oo YOUWIN Business Plan Stage 2

Section 1

Q. Business Name: The name of the venture shall be “BEE82

Poultry Farms”

BEE82 Poultry Farms was established in 2011 to fill the gap of

the ever increasing demand for poultry food in Kano state and its

neighboring states

These are the cheapest eggs to buy

2. The Product

The main activity of BEE82 Poultry Farms is the poultry breeding and poultry production will involve day-old chicks being purchased, breaded and nurtured for the production of layers for eggs production; poultry meat (broilers) and also the sales of the old layers as meat for consumption. These will supplement the inadequate and irregular, insufficient eggs and meat production in Kano state. These eggs will be produced by free-range hens that will be fed on grains that are grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or any other genetically engineered product.

Our products (Eggs) are first grades eggs weighted between 55g to 65g in size and will be packaged in transparent foils and preserved against sunlight and most importantly, will be the cheapest eggs to buy in the state. We will supply and make available the old layer birds as meats to consumers such as the ‘Maisuyas’, Hoteliers, ‘maisayis-indomies’ sellers and restaurants within Kano metropolis.

The product includes the following listed below:

1) A White and brown Oval–shaped eggs and 2) Brown Old layers3) Broilers

3. Targeted Market and Customers

a. Our eggs and poultry meat are in high demand both from direct

customers and businesses that uses eggs for their products. In

Kano state today, a state which is known for its high demand for

poultry products and meat; we will produce our products for the

direct customers which include stop-by individuals, families,

Corporate Kano, restaurants, fast food joints and Maisuyas within

and Kano metropolis; While our indirect consumers will be the

manufacturer and establishments that desire our products for

their own products e.g. Yahuza Suya; ice cream and yoghurt

producers

; And bakeries processed food developers.

Our poultry farm will also service some of the Kano state market

e.g. Yan Lemu, Naibawa motor park, corner Dawaki market and

Uguwan Uku motor park.

4.

Q. Is the market for your product or service growing or shrinking?

Kano state has an estimated population of 9.38 million people

(2006 census) and is the second largest state in Nigeria.

Agriculture is the largest sector in Kano in terms of provision of

employment and income generation to its populace. Over 70% of

its populace are directly and indirectly consumers of its

agricultural products

Our target as a company is to commence with 4,000 birds

capacity and increase to 20,000 birds’ capacity within the next 2

years. This we will do to enhance the supply of eggs and poultry

meat for the populace at affordable price as we also ensure the

creation of jobs for some unemployed youths in the society.

The above analysis shows that the market for poultry in Kano

State is a an ever increasing one as Kano is a large market for all

types of poultry products, including eggs. Producers do not have

to seek buyers; rather, buyers in Kano State have long sought out

producers. Dealers or middlemen buy from farms and sell to

direct consumers (individuals, corner shops, and supermarkets)

and to processors for onward sales to direct consumers. The latter

group includes many sellers of tea, and of sellers of fried yams

and eggs, and of fried bean cakes. These last two groups are the

largest outlets for eggs in Kano. Eggs are sold informally to the

neighboring countries of Niger and Chad. In normal times, eggs

produced in Kano were not sufficient to meet the demand.

The Kano state poultry industry is a

Kano State is one of the leading markets for poultry in northern

Nigeria. In Kano, most poultry farms are small -- about two thirds

have no more than 5,000 birds, and only about 5% of poultry

farms in Kano State stock more than 50,000 birds. Kano formerly

could not meet locally the demand for eggs. Eggs are sold

informally to the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad. In

normal times, eggs produced in Kano were not sufficient to meet

the demand;

Kano is a large market for all types of poultry products, including

eggs. Producers do not have to seek buyers; rather, buyers in

Kano State have long sought out producers. Dealers or

middlemen buy from farms and sell to direct consumers

(individuals, corner shops, and supermarkets) and to processors

for onward sales to direct consumers. The latter group includes

many sellers of tea, and of sellers of fried yams and eggs, and of

fried bean cakes. These last two groups are the largest outlets for

eggs in Kano. ¶5. Eggs are sold informally to the neighboring

countries of Niger and Chad. In normal times, eggs produced in

Kano were not sufficient to meet the demand;

5. Pricing Power:

Q. Explain the unique qualities concerning your products that will

enable you to maintain profitable pricing

Search for unique qualities of my poultry products!

Hygienic and

The range of our services is purely professional. They go beyond

the mere delivery of services as required by the customer. We go

the extra mile of adding value to the intention of the customer by

understanding the basic purpose of what the customer wants to

do with our services and help the customer see the bigger picture

of the whole subject matter. For instance, if we have a media job

that requires our doing a voice-over on a documentary for a TV

station or a particular producer, we would desire to understand

the purpose that particular documentary would want to achieve

and try to mirror in the psychology of the viewers in the specific

demography. This will help us to give fillip to the scripting and

the voice-tonation to help pass the message with an emotional

flair that will attract and arrest the attention of the viewers.

The same principles apply to our training and secretarial services

units. We always have the extra value that the customer goes

away with.

As we plan an expansion and full deployment of our services to

our target market, we intend to do a promotional price regime for

a specific number of weeks to generate a determined traffic of

customers. Our pricing however in this respect will be reasonable

enough for us to maintain a margin of profitability in the long

haul. The basic circumstance that will continue to guide our

pricing regime(s) is the extra quality we shall bring into play in

the conduct of our business. That however does not divorce us

from the fact that our competitors’ price will be ignored. We will

ensure that we are competitive enough to drive traffic before our

customers keep a better idea of the quality of service we have to

render.

Section 2

The Vision

The vision of BEE82 Poultry farms is to ‘see a well-nourished

society’.

And the company’s mission is to provide high and best

quality nutritional poultry products at affordable means.

I am passionate that a well-nourished society can be achieved

through our best quality and refined poultry product we provide in

Kano state. In other for us to achieve this we will ensure we

adhere strictly to quality and hygienic products.

The People

Ogudo Omonjiade is a graduate (B-Tech) of Physics

Electronics from Federal University of Technology Minna

Niger State, Nigeria with also Post graduate diplomas in

Education. I am a small business trainer and teacher of

microenterprise with close to five years’ experience

mentoring and developing small business in Northern

Nigeria; I have acquired some skills and experience in the

areas of agriculture and education. He is a member of a

few Agricultural cooperative societies registered in Kano

State that focuses on poultry production and mechanized

farming. I am also a member of the Kano state chapter of

the Poultry Association of Nigeria.

I currently work with Opportunities Industrialization

Centers International (OICI) as a Programs Associate on

Entrepreneurship Development and Resource Mobilization

Assistant (Pa ED/RM). My roles basically are to provide

business and entrepreneurship development trainings to

disadvantaged youths and women within Kano state. I

also encourage and ensure through the resource

mobilization department, that the participants embark on

community development and sanitation initiatives. This

we do in keeping a clean society.

I have 2years experience as an apprentice and poultry

assistant at a relations poultry farms in Kano State.

I am also a business consultant and developer of small

scale poultry businesses in Kano. Currently I manage a

cooperative poultry farm called Atama Poultry Multi-

purpose cooperative society Ltd. The poultry venture

which is registered with the Kano state ministry of

cooperatives; a farm that stared poultry production with

200 birds.

Q. Describe your work experience in the business you plan to

start including a list of your skills and knowledge, which will be

required in your business

A. Ogudo Omon is a graduate (B-Tech) of Physics Electronics

from Federal University of Technology Minna Niger State, Nigeria

with also Post graduate diplomas in Education. I am a small

business trainer and teacher of microenterprise with close to five

years’ experience mentoring and developing small business in

Northern Nigeria; I have acquired some skills and experience in

the areas of agriculture and education. He is a member of a few

Agricultural cooperative societies registered in Kano State that

focuses on poultry production and mechanized farming. I am also

a member of the Kano state chapter of the Poultry Association of

Nigeria.

I have 2years experience as an apprentice and poultry

assistant at a relations poultry farms in Kano State. Ogudo Omon

is the founder of Born Extraordinarily Excellent International (BEE

International) an organization with the sole aim of bringing

mentorship, training, apprenticeship and information to young

people (teenagers) in northern Nigeria.

Furthermore, he is a graduate of the PAN African University

(Entrepreneurship Development Center) Lagos Creative

Enterprise Certificate course sponsored by British Council and

Glascow University Wales.

I also attended a business plan/business development

training organized YOUWIN in Kaduna in 2011.

In view of the foregoing, He has attained necessary business

acumen, financial discipline and managerial skills to make him

succeed in the chosen business line.

Section 3 Communications

Resource requirements:

Telephone

a) CDMA Fixed Wireless Phone for the poultry(1 No. CDMA phone @ N25, 000 = N25,000

Cost of running the phones per annum(N3,000 card x 3/week= 12,000 x 12 months) = N144,000

b) CUG Telephones for staff(N3,000 x 6 units) = N18,000

Computers

2 branded desktop computers (completeWith UPS & accessories) @ N90,000 = N180,0001 laserjet 4000 series printer = N60,0001 deskjet 3 in 1 (printer, scanner & copier) = N25,000

Internet Access

Budget for modem (MTN@N8000x12) = N96, 000.00

Total Cost of all Communications = N548, 000.

00

Section 4 Organization

Business Organization

Q. Explain the form of business organization you intend to

use and why is it the best for your business.

BEE82 Poultry Farms is a registered under the Corporate

Affairs Commission of Nigeria as a sole proprietorship

venture with registration number NG1305 with current plans

to upgrade into a limited liability Company. Currently we

operate functional a current account with Guaranty Trust

Bank and the details are as follows:

Account Name: BEE EnterprisesBankers: Guaranty Trust BankAccount No:

My decision to operate the poultry business in this form is to

enable me build the establishment from its foundational

stage to a full operational and viable-existing structure. It is

designed to grow as a long-time and durable establishment

with the mandate to deliver quality and cutting-edge

services to her customers.

The organization has a Central Administration which is headed by

me the founder being the Managing Director We will have a

central accounting system with an Accountant, a veterinary

doctor as a consultant who be on ground at the farm once a

week.

We will also employ the services of three laborers and one

security man whose responsibility will be to check and monitor

the movement within and around the farm. One of the labour

men shall act as a sales boy/marketer. We will employ the

services of experienced personnel to carry out various tasks

and assignment for the organization as this will also create

proper accountability and create a venture that will live

beyond the owners.

Q. Professional Consultants

We shall employ the services of the following professionals

and consultants listed below:

a. Barrister Emmanuel I. Ogudo-Emmanuel Ogudo & CO

Solicitors

10A Solo Amahaolu Street

Off International Airport Road,

Lagos

b. Dr. Noble Igbokwe- veterinary Doctor/Consultant

Seriki Yaki Road,Sabon Gari

Kano

c. Mr. Zack Uchebgu- IT consultant/ Business Developer

26 Alu Avenue, off Ahmadu Bello Way Kano

d. Ms Ofure Ogudo- Animal Scientist

263 Hadejia Road, Kano State

e. Mohammed Zarma- Insurance Consultant

1. Poultry Association of Nigeria licence/ Membership

Certificate

2. Environmental and premises license

3. Corporate Affairs Commission

4. Business Registration with Kano State Government

Section 5

Insurance

1. Burglary and Theft Insurance Package on the fixed asset

and property which is valued at 10% on the total fixed

cost.

a. 10% of the fixed cost is N150, 000.

2. Poultry Birds Insurance Package on the birds valued at

2.5% on the cost of the birds.

a. Total cost of birds is valued at N1, 000, 000

b. Total number of Birds is 4000 Birds

c. 2.5% of the total cost is N25,000

3. Fire Insurance (to cover our premises and machinery

Anticipated Insurance Premiums per annumN200, 000.00

Section 6

Premises

Location Criteria: The birds will be housed in a 150 x 120

square meters piece of land and situated within the Kano

state.

The space requirement shall be

Poultry farm length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 mPoultry farm width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 mPoultry houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Poultry house length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 mPoultry house width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 m

Store room length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 mStore room width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 mToilet length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 mToilet width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 mManager's house length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 mManager's house width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 mHens / partition of cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Partitions/ cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Hens / cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Starter cages/ house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Future Requirements

We intend to acquire a large portion of land and also increase the poultry house to enable us accommodates more birds for huge productions and high profitability.

Estimated occupancy cost as a % of sales

Estimated occupancy cost per annum is N480, 000.00. The cost as a percentage of sales is 4.5%.

Section 7

Internal Controls

Explain your intended internal controls and cash controls, check signing policy, strategy for controlling shrinkage and dishonesty and control of incoming merchandise.

Internal & Cash Controls

In order to ensure that our financial system is fraud proof, our

internal control mechanism in place and further being improved

against the backdrop of our expansion program is summarized in

the following steps:

a) All services rendered is ticketed by the official who offered

the service and in consonance with our approved pricing system

issues a ticket showing the amount to the customer who takes the

ticket to the Cashier where the relevant sum is paid and a receipt

is issued.

b) Our receipt is in triplicate. The original one is issued to the

customer, the second is kept in a file for audit purposes and the

last one is left in the booklet as a reconciliation copy.

c) At the end of each day’s transaction, the Cashier renders an

account of the day’s receipts to the Head of Department or his

delegate who receives all cash and reconciles same with the

receipts issued. He or she signs on a register meant for cash

rendered for the day.

d) All monies received are paid into the Company’s account the

next morning by the Accounts Officer. Tellers of amounts paid

are photocopied in three copies. The first copy is filed in the

banking transaction file, the second is kept in the audit records

file and the third is given to the Head of Department for the

records of banking transactions for reconciliation purposes.

Cheque Signing Policy

a) At each point in time, the Company’s account will be run by

three signatories with the mandate of any two to sign. For all

funds to be withdrawn, a formal request is compiled by the

Accountant who presents it to the Managing Director/CEO or his

delegate at any point for vetting and approval before cheques are

drawn.

b) Armed with this approval, the Accountant prepares

cheque(s) and passes same to any two signatories available with

an attached copy of the MD/CEO or his delegate’s approval. The

signatories’ signs and the cheque is presented for withdrawal.

Other Control Strategies

c) All payments to be made for contracts, repairs, and

maintenance or even to clients will be through the bank. Cash

transactions will be discouraged as much as possible except for

minor expenses which involve the day to day running of the

operations of the Company.

Incoming merchandise

a) For all purchases to be made in respect of company’s

operating activities, the Head of Department shall receive

requests by staff concerned, check and confirm the record of

previous inventories and approves purchases.

b) Designated suppliers are requested to supply the specified

materials or goods and upon the presented of their invoice, a

cheque is raised in the said sum and the suppliers are paid

therefrom.

c) Supplied materials or inventories are recorded by the

Accountant and kept in the store. Requests for usages are

approved by the Head of Department while the Accountant issues

the materials for use.

Section 8: Financing

Financing Strategy

Upload a chart or spreadsheet showing all of the sources of your start-up capital.

The Start-up Capital here is my equity contribution of N450,000.00 and the grant of N4.5 million I am applying through the You-Win Program.

Upload a cash flow projection and projected income statements to show sources of repayment of loans, if applicable.

= NOT APPLICABLE

Explain any government assistance or loan guarantee programs you intend to apply for.

Besides the YouWiN Business Plan program which this plan is meant to satisfy, there is no immediate government assistance or loan guarantee programs that I need to apply for on behalf of the Company.

List your sources of referrals to lending institutions. (Your accountant, etc.)

= NOT APPLICABLE

Section 9: E-Commerce

E-Commerce Plans

Describe in detail how you plan to use the Internet in marketing your product or service.

The Internet provides a unique platform for marketing of products

in contemporary business times.

First among the specific means I will deploy via the information

super-highway are:

1. Social Media Platforms

Facebook: I currently have an active Facebook presence

with over 1400 subscribers. Through this medium, I will

reach out to a huge clientele base who are resident in Kano

state, Niger state and environs for our business. Our

business is however not restricted to the North West geo-

political zone of Nigeria alone, therefore will Facebook gives

me a global outlook and this I will use extensively. Small

space adverts and specific posts on our services will be

consistent. www.facebook.com/ogudo

Twitter: I use Twitter basically to drop links for those who

follow me and those I follow directing them to our company

website and blogs so they can view and get information

about our activities and our services.

www .twitter.com/pierreoceans

Blackberry Services: I currently have over 260 friends on

my blackberry (BIS) messenger friends list; my friends cut

across a wide range of friends from Kano and neighboring

states.

Poultry Farmers online forum sites: this platform will

also enable me relate with members and farmers from same

industry. I will also learn the latest information available

worldwide

LinkedIn: This platform for professionals will enable me to

partner with individuals and institutions that do the same

kind of business with us and we can leverage on

relationships to market our services. Besides, other

professionals who require our range of services can be

serviced through our presence on LinkedIn.

2. Website

My personal website –www.beeglobal.blogspot.com has

incorporated in it a segment devoted totally to our services

in Bee82 Poultry Farms. My contacts and traffic on

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are constantly directed to

this link as a marketing tool with the www.fidjit.com online

tool.

We are also in constructing a website for our farms which

will be hosted online and will also serve as a web2.0 platform

for other application to run. We intend to also create a

section on the site for adverts of other agricultural products;

thereby making some profits. www.bee82farms.com

3. Online Bulk SMS and Voice Calls: This will also serve a

great tool for our business, as over 3000 phone numbers we

have will be communicated with our products directly on their

phones through the e-commerce bulk SMS and bulk-voice

platform. This will be a great marketing tool for our business.

4. BlogSpot

I will also create a separate working BlogSpot for our

enterprise to reach out to the populace and provide a one

stop shop for quality and affordable poultry products.

E-Commerce Budgeting

Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in creating, operating and maintaining your e-commerce activities.

Mobile modem/subscription (MTN) for 1 year for 2 mobile/laptop Users (N8,000 x 12) - 96,000.00

Facebook and Search engine adverts - 50,000.00

Website Upgrade & Hosting for 1 year 50,000.00

196,000.00

E-Commerce Competition

Describe how your best competitors utilize e-commerce and your strategy to improve on their practices.

In the geographical divide we find ourselves today; Kano state,

North West Nigeria, my major competitors utilize only at a

minimum basis the opportunities for marketing available on the

Internet. This is simply because the environment is purely a

consumer-based (tangibles) environment. There is less emphasis

on the use of e-commerce as a tool for creating business viability.

However, because I have an eye on a national and sub-regional

market (West Africa) in terms of our products; I am determined to

spread our tentacles on the net wide to capture a sizeable

amount of the market as is available to all my competitors in the

envisioned market I desire to play in.

We intend to use all possible e-commerce mechanisms available

to drive sales and traffic to my organization. As with the use of

bulk SMS and voice will create a new platform for more sales

within our environment. We will maximize the internet to a

maximum percentage; utilize all freebies available to our

advantage in order for us to capture the market.

My strategy is therefore to make more online visibility and

presence.

Section 10: Acquisitions

This section is currently not applicable to our Business Plan.

Section 11: Marketing

Marketing Plan

Describe your overall marketing and sales strategy including how you plan to get and retain customers.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

I intend to use a three-prong approach in my marketing and sales strategy. This is predicated on the fact that the Kano area is a uniquely and peculiar market to play in. In marketing, I will deploy a media campaign to reach the generality of the people with more emphasis on radio jingles especially in the Hausa language.

I will also deploy an e-Commerce campaign using the Internet. I have a very active Facebook page, a twitter account that has a huge following and I am on LinkedIn. Facebook advert will come into play. I run two blogs that has enjoyed tremendous hits and I will use it maximally for my e-Commerce marketing campaign.

The third approach is the one-on-one direct word-of-mouth marketing accompanied by handbills, flyers, brochures and targeted bulk SMS to potential customers. This also involves when the clients come into our premises, we give them value through excellent customer service with superior customer value capabilities and appropriation. This will naturally engender repeat patronage and create a chain of customers who come as a result of the testimonies of those who have had contacts with us.

We have three classes of services I am rendering viz: Multi-Media Services, Personal/ Business Development Trainings & Secretarial, Publishing/Writing & Internet/Information Marketing. Upon expansion, I desire to run promotional activities on a quarterly basis to drive traffic to our range of services and create a major presence through the churches in the region. My affiliation with the Church world as an ordained pastor is giving me an advantage to penetrate the leadership of a broad base of churches to put our services in the consciousness of more people.

Advertising and Promotion Plans

Describe your plans and budgets for advertising and promotions.

As mentioned in the strategy sub-section, I intend to adopt a three-prong approach for advertising and promotions.

They are:

a) Electronic/Print media adverts with specific bias for radio jingles especially in Hausa language. This will be consistent and sustained in the first three months of expansion activities. We intend to use all our programs on radio whose airtime slot are paid for by sponsors already to deploy free adverts besides the paid slots we intend to take independently.

b) E-commerce advertising and promotions will be deployed through my platforms on social media, blogspots and website.

c) Word-of-mouth marketing using handbills, brochures and repeat customer referrals. A major part of this strategy will be carried on by our team of marketing staff.

Budget

1. Radio (Cool FM – Kano) :Radio jingles periodically for the first three months - N 45,000

2. Classified Advert in Daily Trust Newspaper Twice monthly classified adverts in the paper for the first3 months - N 40,000

3. E- Commerce The budget for e-commerce in E-commerce section willcover for what we need to market and promote ourselveson the Internet. - 196,000

4. Brochures, handbills & flyers, flex banners and 1 yardbanners around the city over for take-off - N 59,000

N400,000

Purchasing & Inventory Control

In the first three (3) months, we shall purchase working tools (consumables for computers, printing and items that are of non-perishable nature) in bulk and keep track of them. There are purchases that are of daily nature or weekly and monthly nature. There shall be a daily, weekly and monthly budgets for such items to avoid working tools running out while we have customers to service.

In subsequent months, after studying the trend of requirements for each piece of tool, we shall project on the basis of expected sales and demand.

The Inventory Control mechanism that will be in place will ensure that we avoid wastage and keep track of every item purchased as consumable working tools. A minor weekly audit of inventory of stock shall be taken while we shall conduct a quarterly and annual inventory to keep track as it will also give us the opportunity to plan and budget well for purchases subsequently.

Training Policies

Describe your plans for hiring and training your sales associates

In the first one year of expanded operations, we shall have two full-time marketing staff and at least 10 stringers on the field working on commission or casual basis as may be required for each special campaign.

At inception, we shall conduct a general orientation training programme for every staff in Marketing and Sales. This general training is to give the generality of our staff the induction knowledge that our business is nothing without the selling of our services to the customer. Every staff therefore will be given the orientation of a sales person.

Then, we shall organize a special indepth training for our full-time marketing/sales team and the hired field workers who would operate on commission/casual basis. This training will precede the formal launching out of the expanded operations. Subsequently, we shall train them on a daily basis on the various techniques and strategies of marketing and sales.

Some of these sessions will be purely interactive as we receive feedback from the field and generate appropriate response to the feelers we get.

Training and retraining will continue to feature in our monthly plans for the generality of our staff with specialized programs designed for our Marketing/Sales team.

The Competition

Describe your strongest competitors and how you intend to compete

Our strongest competitors who operate in the different range of our services in the Kano area are in the business without the professional touch that is demanded but making appreciable impact as a result of their long presence in the businesses in the region. For instance, in the Multi-Media sphere, very few people who handle production activities in this area are structured as a going concern. They run their businesses on a solo level and leveraging on their relationships with key stakeholders in the media arena to push their trade. Some of them do not have the technical and professional competence but depend on the staff of the same media houses they service to do “private practice” while they take a percentage of the proceeds as payment.

To successfully compete in this realm in such an unprofessional but yet lucrative realm, we are building a structured organization that will become a known brand for professionalism and excellence. With a structured marketing and networking marketing team, coupled with the visioner’s intellectual conduct which will be brought to bear on the business, we shall compete favorably with these competitors and within a short period of time (following an aggressive advertising and promotion campaign in the first three months) have a commanding presence in the market.

Our Business & Personal Development Training unit has key competitors in the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Centre for Management Development (CMD), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and privately run Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC). The first three are government sponsored while the last is a privately run non-governmental organization involved in entrepreneurship and empowerment training programs.

Our strategy for finding our niche market for training is simply looking at the critical areas that these training organizations do not major on at the moment which is also needed by people and organizations. Some of these areas are comprehensive training on entrepreneurship that cuts across personal leadership, capacity building in different spheres of entrepreneurship requiring expertise via the tools of the Information and

Communications Technology, basic hands-on training on various types of business that will enable participants begin to deploy their skills for earning residual income at the completion of the training. Such trainings will include critical vocational skills acquisition that are relevant to the need of our immediate environment and by extension other parts of the country. Our strength will be in the content of our program being very practical and our pricing will be affordable enough to attract trainee traffic.

How I plan to take advantage of Competitor’s Weak Points

List your competitors’ short comings and how you can capitalize on them

The major short-comings of the competitors we have mentioned are:

a) Inability to get trainees from privately run organizations for training programsb) Inability to attract individuals not working for any established firm but desirous of

increasing your personal capacityc) Their dependence only on referred trainees from government institutions and

organizations and big multi-nationals.d) Their pricing policy – very unaffordable for private individuals and small firms and

organizations.

Our strategy is to go after private individuals such as NYSC Corp Members, Private School Proprietors and Proprietresses to train their teachers, middle class civil servants desirous of increasing their streams of income while yet maintaining their pay cheques, blue-collar employees in banks and corporate giants who would want to increase their capacity and worth at the work place and private business people who desire to expand their operations with critical knowledge in this area, etc.

We shall also use our pricing to attract some government institutions and corporations/multi-nationals while convincing them with the fact that we are a recognized training outfit registered and/or affiliated to statutory bodies like Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Centre for Management Development (CMD).

We desire to collaborate with these organs to also organize trainings on sub-contracted basis for them. Currently, we are the training consultants to the Kano State Chapter of the Manufacturers Institute of Nigeria (MAN) and have carried out trainings for their member companies at various times. We desire to build on this leverage and compete for a good percentage of the training market not just in the Kano region but in the North West geo-political sphere.

We have competitors in large quantity for our Secretarial & Internet Service realm but not so much in the range within the same unit we refer to as Publishing/Writing & Internet/Information Marketing.

In the Secretarial & Internet Service business, most practitioners are engaged in it on survival basis. We have business centers littered everywhere and most of the staff who work there are mere computer operators and not really qualified secretaries. They do not have what it takes to provide content and edit documents brought in by customers. Their value appropriation is very low. Added to this is the very uncomfortable accommodation they use for their businesses which gives the customers very little comfort while their work is being done.

Internet cafes are littered all over the city but the critical issue is the space problem. Then they use network providers whose services are epileptic because the fees are cheaper. Customers therefore get very poor services and because there are few choices for better services, they just continue to patronize them.

Our strategy to compete here is to deploy qualified secretaries to work in our Secretarial Business Center and Internet Café. We will also provide a welcoming environment that will make customers feel at home.

There are no independent small scale Publishing/Writing & Information Marketing organizations in the Kano area. We shall therefore we pioneering this brand of services. What we have with a resemblance of publishing are mere printing presses. We intend to provide qualitative publishing services complete with shadow-writing services, speech writing and concept development services to our clients. We shall provide training on Information Marketing and demonstrate this for our clientele students as we earn income on two fronts.

Section 12: Growth ProgramExpansion

Describe your growth: You might include development of profitable pilot operation, sources of financing, cash flow, accounting system in place, incentive compensation plan for managers, benefits package and policies, economics of scale.

Operating a one-stop Resource Center which encompasses a media service unit, a business/personal development training arm and a secretarial, internet & publishing services division is a daunting task. With the right mix of management and accounting system in place, growth is inevitable.

The growth plan within the first one and half years is to start another Resource Center in another city within the geo-political zone of North West. This pilot expansion operation will be located within 200 kilometers radius of the mother-headquarters in Kano.

The source of funding this pilot expansion program is expected to come from a micro-credit bank after we must have drawn up a profitable and winning business plan for the operation. The scale of operation will primarily be a secretarial and internet services. Media and training services will be undertaken by the Kano headquarters on referral basis as resources and manpower will be mobilized to conduct such operations as per the need within the first one year.

The Manager in this branch operation will carry out marketing of our media and training services to be handled with the human and operational resources of the headquarters while focusing on driving clientele for the Secretarial & Internet services.

Incentive for Managers

Once operational, the managers will run the operation in this branch and in subsequent branches to follow as a franchise. They will be given the opportunity to operate it with a percentage of ownership. Initial mobilization for a successful take-off is the setting up of the branch after the model we had successfully launched and operated in Kano. The Managers will then be trained, equipped and empowered to run it like their own. This will definitely cause them to give all their best as they become stakeholders in the venture.

Accounting System

This branch outlet will maintain a self-accounting system modeled after what is on ground in the Kano operations with all the necessary support coming from Kano.

Further Growth

When the branch has run successfully for one year, it would be easier to determine based on profitability analysis if it can muster the running of the additional two units at its location without counting on the Kano headquarters for all the resources it will require.

Handling Major Problems

Describe scenarios of adverse conditions and how you intend to respond to them. For example how you would plan to handle a 25% reduction in sales, or new competitions, etc. Prepare a cash flow projection based on lowered expectations and show how and where you would reduce costs to maintain liquidity.

No matter how much one anticipates some problems in planning a successful and profitable business, certain adverse conditions might not be within the view of the business person. Some of the issues that generate such scenarios are most times outside the control of the business person. Such conditions like political and economic changes, environmental factors occasioned by weather or industry internal and external issues arising from competition, etc.

When such conditions come up, it will definitely affect the profitability of the organization.

My response is to take a cursory look at the percentage of lowered patronage and which particular unit of our range of services this has been affected. I will study the critical reasons that would have influenced such drop and take appropriate response which could be increased marketing, improved customer service and extra-value on our services, special promotions and a look at our overhead to forestall a damage to our profit level occasioned by drop in patronage.

A cash flow projection based on lowered expectations of 25% of reduction in sales is attached on how to cope with such situations.

Upload a cash flow projection based on lowered income expectations that shows where you would save costs to stay in business.

Appendix: YouWiN! Impact

Benefit of Grant

What would receiving a grant through the YouWiN program allow you to do with your business that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do?

The YouWiN program’s grant is a life-line for our proposed Resource Center housing the range of our three critical services.

With the grant:

We will definitely expand our operations which are currently run from a single office setting to a pedestal where we can service an entire city and region’s need as far as our services are concerned.

This expansion will definitely require that we engage additional hands and this will generate employment and be a boost to the nation’s economy. Employing 8 more people will directly impact on their well being and by extension the economy of those related to them.

The quality of services we will render to our different clientele would otherwise not be available in the Kano area if we do not get the grant to expand. The customers we desire to serve will either continue to depend on mediocre services by those who are not professionally inclined like us or go to far flung cities like Lagos and Abuja to get served.

Our expansion will improve the local economy and give a boost to those who will depend on us for rent, consumables, and the various services that we cannot employ directly.

Contingency Plans

What are your contingency plans for ensuring the success of your business even if you are not selected for this grant?

There are contingency plans for ensuring my business desire is a reality even if I am not selected for this grant:

a) Loan from a bank : I will approach a bank with a winning business plan after operating a consistent account with them using income from my range of services at the level I am operating now.

b) Partnership with an independent financier : I will present my plan to individuals I believe will be willing to support my idea and sell it to them. It might be a single individual or more than one person. The amount of their contributions will determine the equity of business they will own in the business.

c) Self-funding from building on my services being offered : The other option is to continue to render my services of media consultancy, training and publishing/internet marketing and save up funds and implement my business plan in phases over a period of time.

Employment Impact

How many additional workers do you think you will employ 1 year from now if you receive the grant compared to if you don't receive the grant?

From the plans on ground for expansion of my operations, I will confidently say Creslead Nigeria Enterprises should have in its employment about additional 7 staff working with it one year from now.

If I don’t receive the grant, I might just have in place three (3) staff working for me.