Strategic Plan Conceptualizing a New Business

Strategic Plan

This is a strategic plan for a business start-up that will be a pet store with an adoption center specializing in eco-friendly products and services for large breed dogs. The store will have a physical location and an internet Web site where people can buy products and get information about owning and caring for large breed dogs such as great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhounds and Newfound lands. The store will be called Big Dogs. The first step in developing the business is to create a vision statement and mission statement for the business and then to develop objectives, strategies, goals and programs (Planware, n.d.).

Vision Statement

A vision statement should tell the world what the business wants to become. Vision provides the long-term perspective and your reason for being -- why you are in business (May, 2010). A clear business vision improves organizational performance and helps attract talented people to the company (May, 2010). The vision statement for Big Dogs is to provide for all of the unique needs of large breed dogs and their owners and increase knowledge about large breed dogs and offer sustainable products for large dogs.

III. Mission Statement

Mission clarifies your operating focus -- what you do (May, 2010). The mission for Big Dogs is twofold, to offer eco-friendly products and services and to provide adoption services. The mission statement needs to encompass both of these aspects of the business. The mission statement for Big Dogs is: We offer sustainable products specifically designed for large breed dogs. We educate people on the challenges and rewards of owning and caring for large breed dogs. We offer adoption services for owners who can no longer care for their large breed dogs.

IV. Values

Values provide a framework for behavior -- how you do it (May, 2010). Core values represent the shared beliefs among the employees of an organization, usually reflect the deeply held beliefs of the organization's founders and are independent of the current business environment and management fads (May, 2010). Big Dogs is an organization dedicated to helping people make good decisions about owning large breed dogs and providing services, eco-friendly products, and support for large breed dog owners and offering options for people who can no longer care for their large dogs. Keeping this in mind Big Dogs has the following core values:

1. Compassion for people and animals.

2. A commitment to do the right thing.

3. Exceptional customer service.

4. We support education and outreach in our community.

5. To offer sustainable products.

V. Objectives

The business's objectives should identify the results it needs/wants to achieve in the medium/long-term (Planware, n.d.). Objectives should relate to the expectations and requirements of all the major stakeholders, including employees, and should reflect the underlying reasons for running the business (Planware, n.d.). Objectives consider things like growth, profitability, technology, offerings and markets (Planware, n.d.).

Big Dog's objectives are to open a retail storefront and simultaneously launch on online e-business targeting large breed dog owners. The owner hopes to bring in more customers though online marketing and advertising then just the local area market. The goal is to increase sales by 50% per year in the first five years and then to open additional retail stores. The growth goal includes both the online store and the retail store. The overhead will be minimized by targeting key hours for operation, offering volunteer positions to educate dog owners in the stores, and by negotiating for the best deals on products.

The eco-friendly product lines will cater to large breed dogs and it is expected that the company will pursue product manufacturers to produce sustainable products for large breeds that aren't currently available. The company will consider adding all types of products to its store and online Web site, but may make some products available only online depending on how products are selling in the store vs. The Web. The store will act as a test market for new products that will be offered online in the future.

Big Dogs is also considering adding a veterinary office to its store at some point to help large breed dog owners with the health issues frequently experienced by larger dogs. The store will offer free literature and classes to potential owners on the challenges of owning large breeds to help people make good decisions about becoming owners of larger dogs. This will be part of the adoption services that will also help owners of large dogs to put them up for adoption if they can no longer care for them.

VI. Strategies

Strategies are the rules and guidelines by which the mission and objectives may be achieved (Planware, n.d.). They can cover the business as a whole including such matters as diversification, organic growth, or acquisition plans, or they can relate to primary matters in key functional area (Planware, n.d.).

Big Dogs strategy is to become well-known as a leader in large breed eco-friendly products and services as quickly as possible. This is the reason for launching the online store at the same time as the retail store. The owner has several ideas for organic and eco-friendly products that can be offered at the store. There are several local vendors who specialize in organic dog food and treats and the owner is considering vertically integrating the supply of certain products by purchasing the vendors companies.