BUSINESS PLAN
PREFACE
This report is about the business plan of a social web site which we names as GIG. We have tried to accomplish as many things in this report that will help to establish and organize this web site to be the best one among its competitors. Among our most important goals has been to retain that information which meets the specific content requirements of our project report and to increase out basic knowledge also. It is intended for project submission.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All thanks to ALLAH who brought us to this stage of life and enable us to complete this innovative technical work within time successfully. We are grateful to our teacher SIR MOHSIN BUTT who encouraged, advised and motivates us to present the project in its final shape. We are also inspired from his indicative effort for providing us Marketing knowledge and appropriate environment, necessary to build professional thinking. He is our respectable teacher from whom we have gained a lot of academic as well as practical knowledge.
Table of contents
1.0 Executive summary
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1.1 Objectives 1.2 Mission 1.3 Key to success 2.0 Company Summary 2.1 Company Ownership 2.2 Start-Up summary 3.0 Services 3.1 Service description 3.2 Competitive Comparison 3.3 Comparison against competitors 3.3.1 Point of perity 3.3.2 Point of difference 3.3.3 Competitors strategy and tactics 3.4 Risk Involved 3.5 Technology 3.6 Future Services 4.0 Market analysis summary 4.1 Market segmentation 4.2 Target market segment strategy 4.2.1 Market needs 4.2.2 Market trends 4.2.3 Maarket growth 4.3 Industry participants 4.3.1 Distribution patterns 4.3.2 Competition and buying patterns 5.0 Web Plan Summary 5.1 Website marketing strategy 5.2 Development requirements 6.0 Strategy and implementation summary 6.1 Value proposition 6.2 Competitive edge 6.3 Marketing strategy 6.3.1 Promotion strategy 6.4 Sales strategy 6.4.1 Sales forecast 7.0 Financial plan 7.1 Start-up funding 7.2 Important assumptions 7.3 Break-even analysis 7.4 Projected profit and loss 7.5 Projected Cash flows 7.6 Projected Balance Sheet
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Gig will be a social web site, focusing entirely on the needs of customers. Gig will provide them the single platform to manage their social life while progressing in the future and to increase the public relation in corporate life, which is now very essential to be success full. Another focal point of our website would be knowledge management and its distribution in effective and efficient manner. Individual and corporate customers will be handled separately, according to their diverse needs. Gig will also collaborate with companies in progression of their business.
1.1 Objectives
The objectives for Gig are:
To build an effective and lasting quality-assurance social site. To be the number one preferred site at the 3rd year from its launch. Launch a social website which will cater the needs of customers. Establish relationships with business customers more deeply.
1.2 Mission
Gig will increase its customers by providing them the quality service. Gig will maintain the lasting relationships with its users, by exceeding their expectations. Gig will provide the full integrated environment to constitute the social and professional life in your desired way.
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Develop relationships with the customers. Create awareness in the masses of their proximity, quality, adaptability and privacy. Respond quickly to requests of users. Get the continuous feedback from users and develop the strategies according to it. Provide security and peace of mind rather than just place for chit chat.
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Start up Expense
Legal & Licenses Pre-Launch Marketing
Bills
Insurance Other
Total
Start-up Assets Cash Required Start-up Inventory Other Current Assets Long-term Assets Total Assets
3.0 Services
Services will be executed by Gig with technical college and professional experience.
Profile making Chat room Group making Web gifts Share point Tagging Group chat Video conferencing Video calls Audio calls Instant messaging Digital library for favorite books
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Sites may also serve as a vehicle for meeting in person. The "social networking site" is the 21st century "virtual community," a group of people who use the Internet to communicate with each other about anything and everything. One can find dating sites, friendship sites, and sites with a business purpose and hybrids that offer a combination of these. Globally, hundreds of millions of people have joined one or more social networking sites
Competitors identification
As considering the advancement in web industry competition has become more though, but there is still need for improvement and going a step ahead to meet the customer expectations. As we are mixing the features of different category so we will first chose the main category which is social website. Now narrowing down the plan we will mix the feature of search engines, messengers plus website for social purpose, so its a new experiment. Face book Social site Tagged Web community
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Web features
1) Website would be dynamic in nature 2) At our home page following major links would be provided, All of bellow will be handled as major sources, and our point of difference start from this place.
Gig Corporate
Gig corporate page will be designed to facilitate the need of corporate world, their social relation requirements, to do the business smoothly. Gig corporate is a source of income for us mainly, as we will make the deals with companies.
Gig Sniffer
Gig snifffer will act as a search engine, and efficiently and effectively show the stored information. Large data base will be maintained for it; especially it would be link to data warehouse. Snifers will perform the data mining here.
Gig chatter
Following features with high quality will be provided in it
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To be Gig
Profile making and other such attributes would be provided in it, which will show the real image of that person, and what he wants to be.
Colors
Main Home page Gig corporate Gig sniffers Gig Chatter To be Gig Pink, blue, Orange Brown, white, blue Sky blue, light pink Orange, Yellow, Red Colors Of user choice
Web design
3D views would be used as point of difference Ads would be placed in following structures
BANNERS
WIDE SKYSCRAPPER
BUTTONS
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SPONSORSHIP
SKYSCRAPPER
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GIG Mail:
GIG mail will provide its users to create a separate mail on GIG for GIG account.
Privacy
Encryption code will be provided that will protect the ID from hacking.
Share Point
More helpful for corporate sector to place their important data in one share point from where allowed members can access the database.
Image Making
Allow the users to draw what ever they want to see on screen. it provide different tools for it.
Application Designing
Allow the user to make applications of their own requirement against minimum cost. API application programming interface software developer can make programs of their own choice.
Video Conference
It allows the users to video calling in group.
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Digital Library
It facilitates the user to make digital library of books of his/her own choice.
Music Library
Website facilitates the background music to its users according to their taste.
Web Assistants
They will guide the new users by providing the call facility on webpage.
Gig Pakistan
Voice Chat
It also provides its user with option to have voice chat with friends.
Fake IDs:
Every time when a person is creating new ID, his/her CNIC would be entered so that a person cannot create any fake IDs.
Uploading:
GIG will facilitate its users by giving them opportunity to upload any thing of their choice either pictures, audios, videos, or any other data.
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Typing Master
For very new users GIG have the typing master which will help them to type effectively and efficiently.
Islamic Forum
This forum will protect the site from any non Islamic data to be entered.
Face book is focusing on youth and increasing their customers by providing free services as their message is JOIN FACEBOOK,ITS FREE AND WILL ALWAYS BE FREE..
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Tagged is a social site like face book but it is not specifically for youth. Their main feature is the facility given to design and change the profile accordingly ones choice.
URL spoofing. URL spoofing involves one website posing as another website for
Phishing. Phishing refers to high tech scams using fake websites with actual brands
Botnet attacks. Botnet attacks are very serious. A botnet creator is able to control
Identity theft. Identity theft is literally a way of stealing someone else's identity and
Storm worm attacks. A storm worm attack can be used to trick people by providing
Child identity theft. Child identity theft is literally stealing the identity of a child
Trojans. Trojans plant themselves on the user's computer, and the moment you log
onto a social networking site, it sends automatic invitations to everybody on the users contact list.
Cyber stalking. Cyber stalking is literally harassing and following another person
online. Social networking sites open up many doors for cyber stalking.
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3.5 Technology
19" Black Infinity Industrial Server, 4 HE, 5 Slots, ATX
Router
Router functions to forward packets across different networks. Router maintains a routing table. The routing table contains IP addresses of other networks routers. In a static router the routing table is configured manually, while a dynamic router can communicate with other routers and configure the routing table according to information it receives from other routers.
Network Adapter
Network adapter works as an interface between a computer or device and a network. You may need Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Home PNA, or Home Plug network adapter depending on the type of network your computer is connecting to. Network adapter converts a computer message into electrical or optical signals for transmission across the network. A network adapter is identified in a network through a MAC address that is hard-coded onto the
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hardware
by
its
manufacturer.
Figure:
Network
Adapters
Built-in integrated
network with a
adapter
is
computer network
motherboard.
Internal
adapter is installed inside a computer on an expansion slot. It is often called NIC (network interface card) usually inserted into a PCI slot in a PC or a mini PCI slot in a notebook. External network adapter is a separate device that is connected to a computer via serial port, parallel port, and mostly USB port. External adapter also comes in the forms of PC Card (PCMCIA card) for notebooks, CF card for PDAs, or SD (Secure Digital) card for consumer electronics (such as digital camera).
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Market Analysis
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Expected Customers
Corporate clients 25% Chating buddies 40% Social circle seekers 35%
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Individuals who are just fed up from the already existing forum sites the Gig is very helpful to them to cheers once again. Those individuals who are looking for new forum and ventures as Gig is not just like a conventional site its more than just a site.
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website logo and the website graphics. The maintenance of the site will be done by the Management Team with assistance from the Web Master for future development.
We need to focus our events and membership on specific population groups as the key market segment we should own. We do not want to compete for the matchmaking crowd, but to offer an alternative to that scene; and as a supplement to those who use dating services.
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This value proposition shall be communicated through advertisements, personal selling, sales literature and catalogues, and referrals that emphasize how the company is able to provide refreshment, enjoyment and fulfillment to the customers
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To track members the company uses ACT! database that provides details on each member. This information is used for event ideas as well as seating arrangements at event dinners in order to put similar people together (based on parameters such as age, gender, and interests). In order to acquire additional members, current members will be given incentives to bring in new people. Guest is encouraged through current members and if they join the current member gets additional months of membership. In addition, if we needed more members, we would give additional incentives for joining.
6.4.1 Sales Forecast Memberships are expected to grow at a rate of 20 people per month. While we feel this number is conservative based on the Restaurant Raconteurs, our population is smaller. In future years we anticipate an 80 percent renewal rate plus 25 new members per month. With expected marketing we believe these numbers will be easily attainable. The main driving forces for membership will be marketing, customer satisfaction, and networking. Gross revenue is based on number of events per month. In the beginning and during the first year of holding events, we expect to do no more than four events per month. During the second and third years we expect to do five or six events per month. Again, these numbers are based on data. Profit from events is expected to be zero to a few hundred dollars per event in the beginning. With more events, more members, and better margins we expect profits to
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approach $500 to $1,000 per event (2011 - 2012). The main driving forces for profit are the number of events per month and event margins. As the company becomes better known in the business community and with greater member numbers, we expect our margins to increase. Costs that are not directly related to events include marketing, sales, office, and related items. Many of these are fixed costs. However, marketing costs are expected to level off in future years with networking and word-of-mouth becoming more prominent. The overall numbers for membership are in line with the total population in our area . We believe our
events for singles and their presentation are unique to this area. With good networking and customer satisfaction plus sufficient press coverage we expect to beat these forecasts.
Assess the business environment Confirm the business vision and objectives
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Identify the types of resources needed to achieve these objectives Quantify the amount of resource (labor, equipment, materials) Calculate the total cost of each type of resource Summarize the costs to create a budget Identify any risks and issues with the budget set
Performing Financial Planning is critical to the success of any organization. It provides the Business Plan with rigor, by confirming that the objectives set are achievable from a financial point of view. It also helps to set financial targets for the organization, and reward staff for meeting objectives within the budget set.
Assets
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$100,000 $44,250
$44,250 $144,250
Liabilities Current Borrowing Long-term Liabilities Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) $10,000 $70,000 $20,000
Total Liabilities
$100,000
Capital
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Planned Investment Owner Other Additional Investment Requirement Total Planned Investment $77,000 $0 $0 $77,000
($32,750) $44,250
$144,250
Total Funding
$177,000
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Break-even Analysis
$25,681
Assumptions: Average Percent Variable Cost Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost 35% $16,713
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Depreciation of long-term assets includes equipment in the store and tools for services, including both the equipment and tools purchased at start-up and allowances for additional purchases (which are shown on the cash flow statement). Insurance and bonding includes ongoing insurance payment for general liability for the store and work at client sites and the van, as well as renewals of the surety bond each year. Payroll taxes includes payments for health insurance for full-time employees. Store supplies includes all supplies (not inventory) which are expensed immediately for store cleaning, maintenance, and operation. Training and education includes subscriptions and course work.
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Pro Forma Profit and Loss Year 1 Sales Direct Cost of Sales Other Costs of Sales Total Cost of Sales $497,991 $173,918 $0 $173,918 Year 2 $647,388 $223,195 $0 $223,195 Year 3 $809,235 $278,994 $0 $278,994
$324,073 65.08%
$424,193 65.52%
$530,242 65.52%
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Expenses Payroll Marketing/Promotion Depreciation Rent Utilities Insurance & Bonding Payroll Taxes Store Supplies $99,000 $36,000 $18,000 $24,000 $2,400 $3,600 $0 $6,000 $139,000 $40,000 $18,000 $26,000 $2,500 $3,800 $0 $10,000 $195,000 $50,000 $18,000 $28,000 $2,600 $4,000 $0 $15,000
$6,000
$8,000
$15,000
$200,550
$254,500
$335,400
$123,523
$169,693
$194,842
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$81,318 16.33%
$115,278 17.81%
$133,820 16.54%
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Cash from Operations Cash Sales Cash from Receivables Subtotal Cash from Operations $373,493 $83,703 $457,196 $485,541 $149,609 $635,150 $606,927 $189,051 $795,977
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Additional Cash Received Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received New Current Borrowing New Other Liabilities (interest-free) New Long-term Liabilities Sales of Other Current Assets Sales of Long-term Assets New Investment Received Subtotal Cash Received $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $457,196 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $635,150 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $795,977
Expenditures
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Expenditures from Operations Cash Spending Bill Payments $99,000 $279,896 $139,000 $407,988 $195,000 $465,862
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$378,896
$546,988
$660,862
Additional Cash Spent Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out $0 $0 $0 $0 $13,400 $8,000 $15,000 $45,000 $628,388 $0 $0 $0 $13,400 $10,000 $20,000 $65,000 $769,262
Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment $13,200 Purchase Other Current Assets Purchase Long-term Assets Dividends Subtotal Cash Spent $6,000 $3,000 $0 $411,096
$46,100 $90,350
$6,762 $97,112
$26,715 $123,828
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most part. Net worth will grow steadily, but not radically, over the first three years of operation for this reason.
Current Assets Cash Accounts Receivable Inventory Other Current Assets Total Current Assets $90,350 $40,795 $83,869 $26,000 $241,014 $97,112 $53,033 $62,147 $34,000 $246,292 $123,828 $66,291 $75,666 $44,000 $309,785
Long-term Assets Long-term Assets Accumulated Depreciation Total Long-term Assets Total Assets $43,000 $18,000 $25,000 $266,014 $58,000 $36,000 $22,000 $268,292 $78,000 $54,000 $24,000 $333,785
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Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Current Liabilities Accounts Payable Current Borrowing Other Current Liabilities Subtotal Current Liabilities $83,646 $0 $0 $83,646 $29,046 $0 $0 $29,046 $39,118 $0 $0 $39,118
$56,800 $140,446
$43,400 $72,446
$30,000 $69,118
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$266,014
$268,292
$333,785
Net Worth
$125,568
$195,847
$264,667