Assignment 1 (BUS 599)

Assignment 1: Company Description and SWOT Analysis

In this assignment,you will include a revised company description and mission statement based on the feedback you received in the Week 1 discussion. Then, you will conduct a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat) analysis for the type of beverage you have selected and for your company. As you work on the assignment, consider why you have chosen one type of non-alcoholic beverage over another and the reasons for that choice. As you complete your SWOT analysis, be sure to include external factors such as industry/market trends and competition, and internal factors such as your capabilities or abilities to reach certain market segments.

Write a 5 page paper, in which you do the following:

Create your revised NAB company name and explain its significance.Describe a NAB that you would produce and sell.

Develop your revised company’s mission statement and provide a rationale for its components.

Hints: Use the Statement of Mission template on pages 72–73 ofthe course textbook,Successful Business Plan, to aid your development.

Extract appropriate information from the NAB Company Portfolio, where applicable. You should fill in other required items in the template using your personal preferences.

Describe the trends in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, especially the specific type of beverage category you have chosen.

Hints:Research and outline beverage industry trends. Considerthe size and growth rate of the industry overall and the specific beverage type you have chosen. Use the worksheet in the course text (p. 88 | Past and Future Growth of Your Industry) to help you project the future growth rate. Consider the use of industry associations and search engines to find reliable and recent data.

Choose one strategic position from the course text (pp. 142–143)that you believe is the best strategic position for your company.Explain the approach you will use to implement this strategic position in order to distinguish your beverage from other non-alcoholic beverages.

Provide an overview of your company’s distribution channels. Explain the manner in which your product will reach end users.Provide a rationale for your chosen method.

Hints: For example, will you sell your beverage in grocery stores, restaurants, or sports venues? If so, describe the types of resellers and distributors who will sell to resellers and fulfill their orders. If you are attempting to sell directly toconsumers, for example, online via a monthly subscription, how will you manage warehousing/fulfillment/shipping?

Outline at least three types of risks(including any regulatory risks) that your business faces.Describe your company’s plan to mitigate such risk.

Hints: You may refer to the types of risk listed in the course text (pp. 148–149) as well as any risks not listed in the text. Regulation weighs more heavily on beverage and food businesses than many other types of companies, so be certain to consider any regulatory risks your type of beverage faces. For example, what kind of regulation and/or risks are you likely to face if you make health claims about your beverage?

Developa SWOT analysis for your NAB company using the SWOT matrix worksheet in the course text (p. 153 | SWOT: Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats).

Hints:What are your company’s likely strengths? Have you chosen a beverage segment that is growing and lacks an entrenched competitor? Are you in a niche market that has great potential? What are the strengths that you and other team members bring to your company? Do you or other team members have previous experience in the food and beverage industry?

Hints:What are your company’s likely weaknesses? Is the competition in your industry segment entrenched? Is your own management team inexperienced? Will it be challenging to actually produce your product and maintain quality?

Hints:What are your company’s opportunities? Does your segment have more demand than supply? Have larger corporations stopped serving smaller or niche markets that you could enter? Is a new market emergingbecause of demographics, immigration, and changing tastes?

Hints:What are your company’s threats? Is there a clear market leader that will be hard and expensive to displace? Are downward-pricing pressures in the segment making profit margins slim? Are there little or no barrierstoentry for new competitors?if you have a novel idea that succeeds, can the competition easily enter your market? If you have a global aspect to your company, do factors such as currency fluctuations, political instability, offshoring, or outsourcing pose threats?

Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:

Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise. Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the exercise.

Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with 1-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are as follows:

Recommend effective business strategies based on an analysis of domestic and global operating environments, market dynamics, and internal capabilities.

Produce a comprehensive business plan.

 Feedback on week 1 Discussion:

Great start! Include your values in the mission statement. You can now work on the first two questions of Assignment 1, where week 1 discussion response will be used. Check out the template and tutorial provided in the Course Info area of the class. Keep up the great work!