Sample ICT Business Plan.

1.0 Executive Summary

This business plan marks the new course taken by Bookmark Writers as it expands its
operations to venture into delivering ICT services. The company is also re-naming as Bookmark
Services Ltd. Since 2010, the company has been providing writing solutions to students, researchers
and the general public. We have built business processes to support our venture into the ICT
Industry.

Moreover, over the last one year, the company has made some changes to the arrangements
of its corporate governance to provide a suitable platform for growth. With the signaling of its
uniqueness reflected by the change of name, Bookmark Services Ltd has positioned itself to provide
more solutions to a wider customer base.

Bookmark Services Ltd will seek growth of its businesses in both existing and the new
services in ICT in a carefully measured way. The government's new guidelines on the consolidation
of ICT services is an opportunity to expand.

The company intends to deliver ICT services to 15, 000 users by 2106/2017 and another
25,000 users by 2019. By providing these services to the Sinton City, we hope to generate saving of
up to $ 50,000 per annum.

To ensure our continued growth and profit generation, we will pursue all the business lines
that were initially within BSL. The company is well positioned to take advantage of the
opportunities within the local and central governments based on our long-established relationship
with them. We have been offering services that complement those from the government agencies
since 2010.

Our opportunity within the government lies in the departments that are grappling with
budget constraints and at the same time in need of efficient services. We will deliver these services
and give the agencies value for their money.

Our growth and unique position has been as a result of the following factors:

 The depth of the services we offer.

 Value-focused and quality professional services.

 Our solutions are commercial and customer-focused.

 Our excellence in customer service.

 We have a deep understanding of the ICT sector.

Our quality professional services are attractive to government agencies and large
multinational companies which are seeking innovative ICT solutions. We will offer best services at
fair prices. This business plan includes our plans to capture the aspirations of different types of
clients' ICT needs.

Our ambitious growth plan is to have a customer base of 30,000 in the 2016/2017 financial
year. To achieve this, we have created a directorate that will coordinate with our sales team to
reach out to new customers and maintain the existing ones.

To ensure we achieve our plans, we also set up strategies which include:

 Technology Strategy: we will ensure that we make use of existing technology and give an
innovative view of the emerging technologies with an aim of value-addition to our esteemed
customers.

 Communications Strategy: our communications are designed with our clients in mind to
enable them understand our services to them and for us to understand their needs better.
  Customer service: we have an undying resolve to ensure our clients are satisfied with our
services. We will keep improving by featuring them in all the company's activities.

 Organizational Development: it ensures that the appropriate structures, operating

environment and capability that fit the new strategic purpose of BSL; to establish a business
model.

Recognizing the fact that the operating environment is fast-changing, we will demonstrate
flexibility in achieving the core aims of this business plan.

By 2019, we expect that the company will be mature and will be characterized by the
following:

 A leader in provision of cost-effective services

 Establish partnerships with clients and businesses in the ICT industry.

 Add value to our customers by providing a range of professional services.

 Be the leading employer of choice.

1.1 Objectives

 To push and encourage innovative use of use of ICT locally.

 To facilitate innovation and ICT development in Sinton city and support college students
achieve their dreams.

 To get healthy earnings in our first year of operations and increase sales modestly in the
subsequent years.

1.2 Mission
 To provide the city of Sinton residents with quality teleconferencing solutions; professional
and technical support, brand-name information technology business solutions and unrivaled
customer service and to earn profit fairly by embracing ethical and sound business practices.

1.3 Keys to Success

The following are the keys to our success:

 Strategic alliances we have built and maintained with manufacturers and our business
partners.

 Market and customer-focused paradigm adopted to enhance our sales and marketing.

 Consistently implementing the fundamentals of a balanced scorecard to manage our business;

embracing a goals versus results.

2.0 Company Summary

Bookmark Services Ltd will provide ICT solutions to the people and businesses of Sinton city
and focus on the neighboring town of Miso business community. These will complement the range of
existing services that BSL is already providing, which include office stationery, machines and
electronics.

2.1 Ownership
 BSL will be a corporation privately-held in the majority by the BSL Employee Ownership
Trust. The company currently has seven employees who will all own equal shares. New employees
will also have an opportunity to join the Trust after undergoing a one year probationary period.

Bookmark Services Ltd has a start-up cost of $2 million, which includes $ 700,000 for the
acquisition of an integrated teleconferencing technology. Funding will come from loans from the
Youth Enterprise Funds and contributions from the initial shareholders.

Other areas that will need funding include:

 Inventories: $ 300,000

 Capitalization: $725,000

 Insurance and legal fees: $100,000

 Rent and Miscellaneous: $175,000.

2.2 Expenses

Legal/Accounting $10,000

Stationery $1,500

Brochures $1,000

Consultants $7,500

Insurance $25,000

Rent $15,000

Software & IT (Web) $40,000

Buyout $450,000
Set-up New Company $25,000

Total Expenses $575,000

Assets

Cash Required $225,000

Inventory $200,000

Other Current Assets $0

Long-term Assets $0

Total Assets $1,425,000

Total Requirements $2,000,000

2.3 Funding

Expenses to $575,000
Fund

Assets to $1,425,000
Fund

Total $2,000,000
Funding
Required

Assets

Non-cash $200,000
Assets

Cash $625,000
Requirements

Additional $0
Cash Raised

Cash Balance $225,000

on Starting
Date
Total Assets $425,000

Liabilities
and Capital

Liabilities

Current $1,000,000
Borrowing

Long-term $0
Liabilities

Accounts $0
Payable

Other $0
Current
Liabilities

Total $1,000,000
Liabilities

Capital

Additional $0
Investment
Requirement

Total $0
Planned
Investment

Loss ($575,000)
(Expenses)

Total Capital ($575,000)

Total Capital $1,425,000

and
Liabilities

Total $2,000,000
Funding
2.4 Company Locations and Facilities

Bookmark Services Ltd have two locations in Sinton city, one in Gole Street and in Pepper
Street. Our two offices will continue to be our operational centers until we relocate to a bigger
location.

2.5 Products and Services

BSL will acquire three teleconferencing facilities; audio-graphic, audio, web-based and video
conferencing facilities. We have operated in the ICT industry and will use this to build and transform
our business into a value-added provider of teleconferencing services.

We will begin by analyzing the client's planned and existing business processes. We will back
our services with enough technical and professional support together with a proactive customer
service. We have formed strategic alliances with senior players in the ICT industry with the hope of
providing unrivaled services.

2.6 Sales Literature

We have attached copies of our product and sales literature in the appendices. We have
tailored the information on our brochures in such a way that we are selling our stellar services and
the company alongside the company.

3.0 Competitive Comparison

To compete effectively with the established ICT companies in Sindon, we seek to develop an
alliance with our clients. It will bring benefits in the form of reliability, confidence, and excellent
customer service. We will offer after-sales training and give them a different treat from our
competitors.

We will offer these services at no extra charge as a sign of appreciation to our esteemed
customers.

3.1 Technology
We will be up to date with new technology in teleconferencing and web services. Technology
around these services improve on a daily basis and therefore we will ensure our customers get the
latest and the best services.
We have technological expertise at the center of our planning, vision, and marketing
strategies. Our aim, as we move forward with new technological advancements, is to give the
customers the best ICT solutions.
3.2 Service and Support
 One of the greatest strategies we seek to use to be ahead of competition is to provide an
unrivaled service and support to our clients. Some of our exciting offers include:
 Conducting an internal training for our systems engineers and sales personnel so that they
can become competent and certified IT practitioners.
 Giving our customers a comprehensive training package that include refresher training and
follow ups.
 We will also provide upgrade solutions to our clients that meet their needs as technologies
continue to change.

3.3 Future Products and Services

We will research and explore more opportunities in information technology to include in our
product ranges. We will choose products that will be in our vision for the future. Some of the
products that we plan to introduce to our clients after more research are:
 Wireless systems (LAN).
 Hardware and software information management systems.
 E-commerce and tele-business.

4.0 Market Analysis and Summary

BSL will begin by focusing on the local market, including businesses in Sindon town and local
government offices. We have also been in touch and had agreements with institutions in the city to
provide them with IT services.

4.1 Market Segmentation

Our market segmentation is straightforward and focuses on Sindon city and the neighboring
towns. From our customer analysis, we realized that our strongest market potential is the city's
multinational businesses, institutions and local companies with foreign connections. Our competitors
have overlooked this segment because of the perception of poor sales in this area. We will target
this market segment with affordable and quality services that will respond to their needs.
 Our next segment is medium and small businesses and companies. Our sales efforts will focus
on this area. We will give it a different approach better than our competitors'. Our competitors view
this segment as low-buyers. We will counter this by making our services readily available and
affordable. We will work with these medium and small companies and businesses to identify their
needs and provide the required services. We will penetrate the small and medium companies by
developing a long-term relationship with this segment and earn their trust.

The local government, which is fiercely competitive and focused on price will also be our
target. We have established relationships with the local county and state governments. We will use
these established relationships to increase our share of this segment.

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

Our target market is straightforward and already built. They have an existing relationship
with us. We will use a customer-focused approach and ensure all our departments contribute
towards customer satisfaction. We will adopt a balanced scorecard policy in managing our business,
with more focus on training the employees to understand our customers' needs.
4.3 Market Trends
In businesses, institutions and multinational companies today, the trend is to have
technology that is multinational and can connect faster to a network. Most players in this industry
have either fallen or are staring at collapse because they do not move with the rapid changes in the
ICT industry.
We have our preferred manufacturers who share the same dreams for our clients. They are
companies that lead the way in digital innovations and are eager to bring the customers the best
products.

4.4 Market Growth

The prices of computers worldwide continue to fall, and this fall presents us with more
opportunities to provide better services to our clients. As the number of computers rises, cheaper
Internet connections are needed and to ease communication services, demand for affordable
teleconferencing facilities and services is also rising.
BSL has positioned itself to be the number one choice for value-addition in the rapidly
changing field of information technology. It is our strength that will keep us ahead of the
competition.
4.5 Service Business Analysis
 As part of the ICT industry, BSL specializes in providing services in teleconferencing, web-
hosting ad web maintenance. Currently, it is estimated that two-thirds of the residents of Sindon
city work in information related companies. The number is likely to increase with most
manufacturing firms shifting to service industries thus the need for interconnectivity.

4.6 Competition and Buying Patterns

Key decision makers in business and finance managers have the understanding of the value of
support and service. We will give them clear offer that they will be likely to pay for.
At BSL, we are confident that fair competition can get the clients the best services. The
clients need support as well as training. Our market experience indicates that as much as the
customers are concerned about the price, the quality of the service is what brings them back. Most
of them have no problem paying more to a service provider who offers the best services. We are
here to provide the customers with the best alternative.
4.7 Main Competitors
After our market research, we found out that our primary competitors are Ranier and Rexor.
The secondary competitors are Lai Technologies and Haii Technological Services. Besides our
customer-focus approach as a strategy, we will ensure superior quality of the products we offer to
our clients.
While some of our competitors offer relatively lower prices, they offer the customers a raw
deal in terms of quality. We will use this as a competitive advantage.
4.8 Business Participants
Two ICT Giants, Rexor and Ranier, have dominated the ICT industry, especially
teleconferencing. Other low-end players include Rarph, Tonalta and Bashi. Most of these companies
distribute and sell through dealers.
Rexor has emerged as the leading innovator and is likely to overtake Ranier which has been
the leader for decades. Rexor manufactures the best teleconferencing services with high-quality
screens for ease of communication.
5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
To stand apart from our competitors, we will offer our target market viable and clear
alternatives. We have designed our prices will to respond to their needs. We will also shift our sales
efforts to have the following:
 A new attitude as we embark on a technological field.
 A new management and operational approach.
 New marketing strategies and a new set of behaviors. These include systems auditing,
solution selling, and joint prospecting.
5.1 Competitive Edge
 As mentioned earlier, we will form a strategic alliance with our clients. Building a long-
standing business relationship with them will give us an unrivaled defense against competition. We
seek to collaborate for a longer period to continue helping our customers and saving them from raw
deals.

5.2 Strategy Pyramid

At BSL, our main strategic strength will be to put emphasis on support and service delivery.
We will use systems training, customer relationship management system, and networking expertise
to achieve this. We will also use internal training and mailers for networking.
We will emphasize relationships. This will be our second strategy. We will market BSL more
than the products we offer and make communications with our customers a top priority, ensuring
that we increase the sales per customer. New sales literature and direct E-mails will be the priority
programs for our marketing.

5.3 Value Proposition

BSL will give its clients a perfect peace of mind by acting as an ally and delivering quality
products at reasonable prices.
5.4 Sales Strategy
We intend to sell BSL as a company with abilities and reputation of associating with the
leading manufacturers. We will also sell our excellent services and support. We will serve our
customers by giving total solutions besides the product.
6.0 Management Summary

In managing our employees, we believe in doing the right thing at all time. The employees
who share the same vision of providing excellent services to the clients will own the company. We
encourage individual growth, creativity and empowerment of our employees to achieve our goals.
We have set reasonable, balanced scorecard goals and will do adjustments where necessary.

6.1 Organizational Structure

Our team currently has seven employees and is expected to expand with time. The
organization is flat in structure with various departments such as administration, sales and
marketing and IT. The managers include:
 General Manager who will be in charge of all the operations. Sales and marketing are his
primary roles. The holder of the position spends much time with the accounts team building and
maintaining client relationships.
 Secretary who carries all the administrative duties like human resources, banking, and
manufacturer relations.
 An IT manager who oversees all issues related to Information Technology. The holder
ensures that we reach our service agreements and supports the customers where necessary.
6.2 Personnel Plan
As mentioned earlier, we currently have seven employees, we will add five more IT experts to
help in managing our ICT services. The total will be 12 with prospects of additional employees in
the future. We will do a quarterly review of vacant positions for sustained growth and distribute the
workload evenly.
6.3 Management Team
Joe Cleg, General Manager: 38 years old, and has lived in Sindon since his childhood. He is a
founding member of Bookmark Services Ltd and has been the General Manager since 2010. He has
had prior management experience with Barding Systems in Sindon and Central Focus in Mardi city.
He has done numerous courses on management and sales coupled with seminars throughout hi
career.
Lavender Watson, Secretary: 34 years old and a local of Sindon city. She has had four
different employers in Sindon serving in senior administrative positions. She has an extensive
knowledge of administration and information systems. She also has experience in building new
business partnerships and expanding the customer base.
John Osman, IT Manager: 36 years old and also a local Sindon resident. He has been with
the company from the start-up in 2010 and has steered the company to this new paradigm. Has
trained all our employees to be IT experts and will be in charge of training new employees and
customers on product use.
6.4 Management Team Gaps
At BSL, we have confidence in our team and believe they can deliver the main points in this
business plan. Our managers have the knowledge and the experience to grow the company and
motivate the employees.
The management gap is to have a customer relationship manager to help create new
relationships and maintain the existing ones. We will scrutinize our current employees and promote
one of them to this position.