4-Ps

• Product (what is it you're selling and what is the consumer need/problem?)

  • People in the hobby can't own many of the endangered species. Additionally, they lack the space, knowledge, time, or budget to do it consistently.

• Placement (where are you going to sell it? i.e. distribution, how will you get it there?)

  • This will hopefully be sold through my own website, though in the beginning will probably be established through Patreon. Advertisement will come from social media and in person functions such as presentations.

• Price (how much will you sell it for and what is your margin? what are the price pressures?)

  • The price will be determined by the average cost to maintain each tank paired with the cost of purchasing and running a camera. Each camera is around 50 dollars. • Sell subscriptions starting at 5$/mo and increase to 150$/mo with varying benefits. Other merchandise to be sold depending on the demand of the customers. Possible other sources of income include house plants, fish waste fertilizer, the fish themselves, or art/brand merchandise.

• Promotion (how will you get the word out to the market that you have a product for sale?)

  • Word of mouth and social media. Ideally, I will also reach out to different government organizations as well as aquariums. If they get a species from me, they must include it on the informational sign and add a brand sticker on the tank.

6-Cs + 1

• Constraints (what are the boundaries you have to work with? money, space, access to knowledge, etc.?)
  • I lack business knowledge at the moment but I am building my knowledge base daily. There is no current funding or loans for this project but I expect that to change once I start applying for funding and grants. I essentially have unlimited access to knowledge in terms of care of these species as well as the setup of the greenhouses.
• Costs (what will it cost you to start up and run your business? are costs expected to rise dramatically? incrementally?)
  • Start up costs are expected to be relatively minor compared to the size of the project. The most expensive part is the purchasing of land on which to build the project. The land itself is anywhere from 10k-900k depending on the location. Each greenhouse is around 6-10k. The cement base is around 16k for each warehouse. Building costs are estimated to be no more than 10k for the greenhouse containing fish tanks as many tanks will be sourced from donation. This includes the tanks, the building of the stands, the equipment, and so on. Asditional costs will include electricians, building inspections, and other services whose rates fluctuate. However a greenhouse containing ponds can have the additional cost of 1k per pond. Costs will rise slowly as new systems are introduced, but will only reach a certain point in which a greenhouse is running a full capacity.
• Capabilities/Skills (what capabilities/skills do you have, what's missing? who do you need to partner with and how will you pay for/barter for services?)
  • I already possess many of the skills needed for this project. However, many people within my circles of the fish hobby will be happy to help should I ask for it. However, I will need someone to do the concrete, greenhouse installation, and electricity. These will be paid for through funding, grants, or loans.
• Competition (who are your competitors and what will you be doing differently?)
  • I currently do not have any true competitions as this is the first project of its scale and intention. There is also not currently this model for aquariums, though zoos and other conservation efforts run it for large animals. Additionally, as conservation is a collaborative venture, there are no competitors in that field either.
• Customer (is there a need for your product? what would make customers buy from your versus competition? why would your customer continue to buy from you? what is your customer profile? are your customers one-time buyers (so you need to target many) or are they recurring buyers (so you need to focus on customer satisfaction)?
  • There is a need for my product as evidenced by years of research concerning size constraints, budget, time, and other constraints that prevent people from owning more fish tanks. As it is a monthly subscription, it is more important to focus on customer satisfaction. Additionally, the product is essentially limitless and each tank can be sold several times to different people.
• Conflict/headwinds: What will prevent you from being successful? lack of focus? one part of the business draining another part? balancing school and work? local zoning issues? regulations?
  • Most of the conflict comes from startup costs. This business focuses on conservation and research, both of which are aided by the business model. Funds allow the project to continue, and people watching cameras allows for better, crowd-sourced research.
• Commitment (is bank committed? partners? investors? employees? sponsors?)
  • Currently, I am 110% committed to this project. I am currently working through this to get the commitment of other parties (especially funding). As the project grows, I may seek to hire assistance in running the project.