?

Anaemia occurs when the blood does not carry oxygen to the body cells

What health risks does a person with high blood pressure face?

A person with a high blood pressure is at risk of having a heart attack or stroke

How do allergies develop and when can allergic reactions occur?

Allergies can develop at any time and allergic reactions can occur immediately after contact with the allergen.

What causes lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy?

Lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of the enzyme lactase in the small intestine and milk protein allergy is caused by the reaction of the immune system to the proteins in cow's milk.

What should people with gluten intolerance avoid?

People with gluten intolerance should avoid all foods that may contain any form of gluten.

What are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders that mainly affect adolescents and young adult women.

What causes obesity?

Obesity is the result of overeating and a lack of exercise.

What does the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) do to the body?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) damages the immune system so that the body cannot defend itself against infections. A person then becomes very ill and develops AIDS.

How can HIV/AIDS patients survive for a long time?

With good nutrition

What do food-borne diseases cause?

Food-borne diseases cause poor health and death in many people.

How can infections be transmitted?

Infections can be transmitted by human and animal faeces

How can infections be prevented?

Infections can be prevented in a large extent by hygienic food handling practices and personal hygiene.

What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the liver.

What causes Tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by breathing in the vapour coughed out by infected patients.