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Table of Contents

I. Cover Page………………………………………..…………………………......1 II. Table of Contents……………………………………………………...…………………...2 III. Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………….6 IV. Introduction………………………………………………………………………7

1.) Introduce the product to the investor……………………………………………………………7 2.) Chosen approach to the market……………………………………………..………................7

a. Market……………………………………………………………………………………8 b. General overview of products and services provided……………………………………10

3.) Competitive Differentiators from other retailers…………………………………………….…….11 V. Overview of Data Used in Analysis…………………………………………………………..15

1.) Data sources used and contents………………………………………………………….15 a.) Which data was unnecessary and why?................................................................15

2.) Data analysis………………………………………………………………………………16 VI. Physical Location and financing plan...…………… ….………….…………………………19

1.) Space Requirements………………………………………………………………………………19 a. Retail Location………………………….……………………………………………20

VII. Product Plan……………………………………………………………………………21 1.) Detailed product menu within major categories…………………………………………………22

a.) Ice cream sandwiches………………………………………………………………..22 b.)Ice cream selections………………………………………………………………….23 c.) Topping selections…………………………………………………………………..24 d.) Cookie selections……………………………………………………………...........24 e.) Retail Merchandise………………………………………………………………….25 f.) Ice Cream sandwich alternatives……………………………………………………..25

VIII. E-Commerce Plan………………………………………………………………………...27 1.) Strategy to gain or expand business through e-business…………………………………….27 2.) Anticipated e-business development and operating costs………………………………….28 3.) Sample web pages………………………………………………………………………….30

IX. Retail Service Demand Forecast…………………………………………………32 X. Capital Equipment Plan and Planned Floor Layout………………………………45

A. Shelving…………………………………………………………………45 B. POS Equipment…………………………………………………………46 C. Servers………………………………………………………………48 D. Floor

Layout………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XI. Supply Chain and Inventory Management Plan…………………………………………………………..

1.) Inventory Management Strategy………………………………………………………………….

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a. Detailed delivery schedule……………………………………………………………...

i. By Manufacturer/product category/product model…………………………..

b. Receiving and Storing Processes……………………………………………………….

2.) Supply Chain Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………...

a. Potential Suppliers………………………………………………………………………...

b. Chosen Suppliers………………………………………..………………………………….

XII. Human Resources Staffing Plan and Cost Analysis…………………………….……………………………..

1.) Number and type of personnel required by shift and time of year……………. a. Floor

Sales……………………………………………..…………………………………….

b. Inventory Control……………………………………..…………………………………..

c. Point-of-Sale…………………………………………….………………………………….

d. Non sales operations…………………………………..……………………………….

e. Warehouse…………………………………………….…………………………………….

f. Shipping………………………………………………….…………………………………..

g. Management…………………………………………….………………………………….

2.) Cost analysis of proposed human resource staffing plan including labor costs by employee type……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

XIII. Non human resources plan……………………………………………………..………………………………….

A. Office, operations and storage space…………………………….……………………….. B. Operations disability insurance…………………………………………………………….. C. Property/renter’s

insurance…………………………………………………………………. D. Utilities……………………………………………………………………………………

…………….. E. Property

taxes………………………………………………………..………………………………..

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XIV. Revenue Analysis-three year forecast by quarter………………………………………………..

1.) Wholesale cost by Stocking Keeping Unit (SKU)................................................. 2.) Retail Price by

SKU………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3.) Forecasted quantity sales by time period by SKU…………………………………………. 4.) Gross profit by

SKU………………………………………………………………………………………… 5.) Total gross

profit……………………………………………………………………………………………. XV. Simple three-year financial analysis……………………………………………………………………..

1.) Overview of key assumptions in financial analysis findings………………………….. 2.) Income

statements………………………………………………………………………………………. 3.) Balance

sheets………………………………………………………………………………………………. XVI. Process maps………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1.) Process flowchart, Relationship map, and Cross-functional relationship map……………. a.) Detailed process maps documenting relevant e-commerce processes……….

i.) Inventory receipt…………………………………………………………………………….

ii.) Shipping…………………………………………………………………………………………

iii.) Customer order fulfillment………………………………………………………….

XVII. Final Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

1.) What have you learned doing this project?...................................................... a.) Working with a group over a semester…………………………………………….. b.) Working with

data…………………………………………………………………………….. c.) Working with process mapping…………………………………………………………. d.) Time and project management………………………………………………………. e.) Suggestions for future BCOR 2500 Students……………………………………..

XVIII. References………………………………………………………………………..………

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I. Executive Summary

This report was commissioned to provide an in-depth analysis for potential investors to

evaluate, in hopes of funding Love Bites Ice Cream Shop. With the beautiful Colorado weather

offering over 300 days of sunshine, it is a necessity to create a space where the people of the

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Denver area can enjoy a luxurious ice cream. Love Bites provides the best of both worlds,

offering daily made ice cream and cookies. Ingredients for these treats offer non-GMO, organic,

and gluten free options, all while enjoying the lively atmosphere of the 16th street mall.

Love Bites is strategically located in the heart of Denver, on the 16th street mall near

young business professionals and everyday visitors. This area offers a high amount of foot traffic

from pedestrians walking the 16th street mall or attending a professional game at the Mile High

city. Love Bites weekday hours of operation are 12 o’clock PM to 11 o’clock PM. On the

weekends and in the summer, hours are extended passed usual business hours to ensure that each

individual can indulge in Love Bites ice cream and cookies. These hours of operation are from

12 o’clock PM to 2 o’clock AM.

Love Bites offers a total of 6 product lines, ranging from ice cream sandwiches to Love

Bites Logoed Sweatshirts.

The mission of Love Bites is to produce quality ice cream and ice cream sandwiches with

superb service, compassion and fiscal responsibility. Love Bites operates as an LLC due to the

low level of liability while still maintaining control and protection of ownership. Although other

ice cream shops are in the vicinity, Love Bites is able to stand against the rest by utilizing key

differentiators. These differentiators are efficiency, natural ingredients, locally sourced

ingredients, and e-commerce utilization.

IV. Introduction

This in depth business plan shows the proposal for funding the distinguished Love Bites Ice

Cream Shop in the heart of Denver, Colorado. Throughout the proposal, Love Bites goals, financial

expectations and operations plans are disclosed. Love Bites Ice Cream shop will provide ice cream

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desserts by cookies and ice cream along with a vast array of assortments. Although menu items consist of

an unconventional treat for customers, Love Bites also incorporates the ability to mix and match between

ice cream flavors and toppings. In addition, Love bites aims to offer a completely new, top of the line Ice

Cream shop to citizens of 16th street mall and surrounding areas.

Love Bites offers unique hand crafted treats to the Denver metropolitan area. Location on

the 16th street mall will give visitors the ability to enjoy Love Bites ice cream without straying

away from other main attractions such as shopping and professional sporting events. Customers

of Love Bites will be welcomed by a comfortable space in order to try the unconventional idea of

an ice cream shop.

As a unique ice cream company Love Bites strives to get the best product possible to our

customers, offering fresh, made daily, ice cream and cookies in a timely manner. Love Bites recognizes

that our customers’ time is valuable; therefore, they can choose to either stay longer and dine at the

establishment or take the ice cream product to go.

Along with serving the best ice cream sandwiches possible, Love Bites strives to create a positive

and invigorating workplace where employees and staff will be dedicated to making strong, lasting

relationships with each customer who walks through the doors. Love Bites mission and organizational

culture is crucial to maintain an optimistic view and positive relationships from both the employees and

customers.

Target Market

Grasping and understanding the demographics around the 16th street mall is a vital source to Love

Bites success. With a defined demographic set, Love Bites has the ability to cater to a specific group and

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provide the best product possible for the population. Within a one mile radius the total population

includes 35,544 people. Of that 56% of the population is male while 44% of the population is female.

While there is a vast amount of people spread across all age groups, the age group of 25 to 29 stands out

tremendously by taking over 21.37% of the one-mile radius population (Jones, 2014). Within this

population stands business professionals, University of Colorado at Denver students, professional sports

teams’ fans, and Metropolitan State University. Figure 1 below examines what the average population of

the 16th street mall and surrounding areas.

Figure 1:

Based on these demographics Love Bites will focus on the ages of 25 to 35 (with the average age

of downtown Denver being 33.9) years old because, not only will this age group still be interested in

buying the sweets for themselves, but also for their children. In a 2008 poll, the average age of the first

time parents was 25 years old (Jones, 2014). By targeting the population that is between the ages of 25

and 35, Love Bites will also be targeting their children that are between the ages of 1 and 10. The specific

target market is men and women between the ages of 25 and 35 with children. Occupations of the men

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and women are entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, and students. The geography of the target market

will lie within a one-mile radius of the 16th street mall location.

With Denver being the fourth most pedestrian friendly city in the country, 16th street mall is a

popular tourist attraction to those who visit the Capital. Also, Love Bites Ice Cream shop is located

directly between both Coors Stadium and The Pepsi Center. In order to attract tourists and out of town

visitors, Love Bites will offer discounts to customers who visit the professional games, museums, zoos,

and amusement parks. Customers simply have to keep the stub they receive from one of the events listed

and they automatically get a discount. Figure 2 represents the age population of the surrounding

population within a one-mile radius of Love Bites.

Figure 2:

Love Bites chose to focus on this target market because they dominate the population between the

16th street mall and surrounding areas. Taking account for more than 25% of the near by population, the

age group of 25-35 of both men and women will be the most productive market to target. This

demographic will prove to be the most profitable because it is the largest and marketing campaigns can be

concentrated toward a more specific group of individuals.

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General Overview of Products

Love Bites Ice Cream Shop offers a wide variety of ice cream assortments. Specialty items are

available for the customers who want to try fan favorites. One of which is “The Touchdown,” which

consists of chocolate chip ice cream wedged between two, broncos inspired orange and blue cookies, and

to top it all off the sides are rolled through blue and orange confetti sprinkles. Love Bites gives customers

the chance to mix and match as they please.

Customers choose an ice cream type with the

desired cookie shell, all with the choices of added

toppings/accessories. For customers looking for a

more traditional ice cream experience, Love Bites

offers an ice cream of their choice and candy

assortments to top it off.

Depending on the season, choices of ice

cream within Love Bites ranges between

chocolate, vanilla, cookie dough, snowcap ice

cream, green tea matcha, caramel crunch, rocky

road, cookies n cream, chocolate chunk, mint

chocolate, and chocolate. Cookies also depend on the season, but there is a wide range from double

chocolate chunk, chocolate chip, sugar cookie, pistachio, white chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, white

chocolate chip almond butter, broncos orange cookie, and coconut delight. For customers looking for

traditional tastes, Love Bites offers ice cream alternatives. These alternatives consist of the cookie bowl,

cup/cone of ice cream, ice cream sundae, and milkshakes/malts. Finally, Love Bites offers merchandise to

create brand recognition. This merchandise consists of sweatshirts, t-shirts, and water bottles.

Key Differentiators

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With the location of the 16th street mall, there is a multitude of ice cream shops that Love Bites

must compete with. These main competitors consist of Little Man Ice Cream, Ben and Jerry’s, and

Haagen-Dazs. The biggest competitor is Little Man Ice Cream, because they are one of Denver’s favorite

ice cream brands at a low cost. The most difficult aspect of competing with these brands will be gaining

consumer loyalty. Ben and Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs ice cream serves gourmet ice cream but with a

general and mass-produced manufacturing process. Love Bites will compete with their serving tactics by

producing and marketing fresh, daily-made ice cream. Little Man’s Ice Cream is a well-known shop and

serves ice cream at a bargain price. Love Bites plans to compete with Little Man Ice Cream by creating a

wide variety of products that customers can choose from. At Little Man Ice Cream, they are focused on

selling a gourmet ice cream without offering a variety of products. Along with key differentiators to

separate Love Bites from other competition, below are listed tactics to keep Love Bites ahead of the

competition. Figure 3 shows value is

added to the firm through focusing

evenly among efficiency, natural

products, locally sourced

ingredients, merchandise, and E-

commerce.

Efficiency: Customers at

Love Bites will enter and

receive their product in a

timely manner. To ensure efficiency, cookie sandwiches will be produced using an assembly line

process. A simple and direct step-by-step menu process is on display and walks the customers

through the necessities. That process is listed below.

Create-Your-Own Specialties

Figure 3

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Choose an ice cream! Choose a cookie ! Choose a topping

Since Little Man Ice Cream is a popular competitor, Love Bites emphasizes the ability to

get the product to the customer in the fastest time possible. Specialties and “favorite” items are

offered that will be able to speed up the decision making process for new customers. Customers

that already know what they want coming into the store have the ability to choose as they please.

A minimum of two employees is always on shift catering to customers needs and ensuring

customers are rarely waiting to be served. Competitors in surrounding areas only offer a limited

selection of ice cream to customers. With variety and specialty being key points in the menu,

Love Bites strives to offer more of a selection to customers than near-by competitors do.

Customer satisfaction is the face of the business and their happiness is contagious to all other

potential customers. Not only will the serving of ice cream sandwiches be efficient but also

customers experience will be one to remember.

Non-GMO, Organic, Allergy Free: Denver, Colorado has been listed as the 5th healthiest

city in the nation according to Forbes Magazine (Forbes, 2015). Love Bites realizes the

importance of offering non-GMO products to the public. Figure 4 below shows 91% of North

Americans would like to be able tell if they were purchasing non-GMO products. Also, 53% of

the consumers said that they would not purchase products that have GMO products within them.

Now customers have the option to choose gluten free, lactose free, and fat free items at Love

Bites. Love Bites facility is safe for customers who have any nut allergies by keeping nuts in a

concealed area separate from other toppings. Non-GMO produced items and locally certified

organic products that are produced in Colorado.

Figure 4

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Locally Sourced Ingredients: Love Bites Ice Cream shop will make the ice cream fresh

daily. Working with local suppliers such as Circle Fresh Farms, Growers Organic, and other local

farms will ensures that cream to make ice cream is always fresh with weekly shipments. By

purchasing from these suppliers, Love Bites is promoting farm fresh dairy from local farms

around Colorado.

Merchandise: Love Bites offers a wide variety of merchandise and clothing that is

offered to customer clientele. Sweatshirts, t-shirts, and water bottles are all offered to avid

customers that come into the store and subscribe to the online websites/social media. Also,

merchandise is offered through special promotions and advertisements throughout the year.

E-Commerce: Finally, Love Bites will also offer an E-commerce competitive advantage

to the market. Applications such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google analytics will

give Love Bites a better understanding of what customers are searching for. Google Analytics

will cut down on marketing cost and increase customer information. The marketing team will

have a better understanding of where customers are coming from and what they are interested in

when they come and go from online site. Search Engine Optimization has the ability to recognize

Love Bites on unpaid search engine such as Google, bing, and yahoo.

SWOT Analysis

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Strengths: Love Bites is very original with its products compared to other local ice cream shops.

Love Bites has various differentiators from other shops involving its products, location, and brand. Love

Bites has also created a niche in the Denver ice cream market because it is the only ice cream shop to

commit to non-GMO, certified organic ingredients.

Weaknesses: Love Bites has quite a few strengths as a company however there are definitely

weaknesses as well. Because Love Bites has high quality ingredients that cost more, the prices for Love

Bites products must also be higher. Consumers who are very price sensitive may not be inclined to shop

at Love Bites. Another weakness that Love Bites has could potentially be its employees. Love Bites

intends to hire college students as Ice cream specialists, they will be serving the customers and running

the store. For most college students having a job isn’t much of a priority compared to school therefore

reliability and responsibility for store tasks could potentially be an issue.

Opportunities: Although there are more than a few threats in the market to Love Bites, there are

also many opportunities. Denver is a huge city with a large population. The target market is a specific

group of people, however, there are a lot of people who fit into that target market. Based on this fact,

Love Bites has a strong opportunity to reach a lot of citizens in Denver.

Threats: Love Bites has a lot of competition in Denver whether or not they serve similar products

such as ice cream sandwiches. As a new ice cream shop it will be hard to break into the market and to get

consumers to walk into Love Bites instead of their regular Ice cream shop. Love Bites is also not only in

competition with other Ice cream shops, however, there are various dessert shops on 16th street mall and

throughout Denver. Love bites will need to pride itself on its deluxe cookie sandwiches to compete with

these other businesses.

V. Overview of Data Used in Analysis

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1.) Data Sources used and Contents:

In this report there were a large variety of data sources used in order to make smart decisions

about the business and to forecast the progression of the business. There were some data sources that were

more crucial to business decisions than others. These data sources include, the demographic data

gathered for the Denver area, the LoopNet real estate data, the distributor selection data, and the Demand

Forecast data and statistics. These data sources were not only the most important for the most crucial

business decisions; however, they provided the greatest detail of information needed for multiple portions

of the report. The most important data sources are as follows:

Statista: online statistics website based on consumer research

The specific data in which Statista provided was consumer preference statistics

describing most preferred flavors of ice cream, toppings, and ways to eat ice cream. This data was

important in forecasting the demand for each of the products that Love Bites offers. The forecast

was that Chocolate flavored Ice cream would have the highest demand because it is the most

preferred flavor of Ice cream by consumers. The most preferred topping and ice cream product

were forecasted to have the highest demand.

LoopNet: online real estate finder

The data found on LoopNet was extremely useful in determining the location of the

business and the pros and cons of other locations in Denver. LoopNet allowed for an easy

decision making process on the location. Clear detailed pictures of the individual locations for

sale as well as a map of the area made it easy to visualize the environment of the business. Other

data found on LoopNet were the prices of each individual property for sale. This data was useful

for obvious reasons however it also provided another perspective on the economy of Denver.

Regional Distributors Inc.

This Distributor’s website provided detailed information on prices, products, quantities,

and delivery schedules for the business. This information is extremely important in deciding

which Distributor to use and for what inventory. This data clearly showed that multiple

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distributors would be necessary to supply the business. Regional Distributors Inc.’s website also

provided prices for all of the products which allowed for further analysis including how much it

would cost in total to receive all of the inventory needed. This data is extremely important in

forecasting the total costs of the business.

United States Census Bureau

The Census Bureau is the most important data source for this report because it describes

the quick demographic facts of Denver. Knowing these demographics is extremely important in

segmenting the market and choosing the target market. This demographic data is also important

in understanding the general environment of the business. Knowing this data can help Love Bites

reach its primary customers as well as finding prospective employees. This data also depicts the

economy of Denver with average household incomes; this data fact can help Love Bites

determine the pricing strategy for its products as well.

While these are the most important data sources used in the report there are many more. The

remainder of the data sources used are located in the Appendix 3.

When searching for useful data and facts that would support the business decisions made, there

were a few unnecessary data sources used. The primary examples of this unnecessary data including data

retrieved from LoopNet. The data that was attracted from LoopNet was the average vacant units available

for leases. This was unnecessary because Love Bites location is at a high demand for a occupancy.

2.) Data analysis:

When deciding what data should be used to support the business decisions, multi dimensional

analysis and drill-down strategies proved to be very helpful. Drill-down strategies were primarily used in

the demand forecast, deciding which products would be most popular and generate the most sales. There

were a few questions that needed to be answered about consumer preferences with certain products. This

was the first general question to be asked, “What do consumers prefer most when consuming ice cream?”

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The next few questions were more specific and relating to each of the different product lines such as,

“What toppings do consumers prefer most?” The drill down strategy is used in order to generate more

specific answers to specific questions. Figure 5 below demonstrate this process.

Figure 5

Multi dimensional analysis was also used when determining the proper salaries for Love Bites

employees. The dimensions used were: skill level, minimum wage, age group, full or part time, and type

of employee. Each of these categories affected the decided salary in which employees would be paid. A

theoretical multi dimensional analysis cube was assembled to clearly map out what the different

dimensions looked like in relation to each other. Slicing and dicing was then used to determine the most

appropriate salary for Love Bites workers. In the end two separate salaries were chosen since the manager

is full time and the ice cream specialists are part time employees.

The roll up strategy was also used in determining the target market based on data from

demographics. First, it was decided that the target market would consist of persons who lived within a

certain vicinity of the Love Bites location. Second, it was determined the average income of the group

based on the average household income statistic would be relatively high. Based on these decisions

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regarding the target market further descriptions were made such as students or non students, families, age

group, etc. After determining all of the specifics of the target market, it was rolled up into one big picture;

a group that fit all of those stipulations would be the target market.

VI. Physical Location

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Denver’s mile-long 16th Street Mall is the heart of the City. The decision has been made to house

Love Bites at 303 16th Street, Denver, CO, on the East end of the mall. The building is a 56-story tower

that offices and companies such as: EnCana oil, DCP Midstream, and Ernst & Young. Love Bites will be

located on the street level adjacent to Noodles & Company. Loves Bites is located on the first floor of

this building, and is positioned in the middle of the mall. Love Bites can currently be seen from

1,200 feet away when entering from the East entrance of the mall and can be seen from 500 feet

away when entering from the West entrance. Love Bites can also been seen from the second

floor of the mall when looking down. The Love Bites storefront will have a ten-foot glass

window with our products featured in the window, as well as any promotions Love Bites is

currently having. The space will include 918 square feet as well as an outdoor patio that can hold four

tables (Loop Net, 2014). 16th Street Mall, a high traffic area, is a paramount location for the Love Bites

Ice Cream shop. The retail clothes store H&M is right above Love Bites on the second story of the 16th

Street Mall. Their target market is women aged 20-27 years old. (H&M) There is also the retail clothes

store Banana Republic three stores down from Love Bites on the first story of the mall. Their target

market is ages 25-35 years old (Republic, 2014). Both H&M and Banana republic have a similar, if not

exact match ups, to that of Love Bites (25-35 years old). On average 29,600 people walk the mall every

day. Downtown Denver is home to more than 67,515 firms and businesses; some of them include Century

Link, KPMG, and Aspect Energy LLC and these being less than a mile away from the 16th Street Mall

(Downtown Denver Partnership, INC, 2014).

Figure 6:

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Location of Love Bites

Love Bites is easily accessible to students, businessmen, and tourist within this location. Being

less than a mile away from University of Colorado Denver as well as Metro State University, Love Bites

will offer students the ability to enjoy delicious ice cream at a convenient location. Being in the middle of

the city where there are many businesses surrounding the shop, Love Bites will be a great option for

businessmen and woman to enjoy a treat for lunch or after work.

Downtown Denver is home to more than 24 hotels that are all within walking distance of Love

Bites, such as Sheraton, Marriott, and Hilton Hotels. With thousands of tourists renting hotel rooms each

week for business or pleasure they will have the luxury to taste the one and only Love Bites (US

Government, 2015). By choosing the location it gives Love Bites the advantage of being a primary ice

cream source in the heart of Downtown Denver as shown in Figure 6.

VII. Product Plan

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Love Bites strives to offer a variety of ice cream products to visitors and citizens of the

16th street mall and the surrounding areas. There are a total of 6 product lines within the

company: Ice cream sandwiches, Toppings selections, Cookie Selections, Ice Cream selections,

Retail Merchandise, and Ice cream sandwich alternatives. The Ice cream sandwich product line

includes a total of 9 “Creation” ice cream sandwiches all representing a different Colorado

theme. The toppings selection contains a total of 19 available options ranging from fruit to candy

as well as sauces that consumers may add to any sundae or ice cream sandwich. The next product

line is the Cookie Selections product line, which entails 9 different types of cookies. Love Bites

also offers a standard Ice-cream Selections product line incorporating 10 delicious flavors. The

Retail Merchandise product line involves t-shirts, sweatshirts, and water bottles. Finally, the Ice

Cream Sandwich alternatives product line, consists of ice-cream sundaes, milkshakes, and cookie

bowls. Each of these product lines adds quality and value to the business in various ways and

therefore provides a competitive advantage in themselves. The decision process of their desert

will be as follows in figure 7.

Ice cream sandwiches

As a small business Ice cream shop,

Love Bites relies heavily on its differentiators from

competitors. The Ice cream sandwiches are the key to

the originality of the company. For this reason four

out of the nine Ice cream sandwiches offered are in

support of a Colorado professional sports team. The other 5 cookie sandwiches are also Colorado

themed in relation to common hobbies in Colorado such as skiing and hiking. Each cookie

sandwich will be hand crafted through an assembly line process along with all of the other edible

Figure 7

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product lines. The first step is to choose either a cookie sandwich or a “make your own”

sandwich. If the customer chooses to “make your own” sandwich they will then decide on a

cookie, an ice cream type, and finally their choice of two toppings with additional toppings being

extra. Below in figure 8 is a table to better represent the “Creation” product line:

Figure 8:

Name Description

“The Touchdown” A deluxe cookie sandwich with creamy chocolate chip ice cream wedged between two warm, broncos inspired orange cookies. To top it off the sandwich is then rolled through orange and blue confetti sprinkles for a little extra team spirit.

“Ski Bum Snack” This is the cookie sandwich for the slopes! It is a hot dark double chocolate chunk cookie hugging fluffy cookies n cream ice cream in the middle, which is then drizzled with our in house perfected caramel sauce.

“THE 14ER” This monster 14er sandwich is white chocolate chip, almond-butter cookie stuffed with rich rocky road ice cream and then drenched in our signature sugar glaze.

“Ultimately Baked” The solution to your munchies fantasy, a snickerdoodle cookie filled with caramel crunch ice cream, rolled in miniature chocolate chips, and then drizzled in chocolate shell sauce.

“Gotcha Matcha?” The need to be green inspired this cookie, it is a green pistachio cookie filled with delicious green tea matcha ice cream and coated in our flavorful sugar glaze.

“The Cookie DO It’s hard to go wrong with double the cookie, rich and creamy cookie dough ice cream with huge chocolate chunks wedged between two double chocolate chunk cookies, rolled in chocolate confetti sprinkles and drizzled with shell chocolate.

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DO”

“The Nuggets

Special”

This cookie sandwich is the perfect way to celebrate a Nuggets victory! This cookie sandwich features rich chocolate chunk ice cream wedged between two warm delicious sugar cookies, rolled in blue and yellow confetti sprinkles and then drenched in hot fudge

”The Avalancher” So delicious this cookie sandwich represents just how delicious and Avalanche win is! This cookie contains creamy snowcap ice cream wedged between two double chocolate chunk cookies, rolled in our chocolate confetti sprinkles, and then drizzled with our shell chocolate sauce.

“Rockies home run” This cookie sandwich will most definitely taste like a home run! Rocky road ice cream squished between two sugar cookies, rolled in chocolate confetti sprinkles and then coated with deluxe caramel.

Ice cream selections

Each Ice cream type will be in house churned with certified organic and non-GMO

ingredients. It is important to offer the natural ingredients based on the current green washing

trend throughout the mile high. Offering natural ingredients also serves as a competitive

differentiator from other products. It is important to offer classic Ice cream flavors for the

customer that tends to be less adventurous and more traditional. To ensure customer satisfaction

taste-testing spoons will be offered for every Ice cream flavor. Love Bites offers traditional

flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, and cookie dough because they are the most preferred flavors

by consumers. (Harris Interactive) The Ice Cream selections are as follows:

• Vanilla / Chocolate • Cookie Dough • Snowcap Ice Cream • Green Tea Matcha • Caramel

Crunch • Rocky Road • Cookies N Cream • Chocolate Chunk • Mint Chocolate

Topping Selections

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Within this product line are different selections of fruit, sauces, and candy. It is important

to provide alternatives for a variety of preferences, for example, the candy versus the fruit

offered. For those consumers who do not prefer assorted candy it is important to offer a healthy

alternative such as fruit to accommodate all types of customers. Below is a list of the

toppings/accessories offered:

• Confetti Sprinkles • Sugar glaze • Hot chocolate fudge • Shell chocolate • Caramel• In-house

made whip cream •Miniature White and Dark Chocolate chip • Crushed nuts • Snickers • Heath

bar • Oreo’s • Snow caps • Gummy bears • Strawberries • Banana • M&Ms • Snickers • Kit Kat •

Coconut

Cookie Selections

To ensure maximum quality, cookies are baked in house. Just like the Ice cream it is

important to offer a specialty option to appeal to the more adventurous consumer. Each cookie is

prepared with non-GMO, certified organic ingredients and baked to perfection. When Ice cream

sandwiches are prepared the cookie in which the customer chooses will be served warm with the

ice cream. To do this, the cookies will be kept warm in low heat. This is an extremely important

differentiator for the business in comparison to other local ice cream shops and will provide a

strong competitive advantage. Each cookie is baked to hold a large chunk of delicious Ice cream;

therefore the cookies must be larger and well built. Below is a list of Love Bites deluxe cookies:

•Chocolate Chip •Double Chocolate Chunk •Sugar cookie •Pistachio cookie • White chocolate

chip • Snickerdoodle • White chocolate chip almond butter • Broncos orange cookie • Coconut

Delight

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Retail Merchandise

The retail merchandise will include a variety of hard goods such

as water bottles, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. Each of these items will

feature a colorful Love Bites logo. Sweatshirts, and t-shirts will be

offered in men and women styles with two different cuts (crew, V-neck)

and three different colors (white, black, blue). All of the clothing items

will be supplied through the company, Custom Ink. Custom Ink will be a

great supplier for our clothing because of their reasonable prices and their

delivery efficiency. Water bottles will also be offered; they will feature a

white color with the company logo and black caps. The water bottles will

be metal because it is a popular design and will insulate cold water more

effectively.

Ice-cream sandwich alternatives

It is crucial for Love Bites to offer alternatives to Ice cream sandwiches to fit all

customers’ needs and desires. The other Ice cream options include Sundaes, Milkshakes, Cookie

bowls, as well as the classic cup/cone of Ice cream. The Sundaes will include a bowl of ice

cream with two toppings and house made whip cream if desired. Cookie bowls are similar to the

sundaes however the bottom of the bowl is lined with a fresh and hot cookie. Ice cream is then

placed in the cookie bowl with two toppings of choice. Lastly is the classic cup or cone of ice

cream, which includes however many scoops the consumer desires and two toppings.

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VIII. The E-Commerce Strategy

E-Commerce is a key component to Love Bites business operations. Love bites will be ordering

inventory and supplies (some ingredients and merchandise) through E-Commerce. The supplying strategy

is to find an online food distributor for ingredients and customizable merchandise distributor for the Love

Bites merchandise. Along with purchasing merchandise through other e-commerce sites, Love Bites will

also be selling the merchandise online.

At the end of the E-Commerce section in Figure 9.2 and Figure 9.3 is a web site template for

Love Bites. Figure 9.2 shows the home web page for Love Bites. From this home page you can click on

the links to visit: Our mission, Menu, Gifts, or Contact information. Love Bites has included many

appeals visual ice cream images to attract customers. Figure 9.3 shows the gift webpage where you can

purchase merchandise/gifts. All a customer must do is click on the item they want, enter their credit card,

and purchase their item; it’s a very simple process.

Online Foods Distributor:

Love Bites will be utilizing business-to-business strategy for supplies. Regional Distributors,

Sinton Dairy, and Custom Ink will all be e-commerce suppliers and distributors for Love Bites. Regional

Distributors and Sinton Dairy were chosen for suppliers because they offered natural, Organic, Non-GMO

ingredients with a clear and concise ordering process. We will be fulfilling the requirements ordering a

certain amount of supplies each week. Love bites has chosen Custom Ink as the online Merchandise

Distributor due to the ability to customize merchandise. There is no minimum nor maximum amount of

merchandise we must buy at one time nor sign a contract for, allowing us to buy merchandise on an

operating needs basis. Using this Just-In-Time process, this allows Love Bites the ability to buy and sell

merchandise as needed. The Negative effects of this action result in a small margin error, and the loss of

revenue and high costs.

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General Supplies Ordered (figure 9.1):

Figure 9.1:

Anticipated Development and Operating Cost:

Love Bites will use the web service provider, Power Pro Live for the development and operations

of the online website. Power Pro Live is a professional website development and E-Commerce company,

specializing in complete and affordable web services. Love Bites will use the “professional support

package” which includes a modern website, copyrights, allows Love Bites to add and edit content,

downloads, SE optimization, plug-in functions, Google analytics, legal text, E-Commerce, and eleven

hours of support every month. The cost of Power pro lives’ services will be $1,000 a month.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

SEO is the process of making your website more visible in the category of unpaid search results.

Unpaid search results places would include Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. SEO done right drives more traffic

to your website increasing customer awareness of your business. Power Pro Live is a specialist in this

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field and will use their techniques to increase Love Bites SEO. This is important for Love Bites because it

will drive more people who are on the Internet looking for dessert restaurants in the Denver area to Love

Bites website.

Google Analytics:

Google Analytics is a service allowing a website owner to see the amount of traffic coming to

their website, how people found their website, what keywords people searched for, how they are ranked

compared to other businesses, and many other statistical information. Power Pro Live will provide

Google Analytics service (its not free) to Love Bites to help us understand the data and turn it into

information that can help increase the awareness of our brand. This is important because it will allow

Love Bites to see where its consumers popular place people find it is, and where Love Bites need to make

advertising more prevalent to increase consumer awareness.

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Figure 9.2:

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Figure 9.3:

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VIV. Demand Forecast

In order to forecast more accurately, a qualitative forecast technique will be used in

addition to educated guesses and historical information from SME’s of Little Man Ice cream,

Marble Slab Creamery managers, Baskin Robins, and Ben & Jerry’s. The forecast will include

every product from all 6-product lines. The estimations will be based off of market research and

statistical information provided by the Harris Interactive. Forecasts are also influenced by

seasons and the busiest days of the week. The busiest season will be summer, due to the hot

weather consumers tend to purchase frozen treats and snacks more often. In a weekly forecast,

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are expected to be the busiest days of the week. During

the summer season, weekdays will increase in consumer demand. Within each day, the majority

of sales are expected to occur during the evening between the times of five and nine o’clock. In

American culture, desert is eaten after dinner, which is usually consumed within the time frame

of approximately 5pm to 7pm. Therefore, the majority of sales will be during these times.

Forecast of demand will also change due to the prices of items. Love Bites offers deluxe ice

cream treats, which influences higher prices for products. Since the prices will be more

expensive forecasts expect that less sandwiches will be sold while a greater profit margin will be

the result. Below are the individual forecasts for each product within each product line. These

forecasts follow the general forecasting principles previously discussed using primarily

qualitative data.

The following forecasts for sandwiches are in accordance with the sales information of

the popular Cream ice cream shop located in California. Therefore, each Ice cream sandwich is

forecasted to sell on average 960 servings per quarter for the first year.

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Ice cream sandwiches

“The Touchdown”: This ice cream sandwich is expected to be in steady demand throughout the

year however the majority of sales will be during the Broncos football season which is during the

months of September through February. This sandwich is forecasted to be popular during these

months due to the victory promotion Love Bites offers to football fans after a home game win.

“Ski Bum Snack”: This ice cream sandwich is expected to sell well throughout the year. During

the summer-fall season it may become more popular as the ski season starts, due to its appeal to

skiers and snowboarders.

“The 14ER”: The “14er” will be more popular during the summer months because of the overall

high demand for ice cream during the summer season and tourists coming to Colorado for 53

famous 14ers to climb.

“Ultimately Baked”: This ice cream sandwich is expected to have steady sales throughout the

year and primarily through June, July, and August.

“Gotcha Matcha?”: This forecast for this sandwich is a steady demand throughout the year with

most of sales during summer months of May, June, and July.

“The Cookie DO DO”: This cookie sandwich is forecasted to have steady sales with primary

sales during the summer months due to overall increased demand for ice cream.

“The Nuggets Special”: This sandwich is expected to have primary sales during the Nuggets

basketball season, which is November through April. This sandwich is expected to have

increased demand during the professional basketball season due to the Nuggets fans ice cream

sandwich promotion after a home game victory. The sandwich is also expected to be popular

during summer months because of overall increased ice cream demand.

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“The Avalancher”: This sandwich is expected to be most popular through the Avalanche hockey

season, which is from October through April. This sandwich will be in high demand during NHL

season due to the Avalanche fans promotion after a home game victory.

“Rockies Home run”: This sandwich is expected to be popular during the pro baseball season,

which is from March through October. It is expected to be in high demand during this time frame

due to the Rockies fan promotion after a home game victory.

The next section in the demand forecast includes expected demand for all of the flavors in the Ice

cream flavors product line. The sources of these forecasts are educated guesses in accordance

with statistics and market research. Each of the forecasts is in accordance with market research

shown in figure 10.

Ice cream flavors:

Vanilla: 23% of consumers prefer this flavor based on a choice of 16 flavors. Given this statistic,

demand for this product is expected to be relatively high throughout the year taking up 15% of

revenue of creations. This Ice cream flavor is also expected to have an average 3,500 sales per

quarter in the first year.

Cookie Dough: This flavor is among the top 4 ice cream flavors in which consumers prefer

therefore, sales are expected to be in the higher range for this product throughout the year. This

product is forecasted to have a steady demand throughout the year accounting for 11% of

revenue of creations. The Cookie Dough flavor is expected to generate 2,375 sales on average

per quarter during the first year.

Snowcap Ice Cream: This flavor is a Love Bites creation and therefore is less well known, the

sales for this flavor are not expected to be as high in comparison to traditional flavors such as

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Vanilla, Chocolate, Cookie Dough, and Mint Chocolate but is forecasted to take 5% of revenue

of creations. Due to this information this flavor is forecasted to have an average of 1,675 sales

per quarter.

Green Tea Matcha: This flavor is expected to be popular and to have steady sales throughout the

year with a concentration of sales during the spring months into summer. Product demand is

expected to be exponentially increased because of a trend in consumer’s preference for green tea

products and claiming 6% of revenue of creations. Due to this information 1,842 average sales

are forecasted per quarter for the first year.

Caramel Crunch: Forecasting for caramel crunch is expected to have steady sales throughout the

year being middle of the spectrum in regards to percentage of total sales. This product is popular

among consumers however isn’t as popular as traditional flavors claiming 6% of revenue of

creations. This flavor is forecasted to have average sales of 1,475 per quarter for the first year.

Rocky Road: This flavor is expected to be in the middle spectrum of the percentage of sales

throughout the year because it is a traditional flavor of ice cream and therefore is well known and

sought out claiming 5% revenue of creations. This flavor is forecasted to have an average of

1,275 sales per quarter in the first year.

Cookies n Cream: This flavor is expected to be one of the top sellers throughout the year as it is

extremely popular especially amongst younger consumers. Sales of this product will be

concentrated during summer months claiming 15% revenue of creations. Since this flavor is very

popular it has forecasted sales of 1,875 on average per quarter for the first year.

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Chocolate Chunk: This flavor is expected to be extremely popular based on the statistic that

Chocolate is the most preferred Ice cream by consumers. This ice cream flavor in addition to the

standard Chocolate flavor is expected to be in high demand and generate the most sales

especially during summer months claiming 9% revenue of creations. This flavor is not a staple

flavor therefore the average sales per quarter during the first year are expected to be 1,125.

Mint Chocolate: Mint chocolate is expected to be in the top percentage of sales generation due to

the statistic that it is among the top 5 ice cream flavors preferred by consumers. This flavor is

expected to generate steady sales throughout the year except closer to the holiday season because

consumers are more likely to buy peppermint products during that time of year claiming 9%

revenue of creations. On average this flavor is expected to sell 1,275 per quarter for the first year.

Chocolate: This flavor is as classic as it gets which is why it is expected to generate the most

sales and be in high demand throughout the year claiming 20% revenue of creations. It is also the

most preferred flavor of ice cream. Since this flavor is expected to generate the most sales it is

forecasted to sell an average of 3,875 scoops per quarter.

Below is a graph representing the most popular ice cream flavors in the United States.

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Figure 10

Figure 10: Bar graph representing preferred Ice cream flavors by consumers 18 years or older, data received between July 17, 2013 and July 22, 2013

The next portion of the demand forecast describes the toppings forecast. The toppings are

bundled sets when sold from the distributor therefore they will also be forecasted assets. The sets

of toppings are candy, sprinkles, sauces, produce, and whip cream.

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Toppings:

The most important information used in forecasting the toppings is the market research.

This research is better demonstrated in Figure 11.

Dry Ingredients:

Candy: The candy is expected to sell at a decent rate year round with sales concentrated

in the summer because the majority of ice cream sales will be during that season. Candy is on

the lower end of the list regarding consumers’ toppings preference therefore the candy is not

forecasted to sell in very high demand. The candy is forecasted to sell on average 210 servings

per quarter. The demand for this product is not expected to change drastically throughout periods

or years because they are simply accessories for the main product.

Fruit: The fruit is forecasted to be profitable year round and will be most popular when

served with ice cream cups or on a sundae. The majority of sales will be during the summer

months. Produce such as strawberries and bananas are forecasted to be in steady demand because

fruit is the fifth most preferred topping. The average sales forecasted per quarter are 210

servings.

Sauces: The sauces are expected to be in steady demand throughout the year except for

the high demand during the summer months. Since hot fudge is the most preferred topping on ice

cream it is expected to generate the most sales. Caramel is the fourth most preferred topping by

consumers, which is why it is also expected to generate a large amount of sales per year. The

sauces are expected to average 210 servings per quarter for the first year because the demand is

not likely to change very drastically because these are accessories for the main products.

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Figure 11: Bar graph representing the most preferred toppings for ice cream based on consumers 18 years or older. Study results are from July 17, 2013 to July 22, 2013

In this section of the demand forecast, the cookie product line is provided. The cookies

will most likely sell best during the summer months because they are combined with ice cream to

make cookie sandwiches. As a general trend consumers are less likely to purchase a cone of ice

cream or cookie sandwich during colder months because it is messy and also cold just like

outside. Consumers probably do not want to be holding a cold snack during the winter while

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their hands are already cold from walking the 16th street mall. During the winter months the

warm cookies on their own are expected to generate steady sales however not comparable to the

spike in demand during the summer months.

Cookie Selections Forecast: The forecasts for the different cookie selections are based off of

average sales for the well-known California Ice Cream sandwich shop known as Cream. Each

cookie sandwich is forecasted to sell on average 500 servings per quarter for the first year.

Chocolate Chip: This cookie is expected to be most popular year round because chocolate chip is

a classic flavor. Chocolate chip is most likely the most preferred cookie amongst consumers.

Double chocolate chunk: This product is also expected to be fairly popular amongst consumers,

it is forecasted to be in higher demand compared to other flavors of cookies.

Sugar cookie: This product is expected to be a top seller especially amongst kids because it is the

simple option. It is forecasted to be in high demand for the summer and in steady demand for the

rest of the year.

Pistachio cookie: The forecast for this cookie is a high demand during summer months and

steady demand throughout the rest of the year. The pistachio cookie is a Love Bites original

creation therefore it may not be a top seller however should sell decently well.

White chocolate chip: As a classic cookie, the white chocolate chip is expected to be in high

demand year round with concentrated sales during summer months and consistent sales

throughout the winter.

Snickerdoodle: It is forecasted that this cookie will be top seller because of its traditional status

and popularity. This product will be in high demand throughout the summer and will also be

popular during the winter.

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White Chocolate Chip Almond Butter: This product is an original Love Bites creation therefore it

is expected to generate steady demand throughout the year with the peak season being during the

summer.

Broncos Orange Cookie: This cookie is forecasted to not be in high demand since it is produced

as a part of the Bronco’s inspired cookie sandwich. The peak season for this cookie will be from

fall to mid-winter during the Broncos pro football season.

Coconut Delight: The coconut delight is forecasted to be relatively popular with an average

demand throughout year. This product is expected to have higher demand during the summer.

Ice cream sandwich alternatives:

Cookie bowl: This popular summer month item is forecasted to generate high sales because

consumers prefer their ice cream served in a cup or bowl more than other option.

Cup of Ice cream: A traditional cup of ice cream is forecasted to sell most out of all of the cookie

sandwich alternatives. Due to varying flavors there are different forecasts for each individual

cups of ice cream, which is in accordance with the forecasts for each ice cream flavor previously

mentioned.

Cone of Ice cream: This product is forecasted to be in high demand during the summer season

and very low demand during the winter season. This product is very popular amongst kids during

the summer, which is why it is expected to generate high sales. This product follows the same

forecast for the individual flavors of ice cream because the high sales during the summer will

even out the average for the rest of the year.

Ice Cream Sundae: This product is expected to have a steady demand throughout the year, it is

forecasted to be in higher demand during the summer months. The ice cream sundaes are

forecasted to sell an average of 605 servings per quarter for the first year.

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Milkshakes: Milkshakes are forecasted to have a high demand during the summer and a steady

demand through the winter. The milkshakes offer a convenient way to consume ice cream, which

is why they are expected to generate a fair amount of sales. The milkshakes are forecasted to

have an average of 540 sales per quarter during the first year.

Figure 12.1: Bar graph describing the most preferred way consumers eat ice cream, survey data generated from July 17, 2013, to July 22, 2013 Based on adults 18 years or older.

Retail Merchandise:

Only a small percentage of the total customer base will buy these products, therefore, the sales

for these items are not expected to be high. The demand for these products are forecasted to be

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very low and to be primarily purchased during the summer months when the store receives a

high amount of foot traffic.

Sweatshirt: The sweatshirts are forecasted to be in low demand for the first few months of

starting the business. For the remainder of the year sales are expected to increase by small

increments. Sweatshirts will claim 30% of merchandise revenue. The sweatshirts are expected to

sell on average 187 per quarter for the first year.

T-shirt (women’s): The women’s t-shirts are forecasted to be a very low demand product

especially for the first few months of opening the business. After the first few months, sales of

this product may pick up slightly however still remain low. Women’s t-shirts are expected to

have much lower demand than men’s t-shirts because women are more aware of fashion and

their appearance, they tend to dress in more sophisticated ways which do not include t-shirts.

Women’s T-shirts will claim 15% of merchandise revenue. The T-shirts (both men’s and

women’s) are forecasted to sell on average 250 per quarter for the first year.

T-shirt (men’s): The men’s t-shirts are forecasted to be in low demand however similar to other

retail merchandise the demand for this product may increase slightly after the first few months of

opening the business. The demand for men’s t-shirts is greater than the demand for women’s t-

shirts because men generally prefer comfort to style and are more prone to wearing t-shirts on a

semi-regular basis. Men’s T-shirts will claim 20% of merchandise revenue. The T-shirts (both

men’s and women’s) are forecasted to sell on average 250 per quarter for the first year.

Water Bottles: The water bottles are forecasted to be in low demand as well although it is most

likely one of the more popular items available for retail. A large majority of people carry a water

bottle of some sort with them on a daily basis, which makes this product less of a commodity and

more of need, increasing the chance of a consumer making purchase. Water bottles will claim

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15% of merchandise revenue. The water bottles are forecasted to sell on average 225 per quarter

for the first year.

Figure 12.2:

Sweatshirts,+30%+

Women's+T5Shirts+,+15%+

Men's+T5Shirts,+20%+

Hats,+20%+

Water+Bo<les,+15%+

MERCHANDISE+REVENUE+

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X. Capital Equipment and Floor Plan

Equipment

To run the best operation possible Love Bites will need the top-level equipment.

When purchasing the equipment capacity, size, safety, and total cost will be taken into

consideration. All fixed assets are shown in figure 14 and come to a total cost of $49,587.96.

Capacity

The storage and production capacity is a deciding factor in whether or not

equipment is purchased. For example, when buying the blast freezer and the refrigerator,

research was conducted to determine which product could hold the most material in an organized

fashion.

The decision was made to go with the Master Bilt IHC-27 model instead of the Nordika H-19

model. A drastic difference between the two is that the Master Bilt can hold two additional tubs

of ice cream compared to the Nordika. By choosing a blast freezer that can hold more items,

there is an opportunity to produce more products at an efficient rate, which ultimately creates

more value.

Size

When deciding what equipment Love Bites would pursue, the size of the equipment was

taken into consideration. The size of the equipment is important because Love Bites wants to

operate a fast and efficient operation. By accumulating extra space it will allow employees to

work and produce the best product to customers.

Safety

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As stated before, safety is a priority for Love Bites. When researching equipment the

safety of operating the equipment was taken into consideration. Safety research was conducted

by reviewing testimonials and brand equity.

Total Cost

Total cost is what was taken into consideration even though it is a huge factor in the

buying process. Love Bites emphasizes on having the best equipment for the business. Before

narrowing down the options to cost; capacity, size, and safety were determined. This was

implemented because the safety and more efficient equipment are more important to the business

than the cost.

POS System: The POS system that Love Bites will be using is the Square Stand. The Square is

an operating system designed by Square

Inc. Square is an application that

automatically has payments, inventory,

and sales reports ready when needed.

This POS system is operated on an application through software called Square Register. This

application will be downloaded on to an iPad that will be used as the register for Love Bites.

Love Bites data will be saved on this application which then can be accessed on the computer in

the office where managers can review reports. Square makes it easy to update the system with

new items and its prices. This system gives Love Bites business data just a couple clicks away. It

will allow managers to see analytics anytime to get a handle on sales, customers, and inventory.

These analytics break sales down to the item so you can see what items are in highest demand,

Figure 14+

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what times, and days a certain item will sell the most. Love Bites will want to identify new

versus returning customers. Square will allow us to determine frequent and most recent guests,

and find out how much the average individual is spending with Love Bites. To the right is a

demonstration of the data interface .

It is important for Love Bites managers to be aware of sales throughout the day, week,

month, and within a six-month range. This system generates a report allowing managers to

identify the sales while comparing them to the past week, month, and six months. Below is an

example of the breakdown of sales and comparisons. (Figure 15) The reason why Square was

chosen as a POS system for Love Bites is because Square

makes the process of doing business easy for the customers

and store employees. After an order has been placed and a

customer decides to pay with cash or card the customer can

quickly compliment a job well done. Tips and signatures

seamlessly integrate into the checkout flow, as customers sign and tap on the device to complete

their transaction. This system allows the customers to pay in any type of format from cash to

cards. With having inventory and sales reports ready at any given moment it allows Love Bites

to run the most efficient operation possible. Knowing how busy the store will be on certain days

and times generated from this system will allow managers to schedule employees accordingly

which will reduce costs. Square was compared to First Data’s Clover Station. Square is the right

option for Love Bites because it will generate all the reports needed in one system, it is also user

friendly and lastly it is cost efficient, priced at $99.99. The Square gives Love Bites all the

resources needed in order to be the best ice cream shop in town!

Figure 15+

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Servers

As stated above, Love Bites will be using Square Register as a server. Inventory as well

as reports will be saved on these servers. The purchase of the Square Stand comes with access to

this server. This server will be secured with a username and password that only managers can

access. The password for the server will be encrypted with numbers, letters, and special symbols

to ensure maximum security. The server can be accessed on any device that contains the Square

Register application. This server was chosen because of its efficiency. Having inventory

accessible on a server that can be accessed virtually anywhere reduces time, costs, and will

ultimately lead to more revenue for Love Bites! Below is figure 16 representing company

assests:

Figure 16

Batch Freezer- Ice Cream Maker Brand: Electro Freeze

Cost- $9,995 Asset Required: 1

Description: High capacity batch freezer is simple and efficient making ice cream. Voltage: 208-230 Amperage: 38.5 Expected Life: 8 Years

3 Door Refrigerator Cooler Brand: Hobart Steel

Cost-$2,295 Asset Required: 1

Description: This refrigerator has three swinging doors. Dimensions: 82 1/8” Wide x 33 ¾” Deep x 82 1/2” Tall Expected Life: 11 Years

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Blast Freezer Brand: Master Bilt IHC-27

Cost- $5,669.00 Asset Required: 1

Description: Harden up to 20 standard 3-gallon cans of freshly made ice cream. Capacity: 19 Cubic Feet Temperature Range: -40 – 0 Degrees F Expected Life: 11 Years

Ipad Brand: Apple

Cost- $599.99 Asset Required: 1

Description: Capacity: 64GB 9.7-inch (diagonal) Antireflective Coating Expected Life: 3 Years

Square Stand Brand: Square INC.

Cost- $99.99 Asset Required: 1

Description: Accept all major credit cards Built to move Secure Transactions Expected Life: 5 Years

Tables (Indoor) Brand: Avetex

Cost-$164.99 Assets Required: 7

Description: Round table with a tulip base Dimensions: 48” (122 cm) Diameter x 29.5”H Expected Life: 6 Years

Tables (Outdoor) Brand: Webstaurant

Cost-$129.99 Assets Required: 3

Description: Round black table Dimensions: 47” Diameter 30 Inches Expected Life: 5 Years

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Chairs (Indoor) Brand: Tara

Cost-$69.99 Assets Required: 21

Description: Dimensions: Height 33 ¼ Seat Width 16 Inches Seat Depth 15 ½ Inches Expected Life: 4 Years

Chairs (Outdoor) Brand:

Cost- $99.99 Assets Required: 12

Description: Dimensions: Height 28 ¼ Seat Width 18 Inches Seat Depth 16 ½ Inches Expected Life: 3 Years

Dipping Cabinet Brand: Master-Bilt

Cost$5,799.00 Assets Required: 1

Description: Interior LED lights Amps: 9.7 Herts: 60 Dimensions: Width 69 ¼ Inches Depth 27 ¾ Inches Height 50 Inches Expected Life: 11 Years

Waffle Cone Baker Brand: Gold Medal

Cost- $608.79 Assets Required: 1

Description: Makes 8” Cones 1000 Watts Dimensions: Width: 10” Depth: 21 ½” Height: 10 ½“ Expected Life: 8 Years

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Shelving Brand: Lowes

Cost-$64.98 Assets Required: 4

Description: Five Shelves Dimensions: 74in H x 48-in W x 18in Expected life: 4 years

Indoor Sprinkler Brand: Dans

Cost- $169.99 Assets Required 19

Description: Nineteen indoor sprinklers Expected Life: 25 years

Industrial Oven Brand: FMB

Cost- $12556.99 Assets Required 1

Description: One industrial cookie making oven Expected Life: 11

Sink Brand: Zoro

Cost- $999.99 Assets required 1

Description: One industrial size sink Expected Life: 20

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Track Lighting Brand: Zimbas

Cost- $239.99 Assets required 9

Description: 5 feet with 6 lights. Expected Life: 13 years

Computer Brand: Apple

Cost-$1100 Assets required: 1

Description: 21.5 inches Retina Display Intel core processors Expected Life: 5 Years

Floor Plan

As customers walk in to Love Bites they are introduced to an ice cream paradise. To

begin ordering customers walk in and turn left and follow the pathway to the cookie array. The

next step is to select an ice cream from the dipping cabinets, adjacent to the cookie array. Guests

then have the decision of sitting at seven tables located throughout the lobby area. Two are

located immediately as a customer walks in on the left. Five other tables are located in front of

the dipping cabinet system on the right hand side of the building. There are also three tables

located outside for sitting. The restroom will be located in the back right of the building. The

office and storage room are located next to the restroom and behind the cookie selection as well

as the ice cream. The office is close to the storage room so managers can manage inventory

efficiently. The restroom is in the back of the building because the plumbing lines up in the back

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right side of the building. Love Bites is designed this way to make the process fast and efficient

for guests and employees. The flow of traffic is a clockwise flow which will allows customers to

enjoy in an orderly fashion. (Figure 20)

Figure 20

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XI. Supply Chain

Supply Chain:

Love Bites Ice Cream Shop will serve the highest quality ice cream and ice cream

sandwiches throughout the year. In order to create value for customers, Love Bites will strive to

create effective and efficient supply chain management. Through carefully analyzing a multitude

of suppliers and distributors, management will choose the best possible matches to reduce costs

and increase revenues. Within the tangible store, an organized process will be put into place on

how to order, receive, store, and maintain inventory. Delivery schedules will vary on the

different products that are being shipped to the store. The supplies will determine each schedule

because some products may be rapidly perishable. In order to ensure that Love Bites has the

most effective and efficient suppliers, a multiple KPI’s will be measured. Beginning KPI’s will

determine the best possible way to have the most efficient value chain. Within the Love Bites

store, an organized storage system will ensure that there is no waste, outdated products, late

shipments, or damaged goods.

Supplier Analysis Decision:

To keep our product from waste, expiration, delayed shipments, or damaged goods, Love

Bites considered many suppliers for each area of the business. A business intelligence

opportunity scorecard was put in motion. Through each supplier, management wanted to ensure

that they were following strict guidelines. In this decision making process key characteristics of

suppliers are: ease of ordering and delivery, reliability, quality and range of product offerings,

prices, and natural product (Non-GMO, organic, etc.). The first area of consideration was the

area of bulk. These are items that Love Bites will be using each month in a vast amount for the

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production of ice cream products and cookies. Such items are flour, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla

extract, chocolate chips and much more.

Bulk:

Possible wholesalers that sell in bulk were UNFI, Costco, Sysco, Sam’s Club, and

Webstaurant Store. For each supplier listed, no one supplier was more outstanding than any of

the other choices. After analyzing each strength and weakness between suppliers, Sam’s Club

proved to be the best choice. Sam’s club is the best choice for bulk products because they offered

an ease of delivery, a bulk amount of ingredients needed at a competitive price, and fulfilling

Love Bites non-GMO, organic, natural ingredients. Also, with Sam’s Club having their own

brick and mortar store, it would be easier to deal with any supply chain issues that may arise.

Suppliers that were not chosen were collectively due to complications in ordering, poor quality

brands, and incomplete/ lack of information needed for ingredients.

Creams:

With creams being a high importance to an ice cream shop, Love Bites needed to choose

the highest quality cream distributor. In this specific area, Love Bites had the opportunity to

receive supplies from farmers right in the heart of Colorado. For cream, our potential suppliers

were Royal Crest, Longmont Dairy, Meadow Gold, and Sinton Dairy Foods. Some suppliers

were locally owned dairy farms and others were corporations. Locally owned suppliers offered

quality, homemade creams but were very expensive. Corporations such as Royal Crest and

Sinton Dairy Foods offered competitive prices and quality products. With the use of a Subject

Matter Experts, Love Bites Ice Cream chose Sinton Dairy Foods as a supplier. They not only

offered the best quality product for the lowest price but also had a trusted delivery system.

Delivery and quality are two crucial aspects for the execution of quality ice cream. Love Bites

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needs to depend that a shipment will come on a precise date and in that shipment there will be no

outdated or expired products.

Toppings & Syrups:

Toppings & Syrups are a very important aspect to differentiate Love Bites Ice Cream

from other ice cream shops. In order to choose the best possible toppings supplier, Love Bites set

a strict criterion that the supplier must fulfill. All topping ingredients must be at a competitive

price, ordering and shipping should be organized and on time, and finally there must be a

selection of gluten-free products. Researching the vast amount of supplier’s management came

down to four different suppliers: Panza & Sons, TR Toppers, Dippin Flavors, and Regional

Distributor. Panza & Sons, Regional Distributor, and TR Toppers are all on average the same

price range while Dippin Flavor’s is more expensive out of the four suppliers. Regional

Distributor is the chosen supplier because not only do they have competitive prices in

comparison to other topping suppliers but they also offer the greatest amount of gluten free

products. Other suppliers listed lacked the ability to have a competitive price, organized shipping

plan, or vast amount of gluten-free products.

Produce:

In this emphasis, Love Bites focuses on perishable produce alone. It is important to get

the freshest produce in our products. In order to do this, Love Bites must be able to purchase

these items locally without a chance of these perishable items to go bad. Management decided to

use a number of different suppliers to ensure produce never goes bad nor runs out. To execute

this plan, local grocers such as Whole Foods, Circle Fresh, and Growers Organic will offer the

necessary amount of supplies for the produce that is needed for the Love Bites Operation.

According to the National Restaurant Association, it is recommended that restaurants and retail

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stores that deal will perishable good have multiple suppliers due to disruptions in certain yearly

crops. The suppliers chosen offer quality products along with offering organic and non-GMO

products.

Merchandise:

Potential suppliers for Love Bites merchandise: Custom Ink, Uberprints, and Spreadshirt.

For this criteria, Love Bites wanted suppliers to offer a wide range of quality merchandise at a

competitive price.. This merchandise had to include shirts, water bottles, sweatshirts, and hats.

Through researching these suppliers, each satisfied the criteria of having a depth of quality

products but the chosen supplier was Custom Ink. This choice was made through applying

Search Engine Optimization because this marketing tool can tell who has been around the

longest and who has the highest rated products. Custom Ink offered quality that Love Bites can

trust at a competitive price for our customers. Below is Figure 17 showing the supply chain

decisions. The blue highlighted tables shows the decisions Love Bites decided to use in their

business.

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Figure 17

Bulk

Supplier Positive Negative

Sam’s Club Low Prices in Bulk, Organic and non-GMO products offered.

Membership required.

Costco

Webstaurant Many products tailored for Ice Cream Businesses.

Restricted Selection, untrusted brands.

Sysco Globally known. Business Membership required.

Unfi Non-GMO and organic products offered.

Expensive and a limited selection.

Creams

Supplier Positives Negatives

Royal Crest Competitive Prices. Difficult ordering process of required cream.

Longmont Dairy Locally Owned. Quality products.

Expensive prices.

Meadow Gold Competitive Prices. Too expensive for needed supplies.

Sinton Dairy Quality Products. SME Recommended.

Prices.

Toppings & Syrups

Supplier Positives Negatives

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Panza & Sons Vast amount of products. Membership required.

Regional Distributors Vast amount of gluten free products.

No brick and mortar communication.

TR Toppers Vast amount of products. Difficulty of delivery.

Dippin Flavors Trusted quality brands. Lack of product selection.

Produce

Suppliers Positives Negatives

Whole Foods

Circle Fresh Farms

Growers Organic

Merchandise

Suppliers Positives Negatives

Custom Ink Popular and trusted merchandise producer.

Expensive.

Uberprints Quality Merchandise. Lack of product selection.

Spreadshirt Quality Merchandise. Lack of product selection.

Inventory Management Strategy:

The inventory management strategy is crucial to ensure that Love Bites always has the

necessary amount of supplies to serve the public. This inventory system must be efficient and

well executed. Forecasting is needed to understand the amount of products that will be sold.

Through the forecasting process, production management will be able tell how much supplies is

needed to operate efficiently. After calculating the different menu options and the supplies

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needed, a basic inventory sheet can be established. The inventory sheet will have an amount of

needed supplies in correlation to current inventory levels. Once inventory is used up to a certain

amount, the reorder level will be marked and a request will be given to place a new order. Love

Bites aims to have everything run on time and effectively with our suppliers. To do this,

management will give suppliers a specific lead-time to receive and send new shipments. To keep

from ordering miscommunication within Love Bites, only the management team will be able to

order new shipments and only a specific amount can be ordered each time.

Ordering Process:

In regards to the supply chain, ordering the supplies comes first. The inventory spread

sheet that has details of what inventory Love Bites has and what it needs is updated and verified

by management. Also, after the inventory spreadsheet verification is done, an employee on shift

will do a physical inventory check. This will take into account any outdated, broken, or damaged

goods. In order to reduce costs and increase revenue by not wasting products and risking late

shipments, verification will take place every Monday morning throughout the year. At the

beginning of every week, Monday morning, an ordering request will be placed and suppliers will

have the ability to receive and place the orders for the inventory requested. With anticipation of

customer traffic being on the weekends, inventory will be low at the end hours on Sunday night.

After a crosscheck of inventory is done, an order will then be placed. When management orders

the product, it is important to order the specified amount so that Love Bites does not risk

ordering too much or too little. This can lead to an unnecessary increase in cost and a decrease in

revenue.

The first round of ordering for the Love Bites Ice Cream shop will be at the beginning of

the month. Every month after the initial purchase of regular inventory will be executed on the 1st

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of the month. Items needed were determined by forecasting through Subject Matter Experts that

advised what management needs to order the most of and how much each of these products will

cost. The only product that will not be following the monthly schedule is the cream for ice

cream. Former SME’s advised the purchase and order of cream to be weekly to ensure that each

batch of ice cream is fresh.

Using the Just In Time process, management will be able to describe what item needs to

be ordered accordingly. First, the manager will organize inventory needed with the necessary

suppliers. After the order is organized, the order will be placed with the supplier (the ordering

process will vary for each supplier). For example, Panza & Sons has a precise ordering process

and companies can order the same day while other suppliers require at least a two day lead time

to get the shipment placed. This will influence when the shipment gets in and how receiving the

shipment will change for each product. Communication is key through the ordering process.

Ordering on Mondays will ensure that we will be able to have telephone and email conversations

with suppliers. This will ensure that both parties agree on what actions are required.

As mentioned above, the Just In Time process (JIT) is an ordering technique that states

the items will be ordered only when they are needed. As an ice cream company Love Bites plans

to order precisely when items are needed in order to refrain from products being outdated or

expired later on in inventory. Also, in the JIT process, it is recommended that orders be on a

timely basis. This works perfectly with ordering products at the beginning of each month and

ordering cream at the beginning of every week.

Merchandise items will be ordered when customers fill out an order online to what they

want but a small amount of merchandise will be kept in store for customer convenience.

Customers that would like to order other sizes or in bulk would place an order on the Love Bites

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website. Once the orders are recorded, management will place an order with the Custom Ink

supplier. This process is used because it will be difficult to forecast customer trends of what they

look for in the Love Bites merchandise. Although this process will take time, it will save on cost

because Love Bites will not have an excess of merchandise in the store.

Receiving Process:

After the order is placed, management will take note of expected items arriving. Once the

shipment arrives, management will record the date and time of delivery. Before the shipment is

accepted, the manager on duty will ensure that all of the necessary supplies are there and that

they are not damaged or broken. If there are no issues with the order, the stocking process will

begin.

After the supplies have been received, it is crucial to get them in required temperature

controlled environments. Two employees that are working will take note of what they are

storing. One employee will read aloud what supplies are being placed into inventory and the

other employee will record the serial number and how much of the item is being stored. The

serial number is vital because this will keep on record when the item needs to be used and sold

before it is no longer good to sell anymore.

Storing Process:

Once supplies have been received, it is crucial to get items organized immediately. Perishable items are to be stored immediately so they are not compromised with being spoiled. In order to accomplish this, after the shipment and delivery arrives, management will record items that are transported into inventory. Products will be separated by perishable and nonperishable items and then examined. Specifically, an employee on duty will examine the shipment to ensure

the product is not damaged. After the examination is passed, the product will be given to a

manager to identify what product it is, when it was received, and when it expires. A label will be

placed on the product and that product label will be entered into the system. Once the labeling is

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completed, the items will be stored in the corresponding areas. For perishable items, such as

creams, eggs, and produce, will be kept in the refrigerator. Items kept in the fridge will be kept

between 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Non-perishable items will be stored on shelves in the back.

Heavier and more handled products will be kept on the bottom (flour, sugar, toppings, etc.) while

lighter products will be kept higher up. This will ensure that there is less injury to staff and

operations will be more efficient because time will not be wasted reaching and looking for

necessary ingredients.

Supplies throughout the store will be placed and used in accordance with expirations

dates and shipment dates. Older supplies will be pushed and placed toward the front of shelf to

ensure that they are used first while newer supplies will be placed behind older ones. To ensure

that no contamination, such as allergens, be mixed in with other foods employees will handle

each product with plastic gloves and store the products with like items.

Efficient Supplies Operations and KPI’s:

Love Bites aims to get rid of all unnecessary cost within the business operations.

Unnecessary inventory costs are expired or outdated items, damaged goods, and lost inventory.

To ensure that there are not any unnecessary costs, keeping track of inventory is crucial to this

strategy. All employees and manager have to be on the constant look out for any items that could

be potentially compromised. Throughout the operations of Love Bites, key performance

indicators will be measured during the year. These KPI’s will measure every aspect of the supply

chain, from the supply, to Love Bites, to the customer. A KPI to be measured is the efficiency

and quality of the delivery process. Love Bites will record if a shipment is late or early. Also,

management will record if products are damaged upon delivery. These actions may call for a

change in suppliers or a change in delivery companies. Periodically, management will test how

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much and what supplies are lost due to expiration. This will be important to acknowledge if Love

Bites needs to change anything within their supply chain and operations. If there is a frequency

of items that are expired, management may consider delaying shipments or changing the storing

process. Finally, another major KPI to be measured is the amount of lost products through the

supply chain process. This can range from not all the necessary products being delivered, to at

the end of the day the recorded inventory and tangible inventory does not match. Depending on

the frequency of these problems, management will ensure that Love Bites is not losing inventory

and revenue.

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XII. Human Resources Plan and Cost Analysis

Culture considerations

It is important to create a positive and invigorating workplace where staff will be dedicated to

making strong, lasting relationships with each customer as well as their fellow employees. The

culture of the business is vital to its daily functionality, hard-working, happy employees ensure a

better-run business overall. The expectation is that all of Love Bites staff will be cooperative

with each other and enjoy working in a positive, welcoming environment.

Hours of Operation

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

12:00PM- 11:00PM

12:00PM- 11:00PM

12:00PM- 11:00PM

12:00PM- 11:00PM

12:00PM- 1:00AM

12:00PM- 1:00AM

12:00PM- 11:00PM

The store will be open later on Friday and Saturday because college kids will be roaming

around going to parties and walking back to their houses from late night events which greatly

increases the foot traffic at this time of night near the Love Bites store. Although it is beneficial

to extend the hours of operation on these days, there are concerns with staying open later. First of

which, being as it gets later the amount of crime increases, employees working a late shift or the

closing shift must be more vigilant and observant of the shop environment, and who is in the

shop and around it.

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Love Bites Quarterly Periods and Cost Analysis

Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

April May June

July August September

October November December

January February March

See Income Statement for quarterly cost analysis of year 1 in business.

Staff

There will be two types of employees, ice cream specialists and managers. Ice cream

specialists consist of standard employees that interact with customers and craft the products. The

ideal employee for Love Bites ice cream specialists are college students ages 18-24. The primary

employees will be college students because of the close vicinity to college campuses (DU,

University of Colorado-Denver, Metro) and unique personality they will bring to the store.

College students also add to the type of environment Love Bites seeks to create, an informal,

personal ice cream experience. There are a variety of important tasks in which ice cream

specialists will need to complete throughout their shift, some of which include:

• Scooping ice cream

• Assembling ice cream sandwiches

• Operating the cash register

• Restock of inventory supplies

• Customer service

• Cleaning of the restaurant

• Cash Drops

The second category of staff are Managers, which will be responsible for running the

store. Love Bites is looking to hire upperclassmen or graduated college students as our

managers; ages between 24-30. We are looking for older more mature students for this position

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because we need employees with developed skills that will benefit the company. Some of these

responsibilities include:

• Supervising ice cream specialists

• Customer service •Inventory recording •Supervision of cleanliness throughout the store

Shift Schedule

At Love Bites we will have a total of 10 employees. Two Managers and eight Ice Cream

Specialists. During a normal week everyone works part time every day. There are a total of two

shifts a day. There will be one manager and four ice cream specialists per shift. And there will be

one shift in which the managers switch and the four ice cream specialists switch. There will

always be one ice cream specialist working the cash register. (Appendix 2)

During the Cold season (November, December, January, February, and March) hours and

the amount of employees working will be decreased. Hours will be from 1pm to 9pm for

everyday of the week including Fridays and Saturdays. The amount of employees present at

work will be a total of two, one manager and one ice cream specialist. Ice cream specialists will

be working less hours and days during the colder months.

When new Inventory is delivered to Love Bites ice cream shop one Ice Cream Specialist

and Manager will meet with the inventory supplier. The manager will have a check off list to

check for the right inventory and the ice cream specialists will be transferring the inventory to

the stockroom.

Seasonal Considerations

After reading an interview with the founder of Ice Cream Riot in Denver about seasonal

considerations for ice cream shops, Love Bites has learned that ice cream is a seasonal product.

During the months where it is cold out (below 50 degrees) ice cream sales will decrease because

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no one wants to walk around and eat ice cream in the cold weather. During the months of

November, December, January, February, and March Love Bites will have shortened hours and

less employees working. Love Bites will be closed during the week of Thanksgiving (Last

Thursday of November) and during Christmas (Dec 24 – Dec 25). During the months of April,

May, June, July, August, September, and October Love Bites will be running on its regular

schedule. (Appendix 1)

Recruiting

Love Bites target employee will be college students and just graduated college students,

as previously discussed. The recruiting process will begin on campus in the information offices

of Denver University, Metro State, and University of Colorado–Denver. There will also be

advertisements online in Craigslist, Monster, and Indeed. When recruiting employees the most

important criteria will be education (striving for employees to have a minimum GPA of 3.0),

work experience (customer service of any kind is preferred), and personality (friendly,

welcoming, gracious, smiles).

Hiring

The hiring process will include a two-step process. The first step is calling a candidate

who has filled out an online application. During this call a preliminary interview will take place

as the candidate will be asked the following questions: Why are you interested in working for us?

How much experience do you have in the ice cream industry?

During the face-to-face interview the following questions will be asked: What is your

current schedule like? Are you okay to work on weekends? What makes you unique from other

candidates? Ask how to they would act in a particular situation.

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Training

The training process is paid (regular compensation) and is one week long (7 days).

During this process various aspects of the job will be discussed including instructions and

background information. Listed below are a few of the tasks that are taught during training:

• How to open the store

• How to scoop Ice Cream • How to make ice cream sandwiches

• How to use the cash register

• Customer service

• How to clean store appropriately

• How to record amount of inventory at end of day • How to restock inventory

Dress Code

Employees are required to wear tan pants, close-toed shoes, and a Love Bites shirt with

the Love Bites logo. Women/Men with hair longer than shoulder length will be required to wear

a hair tie. (Appendix 1)

Performance Evaluation

The manager will give a performance evaluation once a month to every ice cream

specialist. An owner will give a performance evaluation once a month to the manager. The

performance evaluation for an ice cream specialist will look like this: (Appendix 1)

The performance evaluation for a manager will be more in-depth than an ice cream

specialist. An owner will talk to the manager about revenue, which products are selling well,

which products are not selling well, how they are running the store, what is working and what is

not working, are there any ideas they have, etc.

Vacation

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Employees will be allowed twenty-five days of unpaid vacation time during the year. In

order to schedule vacation time an ice cream specialist must let a manager know two weeks in

advance if they would like time off. Once approved by the manager the employee will fill out an

online request form through the online scheduling website. If a manager wants time off they

must contact an owner two weeks in advance to set up vacation. (Appendix 1)

Termination

The owners and managers are responsible for the termination of an employee. An

employee must give two weeks notice before their resignation. This allows a manager to search

for a new ice cream specialist. A manager must give two weeks notice before their resignation. A

manager must also find and train an employee to take over their job as manager. For more detail

in termination of an employee refer to the termination and confidential agreements in the

employee contract. (Appendix 1)

Salaries

Two different salaries will be given to employees. The first is the ice cream specialist

salary, which will be $8.75 an hour. Next is a manager’s salary, which will be $10 an hour. Both

salaries will have the potential for a raise. Employees will be paid by direct deposit every two

weeks. The break down cost analysis for salary payment is displayed in Figure 19.

Figure 19:

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Opening Duties & Closing Duties

Opening Duties :

• Take down all chairs from tables and set up properly

• Unlock doors and turn lights on

• Take inventory and set up appropriately

• Make sure enough money in cash register

Closing Duties:

• Put all chairs up on table

• Vacuum floor

• Record amount of inventory out on floor

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• Put inventory into inventory storage

• Clean all counter tops

• Take money out of cash register and deposit into safe

• Lock door to store

Employee Benefits

Employees are given three Love Bite logo shirts (must be worn when working).

Employees are also given one free ice cream product per shift. Love Bites will pay a FICA

(Federal Insurance Contributions Act) cost, employees have the option to pay their insurance

through an automatic pay out from their electronic deposit at discounted rate. Love Bites will

not include other traditional employee benefits including, dental care, 401k, etc. (Appendix 1)

Shipping

Love Bites sells water bottles, t-shirts, and sweatshirts as online merchandise. When

customers make purchases online, it is electronically recorded into the Love Bites data system.

Each day a Love Bites manager will review orders online and assign a Love Bites Ice Cream

Specialist to retrieve the merchandise, package the merchandise, and print out a label for the

package. The customer pays for shipping. A FedEx employee will stop by Love Bites every day

to pick up packaged orders being sent to customers.

Point of Sale

The point of sale system will be an iPad run with the Square software. It will include an

iPad, a cash drawer, receipt printer, Square credit card slider, and barcode scanner. All Ice Cream

Specialist will have the ability to use the cash register.

Warehouse

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Love Bites stores all inventory and merchandise in a back room away from the main area.

Inventory and merchandise is recorded twice a day every day. It is recorded once when the store

opens and once when the store closes. Inventory is shipped once a week from our suppliers.

When inventory arrives a manager and Ice Cream Specialist will meet the inventory deliverer

and record the inventory being restocked. The Ice Cream Specialist will proceed to transfer the

inventory from the truck to the warehouse.

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XIII. Non-Human Resources Plan

Office and Storage Space

Love Bites will have a small office located in the back corner of the unit. This office will

only be accessible to managers. The reason why the office is only available to managers is

because that is where the safe and central POS system is located as well as the surveillance

camera monitors. Surveillance cameras are located throughout the building can be accessible

through the office. There will be six cameras located around the store to ensure security. Camera

locations will be one overseeing the register, front door, kitchen, storage room, dining area and

the office. The office is where management can conduct business operations such as preparing

deposits, conducting interviews, managing inventory, payroll, and all other business operations.

The office space will also have the supply chain orders and information for each product within

the store. There will be no additional costs for office space since the office will be located in

Love Bites. In the event of expansion a bigger office space will be necessary to manage and

grow to multiple locations. Storage space is located directly to the right of the office. This space

will include a blast freezer and refrigerators as well as shelves for non-perishable ingredients. All

the items stored will have a label as well as an expiration date on them to ensure that there is no

waste. This process will also keep track of any inventory that is being used more rapidly or not

being used at all. Management strives to label everything for the purpose of ordering properly

and keeping inventory organized. Love Bites wants to ensure customer satisfaction and safety,

labeling the expiration dates on items will allow Love Bites to provide the best product to

customers.

Items will be stocked according to the FIFO method, items that are closer to expiring are

stocked in front while items just received are stocked further back.

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Insurance

Based on Love Bites location, there is a large potential for accidents. Love Bites

will make sure our guests as well as the business are properly insured. Love Bites will have full

commercial insurance provided from Pinnacle Insurance Group. The insurance will protect the

business from being sued and other claims against the company. Pinnacle Insurance works with

businesses to make a comprehensive protection plan designed for each individual business. With

this company Love Bites will be protected in the following areas:

•Employment Practices Liability

• Commercial General Liability

• Workers Compensation

• Commercial Property

• Employee Benefits

• Bodily

Whether Love Bites gets robbed, damaged or goes unexpectedly bankrupted, Pinnacle

assures coverage. The reason why a full coverage plan was chosen is because Love Bites will go

above and beyond to serve and protect its guests as well as employees. The monthly cost for

Pinnacle will amount to $426.39. The annual amount for this insurance will be $5,116.68.

Pinnacle is the best fit for Love Bites because it is one of the only commercial insurances that

can be adjusted for the best needs of the business. Compared with State Farm, which has

standard business insurance, the monthly cost would have been $556.74, and totaling $6,680.88

yearly. After comparing these two insurance companies, the decision has been made to continue

with Pinnacle Insurance because of their competitive price as well as plans.

Utilities

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Love Bites utility bill will include the cost of gas, water and electricity. Xcel Energy is

Colorado’s main provider for utilities, servicing Love Bites. Xcel provided Love Bites with

averages in the area as well as similar ice cream shop averages. Love Bites estimated monthly

bill in the summer for utilities would be $733.24. In the winter season the total cost is estimated

to be $668.82. The average of the two seasons is estimated to cost $ 8,412.36 yearly for utilities.

It is expected to be a higher bill in the summer because of all of the coolers/and freezers

generating heat that the A/C will have to compete with as well as the door opening and closing

multiple times. Also with summer season being our busy season the hours of operations are

longer, requiring utility costs for lighting to increase. In the winter season the heat generated

with the coolers/freezers and limited operating hours will decrease the utility bill.

Phone and internet services are a necessity for small businesses. The Internet is necessary

for the POS system and servers to operate. Love Bites will be acquiring Comcast’s Business

package that will include phone service and high speed Internet. The cost for this service will be

$76.89 monthly, and $922.68 yearly. Comcast was chosen over Century Link because Century

Link’s plan was $72.99 monthly but was only locked in for the first twelve months, when it

would increase to $89.99 a month. Love Bites would save money with Century Link for the first

year but would save for long term. Trash service in the Republic Plaza where Love Bites is

located is already implemented in the lease. There will be no additional cost for this service.

Property Tax

With the lease agreement that Love Bites acquired property tax is something that

Love Bites will be responsible of paying. Property tax in Denver, Colorado has been increasing

at an average rate of 4.4% yearly. Last year the unit that Love Bites will be housed had a

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property tax bill of $6,839.00. With the average rates increasing yearly, estimated cost will be

$7,139.916 in the upcoming year. Figure 21 shows estimated property tax costs for 3,5,10 years.

Figure 21:

In order for Love Bites to be the best ice cream provider in the Denver metro area it is

necessary to have a forecast, in this forecast project revenue, expenses and gross profit are

projected. This forecast was determined using the Ben & Jerry’s and Baskin Robins model of

predicting forecasts. The reason why these two companies were chosen is because after

conducting research it was determined that they were the top leaders in the ice cream industry. If

Love Bites wants to compete with the top brands it is in the best interest to use similar

techniques. With taking the average of those two companies Love Bites projects to have an

increase of 7% in the second year and 4% increase in the third year from the second. It is

predicted to increase 4% since Love Bites will be a successful established business by the third

year. Ben & Jerry's and Baskin Robins predict an annual increase of 12 and 14%. Knowing that

Love Bites is a new business and will take time to gain popularity, the annual percent increase is

not as high as these notorious companies.

Figure 22:

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Figure 22 above represents Love Bites revenue over a three-year period. The first year’s

revenue is projected to be $951,011.00. When coming up with this estimate it was taken into

consideration that Love Bites will be a new business and cannot expect a vast amount of revenue

the first year. With the current marketing plan and location that Love Bites is perusing it gives

Love Bites the business confidence that revenue sales will be above $951,000.

In the second year Love Bites projects to have $171,448.00 in revenue, a 7% increase. The 7%

increase was determined by the average increase of similar ice cream shops and the City of

Denver’s small business averages for increasing revenue. With Love Bites being an established

business by the second year of operations revenue will only increase as years come.

Third year revenue projections are predicted to be $1,775,428.00, a 4% increase from the

second year of operations. By the third year Love Bites will be known as offering the best ice

951011%

1711448% 1775428%

0%200000%400000%600000%800000%1000000%1200000%1400000%1600000%1800000%2000000%

Year%1% %Year%2% %Year%3%

Amount'In'Dollars'

REVENUE'''

Love'Bites'Revenue'

LOVE%BITES%REVENUE%%

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cream and service to 16th street mall. With being established and meeting our core values Love

Bites will have no problem growing revenue each year.

Figure 23:

Figure 23 above displays Love Bites expense costs over a three-year period. Expenses

include everything to run and operate Love Bites at a high level. (Refer to income statement for

full list of expenses) First year expenses are predicted to be $691,413.00. Being a new business

Love Bites expenses will be higher the first year in certain areas than the upcoming years. This is

because of the high start-up costs associated with starting a new business. The new business

expenses include but not limited to, marketing, hiring, designing, and consulting. With being in

the first year of a new business Love Bites expects to have a high expense rate for expenses that

will not bring a return right away like the second and third year.

The expense amount that is predicted for the second year is $969,016.00. That is a 7%

increase from the previous year. The second year’s expenses are expected to increase because

Love Bites forecast predicts an increase in revenue sales, which would increase the cost of good

691413%

969016% 992420%

0%

200000%

400000%

600000%

800000%

1000000%

1200000%

1% 2% 3%

Amount'In'Dollars'

Expenses'In'Years''

Love'Bites'Expenses'

Series1%

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sold. In the second year, expenses of being a new business will still be present but not as much.

The reason why the expense amount is increasing is because Love Bites is projected to have a

7% increase in revenue which will increase operations and costs of goods sold.

Love Bites predicts the third year expenses to amount to $992,420, a 4% increase from

the previous year. With being an established business by the third year the expenses will rise

with the popularity of Love Bites. As funds will not be going towards marketing as much, the

cost of operating and providing more guests with services will rise. As the chart above represents

expenses are to increase each year as long as revenue increases.

Figure 24.1

=$107,778%

$81,157%$97,160%

=$150,000%

=$100,000%

=$50,000%

$0%

$50,000%

$100,000%

$150,000%

Year%1% %Year%2% %Year%3%

AMOUNT'IN'DOLLARS'

GROSS'PROFIT'

Love'Bites'Gross'ProBit'

Love%Bites%Gross%ProEit%

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Figure 24.1 above displays Love Bites gross profit; taking the revenue and subtracting

the expenses is how this data was calculated. The first year Love Bites is projected to have a loss

of $107,778.00. This conclusion came by conducting research from ice cream stores and small

businesses that are new to a certain area. The reason why Love Bites will be at a loss the first

year is because it will be a new store and it will not generate enough revenue to cover for the

expenses. As stated in above revenue isn’t expected to be high the first year because of Love

Bites new addition to 16th street mall.

In the second year Love Bites is expected to have a gross profit of $81,157.00. This

increase of being at a loss to being at profit comes with the amount of revenue that is predicted.

With the revenue to increase by 11% and the expenses to stay approximately similar gross profit

will increase as shown above.

In the third year of operation Love Bites is predicting $97,160.00 in gross profit. This

increase, similar to the second year will increase as revenue increases.

Although the second year’s gross profit increased by a significant amount the third years

projections are not expected to grow as much. Love Bites is projecting to have the biggest

increase from year one to year two because that is when the city will come to Love Bites. The

third year increase in revenue isn’t predicted to increase as much as the second years because

Love Bites will already have been the number one choice for the consumer by the third year.

Below (Figure 24.2) is the projected Revenue forecast for the first three years broken down by

quarter.

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XV. Financial Analysis

The following section is a financial projected analysis of Love Bites; included are an

income statement, balance sheet, and cash flows statement. Love Bites financial projections are

based off of two leading ice cream companies Ben & Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins previous

financials. Projected Profit for the year of 2016 (1st year) is a loss of $107,777. We are expecting

a loss because of the large start-up cost associated with opening up a new business.

For future projected profit based on the data from Ben & Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins, we

are projecting to grow 7% to $81,157 in 2017 (2nd year), and 11% to $97,160 in 2018 (3rd year).

One of the reasons we are expected to grow so much in the following year is generating

awareness about our brand name. We believe once we start generating awareness about Love

Bites, and grow a steady customer base, we will see increased profit growth.

Love Bites greatest expenses will be cost of goods sold, rent, and salaries. Cost of goods

sold will be the most expensive expense being 50.6% of expenses in 2016, 63.42% of expenses

in 2017, and 64.24% expenses in 2018. As Love Bites develops a stronger connection with its

suppliers and creates more efficient processes that are currently unknown, Love Bites hopes to

decrease the cost of goods sold over time and increase the value of the firm.

Projection for allowances of return transactions for Love Bites products are minimal

because customers cannot return a used product (i.e. eaten ice cream). However, customers can

return merchandise (sweatshirts, t-shirts, water bottles). Therefore there is an allowance of $345

that increases by projected growth in the following years; 7% and 11%.

The debt ratio of Love Bites will start off as a highly leveraged company in 2016 with a

debt ratio of 1.16. The business is highly leveraged because of the high initial start up cost.

Through the next two year the debt ratio decreases to .91 in 2017 and to .90 in 2018. Although

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these ratios are considered to still be highly leveraged throughout the following years the ratio

are expected to decrease as liabilities decrease and assets increase.

The current ratio in 2016 is 1.1, which is very high and indicates that in 2016 we will not

be able to pay back our short-term loans. However in the proceeding years the current ratio drops

to .94 in 2017 and .90 in 2018. The current ratio drops because of an increase in revenue in 2017

and 2018. Because of this drop Love Bites can start to pay off its short-term debt.

The debt to equity ratio in 2016 is -7.43. This ratio is negative because of the large start

up costs to bring Love Bites to market. However in the following years the debt to equity ratio

becomes positive at 10.74 in 2017 and 8.97 in 2018. This is because the assets in the company

remain unchanged but the income taxes payable (liabilities) increase significantly because of the

7% increase in 2017 and the 11% increase in 2018.

Regarding the statement of cash flows, operating cash flows increase from $58,994 in

2016, to $101,246 in 2017, to $119,496 in 2018. The increase in operating cash flows is directly

correlated to the increase in cash receipts from customers.

Love Bites reports negative investing cash flows of $36,373 for the first year because of

the acquisition of property and equipment in order to operate the store. For the following two

years Love Bites is not loaning any money to anyone, is not selling any of its equipment, and is

not purchasing any more property or equipment therefore there will be no investing cash flows.

However in future years to come if Love Bites needs to sell old equipment for new equipment

there will be fluctuations in investing cash flows.

Finally, Love Bites will report positive financial activities in 2016 because of the loan

taken out and the investing money from the four owners to help compensate for a high initial

start up cost. However, after the first year financial activities will become negative until the loan

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is paid off. Financial activities for 2017 and 2018 are -$9,636. Figure 24.3 represents the Income

Statement, Figure 24.4 represents the Balance Sheet, and Figure 24.5 represents the Statements

of Cash Flows.

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Below is figure 25 comparing the amount of sundaes that need to be sold in order to break even

to the projected amount of sundaes to be sold. The red section represents the number of sundaes that need

to be sold in order to break even. For year one 1303 sundaes need to be sold in order to break even. For

year two 2987 sundaes need to be sold in order to break even. For year three 3098 sundaes need to be sold

in order to break even.

Figure 25

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Below is Figure 26 comparing the amount of toppings that need to be sold in order to break even

to the projected amount of toppings to be sold. The red section represents the number of toppings that

need to be sold in order to break even. For year one 1020 toppings need to be sold in order to break even.

For year two 1746 toppings need to be sold in order to break even. For year three 1812 toppings need to

be sold in order to break even.

Figure 26

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Below is Figure 27 comparing the amount of cups of ice cream that need to be sold in order to

break even to the projected amount of cups of ice cream to be sold. The red section represents the number

of cups of ice cream that need to be sold in order to break even. For year one 54294 cups of ice cream

need to be sold in order to break even. For year two 92664 cups of ice cream need to be sold in order to

break even. For year three 96128 cups of ice cream need to be sold in order to break even.

Figure 27

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Below is Figure 28 comparing the amount of cookies that need to be sold in order to break even

to the projected amount of cookies to be sold. The red section represents the number of cookies that need

to be sold in order to break even. For year one 5077 cookies need to be sold in order to break even. For

year two 8692 cookies need to be sold in order to break even. For year three 9017 cookies need to be sold

in order to break even.

Figure 28

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Below is Figure 29 comparing the amount of cookie bowls that need to be sold in order to break

even to the projected amount of cookie bowls to be sold. The red section represents the number of cookie

bowls that need to be sold in order to break even. For year one 5077 cookie bowls need to be sold in order

to break even. For year two 8692 cookie bowls need to be sold in order to break even. For year three 9017

cookie bowls need to be sold in order to break even.

Figure 29

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XVI. Process Maps

Flow charts

The highest importance of Love Bites is the service process and receiving the customer’s

order. The first flow chart (Figure 30) explains past routines of receiving a customers order.

Using this Love Bites has been able to cut out spaces that were not taking full advantage of both

efficiency and effectiveness. The first flow chart represents the “As-Is” process of Marble Slab

Creamery. Through this process Love Bites is able to recognize what processes are not adding

value to the firm or customer.

Figure 30

Start%

Employee%takes%order%and%gathers%supplies%

Is%the%order:%Ice%Cream,%Shake/%Malt,%or%Frozen%

Yogurt

Ice%Cream

Frozen%Yogurt%Shake/Malt

Toppings?% How%many?%%Yes

No

Finished%Product

Toppings?Toppings? No

How%Many?%

Yes

No

How%Many?

Yes

Finished%Product%

Finished%Product

What%kind?What%kind?

What%kind?

Choice%&%Size?

Choice%&%Size?

Choice%&%Size?

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The succeeding flowchart (Figure 31) process map goes through each step, along with

alternative routes, of what a typical customer may order. In the training process the flow chart

will help employees and kitchen staff show how crucial each task is to providing high quality

service to each customer. The second flow chart represents the Love Bites serving process. Love

Bites has combined the decision-making process of the choice of ice cream, size, and toppings.

Figure 31

Greet%Customer Ice$Cream? Yes$What$kind$of$Ice$Cream?$Size?$Toppings?$

No

Ice$Cream$Sandwhich?$

What$kind?$Size?$Toppings?$Yes

Shake/Malt? Yes What$kind?$Size?$Toppings?$

Employee$at$counter,$

registers$Order$

Mix$ingredients$

Final$Product

Mix$Ingredients$

Final$Product

Employee$at$counter,$

registers$Order

Finished$

Mix$Ingredients$

Final$ProductEmployee$at$counter,$

registers$Order

Customer$Orders.$

No$

Gather$Ingredients$

Gather$Ingredients

Gather$ingredients$

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Relationship Maps

The relationship map (Figure 32)that it utilized for Love Bites is in regards to the supply

chain (moving from the suppliers to Love Bites to the customers). This gives a visual

representation of what supplies are needed in order to make Love Bites products. Suppliers are

shown on the left and the relationship map shows what they provide to Love Bites. The area

between the suppliers and Love Bites on the map represents what supplies are being transferred.

The area between Love Bites and the customers is the finished product or treat.

Figure 32

Suppliers

Love,Bites

Customers

Sam’s&Club&

Sinton’s&Dairy

Regional&Distributors

Whole&Foods&

Circle&Fresh&Farms

Growers&Organic

CustomInk

?Cups&&&&&&&&&&?Flour&?Spoons&&&&&&?Vanilla&Extract&?&Bowls&&&&&&&?&Pots&?&Plates&&&&&&&?Pans&?&Sugar&&&&&&&&?Utensils&

!?10%&Cream&?Whole&Milk&?Whipping&Cream&

?Toppings&?Syrups&?Cones?Napkin&holders&and&napkins?&Toilet&Paper&?Towel&Dispenser&and&Towels&

1Fresh,produce,

1Fresh,Produce,

1Fresh,Produce,

1Customized,merchandize,

Cookies?&Chocolate&Chip&?&Double&Chocolate&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chunk?&Sugar&Cookie&?&Pistachio&Cookie?&White&Chocolate&Chip&?&Snickerdoodle&?&White&Chocolate&Chip&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Almond&Butter

Ice&Cream&?&Vanilla&?&Cookie&Dough&?&Snowcap&Ice&Cream&?&Green&Tea&Matcha&?&Caramel&Crunch&?&Rocky&Road&?&Cookies&n’&Cream&?&Chocolate&Chunk&?&Mint&Chocolate&Chip&?Chocolate&

Toppings&?&Confetti&Sprinkles&?&Sugar&Glaze&?&Chocolate&Fudge&?&Shell&Chocolate&?&Caramel&?&Whip?Cream&?&White/Dark&Chocolate&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chip&?Crushed&Nuts&?&Snickers&?&Heath&Bar&?&Oreo’s&?&Snow&Caps?&Gummy&Bears&?&Strawberries&?&Bananas&?&M&M’s&?&Kit&Kat&?&Coconut&

Merchandise&?Sweatshirt&?&Hoodies&?&Shirts&?&Water&bottles&

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Cross-Functional Map

A cross-functional map (Figure 33) was used to show the inventory control. This process

requires a multitude of employees from different areas of the business. Due to this complex

process across different niches, the cross-functional map allows Love Bites to increase efficiency

and improve performance for the value to our customers. Since Love Bites will be utilizing the

Just-In-Time Process, there is small room for error.

Figure 33

Inventory)Control)Process)

Employees)

Suppliers

Managers)

Phase

Managers)order)necessary)amount)of)inventory.

The)order)is)received)and)collected)

Supplier)ships)inventory)

Employees)#1)and)#2)will)examine)

supplies)for)damaged)items

Managers)will)check)what)the)supplies)are,)the)date)received,)and)expiration)

date.)

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XVII. Final Summary:

Brittany:

Throughout this project I have learned a lot about working in a group and time

management. I learned how to better work with others and have better time management. It was

hard to plan meeting times around everyone’s busy schedules as well as planning enough time to

get all we needed to get done in a small amount of time. This caused stressful situations, which

we learn to handle as a group. I also learned a lot about working with data. It was hard to find

good reputable sources for information and I learned to really drill down into the data to find

what I really needed to support my decisions about the business. To prospective BCOR 2500

students I would advise you to start everything really early. Recognize the challenges of time and

project management and be sure to act on that as soon as possible. My other advice would be to

always explain your ideas and why you chose to do what you did because that is the most

important part of the entire project.

Jacob:

The retail project has definitely been one of the more difficult projects that I have done in

college, but also the most beneficial. It has given me a real world view of what a retail operation

would look like. Even working with the group, gives a real world example of how to work in

teams in order to get something done. My group had good communication and was able to

bounce back from any problems that we ran into. Working with the data from different sources

taught me the importance of how to articulate a certain point and backup that point through a

concise analysis.

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The process maps were very beneficial because it can be applied and utilized for different

operations within a business. Advise for future groups about data and process mapping, would be

to try and get prior knowledge of these tools before the OPIM class.

Time management and general management of the project is key to having a well thought

out plan and execution. Our group started early and set deadlines to finish each requirement, but

still we pushed the limits on interim deadlines. Communication and organization is very

important for future groups to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

All in all, this project has been extremely rigorous but still very beneficial toward real

world experiences. I have already begun to speak to corporate representatives of the project and

what it entails.

Danny:

This project has been one of a kind. There has been so many ups and downs. Working with

a group of four has definitely been difficult. It’s very hard to coordinate time schedules to work

around everyone’s days. It is also hard not to get frustrated with group members when they do

not have their sections done or do not show up on time. That being said I was glad I was put into

a group to work, it challenged me to keep my cool and solve the problem at hand.

Working with the data was very time consuming. Making the revenue forecast took me

about seven hours to complete. Making the income statement, cash flows statement, and the

balance sheet also took me several hours. In the end working with the data was very tough

although in the end it was very rewarding seeing it all come together.

Working with the process maps was not as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. It

was actually cool putting together all the steps in the process map. Overall it was a good

experience.

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I think our group used our time very well. We planned things out very well. We met twice

a week every week to go over our parts and review others parts. When we met although we got

distracted sometimes we put it hard work and got our project done.

My suggestions for future BCOR 2500 students would be to protest this class. The

grading system for the project is completely unfair. Your grade is based off of how well other

students do in the class, so if you are put in a class with not so smart students you will get a

better grade but if you're put into a class with smart students you're more likely to not do well.

When you talk to your recitation leader they will tell you what you need to do better but they are

telling everyone what they need to do better. So essentially they're helping first place remain first

place and helping last place remain last place. Overall this is a poorly structured class, with a

flawed grading system.

Kern:

This project has taught me a lot about business and myself. I have learned what it takes to start up

a small business. This project really made me think about every detail that is needed in order to start a

small business. Throughout this process of working as a group it has taught me what it takes to be a good

team member and how to motivate others. Throughout this project there were times when group members

including myself would get frustrated. With this project I learned how important it is to control frustration

and focus on the task that needs to be completed. As time went on, the members and myself learned more

about each other and ultimately became a good team!

Data was a huge portion of this project. Before this project I didn’t realize that data is used in

every aspect of business. Throughout the process I learned how to analyze and summarize data. With the

completion of this project I believe I can analyze data in a more efficient way.

Process mapping is what keeps any business running. Being a consumer to thousand of business

each year I would of never thought of the process that it takes to get my product. With this project it made

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me realize how many steps there are in order to get a certain product made. I will now appreciate the

process more because now I have a better understanding of how things are operated.

A good time and project management process is crucial to being a successful team. Being college

students’ time management can be tough. There were times throughout the project when group members

couldn’t meet due to schedule conflicts. As a team we set up deadlines for our submissions, being in a

busy environment it was hard to get everything completed by that deadline. With this project I learned

how important it was to plan ahead. For an example I would set goals for myself before the submission

was due to get certain parts done so I could get other work done as well. When conducting project

management our group would get together to plan everything out. This was tough because everyone has

there own ideas and thoughts. Through this I learned it is important to consider everyone’s thoughts and

try to implement them in any way possible.

I really enjoyed this class and project and would suggest it to future students. I would suggest that

future students get a full understanding of the grading system before they start the project. This is one

course that I learned the most in and truly enjoyed it.

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XVIII. Appendix:

A1: Employment Contract

This employment contract dated this ___ day of March 2015 Between:

Love Bites of 303 16th Street, Denver, CO (The “employer”)

Of the first page

-AND-

________________________________________________________________________ (The “employee”)

of the second page

Background: A: the Employer is of the opinion that the Employee has the necessary qualifications, experience, and abilities to assist and benefit the Employer in its business. B: The employer desires to employ the Employee and the Employee has agreed to accept and enter such employment upon the terms and conditions set out in this agreement. In consideration of the Matters desired above and of the mutual benefits and obligations set forth in this agreement the receipt and sufficiency of which consideration is hereby acknowledge, the parties to this agreement agree as follows: Commencement date and term 1. The employee will commence permanent full-time employment with the employer on the _________ (commencement date) Ice Cream Specialist / Assistant Manager 2. The employer agrees to employ the employee as a Ice Cream Specialist / Assistant Manager. The employee will be expected to perform the following job duties: •Provide enthusiastic, complete and excellent customer service at all times •Prepare and serve frozen ice cream creations, desserts, and ice cream sandwiches •Suggestively sell all menu items •Properly handle most customer complaints. •Accurately accept payment from customers, make change and process credit cards •Produce and prepare all required items for sale - up to the appropriate par levels

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•Successfully complete all shift checklists •Restock items for sale throughout the shift •Build ice cream sandwiches •Maintain clean, organized and inviting customer and employee areas •Maintain a safe and secure work environment and adhere to privacy policies •Ice cream specialist must assistant manager in checking in, unpacking and putting away product orders and accurately verifying vendor documents •Assistant manager must be responsible for all ice cream specialists as well as maintaining upkeep of the shop making sure there are no problems and if there are problems dealing with them in the most professionally appropriate way possible. •Prioritize and organize what tasks needs to be accomplished during the shift •Efficiently perform those tasks by effectively analyzing current business needs •Use time management skills: the ability to organize and manage multiple priorities at once •Able to seek out tasks to complete when all required tasks have been completed stay busy •Successful and on time completion and of weekly cleaning duties •Give constructive feedback to fellow employees in training •Attend all Crew Member meetings and bring useful and constructive contributions to the attention of co-workers •Communicate all performance concerns and/or issues regarding employees to the attention of the Assistant Manager •Maintain clean, neat appearance per company and health department policies and adhere to company uniform policy. Well-groomed hair and personal hygiene are essential. •Attendance, dependability and punctuality are key accountabilities given the nature of the restaurant business and the notice required to effectively cover ice cream specialist Shifts. •Perform other duties as directed 3. The Employee agrees to be employed on the terms and conditions set out in the agreement. The employment agrees to be subject to the general supervision of and act pursuant to the orders, advice and the direction of the employer. 4.The Employee will perform any duties that are reasonable and that are customarily performed by a person holding a similar position in the industry or business of the employer. 5. The employer cannot unilaterally and significantly change the employees job title or duties. The employer may make changes to the job title or duties of the employee where the changes would be considered reasonable for a similar position in the industry or business of the employer. The employee’s job or duties may be changed by agreement and with the approval of both the employee and the employer. 6. The employee agrees to abide by the employers rules, regulations, and practices, including those concerning work schedules, vacation and sick leave, as they may from time to time be adopted or modified. Employee Compensation

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7. Compensation paid to the employee for the services rendered by the employee as required by this agreement (the compensation) will include a wage at the rate of $8.75 (USD) per hour for ice cream specialist and a wage at the rate of $9.75 (USD) per hour for assistant managers as well as any compensation paid for overtime hours. 8. This compensation will be payable every two weeks while this agreement is in force. The employer is entitled to deduct from the employees compensation, or from any other compensation in whatever form, any applicant deductions and remittances as required by law. 9. The employee understands and agrees that any additional compensation paid to the employee in the form of bonuses or other similar incentive compensation will rest in the sole discretion of the employer and that the employee will not earn or accrue any right to incentive compensation by reason of the employee’s employment. 10. In cases where overtime hours are worked in a period, overtime will be paid as required by law. 11.The employer will reimburse the employee for all reasonable expenses, in accordance with the employer’s policy as in effect from time to time, including but limited to, any travel and entertainment expenses incurred by the employee in connection with the business of the employer. Expenses will be paid within a reasonable time after submission of acceptable supporting documentation. Place of Work 12. The employee’s primary place of work will be a the following location: •303 16th Street, Denver, CO Employee Benefits 13. The employee will be entitled to only those additional benefits that are currently available as described in the employer’s employment booklets and manuals or as required by law. 14. Employer discretionary benefits are subject to change, without compensation, upon the employer providing the employee with 60 days written notice of that change and providing that any change to those benefits is taken generally with respect to other employees and does not single out the employee. Vacation 15. The employee will be entitled to the following unpaid vacation each year during the term of this agreement: •25 days 16. The times and dates for any vacation will be determined by mutual agreement with a two week notice between the employer and employee. 17. Upon termination of employment, the employer will not pay any compensation to the employee for any accrued and unused vacation days.

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Duty to Devote Full Time 18. The employee agrees to devote full-time efforts, as an employee of the employer, to the employment duties and obligations as described in this agreement. Conflict of Interest 19. During the term of the employees active employment with the employer, it is understood and agreed that any business opportunity relating to or similar to the employer's actual or reasonably anticipated business opportunities (with the exception of personal investments in less than 5% of the equity of a business, investments in established family business, real estate, or investments in stocks and bonds traded on public stock exchanges) coming to the attention of the employee, is an opportunity belonging to the employer. Therefore, the employee will advise the employer of the opportunity and cannot pursue the opportunity, directly or indirectly, without the written consent of the employer, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. 20. During the term of the employees active employment with the employer, the employee will not, directly or indirectly, engage or participate in any other business activates that the employer, in its reasonable discretion, determines to be in conflict with the best interests of the employer without the written consent of the employer, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. Non-Solicitation 21. The employee understands and agrees that any attempt on the part of the employee to induce other employees or contractors to leave the employer’s employ, or any effort by the employee to interfere with the employer’s relationship with its other employees and contractors would be harmful and damaging to the employer. The employee agrees that during the employee's term of employment with the employer and for a period of one (1) year after the end of that term, the employee will not in any way, directly or indirectly: a. Induce or attempt to induce any employee or contractor of the employer to quit employment or retainer with the employer; b. Otherwise interfere with or disrupt the employer's relationship with its employees and contractors; c. discuss employment opportunities or provide information about competitive employment to any of the employers employees or contractors; or d. Solicit, entice, or hire away any employee or contractor of the employer for the purpose of an employment opportunity that is in competition with the employer. 22. This non-solicitation obligation as described in this section will be limited to employees or contractors who were employees or contractors of the employer during the period that the employee was employed by the employer. 23. During the term of the employee’s active employment with the employer, and for one (1) year thereafter, the employee will not divert or attempt to divert from the employer any business the employer

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had enjoyed, solicited, or attempted to solicit, from its customers, prior to termination or expiration, as the case may be, of the employees employment with the employer. Confidential Information 24. The employee acknowledges that, in any position the employee may hold, in and as a result of the employee's employment by the employer, the employee will, or may, be making use of, acquiring or adding to information which is confidential to the employer and the confidential information is the exclusive property of the employer. 25. The confidential information will include all data and information relating to business and management of the employer, including but not limited to, proprietary and trade secret technology and accounting records to which access is obtained by the employee, including work product, computer software, other proprietary data, business operations, marketing and development operations, and customer information. 26. The confidential information will also include any information that has been disclosed by a third party to the employer and is governed by a non-disclosure agreement entered into between that third party and the employer. 27. The confidential information will not include information that: a. is generally known in the ice cream industry; b. is now or subsequently becomes generally available to the public through no wrongful act of the employee; c. was rightfully in the possession of the employee prior to the disclosure of the employee by the employer d. is independently created by the employee without direct of indirect use of the confidential information; or e. The employee rightfully obtains from a third party who has the right to transfer or disclose it. 28. The confidential information will also not include anything developed or produced by the employee during the employee’s term of employment with the employer, including but not limited to, any intellectual property, process, design, development, creation, research, invention, know-how, trade name, trade-mark or copyright that: a. Was developed without the use of equipment, supplies, facility or confidential information of the employer; b. was developed entirely on the employee’s own time; c. Does not result from any work performed by the employee for the employer; and

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d. Does not relate to any actual or reasonably anticipated business opportunity of the employer. Duties and obligations concerning confidential information 29. The employee agrees that a material term of the employee’s contract with the employer is to keep all confidential information absolutely confidential and protect its release from the public. The employee agrees not to divulge, reveal, report or use, for any purpose, any of the confidential information which the employee has obtained or which was disclosed to the employee by the employer as a result of the employee’s employment by the employer. The employee agrees that if there are any questions as to such disclosure then the employee will seek out senior management of the employer prior to making any disclosure of the employer’s information that may be covered by this agreement. 30. The employee agrees and acknowledges that the confidential information is a of a proprietary and confidential nature and that any disclosure of the confidential information to a third party in breach of this agreement cannot be reasonably or adequately compensated for in the money damages, would cause irreparable injury to employer, would gravely affect the effective and successful conduct of the employers business and goodwill, and would be a material breach of this agreement. 31. The obligations to ensure and protect the confidentiality of the confidential information imposed on the employee in this agreement and any obligations to provide notice under agreement will survive the expiration of termination, as the case may be, of this agreement and will continue for a period of one (1) year from the date of such expiration of termination. 32. The employee may disclose any of the confidential information: a. To a third party where employer has consented in writing to such disclosure; and b. to the extent required by law or by the request or requirement of any judicial, legislative, administrative or other governmental body. 33. If the employee loses or makes unauthorized disclosure of any of the confidential information, the employee will immediately notify the employer and take all reasonable steps necessary to retrieve the lost or improperly disclosed confidential information. Ownership and title to confidential information 34. The employee acknowledges and agrees that all rights, title and interest in any confidential information will remain the exclusive property of the employer. Accordingly, the employee will specifically agrees and acknowledges that the employee will have no interest in the confidential information, including, without limitation, no interest in know-how, copyright, trademarks or trade names, notwithstanding the fact that the employee may have created or contributed to the creation of the confidential information.

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35. The employee waives any moral rights that the employee may have with respect to the confidential information. 36. The employee agrees to immediately disclose to the employer all confidential information developed in whole or in part by the employee during the employee's term of employment with the employer and to assign to the employer any right, title or interest the employee may have in the confidential information. The employee after to execute any instruments and to do all other things reasonably requested by the employer, both during and after the employee’s employment with the employer, in order to vest more fully in the employer all ownership rights in those items transferred by the employee to the employer. 37. The employee agrees that, upon request of the employer or upon termination or expiration, as the case may be, of this employment, the employee will turn over to the employer all confidential information belonging to the employer, including but not limited to, all documents, plans, specifications, disks or their computer media, as well as any duplicates or backups made of that confidential information in whatever form or media, in the possession or control of the employee that: a. May contain or be derived from ideas, concepts, creations, or trade secrets and other proprietary and confidential information as defined in this agreement; or b. Is concerned with r derived from the employee's employment with the employer. Contract binding Authority 38. Notwithstanding any other term or condition expressed or implied in this agreement to the contracted, the employee will not have the authority to enter into any contract or commitments for or on the behalf of the employer without first obtaining the express written consent of the employer. Termination due to discontinuance of business 39. Notwithstanding any other term or condition expressed or implied in this agreement, in the event that the employer will discontinue operation its business at the location where the employee is employed, then, at the employer's sole option, and as permitted by law, this agreement will terminate as of the last day of the month in which the employer ceases operations at such location with the same force and effect as if such last day of the month were originally set as the termination date of this agreement. Termination of employment 40. Where the employee has breached any reasonable term of this agreement or where there is just cause for termination, the employer may terminate the employee's employment without notice, as permitted by law. 41. The employee and the employer agree that reasonable and sufficient notice of termination of employment by the employer is the greater of two (2) weeks or any minimum notice required by law.

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42. If the employee wishes to terminate this employment with the employer, the employee will provide the employer with notice of two (2) weeks. As an alternative, if the employee co-operates with the training and development of a replacement, then sufficient notice is given if it is sufficient notice to allow the employer to find and train the replacement. 43. The termination date specified by either the employee or the employer may expire on any day of the month and upon the termination date of the employer will forthwith pay to the employee any outstanding portion of the wage, accrued vacation and banked time,, if any, calculated to the termination date. 44. Once notice has been given by either party for any reason, the employee and the employer agree to execute their duties and obligations under this agreement diligently and in good faith through to the end of the notice period. The employer may not make changes to wages, wage rate, or any other term or condition of this agreement between the time termination notice is given through to the end of the notice period. Remedies 45. In the event of a breach or threatened breach by the employee of any of the provisions of this agreement, the employee agrees that the employer is entitled to a permanent injunction, in addition to and not in limitation of any other rights and remedies available to the employer at law or inequity, in order to prevent or restrain an such breach by the employee or by the employees partners, agents, representatives, employees and any and all persons directly or indirectly acting for or with the employee. Severability 46. The employer and the employee acknowledge that this agreement is reasonable, valid and enforceable. However , if any term, condition, or provision of this agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, it is the parties’ intent that such provision be changed in scope by the court only to the extent deemed necessary by that court to render the provision reasonable and enforceable and the remainder of the provisions of this agreement will in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated as a result. Notices 47. Any notices, deliverables, requests, demands or other communications required here will be deemed to be completed when hand-delivered, or seven (7) days after being placed in the post, postage prepaid, top the parties at the following addresses or as the parties may later designate. • Employer: Name: Love bites Address: 303 16th Street, Denver, CO Email: Love.Bites@lovebites.com • Employee: Name: Address:

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Email: Modification of agreement 48. Any amendment or modification of this agreement or additional obligation assumed by either party in connection with this agreement will only be binding if evidenced in writing signed by each party or an authorized representative of each party. Governing Law 49. This agreement will be constructed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the state of Colorado. General Provisions 50. Time is of the essence in this agreement. 51. This agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, as the case may be, of the employer and the employee. 52. This agreement may be executed in counterparts. Facsimile signatures are binding and are considered to be original signatures. 53. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between parties and there are no further items or provisions, either oral or written. The parties to this agreement stipulate that neither of them has made any representations with respect to the subject matter of this agreement except such representations as are specifically set forth in this agreement. In witness whereof, the parties have the duty affixed their signatures under hand and seal on this ________ (day) Employer: Love bites Per:_______ (seal) Employee: ___________________

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A2:

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A3:

Source Name Why were these data sources used?

Centurylink Powerpro live

Utilities info, which includes average costs monthly and yearly for water, electricity, and phone/internet service.

US Census Bureau

Property tax data

JP Morgan Chase

JP Morgan Chase information was used to determine the price of SBA

US Census Bureau

The demographic data was used to better understand the business’ environment as well as potential consumers. This data was also used in evaluating the economy and wealth of Denver as well determining prospective employees.

Square.com This data source was used to research prospective POS systems. This source was also used to gather data about the POS system, including price of the system as well as types of detailed reports that the system generates for the business.

Panza & Sons LTD.

This data was used to determine ice cream ingredients prices and distribution sources.

Custom Ink This data source was used to determine the distributor for the retail merchandise as well as the prices associated with each product and shipment information.

Little Man Ice cream Cream

Employee Salary Data

Colorado.gov Employee Benefits Data

Foodservice Warehouse

This data source was used to evaluate seasonal sales data for local ice cream shops and how these shops change their operations throughout the seasons. This includes, number of employees working, hours of operation, and inventory management changes.

Pinnacle This data source is important so that Love Bites can better

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Insurance understand the different insurance plans and how much each will cost in relation to the coverage.

Powerpro Live This data source was used in finding a web service that would fit the needs of the business while also being affordable.

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XX. Resources:

Master Bilt IHC-27 Ice Cream Hardening and Holding Cabinet 19 Cu. Ft. - 208V. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, Hobart Stainless Steel Reach In Swinging 3 Door Refrigerator Cooler DA3. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015 Master Bilt IHC-27 Ice Cream Hardening and Holding Cabinet 19 Cu. Ft. - 208V. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, Pinnacle Insurance | Services. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.pinnacleinsurance.biz/services.php IPad POS, iPad Point of Sale | Square Stand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from https://squareup.com/stand? Opening an Ice Cream Store - TurnKey Parlor Blog. (2010, July 23). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://turnkeyparlor.com/icecreambusinessblog/2010/07/23/opening-an-ice-cream-store/ Harris Interactive. What would you say your favorite two ice cream flavors are?. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/268348/us-citizens-favorite-ice-cream-flavors/ Harris Interactive. What are your favorite ice cream toppings?. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/268382/us-consumers-favorite-ice-cream-toppings/ Harris Interactive. What is your favorite way to eat ice cream?. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/268366/us-consumers-favorite-way-to-eat-ice-cream/ Limpert Brothers, Inc. - Product List. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.limpertbrothers.com/products.htm Ice Cream Ingredient Brands. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://dippinflavors.com/ice-cream-ingredient-brands/ A. Panza&Sons. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.icecreamproducts.com/Ordernew.php Unite your group with the power of custom tees! (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.customink.com/ Wholesale Ice Cream Toppings, Mixes, Syrups, Cones & Paper Supplies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.regdist.com/ice-cream Circle Fresh Farms | Organic Produce Colorado. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.organic-produce.co/ Grower's Organic, LLC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.growersorganic.com/ 15 free PSD templates to mockup your T-shirt designs. Retrieved from

http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/articles/15-free-psd-templates-mockup-t-shirt-designs About us. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.unfi.com/Company/Pages/AboutUs.aspx# Browsing category "mockup". (2015). Retrieved from http://www.tinydesignr.com The cream experiences. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.creamnation.com Google maps. (2015). Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/maps/place/303+16th+St,+Denver,+CO+80202/@39.7429244,-104.9887057,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x876c78d680d0c3e1:0x7b6b36ba6d6e0acd

Made from scratch and baked fresh all day, everyday.. (2014d). Retrieved from http://www.diddyriese.com

O'Connor, C. (2013). 16th street mall revival aims to breathe life into downtown retail . Retrieved from http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22863313/16th-street-mall-revival-aims-breathe-life-into

Photos. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.littlemanicecream.com/press-releases/photos/

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What's the difference between SEO and SEM? [FAQS]. (2014). Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/seo-sem-faqs

Wohlner, D. (2015). Complete and afforable web services. Retrieved from http://www.powerprolive.com Cohn, D. (2010, May 5). The New Demography of American Motherhood. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/05/06/the-new-demography-of-american-motherhood/ Demographics for 303 16th Street, Denver, CO 80202. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ListingDemographics.aspx?LID=16540002&PgCxtGuid=1e13351d-b618-448d-a038-baf43fd05b77&PgCxtFLKey=&PgCxtCurFLKey=ProfileSE&PgCxtDir=Down Ice Cream Knowledge [Interview]. (n.d.). Bischoff, D. (2011, july 19). Comparing Different Types of Business Loans. Retrieved july 19, 2011, from Lendio.com: http://www.lendio.com/blog/compare-types-business-loans-huge-infographic/ Down Town Denver Partnership, INC. (2014, june 18). Denver DownTown. Retrieved june 18, 2014, from Denver DownTown: http://www.downtowndenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/StateofDowntownDenver_Web.pdf JP Morgan Chase. (2015, jan 3). Small Busuness (SBA) Loans. Retrieved jan 3, 2015, from Chase.com: https://www.chase.com/business-banking/small-business-administration-sba-loans Loop Net. (2014, dec 05). Commercial Real Estate . Retrieved dec 05, 2014, from LoopNet.com: http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16540002/303-16th-Street-Denver-CO/ O'Connor, C. (2013, march 25). 16th street mall revival aims to breathe life into downtown retail. Retrieved march 25, 2013, from Denver Pos: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22863313/16th-street-mall-revival-aims-breathe-life-into US Goverment . (2015, feb 05). Quick Facts Beta. Retrieved feb 05, 2015, from United States Census: quickfacts.census.gov (2015). Retrieved from www.cafepress.com (2015). Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0820000.html Dear downtown denver stakeholder Retrieved from http://www.downtowndenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/StateofDowntownDenver_Web.pdf Denver, CO Metropolitan Area. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from

http://www.clustermapping.us/region/msa/denver_aurora_lakewood_co/performance Banana Republic | SWOT Analysis | BrandGuide | MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/lifestyle-and-retail/2659-banana-republic.html H&M: Strategic Marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from https://prezi.com/tpmjfrqcdq5d/hm-strategic-marketing/