MBALI MDLOVU IB1

WATERFORD KAMHLABA UWCSA RESEARCH PROPOSAL

11 NOVEMBER 2013

RESEARCH QUESTION: Is Woodlands Restaurant's location suitable for an objective of increasing its market share? RATIONALE: Woodlands Restaurant is based in Ezulwini and offers a wide range of activities to its customers to entice them into enjoying and experiencing the glamour of the service they offer. It is situated in an isolated area just near the main road and this might be the major cause of its low number of customers. Other restaurant, mostly at The Gables where there are a lot of shopping centres, and the easier reach of customers ensure a high customer base for these other restaurants. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Some financial and non financial factors will be taken into account. !ecision frameworks such as the break even analysis will be used to analyse the financial status of the restaurant. "on financial techni#ues will include $orter%s generic strategies, S&O' analysis, Ishikawa fishbone model as well as the ( why%s to #uestion the issue of the business%s less market share.)ost of these decision making strategies will be much useful in evaluating the structure of the business and its location inorder to come up with the best possible method of increasing the si*e of its market si*e relative to those of other restaurants in the area, as much as possible. AREAS OF SYLLABUS COVERED+ ,.-+Organisational $lanning 'ools.( why%s, S&O' analysis, Ishikawa /ishbone model0 ,.1+2rowth and 3volution.$orter%s generic strategies0 4.,+'he 5ole of )arketing.process and physical environment0 4.-+$lace METHOLOGY: PRIMARY RESEARCH+ 6Interviews with management7)rs 8eya Singano,)anager in Woodlands Restaurant,to determine the current position of the restaurant, and which strategies they were using to boost sales and their service to be appealling to their existing and potential customers inorder to implemen t the best possible techni#ues to increase the company%s market share. 6Questionnaires for regular customers and other customers to get an overview of their personal opinions and response to the food sold in Woodlands Restaurant and whether its the best location for the restaurant to allocate in, and what them to have an interes t in the service provided by Woodlands Restaurant. 6Interviews with a few competitors of Woodlands Restaurant,for instance restaurants in The Gables that provide close substitutes of the food provided at Woodlands Restaurant, and interview them on how they maintain or increase their market share and how their best location in a more busy area allows them to have more revenue. SECONDARY RESEARCH: 65eview of the compny%s past records on its sales to determine the trend in its financial figures and whether implementing new strategies help in increasing market share and sales revenue and sales revenue 1

65eview o f recent relevant articles about the restaurant from the internet and how the restaurant is marketed to potential customers to an extent that it can ac#uire a high market share. ACTION PLAN DATE TASK 9 :; <ugust :;,= 'opic selection =, <ugust :;,= Interview with manager <ppointment postponed to a week later since she had to gather much information about the company

MODIFICATIONS

= September :;,= Interview conducted again with the manager :; September :;,= ,= "ovember :;,= ,- "ovember :;,= 5esearch proposal submitted /eedback received 5esearch on Happy Valley asino from the internet )ight consider changing the company to Happy Valley due to delayed response and data from the &oodlands 5estaurant manager

: !ecember :;,= Interviews with management at Happy Valley asino - !ecember :;,= >uestionnaires to existing and potential customers 9 !ecember :;,= ?olllate collected data to produce a draft of the project and review company information ,( !ecember :;,= ,9 !ecember :;,= :1 !ecember :;,= :9 @anuary :;,4 Interviews with management S&O' analysis and ( whys frameworks $oter%s generic strategies and Ishikawa /ishbone model Supervisor%s feedback ?hanges where instructed by supervisor about the company and strategies used )odification of some techni#ues where possible

,9 /ebruary :;,4 /irst draft due :( /ebruary :;,4 /eedback for firs t draft and working towards the final project ,( )ay :;,4 /inal submission 2

POSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS PROBLEM SOLUTION Aiased financial data when carrying out the market research from the manager "ot asking indepth financial data but simple less information on th e prices charged on the food and drinks sold,and the perhaps the overall costs of production

Bnrealistic response from some customers who Bse a relatively large sample and including may try to give a good impression instead of both closed and open ended #uestions for the true image of the restaurant #uantitative and #ualitative analysis.Bsing mostly closed #uestions for customers but open ended #uestions for management