Fyp in full

i
Name: Damien Lynch
Student ID: K00137078
Course: B.A. (Honours) Business Studies With Sport Management
Department: School of Finance and Professional Studies Limerick Institute Of Technology
Supervisor: Ms. Elaine Barry
Due Date: 17th
April

ii
Table of Contents
1.1 Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................1
1.2 Mission Statement............................................................................................................................2
1.3 Vision.................................................................................................................................................2
2.0 Introduction and Background ...........................................................................................................4
2.1 Outline of Report ..............................................................................................................................4
3.1Market Demand.................................................................................................................................7
3.2 Survey Main Findings- 20-30 Year Olds ............................................................................................8
3.4 Questionnaire Main Findings-Greyhound Owners.........................................................................12
3.5 External Environment .....................................................................................................................15
3.6 Porter’s Five Forces.........................................................................................................................17
3.7 Internal Environment......................................................................................................................18
3.8 Competitor Analysis........................................................................................................................20
3.9 Marketing Strategy .........................................................................................................................22
3.10 Market Positioning........................................................................................................................22
3.11 Marketing Tools ............................................................................................................................26
4.1What is An Operational Plan............................................................................................................28
4.2Organisational Structure..................................................................................................................28
4.3 Operations Plan...............................................................................................................................29
4.4 The Management............................................................................................................................29
4.5 Staffing (Including Pay and Benefits) ..............................................................................................30
4.6 Operations ......................................................................................................................................30
4.7 Location...........................................................................................................................................32
4.8 Equipment.......................................................................................................................................32
4.9 Production.......................................................................................................................................33
4.10 Quality Assurance .........................................................................................................................34
4.11 Quality Control Standards.............................................................................................................34
4.12 Insurance.......................................................................................................................................35
4.13 Customer Service ..........................................................................................................................35
4.14 Recruitment ..................................................................................................................................36
4.14 Safety Statement ..........................................................................................................................36
4.15 Operational Conclusion.................................................................................................................37
5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................39
Year 1 Financials....................................................................................................................................39
5.2 Year 2 Financials..............................................................................................................................41
5.3 Year 3 Financials..............................................................................................................................42

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5.4 Funding Proposal ............................................................................................................................43
6.1 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................57
Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................................58
Appendix A- Marketing Financials ........................................................................................................63
Damo’s Kennels Open Day Agenda.......................................................................................................70
Appendix B- Bank Loan interest and Repayments................................................................................75
Appenix C- Social Media and Website ..................................................................................................76
Appendix D- Letters of Recommendation ............................................................................................83
Appendix E- Equipment and Consumables Cost...................................................................................92
Appendix F – Vehicle Cost and Signage ................................................................................................99
Appendix G- Greyhound nuts and Feed Prices ...................................................................................104
Appendix H- Greyhound Trainer’s Letter and Public Trainer’s Licence..............................................106
Appendices I Results from Questionnaire ..........................................................................................109
Appendix J Survey Results...................................................................................................................113
Appendix K-Interview..........................................................................................................................117
Appendix L- Insurance Cost and Electricity Cost.................................................................................119
Appendix M Health and Safety Statement and Risk Assessment.......................................................121
Appendix N- Job description...............................................................................................................124
Appendix O- Person Specification.......................................................................................................125
Appendix P Employment Application Form.......................................................................................126
Appendix Q- Pictures Of The Facilities................................................................................................128

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Declaration Sheet
Limerick Institute of Technology
Department of Finance and Professional Studies
Examination for the Business Plan
B.A. (Honours) in Business With Sport Management
Damien Lynch
Certificate of student in respect to an individual’s work.
I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort, and that all
quotations from books and journals have been acknowledged.
Signed: _________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly forbidden and constitutes a serious breach of
examination regulations. Falsification of data in any way is strictly prohibited and
such falsification constitutes a serious breach of examination regulations.

v
Acknowledgements
Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisor Ms. Elaine Barry for her
guidance, expertise and knowledge throughout this business plan but also through my four
years of college. I would also like to thank all my other lecturers who helped my reach my
full potential and guided me on the right track to reach my goal and for that I will be eternally
grateful.
Limerick Institute of Technology has become my second home over the past four years and I
will leave with the fondness of memories and an education which I believe will help me
through life. I am honoured to say that I attended Limerick Institute of Technology and that
they were glad to have me as a student.
Furthermore, I would also like to thank the people who assisted me in any way through my
business plan. I personally would like to thank all the people who completed my surveys,
questionnaires and completed my interview .Without their help I would not have been able to
complete my business plan as the questions which they completed provided a basis for my
marketing, operational and financial sections.
Finally, a special mention goes to my family, friends and college friends for their patience,
consideration and motivating me to finish this project. Without their help and guidance I
would have faced many difficult obstacles and more complications while completing this
project.

1
1.1 Executive Summary
Damo’s Kennels goal is to develop and sustain a greyhound training facility which will entail
all aspects of greyhound training from rearing pups to catering for the needs of retired
greyhounds, Damo’s Kennels has a responsibility in providing professional, ecological
greyhound training with satisfies both its customers as well as complying with greyhound
legislation in the treatment of all its greyhounds.
In order to ensure the sustainability of Damo’s Kennels a detailed marketing strategy has
been put in place and the author has conducted extensive primary and secondary research.
The secondary research was carried out to investigate the competitive environment and the
potential external forces to setting up a greyhound facility. It became clear from the
secondary research that Damo’s Kennels provides a unique service therefore having a
sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals. However, the main competitors of Damo’s
Kennels are Ballymac Kennels, Cashen Kennels and Dacent Kennels.
Primary research consisted of an interview with a reputable greyhound trainer, surveys with
20-30 year olds as well as questionnaire of existing greyhound owners. The survey and
questionnaires identified the satisfaction of prices charged for the service of Damo’s Kennels
and also the willing to attend a promotional open day which will be used in year one to attract
customers.
Questionnaire and survey results were also used to create an operational by ensuring that the
facility is safe, secure and appealing to its target market. Furthermore, the questionnaires and
surveys also identified the pricing strategy to be undertaken as the results from the results
from the surveys and questionnaires highlighted the satisfaction of prices being charged for
the service of Damo’s Kennels.
Damo’s Kennels is unique in the fact that it offers the training service of all classifications of
greyhound training as well as having top class equipment to cater for the needs of its
customers which ultimately give it a competitive advantage over its competitors. The author
believes that lasting business customers is built upon these standards which guide expansion
and gives a sense of responsibility to its customers, its environment and to the communities to
which it operates.

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1.2 Mission Statement
Mission Statement: Damo’s Kennels is dedicated in providing greyhound training in a
professional manner taking into consideration the legal requirements needed to conduct this
practice. All greyhounds will be treated fairly, using high-tech equipment to ensure the
ultimate performance is achieved with every greyhound
1.3 Vision
The vision and main goals of the company are:
 To promote greyhound racing to the public
 To attract customers into greyhound racing from all classifications of people
 To expand the brand of Damo’s Kennels nationally and internationally in order to
create a high level of performance and training.

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2.0 Introduction and Background
Damo’s kennels is a start- up business located in County Kerry. The business will provide
professional expertise in relation to greyhound training. The greyhound training facility will
look to expand nationally and internationally in years 2 and 3.
The objectives of Damo’s Kennels are as follows:
 To provide a top-class greyhound training facility
 To get more young people into the sport of greyhound racing
 To become reputable as a greyhound facility
 To provide high levels of standards of care to each greyhound under law and
regulation
 Ensure all greyhounds once completed racing are looked after through a greyhound
active retirement scheme.
 To have a successful first year in business and to expand the business both nationally
and internationally in years 2 and 3.
These are realistic objectives which hoped to be achieved. All objectives will be analysed
after the end of each business year and new objectives will be set out every year.
2.1 Outline of Report
The following is a detailed business plan showcasing and examining the feasibility of a
greyhound training facility in County Kerry. The report will contain an extensive market
research and a marketing plan, daily operations of the business as well as a three year
financial plan. The market results will include an extensive external analysis, a target market
for Damo’s Kennels, an intensive evaluation of the competitor’s by means of a competitor’s
swot and results from the market research conducted and the competitive advantages which
Damo’s Kennels possess over its competitors’ This section will highlight the strengths and
weaknesses of Damo’s Kennels which will help to develop and implement a marketing
strategy which will be incorporated into a marketing plan.
The operations plan will contain the daily operations of running a greyhound facility. It will
highlight the equipment required; facilities needed as well as the health and safety
requirements for Damo’s Kennels. This section will also describe in detail the roles and
responsibilities of people working at Damo’s Kennels.

5
The financial section of the business plan will look at the cost of running Damo’s Kennels.
This will involve conducting a cash budget, profit and loss account and balance sheets. Each
financial projection will be conducted over three years.

6
3. Marketing And
Marketing Strategy

7
3.1Market Demand
In order to investigate the needs and wants of the market a detailed questionnaire and survey
was completed by 200 people. This involved 100, 20-30 year olds who completed a survey
as well 100 greyhound owners completed a questionnaire. The main objective of both the
survey and the questionnaire was to find out key information on the target market in order to
answer the following questions:
 Investigate of there is a demand for a greyhound facility as well as demand to get
involved in greyhound ownership?
 What type of greyhounds is the target market interested in?
 How much the target market will be willing to pay for the service?
 Would the potential target market be satisfied with the service offering?
An interview will also be conducted with greyhound trainer Daniel Brasill. Daniel has years
of experience as well of success in the greyhound industry and this interview will give an
invaluable insight into how he conducts his business on an operational level as well as the
challenges and the success which he has experienced as a greyhound trainer. This interview
will be a key source of primary research in this business plan.
Other data conducted in relation to Damo’s Kennels:
 S.W.O.T. Analysis
 P.E.S.T.E.L. Analysis
 Porter’s Five Forces
 7P’S of a service product

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3.2 Survey Main Findings- 20-30 Year Olds
A sample of 100, 20-30 year olds were given a survey. The breakdown of male and female
was 74%/26%. It was intended to establish if Damo’s Kennels was a viable business as well
as establishing if there was a demand in the market for the business.
The following results were calculated:
Fig 1.1 shows of the 100, 20-30 year olds surveyed, 68% believe that there is a lack of
greyhound facilities in Ireland therefore illustrating the fact that there is a need in the market
among the segmented population for a greyhound facility. .
68%
32%
Q.2 Do you think that there is a shortage of
greyhound facilities in Ireland?
Yes
No

9
Fig 1.2 illustrates the popularity of sports from the 20-30 year olds. From the data it is clear
to see that greyhound racing is the least popular sport with 61% making the suggestion.
While greyhound racing is the least popular sport as identified as the least popular sport this
survey could enable Damo’s Kennels to attract customers from the 20-30 age bracket.
Figure 1.3 shows the price that young people are willing to pay per week to have their
greyhounds trained for them in Damo’s Kennels. With 68% willing to pay 40 euro per week
this highlights the fact that there is a market for greyhound training among 20-30 year olds.
2%
4%
12%
21%
61%
Q.3 Which of these Sports is the Least Popular
Rugby
Soccer
Golf
Horse Racing
Greyhound Racing
2%
13%
17%
68%
Q.4 How much would you be willing to pay per
week for pups, sapplings, brood bitces and Retired
greyhounds?
70
60
50
40

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Figure 1.4 shows the prices ranging from 110 to 80 for coursing and Track greyhounds. Of
the 100, 20-30 year olds that were surveyed the price which was most popular was 80 euro
per week with 69% responding to this figure.
Figure 1.5 shows the price satisfaction of the services offered by Damo’s Kennels. Figure 1.3
and Figure 1.4 specifically asks the young people what prices they would be willing to pay
for pups, saplings, brood bitches, trackdogs , coursing greyhounds and retired greyhounds to
be trained for them by Damo’s Kennels. From this data, 74% were satisfied with these prices
therefore making Damo’s Kennels appealing to college students in terms of price. The reason
8%
12%
11%
69%
Q.5 How much would be Willing to pay for a
coursing/ trackdog?
110
100
90
80
74%
26%
Q.6 Would you be satisfied with these prices
taking into consideration feeding costs?
Yes
No

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that 26% of 21-30 year olds are not satisfied with the prices offered by Damo’s Kennels may
be because they currently have not enough money to get involved in greyhounds.

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3.4 Questionnaire Main Findings-Greyhound Owners
100 existing greyhound owners were sampled to determine whether the business would be
viable. 70 Male and 30 females were given a questionnaire to complete. The following results
from the questionnaire were calculated:
Figure 1.6 illustrates that 80% of greyhound owners believe that there is a shortage of
greyhound facilities. Therefore this justifies the need and demand for the establishment of
Damo’s Kennels. 20% do not believe there is a shortage of greyhound facilities this may be
because they may have a facility themselves and are afraid of competition.
Figure 1.7 justifies the location of Damo’s Kennels. 78% of the people believe that situating
the kennels in North Kerry is the perfect location for Damo’s Kennels.
80%
20%
Q.2 Do you think there is a shortage of
greyhound trainers?
Yes
No
72%
28%
Q.3 Is this Location Appropriate for a greyhound
Facility?
Yes
No

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Figure 1.8 shows the opinion of the 100 surveyed greyhound owners in relation to what make
a greyhound facility. The most popular answer was required facilities with 40%. Damo’s
Kennels will have the required facilities needed to conduct greyhound training which will
involve a kennel block, state of the art gallop as well as individual runs and pins depending
on the requirements of the greyhounds. Furthermore Damo’s Kennels will be certified by the
Irish Greyhound Board to ensure all greyhound training is conducted in a professional and
abide with regulation.
30%
30%
40%
Q.7 In your Opinion what makes a greyhound
facility?
Up to date equipment
knowledgable Trainer
Required Facilities
80%
20%
Q.8 Would you refer Damo's Kennels to
greyhound owners?
Yes
No

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80% of existing greyhound owners would be willing to refer Damo’s Kennels as a greyhound
training facility. The reason for 20% of the 100 surveyed existing greyhound owners
unwilling to refer Damo’s Kennels is that they might want to open up their own training
facility or currently have one and are afraid of competition.

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3.5 External Environment
The external environment consists of properties that exist outside the business but have a
significant impact on its expansion and survival (Management, 2009)
The external environment is implemented by conducting a pestel analysis which gives a clear
understanding of external influences on businesses. The pestel factors which affect Damo’s
Kennels are: Political, economic, social-cultural, technological, ecological and legal.
The political factors which affect Damo’s Kennels is the E.U. Pet and Passport transportation
regulations. This Affects Damo’s Kennels as all greyhounds transported or sold to E.U
countries must be micro chipped, vaccinated to protect against rabies and premises of origin
certificate must be registered with a Veterinary surgeon. (Board, Irish Greyhound Board
News , 2014)
Economic: As a result of the global recession greyhound numbers and people involved in
greyhounds have fallen. A report published by Indecon in 2013 identified areas where
numbers have fallen, from 2007-2013 there has been a 42.6% decreases in greyhound
owners, mating have decreased by 34% from 2006-2013 and number of litters produced have
decreased by 36.6% in the same period. Therefore Damo’s kennels needs to market the
business in other demographics to attract and increase greyhound numbers and owners.
(Indecon, 2012)
Socio-Cultural: Greyhound racing on a social aspect benefits Irish society. According to
figures published by An Teagasc an average 26, 500 people go greyhound racing every week.
Therefore this helps Damo’s Kennels to market attendees at various greyhound stadiums as
well as attracting customers from various social backgrounds externally. Having this pool of
people to potentially segment increases Damo’s Kennels potential to expand and ultimately to
increase sales. (Teagasc, 2006)
Technological: Technology advances enable business; to create new opportunities and
expansion. Companies effectively use technology in advertising, marketing and promotional
programs. Technology enables Damo’s Kennels to market and promote its business through
different technology mediums. Damo’s Kennels have set up a website and social media sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkeln which will enable Damo’s Kennels to expand its business
internationally.

16
Ecological: Environmentally Damo’s kennels will have to ensure that all greyhounds training
is conducted environmentally and abide with welfare management procedures. Subsequently
all greyhounds will have to be micro chipped and compliant in an environmental manner.
Furthermore random inspections on greyhound facilities are conducted by the Irish
greyhound board so Damo’s Kennels will at all times need to ensure that it conducts its
business in an ecological manner.
Legal: Legislation and regulation affects the running of Damo’s Kennel. All greyhounds
must be clearly identified with ear marking, and microchips as well as inspections. Declared
litters must be certified and inspected by the Irish greyhound boards. According to a report
published by Indecon in 2014 litter inspections increased from 2, 239 in 2010 to 2,706 in
2013. Therefore Damo’s Kennels needs to be compliant with regulation and legislation in the
training of greyhounds. (Indecon, Review On Certain Matters Relating to Bord na gCon,
2012)

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3.6 Porter’s Five Forces
Porter’s five forces strategically analyses the business and assess’ the attractiveness of the
industry. (Scholes, 2008) Porter’s framework includes:
Threat of new Entrants
Threat of new entrants to the greyhound industry is Medium. This is because there has been a
42.6% reduction in the number of greyhound owners from the period 2007-2013.This has
ultimately hindered the number of greyhound facilities in operation across the Irish market.
There is also regulation in the transportation of greyhounds across E.U. making it more
difficult to sell large amounts of greyhounds oversees. Damo’s Kennels will hope to have
strong durable barriers to entry, so that we can preserve a favourable position in the
marketplace and gain a sustainable advantage over our competitor’s.
Medium Threat: Due to high regulation of the greyhound industry.
Threat of Substitution
Threat of substitution is quite low for Damo’s Kennels. Greyhound training facilities is a
unique service with no indirect competition or threat of substitutes taking over the sport.
However horse racing would be the closest substitute to greyhound racing as it is governed
by the same body and Dundalk stadium share the same track for both greyhound racing and
horse racing, however both codes have different clientele so the threat of substitute would be
low.
Low: Greyhound Training is a unique with no indirect competition.
The power of buyers-
The bargaining power of buyers within the greyhound industry is low as there has been a
reduction in the ownership of greyhounds by 42.6% from 2007-2013 as well as litter
reductions have decreased by 36.6% from 2006-2013. (Indecon, Review On Certain Matters
Relating to Bord na gCon, 2012)
Threat: Reduction in greyhound owners.
Bargaining power of suppliers-
The suppliers control and develop the greyhound industry. Without suppliers there would not
be any greyhound industry in Ireland as the industry depends on greyhound breeders to

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supply owners with the greyhounds. Damo’s Kennels therefore supplies the greyhound
industry with a training facility to cater for the needs of owners and ultimately has power
over buyers as it will be providing a service to all greyhound owners.
Opportunity: Power over buyers so can easily increase sales
Competitive rivalry Greyhound facilities are in low competition as there are unique products
which practice all aspects of greyhound training in a professional way. However greyhound
facilities have declined over the last number of years due to reduction in greyhound number
which ultimately reduces the competitive rivalry between greyhound facilities.
3.7 Internal Environment
A S.W.O.T analysis is the process of monitoring macro environmental and micro
environmental factors within an organisation. (Kotler, 2009)
A S.W.O.T analysis identifies areas of strength and possible opportunities that business’ need
to capitalise on as well as minimising threats and weaknesses within the business. The
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Damo’s Kennels are as follows.

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Strengths Weaknesses
 Top class facilities which include area for
pups, saplings, racedogs, brood bitches and
retired greyhounds
 Easily accessible to Local greyhound stadium
 330 yard long grass gallop
 Up-to date equipment specifically designed
for greyhound training.
 Author has skill, knowledge and experience
in the training of greyhounds
 Certified kennels by the Irish Greyhound
Board Invalid source specified.
 Legislation and regulation in the training of
greyhounds such as micro-chipping, identity
marking and holding of a public trainer’s licence
and permit
 Decrease in greyhound owners by 42.6% from
2006-2013 (Indecon, Review On Certain Matters
Relating to Bord na gCon, 2012)
 Greyhound industry in decline therefore hindering
greyhound numbers and market for greyhounds
 Laws relating to the transportation of greyhounds
within the E.U.
Opportunities
 Business expansion nationally and
internationally
 Increase involvement of greyhound
ownership among all social classes through
pitching to social clubs.
 Demographically segments young people to
get them involved in purchasing and
ownership of greyhounds
 Increase brand awareness of Damo’s Kennels
through promoting and advertising online
through different social media websites
Threats
 Irish Greyhound Board is in a deficit of
€21million therefore industry could suffer
financially (Board, Annual Report , 2012)
 Privatisation of greyhound tracks which could
lead to very little control and regulation at
greyhound meetings ultimately leading to
greyhound mismanagement
 Competition from other greyhound racing
countries such as Great Britain, Australia and
America.
 Increased regulation would make it more
difficult to generate revenue.

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3.8 Competitor Analysis
A competitor analysis identifies areas of strength within competitors in the industry and
exploits their weakness’ to benefit their business. (Jobber, 2004) A Competitor analysis
seeks to answer the following questions:
 Who are our competitors?
 What are their strengths and weaknesses
 What are their strategic objectives and thrust
 What are their strategies
 What are their regular patterns
Competitors offers similar product to which you are offering. The direct competitors of
Damo’s Kennels are other greyhound businesses who practice all aspect of greyhound
training. Therefore, the direct competitors of Damo’s kennels are:
 Ballymac Kennels
 Dacent Kennels
 Cashen Kennels
The main difference between Damo’s kennels and its competitors can be measured by
conducting a competitor’s swot analysis.
Competitors SWOT
Strengths
 Ballymac kennels is a large international greyhound supplier
 Ballymac kennels has top class facilities including grass and sand gallop, hurdles and
swimming pool for greyhounds
 Ballymac kennels hosts top class stud dogs including Ballymac Vic who took part the
greyhound derby on 3 occasions
 Furthermore, Ballymac Kennels has both a grass and sand gallop which are adaptable
to all weather conditions.
 Dacent kennels have produced greyhound litters to the best stud dogs in the world of
greyhound racing as well as having a website to expand its brand.

21
 Cashen kennels in recent years have had success reaching the greyhound derby final
in 2011 with Cashen Legend and Cashen Mafuma winning the Irish St.Leger in
Limerick in 2012.
Weaknesses
 Cashen Kennels do not have any gallop therefore adding transport costs to their
weekly expenses
 No website by both Cashen and Ballymac kennels therefore limiting the potential for
new customers in which they can reach.
 The main weakness of the three competitors is the lack of coursing greyhound which
they have at their disposal. While all three greyhound facilities have large volumes of
track greyhounds they have not expanded their business to cater for larger volumes of
coursing greyhounds.
Opportunities
 The main opportunities for the competitors is to get more people involved in
greyhound racing through marketing demographically.
 Ballymac kennels as a leader in the greyhound industry can expand its brand in other
greyhound industries.
 All competitors facilities can take advantage of online marketing to attract more
customers and generate more revenue
 Dacent kennels have the opportunity to have world recognised pup litters as a result of
their world-renowned stud dogs. (Data, Dacent Kennels Stud Dogs , 2014)
Threats
 Competition from Damo’s Kennels
 The reduction in greyhound numbers as a result of economic recession, resulting
in reduction of greyhound owners by 42.6% from 2006-2013 which impacts upon
generated revenue. (Indecon, Review On Certain Matters Relating to Bord na
gCon, 2012)
 Closure of greyhound tracks in U.K. is a potential threat as all three competitors
are regular greyhound suppliers to the U.K. greyhound market.

22
 Closure of regional greyhound stadium therefore adding travel expenses to race
greyhounds and ultimately increasing expenses incurred.
3.9 Marketing Strategy
A marketing strategy is the process of developing a plan to increase sales and achieve a
competitive advantage over its rivals. (Kotler P. , 2009)
Market strategy can be achieved through the process of segmenting customers, targeting
those specific customers and positioning the product in the marketplace.
3.10 Market Positioning
The main objective of market positioning is to establish the company’s product in the mind of
its customers through the development of the marketing mix in order to maximise potential
profits. Positioning through the marketing mix helps to create a competitive advantage over
its rivals. The market mix of a service product includes the 7 P’s: price, product, place,
promotion, people, process, physical evidence. (Kotler P. , Marketing Management 2n
Edition, 2009)
Product
The product is a greyhound training facility. The objective of the business is to attract
customers in order to train greyhounds as well as publicly exposing greyhound racing to
increase greyhound numbers.
The unique selling point of Damo’s Kennels is the high-tech equipment and the regulation
and standard of care given to every greyhound during the greyhound training process.
A product is a tangible good that involves consumption, acquisition and which satisfies a
need or a want. There are two different classifications of products: durable products and non-
durable products.
Durable products are products which survive in the market for sustained periods of time and
are long lasting.
Non-durable products are goods which are consumed quickly, which only last a short period
of time, have a short life span and are only used for special occasions.

23
Damo’s Kennels is a durable service product as it operates all aspects of greyhound training
from rearing pups to catering for retired greyhounds. Furthermore, Damo’s Kennels is long-
lasting as its facilities are top class and well- equipped to deal with large quantities of
greyhounds.
Price
Price is the value placed on a product or service. In order to calculate the price of a service a
company must ensure that all costs incurred are included so that revenue can be made from
the specific service. (Petit, 2003)
Damo’s Kennels will conduct a pricing strategy to determine the cost for providing the
service of greyhound training.
This will involve carrying out market research on the chosen segments to see what price the
potential customers will be willing to pay for the service of greyhound training.
Damo’s Kennels prices will differ depending on the type of greyhounds the customer is
interested. From the Market research conducted €80 was the price for that both 20-30 year
olds as well as existing greyhound’s owners for racedogs and coursing greyhounds while €40
was sufficient for pups, saplings, brood bitches and retired greyhounds per week.
Furthermore, 74% Of young people and 90% of existing greyhound owners would be
satisfied with the prices offered for the service of greyhound training by Damo’s Kennels.
Place
Damo’s Kennels will be located in Clashmealcon Causeway County Kerry. Damo’s kennels
is situated only 26km from Kingdom Greyhound Stadium making it accessible to travel for
trials and races. Geographically Damo’s kennels is situated in a rural setting with all facilities
catered to meet greyhound requirements. Furthermore, having a rural location enables
greyhound to adapt to their environment and have freedom which they require, making this
location unique. Additionally the facility is equipped to deal with large amounts of
greyhounds and is very spacious with equipment specifically designed for greyhound
training.
From the market research conducted, 78% of existing greyhound owners were satisfied with
the location of Damo’s Kennels.

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Promotion
Promotion is communication with individuals, groups or organisations to inform them about
a product and persuading them to accept the product. (Dibb, 2001)
Damo’s Kennels will use integrated marketing communications to market its business and
reach its target audience. The following diagram below is the promotional methods Damo’s
Kennels will use to reach its target audience.
Advertising: Damo’s Kennels will advertise its business through different mediums of
advertising. In order to attract younger people Damo’s Kennels will place a radio advert on
Spin Southwest, Limerick 96Fm and RadioKerry96fm, these advertisements will be directly
aimed at promoting Damo’s kennels to attract young people to avail of the services provided
by Damo’s Kennels as well as promoting publicity of Damo’s Kennels open day. As Damo’s
Kennels also seeks to attract existing greyhound owners an advertisement will be published
in the Sporting Press newspaper as well as advertising on race programmes at Greyhound
stadiums. Furthermore Damo’s Kennels will also engage in signage through a jacket and
signage on the vehicle used to transport the greyhounds as a method of publishing Damo’s
Kennels.
Personal Selling: Damo’s Kennels will use personal selling as a method to attract customers.
This will be conducted through pitching to social clubs to entice staff to get involved in a
greyhound syndicate. This will be a great way of promoting the business as these staff
members will be directly involved and visit the greyhound on a regular basis. Having success
will increase the firm’s involvement and referrals for Damo’s Kennels. Damo’s Kennels will
also create flyers and these will be distributed to customers directly by Damien at Limerick
and Kingdom greyhound stadium to attract customers. Furthermore at both the National
Coursing meeting in Clonmel and the Final of the Greyhound Derby in Shelbourne park a
stall will be set up to sell Damo’s Kennels to the public. With the large attendance at both
these events, it will enable Damo’s Kennels to attract from a large audience.
Public Relations: Damo’s Kennels will host an event at its facilities to publicise and promote
awareness of Damo’s Kennels. Members of the public will be invited to this event which will
entail a talk and practical demonstration on greyhound training by Damien. Barry Coleman,
Welfare Officer with the Irish greyhound Board will attend the event and give a talk in
relation to Welfare Management and regulation of greyhounds. Ballyduff native, avid
greyhound supporter and T.V.3’s “Apprentice” Star Brian Purcell will help raise the profile

25
of the event and Damo’s Kennels. Brian will give a talk on his experiences in greyhounds and
interview the proprietor of Damo’s Kennels. A free bus service will be provided from
participants from the Limerick region as well as free finger food being served on the day.
Direct Marketing: Damo’s Kennels will avail of direct marketing as a method of promotion
to attract customers. This will be achieved through directly marketing Damo’s Kennels on
social media sites and the creation of a website. Facebook, twitter, Linkledn page. These
methods of promotion will directly segment its target audience of young people and existing
greyhound owners. All potential owners can leave a message on the social media sites as well
as information on prices and the services Damo’s Kennels provides as well as pictures of the
facilities will be uploaded for all perspective buyers to view. Regular updates on the social
media sites will be published as a method of communicating with its target audience. Having
a strong online presence will be a U.S.P. for Damo’s Kennels and this method of promotion
will enable Damo’s Kennels to expand its business nationally and internationally with a
larger target audience on social media which will ultimately enable Damo’s Kennels to gain a
competitive advantage over existing greyhound trainers.
People
People are a success factor in the delivery of a service as a service is inseparable from the
person. Damo’s kennels will employ high skilled staff who have a large degree of knowledge
to deliver the service of greyhound training.
It’s the service delivery that defines that success of Damo’s Kennels. Services have values
therefore the service of greyhound training must be conducted in a professional manner to
ensure the success of Damo’s Kennels.
Process
The process of the service delivery is crucial to Damo’s Kennels; it ensures a high- quality
service is delivered to its customers. This involves ensuring all greyhounds at Damo’s
Kennels are trained to meet the expectations of Damo’s Kennels.
The process of Damo’s Kennels will be discussed in detail in the operation section of this
project.

26
Physical Evidence
When marketing a service it is vital for Damo’s Kennels to ensure customers see the physical
evidence. This will involve the customer seeing the infrastructure of the facility, the
equipment used and signage available.
Physical evidence can be seen as a way of creating excitement and confidence towards a
customer.
Physical evidence can also be seen for Damo’s Kennels through the creation of brochures and
flyers as a way of promoting the business. Furthermore kennel jackets with Damo’s Kennels
printed on the jackets will be designed as well as the creation of a logo and signage on the
vehicle used to transport the greyhounds to increase brand awareness of Damo’s Kennels.
3.11 Marketing Tools
The marketing tools for Damo’s Kennels will include:
 Flyers being handed out to existing greyhound owners at both Limerick and Kingdom
greyhound stadium as well as direct mail in the form of an email being addressed to
forth year Business with sport management students and companies with social clubs
to attend an open day which will be run by Damo’s Kennels.
 Furthermore Business cards detailing contact information will be distributed to
greyhound’s stadiums as a method of promoting Damo’s Kennels.
 Social media and a strong online presence will be used as a marketing tool by Damo’s
Kennels through the creation of a website as well as Facebook, twitter and Linkeln
pages.
.

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4.1What is An Operational Plan
An operational plan is a tool used by management to give a clear, detailed picture of how the
management, section or department within the business will contribute to the achievement of
the organisation’s strategic goals. The operational plan is key to the success of the business
and is a fundamental principle when setting up your business. Failing to properly implement
an operational plan or not implementing an operational plan in a professional manner may be
a factor in the failure of the business.
The objective of an operations plan is to specifically deal with internal operations and
resources used to make products and services. The key components used in an operational
plan are:
 Management/Operational Plan
 Production
 Equipment Required
 Facility Requirement
 Legal Environment
 Human Resource Management
(Entrepeneur, 2015)
4.2Organisational Structure
Damo’s Kennels will have a flat organisational structure with the managing director Damien
Lynch at the top and a part-time staff below him. This structure is specifically designed as
this business is small in numbers therefore, allowing all members of staff to work together as
a team in order to make the business successful.
Owner/ Manager
Part- Time

29
4.3 Operations Plan
The operations plan will involve the following:
 The management
 Operations
 Location
 Equipment
 People
 Processes
4.4 The Management
The owner of Damo’s Kennels, Damien Lynch has 10 years’ experience being directly
involved in the training in greyhounds. Furthermore, Damien has management experience in
the Greyhound industry at both Limerick greyhound stadium and Kingdom greyhound
stadium. Therefore the owner has comprehensive knowledge of the greyhound industry at
both management and operational level.
Duties and Responsibilities
Managing Director
As business owner. Damien Lynch will be directly responsible for every aspect of the
business. This will involve being responsible for all aspects of the business operations such as
 Financial Projections
 Marketing and Promoting the business.
 Purchasing and maintaining equipment
 Dealing with customers
 Satisfying Customers’ needs and wants and building quality relationships with
customers
 Develop and implement company procedures
 Developing promotional campaigns to attract new customers in order to achieve sales
goals
 Ensuring all services is conducted in a professional manner.

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Employees
An employee is an individual who has agreed to be employed either full-time or part-time
under a contract of employment oral, written, expresses or implied and has recognised their
rights and duties. (Government, 2015) Employees have the duty to:
 Obey a lawful, reasonable order with the terms of contract of employment
 Co-operate with the employer
 Serve faithfully
 Perform duties assigned with care and diligence
 Account for all money received (Dictionary, 2015)
 Not to misuse any equipment
 Report hazards and any defects in the workplace (Lecturers, 2015)
4.5 Staffing (Including Pay and Benefits)
In year 1 no staff will be required. As the business expands and greyhound numbers increase
one or two staff will be required to deal with the growing greyhound numbers. However, due
to the small scale of the business at present there is no requirement for large numbers of staff.
The manager will conduct all operational duties such as hiring and firing, training staff,
ordering from suppliers and satisfying customers. Damo’s Kennels will advertise for staff in
the local newspapers such as The Kerryman and Kerry’s Eye Newspapers. Damo’s Kennels
will seek staff that are hard-working, team-workers, motivated and honest. The chosen
candidates will have to have experience working in the greyhound industry.
All staff will be paid minimum wage- €8.65 per hour. (Ireland M. G., 2014)
4.6 Operations
The daily operations for the business is to ensure all greyhounds are trained in a professional
manner as well as complying with greyhound welfare regulation. (Board, Welfare Of
Greyhound Act, 2011, 2011) In order to provide a top-quality greyhound training service,
Damo’s kennels needs top- quality equipment in order to conduct its business in a
professional manner and to get the best possible results from the greyhounds which they are
training. Damo’s Kennels have a detailed three year business plan and as part of the plan
future additions will be required to expand the business. Such additions include a dog
walking machine, Timing system for gallop as well as a mechanical lure. The cost for this

31
equipment will range from €6,000-€8,000 depending on what Damo’s Kennels requires at a
particular time to satisfy the needs
Of its customers and to gain new customers. A typical day at Damo’s Kennels includes:
Morning Afternoon Evening
 All greyhounds in
training are given a 3
mile walk at 8.00am
or greyhounds in
training are put on the
treadmill for fifteen
minutes.
 After this all
greyhounds are left
out in Individual runs.
Greyhounds in
training are then put
on a walker for 15
minutes in pairs of 2.
 All kennel blocks are
cleaned to ensure all
greyhounds have a
safe environment
 Greyhounds are
checked for injuries
and pups are regularly
dosed
 Saplings are trained
to the lead as well as
trained on the walker
 All pins and runs are
cleaned up
 All greyhounds in the
vicinity are fed their
evening meal which
varies for the
different types of
greyhounds
 All greyhounds are
then given water to
ensure they have
sufficient levels of
hydration
 Proceeding this all
greyhounds are left
out to gallop freely
 All greyhounds are
then given their
morning feed.
 Race dogs and
saplings are groomed
and cleaned using a
brush and grooming
equipment to remove
excess hair
 Race dogs are either
given a gallop after a
mechanical lure or
taken to the track for
a trial
 Finally all
greyhounds are left
out in individual runs.
 After this activity all
greyhounds are put
indoors prior to
locking up the kennel
area.

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4.7 Location
To accommodate large numbers of greyhounds and their required facilities a rural location
needs to be chosen. Therefore, the business has chosen a rural, quiet area situated in
Clashmealcon, Causeway, County Kerry which will cater for the needs of greyhounds.
Additionally, the facilities come with a kennel block which will cater for up to twenty racing
greyhounds, a 330 yard long grass gallop, pins and runs designed for saplings and a
specialised housing area for pups making this location suitable to cater for the large number
of greyhounds.
Currently the facilities are vacant having previously been used by the owner. The facilities
are well maintained and an additional kennel block was constructed eight years ago to house
more greyhounds. A rent agreement with the owner of the premises has been consolidated for
a three year period, amounting to a cost of €4800 annually for the use of the facilities
excluding utilities. The facilities of the greyhound facility include:
 Kennel Block to accommodate up to and including 18 greyhounds in training
 Sapling and pup confined runs
 Area for breeding brood bitches
 Paddock for retired greyhounds
 330 yard grass gallop
4.8 Equipment
In this section, Damo’s Kennels will discuss all associated costs incurred in the setting up of
the business. Furthermore, we will highlight and discuss the equipment required and the cost
of that equipment. . The equipment which Damo’s Kennels will require is:
 3 dog walking Machine
 Mechanical Lure
 Timing System.
 2 Greyhound trap box
 Ultra Sound
All of the above are training equipment which will be used on a daily basis and beneficial and
will enable Damo’s Kennels to access the performance of greyhound using the mentioned
equipment. This equipment will cost €630.07 and will take up the biggest part of the overall
budget. All equipment for Damo’s Kennels will be purchased in year 1.

33
4.9 Production
Damo’s Kennels will be certified by the Irish greyhound board, this will occur to ensure
Damo’s Kennels is regulated and adhering to welfare management procedures. . The Irish
greyhound Board is a semi- state commercial body responsible for the regulation and
legislation of greyhound racing within the Republic of Ireland. (Board, About IGB , 2015)
This process is conducted by a Stipendiary Steward to grant a public greyhound trainer’s
license. This involves the Stipendiary Steward visiting the kennels and inspecting to
determine whether or not the trainer’s facilities meets with regulatory guidelines. The
granting of this license will enable Damo’s Kennels to conduct greyhound training. (Board,
Greyhound Trainer's Public Licence Application , 2015)
Skilled labour to install the equipment will be required. Skilled labour in the installation of
the equipment is the main priority of Damo’s Kennels. Having component, highly-skilled
installers of the dog walker, timing system is a necessity for Damo’s Kennels because if these
equipment are faulty or not operational it will hinder Damo’s Kennels to avail of the
equipment as well as its ability to train the greyhounds in a professional manner. A
comprehensive breakdown on the cost of equipment and consumables can be found in
Appendix E Pages 97-103
Alge Timing System
Alge timing system will offer Damo’s kennels a unique product. The benefit of the Alge
Timing system are as follows:
 Allows greyhound trainer to calculate performance levels over a sustained period
 Prints out results which can be compared
 Records a split time and an overall time
 Enables trainer to assess the ability of a particular greyhound
 Suitable for both coursing and Track greyhounds
 Cuts down travel expenses as trainer does not have to go to a track for trails
 More efficient and effective than a hand clock (Ireland T. , 2015 )

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Greyhound Trap Box
The three greyhound trap box will be one of the many services used by Damo’s Kennels
during the training of greyhounds. The benefits of the greyhound trap box are as follows:
 Enables the greyhound trainer to use the trap box from home
 Easy to use, the trainer pulls a leaver to release the greyhounds.
 Greyhounds can be nervous at tracks when first using trap box , however using the
product at home reduces the nervous as the greyhounds are familiar with the product
 Trap box will increase a greyhound’s performance. (Racing, 2015)
4.10 Quality Assurance
“Quality assurance is any systematic process of checking to see whether a product or service
being developed is meeting specific requirements”. (Rouse, 2007) In Damo’s Kennels,
management will be devoted to providing quality assurance. Providing Quality Assurance to
all aspects of the business will ensure Damo’s Kennels will gain new customers and allow the
business to expand.
4.11 Quality Control Standards
To meet the highest possible standards, the following Quality Control standards will be
implemented:
 A fire safety statement and certificate will be issued from Kerry County Council
 A certificate from The N.S.A.I. (National Standards Authority of Ireland) will be
received and I.S.O. Standards will be adhered to and regularly inspected. (N.S.A.I.,
2009)
 All equipment used will be regularly checked. If the equipment is faulty they will be
serviced or replaced with new equipment
 All equipment, greyhound supplies and feed will be sourced from local or known
suppliers.
 The kennel block will be inspected and certified by Irish greyhound Board to ensure
the highest of standards.

35
4.12 Insurance
Damo’s Kennels will require Public liability insurance to cover all customers and members
of the public attending Damo’s Kennels in the event of any person that becomes injured as a
result of an accident that occurs on Damo’s Kennels premises. The cost of the public
liability insurance cover per year will cost Damo’s Kennels €225 and this quote was
provided by Clarke&Conlon Insurance Brokers Barrett Street, Balina, Co.Mayo.
4.13 Customer Service
Customer service is the process of ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service.
(Investopedia, 2015).The diagram below illustrates the customer service process which
Damo’s Kennels will undertake.

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4.14 Recruitment
When considering factors such as recruitment, selection and induction training the manager
must abide by legislation that protects employees. The legislation which protects employees
in Ireland is as Follows:
 National Minimum wage Act, 2000. This legislation ensures that all employees are
paid a minimum wage. Currently the minimum wage in Ireland is €8.65 per hour.
(General, 2000)
 Unfair Dismissal Act, 1977- 2001. This legislation protects employees in
employment. All employers under this act must justify the termination of
employment. (Tyrrell, 2011)
 Health and Safety at Work Act, 2005. This legislation protects employees at Work
and protects their welfare and health. (Authority, 2015)
 Employment Equality Act, 1998- This legislation prohibits discrimination of
employees. (Tyrrel, 2011)
4.14 Safety Statement
This statement sets out the health& safety policy of Damo’s Kennels and the process by
which that policy will be conducted. Our objective is to provide a safe working environment
and to implement our health and safety standards. It is Damo’s Kennels main priority to
protect our employees from any accidents which may occur on our premises. Damo’s
Kennels will ensue that all equipment used does not create a health and safety risk to our
employees. Furthermore, all employees will be trained adequately trained to use equipment
so that they do not injure themselves or others.
Damo’s Kennels will carry out a risk assessment in order to minimise the risk of either an
employee or member of the general public getting injured. The risk assessment of Damo’s
Kennels will identify the following areas as potential hazards:
 Slips, trips and falls
 Exposure to chemicals
 Noise such as greyhounds barking this will cause a risk to people with sensitive
hearing
 Fire Hazards =- Identify areas in the Kennel block that are potential fire hazards. All
employees need to receive induction fire training and fire safety drills.

37
 Bites and scratches- All visitors and employees need training to deal with the
temperament of greyhounds.
 Use of hand equipment- All employees need to be adequately trained in the use of
grooming equipment to minimise the risk imposed on themselves and also the
greyhounds. (Data, 2009)
Damo’s Kennels approach to Health& Safety at work will be:
 Provide a safe working environment
 To recognise and control potential hazards
 To prevent any safety, Health and Welfare within the workplace.
 To provide safe access and egress from the facility
 To regular communicate with employees on health and safety issues
 To provide Fire Safety Training days for employees
4.15 Operational Conclusion
The operational plan has outlined in detail the main components of service provision which
Damo’s Kennels has to adhere to in order to provide a high quality service and ensure that all
customers are satisfied with the service. Damo’s Kennels also has to ensure that the services
provided is generating a sufficient income in order to cover the cost of the expenses which
will be incurred as part of running the business. Therefore, Damo’s Kennels has designed a
financial plan which will be discussed in detail in the next chapter.

39
Financials/Detailed Projections
5.1 Introduction
Any business plan must include a detailed forecasted financial position in order to access
areas of opportunities in the future as well as arising financial challenges which the company
is facing. Being able to effectively manage different situations is one of the main tasks in
running a successful business.
Financial statements provide valuable financial information on all aspects of a company from
assets and liabilities to sales and profits. In order to seek loans, Banks may want to view a
company’s financial statement to proceed with a loan application. The reason for this is that
the Bank may want to view the company’s creditability and to ensure they get interest back
from the business.
Year 1 Financials
Through the questionnaires, surveys and market research conducted, it is predicted that
Damo’s kennels will have between 20-30 greyhounds in year one. This is taking into account
all the different classifications of greyhounds from pups up to and including brood bitches.
The price for pups, saplings and brood bitches is €40 per week with racedogs and coursing
dogs on offer for €80 per week. Therefore the predicted generated sales in year one for
Dam’s Kennels is estimated at €56,400
No staff will be required in year one, however the managing director will be paid €10,600 in
year one. In terms of rent, the greyhound facilities will be rented off Dan Lynch and will cost
€5,300 in year one. Electricity will cover all light and heating expenses and will be paid every
two months amounting to €447.48 annually. In year one Damo’s Kennels will have creditors
amounting to €4,999.80
Marketing will be conducted through various marketing channels such as print media, radio
advertising, social media, direct mail as well as an open day event. The open day will cost
€5,623.83 which will involve advertising in Spin South West, Radio Kerry, Limerick95 FM,
Kerry’s Eye newspaper as well as finger food and a bus transporting attendees to the event
from Limerick to raise the profile of Damo’s Kennels.
200 Flyers will be purchased from flyer zone in January costing €199.57.A promotional
jacket will also be purchased in April with Damo’s Kennels embedded on it costing €45.43.

40
More marketing will take place in July 2016, this will involve print an advertisement been
published in the sporting press newspaper for a period of two weeks costs €49.60 as well as
well two advertisements been placed in the race programme at Limerick and Kingdom
greyhound stadiums respectively which will amount to €246.The total cost for marketing in
year one will amount to €6,114.85
Insurance will be obtained for Damo’s Kennels from Clarke and Conlon Insurance brokers.
The quote received for public liability insurance for Damo’s Kennels came to €225 annually
for public liability insurance.
The start the business Damo’s Kennels will take out a loan of €6,000 which will be drawn in
January 2016 with the repayments starting in January. An additional €15,000 will be received
from Mary and Dan Lynch. The interest on the bank loan will be charged 12.99% with the
interest amounting to €779.40 per annum. The repayments will amount to €200.04 monthly.
Equipment will cost €6,306.07, for the breakdown on costs see appendix E pages 97-103.
A Volkswagen caddy van will also be purchased in January 2016 costing €7490.The
breakdown for the cost of the van can be seen in appendix F pages 104-107.
Consumables will also be purchased in year one which will entail leads, collars, muzzles and
grooming accessories and will be used on a daily basis. The cost of the consumables will be
€1207.50
Greyhound feed, supplements and nuts will cost €6545.86.The cost of the supplements will
amount to €516 in year one and will be paid on credit.
To see the statement of income and financial position for the 3 years, ended 31st December
2018 see pages 49-60.

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5.2 Year 2 Financials
Year two will see an increase in sales for Damo’s Kennels. A further litter of pups as well as
an increase in a brood bitch will help increase the sales of Damo’s Kennels in year two. The
price of availing of the service of Damo’s Kennels greyhound training facility will stay the
same at €40 for pups, saplings and brood and €80 for trackdogs and coursing dogs
respectively. Predicted sales in year two are estimated at € 68,080.00
All the equipment purchased in year one will be used to facilitate the training needs in year
two and three. All consumables also purchased in year one will also be used in year two and
three. For example, muzzles, collars and leads were purchased in quantities of 10 to meet the
demands as well as to cater for the increase in greyhound numbers. Ultimately this means that
there will be no cost in equipment or consumables in year two even though Damo’s Kennels
will be expanding and increasing greyhound numbers.
No extra staff will be required in year two. The manager director’s wage salary will increase
to €15,900 in year two.
In year two Damo’s Kennels vehicle will be caged out to cater for the needs of the
greyhounds. The cage will be divided in two with a partition and will give greyhounds more
comfort when travelling. The cost of this cage will be €350 and will be purchased from
greyhound engineering.
Damo’s Kennels will be promoted through print media again in year 2 with advertisements in
both the Limerick Leader and Kerry’s Eye. Furthermore an advertisement will also be
produced in the Sporting press newspaper and on race programmes at both Limerick and
Kingdom greyhound stadiums in June. Furthermore flyers will again be designed in year two
as well as vehicle signage which will cost €4,4438. All of this promotion will cost €4,735.96
All other expenses from year one will remain the same. These expenses include electricity
which will stay at €447.48, rent will also stay at €225 for the year. The cost of feed,
supplements and nuts will increase from year one due to an increase in the number of
greyhounds in training and will amount to €6,745.72
.Bank repayments on the loan will remain at €200.04 and the phone bill will also remain at
€360 annually. Additionally a further €5,000 of the €15,000 loan which was received from
Mary and Dan Lynch in year one will be paid back in year two.

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5.3 Year 3 Financials
Year 3 will see Damo’s Kennels expand its business from the previous year. This will involve
boosting sales returns from year two. The predicted sales figure estimated for Damo’s
Kennels in year two was €67,440 and this is estimated to increase to €76,800. This will result
in an extra coursing and trackdogs being trained as well as an extra litter of pups being reared
as well as five brood bitches in total being pupped down.
Year 3 will see no price change with pups, saplings and brood bitches remaining at €40 per
week. Furthermore coursing and trackdog will also remain the same as year one and two
costing €80 per week. Additionally, from the first two years all payment was received within
the month however in year 3 debtors will be introduced and will see payment for pup rearing
been received a month in arrears .This figure will amount to €5120 in year three.
The official website of Damo’s Kennels as well as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages
created will be used more in year three as marketing tool to further enhance Damo’s Kennels
online presence and to expand the business internationally with a further pool of customers
online. A radio advertisements will run on Radio Kerry for a week in January and June as
well as 100 flyers will be purchased costing €93. The total amount for both the flyers and the
radio advertisement will amount to €1,017.17.A print advertisement will run for three
months in year three to broadcast Damo’s Kennels nationally which will cost €2,100 and will
be paid in full in September. The total cost of promoting Damo’s Kennels in year three will
be € 3,117.17
An additional staff member will also be required in year three on a part-time basis, two days a
week. The cost of hiring this staff member will differ by month depending on the numbers off
weeks in the particular month. The total amount of wages in year three will amount to
€25,426.80
All other expenses from year one and year two will remain the same. These expenses include
electricity which will stay at €447.48, rent will also stay at €225 for the year. Feed
supplements and nuts will increase from year due to the influx of greyhounds in training and
will amount to €7,039.42.
Bank repayments will be equal with year amounting to €200.04 and the phone bill will
remain at €360 annually. The remaining €5,000 from the initial €15,000 received from Mary
and Dan Lynch will be paid off in year three.

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5.4 Funding Proposal
A bank loan of €6,000 will be sought from Allied Irish Bank in January 2016. A further
€15,000 will be given from my parents in year one which will be repaid within three years
excluding interest. These sources of finance will be used to start up the business and to pay
for the following expenses:
 Equipment
 Wages
 Insurance
 Utility Bills
 Maintenance
 Van
The loan will be paid back in full over three year. The interest rate for the bank loan will be
12.99% and the repayments will amount to €200.04 a month over 36 months.

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Damo’s Kennels Cash Budget 2016

45

46

56
6. Conclusion and
Recommendations

57
6.1 Conclusion
In conclusion, Damo’s Kennels has the potential to become a successful profitable business
provided that all steps outlined in the marketing plan are carried out and that a full review
process of the marketing plan is conducted to ensure that a comprehensive evaluation of the
marketing plan is undertaken. Furthermore this will allow Damo’s Kennels the opportunity to
highlight any flaws in the marketing plan and come up with solutions to recifity these faults.
As Damo’s Kennels is providing a service of greyhound training, ultimately service provision
is the most important element of the business. The managing director and any part-time staff
hired will be trained in customer service and service provision to achieve the highest
greyhound training service to all its customers.
Safety is a key issue in any business and these facilities at Damo’s Kennels rely on safety as a
driving force for the business. Damo’s Kennels will conduct a risk assessment and write up a
health and safety statement as well as abide by health and safety regulations and demonstrate
safe working practices on the facilities from day one.
The main objective of any business is to generate profits and is essential for any business’
survival. From the market research compiled as part of this business plan, Damo’s Kennels
has the potential to become profitable in year 1 and from then on sales will increase to
become one of the leading greyhound training facilities.

58
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61
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63
Appendix A- Marketing Financials

70
Damo’s Kennels Open Day Agenda
Saturday, January 10, 2015
10.am All attendees will arrive at Damo’s Kennels and are greeted by Damien.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
10.30am-12.00pm
All guests will be given tea/Coffee on arrival in advance to the formal
proceedings.
Guests will then be given a guided tour of the facilities by Damien.
All areas for the different specifications of greyhounds will be show,
instructed as well as a talk on how Damo’s Kennels operates it training
will be given by Damien
A practical demonstration on how greyhounds are trained using the
equipment will be conducted on the day by Damien.
12-00pm-1.00pm Break For Lunch
1.00pm-2.00pm
Talk by Barry Coleman Welfare and Regulation Officer with the Irish
Greyhound Board will take place on the day. This will entail Barry
discussing proper greyhound training methods, regulation involved in
greyhounds as well as proper welfare management. Furthermore Barry
will give advice to Damien as well as potential greyhound owners.
2.00pm-3.00pm
Brian Purcell Ballyduff native and “Apprentice “star will give a talk on his
background and involvement in greyhounds. Brian will also interview
Damien on his aspirations for his business.
3.00pm-3.30pm
3.30pm-4.30pm
4.30pm
Dinner
Damien will give all potential and existing greyhound owners attending
the open day to ask any relevant questions to relation to his greyhound
facility. As well as that any attendees interested in availing of Damo’s
Kennels service can speak to Damien on the day of the open day and he
will accommodate you
Conclusion.

73
Orla Strumble,
Irish Greyhound Board,
Greenpark,
Co. Limerick.
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry
19-02-2015
Dear Damien,
Thank you for your enquiry in relation to placing an advertisement on the race programme at
both Limerick and Kingdom greyhound stadiums. At the Irish greyhound board we have set
rates for business’ advertising on our race programmes. You stated to me that you were
looking to place a 70mm advertisement on our race programme, therefore the cost of this
advertisement would be €50 for the advertisement plus 23% vat which amounts to €61.50.
However this only covers one track so to advertise in both the race programmes at both
Limerick and Kingdom Greyhound stadium the advertisement would cost you €123
I hope this information is useful to you. Furthermore I personally and all here at the Irish
Greyhound Board wish you the best of luck with your business. I hope you gain customers
from the promotion of your business on our race programmes. Best of luck with your
business
Kind Regards
Orla Strumble
Irish Greyhound Board

74
` Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
Co.Kerry
Limerick Institute Of Technology,
Moylish,
Old Cratloe Road,
Co. Limerick,
Re: Damo’s Kennels Open Day
Dear Student,
I wish to inform you of Damo’s Kennels opening day on the 18th
of June which is taking
place at Clashmealcon, Causeway County Kerry. This exciting enterprise has been developed
and designed by fourth year Business with Sport Management Damien Lynch. This business
entails all aspects of greyhound training. Therefore I welcome all students to come and visit
the facilities and experience a day and learn about greyhound training.
This event will be free of charge to all patrons attending and a full visit of the kennels and
facilities at Damo’s Kennels will occur on the day. A guided tour of all areas throughout the
facilities will be conducted by the owner showing all kennelling areas, housing areas for
pups, saplings, racedogs as well as retired greyhounds
Furthermore Welfare officer with the Irish Greyhound Board Barry Coleman will give a talk
about welfare and regulation of greyhounds. ”Apprentice” star Brian Purcell will also give a
talk about his greyhound background and will add to the profile of the event. Free finger will
also be provided on the day of the event.
Thank you for taking time out to read this mail and hope to see on at the Event on June 18th
Kind regards
Damien Lynch

75
Appendix B- Bank Loan interest and Repayments

76
Appenix C- Social Media and Website

83
Appendix D- Letters of Recommendation
J. J O ‘Carroll,
Kilmore,
Ballyduff,
County Kerry.
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry.
12-01-2015
Dear Damien,
In relation to your upcoming greyhound facility established at Clashmealcon, Causeway
County Kerry We would be interested in purchasing three pups per year in the first three
years of your start-up Greyhound project. Having viewed the kennels recently we are
satisfied with the standard of the breeding paddock as well as the kennelling area is of
professional standard and meets with greyhound regulations and welfare.
In the first year of your business I wish to purchase three coursing pups bred by mafi magic
and Quality and Goldin year 2 we will purchase track pups bred by Ballymac Vic and
Homestead Pearl. Finally in three year we will purchase two track pups and one coursing pup
will this is not an equal mix of quantity between the two identities , coursing only coursing
between October until February therefore limiting the time of running while track occurs all
year round ultimately giving more opportunities for success. .
We look forward to doing business with you and let’s hope it brings many successful days in
the track and coursing fields of Ireland. Thanks for your assistance and help
Kind Regards
J.J. O’Carroll

84
Kieran O’ Connor,
Ardoughter ,
Ballyduff,
County Kerry
Damo’ Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry,
12-02-2015
Dear Damien,
I am a greyhound owner in the North Kerry region. Having heard about your recent facilities
I would like you to pup down a brood bitch for me. The brood bitch is currently close to
having pups however I do not have the facilities required to rear pups or pup down brood
bitches.
The pups will be offspring’s of Ballmac Vic x Homestead Diva. This will be my first full
litter as previously I had bought pups when they were reared. However this time I would like
to experience rearing pups so I am just asking you to rear the pups for the first six week of
their life. Once the pups are strong enough I will then be able to rear them myself.
Finally I am grateful to you for providing this facility and look forward to dealing with you in
the future
Kind regards
Kieran O Connor

85
Dairymaster,
Causeway,
Co.Kerry
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
Co.Kerry
20-02-2015
Dear Damien,
As an employee and a dedicated greyhound follower I would like to give you to opportunity
to train a greyhound for a number of Dairymaster employees. Here at Dairymaster we
participate in a number of social activities away from the workplace to bring all staff and
management together in a friendly environment. We may pride in what we do and like to
support local initiatives and local businesses as best we can.
Therefore, as your business Damo’s Kennels is both local and a start-up we want to support
you by forming a syndicate and getting you to train the greyhound. Furthermore as you are a
local trainer and this will make the project more exciting as we will be able to see the
greyhound galloping and trialling on a regular basic and we will get actively involved. The
greyhound which we have chosen is a trackdog and will be named “Dairymaster Damo”.
Kind Regards
Dairymaster Employees

86
Fexaco,
Kilorgin,
County Kerry
.
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway ,
County Kerry
14-02-2015
Dear Damien,
As part of our social club at Fexaco we have decided to form a greyhound syndicate which
we want you to train for us. This is an exciting project which all staff within the prize bond
department are really looking forward to. This social club initiative will enable all staff to
come together with a mutual interest as well as financially supporting your business.
The greyhound which we want trained will be a trackdog. Furthermore, we will regularly
attend your facilities to view the greyhound’s progress and watch him being galloped.
Additionally the chief executive officer, managing directors and all other staff were very
impressed with your pitch, your professional facilities and the standard of care you give to
every greyhound
Finally, we will recommend you as a greyhound trainer to other local businesses in the
locality. We look forward to this exciting prospect and we at Fexaco hope it brings success to
both you as a greyhound trainer and us as a greyhound owners.
Kind regards
Fexaco Employees

87
Financial Services,
Kilarney,
County Kerry
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry
15-02-2015
Dear Damien,
As a company, western union is involved in many social corporate initiatives which help
local communities. Furthermore we as an institution co-ordinate and initiate the transfer of
money internationally. With this success we firmly believe we need to support local, small
start- up business where we can brings our expertise while also creating a social club activity
for all of staff. We are excited to getting involved with Damo’s Kennels through the
establishment of the Western Union greyhound syndication.
We want you to train a track dog for us which will be named “Western Alive” as it will
incorporate an aspect of our company. Furthermore we will regularly come to visit the
greyhound and see how he is progressing. Our senior financial advisor, managing director
and a number of staff viewed your facilities and were highly impressed with your kennel
layout.
Finally, we look forwards to dealing with you.
Kind regards
Western Union Employees

88
John O’Rourke,
Tower Drive,
Ballyduff,
County Kerry
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry,
03-03-2015
Dear Damien,
I recently heard about your establishment Damo’s Kennels which will cater for all aspects of
greyhound training from rearing pups to catering for retired greyhounds. At present I have a
number of greyhounds pups both coursing and track which need to be reared. As I do not
have the adequate facilities and resources to rear greyhound pups I would like you to rear
these pups for me.
I also will give you two greyhound pups to rear for the first three years of your business, one
of which will be a coursing pup with the other being a track pup. As you have the facilities to
cater for rearing such as isolated pins and plenty of freedom this will enable the pups to
prosper and develop into potentially strong greyhounds.
I look forward to doing business with you and best of luck with your venture
Kind Regards
John O’Rourke

89
Murt O’ Sullivan,
Derryra,
Ballyduff,
County Kerry
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry
06-03-2015
Dear Damien,
As discussed previously with you I have decided to give you two track greyhounds to train
for me per year for the first three years of your business. Having viewed your facilities at
Clashmealcon, Causeway County Kerry I am very happy and satisfied with the facilities
which you have at your disposal.
Finally, with the top class facilities and resources which you possess such as grass gallop,
runs, top-class kennelling block, walking machine and trap box I firmly believe you have the
competences to attract large numbers of greyhounds.
Best of luck with your new business venture and I hope our partnership brings success in the
sport of greyhound racing.
Kind Regards
Murt O’Sullivan

90
Michael O’Sullivan,
Ballyduff,
County Kerry.
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry.
18-02-2015
Dear Damien,
I am writing to you in relation to your greyhound training facility which you have established
in the North Kerry region which will incorporate all aspects of greyhound training. I am an
avit greyhound follower for the last number of years. I purchased two greyhound pups a
number of weeks ago which need to be reared. As i do not have facilities to rear greyhound
pups i would like you to rear these pups for me.
Furthermore i would like you to train two greyound track pups for me for the first three years
of your business. As i am also located in the North Kerry region this will give me an
opportunity to visit the pups on a regular basis as well as to see how the pups are coming
along
Finally as i am new to the sport of greyhound racing i will encourage freinds of mine to get
involved in the sport and refer you as a greyhound trainer to them. In this way we can
develop a prosperus working relationship which hopefully will bring sucesss to both you as a
greyhound trainer and me a greyhound owner.
Kind regards
Michael O’Sullivan

91
Liam Walsh,
Listowel,
County Kerry
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry.
21-02-2015
Dear Damien ,
I have a number of greyhound saplings which need to be reared in a professional manner,
however i do not have facilities to accomodate their needs so i will be giving you three
coursing saplings to rear for the first three years of your business. Having viewed your
kenneling facilities at Clashmealcon, Causeway i am very impressed with the standard of care
which you give to each greyhounds and the specifically designed pins to rear pups and
saplings.
Additionally with your facilities i have noticed the freedom in which you give saplings to
adapt to their enviroment. Furthermore i saw the feeding requirments which you feed saplings
and the operational training which you give saplings such as training to lease as well as
maintainance which enables them to reach their potential prior to racing.
I look forward to dealing with you in the future
Kind regards
Liam Walsh

92
Appendix E- Equipment and Consumables Cost

99
Appendix F – Vehicle Cost and Signage

104
Appendix G- Greyhound nuts and Feed Prices

106
Appendix H- Greyhound Trainer’s Letter and Public Trainer’s Licence
Liam Dowling.
Ballymac,
County Kerry.
Damo’s Kennels,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
County Kerry
Dear Damien ,
With twenty years experience training greyhound i believe i have knowlege to assist you and
advice you on the best practices for greyhound training.
First of all in order to make a reasonable profit from greyhounds a weekly minimium fee of
€80 should be implied to train all racedogs. The reason for this cost is because, all racedogs
are fed with high quality feed, chicken and given protein and vitamins. Therefore taking into
consideration the costs associated with this high-quality protein diet a greyhound trainer
would require €80 to meet the costs incurred and to make a reasonable .
All pups, saplings and whelping greyhounds differ in price to racedogs. The simple reason for
this price differentiation is that pups, saplings and whelphing greyhounds are not fed with
high-quality feed instead are fed with a more nut based meal with chicken for pups and
saplings while whelphing greyounds ie brood bitches are given supplements as well as nuts .
Furthermore the price iof €40 for pups, saplings and whelping is because these greyhounds
are not racing and therfore arent fed with performacance feed and supplements .
Finally all pups should be dosed after six weeks and every 2 months after this. I hope the
information provided in this letter is beneficial for you.
Kind regards
Liam Dowling

108
Irish Greyhound Board
Mr. Damien Lynch,
Clashmealcon,
Causeway,
Co.Kerry
09/01/2015
Dear Geoff,
I refer to your application for a public’s Trainer’s licence and I enclose herewith licence
number 868 for 2015.
I enclose monthly returns sheets in which you are required to record the greyhounds trained
by you and forward to these offices in the first week of each month. Again even if you have
no greyhounds in training, please return marked “No greyhounds in training at present”. The
columns “Date of Arrival” and “Date of Departure” only need to be used when new
greyhounds come in and when they leave. Failure to forward these returns will be considered
a breach of the Greyhound Trainer’s Regulations.
These returns are required in order to keep our database up to date and to effect correct
fortnightly payments by Bord nag Con to you under the 10% Licensed Public Trainer’s
Scheme. Under this scheme, 10% is deducted from all prize-money won by greyhounds
which are trained by licensed Public Trainers and paid directly to you once a fortnight.
When a greyhound arriving at your premises has already been entered for a race, it is your
duty to notify the Racing Manager at the track or tracks which the greyhound has been
entered, that the greyhound has come under your control. If you’ve any queries at any time,
please contact me
Yours sincerely,
Barry Coleman
Welfare and Racing Support Manager

109
Appendices I Results from Questionnaire
70%
30%
Q.1 Are you Male or Female?
Male
Female
80%
20%
Q.2 Do you think there is a shortage of greyhound
trainers?
Yes
No

110
72%
28%
Q.3 Is this Location Appropriate for a greyhound
Facility?
Yes
No
52%
10%
10%
8%
14%
6%
Q.4 What type of greyhound would you be interested in?
Trackdog
Coursing Dog
Sapling
Pup
Retired Greyhound
Brood Bitch

111
Q.6 How much would you be willing to pay per week for pups, saplings, retired
greyhounds and brood bitches?
2%
2%
10%
86%
Q.5 How Much would you be Willing to pay per week
for Coursing and Trackdogs?
110
100
90
80
66
4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
70
60
50
40

112
30%
30%
40%
Q.7 In your Opinion what makes a greyhound facility?
Up to date equipment
knowledgable Trainer
Required Facilities
80%
20%
Q.8 Would you refer Damo's Kennels to greyhound
owners?
Yes
No

113
Appendix J Survey Results
74%
26%
Q.1 What is your Gender?
Male
Female
68%
32%
Q.2 Do you think that there is a shortage of greyhound
facilities in Ireland?
Yes
No

114
2%
4%
12%
20%
62%
Q.3 Which of these is the Least Popular Sport?
Rugby
Soccer
Golf
Horse Racing
Greyhound Racing
2%
13%
17%
68%
Q.4 How much you be Willing to pay per week for
pups, saplings, brood bitches and retired
greyhounds?
70
60
50
40

115
8%
12%
11%
69%
Q.5 How much would be Willing to pay for a coursing/
trackdog?
110
100
90
80
74%
26%
Q.6 Would you be satisfied with these prices taking into
consideration feeding costs?
Yes
No

116
48%
18%
10%
18%
6%
Q.7 What category of greyhound would you have
trained for you?
Trackdog
Coursing Dog
Sapling
Pup
Retired Dog
40%
60%
Q.8Would you be Interested in attending an open Day
Event at Damo's Kennels
Yes No

117
Appendix K-Interview
Interview with Daniel Brasill successful greyhound trainer.
D.L Q.1 Hi Daniel, how are you? Thank you for taking time out to conduct this interview. So
Daniel when did you first get involved in greyhounds?
D.B No problem Damien, I’m glad to help. Well I first get involved in greyhounds as a child
during the 1970’s. My father reared and trained greyhounds as did his father before him so it
was a natural sport to get involved in.
D.L Q.2 What motivated you to choose a career as a greyhound trainer?
D.B My father had a number of successful greyhounds so I wanted to follow that path and to
be recognised as a greyhound trainer myself. The dream of success is properly the biggest
factor that persuaded me to choose greyhound training as a career.
D.L Q.3 so when did u first take out your greyhound training licence?
D.B I first took out a trainer’s licence in 1990. I started out training a number of local
greyhounds in the area and gradually grew as the years went by due to hard work and
contacts I have built up in the sport.
D.L Q.4 What was the most successful greyhound you have trained?
D.B. The most successful greyhound I have trained without Doubt has to be Eshwary Ando
who won the Irish Cup in 2003. This was a fantastic moment not only for the owners of the
greyhound but for me personally as the Irish Cup is regarded as the top prize in the sport of
greyhound racing. Winning this as a greyhound was what I always dreamed of and something
I will never forget.
D.L Q.5 Have you seen many changes in the training of greyhounds?
D.B Yes, many changes have occurred in the training of greyhounds. When I first started out
training greyhounds it was more of a past-time sport than a full-time career. However now
with the feeding costs associated with greyhound training and added competition greyhound
training has become more professional in every aspect.
D.L Q.6 What does your typical day involve?

118
D.B My typical day starts at 6.30am where all greyhounds are left out in their individual pins
followed by walking and galloping of race greyhounds. After this activity all greyhounds are
fed. After morning feeding saplings are trained to the lead and pups are either dosed or
vaccinated. The afternoon involved either trailing dogs at the local track in Tralee and then
feeding in the evening time after this all greyhounds are checked proceeding this they are all
locked up for the night.
Q.7 D.L How many staff have you?
D.B I have one full –time member of staff who is at the facility Monday-Friday from 8-6 and
who undertakes operational duties. Furthermore with additional workload at weekends such
as going racing checking dog’s condition with vets I hire an additional staff member on a
part-time basis On Saturdays and Sundays from 8-6.
Q.8 D.L Finally if you were giving advice to any young greyhound fanatic thinking out
choosing a career in greyhound training what would it be?
D.B A career as a greyhound trainer is very time consuming as it involves 7 days a week, 365
days a year. Furthermore you have to be motivated and hard working in order to be a
successful greyhound trainer. When I first got involved in greyhound training I did not realise
the work involved in greyhound training but with hard work and motivation you can get a
great career out of greyhound training.

119
Appendix L- Insurance Cost and Electricity Cost
Electricity bill amounts to 447.48 annually. 186.43*6*0.40%=447.48

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