HATMOSPHERE BUSINESS PLAN 2012/13

Lewis Bell

Hazel Kidd

James Littleton

Georgia Macaskie

Lewis Mason

Rebecca Wall

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BUSINESS NAME

Hatmosphere

CURRENT POSITION

Hatmosphere is in the beginning stages of becoming a fully operational trading business. Primary and secondary research has been carried out, in order to determine exactly what it is the Hatmosphere customer is looking for. This will, as a result, tailor the products to the customer’s wants and needs. The first batch of hats have been ordered and delivered, meaning Hatmosphere will be ready to begin selling in the foreseeable future.

BUSINESS CONCEPT

As the winter months roll in and the summer season seems to get shorter every year, there has never been more of a need for a knitted hat. Hatmosphere aims to take the classic designs and styles of hats commonly seen in winter, and give them a humorous edge. Slogans and quotes, from television, films, music and the Internet have become a part of people’s everyday language. They are understood, recognised and used so widely across the world. Social networking sights have fuelled the use of such slogans. Hatmosphere wants to put together hats and slogans to create a comical and relatable must have product. Hatmosphere will take the classic designs and styles that the customer has expressed that they look for in a knitted style hat. Hatmosphere will offer only high quality products that will provide warmth and be suitable for the harsh winter winds, at the same time as looking good. A wide variety of slogans on the hats will be available. Hatmosphere aims to provide a product tailor made for the customer. So they will have the choice between six different hats varying in style and colour. They will then be able to choose between many different slogans, which will be available in various different colour ways. The customer will feel they have a unique and individual product, that cannot be found anywhere on the high street. In order to get the hats to customers quickly and efficiently, a delivery service in designated areas in Newcastle will be offered free of charge.

MARKETING

The Hatmosphere customer is youthful, fun and relaxed. They are therefore between the ages of 16 to 25. Hatmosphere will continue to take into account the customers’ needs when marketing their hats. This will involve a competitive and reasonable price point. Products will be sold at various stall locations in Newcastle, as well as online. It is important for Hatmosphere to have a strong online presence, as the customer is one who regularly uses social networking sights and Internet shopping. What sets Hatmosphere apart from the competitor is its ability to mix humour with practicality, whilst offering a tailored product. Hatmosphere products will be available to all areas across the UK.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

The capital required to start up Hatmosphere will be acquired from the six directors responsible for setting up the company.

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CONTENTS

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2

Vision Statement ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Market Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Competitor Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 10

Strategy ................................................................................................................................................. 15

Sales Forecast........................................................................................................................................ 19

Products and Services ........................................................................................................................... 20

Operations ............................................................................................................................................ 21

Finances ................................................................................................................................................ 24

Appendix 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 1

Appendix 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 2

Appendix 3 .............................................................................................................................................. 8

Appendix 4 ............................................................................................................................................ 10

Appendix 5 ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Appendix 6 ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Appendix 7 ............................................................................................................................................ 14

Appendix 8 ............................................................................................................................................ 14

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VISION STATEMENT

Hatmosphere will bring a sense of humour and comfort together in a way, which has never been done before on a hat! The range of choice and style will ensure that there is something for everyone, at a price to suit all. Hatmosphere hats are the perfect gift for any occasion, to liven up those dreary long winter days.

MARKET ANALYSIS

THE MARKET

Hatmosphere plans to sell the product primarily to students and young people in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before branching out further in the UK. The age bracket 16-25yrs gives a wider market around the city including universities, colleges and schools. From the findings of primary research Hatmosphere have discovered that students are very keen on sports and major shops such as Top Shop, H&M and Urban Outfitters where they would pay up to £15 for a hat. This means the way Hatmosphere can differentiate itself is by the low price and good quality hats. Hatmosphere also hopes to sell hats to Newcastle and Northumbria ski teams, which has shown to be a popular selling point in the past.

THE MARKET POPULATIONS

Newcastle upon Tyne has an overall population as published on Office of National Statistics from results collected in the 2011 census recorded the population of Newcastle upon Tyne as 280,177. Of this overall population 58,408 fit in the Hatmosphere target market. However from primary research conducted by Hatmosphere saw that 65% of people would wear a hat therefore the actual target market in Newcastle upon Tyne that would wear a hat is 37,966 people. This figure is based on the census records of 2011 so will not be 100% accurate and affected by the changing number of student population in Newcastle upon Tyne that attend both Northumbria university and Newcastle university. The chart shows the segment of the overall Newcastle population that is in our target market and would wear a hat. The blue section shows that our product will be aiming at 13.55% of the Newcastle population.

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AN INCREASE IN POPULARITY IN WEARING HATS

Cable knit woolly hats are seen as both a fashionable accessory and a seasonally appreciated practical product therefore has a high consumer demand all year round. With it being seen as a fashion accessory there are wide varieties that are design specifically for individual genders. But an increasing trend is for the sale of unisex hats that can be worn by both genders therefore aiding to the practicality aspect of certain designs. Cable knit woolly hats are traditionally worn for their practical use when weather temperatures get colder. They protect the head from lowering in temperature thus avoiding related illnesses. It is this practicality that sees the sales of such products increase during the winter months in Newcastle upon Tyne in relation to the weather temperatures dropping due to the onset of British winter.

BARRIERS TO ENTRY

The barriers to entry that face Hatmosphere entering the headwear retail sector are moderately marginal. The greatest possible barrier is the local competition, for example an online competitor called Zaini Hats and high street stores like H&M and Primark. This will be analysed in more detail in the competitive analysis. Other potential hurdles for Hatmosphere are getting brand recognition in the North East before the company expands further in Britain.

The acceptance of Hatmosphere’s product and general brand recognition may be a slow process. However, one area the company hopes to flourish and achieve popular domain, is using social media and word of mouth; two very powerful ways of advertising towards our target audience. One of the most appealing qualities and unique selling points is that the product has slogans for every type of person, making the hats more personal and original. This will help generate a buzz around the hats.

MARKET RESEARCH

Once the business idea was decided it was essential that extensive research had to be carried out to make the product as successful as possible. Primary research was generated through many areas, including social networking site, Facebook, online surveys and questionnaires that coincide with the ‘try before you buy’ system.

Firstly Hatmosphere looked at the design of the hat, the colour, the price and possible locations where it could be sold. The company also created lots of different slogans which would eventually put on the hats to assess what the target market preferred. To achieve this the sales director of the company carried out an online survey. Evidence of this survey can be shown in Appendix 2. This was a short questionnaire to get peers, friends and family, and most importantly the target market’s opinion so the company could meet the demands with the product. Facebook in particular allowed information to be gathered with speed and efficiency. It included preferred colour choices, the price people were prepared to pay for the hat and slogan examples. Over 100 students ages ranging from 16-25 were asked. People were more than happy to answer as the survey was short and concise.

The results were very promising and proved that there is a huge demand of hats in the Northeast, especially for a hat that sells for £10 as most students would usually spend £10-£15 on a hat. This will be one of the unique selling points. The fun slogans will also be a key selling point. People will not just be buying into the brand but they will be given the chance to choose a playful slogan to make their hat unique. The results identified what the preferred slogans are and preferred colours of the hats, which can be something we take into account in our next order.

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To guarantee maximum feedback the company also targeted students in the Newcastle city centre and students in bars at peak times (5pm-7pm). To boost the hype of the product a ‘try before you buy’ scheme was operated. This helped get the word out as word-of-mouth is one of the strongest forms of advertisement. Whilst asking a few quick questions for the questionnaire, which can be seen in Appendix 2 it also gave students the chance to feel the product, to try it on, to see the different colours and to give their opinions on the slogans. This will also help encourage people to buy the product as well as giving great feedback for the research and getting the brand talked about with the added benefit of costing nothing.

Due to the results of the primary research Hatmosphere has come to the conclusion that the slogans have been the hardest demand to fulfil for the target market as there are a lot of mixed reviews on what makes a good slogan. It will be hard to choose slogans to please everyone, which is why the company decided to have a variety. However, the most popular choices from the survey will be used along with a few other slogans which people have expressed interest in.

Hatmosphere has also come up with the idea of putting together an online competition on the Facebook page and website when it is ready in the New Year. Customers will be encouraged to make up their very own slogan or to pick one they love and will enter it into our competition, giving them the chance to win a free hat. The winner will be selected by the best slogan and thus will be used on our hats. It will be great for the brand and will be fantastic interaction with the customers. It is proven that this form of interaction is a recent trend. All major brands are doing this by interacting with their target audiences and making a bigger bond between the designer and the customer. See research in Appendix 2.

Hatmosphere wants to keep up with the trend and keep the company in tune with what is going on in business globally.

KEY FINDINGS – PRIMARY RESEARCH

ONLINE SURVEY

Strengths:

• This was a quick and precise survey, which made it easier to get people to participate. All the questions are to the point and useful to our product research.

• It proved there is a place for Hatmosphere on the market that people are willing to purchase this style of hat.

Weaknesses:

• There were problems finding the best slogans for the target market as everyone had different opinions but eventually a decision of 10 good slogans, was made.

• It is very difficult to please everyone, when it came to the colours of slogan, so three colour options were designed, offering suitable shades for male, female and unisex.

Results:

The following is an evaluation of questions asked in the online survey. It shows all the demands for the product and what Hatmosphere needs to do in order to satisfy the target market.

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1) Do you wear knitted hats?

Yes No 65 36

This is a positive result, as it is proven there are lots of people willing to buy knitted hats, therefore encouraging the decision to sell hats.

2) What is your favourite colour hat?

Black White Brown Cream Grey Beige Pink Blue Green Multi Coloured

32 5 4 15 24 4 3 14 4 17 The chart clearly states people like black and grey and cream. This gave the company a good idea of what colours were popular and which ones would be good to pick for the hat. However there were a variety of answers, very spread out across the colours given. But it is useful as it is key to know the colours that will sell best.

3) How much would you spend on a hat?

£0-5 £5-10 £10-15 £15-20 £20-25 16 33 40 12 9

The bar chart clearly states that most people are happy to spend £10-£15 on a hat. This is great news because the product is going to be sold at £10.

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4) Would you wear a hat with a slogan on it?

Yes No 45 58

This result was not so encouraging. However it still shows a lot of people will be willing to buy a hat with a slogan, because there is only a small margin between the two answers.

5) Which slogan do you prefer?

Yolo Call me maybe

Come at me

bro

Worldly Canny Haway Alreet Pet

Amazeballs MHat Unaay

20 11 8 5 7 2 6 11 8 5 This result shows a lot of a variety of answers. However it has been a huge help on deciding which slogans are most popular to use on the hats.

6) Where do you shop for hats?

Primark Topshop H&M M&S New Look River Island

Asos

15 51 39 8 10 24 28 It is good to have an understanding of where people like to shop to understand the main competitors.

7) Do you participate in snow sports?

Yes No 62 40

This was a useful answer because the hats also appeal to ski teams and potentially more sporting events and clubs.

8) If yes, do you wear a hat whilst skiing?

Yes No 54 26

This is another encouraging result because it shows that Hatmosphere can market to snow sports.

CUSTOMER TYPOLOGY

Age: 18-25

Occupation: Student

Gender: Male and Female

Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Education: University undergraduate

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COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

COMPETITION

Hatmosphere’ competition will range from sports stores to high street fashion shops.

Some of the competition such as Topshop and Topman offer similar designed bobble hats (without slogans) from £12 - £14 while other competitors such as NeviSport offer better quality hats at an increased price of £16.99 - £19.99*

*Prices researched online and in store, Newcastle, November 2012.

The main competitors will be:

Fig.1.0

• Topshop / Topman • Primark • Next • NeviSport • River Island • All Saints

Some of the above competitors including All Saints have been added in to give a perspective of the Cost / Quality balance. All Saints offer cable knit bobble hats of a high quality but they compensate for this by charging between £35 and £45. While other competitors such as Primark are offering low quality hats from as low as £3.

There are also companies in Newcastle that offer similar products that the company will have to be aware of. An example of this is the newly opened store, “Capology” that sell Snapbacks and caps and will be an indirect competitor as Hatmosphere will be competing for customers and attracting the same target market.

Hatmosphere will be offering cable knit bobble hats with optional slogans for £10. The hats are 100% acrylic and are of a high standard of quality, making them more appealing than competitors such as Primark. Although the price cannot undercut this particular competitor, it puts the company in a stronger position compared to some of the other local competition such as Topshop, NeviSport and Next.

The prices and research have been sourced from each company’s individual website, apart from Primark where it was sourced in store. Prices are correct as of November 2012.

Below is a competitor analysis table including information on Hatmosphere compared to the other brands out there. For this example River Island and Primark have been selected as main competitors.

Research results have been taken from students from Northumbria University to show on a scale of 1-5 how important each of the different factors are.

1 = Unimportant

5 = Very Important

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COMPETITOR ANALYSIS TABLE

Fig 1.1

Hatmosphere Strength Weakness River Island Primark Customer Opinion

Customer Student 18-25

Fitting the demographic so have first-hand experience

No prior entrepreneurial experience

Under 35’s No specific demographic, it caters for all classes and ages

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Product Bobble hats with custom slogans

Products are customizable

Not as much selection as other, larger competitors

High street fashion, clothes, shoes and accessories

Clothing retailer, low prices

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Price £10 for all varieties

Undercutting the majority of high quality competitors

Competitors such as Primark can still undercut out prices significantly

Similar style bobble hats £10 - £15

Very low price, £3

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Quality High quality More appealing products compared to low quality competitors like Primark

The price of the hats reflects the quality of them

High quality hats and accessories

Low quality clothing and accessories, reflective of their low prices

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Service Personalized slogans on each hat

This makes each hat unique and this is a big selling point

This could become time consuming within busy periods

Wide selection of hats, different styles and prints

Wide selection of hats, different styles and prints

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Company Background

6 students with limited stock, overheads and cash for re-investment

Less monetary risk as Hatmosphere is a small YE business

May struggle to deliver larger demands as all money for investment is low

Founded by Bernard Lewis, over 300 stores worldwide

Founded in Ireland, 249 stores worldwide

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Location Newcastle centre, Heaton, Jesmond and Sandyford

Directors live in different areas so delivery and distribution is made easier

No professional connections of selling outside of Newcastle at present

Worldwide, ships to over 100 countries (Northumberland Street)

Worldwide, no online store (Northumberland Street)

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Product USP?

Custom slogans

Currently no other company is offering this as a USP

No immediate weakness

No specific USP but a well-known fashionable brand

Known for being the cheap alternative

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Sales Method

Cash in hand transactions*

Keep track of finances as they are all cash in hand

No proof of purchase, all cash has to be counted and safely banked within the team

Cash, card and vouchers. In store and online

Cash, card and vouchers in store

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*Cash in hand transactions subject to change when business account has been set up, cards will then be accepted.

Analysing the table above, it is essential to look at which sections students at Northumbria found the most and least important.

The location of the product and stores was unimportant. This I believe is for the simple reason that Northumbria University is located in the centre of Newcastle. If the research had been broadened and asked students across the UK then I think that this section would have been very important. It is key to remember that Hatmosphere are only trading in Newcastle at the moment so this figure is not going to affect the company too much. The final section I will cover is Price. This seems to be the key factor, on a similar level to quality. It is clear that as Hatmosphere offer high quality products and the prices are reasonable, that Hatmosphere have an advantage over other competitors. On the small table below I have created a Price / Quality comparison and where Hatmosphere stand compared to what the customer is looking for. Fig 1.2

Low Price Medium Price High Price High Quality Hatmosphere River Island Medium Quality Low Quality Primark

Understandably, customers are looking to avoid high prices and low quality products. I have highlighted the sections in the table that customers would hope to get from a single product showing that medium to high quality is important and that low quality and high prices should be avoided. This includes where Hatmosphere stand compared to their 2 main competitors.

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S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

Fig 1.3

Strengths Team members all possess different

skills and have different subject knowledge

Relatively low overheads Free delivery in multiple areas of

Newcastle Reduced costs due to not having a

shop

Weaknesses Currently only offering a small

choice of products Lack of entrepreneurial experience

within the company

Opportunities Adapt and build upon the USP and

expand the business via e-commerce Have access to the university and a

potentially large student target market

Threats Competitors offer the same service/

similar product Larger competitors can undercut

prices

CONCLUSION

Looking at Hatmosphere compared to other competitors, by offering a high quality product at a medium price, Hatmosphere are an appealing brand for the key demographic, students. As the company have low overheads and relatively low costs, this allows them to sell products at a lower price compared to some of their competitors. This gives the company a competitive edge in the market.

With the directors of the company are situated within the target market, this is a huge advantage for the company. Not only in the sense that they relate with their own demographic and know what the market wants, but that they have personal connections within the universities and through social media sites such as Facebook. They already have a huge list of potential customers.

In terms of threats to the business, large competitors may be undercutting prices and offering a similar product. This is an issue for the company, as they have to address the issue of “Why is Hatmosphere preferred over other competitors?” If the products sold by larger competitors were the same then this would be a huge threat for Hatmosphere. However because the products offered are personalized and can be chosen by the customer, this becomes an indirect threat because the competition is not offering the same service as Hatmosphere.

Hatmosphere fits into the market in a very stable position, offering higher quality products then one of their main competitors, Primark. Hatmosphere also offer a lower price than the other main rival, River Island. This gives Hatmosphere an advantage in the market and fits in with the customers “wants and needs” demonstrated in table fig 1.2.

Analysing table fig 1.1, it is obvious that customers find price and payment method the most important factors. As the price of Hatmosphere products sit in the middle of the market this is less of an issue for them but the payment methods may become a disadvantage for the company. At present the company is offering a “cash only” method of payment and it seems that the customer would prefer the option of paying by other means such as card. This is being addressed within the

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company and the introduction of a business bank account will allow customers to pay for products via credit and debit card and even cheque.

Pricing and structure within the company seems to fair well but distribution could become an issue in the future. As the company is only able to deliver products locally within a specific postcode area, this may omit potential customers. The issue of distribution can be solved with the added option of posting items via Royal Mail, doing this would allow a wider customer base geographically and therefore influence the amount of sales the company can achieve. After analysing the competition, it is clear that Primark and River Island will be the main competitors. There is a huge target market in Newcastle that Hatmosphere can capitalise on and after asking students from Northumbria University, it is clear to see that the company is offering the right prices and high enough quality to warrant sales and build a professional reputation in the North East.

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STRATEGY

SUPPLIER / PRICE

After looking at a range of promising suppliers Hatmosphere narrowed down the options to two; SSP and EBay Ice collection. After thorough research it was decided that SSP was the best option. They offered more hat variation including colours and styles and they have a better price range. EBay Ice collection also lacked in delivery and quality.

SSP offer hats in black, white, grey and beige. They also offer a variety of hats with small bobbles and others with larger which is thought to be more interesting for the customers, giving them more options to choose from. The first order includes: 2 packs of 12 of the grey and white and black hats with a small bobbles giving 8 of each colour costing: £30.72. There is also a pack of 12 of the grey, black and beige with the larger bobbles costing: £46.68. In total the capital spent on hats is: £127.58. However an added discount of 10% for quick payment (£10.27) has changed the total to £116.77. The grey hats from both orders are different shades.

The hats have proven to be great quality and are very soft which shows that SSP is a great supplier and will be used again for future orders.

The company looked at a lot of different suppliers for the logos. See examples in Appendix 4. Eventually after lots of speculation the suppler chosen is: Adband. From this supplier Hatmosphere are getting 100 logos which are £1 each excluding VAT, making it a total order of £145.20 altogether including post and packaging.

It has also been decided that it would make more sense to use a different supplier for the slogans. The best supplier for them is a company called MBC. Hatmosphere are hoping to get 200 slogans from MBC costing £1.50 each, which will cost approx: £300

This has been a very challenging area because there have been a lot of price and order problems due to how many slogans were intended on being produced. After a lot of thorough research it has been found that the suppler MBC is definitely the best option for Hatmosphere.

PRODUCT

The market research has proven that potential customers are willing to pay £10 for the hat. It has also been decided that the company will produce a range of hats that will come in 4 different colours; black, grey, white and beige. They will be simple cable knit hats with either a large bobble or small bobble on the top. They will also have slogans written on the front of the hat adding an element of fun. Examples of the slogans can be found in Appendix 4.

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Please note that these colours are only guidelines

COLOUR COMBINATIONS

The aim is to have eye-catching, colourful fonts that will shine brightly on the hats. For example the logo is going to be light blue and red. Whereas the slogans, which are our unique selling point, will be blue and red and white for the male hats and purple and orange for the female and Navy blue and turquoise for the unisex. After thorough market research it has been found that these were the preferred colours for each gender.

LOGO / FONTS

The company looked at a lot of different fonts for the logo. The font decided, which the company liked best, is: Eskimo kisses bold.

An example of what it looks like as the logo see below:

SLOGANS

Slogans have been one of the harder decisions. After doing some market research it was decided to re-think the first initial ideas and come up with a few more options. Examples of this can be seen in Appendix 4.

Here are the decided slogans: YOLO (25 unisex colours), Call Me Maybe (25 girl colours), Amazeballs (25 girl colours), Mad Hatter (25 unisex colours), Sleepy Head (25 unisex colours), Come At Me Bro (25 boys colours), Worldly (25 boy colours)

Hatmosphere are now thinking about potential ski slogans for the New Year. The font that is being used for the slogans are: Toonish. An extended marketing plan Hatmosphere have decided to do a competition with the customers. By putting in their own unique slogan they could potentially win a free hat. This will be fun and interactive and will help engage the customer with the brand. This is something the company hope to do over the New Year, bringing in new and exciting slogans, which the public will have full control of.

PLACE

Hats will be sold on the 5th Dec in the Northumbria Student Union using a pop up stall. Hats will also be sold at the Metro Centre Trade Fair in the New Year. Hatmosphere also hopes to be selling to a lot of students around Jesmond and other student based areas. Once our e-comerce website is up and running we will also be selling hats online.

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PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING

In order to attract the target market the company will carry out a lot of advertising methods, mainly those most popular to students and young people. For example, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, website, posters and finally flyers (once a license from the Council to hand out flyers has been secured and received). Hatmosphere are also hoping to get a press release uploaded onto Sky Tyne and Wear website see Appendix 5.

One of the most successful and cheapest forms of advertising is word-of-mouth, which the company intends to use successfully.

By setting up a Facebook group it is allowing the public to identify with the company. It is also giving the company the chance to become well established. The company intends to upload images so people can get sneak previews of the products. Later on in the year Hatmosphere hopes to create a video which will eventually be uploaded on YouTube and the Facebook page. This will give information on where it will be selling and what it will be doing next. This is also where the slogan competition will take place and any other interactive schemes.

The company also hopes to get 20 x A3 coloured posters printed at Photo- line which will cost approximately £14.00. The company will intend to use these when a stall is set up in early December at the Student Union and at the Metro Centre in the New Year. Hatmosphere are hoping to obtain permission from local sporting clubs to advertise the product, for example, the Pine Tree Gym and Jesmond Pool as well as displaying them on the community boards and in the Post Office in Jesmond, Newcastle. These are all places students will use as Jesmond is a renowned student area. The local Londis shops are another option to advertise in.

Hatmosphere is in the process of creating a website. It is being designed through the site Wix’s. The domain name is: www.hatmosphere.wix.com/hatmosphere. It is planned to be up and running and completely finished by the New Year. This will be a place where customers can see the entire range of hats with all their different slogans to choose from. It will be a fun and visually stimulating experience for the customers, hopefully convincing them to buy from the collection of hats. Building a website will cost a certain amount of capital but it is a necessary investment as primary research indicated it was highly recommended by experienced industry professionals.

The communications director will be constantly updating the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook. To provide a two way communication with our customers and exposing our movements we can build hype before an event. This will keep the public in the loop and will provide a lot of information.

PACKAGING

Packaging is still in the process of being researched and then to be decided upon. It will be simple and accessible with a business card attached to it. The aim is that the company details will be presented with every item as to pass across details regarding the company.

QR code to the Hatmosphere Facebook page that will be used on posters and flyers as part of the direct marketing campaign

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PROCESS

There will be a free delivery to post codes: NE1, NE2, NE6. It will take precisely 15 minutes at the trade fair and approximately 48hrs online however we will be in communication with the customer regarding the best turnaround time for them.

EXPANSION OF STRATEGY

Hatmosphere have also begun communications aiming at expanding the business and future sales by approaching Newcastle and Northumbria ski teams regarding group orders. This would involve meeting their requirements with regards to choice of slogan and colour of hat. This is an expansion on the company strategy that will be hopefully be explored and implemented in the new year ready for a number of ski trips and the Europe wide ski season.

MARKETING CONCLUSION (THE 4 P’S)

Product: From all of the market research that has been conducted there is a clear demand of the products Hatmosphere offer. From the research Hatmosphere have established slogans that appeal to the target market which makes its hats unique compared to any of the identified competitors. Hatmosphere’s aim is to make low priced and good quality hats with fun slogans to suit the personality of the individual customer.

Price: The retail price of the Hatmosphere products is £10. This is strategically priced cheaper than a number of the identified competitors creating a desirable selling point to the target market. There will be no extra cost if customers qualify for free delivery however there will be an implied charge as outlined in the further in the business plan.

Place: Hatmosphere will be selling the products mainly from its Facebook page where they will be communicating with potential customer. Appearances at trade fairs and markets are also being planned which will appeal to a large section of our target market. Plans for an online e-commerce website which will be launched in the New Year will also offer the company a new point of sale for its customers.

Promotion: Hatmosphere’s main promotional method will be Facebook and twitter and a website. This means a vast network of people can sign up easily to receive weekly updates and competition information as well as any other interactions. There will also be a constant flow of images of Hatmosphere product to maintain a constantly high level of customer interest in the product range. There are also marketing plans for posters to be spread about Newcastle and surrounding suburbs in sporting clubs and post offices.

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SALES FORECAST

Month Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13 Jul-13 Aug-13 Sep-13 Oct-13 Nov-13Sales (£) £300.00 £250.00 £250.00 £150.00 £150.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £150.00 £200.00 £250.00Units Sold 30 25 25 15 15 10 10 10 10 15 20 25

The above table and graph shows the sales forecast for Hatmosphere's first year of trading. It can be seen that the sales trend from the graph is for the sales to be higher in the autumn, winter and early spring months then remain steady from mid-year picking up again towards to the end of the year. This is obviously related to the weather conditions hence the assumption that woolly hats will be worn more by our target market when the weather is colder and are an appropriate fashion accessory for that season of the year.

The first quarter of the forecast shows that sales will be particularly high. These forecasts are aided by the two trade fairs that Hatmosphere have already arranged to attend in the Northumbria Student Union (5th December) and Metro Centre (10th February). The figures are also backed up by it being the build up to Christmas and therefore target market spending will increase during this period. Sales do start to tail off towards in the second quarter but do still remain moderately high. We have attributed this to the fact the ski season is still on going up until the end of April. This will fit in with our marketing which will aim to target sports clubs and social events such as ski holidays.

The forecast for the third quarter is that sales will be moderately low in comparison to other parts of the year and is based on market research. This is because woolly hats are not seen by all of our target market as a summer accessory, therefore sales will not be in line with the rest of the year. Hatmosphere can also attribute the downturn in sales to the decrease in population of the target market in our geographical location. With Newcastle upon Tyne having a large student population and a large percent of those not always being in the city for the summer months. It is anticipated that this could be a cause for a downturn in sales.

In the final quarter of the sales forecast sales are expected to again increase. This is due to the increase in student population with the start of university terms in September as well as being at a point when their disposable income is at its highest. It will also fit in line with the weather conditions which will start to become more suitable for woolly hats to be worn both for a fashion accessory and practical use.

20

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

PRODUCT

Hatmosphere have chosen a select number and designs of hats primarily, to determine whether the supplier is suitable. After continual research, the company discovered that cable knit bobble hats are the most popular style worn amongst students. The colour of the hats was debated regularly, whether they should be brightly coloured with a subtle design on or neutral coloured with a bright design. Again after extensive research, it was understood that neutral colour hats are more popular with the target audience and less of a risk to try to sell. The hats that Hatmosphere purchased are available in two different designs. They are both cable knit bobble hats but the bobble is much bigger on one design. The range of colours available is white, black, grey or beige. (Appendix 6. Fig 7) The unique design that makes Hatmosphere hats different to any normal knitted bobble hats, is that they have humorous slogans positioned on the front and the company logo on the back. These labels are woven in attractively bright colours to give the hats the sense of fun that the brand itself displays. Once the woven labels are correctly sewn and attached to the hats they are ready to be sold at a price of £10 per hat. Entertaining slogans on fashionable hats will appeal to a wide audience of young people including snow sportsmen. They can also be bought as amusing and worthy presents at both Christmas and birthdays.

SERVICES

Before purchasing a hat from Hatmosphere the customer has the option of choosing which slogan, colour and style of hat they prefer so that their product is as personalised as it can be. This customer experience will be offered over social media, word of mouth and email; so that the company has time to put the chosen hat designs together but also some hats will be previously prepared for instant sales with customers who do not wish to select their own style. A customised hat will not be difficult to put together and therefore can be guaranteed to take 48hrs until it is ready to be delivered to the customer. At the public trade fairs, Hatmosphere will be displaying their products and can offer a short wait of 15 minutes until a customised hat has been put together at the stall. This encourages a circulation of customers visiting the stall and increasing the level of conversation about the brand itself. Hatmosphere’s main method however, will be dispensing products by home delivery. The company offers free home delivery within 48hrs of the order placement to any address in the vicinity of NE1, NE2 and NE6 in Newcastle upon Tyne. If however customers live outside of this area they will have to pay the postage fee or can otherwise pick their product up from one of the specified pick up points: The SU on Northumbria University Campus or Bar Blanc on Osborne Road in Jesmond.

21

OPERATIONS

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Hatmosphere is new business and the creation of 6 current university students. When running a successful business, it is important that each partner is designated a directors role in a key section of the business. These roles are important as they give the company structure and allow for each business partner to focus on a specific area that they may be skilled in. Although some members may have more influence in a certain section, all final decisions on important matters are made by the group as a whole using good communication and teamwork.

The management structure for Hatmosphere is displayed below

• Lewis Bell – Finance Director • Hazel Kidd – Sales Director • James Littleton – Communications Director • Georgia Macaskie – Marketing director • Lewis Mason – Operational director • Rebecca Wall – Creative Director

HUMAN RESOURCES

In order to determine the specific roles and responsibilities of each member of the business, the Belbin test was used which gave us an insight into each person’s perception of their behavioural strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. Taking into considerations what areas each company members are strong in through previous and current studies as well as interested is important for deciding roles and responsibilities.

In terms of running the company’s operations on a day by day basis, there will be no need to acquire any additional human resources. The founding 6 directors are all that is required at this time to run the business successfully.

Should additional skills and advice needed to be sought out, this can be done so by meeting with our business mentor Justin Turner – managing director of a successful media agency called carrot media. There is also the option of meeting with our external mentor named Bill Oliver who is an international trade advisor at UK trade & investment. A strong relationship has been formed with both mentors and the company intends to use any advice they may give in order to make the company as successful as possible.

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is critical when starting a business and can be successful through using a variety of channels. In order to progress, it is vital that all the members are informed of any key developments in the progression of the business and are constantly kept in the loop.

Formal meetings

Formal meeting will take place at least once a week between all members of the company in order to agree upon and make decisions about the aims and objectives which need to be accomplished

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before the next meeting takes place. The meetings will discuss the strategies and operations conducted over the past week and identify any issues which may need to be dealt with.

Verbal

Informal meeting will occur regularly before and after the graduate enterprise lectures in order to verbally share and record any important information. Members will keep in regular contact using mobile telephones if they need to discuss any issues and a meeting is not possible at the time.

Written

A private group will be set up using the social networking site Facebook and will only be accessible by members of the company. This will provide a simple and free way of communicating with every member of the business whenever deemed necessary. Important documents, information, pictures, videos and any other material will be shared using the free online service called Dropbox (www.dropbox.com) which will allow company members to upload and download whatever they wish. The companies email account (Hatmosphere@live.com) will be accessible by all and will provide further contact details for each member.

PRODUCT DELIVERY

When the company has finalised its marketing and sales strategy and it has been implemented, making sure the product is delivered to the customer in satisfactory time is essential to running a professional business. Hatmosphere explored various sales portals to possibly use in order to sell our product which is discussed in the marketing section. The directors concluded that the main sales portal for the early stage of the business would be to sell our hats cash in hand. This would be done by setting up stalls at various business events and by advertising the product on social networking sites such as Facebook and twitter. There will also be an option on these social networks to contact the company directly by email if they wish to make a purchase. Desired sizes, colours and slogans will be available on these portals as well as a link to the company email (Hatmosphere@live.com) for orders and queries the customer may have.

With the web based orders and queries, it is vital that the company’s email is checked on a regular basis throughout each day. Although any partner in the business can check the emails at any time, communications (James Littleton) and sales (Hazel Kidd) directors will check the email at least 3 times a day each.

• The first email check will be in the morning around 9am to see if any orders have been placed at some point during the night.

• The second will take place in the afternoon around 1pm so that any orders placed after the initial morning check can be processed in time for next day delivery.

• The final email check of the day will be around 5pm to process any orders made during the rest of the day.

To make it simpler to check for orders made via email or on the social networks, each group member will have access to the companies email on their personal mobile telephones. This will mean they do not have to go and sit at a computer in order to check for any orders and can go about their normal business without having to interrupt.

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Due to Hatmosphere having the ability to offer a large variety of slogan designs and hat types, it is likely that requests for custom hats will be made every now and then. These requests will be received by the communication director (James Littleton) and will be passed along to the creative director (Rebecca Wall) to see if the custom design is possible for production. In terms of finance and deciding if it makes financial sense to order the specific hat, the responsibility lies with the finance director (Lewis Ball). If these directors agree that the hat is possible to produce and will make financial sense, then the hat will be ordered and the customer will be informed that it has been ordered and will be contacted by email when the hat has arrived.

Hatmosphere offers 2 forms of delivery, either they can have it sent to an address they provide using royal mail and pay for the standard delivery cost if outside a certain area. If however, they live within certain designated areas and postcodes, they can opt for the free delivery service. The free delivery will be conducted by the nearest business partner to the address with access to a vehicle.

The areas including in free delivery are:

NE1 - NE2 - Newcastle city centre – Jesmond – Sandyford – Heaton – Shieldfield

STOCKING OPERATIONS

After sufficient market research and comparisons, Hatmosphere decided to use www.ssphats.net as our suppliers for our hats. They offered very reasonable prices and had in stock the type of hat design and material desired and deliver within two to five days of order confirmation. Once the stock is delivered and accounted for it is evenly distributed and stored between each of the company members’ homes.

The chosen supplier for the logos is www.adband.co.uk who will offer woven labels featuring the Hatmosphere that will be attached to the hats. Delivery will be within a suitable turnover period and at a price that keeps the margin of the final product high. An alternative supplier for the slogans was decided upon for the slogans that is www.badges.org.uk . This was based on the minimum order number that is required for each slogan who again offer a competitive delivery time that fits in forecast sales needs.

CUSTOMER SERVICES

If customers wish to ask any questions or raise any concerns they may have, they may choose to do so using any of the communication portals which have been set up by Hatmosphere. Contact may be established using either Facebook or Twitter if easier for the customer or if they wish to have the quickest response, sending an email or ringing the business or one of the business partners is also an option, although email is the preferred method of communicating.

If the customer has any complaints or problems about a product and wish to return it, Hatmosphere will only accept returns if the product is damaged or faulty in accordance with statutory rights and will offer to replace the damaged product or provide a full refund.

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FINANCES

START UP EXPENSES

Each director of the company contributed £16.66 each towards £100 invoice we received regarding the company insurance via Young Enterprise. The insurance policy covers us up to £10m public liability.

Each director of the company contributed £19.46 each towards the first order of stock which totalled £116.77 including postage and packaging. This was after the successful negotiation of a 10% discount with the supplier for prompt payment of the invoice which was originally £137.24. This order was for 36 hats in a variety of styles and colours as well as featuring different size bobbles. (Please see Appendix 6 for pictures of product range)

PRODUCT COSTING

The cost price from the supplier we have chosen to buy from is £3.25 per hat. With the minimum order we have to put in £100 which equates to 36 hats. These hats are of two different styles with each style coming in 3 different colours. All of the hats will be customised with the Hatmosphere logo which is bought in at £1.45 per logo. The customer will then be offered the option to add a slogan to their hat. These slogans are bought in at £1.50 per slogan.

This means that the overall cost price of each customised hat is £6.20. The hats will retail at £10 which will mean that the gross profit margin we make on each hat will be 38%. The retail price as agreed in conjunction with our primary research which saw 73% say they would be willing to pay between £5 and £15 for a hat.

OVERHEADS

As a company Hatmosphere are currently operating without any overhead costs such as office/retail premises rental, storage or utility bills. This can be seen as an advantage over other potential competitors who operate out of retail units and therefore need to finance such overheads. It also means that we do not need to factor any of these costs into the price of the product, meaning that the cost price of the product will be as low as possible.

DELIVERY COSTS

At the moment our delivery strategy is under review but the initial agreements made towards orders would be the offer of the following delivery options available to all customers:

Option 1 – Free delivery in certain area’s or postcodes.

This would apply to any customer with a delivery address or meeting/pick up point within the post code/areas listed below.

Newcastle city centre Shieldfield Jesmond NE1 Sandyford NE2 Heaton

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Option 2 – Paid postage and packaging

This would apply to any customer order where the delivery address is outside the areas offered in option 1. Orders will take up to 3 working days to arrive and will cost £4 postage and packaging. This delivery will be sent via Royal Mail Recorded First Class delivery service. http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder. This is taking into account that the weight of the parcel will be no more than 400g and will be sent to a UK mainland address. Any customers placing an order from outside the UK mainland will be contacted in person and will be consulted as the best method to for fill their order.

STAFF

In the early stages of the business none of the directors will be financially benefited from the company’s perspective. All the revenues generated from sales will be reinvested into stock or other business critical operations. Upon liquidation of the company the assets will be equally divided amongst the directors of the company at the time of liquidation.

MARKETING

The main financial costs attributed to the marketing of Hatmosphere products will be the manufacturing of flyers/business cards and posters.

£25 for 500 Business cards inc P&P and £20 for posters http://www.photoline.co.uk/posters-and-display/poster-printing-and-display-printing/

Photoline is a company based in Newcastle city centre and offers fantastic value for money for the type of posters we need to be created. Having them on our doorstep will also enable us to build up a business relationship with them in the need for us to place future orders. The location of this supplier will also result in the saving of postage and packaging fees. This is because a member of the Hatmosphere team will be able to pick the delivery up in person from Photoline's offices.

INSURANCE

As part of registering with Young Enterprise, Hatmosphere have qualified for public liability insurance up to the limit of £10,000,000. This came at the price of £100 for the first year and is renewable as of the 31st July 2013 but this may be subject to a different rate.

FINANCING THE COMPANY

Hatmosphere will be financed on a day to day basis equally by all six of the directors.

With the low start-up costs associated to this industry and the projected profit margins on the products it has been decided that no other forms of financing will be necessary. Research into small business loans and grants was conducted but it was decided not to be a viable method of raising finance. This was mainly due to the interest that would have to be repaid back on the loan. Therefore all of the capital that has been input by all of the directors can be seen as an interest free loan and has eliminated possible future expenditure that can be associated to loan repayments and interest. Another form of finance that we have conducted research on is an overdraft for our

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business bank account. However this was again not seen as a viable option again due to the high interest rates.

PROFIT AND LOSS

PROJECTED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT

NAME HATMOSPHEREYEAR ENDED

Cost of Sales 1436 Sales 2100Gross Profit 948.86 Stock 284.94

Total 2384.94 Total 2384.94

Insurance 100 Gross Profit 948.86Wages and salaries gross Other ReceiptsBank charges/interestRent and RatesHeat, Light and PowerPackaging Postage and carriagePrinting and stationeryStaff uniforms 50Repairs and renewalsWebsite / e-Commerce 50Advertising 100Trade Fair Costs 35Trade Fair Materials 15Depreciation on assetsLoan interest

Total 350Net Profit 599

Total 949 Total 948.86

Nov-13

The profit /loss statement shows that at the end of the first year of trading Hatmosphere will have generated net profits of £599. This was achieved with tight control over the expenditure and successfully increasing the gross profit margin. It can also be seen that the closing stock level at the end of the first year stands at £284.94. This comprises of a combination of hats, logos and slogans that can be carried forward into the next year of sales as current assets. The profit/loss statement also highlights the cost of sales that is generated in Hatmosphere's first year of sales. This stands at £1436 which is made up of the expenditure made towards stock.

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BALANCE SHEET

Fixed AssetsLess DepreciationNet Fixed Assets

Current AssetsBank 826Stock 284.94DebtorsPre-Payments

TOTAL 1111

Current LiabilitiesBank OverdraftCreditorsAccruals

TOTAL

C.A Less C.L. 1111

NET ASSETS 1111

Financed ByProfit / Loss 599Less Drawings 599Loan OutstandingCapital 512

TOTAL 1111

BALANCE SHEETHATMOSPHERE

Nov-13

The balance sheet shows the current assets, liabilities and equity that the end of Hatmosphere's first year of trading. It can be seen that both the current assets and total liabilities are equal to £1,111. The current assets comprise the current bank balance of £826 and the end of year stock value of £284.94. This is balanced with the £599 less drawings and £512 capital that was input by all of the company directors.

CASH FLOW FORECAST

PROJECTED CASH FLOW BUSINESS NAME: HATMOSPHERE Not VAT registered YEAR ENDED: Nov-13

Pre-start 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TotalsMONTH DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOVINCOME Sales 300 250 250 150 150 100 100 100 100 150 200 250 2100Sales - creditCapital put in by owner 512 512LoansOther incomeOther income Grants

A. TOTAL INCOME 512 300 250 250 150 150 100 100 100 100 150 200 250 2612

EXPENDITUREcost of salesStock (Hats) 117 117 117 117 234 701.08Stock (Logos & Slogans) 295 145 150 145 735Insurance 100 100Wages / Salaries (Net)PAYE & NIBank charges/interestRent and RatesHeat, Light and PowerPackaging Postage and carriagePrinting and stationeryStaff uniforms 50 50Repairs and renewalsWebsite / e-Commerce 50 50Advertising/Marketing 50 50 100Trade Fair Costs 35 35Trade Fair Materials 15 15Loan repaymentsCapital Expenditure TrainingPersonal DrawingsSelf employed NIOther

B. TOTAL EXPENDITURE 512 115 117 297 267 50 379 50 1786

NET CASH FLOW (A - B) 0 185 133 -47 150 -117 50 100 -279 100 100 200 250BALANCE B/F 0 185 318 272 422 305 355 455 176 276 376 576 826CLOSING BALANCE 0 185 318 272 422 305 355 455 176 276 376 576 826

The sales line of the cash flow forecast has been established from the sales forecast that has been expanded upon earlier in the business plan. These sales accompanied by the capital injected by all of the directors to make up the total amount of income that is achieved by Hatmosphere in the first year of trading.

There are a number of pre start expenses that will be incurred by Hatmosphere these include insurance of £100. This is a non-optional fee which is needed to be paid in order to trade at any of the trade fairs or at any markets. Other pre start expenses that have been incurred are associated to the purchasing of the initial stock. This £412 is for the hats, logos and slogans and was made in order to begin selling products in the build-up to the busy Christmas period.

There are additional stock expenditures placed throughout the year is attributed to the reordering of new stock. These calculations have been based on the sales forecast that has been made for the year but all of the reordering of stock will be made on actual stock and sales figures not forecasts. Other expenses that have been incurred during the first year of trading are related to marketing, staff uniforms and costs attributed to tradeshows. The cost of these items has not directly affected the wholesale cost of the products and will not be supplemented by the margin. The costs will be deducted from the working capital of the business.

From a cash flow perspective Hatmosphere's forecast shows only two months which have a negative Net Cash Flow. This can be related months where there is a need to reorder a number of items of stock. These have been controlled however by the closing balance of the previous month being positive and of a sufficient amount to cover this deficit. Therefore the need for further financial investment from bank loans or overdrafts has been eliminated. It can be seen that there are no personal drawing being taken by the company directors at any time during the first year of trading. This has been done in order to keep the positive bank balance of the company which will enable responses to unforeseen financial are fast and accurate.

BUSINESS RATIOS

Gross Profit Margin

£10 - £6.20 = £3.80 / 10 = 0.38*100 = 38%

The gross profit margin is shown above where the profit is a percentage of the revenue. It can be seen that for every pound that is generated in revenue £0.38 will be gross profit. This has been achieved by driving the cost price of all the components down by negotiating with the suppliers the best possible price. The margin has the capacity to be reduced further in future with the possibility of using economies of scale when purchasing the stock.

Net Profit Margin

£599 / £2,100 = 0.29 *100 = 29%

The net profit margin shows the net profit as a percentage of the sales revenue. This shows that after all deductions from every £1 generated in sales 29% will be net profit. This figure has been established by keeping the overall company expenses to a minimum. This has been achieved by the low overheads that have been established during the initial stages of Hatmosphere's business start-up.

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APPENDIX 1

FIG 1: OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS DATA SETS

2

APPENDIX 2

ONLINE SURVEY

3

4

5

QUESTIONNAIRE FEEDBACK

Name/Age/Agenda

Would you prefer a beany with or without a bobble on the top?

What color hat would you prefer? White, black, grey, beige

How much would you pay for a hat? £5, £10, £20

Where do you normally buy a hat?

Would you wear a hat with a slogan? Which of ours do you like? I.e: Top

shop/Primark

With Black/beige £5 Topshop, H&M

Don’t like the slogans. I think its childish

Eliza,22, Female

With Beige £5 Topshop, Zara Don’t like slogans Livie, 22, Female

Without Black £15 Skateboyhat Yes Will, 21, Male

With White £12 Urban Outfitters no Antonia, 22, female

Without Black.white £15 Urban outfitters no

Toby, 22, male

With Beige £10 Zara No slogan

6

Annie, 22, female

Caroline, 22, female With Grey/black £5-£15 primark Yes if I like

it

Daisy, 19, female With Black £10 H&M Yes but you have to like it

Kit, 21, male With Beige £10 Primark no

Alexander, 22, male Without Black £20 American

apparel potentially

Fred, 21, male Without Black £15-£10 Topman No

With Grey £15

Urbanoutfitters/ no

Jess, 21, female accessories

with beige £20 H&M Yes love

Louie 21, male

with beige £20 ebay yes

Patch, 22, male

Dan, 22, male with black £15 topman yes

Hayley, 20, female with black £15 Topshop yes

Jenny, 23, female with grey £10 Zara yes

Alice, 23, female with grey £10 Topshop yes

Henry, 20, make with beige £12 primark no

without beige £20

yes Mat, 21, male Urban outfitters

without black £15 Topman no

7

Lucas,19, male

Sally, 19 female with white £10 zara no

with black £12 H&M yes

Dave, 20, male

without grey £10 primark yes

Jim, 21, male

Tessa, 21, female with black £15 Zara yes

Steph, 21, female with grey £10 Topshop yes

Andrew, 22, male with beige £15 topman yes

Rupert, 22, male without beige £14 Urban outfitters yes

with Black £15 Topman yes

Jeffery, 22, male

Jenny, 21, female without grey £20 River island no

Hannah, 23, female with beige £14 New look no

with black £10 Topman no

Chis, 21, male

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APPENDIX 3

FIG 2: INTERACTION RESEARCH WITHIN BRANDS

Article: ‘Social retail: Finding, Engaging & Cultivating todays connected consumer’ By Ron Schott, July 19 2012. Found on the site: Search Engine Watch.

A link to the article can be found at:http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2192745/Social-Retail-Finding-Engaging-Cultivating-Todays-Connected-Consumer

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FIG 3: RESEARCH ON CITROEN CARS: DESIGN INTERACTION WITH ITS TARGET MARKET

Article can be found at: http://www.psfk.com/2012/04/citroen-facebook-ca.html

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APPENDIX 4

FIG 4 : SUPPLIER OF LOGOS

FIG 5: IMAGES OF SLOGANS

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APPENDIX 5

PRESS RELEASE

Hats off to enterprising students!

THEY say if you want to get ahead you should get a hat – and that’s exactly what a group of enterprising Newcastle students are doing.

The final-year students from Northumbria University have set up their own business as part of their graduate enterprise module.

Hatmosphere is the creation of Lewis Mason, Lewis Bell, Hazel Kidd, Rebecca Wall, Georgia Macaskie and James Littleton, who are aged between 20 and 22 and are studying information technology management for business, fashion communication and applied sports science courses.

Their idea is to customise hats with their own Hatmosphere logo and unique designs, and to sell them not only to their fellow students but to the fashion-conscious general public in Newcastle.

The hats will go on sale at the end of November through a number of outlets, including a stall at Gateshead’s busy Metro Centre but the young entrepreneurs are hoping their designs will also catch the eye of some of Newcastle’s best-known celebrities.

“As soon as the hats are ready we plan to send a couple to Ant and Dec in the hope that they’ll wear them,” said information technology student Lewis Mason.

“They might be in the Australian jungle now but when they get back home, they’ll need one of our woolly hats to keep them warm. We’re also going to send hats to the Geordie Shore cast and hope they will enjoy wearing them too.”

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The hats will be on sale until next spring by which time the team at Hatmosphere hope their business will have been profitable and successful.

For photo opportunities and more information, please contact Hatmosphere’s Communications Director:

James Littleton

07765992470

james.littleton@northumbria.ac.uk

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APPENDIX 6

FIG 6 : SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

FIG 7: PICTURES OF THE HATS

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APPENDIX 7

BELBIN TEST RESULTS

Lewis Bell Company Worker Hazel Kidd Plant

James Littleton Company Worker Georgia Macaskie Chairman

Lewis Mason Shaper Rebecca Wall Team Worker

APPENDIX 8

COMPANY DIRECTORS CV’S

Please find overleaf

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Personal Profile

Self-motivated, punctual, and capable of working in a team environment. Delivers high standards of

professionalism, exceeding set goals and requirements. Approachable and have a patient manner, developed

whilst working with different personalities of people. Looking for a challenge, to apply my knowledge and to build

upon my skills. Team leader and can throw myself in to a project.

Experience

BEL Valves, Newcastle, UK September 2011 – August 2012

Employed in Newcastle on an IT Placement as part of my university course. Enhanced skills in Visual Basic for

Applications and worked in Microsoft Excel, maintaining and developing the company’s product configuration system. Created specialized reports via coding in VBA for the use of my immediate supervisor and shop

managers. Updated data and solved small technical faults with other users machines. Analyzed data and produced

charts and graphs including machine performance forecasts.

Hove Edge Working Man’s Club, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, UK July 2009 – July 2011

Bar Staff

• Taking deliveries and transporting goods to and from stock

• Opening and closing the bar and securing the premises on a night

• Keeping the area clean whilst overseeing the operation of the bar

• Serving customers to an efficient and professional standard

Kershaw’s Garden Centre, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, UK April 2007 – February 2009

Sales Assistant

• Operating the till and handling large amounts of money

• Keeping the nursery stocked up and making sure that agricultural stock is of a high standard

• Supervising deliveries

• Stocktaking

• Dealing with customer requests and complaints

• Locking up the Garden Centre on a night,

• Trusted with keys for the premises and security codes

Fortis Bank, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK

Undertook Work Experience at Fortis Bank, learning about acquisition finance and methods of client

communications. Here I spent a week taking part in various meetings and seminars and expanding my knowledge on the banking sector. I was involved with Microsoft Access database manipulation.

Education

Northumbria University September 2009 – May 2013

Studied Information Technology Management for Business for 4 years, including a placement year. Undertook

modules such as, Fundamentals of Finance, Project Management (with PRINCE2) and Application Design &

Development.

Lewis John Mason DOB 26.11.1990

Flat 1 Perth Villas, Knowle Top Road Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 8SW Phone: 07909441886 E-Mail: lewisjmason@hotmail.com

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Managing Director of my own business, in charge of Marketing, Sales and Competitor Analysis. This was part of

Graduate Entrepreneurship and required myself and a team to start from scratch a business in a competitive

North East market.

Aiming for a minimum: 2:1 BSc Hons Degree. (Results published 25th June 2013)

Brighouse Sixth Form College September 2007 – June 2009

Studied ICT, Sociology and General Studies at A Level, along with Business Studies as an extra AS Level.

Achieved 3 A Levels and 4 AS Levels.

Brighouse High School September 2002 – June 2007

Achieved 11 GCSE, including Math’s (B), English (C) and Dual Science (C-C)

Skills

Computing & IT:

• Competent in Microsoft Office Programs e.g. Word, Access, Excel

• Capable in various developer programs e.g. Visual Studio, SQL, Scite, Visual Basic for Applications and SAP

• Knowledge of VBA and HTML programming

Modern Foreign Languages:

• Spanish, studied at Northumbria University

• French, attained grade ‘C’ at GCSE

Achievements

• Increased productivity within the Production Engineering Department by 5% (September 2011 – August 2012) - By enhancing the current range of configured items at BEL Valves.

• Trip to Xi’an, China with sixth form to visit students at our link school (February 2009)

• Awarded Diversity & Unity Focus day certificate for participation and volunteering to be a student helper (June

2008)

• Gold award for receiving 30 Commendation certificates, awarded for high standards of work (May 2006)

• Awarded Head Teachers Certificate of Praise, for continued progress in subjects (January 2006)

References

Andrew Turnbull

ITMB Programme Leader at Northumbria University

TEL: 0191 227 4349

Email: andrew.turnbull@northumbria.ac.uk

John Riddell

Production Engineering Standards Manager at BEL Valves TEL: 0191 265 9091 – Main Reception

Email: john.riddell@belvalves.com

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Georgia Macaskie

Personal Details Date Of Birth: 25 May 1990 British driving licence Nationality: British

Education 2010 - 2013 Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne 2006 - 2008 Hurtwood House School, Guildford, Surrey 2003 - 2006 Taunton School, Taunton, Somerset 2000 - 2003 Chafyn Grove School, Salisbury, Wiltshire 1997 - 2000 Sacred Heart School, Hammersmith, London

Qualifications 3 ‘A’ levels achieved in June 2008 in Theatre Studies (B), Media Studies (B) and English Literature (C)

3 ‘AS’ levels achieved in June 2007

9 GCSE’s achieved in June 2006

Duke of Edinburgh Award achieved June 2006

Work Experience

Saatchi and Saatchi work experience – Date tbd Easter

Assisting backstage at fashion designer Carmen Rion’s Paisaje Mocheval: Autumn-Winter collection catwalk show - Oct 10th 2012

Internship at Pencil Agency – August 2012

Newcastle Fashion Week – June 2012

Web Design with Mark Saloschin – Jan 2012 to Jan 2013

Runner and extra for the Donald Rice film: Cheerful Weather For A Wedding – August 2011

Conde Nast Publishing House with Conde Nast Traveller Magazine, GQ Magazine, Tatler Magazine and Vogue Magazine. - 2009-2010

Assisted Vogue Magazine fashion shoot with photographer David Bailey: ‘Young London Issue’ - Jan 2010

Marketing/Advertising with Odey Asset Management Ltd - 2009

Assisted in shoe designer Emma Hope’s shop in Sloane Square -2008

Mobile: 07795 682 132 Home Phone: 01747 820 080 Email: georgiamacaskie@hotmail.com

Chicklade House Chicklade Nr Hindon Salisbury SP3 5SU

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Promoted up-and-coming magazine, ‘First 11’ - 2008

Organised two charity fashion shows whilst at school using High street/ Designer clothes borrowed for the day -2008

Designed and created a pop video and teenage magazine for a Media Promotion project as part of my A level. -2008

Assisted fashion designer Alice Temperley with sales work in her shop -2008

Catered for weddings and dinner parties at Taunton School and Catering Enterprises and Cockerel Catering Co. – 2008

About me: I’m an enthusiastic and positive individual; I have good people skills and I’m always open for challenges. I’m a good team player bringing hard work and energy to the table.

Interests Watching live music, theatre, shopping in markets, Art and fashion shows/exhibitions, Photography, skiing and sports in general

References Mr Jamie Bill, Publishing Director of GQ Magazine. Tel: 02071 523 780 Mr David Broome, Hurtwood House School. Tel: 01483 279 000 Mr Alistair Hallows, Taunton School. Tel: 01823 349 277

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Lewis Bell 39 Hillcrest Road Townville Castleford West Yorkshire WF10 3QX

Mobile: 07515748035

Email: lewisb_01@hotmail.co.uk or Lewis.bell@northumbria.ac.uk

Personal Statement I’m a very organised person and always conduct myself in a professional manner as well as getting very passionate about what I’m involved in. I have gained over three years work experience already whilst still continuing my studies and this has provided me with invaluable knowledge and experience that can be easily transferable to many different working environments. One of the years’ worth of experience has been working for a global IT consultancy company as a placement student. I am always willing to take on extra responsibilities and duties as well as continue to learn new skills and enhance the ones that I already have. Employment Business Technology Consultant Capgemini UK London October 2011 – July 2012 Capgemini is a global leader in consulting, technology, outsourcing and professional services. At Capgemini I worked as a Business Technology Consultant on a placement year as part of my university degree. During my time at Capgemini I had two main roles one of which was working on a project to audit account of a number of private sector clients. The second was working as a test analyst on a £4million data warehouse platform refresh for Network Rail. Some of the duties that I fore filled were:

• Working with the client to establish data flow behind a number of business processes. • Attend client meetings to give updates on progress. • Devise test strategy for Go-Live procedure. • Analyse work contracts to ensure rates were being adhered to. • Co-ordinate activities of team to ensure deadlines were met successfully

While working at Capgemini I have developed and enhanced and number of skills which include • Problem solving • Keep eye for detail • Managerial and leadership skills • Communication skills both written and verbal • Presentation skills

Part Time Lettings Consultant Walton Robinson Lettings Agency Newcastle upon Tyne March 2010 – June 2011 Walton Robinson is a letting/estate agency based in Newcastle City Centre specialising in student and professional lets. At Walton Robinson I work in the lettings and sales department of the company. During summer 2010 I worked for the company on a full time basis. My main duty is to rent properties out or be involved in the sale of a property. Other duties include:

• Liaising with customers, tenants, landlords, contractors, corporate and university clients either face to face or on the phone.

• Conducting viewings of properties • Insuring all needed documentation is collected for the move-ins that I supervise • Collecting payments from tenants, contractors and landlords

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• Regularly checking the company website to ensure all content is working correctly if not reporting it or correcting it myself if I have access

While at Walton Robinson I have developed and enhanced a number of skills which include: • Written and Verbal communication • Time management and organisation • Working in a professional manner at all times • Ability to meet targets and incentives • Working at a intense pace whilst keeping a high standard of service

Education Northumbria University 2009 – Present Newcastle upon Tyne BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) This course develops IT knowledge and applies it to real business world on both a practical and theoretical level. It aims to develop a variety of skills that employers are looking for and involves continual interaction with employers to ensure the university is teaching the correct material. Pontefract NEW College 2007 – 2009 Pontefract, West Yorkshire 4 A Levels including Business Studies, Sport & Physical Education, ICT, Psychology and General Studies. Achieving 330 UCAS points. Airedale High School 2002 - 2007 Castleford, West Yorkshire 9 GCSE's all A -C's including English grade C and Maths grade B Skills Problem solving. In the past I have been required to work with a variety of different people to locate a number of different pieces of documentation. This has meant that I have needed to build up a working relationship quickly with them to acquire the needed documents. IT knowledge. I have an excellent knowledge and experience office based software. However my degree to date has given me an understanding of SQL databases which uses Oracle and VB.NET programming language. Organisational skills. I have a good understanding how to best organise my time to ensure that I am using it efficiently. I have also learnt how to prioritise tasks best in order to make the maximum use of limited time yet still meet minimum expectations of the people I am working alongside. Team working. I have been a member of a number of different teams whether they been on a sporting field, class room or even a working environment where I have learnt to work with a variety of people with different personalities and abilities. Verbal Communication. I have presented an update on the sales work that has been completed in the weekly account meetings that often included the account vice president. I have also held client workshops in order to work collaboratively on issues that may have arisen during the data migration Driving licence. I have a full clean driving licence and have held this since March 2009. Associate Member of the British Computer Society (AMBCS) References Mr Andrew Livesley (Executive Consultant, Capgemini UK)

• Tel: 0870 238 8836 • Email: andrew.livesley@capgemini.com

Miss Jaimie Hocking (Associate Director, Walton Robinson Letting Agency) • Tel: 0191 243 1000 • Email: Jaimie@waltonrobinson.com

Mr Andrew Turnbull (ITMB Program Leader, Northumbria University) • Tel: 0191 227 4349 • Email: Andrew.turnbull@northumbria.ac.uk

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HAZEL KIDD Home Address: New House, Croggan, Isle of Mull, PA63 6AH

Current Address: 3b Lambton Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4RX Mobile: 07917797918 Email: hazel.k@live.com

Date of Birth: 16/02/1993

Personal Profile I am a friendly, enthusiastic and confident person. I have just finished the second year of my degree in BA Fashion Communication. I have a great passion for art and design as well as fashion and enjoy visiting modern Art Galleries and Fashion Exhibitions. Within university and my work experience, I have had the opportunity to be creative, work individually and as part of a team. I have strong organizational skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines. I especially work well under pressure and regularly use my presentation skills within university. I am a fast learner and give 100% to any task required of me. I have great communication skills and I am able to adapt to work efficiently with different people. I look forward to bringing another dimension to an existing team. Interests In my spare time I like to draw and to learn about and explore the attractive architecture of both Edinburgh and Newcastle with friends. I visit as many shows and exhibitions as I can and thoroughly enjoy browsing stores and magazines for the latest trends. As well as skiing, my keenest sporting interest is tennis, I also enjoy water sports. I have held a full clean driving license for two years. Education

Northumbria University BA Fashion Communication

2010 – Current Current Grade: 2:1 (at the end of second year)

Module tasks include: Product Launches, Store Events, Catwalk Shows, Photo Shoots, Business Enterprise and Magazine Publications. All Modules relate to visual imagery, text, investigative information and experimental design.

RHS, Barnton, Edinburgh

2007 – 2010 Advanced Highers

B Graphic Communication C Art and Design

Highers

A (Band 1) Art and Design B Maths

C English C Graphic Communication

Standard Grades

Grade 1: Maths, English, Art, Craft and Design

Grade 2: Physics, French, Geography and P.E

Work Experience & Relevant Employment

Citrus Event Staffing, Newcastle June 2012

• Helped run the Citrus Event Staffing office in Newcastle. Constantly available at a desk to answer and make telephone calls for the company. Organized staff to work at events such as festivals and corporate gatherings.

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• Worked at Park Life festival in Manchester, Boomtown Fair in Winchester and a catered business event in Newcastle. Constant interaction with customers, working on the till, handling large amounts of the company’s cash and serving drinks with the responsibility of making sure customers are legally eligible.

• Showed ability to keep calm and work well with others in a busy environment

CherryTree Restaurant, Newcastle June 2012

• Waiting tables at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Newcastle. • Interacting with very important customers and making sure their experience was more

than satisfactory.

Newcastle Fashion Week, Newcastle May 2012

• Worked as part of the work experience team helping to run Newcastle Fashion Week • Looked after the V.I.P guests at the Elizabeth Walker talk and Front Row Fashion Show

at As You Like It. • Worked with official photographers ensuring they kept to and completed their work list. • Worked with the models ensuring hair and makeup was being done as it should. • Showed advanced organizational skills and attention to detail in coordinating the above

tasks.

Northumbria University Graduate Fashion Show, Newcastle May 2012

• Helped out at Northumbria Universities Graduate Fashion Show at the Baltic in Newcastle.

• Collecting tickets at the door, communicating with and directing the attendees visiting the show and the venue separately.

• Making sure the garments were ready to wear and in the right order, helping to prepare models for the runway.

• Showed initiative in being able to make decisions when supervisors were busy

Jules B fashion show, Newcastle May 2011

• Helped out at a Jules B fashion show at ‘As You Like It’ in Newcastle. • Dressed the models quickly whilst maintaining an organized and structured dressing

area for health and safety and also to make sure no garments were damaged.

Royal Burgess Golfing Society, Edinburgh 2009-2010

• Waitressing at one of the most respected Golfing Societies in Edinburgh. • Silver-service • Decorating function rooms

Au Pair, Canada July 2009

• Went to Canada by myself to au pair for a one year-old. • Prepared and cooked meals and looked after the child all day • In my spare time I also looked after other children of friends and spent some time alone

exploring the area I was staying in.

Referees

Available upon request.

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Rebecca Wall

Intelligent, personable and presentable student seeking part time work. I am 21 years of age looking for some work during the summer. I am currently

studying Fashion Communication at Northumbria University. I am looking for work from now leading up to mid September.

I have worked in positions of responsibility in the past such as bar work, waitressing and retail assistant work. I am therefore aware of the importance of maintaining a high level of efficiency under pressure, as well as remaining calm in stressful situations. Through my experience I have gained confidence when working with and serving people. I very much enjoy working as part of a team. I have good communication and numerical skills. I have also gained the ability to diffuse difficult situations that may arise when serving the public. Previous employment / work experience 2012 – Work with Citrus Events

- Catering job serving drinks and canapés - Bar work at a music festival, serving drinks and working on the till.

2011- Sales Assistant for Luxury Cashmere Company, Marilyn Moore, 320 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5UH from May 2011 to Now

- Working with individual customers assisting them to find the products they were looking for

- Stock Control - Till work – responsible for cash and card payments - Maintaining high level of health and safety and hygiene

2010 – Bar and Waitress work at The Idle Hour Pub, 62 Railway Side, London SW13 OPQ from January to September

- Responsible for cashing up at end of each day - Restocking bar - Ensuring no customers underage or over intoxicated were served - Locking up the Public House

2009 – Waitress at Henderson’s Bar and Brasserie, Barnes High Street, London SW13 9 from August to December

- Including waiting tables - Till work – putting together customers bills, handling cash and card

payments - Bar work and use of various equipment including coffee machines - Ensuring customers are enjoying their meals and correcting any problems

when necessary 2009 – Work experience with Daily Telegraph in the fashion department, including administration, ordering samples for the fashion section and liaising with industry contacts

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2008 – Work experience at Virgin Media including Public Relations, Press office and Programme Acquisition 2007 – Charity fund raising assistant helping with paperwork and events 2006 / 2007 – Babysitter / child minder on two nights a week References Laura Boyd – 02073525875, Marilyn Moore Manager Stephen Thorpe – 02088785555, Idle Hour Owner Other Skills School Prefect

- Duties included: ensuring that pupils were happy, and working to solve any problems they had - Being a go between for the pupils and the teachers - Meeting with other prefects and higher-level staff to discuss areas of improvement in the school Lacrosse Deputy Captain – 1st team school level

- Organisation of team - Working with coach and team to gain success in matches

Education 1996 / 2002 - East Sheen Primary School 2002 / 2007 - Lady Eleanor Holles School 2007 / 2009 – Bradfield College Currently Studying at Northumbria University 9 GCSE’s 3 A levels Contact Details The Close 2 Longfield Drive East Sheen London SW14 7AU Mobile: 0784 3232088 Email: Rebecca_wall@hotmail.co.uk

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Curriculum Vitae Contact information Name: James Littleton Address: 14 foundry way, Rayne, Essex, CM77 6AE Telephone number: 07765992470 Home number: 01376327761 Email: james.littleton@northumbria.ac.uk Personal Statement I’m a motivated, well-travelled and knowledgeable person who is always passionate about my work. I have lived abroad for a large proportion of my life which has made me extremely adaptable and able to cope with most situations I am placed in. I have a keen interest in the field of sports science, specifically biomechanics, and also love to participate in as many different sports as I can in order to further my abilities in communication and team-work which I believe are a huge in personal growth and development. Education & Qualifications I am a current student at Northumbria University studying Applied Sport & Exercise Science with Coaching and am completing my final dissertation year. I qualified for Northumbria by attaining a BTEC National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science from Braintree College in 2010 and surpassed the requirements needed to gain entry. Prior to college, I attended one of the best schools in the country; a boarding school in Essex named Felsted School. Here I gained 10 GCSE’s all at a minimum of at least a C grade. Institution Date of study Qualifications Results

Felsted school August 2005-

July 2008 10 GCSE’s 5 B Grades

5 C Grades Braintree College September 2008

– May 2010 Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Distinction, Distinction, Merit

Northumbria university

September 2010 – June 2013

Applied Sport & Exercise Science with Coaching

Degree TBC

10 GCSE’S 5 B grades – Design & technology, English, Physical Education, Science, Mathematics 5 C grades – English literature, Geography, French, Additional Science, History

Work experience/Employment History

R.T.F Maintenance & Building services - Property maintenance apprentice:

Personal information Date of birth: 13 September 1991 Place of birth: Chesterfield, Derbyshire Citizenship: British National Gender: Male

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July - September 2008 Worked to maintain the various properties owned by R.T.F around the area of Canvey Island. This experience helped develop useful life skills such as improvisation, communication with the public, planning and organisation and others. Benton Hall Golf Club – Work experience (gym instructor, fitness coach, waiter, pro shop cashier) October 2009- January 2010 Involved working in and around one of the best golf clubs in Essex. Entailed working in a team-based culture through performing multiple jobs around the club which all required different and unique skills. The experience helped develop good working knowledge in the sports science and personal training field. Interests

• I am hugely interested in travelling the world and experiencing all it has to offer. As a child I lived abroad for several years which included 4 years in Budapest (Hungry) and 4 years Moscow (Russia). This has definitely had a massive influence on how I have developed into who I am today by teaching me about different cultures and my experiences have taught me that I am able to adapt to any situation I am put in.

• I am a keen sportsman who often gets involved in various sports whenever possible. I’m a lifelong Newcastle united fan which has had a big influence on my choice of education as I want to know what it takes to perform at the top level in professional sports.

Achievements

• Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award • Appointed NUCO First Aid Certificate • Qualified Sports Coach Level 1 • Gym Instructor Level 1

References Carl Craig – R.T.F Maintenance Supervisor Mobile – 07771550646 email - carlfcraig@facebook.com Benton Hall Golf Club Telephone – 01376502454 email – bentonhall.info@theclubcompany.com