Big Dogs Strategic Plan: Strategies,

Big Dogs Strategic Plan: Strategies, Monitoring Methods, Communications, And Other Considerations

In past weeks, documents have been disclosed presenting the concept of a large-breed-centered retailer and service provider for canines, with both a physical store location (offering such services as boarding in kennels, grooming, retail sales of a variety of care products, as well as other services) and an online retail site carrying a wide array of goods for large-breed dogs and their owners. An analysis of the internal and external environment facing this proposed business venture has demonstrated the current potential and lack of competition for Big Dogs, the tentative name for the business, and the way appears clear to move forward. This paper will present an overview of how that move forward will be accomplished, including a discussion of the grand and generic strategies that will be employed, methods for monitoring these strategies as they are implemented, and an examination of communications issues as well as potential ethical, legal, and regulatory factors.

Strategy

The generic strategy that will be employed for this proposed business is the strategy of differentiation -- Big Dogs will be offering a uniquely developed and marketed service, with a niche clientele that is not specifically and explicitly served by any other business. This makes differentiation almost the default generic strategy for Big Dogs (Porter 2005). This will also enable a strategy where price to the consumer is of less importance, increasing profit potential (Porter 2005).

As a grand strategy, the innovation strategy is also suggested by the lack of truly competitive products and services being offered (Porter 2005). This strategy consists of "creating a new product life cycle, thereby making similar existing products obsolete" (Porter 2005). This is precisely what will be accomplished by Big Dogs, which will render obsolete other providers of pet services and products for the niche clientele -- i.e. owners of large-breed dogs -- that has been identified for this business. By creating a retail store and service center that caters wholly and exclusively to the needs of large-breed dogs, owners of such dogs will not have a need to go anywhere else, and will also experience greater convenience by shopping in a more focused (and thus more useful and more efficient) atmosphere. Though none of the products or services will be especially innovative in and of themselves, the consolidation and focus on these goods and services presents an innovative business model and thus will be best served by a more innovative grand strategy (Porter 2005).

Methods for Monitoring and Control

In order to ensure that these strategies are maintained throughout the company's operations and growth, several methods can be employed. One of these methods is ongoing market research, analyzing the current offerings in the market to determine how to present the most innovative image of Big Dogs and ensuring that the model remains unique as the market potentially adapts to Big Dogs' entrance (McQuarrie 2006). This will ensure that the business remains innovative rather than simply creating a new market where it becomes one of many players.

Market research is a way to maintain some level of control as far as the business is positioned in its external environment, and there are also internal control steps that must be taken to retain innovation. It is expected that the business will be able to build a strong base of returning customers, especially at its physical location, and seeking frequent and honest feedback from these customers can also help to ensure that Big Dogs continues to evolve in innovative and customer-serving ways. Hiring creative staff individuals with a true passion for caring for dogs -- and especially large-breed dogs -- will also help the business to continue generating innovative ideas for how to provide a more unique and higher-quality service to customers. The more innovative the business is, the more of a premium can be charged for its services and products without losing customers, thus increasing the profitability of the company while developing more innovative operations (Porter 2005).

Corporate Citizenship and Internal Communications

Though the impact of this business is not expected to be hugely significant on the environment or the economy at large, there are still duties of good corporate citizenship that this small business -- like al; small business -- must strive to achieve (Longnecker et al. 2009). All required licenses for boarding and providing care to animals will of course be secured, and research ensuring that products are fully safe to be sued for animals and around humans that will be subjected to frequent exposure will keep the business within ethical guidelines (Longnecker et al. 2009). A portion of profits will also be donated to animal shelters to improve the civic responsibility of the company.