This assignment was fun.Knowing how to present your data in a fun and eye catching way will make it more memorable to more people then a standard word document. This can be applied to any project, if you catch your audiences eye with something unique they are more likely to remember you when they need your service or product. In this case they may be more likely to back your business as it gets off the ground.
I like the RISE model, especially for the self evaluation. It makes us take a look at what we have accomplished and take stock of what we actually learned from the class. Without this step it would be too easy to finish the class and not reflect on what we are taking away and what it will do for us in our career.
As always
your report is beautifully constructed. The lay out is easy to follow and separating
each point onto its own page makes for a much more organized feel. The AVEMEC
business seems well rounded and has a solid niche market.
Reflect
– The plan lay out is what struck me first. I will definitely go back and
rework mine to give it a more professional look. The graphics are well
placed to break up some longer passages. The business idea is well formed
and offers a one stop company for some of the service offered by the
competitors. Making it easier for customers to satisfy all their audio/
video/ broadcasting needs.
Inquire
– The Mission Statement comes off as ambivalent to prospective customers.
The phrase “would be customers” is not a confident as it could be. It
implies that you are not providing that quality to the current clients you
have. Just a possible alternative: “The mission of AVEMEC is to provide a ‘one
stop’ solution for high quality audiovisual, electronic media, and
engineering support to those in need.” There are of course several ways to
re-word and get your point across. I really like your Business Philosophy;
the message is clear and shows dedication to the customer and employees.
Suggest
– The use of YouTube as a marketing tool with tutorials is a great idea.
It would get a lot more traffic than just a traditional commercial. You
mention also using Facebook, have you considered creating your AVEMEC page
now. It’s easier than making a full website this early and will be easier
for people to share. This can get some buzz going early so when you are
ready to launch in July people already know what you are about. I am
starting a Blog right now for a business we plan to open here in Hawaii
around the same time as your launch.
Elevate
- I just want to say again that I think you plan is solid and well
researched. Have you considered that you may need to re-focus your
services as your business starts? You have cast a pretty wide net with the
array of services you offer. It is great that you can offer all these
services and will make you more diversified in the “dry spells” of any on
particular field. But is also might make it harder for a new customer to
find you. You mentioned that Home Automation is going to be you “golden ticket”
but if it is buried with audio visual and new customer might not think to
look with you. It might just be a matter of adjusting the company’s
priorities while still offering the same services, but it might be worth
keeping in mind.
This assignment will be important for a few reasons. It puts the whole plan together and makes it easier for someone to read. Making it downloadable will make it more sharable for anyone interested in knowing more about the business and possibly investing or helping out with the operation.
The elevator pitch can be very helpful. A lot of the people that are interested in investing are busy people. They don't have time to here all the little ins and outs of the daily grind of your business. You should have a good solid 30 second pitch to get them hooked and want to know more.
Finances are the biggest hindrance to getting a new business off the ground. There are lots of options out there to help you cross that hurdle. Knowing not only what is out there but how to link up with the one that is best suited for your company can be the difference between the idea that makes it and the one that never gets out the gate.
This Exersise was to help us usnterstand the different ways to create buzz about our business. The tried and true method of TV ads and Billboards is going away, people have found ways to tune them out. Some of these newer methods have created some great campaign ads that are doing well for their companies and providing some great entertainment at the same time.
Seeking 2-star with possible alterations to 3-star
Project Description:
This started off as a favor to record a Change of Command
video for some of the people involved. I used three cameras and set to editing.
While doing this I had two requests for my presence at other military
Ceremonies. This Submission is for this video alone. I Plan to upgrade to a
3-star with the submission of this video on a site that will showcase all the
ceremonies I have done as a portfolio for future (possibly paid) jobs.
Industry Analysis and Trends – Our business idea actually spans three markets: Montessori preschool, home school enrichment, and children’s theater. The home school market in our area is a close strong community. There is only one other home school enrichment program in the area but there is an interest in having additional programs. I will be focusing mostly on the Home School enrichment program portion because it is the primary aspect of the plan. The theater is an addition project. There are no children’s theaters on the island, there is one theater that puts on one children’s show a year and it is very popular. A year round offering would be beneficial and welcome.
Industry Overview – The Montessori and Home Schooling industry are growing. The number of home school students has double over the past 5 years. There are currently around 6,000 home school age students.
Market Opportunity – The market is primed for this business, there are a large number of families interested in home school enrichment program.
Barriers to Entry – The biggest barrier we have found so far is finding a location suitable for the business, in a desirable location and in our price range. There are a few places that fit the bill and are vacant but the owner is resistant for some reason.
Long-Term Opportunities – Laws are often changing about school. Currently the laws are favorable for homeschooling. If the public opinion changed and law was to follow it would make this part of our business obsolete.
Target Market – Our primary market will be home school families in the Ewa Beach area. A lot of these families are military and are temporarily in the area. The target age group for students is 3-9 with the possibility of evening workshops to target older children and allow for public school children to join. The Theater will be targeting all families interested in sharing a show. The target age range will be 5-15 depending on the show.
Market Description – The daily Enrichment program will target Home Schooled children between the ages of 3-9. The Montessori curriculum and flexible schedule will appeal to families that want to stay away from the public school format and are looking for alternatives.
Market Size and Trends – From Today.com: “Though such students represent an estimated 3 percent of the population, evidence suggests that home-schooling is a growing trend in America.” And From ABCNews.com: “Students taught at home consistently score higher then the national average on the SAT and ACT standardized tests.”
Target Customers – The customers are the parents that have made the choice to home school and are looking for a way to augment what they are teaching at home. The program is also designed to provide a social outlet for home school children. We are not a full curriculum school or meant to be a full time education provider. The program is only designed to be an addition to what is being provided in the home.
Market Readiness – The market and community needs this program and once they understand the value of what it offers they will be excited to take advantage of the program.
Strategic Opportunities – We have a lot of great timing advantages right now. There is no competition on our side of the island and the one other program is very limited. The Ewa Beach area is going and currently has several military communities. Much of our research shows that the military community makes up a large percentage of home schooling families. The general home school community is very active here and has several support networks and activity groups.
The Competition – The Home School Enrichment center is a concept that is gaining notoriety in the mainland but is still under represented in Hawaii. There is one other program on Oahu but they are not Montessori and they only operate on Mondays. Out program will be available four days a week with several schedule options.
Competitors The only direct Competitor is Kailua Homeschool Resource Center (https://sites.google.com/site/kailuahrc/). Indirectly other competition might include public school or charter preschools. But these are hard to consider because of the unique service we offer. We are in a desirable location for the theater aspect of the business as well because most other live theaters are on Honolulu. Our location will be more accessible for families not living in the Honolulu.
Advantages – Kailua Homeschool Resource Center offers a one day a week schedule for students to experience a classroom setting education. The students still receive the social aspect we will provide but the rigidity of the schedule leave little more for flexibility with the parents. With only the one day options parents don’t have the ability to work around any other commitments that might come up. A homeschoolers schedule is often busy and fluid.
Barriers to Entry – Finding a reasonable price range that will be affordable for the market and profitable for the business. I foresee no complications with competitors because we are still unique enough to have a wide open client base.
Strategic Opportunities – I think our two biggest advantages are schedule and location. The four days a week opposed to one is a huge difference. Geographically we are separated enough that we wouldn’t even be serving the same client pool. The Home School community here in Oahu is close enough that we could absolutely collaborate on projects throughout the year.
This Assignment was beneficial because it allows us to look into what areas we need to focus on and find solutions for before we open. The Strengths and opportunities will work themselves out and be the easy part. Focusing on the threats and weaknesses and having solutions or contingencies are easier to plan for.
This assignment helps us to focus on the industry as a whole. Not just the small area we live in and the immediate circle we talk with. Knowing the growth rate of our industry helps us take a realistic look at our potential.
MCPP Portfolio Project Submission: Eating Hawaii Promo
Star Rating Sought:
1 Star – This is an edit on a video I submitted for Digital Video.
Project Description:
The Project was a Promotional video for a podcast I am planning to start. The website and first podcast will be part of another Portfolio Submission. The video podcast series will be about local restaurants and cuisine in Hawaii. The title of the series is Eating Hawaii and will be produced and hosted by me.
The original cut was closer to four minutes and it was suggested to make it shorter so the new cut it 2 minutes. The original audio consisted of just the voiceover. I added some tropical sounding music in the background.
Resources Utilized:
I used my MacBook Pro and Final cut for editing. I used Garageband for the audio editing.
A basic MiniDV Camera
So far I am the only one to work on this project. Jennifer Patton is the co-host of the podcast and does appear in the video.
Company Description – The Montessori Homeshoolers Enrichment Center will provide classes for home schooled children to augment their education. One of the biggest hurdles with home schooling is the lack of social interaction with other children their own age. We are going to provide that in a Montessori rich environment where the students will learn what they want at their own pace. The Children’s Theater will be an additional project that falls in line with the home school program.
Mission – Or mission is to build a fun and educational community for homeschooling families and offer an empowering supplement to alternative education.
Services – The school will offer two age groups (2-5 and 6-9) a program that will supplement the student’s home school education. This is intended to give the homeschool parents an opportunity for their children to socialize and receive lessons from another perspective. The Theater will prepare and perform a show every 6 weeks with 5-7 shows for each production.
Development-to-Date – So far we have a location in mind, we are still working with the realtor to negotiate terms with the building owner. We have the basic plan for schedule of both projects and are working on a financial plan.
Legal Status and Ownership – We are going with a partnership because it is a small business and needs a simple start. Addicus and Jen Patton will be the co-owners.
Operations and Management – The Center will be located in Ewa Beach, HI. The building will be renovated for two classrooms that can accommodate 24 students, a stage area for performances, a play scape outside for outdoor activities and a kitchen for meals and concessions.
Technology – A web site detailing the programs and show times will be essential to getting recognized and understood. We will need some lighting and sound equipment for the performances. A computer system for the building will be necessary for daily operation to include: Checking in students, applications for new students, and the office management portion of the business.
Management – Jen will be the program director as well as one of the lead teachers. She will need and office assistant and a classroom assistant. This will help her to be effective in both rolls. Addicus will be the theater manager and will handle the schedule and overall production of each show. The shows will be cast from a core group of volunteer actors and open auditions.
Key Employees – In the beginning we will do as much of the work ourselves as we can. That being said we understand that we will need at least a few other employees to include:
Second Lead Teacher (already in talks)
2 Assistant teachers (1 already in talks)
Stage Director and Cast (part time)
Cook – Part Time (already in talks)
Office Assistant
Financial Advisor (filled)
Key Advisors –As mentioned in a earlier project we have a few friends giving us pointer and guidance on different aspects of this venture:
Former Employer: Opened and ran a successful a pre-school in southern California.
Program Director: A friend who runs a Home-School enrichment program located on the other side of the island. Her program is ending at the end of next year because she is leaving the area. She started her program from nothing and has made it an efficient program.
Financial Advisor: Another friend that homeschools her child and is a financial specialist. She gives us advice and has agreed to help us with the financial aspects of getting the business open. Her child is lined up to be a student at the Enrichment program.
Realtor: He is helping us find a location that will suit our unique needs and fit into out loose budget.
