1. Target market
The business will offer plumbing services to buildings that have just been constructed. The business will target both residential and commercial buildings that have been just been completed and require plumbing. The business will offer high quality plumbing service to its clients and a relatively lower price for each project when compared to its competitors in the area.
The business will also offer plumbing repair services to both residential buildings at a cost lower than that offered by the competitors. The business will embark on a promotional drive to attract and retain more clients and develop customer loyalty to the business. These actions will enable the business develop a large customer base and increase the business flow to the enterprise.
2. Competition
The business has three major competitors. Lakeside Plumbing Inc is a large company that offers plumbing services and interior decorations to buildings which have just completed construction. The quality of customer service offered by the company is relatively good, and the company enjoys a fairly good reputation in the area. However, the company’s after sale service is reputed to be bad, and this is a weakness which can assist Jackson Plumbing to develop a niche market in the area. The company’s quality considerations are high and the materials used in its works are usually of the highest quality. The company has a large promotion budget and this poses a threat to Jackson Plumbing since such vast resources for promotion may not be available. Compared to Lakeside Plumbing Plc, the after sale service of Jackson Plumbing is more superior although the company does not offer interior design as its competitor.
Another competitor to Jackson Plumbing is Victory Plumbers. This is a partnership business operated by two retired plumbers. The business mainly offers plumbing repairs to residential homes in the northern part of the town. The business has not spread its services to the whole town and its main mode of promotion is through word of mouth. The quality of service offered by Victory Plumbers is high and their after sale service can be described as above average. Compared to Jackson Plumbing, the service of Victory Plumbing is spread over a smaller area and the quality of service is almost similar to Jackson Plumbing. Their service is also limited to plumbing repair work only in residential homes and do not carry out initial plumbing work in either new residential or commercial buildings. Compared to Jackson Plumbing, the Victory Plumbers do not offer a considerable business threat although the quality of their service and customer relations is better than those of Lakeside Plumbing Inc.
The third competitor is Millennium Construction. This is a large construction company based in the area that offers construction services, among them being plumbing services. The company is a privately owned company, with decades of experience in the construction industry and usually offers full construction services and does not need to subcontract for its plumbing work on its newly constructed buildings since it has a plumbing department specifically tasked with such operations. The company also offers plumping repair work, but only to those buildings it constructed. The quality of service offered by the company is of the highest standard, and it offers an excellent after sale services. The company also involves itself in intensive marketing drives in the area in order to consolidate its market hold. This company presents the most formidable competition to Jackson Plumbing, but since it only carries plumbing work on the buildings it has constructed, it may not present a lot of competition in the long run given it has constructed a small number of buildings in the area.
3. Promotional plan
a. Advertising
The business will carry out advertising in an effort to improve its visibility in the target market. The advertising will be carried on a continuous basis after the inception of the business for the first one year of business, after which the effectiveness of the advertising campaign will be made and an appropriate decision made. Advertising will be carried out in the local radio station and a daily advertisement in the daily local newspaper.
b. Publicity
The business will carry out publicity campaigns in housing trade fairs and exhibitions which will form an appropriate platform for making known the existence of the business to local residents of the area. The business will make an active effort to reach out construction companies with a view of seeking their support in future by subcontracting with the business for plumbing works.
c. Sales promotion
The business will carry out its sales promotion in the local area by offering free plumbing works to buildings being used by charitable organization in the area, such as churches, children homes and elderly centers. This will act to promote the company to the local residents while at the same time practicing social responsibility.
d. Personal selling
The proprietor of the business will carry out personal selling to promote the business to residents of the area. This will involve a door to door campaign by the proprietor to increase the awareness to residents about the existence of the business.
4. Customer care
The policy of the business regarding customer care will be to offer the highest quality of service to clients at the most appropriate rate. The business will establish a customer care desk where clients can voice their opinion about the quality of service offered by the business.
The marketing policy of the business will be to use the most effective method of promotion at any given time which is within the limits of the business advertising budget. The marketing operations of the business will be under the direct supervision of the proprietor who will be tasked with identifying the most suitable method of carrying out promotion for the business at any given time. The business promotional strategy will not involve the use of the internet for advertising purposes. Advertisements in high circulation newspapers not printed in the local area will also not be used. Since the business has its target market within a relatively small area, the business will make use of local television stations and local daily and weekly newspapers.
The business will employ the business profiling, sign writing and business since placing advertisements in these media is within the financial reach of the business. However, the use of the yellow pages and signs will not be used because they are expensive and do not really have the circulation that the business would desire in the local area.
5. Evaluation of the plan
Evaluation of the plan will be carried out on monthly basis to compare actual performance of the various measures of promoting the business. The effectiveness of the various methods employed to promote the business will be gauged against the expected performance of the business. Any new and affordable methods of advertising that are identified will be employed while those promotional methods which are not as effective as projected will be done away with.
