Future for Kids

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

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1. Future For Kids (F4K) - Objectives & Problems 1

2. Strategy - Three-Prong approach 1

internal - Organizational restructure 2

maintaining current contacts

& Building new ones 2

2.2.1 Tripartite - GimmeAJob, Apple, F4K 3

2.3 Revenue model - financing pilot Project 3

2.3.1 SEMINARS 4

3. MARKETING PILOT PROJECT 4

4. FOLLOW UP ON PILOT PROJECT 5

5. CONCLUSION 5

APPENDIXES 6

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Future For Kids (F4K) - Objectives & Problems

The objective of F4K is essentially to be the cauldron in which students can dip their hands into and land themselves a better future with respect to their careers. The personification of the butterfly and the golf ball clearly illustrates the various services offered by F4K that links both the clients, in this case the students, parents and teachers, with the various options that students can pursue. The key to the success of such a service, as envisioned by F4K, is that it wishes for every possible body that is capable of adding value to the career of the students to be a partner with its entity.

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In consideration of F4K's resource status, it is clear that the successful establishment of its business will highly depend on its ability to fill its resource gaps. Money and appropriate IT skills by the right kind of people with similar motivations as F4K are the crucial factors that will kick start the whole operations. Having a well furnished office would also add to the efficiency of functioning and performing as the business reaches. Since a lot of time and effort in gathering contacts and conceptualizing the product have gone in, it is highly desirable that F4K continues in its pursuit for better offers and to stick to its goal of starting up a successful business. In addition, there is clearly a high demand for such an integrated service as F4K. It is indeed possible to pull in the right resources together with a change in procurement strategy. Therefore, it is imperative that F4K does not give up on seeing the business come alive.

Strategy - Three-Prong approach

DeLion proposes a three pronged strategy to overcome the hindrances to this start-up:

Internally ( Restructure the Organization

Garner Partners ( Tripartite between Apple, F4K & GimmeAJob (GAJ)

Self Financing

internal - Organizational restructure

Geoff and Bill reporting to each other raises the question of accountability and impartial critique. Both of these are important in progress and professionalism. A proper hierarchy� should therefore be incorporated to facilitate functions' definition and quality control. The culture could promote a flat system where everyone could approach anyone for anything. Nevertheless tasks should be properly defined, completed and assessed.

Both competency and success rates of each task will increase with such a structure in place. Everyone's deliverables will be clearly spelled and competency will be raised.

2.2 Maintaining current contacts & Building new ones

F4K's existing contacts have been classified into three categories� to facilitate the approach towards procurement and partnership. In addition, F4K should also approach new contacts such as Microsoft for more avenues. It could garner responses through the following approaches:

Receive as much governmental endorsements as well as media attention. This serves as a bargaining chip for F4K to increase awareness and recognition for partners.

Push through the pilot project. A successful product prototype adds more conviction and volume to F4K's bargaining power.

Inculcate the idea that association with F4K is an investment and not a donation. Conceptualize strategic branding efforts to clearly communicate the benefits of being related to F4K.

Tripartite - GimmeAJob, Apple, F4K

The current deadlock among GAJ, Apple and F4K has to be solved. This is absolutely imperative to easing pilot project's implementations. F4K could act as follows:

Involve Apple's Dan Walker & GAJ's Michael Holmes in their discussions with GAJ. Both are influential and are on F4K's side

Emphasis long term success rather than short term profits. GAJ's myopic view could cause cause them to lose everything and not achieve their targets.

It is imperative to launch the F4K's pilot project. Once it gets going, everybody stands to gain

If willing to forsake short term profitability, there are tremendous benefits� to be reaped by everyone. GAJ is guaranteed to infiltrate into the school community, a target segment that it failed to reach initially due to its profit-making intentions.

Upon a successful partnership, F4K will have an easier time with the pilot project and further development will be effortless. However, if unsuccessful, there are alternatives to demonstrate that F4K is self-sustainable.

Revenue model - financing pilot Project

Given the current monetary standing of F4K, budgeted costs of more than half a million dollars for the upcoming launch of the pilot project, proves to be very hefty. Nevertheless, this pilot project, that will determine the future of F4K, has to commence without further delay because the success of it could very well prove to be the turning point of F4K's woes. Suggested course of action:

Clearly illustrate and indicate on the pilot project (website), the amount of space available for advertising. This revenue generating feature will play a part in convincing debtors that there exists a feasible and reliable avenue through which the debt can be covered. Advertisers dealing with youth related goods and services would be highly keen on grabbing an ad space on this web portal.

Garner equity funding by approaching parties like venture capitalists, partners, friends and kin, related corporations in exchange for certain level of control and veto power. However, this could prove to be tricky since F4K is positioned as a non profit organization, thus potential profits to be reaped may not be substantial enough.

Gather non-equity funding through potential governmental loans, banking loans, borrow from contacts established earlier etc. "Angel Investors" could be a possible option.

Revenue forecasts� have been drafted to substantiate the feasibility of the business and to assure investors that the loans would be serviceable.

The forecast was a conservative estimate as collaboration with Department of Public Instruction (DPI) already targets 30,000 students for a start. With each consumer logging in just once a week, click rates would have surpassed the forecast. In the event that the alliance with Apple and GMJ breaks down, F4K will have sufficient resources to finance the loans, especially after its rapid acceleration in a year's time.

Seminars

To continue the business venture, the other alternative will be reducing costs, seeking new avenues to promote the services dedicated for these students. Conducting seminars or workshops to disseminate information to students from high schools will be an ideal method to sustain F4K, yet serving F4K's objectives as small fees will be collected. If packaged correctly seminars could draw huge responses as they will provide the much need information in a formal setting to students. Huge finances could be garnered through this for the pilot project. In addition, seminars serve as a vehicle for F4K to spread their "gospel" and raise the awareness among the target audience. Simultaneously overwhelming responses to these seminars would serve to indicate a strong market demand for F4K's services and would thus be an ideal drawing point for potential investors and partners. Information disseminated during the first series of seminars includes the following:

Alternatives for resources that explore their post-high school educational, training and career opportunities, including F4K.

Confidence booster and Security for these youths

Most of the well-paid jobs only required the ability to do math at a 9th grade level. Jobs for high school graduates that would lead to a well-paid career existed in a variety of fields including construction, trades, clerical and administrative support etc

To cover a theme (Ambition, Motivation, Interview skills etc…)

Further encourage the youths and impart knowledge, skills and all the know-how in this commercial times.

Preferably, seminars and workshops should be conducted in high schools; otherwise rented premises could be used. For starter, Geoff and Bill will be conducting the seminars. Motivational speakers will be brought forward as the series extend to serve their needs better. Various topics will be covered to arouse and continue interest.

Marketing pilot project

Pilot Project could be marketed through various effective channels:

Through F4K's seminars for the target audience as mentioned earlier

By conducting special previews to all schools in North Carolina and impart the know-how as well as effectiveness of F4K's portal. Positive influence of the portal on their future should be elaborated upon

Emails blast and snail mails to respective educators, partners and parents

Help from schools (under DPI's constituency) to reach out to the students

post pilot project

The projected overwhelming success of pilot project should be continued by the search for more partners and sponsors to expand the product offering. Conferences could be organize where success (statistics), endorsements and potential marketing benefits for corporations could be illustrated to further prompt prospects to aid F4K.

conclcusion

The novelty and nobleness of F4K's objectives, the motive of its creation and the fact that it serves the very real need of U.S. youths, the management of F4K should not give up their dreams at any expense. DeLion is confident of F4K's ability to realize its vision and firmly believes that it will succeed. The pressing, imperative relationship between Apple and GMJ has been addressed and it should return positively in favor of F4K. The pilot project should garner great response with genuine enthusiastic support from governmental agencies such as DPI and North Carolina Educational Leadership Team.

Nevertheless, if the relationship falls short, DeLion has proposed a series of strategies where income can be raised (through seminars and portal advertising) and the forecasted revenues could prove to be substantial to finance the project pilot loans. Part of the strategy includes revisiting existing partners and helpers (in various categories for appropriate approach) for their further support as well as to seek new alternatives. The Pilot project will be a success simply because of the demand for such a service, and the design of the product itself. More partners and supporters will come forth once a full fledged miniature portal is showcased.

With that, DeLion is confident that F4K will achieve and exceed its objectives and goals. All stakeholders including students, parents, schools, employers and even society on a whole stands to benefit from F4K's initiative and courage.

DeLion is sincerely proud to be associated with such a worthy cause and the honour is ours to be a partner of F4k.

Appendixes:

Appendix 1: F4K's concept

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Appendix 2: F4K's organization Chart

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Side note:

Bill could very well team up with Geoff to continue to peruse the acceptance of F4K by the stakeholders as well as garnering partners. Bill could also join hands with Richard to seek funds from various parties (having said that, it means Geoff should stay off fund raisings). Stacy commits to keep the office structure going so that everyone is aware of their focus.

Appendix 3: Categories of partners

Side Note:

By collaborating with them (the above), F4K would gain the support of the authority and will be accredited. Few government agencies that F4K should look into are the U.S department of Education, College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) and the Department of Public Instructions. The U.S department of Education could possibly help with funding and resources for the portal. Although there is some conflict with the CFNC, F4K should try to resolve those issues and work with them because CFNC has many supporters in North Carolina which is really important in gaining market share and being able to help the masses. Lastly, the Department of Public Instructions (DPI) can collaborate with F4K and host their programs on the F4K web portal

Appendix 4: benefits of tripartite collaboration

Appendix 5: portal's sample

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Appendix 6: Portal's information and revenue model

Geoff Cramer

Director of Marketing & Communications

(Promoting F4K)

Brian Day

Ex - Director of Technology

(Develop the portal)

Richard LaScala

Director of Development

(Fund raising)

Board of directors

Bill Ziefle

Executive Director

Stacy Lyerly

Office Manager

( Admin Support

IG Interactive Inc.

� Refer to appendix 2

� See appendix 3

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� Refer to appendix 3

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