Business Plan: Happy Feet, LLC a Children’s Fitness Arena

Childhood obesity is a concern that has haunted society for endless years. Especially with all the new technical devices that merely promote less physical activity with video or online play. The lack of physical activity in our youth is largely to blame for the increase in childhood weight gain. Children who are overweight have a 70 to 80 percent chance of remaining overweight their entire lives. Children should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day (Phellechia, 2010). For that reason, I would like to introduce a business that will enhance the lives of our youth. Here at Happy Feet, LLC, we offer a facility that promotes physical activity for youth of all ages. Our facility will include several rooms with age-appropriate interactions. The different areas will include a sports arena where children can participate in basketball, baseball, soccer, or football. In addition, a room filled with inflatable bounce houses, and another room consisting of nothing but trampolines – one of the most fun activities that children enjoy while burning up to 300 calories in an hour (Robertson, 2011). We will also create an area for young people who wish to improve their physique with weights and cardio machines with instructors to educate their goals. Finally, classes such as gymnastics and dance will also be offered.

However, we must develop a strategic plan that will allow us to meet our objectives. The road to a successful business starts with a mission. According to Grusenmeyer (2001), a good mission statement adds value and reliability to businesses. It is important to have a mission statement that represents what the company does and who they are. The statement is there to inform the community, employees, and customers what is important to you and your company. Furthermore, it is important that a company’s mission statement be completely aligned with the values that the business operates with. No matter how good a mission statement sounds, if it appears to be inconsistent with the operations in the business then it is sure to be a factor in the failure of the business. Customers want to know what we offer and how we differentiate ourselves from other children facilities, and for that reason, we have developed a mission statement that represents our purpose: “Happy Feet provides a safe atmosphere for children of all ages that encourages active and creative minds and body with physical and mental interactions.

From infancy to teens, we offer age appropriate activities that will engage each child from the moment they enter our facility. Our focus is to provide a stimulating experience for all youth that will promote physical, social, and, cognitive development”. One of the primary differentiation objectives in this statement is to tell our customers that we offer activities for all ages, whereas many competitors offer their facility for more narrow age groups. A company’s vision is the most important concept when creating a business, obviously without a vision there would be no conception. Furthermore, how could we create a business plan if we have no vision? This simply is impossible because we would not know where we want to go. The vision will guide us and give us direction on where we want to be in the future. However, according to Collins & Porras (1996), creating a vision is more than just interpreting where one wants there company to be in the next several years. In fact, a well-formulated vision consists of core ideology (values and purpose), along with the future envisions. Our vision is to become the leader in providing fitness opportunities to children around the bay area by providing and teaching activities that promote physical and mental awareness. Our vision is to enhance the activity level in our youth.

We see ourselves as being a substantial part of our community by becoming involved in all aspects of the development of our youth through sponsorships and participation in community events. Our neighbors will know who we are because of our recurring involvement. We the community members hear our name, “Happy Feet” they will know exactly who we are and what we signify. Unlike our competitors, when one hears their name confusion and questions arise. One of our main core values is a dedication to affordable and reliable attributes. What this means is that we expect our employees to provide the best care and instruction to the children while we offer it at rates that will allow families of all budgets to utilize our service. We want to show our community that we are not only here to earn a profit, but to educate the public about the importance in maintaining an active lifestyle. For that reason, we see our company expanding into communities everywhere. We envision our organization to be diversified to all needs that will make surrounding communities request our service. Our authoritarian principles will guide the business in all decision-making, including any changes in goals, strategies, or any other changes that may ascend.

In addition to the core value that was stated earlier, I also consider my primary principles to be a deep respect for all individuals, concern and commitment to community responsibility, and a strong belief that the company exists to assist in the welfare of children. Thompson, Gamble, and Strickland (2006) implied that personal ethics are not material different from business ethics. Thus, I will incorporate my morals into this organization during the development process and throughout the success. This includes the respect for my employees by providing them a workplace that enhances their well-being that promotes fun and encouragement for future success and advancements within the organization.

Furthermore, our business strategies will permanently operate ethically and honorable. Specifically, participants will never be judged regardless of their race, culture, or any other indifference. Children will never feel intimidated because of their stature. I will also endorse a diversified staff. This diversification of our employees will provide a comfort to our customers with understanding and care for apprehensive individuals. Finally, all of our values will be implanted into our employees and continue training on behavior and actions will be provided. After all, these values and ethics is the glue that holds our organization together. It can be demanding getting all individuals involved in the workplace and having them work together harmoniously. However, our vision, mission and values will help guide our organizations strategic direction because they will clearly be articulated to all individuals. Our values are the groundwork to our vision and mission, thus those around us see the behavior we endorse and choose whether they want to participate in our business. Therefore, a clearly defined mission will give direction and guide us on the path to success.

References

Collins, J., & Porras, J. (1996). Building Your Company’s Vision. Retrieved from http://hbr.org/1996/09/building-your-companys-vision/ar/1 Grusenmeyer, D. (2001). Mission, Vision, Values & Goals. Retrieved from
http://ansci.cornell.edu/pdfs/pdmission.pdf Pellechia, K. (2010). Importance of Nutrition & Fitness for Children. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/257698-importance-of-nutrition-fitness-for-children/ Robertson, S. (2011). How Many Calories Are Burned on a Trampoline?. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/295659-how-many-calories-are-burned-on-a-trampoline/ Thompson, A. A., Gamble, J. E., & Strickland, A. J. (2006). Strategy: Winning in the marketplace: Core concepts, analytical tools, cases (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.