This document outlines a business plan for a company called i-ply that provides verification services for international students applying to US boarding schools. It conducted over 60 interviews with US admissions officers, international students, educational consultants, and experts. The plan discusses i-ply's value propositions, customers, competitive landscape, marketing strategy, and revenue model. The primary customers are uninformed Chinese parents and US boarding schools. I-ply will generate revenue through seasonal subscriptions, assessment fees, registration fees, and late/report fees by becoming a trusted verification partner through relationships with groups like NAIS, TABS, and IECA.
1. Today: 2
This week: 60
i-ply
quantitative & qualitative integrity
…formerly NEBSA
Team 24
Peter Bowley
Supriya Jain
Sophie Hutson
Jiaqi Lu
Farah Gasmi
2. BREAKDOWN OF INTERVIEWS
US admissions
officers
Intnl
students
Educonsultants
Edu-experts/
Verification
services
Other
30
10
10
6
4
Andover
Exeter
Kents Hill
Hillside School
Holderness
Miss Halls
Winchendon
Admiral Farragut
Berkshire
Brewster
Mercersburg
Middlesex
Asheville
Brimmer & May
Brooks
Cranbrook Schools
China
India
Indonesia
Switzerlan
d
Educatious
Klingenstein
Center (TC)
SchoolAdmin
(CRM)
Columbia
Continuing
Ed. Dept.
Oracle
OnCourse
Global
3 Chinabased
(IECA)
5 US-based
edX.org
Vericant
EdLab
Manhattan
Prep
Online-edu
tech support
Educational
policy expert
3. OUR JOURNEY: Days 1-5
KP
KA
VP
KR
CO
CR
CS
CH
CH
CR
RS
RS
CS
Pivot
Online-ed for
Chinese
students
Work-inprogress
Anti-fraud
service for
boarding
schools
KA
KP
KR
VERICANT
existing
verification
services
TODAY
13. MARKET SIZING
Total no. of US independent schools: 1173
(x) $1000 registration fee per school
(=) Revenues from schools: $1.1M
(x) 90% non-top tier schools
(=) Revenues from non-top tier schools:
$990,000
Total no. of International applicants: 200,000
(x) $100 test fee per applicant
TAM:
$21M
(=) Revenues from applicants: $20M
(x) 60% Chinese applicants
SAM:
$13M
Target:
$4.5M
(=) Revenues from Chinese applicants:
$12M
(x) 70% students refuse to take the test
(=) Actual revenues from Chinese
applicants: $3.6M
TAM: $21M
SAM: $13M
Target: $4.5M
14. Key Partners
Key Activities
Value
Prop
Relationships
Customer Segm.
Verified
aptitude
Mercersburg
Vetted
applicants
Fraud reduction
Key Resources
Channels
Enhance
child’s chance
to enter schools
Application
differentiation
and visibility
Cost Structure
Revenue Streams
DAY3
Uninformed
Chinese
Parents
20. HOW DO WE MAKE $$$
2nd+ 3rd tier boarding
schools
Chinese parents
- Trust the
recommendations
TABS/NAIS/ top-tier
boarding schools
- Willing to pay between
$5000-$15000 for a
service to make their
child look better
-pricing makes all the
difference
- D>S
- We make our service
seamlessly integrate into
their existing CRM system
we make their lives easier
- How do we prove
ourselves?
- How do we make
ourselves known?
Bridge this gap by becoming:
- Industry experts
- Data/reports aggregators
- Info creators/providers
21. HOW DO WE MAKE $$$
Is this just a 60-day business?
NO
The fee-based revenue model is most concentrated
during app season
BUT
There’s a preparation phase, and an aspiration phase
that spans the entire educational career of a Chinese
student
educational loyalty cards?
22. Key Partners
Key Activities
Value
Prop
Verified
aptitude
Relationships
Customer Segm.
Get:
Free; Self-service
Keep:
Proven reliability
Grow:
Mercersburg
Industry std. +
network effect
Vetted
applicants
Fraud reduction
Key Resources
Enhance
child’s chance
to enter schools
Application
differentiation
and visibility
it’s required!
Cost Structure
DAY4
???
Channels
Phone call
In-person meeting
NAIS/TABS/IEOC
Uninformed
E
Chinese
Admissions teams Parents
Edu. Consultants
Chinese schools
Revenue Streams
Annual
subscription
?
Assessment fee
Registration fees
Late fees / Report
fees
23. Key Partners
NAIS
Key Activities
maintain secure
verification
system
TABS
Value
Prop
Verified
aptitude
Relationships
Vetted
applicants
Content
mngmt.
IECA
Marketing/selli
ng
Fraud reduction
Key Resources
Tech licensing
Diagnostic
content
Application
differentiation
and visibility
it’s required!
software
DAY
Licensing, data storage, staffers,5
sales team
Cost Structure
Customer Segm.
Get:
Free; Self-service
Keep:
Proven reliability
Grow:
Industry std. + network
effect
Get:
Required
Keep:
It’s all #’s
Grow:
awareness
Mercersburg
Channels
Phone call
In-person meeting
NAIS/TABS/ IECA
Admissions teams
Edu. Consultants
Chinese schools
Revenue Streams
Seasonal
subscription
Uninformed
Chinese
Parents
Assessment fee
Registration fees
Late fees / Report
fees
24. Key Partners
NAIS
Key Activities
maintain secure
verification
system
TABS
Value
Prop
Verified
aptitude
Relationships
Vetted
applicants
Content
mngmt.
IECA
Marketing/selli
ng
Fraud reduction
Key Resources
Tech licensing
Diagnostic
content
Application
differentiation
and visibility
it’s required!
software
Cost Structure
Licensing, data storage, staffers, sales team
Customer Segm.
Get:
Free; Self-service
Keep:
Proven reliability
Grow:
Industry std. + network
effect
Get:
Required
Keep:
It’s all #’s
Grow:
awareness
Mercersburg
Channels
Phone call
In-person meeting
NAIS/TABS/ IECA
Admissions teams
Edu. Consultants
Chinese schools
Revenue Streams
Seasonal
subscription
Uninformed
Chinese
Parents
Assessment fee
Registration fees
Late fees / Report
fees
25. NEXT STEPS- it’s all about relationships
US
schools
Applicant profile
Student profile
i-ply
($) Identification
authentication test
students
Application
CRM
($) Identification
authentication test
($) Reports
Educational
consultants