Description of small business
The Mario’s Coffee house was founded in 1981 and still remains one of the most popular coffee shops in the region. The unique vision of the company is to “cultivate the taste and passions of Europe via Coffee” (The Mario’s Coffee Home Page 2010). The complexity and multidimensional nature of the marketing process, coupled with its innovative base, indicates the likelihood of some uncertainty about legal issues in marketing. In this business, the rewards of successful competition should serve as incentives for effective marketing action, whereas monopolistic market power, which is undesirable, should be curbed. Mario’s Coffee aims to attract people of all ages and professions who value good drinks and unique taste of coffee beans.
Description of Culture
The uniqueness of Mario’s Coffee is its history and popularity in one region. Both in physical appearance and in most aspects of their culture-notably, their language, their traditional form of administration, and their religion. In spite of provisions for moving refugees to the south, this distinction is not likely to disappear entirely. Today, Mario’s Coffee is at persistence stage of development. Anthony (the son of the founder) improved the décor and coffee lines, still he did not expand his business.
The problem is that volume size does not significantly change the cost base. Mario’s Coffee competitors provide ‘commodities’ with little differentiation and customer loyalty is low. In addition, high inventory costs and competence barriers prevent many companies to enter this market. Mario’s Coffee relies heavily on high-quality coffee beans and on-time delivery. Mario’s Coffee managers have a unique availability product they can exert a strong influence over prices and conditions of supply, therefore potentially putting pressures on the businesses purchasing their product. as the most important, there is a limited number of suppliers in this industry (Bartnatt, 2002).
Description of vision
The philosophy of Mario’s Coffee implies that such activities as pricing, management of the sales force, advertising, personal selling, credit, physical distribution, and other marketing efforts should be integrated, coordinated, and directed at satisfying consumer wants. The mission of the company is to deliver the hottest news at the shortest period. Mario’s Coffee also emphasizes that the success of the firm is dependent on profitable sales, which in turn depend on consumer action. Several characteristics distinguish this approach from other conceptions of marketing. First, it is concerned with more than the transfer of title and movement of goods. Marketing begins before goods are produced and continues after the consumer has purchased them.
Second, it emphasizes helpings to solve problems in ways that are compatible with the profit, volume, and image objectives of the firm. Third, it recognizes the management implications of adopting this view — for example, top-level responsibility for the marketing executive, reorganizing the marketing department, and integrating and coordinating marketing activities. The sales forecast is one of the vital tools of marketing planning since adequate planning and effective development of marketing resources are based on sales-forecasting data.
This necessitates translating the sales forecast into specific market, customer, product, territory, and volume goals to be realized during some future period. Thus, the sales forecast becomes the foundation for marketing programs, financial budgets, purchasing plans, personnel budgets, production schedules, plant and equipment demands, expansion programs, and other aspects of management programming (Hollensen, 2007).
Current issues facing the small business
The main weaknesses of small private business are fierce competition in the region and limitability of the proposed products. Competition is the main threat for Mario’s Coffee which is considered as local daily newspaper. In spite of weaknesses and threats, Mario’s Coffee has an attractive position based on a combination of cost management and customer services. Recent months, economic situation and crisis have a negative impact on the company as many potential customers try to save money and prefer to cook at home. Some of the repeat customers prefer to buy cheap food and visit the restaurants seldom (Drejer, 2002).
Also, the main problem of Mario’s Coffee is that it vision has gone. The small coffee restaurant did not invest heavily in new technology and regional growth but exploits its brand image and current position in the industry. In other words, the newspaper goes with the flow doing nothing to grow in the next several years (Mario’s Coffee Home Page, 2010).
Conclusion and recommendations
The case of Mario’s Coffee shows that a dynamic, abundant economy with widespread discretionary purchasing power, leisure time, and private ownership of automobiles stimulates mobility — economic, social, occupational, and geographic. In order to survive in the modern coffee industry, the core strategy of Mario’s Coffee will be based on value propositions and product differentiation is well developed. The main strengths of this strategy are clear identification of the product advantages and potential target audience. This strategy will result in a plan that can assist the company in selecting and positioning of the coffee product (Mario’s Coffee Home Page, 2010).
Greater product differentiation strategy will help Mario’s Coffee to create entry barrier for other companies and creates a unique market proposition. New customers will become loyal supporters of the brand if they receive unique products and exceptional service. Consumption is not a passive, costless, unenjoyable activity. s do not receive their products and services passively or without considerable effort. They must make purchase decisions and expend energies, time, and money for both purchase and use of products.
List of References
Bartnatt, C. 2002. Cyberbusiness: Mindsets for a Wired Age. Chichester: Wiley.
Drejer, A. 2002. Strategic Management and Core Competencies: Theory and Application. Quorum Books.
Hollensen, S. 2007. Global Marketing: A Decision-Oriented Approach. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition.
Mario’s Coffee Home Page. 2010. Web.