Alison Case Study

What is the main issue that Alison is facing? And, what are three (3) underlying issues?

The main issue that Alison is facing that whether she should give up her stable job to open a business in the coffee industry ，and is it a right opportunity to start a business and to be a entrepreneur.

The three(3) underlying issues:

1. There are many competitors(coffee shops) in the city. For example, there are two coffee shops which are Tim Horton’s and a Co-op Gas Station and Food Mart in Martensville.

2. Alison may face the problems of fund. Specifically, when Alison start a business, she should pay a lot of money on house decoration, employee’s salary, etc. Therefore, if Alison does not have a strong fund base, she may have problems of money.

3. What product should be produce. In other words, if Alison start a coffee shop, what special goods and coffee’s type will be sell to attract and satisfy customer, obtaining more consumers.

If Alison decided to start her coffee shop, who would her competitors be? Given these competitors, who should she target? How should she position / brand the business so it stands out and provides unique value to customers?

　　 If Alison decide to start her coffee shop, Tim Horton’s and a Co-op Gas Station and Food Mart will be her competitor, and Tim Horton’s should be target because Alison’s coffee shop will provide higher quality than Co-op, and they target different customers.

Providing unique value to customers is an important thing for Alisonr to consider. Firstly, she should communicate and connect to the customer. She needs to know what kind of coffee or other food the customers want. Understanding the customers’ mental activity, what kind of incentives can attract them to buy again, such as price, quality, taste,