Label-less Business Plan

Hello, all! If you're new, welcome to Social Entrepreneurship! This is a course where we discuss the importance of creating a successful business. Lately, we've been learning more about sales pipelines/funnels, techniques, etc, as well as speaking to different people who either run businesses or have been associated with business openings. In the last month or so, the class has spoken to James Bateman - the owner of Gadabout in Virginia - and Matt Nicklin - an entrepreneur/investor. They were nice enough to meet with us virtually and answer our questions regarding business set-ups and the process.

The mission of this Action Project is to create a business plan that you believe could yield investments. I decided to create a unisex clothing brand that is trendy and affordable.

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Label-less

OVERVIEW

I am a big shopper and a big spender. I wear what I like and whatever looks good on me and I shop in every department. I have always been bothered by gender-specific clothing that is labeled men's and women's.

But Label-less is a unisex online clothing store that sells trendy urban wear for affordable prices. It is set up to succeed during times of closure such as COVID-19 and though there may be a conversation about having a physical store after the pandemic, as of right now, having an online store would be best. We open up our sales opportunities to anyone with an internet connection.

This business falls under Sustainable Development Goal 11 which is sustainable cities and communities. This goal owns up to its reputation by making sure cities and communities are inclusive, safe, and most importantly, sustainable.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Label-less is to demolish the division created by men and women's sections in mainstream stores and provide quality, affordable urban wear for all individuals.

VISION STATEMENT

Label-less will efficiently and respectfully provide quality urban wear at affordable prices for all individuals while growing from a small business to a well-known brand name.

MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES

These are the major roles in a web team:

• Web Manager

Responsible for the maintenance, design, development, content, and marketing of a website or a group of websites.

• Content Producer

Writes, develops, edits, and publishes content and copy for a variety of digital platforms.

• Designer

Creates visual templates that can be used as means for online communication and/or interaction with customers.

• Developer

Writes code for the website.

PARTNERSHIP

Label-less could be a partnership. There are many opportunities to share a space with other retailers or for major retailers to open a Label-less section. All of which would make this business more successful regarding management, sales, and/or clothing design.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Here are the products we sell and the average prices for those products.

Tops:

T-shirts = $7.00

Sweatshirts = $10.50

Sweaters = $12.50

Hoodies = $14.00

Bottoms:

Jeans = $15.00

Sweatpants = $10.50

Shorts = $7.00

Skirts = $6.50

Dresses:

Maxi = $16.00

Mini = $13.50

T-shirt = $11.00

Skater = $9.50

Shoes:

Sneakers = $17.50

Flats = $10.00

Sandals = $12.00

Boots = $18.50

Accessories:

Bags = $15.00

Belts = $5.00

Jewelery = $5.00-$15.00

Fanny Packs = $8.50

Self Care: 

Bodycare = $18.00

Skincare = $12.50

Haircare = $16.50

Tanning = $12.00

DEMOGRAPHICS

The demographic information for Label-less:

- targeted age range: 15-35 

- income range: lower-median income range and up

- apparel size range: XS-3X 

CITATIONS

Andrea-University of Toronto, The Best Unisex Clothing Stores, 2018: https://www.collegefashion.net/shopping/best-unisex-clothing-stores/

SDG 11, SDG Indicator Updates, 2017: https://medium.com/sdgs-resources/sdg-11-indicators-2017-updates-b43bcbfe54fb

USB Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan

Shane Diffiley, Roles and Responsibilities of a Web Team, 2013: http://www.diffily.com/articles/webteamroles.htm

JM Portfolio, Don’t Be Self Conchas, 2020: http://jmpgcelabschool.blogspot.com/2020/03/dont-be-self-conchas.html

RP Portfolio, Savor The Flavor Business Plan, 2020: http://rpgcelabschool.blogspot.com/2020/03/savor-flavor-business-plan.html

CONCLUSION

Overall, this project cool. I've never had the energy to do a business plan, but this project forced me to do so which is a good thing. I've always wanted to create some sort of business associated with fashion along with the idea of advocating for gender equality so, I'm happy I did this for the sake of the future.

Chapter Eight: Afforable and Clean Energy

Welcome back to Economics! Previously, we shared our thoughts on whether college was worth our time and money while using the principles we learned in class. But, as of right now, we just finished a book that goes by the name of Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate Raworth. It mostly explained the history of economics and how it has changed over time. At first, we read the first three chapters by ourselves, but about a week later, we did an activity where we divided into four different groups, each read a chapter, and presented our take-aways with the class. But once our Action Project was announced, we were asked to write an additional eighth chapter to Raworth’s book while following our guiding question, “how do we view the economic world?”

Noun Project, Work From Home Outline, Nikita Kozin (2020)

The additional chapter to Raworth’s book would be about affordable and clean energy. In Raworth's book, she explained that “EARTH, which is life giving—so respect its boundaries Far from floating against a white background, the economy exists within the biosphere—that delicate living zone of Earth’s land, waters, and atmosphere. And it continually draws in energy and matter from Earth’s materials and living systems, while expelling waste heat and matter back out into it. Everything that is produced—from clay bricks to Lego blocks, websites to construction sites, liver pâté to patio furniture, single cream to double glazing—depends upon this throughflow of energy and matter, from biomass and fossil fuels to metal ores and minerals.” In other words, affordable and clean energy is something that should be sustainable but reliable, not for the rich or the poor, it is well-deserved for everyone. According to UNEP, "three billion people rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating." So, when we use those types of fuels such as charcoal, for cooking, it increases indoor air pollution, which is responsible for killing four million people every year.

Reflecting on my research, I came to the conclusion that renewable energy sources are powerful and that it is very important for the future generations of the world. And if we continue to invest in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and thermal power, then by 2030, there will be universal access to reliable energy services. 

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Works cited:

“Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy,” United Nations Development Programme, 2020. https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-7-affordable-and-clean-energy.html

“Icons And Photos For Everything,” Noun Project, 2020. https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=energy+saving&i=929080

“Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist,” Kate Raworth, 2017. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YbD2-9_jhNHhRInxmcHJFdTXWZhPSYaa/view

Is College Seriously Worth It???

Thank you so much for watching!

So, the mission for this Action Project was to share our thoughts and research on whether college is really worth our time and money investments using the principles we picked up from class. 

Please take a look at the slideshow below to see the details and calculations.

 

Overall, this project was difficult but cool. I am not always too keen on talking about my future, especially since college is involved at this point. But this project gave me the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into my interests and the colleges that have them. Oh! And I've also found a few college choices that I may apply for!