In your answer, draw upon what you learned in this week's lesson module to address the following:

If James asked you how he could grow his business, what would you suggest?

What are the issues and opportunities of his market situation, and what products should he carry?

How would he plan his marketing mix?

Case: Westover Feed Mill

Located on the high plains, Westover was a bucolic town that offered its residents what they needed and little more. Amenities included the local dentist and doctor, grocery store, service station, caf$,$ three churches, and a feed mill. Anything else that was needed required a $30-$mile trip to the next town of Albertsville, which was rapidly becoming a small city.

What Westover was in simplicity, Albertsville was in excess. Albertsville was where the residents of Westover went to buy their cars, tractors, and farm implements; where they celebrated special occasions at the fancy restaurants; where they used the hospital facilities for their medical needs; and where the closest police department and lock up was located.

Albertsville focused on economic development by developing industrial parks and enticing manufacturing plants to locate there through substantial tax breaks. The steady growth of Albertsville was also causing Westover to grow as the plants$$ workers looked to move away from the hustle and bustle into the quiet countryside. Soon many of the farms that dotted Westover$$s landscape were transformed into housing developments filled with families and pets.

This shift from agriculture to community in Westover was felt the hardest at the feed mill. The mill had been in James Gowen$$s family for $50$ years. As James$$ once loyal customers sold their property to developers, the market for animal feed had all but disappeared. Instead the new residents were asking for all things pets: specialty pet foods, treats, and supplies such as crates, leashes, and over$-$the$-$counter pet medical supplies. James was finding he had a decision to make.

There were still enough farms in the area for James to eke out a living but there was potential for growth in this new market as well.