Set Up a Maintenance and Plumbing Services Company to Businesses and Housing Authority - Essay Example

? Business Idea: Maintenance and Plumbing Services Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 0 Business Proposition 3 2.0 Business Strategy 3 2.1 Business Model 3 3.0 The User Experience Design 7 3.1 A Storyboard Showing Two Typical, But Different, Interactions 7 3.2 Statements Of Usability Requirements 8 3.3 Descriptions of How Problems Will Be Handled For Three Possible User Mistakes 8 3.4 Why Your Customers Would Use My Company and Not My Competitors (Competitive Advantage) 9 4.0 Social Infrastructure 10 5.0 References 11 6.0 Appendices 13 1.0 Business Proposition The plan is to set up a maintenance and plumbing services company to businesses and housing authority. It will offer services on contracts and demand. It will be based in Manchester, UK. The company headquarters will also be established in Manchester. Personal market research revealed that there is high demand for maintenance and plumbing services, but the existing companies are not able to provide services to the customers’ expectations or standards. Quality service is a problem, with some of the service providers even failing to show up for service appointments. This business expects to exploit this opportunity, and improve services to ensure a sustainable long term business. 2.0 Business Strategy 2.1 Business Model Maintenance and plumbing services industry in Manchester is characterized by poor and slow response to customer demands. This is a personal idea to provide high quality services to customers. A business model is a description of how the business will operate to make profits or achieve its aims. There are various ways through which a business model can be formulated. These can be classified into traditional methods and structured processes. Traditional methods involve consideration of two main factors, that is; is the concept unique? Can one make money from such a concept? If the result of answering these two questions is yes, then the next step is to design a business model by writing down the requirements that will ensure the concept delivers money. This is how business models were designed. Provided the designers have the objectives, it was not hard to come up with a business model. It is however; appropriate to follow structured processes that guide business model creation. This makes the process of designing a business model easier, and informed. There are several models that have been developed such as business model canvas, four-box business model, and business model wheel (Muehlhausen, 2013). An entrepreneur is free to choose any that he or she finds suitable and easy to use. It also depends on the type of business and model features. In this case, the structured process that guided formulation of the business model was the four-box business model. The four-box business model has the following features; customer value proposition, key resources, key processes, and profit formula (Muehlhausen, 2013). The relationship is as shown in the figure below: (Obtained from: Muehlhausen, 2013) This structured process was meant to help companies develop ideas, or strategies that would innovate the business models into situations that are less competitive and highly profitable. A company can identify the customer value proposition, and works on this to find a competitive advantage. This may be similar to the unique concept that traditional model designers used. The unique concept will form the company’s competitive advantage, or resource towards business innovation. In this case, this structure has guided the formulation of a business model in the manner described below: 2.1.1 Customer Value Proposition In Manchester, there are several maintenance and plumbing service providers (Home Advisor, 2013, Yell, 2013, FreeIndex, 2013, Sanford, 2013). These are both individual service providers and companies. One problem is common among these individuals and companies. Ensuring customer satisfaction is a problem. The companies and the individuals work hard to get their customers, but fail to deliver what the customers want. This is because, they do not respond quickly to emergency calls from customers. They may respond but, end up producing poor quality work, or may even fail to show up. This situation is created by the fear of not getting customers to meet the objectives set by the companies and individual plumbers. These companies end up bidding for many maintenance and plumbing jobs that they are incapable of handling effectively. This business will exploit this opportunity to find customers and works towards maintaining such customers as it progresses. It will also work on new ways of attracting customers to ensure its objectives are met. There is also the issue of diversity. Manchester has people living and doing business, from different cultural backgrounds. Appreciating this value by recognizing their languages, and setting up a website in these languages is an advantage to getting customers. Based on current digital trend of business operations, this business has to be at a competitive level with its competitors. As described earlier, there are several competitors. Examples include; Jeff Robinson Company LLC, MPM Mechanical, JMS Plumbing, Einstein Plumbing & Heating, and Sanford Temperature Control, among others (Home Advisor, 2013; Sanford, 2013). These companies have well developed websites which are used for several purposes. The websites are used to advertise their services, to reach their customers, to inform their customers on various issues, and general information about the company. Starting up maintenance and plumbing services company will therefore, require a website. This is a way of ensuring the business is up to date considering the current technological progress in the world. It will also help the company achieve its main aims, for example, quick response to customer demands. The website’s design will have to include online requests for service, which will include early booking, and emergency response demands. 2.1.2 Key Processes a) Professionalism Maintenance and plumbing is a service business, and for it to be successful, the customers have to be satisfied. The business has to have a strategy of attracting and retaining customers. In this business, service provision will act as a competitive advantage. Businesses change over time and are driven by the economy of the world. In the current service economy, customer service has become the most important management tool that companies rely on to develop a competitive advantage. The same applies to this case. Customer satisfaction will ensure they remain with the company and more customers obtained. The company will also be able to fight competitors and remain sustainable in the market. Customer satisfaction is achieved through good business management. Good business management recognizes that for quality services and customer satisfaction to be achieved, a company needs professionals. Professionals in the case of this business do not only mean having the right skills for the job, but includes training the professionals on what is expected of them to ensure customer satisfaction. This leads to a business culture; the culture of effective customer service (Adecco, 2013; Sonne, 1999). Adecco (2013) indicates that there are certain qualities that professionals must have in order to ensure effective customer satisfaction. These are; being approachable, knowledge of the business’ customers, ability to give memorable service, ability to exercise calmness when necessary, ability to respond quickly as desired by the customer, ability to listen, knowledge of market place features, recognition of the need to help, being positive, ability to remain polite, and ability to go an extra mile (Adecco, 2013). Because this is a service offering business, all professionals will have to be trained to improve the above described qualities, and ensure an effective customer service culture. b) Effective Management Complains received from some potential customers are that some companies provide poor quality work, and do not perform their duties in time. This is an issue of management, especially human resource and time management. There are emergency cases that will require quick response. For such responses to be attended to, and quality services to be provided, the company will need to be effective in its management practices. A system of ensuring the employees do the right thing as required by the customer and company policies will be developed. This will include activities such as employing the right skills, conducting research on various service provision areas, and monitoring and supervision of employees’ work after completion (Narayan, 2004). Appropriate trainings will also be done to ensure they have the right guidelines and behavior for an effective customer service culture. Management will focus on employee needs, which will be a way of appreciating their value, hence motivation towards work. The human resource management will have to ensure that that the employees are well informed about the business’ objectives, and natured into a desired business practice that favors customer satisfaction (Dressler, 2004; Narayan, 2004). 2.1.3 Key Resources The main resources are the skills needed to provide the services, to train the employees to develop the desired culture, and to ensure the business grows, and remains sustainable. The business will also need repair and maintenance materials and equipment, a website, vehicles for quick response, an office, and start-up and operational finances. Profit Formula Profit formula describes how the business will offer value to its customers and generate value for its shareholders. Profit will be obtained after consideration of the fixed and variable costs (Muehlhausen, 2013). These will play an important role in determining the prices of services offered depending on type of maintenance and plumbing services. Vehicles of the company will be available at all times to provide the services. All the mess after repair and service will be cleared and cleaned by our staff members. Any accidental damages made while repairing will be repaired or paid for. 3.0 The User Experience Design 3.1 A Storyboard Showing Two Typical, But Different, Interactions A design first requires identification of usability issues, for example, the users’ offline approaches to the business, and their needs. The customers are businesses and housing authority. In this business, it is expected that customers will call to seek information that can help them solve their problems related to maintenance and plumbing. They will call about repairs, maintenance services and so on. They may also search for service providing companies. It is expected that they will interact with the employees of the company, and seek information from the company’s website (Allen & Chudley, 2012).The user experience design will have to incorporate chat systems. An example of expected chat is described below: Customer: Hi Company representative: Hi, thank you for contacting us. How may I help you? Customer: I recently bought a house. Everything was winterized, the pipes are now busted. Can you people help me fix it? Company representative: Definitely. I just need to know a few things; your location and the urgency of the matter. Would you like it repaired immediately? Customer: Yes please. Company representative: Okay, please submit your details according to the service provision form to the following email address and our team will be there to assess the situation. plunimbtenxxxxx@gmail.com Kindly review out terms and conditions of work and out rates from the following links: [provides link] A Second Interaction Customer is looking for a specific time to book for service provision. Customer searches the company website. Goes to the company services link; customer clicks. He is directed to various services. Customer selects Septic tank maintenance. There are various links directing the customer to prevention of septic tank leakage, breakage, repairs and other maintenance issues. The customer selects septic tank repair. The link asks the customer to describe the problem. The customer then gives a description of the problem (a cracked tank lid), then submits. He is led to the next step which enables him to select the date he wants the repair done. A calendar is made available to the customer, which links each date to the company schedule. The links notify the customer of the professionals’ availability, and the time they are expected start work. From the list of time schedule, the customer selects the most appropriate time for him. For example, the customer may select 1st January at 2 pm for the company’s employees to arrive at his business premises. 3.2 Statements Of Usability Requirements The company website system must be efficient for the frequent user. The user should feel satisfied with the system The website should be designed in a manner that it makes it easy for a casual user to remember (Kuniavsky, 2010). 3.3 Descriptions of How Problems Will Be Handled For Three Possible User Mistakes Three possible user mistakes are as follows: a) Providing the right information in the wrong sector A client may want maintenance services for his or her house equipment, but fill in the right information about what is to be repaired in the business section, or even fill in the wrong information about what is to be repaired. The company will develop the system in a manner that every fill up by a client is reviewed by the assigned employees and confirmation about the details of the work sent back to the customer through email. The customer will be expected to reply, failure to which he or she can be called through the provided phone contacts. b) Giving a wrong address Customers will be asked to confirm their service provision requirement before the company employees are sent to the specific location. A follow-up will be done through phone calls. c) Failing to complete the step by step process required for the company to attend to a client The system will be developed in such a manner that the details of the customer are stored in a specific assigned database, so that the client can be able to review his or her details and service requirements before final submission. 3.4 Why Your Customers Would Use My Company and Not My Competitors (Competitive Advantage) The company already identified the gaps in service provision that exists in Manchester. The company’s competitive advantage will be based on quality and effective service provision. There will be sufficient company vehicles to offer services in different areas in Manchester. The management will ensure enough vehicles are available at all times to provide services. Service provision will be twenty four hours, seven days a week just like other companies. The company will accept a variety of forms of payments. It is ready to offer more services at reduced costs because of its expected production costs. There will also be faster schedules, high reliability, and good performance under pressure because of expected employee training that will equip them with extra skills for customer and general management. There will also be a website through which customers will have a choice of placing orders online, and get assistance through company website information, emails and chats with company representatives. The website will also offer services in various languages to show its appreciation and recognition of diversity in Manchester. After service provision, the employees will be expected to clear and clean all the mess created during and after repair. Employees will be trained to be extra careful so that the company suffers no, or very minimal accidental damages. If such happens, the company will pay for such damages or make repairs. It is expected that in order to get more customers and improve revenue collection, the company will form partnership contracts with other businesses for example, LG. The company expects to find more customers from such related businesses. This will make the company’s service provision different from its competitors. 4.0 Social Infrastructure There are some legal and ethical requirements that should be considered when starting up this business. The entrepreneur should ensure that the business name has not been selected by another business. He or she should decide on a suitable business structure, and ensure the business has the required permits or licenses, and tax registration. There are ethical issues that are of importance to the company. This is a service company that requires development of customer trust. Lying to a customer, performing works that do not meet the required standard and other unethical activities will be discouraged. A code of ethics will be developed to guide the employees of the business (Meiners, Ringleb & Edwards, 2011). It should be recognized that government regulations and laws affect all business activities. For example there are rules and laws guiding hiring and firing of employees, setting up a business, tax regulations, manufacturing and marketing of products, work place safety, and business financing and so on. There are different activities that will be carried out in the business that will require knowledge of these laws and regulations. Under the health and safety for example there is Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 that requires employers to protect the welfare of their employees. As a company which will need professionals in various areas, it is appropriate to know other health and safety regulations (Peri, 2012). There are also rules governing the management of personal data. The company will have some personal details of clients such as their names and areas of residence. These have to be protected. The law requires certain levels of insurance to be met by specific companies. This is also for the safety of the company. There are strict laws guiding recruitment of employees. These should be reviewed to avoid cases of discrimination of any form. The company for example is in need of high quality skills because of its selected strategy. Recruitment will require a framework of selection that ensures the top skills are obtained. The activity may appear discriminating. The process of recruiting should be handled with a lot of care and under the guidance of the rules and regulations of recruitment to avoid conflicts with the government and even the public. The business will also involve activities such as advertisements or promotional activities. It is appropriate for the management to be careful about infringing other companies’ copyrights. The business will also have to be registered and a business license to operate obtained (Peri, 2012). 5.0 References Allen, J. and Chudley, J., 2012, Smashing UX Design: Foundations for Designing Online User Experiences, New York: John Wiley & Sons. Adecco, 2013, Excelling as a customer service professional, Retrieved on 29th December 2013 from: http://www.adeccousa.com/articles/Excelling-as-a-customer-service-professional.html?id=40&url=/knowledgecenter/jobseeker-articles/Pages/Forms/AllItems.aspx&templateurl=/JobSeekers/knowledge%20center/Pages/read-article.aspx Dressler, S., 2004, Strategy, Organizational Effectiveness and Performance Management: From Basics to Best, New York: Universal-Publishers. FreeIndex, 2013, Plumbers in Manchester, Retrieved on 29th December 2013 from: http://www.freeindex.co.uk/manchester-plumbers.htm Home Advisor, 2013, Plumbers in Manchester, NH (New Hampshire). Retrieved on 29th December 2013 from: http://www.homeadvisor.com/c.Plumbing.Manchester.NH.-12058.html Kuniavsky, M., 2010, Smart Things: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design, New York: Elsevier. Meiners, R. E., Ringleb, A.H.and Edwards, F. L., 2011, The Legal Environment of Business, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Muehlhausen, J., 2013, Business Models For Dummies, New York: John Wiley & Sons. Narayan, V., 2004, Effective Maintenance Management: Risk and Reliability Strategies for Optimizing Performance, New Delhi: Industrial Press Inc. Peri, J. D. P., 2012, The Small Business Start-Up Kit, 7th Ed., California: Nolo Sanford, 2013, Plumbing Services in Manchester, Retrieved on 29th December 2013 from: http://sanfordtemp.com/plumbing-services-in-manchester/ Sonne, A., 1999, Determinants of Customer Satisfaction with Professional Services-A Study of Consultant Services. 9(2). Konomisk Fiskenfoforskning. Retrieved on 29th Dec 2013 from: http://www.nofima.no/filearchive/Determinants%20of%20customer%20satisfaction%20with%20professional.......pdf Yell, 2013, Manchester Plumbers - 24/7 Able Plumbing, Heating & Drains. Retrieved on 29th December 2013 from: http://www.yell.com/biz/manchester-plumbers-24-7-able-plumbing-heating-and-drains-901384357/ 6.0 Appendices Appendix 1: Customer Care Desk To Through A client at home Appendix 2: Customer searching through the company website The process Read More