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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Aircraft Equipment Maker Business Plan

Stretch 'r Wings


Stretch 'r Wings is a start-up company making medical interior equipment for aircraft operators and hospital flight programs. Stretch 'r Wings will design thoughtful, complete, and cost-effective medical interior solutions and sub-contract some of the manufacturing.

Stretch 'r Wings has identified and is working to complete four objectives that will assist them on their path to profitability. The first objective is to obtain Supplemental Type Certification (STC) approval from the FAA. The second objective is an initial prototype of the design. Next is the need to secure parts manufacturer approval. Finally, there is the need to develop a comprehensive marketing plan and promotional campaign.

Stretch 'r Wings will target aircraft operators and hospital flight programs in both the United States and international markets. Currently, these two segments have the highest market potential. Stretch 'r Wings will reach these segments in several ways, including direct mailings, brochures, through a website and e-commerce, advertisements in trade publications, and a demo unit. The main segments that will be targeted are the US market as a whole, international markets, and the military. All three segments have a five percent growth rate. The US market has 800 potential customers, 300 for the international market, and 100 for the military market.

Stretch 'r Wings will leverage their competitive edges, which are based on product innovations/features and price competitiveness. The first edge is their use of an aluminum frame that creates a strong, light unit that is easily assembled. The next edge is a built in storage device, maximizing the precious available space. Lastly, Stretch 'r Wings will employ a glide ease stretcher system making entry and exit as easy as possible. All Stretch 'r Wings units are designed to be compact, efficient and safe.

Stretch 'r Wings has assembled a strong management team to execute their solid plan. ** is the product design master for Stretch 'r Wings. He has a 20-year career in industrial design and recently has been concentrating his designs on medical applications due in part to the fact that his wife is a physician. **, the business mind of the company, complements our design master. ** will assume operations and strategic planning functions. He has spent the last 17 years as the Vice President of operations of a $45 million bicycle manufacturer.

Stretch 'r Wings will achieve profitability by the end of year one, with profits rising steadily through year five. Sales for year two are conservatively pegged at $230,000, growing to $634,000 in year five. Stretch 'r Wings is an exciting business that combines innovative designs for an unmet market need. It will be led by a seasoned management team.

**Names have been removed for confidentiality.

1.1 Objectives

The following are the business goals and objectives for Stretch 'r Wings:

  1. Obtain STC approval from the FAA on eight of the most popular general aviation aircraft.
  2. Build a protype of a medical interior for FAA conformity inspection.
  3. Upon completion of the first STC, Stretch 'r Wings will secure a Parts Manufacture Approval (PMA) from the FAA.
  4. Develop a marketing plan, sales literature, website, e-commerce, and sales department. This step will be implemented after the approval of several STCs.

1.2 Mission

Stretch 'r Wings intends to develop and market a quick-change medical unit for aircraft and helicopters. This unique product will allow the aircraft owner/operator to carry regular passengers or quickly change to carry a medical passenger. The medical unit is a self-contained life support system with an internal component of oxygen, air, vacuum, and both DC and AC electrical power. Stretch 'r Wings will develop, manufacture, and market this product.

1.3 Keys to Success

Since the aircraft industry is highly regulated for product conformity, Stretch 'r Wings will need to obtain the necessary STCs and PMAs from the FAA. Although the company's staff has had several years of successful experience in doing STCs, this process may take longer than is planned, which could negatively affect the company's prospects.

Once the company's products are approved by the FAA, the next key to success will be strong marketing efforts to increase brand awareness and customer acceptance. For this purpose, Stretch 'r Wings will attend all major trade shows, publish high quality sales literature, and provide after-sales service to its clients.

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