Red Basket - Imported Silk Flowers Business Plan Essay.

The aim of the unit is to ensure that you are able to:

1. Develop key critical, analytical, problem-solving skills and a understanding of the process and practice of entrepreneurship;

2. Facilitate the integration of key business skills – in people management, marketing, accounting and finance, strategy etc. - towards the purpose of the successful launch and growth of a business or new product/service;

3. Understand how the process of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership needs to change as the organisation grows and develops

Recently, trend to add silk flowers and artificial trees in the home decoration or event decoration is being widely used by the art lovers. The durability of the silk flowers is also long and due to emergence of various technologies, it has become more attractive and famous business activity. The growing business of silk flower and artificial items in the gift industry and market places has also captured attention a lot in Australia. Import of silk flowers is now become necessity more than luxury for a business from some past years due to competition.

Thus, this study is providing an insight on business plan of imported silk flowers. This report covers all the necessary information related to the products and services provided by the company named Red Basket. Red Basket will import its silk flower, trees and some jewellery items from Thailand at reduced cost and sell it with a margin. Along with this, the location of operation, functions, market research, financial, managerial and future plans of the company to establish its business in Sydney, Australia market has been explored.  

Red Basket's aim is to be a successful and popular importer of Silk articles/flowers with the best quality and best services in Australian market. It also desires to promote 100% handmade products embracing artistic flare and eco-friendly products.

Furthermore, its mission is to establish its reputation with maximum customer satisfaction and with price worthy products (Flowers by Design, 2017). Red Basket wants to create new opportunities for artificial silk flowers in the market with unique imagination and product differentiation strategy.

Red Basket's key to success strategies as follows:

• Customer satisfaction by providing best hospitality through internet and in stores services
• Most unique and best quality of 100% handmade artistic silk flowers
• Offering more than 10  varieties of new Silk flowers every year while subsidising poor sale products
• Reaching and establishing best distribution and manufacturing network
• Minimising the variable and fixed cost in the initial years
• Establishing the Alexandria store as art gallery presenting non-parallel and artistic displays to attract art lovers

Red Basket imports best quality of silk from Thailand and encourages diversified and unique silk fake flowers and other products in Australia. It encourages 100% handmade flowers to promote art crafts and designs as well as focuses on minimum waste and eco-friendly products (Hitt, 2012). It offers retail gifts comprising different range of artificial flower and silk decorative items, silk hair accessories. Target customers in the market are upper class and upper-middle class females.

Red Basket is a private company. Alice Rutto and Malina Wesley are the co-founders of the company. The company is fully owned by these two in 50-50 partnership.  

Red Basket is starting with a capital of $150,000 that is $75000 from each partner. The start-up cost is then distributed in products cost entails marketing, manufacturing and other expenses.

Answers:

The company is headquartered at Sydney, Australia at 52, North Lavender Street, Australia. This place also serves as a wholesale warehouse to distribute all the products to manufactures and retailers in the market. Red Basket will soon set up its office on an 800-square foot space retail shop in Alexandria, St. Louis Market. The retail shop will also be used for test market and as an art galley to sale products in a distinctive way. 

Red Basket imports its Silk flowers and other articles of best quality100% handmade from Thailand artisans. The orders are based on the combos and customised demand by the buyer. There are various types of flowers and the company add or cuts out the flower for experiment and according to market demand (Hitt, 2012). Products also include silk jewellery decor items and hair accessories as well as scarfs from next year.   

Red Basket deals in variety of silk flowers and offers outrageous colours in each variety. Along with this, the company also delivers retail gift items made up of silk such as hair accessories, silk flower made jewellery, and artificial trees of silk (Hill and Power, 2013). For initial two years the product line of the company will be as follows:

• Orchid, Hibiscus, Mum, Roses and Lily (Dahlia and Sunflower after one year)
• Silk accessories comprised of Hair Clips, Hair Bands and Hair Buns
• Silk jewellery includes Bangles, Rings and Necklace of silk flower
• Silk décor and gift item embroils Artificial Trees and pre order Flower Bouquets
• Silk Scarf's

There are several points or features that differentiate Red Basket from its competitors in Australian market such as the faux silk flowers are 100% handmade from Thailand artisan and reflect their fine art work in their product.

The marketing of the company is based on the same theme. Moreover, Silk quality used in flowers is very superior which gives a competitive advantage for the company to capture the market (Flowers by Design, 2017).

In addition to this, there is fine design and embroideries in the edge of articles which makes the decorative pieces and jewellery appealing and graceful.

Furthermore, all he products are very unique gives the Hawaiian vibes and are not available in Australian market easily (Byrnes, 2014).   

The company handles its all legislatives and custom related transactions from its custom related head office in Richmond in New South Wales, Australia. The imported items from Thailand are arranged and legalised matching all requirements by preparing all legal paper and paperwork from this office (Shimizu, 2012). Right now, there is no legal hurdle in importing faux goods from Thailand. There is duty free import of artificial items from Thailand to Australia under free trade agreement implementation between Thailand-Australia. Thus, this agreement of free trade will benefit the company in cost cutting from legal expenses.   

Mission

Red Basket protects its products duplication through patent right on some of its products. Though most of the products are not patentable invention and can not be categorises in technical process too (Shimizu, 2012).

Red Basket is determined to introduce new twelve new flowers every year in initial 4 to 5 years. Marketing and advertising strategies of the company is very aggressive though internet, newspapers and trade magazines in the middle of every quarter of the year (Byrnes, 2014).

Red Basket also plans to add its product line from Vietnam and China. This accumulation will only be considered after capturing the wide market of Sydney (Harmer, 2014). The future item may include different mirrors, boxes, small cloth accessories with extension in jewellery and flowers variety. The company will still be stick on 100% handmade products promotion and explore more art work in other regions too.   

Artificial Flower market trend is continuously growing in the Australian market because of its long durability and imported high quality material. According to past recent statistics, there is a aggravated growth of $ 4 billion in the sale of artificial flower items and demand of fake flowers are growing each day due to various events and occasions  (Flowers by Design, 2017).

It has also been noticed that the retail gift industry is also growing with a good rate and most repetitive buyers of this industry is under 55years.  

Red Basket is currently launching its product in some categories only, hence less segments are classified that is floral collector, event organisers and gift purchased (Flowers by Design, 2017).

Currently, in Australia websites and online shopping are the most attractive commercial business. People are willing to try new products and high quality products through websites and online availability. Apart from that people are looking for investment in unique and handmade items for their interior decoration plus wholesalers and retailers also look for online catalogue to fulfil their urgent need of artificial silk flowers (Hopeman, 2016).

This is most convenient way to attract mass buyers for imported products. Besides this, this is also good idea to put website and offer retailers and wholesalers various discounting deals. Online Catalogue will give required information to the buyers and delivery services with conditions provide them additional benefits in deciding the deal clearly and coherently (Flowers by Design, 2017). It is also very useful to advertise the art exhibition after sometime in rented Alexandria showroom which will entice art lovers in outlet too.

Key to Success

Technology and e-commerce is the most burgeoning sector in any industry. Every day items as well as luxury items are shopped at the commercial website. It gives the feasibility to the individual to compare price of the same products in different websites. In addition to this, they can order things with their own time as everybody is busy in their work and business (Hopeman, 2016). Therefore, it has been realised that website will be a valuable wheel to the company for operating its business with new trend. With the researches it can be depicted that target market's behaviour pattern is changing positively and dramatically.   

From cloth to home interiors and from online study to hotel deals, today everybody is using internet for their daily life needs (Hill and Jones, 2011). People are busy working and earning money and want easy access to find their side interests and ease. The target market is upper class and upper middle class who always find leisure time to surf a website for their artistic taste. Thus, market in website is growing rapidly.

Red Basket is dealing with two industries which are retail gift market industry and Silk faux flower and accessories industry.

In recent years, the Australian gift industry is declining its importance as people are less involved in giving gift items; instead they celebrate more often and give useful stuffs of daily life. It has been also been found that people under 45-54years of age is the biggest gift giver people. Along with this, real flowers in the gift items are more in demand than any other items. With the time it has also been noticed that people are tend to shop gift items from online and deliver as a surprise for other person (Hill and Jones, 2011). Online websites has covered the sales of outlet gift shops sales in the recent past years. Consumers are changed with their choices of gift in the following years more unpredictably.

In addition to this, Australia gift industry has also shown its interest in imported and quality gift items (Oliver, 2014). The target customers do not buy local items but want to gift exclusive items to their friends and families. They are also more likely to gift specific historic or artistic crafts and work which looks exclusive and precious according to their status.

In case of Artificial silk flowers and accessories industry of Australia, retailers and wholesalers are demanding for imported unique flowers with various variants and colours. The most of the buyers are 35-60 years of age flower gift market. The demand of silk flower is continuously growing and demanded in various types of occasion (Hill and Jones, 2011). Even, in formal occasions organised by the event organisers based on various themes silk artificial flowers are being used undoubtedly. In addition to this, people are also likely to organise their events in different theme party which included accessories for guest and hosts. Admittedly, with the increasing uses of silk flower and accessories, the demand of silk items is growing the Australian market rapidly.

Company Summary

In other words, the silk flowers as a gift product has ample of opportunities in both the industry. Moreover, with the help of website creation the business can capture new markets easily and marketing can be done more accessibly (Drucker, 2012).       

Silk flower industry and silk accessories is the least explored segment in the gift market of Australia. There is no giant or well established competitor in the market. Very few retaliates are there who directly deals with consumer plus only small and some wholesaler competitors import from Thailand and its qualitative silk items in the market. There is minimal section of distributors that deals in the same product (Hopeman, 2016).  

Thus, it can be analysed that there is large scope to expand the business of silk flower gift and accessories in the Australian market. Provided that, both the industries are blooming in silk products and after some time few suppliers will add in the competition with its increasing demand (Oliver, 2014). The relations with the suppliers are concentrated highly important.

Distribution channel of the company includes import goods from a finest artist in Silk flower in Thailand for delivering products to Red Basket (Bates, 1986). The distribution pattern of the company is very normal and items will be directly shipped to Red Basket. After some time art gallery will be opened and shop will established which requires variety in items and more suppliers from Thailand. Till then, for initial years there is no specific need of any focus on distribution channel (Drucker, 2012).

As the stats are recorded in the 'silk trade fair 2016', it has been interpreted that there are 60% of floral wholesalers and event organisers are wholesaler buyer of the silk flower and accessories (Drucker, 2012). Moreover, 20% are from gift chain stores, fabric centres, variety chain stores and craft and floral chain stores. 15% are the manufacturers and assemblers of different gift items. Rest 5% are garden centres, home centres, membership clubs and mail orders (Hopeman, 2016).

There are only some tough competitors in the market for Red Basket as a supplier of artificial silk flowers and related gift items such as craft stores, gift shops, real flower market and other flower wholesalers (Bates, 1986).

Red Basket aims to cater finest quality products for its buyers and focuses on easy and great hospitality in its services. It also considers customisation with the need of buyers and wholesalers. It also promotes its good as 100% handmade and eco-friendly to attain competitive edge in the market. Small group of employees motivated and fully skilled are building good culture and effective operation of the company and reduced cost is strengthening the financial side of the company (Tiffany and Peterson, 2011).

Company Ownership

The target market of the company is upper middle and upper class of females as well as for commercialised and B-2-B, wholesaler, retailers and event organisers (Bates, 1986). The company will prepare two catalogues in online presentation with suitable discounts for first time buyers and hard copy presenting all the details. These catalogues will be used at the time of 'Silk Trade Fair 2016. This will be a great opportunity and exposure for the company to make maximum contacts and acknowledge target customer about Red Baskets presence (Reiss, 2012).

Sales strategy is related to assure maximum pre-orders at the trade so that the company will earn the sufficient amount of money to expand further (Hatten, 2015). This is the most vital strategy after commencing the business for successful operation ad function in the future.

The promotion of the product will be done by online and hard copy of catalogues. Initial 2 or 3% discount to first time buyers will attract more wholesalers and retailers plus direct mails and advertisement in the newspaper, social media and magazines will be done for intense marketing. Further, after expansion of art gallery, art exhibitions will be the biggest promotional tool of the company (Wagen and Goonetilleke, 2015).    

The price of the products will be standard price with no bargaining. Reasonable costs of products will be exhibited in the catalogues (English, 2012).  

The company is owned by two owners that manage and organise the operations of the company. In initial level two more employees who are skilled and experienced in the field will be taken (Varbanova, 2013). All the work will be completed with the local service providers. In the near future and with expansion, Red Basket requires four more employees.  

The legal matters of the company are handled by the consultant lawyer and there are three major function areas of Red Basket that is communication, finance and administration and sales and marketing (Varbanova, 2013).  

• Alice Rutto: Co-founder of Red Basket, MBA in finance. She has been in Thailand for over 10 years. She has close and family relations with Thailand supplier and expert in dealing with their culture and government.   
• Malina Wesley: Another Co-founder of Red Basket, MBA in marketing and sales from a prestigious university. She is expert in making corporate and public relationships and experience of corporate world for over 11 years.  
• Rita Romney: Manager and legal adviser, she is a graduate and certified legal Para-legal and now pursing for management course in Sydney.  

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it can be implicated that this report describes all the essential aspects to establish business of import of faux flowers, company naming Red Basket. The company offers products that are 100% handmade and eco-friendly, which is also the theme or marketing strategy of the business. Red Basket has a mission to create its business vast and renowned in some upcoming years by catering people quality products and customer friendly services. It also aims to open an art gallery for art lovers in Australia and attract a large number of the silk flower buyers. The report illustrates all other prospective related to target market, functioning, locations, management and financial aspects as well.  

This segment shows the financial forecast of the company for all the months of first year and helps us to find out the break even point on the basis of forecast made. In order to draw the financial forecast, some assumptions have been drawn as follows:

Particulars	Year 1
Current Interest Rate	10.00%
Interest Rate (Long Term)	10.00%
Tax Rate (Flat Rate)	30.00%
Other	0

Monthly Units Break-even	888
Monthly Revenue Break-even	$23,536
Assumptions:
Average Per-Unit Revenue	$26.49
Average Per-Unit Variable Cost	$14.31
Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost	$10,827
Contribution per unit	$12.19
Contribution margin Ratio	46%

References 

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