My plan to sell chocolates and confections online
My plan is to sell chocolates and other confections online through an ecommerce platform in order to expand my clientele across the US. Over 50 locations across the United States and its neighbors will sell better-quality, delectable candies and chocolates from Zak's Confectionary. This executive brief presents my concept and outlines a workable solution (Mendoza, 2009).
The current market for candies and chocolate
Although Zak's Confectionery will have a website, I don't think it will be able to support an ecommerce stage for online sales. The current market for candies and chocolate is robust and shows a steady growth trajectory for the next seven to fifteen years. Zak's confectionary will hold the best standing to take advantage of this internet market through controlling prevailing technologies, best industry practices, as well as building a campaign aggressive in sales and marketing to realize the business's projections of growth for the anticipatable future.
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND PRODUCTS
There is a consideration by Zak's confectionary to provide and create an internet-based platform to sell prevailing produce line. In availing its produces online, Zak's confectionary will advertise its goods to a completely different market, rise revenue and projections of growth, as well as let consumers to procure our goods from such convenience of own households. The company will not proposal any estimated alterations to existing produce offerings as a consequence of this Analysis. Sales online will comprise of only modern produces and whichever variations to the product line shall be deliberated on outside of intent of this deed.
TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS
Advanced technological proficiency will be necessary for Zak's confectionary to transform into offering a marketplace online from which consumers can acquire the company's products. Consumers always plea for an easy and simple approach to carry out dealings online, and so vital that every transaction between company and client is conducted in such a protected mode. Though, Zak's confectionary will retain a website with its product descriptions and lists that allows for acquisition online in order to tolerate secure purchases' acquisition. Even though Zak's confectionary might start with a small group of information tech experts, such experts will lack capacity to build, implement, and design the kind of broad online stage required for such an effort. For this, I recommend signing a contract with an external internet provider with experience capacity to meet Zak's confectionary needs in the budget and timeframe determined. With such addition of the e-commerce portico, projections are a general increase in cost of 6-12% for maintenance and operations webserver costs even though Zak's confectionary will sustains a high-speed connection of the internet, modern software, and webserver.
SERVICE / PRODUCT MARKET and APPROACH
Every major and current competitor of the proposed Zak's Confectionary presently possesses a recognized presence online of 3 to 6 years notably Worldwide Chocolates, and Chocolate and Candy International. A majority of Zak's Confectionary client base will be referrals and recurring consumers from prevailing consumers in the first 1 to 2 years. In offering an extra suitable purchasing means of our merchandises online the company expects that it will maintain such customers as it conducts a marketing campaign online for fresh consumers as well. Zak's confectionary will dispense purchases online through direct delivery from nearest stock location store. Such ventures will enable the company to afford timely delivery and reduce need for a principal facility or warehouse to ship, deliver and store its produces (Vafadar, Tolouei-Rad, & Hayward, 2017). This facility will require a substantial investment capital and better maintenance and operation costs.
Distinctiveness from rivals
For Zak's confectionary to succeed, the company will have to distinct itself from rivals so as to cover online customers appeal. To achieve this, Zak's confectionary will exploit its product packing personalization since existing rivals presently offer no packing personalization. Zak's confectionary will similarly maintain and implement a consumer database and list of emailing to send merchandise promotions, sales commercials, and any other exceptional offerings to consumers registered. Furthermore, Zak's confectionary will avail referral enticements to consumers who speak of our merchandises to family and friends in order to deliver additional enticements. Electronic advertising communication expenses are very minor compared to direct postal promotion which Zak's confectionary competitors currently employ.
STAFFING, ORGANIZATION and SHEDULE
The Zak's confectionary sales online campaign is projected to last 6 months from approval of project to the e-commerce platform launch. Majority of such a platform's foundations, like web server and high-speed internet ability, will additionally be availed.
FINANCIAL FORECASTS
The fiscal projections for an online Zak's confectionary sales podium are highlighted in projected online sales, extra staff, shipping, raw material, and indemnity costs, contract backing for Information Technology and preparation needs, as well as web server and hosting costs. These forecasts assumptions include: In-store projections of sales that remain unaffected, Every milestones performed in accord with the schedule and All such transactions closed annually with no remnant to following years.
FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
Basis on the evidence this feasibility analysis presents, it is suggested that Zak's confectionary will appreciate and accept the online initiative on sales, thus, initiate project launch. The feasibility analysis findings show that the initiative will be exceedingly beneficial to Zak's confectionary and possess a great possibility of accomplishment (Tickle-Degnen, 2013). The Important findings include;
Technology:
The company will exploit prevailing technology to lower risk of project. There will be contracting out Ecommerce setup to a vendor, this will let Zak's confectionary share the risk. Upon setting up, the technology is easy to maintain and operate at a comparatively low cost.
Marketing:
Such an initiative will allow Zak's confectionary to spread to a larger crowd targeted automatically at a very low charge. Zak's confectionary will enlarge consumer base past geographic extents where actual stores will be situated. The market for confection and chocolate sales online prevails in a secure growth state.
References
Vafadar, A., Tolouei-Rad, M., & Hayward, K. (2017). New cost model for feasibility analysis of utilising special purpose machine tools. tandfonline.com. Retrieved 14 January 2017, from http://dx.doi.org.sci-hub.cc/10.1080/00207543.2016.1181283
Tickle-Degnen, L. (2013). Nuts and Bolts of Conducting Feasibility Studies. American Journal Of Occupational Therapy, 67(2), 171-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.006270
Mendoza, C. (2009). Feasibility Study Components. EzineArticles. Retrieved 14 January 2017, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Feasibility-Study-Components&id=2011460
