Global Link Computer Services Company’s Business Plan

Topic: Business Planning Words: 2974 Pages: 10

Business name

The proposed name of the company is Global Link Computer Services (GLCS). It will be located in the northern edge of Doha, Qatar, and it will be a sole proprietorship form of business. This location is quite central in terms of technology. In addition, Global Link Computer Services will be in major training institutions like Qatar University, Qatar Academy, Doha College and several other schools in Doha (Bains, 2009, pp. 4-6). It is next to Al-Rayyan Bank and Qatar National Bank, which will work to attract many customers.

Business summary

The business name portrays the kind of services the business venture will offer to the customers, that is typesetting, online services, photocopying, scanning, printing, binding, lamination, and play station services. It also implies that via internet services there will be a global connection. The business will require quite a number of items to necessitate its production operations. To increase the accuracy and efficiency of these facilities, maintenance will be necessary at regular intervals.

This in the end will ensure achievement of the goals of the business and laying down of business strategies for an easy production. The business process will involve offering delivery services to the customers as a way of attending to their needs among other services. The managerial skills acquired in entrepreneurship education class will be of much importance leading to the proposed business (Adekola, & Sergi, 2007, pp. 250-257). In this form of ownership, it means that I will enjoy the following benefits-

Ease information.
Secrecy.
Ease in the commencement of business operations.
Quick decision making.
Direct motivation.
Limited government control.
Ease in dissolution.

The key management will include the General Manager, Data managers, Marketing Manager, and other personnel comprise IT assistant II, Accounts clerk, Secretary, Chief Accountant, and Security Officer. Recruitment of personnel will be through advertisement and only suitable candidates will obtain placement. The company will be permanent and assured of stable operation (Adekola, & Sergi, 2007, pp. 258-267).

Organization Structure

Vision

To be a leader in giving computer services to clients, in interrelating with the neighborhood, and in satisfying the humanity around us- our clients’ needs, the future of expertise, and the universal business climate.

Mission

To deliver high-quality computer services to all our clients

Values

Advanced strengthening and provision, effortless to obtain, effortless to utilize

Strategic objectives

Short-term objectives

To make maximum profits from the business dealings.
To create employment opportunities.
To minimize the costs of machines by using them efficiently and economically.
To give first-class merchandises and services.

Long-term objectives

To open more branches of the enterprise in the neighboring towns and countries at large.
Participate in nation-building by paying lump-sum taxes.
Exercise social responsibilities through the funding of student’s projects.

Marketing Plan

PEST analysis

Political aspects

The government in authority having a huge majority as well as a rising agenda for starting businesses
Variety of fresh legislation suggested that would affect the condition and legislative foundation for GLCS
Hung Council might not be the most suitable form for bringing strategy change
Local Authority and Unitary power debates
Uniqueness issue very significant but might divert interest and resources if viewed as isolationist

Economic aspects

Interest rates minimal but competition from similar businesses thrusting prices up and could influence the sustainability of GLCS.
pay prospects improving, generating the latent for intricacy in recruitments.
Increases in Council Tax, to better services, are detested.
Low expertise in growth regions.

Social-Cultural aspects

Islam characteristics strong.
Cultural diversity nearly non- existing.
High student’s population generating high demand for services.

Technological aspects

Internet advancements of computer services.
Mobile and wireless telephony.
Technological supports for developing the delivery of computer services.

SWOT analysis

Strength and Weakness analysis

(Mellor, & Coulton, 2009, pp. 215-220).

Business	Strengths	Weaknesses
	Internal environment
Global Link computer services	Availability of security Location convenient to customers Well trained & qualified personnel High networking service	Being new business little customer trust
Similar businesses nearby	External environment
	Have higher customer trust Well established in market research	Insecurity Poor networking services

Opportunities

The population living there is high and middle class. This promotes the business by using the services thus enhancing the business opportunity.
The security around the location area is well ensured and enhanced. This eliminates vices like robbery.
The business is set very close to the main road. This enables effortless accessibility and classic infrastructural amenities such as electricity.
The business will be located very close to institutions, which greatly need the services our enterprise will offer, hence a market chance for the business (Al-Khatib, & Al-Abdulla, 2001, pp. 98-100).

Threats

Global Link Computer Services is involved in numerous legal actions, comprising lawsuits alleging copyright violation and antitrust infringements. The result of these lawsuits may generate a bad reputation that could impinge on the operations of the business. Additionally, there is an immense pricing force in the entire market and strong competitors having a higher customer trust will concentrate on standardized prices (Al-Khatib, & Al-Abdulla, 2001, pp. 101-110).

Marketing research

The capital to start the business will be from personal savings, borrowing of loans, and donations, which will enable the business to get a good starting ground. Before the start of the business, it will be necessary to advertise the enterprise using posters, signposts, and mass media by stating clearly the specific location, when it will start, its operation, and the convenient business hours together with the services it will offer.

However, shall the business venture do well as is expected, improvement will be done to its job handling to expand the business through retained profits (Westermann, & Lancaster, 2011, pp. 199-210). The management will open up more branches in various potential towns after the realization of high profits. Marketing research will aim at:

Conversing with customers to comprehend the business goals.
Choosing the most suitable research tactics and methods.
Planning qualitative and quantitative study for products in all phases of the Product Life Sequence.
Designing study questionnaires and moderator directs.
Interpreting statistics, writing statements, and making achievable proposals.
Database Advancement.
Gathering and analyzing complaints.
Conducting assessments and presenting Competitor and market analysis normal reports.
Segmenting statistics and eligible leads.

Marketing strategy

Flourishing marketing of Global-Link Computer Services necessitates innovative advertising and considerable publicity. It is important to consider all intended markets and create marketing policies that will position Global-Link Computer Services Company ahead of its competitors for the utmost sales and returns. Some marketing strategies that the business will undertake include presenting packages of the business to design schools.

Offering exceptional student reductions will too be necessary (Lincoln, & Frontczak, 2008, pp. 52-56). Other marketing strategies may include offering free training to all customers who buy products from the business. This will not only attract dedicated clients but will also draw clients intrigued by the products and services of Global-Link Computer Services. These clients will fear changing businesses because of a lack of acquaintance.

Working with neighboring cyber cafes to offer products and services of the business will be an excellent undertaking. When clients get an opportunity to use products and services from the business, they are more probable to purchase from Global Link Computer Services. Placing booklets or discount tags at cyber cafes will assist clients to trace easily the business when they potentially demand information, or a purchase, afterward (Lincoln, & Frontczak, 2008, pp. 52-62).

Finally, arranging to have Global-Link Computer Services covered on local television and radio news broadcasts will be of great aid. In the least, Global-Link Computer Services should obtain advertising by coverage in an appraisal at the close of the program. By aiming at the local listeners and viewers, Global-Link Computer Services will boost the exposure of its offerings.

Market segmentation

Definition and classification of customers

Demographic

The demographic classification of the clients of GLCS entails the number of customers the business will serve in the market in comparison to her competitors. Global Link Computer Services targets the population of 1,500,000 inhabitants of Doha but the population representing clients of Global-Link Computer Services is approximately 900,000 customers. Therefore, the market share in percentage will be as follows:

No. of customers x 100

Overall inhabitants= 900,000 x 100%

1,500,000= 60%.

Geographic

The potential customers of the enterprise will be accessible people who have an interest in the global world of computerization (Guenzi, De Luca, & Troilo, 2011, pp. 269-271). Furthermore, many people require such services as typesetting, printing, photocopying, lamination, and scanning. This customer base is available in Doha and its outskirts as Doha is the capital city of Qatar.

Psychographic

The institutions, which are offering different computer training, are Qatar University and other colleges nearby. The above will require the services offered by Global-Link Computer Services for practical purposes, for instance, internet exploration. The many primary and secondary schools in the neighborhood also need computer services for the sake of examinations and general knowledge (Guenzi, De Luca, & Troilo, 2011, pp. 272-285). Therefore, the enterprise will negotiate with the customers to offer them the services they require.

Behavioral

A large section of the customers, being students, are computer literate and therefore they will get access to the website by browsing their mailboxes, checking jobs and career advertisements and opportunities, and communicating with their relatives and friends when appropriate. In addition, they will be in dire need of such services like typesetting, printing, photocopying, lamination, and scanning offered by GLCS. These services are crucial in their studies, revisions, assignments, and other learning undertakings.

Marketing mix

Products and services

Global Link Computer Services will mainly be involved in offering internet services. For instance, e-mail services, web services, and providing typesetting, scanning, printing, binding, photocopying, lamination, and play station services. Furthermore, because it is near institutions offering computer training, it will enable students to acquire practical skills like internet exploration at a fee (John, & Martin, 1984, pp. 170-173).

Prices

Pricing is the process by which a producer determines how much a given product can cost. Many factors influence the pricing of a product as mentioned below:

Competition
Government policy
Cost of raw materials
Cost of labor incurred among others.

GLCS intends to follow the following pricing methods:

Cost Oriented Pricing Method

Here, the selling price will be determined by calculating the production cost and a small margin profit of sales gained per unit.

Demand Oriented Pricing Methods

In this pricing system, the business will hike prices during the periods of maximum demand and lower prices when their product services are in low demand. Hence, prices will be directly proportional to the demand for the product in the market.

Competition Oriented Pricing Method

In this method, the selling price will depend on the prices offered by competitors of the same product. This kind of pricing is termed as matching the competitive pricing system. Competition oriented method will ensure that Global Link Computer Services does not charge a higher price than its competitors do, and in so doing will attract a higher number of clients (John, & Martin, 1984, pp. 174-183).

Promotion

As a way of advertising the business, posters shall be printed, distributed, and placed at every market place within Doha and other nearby towns. Distribution of other posters to various schools and institutions will be vital. Putting banners along the streets of Doha is necessary so that many people can notice the existence of the business. It will be necessary to put signboards on the main junctions and roundabouts.

Printing of business magazines, calendars, and brochures will take place on yearly basis and given to regular customers. These calendars and business magazines will show the background information on the business, the name of the business, and the illustration of the services offered (Buttell, 2009, pp. 6-8). As a way of sales promotion, offering discounts and raffles will play a key role. Discounts will go to regular customers.

In addition, the business will offer credit facilities to its regular customers as a means of promotion. In direct marketing, possibly the least striking constituent in the mix is important since it is cheap and GLCS will narrowly target it to specific clients. For instance, telephone requisitions, direct mail, and electronic promotion are vital to direct marketing techniques that GLCS will employ. Direct marketing will reach the customers likely to act in response and purchase the products and services of GLCS. Direct marketing will thus remain a successful and crucial component of the promotional mix.

Place

The business will be located inside learning institutions in Doha. The first branch will be at Qatar University from where the business will gradually open other branches in Qatar academy, Doha College, and so on. With its global vibe, cultural rebirth, and motivating educational environment Doha is home to numerous universities, academic establishments, colleges, and research institutions. This cultural and appealing city hosts excellent universities, for instance, Carnegie Mellon University (Al-Khatib, & Al-Abdulla, 2001, pp. 94-97).

Reaching and Keeping Organization’s Customers

Sales management

Recruitment

A number of factors need taking into consideration when recruiting employees for the management posts. These include qualifications, experience, competence, and age. There will be an advertisement for the available vacancies by the use of posters, newspapers, television, and radio. Displaying posters in public is necessary so that anybody interested will apply for any vacant posts. Shortlisted candidates will go through an interview and successful ones selected and appointed by the general manager (Moran, & Gossieaux, 2010, pp. 232-233).

There will be orientation and induction of the selected staff whereby showing them their areas of work and duties assigned to them will take place. Moreover, there will be teaching them and making them aware of the rules and regulations governing the business. Supervisors will coordinate on-job training where there will be an institution of apprenticeship programs. As operation improves and business expands, there will be sponsoring of the salespeople for short courses in some institutions. There will be a rating of the promotion of employees based on the following:

Job Performance

Dedicated, devoted, delighted, and competent workers will receive rewards through promotion and salary increment. The workers will be entitled to allowances in case of extra services offered. The business will also remunerate the employees for overtime job on the task performed.

Seniority

This is where consideration of the working experience and the number of years the worker has been working in the business comes into play. Those who have worked for a long time in terms of years will receive promotion in their salary by a certain percentage of the increment (Moran, & Gossieaux, 2010, pp. 234-235).

Public relationship

The employees who will handle customers with care, courtesy, trustworthiness, honesty, humility, in a friendly manner will receive appreciation and promotion.

Remuneration

To preserve a competitive wage organization, consideration of the market condition and the ability of the business to pay is very significant. Every member of staff will get a basic salary along with other gains like a medical grant, house allowance, amid other allowances (Moran, & Gossieaux, 2010, p. 236). Receiving of advance salary will start by the 15^th day of the month and there will be the permission of a maximum of only a third of the salary.

Incentives

The incentives, which the employee will be entitled to, are as follows:

All employees will be entitled to annual wage in accordance with their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements or specific terms of employment.
Overtime pay will be granted in accordance with the computed basis of overtime hours and therefore worked in a given monthly pay bill. Non-financial incentives will include Health and Safety facilities, honor, and respect of employees and sick leave (Moran, & Gossieaux, 2010, p. 237. Starting a welfare scheme like pension, retirement, welfare, insurance policy cover is necessary.

Public relation campaign

Public relations (PR) campaigns could serve numerous functions: to launch GLCS company or its future branches; to bring in a new higher-level director; to achieve publicity for a forthcoming event or charity performance, and to advance public awareness among others. An excellent PR campaign can assist GLCS to compete and get ground in the market or in its meticulous niche. The following are ways to plan a PR campaign to serve the strategic objectives of GLCS.

Hire public relations expert.
Meet public relations expert. This will work to give the expert a feel for the image of GLCS Company in addition to what they are conveying in their campaign.
Create a journalists’ kit. This could comprise a printout of the Global-Link Computer Services Company website homepage, a booklet, a chart, and every other marketing stuff the company may have.
Endeavor for equivalence. All workforce and the Company representatives ought to appear on the same sheet, which implies that their statements should be unambiguous across the board (Moran, & Gossieaux, 2010, pp. 238-239). This will ensure no miscommunication or mistakes all over the campaign.

Customer relation management

Customer relation management underscores one of the critical areas in any business. Customers are the most important people in any business venture, needless to note that, without customers, any business venture would collapse (Meyer, & Schwager, 2007, pp. 116-120). Therefore, in the case of customer relationship management, customers will be welcomed and given direction to where they can get different services like browsing the internet, typesetting, faxing, lamination, scanning, and photocopying. This stage is where the customers are offered the services they require to the point of their satisfaction.

A discount is necessary for lump-sum purchases to attract and retain customers. Since in this business most of the customers will be students and staff of institutions, it is vital to building on their areas of interest for utmost satisfaction. After the customers have received the services they require, they would in addition get a receipt to go and make the payment at the accounts clerk’s desk (Meyer, & Schwager, 2007, pp. 121-126). After the accounts clerk receiving the payment he will stamp the receipt “paid” for easier handling of any complaint that may later arise.

Reference List

Adekola, A., & Sergi, B. S. (2007). Global Business Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

Al-Khatib, F., & Al-Abdulla, S. M. (2001). The State of Qatar: A Financial and Legal Overview. Middle East Policy, 8(3), 94-110.

Bains, E. (2009). Doha’s Experiment in Education. Middle East Economic Digest, 1, 4-6.

Buttell, A. E. (2009). 4 Steps to an Effective Marketing Plan. Journal of Financial Planning, 1, 6-8.

Guenzi, P., De Luca, L. M., & Troilo, G. (2011). Organizational Drivers of Salespeople’s Customer Orientation and Selling Orientation. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 31(3), 269-285.

John, G., & Martin, J. (1984). Effects of Organizational Structure of Marketing Planning on Credibility and Utilization of Plant Output. Journal of Marketing Research, 21(2), 170-183.

Lincoln, D. J., & Frontczak, N. T. (2008). A Practical and Effective Marketing Plan Assignment for Principles of Marketing Students. Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education, 1(12), 52-62.

Mellor, R. B., & Coulton, G. R. (2009). Entrepreneurship for Everyone: A Student Textbook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

Meyer, C., & Schwager, A. (2007). Understanding Customer Experience. Harvard Business Review, 85(2), 116-126.

Moran, E., & Gossieaux, F. (2010). Marketing In a Hyper-Social World. Journal Of Advertising Research, 50(3), 232-239.

Westermann, D., & Lancaster, J. (2011). Improved Pricing and Integration with Revenue Management – The Next Step toward Improved Revenues. Journal of Revenue & Pricing Management, 10(3), 199-210.