Distribution or place is concerned with making products available when and where customers want them, and also includes business activities such as storing and transport. Physical location is an important aspect of the marketing mix, as success lies not only with a good product, but with providing the right product at the right time at the right place. A good product may fail if it cannot be delivered to the customer (McDaniel et al, 2008: 362).
Laser Shot technology software and accessories are sold exclusively from Laser Shot SA cc, who has sole rights to distribution within Southern Africa (Laser Shot SA, 2011). Various upgrades are available for programmes previously purchased from them. The product may be bought for training purposes, but not resold. As yet, there is no service provider located in the Southern Cape region. Price According to McDaniel, Hair and Lamb (2008: 538) price can be defined as that which is given up in an exchange to acquire a good or service.
This not only includes the physical price (money) of the product, but also other costs related to the product, like transport to the facility selling the product as well as time spent waiting for the product wherein something else of value could have been achieved (opportunity cost). Live-fire training is very expensive, ranging from R 2 per shot for a 9mm-handgun, to more than R 20 per shot for hunting rifles. At certain shooting ranges, it costs between R 70 and R 100 per day to practice (Leer reg en raak skiet... in jou voorkamer, June 2011: 23).
Without taking into account the initial cost of the Laser Shot technology systems, ten shots fired using laser technology amounts to approximately 3c (R0. 03) (Leer reg en raak skiet... in jou voorkamer, June 2011:23). Promotion Promotion's role is to bring about mutually satisfying exchanges with target markets by informing, educating, persuading and reminding consumers of the benefits of an organization or a product (McDaniel et al, 2008: 49). Promotion of Laser Shot technology has mainly been through articles in magazines or newsletters and online through the Laser Shot technology website and other related websites.
The system has received praise from numerous industry-related publications both internationally and nationally (Laser Shot Firearms Training Solutions, 2011). Word-of-mouth among hunters and trade exhibitions also brought awareness of this system to the general public interested in hunting and shooting. Laser Shot technology SA also markets directly to law enforcement agencies and to the military (Laser Shot technology SA, 2011:i?? 1). According to Stokes and Wilson (2006: 66 - 68), internal and external influences have a deciding impact on the sustainability of a business and should be considered before starting a business.
Internal factors include motives, personal competencies and management, while external factors include economic conditions, social and demographic influences, direct and indirect competition and the development and growth potential of a particular market. With regards to Laser Shot technology, external factors have the most significant effect on the viability and sustainability of the business concept. Three factors of sustainability (as defined) include economic, environmental and social sustainability.
The most important of the three sustainability concepts to the business idea is that of achieving economic sustainability. The social and environmental goals are to increase shooting sessions and to make this form of sport more accessible to people who do not own guns, but would like to participate in shooting. Even though the product has achieved large-scale success internationally (Laser Shot Firearms Training Solutions, 2011:i?? 1), this does not mean that it will be able to achieve success within the Southern Cape market.
For an entrepreneurial venture, an opportunity must exist to turn a business concept into a successful business. An opportunity can be defined as a favourable set of circumstances that creates a need for a new product, service or business (Barringer, B. & Ireland, R. 2008: 38). According to Barringer and Ireland, (2008: 39) an opportunity has four essential qualities, namely attractiveness, durability (sustainability), timeliness and anchored in a product, service or business that creates or adds value for its buyer or end-user.
In determining a window of opportunity, it was important to measure and analyze what factors were important to gun-owners and hunters, as well as their current training systems, how many people train and how much average time they spend on training and their willingness to engage in alternative training methods. This was achieved by construction of a questionnaire using different questions in each of the questions stated above. Likert-scale, dichotomous, and open-ended questions were used. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed throughout the Garden Route area.
Most of the questionnaires (91 %) were distributed directly at shooting events like CHASA and at the NMMU university campus to students studying in the fields of nature conservation and game ranch management, while a small proportion (9 %) was distributed and completed through the use of email. Of these respondents, 63 % resided in George, 18 % resided in Mossel Bay, 1 % in Dana Bay and the remaining 18 % outside the George district. The 18 % of respondents outside of George are students currently studying at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, George Campus, not local to the area.
No comments:
Post a Comment