Business Plan for Apple Inc - Assignment Example

 Business Plan Executive Summary Objectives The key objective is to obtain a major share of the consumer electronics market in Qatar, UAE and other Gulf states. Mission Providing customers with the best quality products, most reliable and efficient after sales services and creating the overall experience of using Apple products. Keys to Success Use innovation, consistent and creative advertising to reach out to the customers. Make the customers believe in the Apple brand and aim for a long term relationship rather than a single sale to a customer.

Providing efficient customer services paired with timely warranties and replacements will also enable Apple to gain success in the Qatar and the Middle East. Company Summary Company Ownership Apple Computer Inc now known as Apple Inc is a US based multinational that focuses on designing and manufacturing consumer electronics such as computer systems, laptops and cell phones. The company was founded in April 1976 by Steve Woznaik and Steve Jobs who were college dropouts (Apple Computer, Inc.).

Since then has laid an emphasis on using innovation to penetrate into the world’s pc and hardware accessories market. It hires talented people who believe in the company itself and its products, thus are able to provide services to customers with satisfaction. Start up summary Apple operates today in various countries of the world. It is not limited to the United States only, its wide range of products are available at retail stores throughout the world. Since, the UAE and the Gulf States are a huge potential market for Apple’s computers; Ipods’ etc Apple is in the process of opening an authorized reseller to sell its products in the UAE.

The idea is to tap into the market and sell Apple’s product using an authorized dealership in order to inflict trust in the consumer market. Company locations and facilities The first reseller shop will be opened in Qatar and then consequently the shops will expand to other regions such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. Services Service Description The reseller will offer clients a wide variety of Apple products such as computers, computer software, peripherals, server systems, digital media players, e-book readers etc (Apple Inc.). The different computer systems and other products will be maintained in the inventory by the reseller and will then be sold to the consumers with Apple’s warranty.

Therefore, the reseller will not only manage inventory but will also be the point of contact with the customer and will be the return channel for replacements and warranties. Competitive comparison The reseller will have to compete with the other shops that offer the same products. In order to differentiate itself from the others it should lay emphasis on the fact that it is the only authorized reseller in Qatar. Hence, all returns and warranties go to the company through his shop. Similarly, they will also have to compete with online stores that offer Apple’s products to be delivered to houses.

This can be done through the resellers website and by providing logistics support to deliver goods to the people. Sales literature In order to come out with a bang Apple will focus on advertising and sales promotions to gel the brand in the minds of the consumers. For this reason sales brochures with a list of famous Apple products along with their prices will be printed and distributed. A local website will be maintained for the reseller which will highlight the latest products, offer software etc that work with the Apple hardware and data sheets for different products.

Technology Since the reseller is selling technology himself he will have to insist on technology to reach out to the people. It can be done by showing presentations in the shop, placing touch screen based displays on walls where people can find all the relevant information about the products and their pricing. Similarly, the inventory management and sales data should not be recorded manually instead information systems should be used to store this data. Future services In future the reseller should expand to different locations within Qatar.

Other important services could be loyalty based services, the reseller can offer discounts to frequent customers so that they have an incentive to visit the shop. Similarly, the reseller could host small quiz competitions or similar activities after which small gifts items can be given away. Market Analysis Summary Market Segmentation The market segment in Qatar for Apple will range from teenagers to office going professionals. Since, Apple has a wide variety of products each product can be targeted to a specific set of people.

For example, the Apple Iphone and the Ipod are hits amongst teenagers, while the Mac Book Pro provides professionals with the notebook that caters to all their computing needs. Main Competitors Apple competes with the Microsoft as a direct competitor in terms of computer software. MS has the famous Windows platform while Apple boasts about the Mac. Although the number of windows users are greater as compared to the Mac but the technical stability and the performance of a Mac is unparalleled.

Both companies invest in advertising but MS has always been criticized for advertising more and spending less on fixing bugs. Apple came out with its new campaign ‘Get a Mac’ to hit at MS campaign of ‘I am a PC’. In e-book readers it competes with Sony. The new iPad by Apple which has been launched recently is getting appreciation from the consumers even with its $500 price tag. The Ipad offers numerous other features to the users as compared to the traditional e-book readers and hence is bound to be a hit amongst consumers.

So Apple’s strategy is to capture the market by providing customers with innovative products that helps people in doing their work in a much easier way. SWOT analysis Strengths One of the most successful companies Popular products such as Apple iPod High brand loyalty Bug free operating systems/software Easy to use products Weaknesses Limited products especially for gaming and other purposes Some products have been criticized for faulty hardware Unable to differentiate itself as the bug free software provider Opportunities Apple can extend in to other consumer electronic items Expand into new markets and new regions New and innovative products Threats  Global economic conditions Product substitution affect people do not like to switch to alternatives New competitors Strategy and Implementation Pricing strategy The reseller will follow the worldwide prices for Apple products.

Since, it is the authorized reseller it will have to charge prices quoted by Apple Inc. Apple has always relied on premium pricing for its products. It is also justified by the fact that they do not compete with others on price rather they compete with PC and others on the basis of functionality, ease and reliability. Sales strategy The sales strategy will be to reach clients in the most effective way and to differentiate them from the competition. Sales will be stimulated by the advertising activities and the Apple’s campaigns should be aired on television, published in print and made available on the website.

Additionally, the sales team should visit businesses and schools in order to attract more customers and to make them familiar with Apple’s offerings. Milestones The milestones will be made according to the different products. For high interest products such as the Apple iPod the milestone will be 10,000 units per quarter. While for more expensive products such as the Mac book the milestone will be 3,000 units per quarter. Management Summary Organizational Structure The organization will have three different departments namely, sales and marketing, accounting and finance and logistics.

The sales and marketing departments will be responsible for advertising, sales promotions and meeting the sales targets. The accounting and finance will be responsible for book keeping and reporting while the logistics will be responsible for inbound and outbound deliveries. Management team The management team will consist of the director, who will responsible for heading the entire management team. Consequently, there will be managers for each sales division, i.e. software, hardware and server end products.

Each manager will have a sales force that will report to him about their targets and actual sales. Works Cited Apple Computer, Inc. 04 May 2010 . Apple Inc. Apple Trademark List. 03 May 2010 .