Touchstone 4: Case Study Review: Paws, a Mobile Pet Grooming Business

Overview

What You Will Learn:
In this Touchstone, you will apply everything youve learned about business, including economics, entrepreneurship, ethics, management, financial considerations, and marketing, to a realistic case study.

Why It Matters:
This assignment will help you apply concepts from class to a real-world situation similar to one you might face as an entrepreneur or business executive.

What You Will Hand In:
A two-page document in Word or PDF that answers the questions about the case study.

Keys to Success:

• Develop and submit original work.
• Synthesize course content and apply it thoughtfully and appropriately to the case study.

Helpful Links:

Instructions

Step 1: Read the Scenario

Emma Martinez used to work in human resources for a large corporation. Last year, she decided to leave her job and start her own mobile pet grooming business, called Paws. Rather than renting a space and having a storefront, Emma decided to purchase a van and equip it for grooming. The large van has everything Emma needs, including a drying station, a grooming table, and all the necessary equipment. Emma offers haircuts, nail trimming, and bathing at prices less expensive than traditional dog grooming businesses, because she does not have the same overhead as she would with a traditional storefront.

Her service utilizes a booking app, which allows customers to easily and quickly make appointments. She has a loyal customer base that frequently recommends her services.

Emma is able to groom four pets a day, which averages $100 per appointment for the services.

Her variable costs include:

• Fuel
• Grooming supplies
• Van maintenance

Her fixed costs include:

• The van loan payment
• Insurance
• Her licensing fees

She believes her business strengths include affordability and customer loyalty, while her weaknesses include increasing competition, high fuel prices, andbecause she runs the business on her ownlimited growth opportunities because she only has one van and must consider traffic and maintenance when scheduling appointments.

EXAMPLE

For every 2-hr appointment, Emma needs to book out 3 hr to plan for traffic and other potential challenges.

This means Emma works very long hoursabout 12 hr per day for the four daily appointments and travel times. Emma has attempted to take at least 1 day off a week, but in order to satisfy customers, she really needs to be available every day of the week.

Given these challenges, Emma has considered purchasing a second van and hiring another groomer to expand her business. She feels this will generate more revenue, but she is concerned about managing another person and the challenges it will bring. Also, she finds that she will have plenty of revenue if she books at least four appointments per day, 6 days a week.

Assume you are one of Emmas friends who has just taken a business class and offered to help her with some of the difficulties she is facing. Answer these questions by addressing her problems with the business concepts youve learned about in this course. When addressing these problems, add what Emma might consider as marketing opportunities for the future.

Step 2: Review Tutorials

It is a good idea to review all the course materials before beginning this Touchstone. Reviewing materials can help you be better prepared to answer the case study questions.

Here are some suggested tutorials that will help guide your answers:

Step 3: Write the Touchstone

Answer the following questions in three to six sentences per question using the template provided.

download

Use evidence and cite from the tutorials in this course:

1. How might the economy and supply and demand impact Emmas business?
2. What entrepreneurial risks did Emma take when choosing to start this business?
3. What ethical responsibilities should Emma consider in terms of her customers and the animals she grooms?
4. How will Emmas management responsibilities change if she hires another person?
5. What financial risk should Emma consider before purchasing a second van?
6. What are Emmas options in terms of secured and unsecured financing? Which option would be the best, and why?
7. When Emma is considering her finances to fund the business, what should she consider as options for short-term financing?
8. Who is Emmas target market, and how might she be able to reach them?
9. How might Emma use positioning and branding strategies to market her business?

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You will also use information from Sophia tutorials to substantiate your work. Provide in-text citations for the tutorials. Here is how to format an in-text APA citation for a Sophia tutorial:

(Sophia Learning, n.d.)

Answering these questions will help you see the big picture of business and how different areas of business relate to each other. This is your chance to demonstrate your understanding of business, so have fun with it!

Step 4: Review and Submit Your Work

Review your work carefully and check the rubric to make sure you have met all the requirements. Submit the template in Microsoft Word or PDF.

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