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...

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…