Promotional Products Maker Business Plan

Elsewares is organized into three main functional areas: product sourcing, sales, and marketing; production and shipping; and finance and administration.

Edie Greenbaum: President and founder. Mrs. Greenbaum ran the financial department for a start-up retail operation whose sales rose to just under one million dollars in seven years. She has also spent the last year and a half heading up the sales department of an ASI listed advertising specialties supplier. Mrs. Greenbaum holds a B.A. from U.C.L.A., is married, and is the mother of one child.

Gary Greenbaum: Co-founder. Mr. Greenbaum ran the day-to-day operations of the previously mentioned retail operation as a partner with Mrs. Greenbaum. Mr. Greenbaum holds a B.A. from Franklin & Marshal College, is married, and is the father of one child.

Marvin Rosenbaum: Consultant. Mr. Rosenbaum has been associated with the Advertising Specialties industry for just under 25 years and holds the credentials of a C.A.S. or Certified Advertising Specialist. Over the years, Mr. Rosenbaum has been hired by both suppliers and distributors that are either starting a new company, as we are, or that are attempting to penetrate the advertising specialties market with products they are already distributing to other markets. Mr. Rosenbaum has been responsible for the successful entry of many companies into this industry and has maintained extensive business contacts with many of the industry leaders. Mr. Rosenbaum is married and is the father of two children.

6.1 Personnel Plan

The cornerstone of the personnel plan is to maximize production and minimize the labor burden on the company’s operating expenses. Pursuant to that goal, the initial payroll will consist of the following disbursements:

Until increases in sales can support additional salaries, Edie Greenbaum will oversee the operations of Elsewares in an unsalaried position. Mrs. Greenbaum will be responsible for the day-to-day operations including personnel company policies, as well as overseeing the sales and marketing departments.

The sales and marketing department will be headed by Marvin Rosenbaum who has been hired as an independent consultant. Mr. Rosenbaum will be responsible for initiating new leads with the ASI distributor network and for re-establishing existing contacts with distributors with whom he has had a previous business relationship. Mr. Rosenbaum will also oversee the network of commissions based sales reps who will call on distributors in their pre-assigned territories. The sales department will be supplemented by Edie Greenbaum, who will also be responsible for calling on distributors as directed by Mr. Rosenbaum.

Mr. Greenbaum will be responsible for running the customer service department, which will include handling phone orders and catalog requests. Additionally, Mr. Greenbaum will be responsible for running the company’s computer operations and is expected to play an important role in sourcing new products.

Until increases in sales justify the additional staffing of this department, Mr. Greenbaum will be responsible for assorted secretarial duties in addition to the previously mentioned duties. We are projecting the division of this department into two positions at approximately the fourteenth month of business. Mr. Greenbaum will then shift his duties to marketing and sourcing, and a new employee will take over the customer service department and its related duties.

Elsewares will rely on part-time help for its imprinting, warehousing, and shipping labor requirements. Naturally, as the need arises, this all-encompassing area will be split into two departments. A full-time production person will run the imprinting department, while a second person will be hired to handle both shipping and receiving. We are projecting the need for this additional labor burden at approximately the eleventh month of business.