Brandon Case
Small Business Management
10/15/16
Operations
A. Management and personnel
- The key managers/owners and what relevant experience and background they bring to the business.
Business Owner/Head Manager:
I will be the business owner, and the head manager of the business. My relevant experience includes having an Associate in Arts degree, as well as a two year Business Administration AAS, and a two year Human Resource Management AAS, received at Pitt Community College. In addition to this I also will hold certifications for Managerial/Small Business Accounting, Basic Accounting, Management Applications and Principles, and Human Resource Management. In addition to this I have also received the Gold score on the work keys CRC Career Readiness Certification test which qualifies me for 93% of jobs found in the ACT database… whatever that means. I have several years’ background in small business management and accounting for the local Greenville, NC restaurant Starlight Café. I have an extensive knowledge of sustainable business practices, as well as the repurposing of waste materials.
Assistant Manager:
I will hire an assistant manager who has also received a two year business degree from Pitt Community college, with an applicable affinity for the repurposing of waste plastics.
- Describe non-management positions, responsibilities/qualifications, and personnel policies.
2Store Front Sales Associates: The Store Front Sales associates will be responsible for maintaining the store front, operating the cash register, and corresponding with customers either in store or on the phone and making sure their needs are met. Store Front Sales associates, will answer and respond to phone calls. Store Front Sales associates will respond to customer questions and complaints. Store Front Sales associates will be responsible relaying inventory needs to the production department, and then receiving these products from the production department, then placing them in the proper section in the store, and pricing them.
Store Front Sales Associates will also be responsible for explaining and promoting the business to walk-in customers
2 General Employees:
General employees will be tasked with driving company vehicles, pickup on location from waste plastics suppliers, accepting waste plastics and deliveries of materials, and sorting plastics and materials. General employees will work in the production department operating the machinery and repurposing the waste plastic by way of store machinery into new products, and packaging and sorting these products where applicable. They will require a valid driver’s license, as well as demonstration of a history of good employment and some sort of degree of affinity for recycling.
1Janitors:
Janitors will be responsible for basic store cleaning and maintenance. They must provide demonstration of a history of good employment and a willingness to do menial labor.
B. Customer service: procedures and policies regarding your workplace and how you will treat customers.
The business will provide a clean and friendly atmosphere for customers. Store Front Sales associates will be tasked with promoting the business and explaining the nature of the business to customers who enter the store. Store Front Sales associates will answer any questions customers may have and provide them with in store pamphlets which explain the business operations in detail, and provide applicable information and statistics about waste plastics and recycling. Customers who are not satisfied will be allowed to return products with or without a receipt because our products will be recognizable and unique to our business.
C. Location and operations
- Your facility, including a store layout, description of business image, hours of operation
Store will be located downtown inside of a downtown store front building. Upstairs there will be a main office for the head manager and assistant manager. Downstairs will consist of a rear closed general stock room closed off from the front of the store, and then a large open store front which will contain both the store front sales area and the production department and machinery. The store will be open for customers from 11am to 5pm every single day.
- Operations plan: how you will deliver your product/service to the customer, from start to finish (who does what tasks, how long it takes, etc.)
Step One: Plastics Acquisition
Waste plastics will be picked up on location whenever necessary by company vehicles from waste plastic recycling bins provided to participating local businesses and other providers. In store plastics will also be accepted directly and payed for according to weight and type, from individuals willing to bring in their own waste plastics. This job will be tasked to general employees involved in the production department.
Step Two: Waste Plastic Sorting
Waste Plastic will be sorted in the back room according to type.This job will be tasked to general employees involved in the production department.
Step Three:Shredding
Waste plastics will be shredded in the plastic granulator, and then added to the existing inventory of waste plastics flakes according to type in large bins.
Step Four: Supply and Demand
Sales associates will go over the existing inventory of products and orders and provide the production team with a list of which products and how many need to be produced.
Step Five: Production/Repurposing
The production team will then use the various other machinery to repurpose the plastic flakes into new products.
Step Six: Product Placement
The production team will then provide these products to the sales associates who will either place them and price them for sale in sections designated at the front of the store, or the products will be sent to the back room to be mailed to online customers.
Step Seven: Sales
The products will be sold at store-front and online to customers. Money will be counted and deposited in the bank.
- Renovations and equipment list (including prices and condition—new or used)
Furnishings:
Office desks: (Used) 3-4… 400$
Chairs: (Used) 5-6… 100$
Shelves/Machinery Space/Tables: 3000$
Plastic Bins: (New) 30-40… 3000$
Equipment:
Computers/Printers/Routers/Cables/Etc: (Used) 2000$
Vehicles:
Trucks: 2-3 (Used) 30000$
Machinery:
Shredder: (DIY) 236$
Extrusion: (DIY) 252$
Injection: (DIY) 171$
Compressor: (DIY)158$
- Inventory control procedures
Supply will be determined by demand. A set number of each product will be produced and placed for display at storefront according to the size of each product, and space available in each product designation. Front of store inventory will be controlled and accounted for by store front sales associates. Online Sales associate will draw from store front inventory when available, or request new products from production team when storefront inventory is not available. Sales associates will be responsible for accounting for inventory and supplies in computer. Assistant Manager will be responsible for compiling and inventory and data into basic formatting. Head manager will handle all top level accounting.
- Suppliers and purchasing procedure.
Local businesses that which to participate will be provided with waste plastic recycling bins that will be picked up on location by general employees by truck once a week on Mondays. The price paid for plastics will be set by number of recycling bins at a generous above market value for 2$ a barrel. It is foreseeable that local businesses should be willing to do this because it will create extra space for non-plastic waste within their regular waste bins and reduce the cost of regular waste disposal services.
Local customers will also be able to drop off plastics waste in-store, which will be paid for according to weight and type, at a fraction of actual market price determined by current market prices for plastics from week to week.
No plastic will actually be purchased wholesale, and products provided by the store will only be made if local waste plastic obtained is of type and amount sufficient to provide each product.
- Taxes to be paid, licenses required, and insurance needed
Greenville, North Carolina Sales Tax Rate at 7.00%
Greenville, North Carolina Occupancy Tax
North Carolina Waste Generator-Transport/Collection Facility Environmental Permit
North Carolina Sales Tax Permit
North Carolina Sellers Permit
Greenville, North Carolina Business Privilege License
Greenville, North Carolina Certificate of Occupancy
Greenville, North Carolina Fire Systems Permit/Inspection
Greenville, North Carolina Withholding Tax Registration
Greenville, North Carolina Zoning Permit
D. Key people: identify those who will provide accounting and legal services, technical assistance, and other professional support
A private lawyer will be held on retainer for all legal services and advice.
As the head manager and business owner I will be responsible for all accounting and will not pay an outside accountant for services.
All computer software will be open source Linux overseen and implemented by myself, and I will not require any computer technical assistance.
The only other necessary outside technical service I should require will be the use of contracted CNC operators at a CNC machining operation in order to have the product specific molds and casts which attach to the injection and compression machines.