Computer Support Business Plan

I Tech Solutions intends to win and maintain customers by providing products and services that add value, safety, and are supported by a well-trained professional team with commercial expertise. This is important to the successful implementation of our overall strategy and the need to ensure that all divisions and functions in the organization are working harmoniously towards attainment of the goals and objectives.

Our marketing strategy emphasizes focus. The target customers will include key decision-makers in business, who often order or recommend on behalf of the whole organization, the aim being to obtain an initial order and fully satisfy the customer from then on.

• We intend to initially build image and awareness through consistency and distinctiveness in our product and service provision.
• We intend to focus on delivering quality products and services that produce good referrals, which can then generate revenue. We intend to have a heavy personal selling component, supported by regular advertising we will always be active in our personal relationships with clients and strategic allies, keeping abreast of their needs and wants.
• We are focusing advertising on several key media.

We intend to achieve growth by creating a more enthusiastic customer culture than that of our competitors. The strategy is to grow the business by nurturing customers, differentiating the product/service offering through service and staff behavior.

Through the implementation of a fair, effective, and competitive remuneration policy we intend to optimize our human resource output and advancement. We need the right people in the right place at the right time if we are to ensure optimum growth. We intend to develop our team so that our people can grow as the company grows–a mutually beneficial relationship.

5.1 SWOT Analysis

The SWOT Analysis is a necessity to any start-up, it is an in-depth look at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. We are in a highly lucrative market in a growing economy. We foresee our strengths as the ability to respond to the market and to provide custom designed technological services. Our key personnel will have a wide and thorough knowledge of the technological services we intend to provide, which will go a long way towards penetrating the market. Below is a summary of the SWOT Analysis.

5.1.1 Weaknesses

• The introduction of new organizational practices and personnel who have not previously worked together presents a challenge to the organization.
• A limited financial base compared to the current major players in the IT industry.

5.1.2 Opportunities

• The Internet. The increasing opportunities of the Internet offer us another area of strength in comparison to the box-on-the-shelf major stores. Our potential customers want more help with the Internet, and we intend to be in a better position to give it to them.
• Service. As our target market needs more service, our competitors are less likely than ever to provide it. Their business model doesn’t include service, just selling the computers.
• Emerging Technologies. The rate of new product introduction in IT presents an opportunity to be explored.

5.1.3 Threats

• Innovation shortens life cycles and hence the need to act timeously on the market. This will recoup new service introductions in a shorter time frame.
• Concerns of decision-makers over ease of access and overall security of electronic transactions may need to be addressed. The recent glitch of the Barclays electronic system, which enabled some clients to access other account holders’ accounts while upgrading the system, proves the very realistic security concerns regarding the use of the Internet.
• The slow adoption rate of new technologies and products in these parts of the world does not bode well for our intended products and services.

5.1.4 Strengths

• Knowledge. Our competitors are retailers, pushing boxes. We know systems, networks, connectivity, programming, and data management.
• Relationship selling. We intend to get to know our customers, one by one. Our direct sales efforts will seek to maintain a relationship with our customers.
• Diversified market segments. The diversity of the products and services we intend to provide will ensure the lack of dependency on one particular market.
• Combination of skills in implementation. The management team intends to jointly develop business strategy and long-term plans with its strategic allies, having wide experience in their respective market and product know-how, and strong technical skills and business know-how.

5.2 Competitive Edge

Our competitive edge is our positioning as a strategic ally with our clients, who are clients more than customers. By building a business based on long-standing relationships with satisfied clients, we will simultaneously build defenses against competition. The longer the relationship stands, the more we help our clients understand what we offer them and why they need it. The delivery of whole, end-to-end solutions will have a significant impact on gaining commitment from the market at all levels. The company believes in partnering with its customers so as to provide customized solutions that are needs-based.

5.3 Marketing Strategy

One core element of our marketing strategy will be that of differentiation from our competitors. In terms of promotion, we intend to sell our company as a strategic ally, not just our products. We intend to offer extremely reasonable prices in comparison to competition, and we need to be able to sustain that. Market penetration through lower prices shall be undertaken where need be, while premium pricing in the case of the upper-end of the market.

We have developed two strategy foci, each based on one main fundamental strategy. The first strategy is about (discussion omitted).

Our second strategic focus, that of (discussion omitted).

5.3.1 Distribution Strategy

Service provision and consulting will be sold and purchased mainly on a word-of-mouth basis, with relationships and previous experience being, by far, the most important factor. In this regard we intend to provide a service that exceeds customer expectations so as to ensure they refer us to potential clients through word-of-mouth. New business shall be developed through industry associations, business associations, and, in some cases, social associations, such as country clubs.

5.3.2 Marketing Programs

Advertising

In view of the fact that we are new on the market, we intend to undertake extensive advertising of our name and products and services we offer. This is to instill awareness and knowledge of our existence in the marketplace, which shall convert into market share. We intend to advertise in business and IT magazines that are read by our target market and will ensure we are adequately exposed on the market. A constant lookout will be made of any special editions in these various publications, which may provide an opportunity for us to advertise our services and ourselves. Advertising will also be conducted through television, radio, newspapers/magazines, and the Internet. Sponsoring a technology discussion/call-in talk show is a possibility.

Personal Selling

Word of mouth is critical in this segment. We will have to make sure that once we gain a customer, we never lose him/her. To help accomplish this, we must work to establish and maintain relationships. Personal selling will be a powerful form of promotion due to the fact that its flexibility will enable us to match the customer’s needs to specific attributes of our services, as well as giving concise details of what we are able to offer.

Public Relations

Recognizing that we are relatively new on the market, there will be a need to organize an event introducing ourselves onto the market. To this we will invite potential customers, senior officials, possibly including a government minister and other stakeholders, so as to penetrate the market. In collaboration with this we, also intend to place news stories and features in magazines and newspapers to keep stakeholders updated on the latest developments and to increase awareness.

Events

The number of IT companies on the market dictates that the organization needs to promote itself through participation in trade shows and expositions. Not only will these increase awareness of our products and services, but if a particular product or service were to gain recognition, for example through being chosen No. 1 in innovativeness, the organization will be able to take advantage of this in all its promotional campaigns, adding leverage to its reputation and corporate image. An example of a trade show we intend to participate at is BITEC. These expositions will also be a good opportunity for us to network with various organizations and individuals.

Internet Marketing

The company will sell its services over the Internet as it is cost effective to reach a large number of potential clients, regionally and internationally. We also realize that customer/client research is needed before building an effective website, something which is rarely done by existing companies, in order to find out how customers will want to access information and journey through the site.

5.3.3 Positioning Statement

I Tech Solutions will position itself as a reliable solutions provider and trusted strategic ally who makes sure systems work, people are comfortable and conversant with the system, and down time is minimal. Unlike the other vendors/retail stores, we intend to know the customer and go to his or her site when needed, offering proactive support, service, training, and installation. In addition, I Tech Solutions is an ally to our clients’ businesses, and offers them a full range of services, from installation to support.

5.3.4 Pricing Strategy

We must charge appropriately for the high-end, high-quality service and support we offer. Our revenue structure has to match our cost structure, so the salaries we pay to assure good service and support must be balanced by the revenue we charge. Therefore, we must make sure that we deliver and charge for service and support. Training, service, installation, and networking support–all of this must be readily available and priced to sell and deliver revenue. We will charge (discussion omitted). This will ensure we penetrate the market upon entry.

5.3.5 Promotion Strategy

Our promotion strategy will be based primarily on informing potential customers of our existence and making the right information available to our target customer. I Tech Solutions intends to utilize an aggressive promotional campaign to introduce its products and services to the market. The intention will be to take advantage of several media sources in announcing the products and services and in the process enforcing awareness of our existence.

5.4 Sales Strategy

I Tech Solutions will receive its revenue streams from a combination of licensing agreements, sales commissions, monthly subscriptions, registration fees, network access charges, service fees, transaction charges, training, promotional incentive programs, and sales of hardware and software. The derived value of I Tech Solutions will come from the key partnerships established and developed in order to deliver a product and service provision of transactionally-based activities, providing opportunity to build brand and loyalty, around which relationship marketing will play a key role.

The sales forecast monthly summary is included in the appendix. The annual sales projections are provided in a table below. It should be noted that as we become established and known on the market we project sales to increase at a faster rate than the initial year.

Note: All currency values in the charts and tables are expressed in the Botswana Pula (P).

5.5 Strategic Alliances

I Tech Solutions intends to go into strategic alliances with several organizations. This will also reassure our customers that they are investing in “winning” products, technology, and service that are maintainable, flexible, and scalable enough to meet future demands.

At this writing, strategic alliances with several companies are possibilities, including X, given the content of existing interest and discussions. By going into strategic partnerships with suitable organizations, we will benefit from being able to concentrate on our core activities in the delivery of our products and services to the end-user, while ensuring that we do not have to compromise on quality of execution or the number of products and services we are able to deliver.