H6697 – Information Entrepreneurship

By Group Trump:Alexander Bernard Halim G1001168KHo Lee WenG1001181ELee Ping Verena G0901687KSo Jami Florence G1001157DZhang LimingG1002507C

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1 Executive Summary

PLUS LiFe is a new company that aims to provide a one-stop online store for plus-sizers from clothing to a lifestyle. PLUS LiFe website enables plus-sizers to shop and buy quality and trendy apparels with matching accessories anytime, anywhere, while receiving fashion and health tips. We will also be a platform for local designers to showcase their designs under PLUS LiFe. The company will be a partnership and managed by the five business owners - Alexander Bernard Halim, Ho Lee Wen, Lee Ping Verena, So Jami Florence and Zhang Liming.

Some 1.2 million Singaporeans made online purchases worth S$1.1 billion in year 2010 and the number is expected to hit S$4.4 billion in 2015 according to a survey by Paypal. Fashion remains the one of top products purchased online accounting S$143 million (13%) of the total online purchases. Similar to other developed countries, Singaporeans have grown bigger and fatter as compared to two decades ago. 10% of Singaporeans are obese However, plus-size apparels remain uncommon in Singapore and there are not many physical and online shops that focus on plus-size apparels. There is only one main competitor – Big AND Beautiful (BAB). Based on the current market situation as well as the growing number of plus-sizers, there is definitely an opportunity in the plus-size market.

PLUS LiFe website will be a one-stop retail platform for plus-sizers from casual clothing, formal wear to a lifestyle. Our apparels will be from two different sources – overseas suppliers and self-manufacture. Our main apparels supply will be from China and we will also be working with a China manufacturer to produce our own designs.

PLUS LiFe will be the fashion platform for local design students to showcase their creative works and receive feedback and build up their design portfolio. PLUS LiFe will market their designs under our designer collections. The website will also provide our customers with the latest fashion news, tips on how to dress, what type of clothes will best complement body shape, health tips, etc.

The primary target market of PLUS LiFe will be plus-sizers who are conscious with their image and want to look good. PLUS LiFe will translate the latest trends from the catwalk, celebrities and streets into affordable quality stylish

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plus-size apparels. In the first two years, our concentration will be home-based (Singapore) and on the Malaysia market. PLUS LiFe wishes to expand its marketing efforts to enter the ASEAN market from year three onwards starting from Indonesia and eventually moving towards the Asian market. We will also be launching our plus-size men’s collection in the fourth year. However, because of the low barrier to the market, we will expedite its anticipation to enter the ASEAN market if competition increases.

To achieve the expansion plan and fully exploit the market, PLUS LiFe is seeking SGD $ 400,000 as growth capital. Over the next 3 to 5 years, PLUS LiFe would be able to generate significant earnings for its investors.

According to our estimate, PLUS LiFe is projecting a sales of SGD $ 171637.28 in its first year and forecasting a yearly average growth of 35% for the next five years. The average return of owners’ equity yearly is expected to be 3.5. Overview figures are shown as below:

YE00 YE01 YE02 YE03 YE04$0.00

$200,000.00

$400,000.00

$600,000.00

$800,000.00

$1,000,000.00

$1,200,000.00

$1,400,000.00

$1,600,000.00

$216,125.00

$431,329.69

$755,987.44

$1,080,292.50

$1,557,071.85

Total Revenue

Figure 1- Total Revenue

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YE00 YE01 YE02 YE03 YE04$0.00

$200,000.00

$400,000.00

$600,000.00

$800,000.00

$1,000,000.00

$1,200,000.00

$1,400,000.00

$171,637.28

$358,445.50

$640,998.50

$937,997.04

$1,378,879.75

Figure 2- Profit after Tax

2 Company Summary

PLUS LiFe is an upmarket online store that will open for business in May.

PLUS LiFe aims to provide a one-stop online store for plus-sizers from

clothing to a lifestyle. The PLUS LiFe website enables plus-sizers to shop and

buy quality and trendy apparels with matching accessories anytime,

anywhere, while receiving fashion and health tips. PLUS LiFe will also be a

platform for local designers to showcase their designs under PLUS LiFe

2.1 Company ownershipPlus LiFe is organized as a partnership among five persons, namely,

Alexander Bernard Halim, Ho Lee Wen, Lee Ping Verena, So Jami Florence

and Zhang Liming. Alexander will manage the website, Lee Wen takes care of

finances, Jami will handle all administrative and managerial duties while

Liming will focus on our suppliers and manufacturers in China. Verena acts as

a silent partner.

2.2 Start-up SummaryPlus LiFe start-up costs are as follows: The five partners will come up with an

initial capital of $x. Plus LiFe will start business with three months’ stock of

clothes and accessories. As Plus LiFe is an online business, the majority of

the assets will be in inventory.

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Insert Start Up costs OR Balance Sheet at start-up point

The purpose of this business plan is to raise SGD$400,000 as growth capital.

The funds are needed for the plans to expand the market to ASEAN

countries, followed by other Asian countries within the next 5 years. Plus LIFE

also has plans to launch plus-size men’s apparel by the fourth year. The funds

will primarily be used in engaging local consultancy firms to conduct market

research and on marketing efforts. The usage breakdown of the growth

capital is as follows:

Insert a table of expenditures for $400,000

2.3 Company Locations and FacilitiesPlus LiFe’s office will be located at Blk 306A Punggol Drive #12-001

Singapore 560306. This is currently under Verena’s personal ownership.

Approved by the Housing Development Board’s Home Office Scheme, the

90m2 flat will be used as an office, as well as storage for PLUS LiFe’s

inventory.

3 Products

PLUS LiFe will mainly operate on women’s clothing selling, and the products

are planned to include formal wear and casual clothes (see list below). We will

strive to provide apparel with a good combine of classical design and fashion

character. The source providers will be from mainland China, and we will be

purchasing clothes directly from local manufacturers and wholesalers, and in

a variety styles and colors. Apart from apparel which will account the greatest

percentage of our business, we will also manage clothing accessories,

including hats, scarf and waistband.

Product regular adjustment will base on customer feedback, suggestions, and

sales reports, in order to build a constantly popular selection.

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3.1 Product Description

PLUS LiFe will provide clients with wide types of clothes that fall within our

mission statement. Our goal is to establish a selection which caters for plus-

sizers’ demand, and most importantly, delivering specialised fashionable

design to our clients. Some of the products we will carry are listed below:

Products Description

Dress Evening dress/Casual

ShortsKnee Length/Short/Denim

Shirts Mini/Pencil/Mid Calf/Knee Length/Long

Long Pants/ Jeans Skinny/ Straight

TopsBlouses/Casual/Tee Long Sleeve/Tee Short Sleeve/Cardigans

Hats A variety of styles and colors

Scarf A variety of styles and colors

Waistband A variety of styles and colors

3.2 Competitive Comparison

Plus LiFe has a number of advantages that will allow us to build our brand

identity and a loyal customer base.  

We will be among the list of the first few online shopping providers for

plus-sizers in Singapore.

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The PLUS LiFe membership scheme which includes flexible discount,

incentive gift, etc., will be built to cultivate customer loyalty.

We will function as a platform for local designers to showcase their

designs.

We will also release the latest fashion information and dressing tips to our

clients.

We will maintain a detailed record on each customer, logging addresses,

their purchases, size for customer follow-up and in-house promotional

purposes.

3.3 Sales Literature

PLUS LiFe will employ a series of advertising and sales program to enhance

Web traffic, thus increasing brand identity.

2,000 to 3,000 delicate hand fan with PLUS LiFe logo and brief

introduction will be distributed throughout major MRT and bus exchange in

Singapore.

Exhibition boards in 3 to 5 main MRT stations will be rent to advertise our

Plus LiFe business.

PLUS LiFe design competition will be promoted around Cavalry Italian

Design School, Raffles Design Institute and other renowned design

schools in Singapore, to attract attention from these future fashion

designers.

Membership scheme will entitle the customer to a certain amount of

discount on the sixth purchase after five purchases.

3.4 Sourcing

Our clothing source will mainly be acquired from South China, considering the

relatively low production cost and the diversified product types there.

We will hire a local based in Guang Dong province in China, as Guang

Dong is regarded as “the world factory” and has the lowest price

comparing with other parts of China. This person will be in charge of

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routine contacts issues with the local manufacturers and other suppliers

for us.

Most of our products will be purchased directly from the manufacturers to

make sure a competitive price. And for some products which may be

difficult to buy from the factory, we will contact with regional wholesalers

and try to build a long partnership. We will place our monthly orders with

them and review new products regularly.

For the purchased products, we will work directly with the manufacturer

and sales representatives to utilize product catalogs and tag PLUS LiFe

brand.

We will also work to solidify our relationships with the vendors so that we

may achieve decreased cost of goods.

To promote the original works from Singapore local designers, some well

design standing out from the PLUS LiFe design competition will be put into

production line, to gradually form our unique collection.

Some of the major wholesale clothing centres in Guang Dong Province are

listed below:

The Baima Clothing Center is one of the largest clothing wholesalers in

Guang Dong Province, which was founded in 1991. It began the apparel

business in 1993. Baima has united regional wholesalers under one roof,

more than 2,000 manufactures from Pearl river delta region and Yangtze river

delta are located here. Currently, its market has crossed five continents

including North Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Africa and South

America, and the average annual deal values CNY3 billon

(http://www.baima.com/).

The Guang Dong clothing Wholesale Network is one of the earliest entrants in

this industry. It mainly operates women apparel with Japanese and South

Korean Design. From 2003, it focused its business on online wholesale. The

product update frequency of it is high, and for each week, new design will

coming into its sale collection. This will benefit our selection variety

(http://www.cicicam.com/ ).

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We believe we can gain an edge through these marketing programs and

strategic alliances purchase.

3.5 Future Products

We are planning to launch men’s collection in the fourth year, which will

Include tops, pants, suits etc., to achieve and exceed our sales and

profitability goals. Besides, we will gradually add local student designers’ work

to the product line to create our own personal in-house label. And products

will also be expanded according to customers’ suggestions and feedback.

4 Market Analysis Summar y

The primary target customer of Plus LiFe will be plus-size women in

Singapore, and then in the following years, as male’s collection be added, our

target will incorporate men. Meanwhile, the market region will expand into

Malaysia, Indonesia and even other ASEAN countries, to increase our

customer base if the prospect will be good.

4.1 Market Segmentation

Plus-Size Women (age 18-25): This group is the youngest part in our

customer pool. It will be constituted mainly by college students. The latest

trends from the fashion industry will regularly be practising into this stylish

plus-size line, considering their strong desire to follow the fashion.

Plus-Size Women (age 26-35): This community of women probably have

entered into the career for several years, so this product line will concentrate

on office dress, since plus size formal wear could hardly be found in the

current market.

Plus-Size Women (age 36-45): As women in this age group are very likely to

gain weight and become a plus-sizer, this group will be our primary market

focus. Also considering their relatively larger purchasing power, comparing to

the former two groups, this collection line will carry a combination of smart

casual and formal office dress.

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Because Plus LiFe offers a variety of well-designed apparel and clothing

accessories, along with plus size lifestyle information in our website, we think

that we will be able to create a recognized brand in the near future.

Age 36-45 Age 26-35

Age 18-25

Market Segmentation

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

The goal of Plus LiFe is to serve the plus-size community that have difficulty

finding clothes suitable for them. Currently, plus-size apparel is not the main

concern for most designers and manufacturers, which lead to this is still an

under-tapped market area.

4.2.1 Market Needs

T There are several important needs in the plus-size wear business that are

being either underserved or not met at all. Plus LiFe plans to meet and

service those needs.

Generally, there is a size segment missing in most brands, most of them are

seldom to provide a large assortment of sizes to accommodate the various

body shapes. Consequently, it is rather difficult for plus-sizers to shop their

clothes. And many plus-sizers have to approach to tailors for fitted clothes.

Even being provided, most plus size products in the market are lacking of

fashion design.

Plus-size customer profile has been rarely concerned, and little amount of

specialised deign for this group of people.

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Our focus and attention will be concentrated to address all these needs, and

explore this potential market.

4.2.2 Market Trends

Today, many people like shopping online for its convenience, according to a

survey (Paypal), Singaporean had spent S$1.1 billion for online shopping, of

this a large proportion goes to fashion. And woman is the majority of fashion

buyers, “within a decade, the companies that do the best job of marketing to

women will dominate every significant product and service category" (Faith

Popcorn), which has well reflect the bloom trend of this business sector.

Apart from providing our clients with clothing, Plus Life also intends to use its

website to heighten the awareness of the healthy living to the clients and

promote the beauty of plus life.

4.2.3 Industry Analysis

Economic, Cultural and Environmental Conditions

Holiday shopping, competitor marketing, the economy and the strength of the

dollar can all affect the performance of PLUS LiFe. On a macro-economic

level, consumer confidence, interest rates and inflation rates all have an

effect. Rising unemployment, political concerns and deflation also pose risks.

Positive Factors:

Clothing Industry Impact on PLUS LiFe

Very low interest rates Cost of financing low

Easy availability of consumer credit Higher ticket sizes on credit card purchases

Relatively low unemployment, and very low inflation

Stable employees & businesses

The appreciation of Singapore Dollar Encourage import

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against RMB

Negative Factors:

Clothing Industry Impact on PLUS LiFe

Weakening consumer confidence (still influenced by global recession & uncertainty)

Decreased sales

Slowly increasing unemployment Value and sale shopping

The appreciation of RMB Discourage export

4.3 Main Competitors

Plus Life has one main on-line competitor in Singapore.

Big And Beautiful (B.A.B.) is a renowned retailer specialised in operating

plus-size women dress, which started in 2008 in Singapore. Its physical shop

located in New Bridge Road, and to meet its increasing customer demand, it

has launched online access. Its products comprise clothes, shoes and

accessories which range from a variety of types. And apart from selling

clothes, B.A.B also feature and share interesting articles, like where to shop,

where to have fun, and how to, etc. to make the site informative.

In 2010, B.A.B held the campaign “Celebrating Curves” which is a 6 months

march, filled with events, workshops, fashion shows, photo exhibitions to

promote the beauty of plus-size life. And in 2011, it has created a calendar

which features curvaceous ladies artistically nude also to declare beauty of

plus size style. Its marketing strategy also includes funding Singapore’s

inaugural plus size beauty pageant which called “Miss & Ms Amazing Beauty

Pageant”.

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5 Strategy and Implementation Summary

For an on-line business, having a good strategy and implementation is crucial to its success. Plus Life’s business is to be the on-line store for plus sizers which is a relatively unserved and undertapped market. Our vision is to steadily increase our market share and expand overseas with a focus on local designer wear.

5.1 Competitive Edge

Our on-line store will be the on-line plus size store that offers the convenience of hassle-free shopping in the latest fashion styles from our local designers

The Plus Life membership scheme will entitle members to a loyalty of 15% on the sixth purchase

Plus size will keep a personal record of your purchase and will be able to make recommendations on your next visit

5.2 Marketing Strategy

Plus Life’s will be marketed as the one-stop website for plus-sizers for trendy designer clothing. It will focus on the uniqueness of its collection, which is based on local designers. For plus sizers, the convenience of shopping on-line for something that fits them easily, in latest trends, is no longer a dream, it is a reality.

5.2.1 Pricing Strategy

The pricing strategy in Plus Size is

(Can’t really articulate what is our pricing strategy??)

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5.2.2 Promotion Strategy

There will be an initial soft launch of the website in May, followed by a major launch a month later in-conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale.

A fashion show showcasing the “launch series” for plus sizes on the catwalk at the Singapore Fashion Week.

Ms Haryani, a famous Singapore Celebrity will don on our classic collection. She has also agreed to be our spokesperson and model for our line of plus size apparel.

5.2.3 Distribution Strategy

The on-line web-site will be the “shop front” for our on-line customers. The catalogue of the latest designs will be easily available through the on-line store for ordering at customer’s convenience. Customer’s order will be delivered within 3 working days. We have also spoken to the chain of seven-eleven stores in Singapore, who has agreed to be our point of distribution, thus customers can also have the option of picking up their products at these convenient pick-up points in the neighbourhood.

5.2.4 Marketing Programmes

Our marketing programmes include having:

Sponsorship of Ms Haryani’s cloths for her TV show series, thus creating awareness of our unique collection

Quarterly fashion shows at the Art’s house, showing casing our local designers works using plus size models.

Participating in the annual “Singapore Fashion Week” Reaching out to our customers through social media platforms such as

Facebook, Forums Offering one-time discount coupons to generate traffic to website Local fashion competitions to promote ourselves as a platform for local

designers to showcase their products

5.2.5 Positioning Statement

Plus Life apparels showcases the beauty of the full-bodied women in the latest fashion styles, enhancing a woman’s femininity.

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5.3 Sales Strategy

A simple in-house CRM system has been designed to track each purchase of our customer. Based on this, a profile of the customer’s interest and style is captured and maintained as our database. The merchandiser is then able to retrieve and analyse the information and focus on the customer’s requirements and the popular buys.

For our first-time customers, they will be offered a 7-day return/exchange policy just like that of a physical store, allowing them to try our products with ease of mind. For our loyal customers who already are familiar with our quality and design, they are offered the membership programme on their sixth purchase. This sixth purchase policy can be shortened to only three purchases if they introduce another customer who buys from our on-line store.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

The forecasted sales for Plus Life is highlighted in the chart below. We expect sales to take off ___ after launching our on-line store in May.

Growth is expected to increase by __________

(Anlaysis from Chart)

6 Web Plan Summary

As a start up in the e-commerce market, Plus Life wants to maximize the investment on technology. We don’t want to spend too much on technology to sell our product, and the important thing is it needs to be scalable, so not only doesn’t need a big initial investment, but also align with the growth projection of Plus Life.

To achieve the web technology objective, we decided to go with an open source solution, and finding a web hosting partner to host it outside. We choose Magento as our web site solution, and we host in on Magento Go.

Magento is an open source ecommerce web application launched on March 31, 2008. It was created by Varien, building on components of the Zend Framework.

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Magento Go is a turnkey service for building and running an online store. No hardware, software or coding required. Magento Go offers several different hosting plans, so it will suit our needs from a start up until our projected growth for the next 5 years.

Using this technology & hosting services, there will be no initial investment in hardware, software, and no need to hire a programmer.

7 Management Summary

As Plus Size is a start-up company, the initial composition of the company will be small. With the limited resources, all works will be delegated amongst the five partners according to their experiences and expertise.

7.1 The profile of each of the partners is indicated below:

(have put some profile in for you guys... you can take a look and improve or amend)

Alexander Bernard Halim

Mr Halim is a web-designer for the past 7 years. He has extensive training in computer graphic packages and is well versed in programming and web development languages and technologies. He has helped created websites for on-line retailing for the past 3 years.

Ho Lee Wen

Ms Ho is a successful financial controller who has served on several planning and policy-making committees. Her experience is in directing and co-ordinating financial planning and budget management. Her past portfolio also includes preparation of financial outlooks and forecasts, establishing long and short-term budget policies and procedures.

Lee Ping Verena

Ms Lee has been directing and managing her own business for the last five years. Her ability to strategise effectively to chart business growth is the driving force behind her successful business.

So Jami Florence

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Ms So was the regional manager of a award-winning retail clothes chain in Singapore. She brings with her experience in corporate and retail marketing in the local context. She was involved in developing and maintaining highly successful marketing campaigns that translated to steep increases in sale.

Zhang Liming

Ms Zhang is a knowledgeable top notch designer with a local boutique for the last three years. She also has vast experience in merchandising and stock management. Her experience and knowledge in China’s clothing manufacturing and production industry proves to be a vital asset for Plus Life.

7.2 Organisation structure and Management Team

With only a start-up of five personnel, the organisation structure will be simple. Verena Lee will act as General Manager and will be responsible for the overall operational aspect of the company. Lee Wen will manage and make decisions on financial matters at PLUS Life. Jami will be responsible for all administrative, marketing and promotional functions. Liming will handle the inventory and supplies, ensuring sufficient stocks and taking care of our suppliers and manufacturers in China. Alexander, our web expert will take care or the day-to-day management and design of the website.

7.3 Personnel Plan

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Alexander Bernard Halim

Ho Lee Wen

Verena Lee Ping

So Jami Florence

Zhang Liming

Total Payroll

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How much will we be paid ??

8 Financial Plan

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