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write just 1500 words based on the instructionsi already did the financials. you just gotta do the writing part! attached you will find the instructions for this assignment in the zip file, while the other 2 documents are the previous paper made on the same company SMOOTHIE LIFE OVERVIEWIn this assignment, you will focus on these sections of your business plan:Operations.Technology.Management.Social Responsibility.Financials.You will revise the Operations, Social Responsibility, and Financials sections based on the feedback you received in the discussion threads and any changes you want to make to your business plan.The Technology and Management and Organization sections are new. You have not worked on these sections in your discussion threads.The assignment consists of two parts:The business plan (an MS Word document).Business plan financials (using the Business Plan Financials Excel Template).To successfully complete this assignment, you must attach both documents to the submission area as separate files and then click Submit.Reminders and NotesYour chosen company will operate in a 100-mile radius from your home address. Your goal is to reach $1 million in sales by the end of the second year.Be sure to follow the guidelines.Company of Your Choice Guidelines [DOCX].You are not starting this assignment from scratch. You have already worked on these sections of your business plan in the weekly discussions:Operations (Week 5 discussion).Social Responsibility (Week 6 discussion).Financials (Week 7 discussion).PART 1: BUSINESS PLANWrite a 4–8 page paper, in MS Word, in which you provide the specified information in each section.Operations Section (1–2 pages)Notes:Chapter 11, “Operations,” pages 195–218, provides information about developing an operations plan. The chapter also provides a sample operations plan. Youve already read this chapter in Week 5. Refer to it on an as needed basis as you work on this section of your business plan.Assign a dollar amount to each operational cost you find; you will need these figures for your financials (Business Plan Financials Excel Template).If you are working with the snack food company scenario, be sure to use the information and costs provided in the Snack Food Company Guidelines.Revise your post and the feedback you received on it in the Week 5 discussion thread to create your operations plan.Instructions:Create an operations plan for your selected company expanding on each of these topics:Facilities.Consider questions such as these regarding facilities:Will you rent or buy your facilities, or will you outsource production to an existing company?If you are renting or buying your facilities, what utilities will be required to run the operation?What will be the costs associated with any necessary utilities?Production Process or Description of How Your Business Will Operate If Retail or Service Company.Include any equipment you plan to use, if applicable.Research needed equipment, such as machines, refrigerators, burners, ovens, and so on.Will you rent or buy needed equipment?How will you maintain and clean the equipment?How will you ensure quality control?What capacity do you intend to reach?If you have a retail or service business, consider any equipment you might need in your process.Explain your approach to inventory, as applicable.Where do your supplies come from?What is your turnaround time to produce your product once you have received an order?Research and Development.How will you stay abreast of new developments in the industry?What new products or services are in development?Personnel Needs in Operations.How many operations employees do you plan to have?What will their roles be?Technology Section (1–2 pages)Notes:Chapter 12, “Technology Plan,” pages 225–234, provides information about developing a technology plan. The chapter also provides a sample technology plan. Youve already read this chapter in Week 5. Refer to it on an as needed basis as you work on this section of your business plan.Assign a dollar amount to each technology cost you find; you will need these figures for your financials (Business Plan Financials Excel Template).If you are working with the snack food company scenario, be sure to use the information and costs provided in the Snack Food Company Guidelines.Consider the type of technology your selected company will use to conduct activities, such as managing personnel; taking, fulfilling, and tracking orders; managing inventory; communicating with customers and providing customer service; and producing your product or providing your service.Instructions:Create a technology plan for your selected company expanding on each of these topics:Software Needs.Examples of software you might need include: graphics, customer relationship management, accounting, inventory, and office suite.Hardware Needs.Examples of hardware you might need include: computers, monitors, servers, routers, and tablets.Telecommunication Needs.Examples of telecommunication equipment you might need include: phones, Internet, fax, and mobile phones.Personnel Needs in Technology.Will your technology personnel be in-house or outsourced?Management and Organization Section (1–2 pages)Notes:Chapter 13, “Management & Organization,” pages 235–258, provides information about developing a management and organization plan. The chapter also provides a sample management and organization plan. This chapter was part of the assigned reading for this week. Refer to this chapter on an as needed basis as you work on this section of your business plan.Be sure to include the salary costs associated with the management personnel; you will need these figures for your financials (Business Plan Financials Excel Template).Instructions:Create a management and organization plan for your selected company expanding on each of these topics:Key Management Employees.List key management team members along with a several sentence description of each person’s relevant business background and responsibilities.Advisors.List any people you will use as advisors for your business; include a several sentence description of these individuals’ areas of expertise and their expected contribution to the business.Management Hierarchy.Outline your company’s management hierarchy using the flow charts on page 248 of your text as a guide.Import/include all charts or diagrams into the MS Word document.Social Responsibility Section (1–2 pages)Notes:Chapter 14, “Social Responsibility & Sustainability,” pages 259–270, provides information about developing your social responsibility plan. The chapter also provides a sample social responsibility and sustainability plan. Youve already read this chapter in Week 6. Refer to it on an as needed basis as you work on this section of your business plan.Revise your post and the feedback you received on it in the Week 6 discussion thread to create your social responsibility plan.Instructions:Create a social responsibility plan for your selected company expanding on each of these topics:Impact on Stakeholders.Describe the ways your chosen company will impact stakeholders, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and the community. This is the people section of the triple bottom line.What types of benefits (such as health care, flexible work hours, and opportunities for advancement and education) will your company offer employees?What types of opportunities (such as classes, sponsored events, and assistance to causes and charities) will your company offer the community?Environmental Impact.Explain how your company’s activities will affect the environment.Identify the steps you will take to mitigate any negative impacts.How will you minimize your ecological footprint in your operations? Consider energy usage, waste disposal, recycling, using recycled materials, et cetera.FormattingFormat your assignment according to these requirements:This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course.Typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.You must include headings in your paper for each major topic.Include a cover page containing the assignment title, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.Include a source list page. All sources used must be listed in the source list page and have a corresponding in-text citation. Citations and references must follow SWS format. The source list page is not included in the required page length.Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in this assignment.PART 2: BUSINESS PLAN FINANCIALSRevise the Business Plan Financials Excel Template based on feedback from the Week 7 discussion thread and changes you make to your business plan.Be sure the numbers in the Business Plan Financials Excel Template match any numbers included in the Operations, Technology, and Management and Organization sections of your business plan narrative.Remember that the guidelines below provide helpful information on completing the worksheets within the Business Plan Financials Excel Template.Company of Your Choice Guidelines [DOCX]All supporting documents needed will be sent to the tutor selected. company_description_and_swot_analysis.docx instructions.zip marketing_plan_and_sales_strategy.doc Unformatted Attachment Preview 1 Company Description and SWOT Analysis Ashley Barton Strayer University BUS 599: Strategic Management Professors Dr. Andrea Banto and Dr. Cynthia Parmenter April 22, 2020 . 2 Company Description and SWOT Analysis Company Name The Smoothie Life will offer both smoothies and frozen yogurt. The reasoning behind the name is that the consumer has the option to create their smoothies or yogurts based on their likes, loves, and what fits their lifestyle. The Smoothie Life will be an imaginative frozen beverage company motivating individuals to choose a healthier lifestyle through flavorful and healthy concoctions produced with farm-fresh ingredients. It will have a cafe setting on the inside but will also have a fully functional menu at the drive-through. All smoothies and frozen yogurts will be made from organic and natural ingredients. Other products such as paninis and flatbread pizzas will be available for purchase but are not the reason behind the business. This type of company offers the endless consumer options to make their version in a variety of flavors and health benefits such as strawberry, mango, pineapple, lavender, mint, kale, protein, chia seeds, etc. While there will be some flavors already listed on the menu such as: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Strawberry Shortcake, Raspberry-Orange, Birthday Cake, Spa-Cucumber, Kiwi-Strawberry, BlueberryBanana, Black Raspberry-Vanilla, Creamsicle, and A Create Your Own. By allowing customers to create their own concoction we are allowing our customers to indulge on their wild side. Mission Statement To provide a convenient, healthy, delicious, and invigorating drink experience with our 100\% organic and natural ingredients. To serve and fulfill the sustenance needs of healthconscious consumers who need on-the-go options through the high quality of our beverages in a convenient and friendly atmosphere. Smoothie Life aims to provide first-class smoothies and other products. We consider using locally farmed sustainable and organic vegetables as well as fruits only. Many great benefits of 3 consuming fresh vegetables and fruits are available (Bogue & Troy, 2016). Dieting on such drinks helps in losing tons of weight and improved health. The varieties of smoothies we will be able to offer depend on the seasonal types of vegetables and fruits as well as the customers taste. We seek to support the local growers and lessen our environmental foot-prints. Most of these items we will use will be coming from the nearby farmers market. As a business, we will ensure we do everything possible so that we are able to minimize our daily energy use. This practice would include purchasing Energy Star equipment. All the food wastes and leftovers will be either composted or be made available to the homeless shelters without charge. Trends in the industry a. Increasing awareness around the health benefits from smoothies and natural beverages Consumers are progressively choosing functional and healthy Food and Beverage items that are mostly rich in proteins, vitamins, as well as active gastric ingredients, including probiotics and prebiotics. This understanding has improved the request for smoothies because they are prepared mostly from vegetables and fruits in addition to providing essential vitamins, trace elements, and nutrients (Wilson, Dahl, & Temple, 2016). The drinks also help in detoxifying and cleansing the body from toxic ingredients. Milk and yogurt smoothies are gaining acceptance because of their proven probiotic aspects. And so, the growing consumer awareness of its health benefits leads to the development of its global market. b. Growing demand for gluten-free and organic smoothies The preparation of organic smoothies consists of vegetables and fruits that have not undergone non-natural ripening or spraying using unsafe chemicals and pesticides. The escalating consumer concerns on the quality and origin of the products used in making the smoothies are adding up the necessity for organic drinks because they are high and rich in antioxidants and 4 minerals. What is more, Durec et al. (2019) point out that the drive to consume gluten-free diets is the growing number of individuals suffering from celiac diseases. An increasing occurrence of weight management problems, digestive health issues, and the need for nourishing foods influences the market growth for smoothies. The ease of access to gluten-free products is an additional primary reason leading to increased consumption rates. Vendors continue to innovate products, including smoothie bowls for expanded customer reach and market penetration. This growth is likely to impact the overall growth of this market positively. Strategic position In considering the general market trend, Smoothie Life will still be in its growth phase as per the products life. Therefore, to enter into this sector and then harvest while also expanding exponentially, the strategic positioning taken is to provide all health-focused drinks. Kaschny and Nolden (2018) agree that it entails putting seasonal as well as healthy sets that match the target consumers lifestyles in the demanding municipal living. Before making smoothies, customers will choose the fresh fruits to be squeezed for them with yogurt and other ingredients and then blended in as desired. The plan is to offer a just in time prepared drinks, and due to the anticipations of facing a crisis during various time of year, sensible seasonal packages will be introduced. Because of the increasing trend for environmental and healthy is increasing, the approach for implementing this whole range of products will be in line with such needs. Distribution Channels Social media will be the place to specialize and focus on sharing information about available recipes as well as the created smoothies within the shop. The products will be well packed, and the benefits of consuming the smoothies are indicated on the packs. 5 a. The rationale for this chosen distribution method Like any other fruit product maker, considering the costs is evident from the expenditures on the raw vegetables or fruits to additional indirect charges. But as a professional, it is not proper to only depend on the customers who visit the store for smoothies. As a startup, not providing incentives will ensure efficient operations that reduce more production costs (Wei, SAng, & Liou, 2020). The goal here remains value-based evaluation to better line up the set prices to the delivered value. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses 1. First of its sort 1. Time to start the business up 2. Affordable 2. Financing may be tight 3. High Quality 3. Going into a previously existing business 4. Skilled Employees sector 4. Starting up a new business may stress the staff Opportunities Threats 1. To move with the present social and 1. Entry barriers lifestyle changes 2. Changes in weather 2. Smaller chance of failure 3. Missing the group of non-drivers 3. Introducing healthy drinks to the CSRA 4. Summer occasions cause loss of business 4. To supply the youth in the CSRA with more jobs 6 From this market analysis, because sales of fruit-based and vegetable-based smoothies are on the rise, Nielsen (2016) suggests that Smoothies Life can obtain a substantial market share. The consumer trends such as health-consciousness will continue playing a significant part in this segment for the company to maintain its position. Set up as a supplementary and one of a kind profit store, this Smoothie Life is composed to increase its bottom line through offering the customers with health-focused and attractive drink offerings that are aligned to their present-day standards of living. Compared to the available smoothie offerings, the store goes beyond consumer expectations by providing different types of smoothies prepared from high-quality elements at competitive prices with significant margins. The competitive edge starts with the ability to utilize the one supplier and vendor for the whole entity who also prepares the core products and raising awareness concerning its health benefits (Lacy, Long, & Spindler, 2020). Due to the fluctuating prices and availability of vegetables and fruits, Smoothie Life intends to increase competition from other substitute products and regulatory issues by making seasonal drinks as well. 7 References Bogue, J., & Troy, A. J. (2016). Functional Beverages: Market Trends and Market-Oriented New Product Designs. In Handbook of Functional Beverages and Human Health (pp. 27-40). CRC Press. Durec, J., Kozelová, D., Matejková, E., Fikselová, M., & Jakabová, S. (2019). Fruit as a source of antioxidants and trends in its consumption. Potravinarstvo Slovak Journal of Food Sciences, 13(1), 251-257. Kaschny, M., & Nolden, M. (2018). Strategy and Positioning. In Innovation and Transformation (pp. 49-96). Springer, Cham. Lacy, P., Long, J., & Spindler, W. (2020). Culture & Organization. The Circular Economy Handbook (pp. 259-281). Palgrave Macmillan, London. Nielsen, K. E. (2016). Health beneficial consumer products—status and trends. In Developing Food Products for Consumers with Specific Dietary Needs (pp. 15-42). Woodhead Publishing. Wei, S., Ang, T., & Liou, R. S. (2020). Does the global vs. local scope matter? Contingencies of cause-related marketing in a developed market. Journal of Business Research, 108, 201212. Wilson, T., Dahl, R., & Temple, N. (2016). Beverage trends affect future nutritional health impacts. In Beverage Impacts on Health and Nutrition (pp. 351-358). Humana Press, Cham. 1 Marketing Plan and Sales Strategy Ashley Barton Strayer University BUS 599: Strategic Management Professors Dr. Andrea Banto and Dr. Cynthia Parmenter May 7, 2020 2 Marketing Plan and Sales Strategy Target Market The Smoothie Life marketing targets will seek to appeal to the concerns of people who want to eat and drink healthily. Offering farm fresh produce foods as our basis shall attract customers ranging from the age of 16 up to senior adults. Our prices are meant to be inclusive enough to serve even the lowest salary brackets and students. The business’s location is determined by the population of the people around us. Downtown Augusta, GA, on Broad Street offers the perfect site for this kind of business. In the closest proximity, there are four hospitals, a medical school, two universities, multiple gyms, government buildings, and local service companies. Further away but within the 100-mile radius, there is a multitude of schools, government complexes, gyms, and hospitals. This way, our customer base is widely enriched. The broad customer base shall consist of customers seeking healthy natural foods. However, we have incorporated a café, drive-through services, and mobile to go services. The café targets customers looking for a serene environment, the drive-through shall service those customers who are in a hurry, and the mobile to go function shall help maximize on those prefer pickup ready options. We intend to capture customers who love trends. People who like to make a given combination of their favorite. These characters look for uniqueness in their likes and commit to that loyalty. This is the logic behind the idea of customers creating their smoothie combinations. These personalities will be our most significant target (Paquin, 2009). For purchases, we shall maintain seasonal promotions with select menus to offer the best of smoothies to our customers. We intend to use authentic tastes to apply technology to foster our innovation and give our customers a new and better experience every time they visit. To keep new customers, we shall be offering a 10\% discount for the first mobile order placed. To 3 create and maintain a relationship with our customers, we shall be offering a free smoothie for the customer’s birthday, ID must be presented. We expect this relationship will help cement the loyalty of our customers and create a lasting customer base. Market Competition The first competition we will face is from Humanitree House, which offers vegan cuisines and smoothies. Their range of smoothie selection is wide enough, and their business structure, which encompasses deliveries, is advanced in comparison, and gaining traction with them around, will be challenging. With vegan menu’s it means that the number of customers looking for a healthy meal will decline on our side (Humanitree house juice joint & gallery, n.d.). Tropical Smoothie Café is another competitor in our area. This café has a juice bar that attracts customers who want that beer drinking experience but do not want a beer (Tropical Smoothie Cafe, n.d.). Currently, Tropical Smoothie Café does not have a drive-thru option. Finally, Earth Candy Juices is another major competitor we expect in the market. With their bottled juices, they have managed to sell in bulks to stores as well as dine-in and take away services. However, we hope that with the element of preservation added to their product, we will attract those customers who are seeking freshly made healthier products. The first aspect that differentiates us from our competitors is that we offer our customers a chance to create their smoothies to their taste. This creates an aspect of individualism and could foster loyalty. We look forward to gaining this advantage over our competitors. Secondly, The Smoothie Life has triple serving options, dine-in, drive-through, and mobile to go, we hope to cut a niche with our customers by offering more purchasing options. Finally, we create some distinction with the element of being natural and exotic, free of additives such as preservatives. 4 This will separate us from companies like Earth Candy Juices and we expect to attract more customers seeking healthier products. Value Proposition The Smoothie Life is an imaginative company offering our customers a chance to create their taste combinations while also providing them a range of tastes. We seek to provide our customers with a healthy lifestyle by allowing them to try an assortment of products like frozen yogurts, paninis, and flatbed pizzas. We aim to deliver a delicious, healthy, convenient, and refreshing drink experience using 100\% natural and organic ingredients. Our esteemed customers will be provided with an array of flavors on our menu that they can choose from. These include Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Strawberry Shortcake, Raspberry-Orange, Birthday Cake, SpaCucumber, Kiwi-Strawberry, Blueberry-Banana, Black Raspberry-Vanilla, Creamsicle, and Chai. Additionally, we shall be giving our customers a creativity experience to allow them to concoct their own desired flavors choosing from options such as strawberry, mango, pineapple, lavender, mint, kale, protein, chia seeds, etc. Customers seeking a healthy lifestyle and those who like expressing their personalities in their creations shall be attracted to purchase from The Smoothie Life. Our most exceptional value in fulfilling the needs of customers seeking a healthy lifestyle without having them spend big. By so doing, we will allow everyone to opt for healthier eating. Due to the need for raw materials, we will be a market for local fruits and vegetable growers. The communal aura of the café shall keep our customers intact. To market our value in our marketing slogan; therefore, we shall campaign upon, The Smoothie Life, ‘Taste the Flavors, Live for the Sheen.’ 5 Marketing Vehicles • For the building of our brand, we intend to use seven channels. These shall include a website, flyers, social media, billboards, broadcast media, newspapers, and the offering of samples (Marketing and marketing assessment (RLE marketing), 2014. Our website shall be www.thesmoothielife.com, which we forecast a $250 to create and a $50 monthly maintenance fee. Through this website it allows customers to view the menu before coming to the establishment aiding in their beverage decision. I shall also create and distribute flyers in different places like markets, gyms, businesses, medical facilities, and any other place we expect to have people who might seek a healthier lifestyle. For social media, we shall be on all primary social media pages; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Our pages shall be active all week, and the forecast is expected to be about $500 each month. The social media section is being prioritized due to the importance of social media in a start-up. There is a substantial population to reach when advertising online, and we hope it will be sufficient. We shall post two billboards with a 25-mile distance between each and a mile away from the shop. The estimated cost of the billboards is $100 per month. We intend to have three radio commercials in Clear Channel Radio, WAFJ Radio, and Perry Broadcasting of Augusta. These commercials shall play twice over lunch hours and once at around 4 o’clock. This is expected to cost $200 a month. Finally, is the provision of free samples for new products and new customers as well as a newspaper post every week. 6 Sources Humanitree house juice joint & gallery. (n.d.). HUMANITREE HOUSE JUICE JOINT & GALLERY. https://humanitreehouse.com/index.html Marketing and marketing assessment (RLE marketing). (2014). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315765495 Paquin, P. (2009). Functional and specialty beverage technology. Elsevier. (n.d.). Tropical Smoothie Cafe. https://tropicalsmoothiecafe.com ... 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