Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Business Plan
ISSUED BY
GROCERE APP
FOUNDER
SOPHIA DOUGLAS
SOPHIA.DOUGLAS@STUDENT.GESS.SG
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Table of Contents
1. Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………1
2. Executive
Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………...2
3. General Company
Description………………………………………………………………………………..3
4. Product Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
5. Market
Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
6. Operational Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………..11
7. Company and Management Structure …………………………………………………………………13
8. Financial Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
9. Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18
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Executive Summary
Grocere is a service company that specialises in food waste reduction and combating
hunger. In Singapore, food waste makes up 23% of all general waste is recycled, while only
16% of total waste is recycled. Alongside this issue, affordable food ingredients can be
difficult to find in some areas of Singapore, as it is a very modern city with very high prices.
The company provides an app that allows customers to request a pickup driver to come
and collect any leftover food items that may be available at that time. This ensures that
the leftover food will not be thrown away. On the contrary it will be swiftly transported
back to our company's location and redistributed amongst the less fortunate people living
in Singapore, that may not have an easy access to affordable food for customers.
The target market for the Grocere app and service is restaurant businesses, cafes and
eateries that regularly have leftover waste at the end of each day. Another major target
market is catering companies that cater for big crowds. As these businesses always aim to
have more than enough food for their customers to enjoy and not run out of, an easy
disposal system would be very ideal, rather than having to waste tonnes of good, edible
food because there is no one around to eat it before it goes bad. Another, smaller target
market is families and those who are often left with excess food at home, in order to get
rid of these edible food items in a responsible fashion.
As Grocere aims to help with major issues that have to do with sustainability around the
city, the factor of making money and expanding the business is not so vital. However,
through donations and small amounts we collect from customers that purchase the food
at our lowered prices, we will pay our small team of employees and keep the business
alive.
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urban areas. Grocere would allow cities such as Singapore, that produce more than
800,000 tonnes of food in a year, to create a more effective distribution system.
1. Goals and Objectives
The main goals and objectives that are to be achieved with the Grocere app is the
successful redistribution of leftover food around the city (Singapore, but is also possible in
other large cities). As the failure to evenly distribute produce and food products in general
is the cause of hunger around the world, Grocere aims to combat this. Large cities are
packed with thousands of food shops, restaurants and cafes, and do produce masses of
food waste even at the end of each day. Focusing on the food shops that serve fresh
produce that goes bad, Grocere would collect this food that would otherwise be thrown
out, and repackage it in a presentable fashion to be served to the less fortunate at a much
lower price. This would allow quality food that would otherwise be thrown away to be
saved and eaten by those who may otherwise not even eat.
2. Target Market
The groups that are being targeted with Grocere app and service are food shops,
restaurants and cafes who produce and excess of leftover food at the end of each day.
These places are ideal, as they would most probably provide the most leftover food. This
would make it easier as the service would also be able to redistribute this food in bulk,
rather than small portions of food. The app would also however be recommended for, but
not limited to families who cook a lot of food and often have leftovers. The app would also
be ideal for caterers after hosting large events with a buffet or similar, to donate the food
that would not otherwise be eaten.
3. Industry
Grocere would logically fall under the online food ordering industry, however it is sort of a
flipped over situation, as the food is being collected not distributed. It is however also a
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food bank service, as our main aim is to provide food to the less fortunate.
4. Company Strengths
The strengths of the Grocere company definitely include the fact that it is a unique
service, and I have never seen or heard of anything quite like it. The food distribution
problem is a big issue, especially in cities and more urban areas, as food there tends to be
more expensive and therefore those living on the streets or those with less money can
sometimes struggle to find food. This should provide motivation for food stores and
restaurants to use our service rather than throw the leftovers away.
To see a full explanation of the Grocere and a complete overview of the intentions and
qualities, see Appendix 1.
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driver to come and pick up the leftover food. The only duty they must fulfill for this to
happen is the packaging of the food so it can be transported. Therefore, the Grocere
service does indeed benefit two communities of people, and is able to target two
problems at once with one simple solution.
The criteria set forth below should be met to achieve successful completion of the
project:
Responsibilities and Resources needed by Responsibilities and Resources needed by
Customer the Grocere Company
Smartphone with Grocere App. Vehicles and drivers to collect the food.
Suitable containers to package the food. A redistribution location for the less
fortunate to come and collect and enjoy
the food.
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Market Analysis
In order to get a closer look into my potential customers eyes, I sent out a survey to see
how they felt about donating their very own leftover food to a charity, and this was the
response:
These two questions clearly highlight how my product could potentially be very
successful, as many have already taken action to fight hunger in some form or shape, and
most strongly feel that preventing food waste is important. Both of these aspects are key
ideas in the creation of my app and service therefore I do feel the Grocere app could be
very successful in a city like Singapore.
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In order to look further into possible family contributors, I sent out a survey and found
that:
- 53% of the people I asked, go grocery shopping more than once a week, therefore
likely to have more leftovers.
- 73% have leftover AT LEAST a couple times during, the rest have leftover food
available at all times.
- However 83% do save leftover meals to eat in the following days, therefore it is
unlikely that they will be willing to donate that much.
- 80% of the candidates surveyed admit to occasionally wasting edible food. This is
something Grocere would definitely help prevent.
- Most families have rules that have to do with eating the leftovers to make sure
none is wasted. Grocere would help relax these rules.
- 60% of people admit they do not separate food waste from regular waste. This
means edible food gets thrown away with the plastic and other rubbish that cannot
biodegrade,
- 80% of the candidates also said they may offer help to donate their leftover food
for the benefit of others.
- 60% said they may even be willing to pay to help others, like a form of donation.
These results prove that Grocere could also definitely be successful with families. Perhaps
the main market contributors would still be bigger restaurants that have a constant flow
of food leftovers at the end of each day.
Looking closer at the existing food delivery apps and food drives all over the city, it is
noticeable that there is little information about a service app quite like Grocere. There are
such existing food banks in singapore, such as:
- Food Bank Singapore Ltd.
- Food from the Heart.
This is another reason I do feel it will be very successful, there are not many existing
services like it, as we are inclusive of smaller collections from families and such. It would
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be a new, innovative way to reduce food waste, therefore Grocere would be the first
service able to provide a service like this.
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As well as my own surveys, I also investigated the rest of the world and tried to find out if
it was possible that my app would be used on a more global scale. Smartphones are a vital
part of our current era, and as my product would be an app I feel it would appeal to a large
amount of people in today's world. This is very important to the company as the use of
smartphones and apps are something that Grocere relies on, therefore having concrete
evidence that there is a large possible market of the app is vital. See Appendix 2 for a
graph.
There will be different target markets for my product, but the main market is restaurants
and small cafes and eateries. Another big market may be catering companies that have
leftovers after an event. The smaller segment of the market for the Grocere service and
app is the families and citizens that often are left with leftover food at home.
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Operational Plan
In the process of starting up a new business, one must make sure to showcase the
company's strengths and become known to any other competitors. Establishing a name
and a role in society is essential to get customers and users to be interested in the
business. Especially since Grocere is driven mostly by donations as it is a food bank, it
must become known that our cause is worth the donation. Therefore, creating a plan that
highlights how and in what way we will achieve this is vital. The following points are what
will help the Grocere app and service stand out from other donation and food drive
options.
- Marketing and Sales:
The first area to pay attention to is the sales and marketing. As Grocere is an app that we
would like to be available to as many users as possible, it will be launched on the IOS app
store and android app stores as well. The app will be portrayed as efficient and easy to use,
and will appeal to those who want to help out. Many smartphone users use their phones
for efficiency, ie. easy food delivery, communication and entertainment. Adding an
easy-to-use app service to the app store that allows you to donate food that wouldnt
otherwise be eaten to the poor is definitely something that would appeal to most people.
- Pricing:
The idea of the Grocere company is that we do not charge those who donate money for
their food, as it does require a small hassle to package up their leftover food for transport.
It is enough just to be able to reduce the amount of food that would otherwise be thrown
away as waste. Therefore, the app and full service will be free to those who donate food.
However, we will be asking for donations around the city, and this is how we will fund the
company. Also, significantly smaller amounts of money will be asked of those who we then
pass the food onto. Keeping in mind that Grocere is a charitable company, we will not
charge more than $2 a meal. This way, we get a small income to keep the company going,
and at the same time, those who are less fortunate are able to gain access to food for a
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much smaller price than they would usually find in a very built-up urban area. Together
with this and the donations we will try and collect from the wealthier portion of the
population, Grocere will be able to fund its services and continue charity work.
- Location/Facilities:
The Grocere service app will only require one small area, preferably a small
canteen/eatery type area with ample storage space. This is the only area required, as the
food is simply collected and redistributed here. Most of the work will be done when
collecting the food from various locations around the city. These locations will differ every
day, as the donations will vary depending on who wants to donate their food that day.
Main operations and the company managers office will be held in the
storage/redistribution location.
- Logistics:
Grocere will be hiring employees and volunteers to help with the collection and
redistribution of the food items. We will make it clear to the many possible candidates
that the job does not pay too much, as it is a charity-based organisation. Involving
volunteers to collect food from around the city is very important, as without this the app
wouldn’t function.
- Challenges:
One thing that may be a challenge for the Grocere app and service, is getting word out,
and letting people know about us. This will be a challenge as we must find strategic ways
to advertise and plan who we would like to advertise too. This is because if the app has no
users then Grocere will go out of business. We, as a functioning online-accessible
company, rely on the users of the app (those who donate the food) to keep the business
going.
See a full operational plan in the form of a Gantt chart showing the main timeline of events
for creating the app and startup of the company that will aid in the business startup in
Appendix 3.
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CEO: I, Sophia Douglas am the CEO of the Grocere App and Service. My job would be to
oversee all operations going on daily, and make the call on new employees joining and
whether or not we require extra assistance on any given day. I will also make the calls on
how our money is spent and how we choose to expand and advertise.
Food Collection: The food collection manager will be closely supervising all of the trips
each employee and volunteer makes to collect the food from various locations around the
city. He/she will also be responsible for making sure that all of the food is safely returned
to the location for repackaging.
The employees working in food collection will be required to travel to the destinations
from which users of the app request collection from. They will take the leftover food off
their hands and bring it back to the main location for redistribution.
The volunteers will have similar jobs, however will not be required to travel farther
distances or work for as many hours as employees will.
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Food distribution: The food distribution manager will be overlooking the process of
repackaging some of the food and making it available to those who then wish to
repurchase the food items. There will be a variety of different kinds of foods that arrive at
the Grocere redistribution location, and it will be the food distribution managers
responsibility to make sure it is taken care of.
The employees that help with food redistribution will help set the food out on tables and
shelves for the customers to then examine and hopefully purchase. The prices will be
significantly low, however these employees will ensure that the food is still presentable
and appetizing.
The volunteers will be asked to perform a similar job, however for less hours in a day.
Tech Management: The tech team will be looking after the app and its functions. They will
also keep track of orders and perform various forms of analysis on the information we are
able to collect about the users of our app so we are able to change marketing strategy to
target certain markets. Their main job however is to manage the online advertising of the
app, and making sure it is attractive to the users and easy to use.
Treasurer: This person would solely be responsible for keeping track of donations, and the
main financial points that the company needs to pay attention to.
3. Nuts and Bolts
Founded in 2020 by university student Sophia Douglas, Grocere is a service app that
allows food waste reduction to reach new heights. With her app, food all over the city is
collected and redistributed to the less fortunate. Grocere is an incorporated company
registered originally in Singapore, but intends to expand beyond.
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Financial Plan
When starting a small business, various startup costs are required to get started. As well
as these costs, one must assemble a team of employees who must also be given a salary.
All of these costs add up and must be planned for. This is what will be highlighted in the
financial portion of this report. See all of the exact figures in Appendix 4.
1. Fixed Assets: In order to get the Grocere service started we must consider the
space we will use to collect the food and redistribute this. The first rent deposit on
the place we will be using is $2, 500. This place will help set a foundation for the
company, giving us a central work space and somewhere to base the company. We
will furnish the area with affordable furniture and simple decorations to make the
space welcoming to anyone who wishes to eat the food directly at our location. We
will also provide reusable bags for our customers to bring the food with them and
then be able to reuse.
2. Initial operating costs: To make sure the company has a successful launch and
starts off the right way, we have set aside funds for various things such as utility
deposits, advertising and licenses. These things are all important in their own way
and was therefore worked into the financial plan. One factor that I find is important
is that money is spent on advertising. Advertising is what will get the word out
about the company, and get people to use the app and encourage them to use it.
Without the promotion, the app may struggle to find people who are willing to use
it, and that will put Grocere out of business right away.
Sales forecast: Estimating a realistic sales forecast for a business like Grocere is
challenging, as it is hard to foresee how many people/external companies would be
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interested in donating food to us. Although requesting a pickup driver for the leftover
food is free, people may lack the motivation to do so. As Grocere’s main drive is to help
solve problems like food waste and works combating hunger, our main goal is definitely
not to earn money. The funding we will receive to pay employees and keep the service
going, will all come from donations and the small amount of income we receive from those
who purchase the leftover food. We however, will try to market ourselves in a way in
which encourages others to donate money to the cause.
Appendices
Appendix 1:
Grocere
Business Name
An app that will allow people all over the city to order a pickup driver to come
Product
and collect their leftover food. The food will then be brought to an official
Idea/Service
Grocere location and redistributed to the less fortunate.
The app and service will allow larger restaurants with more leftover food limit
the amount of edible food that they end up throwing away. As many restaurants
Special Benefits are forced to throw away fresh produce at the end of each day, as it would go
bad by the next day, grocere would happily take this produce and reuse it. This
would limit food waste and aid distribution.
Grocere will allow the customer to select how much leftover food they choose to
donate. This way, the app would organise a fitting driver and vehicle. Eg. bicycle,
Unique Features motorbike, small van, etc. Smaller families with only a couple containers of
leftover food would probably only require a bicycle driver, however restaurant
chains would require a minivan to transport containers of food.
One concern that can be recognised with this is that many of the customers and
users of the app may not see a huge benefit in making all of the effort to donate
Limits and
only a small amount of food. Therefore, in order to appeal to smaller families we
Liabilities
must show how even one plate of food can make a difference in someone's life,
and make it clear that hunger is all down to the lack of proper produce and food
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distribution. Another concern is that food does go bad after a period of time, and
that is why the food service and redistribution has to ideally take place all in one
day. That is why Grocere would need the help of a lot of workers and employees.
There is no production required in this service. Only collection and
Production and
redistribution. This would be done with the help of hired workers and
Delivery
volunteers.
The suppliers would be the same people who are the customers, and users of the
Suppliers app, as they are the ones to make it all possible. The app and service therefore
needs to be attractive to them, and give some sort of satisfaction to them.
The service would require a location that all of the food is gathered to, however
Intellectual
it does not need a large area to gather. Grocere would also require people to
Property Special
collect the food, however one does not need any special qualifications for this,
Permits
only licences to drive the vehicle one uses.
Grocere is a service provider app, that allows its users to rid of leftover food
items and donate them to benefit the less fortunate. Collectors that are hired by
Product/Service
the Grocere company would be responsible for the collection of the food items
Description
and they would then be repackaged and redistributed.
Appendix 2:
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Appendix 3:
Task Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
Planning of logistics
Appendix 4:
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Operating Capital Amount
Estimated Taxes
Percentage of & Benefits/Month
Payroll Taxes and Benefits Wage Base Limit Salary/Wage (Total)
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Works Cited
Organization Profile,
www.charities.gov.sg/_layouts/MCYSCPSearch/MCYSCPSearchOrgProfile.aspx?Ac
countId=YzhkZjI5MzItNzk2NS1lMzExLThmZGEtMDA1MDU2YjMwNDg1.
“How Does Restaurant Mobile App Drive Your Food Business?” By Mahipal Jadeja,
hackernoon.com/how-does-restaurant-mobile-app-drive-your-food-business-eaed
a4c6d28e.
Insight, Food. “The Importance of Food Banking Around the World.” IFIC Foundation, 10
Koh, Fabian. “NEA Launches Year-Long Battle against Food Wastage.” The Straits Times,
16 Feb. 2019,
www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nea-launches-year-long-battle-against-food-wast
age.
www.score.org/resource/marketing-plan-guide.
Michele, et al. “Gantt Charts: Planning and Scheduling Team Projects.” Project Management
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