Company Background
Establishment
Living Ventures Limited is a group of restaurants and bar brands established by Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts. The business started as a piano bar and restaurant that was mixed to match the different modules to satisfy the needs of patrons. Bacon and Roberts opened the first Living Room in Manchester in 1999. Today, it has expanded to include the Mosquito Bar Lounge, Dining Room Restaurant, and the Study and Vampire Suites that are free to the whole public (Chomka, 2012). The company had other brands like Prohibition and Grill restaurants that were sold in 2005. It expanded its operations in 2005 by buying a 40% stake in the Living Ventures and selling its Italian restaurant chain (Est Est Est). Today, it is among the fastest-growing middle-size companies in the United Kingdom and its plan to expand beyond this border may place it in a higher position.
Vision/ Mission Statement
The mission of this company is to offer its employees a subconscious awareness of the basis of their professional objectives. The employees of this company are considered a very important part of its success and their growth will transform its operations and reputation. Therefore, it focuses on improving their skills by offering opportunities for them to explore various challenges that will sharpen their talents (Chomka, 2012). The vision of this company is to transform resources into centers of happiness and instill a sense of belonging to its employees.
Enterprise Strategy
The strategy adopted by this company ensures that it expands its operations through two approaches. The company made some mistakes by targeting a small percentage of the population. However, it took drastic measures to correct this mistake by doing the following. First, the addition of outlets like Est Est Est is a transformational strategy for Living Ventures that is expected to provide opportunities for the company to diversify and venture into the food and beverages sector (Falcone and Tan, 2013). The company believes that it is possible to redefine its original brand as a unique and high-quality brand to inspire its clients. Moreover, the main focus of this company is to ensure its employees offer the best services in the market. The company expects to expand its operations by attracting clients and offering adequate space and services for them (Thompson, Peteraf, and Gamble, 2013). Bacon and Roberts realized that the business was successful and used this strength to expand its operations.
Corporate Level Strategy
The company focuses on utilizing the potential of its employees and ensuring they make good use of the available resources to benefit themselves and investors. Personal growth is achieved by ensuring that all employees undergo frequent training regardless of their levels of education or work experience. The company offers two weeks of training for all employees to ensure they acquire new skills and knowledge that are vital in improving their performance (Chomka, 2012). Moreover, managers have to undergo A10-week training on the needs of all departments before being assigned shifts. Bacon and Roberts realized that the top managers of this company need to have experience working with its employees. Therefore, they strategized to develop a succession plan that gives preference for internal promotions to motivate employees.
Moreover, the company believes in teamwork and promotes unity among its employees by organizing theme parties every summer. Senior managers and head office staff are treated to parties and other incentives that motivate them to bring together all employees (Falcone and Tan, 2013). Its 2012 prehistoric party became the talk of the town in the United Kingdom due to the excitement offered by the campfires, dinosaurs, free bar, and other forms of entertainment featuring a live band and deejay.
Lastly, the company awards employees, according to the best sales, mystery dinner score, head chef, general manager, and training unit. The cup awards have inscriptions and cash prizes are also given to the best employees. These awards are supposed to motivate employees to work hard and get recognized for their contributions in improving the performance of the company (Thompson et al., 2013). In addition, they motivate employees to have healthy competition and an outstanding performance record.
Business Level Strategies of the Primary Line
Living Ventures Limited focuses on offering lounge and restaurant services in various regions in the United Kingdom. The uniqueness of its services makes this company successful in all its activities. For instance, the establishment of its themed restaurants targets specific populations or classes of people. The Manchester House was established to keep busy people that enjoy gastronomy (Chomka, 2012). Its numerous food hubs offer attractive delicacies where tourists and locals can enjoy a variety of meals as they enjoy the ambiance of the local environment. Roberts and Bacon’s initial strategy was to offer food and drinks to travelers and people enjoying their holidays. However, the turnout of the local populations surprised them and this became a motivation to specialize in offering continental dishes, especially to North Americans.
The company achieves its corporate strategic level by training employees and equipping them with specific relevant knowledge relevant to improving its performance. In addition, it conducts regular refresher training of managers and exposes them to the responsibilities of various departments to ensure they understand all the operations of the company (Chomka, 2012). The guests that are attracted to this company understand that they get value for their money. Annual parties and awards to members are common strategies that this company uses to ensure to promote a unique culture of appreciating the role of its employees.
Attitudes towards Growth
Strategic Posture
The strategy employed by this company is unique because it focuses on improving performance, expanding the business, and motivating employees. It focuses on the need to portray a unified company whose employees know their roles and appreciate working in the company (Thompson et al., 2013). The satisfaction gained by its employees attracts customers that appreciate companies that treat respect and love their workers.
Current Corporate Strategies
The corporate strategies used by Living Ventures Limited include awareness of the work environment and the needs of its customers. In addition, the managers understand the importance of new skills in improving performance and transforming this company. The stiff competition from other restaurants in the vicinity motivates this company to diversify its line of products and offer customized services.
Organizational Chart
A major weakness facing this company is that it has a centralized management system. Roberts and Bacon are the sources of authority and this means that their word is final. The end-year events organized by the company for managers are a letdown because they show that there is no equality in this company (Chomka, 2012). Discrimination of employees amounts to defiance and may subject this company to conflicts. The management system shows that the company recognizes and appreciates the importance of senior employees only.
Relationships between Product Lines
The success of subdividing this company into strategic business units has not yielded the expected benefits because of the nature of its products and management system. Roberts and Bacons remain the chief directors of this company, yet they have not assigned any major roles to the managers of its subunits (Falcone and Tan, 2013). The diversification of the product lines of this company from a beverage restaurant to lounges and hotels exposes it to the enormous challenges that deter faster growth (Chomka, 2012). Other unique corporate-level strategies employed by this company include fostering skill-based training that ensures employees have the right knowledge to perform their roles.
Business Level Strategies of the Primary Line
The primary function of this company is to offer restaurant services to customers. It specializes in providing bar and lounge services and food and beverages to the public. However, the line is not open to everybody because of their unique features.
Functional Level Strategies
The explicit functional levels of this company include a robust management system that ensures all employees undergo regular training to acquire new skills and refresh their minds (Falcone and Tan, 2013). On the other hand, the implicit functional level strategies of this company include the subsidization of its services. There are no discounts or other incentives offered to customers to attract and retain them. In addition, the company does not highlight the variety of services offered in each unit and its uniqueness. Therefore, customers assume that all units offer similar services.
Industry Analysis
General Information
A major capital boost occurred in December 2005 when the duo sold their three Prohibitions bars in Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool for $ 4.3 million. It has more than 3,000 employees that work in its outlets located in different parts of the United Kingdom. The company reported a turnover of $ 176 in 2014 and forecasts a 10% growth rate for the next three years (Thompson et al., 2013).
Porter’s Model Power Relationships
The threat of new entrants in the hospitality industry is a serious threat facing this company. First, it has to strategize and use new practices to accommodate customers from different generations. Secondly, there are numerous substitutes like energy drinks and fresh fruit juices that attract a larger market than alcohol. Thirdly, the high bargaining power of buyers makes this company a better choice for most customers (Falcone and Tan, 2013). The company is located in urban areas where people are used to high lifestyles. The bargaining power of suppliers has maintained a stable value and this means that the budget of this company accomplishes most of its targets. Lastly, the high rivalry in this industry offers opportunities for this company to conduct regular evaluations of its strategies.
SWOT Analysis
The strengths of this company are based on the experience of its directors that worked in different high-class restaurants. They understand the needs of this industry and how to navigate its waters. Secondly, the company trains its employees; therefore, they are sure they will use the knowledge gained to improve its performance. However, a major weakness facing this company is that its centralized management system locks out employees that may have contributions to improve its performance. The opportunities created by globalization place this company in a higher rank than its competitors. Its effective marketing strategy offers it an enormous publicity opportunity to promote its products. However, the culture of the United Kingdom is diluted because of the spread of western cultures. In addition, the youths form a bulk of today’s market for goods and services yet this company has not aligned its strategies to target them.
References
Chomka, S. (2012). Business Profile: Living Ventures Limited. Web.
Falcone, P and Tan W. (2013). The Performance Appraisal Tool Kit: Redesigning Your Performance Review Template to Drive Individual and Organizational Change. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Thompson, R., Peteraf, M. and Gamble, J. (2013). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases. New York: McGraw-Hill.