This business plan is based on a newly

product that we are going to introduce. It is a

web based complete research tool. This
product will ease your researches in a way
that you can do more and more researches
for the betterment of the whole world. Hope
to see all the researchers all over the world
doing their researches with a smile on their
faces.

Complete
Web Based
Research
Tool-Biz Plan
Executive Summary
Approximately, lacks of researches are done in Sri Lanka within one year. These are operated based on
the requirements such as business and education. The knowledge which has been taken from the
researches which have been done since the colonial era has influenced Sri Lanka in many ways. The
universities have become the basic workplace of researchers as it is necessary to do a research in the
final year of university according to a subject requirement and they have to do different kind of
researches each and every year of their degree program.

The Sri Lankan market has become very opened and expanded one since about 1990. Due to this
expansion thousands of goods and services were marketed in Sri Lanka. Because of this reason
marketing companies had to do lots of marketing surveys and researches.

Hence, business aspects in fields like opinion survey, surveys and researches were developed within past
few decades. Because of this aspect now, there are hundreds of research companies and branch
companies all over the Sri Lankan market. These companies and people still use the traditional methods.
They only use a computer program in the analyzing stage.

The main objective of this project of this project is to build up a research network in order to give the
solutions to the problems faced by the researcher or the research company while doing the research.
This business plan describes a computer based program which is going to be built up based on new
technology and information technology for social science researches.

The investment of this project is the expenditures on building up the program and social networking.
The investment is going to be formed by adding the amount of expenditure on internet coordination
and buying equipment. It is possible to commence the project with a budget of Rs. 5 million.

At this moment also our company is engaged in researches. The company has been built up with the
objective of building up an effective and productive research background in Sri Lanka. There are
university graduates, university students and researchers within the company and the management
team is formed with professional researchers.

The company has the experience of planning and implementing researches in public, private as well as in
university sector.
Table of Contents
1. Business Description............................................................................................................................1
1.1. The Industry.................................................................................................................................1
1.2. Our Company...............................................................................................................................2
1.3. Our Product and Services.............................................................................................................2
1.4. Positioning...................................................................................................................................3
1.5. Pricing..........................................................................................................................................3
2. The Market..........................................................................................................................................4
2.1. Customers....................................................................................................................................4
2.2. Market Size/ Trends.....................................................................................................................4
2.3. Competition.................................................................................................................................4
2.4. Estimated Sales............................................................................................................................5
3. Production Plan...................................................................................................................................7
3.1. Development Status....................................................................................................................7
3.2. Production Process......................................................................................................................7
3.2.1. Make or Buy.........................................................................................................................7
3.2.2. Location...............................................................................................................................7
3.3. Cost of Production and Development..........................................................................................7
3.4. Labour Requirements..................................................................................................................8
3.5. Expenses and Capital Requirements............................................................................................8
4. Sales and Marketing Plan.....................................................................................................................9
4.1. Method of Sales...........................................................................................................................9
4.2. Advertising and Promotion..........................................................................................................9
5. Management Plan.............................................................................................................................10
5.1. Management Description..........................................................................................................10
5.2. Ownership.................................................................................................................................10
5.3. Board of Directors/ Board of Advisors.......................................................................................10
5.4. Support Services........................................................................................................................10
6. Financial Plan.....................................................................................................................................11
6.1. Risks...........................................................................................................................................11
6.2. Financial Requirement...............................................................................................................11
6.3. General Income Forecast for the First Year...............................................................................12
1. Business Description
The vision of us is “Understanding Sri Lanka”.

This is a company whose main aim is to build up a social network based on researches. The company is
held by professional researchers and the people who supply the attached services. Our company and its
employees has experienced the problems and barriers faced by the all parties who are engaged with the
process of researching.

The fundamental problem is lack of trust and speed in research market of Sri Lanka. And also we have
seen the facts which had expired when the research results come, due to the changes of the changing
world. The other main issue is the large cost which has to be bared when doing a survey. Because of
these reasons the middle scale businesses and others who have the necessity of doing a research has to
be away from the researches.

We are suggesting here a program which can prevent some problems relevant to some of the subjects in
the process. This is not just a computer program. But this is a human and intellectual process which is
based on a computer program.

This program can be used by any researcher who is doing researches, opinion surveys and surveys, any
student or any manager from any corner of Sri Lanka or the world. But here we focus on the business
and educated people in Sri Lanka. And also the public, private and other all institutes are focused.

The main objective of anyone who is doing a research, survey or an opinion survey is to do it more
scientifically and efficiently. And also to do it in a cost effective manner. Our product has the ability to
reduce the existing time of doing a research by 15 times and also to reduce the cost from 50%. Here, we
are able to fulfill the researching requirement of everyone from businesses of the smallest scale.

Price is a most considerable factor of us. This product reduces the cost in a way that it is able to be
bared by a student himself.

1.1.The Industry
The knowledge market is our industry. The knowledge market tasks have not been expanded. There are
only few companies who are doing businesses in knowledge market of Sri Lanka. We can see some
operations in that market only by government and non-government organizations. The universities also
make knowledge products rarely.

Sri Lanka has entered to the global economy from 1990. Sri Lanka is a top ranker by the development of
information technology infrastructure among the developing countries. At the present “Knowledge” is
becoming the most important capital. But still there is a problem of recognizing the resources to
produce knowledge.

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We re introducing a product to expand the knowledge market of Sri Lanka. It is going to become a
networked knowledge producing process which is based on a product in the future.

The knowledge that is for the future international and national market interference happens to produce
through the researches and surveys. But due to some problems regarding knowledge production in Sri
Lanka it has further become a limited and rare business. When we consider about the literacy and usage
of information technology in Sri Lanka and the knowledge requirement there is a necessity to expand
the research market.

1.2.Our Company
Being the best in producing future knowledge requirements of the country by producing knowledge
regarding any kind of subject, distributing and managing resources for that purpose based on
requirements of market and the society.

Hundreds of different social and human sciences/ management subjects have been popular in Sri Lanka.
The ultimate aim of these sciences is to be a partner of future social development by producing new
knowledge for the market and the society. There is a requirement for a deep research and a
combination of research network for this. In order to fulfill this requirement companies were formed.
The main fact that we could identify is that though it is needed to research and to supply knowledge
there are no infrastructures and technical supply in Sri Lanka for that. This is how the developing of a
research tool became one of the sub objectives of our company.

This product is a service. But when the equipments and the technical devices are also included, a good
sale also can be seen. We are planning to introduce the product as a wholesale trade as well as a retail
trade.

 Our company is an established one. But the product is a new one. The company is a private
company. The legal conditions of the company are going to be increased further according tot
the future requirements.
 Our main principle is to dedicate on production and supply of scientific knowledge. The reason
for that is because the Research market of Sri Lanka has become a most unreal one.
 Our product is going to be sold in the market as a service sale.
 The providing of services, advertising and promotion are going to be done within a social
network which has been made based on network management.

1.3.Our Product and Services

A research/ a survey are commenced by an idea about a problem. Firstly, we are doing the task of
reading the existing knowledge about the problem. Then the task of launching a research to find out
new knowledge regarding the problem. Our product will supply the services within this whole process.
One time the product works as a camera. Another time it works as a book and when performing the task
of a listener it records. It describes the way of developing the questionnaires from the beginning to the
end and allows developing them in the product itself. And also the tasks of filling the questionnaires and
analyzing the answers can be done in the product itself. Ultimately, it plays the role of a writing

2
equipment when writing the report and analyzing. In order to do all of these things you only need a
smart phone. The whole process of the research without losing any can be controlled through the
product itself.

The researcher will never become frustrated within the research process with this product. If it is
needed it can be done as a team work as well. The USP of this is taking the field research task which is
presently done via several products into one product.

1.4.Positioning
 Still there’s no any product identified which includes all the answers to the problems within the
whole research process. So, this can be marketed as a totally new product. And also the service
can be taken via any smart phone.
 This product answers to both of the major problems; cost and time by any researcher. And also
this certifies the expected qualities by the customer such as efficiency, security, accuracy and
the trustworthiness of the data collectors.
 Anyone who is going to solve a problem which exists in the society or in the market can use this
product. And also this can be used in the lower range from school students to retail sellers very
successfully as a way of providing knowledge. So that our idea is to see this product being
marketed as a “product of general public”.
 There are no any competitors for this product.

1.5.Pricing
We have decided to price the product in several different ways as this is a service which is going to be
used by a customer for another several times after using it one time continuously. And also we have
decided to present the product in three price categories as the product is going to help in building up a
knowledge system. One is for professional researchers and students and another one for professional
Institutes while the other one is for business institutes, government and private sector. Our idea is to
cover up the investment from the first round as the service is not going to be depreciated after
supplying and the maintenance cost is also less. From the second round and onwards we will consider
about the profit.

The price may be changed when it will be marketed time to time by developing and adding value further
and by customizing on those each and every requirement. And also again the price may be changed
when supplying the laptops, consultation and technical support that are needed. So there will be price
discrimination according to the situation and the customer.

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2. The Market
2.1.Customers
Anyone who does social and human sciences/ market researches are included in this market. And also
this service is needed by school students and ordinary people as well in sometimes. The potential
market of this is international market. But firstly, the advertising and promotions are done based on Sri
Lanka. Anyone who have a curiosity on anything and who is willing to know others’ ideas regarding that
matter can be considered as the customers of this product. But generally;

 Researchers
 Research Companies
 University Students
 Students of the private educational institutes
 Non-government institutes who are engaged in researches
 All the departments of the government
 All the owners of any scale of institutes in private sector
 School Students (Above O/L class)

can be considered as the customers of this product.

As the program runs online Sri Lanka as a whole becomes the geographical market here. All the
customers who are using the 3 languages (Sinhala, Tamil, English) are also covered by this product.
Though the whole market of the product is like this the sales are targeted towards to a sector who are
doing some special researches and surveys. Other general public will also be informed about the product
through social networks.

2.2.Market Size/ Trends

The number of customers of higher educational sector is about 5000. 10000 from the school population
are targeted. 250 companies, institutes and private/ public sector institutes who are doing researches
are also targeted. And also another 1000 of private and small scale entrepreneurs who needs to do
researches are also targeted.

Sri Lanka as a whole is considered as the geographical market. There is no idea of skipping any sector of
the market as the company operates online. Research industry is an industry which is being developing
slowly in Sri Lanka. The reasons are the high cost and the lack of understanding about the researches.
But we can expect an development of the industry like an explosion in the future.

2.3.Competition
The competition doesn’t occur regarding external parties, but it occurs in the action of introducing a
new product to the internal workers who have used to work traditionally. In one hand the companies
who are doing researches under traditional methods can be identified as a kind of competitor. But in the
other hand they also become our customer at a time.

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 2.4.Estimated Sales
Rent outs for University Students (Without Tablets)

1st 3 months = 200 rent outs

2nd 3 months = 400 rent outs

Next 6 months = 600 rent outs

2nd year = 2000 rent outs

3rd year = 2500 rent outs

Rent outs for University Students (With Tablets)

1st 3 months = 100 rent outs

2nd 3 months = 150 rent outs

Next 6 months = 300 rent outs

2nd year = 2000 rent outs

3rd year = 5000 rent outs

Rent outs for Business Institutes, Government and Private Institutes

1st 3 months = 20 rent outs

2nd 3 months = 20 rent outs

Next 6 months = 30 rent outs

2nd year = 100 rent outs

3rd year = 130 rent outs

Rent outs for Professional Research Companies

1st year = 5 rent outs

2nd year = 15 rent outs

3rd year = 20 rent outs

Researches Done by Our Company for Others(National Level Researches)

1st 6 months = 2 researches

2nd 6 months = 5 researches

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2nd year = 20 researches

3rd year = 50 researches

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3. Production Plan
Basically, the product is a computer based program.

3.1.Development Status
At the moment, the product is at its conceptual level. It should be converted in to a product. This may
take 6 month service of software engineer team of 6 members and a project manager. A basic product
may be launched in 2 months as an experiment.

It is needed to register the brand name and the algorithms of the computer program. And also a calling
center, analyzing center, a computer laboratory and an office are needed.

3.2.Production Process
1. Entering into the Legal Within the 1st month
2. Commencement Investments Within the 1st month
3. Establishment of Office and Office Equipments Within the 2nd month
4. Recruitment of Human Resources Needed Within the 2nd month
5. Commencement of Office work Within the 2nd month
6. Start of Expert and Technical conversations Within the 1st month
7. Commencement of basic plan Within the 2nd month
8. Development of the Computer program Within the 3rd month
9. Allocating the web space and other Technical Requirements Within the 2nd month
10. Commencement of the website and the marketing Within the 3rd month
11. Basic testing Within the 4th month
12. Start of earnings Within the 6th month

3.2.1. Make or Buy

The services as a whole may be produced by a team of us. This team may include some permanent
workers of the company as well. This team may work on the product from the beginning as it is needed
to develop the product in a continuous basis.

3.2.2. Location
It is needed to open an office and a center in Colombo area. It will be rented out for 5 years on monthly
rent basis. There’s no need of regional centers. We can use the student welfare unit as an office for our
product from university level.

3.3.Cost of Production and Development

For Development of the Web Based Research Tool

 For legal requirements 60,000.00

 For office equipments 500,000.00
 For the Office rent (For 6 months) 120,000.00
 For web space and internet services (For 6 months) 100,000.00

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  For the service of 2 developers (For 6 months) 600,000.00
 For office maintenance 30,000.00
1,410,000.00

3.4.Labour Requirements
The management team consists with followings. (There will be a departmentalization as well)

 Production development and maintenance manager

 Sales and network manager
 Center and operation manager
 Research analyzing and subject manager

A team will be leaded by each and every manager mentioned above. There’s no need of employees/
labours other than that.

3.5.Expenses and Capital Requirements

This has been mentioned under the “Financial Requirement” part of “The Financial Plan”.

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4. Sales and Marketing Plan
A social network which is going to be formed after producing the computer program and an existing
social network will be used as the main marketing strategy. For this we will link our product with other
selected web pages and social networks.

 We will allow using the product for small scale usages. And also the services which can be taken
through the product and the networks may also be explained to the customer. An
understanding on speed, accuracy and security also will be given. And also the expertise
knowledge that is needed in doing researches also will be given through our service. From that
this product may not only appear as a product, butt as a business.
 The brand name of the product may be established via social networks. And also as a related
product an app for the smart phones may also be introduced.
 After the first year of introduction of the product it may be introduced to the international
market (firstly, for the south Asian zone) as well.

4.1.Method of Sales
The sales may be done based on online method or center based method. The product can be sold
through trained persons in selected communication centers. The product is valid for a particular period
of time after renting it out by the customer. Our idea is to sale the product for the smart phones in pre-
paid method or through credit cards.

4.2.Advertising and Promotion

Out greater attention will be on promotional methods through the internet. And we will directly talk to
the professionals of the market on this matter. We will be participated in the exhibitions related to
education and educational institutes. The notices will be put on notice boards in institutional level.

 We are planning to get the international attraction for the product through a මක විමසුමක් for
about 5 days. It will become the fastest and the most accurate survey which has been done by
us.
 We are planning to use separate special interfaces from the school students to university
professors.
 The coordination and consultation supplied by us from the very beginning to the last moment of
using the product by the customers may be a great promotional method.

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5. Management Plan
5.1.Management Description
The whole management process will be done by following 4 sections.

 Production, development and maintenance section

 Marketing and network section
 Center and operation section
 Research, analyzing and subject section

There’s a team of employees for each and every section. We are planning to use a particular manager
for each and every above section as the expertise knowledge is needed. Though there is a
interdependence between the sections the responsibility of talking technical decisions regarding each
and every section is centered to the particular manager of the particular section. Everyone should
responsible about the overall management of the company and these 4 managers will be included in the
board of directors of the company as well.

5.2.Ownership
The ownership of the business should be given covering all the four sections mentioned earlier.

5.3.Board of Directors/ Board of Advisors

The board of directors will be consisted with the experts of the field which covers the whole business.
This team will manage all of the operations of the company. The responsibilities from training and
development to operations and maintenance may be handled by this board of directors.

5.4.Support Services
The business needs number of support services. Specially, when it comes to finance and communication
we should make contracts with banks and all communication (telephone) service providers. And also a
powerful legal background related to this also should be developed. We will get those services from
outside.

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6. Financial Plan
6.1.Risks
The main risk is the extent to which the market is going to accept this product, because the product is
new to the market. But this risk can be washed away through a perfect sale.

6.2.Financial Requirement

4.9 million rupees. This financial requirement covers only the essential expenditures. The total technical
and management tasks will be done by our experts’ team themselves. So, the financial requirements for
them will be calculated and be included into the production cost later.
These 4.9 million rupees will be expended for followings.

 For legal requirements 60,000.00

 For office equipments 500,000.00
 For tablets (100 tablets) 35000*100 3,500,000.00
 For the Office rent for 6 months 120,000.00
 For web space and internet services (For 6 months) 100,000.00
 For the service of 2 developers (For 6 months) 600,000.00
 For office maintenance 30,000.00
4,910,000.00

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 6.3.General Income Forecast for the First Year
Rent outs for University Students (without tabs)
(Rs.500 per 2 weeks)
 For first 3 months (200 rent outs) = Rs. 100,000
 For second 3 months (400 rent outs) = Rs. 200,000
 For next 6 months (600 rent outs) = Rs. 300,000 600,000.00
Rent outs for University Students (with tabs)
(Rs.1000 per 2 weeks * 100 rent outs)
 For first 3 months (100 rent outs) = Rs. 100,000
 For second 3 months (150 rent outs) = Rs. 150,000
 For next 6 months (300 rent outs) = Rs. 300,000 550,000.00
Rent outs for Business Institutes, Government and Private Institutes
(Rs.5000 per year * 20 rent outs)
 For first 3 months (20 rent outs) = Rs. 25,000
 For second 3 months (20 rent outs) = Rs. 50,000
 For next 6 months (30 rent outs) = Rs. 37,500
112,500.00
Rent outs for Professional Research Companies
(Rs.50000 per year * 5 rent outs)
 For first year(5 rent outs) = Rs. 250,000 250,000.00
Researches done by our company for others
(Rs.250000 per 1 research)-This can be varied based on the research
time, research cost and customer loyalty.
 For first 6 months (2 researches) = Rs. 500,000
 For second 6 months (5 researches) = Rs. 1,250,000 1,750,000.00
Gross Profit 3,262,500.00
(-) Expenditure
 For Servers 50,000.00
 Marketing Cost (Rs 50,000*12) 600,000.00
 Office and Administration Cost (Rs.100,000*12) 1,200,000.00
 Other Expenses (Rs.25000*12) 300,000.00
Total Expenditure 2,150,000.00
Net Profit 1,112,500.00

The plan of us is to cover up our investment through the profit we get from the first several years. As
this is a service and our product (web based research tool) is not going to depreciate there will no more
expenses on the product except some updates to it. There by when we become matured within the
industry we can reduce our expenses and earn high profit. And also by increasing rent outs in the
manner which has been mentioned under “Estimated Sales” part in “The Market” section will also
double our profit 1st year onwards. When we calculating the income we have only mentioned the
national level researches done by our company. When the regional or small scale researches are taken
into account we have a probability of earning more and more profit. And also we have the advantage of

12
using our own partners as the board of directors and management team. So, through that also we can
reduce the salary we had to bare if we are going to get their service from outside.

Members of the Group

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