Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Extension Plans - Essay Example

?Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Limited has announced its expansion plans “Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Limited is proud to announce that it will be expanding its operations to cover the entire Sothern African region,” the group CEO Mark Adams has said. Since its inception in 1995, the company has remained focused and it intends to be the leader in distributing fuel in different African countries. The company currently operates in five countries in African and it intends to expand its operations so that it can cover the whole region in Southern Africa. “We are committed to provide valuable services to the customers and our operations are guided by our mission statement which posits to the effect that ‘To be the leader in distributing petroleum products.’ We also intend to offer efficient services to all our clients across the region,” said the CEO. The success of the company can be attributed to the penetration strategy that has been used by the company since its inception. The company is currently on a drive to penetrate different markets through distribution of fuel which drives the economy in different countries. The other important aspect that has contributed to the success of the company is related to the aspect of training and development of the employees. Employees are constantly trained at work so that they can improve their competencies. There are various programs that are designed to improve the performance of the employees given that the company operates in different countries that have different cultures as well as values. Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Limited is also guided by the element of ethics in its operations. All the policies are designed in such a way that they do not violate the values of the people in host countries. “We are guided by ethical principles in our operations and I can proudly say that we have managed to establish a very good relationship with our clients across the region. We have also managed to attract talented workers from different regions across Africa,” Said Mark Adams. The other advantage of the company is that it is oriented towards the needs and interests of the people living in different countries. As such, the company has managed to unite people from all walks of life in different countries where it operates. The company will be expanding its operations in the whole of Southern Africa and it intends to open more than ten depots where fuel will be stored. The company also intends to establish a network of communication where it will be in a position to link with different customers from all areas in Africa. Local talent will also be utilised by the company in its operations. The group CEO of the company has also announced that the company will use local talent to carry out its business so as to establish a good rapport with the targeted customers in different countries. This will enable the company to attract many customers in different places. Reflective report about the experience I have gained from this module I have learnt that there are various elements that are involved when one intends to launch a business. There are certain elements that need to be taken into consideration when launching a small business venture. First and foremost, it is imperative for the entrepreneur to identify the opportunity that exists in the market before establishing a business venture. There are various opportunities that are often overlooked by larger companies hence it is imperative for the entrepreneur to identify these business opportunities. The other important aspect that has to be taken into consideration is related to market research. It is important to conduct market research before establishing a business venture. There is need to identify the needs and interests of the targeted customers before establishing a business venture. Essentially, every business is primarily concerned with satisfying the needs of the people in a profitable way. Therefore, it is important for entrepreneurs to identify the needs and interests of the people so as to be in a position to fulfil them. There are different methods that can be used to conduct market research about a particular product. For instance, the marketers can use interviews to gather information from the people about their needs and interests. Questionnaires can also be used to conduct market research since these can be distributed to the targeted customers. New information and communication technology such as the internet can also be used to gather information from the customers about their perceptions towards a given product. The internet is instantaneous and it can be accessed from any part of the world. Another important consideration that has to be implemented when establishing a new business venture is related to market segmentation. This is a process where a heterogeneous market is divided into smaller segments that are manageable (Kotler, 1999). Usually, people who have similar interests often live in the same area and they have the same attitude towards something. This helps to show the entrepreneurs the number of customers that are likely to exist in a given area. The success of any business venture mainly depends on the number of customers that exist in the market. It may not be wise to establish a business in a place where there are few customers. The business venture may not be profitable in the long run. This goes hand in hand with the aspect of conducting feasibility studies. This is meant to ensure that the entrepreneur gathers enough information to show that any kind of business venture can be sustainable in the long run. Another important aspect that should be taken into consideration when establishing a business is related to planning. Strydom (2004) posits to the effect that planning is the foundation of any business since it allows the entrepreneur to set the direction that can be followed when running a business. When planning a business, it is important to ensure that there are adequate resources that can sustain its operations. For instance, it is important to make sure that there are enough financial resources that can sustain the organization in the long run. It is important for entrepreneurs to make sure that they have enough capital to start the business otherwise their endeavour cannot take off successfully if they have little capital. The other important aspect is to make sure that there are adequate physical resources such as buildings where the operations of the company can be carried out. It is also important to make sure that the entrepreneur has adequate human resources who will be able to perform all tasks in the organization. The employees form the backbone of the organization hence the entrepreneur should make sure that there are enough human resources. The aspect of management is also very important in running any given organization. Management is mainly concerned with planning, organizing, leading as well as controlling the activities being undertaken in the organization (Bates, 2005). It is important to make sure that all activities in the organization are directed towards the attainment of the set goals. Managers should lead the employees in a given organization so that their efforts can be streamlined towards the same objective. The activities of other people in the company also need to be controlled so that they can be directed towards the desired goals. It is important for the managers to influence the activities of other people so that they can put optimum performance in their operations. References Bates, B 2005, Business Management, fresh perspectives, Pearson Education, CT Kotler, P 1999, Kotler on Marketing: How to create, win and dominate Markets, Free Press, London. Strydom, J 2004, Marketing, 3rd Edition, Juta & Co Ltd, CT. Read More