Executive summary
Planning for a business is critical towards laying the foundation for success. Thus, it is imperative for a proposed business to have a comprehensive plan that captures the busy ideas and its implementation. Among the elements that should be part and parcel of a business plan include financial planning human resource planning, marketing and promotion, and the legal requirements. Besides, the plan should incorporate possible competition and the general business environment. This explicit business plan will explore the above elements as a prerequisite for the successful establishment and sustainability of the Portland Winterhawks which is located in Portland.
The business targets majorly male and female clients of all ages since sports services do not have class or age limit. The business will offer excellent customer services, pleasant work environment for employees as well as the skills applied in operations. Since the business targets to introduce unique sports services, it will not face much competition since most of the businesses in the region do not have affordable specialized sports services and merchandise. The business is likely to breakeven within six months since the unique services will form part of its competitive advantage.
Situational Analysis
Internal Environment
The main objective is to restore the organization to profitability and offering a top notch entertainment product to the city of Portland. In order to diversify market operations in the Portland market, the Portland Winterhawks has created multiple brands from the same product with different sizes, and packaging. This has created an environment of own competition and block other competitors from encroaching into the company’s market. These sub-products are differentiated by features, prices, and difference in quality. This strategy has been successful towards dominance as it offers variety of options to consumers, while at the same time maximizing benefits of economies of scale (Bowden 64). The company’s current resources are underutilized. The company may invest more in marketing to perform optimally. This may be achieved through equity financing.
Customer Environment
The main customers consist of fans in Portland/Community who are mainly family and non-family members of the players.
External Environment
The main competitors are the Blazers, Timbers, Thunder, and other entertainment entities in the Portland region. The Portland region is one of the most economically and politically stable regions. This has created a peaceful business environment for coffee shops such as the Portland Winterhawks. The legal system in the region is very stable and functions on the pillars of serving the interest of everybody equally. The Portland Winterhawks is a registered business entity that is licensed to operate in the Portland region (Bowden 67).
In the Portland region, the government regulations, taxation strategies, directives, and norms of leadership are highly flexible for business. The Portland region is one of the most promising business places with remarkable expansion in corporate world. The stable economy of the Portland has been a pull factor for the company’s products since the purchasing power of many of its potential customers is high, especially for its sports merchandise (Bowden 68).
In the Portland sports industry, laws on commerce and certificate of compliance to taxes are issued to business that remit their returns accurately form which taxes are deducted. This has created an easy environment for the Portland Winterhawks’ business activities since it is tax compliant. The Portland region offers economically sound environment that is good for business activity. Being one of the most strategically located businesses, the Portland Winterhawks is positioned to benefit from the economies of scale and improved revenues since it has several brands within the Portland region (Rhim and Lee 168).
Many social issues affect any business sector or industry. However, the Portland Winterhawks has aligned its services with the target market needs by actively participating in series of corporate social responsibility initiatives. The Portland Winterhawks has successfully incorporated online activities within its operations. All aspects of the firm such as sales, purchases, marketing, management, and operations have been aligned to appropriate and sustainable technology to ensure competitive advantage (Rhim and Lee 169).
Works Cited
Bowden, John. “The Process of Customer Engagement: A Conceptual Framework.” Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice, 17.1(2009): 63-74. Print.
Rhim, Hosus, and C. Lee. “Assessing potential threats to incumbent brands: new product positioning under price competition in a multi segmented markets.” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 22.1 (2005): 159-182. Print.