business plan

2. How it started…
Dolly’s was started after a family
member made Dolly a collar and lead,
and me a matching bracelet and
keyring. A family acquaintance then
offered to help me set up a business.
After some research looking for
suppliers and competitors, like pets at
home, and noticing a gap in the market
for a wider range of colours. Then
setting up a Facebook page Dolly’s
started to get orders and invites to local
fetes and shows.

3. Idea
Dolly’s handmakes pet accessories and
training aids for any type of pet. All
items are made to measure and there is
a wide range of colours to choose from.
Dolly’s fills a gap in the market because
although you can buy training aids they
aren’t usually nice looking and only
come in the standard colour of black,
red or blue. By having more options for
different colours people are more likely
to choose the right training aid for their
pet.

4. Mission Statement- To offer a range of quality,
personalised training aids and accessories for different
pets and livestock.
Vision statement- Dolly’s aim to have as little waste as
possible by using scraps off other orders and donation
unusable scraps to schools for crafts. We aim to treat
all customers equally, whether they are a large
business looking to stock our products, or whether
they are a single customer after a single item. Dolly’s
aim to offer personalised and honest advice based on
the needs of the animal when asked.

5. Brexit
Current cultural policies may affect my business, for example Brexit may affect the
availability of supplies I can get for my business. Some of materials I use come from
places like the USA, the Czech Republic and China. By the UK leaving the EU it may
be harder to get materials from these places because the laws within the UK may
change in regard to the products allowed to be shipped.
However, this may benefit my business because materials may become
cheaper to source within the UK and therefore, I would be able to sell my products
cheaper, or make more profit on them. This would also be better for the economy
to buy materials from this country.

6. SWOT and PESTEL
SWOT
Strengths-
• Unique selling points
• Resources
• Innovation
Weaknesses-
• Capability gaps
• Financial risks
• Deadlines
Opportunities-
• Catered to customer needs
• Seasonal trends
• Partnerships with other small businesses
Threats-
• Consumer confidence
• Competitors
• Prices from suppliers changing
PESTEL Analysis
Political-
• Price regulations
Economical
• Bigger businesses being able to make items cheaper
Sociological
• Entrepreneurial spirit
Technological
• Larger businesses being able to mass produce similar products
Environmental
• Waste management
Legal
• Public liability insurance for going out and measuring animals in case of an accident

7. Cultural Policies
Current cultural policies may affect my business, for example Brexit
may affect the availability of supplies I can get for my business. Some of
materials I use come from places like the USA, the Czech Republic and
China. By the UK leaving the EU it may be harder to get materials from
these places because the laws within the UK may change in regard to
the products allowed to be shipped.
However, this may benefit my business because materials may
become cheaper to source within the UK and therefore, I would be able
to sell my products cheaper, or make more profit on them. This would
also be better for the economy to buy materials from this country

8. Funding and resources
For my business I would not need to lay out a lot of money to start, I could
advertise the colours of the materials I can source and when people order a
particular colour, I can then purchase it. I wouldn’t have to buy all of the materials
at once because I might not sell any of that particular product. This means that I
can use my own personal savings which I would be able to get back relatively
quickly if I made sure that each of my products was priced to make a profit. Also,
because my business is run from social media, I would not have to pay any money
to advertise my business because social media does this for free.
In regard to the resources I would need, I would have to find a supplier that
is both, cheap and reliable and that the products they were selling me were value
for money. I can do this by buying small quantities to test, I can then sell these if
they are of substantial quality, of if they are not, I can use them as examples of the
types of products I make for customers to test sizing.

9. Creative industries council
My business would be affected by the Creative Industries Council, this
is because they would like to monitor the growth of my business and
check any barriers that my business will face. This is good because it
means that I can be given advice based on what is found by this
organisation and use this to benefit my business and overcome any
issues that I may face. It may also be that I can apply for funding for my
business and therefore this can help my business grow because I may
be able to advertise to a larger audience or go to an event that I may
not have been able to afford otherwise.

10. Public liability
Because I go to peoples houses and measure their pets for them I have
to make sure that I follow the guidelines for public liability and insure
myself to cover myself or others for any accidents. For example, if I was
stood on by a horse and couldn’t work I would be able to claim on
insurance to cover any costs while I couldn’t work.

11. GDPR
Due to the fact that I store peoples home addresses to post their orders
to, I need to make sure that I follow the strict GDPR guidelines on how
to store this information properly. I also don’t ask for any information
that is not needed to post or make the order.

12. Moral responsibility
Although this is not a legal obligation, I would not sell certain products
to certain types of animal. For example, a dog that had a short snout
and would likely suffer with breathing problems should not have a
tightening collar like a slip collar, therefore I would not sell this to them.
Even though I may lose money from the sale I would not be happy
selling a product that could harm the animal.

13. Suppliers and Partners
Suppliers
• WildElk- paracord
• Pet Hardware- Hardware for
items
• Effective Imaging- signage for
shows
• DB LTD- Business cards
Partners
• Diamond pets- Display business
cards
• Lottie's Emporium- Buys and
sells stock
• Paws Parlour- Displays business
cards
• The Feed Barn- Buys and sells
stock

14. Materials
I use paracord 550 mainly because of its strength, it can hold up to
550lb on a single strand. There is also a huge range of colours to choose
from including patterned ones like leopard print. There are also many
different types of patterns to use, some for design and others because
of their strength, I chose a pattern that is strong and allows for two
different colours to be used. This pattern is used on survival bracelets
where people can undo the bracelet and use the single strand for
climbing.

15. Advertising
• Facebook- this will be used to engage with
customers, there is regular posts which
keeps the business fresh in peoples mind
• Instagram- This will include pictures of
products and customers with their
purchases.

16. contact
• Email- Customers will be able to
contact Dolly’s via email to ask about
sizing and colour options.
• Text/Phone call- This can be used to
arrange meeting for measuring pets
or to update customers on their
purchases.
• Facebook Messenger- This can be
accessed through the Facebook page.