Inbound 1966383946309230579
Inbound 1966383946309230579
Inbound 1966383946309230579
When deciding to establish a business venture, the first decision you need to make
relates to the legal structure of the business – in other words, what kind of business are you
going to legally establish? The basic legal structures include the following.
Market Players
There are often a number of different types of company or people playing in any marketplace.
1. Customers
Of course the most important organization or people in the market are your customers. This
includes both current and potential customers.
Major customers
It is very common for most sales to be made to a relatively small set of big customers. These
always need careful attention and may have account/relationship managers assigned to them. A
problem is that big customers may also demand big discounts and special attention.
Minor customers
Minor customers buy less, but nevertheless are useful as in aggregate they may buy quite a lot.
The only time minor customers are undesirable is when serving them costs more than the profit
gained from them. This can happen when they are angered or when they try to gain an unfair
attention for their smaller payment.
MARKET PLAYERS
2. Suppliers
Suppliers may sell directly into the market, for example selling spare parts, but largely they need to be kept
aligned to your strategy.
In some markets suppliers also supply your competitors. When supply is short, the supplier may hold a position
of power in the choice of who to serve.
You can also have major and minor suppliers. Major suppliers are critical for everyday delivery and a problem
from them can cause delays or product quality issues.
3. Complementors
Complementors are those who sell non-competing products and which generally help your sales. For example
in a rock musical instrument market, drum and guitar manufacturers are Complementors to one another.
It is generally a good idea to collaborate closely with Complementors as mutual benefit may be gained. They
may also seek to work with competitors, which can be a tricky situation -- but if it all adds up to expanding the
market, then this is beneficial. An alternative strategy, as with suppliers, is that if you can lead the
Complementors to support you more, then competitors may be weakened.
MARKET PLAYERS
4.Competitors
Competitors are those who have products and services similar to you and where customers who are buying something
will compare your offerings and prices directly, weighing one up against the other.
The interaction with competitors is usually directly antagonistic. You seek to convince customers that your offerings
are better and that competitors' offerings are worse. Nevertheless, there are times when collaborating with competitors is
helpful, for example in influencing sensible regulations.
5. Substitutors
Substitutors are like competitors but their products are not the same. The classic substitution is replacing butter with
margarine (a battle that is still raging). Other substitutions are more evolutionary, for example where typewriters were
substituted by word processors.
Initially, substitutions may be seen as quite different, for example where computers were big and expensive
alternatives to the typewriter. Yet innovation and evolution continued and computers eventually became cheaper than
typewriters as well as offering benefits the typewriter could not emulate.
A critical attribute of a Substitutors group is that they all seek the same 'share of wallet'. Hence, when a person is
thirsty, all drinks are substitutes for one another.
MARKET PLAYERS
6. Regulators
In any industry, standards are often helpful in many ways, from ensuring product safety to
helping suppliers create plug-compatible parts that enable economies of scale and hence lower
product prices.
Regulation may be driven by collaboration between competitors. Regulations may also be
created by independent organizations or even governments, whose agendas may not align with
company profit motives.
An important part of regulation is policing, without which regulations become only guidelines.
Sometimes customers do their own policing, for example by not buying non-standard products.
Regulation may also be done by independent inspectors who can have draconian punitive powers.
It can be an important part of marketing to demonstrate conformance to regulations. Displaying
safety badges, showing ecological awards, and so on can help convince customers of the quality of
the product and the integrity of the firm.
MARKET PLAYERS
7. Influencers
There are also groups and organizations who have no direct control but
who will seek to promote their own agendas by influencing players within the
marketplace, including regulators and retailers. These often have an ethical
basis, for example ecological or animal rights activists.
Lobby groups who represent certain business interests may also be
involved, although often indirectly (for example in seeking to persuade
regulators to create stronger controls).
Marketers need to be careful with influencers who can create bad publicity
through demonstrations and leaking information to the press. Influencers can
be helpful if you listen to them and take their concerns seriously.
Operations management
Operations management is the
administration of business practices
to create the highest level of
efficiency possible within an
organization.
Strategy is a
management’s game
plan.
Sales are considered as the
engine of operation.
A product is an object or system made available
for consumer use.
-Tangible object or system made available for
consumer use and it is anything that can be
offered to market to satisfy the desire or needs of
a customer.
A service is an intangible product
and it is a transaction where no
physical goods are transferred from
seller to buyer.
Profit is a measure of profitability which is the
owner's major interest in the income formation
process of market production.