Assignment 1: Company Description and SWOT Analysis

Due Week 3 and worth 100 points

In this assignment, you will conduct a SWOT (Strength, Weakness,Opportunity, and Threat) analysis for the type of beverage you haveselected, and for your company overall. As you work on the assignment,consider why you have chosen one type of non-alcoholic beverage overanother and the reasons for that choice. As you complete your SWOTanalysis, be sure to include external factors such as industry / markettrends and competition, and internal factors such as your capabilitiesor abilities to reach certain market segments.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper, in which you:

1. Create your revised NAB company name and explain its significance.
2. Develop your revised company’s Mission Statement and provide a rationale for its components.
   • Hints: Use the Statement of Mission template on pp. 72-73 on the course textbook: Successful Business Plan to aid your development. Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.
   • Extracting appropriate information from the NAB company portfolio,where applicable. You should fill in other required items in thetemplate using your personal preferences.
3. Describe the trends in the non-alcoholic beverage industry,especially the specific type of beverage category you have chosen.Justify at least three (3) reasons why you have chosen this type ofnon-alcoholic beverage.
   • Hints: Research and outline beverage industry trends.Consider the size and growth rate of the industry overall and thespecific beverage type you have chosen. Use the worksheet in the coursetext (p. 88 | Past and Future Growth of Your Industry) to helpyou project the future growth rate. Consider the use of industryassociations and search engines to find reliable, recent data.

1. Choose one (1) strategic position from the course text (pp. 142–143)that you believe is the best strategic position for your company.Explain the approach you will use to implement this strategic positionin order to distinguish your beverage from other non-alcoholicbeverages.

1. Provide an overview of your company’s distribution channels. Explainthe manner in which your product will reach end users. Provide arationale for your chosen method.
   • Hints: For example, will you sell your beverage in grocerystores, restaurants, or sports venues? If so, describe the types ofresellers and distributors who will sell to resellers and fulfill theirorders. If you are attempting to sell direct-to-consumers, such asonline via a monthly subscription, how will you manage warehousing /fulfillment / shipping?

1. Outline at least three (3) types of risks (including any regulatoryrisks) that your business faces. Describe your company’s plan tomitigate such risk.
   • Hints: You may refer to the types of risk listed in thecourse text (pp. 148–149) as well as any risks not listed in the text.Regulation weighs more heavily on beverage and food businesses than manyother types of companies, so be certain to consider any regulatoryrisks your type of beverage faces. For example, what kind of regulationand / or risks are you likely to face if you make health claims aboutyour beverage?

1. Develop a SWOT analysis for your NAB company using the SWOT matrix worksheet in the course text (p. 153 | SWOT: Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats)
   • Hints: What are your company’s likely strengths? Have youchosen a beverage segment that is growing and lacks an entrenchedcompetitor? Are you in a niche market that has great potential? What arethe strengths that you and other team members bring to your company? Doyou or other team members have previous experience in the food andbeverage industry?
   • Hints: What are your company’s likely weaknesses? Is thecompetition in your industry segment entrenched? Is your own managementteam inexperienced? Will it be challenging to actually produce yourproduct and maintain quality?
   • Hints: What are your company’s opportunities? Does yoursegment have more demand than supply? Have larger corporations stoppedserving smaller or niche markets that you could enter? Is a new marketemerging because of demographics, immigration, changing tastes?
   • Hints: What are your company’s threats? Is there a clearmarket leader that will be hard and expensive to displace? Aredownward-pricing pressures in the segment making profit margins slim?Are there little or no barriers-to-entry for new competitors; if youhave a novel idea that succeeds, can the competition easily enter yourmarket? If you have a global aspect to your company, do factors such ascurrency fluctuations, political instability, offshoring or outsourcingpose threats?

1. Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:
   1. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), withone-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA orschool-specific format. Check with your professor for any additionalinstructions.
   2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, thestudent’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.The cover page and the reference page are not included in the requiredpage length.
   3. Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise. Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the exercise.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze the role of a company mission, vision, and objectives and the impact to business strategy.
• Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
• Analyze the external and internal environment for opportunities,threats, strengths, and weaknesses that impact the firm’scompetitiveness.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic management.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.