s4t7 Businessplanfinal
s4t7 Businessplanfinal
s4t7 Businessplanfinal
Team 7
Fall 2022
Business Plan
Business Name: Phoenix LLC
Product: Portable, rechargeable, heated food container
Distribution Channels: We will be selling our product on our website and shipping nationally
through the United Parcel Service (UPS).
Competition: We share a similar target market with Yeti, Blackstone, Stanley, and
LunchEAZE. Stanley, Yeti, and LunchEAZE also manufacture portable food containers.
Blackstone is a portable grill but is far less convenient for adventurers. Yeti and Stanley’s
products resemble the style and shape of our SaunaBox. While their products can only keep
food warm with insulation, our product uses a heating component to keep food hot much
longer. LunchEAZE has a product that has a comparable heating component but is far smaller
and targets lunches for individuals rather than families. Although we share a similar target
market to our competition, our product, the SaunaBox, stands out with its ability to heat large
amounts of food for an extended period on the go.
1
Our company is Phoenix LLC, and we are seeking a $515,000 investment for 30%
equity in our company. Don’t you hate it when you want to take your prepared food on the
go, but it doesn’t stay hot? Even with all the insulated bags out there, it is frustrating how
they never keep your precooked food fully hot. The days of lugging your grill to the tailgate
are over! Introducing our product, the SaunaBox! The SaunaBox will continue to heat food
for up to 4 hours anywhere, without the need for an outlet. Whether customers are
tailgating and want to socialize, at a potluck, relaxing by the water, or in the snow, they will
never have to worry about their food getting cold. Thanks to the SaunaBox, people can
spend less time worrying about cooking food and more time socializing while enjoying a hot
meal. Also, the SaunaBox is easily transportable, making our product convenient to bring on
adventures. With your investment, we will be able to purchase the raw materials and
equipment needed to begin production. We are expecting to more than double the value of
Phoenix over the next five years and would love to have you be a part of it!
The SaunaBox is a heated, insulated chest, designed to continuously heat your food
for up to 4 hours. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers the heating element which
keeps food hot at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The SaunaBox weighs about 20 lbs. and
measures 15.75 inches (40cm) long by 12 inches (30.5cm) wide by 11.5 inches (29.2 cm)
deep. Its interior cubic volume is 1.26 cubic feet or around 37 quarts. The insulating heating
properties of the SaunaBox will keep your food hot long after the four-hour heating period.
Other products on the market either have a much shorter power time, are much smaller in
size, or they have no heating element at all. The SaunaBox creates a solution to this
problem by creating the first portable, heated container that can hold large quantities of
The SaunaBox’s features set us apart from the rest of our competitors. While there
are similar products on the market, there is no product that can keep food hot for as long or
heat the amount of food that our product can. When creating the SaunaBox, we were
aiming for a differentiated strategy. We took different parts and concepts from other
2
products on the market and merged them into one. The patented design of our product also
stands out by using a rechargeable battery so that consumers can use our product on the
go without the need for an outlet. Although we are not the most affordable product, we fall
in between the majority of our competitors' prices while providing more features.
Phoenix’s source of income is through website sales of the SaunaBox. Based on the
average of all of our target market segment growths, we conclude that our sales will be
consistently increasing by an average of 6.234% every year (Statista, 2022). With a return
on investment of 8.2%, your investment will on average give a return of around $42,230
annually.
Our main facility will be located at 42770 Executive Drive Canton, Michigan 48188
(42770 Executive Dr, 2022). This facility places our operations in the center of the cold,
largely populated states where we are expecting high demand of our heated container. This
location also puts us by the Great Lakes for potential customers to enjoy our product on the
boat or at the beach. Additionally, Canton is about 30 minutes outside of Detroit, a city with
source employees. Our only outsourced function is delivery through UPS because we have
hired the necessary staff to manufacture, market, and maintain our company. We chose to
outsource a few parts of our product including plastic wheels, batteries, and heating coils.
In Year 1, our company is in debt due to start-up and equipment costs with a net
loss of $600,121 and a debt/equity ratio of 6.68. Following Year 1, our company makes an
annual profit. By Year 5, we have made an overall profit and have gotten out of the debt we
were originally in, expecting to pay $290,000 in dividends to our investors. Our gross profit
is on a steady climb with our company earning a gross profit of $2,879,436 in Year 5, that
3
Exhibit 1: Organization Chart and Timeline
Phoenix LLC
December 31, 2024
Critical Employees:
1. Customer Service Representative will be the main contact for customers regarding
concerns with the product. Customer concerns will be monitored primarily through
email with the option to set up phone calls if needed.
2. Website Manager will continuously keep the website easily navigable while remaining
aesthetically pleasing. They will also keep the website up to date with product
descriptions.
4
Exhibit 2: Pay and Benefits Table (Year 2)
Team Name:
Phoenix LLC 12/31/2024
5
Exhibit 3: Market Segmentation and Targeting
Target Growth
Size Description Priority Justification for Targeting
Name Projection
Tailgater US Households: 1,316,869 16.6% for the This segment consists of upper-class Tailgating is one of the top four times people use a grill (“US
(“New Homesteaders,” next 5 years middle-aged families with kids. They Consumers grilling occasions,” Statista, 2019). 78% of tailgaters stated
Claritas, 2022) (“Barbecue grill
sales by type
are avid sports fans and attend their food is the most important item and 76% (“Must have tailgating
U.S,” Statista, children's games. (“New 1 items,” Statista, 2014) of people responded saying a grill is the second
2019) Homesteaders,” Claritas, 2022). most important. The focus for this target will be convenience.
Happy US Households: 4.04% over 5 This segment consists of upscale 62% of people look forward to spending time with families and friends
Potlucker 1,726,469 (“Kids & Cul-de- years middle-aged families, some with around holiday seasons (“Christmas in the US,” Statista, 2009). 56% of
Sacs,” Claritas, 2022) (“Camping:
social Activities
children. These members are family people participate in cooking holiday meals during the holidays (“United
in North oriented and prefer to spend money 2 States Easter Activities,” Statista, 2022). They would be able to bring a
America,” on products that benefit their values. holiday meal to a family gathering without worrying about reheating
Statista, 2015) (“Kids & Cul-de-Sacs,” Claritas, 2022) their food.
Cold Skiers: 14.91 million (“U.S. 7.9% over next This segment consists of wealthier In 2021, there were 59 million visits to ski resorts in the US (“Snow
Weather Americans who went skiing 5 years middle-aged families with or without sports visits United states 2021,” Statista, 2021). During the 2020/21
Activities 2021,” Statista, 2022) (“Forecast:
Snowboarders: 7.6 million Skiing Facilities
children. It also contains people who winter season, Michigan had 39 ski areas which is the second state
(winter)
(“US Americans who went Revenue,” spend hours in the cold like frequent with the most ski facilities. (“Ski areas per state in the US 2020/21,”
3
Snowboarding,” Statista, skiers and snowboarders. Statista, 2021) Skiers and snowboarders want from a hot meal after
Statista,2022) 2016) being in the cold.
Leisure Registered boats (16-26 .07% for next This segment consists of a wealthy In Michigan, there are 808,059 recreational boat owners (“Registered
Boater feet): 6.95 million (Arguin, 5 years older families who own or rent boats. boats by state in the US,” 2022). Boat owners spent roughly 6.9 hours
“Recreation Boating (“Registered
Statistics,” 70, 2021) boats by state
They are active people who spend on the boat per trip (NMMA, “Recreational Boating Statistics,” 2016).
US Households: 1,792,454 in the US,” free time participating in leisure 4 Our customers would be able to bring hot food and still spend long
(“Traditional Times,” 2022) activities or recreational fishing. hours on the boat.
Claritas, 2022)
Beach US Households: 2.56% for 5 This is wealthy middle-aged families 45% (Christensen, “Summary Statistics from Beach Intercept Surveys
Lover 110,249,079 (“Popular years (“The in coastal areas that enjoy spending Conducted in Southern California in Summer 2016,” 2016) of people
Vacation,” Statista, May worldwide
2015) beach hotels
time at the beach. spend more than 4 hours at the beach, so the focus of promoting to
industry,”2022) 5 this segment would be convenience and portability.
6
Exhibit 4: Marketing Quantification
Tot Mkt Potential Mkt Growth Market Annual Unit
Year Product Annual $ Revenue
(# Customers) * Projection** Share*** Unit Sales Price
1 126,339,871.00 6.03% 1.55% SaunaBox 7,125 $274.99 $1,959,304
2 133,958,165.22 6.44% 2.68% SaunaBox 13,036 $274.99 $3,584,652
3 142,585,071.06 5.91% 2.67% SaunaBox 12,700 $299.99 $3,809,812
4 151,011,848.76 5.95% 2.68% SaunaBox 13,503 $299.99 $4,050,837
5 159,997,053.76 6.40% 2.69% SaunaBox 13,683 $314.99 $4,310,091
* How did you determine your market potential?
We determined market potential by taking the total population size of our marketing segments and adding them together (Exhibit 3).
Assume the average for skiers and snowboarders would be: 14,910,000+7,600,000/2=11,255,000
1,316,869+1,726,469+11,255,000+1,792,454+110,249,079=126,339,871
For each year going forward, we took the total starting population of 126,339,871 and multiplied it by the market growth projection from
the previous year and then added the previous years starting population.
Year 2: (126,339,871.00 *6.03%) +126,339,871.00 = 133,958,165.22
Year 3: (133,958,165.22*6.44%) +133,958,165.22 = 142,585,071.06
Year 4: (142,585,071.06 *5.91%) + 142,585,071.06 = 151,011,848.76
Year 5: (151,011,848.76 * 5.95%) + 151,011,848.76 = 159,997,053.76
** Actual market or market potential. How did you determine the growth projection(s)?
The projected growth over the next 5 years was determined by the size of each of our market segments from Exhibit 3. We used the sum of
the market projected growth rate for each segment and divided them by 5 years to determine the average projected growth rate for the
entire market over the next 5 years. The following rates were taken directly from Exhibit 3 for each segment respectively: tailgaters, happy
potluckers, cold weather activities, leisure boaters, and beach lovers.
Average projected growth rate for the entire market over the next 5 years: (16.6% + 4.04% + 7.9% +.07% + 2.56%)/5 = 6.234%
The market growth projection numbers in years 1-5 are rough estimates that approximately equal to 6.234% over the next 5 years.
**** How did you determine your unit forecast?
To determine the unit forecasting for the SaunaBox, we used each year's revenue that our group calculated by using Bizminer industry
financial report. The calculation for annual unit sales for each year is the revenue/selling price of the year. In years 1-2, we are selling our
product for $274.99. Due to an increase in inflation, which we found by determining the average unit in Years 3-5, we increased our selling
price per unit. Respectively in years 3-4, we are selling our product for $299.99 and in year 5 it will increase to $314.99.
Year 1: $1,959,304/$274.99= 7,125.
Year 2: $3,584,652/$274.99=13,036. Breakeven Point for Year 1 =1,846,614/(274.99-93.10)=10,153 units
Year 3: $3,809,812/$299.99=12,700.
Year 4: $4,050,837/$299.99=13,503.
Year 5: $4,310,091/$314.99=13,683.
How did you determine market share?
To find market share, we used the average annual revenue and divided it by our total market potential numbers for each year.
Year 1: $1,959,304/126,339,871.00= .01550 or 1.55%
Year 2: $3,584,652/133,958,165.22= .02675 or 2.68%
Year 3: $3,809,812/142,585,071.06= .02671 or 2.67%
Year 4: $4,050,837/151,011,848.76= .02682 or 2.68%
Year 5: $4,310,091/159,997,053.76= .02693 or 2.69%
How did you determine annual revenue?
We found data on Bizminer using our NAICS code 335210 and looked at the industry financial report. We used the average revenue data
from 2017 as our year 4 revenue. To find year 5, we multiplied the revenue from year 4 by the projected market growth rate.
Year 5: $4,050,837 + (4050837 x 6.4%) = $4,310,091
To find year 3 revenue, we multiplied year 4's revenue by projected market growth and subtracted that out of year 4's total revenue. For
year 2, we repeated the same process.
Year 3: $4,050,837 - ($4,050,837 x 5.95%) = $3,809,812
Year 2: $3,809,812 - ($3,809,812 x 5.91%) = $3,584,652
Year 1: $3,584,652 - ($3,584,652 x 6.44%) = $3,353,800
For year 1, we divided the calculated revenue in half because we are only selling in the second half of the year and got $1,676,900. We also
decided to estimate our sales slightly higher as $1,959,304 to account for how we start sales in the second half of the year, for which we
predict to have much higher demand due to the seasonality of our product.
Fcst by month Units Revenue ($)
Jan 23' - $0
Feb - $0
Mar - $0
Apr - $0
May - $0
Jun - $0
July 673 $185,068
Aug 976 $268,390
Sep 1,672 $459,783
Oct 1,201 $330,263
Nov 1,255 $345,112
Dec 1,348 $370,687
Total 7,125 $1,959,304
7
Exhibit 5: Positioning and Competitive Analysis
SWOT Analysis: Our main strength is that we are the only product on
the market that will be able to control the temperature of large
quantities of food for long periods of time. Our main competitor,
LunchEAZE can heat food up for a total of 2 hours. The SaunaBox
heats food at 165 degrees Fahrenheit for up to total of 4 hours. Our
SaunaBox is also significantly larger than the LunchEAZE, allowing the
consumer to place much more inside. The LunchEAZE is meant for one
singular person’s meal, while our product is meant to be serving a
family. One weakness that our company faces is that we are currently
not distributing our product on any other platforms other than our
website, while LunchEAZE is distributing on amazon.com. Another
weakness the SaunaBox runs into is how bulky and heavy our product
is, while the LunchEAZE is much easier to carry. Therefore, we decided
to add wheels and a handle onto our product. An opportunity for
Phoenix is eventually making additional sizes/products to reach more
consumers. An opportunity that would greatly impact the tailgating
community is possibly making NFL customizable SaunaBoxes
supporting whichever NFL team the customer is a fan of. Another
opportunity could be opening a store in certain areas where most of
our products are selling, or we could sell products in outdoors
equipment stores. A threat for the SaunaBox is that LunchEAZE has
the feature to set a time to heat up food. LunchEAZE allows users to
set what time they want their food to begin warming and is controlled
through a mobile app, where the SaunaBox has a simple on/off switch.
8
Exhibit 6: Marketing Mix
Product Branding
Our name, Phoenix, is recognizable and symbolic. We were inspired by a mythological bird, commonly used in
Ancient Greek folklore, that is representative of worship of the sun. Being that our market is still in its growth cycle,
we wanted to make our brand’s logo easily associated with what our product does. For our logo, we chose
something clean and simple, yet used a small flame to complete the letter ‘i’, to make the association between our
logo and product’s usage distinctive. Our slogan, “Keep it Hot.”, signifies our goal of letting our consumers enjoy
their time with their families and friends, without the inconvenience of trying to obtain hot food. Collectively, our
brand wants to create a way to enjoy your time with your loved ones, while limiting the obstacle of a basic need
that might fall in the way. Eventually, when we expand our product line, we will be using a multi-branding strategy
to differentiate our products while remaining under the same manufacturer name, Phoenix.
Pricing
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Unit Cost: $93.10 $95.89 $98.77 $101.73 $104.78
Wholesale Price: $165.00 $165.00 $180.00 $180.00 $190.00
Retail Price: $274.99 $274.99 $299.99 $299.99 $314.99
Given that we are entering a new market, many companies’ prices are extremely diversified. Most tend to lean
towards the more expensive side, ranging from about $100 to $400 dollars. We decided to take a psychological
approach using odd-even pricing. Over the first two years our selling price per unit is $274.99 rather than $275.00.
Many studies show that the customer is more likely to buy your product based on the numbers before the decimal
place and ignore the "extra change.” In years 3, 4, and 5 of sales, we increased our prices due to inflation. We
intend on entering the market as a product quality leader to send a message of a high-end, high-value product
while still falling between competitor’s prices. Although we don’t plan to go to retail within the first five years, we
do have a longer-term goal to expand afterwards. On average, the wholesale price of a product is between 30 and
50 % below the retail price (Johnson, 2022). Therefore, we included a wholesale price each year of 40% less than
our retail price.
Distribution/Location Strategy
Phoenix will be utilizing a direct distribution method, selling our products strictly online. As reported by WARC, there
was a shift to online shopping due to COVID-19 and how more consumers intend to browse, research, and shop
online. We will be outsourcing our distribution system by using UPS. We do not specialize in the distribution of our
product, making it more beneficial for us to outsource shipping to experts in that area. This allows us more time to
specialize on building and marketing our product. We chose to locate ourselves in Canton, Michigan, giving us easy
access to many consumers found in our market segments due to the popularity of boating, lake beaches, and cold
weather activities.
Promotional Strategy (in thousands of $)
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Total IMC Budget: $195.93 $358.47 $380.98 $405.08 $431.01
Advertising Exp: $97.97 $179.23 $190.49 $202.54 $215.50
Sales Promo Exp: $39.19 $71.69 $76.20 $81.02 $86.20
PR Exp: $58.78 $107.54 $114.29 $121.53 $129.30
As a new company, educating our consumers is crucial. Rob Clapp studied how social media plays a vital role in the
brand and product discovery stage. Data showed that 64% of consumers say they discover new products across
numerous social media platforms (Clapp, 2022). Phoenix’s promotional strategy will be focusing most of the
advertising expense on social media ads and search ads. A presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube will give
Phoenix more opportunities to communicate advertisements to customers and offer our Marketing Manager
demographic and psychographic data so we can target users. This gives Phoenix the ability to control who sees our
paid ads to reach our target market, leading to word-of-mouth advertising. Our industry's average Total IMC
Budget ranged from .36-.53% of revenue. As a startup, we wanted to budget more than our industry average,
using 10% of annual revenue for the Total IMC budget. We used 50% of our annual IMC budget as our advertising
expense and 20% for sales promotion. For the sales promo expense, we will display the SaunaBox at trade shows
to reach innovators and early adopters as well as offering 10% off occasionally throughout the year and around the
winter holidays. Our PR expense will focus on creative performance and the different mindsets of audiences so we
can influence how the public perceives the SaunaBox. Our PR expense, 30% of our total IMC budget, will also be
used for the launch of more effective campaigns by researching new information to provide better strategies than
competitors and ways to communicate with the public.
9
Exhibit 7: Process Map
Quality What is measured? How often? How will you ensure quality?
Step
Q1 Integrity of raw materialsEvery new Acceptance sampling
shipment
Q2 Number of defective parts Each unit Visual inspection for cracks or
deformities
Q3 Temperature reached by Every 10 units Sampling testing of SaunaBox heating
heating element and performance
battery function
Q4 Check for seal of Each unit Visual inspection of insulation seal
insulation
Our main facility will be located at 42770 Executive Drive, Canton, Michigan. It is
32,000 square feet in total with 4,100 square feet being office space and the rest
where manufacturing and storage will take place.
10
Exhibit 8: Quality Assurance
Indicate the Why is this dimension important, given your Identify the
Dimensions of industry & target market? corresponding
Quality on Quality Step(s) on
which you will the Process
focus. Flowchart.
Performance We advertise a lot of promises related to how long Q1, Q3
our product can keep food warm and we want to
deliver on that promise. The main function of the
box is to heat food for a long time on the go,
making its performance one of our primary quality
dimensions.
Durability Our SaunaBox is meant to be taken on any Q4
adventure, so we want our product to be durable
and long-lasting. We want our food container to be
something that people have and use for a long time
with any activity or lifestyle.
Aesthetics Given the price of our product, we want our Q2
customers to feel that it was a reasonable expense.
Making the SaunaBox aesthetically pleasing shows
that our product is high quality and worth the price
tag. Given our target market of beach, boat, and
tailgating fans, aesthetics is a large part of their
decisions as consumers.
Use the space below to describe any additional Proactive Quality Assurance Plans
that are not connected to a specific activity on your Process Flowchart / Service
Blueprint.
A quality assurance step that is not directly connected to the process flowchart is shipping.
In order to secure and maintain a positive impression on our customers, we want to conduct
fast turnover on shipping out our products. The SaunaBox is not yet sold in stores, so the
necessity of expediting the transportation process is a must.
Employee training will also be a large part of our proactive quality assurance plan. Production
Specialists and Technicians will be given extensive training on each step of the manufacturing
process and quality assurance steps to prevent errors and defects from happening.
Describe any reactive quality assurance plans. Include a recovery plan should a
customer receive poor quality goods and/or services.
Our reactive quality measure is guaranteeing good customer service and full money-back
guarantees on defective SaunaBoxes for the first year after purchase.
11
Exhibit 9A: Inventory, Suppliers and Distribution
Item(s) Supplier Name & Location Reason Supplier lead Frequency of System of Modes of
time replenishment Management Transportation
Insulation Block Owens Corning (Newark, OH) Low cost, good quality 7 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
PC-ABS Plastic Polymer Resources (Farmington, CT) Responsiveness 23 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Industrial Dye Dharma Trading Co. (San Rafael, CA) Low cost 10 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Heating Coil Thermo Heating Elements (Piedmont, SC) High quality 28 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Battery/Cord ProTechnologies, Inc. (Pilot Mountain, NC) High quality, reliable 20 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Aluminum FastMetals (Southington, CT) Same day shipping 3 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Plastic Wheels Green Bay Plastics (Green Bay, WI) Customizable 28 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Wiring Dacon Systems, Inc. (Corona, CA) High quality 14 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Switch Metro Hydraulic (Newark, NJ) High quality 30 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Hinges Engel (York, PA) Low cost, good quality 8 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Gasket Excelsior (Rockford, IL) Customizable 11 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
Packaging Mat. Shillington Box Co. (St. Louis, MO) Low cost 11 days 30 days Fixed Order Interval Highway
FINISHED GOODS INVENTORY If your organization does not have finished goods inventory, please check this box: NA
Finished goods Frequency of shipping Average level of Amount of safety stock on site
produced (per finished goods Finished goods
hr.) inventory on site
At the end of Year 1 5.39 Daily (5.39 x 8) + 0 /2= 21.56 5.39 x 165.36 op hrs./mo. x 1 mo. (max lead time) = 891
At the end of Year 2 6.57 Daily 26.28 1086
At the end of Year 3 6.4 Daily 25.6 1058
At the end of Year 4 6.8 Daily 27.2 1124
At the end of Year 5 6.9 Daily 27.6 1141
What is the lifespan of your finished goods inventory? ☐NA 10 years due to the crucial lifespan of the heating element
DISTRIBUTION If your organization does not require distribution, please check this box: ☐NA
Name of transportation provider/carrier Reason(s) for selecting this provider/carrier Frequency of Pick Up / Drop off
UPS Cost-effective domestic shipping Daily pick-up
12
Exhibit 10: Capacity
Demand Capacity Utilization Hours of Bottleneck name How will you manage /adjust the bottleneck to ensure
(per hour) (per hour) (%) Operation and description you can appropriately serve or supply your customers?
At the end 5.39 8.5 63% 8 Install heating We are operating at a comfortable utilization rate and will not
of Year 1 element and battery be adjusting our bottleneck in these first five years.
At the end 6.57 8.5 77% 8 Install heating N/A
of Year 2 element and battery
At the end 6.4 8.5 75% 8 Install heating N/A
of Year 3 element and battery
At the end 6.8 8.5 80% 8 Install heating N/A
of Year 4 element and battery
At the end 6.9 8.5 81% 8 Install heating N/A
of Year 5 element and battery
Show your calculations for the following parameters at the end of Year 1.
Hours of operation/month Demand/month Demand/hour Capacity/month Capacity/hour Utilization
248 working days of year/12 7,125 units (demand 890.63 units per Capacity/hour=8.5 x Bottleneck 5.39
months=20.67 days a month x for Year 1)/8 month/165.36 165.36 throughput (demand/hour)/8.5
8 hours =165.36 hours/month operating months in hours of hours/month=1,405.56 rate=8.5/hour (capacity/hour) =63%
Year 1=890.63 operation=5.39 units/month approximate
units/month units/hour utilization
Additional resources (beyond your bottleneck) must be allocated appropriately to support operations. Identify
which resources have a significant impact on capacity at start up and describe why these are appropriate amounts of
resources at start up.
Other than the critical resources from Exhibit 7, there are no other resources related to operations that would have a significant
impact on capacity.
Describe adjustments you will make as resource requirements vary with time. Be specific regarding which key
resources (beyond your bottleneck) will be adjusted. If you will make multiple adjustments, explain each.
N/A
How will you manage seasonality? If your organization does not have seasonal demand, please check this box: ☐N/A
The demand per hour above shows an average over the year. We expect a higher demand leading into the colder months
(August-January) so throughout the summer, when we have lower demand than our average, we aim to continue to produce at
this average level of demand. This will provide us with leftover inventory that will be used to meet our demand in the
colder months.
13
Exhibit 11: Income Statement
12/31/2023 12/31/2024 12/31/2025 12/31/2026 12/31/2027
Website Expense 36 96 96 96 96
Advertising and
Promotion Expense 195,930 358,465 380,981 405,084 431,009
Earnings Before
Interest and Taxes $(550,648) $157,839 $305,277 $264,007 $375,475
Earnings Before
Taxes $(600,121) $111,883 $263,150 $226,047 $342,050
14
Exhibit 12: Balance Sheet
As of Inception
Date 12/31/2023 12/31/2024 12/31/2025 12/31/2026 12/31/2027
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash $746,951 $538,304 $563,007 $796,663 $971,995 $1,099,141
Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Long-Term Liabilities
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
15
Exhibit 13: Cash Flow Statement
12/31/2023 12/31/2024 12/31/2025 12/31/2026 12/31/2027
Accrued Payroll Taxes and Benefits 11,567 3,921 464 479 493
Cash From (For) Operating Activities $(561,542) $84,703 $293,656 $271,282 $478,331
16
Exhibit 14: Financial Statement Notes:
• Our startup costs were financed by a $600,000 small business loan at 8.5% annual
interest and will be paid for over 10 years. Our seven founders will also contribute
$25,000 each, totaling $175,000.
• Outside equity investors will contribute $515,000 by the end of Year 1.
• The company uses double declining for its depreciation of its fixed assets.
• Accrued wages are assumed to be two weeks of the annual salaries and wages.
• Production line workers will begin working 4 months into Year 1, accounting for the
lower salaries/wages and payroll expenses.
• We pay all expenses in Accounts Payable two months after purchase.
• Credit card transaction costs are 2.5% of credit sales. As we are an online business,
credit sales make up 100% of our sales.
• Raw materials are to be ordered on the first of each month and paid back two
months after purchase.
• Cost per unit begins at $93.10 for Year 1 and adjusts for inflation of 3%.
• The loan principal will be paid at level increments every year and the interest will be
repaid in sum at the expiration date in Year 10.
• Insurance, for 12 months, is paid at the beginning of the fiscal year.
• Allowance for doubtful accounts is calculated as 1% of the ending accounts
receivables balance.
• Salaries/wages, and benefits increase yearly to adjust to inflation of 3%.
• An inventory of approximately 1,000 units worth of raw materials and finished goods
from the past year gets sold first (FIFO); COGS has approximately 1,000 units at
cost per unit from the year before.
• Industry standards are based off 335210: Small Electrical Appliance Industry.
• There are risks with not having our patent get approved, hiring management talents
and labor, and in the impact of overall economic situation.
17
Exhibit 15: Financial Ratios
Industry
12/31/2023 12/31/2024 12/31/2025 12/31/2026 12/31/2027 Average
Liquidity Ratios
Leverage Ratios
Asset Management
Ratios
Profitability Ratios
DuPont Analysis
Valuation
18
Exhibit 16: Financial Analysis
Liquidity
Our current and quick ratios are steadily above the industry average for the first five years
of our company. We believe that this leaves us in good standing to pay off our debt in the
case of an unforeseen emergency arising. Our operating cycle sits well below the industry
average after year one, which shows us that we could hold more inventories in the future.
Financial Leverage
The debt-equity ratio is relatively high in year one but declines over five years and after
year three falls below that of the industry average. Our times interest earned starts out well
below the industry average but jumps above the industry average in year three and
continues to rise throughout the first five years. We are very happy with our leverage as our
ratios show how we have a low amount of debt for the industry and have a great ability to
pay it off.
Asset Management
Our inventory turnover spikes above the industry average after year one, showing us that
we could benefit from making larger, less frequent orders of inventory. Our fixed asset
turnover is significantly above the industry average, suggesting that we are effectively using
assets to generate sales.
Profitability
Our gross profit margin is significantly higher than our industry average for the first five
years. This is due to our decision to price our product higher than most of our competitors
because of its unique features, while still maintaining a reasonable unit variable cost. While
our operating profit margin and return on assets are considerably low in year one due to
high startup costs, they remain above the industry average following the first year. From
these ratios we conclude that we are steadily making a profit to cover our original startup
costs.
DuPont Analysis
Our total asset turnover stabilizes slightly above the industry average following year two.
After year one our net profit margin fluctuates but remains around double that of the
industry average. Our equity multiplier holds below the industry average after year two. Our
return on equity is very low during year one but jumps slightly above the industry average
in year two. Over the next four years, ROE remains, on average, above the industry
average, showing us that we are properly utilizing our investors’ contributions. Our above-
average profit margin is very attractive and allows us to recover from our high startup
costs.
Valuation Method
Our valuation was found using the price/sales ratio of the industry and applying it to
estimated sales revenue. The median price/sales ratio in the $2.5m-$24.9m sales group in
our industry is 0.82.
19
Bibliography
About form 940, employer’s annual federal unemployment (Futa) tax return | internal
pubs/about-form-940
Aluminum sheet 6061 T6. FastMetals. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2022, from
https://fastmetals.com/collections/aluminum-sheet-6061-t6
Americans’ must-have items for a tailgating party, 2014. (n.d.-a). Statista. Retrieved
have-items-for-a-tailgating-party/
Anonymous. (2008, May 20). Industrial dyes. Dharma Trading Co. Retrieved October 7,
https://uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-
2020-Revised.pdf
Barbecue grill sales by type U.S. 2015-2025. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved October 10, 2022,
from https://www.statista.com/statistics/662230/us-grill-and-barbecue-sales/
Blackstone products vector logo. (n.d.). FindVectorLogo. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from
https://findvectorlogo.com/blackstone-products-vector-logo-svg/
British Plastics Federation. (n.d.). Plastics processes. British Plastics Federation. Retrieved
https://shillingtonbox.shoppkg.com/Shop/C61.aspx
Camping: Social activities North America 2014. (n.d.-a). Statista. Retrieved October 8,
activities-among-campers-north-america/
20
Christensen, Summary Statistics from Beach Intercept Surveys Conducted in Southern
content/uploads/UCLA-Beach-Surveys-Summary-Statistics.pdf
Christmas in the U.S.: Aspects U.S. consumers are looking forward to in 2009. (n.d.).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/209311/aspects-of-the-holidays-that-us-
consumers-look-forward-to-most-in-2009/
Clapp, R. (n.d.). 64% of consumers say they discover new brands on social media: WARC.
https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-datapoints-gwi/64-of-consumers-say-
they-discover-new-brands-on-social-media/146080
https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments#segDetail/PZP/15
https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments#segDetail/PZP/14
https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments#segDetail/PZP/32
Claxton, G. & 2015. (2015, February 11). The cost of care with marketplace coverage. KFF.
https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/the-cost-of-care-with-marketplace-
coverage/
Contact: Polymer Resources: Compounding Success. Polymer Resins. (2021, April 23).
Crock-Pot vector logo download for free. (n.d.). VTLogo.Com. Retrieved October 9, 2022,
from https://vtlogo.com/crock-pot-vector-logo-svg/
21
Dacon Systems, Inc.. 1004 High Temperature Wire from Dacon Systems, Inc. (n.d.).
https://www.thomasnet.com/catalogs/item/621511-13555-1003-1004/dacon-
systems-inc/high-temperature-wire/
https://ycharts.com/indicators/detroit_mi_unemployment_rate
Education in plastics manufacturing: Aluminum mold making and injection ... (n.d.).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03064190211051105
https://www.excelsiorinc.com/thank-you-quick-contact#quickContact
Forecast: Skiing facilities revenue United States 2020. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved October
facilities-revenue-forecast-naics-71392
executive-dr-canton-mi-48188/15908480/
Goodshore, C. (2022, August 17). What is the average business loan interest rate?
https://www.business.org/finance/loans/what-is-the-average-business-loan-interest-
rate/
Google. (n.d.). US5274215A - portable electric food warming apparatus having a removable
https://patents.google.com/patent/US5274215A/en?q=crockpot&oq=crockpot
Grizzly Industrial 10 in. 3 hp 240-volt cabinet left-tilting table saw with extension table
22
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Grizzly-Industrial-10-in-3-HP-240-Volt-Cabinet-Left-
Tilting-Table-Saw-with-Extension-Table-G1023RLX/310438320?mtc=SHOPPING-BF-
CDP-BNG-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-
NA-NA-PortablePower&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-BNG-D25T-
025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-
PortablePower-71700000086134208-58700007341211180-
92700065813629996&msclkid=53116ff9cf8910fbc8060cd433c699be&gclid=53116ff9
cf8910fbc8060cd433c699be&gclsrc=3p.ds
Group dental insurance plans for small business | ehealth. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9,
insurance#:~:text=How%20much%20does%20group%20dental%20insurance%20c
ost%20employers%3F,as%20well%20as%20your%20plan%27s%20level%20of%20
coverage
Hillis, J. (2020, March 12). Quality Mold Shop & the life of a plastic injection mold. Quality
life-cycle-of-a-plastic-
mold/#:~:text=Generally%2C%20a%20plastic%20injection%20mold%20could%20
complete%20anywhere,a%20mold%20before%20buying%20it.%20Maintaining%20
Your%20Molds
Industry financial analysis and industry market analysis. (n.d.-a). Retrieved October 8,
Injection molding machines | request a quote | Milacron. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2022,
from https://www.milacron.com/products/injection-molding-machines/
https://dcpd6wotaa0mb.cloudfront.net/mdms/dms/EIS/10023258/10023258---
Owens-Corning-EIS-Mechanical-and-Air-Distribution-Service-
Guidelines.pdf?v=1568892234000
23
Khonardoost. (2022, January 7). Product specifications, dimensions, and materials.
https://www.luncheaze.com/specifications/
Metro hydraulic. Metro Hydraulic Newark, New Jersey, NJ 07104. (n.d.). Retrieved October
hydraulic.html?cid=1082640&cov=NA&heading=81546004&searchpos=2&what=Appl
iance%2BSwitches
Mohammed, R. (2017, September 21). The psychology behind the new iphone’s four-digit
the-new-iphones-four-digit-price
2022, from
https://dcpd6wotaa0mb.cloudfront.net/mdms/dms/Roofing/100491/100491-MSR-
Installation-Instructions.pdf?v=1571310151000
Occupational employment and wage statistics. (n.d.-a). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/occGeo/One%20occupation%20for%20multiple%20geog
raphical%20areas
Patel, N. (2021, January 15). Establishing the remaining useful life of machinery and
Plastic Drybox Hinge. Engel Coolers. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2022, from
https://engelcoolers.com/products/drybox-hinge-stainless-steel-or-plastic
Popular vacation destination types in the U.S. 2015. (n.d.-a). Statista. Retrieved October 8,
holiday/
24
Protechnologies, Inc.. Custom Battery, Battery Pack, and Charger Manufacturing Services
https://www.thomasnet.com/catalogs/item/1307285-4341-1002-
1039/protechnologies-inc/custom-battery-battery-pack-and-charger-manufacturing-
services/
Published by Statista Research Department, & 26, M. (2015, May 26). Popular vacation
destination types in the U.S. 2015. Statista. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/225845/us-favourite-type-of-holiday/
Published by Statista Research Department, & 23, S. (2022, September 23). U.S. Americans
https://www.statista.com/statistics/191312/participants-in-skiing-in-the-us-since-
2007/
Published by Statista Research Department, & 23, S. (2022, September 23). U.S. Americans
https://www.statista.com/statistics/191319/participants-in-snowboarding-in-the-us-
since-2007/
polyurethane-e-part-i/docview/2596054313/se-2
Registered boats by state in the U.S. 2021. (n.d.-b). Statista. Retrieved October 8, 2022,
from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1155988/us-recreational-boating-vessels/
programs/loans/7a-loans
75% of US consumers will go online for Holiday shopping: WARC. WARC An Ascential
25
https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/75-of-us-consumers-will-go-online-
for-holiday-shopping/44238
https://app.shiphub.co/landing/registration-completed
https://fastmetals.com/pages/shipping
Ski areas per state in the US 2020/21. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/206519/number-of-ski-areas-operating-in-the-
us-per-state/
Snow sports (Ski/snowboard) visits United States 2021. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved October
skier-visits-in-the-us-since-2000/
Stanley drinkware & gear | bottles, tumblers, growlers & more. (n.d.). Stanley 1913.
Street, N. M. M. A. 231 S. L., Chicago, S. 2050, IL, & 60604, 946-6200. (n.d.). New study
reveals 142 million americans went boating in 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2022,
from http://www.nmma.org/press/article/21457
The worldwide beach hotels industry is expected to reach $215 billion by 2031—
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220520005205/en/The-Worldwide-
Beach-Hotels-Industry-is-Expected-to-Reach-215-Billion-by-2031---
ResearchAndMarkets.com
3 rolls hydraulic plate bending machines. EBR Metal. (2018, August 6). Retrieved October 7,
hydraulic-plate-bending-machines/
Tubular heaters. Thermo Heating Elements. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2022, from
https://thermo-llc.com/tubular-heaters/
26
Unemployment insurance taxes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/uia/employers/unemployment-
insurance-taxes2
United States: Aster activities planned 2022. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved October 9, 2022,
from https://www.statista.com/statistics/417185/activities-planned-by-us-
consumers-on-easter-sunday/
U.S. Americans who went skiing 2021. (n.d.-b). Statista. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/191312/participants-in-skiing-in-the-us-since-
2007/
U.S. Americans who went snowboarding 2021. (n.d.-a). Statista. Retrieved October 8,
snowboarding-in-the-us-since-2007/
U.S. consumers leading grilling occasions 2018. (n.d.-b). Statista. Retrieved October 8,
grill/
Used moving vans. International 4300 For Sale by Owner | A Free Service of Movers Supply
https://www.usedmovingvans.com/used-moving-van-details/11339/International-
4300
https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_inflation_rate#:~:text=US%20Inflation%20Rate
%20is%20at,long%20term%20average%20of%203.26%25
What is wholesale price? : Wholesale price vs. Retail price. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8,
Yeti: Drinkware, hard coolers, soft coolers, bags and more. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8,
27
Meet the Team - Section 4, Team 7
My name is Sophia Doane, and I am originally from Wenham MA, a small town
located just north of Boston. I am currently a junior, majoring in Business
Management planning to concentrate in human resources. I am an active member
of the Phi Mu sorority here at JMU. I enjoy traveling the world with friends and
learning about different cultures. I aspire to work as a human resource manager.
My name is Katie Dorey, and I am a junior CIS major with a minor in Honors
Interdisciplinary Studies, expecting to graduate in May of 2024. I am originally
from Ashburn, Virginia. I am also a member of the International Business Society,
Beta Gamma Sigma.
28