Introduction of the business and the industry
Communication has existed since time immemorial and its popularity has penetrated all spheres of human life. The society full with papers communication dominant in the past has proved to be a mirage, thanks to rapid technological advancement. This is because as technology rapidly improves, the need to access ICT services also accelerates and people tend to rely more on the paperless communication. The combination of rapidly advancing technological and highly competitive and attractive pricing has made computers affordable hence making it easy for us to acquire some equipment to be used in offering our ICT services.
The Information and Communication Industry has undergone great revolution. This revolution is traced from manual paper communication to modern ICQ programs—a program for making contacts online like online chatting. As a result, extremely powerful personal computers are being used to carry out the ICT services. This therefore implies that individuals as well as businesses that previously depended on paper communication on grounds of cost, efficiency and reliability now embrace ICT usage.
The main purpose of the business is to provide consultancy services on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related operations, with bias to electronic publishing. The business shall also stock a wide range of computers and computer related products. It is to be located in Ontario town in the Wayne County of New York and shall be called “First Solution e-Center.” The products and the services to be offered shall benefit the populace of Ontario town who shall constitute the customer base. The business shall be owned and managed by myself, together with my partners. The future of First Solution e-Center consultancy firm is very bright as is the case with the whole ICT industry. The proposed business is ready to adapt to both customer needs and technological changes in the ICT industry.
The mission of the business is to offer effective, efficient ICT products and consultancy services to the population. Its overall objective will be to at all times enable all town occupants to use and access ICT services cheaply and reliably. Nevertheless, the business vision will be to become an accomplished consultancy firm in synchrony with ICT trends and development in the region and the world at large.
First Solution e-Center shall offer a wide range of products and services including and not limited to customized software development, hardware repair, migration and transition services, desktop publishing, consultancy services, as well as best choice solutions such as selection of desktop computers, software, network topologies and peripheral devices.
The business intends to offer both tangible and intangible products. To a greater extent it will however be offering intangible products. Tangible products like selling of computer hardware, software and peripherals will be undertaken in smaller scales. Our company intends to provide consultancy services because of high demand and advancements in the information technology industry.
The firm will also participate in trade fair and exhibitions organized in the region in which they will demonstrate various services and products developed by the firm to the potential clients. This will help basically to familiarize clients with the systems developed in the firm and core services offered. We will as well offer computer clinics to our clients periodically at a subsidized fee.
Statement and explanation of core values
The proposed business intends to employ high quality modern technology used in ICT by purchasing modern machines and equipment and also at all times cope with worldwide technological advancement in this ever changing field. It will upgrade employee’s skills through regular training to adapt to the changes. The business also intends to be linked with relevant bodies in the information communication technology industry and major players and institution such as universities and colleges.
The creation of a unique and innovative ICT consultancy center with unique services will differentiate us from the competitors. The firm will stand out from others in the area because of the unique design and good customer relations. Also, the proposed business intends to offer top product service quality. It intends to not only offer great products but also great service and atmosphere to the customers. For promotional and success factors, the business shall have periodical special book fairs and exhibitions where it shall showcase its unique services. It will as well maximize profits by employing cost control measures at all times without an exception. This implies that the business shall operate under controlled expenses hence profitability.
Our competitive strategies to be employed for success include; high speed and constant internet, alternative source of power in case there is power outage; a wide variety of services, better marketing initiatives; qualified and professional staff, and a vast computer numbers. Besides these, the business will at all times withhold customer satisfaction as its top priority.
Often, we will be employing the penetration pricing strategy. This will entail starting with a lower price charge per hour with the view of penetrating the market and wooing the customers. However, after fully penetrating the market, we will increase on penetration price. We also intend to employ cost plus pricing to make certain that losses are not incurred. It will be arrived by factoring all the expenses before quoting a fee to a client. This will nevertheless be subjected to the prevailing market conditions.
For the above goals to be realized, the business must satisfy clients’ demands and needs. The business intends to undertake audit of supply costs, recognition of individuals with high performance expertise, and lastly identifying and cutting down instances of wasteful services.
The social responsibility
Just as any other business, the company shall believe in social responsibility. As much as our major concern is maximization of profit, we must always promote desirable social responsibility and provide employment, as we eliminate discriminations and avoid environmental pollution. The business managers have direct responsibility to the employees. The responsibility includes conducting the business in a manner that is in agreement with the desires of the company, which means that the company aims to maximize income and at the same time conforms to the basic societal rules. The company shall respect and uphold the rules of the society as provided in the law and accordance to the ethical custom.
The company’s social responsibility is considered in four broad areas: the marketplace, the environment, the workplace, and the community. In the marketplace, the business must at all times promote product quality and safety, promote responsible sourcing and consumption, market with integrity, as we address the challenges in the ICT industry. Considering the environment, we must at all time conserve energy and the natural resources as we strive to find perfect solutions to waste disposals including recycling and reusing. In the workplace, we have the responsibility of promoting employee well being and employee engagement, as we train and nurture the vast talents of our employees. Finally, we strongly understand the importance of the community in sustaining our business. This is the reason why we must give back to the community through direct contributions and volunteerism.
The company shall directly contribute to support community projects and create awareness. It shall also organize activities that promote unity and participation among members of the community. Such activities include tree planting and sporting activities. The company shall encourage the employees to be active volunteers in their communities so that they support variety of activities including, and not limited to, education, fundraising, sporting, and environment conservation.
Preliminary plans for regulatory
Adherence to effective regulation is a key to economic growth, increase in investment, price control, quality assurance, high market penetration, and above all, technological advancements. As a business in the ICT industry, the company must comply with all the regulations in the industry, both domestically and internationally. The business must meet the requirements and set standards for all its operations. The business shall comply with the competition policy and the price regulation, which includes regulatory accounting, infrastructure sharing, interconnection regulations, price regulations, and the competition laws. Effective regulation has lots of benefits which include avoidance of market failures, ensuring that consumer interests are protected, safeguarding and creating effective competition, and preventing anti-competitive practices.
Works Cited
Business Plan Resources. Retrieved at http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/businessplans/index.htm
Business Plan. Retrieved at http://sbinfocanada.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-bizplan.htm
“Writing a Business Plan – Do I Need to Write a Business Plan?” Retrieved at http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/f/needbizplan.htm
Jerry J. (1999). Anatomy of a Business Plan. Dearborn Trade
Kaplan, R.S., and D.P. Norton. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy Into Action. Boston: The Harvard Business School Press, 1996.
Kotter, J., and L. Schlesinger. "Choosing Strategies for Change." Harvard Business Review, March-April 1979, 106–114.
Kouzes, J.M., and B.Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. New York: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995.
Lewin, K. Field. Theory in Social Sciences. New York: Harper & Row, 1951.
Morgan, B.S., and W.A. Schiemann. "Measuring People and Performance: Closing the Gaps." Quality Progress 1 (1999): 47–53.
Peters, T., and R. Waterman. In Search of Excellence. New York: Harper & Row 1982.
Plenert, Gerhard, The eManager: Value Chain Management in an eCommerce World. Dublin, Ireland: Blackhall Publishing, 2001.
Rucci, A.J., S.P. Kirn, and R.T. Quinn. "The Employee-Customer-Profit Chain at Sears." Harvard Business Review 76, no. 1 (1998): 83–97.
Schiemann, W.A., and J.H. Lingle. Bullseye: Hitting Your Strategic Targets Through Measurement. Boston: The Free Press, 1999.