Week 2 Practice: SWOT Analysis

This post is for my Media Entrepreneurship Online course.  This post is an image of my SWOT analysis for my business.  The objective is to create visual aide to help assess my business's strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities.

Week 2 Analysis: Competitor Research

This post is an analysis post for me Media Entrepreneurship Online course.  This analysis is meant to help me identify competitors in my chosen industry field for my business.  My objective was to find out how I was different as well as what I could improve upon for my business.

Week 2 Practice: Industry Overview

This post is for my Media Entrepreneurship Online course.  The below post is a presentation based on the industry that I have chosen to begin my entrepreneurial business.

Week 2 Exploration: Photography & Adventure Travel

This post is for my Media Entrepreneurship Online Course.  The post is in video form and I am evaluating two different case study.

Week 1 Project: Business Plan - Part I

The below post is for an assignment in my Media Entrepreneurship Online course.  The objective for this assignment was to develop the first two section of my business plan worksheet.  These two sections are meant to display the company description and the operations and management plan.

Company Description

FH Design & Strategy is a design and media marketing strategist company that provides brand identity, brand and logo development, and marketing and execution strategy for small and large corporations.  Currently the business is local to only Texas clients.  FH D & S operates currently from Grand Prairie, Texas.

The Company’s Mission

FH Design & Strategy was created with a passion for delivering the upmost customer service as well as design and marketing strategy.  The company is dedicated to providing a design and strategy that does not offer a “bare minimum” design for quick banners and fliers but a true brand identity that reflects the clients company as well as it’s true vision for it’s brand and marketing.

Services

FH Design & Strategy will provide designs for its client’s company’s brand identity.  These designs will be developed to also accommodate an effective media strategy that will be developed to each client’s specific target audience.  The fees for these services will be assed by creative development time, complexity of design and strategy.  Other services that will be provided in conjunction with design and strategy plan will be basic set-up of websites, social media accounts, and marketing packages that include, business cards, fliers, and emailers. FH D&S expects to turn a profit within the first 6 months of operation.  Profits obtained after the first year of operation will be utilized to gradually expand the business as well as obtain a brick and mortar location.

Development to Date

FH Design and Strategy is a startup company that was developed in February of 2015.  The company has grown from a simple freelance business into a design & strategy business, currently with clients in Arlington, and clients in East Texas.  Our website was launched in February and we have been developing a marketing strategy for a local design and graphics company since June of 2015. 

Legal Status and Ownership

FH Design and Strategy currently is in the process of becoming a Limited Liability Company, in the state of Texas.  FH D&S is solely owned and managed by Felisha Hodges in Grand Prairie, Texas.

FH D&S is in the process of obtaining trademark for the logo pictured below and the name “FH Design & Strategy.”

Currently the company is not looking for additional investments.   At this time the owner Felisha Hodges completely financially supports the business.

Operations

FH Design and Strategy will be operating in Grand Prairie, Texas as a design and media marketing strategy firm that provides complete brand logos and marketing strategies exclusively to small and large-scale business corporations throughout Texas.

Technology

With the constant growth of technology, especially in the design and graphics industry, it is important for FH D&S to take advantage of the speed and accuracy that technology offers. In doing so, it permits the staff to provide the most prompt customer service, invoicing and updates.

The technology necessary for the proper execution of FH D&S’s services is the following:

Software: Adobe Creative Suite CS6, Microsoft Office, QuickbooksPro 2015

Hardware: MacBook Pros (1), External Backup Hard drive (1), Color Printer (1), Fax machine (1), iPhone (1)

Product	CPU	Quantity	Total Cost
Adobe Suite	$1200.00	1	1200.00
External Backup Hard drive	$300.00	1	$300.00
Cannon Color Printer/Fax/Scan	$79.95	1	$79.95
iPhone	$299.99	1	$299.99
Total			$1879.94

As FH D&S continues to grow, the technology and hardware required to keep FH D&S efficient will grow as well.

Management

Key Employees

Felisha Hodges, Owner. Felisha Hodges has 5 years in the design and graphics business and 15 years in customer service. Through networking and working in the graphics industry, Felisha has developed contacts within the production industry all over Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding areas of North Texas. Having worked on several different forms of projects ranging from vehicle graphics to complete media marketing strategies and design, Felisha is aware of the long hours and needs required to produce a successful brand, and marketing campaign. Her role as founder and owner of FH Design & Strategy serves to meet a growing need for efficiency and productivity to develop effective and specifically stylized designs and marketing campaigns.

Key Advisors

Angel Rivera, General Manager of Main Street Signs & Graphics 15 years of experience as the former owner/operator of Synthetic Designs & Graphics, Inc., Nga Ma regional printer technician Advantage Signs 6 years of experience as a graphic designer and 2years as production manager at Main Street Signs & Graphics, Carlos Torres, freelance graphic and web designer 10 years of experience as lead designer at Synthetic Designs & Graphics, Inc.  Each of these individuals have worked closely with Felisha in the past and have pushed her to achieve sometimes impossible request by clients.

Management Structure

Sole owner/operator: Felisha Hodges

Week 1 Practice: Entrepreneurial Rediness

This post is for me Media Entrepreneurship Online Course, the objective was to research and discover if I feel that I am ready to take on entrepreneurship. Below you will find my video reflection on Entrepreneurial readiness. 

Week 1 Analysis: Vision & Scope

This is a post for my Media Entrepreneur Online course for school.  This assignment is to help develop a vision and exactly what my business will entail.  Please find my blog post below:

FH  Design & Strategy

What?

·      This company will provide design and media strategy to small or large business.  There will only be one.

·      Company Image: Creating innovative designs, brands, business identities and strategies for marketing those companies to their respective audiences and customer bases.

·      Owner’s Role: I plan to be the lead designer and strategist.  I will develop and design the artwork and strategies.  I will also be the main consultant meeting with clients and prospective clients.

Where?

·      Business: To start the business will be local to Texas, but my ultimate goal will be to have the business be international.

·      Customers: Again to start potential clients are local to the state of Texas.  Currently I have clients in Van, and Arlington.

·      Business Operations: My main office for this business currently is in Grand Prairie at my home.  But eventually I plan to have a brick and mortar office located in Down Town Fort Worth.

Who?

·      Customers: The clients I have consist of a tattoo artist, painting and construction company, and an automotive shop.  I prefer the freedom of any type of customer from a small coffee shop to a large corporation.  All companies are in need of guidance with the brand identity and how to market themselves to their clients.

·      Strategic Alliances: I have asked a friend to be a potential partner who has great design skills as well as a complimentary personality and understanding of my visions and ideas.

·      Advisors: A former colleague who is a graphic designer and is always willing to help walk me through design programs and tips to help make cutting edge designs, my current supervisor how has been working with me for almost 5 years and has always pushed me to my truest potential by working through challenges instead of shying away from them, and finally a family member who is an accountant to help guide me with the financial side of the business.

When?

·      Start-up: The business is currently operating on a much smaller basis than I hope to eventually grow to.  The business website is currently doubling as a portfolio site but will soon be revamped into a full-blown business site.

·      Facilities: Currently I am searching for a larger home that will have a separate and quite office space that my business will be running out of for about 1 year by that time I believe I will have the need for a spate brick and mortar location.

·      Systems: When must they be selected, tested and operational?

Why?

·      Owner: I have a passion for design and have grown to be very talented at creating effective strategies for clients for their business.  I believe that there are so many businesses that do not have truly clear guidance on how to bring in their customer bases.  Also in the time that I have been working in the design and graphics business I have witnessed to many times that clients were only given the bare minimum when it came to their designs and branding and I want to spark a change.

·      Customers: I will provide a customized strategy and design as well as educate them on how to pursue their audiences effectively to grow their business.

·      Investors/Bankers: Actually at this time I do not wish to pursue investments in my company.  If in the future I find that is something that I need I will present my successful client base with a substantial financial history that shows my success rate.

How?

·      Financing: Currently I finance the business as part of my family expenses. Eventually my plan is for it to be self-sustaining.

·      Culture: I want a fun and creative environment.   I have found that being continuously reminded of issues and challenges does not help a team produce results.  The times where I have seen myself and the company I work for be the most successful is when every part of the team does their job as well as having a good time doing it.

·      Personal Beliefs: My beliefs will be a huge impact on the business.  I will not be prejudice or bias in any way but I will not tolerate any dishonesty or misleading as well as I will not stand for any clients trying to work the system to get what they think they should get instead of what they are actually paying for.

The only reference for this assignment is a link to my website which can be found below.

All other responses came from me personally and are only reflections from myself.

FH Design & Strategy