EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The slide up café is a start up venture directed at becoming a pillar in the community. It will be located on 200 main streets, across of the court house. The café will feature a full menu of snacks, sandwiches and authentic coffee. The menu will combine the traditional African and brazilin menus for amore unique taste. The café will be a sole proprietorship business owned by myself. This system of ownership has been selected because it provides an operational decision making advantage. At the early stages of set up the business will require, fast, quick and prompt decision making mechanisms to navigate through the challenges. The sole proprietorship allows for this, and therefore for faster growth.
The owner is highly educated and skilled in management of a business. In addition, he has engaged in several research programs identifying the best and fastest way to set up a business in this industry and region.
This business plan has been prepared for the sole purpose of enlightening and giving financial institutions a glimpse into our own business and financial needs. Further, the plan also gives stakeholders a chance to understand the strategic set up and systematic growth plan for the business.
Mission statement: Slide Up Café is dedicated to transforming the café experience from the traditional average service to a gourmet experience for clients. The café intends to make gourmet affordable as well as fun and authentic.
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Cafes are a growing trend with more and more demand especially in busy enterprise centers. Workers in the current economy often have no time to prepare their own breakfasts and lunch. In some sectors and industries, such meals are consumed while still engrossed in work. Unfortunately, because of the increased demand there has been a laxity in providing quality café services. As many consumers state, the services available are far from ideal. In fact, these services can go as far as to be termed as sub standard. Slide up café offers a new experience by providing a unique gourmet taste at affordable costs.
The café targets the business owners and workers. During the week days, there are more than 200 people passing the street where the café will be located. These workers often tend to rise early and arrive at work early. Based on this assumption, the café will open doors at 6.00 am in order to capture the early market which has often been left unattended. The immediate demand for products covers a four mile radius, with the enterprise area being surrounded by many privately owned business and firms. The main marketing phenomenal being applied is UPC , that is, the unique selling ping. Many cafes within the area have set up ignoring the importance of the customer needs, they provide services similar to another café down the street and over the block. The result is that the market is filled with cafes that are making products which consumers have no interest in and which do not meet the needs of the consumer.
Unique Selling Point
This theory is based on the principle that the business is set up for the sole purpose of uniquely meeting the consumer needs. In the case of the café, the consumers often need to eat, fresh and tastefully prepared food, sandwiches and snacks at an affordable price. In addition, they lack the time to spend waiting for food to be prepared at served,. Based on these two tenets, the slide up café has come up with a unique order system, where consumers can call in their orders before time. This way, they can find their food prepared to their specifications when they come in. The café is designed for passersby who can get carry always to their offices. Normally, cafes provide take ways but such food, snacks and even drinks are of low standard. The high standard gourmet food has not been featured in any restaurant. The unique taste brought by a combination of African and Brazilian recipes will set this café apart from others. Coupled with the timely delivery of services and fresh food, it is likely that the café will meet the needs of the workers in a unique and precise way.
Marketing Plan
Product: the café will be focused on ensuring that consumers find a variety of diets within the menu. The sandwiches, light meals and even drinks menu will change periodically to fit the customer demands and needs. The menu will be prepared by a professional chef who will provide an authentic taste of both African and Brazilian dishes. Whether take way or simply an eat by meal, consumers will be delighted with a gourmet taste from both worlds. In addition, there will be included customized dishes which can be ordered by clients specific to their tastes and demands.
Price: normally when people hear of gourmet they shrink back, imagining high costs of the food. Gourmet often equals expensive. However, Slide up café has found a unique point by combining direct costs from the suppliers, negotiating deals and carrying a manageable menu. Through this strategy, the café will be able to provide gourmet meals at a cheaper and more affordable cost. The main aim in the section of price is affordability. Since the target is workers on a daily routine, affordability will make slide up café an everyday eating joint rather than a special occasion place set aside for special days only.
Promotion: the business will mainly be promoted through the local dailies. During the first few months , the promotions will also include a free meal for a group of individuals. It is expected that as people begin to understand and experience the café, the word of mouth will take over. Since the café is set at ensuring high class service to the consumer, then word of mouth will spread quickly promoting the business even further. Further, promotions will also include sending cards and advertisements to specific offices and buildings where majority of the workers are located.
MANAGEMENT
Slide up café is owned and directed by the sole proprietor. He will be in charge of ensuring a successful start up. This choice has been made in an attempt to lower the costs and overhead charges in the first few months so that chances of growth are increased. However, after the first two months the business will employ a manager, that is a café manager to oversee the day to day operations. Both the director and manager shall be tasked with the responsibility of dealing with suppliers, managing accounts and ensuring customer service is maintained at a high quality.
Second to the manager, will be the chef who will be in charge of inventory in the menu, ordering and direct service to the client. The chef shall be tasked with creating an innovative menu which will attract the expected client. The chef shall also oversee the service staff ensuring that they meet the standard that is expected of them. Part time personnel will be hired to complete small tasks, as per the demands presented by the chef. This has been decided because the chef is in direct contact with both the food and therefore best placed to determine the kind of service and skills that he requires from the staff.
For purposes of marketing and accounting, the management of Slide up café will have to rely more on the consultants. For the first year, the cost of hiring an accounts manager as well as marketing manager cannot be supported. The cost would be too high for the start up and therefore unwise. It is on this assumption therefore that management has chosen to rely on consultants with whom price of service can be negotiated . Individual consultants will be the preferred choice because they are able to charge less and offer high quality services.
Product/ Suppliers
The slide up café will combine recipes from both Brazil and Africa renowned for their tasty, authentic and spicy drinks and snacks. The menu will include coffee, espresso based drinks, smoothies and milkshakes among other drinks that are expected from a café. Using the unique recipes, the café will also provide snacks such as tortillas and pastries from Africa. The idea is basically to make unique meals which are affordable and tasty thereby creating a unique niche, market and demand scale.
The products will be sourced directly from small suppliers. While many other cafes may choose to rely on large scale suppliers, research has revealed that large scale suppliers may not rely and in fact focus on authenticity. On the other hand small scale suppliers are more careful with regard to their own business, so careful that they are most likely to ensure authenticity of the product. With an authentic product, the café will be able to meet the standard that it has set for itself in the market. Further, small scale suppliers are most likely to charge much less than large scale suppliers.
COMPETITION AND COMPETITORS
Whereas the slide up café is offering a unique menu drawn from unique recipes, it is important to note that there exist several competitors.
Other cafes: the café is located in an enterprise area, where other cafes also exist. These cases have been in business for a long time. The competition is mainly in terms of comfort, workers often go to the same café for years. Therefore, these cafes will offer stiff competition before workers become aware and visit slide up. Challenging the loyalty to the cafes, even where the menus may not be impressive will be slightly difficult and would require an ideal plan for targets to meet.
Vendors: workers often eat on the move. They lack the time and energy to sit down, wait for food to prepared and eat the same quietly. It is therefore not surprising that the enterprise area is filled with vendors who are making excellent profits. They offer the ideal solution, food on the go and therefore stiff competition for the café. To compete effectively, it is important to ensure that food is ready, fresh and can be served on the go for the fast working crowd of employees.
Deliveries: there are businesses which focus more on delivering to offices. This means that the workers do not have to leave their desks. They can order by phone, and have their food delivered hot and ready. The slide up café will face competition from these businesses which have drawn a large portion of the market. It may be wise to consider a delivery potion and department of the business ensuring that the workers are served in their own comfort. This is because workers offer the largest market for the café.
Competitive edge
Taking into account all these competitors, the business will require to develop a unique selling point which appeals to a specific target consumer. The business requires to be strong in some aspects, taking advantage of such strengths and downplaying the weakness of the business. The main strength of the slide up café comes in the form of its own menu. This menu is unique to the business, and is not found in any of the competitors. With a professional chef, the business has the ability to deliver the best tastes to the client, fresh food and a unique café experience.
Secondly, the business offers gourmet diets that are quite affordable. For the workers who probably eat out daily, during the day affordability is the greatest concern. With this combination of affordability as well as taste the customer has the better of two worlds. In addition, the business is located in a busy unique centre allowing access to a bigger portion of the market. For workers who want to save time, this will be an ideal and convenient place to get their meals.
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