By focusing on its  strengths, its key customers, and the underlying values they need,  American Management Technology will increase sales to more than $9  million in three years, while improving the gross margin on sales and  cash management and working capital. 
This business plan leads the  way. It renews our vision and strategic focus: adding value to our  target market segments, the small business and high-end home office  users, in our local market. It also provides the step-by-step plan for  improving our sales, gross margin, and profitability. In order to  implement these changes and improve profitability, we plan to borrow  another $100,000 long-term this year. The amount seems in-line with the  balance sheet capabilities. 
AMT is built on the assumption that  the management of information technology for business is like legal  advice, accounting, graphic arts, and other bodies of knowledge, in that  it is not inherently a do-it-yourself prospect. Smart business people  who aren't computer hobbyists need to find quality vendors of reliable  hardware, software, service, and support. They need to use these quality  vendors as they use their other professional service suppliers, as  trusted allies. AMT seeks to fulfill these needs and become the leader  in business information technology for its region.
AMT provides  both computer products and services to make them useful to small  businesses. We are especially focused on providing network systems and  services to small and medium business. The systems include both PC-based  LAN systems and minicomputer server-based systems. Our services include  design and installation of network systems, training, and support.
In order to accomplish our objectives, our keys to success over the next three years are:
- Differentiate from box-pushing, price-oriented businesses by offering and delivering service and support--and charging for it. 
 - Increase gross margin to more than 30%. 
 - Increase our non-hardware sales to 20% of the total sales by the third year. 
 
AMT  was founded as a consulting-oriented value added reseller (VAR), became  a reseller to fill the market need for personal computers, and is  emphasizing service and support to differentiate itself  from price-oriented competitors.
We have one location--a 7,000  square foot store in a suburban shopping center located conveniently  close to the downtown area. It includes a training area, service  department, offices, and showroom area. 
AMT is a privately-held C  corporation owned in majority by its founder and president, Ralph  Jones. There are six part owners, including four investors and two past  employees. The firm includes 21 employees, under the president and four  managers. Our main management divisions are sales, marketing, service,  and administration. The service department handles service requests,  support, training, and development. At present, we are weakest in the  area of technical capabilities to manage the database marketing programs  and upgraded service and support, particularly with cross-platform  networks. We also need to find a training manager.
Recent changes  in the computer reseller market have adversely affected AMT. These  include margin squeezes, longer collection periods, and lower inventory  turnovers. All of these concerns are part of the general trend affecting  computer resellers. The margin squeeze is happening throughout the  computer industry worldwide. 
The only way we can hope to  differentiate well is to define the vision of the company to be an  information technology ally to our clients. We will not be able to  compete in any effective way with the chains using boxes or products as  appliances. We need to offer a real alliance that includes such  intangibles as confidence, reliability, and knowing that somebody will  be there to answer questions and help at the important times. 
Our  support services, with which we hope to capture market share will  include such services as; training, upgrade offers, installation  services, network configuration services, etc. The company will seek to  aggressively pursue new opportunities. 
AMT focuses on local  markets, small business and home office, with special focus on the  high-end home office and the 5-20 unit small business office. 
The  last study we saw published has retail sales growing at 5% per year,  while Web sales and direct sales are growing at 25% or 30%.
There are several different kinds of computer retailers within the industry including:
- Computer  dealers: often focused on a few main brands of hardware, usually  offering only a minimum of software, and variable amounts of service and  support. Their service and support is not usually very good and their  prices are usually higher than the larger stores. 
 - Chain stores and computer superstores: usually offer decent walk-in service, with very aggressive pricing, and little support. 
 - Mail  order: offer aggressive pricing of boxed product. For the purely  price-driven buyer, who buys boxes and expects no service, these are  very good options. 
 
None of these direct competitors provides the customization and service that small businesses such as our clients truly need.
Small  business buyers are accustomed to buying from vendors who visit their  offices. They expect the copy machine vendors, office products vendors,  and office furniture vendors, as well as the local graphic artists,  freelance writers, or whomever, to visit their office to make their  sales. Many small companies turn immediately to the superstores (office  equipment, office supplies, and electronics) and mail order to look for  the best price, without realizing that there is a better option for them  at only a little bit more. 
We need to effectively compete  against the idea that businesses should buy computers as plug-in  appliances that don't need ongoing service, support, and training. Our  focus group sessions indicated that our target home office markets think  about price but would buy based on quality service if the offering were  properly presented. They think about price because that's all they ever  see. We have very good indications that many would rather pay 10-20%  more for a relationship with a long-term vendor providing back-up and  quality service and support; they end up in the box-pusher channels  because they aren't aware of the alternatives. 
We currently  depend on newspaper advertising as our main way to reach new buyers. As  we change strategies, however, we need to change the way we promote  ourselves. We will be refocusing on our core message of service through  radio, cable TV, sales brochures, direct mailers and newspapers. We need  to sell the company, not the product. We sell AMT, not Apple, IBM,  Hewlett-Packard, or Compaq, or any of our software brand names. 
The  Yearly Total Sales chart summarizes our ambitious sales forecast. We  expect sales to increase from $5.3 million last year to more than $6  million next year and to more than $9 million in the last year of this  plan. 
                                                                                                                                     1.1 Objectives
                                                           - Sales increasing to more than $9 million by the third year. 
 - Bring gross margin back up to above 30%, and maintain that level. 
 - Sell $1.5 million of service, support, and training by 1998. 
 - Improve inventory turnover to 6 turns by 1998. 
 
                                                         1.2 Keys to Success
                                                           - Differentiate from  box-pushing, price-oriented businesses by offering and delivering  service and support -- and charging for it. 
 - Increase gross margin to more than 30%. 
 - Increase our non-hardware sales to 20% of the total sales by the third year. 
 
                                                         1.3 Mission
                                                           AMT is built on the assumption  that the management of information technology for business is like legal  advice, accounting, graphic arts, and other bodies of knowledge, in  that it is not inherently a do-it-yourself prospect. Smart business  people who aren't computer hobbyists need to find quality vendors of  reliable hardware, software, service, and support. They need to use  these quality vendors as they use their other professional service  suppliers, as trusted allies. 
AMT is such a vendor. It serves its  clients as a trusted ally, providing them with the loyalty of a  business partner and the economics of an outside vendor. We make sure  that our clients have what they need to run their businesses as well as  possible, with maximum efficiency and reliability. Many of our  information applications are mission critical, so we give our clients  the assurance that we will be there when they need us.