BUSINESS IDEAS Forum

1.0 Executive Summary

Calico Computer Consulting is in the process of being formed as a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Doug Burham. This plan is written as a guide for starting and managing this new business and will also serve as the basis for a separate, detailed marketing plan. Following is a summary of the main points of this plan.

• The objectives of CCC are to generate a profit, grow at a challenging and manageable rate, and to be a good citizen.
• The mission of CCC is to provide fast and reliable technical assistance to small office computer users.
• The keys to success for CCC are marketing and networking, responsiveness and quality, and generating repeat customers.
• The initial primary service offered will be hourly technical aid, although retainer contracts and projects will be considered in the future growth.
• The local market for this business, while not new, is wide open for new and expanding consulting firms.
• An initial financial analysis of the viability of this venture shows outstanding promise and results. Several sources note that the computer consulting business is easy to start, requires little up-front capital, and has the potential to be quite lucrative in today's high tech world.

In conclusion, as shown in the highlights chart below, this plan projects rapid growth and high net profits over the next three years. Implementing this plan, in conjunction with a comprehensive and detailed marketing plan, will ensure that Calico Computer Consulting rapidly becomes a profitable venture for the owner.

Highlights

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1.1 Objectives

The objectives of this business plan are:

• To provide a written guide for starting and managing this computer consulting business; a strategic framework for developing a comprehensive tactical marketing plan.
• The intended audience is the owner of this business only; this plan is not intended to obtain financing from outside sources.
• The scope of this plan is to provide detailed monthly projections for the current plan year, and yearly summaries for the following two years.

The objectives of Calico Computer Consulting are:

• Profit - To generate sufficient profit to finance future growth and to provide the resources needed to achieve the other objectives of the company and its owner. (Net profit of at least 45% of sales in first year).
• Growth - To grow the business at a rate that is both challenging and manageable, leading the market with innovation and adaptability. (Grow from 24 billable hours/week at end of Year 1 to 35 hours/week in Year 3).
• Citizenship - To be an intellectual and social asset to the community and environment. (Contribute 5 hours per week as volunteer, contribute 5% of pretax profits to charity).

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1.2 Mission

Calico Computer Consulting's mission is simple and straightforward:

• Purpose - CCC exists to provide fast, reliable technical assistance to local business/small office/home office computer users. CCC sells solutions &results!
• Vision - By providing fast response, informed expertise, and consistently high quality solutions, CCC generates enough satisfied repeat customers to provide a stable retainer base. This generates sufficient profit to provide a comfortable living for the owner.
• Mission - The short term objective is to start this company quickly and inexpensively, with a minimum of debt. The long term objective is to grow the company into a stable and profitable entity that the owner can easily and comfortably manage.
• Marketing Slogan - "Calico Computer Consulting is your computer paramedic..."

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1.3 Critical Success Factors

The keys to success for Calico Computer Consulting are:

• Marketing and Networking (getting the name out there -TOMA).
• Responsiveness (being an on-call computer paramedic with fast response time).
• Quality (getting the job done right the first time, offering 100% guarantee).
• Relationships (developing loyal repeat customers - retainers).

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