Z– READY

Z  –  READY:  Business  Plan  for  a  New  Corporation  

Prepared  by  Lund  Management  Group  Inc.  Tom  Lund,  Lindsey  Maughan,  Kristi  Simpkins,  Natalie  Skoien,  Kamille  Thompson,  Beth  Hennefer  

October  5,  2011  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Zombies  have  become  a  nationwide  obsession  starting  in  1968  with  George  A.  Romero’s  thriller  Night  of  the  Living  Dead,  which  brought  zombies  into  mainstream  American  culture.  Since  then,  and  especially  in  recent  years,  zombies  have  been  the  popular  subject  of  television,  movies,  video  games,  apps,  books,  and  of  course  Halloween.  And  now  there  is  serious  talk—and  fear—of  a  zombie  apocalypse.  Even  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention  published  an  article  May  18,  2011  entitled  Preparedness  101:  Zombie  Apocalypse.  Just  such  an  event  is  what  Z-­‐‑Ready  has  come  into  the  market  for.  Our  mission  is  to  prepare  humanity  for  the  wholly  probable  event  of  a  zombie  apocalypse.  

Z-­‐‑Ready  has  developed  product  labels  that  you  as  a  business  partner  can  purchase  and  apply  to  certain  products  that  line  the  shelves  in  your  place  of  business.  The  fast-­‐‑growing  customer  base  of  die-­‐‑hard  zombie  believers  is  sure  to  find  these  products  a  necessity  for  personal  survival  during  a  potential  zombie  apocalypse.  Because  Z-­‐‑Ready  is  the  first  to  develop  such  a  line  of  labels,  there  is  almost  no  competition  and  demand  is  sure  to  be  high.  Z-­‐‑Ready  will  permit  its  labels  to  appear  on  products  that  we  as  business  partners  have  established  will  protect  an  individual  in  case  of  a  zombie  attack.    

While  Z-­‐‑Ready  labels  will  come  to  you,  the  buyer,  at  relatively  inexpensive  cost,  it  will  allow  you  to  significantly  increase  product  prices  and  boost  your  business  revenue.  Customers  are  sure  to  pay  more  for  something  they  feel  confident  will  protect  them  from  potential  zombie  dangers.  Z-­‐‑Ready  will  work  with  individual  businesses  to  develop  a  plan  of  action  in  regards  to  which  products  will  be  Z-­‐‑Ready  certified,  how  the  label  will  be  applied,  and  what  marketing  strategies  will  be  most  effective.    

Z-­‐‑Ready  comes  to  you  with  a  fully  certified  staff  in  business  and  zombie  experience.  We  first  worked  together  as  students  and  formed  the  Lund  Management  Group.  From  there  we  have  only  increased  our  portfolio  and  experience  in  the  business  world.  We  recognize  the  personal  risk  we  are  each  taking  in  starting  this  new  business,  but  we  are  completely  confident  in  our  abilities  to  make  it  a  success.  We  come  to  you  with  a  wide  range  of  backgrounds  in  such  fields  as  marketing,  finances,  production,  and  logistics.  With  your  products  and  our  labels,  we  are  sure  to  make  a  mark  in  the  business  and  consumer  world.    

Z-­‐‑Ready  invites  you  to  join  us  in  our  business  endeavors  and  to  recognize  the  great  potential  for  success.  Please  turn  to  the  more  extensive  business  plan  that  follows  for  a  detailed  account  of  Z-­‐‑Ready’s  production  and  business  plans.  We  look  forward  to  working  with  you,  securing  a  successful  future,  and  protecting  the  world  from  the  threat  of  zombies.    

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS  Executive  Summary  .....................................................................................................................................  2  

Table  of  Contents  ........................................................................................................................................  3  

Business  Profile  ............................................................................................................................................  4  

Company  Objectives  ................................................................................................................................  4  

Current  Situation  .....................................................................................................................................  4  

Marketing  ....................................................................................................................................................  5  

Target  Market  ..........................................................................................................................................  5  

Product/Service  Strategy  .........................................................................................................................  5  

Service  Strategy  .......................................................................................................................................  5  

Anticipated  Challenges  ............................................................................................................................  6  

Operations  ...................................................................................................................................................  6  

Production  ...................................................................................................................................................  7  

Personnel  .................................................................................................................................................  7  

Clientele  ...................................................................................................................................................  7  

Promotion  ....................................................................................................................................................  7  

 

 

 

BUSINESS PROFILE  Zombie  Ready©  is  a  small  production  company  of  high-­‐‑quality  labels  and  stickers  intended  for  commercial  use  through  retailers  mainly  on  the  East  Coast,  specifically  the  New  England  area.    Through  market  studies,  the  overall  conclusion  supports  the  opening  of  a  marketing  and  distribution  center  to  facilitate  those  production  needs.  We  believe  that  by  opening  up  a  new  marketing  and  distribution  center  on  the  East  coast,  we  will  be  in  a  position  to  corner  the  market  on  pop  culture  that  few  have  ventured  into  thus  far.    While  the  rage  in  pop  culture  has  spanned  the  gambit  from  vampires  to  werewolves,  little  has  been  done  to  promote  and  commercialize  the  zombie  end  of  the  fantasy  spectrum.    The  facilities  from  which  we  propose  to  center  our  business  is  ideally  situated  to  allow  us  to  produce,  and  ship  our  products  in  a  short  amount  of  time.    The  local  economy  will  be  supported  through  enthusiastic  new  employment,  which  will  support  a  minimum  of  twenty  new  jobs  at  first.    Relationships  with  our  vendors  and  suppliers  will  allow  us  minimize  production  costs  so  that  our  start  up  fees  will  be  able  to  be  repaid  in  a  year’s  time.    We  also  anticipate  a  wide  range  of  enthusiastic  financial  investors  to  help  us  expand  and  build  throughout  the  country.  

COMPANY  OBJECTIVES  Our  objectives  for  the  first  year  is  creating  our  base  of  “Zombie  Ready”  certified  products  and  getting  our  name  and  image  out  there.  Research  and  marketing  will  be  involved  heavily  devising  strategies,  deciding  audience,  and  developing  image.  For  the  second  year,  we  hope  to  expand  our  base  of  products  to  reach  a  wider  audience  while  maintaining  our  image  and  the  hype  for  zombie  apocalypse  paraphernalia.  In  our  third  year  we  plan  to  expand  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  United  States.  This  may  include  other  “ready”  products  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  superstitious  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Marketing  will  grow  and  improve  while  maintaining  our  strong  and  basic  customer  base.  

CURRENT  SITUATION  We  are  coming  to  the  end  of  year  2011:  one  year  before  the  presupposed  date  of  apocalypse.  The  theme  everywhere  right  now,  particularly  with  children,  is  zombies.  It’s  become  almost  an  obsession,  one  that  we  are  ready  to  jump  on.  Since  everywhere  is  zombies,  we  will  have  everywhere  “Z  Ready.”  A  previous  similar  successful  business  venture  is  the  certified  Green  products  when  the  demand  for  everything  eco-­‐‑friendly  began.  Members  of  our  team  have  worked  with  elementary  school  aged  children  and  confirm  that  the  hype  right  now  is  zombies.  We  are  certain  that  products  certified  “zombie  ready”  will  sell  well  immediately.  We  will  begin  with  the  children’s  market,  the  gamers’/virtual  reality  market,  and  the  weapons’  collectors  market.  

 

 

 

MARKETING  

TARGET  MARKET      Z-­‐‑Ready©  will  be  targeting  selected  Fortune  500  retail  stores  as  they  have  a  large  product  base  with  which  to  use  our  labels  and  have  a  large  consumer  population.  Each  of  these  stores  has  a  large  product  base  of  zombie  ready  items  with  which  to  use  our  tags.  They  also  have  a  notable  consumer  population  which  will  be  in  need  of  such  items.  These  stores  will  be  located  within  the  New  England  area  of  the  United  States  (Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  and  Rhode  Island).  Within  these  stores,  our  target  audience  will  be  teenagers  and  young  adults  between  the  ages  of  16  and  25.    

There  is  talk  going  on  all  over  the  world:  a  zombie  apocalypse  is  coming!  Consumers  are  seeing  this  on  the  media.  They  are  reading  it  in  books.  It  is  on  the  internet.  People  are  scared.  They  want  to  feel  prepared  for  whatever  might  come  in  the  future.  The  purpose  of    Z-­‐‑Ready©  zombie  certified  tags  is  this:  to  help  our  consumers  feel  ready  for  any  future  zombie  attacks.  Knowing  that  they  have  certified  zombie  ready  products  will  bring  much  ease  to  their  minds  and  peace  to  their  lives.    

Z-­‐‑Ready  will  being  selling  certified  tags  in  the  New  England  states,  and  as  the  population  demands,  will  continue  west  and  south  in  a  fanning  fashion.  As  zombie  preparedness  products  increase  in  their  retailers,  Z-­‐‑Ready©  will  follow  suit  to  include  such  retailers  into  our  business  circle.    

PRODUCT/SERVICE  STRATEGY    Z-­‐‑Ready  will  produce  zombie-­‐‑themed  labels  for  retailers  to  attach  to  a  variety  of  their  products.  Because  an  impending  zombie  apocalypse  is  currently  a  common  element  of  popular  culture,  we  believe  these  labels  will  help  retail  sales  for  our  customers.  Consumers  will  buy  products  with  our  labels  because  they  are  concerned  about  a  zombie  apocalypse  and  will  want  to  be  prepared.  

 

 

 

 

 

SERVICE  STRATEGY  Z-­‐‑Ready’s  labels  will  be  easily  recognizable  and  understood  by  lending  organizations.  We  will  have  zombie  certified  tags  the  will  label  our  products—the  tags  will  be  uniform  and  universal.  This  will  promote  our  brand  and  create  product  recognition  as  all  tags  will  be  placed  in  similar  places  on  our  products.  

 

The  study  indicates  that  shoppers  are  driven  to  1Wal-­‐‑Mart  for  the  basic  necessities;  the  chain’s  product  mix,  prices  and  brands  keep  them  coming  back.  Nearly  60  percent  of  Wal-­‐‑Mart’s  shoppers  purchase  food  and  groceries,  25  percent  buy  basic  apparel  items,  and  24  percent  buy  beauty  products  at  the  store  in  a  typical  month.  

Many  people  are  concerned  about  the  2012  ending  of  the  world.  A  rising  concern  is  occurring  with  the  idea  of  a  zombie  invasion.  People  need  to  feel  prepared  and  secure.  Such  a  tag  on  zombie-­‐‑ready  items  would  allow  for  the  concerned  population  to  gain  a  peace  of  mind  in  knowing  that,  no  matter  what,  they  are  prepared  for  the  future.    

 Zombie  training  internet  sites  and  options,  zombie  preparedness  books.  An  advantage  we  have  is  that  not  all  items  on  internet  sites  are  easily  accessible—have  to  order.  Books  take  a  long  time  to  read.  Not  everyone  worried  about  the  zombie  attacks  has  access  to  computers  and  capacity  to  read  books.  People  can  zombie  shop  while  they  are  shopping  for  groceries!    

ANTICIPATED  CHALLENGES  Our  most  significant  challenge  anticipated  is  easy  production  of  copycat  companies.  While  there  are  currently  no  such  zombie  certified  labels  in  store,  our  potential  competitors  include  internet  groups  with  the  same  idea  of  preparing  others  for  a  future  zombie  attack.  These  companies  focus  more  on  the  making  and  selling  of  zombie  preparedness  products.    Z-­‐‑Ready  does  not  create  new  products,  but  will  instead  show  the  consumer  useful  items  they  may  pick  up  from  their  local  retail  store.  Consumers  will  not  have  to  take  extra  time  out  of  their  schedules  to  search  for  preparedness  items;  they  may  find  them  in  any  regular  shopping  trip.  This  level  of  convenience  is  not  found  in  our  internet  competitors.    

 

OPERATIONS  Z-­‐‑Ready©’s  product  will  be  inexpensive,  small,  and  easy  to  assemble.  Because  our  competitive  advantage  lies  in  being  first-­‐‑to-­‐‑market  and  not  in  proprietary  technologies,  we  will  not  build  a  production  process,  but  will  instead  opt  to  buy  one.  Because  this  strategy  ensures  little  to  no  overhead  expense,  no  immediate  depreciation,  and  little  cost  of  production,  the  company’s  revenue  is  sure  to  go  up  while  its  cost  of  revenue  remains  down.  

We  have  surveyed  the  current  market  for  labels  and  packaging,  and  found  three  companies  to  be  of  interest  to  our  cause:  Fuji  Seal  International,  Avery  Dennison,  and  MeadWestvaco.  Though  Avery  Dennison  is  not  nearly  as  large  a  company  as  Fuji  Seal  International,  their  ability  to  produce  high-­‐‑quality  material  and  manufacture  dynamic  and  custom  designs  domestically  match  our  needs  best.  They  have  consequently  been  chosen  as    Z-­‐‑Ready©’s  manufacturer.  

                                                                                                                         1 http://www.npdinsights.com/archives/april2005/cover_story.html  

 

PRODUCTION  

Production  will  take  place  at  an  Avery  Dennison  manufacturing  facility  in  Mentor,  Ohio.  The  process  simple,  involving  only  a  quick-­‐‑jet  printer  and  rolls  of  one-­‐‑piece  single-­‐‑sided  transparent  labels.  For  each  label  design,  three  size  variations  will  be  manufactured:  2’x1’,  3’x1.5’,  and  4’x2’.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By  offering  a  variety  of  sizes,  we  are  widening  our  market  to  retailers  of  a  myriad  of  goods.  From  chainsaws  to  first-­‐‑aid  kits  to  canned  food,  an  appropriately  visible  label  will  be  available.  Initially  there  will  be  two  designs  offered  to  customers,  though  more  will  be  offered  in  the  future.  As  we  introduce  different  styles  and  designs  into  our  collection,  we  hope  to  widen  our  market  base  even  further.  

PERSONNEL  This  operation  is  small.  We  have  no  need  for  production  facilities,  and  therefore  have  little  need  for  a  large  number  of  personnel.  We  plan  to  hire  five  Customer  Relations  Specialists  within  the  first  six  months.  These  specialists  will  work  in  separate  areas  to  locate  and  procure  new  clientele.  As  need  dictates,  hiring  will  expand  after  the  first  year.  

CLIENTELE  Our  clientele  will  vary  widely.  Z-­‐‑Ready’s  products  are  intended  for  virtually  all  goods,  so  potential  clientele  will  range  from  supermarkets  to  hardware  stores.  Expecting  sharp  jumps  during  the  Halloween  season,  Z-­‐‑Ready  labels  could  also  be  marketed  to  seasonal  costume  and  prop  retailers  

PROMOTION Everywhere  you  go,  it  is  there.  Talk  of  zombies.  The  coming  zombie  apocalypse  is  mentioned  with  more  and  more  frequency.  The  zombie  apocalypse  might  be  the  end  of  humanity  as  we  know  it.  What  is  being  done  about  it?  Who  is  taking  measures  to  protect  the  general  public?  Who  is  providing  supplies  to  prepare  for  the  inevitable?  

Z-­‐‑Ready©  is  the  first  business  who  has  supplies  and  weapons  that  have  been  tested  and  proven  to  kill  the  undead  that  threaten  our  very  existence.  Our  main  objective  is  to  arm  people  and  make  them  legitimate  Zombie  slayers.  We  are  the  first  company  to  provide  products  specifically  designed  to  wipe  out  the  Zombies.  Other  businesses  don’t  think  Zombies  are  a  credible  threat.  Don’t  let  them  lull  you  into  a  false  sense  of  security.  Be  prepared  for  the  battle  for  humanity  by  getting  your  Zombie  Ready  gear.  Our  customers  will  feel  secure  in  the  knowledge  that  they  will  be  prepared  for  the  Zombie  war.  Customers  and  zombie  enthusiasts  will  be  drawn  to  our  innovative  new  line  through  posters  and  commercial  advertising.  During  the  Halloween  season,  Z-­‐‑Ready  would  focus  on  marketing  to  seasonal  costume  and  prop  retailers.  Our  wide  range  of  products  will  provide  the  best  quality  of  protection  for  the  lowest  price.  These  products  will  be  available  on-­‐‑line  and  in  stores  through  participating  retailers.  Demonstrations  will  be  scheduled  to  show  how  effective  Z-­‐‑Ready©  products  can  be.  Customers  will  feel  safe  knowing  that  their  families  and  loved  ones  are  protected  against  this  specific  threat.  Arm  yourself  and  become  the  Zombie  slayer  that  you  were  meant  to  be.  Be  prepared.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COO  

CEO  

VP  Sales/Finances  

VP  Marketing  

VP  Human  Resources  

VP  Technical  Design