Create a business proposal for bake and freeze based on the information provided. Include a SWOT analysis.

Create a Sales/Marketing strategies- What type of sales incentives, places to advertise (radio, television, internet, etc), target market (age, race, socio-economic status, etc) and company uniformity.

Discuss Research and Development, Human Relations, Logistics, and Budget/Finance.

Restructuring of the financial status of Bake and Freeze. Identify problems currently existing with B&F's budget. Provide workable financial solutions for Bake & Freeze. focusing on any need to restructure the company regarding rank (hierarchy) and/or overall operation of Bake and Freeze.

comparing Bake and Freeze with direct competitors (i.e. Conn 's Appliances or any mom and pop store that sales majority appliances) to get an idea about what may work regarding the success of Bake and Freeze. Projections regarding time it would take to get Bake and Freeze back to a competitive position and what it would take to get there (i.e. potential layoffs, downsizing, organizational restructuring, etc.- this person may likely work directly with the person who handles logistics.

(R&D the process by which a company works to generate new knowledge that it might use to create new technology, products, services, or systems that it will either use or sell.)

what should be done to improve working conditions of employees (hours worked, salary, commission, improvement of employee morale, etc). Number of employees representing each department/division or store.

James M Keller CEO - 1 salary- $250,000/year Julia first-year student -1 salary - $145,000/ year - William Lancaster -1 salary - \$150,000/year - Earl Keller-Board member-1 $65,000/ year-This is his only position at Bake and Freeze Full benefits pkg including 4-week vacation per year, voting rights on board, 5-week sick time, and retirement pkg valued at $250,000.00. Salaries made by the Tech support staff salary of $30,000/yr. In-house sales division- $28,000/yr Warehouse loading/unloading staff-\$17,500/yr. Accts Rec- $38k/yr. Accts Pay- $39k/yr. Inventory- \$25k/yr. I Admin Asst- \$25.5k/yr. Shipping \& Rec Clerks- $24k/yr. Purchasing agents- $45k/yr. Please note that part-time staff makes half the amount per year. F/t management is $20/hr., and p/t is $17/hr. Staff Position Duties Middle Management - Full-time positions- responsible for overseeing divisions located at the warehouse. Mid Management position 1- Responsible for administrative staff. Oversees operation of each department, responsible for shift schedule, holding monthly meetings with staff. Also meets with fellow managers (upper management included - and leads salespersons bi-weekly. Mid Management position 2- Manages warehouse loading/unloading personnel. Oversees shipping and receiving operations, ensuring a timely receipt of appliances from Mexico, and maintaining general logging in of and distribution of appliances. Mid Management position 3-Responsible for in house and store location sales personnel. Trains sales staff to be people-oriented and instruct on persuasive styles that work to maintain good customer relationships. Oversees the flow of products sold/purchased on a nationwide and global platform. Reports to the accounting department and upper management personnel. Sales staff- (Full time)- 5 are acting as store managers in the capacity of lower management personnel by overseeing the general operation of each store (Beaumont, North Southeast, and West). Processes customer concerns, (all five locations), and motivates sales staff to sell products with energy and enthusiasm (except shipping/delivery location). Logs and observes staff time in/out reports, processes information to mid management (position 3). 6 th full time sales personnel works at south location in the capacity of general sales person. 9 part time employees ( 2 per store location/ one currently at south side locationworks in the capacity of "floater" if necessary- this is one who works at another location in the event they are short handed (as if they are not already). Sales staff (part time)- responsible for delivering top quality service with strong interpersonal skills, aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship between store and customer. A minimum of at least 3 refrigerators/ 3 ovens must be sold per day. Accounts receivable- processes and logs all payments and/or profits deemed as an asset to Bake \& Freeze, primarily from sales of refrigerators and ovens. Accounts payable- processes and logs all disbursements (including payroll) deemed as a liability/obligation to Bake \& Freeze inclusive of fuel, utilities, etc. Inventory-takes in receipt of products (ovens \& refrigerators), office supplies and equipment, and sends report of items received to accounts payable division. Administrative assistants- data entry of all inventory, revenue and supplies, solicits memos via inner office email. 10 are also currently acting as customer service concerns liaison via telephone service- answering calls from customers who wish to address problems, concerns, or mention positive interaction with Bake \& Freeze. The remaining 19 serve in the capacity of Xeroxing documents, assisting mid and upper management with daily activities, making appointments, etc. One serves as administrative assistant to the shipping/delivery location. Technical Support Staff (IT)-responsible for periodic upgrades and maintaining of software programs and ensures the functionality of hard drives and memory storage/recovery Shipping and Receiving Clerks- Maintains accurate account of shipments coming in/going out from every location (warehouse and stores are inclusive of this) Purchasing agents- responsible for securing/maintaining bids for the best possible products (appliances/office inventory) for the best possible price. They research other companies with similar size to that of Bake and Freeze to compare their operational structure and success or failure with ours. Warehouse loading/unloading staff- responsible for lifting, moving, arranging and storing, loading and unloading of all inventory arriving/departing from warehouse. Warehouse workers/drivers- Responsible for stocking store locations with our appliances, helping to arrange floor models and delivering product to customers and small commercial businesses (requesting 30 units or less) In house sales division- works to establish and or maintain relationships with commercial businesses (apartments, motels, etc) and ensuring that our global market is maintained. We currently have South America (Brazil) and Mexico City as our global customers. In 2005 we lost India (Dubai), South Africa (Cape Town) and Asia (Tokyo and Hong Kong) as our international clients. Research has suggested that this was due to their economic shift and our inability to ship appliances in a reasonable window of time. requests for time off, and sends information to mid management (position 3). Sixth full time sales personnel work at south location in the capacity of general salesperson. Nine part time employees ( 2 per store location/ one currently at south side location-works in the capacity of "floater sp if necessary-this is one who works at another location in the event they are short handed (as if they are not already). Sales staff (part time)- responsible for delivering top quality service with strong people skills, aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship between store and customer. A minimum of at least three refrigerators/ 3 ovens must be sold per day. Accounts receivable- processes and logs all payments and/or profits deemed as anset to Bake \& Freeze, primarily from sales of refrigerators and ovens. Accounts payable- processes and logs all disbursements (including payroll) deemed as a liability/obligation to Bake \& Freeze inclusive of fuel, utilities, etc. Inventory-takes in receipt of products (ovens \& refrigerators), office supplies and equipment, and sends report of items received to accounts payable division. Administrative assistants- data entry of all inventories, revenue and supplies, solicits memos via inner office email. Ten are also currently acting as customer service concerns liaison via telephone service- answering calls from customers who wish to address problems, concerns, or mention positive interaction with Bake \& Freeze. The remaining nineteen serve in the capacity of Xeroxing documents, assisting mid and upper management with daily activities, making appointments, etc. One serves as administrative assistant to the shipping/delivery location. Technical Support Staff (IT)- responsible for periodic upgrades and maintaining of software programs and ensures the functionality of hard drives and memory storage/recovery Shipping and Receiving Clerks- Maintains accurate account of shipments coming in/going out from every location (warehouse and stores are inclusive of this) Purchasing agents- responsible for securing/maintaining bids for the best possible products (appliances/office inventory) for the best possible price. They research other companies with similar size to that of Bake and Freeze to compare their operational structure and success or failure with ours. Warehouse loading/unloading staff- responsible for lifting, moving, arranging and storing, loading and unloading of all inventory arriving/departing from warehouse. Warehouse workers/drivers- Responsible for stocking store locations with our appliances helping to arrange floor models and delivering product to customers and small commercial businesses (requesting 30 units or less) In house sales division- works to establish and or maintain relationships with commercial businesses (apartments, motels, etc) and ensuring that our global market is maintained. We currently have South America (Brazil) and Mexico City as our global customers. In 2005 we lost India (Dubai), South Africa (Cape Town) and Asia (Tokyo and Hong Kong, as our international clients. Research has suggested that this was due to their economic shift and our inability to ship appliances in a reasonable window of time. Company Name: Bake and Freeze LLC Project Budget: $150,000 Board Member Information: \begin{tabular}{|l|l|} \hline Name & Role/Function \\ \hline JMK & FinaldecisionmakingrightsOverallcompanyoutlook,hiringofmanagementstaffVotingrights \\ \hline Julia Freshman & ChieffinancialofficerFinances,marketingaim(operatingcosts/purchasing/sales) \\ \hline William Lancaster & Companystructure(managementtostaffratioandstaffnumberperlocation)Logistics(centeroperationsforalllocations) \\ \hline \end{tabular} Profit/month: $65,000 (after payment of employees, building maintenance, supplies, and products) Annual Total Cost: \$1.3 million (applies to operational cost only, exclusive of employee salaries) Store Location and Profit Information: \begin{tabular}{|l|l|} \hline Store Location & Profit/Month \\ \hline South Houston & $19,000 \\ \hline West Houston & $16,086 \\ \hline North Houston & $9,231 \\ \hline East Houston (Warehouse) & $8,435 \\ \hline Beaumont & $7,248 \\ \hline \end{tabular} Bldg sizes per store: North Houston - 4,100sq/ft South Houston- 4,250sq/ft West Houston- 2,550 sq/ft Beaumont, 5,000sq/ft East Houston -Warehouse- 11,000 sq/ft Store locations and demographics for each. North Houston location is at 45N and Tidwell. Mass populus demographic market is largely Latino, Catholic based. Target Age group ranges from 19-85. Lower Middle class South Houston location is at 45S Gulf Fwy and Fuqua. Mass populus demographic market is 45\% Latino, 29\% Caucasian, 19\% African American, and 7\% Middle Eastern and Far East (Asian). Target Age range is from 17-75. Upper/Lower middle class East Houston is at I-10 and Federal Rd Mass populous is 49% Latino, 17\% Caucasian, 29% African-American and 5% Asian. Lower middle class. Target age range is from 1890 Beaumont- I-10 and 5 th Mass populous is 63% Caucasian, 26\% African-American and 11\% Latino. Lower/Uper middle class. Target age range is from 2580 West - 1-10 and Gessner Mass Populous is 69\% Caucasian, 14\% African-American, 11\% Asian and 6\% Latino. Upper middle class. Target age range is 25-65. James Keller Bake \& Freeze n 1= Current costs and sale prices for the items sold: Product Information: - Number of products sold totals $60,000 in the last 3 months. - Refrigerators and ovens have been around the same margin in terms of least common products sold. - Prices are competitive with stores such as Conn's, Fry's, and Best Buy. - Products are Frigidaire and Kenmore brands. - Products are manufactured in Mexico. - There is a lack of popularity of the products. - Low product sales numbers and low margin. Employee information/concerns: - Employee morale and productivity are low. - Employee turnaround is fairly high, especially in the sales division. - Hourly /annual pay is an issue. - Employee complaints stem around issues concerning lack of sales commission (due to the lack of popularity of the products). - Lack of incentives is a common complaint. Benefit Information: - Most of the training regarding operations comes in the form of 2-3 hour workshops for 2 weeks (Tuesday-Thursday). - Sales training is not based on commission. Employees are trained according to their standard pay. Employee Schedules: Advertising Information: - The current advertising budget is $9,000/ year. - The company is currently advertising in the Houston Chronicle. - Methods include color ads and bulk advertising. - The company does not have a Web site. Ovens- Gas- $300/ Electric- $400 Refrigerators-Top\&Bottom- $350/ Side by side- $450 Units/Store breakdown of gas/electric ovens and side by side/top\&bottom refrigerators Yearly total inventory North- 275 (125 ovens-45 gas/ 80 electric. 150 refrigerators- 62 side-by-side/ 88 top\&bottom) South- 400 (200 ovens-120 gas/80 electric. 200 refrigerators- 87 side-by-side/ 113 top\&bottom) Warehouse inventory of units 3,500 (1,500 ovens-750 gas 750 electric. 2,000 refrigerators- 1000 side by side/ 1000 top\&bottom) Beaumont- 320 (170 ovens 80 gas/ 90 electric. 150 refrigerators- 95 side-by-side/ 55 top & bottom) West- 400 (250 ovens- 100 gas/ 150 electric. 150 refrigerators- 100 side by side/ 50 top & bottom) Quarterly sales totals/store per month (these are average sales figures totaling our annual revenue of $112,600/ month 12 mnths =$1,351,200.00 ) South- 30 ovens- 17 gas 113 electric- $10,500/40 refrigs- 21 top \& bottom/19 side by side- $16,000 North 15 ovens- 7 gas/8 electric- $5,250/ refrigs-17- 8 side by side/ 9 top\&bottom $6,800 Warehouse (East)-50 ovens- 21 electric/ 29 gas $17,500. Refrigs-55-22 side by side/ 33 top\&bottom $22,000 Beaumont- 15 ovens- 9 gas/ 6 electric. $5,250/ Refrigs- 208 top\&bottom/ 12 side by side- $8,000 West- 31 ovens- 11 gas/20 electric- $10,500 / 27 Refrigs- 13 side by side/ 14 top\&bottom- $10,800 Our average units coming from Mexico per year are: Gas ovens-600 units @( $100/ unit =$60,000 Electric ovens-600 units (a) $150/ unit =$90,000 Top\& Bottom refrigerators- 900@$100/ unit =$90,000 Side by Side refrigerators-800@ $150/ unit=120,000 Total annual cost from manufacturer =$360,000 Figures reported earlier regarding $60,000 refers to amount of profit typically incurred per month. $65,000 totals figures incurred in last three months, which means that our profits have been been cut approx. 80% of our typical monthly profit. April profit totals- $24,000 May profit totals- $21,500 June profit totals- $19,500 Totals for last 3 months =$65,000 To clarify, these totals per store location are from last year's totals ($112,600.00). South- 30 ovens- $10,500/40 refrigs- $16,000 North 15 ovens- $5,250/ refrigs- 17$6,800 Warehouse actual totals- 654 employees (Upper and Middle Management are housed at warehouse) Administrative- accts receivable- 10 (full time), accts payable- 15(f/t), inventory- 20(10f/t,10p/t), admin assistants- 30(10f/t,20p/t), technical support staff- 7(f/t), shipping and receiving clerks- 10(f/t), purchasing agents- 15(5f/t,10p/t) ( 8 for appliances and 7 for office inventory) Admin total- 107 Warehouse loading/unloading staff- 300100 full time/ 200 part time In house sales division- 241 (27 f/t, 214p/t) - handles commercial/consumer purchases nationwide/worldwide Our stores are open 7 days/week, but the warehouse is not. Stores are open M-Sat from 9am-10pm. (10am-9pm for customers) Sunday from 9am-5:30pm All administrative staff hours are M-F 8am-5pm. Loading/unloading staff, delivery drivers and sales MSaturday 4am12:30pm and 1pm6pm Side-by-Side In side-by-side fridges, the freezer and the fresh food compartments each run from the top to the bottom of the fridge parallel to each other and with their own doors. The average side-byside refrigerator is 35 inches wide, 30 inches deep and 71 inches high. With the doors open to 90 degrees, the fridge is 45 inches deep. Top/Bottom Freezers Refrigerators with the freezer on the top or the bottom have similar dimensions, to within 1 inch, in that the freezer takes up about one third of the total fridge space. The average dimensions of top or bottom freezer fridges are a width of 29 inches, a depth of 31 inches and a height of 66 or 67 inches. The door adds 27 inches to the depth of the fridge when it's open to 90 degrees. Height of our Ovens and most stoves are 36 inches high so they are flush with the standard kitchen counter height. The standard stove depth is 25 inches, but oven door handles often add a few inches