Venture Concept No. 2

1. Opportunity:
Skiing and Snowboarding are very popular during the winter time. People travel to mountains all around the country and world. Some of these people enjoy bringing their animals along with them because they are like family, and what pet or dog does not like the snow? These people then face the commitment of caring for their dog while they are out on the mountain. Some are worried about their pet being along for too long, others worry about their pet making a mess in the house, condo or hotel. They love their animals so they have a constant worry in the back of their mind all day. On powder days or bluebird days, these people will want to maximize their time on the mountain.

Innovation:
This leads me to Snow Paws, the first ever kennel at ski resorts. The first one will open at Stratton Mountain in Vermont. Snow Paws will be a store in the village at Stratton and we will be open to all kinds of pets, even though we know our most popular animal will be dogs. We will also offer a home service for those who live or are staying on the mountain. This will help relieve the worry from the customers' minds because their pets will be in good, loving hands. To my knowledge, this is the first pet kennel at ski resorts. Most of the interviewers I have talked to loved the idea and agreed that it would succeed. The price for a full day for a pet is $40 and each additional pet in the family is 10% off. Half day price would be $25, and a home visit would be $20 to help cover any transportation fees. Playtime, food, water, and belly rubs would all be included in the price. My business also offers discounts to those who have multiple pets. For each additional pet, the price decreases by 10%. We would be open during the hours of the mountain and would have extended hours during holiday seasons. Additionally, online booking in advanced would be available through our website that would be linked to Stratton Mountain.

Venture Concept:
My service would help solve the worry of leaving your pet alone at ski resorts. The customer will be able to have a worry free day, while also enjoying the company of their pet at night. Customers will use this service because it is useful and it would help put their mind at ease. All of the people I have talked to said they like the idea and would use the service. Additionally, I have received all positive feedback on my posts. I do not think it would be difficult to get customers to use this product. It is not too expensive, and it is in a convenient location. The packaging does not play a large role in this service. The only thing that would play a big role is the logo for merchandise and the store. The price point does play a large role. If my prices were too expensive, then no one would use the service, and if it is too cheap, I would not make any profit. The customer experience will also play a large role. If the customers do not have a good experience, then they will not use the service again and it could damage the brand image. To decrease the likeliness of hurting my brand image, I would require my employees and myself to have a certification that makes them suitable for this job and to ease the minds of their owners.

Unfair advantage:
My unfair advantage would be that it is an isolated area so there would be no competitor anywhere near Snow Paws.

What's next?
For now, I am going to focus on this business and its opening. There will be challenges to overcome and I want this business to succeed.

What's next for me?
I would like to see this business expand to other mountains. Hopefully one day it will be big enough that the companies that own the mountain can buy it from me for a large price. This is a dream of mine and I would get to do what I love while opening this business.

2. All of my feedback on this venture concept was very positive. Everyone said that I gave them a clear idea of what my business was about and I laid it out in an organized structure. One person mentioned the concern about dogs being allowed in hotel rooms. However, many ski resorts are different. All of the condos (unless the renter says otherwise) are pet-friendly. There are some hotels that do not allow dogs, but most of them do. I do not foresee this being an issue, because I do not deal with the booking of hotel rooms, and I know that dogs are allowed in most places. My service is going to be used while the people are on the mountain, which means they already have a place to stay. A person also suggested my displaying and having some type of certification that ensures the quality of my business.

3. Due to all of the positive feedback, I did not have to change really anything about my venture concept. One of the things I added was that booking will be available in advanced. I also added how there would be a discount offered to those who have multiple pets. Lastly, I added that each employee and I would have a certification that ensures their pets would be in good hands. The feedback that I received told me that my venture concept was clear and concise. My peers told me how my venture concept included all of the important aspects of my business.