operations plan

The Functional Contribution to Organizational Success | MS6900 R01

Dr. Beatrice Bourne

Argosy University

Brave Academy will be an accredited school for preschool to third grade that provides the highest quality education available to children from the ages of 3 years old to 8 years old. We will open our first academy in the great city of Mount Pleasant, SC. Charleston County as a whole does not provide enough early childhood education classes in comparison to the population which is increasingly growing. Provided will be the market plan for Brave Academy, which will include the targeted market segment, the positioning statement, products and services offered, prices strategy that will be utilized, a promotion plan, and the target locations.

Market Plan

According to SBA.gov (n.d.), “a marketing plan includes everything from understanding your target market and your competitive position in that market, to how you intend to reach that market and differentiate yourself from your competition in order to make a sale.” Brave Academy has created a market plan that will help fulfil current and future educational needs.

Targets the Market Segment

Brave Academy is designed to offer affordable, high quality education in the Mount Pleasant area. The academy wants to ensure that by implementing a great market plan, the proper customers are targeted. One of the first steps to be taken when creating a market plan is research. This can be completed in several different ways. A couple ways that research can be conducted is by using surveys/polls, or by using existing sources such as the census and local statistics. By researching the market, important information pertaining to the customers in that area can be revealed. Some of the information included may be: the current population, average household income, number of schools in the area, number of private schools in the vicinity, etc.

Current Market Segment

· 2013 estimated population=372,803

· Children between the ages of 3 years old to 8 years old =2,898

· Persons under the age of 5= 6.2%

· Persons under the age of 18= 20.3%

· 27% of households with kids

· As of 2008-2012, the per capita income of Mount Pleasant is $40,294

· 79 schools in Charleston County

· 34 Preschools

· 5 elementary schools

· 36 private schools

Prospective Market Segments

· Neighboring cities that do not have private schools that offer early childhood education.

By reviewing some of the information provided by the research from the market segmentation, Brave Academy will be able to provide services, meet and satisfy the needs of all customer or clients in the Mount Pleasant market area.

Positioning Statement

For families with children from the ages of 3 years old to 8 years old in the Mount Pleasant community, Brave Academy is accredited school for preschool to third grade that provides the highest quality education throughout its academic and enrichment programs in conjunction with all elementary school and state requirements.

Products and Services

Brave Academy offers classes for PreK3 through 3rd grade. The Early Childhood grades allow for a smooth transition into the elementary program at the school. The emphasis of the school is on:

· strong academics at or above the level of local public schools

· ensure that each child will read at a third grade level or higher before graduating from Brave

· We will offer after school tutoring for each student who does not meet this target

· Meals will be provided to all students attending Brave

· Before and After Care will also be provided at an additional cost

Brave Academy believes that by providing these products and services to our customers this will provide a competitive advantage over other schools in the area.

Price Strategy

According to Our Kids (2014), “Private school tuition costs range widely depending on two essential factors: where the school is located and what type of private school it is.” Since Charleston County as a whole does not provide enough early childhood education, this element alone will set Brave Academy apart from other private schools in the market and make the tuition spent well worth it .Of course there are other private schools with excellent programs in this market. However, we will set ourselves apart from the competition with our dynamic educational system and our price point per child. Private school tuition is inevitably one of the factors in parents' decision whether or not to private school, and which school to choose ( Our Kid, 2014) However, at Brave Academy we urge you to consider the needs of your child first and foremost. The pricing is as follows:

$200 per month for: 9 am - 3:00 pm School Day

Additional/ Optional Cost:

$100 per month for: 7 am – 9 am Morning Care

$100 per month for: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Tutoring/After Care/HW Center

$400 per month for: total package= morning care, school day, after care and tutoring

We will also offer financial scholarships to students whose families cannot afford the tuition and fees, thereby enhancing our community and city.

Promotional Plan and Target Locations

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina is a growing city. Therefore, advertisement and promotion can play a major role in the success of the business because this will be one of the main sources of attracting potential clients. Advertising and promotional planning must be thought out so that the cost does not exceed the budget allotted for these items. We will limit our advertising but offer more of a community outreach program in order to stay within the company’s budget. Some forms of advertising that may utilized will be social media, including: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Other forms of advertising that may be utilized are flyers, business cards, letters in the mail, and referral programs. Using these methods of advertising to promote the academy are inexpensive and allow for promoting the school worldwide. This will help with the community and surrounding areas to acknowledge the academy’s presence in the market and inform them of the affordable, high quality, education services and experience provided to their children. Once Brave Academy is able to maintain an efficient amount of revenue and business begins to increase, the school will began to advertise on a larger scale including: advertising on local radio and television stations and things of that nature. There will also be a discount program for those parents that have more than one child enrolled in our school. Lastly, will be a referral program. There will be referral cards available in our office for parents of our students. Once they refer someone and that child is enrolled in our school, they will receive a deduction off of their monthly fees for bring business to the academy. Brave Academy hopes to one day establish schools all across the state of South Carolina and even nationwide in the future. By having the proper marketing and promotional plan, hopefully the success of the business will begin and continue to grow. Until then, we hope to serve and provide the best customer and educational services to the area of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

References

Developing a Marketing Plan | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sba.gov/content/developing-marketing-plan

Mount Pleasant Schools - Mount Pleasant South Carolina School Ratings - Public and Private. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/south-carolina/mount-pleasant/

Mount Pleasant, SC Private Schools - Reviews & Photos. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.privateschoolreview.com/town_schools/stateid/SC/townid/6938#!all

Our Kids. (2014). Private School Tuition | How much do private schools cost? Retrieved from http://www.ourkids.net/private-schools-tuition-costs.php