BUSINESS PLAN

Table of Contents
BUSINESS NAME:....................................................................................................3

SLOGAN:.............................................................................................................3

MISSION:.............................................................................................................3

MISSION STATEMENT:..............................................................................................3

OBJECTIVE:..........................................................................................................3

BUSINESS VALUES..................................................................................................4

BUSINESS UNIQUENESS:...........................................................................................4

KEYS TO SUCCESS:.................................................................................................4

AN INDUSTRY ANALYSIS:...........................................................................................5

PEST – C EVALUATION:..........................................................................................5

POLITICAL FORCES:..............................................................................................5

ECONOMIC FORCES:.............................................................................................6

SOCIO-CULTURAL FORCES:.....................................................................................6

TECHNOLOGICAL FORCES:.....................................................................................7

PORTER’S FIVE (COMPETITIVE) FORCES EVALUATION:.........................................................7

Rivalry among competing firms....................................................................................8

Threat of new entrants.............................................................................................8

Potential development of substitute products......................................................................9

Bargaining power of suppliers......................................................................................9

Bargaining power of customers....................................................................................9

Why Not a Wedding Dress Rental?...................................................................................9

PROS:.............................................................................................................9

CONS:...........................................................................................................10

COMPANY SWOT ANALYSIS......................................................................................11

CUSTOMER SWOT ANALYSIS....................................................................................12

MARKETING PLAN:................................................................................................13

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Market Demographics:...........................................................................................13

Geographic’s:.................................................................................................13

Demographics:................................................................................................13

Behavior factors:..............................................................................................13

TARGET MARKET:..............................................................................................13

COMPETITION:..................................................................................................14

Direct competitors:............................................................................................14

InDirect competitors:..........................................................................................14

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:...................................................................................15

MARKET NEEDS:................................................................................................15

KEYS TO SUCCESS:............................................................................................15

MARKETING STRATEGY.......................................................................................16

LIFE CYCLE MESSES RENTAL DRESSES........................................................................16

MARKETING OBJECTIVES:.....................................................................................17

FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................17

MARKETING MIX:...............................................................................................17

PRODUCTS:.................................................................................................18

Lehanga......................................................................................................18

Gharara.......................................................................................................19

Sharara:.......................................................................................................20

Jewelry........................................................................................................21

Bridal Frocks..................................................................................................22

PRICING:........................................................................................................23

PLACE:..........................................................................................................23

PROMOTIONAL STRATGIES:...................................................................................23

ADVERTISING:...............................................................................................23

POSITIONING:...................................................................................................24

MARKETING RESEARCH:......................................................................................25

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FUTURE PLANS:................................................................................................25

ANNEXURE:........................................................................................................26

ANNEXURE:

BUSINESS NAME:
Masses Bridal Dresses (MBD)

SLOGAN:
"Feel as your own…."

MISSION:
“Be pioneer to excel customer’s desires in Apparel industry by
managing customer’s need with rental facility.”
Pioneer means that this business always wants to introduce creativity in apparel
industry. Apparel industry depicts that business is not limited for garments but it
will also grow in all related fields by providing customer’s desired solutions.

MISSION STATEMENT:
Our mission is to provide cost effective use of bridal dresses and accessories
for weddings. We exist to attract and maintain customers. When we adhere
to this maxim, everything else will fall in to place. Our services will exceed
the expectations of our customers. Provide our customers with quality
products and services at rental prices.

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OBJECTIVE:
The objective for the first three years of operation includes:
• To create a service-based business whose primary goals is to exceed
customer's expectations.
• To increase the number of clients by 20% per year through superior
service.
• To develop a sustainable start-up business providing cost effective bridal
dresses.

BUSINESS VALUES
• Integrity
• Customer relationship management by managing fabulous customer value
• Creativity

BUSINESS UNIQUENESS:

Bridals wedding dresses solutions by using latest designs in the industry by

managing customer’s need with rental facility.

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

• Selection- A wide selection of dresses must be offered otherwise the

idea will be shunned because it will be too pedestrian. Customers do
not mind renting a dress, they will however mind renting the same
dress as their neighbor, and their neighbor, and their neighbor.

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• Professional alterations- While the dresses are to be used by a wide

range of people, they must fit each current customer impeccably. If
the dress doesn't, then the sub-par nature of the rental becomes all
too obvious.
• Professionalism- When people are making decisions regarding their
wedding; they do not want to feel like they are cattle being herded
through the corral. Professionalism and customer attention is required
to make each customer feel like this is their special occasion.

AN INDUSTRY ANALYSIS:
Preferences of most of the people are ignored, in today’s fast and modern
world due to unavailability of desire things especially in apparel industry. In
apparel industry desire size, color, design and stuff is very hard to manage
within available resources. Definitely this fact influence the personality and
life style of persons as they desire.
Well how they people can manage this particular desires in their life. It
requires emotional intelligence, extensive awareness, creativity, flexibility,
intuition and lot of common sense. So we decided to start a garment
business which make possible for customer to customize their solutions
according to their own choices and preferences.

PEST – C EVALUATION:
In this industry evaluation, P stands for Political, E – Economic, S – Socio-
cultural, T –Technological and C – Competitive forces that impact the
activities and opportunities and threats affecting an industry.

POLITICAL FORCES:
These include any change in government laws – tax laws, labor laws, patent
laws, government regulation and deregulation etc, political stability, safety
and environmental protection regulations, international trade regulations
Changes in tax and labor laws, can directly affect an industry’s revenue and
growth structures. A rise in the rates of these laws can increase business
expenditures and may decrease revenues. Sometimes, with industries with
low profit margins, such change can become a barrier to profitability.
Political instability in the country in terms of political parties or weakness in
governmental policy can prove chaotic for the industry. Under such
condition, this business, like any other business can be severely affected

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and eventually shut down. For e.g., national political parties like MQM and
MMA reserve a very unfavorable attitude towards the fashion industry. In
case of power, any of these parties can adversely affect or even lead to a
ban on this industry which could prove distressful.
Similarly strict trade regulations and excise policies can affect international
exports and hence, increase the overall trade deficit. Environmental
degradation posses a great threat to survival of any industry. Hence, being a
socially and environmentally responsible corporation is an essential for
projecting a positive public image.

ECONOMIC FORCES:
Economic forces that impact an industry’s activities include interest rates,
income levels and earning patterns, price wars, oil, currency and labor
markets, inflation, unemployment, availability of credit, fiscal policies,
consumption and spending propensity – living standards, international trade
and cooperation policies.

Customers are willing to pay more if they can obtain it with ease. There is an
increase in the average standard of living in the country with a decrease in
poverty level of 10.6% during the past four years (Economic Survey of
Pakistan 2008-2009). This can serve as an opportunity for the fashion
industry to enhance profit margins through ‘add-ons’ provided that the
income levels remain stable.
However, in an economically active country with lower trade barriers,
resultant price wars can increase competition and even and industry’s profit
margins provided the industry is dominant as well as has international
presence.
Similarly, increased unemployment can provide an industry opportunity to
project a positive image and provide training and employment to the
depressed, hence positively contributing to the economy.

SOCIO-CULTURAL FORCES:
Factors in the socio-cultural front that can influence an industry’s operations
include demographic trends, cultural changes, environmental patterns,
population growth, business attitude, change in tastes and lifestyles,
education, ethical concerns, buying habits, religion, family, values and
attitudes.

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Pakistan, with a population growth rate of 1.8% is the world’s 6th most
populous country with an estimated total population of 160.9 million.
(Economic Survey of Pakistan 2008-2009) Out of this 74% of the total
population of Pakistan lies in age group 15 – 34. However, 70% of the
population resides in urban areas. (Federal Bureau of Statitics, 2005). With
this came in increase in the literacy rate of the country which increased to
55% in the last four years (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2008-2009).
Business activities have also flourished quite in the recent years, partly
owing to foreign competitors entering the market. This has led to an
increased change in the lifestyles and mindsets of people. There is an
increased trend towards nuclear and dual-career families which serves as
great opportunity for the industry as the buying power of the consumer is
enhanced. Moreover, with change in lifestyles comes change in tastes.
Nowadays people prefer using customized products and this is an
opportunity for the fashion industry to pursue its target marketing strategy.

Fashion industry is an industry for the youngsters. With such a large and
lucrative target market, this industry can earn huge profits, provided it
sufficiently focuses of their needs and interests.

TECHNOLOGICAL FORCES:
Though fashion industry is not technologically driven, but is has now become
a necessity; especially if an industry or company wants to maintain
competitive edge or tap into international arena. The focus of today’s
industries is on mass customization as well as mass production which are
not possible to achieve if it is inept in technology. Several factors impact an
industry’s technological consideration. These are, Government spending in
research, changes in Information Technology, Internet and Mobile
Technology, energy use and costs, and international transaction costs.

PORTER’S FIVE (COMPETITIVE) FORCES EVALUATION:

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Rivalry among competing firms

Fashion industry in Pakistan is yet in its progressing stages. It has moved
ahead from being embryonic but hasn’t spurted. However, threat of
competitors is still an important factor that govern the operations of this
industry; particularly the rivalry between fashion designers of Karachi and
Lahore in terms of ideals have prompted every company in the industry to
strive to develop a competitive edge and nationally expand as large as
possible. This is mainly because the few designers that exist at present are
equal in size and capability.
The internet is still not used as a primary source of doing business but there
is a growing tendency among designers, particularly the established ones to
use internet for trade purposes nationally and internationally.
Inflation and changes in customers’ perceptions and attitudes is also a
driving force toward increased competitive rivalry. In the beginning, fashion
designers pursued all their efforts towards bridal dresses. But as customers

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are becoming more and more aware and demand of branded apparel is
increasing, these designers are finding new areas of development by
focusing more on casual outfits.
However, this industry is still not mature enough in its life cycle that price
cutting could be a common phenomenon. There is not much time before
these few designers are faced with increased competition particularly as
standards of living become high and international designers set up their
business in the country. Competitive rivalry in this case is comparatively
high.

Threat of new entrants

Threat of new entrants in Pakistani fashion industry is high. This is because
the barrier to enter this market is quite low because no previous experience
is required to start doing business in apparel, customers have low brand
preference and loyalty, too is low. If a customer gets a better option else
where and that too, for a lower price, s/he can switch to that option.
Regulatory policies in the country are not very strong and hence achieving
patents for a product or service is relatively easy. Moreover, the government
itself promotes the setting up of new businesses.
In regards to technological requirement, fashion industry does not require
any cutting-edge technology to keep at pace. Therefore, if one needs to get
into fashion designing, it is quite easy.

Potential development of substitute products

In an apparel industry, there is no substitute for clothes, but there may be a
substitute on the procedure of processing them. Fashion industry, too faces
threat of substitute methods of processing. People, especially in a growing
economy can easily get ideas from designer outfits and get them stitched
through a neighborhood tailor instead of buying it from that very designer
due to its high price. On the other hand, local tailors can give you the same
design, though maybe not the same quality at a comparatively low price.
Hence, the threat of substitute is high.

Bargaining power of suppliers

Bargaining power of suppliers is quite low in Pakistani fashion industry. The
major raw materials required in this case are textiles and embroidery
materials. These two industries – textiles and embroidery are one of the

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richest and profit producing industries of the country. Therefore a designer

has the power and the choice to switch among suppliers and even negotiate
prices as there are a large number of suppliers available to provide the
same or even better raw materials at negotiable prices.

Bargaining power of customers

Bargaining power of customers is low in this industry. This is because there
few choices to select from. Designers have there set prices that are quite
high and fixed – they cannot be negotiated upon. If talked about competing
brands, a buyer cannot easily switch to other options. Products are
homogenous and the prices may either be uniform or else a buyer has to
trade-off with quality of the product.

Why Not a Wedding Dress Rental?

Why not wedding dress rental for women? This isn't as far fetched as it may
sound. In addition to buying a wedding dress, most brides have to contend
with preserving and storing the wedding dress. With a wedding dress rental,
all the bride has to do is choose the dress, wear it, and return in within the
allotted time period. She doesn't even have to worry about the dry cleaning.

PROS:
• Money -With a wedding dress rental, you'll be spending a lot less
money. Many thousand dollar wedding dresses will rent for only a
couple of hundred dollars. In fact, many rental businesses offer
packages that include veil, shoes and jewelry. If buying these items
individually is something that causes you worry, you'll want to
consider a wedding dress rental. The money saved can be put
towards other aspects of the wedding, or to save up for a new
house.
• Maintenance – The last thing any bride wants to worry about upon
returning home from her honeymoon is cleaning and preserving her
wedding dress. With a wedding dress rental, this is the least of your

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worries. Once you're through with the dress you can return it. The
cleaning is handled by the rental business.

CONS:
• Selection – You won't have the same options available for a wedding
dress rental. You have to rent one of the dresses already in stock.
• Size - In many cases you won't be able to make alterations and can
only choose a gown in your size. If the dress of your dreams doesn't fit
properly, you'll have to find a different one. If the rental location does
offer alterations, it's a separate charge.
• Care – While you won't have to pay for dry cleaning, you will have to
take special care. If you cause damage to the dress you may be
expected to pay for the repairs. If the dress is damaged beyond repair,
you'll have to purchase it outright.
• Impersonal – If you go for a wedding dress rental, you lose the ability
to be able to save your dress and pass it on to someone special.

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COMPANY SWOT ANALYSIS

CUSTOMER SWOT ANALYSIS

MARKETING PLAN:

Market Demographics:

The profile for the MBD customer consists of the following geographic,
demographic, and behavior factors.

Geographic’s:
• The immediate geographic target is the city of LAHORE with a
population of nearly 7 million. This makes Lahore the fifth largest city
in and the 26th largest city in the world.
• A 50 km radius will be served.
• The total targeted population is estimated at 5,143,495.

Demographics:
• Primarily female, 2,436,275.

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• Ages 22-50. The largest subgroup of this demographic is 22-31 year

old female.

Behavior factors:
• Are conscious of the money that they spend and are looking for ways
to maximize its buying power.
• Do not have a strong affinity for custom just for the sake of custom
itself.

TARGET MARKET:
• Bridal couple
• Parents of Bridal couple

We will be targeting two distinct market segments, the bridal couple and the
parents of the bridal couple. MBD will be targeting low- to middle-income
brides-to-be as well as the parents of the bride. Traditionally, it is the
parents of the bride who are responsible for the costs associated with the
wedding. Not everyone follows tradition however, and it is increasingly
becoming the trend for the wedding couple to be responsible for the costs
associated with the wedding production. For this reason both the couple and
the bride's parents will be targeted.
The wedding couple is likely to be interested in the rental of attendee's
bridal wear because the couple is usually young, just getting started, not yet
financially secure. A wedding in general is a large expense, and the couple is
typically looking for ways in which costs can be cut, yet have no real effect
on the event. In addition, the couple has other financial responsibilities such
as the rings and the honeymoon that they must save up for, so money is
obviously tight. Even if the couple does not pay for the rentals and pass the
costs onto the attendees, the attendees are likely to be in similar financial
conditions as the couple and could in theory put the money saved from the
rental into a nicer gift.
The other group that will be targeted is the parent's of the bride. This
segment is likely to appreciate the option of renting bridal wear instead of
purchasing it for several reasons. They are likely to recognize that the
attendees of the bridal party do not typically care about the dresses that
they must wear. With this in mind, they are more likely to spend the saved

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money from the rental on some other expense in the wedding that will be
more meaningful. They may also choose the renting option as a way to save
the money.

COMPETITION:
We will face competition from traditional bridal shops that sell the products.
While these are competitors, we sees them as indirect competitors we
believe that the ability to rent the dresses is a huge value added service.
Currently, there are no other bridal rental facilities in Lahore. The concept is
brand new.

Direct competitors:
No any direct competitor is present in Lahore except Bnarsi House which
have a side business of rental wedding dresses on a very small scale.

InDirect competitors:
There are so many indirect competitiors in the market that can make a big
threat for us in the future.
• All from traditional bridal shops that sell the products
• All well known designers like:
○ Hassan Shehryar Yasin
○ Maria B
○ Nomi Ansari
○ Kamiar Rokni
○ Shafaq Habib
○ Karma
○ Shella Rehman of Unbeatables
○ Ammar Bila
○ Asifa and Nabeel
○ Ahsan Nazeer
○ Sanya Qureshi
○ Sobia Nazir
○ Nickie Nina
○ Sana Shahid of Sublime
○ Naila Maqbool

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COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:
MBD has competitive advantages that will help them quickly grow their
customer base and validate this new concept. The first is the idea that,
women’s bridal wears can be rented. This is particularly intuitive since the
dresses are only worn once. Although some might feel that there is a social
stigma attached with women renting clothing, there is no way for anyone
other than the renting customer to know that the dress that they are
wearing is rented.

MARKET NEEDS:

MBD is providing its customers with reasonable, practical, alternatives to purchasing wedding
dresses. Tradition is the only thing that demands a wedding party purchase the dresses.
Practicality is forcing people to reconsider this blindly accepted premise. MBD seeks to fulfill the
following benefits that are important to customers.

• Selection- A wide choice of dresses and accessories are offered.

• Affordability- The pricing structure will provide high quality merchandise at reasonable fees.

• Customer service- Choosing and fitting dresses is not easy, therefore MBD will hold the
customer's hand as they journey through this monumental process.

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

• Selection- A wide selection of dresses must be offered otherwise the

idea will be shunned because it will be too pedestrian. Customers do
not mind renting a dress, they will however mind renting the same
dress as their neighbor, and their neighbor, and their neighbor.

• Professional alterations- While the dresses are to be used by a

wide range of people, they must fit each current customer
impeccably. If the dress doesn't, then the sub-par nature of the rental
becomes all too obvious.

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• Professionalism- When people are making decisions regarding their

wedding, they do not want to feel like they are cattle being herded
through the corral. Professionalism and customer attention is required
to make each customer feel like this is their special occasion.

MARKETING STRATEGY:

Marketing will be an indispensable activity due to the newness of the

industry. In order to raise awareness about MBD and the industry itself, MBD
will undertake several different activities. Advertising will be accomplished
through several mediums. Additionally, a website will be develop in the
future.

LIFE CYCLE MESSES RENTAL DRESSES

Maturity

Growth Decline

Introduction

MARKETING OBJECTIVES:

• Maintain steady, high rates of growth each month.

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• Generate an increase in referrals monthly.

• Build the industry into a legitimate alternative to dress
purchases.

FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES

• Profitability by the end of year one.

• Give more incentives to our strategic business partners like
owner of the parlors'/Beauty Salons.
• To increase the number of clients by 20% per year through
superior service.

MARKETING MIX:

MBD marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to product,

pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service.

• Product-Lahnga, Sharara, garara- Bridal Frok, Maching

jewelery.
• Pricing- The services will be priced up to 20% of our cost.
• Distribution- Available at our shop located in ICHRA Pakistan market.
• Advertising and Promotion- Advertisements will be mass marketing
and a website will be used in the further.

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PRODUCTS:

• Lahnga
• Sharara
• Garara
• Bridal Frok
• Matching jewelry

Lehanga :
It is the most popular wedding dress which is a type of long skirt worn
with a blouse. The blouse will be heavily embroidered to give a rich
look.

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Gharara:
It is another bridal dress that comprises a duppatta, kurti and a pant with
wide legs and has crushed effects at the knees. This gives a flaring look to
the pants.

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Sharara:
It is the choice of most women when the wedding happens to take place in
summer. This is a long, free flowing dress that has embellished jewelry on
the bust.

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Jewelry:

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Bridal Frocks:

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PRICING:
There is no any cost/ rent for the
The dresses will be priced up to 20% of our cost.
jewelry because it is a value addition services for our customers from our
business. This strategy will increase the interest of the customer.

PLACE:

We are going to start a new business of rental bridal dress so it is make sure that it is available at
that location that is more convenience to our target customers as we select such a place
“ECHRA”

PROMOTIONAL STRATGIES:
ADVERTISING:
Advertisement is a tool to introduce the product in the market. To increase sales and
build an image in the mind of consumer we will advertise our product in different ways,

Magazine Latest information regarding

our products in weekly and
monthly magazines

Television Advertisements through

commercial ads on local
cable.

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Brochures To create the awareness about

our business.

Advertisement campaigns uses

Banners banners as an information tool for
customer

POSITIONING:

MBD will position itself as the sensible and economical alternative to the
traditional purchase of wedding wear. This is a brand new industry and MBD,
as the first to market in Lahore, will leverage their competitive edges to
achieve the desired positioning.

• MBD competitive edge is a service offering that has been shunned by the
Lahore market providers. As indicated before, it is the business owners or
entrepreneurs that are shunning the concept, not the consumers. For this
reason, having a service offering that supports a latent demand is truly a
competitive advantage.

• MBD other competitive advantage is their recognition that superior

customer attention is required to succeed. This holds true for two
fundamental reasons:

1. A business can only succeed if it meets or exceeds its customers'

needs. A company might offer the most wonderful service in the world,
but if it does not meet the customers' needs, the business will not
survive.

2. In the bridal industry traditional repeat customers are unusual. More

often than not, people only get married once, or rather, they have only
one large traditional wedding, and subsequent weddings are less
elaborate affairs. What frequently happens is that married couples, on

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the occasion of their single friends' weddings, give referrals to those

providers who gave exemplary service. With this in mind, a lot of
business will be based on referrals from already married couples.
Offering the highest customer service will ensure a steady stream of
referrals.

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MARKETING RESEARCH:
During the development phases of the marketing plan, several focus groups
were held to gain
valuable insight into customer preferences and buying decisions. A total of
three focus groups were held. One with each of the two target markets and
a third with members of both target markets present. The focus groups
presented the participants with the general business proposition of wedding
wear rentals and feedback was collected. In addition to a free-for-all
discussion, there was a list of specific questions that was asked of all three
focus groups. The results of the focus groups were invaluable, with many of
their suggestions eventually incorporated into the current business model.

FUTURE PLANS:
• Complete boutique selection
• Complete package (wedding dress + jewelry + shoes)
• Serve the fashion shows of jewelry
• Serve the fashion shows of makeup
• Franchise stores
• Selling of all type of dresses as well as will give rental facility

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ANNEXURE:
Total clothing for one Lehenga= 10 GAZZ

Types of cloths use in Lehenga:

• Jamawar
• Krinkle
• SAFOON
M arterial commonly use in Lehenga making:
• Kura
• Beats
• Stones
• Pearls
• Kundan
• Katdana

Sources:
• Bagwanpora
• Shahdara
• Gujranwala
• Kamoki
• Okara

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FORM FOR CUSTOMER:

Your Name:
Address: City: State: Zip:
Email Address:
Date you will be arriving in Modesto for final fitting? (Approx. 1 week before
wedding/event:)

Day Phone #: Home Work Cell

****************************************************************************************
*****************
Brides Name:
Wedding Date:

Stand Up Straight - Feet Together. :-)

Bust: " Waist: " Hips: "

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