Worksheet+4a+due+Wed+26+midnight


 * QUICK MARKET TEST TWENTY QUESTIONS**

INSTRUCTIONS - Use a separate worksheet for each venture idea - Answer as many questions as you can with available information; then design a QMT research plan (Worksheet 4B) to fill inthe gabs and verify your information - Based on your research findings, complete this worksheet

NAME OF VENTURE: **Leafy Greens for Active Teens**

PRODUCT 1. Clearly describe the proposed product or service


 * //This venture is aimed at providing high school students with a meal plan that will provide better nutrition value and encourages heathy living at a young age, based on the principles of Sustainable Community Development.//**

2. How will you produce and deliver it?


 * //Attain a food nutritionist to work closely with the existing cooks in the high school and provide them with training in regards to making healthy food; as well as introduce them to the network of local farmers and producers. We hope to create a variety of meal plan that would meet the needs and promote better health for students. We are also hoping to create a partnership with the local agricultural industry and to contract them as exclusive suppliers. In case they can't meet market's demands we can create a bridge among them and other organizations that have expertise on agricultural trainning and capacity building.//**

3. How will customers find it beneficial to them?


 * //Students might see a change in their energy level, their self-image, and overall stamina. More importantly, customers can learn more about healthy living and how they can lead a better lifestyle. Besides, customers could also learn about the local food market, the importance of supporting local economy and of reducing the footprint of our food consumptioin.//**

CUSTOMERS

4. Who are your target customers?


 * //High school administration. By extension, High school students, parents who are concern about their children's diet and people who are generally interested in healthy living.//**

5. What relationship do you have with your target customers?


 * //The Schools rely on our organization to help direct their meal plan. We provide nutrition guides, updates and news to our customers. They would receive health tips from out in-house nutritionist and work towards a goal that would benefit their health.//**

6. What evidence do you have of customer interest?


 * //Parents expresses concern with junk food that are widely available in schools. Children are not getting enough exposure to a wider variety of healthy food. Furthermore, schools in the United States have run a similar program with great success. In addition to parents and students embracing the healthy alternative in these American schools, there has been a demonstrated improvement in the lives of students.//**

7. How will you sell this product to these customers?


 * //By educating the school administration on the benefits, and very low overall increase in cost, the school should embrace the new meal plan. In addition, we will target the Parent Advisory Council. We'll do campaigns among the students about the benefits of eating healthy and delicious food, and about the importance of supporting local economy as well as living a sustainable life.//**

8. Are they growing in numbers or buying more each year?

//**Each school will pay an initial consultation fee, and then a maintenance fee. Growth will be seen in adding more schools to our program.**//

9. What is important to these customers?


 * //School administrator and students would be interested in having a meal plan that concentrates on improving their overall health. On the other hand, the high school students would be more intersted in the overall appeal of the meal plan such as the flavour, smell, and texture.//**

ADVANTAGES

10. How does this venture build on your core competencies? n/a 11. How will you produce and deliver this product efficiently?

//**By sourcing locally grown foods from farmers markets and other direct methods, we will be able to realize savings while at the same time benefit the local farmers.**//

12. What is the competition of this product?

//**The existing meal plans, which are often run by corperations.**//

13. How difficult would it be for another firm to replicate your product?

//**It would be very easy for another firm to replicate our product. In fact, we are replicating the product of another firm. By having more firms producing healthy meals for high schools, more students will enjoy the benefits, and more people will become aware of the advantages, increasing the demand for our product. In short we will benefit from other firms producing our product. This will also boast the visibility of the local food producing market.**//

14. Why would customers prefer your product?

//**The health benefits will make our product far more desirable than the competing unhealthy option. Having a better nutrition will improve their academic achievements of students increase productivity.**//

15. How does this idea fit with your mission and the attitude of key stakeholders? n/a

BUSINESS MODEL

16. What evidence do you have that customers will pay for this and that there is profit potential?

//**The example of the American schools that have adopted this program, and have demonstrated the that increase in cost is negligible, shows that this product is desirable and that it can produce a profit.**//

17. What are the start-up costs for this venture and where will the funding come from?

//**As this is a service oriented venture, the initial cost will largely be through volunteer time. By gathering a group of dedicated individuals who are willing to dedicate their time to this cause, there will be no startup cost. No actual capital will have to be spent until a school decides to sign on to our service, and we will require an initial payment from that school.**//

18. What is the minimum sales level needed to make a profit?


 * //The minimum sales level sould be at least $25,000 and this will cover tyhe cost of wages and utilities.//**

19. What weaknesses will your nonprofit face in running this venture?


 * It will be easy to make the school administrators and the parents understand the benefits of a healthy diet while supporting local economy; however, it will be harder to persuade the students. Besides providing healthy locally-produced food, we will need to be very creative in the way the food is cooked and presented, as well as the image we portray.**

20. What staff (both managerial and operational) will you need to operate this venture?

- 1 cook that will train the cooks of shools - 1 operational manager that makes the connections with the local farmers and producers, and that will follow up the relation of these with the participant high schools - 1 person to conduct research on the local agricultural industry and other resources that could help with the formulation and implementation of the meal plan.**
 * - 1 administrative manager that deals will do the connections with the schools, and will follow up.**
 * - 1 external nutritionist/healthy advisor