HOMEMADE EASY

Sausage Cheese Balls

Shelia Estes, Emily Flannery & Stacey Palmer

SITUATION ANALYSIS

Homemade Easy, prospective prepackaged foods company that provides quality pre-made meals

Three full-time employees

Distributed to Northwest Arkansas region• Stay at home moms, working parents, busy adults,

students• Catering companies • Small businesses

INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

Small business

Shared ownership and investment – Sheila Estes, Emily Flannery & Stacey Palmer• Shared work distribution – each employee prepares and packages food as outlined by

customer orders

Ability to provide large and small orders

Ability to provide customer service through direct marketing and cater product to specific needs

Ability to use high quality and high cost ingredients with hands-on cooking

Low startup funds

Small staff cannot fulfill large orders with short notice

MISSION STATEMENT

We exist to provide a high-quality, consistent product that enables consumers to prepare a wholesome, affordable, and quick meal with ease.

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

Competitive• Many competitors

• Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club – competitively priced and able to sell large quantities with short notice

• Napolis, Johnny Carinos, Olive Garden – Offer comparable meatballs in a sit-down atmosphere, but are not portable. More expensive

• Catering Concepts – Affordable, pre-prepared, family-sized to-go meals.

Technological• Ability to take online orders and process credit cards• Website to take orders, view ordering options, and learn

about the company

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

Economic• People cooking themselves• Variable cost of sausage

Legal/Regulatory• FDA regulations• Business license cost

Socio-Cultural• Vegetarian/Vegan population• Packaging concerns – plastic bag storage• People take pride in cooking meals from scratch

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SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS• Ability to make product to order flexible• High customer contact encourages

great service and retention• Ability to select choice ingredients for

optimal end product• Attention to specialty products

including gluten-free

WEAKNESSES• Limited resources• Small staff• Employee turnover• High variable costs depend on

demand

OPPORTUNITIES• Potential to supply catering companies

that distribute large amounts of product• High growth potential both in and out of

the NWA market

THREATS• Many competitors with similar

substitutes• Competitors with lower costs due to

cheaper ingredients• Economy

MARKETING OBJECTIVES

Develop profits of at least 10% within the first year of operation.

Maintain customer satisfaction of at least 95% continuously within the first year of operation.

Have all business debt retired within one year of opening.

PRODUCT STRATEGYCore product

• Consistent• Wholesome• Affordable• Quick meal solution

Actual product• Sausage cheese balls

Augmented product• Pre-cooked for quick heating• Gluten free option

PRODUCT STRATEGYProduct line and mix

• Spicy and mild regular • Spicy and mild gluten free

Packaging, branding and labeling • Resealable package• Homemade Easy label• Insert with cooking instructions and ingredients

How can attention to service quality enhance our success?

• Customers will be assured that each time they purchase Homemade Easy Sausage Balls they will have the same quality and taste.

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PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

Introduction• Limited products• Slow growth• Profits are negative to small• Limited distribution• Introduce new customers to

products

Maturity• Add new products• Attract new customers• Sales level

Growth• Heavy advertising and

promotion• Profits increase• Encourage customers loyalty

Decline• Produce most popular products• Increase advertising• Evaluate whether to continue

or not

PRICING

Affordable• $5.50 to $7.00

Accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover for customer convenience

• Sales receipts available via text message or e-mail

Offer discount for bulk sales

PROMOTION MIX

Citiscapes Magazine:  Magazine based out of Fayetteville, AR, that showcases local food, activities, and people.  Circulation is …

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest):  Grassroots and inexpensive way to get the word out about our product and where we will be selling it.  A good tie-in with the Farmer's Markets in the local area.

Local Farmer's Markets - Hand out baked samples and sell our unbaked, premixed product.

TARGET MARKET

People who spend a substantial amount of time on social media.

Customers who are interested in local items and companies.

Customers who tend to support local companies and products.

Women 20-45

COMMUNICATION MODEL

Source:  Homemade Easy and its founders

Encoding:  Print advertising design, text, and pictures on social media

Message:  Have homemade snacks for your family without all the hassle

Medium:  Citiscapes Magazine, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, local Farmer's Markets

Receiver:  Consumers who are on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and who read Citiscapes Magazine

Promotion Strategy

Pull Strategy:  Build a following through social media and farmer's markets, so small shops and local merchants will want to sell the product in their stores.

DISTRIBUTION

Inbound Logistics• Acquire raw materials through local sources, such as Sam’s Club, Wal-

mart, and Harp’s.• During Intro of business, transport raw materials via one of our own

vehicles.

Operations• Sort raw materials into batches according to type of rolls• During start-up of business, store raw materials in refrigerator and

freezer at Stacey’s house• During start-up of business, manufacture product at Stacey’s house

Outbound• For local deliveries, transport in Sheila Estes’ vehicle• For shipping to other areas, use USPS with cold pack

DISTRIBUTION

Marketing & Sales• Promotion with booth (sales and samples) at area

Farmer’s Markets• Advertising in Citiscapes Magazine• Word-of-mouth• Business cards left at area retailers

Service after Sale

Nutrition label on packaging

Resealable plastic packaging

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DISTRIBUTION

Distribution Channels• Dual & Hybrid (direct to consumer and internet)

Type of Distribution• Exclusive at first• Selective after business is established

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Visit us at http://homemadeeasy.weebly.com

BUDGET

Overall budget $20,000 quarterly• Operating expenses

• 32% marketing within first year• Approx. $8,000 quarterly

• Variable Costs – Supplies based on order• Estimated $1000 monthly• Packaging/Shipping/Distribution –

• Taxes/Business license - Estimated $5,000 first month $500 monthly thereafter

• Salaries - $37,500 quarterly*see budget breakdown at: http://homemadeeasyjbu.weebly.com/budget.html