Sales & Marketing
1. How do you plan to position your product or service in the market place?
As a non-profit, community-centric, organisation. Ethical, ecological, and community-owned, our raison d'etre is to improve the ICT facilities available to our community.
2. Who are your customers?
Young people in Needham Market have identified an Internet Cafe as their number one priority. See Needham Market and Surrounding Area Healthcheck - Youth survey Q10: 115 of those questioned would like to see an Internet/Games cafe. Q11: 110 see it as the Number 1 priority (ahead of all others, including a skatepark).
In addition, Q29 in the main Healthcheck survey identified that over 30 people in the general survey indicated that they would use Computer facilities if they were developed within the town.
Disadvantaged groups - elderly, unemployed (and underemployed), ethnic minorities, single mothers, working poor.
Community groups - help with newsletters, and IT focussed meeting space.
Disabled users - maybe as part of care package.
Children excluded from school - access beyond services offered for 30 min intervals at library.
Also retired people - WI for example.
Also, target self-employed - builders etc to do tax returns online.
With the opportunities the internet offers in communication, Needham Market Resource Centre can integrate with other local community projects, and use new communication technologies to improve the local network of community-based organisations. Online networking can also aid local media-led entertainment and community activities. Independent film nights, for example - something that happens in other small towns in the region, but not here - could perhaps be more effectively marketed and organised online. We could also give existing projects better access to new technologies. For example, helping Youth Club bands/DJs get exposure, support and advice via the internet.
There is a need to look at the structure of services - the flow of people throughout the day - to see how to appeal to different sections of society. This will guide answers to the question of how to NOT exclude people, the best example is the potential conflict between gamers and elderly users.
3. What is your pricing policy?
Free drop-in access. Free to community groups. Computer club membership/course fees. Rental of ICT enabled, multi-media, space. Membership/course fees, since it's unlikely to fully self-fund (in the short term), would be primarily as a way to build relationships and secure commitment to attending sessions.
Possibilities, dependent on funding:
Straightforward charging per hour for internet, plus additional fees for extra services - printing, scanning, disk writing.*
Concessions for specific groups.
Certain time periods free or reduced - ie for after school type access for school kids, during the day, mornings etc for pensioners.
Set-aside computers for specific tasks - maybe one free one for accessing council services? - funded by council?
Membership offering discounted rates, unlimited access etc
* Not to be used if it compromises core aims (to increase access to those most in need [who are often economically excluded]).
4. How will you promote your product or service?
Local, cheap - encourage word of mouth and use targetted publications - town newsletter etc. Innovative, low cost and unintrusive promotions.
5. How will you reach your customers? What channels will you use? Which partners will be needed in your distribution channels?
No distribution difficulties, as services are only offered in-house initially.
6. How will you do your selling? Do you have a sales plan? For example, will you sell by phone, via a website, face-to-face or through retail outlets?
Face-to-face sales will comprise the bulk of all transactions. Some email and phone interaction expected to contact education authorities, service providers etc. Perhaps bulk marketing info to all potential clients, but sales will be through people coming in to use our facilities, so will be straightforward initially.