Group Assignment 1 - Final
Group Assignment 1 - Final
Practice
ABPL 90140
SM1 - 2015
Assignment
1
Business
Plan
Cover
Sheet
Group
Number
Group 56
Student
Name
Section
completed
(A,
B,C,
D
or
E)
Student Number
Yanisa Niennattrakul
740546
692843
Liu Jing
733038
Muzhi Ji
679278
Ye Yang
704194
StuRent.com 1
Assignment 1: Business Plan
For landlords:
- Site inspection services and low budget Home-Improvement consultant/design services
- Advertisement portal for student room rental services (charged more for 7-days speed advertisement)
What we mean by boutique is to describe a property in the independent sector of the hotel market in order to distinguish ourselves from larger chains and
to convey the idea that its operation is small, elite and highly specialized.
2
Data from website: mp.weixin.qq.com
3
Chinese version of Facebook
StuRent.com 3
Assignment 1: Business Plan
3 Years
Two of partners will take architect-licensed exam. Contacting via website, apart from our 4 months peak-time availability of
student tenants (January-February / June-July), low-budget home-improvement architectural project will be operated from
our database of landlords who would like to gain more rental fees from suggested inspection and designed renovation. The
website is still actively done as a lifestyle blog to post inspiration photos for home-improvement examples and manage to
open an online market of life-style decorations for clients to follow from. For now the website advertisement fees would be a
stable cash flow for the company. We will expand our office to co-working space which costs less compared to an actual
office space.
4 Years
Our market will be expanded to other parts of Australia. Initially, the first expanded market is Sydney. More recruitment is
needed as we set up branches. Contact lists of landlords and international students market research will need to be done.
One of the partners house in Sydney, Australia will be renovated into #1 StuRent.com ideal model if possible.
3rd Stage (5 years-onwards)
5 Years
This would be a big challenge for us. We will start to buy an affordable block from our landlord connection (in either
Melbourne or Sydney) and start to design/renovate rooms to set up our brand of stand-alone student accommodation. Our
net profit (400,929 AUD by the 5th year) will start to operate as a full-service of our network of property management.
Website and home-improvement practice are still operating. The management team will be hired. Get some investment from
China or Thailand.
1.4 Risk Analyses and Management (SWOT analysis)
Strength:
Internet/website costs very small as a start-up price, compare to others.
Online workspace can be done in an early start-up stage.
Billingual langauges (Chinese, Thai, Malay, and English) can be used to communicate to international students.
Specific social media such as Weibo and Baidu can be used to approach Chinese market.
Weaknesses:
Young graduates with no experiences in property management and development.
Not local. Not familiar much with the context.
An obvious peak period of the market is only for 4 months.
The market is fixed and uncontrollable.
Opportunities:
The strategy can grow as a modular. Population will grow double (Chinese students for 21%) as the currency is cheaper.
Surplus networks from all partners in Melbourne and Sydney such as restaurants, and graphic designers to collaborate
with the website package offers.
Threats:
Economic downturns
Lots of competitors and easy to copy. Fresh strategies need to be launched all the time.
Ultimate Trust is heavily needed. Too much depending on reviews and feedbacks.
Over budget for Year5 plan if we want to invest/build rooms
1.5 Exit Strategies
In the first 6 months if the company is not successful by not gaining the required amount of students, we will stop the
scheme and continue in our current job in architectural firms or equivalent. After 2 year, if the website does not gain the
profit from advertisement, the exit strategies will be:
We will continue developing website from the client database, and/or focus on lifestyle and event parts.
All principle and partners will be protected by insurance and share equally the money left behind.
We will seek for legal and financial consultant to minimize risk when exit the market.
2.0 BRANDING
Company Logo expresses STURENT, a platform for all international students to gather. Copyright of 2015.
2.1 Our Brand
StuRent.com is branded in such a way that it is simple yet being self-descriptive. The term Stu represents the target group
of our company, which is mainly students, international ones to be specific. And rent speaks itself of what we do, by
renting the right place for themselves to call their place home. Our company name needs to be straightforward and clear cut.
We are moving in a positive direction that tackles Innovation, Trustworthiness, Accurate aspects.
2.2 Brand Belief
Through personal experiences, there are often complaints from many international students where a lot of sources they
researched online didnt meet their expectations. In worse case scenarios, there are also scams turning up frequently.
Furthermore there are a few dishonest companies forcing extra surcharge upon paid services as well as intentionally giving
the wrong information by sending unrealistic images of room with no floor plans as reference. Worry no more; Sturent.com
is here to resolve all problems by delivering trust, with all solutions mentioned:
StuRent.com 5
Assignment 1: Business Plan
Large emphasized
interactive Map
with filter bars,
saves a lot of time
by breaking down
in what customer
really wants.
A detailed
breakdown in
categories of
accommodation is
supported by
images.
Information is
conveyed with a
mere glance.
A selection of
Colour scheme,
eye catching and
attractive,
increases the
tone and mood
of layout.
The design pattern of business card is also playful and less words; information can be conveyed very easily.
StuRent.com 7
Assignment 1: Business Plan
As the diagram shows, International students from our home countries(China, Thailand and Malaysia) account for more than
50%(about 65000 people altogether) of international students in 2013,and the number has continuously increased in 2014 as
well.
Competitors Analysis
According to the table above, major renting companies here in Melbourne have a variety of advantages (Good reputation
and public relation, financially strong, branches in different cities, Proficient workforce). Because of their long history, they
also have their own setbacks (their branding tend to be old-fashioned, really bad user experiences, messy and unorganized
information, unattractive pictures and layout of website). In conclusion, they are not attractive enough to reach young
international students, which give us a great advantage to develop our company.
3.3 Unique selling points (niche)
-Our company engages to the client pool that the five of us understand the most, and design specially customized service
package for them. Our business is a one shop stop business, making the most of Internet and social networking to reach our
target clients (18-28 young international students that have a frequent access to Internet socializing)
-Professional renting advices from architecture graduate students (ex. Location, environment, surroundings)
-Because of our international background (3 members from China, one from Thailand, one from Malaysia ),we can
understand our clients better than any local competitor and communicate with our clients with their home language.
Therefore our company could reach more clients.
3.4 Marketing Approach
1. Infancy stage ( 0 - 6month )
Our goal of this stage is to stay alive and gets clients. Try to minimize our cost, make a clear position in the marketplace as
well as earning the first bulk of gold. We will use the follow strategies to market our company with low cost.
a. Personal relationship
As last year students at this stage, the first most important thing we need to do is try to get support through friends and
family. Yanisas friend-who owns a restaurant Thailicious in Melbourne-agree to sponsor our activities with money and
food, and in exchange, we need to help him with the restaurant promotion in University of Melbourne.
b. Social networking software
Well promote our brand through software that are frequently used by international students (ex Chinese software Wechat ,
weibo , Renren ),which will give us an advantage comparing to our local competitors. Blog about interesting activities and
ideal lifestyle in Melbourne
c. Workshops on campus
Jing Liu will organize a workshop about IELTS test, Ye Yang will start a workshop teaching Rhino, Wanteen Lee will offer
cooking lessons on campus on campus to reach as many Ideal clients as possible.
d. Business Competitions
Currently our Project director Yanisa is doing a business competition on campus in order to gain more experience about
business as well as promoting our brand in student community.
StuRent.com 9
Assignment 1: Business Plan
1. Initial Enquiry
Provide the basic information of rental market in Melbourne, Australia.
Collect clients in our sales pipeline:
-use website, advisements and applications to promote our company in The University of Melbourne, RMIT, Monash
University, and La Trobe University
-or obtain clients information from education agency such as IDP Education.
Get the feedback: ask clients where do they know our company.
2. Initial Consultation
Promote our brand
Figure out clients needs: provide the detailed information of renting services.
Show clients advantages of our company: offer professional inspections, give professional advice.
Build a belief for clients: we are professional and can do better than other competitors.
3. Proposal/ Quote
Prepare various renting options for clients.
Offer the detailed information of the property: price, location, floor plan, surrounding facilities, landlord information, etc.
Provide extra services: establish the clients data and help them find suitable roommates, professional inspection (including
visual information).
4. Sales
Provide activities: extra activities and workshops that consist of their lifestyle.
Meet clients specific demand: keep pets, change rooms, etc.
Ask questions about our company: get advice from clients.
4.2 Follow-up
Follow-up should contain all information that clients need to know. The feedbacks from clients can be important to company
development. This information can help our company to optimize our strategy and minimize the drawbacks.
Maintain relationship with potential clients: transfer them into real clients.
Long-term services: organize activities for clients, build a good reputation of our firm collecting by reviews and feedbacks.
4.3 Operational Issues
1.Money
Start-up: a lack of money can cause lots of problems. It is possibly a good idea to start later after we have some experience
and generate some potential clients.
Development period: circulating funds need to be collected to meet the potential problems.
2.Time
As students in university, we do not have full time to focus on the development of the company, which can cause clients loss.
$5,000.00
Insurance
$1,000.00
Marketing
$5,000.00
Utilities
$500.00
$1,000.00
Software
$1,000.00
$3,000.00
10
StuRent.com 11
Assignment 1: Business Plan
5.3 Year 3
Since the other two have got the registration. We could start our design
business. As we are experienced for renting for students, we can start to help
some landlords for renovating their house into students apartment. And for this
year, we will move to a co-working place, which lead to a reduction of the net
profit.
2400
local
38,091
30,843
42,339
55636.5
11127.3
int
14,166
26,590
22,140
62896
12579.2
Charges
potential
$50.00
$556,36
$50.00
$50.00
$628,960 $1,185,325
total
52,257
57,433
64,479
118532.5
23706.5
3440
3000
5.5 Year 5
We start to focus on the renovation design. And we will try to invest
a real estate at the end of the year and use our website to promote
it. And from this year, we will move into a new office located in
suburb areas.
5.6 The Profit Distribution
The profit will be separated into three parts. 10% will be the bonus
for our 5 partners. 30% will be used for business development and
the last 60% will be Invest in some Fund Capital to gain the normally
10% Interest.
PAYMENT ANALYSIS
staff level
Start up
COGS
80%
Salary
$25,000
Year 1
COGS cost People
$20,000
0
Year 2 Year 3
People People
3
2
Year 4
People
0
Year 5
People
0
Part-time job
75%
$20,000
$15,000
top
Support
Total COG Wages
Total Overhead Wages
80%
10%
$40,000
$35,000
$32,000
$3,500
0
0
$120,000
35000
0
1
$88,500
56500
0
1
$103,500
61500
2
1
$127,500
67500
4
2
$225,000
125000
11
ANNUAL COSTS
Last 6 months
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Commission Fees
$177,798.75
$195,578.63
$254,252.21
$457,653.98
$915,307.97
Desgin fees
$0.00
$0.00
$20,000.00
$50,000.00
$100,000.00
Services
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
Advertisement
$5,000.00
$5,000.00
$10,000.00
$20,000.00
$40,000.00
TOTAL INCOME
$187,798.75
$207,578.63
$294,252.21
$537,653.98
$1,065,307.97
0.00%
110.53%
141.75%
182.72%
198.14%
$120,000.00
$88,500.00
$103,500.00
$127,500.00
$225,000.00
$5,000.00
$5,526.62
$7,834.24
$14,314.63
$28,363.02
TOTAL COGS
$125,000.00
$94,026.62
$111,334.24
$141,814.63
$253,363.02
GROSS PROFIT
$62,798.75
$113,552.00
$182,917.97
$395,839.35
$811,944.94
Wages Overhead
$35,000.00
$56,500.00
$61,500.00
$67,500.00
$125,000.00
Website maintain
$3,440.00
$3,440.00
$3,440.00
$3,440.00
$3,440.00
Utilities
$500.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
Software
$500.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
Printers
$500.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
Stationary
$200.00
$400.00
$400.00
$400.00
$400.00
Marketing
$5,000.00
$5,000.00
$20,000.00
$40,000.00
$40,000.00
Cleaning
$0.00
$0.00
$2,400.00
$2,400.00
$2,400.00
Server Rent
$800.00
$1,000.00
$1,250.00
$1,563.00
$1,953.00
Staff Training
$2,000.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
Rent
$0.00
$0.00
$45,626.00
$45,626.00
$80,000.00
Furniture
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
Computers
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$8,000.00
$8,000.00
Insurance
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
Subscriptions
$400.00
$400.00
$400.00
$400.00
$400.00
TOTAL OVERHEADS
$51,340.00
$81,740.00
$150,016.00
$189,329.00
$281,593.00
$34,675.00
$32,941.25
$26,353.00
$19,764.75
5.00%
20.00%
25.00%
40.00%
$1,733.75
$6,588.25
$6,588.25
$7,905.90
NET PROFIT
$9,633.75
$30,078.25
$26,313.72
$199,922.10
$522,446.04
Percentage Profit
5.13%
14.49%
8.94%
37.18%
49.04%
Net profit
$9,633.75
$30,078.25
$26,313.72
$199,922.10
$522,446.04
Capital Investment
$5,780.25
$18,046.95
$15,788.23
$119,953.26
$313,467.63
Business Development
$2,890.13
$9,023.48
$7,894.12
$59,976.63
$156,733.81
$963.38
$3,007.83
$2,631.37
$19,992.21
$52,244.60
INCOME
OVERHEADS
Profit Distribution
12