Assignment 1 (BUS 599)

Week 1 Discussion

NAB company name is Sparkling drinks. A major reason for operating under the name "Sparkling Drinks" is that customers have an impression about the quality of products offered. Since the term Sparkling has a close association with good things, it is likely that will be convinced of the good products offered for sale. A short-term goal of Sparkling drinks is to become a leading supplier of bottled water in Charleston SC and the surrounding cities. A long-term goal is to penetrate the US non-alcoholic beverage industry and acquire a considerable market share. 

Sparkling drinks will offer three types of bottled water namely pure spring water, aqua water, and valley spring. Apart from the utilization of advanced technology in production, quality assurance processes will help guarantee product quality. Sparkling drinks will also place much emphasis on improved customer service in an effort to gain competitive advantage over other industry players.  

Sparkling drinks mission statement is, "To provide quality bottled water at environmentally sustainable levels by applying technology and outstanding processes to the delight of customers" Sparkling drinks will also focus on building a sociable, pleasant, and enjoyable environment by providing a wide range of quality non-alcoholic drinks. This is in line with the views of Twarowska & Kąkol (2013) where they mention the need for businesses to create and deal in products that make the consumers feel relaxed and sold at reasonable prices.

Week 2 Discussion

SWOT Analysis is an important technique that allows business owners to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the business, the available opportunities, and the threats faced. Through SWOT analysis, a business can build on its strengths, manage weakness, eliminate threats, and uncover opportunities (Gurel & Tat, 2017).

This discussion is about three opportunities and a significant threat for my NAB business.

According to Phadermrod, Crowder & Wills (2019), a useful technique when evaluating business opportunities is to assess the strengths to establish whether they present any opportunities. Alternatively, a business owner can decide to evaluate the weaknesses and figure out whether there is a possibility of creating opportunities by eliminating them. My NAB business (Sparkling drinks) will be involved in the production and sale of three types of bottled water namely pure spring water, aqua water, and valley spring.

Discuss three opportunities you can identify for your NAB business. 

The three opportunities that I can identify for my NAB business are product diversification, packaged drinking water, supply chain improvement. On product diversification, Sparkling drinks will launch three types of drinking water that will be offered for sale at different prices. Given that their prices will be different, with the cheapest brand selling at $1.00, it means that the business stands the opportunity to record considerable sales since even the low-income earners can afford to purchase. Considering that hygiene is a key factor in water consumption, it is expected that more consumers will be attracted to three brands offered by Sparkling drinks given that the focus of the business is not only to adhere to safety and quality standards during the production process but also to ensure that the three products have attractive packaging. An efficient transportation and distribution system is also already in place meaning that business products will easily reach to potential customers. There are plans to open distribution points in key surrounding cities to facilitate products sale.

Identify and discuss the most significant threat

The most significant threat to Sparkling drinks is the existence of direct competitors. Coca-Cola is an example of a direct competitor with an already established market that could affect the sales of Sparkling drinks. However, the business intends to respond to this threat by offering its products at a price slightly below what the competitors offer.