Small businesses account for 98% of all business in Canada and they provide 30% of the country’s GDP and account for millions of all jobs. Approximately 130,000 new businesses start up every year.

Small business is the economic engine of Canada, but it is also a vulnerable sector. Business failure statistics show that about 96% of small businesses (1–99 employees) survive for one full year, 85% survive for three years and 70% survive for five years (Key Small Business Statistics – January 2009, Industry Canada). Micro-enterprises (businesses with 1 to 4 employees) have a slightly lower business failure rate than other small businesses. After five years in business, 70.4% of micro-enterprises survived compared with 66.9% of other small businesses.

This failure rate can be attributed to numerous factors, but the primary source of the problem is poor planning at the start. Too many potential or existing business owners do not recognize the complexity of running a business; they may not know their market, the industry or even the incredible depth of detail required to plan for every single cost required to open and operate a business.

It has been our experience that once potential business owners begin to identify how much they need to know, they either hire someone with experience in the industry to help them, or they recognize that they do not have the knowledge or resources to make a go of their business idea.  Sometimes it becomes painfully obvious that clients simply cannot bring in the revenues needed to survive, or that they will not get funding because their financial projections show poor returns or lack of business knowledge.

A business plan assists people to really look at the validity of their ideas and the applicability of their knowledge, experience and interests can avert potential bankruptcies or encourage people to continue developing their innovative ideas and make a difference in their communities. It allows people who plan to start a new business, or who want to expand one, a better chance of success because they will be well informed about every aspect of running the businesses.

The second benefit is related to quality of life. Once a potential business owner has clearly identified the validity of starting a business they can implement their plan and begin the hard, yet satisfying work of owning a business. Surveys by banks and social agencies clearly show that 29% of Canadians believe owning their own business improves their quality of life; this is especially true for home-based business operated by women. Running a small business from the home allows women with young children to balance the family/work demands while earning a living.

By helping new businesses get off to a solid start, or existing business to strategically expand expansions, Business Plans Canada aims to provide a service that supports major life decisions through intelligent planning processes.

Salma Majid, BC

ABOUT GLOBAL AVENUES CONSULTING INC.

Website: http://www.globalavenues.ca/

Business Description

Global Avenues Consulting Inc. (www.globalavenues.ca) is an immigration and recruitment firm presently operating in Surrey BC. They had a business done by Business Plans Canada to assist them expand to become a comprehensive “one-stop” consulting service to assist newcomers locate in Canada. Their clients are people looking for support to immigrate, become employed or be a student.

Their professional staff are always ready to provide advice to their clients regarding their legal status, the effect of changes in immigration regulations or options on how to stay, work and conduct business in Canada. They are committed to their clients’ success and ensure they offer the best services choices, solutions and on-going support during their clients’ journey to Canada. They offer professional assistance to help their clients navigate the different programs involved in immigrating to Canada and strive to get their clients into Canada in the shortest possible time. They intend to help their clients every step of the way!

Global Avenues presently offers services in English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Arabic. As the business expands, the owners will hire staff who are fluent in other high demand languages such as Spanish, Tagalog and Mandarin.

Global Avenues will derive income from the following service streams:

Services

Global Avenues develops long-term strategic immigration and settlement plans which assist clients to settle in their new country. They offer a variety of services to support these clients. Their experienced team of immigration professionals and experts ensure clients are properly advised and represented throughout the entire process. They provide a full range of exceptional services to help clients immigrate and settle successfully.

Immigration Services

Experienced experts and other professionals advise and represent clients in all the following areas of immigration:

• Business Class
• Economic Class
• Temporary Residency

Investment Services

For qualifying immigrant investors, Global Avenues provides a range of flexible services to meet their clients’ investment needs and to make relocation easier.

These services include offering a complete all inclusive immigration service for investors by:

• preparing, completing and submitting a client’s investment immigration application and supporting documents in compliance with current government regulations.
• providing a practice interview session.
• providing important information on living in Canada, as well as assistance upon arrival.
• explaining the Canadian tax environment.
• assisting clients in obtaining a loan for the purchase of a home (if required) upon landing in Canada.
• identifying a variety of flexible options to complete the C$400,000 investment requirement under this program.

In particular, they also offer assistance with the following programs:

Work Visa for Entrepreneurs

This program is for experienced business owners and managers who will own and actively manage businesses in Canada that contribute to the economy and create jobs.

Work Visa for Self Employed people

Self-employed persons are required to have either relevant experience that will make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada or experience in farm management and the intention and ability to purchase and manage a farm in Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Persons who immigrate to Canada under the Provincial Nominee Program have the skills, education and work experience needed to make an immediate economic contribution to the province or territory that nominates them. They are ready to establish themselves successfully as permanent residents in Canada.

Intra-company transferees

The intra-company category was created to permit international companies to temporarily transfer qualified employees to Canada in order to improve management effectiveness, expand Canadian exports, and enhance the competitiveness of Canadian entities in overseas markets. These Work Permits are LMO-exempt. Citizens of the US, Mexico (NAFTA), Chile (CCFTA) and GATS (the 150 member-countries of the World Trade Organization) are eligible.

Inland services

Global Avenues provides the following Inland Services for Temporary Residence Applicants (foreign workers, visitors, etc.) already residing in Canada:

• change status from visitor to foreign worker.
• extension of current work permit or Student permit .
• restoration of expired work permit or Student Permit.
• change the terms and conditions on a work permit for a new employer or Student permit.
• apply for Permanent Residence.
• acquire Temporary Resident status for foreign workers’ family members who are residing outside Canada.
• help in filling the Permanent Residence Card (PR card) application.
• assist Permanent Residents to get Canadian Citizenship .
• advice on how to complete the Citizenship application correctly.
• provide the correct reading material to assist in passing the Citizenship test.

Heidi Sherwood, BC

“Business Plans Canada worked closely with us and provided a very professional business plan which we are quite proud of. Response time has been great. Whenever we were informed that Business Plans Canada would get in touch, they did. They stuck to their word and did not lack the communication skills which most companies on any given level can often fail. We would recommend this type of service to anyone because it is hard to come by in the first place. I don’t think there is any great room for improvement at this point. We were quite happy with everything.”

Angela Mistry and Amit Ohri

ABOUT INFINITY PHARMACY

Website: http://www.infinityrx.com/

Business Description

Infinity Pharmacy Remedy’sRx is a new retail pharmacy that will be located in a busy downtown neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario.  The pharmacy will be situated as a storefront in a new medical building. Infinity Pharmacy will also become a Provide Blood Awareness Centre for general awareness purposes for donating blood. The medical centre will also include three family physicians and a rehabilitation clinic with chiropractors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists.  The tenants in the building will operate as independent businesses, while working together to offer patients seamless integrated health-care services.

Infinity Pharmacy will provide prescription medication, non-prescription products, and specialized compounding medications. These products will be sold to the patients of the doctors in the Medical Centre as well as to people in the local community. The production of compounding medications is a very specialized service that requires extensive training and licensing. Most pharmacies do not offer this service. Infinity Pharmacy is part of a network of independent pharmacies located throughout Canada. This network provides valuable resources in marketing and advertising programs. The Remedy’sRx brand is well-recognized and respected in Ontario. Infinity Pharmacy will launch their business in June 2011.

Ownership and Management

Infinity Pharmacy is a privately-held corporation registered in Ontario.  The company consists of a partnership of two senior professionals: Angela Mistry, Manager and Senior Pharmacist and Amit Ohri, Marketing, I.T., and Business Development Manager. Senior management offer extensive experience in retail management, information management, customer service, marketing, and retail pharmacy.  Angela Mistry is a Registered Pharmacist with over seven years experience working in retail Canadian pharmacies. Amit Ohri has a proven understanding of information technology networks and marketing, with over eight years of professional industry experience. He also is the President of a major charitable awareness initiative, known as Provide Blood.  (See www.provideblood.com for more information.)

Key Initiatives and Objectives

The existing units require major leasehold improvements to accommodate the pharmacy, medical clinic and rehabilitation centre. Infinity Pharmacy will be responsible for implementing these leasehold improvements. Infinity Pharmacy will retain a contractor to oversee the construction program which will begin in December 2010 and be completed by May 2011 to open for business in June 2011. Once the leasehold improvements are complete, Infinity Pharmacy will open their business to the public. They will retain a full-time Pharmacy Technician to work with Angela Mistry. The company will employ an aggressive marketing program to promote the new pharmacy to businesses and residences in the community.

Market Opportunities

The Canadian pharmaceutical industry is continuing to grow.  In 2007, Pharmacies and Drug Stores generated $890.4 million in profits in Canada, up from $622.4 million in 1999. This represented an average annual increase of 4.1%, with a 5.7% increase observed between 2006 and 2007.  Of total drug spending, 85% was for prescription medicine. The remainder was non-prescribed, discretionary drug purchases such as Aspirin and Gravol.

In 2006, the City of Toronto had a total population of over 2.5 million people. During the past ten years, the city has experienced a steady increase in population (40.4% increase from 2001-2006 and an 83% increase from 1996-2006). The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is projected to be the fastest growing region of the province, with its population increasing by 3.0 million, or 49.5%, by 2036. The demand for personalized medicine is rising, making compounded medicines an important service for pharmacies. More independent pharmacists are learning this specialized art, which gives them a competitive advantage over the major pharmacy chains.

Competitive Advantages

Infinity Pharmacy has several important competitive advantages.  They are located in prime area in the same building as three family physicians, and a rehabilitation clinic with chiropractors, physiotherapists and massage therapists.  This will ensure a consistent flow of customers without requiring a huge marketing effort.  The facility is located in a busy downtown neighbourhood, underneath a condominium building and close to several condominium and business towers, and within walking distance to Union Station, a major transit corridor.  Currently, there are no other comparable pharmacy and medical clinic combinations within a 1 km radius of the building.

Another major competitive advantage is that Infinity Pharmacy will be offering specialized compounding medications.  This is a unique service that is not offered by many pharmacies.  Compounding services is becoming increasingly popular as it allows pharmacists to produce medications that are customized for the unique requirements of each patient.

Infinity Pharmacy will have an experienced team of pharmacists and technicians who will provide excellent customer service, including medication counselling and follow-through.  The pharmacy will publish an emergency phone number where customers can contact them outside of regular business hours.  The store will have an organized professional environment that allows customers to easily find products and services.

Infinity Pharmacy will provide many conveniences for their customers.  They will offer delivery service for all prescription medication.  This is particularly important for seniors, people who are ill, or busy professionals in the nearby business towers  The company will also utilize software that allows patients online access to their health profiles, attain in-depth information about their medication, and renew orders by email.

Marketing Strategy

Infinity Pharmacy will employ an integrated marketing program that includes flyers, signage and newspaper advertising.  All media will highlight that the pharmacy provides specialty compounding services. Infinity Pharmacy will target men or women between the ages of 22 to 40, who are singles or couples without children. They will have higher than average annual incomes of $75,000 to $100,000, and will live or work in the downtown Toronto area. Secondary target markets include men or women between the ages of 40 to 60 without children; families with adults between the ages of 25 to 60; and seniors.

“I knew that my business plan would be the most important document in my immigration application through the BC PNP Program (in Regional Business Category) and that it must be realistic.  Fortunately, I choose the best company to do this which was Business Plans Canada. Although I was in Iran, I just called them then they arranged everything. Now I’m in Canada and have my business running.”

Hossein Shokouhi

ABOUT HIGH KOOL LTD.

Business Description

High-Kool Ltd. is an exciting new business that has the potential to revolutionize the commercial and residential construction industry in BC, and throughout Canada.

Mr. Shokouhi currently owns and operates a very successful pre-insulated air duct company in Iran. It is his intention to immigrate to Canada and to bring this innovative industry to British Columbia which is recognized around the world for its green building construction in both the residential and the commercial building sector. An electrical/technical engineer by training and a businessman who has proven his skills by building a start-up business into a million-dollar-plus industry, Mr. Shokouhi has established processes and agreements with Kingspan for importing container loads of the panels and the tools and accessories required to fabricate the air ducts. A specialized machine for designing and cutting the air ducts will be imported from Ohio in the United States; the company selling this product also provides on-site training for operators of this machine.

Mr. Shokouhi’s company High-Kool Ltd. will expand the green building opportunities in British Columbia, and create significant savings for both contractors and building owners with this exciting new product. The company will create four new jobs in the first year of business and will provide a total of 13 new jobs by its third year of operation.

High-Kool will import pre-insulated panels to build (fabricate) air ducts. Since the early 1900′s air ducts, which are used to circulate air throughout buildings, have been made of sheet metal. The sheet metal ducts are heavy, cumbersome and require insulation after they have been installed. High-Kool will be using KoolDuct© Systems, produced by Kingspan Insulation in the United Kingdom. This product meets all the Canadian and US regulations for insulation, safety, smoke and flame code requirements. The most significant aspect of this product is that it is ideal for green building construction. It has an energy efficiency rating that is 20 percent higher than metal duct works; it vastly improves Indoor Air Quality as it uses antimicrobial silicone which limits mold and mildew and eliminates the risk of insulation fibres circulating in the air. The KoolDuct panels are CFC/HCFC-free with zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and they can reduce annual costs of fans circulating air by up to 30 percent. The High-Kool system is 85 percent lighter than metal air ducts so it causes less physical stress on workers and requires less labourers to install; air ducts can be flush-mounted to ceilings – significantly reducing the amount of space required for Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The ease of installation and space saving components reduce capital costs of construction by 21 percent.

This business plan is simply that, a planning document. The need for adaptive and flexible planning is a key component of a successful business, and the most successful business plans act as a GPS guide that allows course correction, rather than as a static road map that doesn’t show how a detour can provide a better outcome. If Mr. Shokouhi needs to adapt any aspects of this plan to meet his business goals, he will do so knowing that flexibility and adaptive strategies are the key to success during the first three years of starting a new business.

Ownership and Management

High-Kool will be an incorporated business, jointly owned by Mr. Hossein Shokouhi and his wife Foroogh Pourandi. Mr. Shokouhi will be the General Manager and Ms. Pourandi will provide administrative services. Initially, a sales manager will complete the management team, he/she will report to Mr. Shokouhi; once the business is fully operational a project manager will be hired. Mr. Shokouhi will be responsible for all the organizational, administrative, and financial aspects of the company; the sales manager will meet with potential clients and develop leads in both the wholesale and the fabrication aspects of the business. The project manager will manage the operations of the company, including the technical and general labour staff.

Key Initiatives and Objectives

The key initiatives for High-Kool are to establish the business by opening a warehouse, hiring a sales person, and building knowledge of the availability and benefits of the pre-insulated duct works in the HVAC and construction industry.

While waiting for the immigration process Mr. Shokouhi will start building his contacts and advertising lists. Once immigration is guaranteed Mr. Shokouhi will implement the process of registering the business name and incorporating the company through the online services of Small Business BC. After arriving in British Columbia, he will lease a warehouse location, hire a sales manager and begin the process of setting up his business. As marketing this product will be as important as importing the panels, there will be a concentrated effort to make contact with customers. Once the business is established, the sales manager position will turn into a project manager position.

In order to meet his objectives of becoming the largest provider of pre-insulated air duct panels in British Columbia, Mr Shokouhi will:

• Meet with a minimum of five potential customers a week during January and February
• Hire a sales manager by the third week of January
• Ensure that the sales manager is meeting with ten potential customers a week over the next eight weeks
• Launch a web site and have information materials and samples available by the end of January
• Hire and train staff by the end of the first week in February In order to meet growth objectives High-Kool will increase its stock and sales by: (a) Importing one container per month from July 2011 to April 2013 and by increasing revenues by approximately 10 percent per month over the first year of operation; (b) Increasing imports to two containers per month from May 2013 to October 2013; (c) Requiring imports of three containers per month from November 2013 to May 2014; and (d) Establishing imports of four containers per month by the end of Year 3.

Market Opportunities

The commercial and residential construction industry in Canada is in a period of growth and there is a large market for High-Kool’s products within this industry.

The Construction Sector Council of BC, the group involved in the commercial, industrial and institutional/government building sector, (the term commercial is used throughout this plan to refer to all three of these sectors) projects steady growth in the industry between 2011 and 2018. The February 8, 2010 edition of the Journal of Commerce reports that “Construction GDP is predicted to increase by seven per cent in 2010 and 4.4 per cent in 2011….Construction output will accelerate in the next three years, growing by 9.5 per cent in 2012, 11.6 per cent in 2013 and 8.9 per cent in 2014.”

The BC Stats report on the value of building permits issued between January and July 2009, and the same period in 2010, also shows significant growth in the construction sector. In Victoria there was an 84.4 percent growth in residential building permit values. Growth in commercial construction permit values in Greater Vancouver was 22 2 percent during this period, and it was 11.5 percent in the Lower Mainland. The institutional sector grew by 29.9 percent in Greater Vancouver and 32.2 percent in the Lower Mainland. Industrial construction permit values were down in both areas during this period. The commercial, industrial and institutional sector growth in Victoria was not favourable however; there was a 60.5 percent decline in commercial permit values and a 76.6 percent decline in government/institutional construction permit values. This decline in the Victoria commercial market is marginally offset by the significant growth in residential construction. If needed, the issue of lower commercial sales in the Victoria area could be addressed through locating a High-Kool warehouse and project manager in the Lower Mainland area. (Since this plan was written, the business has been established in Chilliwack, BC.).

Overall, the extensive growth in residential construction in Victoria, an area renowned for its green buildings, and the growth in commercial construction in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, and the steadily increasing demands for green building construction, is good news for High-Kool.

* For the purposes of measuring growth, the Provincial Government has designated development areas. The Greater Vancouver Development Area is composed of Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Langley DM, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, University Endowment Lands, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and White Rock. The area known as the Southern Lower Mainland Development Area includes the following communities: Fraser-Valley Regional District, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Harrison Hot Springs, VL, Hope DM, Kent DM, and Mission. Throughout this plan the term Greater Vancouver refers to the development area described above and the term Lower Mainland refers to the Southern Lower Mainland communities described above.

Competitive Advantages

The most significant advantage for High-Kool is the energy savings aspects of the pre-insulated ducts. Energy costs will only increase over time, and the need to increase green building components in construction will call for more products such as the pre-insulated ducts. These cost-savings advantages are reinforced by the labour and space reductions that are a key part of this system; the ability to reduce costs, accelerate installation times and save money on operational costs gives the High-Kool system a clear advantage in the market place.

There is one other company in BC providing these products, Green Duct Ductworks in Vancouver; they appear to be a small company, their undeveloped website information is a verbatim copy of Mr. Shokouhi’s Iranian website. Requests for information made through the company’s website email have not been answered.

Mr. Shokouhi’s success with building this same business in Iran is also an advantage in that he knows how the product performs for both fabricating and installation and he can speak directly to its benefits.

Marketing Strategy

Marketing will be the key to the success of this company as it is a relatively unknown product in BC. Mr. Shokouhi’s focus, once he has become a landed immigrant, will be on working with the sales manager to make contact with the mechanical contractors, the fabricators and the commercial and residential contractors who will be his customers for both the wholesale and the fabricated products. Other strategies that will support the face-to-face meetings include development of a full-information website, brochures, and product samples that demonstrate the quality of the jointing process and the ease of installation and advertising within the industry. A list of publications and organizations that will be used for advertising and outreach is included in the business plan. Mr. Shokouhi will also join several professional associations involved in the construction industry.

ABOUT THE LANDING RESTAURANT

Business Description

The Landing is a new restaurant that will provide a casual yet sophisticated dining experience in downtown Nipigon. Mrs. Shawna Dampier intends to purchase a building in downtown Nipigon, across from the tourist park, and renovate it to include a 30-seat restaurant, and three rental apartments on the second floor. The Landing will be open 7 days a week offering healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees made on site from fresh ingredients.

Ownership and Management

The Landing will be owned and operated by Shawna Dampier. Mrs. Dampier is an energetic, outgoing individual with fifteen years experience in the restaurant industry in Ontario, including four years working in a restaurant in Nipigon. She is fully familiar with every aspect of running a small restaurant, and has all the appropriate training and certifications to do so. In preparing this business plan, Mrs. Dampier has done a thorough job of researching the business development and funding opportunities, all zoning, licensing and regulatory requirements, renovation and start-up costs, suppliers, and the unmet demand for restaurant services in the Nipigon area.

Key Initiatives and Objectives

Key objectives in this plan include:
• Purchase and renovation of the building.
• Opening of the restaurant in January 2012, and the addition of an outdoor patio seating area in Year 3.
• Creation of a healthy and attractive foodservice alternative for residents and visitors in Nipigon.

Market Opportunities

At present people dining out in Nipigon have very few alternatives other than burgers, fries and other greasy short order food. Residents (or visitors) who want to enjoy a nice dinner made from fresh ingredient with a glass of wine in an attractive setting, have to drive an hour and a half to Thunder Bay. Moreover, local restaurant choices are about to get worse. Two restaurants are due to close in the next year, including the Nipigon Cafe, which is the only restaurant in the downtown core convenient to the visitors’ park and local offices and businesses.Although restaurants in small towns must have something to appeal to everyone, from children to seniors, the key target markets for The Landing will be:
• Professionals working in the downtown (primarily a breakfast and lunch crowd).
• General township residents, especially couples and groups looking for a nice place to enjoy an evening out.
• Travellers, visitors and tourists.The Town and the Economic Development Office are very supportive of this initiative, as it will create 6 to 10 new local jobs and contribute to the revitalization of the downtown core. There is also a large unmet demand for rental housing in the area, and three newly-renovated apartments will be a welcome addition to the housing inventory.

Competitive Advantages

Existing local restaurants have a very limited selection of food choices, especially for fresh or healthy food. Further, they lack the ambiance and customer service to attract local customers who want an enjoyable dining experience, and the curb appeal to attract travellers and visitors. Local residents actually drive as far as Thunder Bay for small luxuries that are not available locally, such as enjoying a cappuccino in a pleasant cafe. If they’ll go to Thunder Bay, Mrs. Dampier is certain they will drive around the block, and The Landing’s delicious food, warm atmosphere and great customer service will keep them coming back.

Marketing Strategy

The key to promotion in a small town is word-of-mouth. Mrs. Dampier is an active community member who is already well known through her job, her family, and her many volunteer activities. People in the community have heard that she intends to start a new restaurant, and she is receiving tremendous encouragement and support, both from potential customers and from the Town itself. Promotional strategies will include highway signage directing visitors to the restaurant, newspaper coverage, a Facebook page, a grand opening, and special events, such as music nights featuring local musicians.

“Your product is very good and it really helped me to focus on the details of my business. I feel much more confident in approaching new customers. I needed more guidance in the finance department, but it was explained to me that you cannot make recommendations, only ask pertinent questions. That was frustrating for me, but it forced me to really analyze this section bit by bit, number by number and I came out the other end with a better understanding of how it will work. You responded to all my requests in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend Business Plans Canada to other people.”

Wendy Petryk

ABOUT C2C EVENT SOLUTIONS

Website: http://www.c2ceventsolutions.com/

Business Description

Wendy Petryk loves a parade. For the past decade, she has worked as a volunteer on parade committees, and designed award-winning parade floats in the Calgary Stampede parade. She is familiar with all the details of designing, building, operating and maintaining parade floats and she has discovered that nobody specializes in managing this process from start to finish. Although hundreds of parades are held in Canada every year, some attracting as many as 500,000 spectators, and there are many elaborate floats being entered by large organizations and corporations, there are no Canadian companies specializing in parade float building management or logistics.

C2C Event Solutions Inc. will provide a comprehensive, ‘one-stop shopping’ package of services that covers every aspect of building and operating a float, such as:

• Working with a client researching the brand, the vision, and the message they want to deliver
• Design and planning of each float, including mechanical and electrical requirements, and maintaining high safety standards.
• Supervision of the entire building process from the road up.
• Parade entry including application forms, fees and insurance requirements.
• Parade day preparation, operations and troubleshooting.
• Volunteer and staff training.
• Scheduling of parades and other exhibition opportunities in the client’s target market area.
• Media coverage and media kits.
• Planning for lifecycle, repair, cleaning and storage.

Ownership and Management

C2C Event Solutions Inc. is owned and operated by Wendy Petryk. Ms. Petryk has strong skills in project management, training, multi-tasking in hectic environments, troubleshooting and customer service. She has organized events and fundraisers across Canada, and her extensive experience in designing and operating parade floats has given her a broad range of valuable contacts with parade organizers, float sponsors, and companies that build floats. Ms. Petryk recently completed an Event Management Certificate program at Mount Royal University.

Key Initiatives and Objectives

In the three years of this plan, C2C will focus on designing and building floats for the Calgary Stampede Parade. Of course these floats can be used in other parades as well, and C2C will provide logistical support to enable that. Key objectives in this business plan include securing xxx clients per year, and increasing income from proposal writing fivefold from $XXX in Year 1 to $XXX in Year 3.

Market Opportunities

Companies recognize the marketing value represented by parade entries. For instance, in 2010 the Calgary Stampede Parade attracted approximately 350,000 spectators, and was also broadcast live on TV. Each float receives an average of 40 seconds of coverage as it passes by, and award-winning floats attract a great deal more media attention. A sturdy, well-designed float can be re-used for years in numerous other parades, and also as a static exhibit at conventions, trade shows and festivals. Floats that are built for durability can even be used as outdoor signage and static displays for several years.

Competitive Advantages

C2C’s competitive advantage is simple: nobody else is doing this. The advantage to clients is that C2C will expertly and efficiently manage their parade float marketing campaign. Float builders will also welcome this service, as they will view C2C as a sales partner with experience in the float-building process. Finally, parade organizers welcome the opportunity to gain high quality entries and work with a company that understands their requirements.

Marketing Strategy

C2C Event Solutions Inc. will market its services through the following means:

• Referrals – C2C is already promoting its services with three Calgary float building companies and will also be referred by the Stampede Parade Committee.
• Personal Meetings with Clients – C2C will approach a short list of target companies that have participated in the Stampede parade in the last few years and need to renew the lifecycle of their floats, as well as companies celebrating milestones.
• Website and Social Media – Parades are festive and visual, so C2C‘s web presence will feature photos, videos, testimonials, and success stories. There will also be a networking link with other parade websites to show the vast choice of provincial, municipal, summer, winter and night parades.
• Trade Shows and Other Events – Ms. Petryk will attend trade shows and conferences to network within the industry.
• Post-Parade Party – In the future, C2C will host a Post-Parade Party. This will provide the opportunity for social networking and de-briefing after the parade for all parade participants, volunteers and committee members.

Lea Sirr

ABOUT SIRR EXCAVATOR HANDS

Website: http://www.thexhand.com

Business Description

Finally, someone really has built a “better mousetrap”—or at least a better excavating attachment that will revolutionize the excavating industry. Sirr Excavator Hands Inc. is a new company that has developed and patented a prototype of a multifunction excavator attachment known as the XHand™. This attachment has a unique design that combines several excavating functions, plus screening capabilities, into one efficient unit.

Excavators are advanced multi-function carriers with a hydraulic arm that accepts different attachments. They can perform many functions depending on the attachment that is connected to the hydraulic arm. Excavating buckets, the standard equipment on excavators, are single function units that only dig in one direction and have no screening capability; their restricted excavating capability prohibits the contractor from realizing the full value of their equipment investment.

When an excavator arm is mated with an excavator hand instead of a bucket, an evolution in excavator capability occurs; it becomes possible to add value to onsite materials by screening it. More production and efficiency is available when excavating, because the multifunctional capabilities aren’t restricted to use in a single direction.

The XHand™ is a live attachment; its three sections use hydraulics to open and close and these functions are independent of actions of the excavator arm. The advantage is operators can seamlessly change functions on-the-go without stopping the operation underway to change buckets. For example, the XHand™ can move from digging to screening or front loading to dozing or grabbing, etc. as a single operation, while standard buckets can either dig with a tooth edge or clean up with a flat edge. To switch functions the operator has to stop working and physically take off one bucket and put on the other. Production is stopped during bucket changes, and depending on how far away the other bucket is located, it can easily take 15 minutes to “walk” the excavator to the bucket to make the change, then “walk” it back and continue working.

The multi-functional XHand™ will change the nature of the excavation industry. Companies using this tool will be able to underbid the competition by providing value-added and cost-efficient services and that are not available with the current technology.
The XHand™ multi-function capabilities are congruent with the excavator arm’s full range of movement, which means that excavating is more efficient and productive. Combined with the value-adding screening feature, the early adopters of this technology will see lower costs and more profit. They will have access to a different job market because of the combination excavating and screening capability. Once this innovation is widely used, it will be essential to buy or lease an XHand™ to stay competitive.

Ownership and Management

Mr. Lea Sirr and his wife Christine Sirr are joint owners of the company. Mr. Sirr has worked in the excavation and forestry industry for more than 30 years and is fully aware of the needs for a multifunction bucket that increases productivity and reduces costs. He will work directly with the company developing engineering drawings as well as the firm fabricating the prototype sizes, and he will also run demonstrations of the capabilities of the XHand™. Mrs. Sirr manages all the administrative aspects of the company. The equity investor’s shares and involvement in the company will be discussed with the investor.

Key Initiatives and Objectives

The primary initiative is to find an investor to fund the Generation Three prototype drawings and to fabricate three XHand™ models for 10, 20 and 30 ton machines to use on demonstration projects. Funding is also required to hire a marketing firm specializing in research and development offerings. Returns on Investment, in terms of company shares and royalties, will be discussed with the investor.

Market Opportunities

There are hundreds of firms manufacturing attachments for excavators; and hundreds of thousands of excavators operating throughout the world. The company will focus its marketing strategy in two areas; one will be demonstrating the XHand™ to various industries, the other focus will be on selling the design and patents to an international firm producing attachments for excavation equipment.

Competitive Advantages

There is no other tool like this in the excavation industry. Once the design has been purchased, the manufacturing company will have an industry monopoly on a product that will become the standard tool for excavation jobs.

Marketing Strategy

Mr. Sirr will use the XHand™ on demonstration jobs in industries such as forestry, mining, and pipeline building to generate interest in manufacturing firms that sell to these industries. A marketing firm specializing in research and development promotions will also be hired to take the XHand™ to major manufacturing companies. A professionally produced video of the three sizes of the XHand™ in operation will be developed to use as a marketing tool. An instructional video will also be provided to accompany sales of the XHand™.