Marketing Project 1
Marketing Environment Analysis: For this research project I am going to open a fictitious Dog Grooming/Kennel business and explore all the Marketing aspects that lead to the development of the business. I am going to use secondary and primary data to gather vital information for running a Dog Grooming business and ensure all the information is collected and recorded accurately. To operate a dog kennel business successfully and efficiently it will involve a large range of skills such as organization, perseverance, and determination. There are a significant number of environmental factors that would affect my business such as political, economic, and technological factors. When it comes to operating a business I am required to obey all government regulations according to which state or city my business resides in. For example, some customs or practices performed in Japan may not necessarily be appropriate or even legal in the United States because every country has its own set of regulations and must be considered when opening a business. Some individuals within a country may have their own set of values but are typically obligated to comply with their cultures customs and regulations. Currently state legislation does not necessarily require individuals to obtain an official license to become a Dog Groomer but many cities require you to obtain a certain business license and permit. This would even include individuals who operate their own Grooming business as a sole-proprietorship and do business in the convenience of their own home. Before I contemplate on opening my business it would be essential that I check with my states specific dog grooming legislation laws and possibly the local Small Business laws as well. Primarily one of the first steps in opening a business is to obtain a business permit from the city’s clerk’s office to ensure you are certified to run a business. Most public buildings are required by law to have their facility inspected and monitored by the Department of Environmental Health to ensure all rules and regulations are being followed properly and according to procedure. In order to run a Grooming/Kennel business a number of codes must be followed such as, the structure of the facility itself, the safety and lodging of the pets and so forth. For the most part most states require business owners to acquire some kind of license to accumulate sales tax and most states require a business to renew its license every few years. If I personally decide to expand my business and hire employees I would need to obtain a training license in order to be permitted to officially train potential employees. This is to ensure the safety of the pets and that all proper procedures and codes are followed. One last thing to consider would be liability insurance because accidents can occur daily so it would only be practical to add insurance to my business to avoid legal issues. The majority of competition for my business I believe will come from larger National Pet Stores such as Petco and PetSmart who offer retail operations, grooming and boarding services. They will have a slight advantage over my company since they have been in this occupation far longer than I have and have commercialized themselves into a large successful business nationally. These larger companies will not be my only competition because smaller local franchised businesses will also affect my business equally. However, global competition will not remain as big as a threat as local competition because most customers looking for grooming and boarding services will be local customers. Fortunately my business will consist of online features and products so I can include global consumers to my business and hopefully increase my company’s sales forecast. This could be one advantage I have over a smaller Grooming/Kenneling company because it would allow my business to be slightly distinguishable from theirs. Unfortunately, in our