Our group created a strategic business plan to help a local business called Mellow Mama's grow over the next year. Mellow Mama's produces handmade, all-natural skin care products. Our plan outlined objectives to get Mellow Mama's products into four more stores and increase their social media presence. We also aimed to boost sales of their smaller male product line by 25%. The plan provided strategies and tactics to help Mellow Mama's meet these goals over the coming year.

1. Summary of Objectives and Results
Title: Strategic Business Plan
Problem/opportunity: My groups and I were to partner with a small local business and help
create a strategic plan to help develop their business for the upcoming year. We chose to work
with Marissa Uselton and her company Mellow Mama’s.
Special circumstances: This project was given to us as a major project for our Public Relations
capstone in Corporate Management. Although it was done for a class we will be presenting it to
Marissa for her to use to help Mellow Mama’s develop and grow within the next year.
Target public(s): Most of our publics centered around males and females of Bloomington-
Normal as well as possibly expanding to other towns and areas in Illinois.
Objective: Our objective was to help Marissa get her products on the shelves of more stores in
the next year. Also we wanted to increase her presence on social media by creating and
maintaining profiles on sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, as well as the Facebook she
already has. We wanted to increase her Facebook likes by 50% and have up to 100 followers on
Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Because her products are generally targeted towards women,
we wanted to increase development and sales of male products by 25% as well.
Evaluation: Methods of evaluation include the reach and spread of posts on social media, and
tracking how many stores sell her products. In conjunction with selling products in stores, we
also planned to measure online sales of both male and female products.

2. 1
October 29, 2014
Mrs. Marissa Uselton
Mellow Mama’s
200 Ellis Avenue
Normal, IL 61761
Dear Marissa:
Thank you for allowing us to partner with and evaluate Mellow Mama’s in the development of a
strategic business plan. Enclosed is the final plan which incorporates multiple objectives along
with different strategies and tactics aid in achieving success in the upcoming calendar year.
The plan supplies competitor information on a local and national scale, situational budget
allocations, objectives, strategies and tactics to increase brand and product awareness, a detailed
timeline of how to complete objectives and meet goals, and a few cold-call scripts for both male
and female products.
We will be in touch shortly to schedule a meeting to go over the plan in its entirety. We look
forward to hearing your feedback and hopefully you integrate parts of our strategic business plan
in the upcoming fiscal year. It has been a pleasure working with you and we encourage you to
reach out to us with any further questions and concerns.
Sincerely,
Shane O’Farrell Zac Klemme Jonathan Strupek
seofarr@ilstu.edu zoklemm@ilstu.edu jjstrup@ilstu.edu

3. 2
Strategic Plan 2015
Developed for the client by:
Shane O’Farrell, Zac Klemme, and Jonathan Strupek
October 2014

4. 3
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 4
1.0 Organizational Background................................................................................................... 5
1.1 Business Definition.............................................................................................................. 5
1.2 Vision................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Mission................................................................................................................................. 5
1.4 Value Proposition................................................................................................................. 5
1.5 Organization Structure ......................................................................................................... 6
1.5.1 Owner/Producer (Marissa Uselton) ............................................................................. 6
1.5.2 Graphic Design/Finance (Steve Uselton)..................................................................... 6
1.6 History & Culture ................................................................................................................ 6
2.0 Situational Analysis ................................................................................................................ 7
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation .......................................................................................... 7
2.2 Stakeholders Effected .......................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Competition.......................................................................................................................... 8
2.4 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................... 8
3.0 Plan......................................................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics .................................................................................... 11
3.2 Critical Success Factors ..................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)................................................................................... 15
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocation .......................................................................................... 16
3.5 Timeline ............................................................................................................................. 17
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results ........................................................................ 17
Appendices................................................................................................................................... 18
A. Budget Information............................................................................................................. 18
B. Pitch Script .......................................................................................................................... 19
C. Timeline............................................................................................................................... 20

5. 4
Executive Summary
Mellow Mama’s is new skin-care business specializing in handmade, all-natural products. The
business is run out of the home of Marissa and Steve Uselton. Mellow Mama’s products offers a
wide variety of female skin care products, including body butters, scrubs, soaps, body oils, bath
teas, body powder, lip balms, facial masks, lotion tarts, and shave creams. Mellow Mama’s also
offers a small line of male products, such as beard wax, shave butter, and sweaty ball powder.
The business has only been open for a little over a year (since April 2013) and is still in the
development process.
The following plan is to help Mellow Mama’s through its next calendar year (starting January 1,
2015). The plan provides a basic overview of the business, including strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats. The plan also provides objectives and strategies for increasing the
business’s success and potential growth. These objectives include:
 To have products on the shelves of four more stores during 2015.
 Increase Facebook likes by 50% and create a Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest account
with 100 followers by the end of 2015.
 Increase sales and presence in the male demographic by 25% during 2015.
This plan will act as a guideline for the upcoming fiscal year for Marissa and Steve to obtain
these objectives. Acceptance and full execution of this plan will bring Mellow Mama’s the
success it strives for in the next fiscal year.

6. 5
1.0 Organizational Background
This strategic plan serves as a basis of knowledge for the skin care business Mellow Mama’s. It
provides the supplemental information required to understand the situation analysis and plan in
the two sections that follow.
1.1 Business Definition
Mellow Mama’s is a skin care business specializing in handmade, all-natural products created by
Marissa Knapp Uselton, the co. owner. These products include body butters, scrubs, soaps, body
oils, bath teas, body powder, lip balms, facial masks, lotion tarts, and shave creams. All of
Mellow Mama’s creations are made from the finest ingredients from all over the world. No
harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, dyes, or preservatives are used in the making of these
products, making them truly all-natural.
1.2 Vision
To be on the shelves of major retailers (Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Naturally Yours, etc.)
alongside other popular skin care products as a healthy and natural alternative and create
different product lines specifically for the home, baby, etc.
1.3 Mission
To create affordable all-natural products for everyone and everybody that cleanse, soothe,
beautify, pamper, and empower customers, naturally.
1.4 Value Proposition
The value proposition is crucial in identifying what makes Mellow Mama’s stand apart from
other skin care products sold in major department or local stores. The proposition includes two
parts: (1) a thesis statement describing Mellow Mama’s unique products and healthy alternative
and (2) proof points that support the core idea of the thesis by providing the multiple competitive
advantages that Mellow Mama’s products can offer. The value proposition is as follows:
Thesis: Mellow Mama’s provides affordable and healthy alternative products that cleanse,
soothe, beautify, pamper, and empower customers, naturally.
Proof points:
 Mellow Mama’s products are all natural and environmentally friendly.
 Mellow Mama’s ingredients and fragrances are bought from a supplier that works
directly with its natural source. There is nothing found in Mellow Mama’s products that
is synthetic or produced with potentially harmful chemicals.
 Mellow Mama’s is locally founded and produced in the home which provides a personal
touch to each and every product.

7. 6
1.5 Organization Structure
Mellow Mama’s is located at 200 Ellis Ave. in Normal, Illinois. It is a sole proprietor business
with a limited liability company (LLC) license currently in the approval process. The
organization consists of only two employees, which include the owner Marissa Uselton and her
husband Steve Uleston. Below are descriptions of each of their job roles.
1.5.1 Owner/Producer (Marissa Uselton)
Marissa is responsible for ordering all products from the supplier, hand crafting each of Mellow
Mama’s products, sending and replying to all e-mails, website management, promotion, and
packaging products.
1.5.2 Graphic Design/Finance (Steve Uselton)
Steve is responsible for designing and printing all labels and packaging for Mellow Mama’s
products. Steve also handles all financial concerns such as taxes and all payments required by
Mellow Mama’s.
1.6 History & Culture
Marissa Uselton is, like many women, a frequent user of a wide range of skin care and other
beauty products. After checking the labels on the products she’d been using for years Marissa
realized just how potentially harmful these products were on her skin. Shortly after Marissa
decided to look into healthier alternatives and found out she wasn’t alone in her concerns.
After doing research online she came across different home remedies and recipes for making
skin care products with different things from around the home. After experimenting with a few
recipes and instructional YouTube videos Marissa began creating her own skin care products
from scratch.
Close friends soon began to take interest in Marissas new-found passion for creating homemade
skin products. After giving away a few of her products for free, her husband, Steve, prompted
her with the idea of selling her products. Soon Marissa began selling her homemade products out
of her home and began to turn a profit.
Mellow Mama’s is a secondary profession for both Marissa and Steve as the two have careers
outside of the business. Working to supportive themselves while operating Mellow Mama’s
forces Steve and Marissa to work on the fly. Ideas and problems are discussed over meals instead
of formal meetings in office buildings. Their informal business structure works for them and
promotes a creative and spontaneous work environment.

8. 7
2.0 Situational Analysis
Mellow Mama’s is a quickly growing organization that currently has a number of strengths,
including word-of-mouth promotion, unique products, and affordable prices. Previously Mellow
Mama’s had very little data on competitors or the market in general. The analysis below seeks to
identify Mellow Mama’s competition, organizational strengths and weaknesses, and future
opportunities and threats in order to optimize sales and business growth.
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation
Mellow Mama’s has only been in operation for a year but has seen exponential growth since its
opening. The prices of the products are both affordable and appealing to customers but result in
very little (if any) profit because Marissa does not sell the products for much more than it takes
to make. Mellow Mama’s needs to re-evaluate its prices to both remain appealing and turn a
profit. Products are strictly available through Marissa online which limits new customer
potential. Local businesses such as The Garlic Press and Naturally Yours are potential
opportunities for increasing product reach before expanding into major businesses such as
Target.
Mellow Mama’s has demonstrated over its first year in business how effective it is at word-of-
mouth promotion. Since Mellow Mamas is run out of the home, it has no presence in local
businesses which limits the potential for new customers. This missed opportunity is allowing
other locally promoted skin care products to gain a competitive advantage over Mellow Mama’s.
To gain a presence in local stores the following issues need to be addressed:
 Build brand awareness for Mellow Mama’s by increasing social media presence on the
already established Facebook page and developing a Twitter and/or Instagram handle to
increase conversation about the product.
 Establish sales as the foundation for getting products into local stores. A stronger sales
pitch is needed to overcome other local and national competitors and to gain a presence
on the shelves.
 Broaden knowledge of competition to understand how much of a presence other
companies already have in the skin care market.
 Protect all products and the company name legally. Applying for patents and trademarks
need to be done as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of a total loss.
 Develop an expansion plan to account for rapid growth. The current limited storage space
doesn’t allow for large shipments which restricts the demands Mellow Mama’s can meet.
2.2 Stakeholders Effected
Mellow Mama’s has a growing amount of stakeholders, which the organization’s overall success
or failure is dependent on. Marissa and Steve have poured a large majority of their personal
finances and time into the creation of the organization and relies on the organization’s success to
keep them financially stable. Mellow Mama’s relies heavily on its customers for word-of-mouth
promotion, so the business could fail without their continued support. Mellow Mama’s also relies

9. 8
on the farmers market as a secondary promotion method outside of using local stores such as
Naturally Yours and The Garlic Press.
2.3 Competition
Currently Mellow Mama’s fits the market position of niche organization due to its specialty
product options, such as lotion tarts, booty woots, and bath bombs that target a narrow market in
a local demographic. Mellow Mama’s is ultimately aspiring to be a competitor in the skin care
market. Current competition is at both a local and franchise level. Both levels of competition put
Mellow Mama’s in a difficult position and threaten to eliminate the company’s overall presence
in skin care. Local competition puts Mellow Mama’s brand recognition in jeopardy and could
make growing a starting customer base difficult. Franchise competition threatens not only
Mellow Mama’s but other local competition with their advantage in exposure and promotion in
large chain stores. The following lists provides examples of both local and franchise competition:
 Kimberly’s Kupboard is a business run out of the home of Kimberly Bouk in Cabery, IL.
Kimberly is a stay-at-home mother of three who started her business in a similar fashion
to Mellow Mama’s: out of curiosity. Kimberly also sought to get away from conventional
medicine and to find a healthier, eco-friendly and affordable way to treat themselves.
Kimberly’s Kupboard is a very strong local competitor due to her similar business model,
overall history, location, and marketing demographic. Kimberly’s business is founded on
similar ideas and offers similar products in the same local market. Kimberly also uses an
online shop (Etsy) and sells through local stores such as Naturally Yours.
 Pacifica Beauty is a franchise based in California that sells vegan friendly skin care and
cosmetics in shops around the nation. Brooke Harvey Taylor founded the company from
her fascination with kitchen spices and other fragrances and dedicated her studies to
creating natural and cruelty-free products. Brooke married Billy, a man passionate in
graphic design and photography, who designs all over her labels in a similar way Steve
does for Marissa. Pacifica is a strong franchise competitor due to product similarities,
legal advantage in trademark and patent protection, and their position as a middle barrier
to Mellow Mama’s future competitive presence. Pacifica products can be found in stores
all around the nation, including locally at Naturally Yours, but doesn’t hold as strong of a
nationally recognized presence as other established companies.
 Burt’s Bees is a very strong franchise company with a long history in skin care and
hygiene products. Starting out in 1984 as a candle making partnership between Roxanne
Quimby and Burt Shavitz, the two used excess beeswax to start a profitable candle
making business. The two began to discover other uses for beeswax, and the business
exploded reporting multibillion-dollar profits in most recent years. Burt’s Bees is the
highest caliber of competition in the market and is a prime example of an end goal for
Mellow Mama’s, if the business they were bought out by another major corporation.
2.4 SWOT Analysis
The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to give Mellow Mama’s a better understanding of their
current position given their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to overall
organizational success.

10. 9
Aspects Implications Possible Actions
Strengths Strong word of mouth
marketing
Provides numerous
opportunities to
expand customer
base due to high
positive word of
mouth
Continue to facilitate
reputable business
practices to increase
positive word of mouth
Small batch
production
Ensures products are
made to the highest
quality possible with
a personalized touch
As demand increases
continue to use small batch
production to ensure the
same personalized touch
Potential factor has
maxiumum three day
turnaround
Business is
constantly in a ready
state for taking and
delivering orders
Guarentee both new and
current customers that
orders can be in their
hands as fast as possible
Low prices attract a
growing customer
case
Prices beat out both
local and national
competition
Maintain low price point
to drive up future demand
Weaknesses Overwhelming work
load for a secondary
profession
May not be able to
keep up with
customer demand
and maintain high
quality
Look for an outside
resource to help in
production or hire on
additional help
Lack of storage and
production space
Has a small cap in
production due to
lack of storage
Find a way to reduce
potential risk for back
orders by investing in
outside storage space
Outsourcing
drastically limits
supervision on the
quality of the product
With the factory far
away there's a risk in
variance in product
quality
Expand enough to where
she can buy her own
factory to be able to
supervise quality

11. 10
Low prices result in
zero net gain which
hinders revenue
With an already
rapidly growing
customer base more
money will be spent
on making the
products which
results in zero profit
Increase prices to a point
that creates revenue and
still drives up demand
Weak brand
recognition
Customers turn to
competition first due
to lack of knowledge
about the product
Expand market into more
local stores to increase
recognition amongst
competition
Opportunities Expand to more local
stores
Getting into local
stores is the first step
in reaching national
chain stores
Increase product
popularity to increase
customer demand
Direct sell to local
stores
Quickest way to put
product on the
shelves next to
competition
Increase direct sales
opportunities and develop
a stronger pitch to increase
interest in product
Make product
available at more
farmers markets and
local festivals
Expand market and
brand awareness to
diversify customer
base
Research and attend more
local markets and festivals
Expand to different
cities up North
Growth from current
local customer base
to other cities and
grow reputation
Utilize current connections
and find stores,
conventions, fairs, and
festivals in metropolitan
cities up North
Threats No patents to protect
current products
Other companies
could steal patent for
product which would
result in loss of profit
Get patents on most
popular products first and
then continue patenting
other products as
necessary

12. 11
No trademarks on any
product names
including the
company name itself
No legal ownership
which could result in
a total loss
Apply for trademarks as
fast as possible to protect
the future of the company
Niche market limits
potential for growth
and surpassing
currently established
competition
Popular brands that
are already trusted by
customers make
expansion difficult
Utilize unique features
about current products to
help stand out from
established competition
3.0 Plan
This section displays the overall strategic business plan for Mellow Mama’s for the upcoming
2015 calendar year. This section relates to the previous two sections. This strategic business plan
lays the foundation for Mellow Mama’s to implement the necessary operations and
improvements to bridge the gap from an in-home niche organization to a major local competitor
beginning in 2015. The following subsections include objectives, strategies, and tactics; critical
success factors; key performance measurements; implementation timeline; and final evaluation
and anticipated results.
3.1 Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
The following table outlines the objectives, strategies, and tactics that will contribute to the
overall success of this strategic business plan as well as other subsections.
 Objectives are the determining factors in Mellow Mama’s success in achieving its vision.
All objectives are listed with four total parts:
1. A desired effect
2. A goal, stated in numerical value
3. The target audience
4. An established deadline
Benchmarks are presented after each objective
 Strategies are specific categories that Mellow Mama’s needs to do to fulfill the
objectives.
 Tactics break down the specifics that Mellow Mama’s will do to accomplish each
strategy, which will help accomplish the related objectives

13. 12
Objectives Strategies Tactics
1. To have products on the
shelves of four more stores
during 2015.
(Currently Mellow Mama's
is feature in the Garlic Press
in Uptown Normal. We
want to make Mellow
Mama's products available
in a wide variety of local
stores which will increase
brand awareness and meet
expanded production
capabilities.)
(Benchmark: none; Keep
track of the number of
stores products are available
in along with what products
are sold there. Objective
assumes Mellow Mama's
currently doesn't keep track
of products on shelves. )
Direct sell to more local
stores in
Bloomington/Normal.
Develop a strong pitch to
present to local store
managers.
- In Person: conduct research
on specific business and
develop a personalized pitch
to make products stand out
amongst current selection
- Telephone: develop a cold
call script to effectively
present products and build
relationships with new
prospective retailers

14. 13
2. Increase Facebook likes
by 50% and create a
Twitter, Instagram, and
Pinterest account with 100
followers by the end of
2015.
(Mellow Mama's only has a
presence on Facebook
which is the only link
customers have to her
website along with the
primary medium for a
majority of current sales.
Social media presence
needs to be expanded to
platforms such as Twitter,
Pinterest and Instagram to
increase customer reach and
engagement.)
(Benchmarks: 345
Facebook likes, none for
Twitter, Instagram, and
Pinterest; Track number of
impressions on Facebook
and other platforms once
created. Objective assumes
Mellow Mama's does not
currently track social media
impressions.)
Increase usage of Facebook
page to increase awareness of
products
Maintain and organize
Facebook page to increase
traffic to website
Create and maintain Twitter,
Instagram, and Pinterest
account
Increase frequency of posts
regarding new product
promotion, festival presence,
product location in new
stores, and discounts or other
deals
Make the link to the website
more prominent on the
Facebook page along with
tagging the link to every post
or picture
- Dedicate time each day to
social media or hire on
someone dedicated to
maintaining social media
presence
Set up and establish the
target market segment for
each social media platform
- Twitter: Identify
competitors and research
their social media strategy.
Follow, reply, and direct
message people who post
anything related to the skin
care market.
- Instagram: Identify
competitors and research
their social media strategy.
Post pictures with relevant
hashtags to the skin care
business or with current
trending topics.
- Pinterest: Link Instagram
and Facebook accounts to
Pinterest and post to relevant
threads in the skin care
business

15. 14
3. Increase sales and
presence in the male
demographic by 25% during
2015.
(Mellow Mama's currently
offers unique male products
but relies heavily on current
female demographic. This
makes Mellow Mama's look
limited in product selection
and too similar to
established franchises.)
(Benchmark: none;
Establish a general starting
point of comparison for
previous male product sales.
Objective assumes Mellow
Mama's does not actively
track the sales of male
products due to this line
being brand new and
untracked)
Promotion that operates
alongside current dominant
female customer base
Direct sell products to
locations that males frequent
Attach free trial to of male
products to sale of most
popular female product to get
products into the home
Differentiate pitch between
locations. Examples include:
- Barber Shop: Promote
beard wax and shave butter
to accommodate to the needs
of male barbers and clients
- Golf Course: Promote
sweaty ball powder to more
active and athletic clients
- Tattoo Shop: Promote male
skin care products for clients
to use after receiving a fresh
tattoo
3.2 Critical Success Factors
The following table illustrates four categories of factors that could affect Mellow Mama’s in the
future.
 Opportunities are positive situations that Mellow Mama’s can take advantage of to
increase customer base and overall business.
 Barriers are problems that Mellow Mama’s could encounter that will hinder the overall
success of the organization.
 Environment includes both external and internal factors that could influence Mellow
Mama’s.
 Resources are employees and materials required to fulfill business objectives.

16. 15
3.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are measurements that should be taken intermittently throughout Mellow Mama’s business
plan to ensure that everything is on a continuous path to success. For each objective listed in the
previous section specific measurements will be taken by either Marissa or Steve and compare it
to listed benchmarks.
 Objective 1: To have products on the shelves of four more stores during 2015.
o Benchmark: none; Keep track of the number of stores products are available in
along with what products are sold there. Objective assumes Mellow Mama's
currently doesn't keep track of products on shelves.
Objectives Opportunities Barriers Environment Resources
Increase local
product awareness
Rejection would hinder
sales
Increase customer
base
Decreased potential to
increase customer base
Expanding target
market outside of
Bloomington/Normal
Hinder time spent on
developing both current
and new products
More channels for
customers to find
Mellow Mama's
Allow for a constant
flow of
communication
between Mellow
Mama's and
customers
Create a whole new
target market
Limited product
selection
Creating more male
products as a result
of interest in
products
Expand presence in
different stores
beyond established
female demographic
No male interest in
products which leads to
wasted resources
Develop methods to
reach male
demographic
Expand customer
base
1. To have products
on the shelves of four
more stores during
2015.
Develop strong
communication skills
for effective pitching
and producing
samples to bring to
store managers
2. Increase
Facebook likes by
50% and create a
Twitter, Instagram,
and Pinterest account
with 100 followers by
the end of 2015.
Infrequent maintenance
and posting could
damage Mellow
Mama's image to
customers
Increase Mellow
Mama's customer
base and awareness
Increase brand
awareness through
forms of media
3. Increase sales and
presence in the male
demographic by 25%
during 2015.
Build relationship
between Mellow
Mama's and local
store owners

17. 16
o KPI: Increase overall brand presence in stores by 1 per quarter (or 4 per fiscal
year) and increase product availability on shelves by 3 per quarter (or 12 per fiscal
year).
o Evaluate numbers at the end of quarter and adjust as necessary.
 Objective 2: Increase Facebook likes by 50% and create a Twitter, Instagram, and
Pinterest account with 100 followers by the end of 2015.
o Benchmark: 345 Facebook likes, none for Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest;
Track number of impressions on Facebook and other platforms once created.
Objective assumes Mellow Mama's does not currently track social media
impressions.)
o KPI: Create a post for new product launches on every social media platform and
gain 25 news followers per platform every quarter after the creation of accounts
on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
o Track impressions, shares, retweets, and pins on new product launch posts and
follower gain at the end of every quarter.
 Objective 3: Increase sales and presence in the male demographic by 25% during 2015.
o Benchmark: none; Establish a general starting point of comparison for previous
male product sales. Objective assumes Mellow Mama's does not actively track the
sales of male products due to this line being brand new and untracked.
o KPI: Attach free trials of men’s products to the purchased women’s product to
increase awareness. Scout and direct sell to at least one potential store to sell male
products in per quarter. Track male product sales per quarter.
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocation
Mellow Mama’s does not currently have a formal budget. Although Marissa and Steve have an
understanding of where Mellow Mama’s stands financially, they do not incorporate formal
documentation of their budget. It is strongly suggested that Mellow Mama’s begins recording
financial information in order to develop benchmarks for better evaluation of progress.
The budget developed for this plan (see Appendix A) identifies the opportunity to hire an intern.
Marissa and Steve operate Mellow Mama’s around their careers which makes finding time to
implement this plans objectives difficult. The budget is set up to reflect the cost Marissa and
Steve would incur hiring on a student intern.
The budget suggests that Marissa and Steve should hold off on hiring a student intern due to the
current financial constraints of the business. The total hours reflected in the budget are
achievable through the combined efforts and Marissa and Steve. The budget reveals that this
would, in turn, save Mellow Mama’s $22,490 annually by not hiring a student intern.

18. 17
3.5 Timeline
Since Mellow Mama’s is a new business a guideline is crucial for success in the upcoming year
(see Appendix C for full timeline). Effectively implementing the tactics listed in previous section
in a timely and well organized manner will determine the level of return to Mellow Mama’s.
The beginning of the year is the most crucial time for Mellow Mama’s audience building and
brand awareness since most social media platforms need to be created and developed before
other objectives can begin. The majority of the remainder of the year is proactive work that
requires active maintenance and posting on social media accounts along with consistently
reaching out to potential stores to increase brand and product awareness.
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results
In order to determine the overall success of this strategic business plan, Mellow Mama’s will
have to assess the plan. See Section 3.3 for KPIs and benchmarks.
 Objective 1: To have products on the shelves of four more stores during 2015.
o If products are found in more than one store per quarter and there are more than 3
products on the shelves per fiscal year the plan was successful
o If the plan was not successful according to benchmarks then market may need to
be expanded past Bloomington/Normal due to lack of options in locations.
 Objective 2: Increase Facebook likes by 50% and create a Twitter, Instagram, and
Pinterest account with 100 followers by the end of 2015.
o If a new post is made for every new product launches on every social media
platform and at least 25 news followers are gained per platform every quarter then
the plan was successful
o If plan was not successful then money may need to be allocated to introduce or
expand advertisements on social media platforms. More time may need to be
allocated to effectively manage social media accounts
 Objective 3: Increase sales and presence in the male demographic by 25% during 2015.
o If free trials of men’s products are being attached to women’s product and if at
least one potential store is being scouted and direct sold to per quarter then the
plan was successful
o If plan was not successful then market may need to be expanded past
Bloomington/Normal due to shop locations or develop new products to appeal to
other stores in the local area.
This plan will result in success for Mellow Mama’s if proper time is allocated to effectively
manage social media and introduce products to new target markets and locations. If the plan
starts to not meet KPIs adjustments must be made as soon as possible to avoid further problems
from occurring and remaining on the overall path to success.

19. 18
Appendices
A. Budget Information
Marissa and Steve fronted $1,500 in startup costs to create Mellow Mama’s. In addition they
spent $500 on initial promotional items (business cards, post cards, signs, and website to be
launched November 22). Promotional event’s costs vary from farmers markets ($150 per season
with two already attended) to booth events ($50 each with two already attended).
Mellow Mama’s is entirely self-sustaining. Marissa and Steve estimate that Mellow Mama’s
sells an average of $1,500 per month of products and spend an average of $417 a month on
ingredients and packaging. Marissa also donates an average of $250 in products to charitable
organizations to help raise money.
ACCT EXPENSES ACCOUNTABILITY
HOURS
PER
WEEK
RATE
(HOURLY)
TOTAL NOTES
100
To increase product
presence on the shelves of
small local businesses
Marissa
6.00 $8.65 $51.90
110
Develop a strong
interpersonal pitch
Marissa
3.00 $8.65 $25.95
120 Develop a telephone pitch
Marissa
3.00 $8.65 $25.95
200
Increase social media
presence on current
platforms and create new
presence on others
Steve
14.00 $8.65 $121.10
210
Increase posts on flagship
social media account
Steve
8.00 $8.65 $69.20
220
Create Twitter, Instagram,
and Pinterest while
coordinating
communication with
targeted market segment
Steve
6.00 $8.65 $51.90
300
Increase sales and
presence in the male
demographic
Marissa
5.00 $8.65 $43.25
310
Attach free trial of male
product to purchased
female products
Marissa
1.00 $8.65 $8.65
320
Differentiate a pitch for
male direct sales location
Marissa
4.00 $8.65 $34.60
410 Total 25.00 $432.50
This tactic is accounted for by Marissa and includes time spent on
both types of pitches. This plan estimates Marissa would spend
about 6 hours a week planning, developing, and rehersing these
pitches.
The state of Illinois minumum wage is included to demonstrate
how much it would cost to hire an intern/employee to do this work.
This tactic is accounted for by Steve to illustrate how much time
would be spent managing all social media platforms, developing
content, and interacting with target publics.
The state of Illinois minumum wage is included to demonstrate
how much it would cost to hire an intern/employee to do this work.
This tactic is accounted for by Marissa by demonstrating how
much time is spent creating, ordering, selling, and attaching the
free male product samples.
The state of Illinois minumum wage is included to demonstrate
how much it would cost to hire an intern/employee to do this work.

20. 19
B. Pitch Script
Cold-call Lead Female Product Good morning Mr./Mrs ________. My name is
Marissa and I’m calling as a representative of my
company Mellow Mama’s. We are a local company
that specializes in crafting luxurious, homemade
and all natural beauty products. The reason I’m
calling is to set up an appointment to talk with you
about a sales opportunity that will benefit your
company.
Cold-call Lead Male Product Good morning Mr./Mrs. _______. My name is
Marissa and I’m calling on behalf of Mellow
Mama’s. We’re a new local skin care company
trying to break into the male market. The reason I’m
calling today is to talk to you about the free
promotional products to organizations like yours.

21. 20
Objectives & Tactics Specific Dates
1/1
1/8
1/15
1/22
1/29
2/5
2/12
2/19
2/26
3/5
3/12
3/19
3/26
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/7
5/14
5/21
5/28
6/4
6/11
6/18
6/25
7/2
7/9
7/16
7/23
7/30
8/6
8/13
8/20
8/27
9/3
9/10
9/17
9/24
10/1
10/8
10/15
10/22
10/29
11/5
11/12
11/19
11/26
12/3
12/10
12/17
12/24
12/31
1/7
1/14
1/21
1/28
1. Objective: Increase
product presence on
the shelves of small
local businesses
Year Round
Tactic: Develop a
strong pitch to
present to local
store managers
Step 1: Develop
custom pitch for
Store A
Step 2: Develop a
custom pitch for
Store B
Step 3: Develop a
custom pitch for
Store C
Step 4: Get in
contact with
chosen stores and
pitch products
Step 5: Repeat
Steps 1-4 for new
store options
C.Timeline

22. 21
2. Objective: Increase
social media presence
on current platforms
and create new
presence on others
Year Round
Tactic: Create
Twitter, Instagram,
and Pinterest
account
Step 1: Create
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Pinterest
Step 2: Follow
target
demographic,
competition, and
other market-
related users
Step 3: Develop
content to post
while
maintaining user
interaction
Tactic: Increase
frequency of posts
regarding new
product promotion,
festival presence,
product location in
new stores,
discounts or other
related deals
Tactic: Maintain and
organize Facebook
page to increase
website traffic
Step 1: Move link
to website to a
more visible
location
Step 2: Attach
website link to
posts and
pictures where
appropriate

23. 22
Objective: Increase
sales and presence in
the male
demographic
Tactic: Direct sell
products to locations
with a high male
customer-base
Step 1: Develop
pitch for specific
stores
Step 2: Get in
contact with
chosen stores and
pitch products
Step 3: Repeat
steps 1-2 for new
store options
Tactic: Attach free
trial of male products
to most popular
female products
purchased to get
products into the
home