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__Executive Summary__ Technological advances are allowing for an increasing number of jobs to be performed electronically, resulting in an offshoring revolution. Since competitive advantages are derived through specialization and cost control, firms cannot afford to spend too much time on non-core competencies. Similarly, individuals today have less time available for mundane tasks. To help both firms and individuals adapt to these economic changes, XXX will be a 24 hour, web-based virtual assistant service that will allow clients to outsource daily personal or business-related tasks. The types of services that XXX will provide includes, but is not limited to, purchasing event tickets, making flight or travel arrangements, personal shopping, researching vacations, dry-cleaning, dog sitting, standing in lines for new products, picking up food, and making restaurant, bar, or club reservations. Most of the company’s services will be restricted to the Greater Toronto Area, but the company plans to become international with growth. The company also plans to grow functionally and plans to offer more specialized services, such as accounting, in the future. XXX will be formed as a (PARTERSHIP/CORP). Due to the web-based nature of the business, a fixed office will not be necessary, allowing employees to work from home and customers to interact with the business online and/or over the phone. A CRM database that remembers customer preferences will allow for service customization and will serve as a major initial expense and asset. This, coupled with an interactive, secure website that allows for videoconferencing will serve as the company’s competitive advantage. The target market for the service is industry professionals who could benefit from the services of a personal assistant. Additional market includes frequent travellers who need information or assistance in an unfamiliar city, and highly busy individuals who do not have enough time to accomplish everything that they would like in a given day, including students and stay-at-home parents. Industry competition comes in several forms, the most significant being other virtual-assistant services. The major players in this field include Tasks Everyday LLC and Quintessentially. Tasks Everyday LLC is a similar company in functionality but it lacks the interactive CRM database that will serve as our competitive advantage, while Quintessentially focuses primarily on a niche social market. XXX will also compete with personal assistants, but will be able to perform the same tasks in a more cost-effective way, and will be able to execute more specialized tasks that many personal assistants may not be trained to do. XXX will offer two different pricing packages to suit different needs. Although we will be priced at the upper edge of what the market will bear using a market skimming pricing strategy, we will still being significantly less expensive than the services of a full time personal assistant. The most significant barrier to adoption will be to establish enough trust with our customer base to get them to try our service. Our marketing strategy seeks to overcome this barrier, offering free trials and targeted advertisements in respected publications, including business journals and the Globe and Mail. A relatively high price point will also help establish a level of trust with consumers to a small degree. Further, web-cam technology will be utilized to create a personal connection, allowing the customer to see the XXX representative that they are dealing with.

__MARKETING AND SALES STRATEGY__ __CUSTOMER ANALYSIS__ XXX’s target market is middle-class, working professionals who can’t afford or don’t have the need for a personal assistant. However, the service is not limited to this demographic; it will be attractive for a wide variety of individuals who find that they don’t have enough time in the day to accomplish everything that they would like. This includes, but is not limited to, stay-at-home parents, upper-class professionals without a personal assistant, and students. __COMPETITION ANALYSIS__ XXX has few direct competitors because it operates within a relatively new industry. However, there are several companies that offer similar services to ours, and thus represent a threat. Quintessentially is a life-style management company and 24 hour concierge service that operates throughout large parts of North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and caters towards clients who are looking for exclusive access to clubs, events, and bars rather than those simply looking to outsource basic business or personal activities. Although it is more lifestyle than business oriented, there is enough overlap between Quintessentially and XXX for it to be a notable threat. More information on Quintessentially can be found on their website: http://www.quintessentially.com/ Tasks Everyday LLC is a full service offshore outsourcing solution provider that is based in Baltimore but operates in Mumbai, India. They are perhaps the most significant competitor since they offer many of the same services as XXX. Although they are able to offer a wide variety of services at extremely low prices, they lack an interactive CRM database that allows them to establish a personal connection with clients. Further, they are entirely virtual and thus cannot provide any services that require physical movement. More information can be found at http://www.taskseveryday.com. Indirectly, personal assistants represent the largest external threat, since they are able to perform many of the functions provided by our service. However, XXX’s target demographic is clients who do not employ personal assistants, and therefore they are not likely to steal target customers. Personal assistants are typically hired only by a higher class working professionals. Further, they are usually full-time employees, representing a significant expense to the company or individual. XXX provides many of these same services at a fraction of the cost, with much of the same personal connection. __PRICING STRATEGY__ XXX will be priced at the upper edge of what the market will bear. A market skimming price strategy has been chosen because if the price is too low, it may create the illusion of inferior quality, which will make the company seem untrustworthy to do important tasks for clients. Still, the service will be significantly less expensive than hiring a full or even part time personal assistant, working out to under $60 per week. Elite Member Pricing: $3,068 for 1 year, 30% off movement fees. Casual Member Pricing: $279 per month __DISTRIBUTION__ XXX will operate exclusively within the Greater Toronto Area, which has a population of 5.6 million. The exact area of operation is outlined in Appendix _. Future expansion to other metropolitan areas is a part of the company’s future plans, but it is necessary to establish successful operations within a manageable area before expanding too quickly. BARRIERS TO ADOPTION The following are the most significant issues that will threaten XXX’s success. They have each been identified through consideration of both the product adoption process, and the ACCORD model (REFERENCE APPENDIX?). The promotional tactics that are outlined in the next section are designed to overcome these barriers. · //Creating customer awareness//. Since XXX operates within a relatively new, unfamiliar industry in which there are firms currently servicing this niche, most target customers will unaware of not only XXX’s existence, but also of any similar company. · //Convincing clients to trial//. Many people may like the idea of our business, but may sceptical and not want to spend money on a trial membership. Some services that XXX provides are personal in nature and thus there will be a natural hesitance to outsource them to someone they cannot talk face-to-face with. · //Creating advocacy//. Establishing trust with clients will be critical to success and the development of long-term relationships. Although clients will often want to outsource low-skill, menial tasks to XXX, higher revenue streams will come with higher-skill tasks requests. Thus, it is important that clients have a high level of trust with XXX so that we are trusted with all the tasks that would fall under the job description of a personal assistant that they personally hired and trained. PROMOTIONAL TACTICS The following are the promotional tactics for the first year of operations: · //Globe and Mail Advertisements//. Running advertisements in the Globe and Mail will help create awareness of the company. The Globe and Mail has a cumulative six-day readership total of over 2,600,000, and their readership demographics include a high percentage of readers with university education, post-graduate degrees, and senior management positions, aligning well with our target demographic (SEE APPDNEDIX XX  · //Free Trial//. A free two week trial membership will be available to new customers. This will help establish trust through trialing the service, and also help develop our client list and, CRM database. Even if customer do not pay for a full membership when their trial expires, we will know that they are at least interested in the concept, and we will be able to use the information that they give us to market to them in the future.   · //Referral Discounts.// Members will receive 5% off their next membership for every client that they refer to our service. This will facilitate word of mouth advertising.

** Operations Strategy ** __ Operations Process __

Potential customers will receive an overview of our services and one of our marketing packages with descriptions of our company and detailed overview of our services. We will have two different packages, one for high profile clients and another for less frequent users. They will use different methods to market our services.

A customer who registers for our service will be given a welcome package with complete information outlining our services and a list of contacts. Each client will have to complete a package which will allow us to get to know them better. They will also be given a short (optional) personality test, which will allow us to better cater our services to their needs.

Clients who register for the membership option will set an appointment date to meet with their dedicated assistant. During this meeting they will get to know each other, the assistant will explain the services and the client will outline their needs and preferences.

Clients, who register for the Pre Paid or the Pay As You Go methods, will meet with one of our service experts who will explain all the details of the packages, fill out our information package and receive the necessary contact numbers.

__ Service Requests __

A typical service request will be dealt with in the following manner.


 * 1) Client calls our service phone number and provide name and account number. After a brief wait (est. 1 minute) they will be transferred to an agent already has the clients information on screen and inquires about the nature of the service required.


 * 1) The client tells the representative exactly what they require. The representative asks the client any necessary details (eg. date, time, location, budget etc.), pertaining to and required to complete the request. The representative confirms the request with the client and then disconnects after exchanging pleasantries.


 * 1) The customer representative will complete the request within a reasonable time frame (depending on the length of the task).


 * 1) After the task is complete or confirmed the customer representative will contact the customer provide any necessary details. The customer will be able to choose the method of these confirmation calls, eg. Phone, email, text etc.


 * 1) The customer representative leaves a detailed note about the request in the customers file listing things that went according to plan and things that could have been improved upon. These notes are to improve the quality of service in the future and to improve customer relations. The service request proceeds to billing.

__ Billing __

Clients have the option of different billing methods. This is important because clients will use our services for many tasks and one method may suit them more than the next.

The first billing option is the Membership method. Clients will sign up for a membership at a fixed cost of $XXXX. This membership will include free unlimited services 24 hours a day. They will be billed for any services that cannot be outsourced and require our employees to physically move. This type of membership allows them to receive a XX% discount on our mobility fee. The membership method will provide the highest value for the frequent user.

The second billing option will be the Pre Paid, declining balance method. Clients will carry a balance on their accounts and will have to add money as it is depleted. This method will carry a fixed cost of $XXX. This membership method will include free unlimited services 24 hours a day with a mobility discount of XX%.

The final billing options will be the “pay as you go” method. Clients will be billed according to their usage at the end of the month. The customer will be required to pay a membership cost of $XX, will have unlimited services 24 hours a day at a competitive price and will receive no mobility discount. This will be the best option for the occasional user but will have much higher fees than the previous two.

All methods will require the customer to have a credit card on file. This credit card is for any direct expenses the client incurs as a result of services requested (eg. client requires a new suit purchased and delivered within 2 hours. The credit card will pay for the value of the suit).

The purchases the customer makes will be paid for by our company and immediately charged to their credit card. The following method has two major advantages; the ability for the customer to make discreet purchases on their personal or business cards and gives us the ability to receive significant discounts due to volume with various merchants.

__ Customer Relationship Management __

// Service Database //

To maximize efficiency, our company will have records of common tasks with their information requirements. The agent will have a database of common tasks and the information completion of the task requires. For example, if the client needs to make a dinner reservation at a restaurant the agent would need the following information:


 * 1) The number of guests attending
 * 2) The nature of the dinner
 * 3) Any food preferences (eg. Italian, Asian, Greek)
 * 4) Location preferences
 * 5) Seating type
 * 6) Atmosphere preference
 * 7) Time/date

Each task will have different requirements for the necessary information that needs to be collected. This database is to prevent many calls to the client asking for additional information after the service request has been place. For any tasks which are not listed, the service representative will use their extensive experience to handle the task in the most effective and professional manner. These unlisted tasks will then be added to the database for future reference.

// Preferences //

// Accessiblity //

Operations Strategy

The day to day operations of our business will be administered under the care of our hired staff and overlooked by our management team. Our hired staff will consist of 5 full time and 5 part time employees. All of our staff will be available 24 hours a day to handle any service requests.

Full time: Full time employees will be assigned a top level client and will deal with them exclusively. They will be available to their client on a 24 hour basis to fulfill their requests.

Part time: Part time employees will deal with the remaining clientele. Part time employees will be on an as need basis as their clients do not require an exclusive assistant. They will be assigned multiple clients based on the level of service each client requires.

Office Staff: Our business will also have in office staff. These individuals will act as customer service representatives in the call center. They will handle service requests and deal with any issues that may arise. To ensure thorough customer service, our customer call center will be operational 24 hours a day.

Our main office will be located in downtown, Toronto

Pricing: Our business will employ two methods of pricing, per hour and through membership. Both methods will require the client to have a credit card on file to absorb any of the purchase costs. The hourly service will be used primarily for the lower level clients. Our employees will provide the client with detailed billing providing an intensive description of every task and duration. The employee will have the ability to discount minor task but detail is our prime concern.

The membership option will require the client to pay a yearly retainer fee. The fee amount will reflect the level of service the customer requires.

YOUR TEAM

I just randomly assigned people to different positions within the company. If you want me to change it, sure, it doesn't matter! Who's our CEO!?

X’s unique assortment of employees has certainly served to increase the quality of work offered to X’s clientele. At X, all employees share identical attitudes on the methods of achieving superiority. Our cultivated and determined staff does not hesitate to accept opportunities, are fervent for company growth and believe in energetic teamwork.

MK - Director of Sales and Marketing, Creative Director

M's enthusiastic and energetic nature has steered her towards a career in the sales and marketing sector. She has been working in the sales and marketing field for approximately 3 years. In 2007, she worked for The Coca-Cola Company as a Channel & Customer Marketing Manager. M received her MBA at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about playing the piano and power yoga. The Director of Sales and Marketing ultimately generates additional business for the company. That is essentially what M does. M strives to create and manage a marketing program that promotes awareness of X and in turn, taking the opportunities that result from the marketing efforts and producing revenue from them. In addition, M uses her expertise in web and graphic design to conceptualize the logo and the business cards for X and design and manage the company web site. M undoubtedly possesses the needed skills in order to be a successful Director of Sales and Marketing. She is creative, exemplified through her past and present endeavours in marketing and design. She procures the necessary knowledge as well as discipline, and undeniably has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Bartosz Zagorowicz –Membership Manager

Bartosz Zagorowicz – or Bart – graduated Ted Rogers School of Business at Ryerson with an MBA in Management of Technology and Innovation in 2006. In the following years, Bart worked as a Client Service Manager at Telus. His determination to satisfy all his clients is one of the key reasons why Bart’s addition to the team was crucial. Bart’s passion for travel earned him his current proficiency in several languages including French, Italian, and Polish. He takes pleasure in cycling, skiing and fencing. The Account Manager is responsible for a number of clients at X. The account manager provides X’s clients with appropriate solutions and services. Bart establishes close relationships with clients and uses his excellent communication skills to give clients advice on how to improve their experience within the company. He is allocated to certain accounts that provide X with the most business. Bart is quite flexible in the sense that he agrees, as much as possible, with the problems and/or wishes of the clients. In addition, Bart’s innate leader qualities allows him to effectively monitor and direct the Member Assistants and ensure that all employees are assisting X’s clients in the best way they possibly can.

Brian Mills – External Communications Manager

After graduating McMaster University with a Masters of Communication Management in 2006, Brian moved to New York to work for a concierge team for a private jet company. A year later, he moved to San Fransisco and acquired a position as a Mobile Solutions Director at Velti North America, a mobile marketing and advertising company. Brian’s bold and adventurous attitude has led him to explore remote areas of the world including Nauru, Tuvalu and San Marino. He spends much of his spare time collecting wines, playing the violin and nature walking. Brian’s dynamic personality has allowed him to influence third-party organizations in a professional and efficient manner. As an External Communications Manager, Brian is responsible for strategic engagement and alliances with third-party organizations. Brian essentially unearths potential companies with the resources needed to perform specific tasks that Member Assistants at X are incapable of performing themselves. An example may be, contacting and securing a relationship with a cleaning service that provides clients with the professionals needed to clean their house, office etc. Thus by forming relationships with such companies, Brian may unveil possible price reductions for X.

Beshoy Sidrak – Director of Finance and Accounting Manager

Beshoy graduated with from the Schulich School of Business with a Masters in Finance. His brilliant analytical skills allow him to solve complicated problems and make accurate decisions – assets that are undeniably beneficial to X. Beshoy has approximately 6 years of experience working at an array of companies as a Finance Director, as well as an Accounting Manager. His passions in life include attending operas, scuba diving and playing tennis. As Director of Finance, Beshoy is in charge of the day to day transactions. He accurately records the revenues, expenditures, assets and liabilities of the firm and reports it in a precise and timely manner. Beshoy also manages a number of fiscal and accounting functions such as accounts payable, payroll, auditing and preparing X’s forecasts and budgets. Beshoy has superb communication skills, allowing him to efficiently communicate findings about financial statements.

Member Assistant(s) Need to finish this part

Training Needed