Choice 1: Finance
As you need money for your factory, do you :
Invest your fortune into the company with one or two other partners and loan money from the bank; you will have the funds available to build a substantial factory but the risk is higher if you do not keep costs down and make a profit early.
Why: We chose this because it is more of an independent way getting money. Also, if you're smart, it would be easy to manage and keep the costs down.
Choice 2: Location, Location, Location.
As you need a location for your factory, do you :
Locate in Kendal where you live. This is a rural area in the north of England. You were born and raised here and worked as a merchant in the domestic system of cotton production. You would have lower set up costs here and ready access to water. It is forty miles to the coast. You would have to build workers houses or attract workers from nearby villages. Life expectancy in this area is twice that of those in the cities. 70% men, 30% woman.
Why: We would locate our factory in Kendal because it would be a lot easier to get around and it would be cheaper. Also, your workers will live longer and you don't have to use child labor.
Choice 3: Workers
As you need a workers for your factory, do you choose:
Men: Male workers have been weavers in the domestic system and are highly skilled and would bring a reliable and skilled supply of labor. They are used to reasonable pay and conditions.
Why: Male workers are stronger and they get paid more so they should be a little more willing to work. Also, they are highly skilled so the product would be better.
Choice 4: Working Hours
As you are setting up your factory, you need to decide your hours of operation. Will your workers:
Factory would be open seven days a week, with workers having a break in the day and one day off a week.
Why: One reason was to give the workers a little bit of a break instead of working 24 hours everyday. Another, was since we were being nice in other aspects we needed to be a little strict about some things.
Choice 5: Power
As you need to power your factory, do you:
Use water power. This is cheap after building a water wheel and sitting your factory near a river. After the set up costs you could have cheap power that is usually reliable but can be affected by the weather. You may need to build other sources of power later.
Why: We chose this because our factory location is near a river, and it is a cheap and effective way of providing energy.
Choice 6: Living Conditions
As you need workers to live close to your factory, do you:
Provide the standard slum housing for your workers; two rooms upstairs, two down with no running water and sewers and build them back to back, wasting no space and saving money on land which is becoming expensive.
Why: It is an effective way to house the workers, and it is cheap and not very bad to live in.
Choice 7: Worker Rights
As you set up your factory, do you:
-Have a worker council for workers to voice their concerns.
-Allow women time off for maternity leave.
-Have a worker representative sit on the board of directors to voice concerns of workers and avoid unnecessary strikes.
Why: We would want to give our workers some rights so they can be like us, and there aren't as many woman in our factory so it would not be that big of a deal.
Choice 8: Efficiency Savings
As you are figuring out the logistics of your factory and trying to cut costs to keep your factory competitive, do you:
Improve worker productivity , motivate the workers to produce more cotton in the same time.
Why: We chose this because it gets stuff done, but it still makes people do things because they know if they don't, there will be consequences.
As you need money for your factory, do you :
Invest your fortune into the company with one or two other partners and loan money from the bank; you will have the funds available to build a substantial factory but the risk is higher if you do not keep costs down and make a profit early.
Why: We chose this because it is more of an independent way getting money. Also, if you're smart, it would be easy to manage and keep the costs down.
Choice 2: Location, Location, Location.
As you need a location for your factory, do you :
Locate in Kendal where you live. This is a rural area in the north of England. You were born and raised here and worked as a merchant in the domestic system of cotton production. You would have lower set up costs here and ready access to water. It is forty miles to the coast. You would have to build workers houses or attract workers from nearby villages. Life expectancy in this area is twice that of those in the cities. 70% men, 30% woman.
Why: We would locate our factory in Kendal because it would be a lot easier to get around and it would be cheaper. Also, your workers will live longer and you don't have to use child labor.
Choice 3: Workers
As you need a workers for your factory, do you choose:
Men: Male workers have been weavers in the domestic system and are highly skilled and would bring a reliable and skilled supply of labor. They are used to reasonable pay and conditions.
Why: Male workers are stronger and they get paid more so they should be a little more willing to work. Also, they are highly skilled so the product would be better.
Choice 4: Working Hours
As you are setting up your factory, you need to decide your hours of operation. Will your workers:
Factory would be open seven days a week, with workers having a break in the day and one day off a week.
Why: One reason was to give the workers a little bit of a break instead of working 24 hours everyday. Another, was since we were being nice in other aspects we needed to be a little strict about some things.
Choice 5: Power
As you need to power your factory, do you:
Use water power. This is cheap after building a water wheel and sitting your factory near a river. After the set up costs you could have cheap power that is usually reliable but can be affected by the weather. You may need to build other sources of power later.
Why: We chose this because our factory location is near a river, and it is a cheap and effective way of providing energy.
Choice 6: Living Conditions
As you need workers to live close to your factory, do you:
Provide the standard slum housing for your workers; two rooms upstairs, two down with no running water and sewers and build them back to back, wasting no space and saving money on land which is becoming expensive.
Why: It is an effective way to house the workers, and it is cheap and not very bad to live in.
Choice 7: Worker Rights
As you set up your factory, do you:
-Have a worker council for workers to voice their concerns.
-Allow women time off for maternity leave.
-Have a worker representative sit on the board of directors to voice concerns of workers and avoid unnecessary strikes.
Why: We would want to give our workers some rights so they can be like us, and there aren't as many woman in our factory so it would not be that big of a deal.
Choice 8: Efficiency Savings
As you are figuring out the logistics of your factory and trying to cut costs to keep your factory competitive, do you:
Improve worker productivity , motivate the workers to produce more cotton in the same time.
Why: We chose this because it gets stuff done, but it still makes people do things because they know if they don't, there will be consequences.