Financial Services Business Plan

Green Investments will leverage its sustainable competitive edge of independent environmental research based on a custom set of criteria based markers for an objective measure of a company’s dedication to environmentalism. The competitive edge will be marketed by using the mantra of “think globally, act locally.” This marketing slogan will encourage people to do their part in regards to helping the environment through responsible investing. The sales campaign will rely on metrics that indicate environmental investments can and do outperform the S&P 500 Index.

5.1 Competitive Edge

Green Investments’ competitive edge is the environmental marker criteria that when applied indicates which economic performing companies with solid environmental commitments. The markers are effective for extremely valuable for several reasons:

• Meaningful: They are based on extensive research, providing a streamlined overview of the environmental performance of the companies.
• Context-based: Allows a high degree of comparability with similar businesses.
• Convenient: Far easier to use than large scale internal audits.

The key here is the fact that an objective, easy to apply, and accurate measurement system has been developed to provide environmental analysis for any company that has the markers applied to them. No one else offers this type of service as an information source for the decision making process of stock investments.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

“Think globally, act locally.” This well known and concise mantra simply suggests everyone should do their part. Green Investments services allows people to make investments based on their conscience. So many people want to do good but are unsure how to. Green Investments’ services allows people to do the right thing, with no real cost relative to the other options. Green Investments’ returns are better than the S&P 500 Index.

The marketing effort will concentrate on Green Investments’ ability to empower people to make a substantial difference in this world while getting a great return on their money. Green Investments will use magazine advertisements and community based marketing (networking, sponsorship and participation in seminars) to increase visibility for Green Investments and the services offered. The advertisements will be a steady way that people will become aware of the investment options as well as some visibility for the company itself. The community involvement implicitly accepts the premise that good business relies on networking (inter relationships, both business and personal) to be a significant source of business and good will. Green Investments will participate in numerous on-topic events and seminars that will display them as experts as well as give them a podium to describe the different services.

5.3 Sales Strategy

The sales strategy will rely on using quantitative evidence the recommended companies outperform the S&P 500 Index. In 1999-2001, Green Investments’ chosen companies outperformed the index by 2.4%. This is a significant amount. The sales strategy will concentrate on that by making smart green investments, you can achieve better then average returns on your money. A sales packet will be assembled and distributed to prospective customers that shows the better than average historic returns that Green Investments recommended companies enjoy.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

The sales forecast is being done in a conservative fashion to avoid any inflated expectations that might not be able to be obtained. The first several months will be slow. Green Investments has projected steady, incremental growth in sales. This can be explained as a function of the increased proficiency in terms of sales for Green Investments as well as an increased awareness of Green Investments by the target customers. Please review the following table and chart for numerical and graphical representations of the future year’s sales forecasts.

5.4 Milestones

Green Investments has identified several milestones which will act as ambitious yet achievable goals for the organization. By establishing the goals, the need to reach them will develop an implicit incentive for all organizational members to work hard to achieve the milestones.

• Business plan completion: The business plan is the roadmap for the organization. There is value in the process of the writing of the business plan, forcing the writers to analyze a multitude of issues.
• First account of over $1 million invested: This would be a significant amount of money for an individual account and the organization will strive to achieve many of these customers.
• Profitability: An eventual necessity.
• Revenue of $250,000: With the achievement of this milestone and the previous one, there will be a clear reaffirmation that the business model is successful.