This document provides guidance on developing a simple business plan, including identifying potential customers, competitors, and determining if your business will offer products or services. It discusses analyzing market needs, conducting a SWOT analysis, and differentiating products from services. Learners are given tasks to craft a customer survey, determine potential competitors by answering questions, and identify if sample offers are products or services. The goals are to help learners understand the key components of a business plan and how to evaluate their proposed business idea.
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In this lesson, you are expected to analyze market
needs, SWOT analysis, determine potential customers
and competitors, differentiate product from services,
and develop a simple business plan.
WhatIneedto
know?
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I
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Identifypotentialcustomers
You can choose to see everyone as your potential customers or focus on a specific segment or group of people to be
more effective. Grouping consumers allow you to identify which group is the most appropriate target for your
products. You can efficiently and effectively use marketing activities to engage them and convert them into your
customers.
First, you will need to identify how the
market is divided for the product that you
are providing.
• Geography: region, population, climate
• Demographics: age, gender, income, family size,
family lifecycle
• Psychographics: lifestyle, personality, interests,
habits, values Behavior: usage, loyalty, readiness to
purchase, attitude towards product, buying decision
• Benefits: social status, health, emotions
Next, evaluate these different market
segments and your own goals to find out
which is the most appropriate segment
for your product.
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Company’s objectives and resources
Different customer segments
Identify Your Best Customers
Unique Selling Proposition Statement
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Tipsonhowto
obtainfeedback
fromyour
customers
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1. "What is your favorite product?"
2. "Why did you purchase this
product?"
3. "How satisfied are you with
[product]?"
4. "Would you recommend
[product] to a friend?"
5. "Would you recommend
[company name] to a friend?"
6. "If you could change one thing
about [product], what would it be?"
7. "Which other options were you
considering before [product or
company name]?"
8. "Did [product] help you
accomplish your goal?"
9. "What's the primary reason for
canceling your account?"
10. "How satisfied are you with our
customer support?"
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WhyCompetition
isImportant?
If a product is sold by only one business, that business can charge a very high price for it even if it
doesn’t work very well. This business does not have to worry too much about the quality and the
price of what it is selling or the customers it is selling to because they do not have any other choice.
Competition prevents this situation from happening. If a business is charging too much for a low-
quality product, it will lose its customers when another business opens that charges less or offers a
better-quality product. In a very competitive environment, many businesses compete with each
other to give consumers the best possible choice. This is great for consumers. It results in lower
prices, and better products. Most importantly, it results in a vibrant, dynamic marketplace with
businesses always improving their products and operations. This gives consumers the power of
choice. They have the freedom to decide what is important to them, what to buy, how to spend
their hardearned money.
The Philippine Competition Act is a law that promotes competition in the Philippines by enforcing
rules that ensure competitive behavior and monitoring business to prevent practices that would
lessen competition.
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HowtoFindYourCompetitors?
Finding your competitors does not have to be taxing or complicated. The first step to finding your competitors is to
differentiate between your direct and indirect competition.
What is Direct Competition?
• Direct competition is a term that refers to the
companies or publishers who sell or market the same
products as your business. Your customers will often
evaluate both you and your direct competitors before
making a purchase decision or converting.
What is Indirect Competition?
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• Indirect competition is a term that refers to the
companies or publishers that don’t sell or market the
same products but are in competition with your
business digitally. They may write the same type of
content as you and be competing for the same
keywords. In short, they are competing for your
customers’ attention. As you craft your marketing
strategy, you need to be aware of both your indirect
and your direct competition. Let us discuss three
ways to identify both your direct and indirect
competitors.
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Afeweffectivetechniquesforidentifyingdirectcompetitors:
1. Market Research.
2. Solicit Customer Feedback.
3. Check Online Communities
on Social Media or Community
Forums.
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Take a look at the market for your product and evaluate which other
companies are selling a product that would compete with yours. Talk
to your sales team and find out which competitors they see come up
often in their sales process. From there, you will be able to take a
closer look at those companies, their product and marketing efforts,
and create strategies to outperform them.
Again, your customers are the key to unlocking your direct
competitors. Once they’ve decided on your business and product,
you can ask them which other businesses/products they were
evaluating.
In this day and age, your potential customers will often seek out
advice and recommendations on social media sites and apps, or on
community forums like Quora or Reddit.