Various Plant & Office Equipment Business Plan [Sample Template]

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Are you about starting a various plant and office equipment business? If YES, here is a complete sample various plant and office equipment business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

There are businesses that someone with little schooling and no serious business background and training can start. One of such businesses is to open a various plant & office equipment supply business. The major things you need to have in place to make success from this type of business is a good location, wholesale supply of quality plants & office equipment, good customer service and accounting skills.

The truth is that if your shop is located in an area with loads of office facilities, and you have quality plants & office equipment from different brands, you may not struggle to get people to visit your store. Below is a sample various plant & office equipment business plan template that will help you successfully write yours without much stress;

A Sample Various Plant & Office Equipment Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

Various plant and office equipment business is part of the Copier & Office Equipment Wholesaling industry and players in this industry wholesale a range of office equipment, such as calculators, dictating machines, mail machines and point-of-sale systems.

Note that this industry does not include wholesale office furniture, computers, computer software and peripheral equipment, stationery or other office supplies.

In the united states of America, the industry generates over $39 billion annually from more than 10,961 copier and office equipment wholesaling companies. The industry is responsible for the employment of over 111,199 people. Experts project that the industry will grow at a -1.8 percent annual rate between 2014 and 2019.

The establishment in this industry that has dominant market shares in the United States of America are Office Depot Inc., Canon Inc., Pitney Bowes Inc., Xerox Corporation and HP Inc. A recent report published by IBISWORLD shows that over the five years to 2019, the Copier and Office Equipment Wholesaling industry has experienced declining product demand despite improving macroeconomic conditions.

At the outset of the period, the industry experienced slow growth amid moderate increases in the number of businesses and aggregate private investment. This growth drove companies to expand and increase hiring, which further fueled industry growth.

This change sparked increased demand for office supplies and equipment to accommodate more workers and improve productivity. However, overall demand has been siphoned away from industry wholesalers as more companies have turned to digital products for their office needs. As a result, revenue is expected to have declined at an annualized rate.

A close study of the Copier & Office Equipment Wholesaling industry reveals that the barriers to entering the Copier & Office Equipment Wholesaling industry are moderate. The importance of brand identity is minimal, because customers are concerned more with quality and price.

The low cost of customer switching will further ease the entry of new companies into the market. Switching costs are incidental and associated with changing transportation and communication systems.

Low switching costs encourage greater industry competition because new companies can more easily entice customers away from existing operators. The report also stated that operators experience stringent regulatory controls and relatively high fixed costs, including warehousing technology, transportation equipment and complex machinery.

Various plant & office equipment business is a profitable business and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come in and establish his or her business; you can choose to start on a small scale in a street corner or you can choose to start on a large scale with several outlets in key cities through the United States of America.

2. Executive Summary

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is a registered plant and office equipment retail business that will be located in one of the busiest streets in Tucson – Arizona.

We have been able to lease a facility that is big enough (a 5 thousand square foot facility) to fit into the kind of retail store that we intend launching and the facility is located in a corner piece close to the largest business district in Tucson – Arizona.

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will retail a wide array of plants and office equipment from different manufacturers in the United States and abroad. We are set to service a wide range of clientele in and around Tucson – Arizona.

We are aware that there are several plant and office equipment retail outlets all around Tucson – Arizona, which is why we spent time and resources to conduct a thorough feasibility studies and market survey so as to be well positioned to favorably compete with all our competitors.

We have an online – service option for our customers, and our outlet is well secured with various payments of options. Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will ensure that all our customers are given first class treatment whenever they visit our store.

We have a CRM software that will enable us manage a one on one relationship with our customers no matter how large they may grow to. We will ensure that we get our customers involved in the selection of brands that will be in our store.

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our customers’ needs precisely and completely whenever they patronize our plants and office equipment.

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is owned by Jim Barry and his immediate family members. Jim Barry has a B.Sc. in Business Administration, with over 5 years’ experience in the retailing industry, working for some of the leading brands in the United States.

Although the business is launching out with just one outlet in Tucson – Arizona, but there is a plan to open other outlets around major cities in the United States.

3. Our Products and Services

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is in the plant and office equipment retail business to service a wide range of clients and of course to make profits, which is why we will ensure we make available a wide range of plants and office equipment from top manufacturing brands in the United States and other countries of the world. Our product offerings are listed below;

Accounting, addressing, bookkeeping, blueprinting equipment, dictating and mailing machine wholesaling
ATM, cash register, coin sorting, copying machine and check handling machine wholesaling
Business machine and equipment (except computers) wholesaling
Calculator and calculating machine wholesaling
Form handling and time recording machine wholesaling
Microfilm equipment and supplies wholesaling
Point-of-sale terminal wholesaling
Postage meter wholesaling
Security safe wholesaling
Various plants

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

Our vision is to become one of the leading brands in the plant and office equipment retail business in Arizona and to establish a one stop plant and office equipment retail store in Tucson – Arizona and in other key cities in the United States of America.
Our mission is to establish a world – class plant and office equipment retail store that will make available a wide range of office equipment and plants from top manufacturing brands at affordable prices in the United States of America where we intend opening of chains of stores.

Our Business Structure

Our intention of starting a plant and office equipment retail business is to build a standard and one stop plant and office equipment retail store in Tucson – Arizona.

Although our store might not be as big as Office Depot Inc., Canon Inc., Pitney Bowes Inc., Xerox Corporation and HP Inc. et al, but will ensure that we put the right structures in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business.

We will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all our stakeholders.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
Store Manager
Human Resources and Admin Manager
Merchandize Manager
Sales and Marketing Manager
Accountants/Cashiers
Sales Agents/Customer Services Executive
Cleaners

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
Responsible for providing direction for the business
Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
Evaluates the success of the organization
Reports to the board

Admin and HR Manager

Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
Carrying out induction for new team members
Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Store Manager:

Responsible for managing the daily activities in the store
Ensures that proper records of plants and office equipment are kept and warehouse does not run out of products
Ensure that the store facility is in tip top shape and goods are properly arranged and easy to locate
Control plants and office equipment distribution and supply chain inventory
Supervise the workforce in the medical equipment retail sales floor.

Merchandize Manager

Manage vendor relations, market visits, and the ongoing education and development of the organizations’ buying teams
Help to ensure quality plants and office equipment from different manufacturers are purchased and retailed in good price
Responsible for planning sales, monitoring inventory, selecting the merchandise, and writing and pricing orders to vendors
Ensures that the organization operates within stipulated budget.

Sales and Marketing Manager

Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
Document all customer contact and information
Represent the company in strategic meetings
Help increase sales and growth for the company

Accountant/Cashier:

Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
Provides management with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
Responsible for administering payrolls
Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
Handles all financial transactions for the organization
Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive

Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
Through interaction with customers on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
Manages administrative duties assigned by the human resources and admin manager in an effective and timely manner
Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to customers when they make enquiries (answer customer queries regarding the store and the merchandise)
Find out the customer’s needs, recommend, select and help locate the right merchandise, describe a product’s features and benefits.
Make suggestions and encourage purchase of products
Provide information about warranties, manufacturing specifications, care and maintenance of merchandise and delivery options

Cleaners:

Responsible for cleaning the plants, office equipment and the store facility at all times
Ensure that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
Cleans both the interior and exterior of the store facility
Handle any other duty as assigned by the store manager.

6. SWOT Analysis

Our intention of starting just one outlet of our store is to test run the business for a period of 2 to 5 years to know if we will invest more money, expand the business and then open other outlets. We are quite aware that there are several plant and office equipment retail stores all over Tucson and even close to same location where we intend locating ours, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be equipped to confront our threats.

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in retailing to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives. This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc.;

Strength:

Our location, the business model we will be operating, varieties of payment options, wide range of plants and office equipment and our excellent customer service culture will count as a strong strength for us. Also, our team of highly qualified staff are also a plus for us.

Weakness:

A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new plant and office equipment retail store outlet in Tucson – Arizona and we don’t have the financial capacity to compete with multi – million outlets like Office Depot Inc., Canon Inc., Pitney Bowes Inc., Xerox Corporation and HP Inc. and co when it comes to retailing at a rock bottom prices.

Opportunities:

Aggregate private investment measures the amount of spending on physical structures, equipment and software by various businesses. An increase in private investment indicates that businesses may be purchasing more copiers and other office equipment, driving up wholesale demand.

Aggregate private investment is expected to increase in 2019, representing a potential opportunity to the industry. We have been able to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey and we know what our clients will be looking for when they visit our store; we are well positioned to take on the opportunities that will come our way.

Threat:

As businesses continue to turn to e-commerce platforms and digital interfacing, demand for physical printed material declines.

It has become more efficient for a range of industries to facilitate the sale of their products and services online, so businesses have less need for mailing systems and multifunction copier machines. The percentage of services conducted online is expected to increase in 2019, posing a significant threat to the industry.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trends

If you are conversant with the plants and office equipment retail business, you will quite agree that most shops usually locate their stores close to business and office facilities; it enables them make quick sales.

Also, the need to meet up with international best practices and conforming with the regulatory authority will result in revenue growth, but profit margins will stagnate as plant and office equipment retail stores keep prices low to attract more sales amid growing competition.

A close watch on business activities reveal that the industry has indeed done pretty well due to the strong demand for efficient plants and office equipment. As part of marketing strategies, plant and office equipment retail stores engage in massive discount sales to attract customers. It is a strategy that helps them welcome new customers and also reinforce the loyalty of old customers.

The plant and office equipment retail landscape has seen tremendous changes in the last 20 years; it has grown from the smaller outlets to a more organized and far reaching venture. The introduction of franchise and online store makes it easier for a retailer to reach out to a larger market far beyond the areas where their physical retail store is located.

8. Our Target Market

We have positioned our plant and office equipment retail store to service businesses in the corporate industry in and around Tucson – Arizona. We have conducted our market research and feasibility studies and we have ideas of what our target market would be expecting from us. We are in business to retail a wide range of plants and office equipment to the following customers;

Offices
Business centers
Schools

Our Competitive Advantage

A close study of the plant and office equipment retail store reveals that the market has become much more intensely competitive over the last decade. As a matter of fact, you have to be highly creative, customer centric and proactive if you must survive in this industry.

We are aware of the stiff competition and we are prepared to compete favorably with other leading stores in Tucson – Arizona. We will ensure that we have a wide range of plants and office equipment from leading manufacturers available in our store at all times. It will be difficult for customers to visit our retail store and not see what they are looking for.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives. We will also give good working conditions and commissions to freelance sales agents that we will recruit from time to time.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Sources of Income

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is in business to retail a wide range of plants and office equipment in and around Tucson – Arizona. We are in the industry to maximize profits and we are going to ensure that we achieve or business goals and objectives. Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will generate income by selling the following products;

Accounting, addressing, bookkeeping, blueprinting equipment, dictating and mailing machine wholesaling
ATM, cash register, coin sorting, copying machine and check handling machine wholesaling
Business machine and equipment (except computers) wholesaling
Calculator and calculating machine wholesaling
Form handling and time recording machine wholesaling
Microfilm equipment and supplies wholesaling
Point-of-sale terminal wholesaling
Postage meter wholesaling
Security safe wholesaling
Various plants

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain when it comes to plant and office equipment retail stores, if your store is stocked with various types of plants and office equipment and is centrally positioned, you will always attract customers.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Tucson – Arizona and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base.

We have been able to examine the plant and office equipment retail stores industry, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to plant and office equipment retail startups in the United States;

First Fiscal Year (FY1): $350,000
Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $950,000
Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $1.9 million

N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor retailing same brands as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Before choosing a location for Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. we conducted a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to penetrate the available market and become the preferred choice in and around Tucson – Arizona.

We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the number of customers we want to attract per time. Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to win customers over;

Introduce our plant and office equipment retail store by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to offices, business centers, schools and key stakeholders in and around Tucson – Arizona
Ensure that we have a wide range of plants and office equipment from different brands at all times.
Make use of attractive handbills to create awareness and also to give direction to our store
Position our signage/flexi banners at strategic places around Tucson – Arizona
Position our greeters to welcome and direct potential customers
List our business and products on yellow pages ads (local directories)
Leverage on the internet to promote our business
Engage in direct marketing and sales
Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)
Join local chambers of commerce and industries to network and market our products

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Despite the fact that our store is well located, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for the business. Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. has a long-term plan of opening outlets in various locations all around Arizona and key cities in the United States which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Tucson before venturing out.

As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for winning customers over but to effectively communicate our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc.;

Place adverts in community based newspapers, radio and TV stations.
Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Google+ and other platforms to promote our business.
Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Tucson – Arizona
Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
Advertise our plant and office equipment retail store business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
Brand all our official cars and vans and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wear our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Aside from quality, pricing is one of the key factors that gives leverage to plant and office equipment retail stores, it is normal for consumers to go to places where they can get quality plants and office equipment at cheaper price which is why big player in the industry like Office Depot Inc., Canon Inc., Pitney Bowes Inc., Xerox Corporation and HP Inc. and co attract loads of clients.

We know we don’t have the capacity to compete with the market leaders in the industry, but we will ensure that the prices and quality of plants and office equipment that are available in our store are competitive with what is obtainable in the industry.

Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America. Here are the payment options that Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will make available to her clients;

Payment via bank transfer
Payment via credit cards / Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
Payment via online bank transfer
Payment via check
Payment via mobile money transfer
Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for all purchases without any stress on their part.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

From our market survey and feasibility studies, we have been able to come up with a detailed budget for establishing a standard business in Tucson, Arizona and here are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;

The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $3,300.
Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
The cost for hiring business consultant – $2,500.
Insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $12,400.
The cost for payment of rent for 12 months at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $105,600.
The cost for shop remodeling (construction of racks and shelves) – $20,000.
Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $60,000
The cost for start-up inventory (stocking with a wide range of plants and office equipment from different manufacturing brands) – $350,000
The cost for counter area equipment – $9,500
The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
The cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs: $10,000
The cost for the purchase of office furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al): $4,000.
The cost of launching a website: $600
Miscellaneous: $10,000

We would need an estimate of $550,000 to successfully set up our plant and office equipment retail store in Tucson – Arizona.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc.

Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is a private registered business that is owned and financed by Jim Barry and his immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any external business partners which is why he decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.

Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
Source for soft loans from family members and friends
Apply for loan from the bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $150,000 (Personal savings $100,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $400,000 from our bank. All the papers and document have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Part of the plans we have in place to sustain Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. is to ensure that we continue to make available a wide range of plants and office equipment and deliver quality services. We are not going to relent in providing conducive environment for our workers.

From our findings, another factor that kills new business such as ours is financial leakages. In order to plug financial leakages, the management of Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. adopted the use of payment machines and accounting software to run the business.

We are quite aware that our customers are a key component to the growth and survival of our business hence we are going to continuously engage them to give us ideas on how to serve them better and the products they want to see in our store.

We will not waste time in adopting new technology, best practices and expanding our products and services once the need arises. Jim Barry® Office Equipment Retailers, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of.

Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

Business Name Availability Check: Completed
Business Registration: Completed
Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
Application for business license and permit: Completed
Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
Leasing of facility and remodeling the shop: In Progress
Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
Generating capital from family members: Completed
Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
Writing of Business Plan: Completed
Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
Printing of Promotional Materials: In Progress
Recruitment of employees: In Progress
Purchase of the needed furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
Compilation of our list of products that will be available in our store: Completed
Establishing business relationship with vendors – manufacturers and suppliers of plants and office equipment: In Progress